𝕍𝕖𝕟𝕦𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕂𝕪𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕚 𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕠𝕣: 𝕊𝕠𝕜𝕜𝕒 𝕩 𝕆𝕔

Chapter 7- Bato of the Water Tribe

Sokka protectively wrapped his body around me as he took out his boomerang. "Who's there?"

A man, hailing from the Water Tribe with white bandages wrapped around the upper left portion of his torso, steps out of the shadows. "Sokka?"

"Bato?" Sokka spits out.

"Who the what now?" Aang says drowsily.

"Bato!" Katara cheerfully says as she wakes up.

The siblings run over to the man, hugging him. "Sokka! Katara! It is so good to see you two. You've grown so much!"

Aang bows in greeting. "Hi, I'm Aang."

"Where's Dad?"

"Is he here?"

"No." Bato replies to the siblings. "He and the other warriors should be in the Eastern Earth Kingdom by now."

A gust of wind blows, causes everyone to shiver. "This is no place for a reunion. Let's get inside."
He had his arms around Sokka and Katara, leading them away.

Sokka turns around and pauses as he gestures me over into his arms. Bato gestures Aang to follow as well.

We walk into a courtyard, a few nuns milling about. "After I was wounded, your father carried me to this abbey. The sisters have cared for me ever since. Superior," A woman turns around. "These are Hakoda's children. They've been traveling with the Avatar and a friend. I found them by my boat."

"Young Avatar," the superior says. "It gives me great joy to be in your presence. Welcome to our abbey."

"Thank you, it's truly an honor to be here. If there's anything- " Sokka abruptly cuts Aang off.

"What smells so good, Bato?"

Bato smells his surroundings. "The sisters craft ointments and perfumes."

"Perfume?" Sokka exclaims, pointing his thumb at Appa. "Maybe we can dump some on Appa, because he stinks so much." He waves his hand in front of his face. "Am I right?" Everyone is silent, a single person coughs.

"You have your father's wit." Bato dryly says.

"I love perfumes," I beam. "I used to have an addiction back on Kyoshi island."

"You've had a lot of addictions." Sokka murmurs.

I open my mouth but close it as we both stifle a laugh.

Ahh, yes. Let's laugh at my pain.

The nun smiles. "Take some for yourself, dear."

"Really?"

"Yes, yes." She says collecting a few bottles and putting a cork on them for me.

"Thank you."

Bato shows us to his hut, with a tent on the opposite side of the door being the bed chamber, a fire with cousins in the middle, and various pelts placed and hung everywhere.

"Bato, it looks like home!"

"Everything's here, even the pelts!"

"Yeah, nothing's cozier than dead animal skins." Aang sarcastically says, causing me to laugh.

Katara and Sokka are by the fire. Katara opens the lid of a pot cooking over the fire as Bato joins them. "No way! Stewed sea prunes!"

"Help yourself!"

Sokka gestures me to come sit next to him. "Here, try some!" He says picking up his spoon to feed me.

I shook my head. I didn't like the smell of it.