Heimat | Aang

THIRTEEN

Tapeesa didn't know for how long she had been walking. Her feet hurt, one of her arms had been aching ever since she had fell on it when she had tripped a few hours ago and she needed food. She had picked up some fruit along the way she hadn't wasted any time to eat but other than that, there hadn't been an improvement in her situation. The jungle was still dark when she sensed a body of water not too far away. She instantly headed in that direction.

She found the river soon enough. She stopped by the shore and kneeled down before it, letting her hands dip in the water momentarily before she stood up once more. She got in the river with her clothes on. The water glowed around her body as she healed herself from any injuries sustained by the fall, and she allowed herself to relax and just accept the caress of the water as it moved around her. She washed herself off of the mud and grime and then she slowly swam to the shore. She got out, dried herself off as she stood by the mass of water, and then, she looked up at the sky in an effort to pinpoint what time it was.

Dusk had started to set in, she realised by the colours of the sky, and with that in mind, she headed back to the jungle to gather some wood. She returned a short while later and started a fire for the night. She caught a fish to eat. As she had her dinner, she couldn't help but think about Aang. She had to find him, although she didn't know how. As she glanced at the river beside her, she promised herself she would try in the morning to reach him. She fell asleep hours later when the moon was in the sky, the fire reduced to random sparks that did nothing to offer her warmth or protection.

When she woke up the next morning, the sun had already been up in the sky for a few hours. Her back hurt from the hours she had slept against a rock and she had half a mind to attempt to heal the ache in her back even though she knew that wasn't possible. With a small sigh, she moved over to the edge of the shore and dipped her hands in the water before raising them to her cheeks. She splashed some water on her face just as a shadow flew over her. Confused, she glanced up, only to see Aang's sky bison flying above her.

"Appa!" she called out as she jumped up and started waving her hands, trying to catch the creature's attention. She watched in relief as it moaned and slowly landed by the shore, and she was about to rush over when she caught sight of the person jumping off of the bison's head. Aang was with him.

"I knew you'd be by the water!" Aang exclaimed as he rushed towards her and Tapeesa hardly had time to brace herself before he had pulled her in for a hug that had her pressed against him in a way she hadn't been pressed against anyone in a long time. She stiffened at once at the contact, her eyes widening, before she realised she didn't quite remember the last time she had been hugged by anyone. She had almost managed to relax in his arms when he pulled back, his face apologetic.

"I'm so sorry I left like that yesterday. I thought you were following after me but when I turned around you weren't there."

"I couldn't keep up with you," she admitted as she looked up only to be met with clear, grey eyes appearing to be made of glass. He was still rather close, his fingertips brushing against her hand occasionally although she didn't say a word about it. "I tripped on a root."

"I'm sorry," he breathed, "I shouldn't have left the way I did."

"You found Appa, it's fine," she assured him with a tiny smile he had gotten to treasure in the while he had known her. Aang nodded as he glanced at his sky bison and then back at her.

"He had been eating berries. He had eaten so many he fell asleep by the bushes in the edge of the forest. I suppose he forgot the way back to the camp."

She glanced back at the sky bison as well before she turned her attention on Aang. "At least you found him. I was going to look around for you today but you found me first."