It was a wonderful day for Katara. Her stomach was full of the serpent sea turtle eggs her mom had cooked for breakfast. The air was crisp and blew around the squat snow houses she called home. The sun was bright and shining in the sky like a golden ball of butter. The turtle seals were honking far off in the distance making a beautiful melody that filled the air. The seven year old took a deep breath spread her arms out wide and let her breath back out. The cold went from outside to inside her to back outside again. She felt as if she was embracing the entire world. The entirety of her home, all of the love in the village reflecting right back to her.
"You are so weird." Sokka said as he shoved a snowball against his little sister's head. Katara took a stumble to the side and frowned. Putting her fist on her hips in a very grown up mocking stance. It would have been more intimidating if she wasn't wearing such oversized mittens with small tassels on the end so that they wouldn't get lost or mixed up.
"I am not! Gran Gran said that appreciating the world gets you more in tune with the spirits! And to be more in tune with the spirits brings you a closer appreciation of the world and your place in it!" She grinned and crossed her arms over her chest smug. "So there!"
"Bleh. Spirits. No one believes in that garbage." The nine year old boy responded. "They're probably not even real."
"They are too real!" Katara said stamping her boot. A woman walked between the two squabbling children and raised an eyebrow. Katara and Sokka quickly walked out from between the houses and to more open ground. That way they wouldn't be in the way.
This was the water tribe way. With such close quarters and intimate settings, many villagers could give small commands to children. Such as to move along, to help with a fishing net, or to watch a cook pot fire. It took a village to raise a child. And in turn the child grew to love and trust the other members of their village. It helped keep the village close, they were the equivalent of one giant happy family.
Katara and Sokka moved into the center of the village. Both eyeing the other with matching childish smirks. Sokka dove to his right in a feint before reaching low and flinging snow at his sister. Katara matched his move and began to fling snowballs right back. Soon the two were running and flinging snow. Making snow balls, picking up handfuls. Sometimes just grabbing a chunk of ice.
Katara paused and bit her lip, holding her hands out, trying to do the bending she had done last week. A bucket of water and slush wiggled near Sokka and then tipped over. It was far from the exploding typhoon that the girl had hoped for. Sokka laughed and jumped over it. Grabbing a large snowball from a snowman that was starting to droop. He flung it towards Katara who found herself under the full weight of the snow.
Sokka jumped on top of her afterwards and brushed her free. Her ears were starting to sting from the snow. Katara tossed her head back and let out an excited high pitched laugh. Her brother joining in. Their mittens were covered in snow and ice, their parkas were soaked and sweaty on the inside. Their boots were crusted in a fine layer of fun and excitement. Katara continued to laugh her brothers bright high pitched joy joining in and mixing with hers.
A thick flat flake floated down and landed on her forehead. Leaving a black smudge. Katara paused and looked upwards. More snow flakes were falling. They were black. And they were mixed with ash. Katara blinked, her wide blue eyes began to fill with terror. Sokka shot up and helped his sister to her feet. His mouth hung open in surprise. And fear.
"Find mom. I'm getting Dad. Stay safe." Sokka said giving her hand a squeeze before turning and running for the hunting kayaks. Which were on the other side of the protective snow wall. On the side where the ash was coming from. On the side where the large black metal cylinders were slowly advancing from.
"Okay." Katara said softly. The last words she spoke to her brother. The last words he spoke to her.
She turned and she began to run. A blast of heat came from one side of the snow wall that defended their village. The wall was meant to keep polar bear dogs out. It was meant to keep wandering children in. It had over the past few years been made into a protective barrier from raiders. And it was being breached with ease.
Katara stumbled over a broken basket that was sitting in the middle of the alleyway. The basket was on fire. A igloo she stumbled past crumbled and she shrieked. She continued to run, pushing past running legs. She stumbled forward and pushed through the dark blue wool blankets that acted as their door.
"Mom!" She shouted. Her breath caught in her throat. There was a man in their house. He was tall, he had a fire nation uniform on. Kya was kneeling at his feet, staring up with wide terrified eyes. Her gaze instantly swung to her daughter. Fear making Kya's face look young and helpless.
"Katara!" Kya said. The man in the sharp black and red uniform turned to the child with a scowl. "Katara. Listen to me. Get out of here. It's fine. Go find your father."
Kya spoke firmly. She spoke evenly. The barest hint of a tremble burning in her words.
"Listen to your mom kid." The man growled. His brown eyes held only anger, a deep resentment that he had to be here, doing this. Kya smiled lovingly at her daughter and nodded. Katara took a step back. Her hand gripping the blue blanket of her home tightly.
"Mom I'm scared." Katara's voice quavered. The man rolled his eyes with a snort.
"Whatever. Stay then. You. Answer the question." The man turned back towards Kya with a scowl. His broad back turned towards the helpless little girl standing in the doorway. Kya looked up at him, then back at her daughter. Her throat tightened, adams apple bobbing. A bead of sweat rolled down Kya's cheek. A very out of place bit of liquid with how cold it was inside of the snow home.
"I…I….I" Kya began her mind racing.
"Answer it! Where is the final water bender in the southern water tribe?!" The man stepped forward and gripped Kya by her hair pushing her head backwards forcing a yelp from the woman's mouth.
"No! Let her go!" Katara shouted striding forward. Her little mittens balled into fists. The man didn't even glance at the child. He just shook Kya's head harshly.
"Tell me or we burn this little chunk of ice off of the edge of the map!" He shouted, spittle flying from his uneven teeth. Kya took a deep breath. Her generous breasts rising and falling in her blue fur wrappings.
"There are no water benders in the southern water tribe. Your fire benders killed the last one off years ago." Kya said with a firm look back. Her heartbeat steady, her gaze true. The man glared down at her longer.
"You will find no hostages here." Kya said. Katara was quivering, hovering behind the man. Her mittens pressed to her shaking chin.
"Damn. No…No no….No…Damn it. No…" The man grumbled. His hand left Kya's hair and went to his chin. Rubbing it furiously. His eyes darting around wildly. Fear clear on his face.
"Not again. No. Not another one. I can't go back empty handed. No. Demotion at best. Execution at best. They said take a water bender. Make an example of them…I…" He stared at Kya and a leer slowly spit his ugly features.
"No. I think we found the perfect hostage right here." The man's leer turned into a near demonic grin as he reached down again and grabbed Kya roughly by the scruff of her neck.