𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐊𝐍𝐈𝐅𝐄 ── sokka

𝐱𝐢𝐢. ────── a heavy silence

They're thugs," Haru muttered. "They steal from us. And everyone here is too much of a coward to do anything about it." He crossed his arms over his chest as he watched the other's reactions.

"Quiet, Haru! Don't talk like that," his mother scolded. It reminded Azari a lot of her own. She missed her.

"But... Haru's an earthbender? He can help!" Katara pointed out, but Haru's mother only shook her head at the comment.

"Earthbending is forbidden. It's caused nothing but misery for this village! He must never use his abilities."

"How can you say that? Haru has a gift? Asking him not to earthbending is like asking me not to waterbend. It's a part of who we are," Katara spoke.

"You don't understand." Azari did. She always did.

"I can understand that Haru can help you fight back. What can the Fire Nation do to you that they haven't done already?" Katara asked, though Azari shook her head lightly, trying to avoid what was to come next.

"They could take Haru away! Like they took his father." Haru's mother sounded pained, as if she were reliving the memories in her head. The shop filled with a heavy silence, one that Azari had long become accustomed to.

Azari stepped forwards, her blue clothing catching in the sliver of light from the blinds. "We are very sorry for disturbing you, Ma'am. We'll be out of your hair as soon as possible," she said, her voice sweeter than anyone had ever heard her speak.

"You guys are welcome to stay for a night," Haru offered just as his mother shot him a look only a mother can. Azari knew of the silent conversations; she and Zuko shared them more than either would like to admit.

The four of them quietly followed Haru and his mother back to their home, a small house and a barn on the outskirts of the town.

"My mum said you can sleep here tonight. But you should leave in the morning," Haru stated as they reached the barn. Azari let out a small giggle as Appa hurried inside, eating the hay.

"Thanks. I'll make sure that Appa doesn't eat all your hay." Aang nodded as Appa stopped munching on the hay, though he resumed without much thought. Azari walked into the barn; Aang and Sokka followed suit not a moment later as Katara continued to talk to Haru.

Aang busied himself with his airbending, Sokka with his boomerang. Azari took her whale bone knife out of her shoulder bag and looked at it. "You know, you never told us where that came from," Sokka's voice said.

"I was found with it, it said that already."

"Sure, but that doesn't explain much." Azari said nothing more on the topic as she placed the knife down as she tried to mediate in the setting sun. It reminded her much of the life she used to live-one she knew she couldn't go back to even if she wanted to. There was nothing for her there.

Azari tried to focus on anything other than the overwhelming sense of guilt that racked her mind, not on the recurring nightmares that seemed to linger in even the brightest of days.

"Hey, Riri," Aang called out, breaking her out of her tranquil state. She blinked, opening her eyes, staring at the airbender in front of her. "Oh, sorry... Sokka couldn't find the flint and-"

"What makes you think I know how to start a fire?" She asked.

"I, uh-" Aang mumbled, unsure of what to say as Azari got up and made her way to the campfire where they were trying to stay.

"Do you have any dry wood?" She asked, gripping her knife harder in her hands.

"Um, here." Sokka gave her a couple pieces. "What do yo-" He tried to ask but stopped midway through as he saw Azari cut away a v-shaped notch on one and used the other one to create friction to start the fire.