Fina

Chapter Nine This Little Girl

“HI!” She says excitedly. My heart is racing but I try to cover my obvious terror. This…little white lands girl just found me and what lies next I really don’t know.

“What’s your name…and what are you doing?” She asks with a laugh. My heart still pounds but now…not as quick.

“I…I…” Oh gosh what name! Fina is such an obvious Fire Nation name…uh…uhhhh. “I’m Era.” Okay what?! Why did that pop in my mind…it means “air” oh well whatever it’s done.

“Nice to meet you Era, I’m Raya!”

She seem…sweet. My heart is finally not racing.

“What are…what are you doing out here?” Raya asked looking around looking at all my stuff going on.

“I…” Seriously, what am I suppose to say?! “I ran away.” Well I didn’t lie that time.

“Ohhh, why did you do that? Are you not happy with your mommy and daddy?” Raya says in a very sincere voice drizzled with confusion.

“I was, but something happened, and I can’t go back.” I answered vaguely.

“And you picked now to run away? That was silly cold weather is on the coast, you can see it!” Raya says and turns to the clouds that have rolled in closer.

“Yah…” I reply, actually I didn’t know.

“Well…” Raya pauses and turns on her heels back the way she came. What is she doing?

“Come on, you can come home with me.” Raya says with a big smile looking over her shoulder.

I…what? How? I don’t understand why or the rest of those questions but I stand, grab a couple of my bags except for my clothes and follow this little girl back down the beach. She apparently believes I am a White Land girl so I guess it would be okay to go with her. According to her, cold weather is approaching and I do not want to get caught in the middle of that. I take a look back at my attempt at a shelter and realize that my “attempt” is…was not going to work. For my own safety it might be better that I do have a secure shelter to be in. I follow this little girl, whose hair just bounces up and down as she walks with such happiness, such innocence, such simplicity.

“So Era?” Raya says without looking back. Her voice, another voice something foreign to be by now shocked me a little and made my heart skip.

“Uh…ye…yes?”I stumble over my words.

“Why did you run away?” She asks again.

“I would rather not say.” I respond with my eyes averted away.

“Why?” Raya persists.

“It’s personal.” I respond.

“Why?” She says AGAIN!

“Because!” I say more forceful.

“Okay fine.” Raya said with a sigh. “I don’t really care anyways. My momma says that peoples secrets are theirs, we just have to be hospitable and we will be happy.”

“That’s nice.” I smile. That’s some good luck on my part, this family sounds really nice.

“Era?” Raya says and takes a few steps back towards me so that she’s walking along side me.

“Yes.” I say with a laugh.

“Are you a Wind?” Raya asks me without looking into my eyes, just staring out ahead of us down the beach.

“Uhh…what?” I say in confusion. Wind? What on earth is that? Is that like a Gifter? Is that what they call Gifters here? Wind?

“You know.” She exaggerates her statement, “Wind, can you control the wind?”