~The Blind Water Bender~

Chapter Twenty Nine

In the morning Hama woke the gaang up to go shopping, which Katara and Cara were happy to help with, the others not so much but they helped carry the heavy items which Hama normally couldn't carry, they had just payed for various meats "you Hama, that Mr Yao seems to have a thing for you, his heart rate went crazy when you walked up" Cara said as three walked in front of Aang, Sokka and Toph.

"why don't you use those looks of yours to get some free items" Cara smiled but Hama raised an eyebrow "you would have me use my feminine charms to take advantage of that poor man?" she asked but then smiled "I think you and I are going to get along swimmingly" she smiled brighter and put her hands together.

As they walked a little further Hama suggested the children take the shopping back to Inn, which they did, as she had some more errands to run, once they got back, the children placed the shopping on the kitchen table "that Hama seems a little strange, like she knows something, or she's hiding something" Sokka said looking at the rest of gaang.

"that's ridiculous she's a nice woman who took us in and gave us a place to stay, she kind of reminds me of Gran gran" Katara as she looked at some lettuce "your gran gran isn't scary though, even I have to admit Hama is a little scary" Cara admitted and Sokka nodded agreeing with Cara "but what did she mean by that comment mysterious children?" Sokka thought with his hand on his chin.

"gee, I don't know maybe because she found Five strange kids camping in the woods at night?" Katara sarcastically says towards her brother "isn't that a little mysterious?" Katara asked the rhetorical question as Sokka began to walk away "I'm going to take a look around" he said walking up stairs.

Katara rushed to him "Sokka, Sokka, what are you doing?" Katara asked him.

"he's obviously looking around, duh" Cara said with a slight chuckle but only got a frustrated face from Katara who rushed up to her brother "you can't just snoop around someone's house"

"it'll be fine" he tried to reassure them but it did nothing "she could be home any minute" Aang said as Sokka opened a door to a room looking inside it before closing the door and moving on "Sokka you're gonna get us so deep in trouble I'm gonna end up saying I told you so" Cara stated as Sokka trying to open a cupboard "and this is just plain rude" Katara angrily said.

"I'm not finished yet" he strained as the doors finally opened, making puppets fall out, Sokka jumped and got his sword out pointing them at the wooden dolls "ok, that's pretty creepy"

Katara shook her head before closing the doors to the cupboard "so she's got a hobby, there's nothing weird about that" she then looked at Sokka as he went into the attic "Sokka you've looked enough, Hama will be back soon!" she yelled and followed him like the others did "just an ordinary, puppet loving innkeeper, huh?" he asked before pointing to a locked door "then why does she have a locked door up here?" he asked again.

"probably to keep people like you from snooping though her stuff" Katara started angrily putting her hands on her hips, going into mother mode "come on Sokka, people are entitled to a few secrets, everyone's got some, like me I have a few juicy ones in this old head" Cara laughed lightly tapping her head, Sokka ignored her while Toph raised an eyebrow, wondering what the secrets Cara kept were.

Sokka looked inside the key hole and saw nothing but a small chest "it's empty except for a little chest" He told the others Toph gasped "maybe it's treasure" she beamed and Sokka got his sword out and began to pick the lock, if anyone could call it that "Sokka, what are you doing, you're breaking into a private room!" she whisper yelled crossing her arms "I have to see whats in there" the door finally opened and Sokka walked in along with the others "we shouldn't be doing this" Anag said cautiously as Sokka tried to get the small chest open "maybe there a key here somewhere" Toph tapped his arm "hand it over" he did and Toph took her space rock bracelet and formed it into the key shape and opened the small chest, with some difficulty.

"I'll tell you what's in the box" they heard Hama's voice behind them making them jump, they looked down as they gave the box to Hama, who revealed its contents to be an old comb.

"an old comb?" Sokka disappointedly said while Hama smiled "it's my greatest treasure, it's the last thing I own from growing up in the Southern Water tribe" The gaang eyes widened "you're from the southern WaterTribe?" Katara asked shock all over her face "just like you" more shock went on Katara's face "how did you know?"

"I heard you talking around your campfire" she smiled once again "first off, I'm from the Northern watertribe, second, why didn't you tell us?" Cara asked

"I wanted to surprise you I bought all this food today so I could fix you a big water tribe dinner, of course I can't get all the ingredients I need here, but ocean kumquats are a lot like sea prunes if you student long enough" Hama explained with a smile, Katara copied the smile "I knew I felt a bond with you right away"

"and I knew you were keeping a secret, so I guess we're both right" Sokka smiled snuggly, Katara punched him in his arm making him grunt "but I'm sorry we were sneaking around"

"apology accepted, now let's get cooking" the old lady smiled once again leading the children down stairs, the meal was ready by tea time, Aang and Toph weren't as thrilled as the three water tribe members of their group "who wants five falvor soup?" Hama asked they all put their hand up and Hama used her water bending to put it into the children's bowls "you're a water bender?" Cara and Katara excitedly said.

Katara then placed her hands together in happiness "I've never met another water bender from our tribe"

Hama looked down with a sad look on her face "that's because the fire nation wiped them all out I was the last one"

"so how'd you end up out here?" Sokka asked

"I was stolen from my home, it was over 60 years ago when the raids started they came again and each time rounding up more of our waterbenders and taking them we did our best to help off, what are numbers to Windows as the raids continued, finally I too was captured, I was glad away in chains, the last waterbender of the Southern Water tribe" Hama stopped talking as she looked down, her eyes trying to hold the tears back, Katara went to hold her "they put us in terrible prisons here in the fire nation I was the only one who manage to escape"

"how did you get away? And why did you stay in the fire nation?" Sokka asked but Hama shook her head "I'm sorry, its too painful to talk about anymore" Katara nodded in understanding "we completely understand, we lost our mother in a raid" Katara said sadly Hama then tuned her head slightly "oh, your poor things"

"I can't tell you what it means to meet you it's and honor, you're a hero" Katara smiled "I never thought I'd meet another Southern waterbender, I'd like to teach you what I know so you can carry on the southern tradition when I'm gone" Hama smiled and Katara beamed with happiness "to learn about my heritage, it would mean everything to me" Hama lightly smiled at Katara's eagerness, later they finished their meal and went to bed.

(this will be the last chapter of the year, hope 2021 will be better then 2020 happy new year everyone)