The Ruka Wild ↠ Book 1 > A:TLA [Avatar: TLAB-LoK Watty Awards 2018]

Chapter Thirty-One:

Ruka (1)

I found Sokka sitting alone. He was looking down to his lap shamefully.

"Hey."

Sokka looked up to me and I gave him a weary smile. "He's okay. A little shaken up, but he's okay. We need to leave, Sokka. Now."

Before Sokka could say anything, Katara came down. "Oh, hey Ruka. You're back."

I gave her a small wave.

"Have you guys seen Jet?" She asked. "I can't seem to find him. He's back too, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he's back. But we're leaving!" Sokka said from over his shoulder.

Aang, who was seated behind Katara, frowned. "What?!"

"But I made him this hat." Katara said sadly while bringing her arms from behind her back and showing us a goofy looking hat.

"Your boyfriend Jet's a thug." Sokka said angrily.

Katara raised her brows, "What?! No he's not!"

"He's messed up Katara!"

"He's not messed up! He's just got a different way of life. A really fun way of life!" Aang defended.

I shook my head, "No Aang, it's true. Katara, he's not right in the head."

"Bumi wasn't right in the head." Katara said.

"But Bumi wasn't robbing innocent, elderly folk."

She furrowed her brows, "What are you talking about?"

"He beat and robbed a harmless old man!" Sokka confessed.

"I want to hear Jet's side of the story." Katara said with her brows furrowed and arms crossed. I scoffed, "You're kidding, right? You don't believe your own brother or sister? I took the poor man back to his town afterwards!"

"The Earth Kingdom town?!" Katara widened her eyes. "The Fire Nation took over that town, Ruka!"

"It doesn't matter Katara. What matters is that your boyfriend isn't trustworthy at all. We're not safe here." I said.

"I need to listen to Jet's side of the story." Katara stood her ground. I groaned, "Fine! Let's go find him! I'd love to hear what he has to say!"

I stormed off to look for Jet while Aang, Sokka, and Katara followed behind me.

When we found Jet, he seemed a little uneasy at the not so happy face I gave him. Katara and Aang told him what Sokka and I told them.

"You two told them what happened but you didn't mention that the guy was Fire Nation?" Jet said with some disappointment in his voice.

Katara and Aang looked back at us, "No. They conveniently left that part out."

Sokka removed himself from the wood he was laying back on. "Fine. But even if he was Fire Nation, he was a harmless civilian!"

"He was an assassin, Sokka." Jet pulled out a knife and stabbed it into a cut three trunk that was in front of him. He began to twist the top, "See. There's a compartment for poison in the knife. He was sent to eliminate me. You helped save my life, Sokka."

"I knew there was an explanation." Katara smiled. "I didn't see any knife." Sokka defended.

"That's because he was concealing it."

"See Sokka." Katara turned to Sokka and I. "I'm sure you just didn't notice the knife."

"There wasn't a knife! Not once did that man pull anything out on me, even though we tried to kill him!" I got in between Sokka and Katara. "Just admit it Jet, you're crazy."

Katara gasped at me, "Ruka! Apologize!"

"He wouldn't hurt you. You're not a threat."

"There was no knife!" Sokka and I stood our
grounds. "I'm going to the hut and packing my things." When I turned to follow Sokka, my wrist was grabbed to stop me. I looked down and Jet looked up to me with a frown. "Don't follow him, Ruka. I need you for another important issue."

I yanked my arm away, "I will never help you."

>>>

Sokka and I started to roll up our sleeping bags and pack any other loose belongings of ours in the hut.

"There was no knife, right Sokka?" I said slowly while I tied my rope to my pack. Sokka nodded. "There was no knife. We're right on this one Ruka."

"We can't leave now with the Fire Nation about to burn down a forest!" Katara exclaimed when she walked into the hut.

Sokka stood up and put his hands on his hips, "I'm sorry Katara. Jet's very smooth but we can't trust him."

"You know what I think?! You're jealous that he's a better warrior and a better leader!"

I groaned, "Agni Katara! Could you be more oblivious?! Jet isn't who you think he is! You just met him too!"

"As did you and you're already lying and accusing him of such awful things!"

"I'm not lying!"

"Okay! Enough! Katara, I'm not jealous of Jet. It's just that my instincts-"

"Well my instincts tell me we need to stay here a little longer and help Jet," Katara turned around to leave, "C'mon Aang."

Aang looked back to us while he followed Katara, "Sorry Sokka. Sorry Ruka."

I sighed, "Yeah, me too."