Mercy (Zuko)

Chapter Thirteen: The Siege of the North

"Nice try, Pupil Sangok," Pakku says flatly. "A couple of more years and you might be ready to fight a sea sponge." Pakku waves his hand and the frozen wave that trapped Sangok suddenly melts, sending him splashing to the ground.

I retain a chuckle as I watch, feeling sorry for the boy yet proud of Katara's fast-learned skills in waterbending.

"Would anyone care for a rematch with Katara?" Pakku asks, but no one dares speak up.

Katara has spent her morning winning several sparring matches with Pakku's students and is practically untouchable. I've been watching from my usual spot on the outskirts, but I stopped receiving curious looks from everyone else long ago. Pakku has been working with me at night for about a week, and then I'd pay close attention to all of his lessons during the day. He still won't allow me to join his students in practical work because of Chief Arnook, but he doesn't shoo me away; he lets me stay and observe, even taking the time to demonstrate things for me that I didn't fully understand.

Pakku's eyes land on me. "How about you, Kohina? Would you like to spar with Katara?" he challenges.

Katara is far more advanced than I am, having been able to start her training with Pakku earlier, but I smile nonetheless.

Practice makes perfect.

"I'll be glad to," I accept.

This is the first time Pakku has allowed me to join in during sparring, and the rest of the boys watch me curiously. None of them have seen me waterbend since I took my frustrations out on Talo.

I face Katara, and we both shift into our forms after bowing respectfully to each other. Neither of us move when Pakku declares the match on; each waiting for the other to throw the first punch. One of waterbending's main principles is turning our opponent's offense against them, so to make the first move as a waterbender, especially against another waterbender, could be seen as less strategic.

However, I think I picked up a thing or two from my days with the firebenders.

I suddenly whip my arm out, my body moving fluidly as a rope of water went flying toward Katara's face. She manipulates it around herself, ready to use its momentum to send it back to me, but I'm faster. With a lunge, I raise both of my arms and the snow around me melts, forming a wave that cumulates behind me. It rushes Katara, but at the last second I divert it, fainting out, which throws her off slightly. It congeals behind her and strikes her legs, freezing them in place.

She wastes no time in melting it to use for herself, but I'm already charging her. I know I wouldn't win a fight against Katara with just my waterbending, so I have to use other means. My hand-to-hand abilities are superior to hers, I know that, but I also know that she'd do anything to keep me away.

Katara, as expected, redirects the wave back at me, hoping to push me away, but I split it down the middle, my path unwavering. Katara dodges just in time to avoid my kick, and uses the stream of water to buffer me away. I jump back, struggling to take the current out of her control, but it gives me enough of a distraction to duck under it and sweep her feet out from underneath her. As I'm about to pin her down, Katara flings her arm in my direction, a flurry of snow in its wake, and I'm blinded as it stings my face. I stagger back, not wanting to be within her direct range, but that gives her time to jump up from the ground. I blink away the snow, my eyes watering and my cheeks red from the sting of its chill, and take up my defensive stance again. The roles have reversed.

She sends another wave at me, and I use it for cover to get close to her again. Waterbending is more powerful at a distance, sort of like earthbending. If I can invade her space, it limits the moves she could make against me. I run at her from the side, ducking under a water whip but failing to notice the tentacle that's wrapped itself around my leg; Katara got the upper hand and caught me when I was exposed. She trips me before sweeping me up in a wave, one too strong for me to fight against, and freezes it just like how she captured Sangok. I'm finished.