The Legend of Arin

CHAPYER FORTY-FOUR: TAKE OUT

ARIN AWOKE WITH A GASP. She rose from her lying position and looked around. This place was... familiar. She looked around more carefully and saw it was... her bedroom. Her room at the Western Air Temple, to be exact. She turned to sit on the bed with her feet on the floor with a small grunt, Katara must've healed her side.

She stood up slowly and neared her glider that stood propped up on the wall where she left it over 100 years ago. She ran her hand over the woodwork and smiled to herself. She glanced around the room again and saw everything where it was before, completely untouched.

Her chest of clothes, her jewelry, her makeup, everything. She smiled and moved over to a chair. Someone had removed her clothes and left her in her undergarments, a fresh wrap of bandages around her abdomen, looping over her shoulder.

She put her clothes back on, her tubed dress with thigh slits and her pants. She slipped on her boots and threw her shawl over her shoulder, tying it loosely around her waist to not hurt her side. She let down her hair, brushing it out and leaving it down as she left her room.

She made her way to the courtyard, where her friends sat grouped around a fire. Toph was the first to notice her presence with a shout of her name.

"Arin!" She yelled making the group turn to look around before landing their eyes on Arin standing by a doorway, a warm smile on her face.

"Arin!" Aang jumped up first, running to his sister as fast as he could. He hugged her tightly and she embraced him. "I was so worried about you." He whispered, tears threatening his eyes. The rest of the group came to hug Arin as well, a group hug ensuing.

"We missed you so much," Katara murmured.

"I would say I missed you too, but I've been asleep. How long was I out?" Arin asked, eyes wandering among the group.

"Nearly three days," Sokka told her and Arin widened her eyes in surprise.

"Oh, wow. Three days without any kind of food or nourishment. You guys have anything cooking?" Katara nodded eagerly and led the girl over to their fire.

"I tried to make some tea, but it's not as good as yours." Katara handed the girl a cup and she sipped it.

"It's amazing, Katara. Thank you." She smiled and the group began to fire up a conversation. Arin listened intently as she ate her soup.

As the group spoke to one another, Arin heard shuffling beside her until she noticed Sokka now sitting right next to her.

"Sokka? You okay?" She asked as she noticed the boy's pursed lips and tense eyebrows.

"Are you really okay?" He whispered to her with concerned eyes. The airbender let out a small laugh and she nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"I just... this wouldn't have happened if I had been paying attention back during the invasion. I just wanted to make sure—" Before he could continue, Arin pinched his ear with furrowed eyebrows. "Ouch! What was that for?" He rubbed the ache and Arin raised an eyebrow.

"I hope you don't blame yourself for my injury. I willingly jumped in the way and didn't want to worry anyone. My condition was my own fault. Don't stress about it." She patted his back harshly and the boy slightly lunged forward at the force. He let his lips turn into a weak smile and nodded as he turned back to the group conversation.

THE DAY WENT BY smoothly but it seemed Aang was avoiding talking about learning fire bending. The group, even Arin, had tried to convince him to talk about it, hoping to spark any ideas of who could teach the boy the element.