Benders

[the flirt]

intro chapter

     "Waaaahaha!" Ryo's voice rang out like a bell across the tundra as he raced down the slope. Icy wind stung his face and laughter sounded on his right. He flashed a smile at his younger sister as they slid down the hill. Their ice sleds cut across the snow almost too quickly to handle, but Ryo was tempted to bend the snow and go even faster. 

     "No bending!" His sister, Tansanee, yelled at him. He swore she could read his thoughts. "Fine," he yelled back. "I'm still gonna beat you!" He swerved his sled to the right, flipping off a cliff and smiling wickedly at his sister from above. He landed inches from her, ever so slightly ahead. Tansanee scrunched up her face at him, lowering her body to cut down on wind resistance. Her smaller frame fit perfectly inside the sled and it quickly passed Ryo. She popped back up sitting backwards and beamed at him before turning her sled to the side to prepare it for the impact and her win. 

     She slid onto the frozen ocean seconds before her brother, throwing her hands up in victory, followed by her feet as she reclined in her sled. "That's technically cheating," Ryo complained, stretching. Tansanee rested her head against the lip of the box-shaped sled and clicked her tongue at him. "It is not and you know it RyRy. Take your loss and let's get popsicles." The mention of food perked her brother up, even if his loss meant he had to pay. 

     "Okay, okay." Tansanee held her arms up to him and he hauled her out of the sled. They stowed them in the snow on the side of the lake so they could sled again later. 

     Tansanee dusted herself off and shook the snow out of her hair, the silver tinsel decorations sparkling in the arctic sun. Her earrings and the decorations on her water tribe parka clinked when she moved. The pair headed across the thick ice back to Agna Qel'a. As they trekked, they chatted a bit and teased each other. Ryo made jokes about his sister's height and Tansanee teased his love life. They ended up racing the last stretch of the way, which Ryo won thanks to his longer legs.

     Once they reached the edge of the town, the silence of the wilderness ceased, and the sound of civilization was loud to the siblings. Agna Qel'a was the largest city and the capital of the Northern Water Tribe. As such, it was bustling with merchants and street vendors selling their wares, salted meats, and fish. Ryo's and Tansanee's favorite snack, however, was sold by a woman named Bakkah. The siblings crossed the canals that served as the roads in the city and made their way to her stand. 

     Bakkah was a water bender, and her stand reflected her creative tastes. The ice was carved with swirls and pictures at children's eye-level so that kids would be attracted to her stand. However, the real works of art were her ice lollies. Little statues so perfectly carved that they looked like stained glass. Blueberry whale-shrimp, a lemon water tribe symbol, melon boomerangs. 

     Ryo ordered a cherry-flavored skiff and Tansanee got a grape-colored wave. Ryo paid with silver coins and they talked to Bakkah for a moment about her daughters and wished her well with their schooling.

     As they started back toward home, Ryo got fidgety. Tansanee noticed almost immediately and asked what was the matter.

     "There's something I need to tell you," he confessed. "Well, spit it out," his sister replied, not missing a beat. Her tongue was purple. "Tansy, I have to go soon." The younger girl stopped and stared at him quizzically. "What do you mean, 'go?'" He couldn't look her in the face. "I'm going to learn bending from a real master, Tans."

"What do you mean? You already know how to bend. Master Maara has been training you for years!" Ryo felt a blush creeping to his cheeks under his sister's heated stare. He really wouldn't leave her if he didn't feel so passionate about doing all he could to master water. "Master Maara is great and all, but there's someone else. Someone who's mastered the old water bending arts that everyone's forgotten about. Tansy, I've only read about the things they say this master can do. If he really exists, don't you think I have to learn from him?" His voice was earnest, but fragile. He feared he wouldn't receive his sister's approval, and he didn't want to risk his relationship with her for anything.

     Tansanee's ice lolly drooped at her side, the violet color dripping onto the snow at their feet. People passed them with stares, and Ryo suddenly felt even more awkward. Tansanee sighed. "Where is this master, anyway?" Ryo felt slightly relieved. "There's an island west of the Fire Nation. It hasn't been traced on any modern maps, and I don't think many people live there." He studied his sister's dark eyes closely. They sparkled with thought and her face brightened.

     "Why don't I just come with you? Then you can learn bending and I can explore the world! It's perfect!" Ryo placed a hand on her shoulder and winced as her face fell. "Tans, the trip is going to be dangerous. I can't risk you getting hurt. What kind of brother would that make me?"

"The kind that trusts his sister," she retorted. Her emotion bubbled briefly but she calmed the instant after, seemingly resolved.

     She looked down and back up at him with puppy eyes. "You really want this? Bending is really really important to you?" Ryo nodded. "And you're sure I can't come with you?" He nodded again, but slower. Tansanee smiled sadly. "Then I've got your back. I'll hold down the fort here, and keep in touch. I'm sure Dad will be super supportive of your trip." 

     Ryo's smile was so wide and cherry-stained that it was almost scary, but Tansanee saw true joy on his face that he had her blessing. So she was satisfied. He wrapped the tiny girl up into a big hug and twirled her around before setting her back on her feet. "You mean the world to me, Tans," Ryo said. He grabbed her hand and they resumed the walk home.

     "When are you leaving?" Tansanee asked. "Morning," Ryo replied, "before first light." Tansanee almost missed a step but kept walking. So soon? And he didn't tell her? "I'm boarding the cloud sailor with Lorna and Hinaho," he added. An idea pricked Tansanee as she congratulated him again. 

     Ryo wasn't leaving for this mystery island without her.