Ripples In The World

Chapter 11 - A Mother's Eyes

*Image not my own* I will eventually draw Umiko with all the outfits...

Sorry again about the lack of activity! I pinkie promise I will upload by the end of the week... maybe even tomorrow because it's finished but if I don't space them out you'll have longer to wait for the next one... You decide :)

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I crept forward on my toes silently, crouched over with my bow in hand ready to draw back when I was in position. It was one of the things I had learnt from Longshot; to not draw till you are ready or your arm will tire faster. It had confused me for a while how I was supposed to aim before I had the arrow drawn but I had persisted and I seemed to be getting the hang of it.

I crept closer and closer to the munching hog monkey using the water dancing skills I already had to keep my balance on the thinning tree branch. Just a little closer... aim... draw... release. The arrow whizzed through the air and with the sound of a squeal and splitting wood my arrow pierced itself into the tree's broad trunk, barely nicking the hog monkey. The frightened creature quickly swung away with a series of cries and howls, most likely alerting any nearby creatures of the danger that was supposedly me. With a running leap I made my way over to retrieve my disappointing arrow.

After retching it from the living timber's rough grasp I noticed there was a small tuft of fur flowing about off of the razor tip: a little brown tuft of fur held to the steel by coagulated blood. Well at least I'd hit it...

"Little more to the left and you'd have got him." Smellerbee's distinct voice called out. I turned to her with a half-hearted smile, still disappointed I missed. She jumped over and put a hand on my shoulder as I was still taking a knee holding my arrow, "we'll make a hunter out of you yet. Come on let's get back Jet wants to see us."

I followed her along the maze of tree branches, vines and ropes back to the tree village and back to my hut to put away my bow and arrows. I wonder what Jet wanted... I wonder if he's going to be disappointed I came home from a hunt empty-handed. Home... I can't believe I just used that word again. It seems like such a foreign thing to me.

I met up with Jet and Smellerbee inside Jet's tent. He was laying on his bed playing with the seeding grass in his mouth when I walked in, hands behind his head in his usual state. "Smellerbee here tells me that you almost got a hog-monkey this morning." He sat up and looked at me.

Almost... "Sorry it was just –"

"Nice job! Tomorrow you might get him!" Jet said with enthusiasm. He wasn't disappointed? I suppose we didn't need the food but he has such high hopes for me.

"Ha, well I hope so. So what did you need us for?" I asked taking my hair out from its think wavy ponytail.

"Well, I've had an excellent idea I was just telling Smellerbee about. What if you two go into town and get some Intel on the soldiers so we can get rid of them completely." He explained.

I mulled it over in my head before expressing my thoughts out loud, "yeah, that would work well. I'm new so they would have never seen me before and I could ask around like a tourist." This plan sounded good I had to admit.

"Alrighty then!" he clapped his hands together, "Go into town and get yourselves some clothes to change into, I think your water tribe clothes might be a little bit of a giveaway. Then wander around some of the restaurants where the soldiers eat and see if you can listen in or follow them if you see them going places."

With our mission details we left his tent, a sudden wave of excitement washing over me. Jet had entrusted me with this important task! I wasn't sure how I would cope seeing Fire Nation people after my only experience with them but this would be a learning curve for me so I took it with an open mind. Besides my mission was to expose their cruelty and ruthlessness so this won't be that hard.