Sea and Sky

Chapter 22: The Call of the Heavens

Sea and Sky

Chapter 21: The Call of the Heavens

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By the light of the campfire, she held the book in her lap, fingers skimming the neatly written characters as she read. In between expertly written recipes for healing balms and cooling salves she read of Tahma's experiences at the war front in Ba Sing Se. The story unfolded in her mind as if she were experiencing it first hand.

'I've never seen anything like the damage and devastation waged day in and out. The young benders, they come to the tents in droves, limbs twisted and dying a slow death. My healing only serves to delay the inevitable.'

As Katara read, a chill overcame her. She and her friends had been at Ba Sing Se during Azula's siege, had seen the destruction and death that had been waged against the city. Flashes of the day the city fell formed in her mind, fresh as if they had just happened. The image of Aang falling into her arms, killed by Azula's lightening, overwhelmed her. As she continued to read the journal, her heart began to race.

'Lady Rana has fallen in love with a Fire Nation soldier - a naval strategist named Kilic Kha-Tarun, son of the Fire Lord's vizier. She won't admit that it's love - but her gazes at him from across the tent and special attention she pays him say otherwise. I worry for her. The General will never condone their union.'

Beside her, Aang slept peacefully, wrapped in the warmth of their sleeping sack. Momo laid curled on his chest. An appreciation for the airbender formed in her mind as a soft smile crept onto her lips as she watched him turn over, drawing the lemur into his arms. They'd chosen to take an extra night alone before returning to the island. Wanting to savor their last vestiges of true freedom, they'd set up camp in an isolated part of the forest, somewhere on the mainland between the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation colonies.

As Katara continued to read, she noticed the passages went from extremely detailed daily records of Tahma's experiences to hastily written records, almost bullet-pointed information. The passages had slowly changed from flowery, dramatic retellings to brief recollections meant only to record the day, almost as if the joy of writing had left the Kaptu women.

It was strange, Katara thought. As she read Tahma's words, she could almost feel the change in emotions that welled from the pages. The journal had started out giving moment by moment retellings and ended with short snipets of historical information. Most of the information Katara already knew - but the personal insight into Rana and Kilic's beginnings was eye-opening for her.

By Tahma's accounts, Rana had slowly changed during her time on the war front. Her soft spoken, delicate visage had morphed into one of short temper and wicked vengeance. Tahma had written that the once tender noble woman had hardened, forever changed by the death and carnage of war. But for as much information she was able to glean from Tahma's writing, Katara was left as confused as ever. Why did Rana want to end Aang's life?

As she gently closed the journal and wound the leather cord around it, securing the book closed, Katara looked over at Aang as she brought the book to her chest. A small part of her wanted to record her own story, to put her own thoughts down to paper. Perhaps she would, Katara thought as she tucked the journal into her satchel before moving to lay next to Aang.

At feeling the disturbance next to him, Aang opened one eye as he felt the waterbender slip into the sleeping sack with him. He laid still and motionless as he felt her hands graze over his body and pull him in tight to her. Feigning sleep just a little longer, he'd been aware of her wakefullness for quite a while. While he may have fallen asleep before her, he'd woken a few times to see she'd been so engrossed in Tahma's journal that he hadn't wanted to disturb her.