The Kids In The Old Mansion

Chapter Eleven

PART ONE - TRAINING

Toph and Wen didn't speak as she led him down the forest path alone. The fallen branches cracked under his bare feet and the leaves swished as he brushed them out of the way, but he didn't hear them.

When the reached a small clearing, Toph stood and glared at him. He saw her mouth move. Well?

"I am deaf," he said, "I can only tell what you're saying if you face me."

Oh, sorry, you're just so good that I sometimes forget. Like, when people ask me where something is even though I can't see it and we're in snow. I just glare in their direction until they get it, you know?

"Yeah. And thanks, I would've never thought you were blind when we met unless you'd told me so yourself."

Thanks. Now. Your feet are bare, right? Right. Sit down. Close your eyes. Put your hands on the ground. I'm going to cause an avalanche a few feet away, say something when you feel it.

He nodded. And waited. Eventually, she touched his shoulder. Didn't you feel that?

"No."

Maybe it's because I'm an Earthbender. I thought of that. She Earthbended a hole in the ground. It was two or three feet deep and about two feet wide on each side of the square. She pointed to me with one hand and the river with another, then put both hands pointing at the hole in the ground.

Wen jumped into the hole and bent some water so it was in up to his chest. Toph sat down in front of him. Focus on the water. Feel how it remains still, even as it moves, as the Earth does. Just as I can feel the planet turning, you can feel the water, even though it seems still, flowing around your body. You can see it is still, but your eyes lie. Focus and think of how water would sound.

Wen nodded and bent himself a block of ice to sit on. This may take a while, he thought, closing his eyes. 

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"Is he asleep?"

"Should we wake him?"

"How long has it been?"

"Four hours."

"I hope he's okay."

"Of course he's okay, Su!"

Wen opened his eyes. "What?"

"Did you hear us? Zari asked slowly, using sign language as he spoke.

Wen grinned and closed his eyes. "I..I think so," he said softly.

"You hear me, Wen?" someone asked. Her voice was gentle, in awe.

"Yeah.. Su?"

At this, the small Earthbender stepped into the pool and hugged him and screamed, "You aren't deaf!"

"But I think I will be," Toph said. To Wen, she said, "Glad you're not deaf." Then she stalked off.

"I can hear!" Wen screamed.

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PART TWO - GROWING FLOWERS

The Waterbender held his bowl of water nervously as he knocked on the door. "Su?"

Toph opened the door and walked out, grinning like she knew what was going on. Because of her seismic senses, she could guess well enough.

Wen was left with a sleeping Su. He walked in and closed the door behind him, then turned to look at her. She was pretty like this. Her hair was curled ever so slightly over her face, and the sunrise's colors were displayed across her body. Yellow to red to purple to blue, all shining on her. Her mouth moved, and Wen could tell she was saying something. He wondered what.