Violent Delights, ATLA

chapter fifteen, wound gatherers

15
WOUND GATHERERS

SAN CAUGHT WIND OF A music festival happening in a nearby town and decided to check it out. It was by far one of the liveliest festivals she's seen in her life. The town was unmarked by the Fire Nation, perhaps because the population was small for a town and they were not situated close to any mines containing useful ores, so the festival was being held freely without restrictions.

Lanterns of vibrant colours were strung around the centre, a couple of the townspeople purchasing golden light lanterns to place them around the town and illuminate it. Kids ran around with sparklers and a band played harmonious music in the centre. When they were done, another musician came up to play another song, the melodic tunes echoing across the town. San was reminded of the Fire Nation festivals. She had only ever been to one secretly with her mother and it had been spectacular! She remembered there was a performer who could firebend a dragon and then make it explode into confetti, a variety of colourful masks were being sold for free, and someone sold the tastiest and spiciest fire flakes she found herself quite addicted to.

But this was a festival held by Earth Kingdom customs and it was different. Unlike the one she went to, they played music and the citizens danced like nobody's business. Due to the size of the population, the music was the only main event of the festival and San found herself tapping her foot to the beat. Although she was worried the festival would capture unwanted attention from certain cruel Fire Nation people, one of the citizens reassured there was no high authority figure from the nation around them and any Fire Nation soldier who happened by would actually join as the festival caused no harm.

Eventually, she discovered from the townspeople that the music festival, though small and lively because people put their hearts and souls into it, was a yearly celebration for them. Its purpose was to allow people to forget the war for a day and simply dance their troubles away for the night. San wished troubles could go away as easily as that. Nonetheless, she feasted alongside the amiable townspeople and, too, allowed her troubles to vanish from her mind.

By the time she returned, it was past midnight. Least she expected was to find Zuko wide awake next to the door to her quarters, staring at her with a scowl.

"The only excuse you have for leaving the boat would be if you found the Avatar or interviewed people who have sighted him."

San winced, having never seen him this irate before. "I only went out for a short while. I heard there was a town holding a music festival so I had to go check it out. It was amazing! There was—"

"You could have run into those extremists!" He cut her off, so loud she was sure everyone on board would wake now. "And short while? It's past midnight!"

"But I didn't run into them." She argued. "I was cautious and made sure my headband was secured tight on my head."

"That's not the point! Headband or not, they will recognise you at any time. I told you to stay low on this ship every time we dock not run off without anyone knowing! I can't believe you're this stupid."

"I thought you cared about your honour and the Avatar so much you wouldn't care about me." She scoffed, gritting her teeth. "So why do you care about me?"

"Because your life's precious to me!"

His eyes widened a split second after he realised what he said, but all too quickly he recovered himself and spoke again to elaborate: