𝑨𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒐𝒕

Chapter twenty four
Elora

"Waterbending bomb!" Katara exclaimed before leaping off a tall cliff into the pond below, drenching Sokka and his ancient scrolls with gallons of water.

"Sure, 5,000 year old maps from the spirit library. Just splash some water on them," Sokka grumbled as he attempted to air out the soggy papers.

Katara wrung out her hair and then proceeded to bend the water from the soaked scrolls, apologizing, "Sorry."

"Could have easily avoided that by sitting away from the water," I muttered between bites of the juicy berries that Momo and I had scavenged.

"Maybe, but I like to live life on the edge, you know what I mean?" Sokka said with a mischievous grin, leaning in as if to kiss me. His attempt earned him a smack instead.

"It was worth a try," he shrugged, undeterred.

"Give up already," I teased.

"Nope, I already told you I'm making it a habit," Sokka replied with a smirk.

I sighed and returned my gaze to Aang, who was splashing around in the water like a wild otter on a sunny day.

I was relieved to see Aang enjoying himself and letting go of some of his sadness, but every time I glanced at him, a pang of guilt reminded me of what I was hiding from him.

"So when are you gonna spit out what you saw in that library?"
the tranquility gets shattered by Sokka's unexpected question, my heart raced.

How did he know? His casual tone belied the intensity of his inquiry, catching me off guard as my eyes widened in surprise.

"What... How did you...?" I stammered, struggling to form a coherent response amidst my bewilderment.

Sokka leaned in, his expression a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"I know you, Lora. You've been acting differently ever since we left that library. Something's been bothering you. So, spill it. What did you find in there that's got you so worked up? And why do you keep staring at Aang like that? Is it concern, or is it something to do with what you saw?"

His words hung in the air, punctuated by the gentle rustle of leaves and the distant sound of water trickling nearby. I glanced nervously at Aang, who was still immersed in his playful antics in the pond, oblivious to our conversation. Then, I turned back to Sokka, grappling with the weight of his scrutiny and the dilemma of whether to reveal my discovery.

I glanced around to ensure we were truly alone, then grabbed Sokka's hand and led him further away, seeking out a secluded spot behind a cluster of trees.

"Are we sneaking off to smooch in secret?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, earning an eye roll from me.

"No, we're not sneaking off for a clandestine make-out session." I roll my eyes

Sokka feigned disappointment, his hand dramatically placed over his heart. "Well, there goes my romantic fantasy," he sighed dramatically before grinning at me. "Okay, spill the beans, what's got you all serious?"

"I found birth records from the air temples at the library."

I took a deep breath, the weight of the revelation heavy on my shoulders as I tried to articulate the jumbled thoughts racing through my mind. Sokka's steady gaze encouraged me to continue, his hand resting reassuringly on my shoulder.

"Well, I didn't really find them myself," I began, the words tumbling out in a rush as I struggled to convey the enormity of what I had discovered. "The owl showed it to me, said there was something in there for me to see, and..."