Sea and Sky

Chapter 3: Silhouette

Sea and Sky

Chapter 3: Silhouette

Mainland's Edge

With  much honesty, Katara could say she was lost. She had reached the  mainland without much trouble, having sourced a fallen tree to use as a  makeshift board, she'd propelled herself through the narrow South Sea  channel back to the continent. Where she had made landfall, however, she  wasn't sure.

The sky was streaked with lashes of pink and orange  as the sun lazily rose over the horizon, animals began to chatter and  buzz far off in the heavily wooded area around the beach she slowly  paced. Letting out a small huff, she quickly dropped onto the sandy  shore and crossed her legs. Lifting the small satchel from around her,  she loosened the bag's drawstring to take inventory.

A small silk  purse filled with coins, two mangoes, three kiwis, two full waterskins, a  spare change of clothes and a bone dagger Sokka had once given her to  hide in case she couldn't use her bending. Katara frowned as she looked  at the contents of her bag emptied onto the sand. She really hadn't  planned her trip well, she thought as she shoved the items back into the  leather sack.

Another cause for concern was the fact that she  wasn't sure where on the continent she had landed. From the looks of the  crystalline water that lapped at the shore's edge and the lush, verdant  jungle that lay behind her, Katara might guess she was at the edges of  the far southern Fire Nation that bordered the Earth Kingdom.

Standing,  she moved towards the thick brush of the jungle and parted tangles of  leaves and vines as she moved through the greenery. For a while she  struggled against the thickets and dense groves of tropical trees. When  the vines and branches became to much, she slashed at what she could  with the small bone dagger.

"Maybe this wasn't the best idea after  all..." She breathed as she parted another series of tree limbs before  stumbling into a clearing. Alone with the thrum of insects and far of  animal chatter, her mind began to wander to thoughts of Aang and how  she'd left him alone.

Images of Aang waking up and reading her  letter sent waves of dread and regret over her. Guilt stung at her  heart. She could turn back now, there was a chance he was still asleep  and hadn't read the letter yet. Shaking off her self doubt, Katara let  out a sigh of relief as she stumbled into the clearing in front of her.

The  second her eyes laid on the small spring, a sudden urge to plunge into  it's icy depths overtook her. Without hesitation, she dropped the  satchel from her shoulder, shrugged out of her simple cotton robe,  pulled off her leggings and kicked off her boots. Covered in nothing more  than her sheer linen bindings, she dashed towards the spring and dove  in head first.

The water was cold and bracing, sending a shock  through her system as she propelled herself towards the hidden depths of  the spring. Bubbles formed around Katara's nose as she exhaled,  creating a small pocket of oxygen around her. Taking in a deep breath,  the oxygen pocket burst as she let her limbs relax. Free diving was  something she loved, and she could sustain a considerable amount of time  underwater, even for a skilled waterbender.

As the seconds ticked  by, her mind numbed and she was alone with her thoughts. Suspended  within the blue depths of the spring, a wave of panic overtook her as  the reality of what she'd done finally set in. She'd ran away in the  dead of night, had left Aang's side when he'd laid bare his soul before  the entirety of the Earth King and Fire Nation nobility. If word got out  that she'd ran after accepting his proposal, they would both be the  laughing stock of all the nations.

Nothing would be worse for the  Avatar's political image - the fact that he couldn't keep his spouse in  line, let alone be responsible for the balance of spirits and elements  of the world. Katara pushed herself towards the water's surface . Once  her head was above the water, she punched at the gentle swells her  movements had caused. How could she have been so careless?