𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍, sokka

three.

she finds katara in one of the small niches on the sides of the waterways. katara looks angry, but also a little sad. kierah walks up to her slowly. she waits for katara to raise her head, and then introduces herself.

"hi, i'm kierah. i saw what happened with master pakku, and i just wanted to make sure you were okay."

  katara considers kierah for a minute, before replying, "i'm fine."

"that's what i would say too, even if i wasn't, but i'll let it go. i came to find you because i hate my tribe's traditions as well. i've actually been watching master pakku's lessons in secret and teaching myself waterbending for the past few weeks."

  as kierah was speaking, she noticed that katara's eyes had brightened and her general demeanor had changed.

"thanks," katara says. "it's nice to find another girl who feels like i do about things like that. by the way, i'm katara."

"i know," kierah says, then hurriedly corrects herself. "i mean not in a creepy, stalker-ish way, i just heard you introduce yourself yesterday."

  katara laughs. " it's good, i know what you meant. so how did you teach yourself waterbending?"

  kierah begins to explain her idea of watching master pakku's lessons and then going to her secluded spot and practicing by herself. after this, the conversation seems to flow freely, and kierah learns about katara and sokka's childhood in the southern water tribe, and their adventures with aang.

"so," kierah says, "what're aang and your brother like?"

"well, aang is- you know what? why don't you come meet them after aang gets done with training."

"okay! i should get back home, but i'll meet you on that bridge later tonight," kierah says, pointing towards the bridge in front of them.

"okay, see you!" katara says.

***

later that night, kierah spots katara waiting on the bridge for her. kierah walks up to katara and says hello, then the two of them head off to where katara is staying to find aang and sokka. when they reach the tent, kierah spots aang leaning onto what she thinks is a sky bison.

"that's appa by the way, our sky bison, and the lemur is momo," katara whispers to kierah. kierah nods in acknowledgement. as they get closer to aang and appa, katara calls out a hello. glancing up, aang waves back before spotting kierah.

"hi! i'm aang!," he says.

"i'm kierah."

"i met kierah after master pakku wouldn't teach me. she's been learning waterbending in secret, and she also dislikes the traditions of the tribe," katara says as it begins to snow.

"wanna go inside?" aang asks, gesturing towards the tent. katara and kierah nod in agreement, and the three of them head inside.

"sokka should be back soon," aang says. "he was meeting princess yue, i think."

  katara shakes her head, and says exactly what kierah was thinking. "he's just going to get hurt."

"yeah, well," aang shrugs. "i tried to tell him that but-"

aang is interrupted by the tent flap swinging open. the three of them turn to see sokka storming in.

"sokka," katara says. "this is kierah."

"hey," sokka mumbles, flopping down on his bedroll.

"you okay, sokka?" katara asks worriedly.

"yeah, i'm fine."

"how was warrior training this afternoon?" katara asks, wisely avoiding the subject of princess yue.

"fine. so, who are you?" sokka asks, bluntly changing the subject.

"well, my name's kierah, and i'm a waterbender. i've been learning secretly for a while now," kierah says, deciding to ignore the boy's bluntness, knowing that he's just in a bad mood.

"wait," sokka says, confused. "why do you have to learn secretly?"

"in our tribe, only men can learn to waterbend," kierah replies.

"so does that mean master pakku wouldn't teach you today, katara?"

"yes," says katara with a murderous look. "this was my only chance to learn waterbending from a master, and now he won't even teach me."

"well, then why don't kierah and aang just teach you what they know?"

"why didn't i think of that?" katara says excitedly. "kierah and aang get someone to practice with, and i get to learn waterbending! everyone's happy!"

"i'm not happy," sokka says morosely.

"you're never happy." katara says. kierah laughs under her breath at that, before following katara out to the water.

  kierah and aang are showing katara a move that master pakku says was all about sinking and floating, but when they send the water to katara, it suddenly shoots upward.

"wow, katara!" aang cries. "that was amazing!"
"that wasn't me," katara says, puzzled. the three of them glance upward to see master pakku standing on the bridge, having caught the water and frozen it. looking straight at aang, he says, "you have disrespected me, my teachings, and my entire culture."

"i'm sorry, i-" aang says.

"you are no longer welcome as my student," master pakku says coldly, before turning to kierah. "and you- you knew the rules and traditions of our tribe, and you have still disrespected them. i thought you respected our tribe, but obviously i was wrong. i don't know how you became so proficient at waterbending, but i will be speaking of this to the chief tomorrow." master pakku then turns on his heel and walks away. aang, katara, and kierah just stare at each other in shock and horror, before kierah breaks the silence.

"well, i guess i'll meet you guys tomorrow morning to talk to the chief?"

"yeah," katara says, still looking shell-shocked. "even if the traditions aren't fair, aang needs to learn waterbending, and this may be our only chance. i'll try to convince master pakku to take him back as his student tomorrow."

kierah nods, and waves goodbye to both katara and aang. when she reaches home, her parents are already asleep, so she goes straight to bed. she sleeps fitfully, anxious about what is in store for her tomorrow.