Entwined

Chapter 2

 When Katara woke the next morning, the sun was almost directly above the earth. Being waterbenders, she and Hama slept in well after the sun rose.

She dressed quickly, braiding her hair as she walked down the wooden stairs. Her grandmother wasn't down yet, so she relished in the silence and went to the window. There were only two windows in the tower: the one in Katara's room and the one in the middle tier. Unlike the window in her room, the one she was looking out now was the only way to leave the tower. Whenever Hama left on her monthly trips outside, Katara used a pulley system to get her grandmother to the ground. It was a tiring process, but it strengthened her arms and helped her work on her bending stance.

Katara had lost count of how many times she'd looked out this window, imagining herself stepping onto the wooden board, grabbing the rope and wheeling herself down to the ground. She leaned her elbows on the window sill and looked out. The tower was surrounded by lush forests and smooth cliffs. Below, she could see a blue stream and green grass. What would it be like, she wondered, to step into the stream and feel the water rush around her ankles? Or lay in the soft grass as if it were a blanket?

She wanted, no, needed to see what was out there. She understood why she couldn't leave the tower when she was younger, but she was practically an adult. She was almost a master bender, too. She knew she could handle whatever was out there. Now that she was older and stronger, her grandmother might just let her go.

This was it, Katara decided. This was the day she would ask her grandmother to go see the southern lights. Hama could come along if she still deemed it unsafe for Katara to go.

Katara stepped away from the window filled with determination. The minute Hama walked down those steps, Katara would ask her. She would convince her.

She made breakfast as she waited, glancing toward the steps once in awhile. Once that was done, she did the laundry, polished, and waxed. As soon as she started sweeping, Katara heard the stairs creak.

Excited, she dropped the broom. "Good morning, Grandmother!" she greeted cheerfully. Hama gave a small smile in response, then frowned a little as she glanced at the broom that lay haphazardly on the floor. Smiling sheepishly, Katara quickly picked it up and placed it against the wall.

"I made breakfast, so take a seat and I'll get you a plate," she then said, ushering her grandmother to a chair at the table. As Katara grabbed a plate, scooped some food onto it and set it in front of Hama. She then went on, "So, Grandmother, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh?" Hama replied.

Katara nodded. "As you know, my birthday is in two weeks, and-"

"Katara," Hama then cut her off mid sentence.

"Yes?" she responded, frowning slightly.

Hama folded her hands. "Have you practiced your other forms of waterbending yet this week?"

Katara blinked. "Well, I... No. I haven't."

Hama's face remained expressionless. "Look over there," she nodded her head to the left.

Katara turned her head, only seeing a wooden cabinet. "I don't-" she began, but then she saw it.

A small black creature with a long nose darted in and out from under the piece of furniture, making quiet chattering noises. It was an elephant rat. They often climbed their way inside the tower in search of food. Katara was the one to dispose of the innocuous creatures, setting then on the window sill and letting them climb down the tower.

She tuned back to her grandmother with a questioning look. "Do you want me to heal it? It doesn't look hurt..." she trailed off.

Hama shook her head. "No, Katara. I don't want you to use your healing abilities."