Sound Waves (Avatar: The Last Airbender) Book 2

Chapter 3 - Dai Li

death.

unorthodox.

famine.

pollution.

war.

Here in Ba Sing Se, you know none of these things.

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Himoko's POV

Captain Kesuk the next morning was already making his sailors (who had woken 10 minutes ago) to get the ship ready for launch back into the sea, back to the North Pole.

I had been awake for two hours, pretty much as soon as the sun had rose up past the horizon, I just woke up. I felt uneasy, being this close to Ba Sing Se, and yet I was so far away from Omashu. The fact that I was on Earth Kingdom land had every instinct within me wanting to go to Omashu and protect my home- But I couldn't, my place was here, faraway, safe from any prying eyes, safe from being captured by the Fire Nation. In Ba Sing Se, I was to be safe from all harm.

I haven't been there in years, stayed there for a whole week, but I felt like I was marching into unknown territory.

Perhaps it's just the worry of knowing what is happening in Omashu, and that I can't do anything about it. I'm stuck here.

But- Pappy told me to do this, so I shall, as the Princess of Omashu.

You must always protect the Heir.

"Well Princess Himoko, it has been a pleasure to be your transport." He bowed his head to me, hand over his heart. I nodded, bowing slightly down to him as well. "I thank you for bringing me all this way, even after the battle that was fought."

"I hope you to be well, if you are ever back in the Northern Water Tribe, ask for me, and we can chat over some tea." I nodded, ready to say something but forced my mouth shut, realizing it was best for me not to say.

The crew moved the rest of the gear onto the boat before they all bid me well, their sentiments towards the journey that was ahead of me.

I watched the boat undock before being pushed off of the shore, the work of the waterbenders. I waited until the boat was only a spec in my vision before turning around and heading into the forest.

Unlike the day before were it was eerily quiet- I could hear birds chirping, moles burrowing into the dirt of the earth, chipmunks and squirrels alike scurrying across the ground and up trees. Others would have found these sounds annoying, but to me, it told me that nothing was worrying the animals, and so I shouldn't worry, there wasn't any danger nearby.

I wonder how the others were doing, where they went after the North Pole, I knew it had to be somewhere in the Earth Kingdom, Aang needed to learn Earth next then... Well then fire, which would be the hardest element to learn, when 99.9% of firebenders wanted his head on a stake.

I debated on trying to send them another letter once I was settled in at Ba Sing Se, but they travel so much I wouldn't know where to send it, and then the thought of it getting in the wrong hands for somebody else... I wouldn't want that, they wouldn't want that either.

I wish there was an easier way to communicate with them.

"There is." I jumped out of my skin, my thoughts fleeting me as I turned, blinking rapidly to see Yangchen standing behind him in her spiritual form.