The Legend of Arin

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE: SCAMS AND SCARES

TWO DAYS LATER, the group had found a large area to camp out in. Katara and Toph were readying themselves for a fight against Aang who was blindfolded. Toph had been teaching Aang seismic sense, that being why he had on a blindfold. The three younger kids were in a wide triangle formation before Toph acted first.

She erupted a piece of earth where Aang stood, the boy sliding out of the way. This continued until Katara attacked. He leaned back, bending the water back at her. This three-way fight continued until Toph sent a rock towards Aang, the boy manipulating the ground as he sunk, the rock hitting Katara harshly.

"Maybe you should take your own advice, Toph." Referring to when the younger girl told Aang to visualize and then attack.

"What's the matter? Can't handle some dirt, Madame Fussy Britches?" Toph taunted. Katara's eyebrow twitched as she erupted a large-scale water wave and avoided her and Aang, completely drenching Toph.

"Oh, sorry, did I splash you, mud slug?" Katara fired. Toph, trembled with annoyance, sliding on a rock slide towards Katara, the water bender using an ice slide to near the girl. Aang prepared for attack only for impact to only affect Toph and Katara as they crashed into one another, flying into a mud puddle.

"Are we taking a break?" Aang questioned, clueless.

"SNEAK ATTACK!" Sokka yelled, war-crying as he raised a hand to attack Aang. Aang sent a rock mountain in front of Sokka, frightening him.

"Sokka, sneak attacks don't work if you yell it out loud," Aang told him with an amused smile as Sokka fainted backward. Aang looked over to Toph and Katara, fighting in the mud puddle.

"Hungry for a mud pie?" Toph kicked the muck at her face.

"I'll give you a mud pie." Katara wiped her face, jumping up and punching the air, a swing of mud knocking Toph down. Toph shot back up, raising an earth pillar, and pushing Katara into the air as she yelped.

The two continued to fight until a gust of wind erupted between them and pushed the two girls away from one another, they froze and looked over to Arin who had her arms crossed, an annoyed expression on her face.

"I thought you two were supposed to be helping Aang train. So, tell me," She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. "Why are you two fighting?!" She raised her voice slightly the two girls standing up straight, facing Arin.

"Uh, we are training!" Katara smiled nervously, Arin raising an eyebrow at the obvious lie. "And I believe we've had enough training for today." She gulped. Arin sighed and reached out a hand, pulling the girl out of the mud.

"While Katara cleans up, let's go have some fun." Toph walked awkwardly out of the mud towards the boys who shouted in agreement.

"I'll wash your clothes, just put them by the river while you wash up," Arin told Katara who nodded.

Arin watched Toph and the boys head their way into town and she shook her head. They would be careful, she knows that.

She waited around the corner, folding her own clean clothes before heading to where she told Katara to leave her own. She grabbed them up and began to wash them.

It was an hour or so that it was just her and Katara around camp when the three kids came back laughing, baskets of food in their hands.

"Where did you guys get the money to buy all this stuff?" Katara asked, stirring the soup she had begun to make.

"Toph got us money," Aang said as he ate an apple. "She scammed one of those guys in town who moves the shells around all sneaky-like." Aang sat down and Arin raised an eyebrow.