The Warrior - Book One [AtLA]

One: The Air Nomad

𝐒𝐞𝐧 - 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐎𝐧𝐞 - 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐎𝐧𝐞

I was quietly sitting in my tent, my warm pale blue clothing kept the chill from affecting me. I watched with an unamused glance as I waved my hand over the small shards of ice that followed my right hand as I waved it over them.

Waterbending, though Katara was much confident in self-teaching, we were the only benders in the tribe with Sokka and I being the only warriors.  

I was useless in a battle however, that was found out when the Fire Nation took the last group of benders from the tribe. My fears then were too much, it took me years before I Waterbended again. I shudder at the thought, my control over the ice dropping causing it to fall into a puddle on the floor.

"Sen! Gran-Gran!" Katara's loud yell caused me to peak outside my tent. 

She was running towards the village with a boy looking to be about twelve with his arms across her and Sokka's shoulders. He seemed to be asleep or, rather, unconscious. Gran-Gran had stepped outside too and ushered them to put the boy in a tent to recover. I walked out and frowned at Katara before turning my gaze to Sokka.

"Was that an Air Nomad? I haven't heard of any being alive for 100 years," I slowly comment.

"Sen! His name's Aang, he is an Airbender! He has this giant flying creature too!" Katara gushed.

"Has war shown you no hesitation?" I frown, "While the idea of an Airbender being alive sounds foolish, to bring him here outright was bold."

"What of the tower of light?" Gran-Gran commented as she approached.

"Light?" I mused.

"He was stuck in a massive ball of ice! When we freed him the light shot up," Katara explained.

"What if a ship was nearby?! If the Fire Nation see we have an actual Airbender-" "They won't! It'll be fine!" Katara cut me off with a glare. 

I huff and fold my arms while Katara goes to wake up Aang. I keep my eyes on the horizon and walked over to Sokka, he seemed unhappy about the situation as well.

"What do you make of this, Sen?" Sokka asked me with his head down.

"If he is an Airbender, we have to keep him from the Fire Nation. I'm just hoping they won't show up," I wince at the thought. 

"We're warriors Sokka, together we stand a chance even better if the nomad can help defend himself," I say as I walk back to my tent. 

I sit and look at my armour that lay on the chair in my tent. Arm plates and a water pouch much like Katara's. I fasten the pouch to my waist and slide on the armour, I had too much of a suspicion that there was a ship in the area. I might not be able to keep my secret if they arrived this time, however. 

I stayed inside as there was a commotion outside, Katara could be heard then Gran-Gran explained to her an Air Bender hadn't lived for 100 years. I simply shook my head, having benders in a 'bender-less' tribe was a risk and a half. 

I slowly rose to my feet. I suppose there were the times Gran-Gran had said the tribe would need me. I was the oldest male here and did have the title of leader slapped on me for the reason I was a five years older than Sokka. He was fifteen while I stood as an adult at twenty. 

As I walked out of the tent, I could sense the tribe looking at me as if they wanted me to deal with the situation. Aang looked very nervous about seeing me, to the point he shot a nervous glance at Katara. As I approached, Sokka decides to proceed with an interrogation of Aang, snatching his staff and examining it closely; viewing it through the lens of war, he assumes it is a weapon and somewhat derisively deems it a failure, having blunt ends which are incapable of stabbing anything. Aang snatches his staff back with bending and glares at Sokka.