The Thief |Sokka

TEN

They reached their hiding place late at night and the most they could do was go to sleep. The day before the comet found them sleeping until the sun had almost reached its peak while they remained protected in a small cave Jaya had led them to yesterday, having absolutely no supplies. They needed to head to the city nearby and get all they wanted as soon as possible.

Despite Jaya's volunteering, they didn't allow her to get out of the cave to buy their supplies. The chance of someone recognizing her was too high and in the end Haru left with the Duke to head to the town and get all they needed while the rest stayed behind. There was nothing left to do and so Jaya lied back down to the ground and waited for them to return. In reality, they didn't take that long to return with supplies, but to her it felt like an eternity. She couldn't have been happier when they got back.

"They are celebrating," Haru told them the moment he entered the cave with the Duke right behind him, a small frown on his lips. "I never realized what they were celebrating exactly but there's a general festive mood I don't understand."

"Maybe it's because the comet is coming," Teo theorized.

"Maybe," Haru yielded as the Duke spoke up.

"It must be. They had slogans in their ribbons and one of them said 'Rebirth from Fire', whatever that means."

"They are mental, some of them," Haru shook his head. "Anyway, we've got enough food for today and tomorrow. Let us hope everything goes well."

"We have no room or luxury for a different result," Jaya murmured as she pushed herself up from the ground. "We have got to win."

"Jaya?"

She turned to Haru with a hum, her brows furrowing when she noticed the small smile he seemed to be trying to keep to himself and failing.

"You've got a little something..."

He pointed around her head and then started to withdraw his hands, bringing the Duke and Teo to laugh, even Hakoda smiled. Jaya raised a hand to her hair to find it standing in every which direction. She groaned, fell back to the ground.

"You try managing a mane of hair and I'll tell you when it's not styled properly," she snapped, trying to keep herself from smiling at the laughter that followed her small outburst. She failed.

They stayed around all day, doing nothing, just sitting around. It was probably the most boring day Jaya had ever witnessed but in a sense, it helped her because after the attack her ribs had started aching a little bit more. At least she could heal properly now.

On the day the comet was set to come, all of them woke up early even though it would take hours until it reached them. After sitting around in the cave for a while, Jaya convinced them to head up so they could see the comet properly.

"Grandma used to tell us many stories," she told them as they finally listened to her and followed her up the hill. "One of them was about when the comet arrived. Even though she was a nonbender, she said she felt almost invigorated at the sight and that the sky had been the most beautiful she had ever seen."

No one dared refute her. Soon, their attention was drawn elsewhere, to the small town nearby.

"What is that?" Teo breathlessly asked. He received no reply.

In what seemed like the center of the town a huge fire had risen and around it Jaya thought she could see people dancing.

"Who cares what they are doing," the Duke called out from a few ways away. They turned to him to see he had sat down under a tree. "Come sit under shade. We have a while to wait."