Fire Burns and Ice Freeze

Bato of the Water Tribe

We had been flying for a couple of days. We were making great head way. We finally landed to give Appa a chance to rest. We were starting to set up camp. Aang was walking towards the water. He bends down and pulls something out of the sand.

"Hey, look. A sword made out of a whale's tooth." Aang said

Katara, Sokka, and I head over to him. Sokka snatches the weapon out of Aang's hand.

"Let me see that." Sokka said

Sokka walks on for a little while, before he stops, not too far from Aang, to study the weapon closely. I see something flash in Sokka's eyes, he has a wistful expression while holding the whale's tooth scimitar in the same way as his club.

"This is a Water tribe weapon. (Turns to us, his expression serious.) See if you can find anything else." Sokka said

Aang, Sokka, and I start searching the wooded area for more weapons.

"Did someone lose something?" Katara asked

Aang is rummaging through the bushes.

"No, we found something." Aang said

I push aside some fallen leaves, I find a spearhead lying on the ground. I kneel before it, brushes aside the debris and pick it up.

"Sokka, I found something." I said

He ran over and took the spearhead from my hand.

"It's burned. (He looks up at the tree trunk, scorch marks and sharp cuts running across it.) There was a battle. Water Tribe warriors ambushed a group of firebenders. (He turns away from the tree and looking down the slope of the hill seeing a black spot on the ground.) The firebenders fought back, but the warriors drove them down this hill." Sokka said

Sokka races down the hill along a dirt path. He leaps over a few large rocks in his way and continues forward. He makes it to the beach. The rest of us try to keep up with him.

"So, then what happened?" Aang asked

"I don't know. The trail ends here." Sokka said disappointed

"Really I think it would end at the Water Tribe ship, that's over there." I said

They turned and saw the Water Tribe ship on the shore.

"It's one of our boats." Sokka said

"Is this dad's boat?" Katara asked

Sokka and Katara both run towards the ship. Aang and I just walk towards it the ship.

"No, but it's from his fleet." Sokka said

Sokka starts to stroke the boat.

"Dad was here." Sokka said

He turns and looks at Katara and I.

- - - - - Time Skip - - - - -

We set up camp by the boat. I couldn't sleep. I was looking around and saw that Aang was already asleep him and Momo were asleep on Appa's right paw. I look over at Katara to see that she was also asleep. I look over to see Sokka was still awake as well. He was poking a stick at the blazing campfire, looking worried. His eyes glaze over as he looks at fire. I hear a noes come from behind me. I stand up and turn, to look behind as does Sokka.

"Who's there?" Sokka and I ask

I take a side glance at Sokka to see that he has his boomerang in hand. We see a pair of boot. As the man comes into view we can see that the man is wrapped in Water Tribe with white bandages which are wrapped around the upper left portion of his torso. He steps completely out of the shadows. He is just as surprised by us as we are of him.