Chapter 101: The Space Between Words
The weak polar sun cast long, deep blue shadows across the plaza. The initial excitement of Appa's arrival had faded, and the square was mostly empty now, save for a few guards on patrol who gave the great sky bison a wide, respectful berth.
Aang was busy. He had found a storehouse and, with a lot of gesturing and smiling, managed to get a large basket of dense, grainy bread and a bushel of tough, leafy greens that the tribespeople used for stews. He was now methodically feeding Appa, one massive chunk of bread at a time. The bison chewed slowly, his low, rumbling groans of contentment a familiar and comforting sound. The rhythmic motion of feeding his oldest friend was a meditation, a small, simple task in a world that had become overwhelmingly complicated.
He heard the soft crunch of footsteps on the packed snow behind him. He didn't need to turn. He knew her walk.
"Hey," Katara said. Her voice was quiet, rough around the edges like she had been crying.
"Hey," Aang replied, not stopping his task. He held out another loaf, and Appa's wide, pink tongue curled out to take it from his hands.
A long, heavy silence stretched between them, filled only by Appa's chewing and the distant, hollow groan of the ice city settling. It was the kind of silence that was loud with all the things they weren't saying.
"I'm sorry," Katara finally blurted out, the words tumbling out in a rush. "For what I said earlier. About thinking everything being your fault. That wasn't fair. It was a horrible way to thing. To chase you out when you were just trying to help and be there for us."
Aang's hand stilled for a moment, resting on Appa's furry flank. He kept his back to her, his gaze fixed on the white fur. "It's okay."
"No, it's not," she insisted, her voice gaining a little strength. "I was just... so scared, Aang. I saw Sokka on the ground, and he wasn't moving right, and he smelled like... like burning. And I couldn't fix it. My bending wasn't enough. And I just... I needed someone to blame because it felt better than feeling so completely helpless."
Aang finally turned to look at her. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her face pale and tired. She looked younger than he'd ever seen her. He dropped the last of the bread into Appa's mouth and dusted his hands on his pants.
"I'm sorry too," he said, his own voice small.
Katara blinked, confused. "For what?"
"For... everything," he said with a helpless shrug. "For getting you into all this. For not being faster. For not protecting him better." He scuffed his boot in the snow. "And for not giving you space. You were right to send me away. He's your brother. You needed to be with him, not with me. I just... I get so scared of being alone, I forget that other people need to be alone sometimes too."
It was a clumsy, childish admission, but it was honest. He wasn't the all-wise Avatar in that moment. He was a twelve-year-old boy who had lost his entire people and was terrified of losing his new family, too.
Katara's stern expression softened. She walked over and sat down on the cold ground, leaning her back against Appa's massive leg. Aang hesitated for a second, then sat down beside her, leaving a careful foot of space between them.
"It's not your job to protect us every second, Aang," she said, staring at her hands in her lap. "Sokka and I... we chose this. We chose to come with you. We knew it would be dangerous. What happened back there... that was Azula. Not you."
"But if I had never been found..." Aang started, echoing her own bitter words from the healing hut.
"Then the Fire Nation would have won," Katara cut him off, her voice firm. "And our village would have been next. And every other village after that." She finally looked at him, her blue eyes clear and direct. "I was wrong, Aang. I was hurt and I was angry and I was wrong. This war started long before you woke up. You're the only chance we have to end it."
The simple truth of her words settled over them, warmer than any blanket. The blame, the guilt, it was a heavy, useless weight they had both been carrying.
"How is he?" Aang asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Sleeping," Katara said, a real, small smile touching her lips for the first time. "Really sleeping. The healers here... they have this water, Aang. It glows. It's like magic. They used it on him and... the burn is almost gone. It's just pink skin now. He's going to be okay."
The relief that washed over Aang was so powerful it made him feel dizzy. He slumped against Appa, the tension draining from his body. "Good. That's... that's really good."
They sat in a more comfortable silence now, watching the sky slowly darken from deep blue to a bruised purple. The first, brightest stars began to prick the heavens.
"I'm still scared," Katara admitted quietly.
"Me too," Aang said.
"But we're scared together," she said. "That's better than being scared alone."
Aang nodded, a genuine smile finally breaking through on his face. "Yeah. It is."
Appa let out a deep, rumbling sigh of contentment, as if agreeing with them. The space between them didn't feel so wide anymore. It was just space, and it was okay. They had a long, hard road ahead, but for the first time since the mountain fortress, it felt like they were walking it side by side again.
The comfortable silence stretched on for a few more minutes, the cold seeping through their clothes but no longer reaching the newfound warmth between them. The relief over Sokka's recovery was a tangible thing, lifting a weight that had been crushing them both.
Aang's stomach chose that moment to let out a loud, long gurgle that sounded unnaturally loud in the quiet plaza.
Katara let out a small, startled laugh. It was a good sound. "Was that you or Appa?"
"That was definitely me," Aang admitted, rubbing his belly with a grimace. "I don't think I've eaten anything since... well, since before everything happened." The memory of the peaceful picnic in the Northern Air Temple felt like it belonged to another lifetime.
"Me neither," Katara said. The mention of food made her own hunger suddenly sharp and present. "I feel like I could eat a whole roasted arctic hippo."
Aang's eyes went wide. "Do they have those here?"
"I have no idea," Katara laughed again, the sound easier this time. "But I'm willing to find out."
Just then, a young tribesman in a formal tunic approached them, bowing respectfully. "Avatar Aang. Guest Katara. Chief Arnook has sent me to escort you to the welcoming banquet. It is due to begin shortly."
Aang's face lit up. "A banquet? With food?"
The tribesman smiled politely. "Yes, Avatar. A great feast has been prepared in your honor."
Aang scrambled to his feet, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten in the face of promised sustenance. He offered a hand to Katara, and she took it, letting him pull her up.
"Well," Katara said, brushing snow from her pants. "That solves the hippo problem. Are you ready for this? A formal dinner with the Chief and all the important people?"
Aang's excited expression faltered just a bit. "I guess I have to be, don't I? I'm the 'honored guest'." He said the words with a slight awkwardness, still not used to the title.
"You'll be fine," Katara reassured him, giving his hand a quick squeeze before letting go. "Just remember your manners. Don't play with your food, and try not to talk with your mouth full."
"Hey, I have manners!" Aang protested, though he couldn't hide a slightly guilty smile. "Most of the time."
Together, they followed the tribesman away from the plaza, leaving Appa to his rest. The looming dread of the coming invasion was still there, a dark cloud on the horizon. But for tonight, they were just two hungry kids, walking toward a warm hall and a hot meal, their friendship patched up and stronger for having been tested. It wasn't a solution to their problems, but it was enough to face the night.
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