now or never || an atla fanfic

𝔰𝔥𝔞𝔱𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔡

Every bone in her body told her to run.

Every circumstance of this situation screamed red flags.

Why was she standing in the middle of the forest, all by herself?

What did she mean?

Katara refused to stand any closer, swallowing down any fear.

"Who are you?" she asked so softly that she was sure the woman didn't even hear her. Her eyes scanned the woman, searching for any weapons, any signs that she might pose a threat. On the outside, she seemed like a harmless elderly woman.

"My name is Hama," the woman explained, her raspy voice sending chills down Katara's spine. Hama's eyes trailed over her, lingering on her face for a beat longer, as if registering her features. Her eyes glinted in the light.

"And I'm one of the last few waterbenders of the Southern Water Tribe," Hama added.

Her mind spun. Their tribe lost thousands of benders after the persistent Fire Nation raids, their numbers dwindling over the years. Their military relied solely on man-made weapons as protection.

Her father never confirmed it, but Katara knew deep down that there were no longer any trained waterbenders. Any woman who had the ability to bend was kept away, their talents used only for healing purposes.

"You can't be serious," she breathed. Any possibility of another trained waterbender was ruled out in her mind. How could this be possible?

"I am serious. And I knew from the instant I saw you that you're a waterbender too?" Hama asked, stepping closer towards her. There were barely a few feet between the women, and the princess could see Hama's features more clearly, the wrinkles in her face more obvious in the moonlight.

Katara wrung her hands together. She was treading on thin ice. "No, I'm just a healer," she replied. If Hama found out that she was a waterbender and reported her, she would face serious repercussions at home, princess or not.

Women weren't allowed to waterbend.

That was their tradition in both tribes.

"I know what you're thinking, but you can trust me," Hama said in a comforting tone. The way she spoke reminded Katara of her own mother.

"They forbade us to practice our own gift, merely because of who we are," Hama spoke in a sorrowful tone, her eyes trailing to the forest, lost in thought. "It's unfair. I feel that these traditions were passed down for so many generations as a means to suppress women, to prevent them from being involved in the hundred-year war, from joining the military, forcing them to rely on men to protect them."

Katara's heart softened, easily sympathizing with Hama's words. She had brought up those exact same points to her father, to the royal advisors, to her brother, but her protests fell on deaf ears.

She wrapped her arms around herself as a means to comfort herself and shield herself from the shrill cold wind.

"I know exactly how you feel," Katara sympathized.

Hama smiled softly. "I understand you must be wary of me. But let me teach you something. Think of it as a gift. I learned it during my time in the Fire Nation prisons before I escaped."

"You escaped?"

The woman nodded grimly. "During the Fire Nation raids, all waterbending masters were taken and locked away. My brother was one of them. I was only a healer then, but I still fought back so that he could stay alive. I wasn't a master, to be frank, but my insolence cost me years in prison, where I practiced my craft. It is the only reason that I'm here before you."