Wildflower [one shots]

i - stuck together

STORY(S): Lost Arrow
RELATIONSHIP(S): Sokka/Flo
SUMMARY: S2 AU; The Gaang got separated, and the only two who were able to stay together were Sokka and Flo. Some Fire Nation soldiers quickly learn not to mess with two angry and protective fifteen years olds searching for their friends.

—— stuck together ——

RAIN POURED DOWN FROM the dark clouds. The downpour made everything harder to see in the woods, if that was even possible with it being nighttime. Only the occasional lightning strike gave light – a split second for the running teenager to take in her surroundings. Feet rhythmically pounding into the muddy ground. Each step splashed more mud and water onto her already soaked boots and pants, and her equally soaked cloak trailed behind her, the hood having been blown off the top of her head because of the harsh winds. Frantically, she pushed dark and wet strands of hair from her face, shoving her bangs off of her forehead, and took a sudden sharp turn that nearly made her lose balance and fall. Because of the lack of light, she ran into various branches and thorny vines, and tripped over protruding roots and stumbled through bushes.

Above the trees, lightning streaked across the sky once again and not a split second later it made contact on the ground nearby. It was quickly followed by a loud clap of thunder – so loud that it shook the ground. Behind her, multiple thudding footsteps could be heard. The soldiers shouted – "I just saw her; that way!" and "Hurry!" – and she pushed herself even harder. Somewhere, her hawk-cat flew around, hidden from the soldiers, keeping up with the teen's fast pace with ease.

After a few more paces of running, she jumped and, with luck, latched onto a tree branch. She pulled herself up and climbed higher. The darkness of the night and the storm clouds, along with the rain itself, kept her from being able to climb safely. She slipped occasionally; at one point she nearly fell completely off of the tree, and she knew it wasn't safe being high in a tree during this bad of a storm but her options on surviving the soldiers after her were few and far between. She could only run for so long.

Besides, she had a plan to follow through with.

Another striking lightning lit everything up. The end of the lightning bolt hit the top of a tree close by, and the girl flinched at the loud roll thunder that followed. Her attention on the tree and the lightning got diverted as Sleemo landed on her shoulder just as the soldiers got directly below her.

Silently, she readied a bow and arrow from her impromptu hideout.

"Where'd she go?" one soldier asked – demanded, more like. The group slowed to a stop.

The wind whistled and whirled. In the distance there was a faint sound of a tree falling down.

"I told you we shouldn't have chased her into the woods," another said, clearly annoyed. A twinge of fear disoriented showed through.

She squinted through the dark and the falling rain. Seven soldiers. All of them tall except for one, who stood significantly shorter than the others. Three were women, four were men. Two men carried weapons, as well as one woman from what the girl saw, which meant everyone else was a firebender. She let her eyes travel back to the short guy. A sheathed sword rested across his back. It blended in well with the red and black armor of the soldiers. It didn't stand out too much. Didn't cause any suspicions.

Her fingers twitched on her bow and arrow, and she started to pull back as she stayed crouched. She let her dark eyes leave the short soldier, and she went over the other six once more. She couldn't just shoot willy nilly. That wasn't the plan.