The Story of Aya: Book 1~Water

The Northern Air Temple

We had gotten somewhere closer to the North Pole, but we still weren't quite there yet. The temperatures had definitely dropped though. We had made camp with some other people that were traveling, and were sitting around a fire listening to stories. 

I was unlucky; everyone else had long sleeves, or jackets in Katara and Sokka's case, while my clothes left me somewhat exposed. The fire in front of us was warm enough, and I was grateful for Sokka and Katara sandwiching me between them, so I could share in the warmth from their furs. 

"So, travelers, the next time you think you hear a strange large bird talking, take a closer look. It might not be a giant parrot, but a flying man!" The storyteller pointed his finger into the sky as a flock of birds flew overhead. "A member of a secret group of airwalkers who laugh at gravity, and laugh at those bound to the earth by it!"

Aang and I smiled at each other as the man finished his story. "Aren't airbender stories the best?" Aang asked and I nodded. 

"We sure are mythical beings huh?" I replied back.

"Was it realistic? Is that how it was back then?" Katara asked intently.

"Aya and I laugh at gravity all the time." Aang laughed and I chuckled as well. 

The storyteller man was making his way around the camp with his hat out. He stopped in front of Sokka, shaking it a little. "Jingle jingle!"

Sokka searched his clothes for a second, but only found a bug and a piece of string, and offered them to the man. The man groaned and turned away.

"Hmmph, cheapskates," I heard him say under his breath as he walked away. Aang ran after him, but I refused to move, practically clinging to the siblings arms as they tried to get up.

"Noooo don't get up just yet! It's too cold!" I complained, but let go once they struggled a little. 

"Aren't you an airbender, Aya? I thought you could control the air?" Sokka asked with a smirk like he won an argument.

"Of course I am, but I can't just airbend all the time non stop. Even Aang has long sleeves and he grew up on a mountain!"

"Speaking of," Aang cut in with an even larger grin on his face, if that was even possible. "We leave for the Northern Air Temple at dawn! There are airbenders there!"

~~~

Aang literally made sure to wake us up at the crack of dawn. Not that I wasn't used to it from meditating with him, but Sokka sure wasn't happy about it. I think Katara was only happy because Aang was the one to wake her. 

I wish they'd just get together already. Something had changed while I was gone, and it was obvious they liked each other, much to Sokka's dismay. 

"Aw look Sokka, aren't they cute?" I nudged his shoulder, watching Katara lean over the saddle to talk to Aang. 

"I don't see it," he looked at the two blankly. "Why is it that all girls do is gossip about this kind of stuff?"

"Because it's fun?" I offered. "What do guys even do? Talk about their weapons all day?"

"Hey! That's not all we talk about. And a man should always be proud of his weapon!" Sokka turned away from me with a huff.

"We're almost to the Northern Air Temple!" Aang called out to us. "This is where they had the championships for sky bison polo."

Katara moved back to sit with me and Sokka. "Do you think we'll really find airbenders?" She asked excitedly. 

I nodded my head. "If my family had survived the genocide, there has to be others who did as well!"