Avatar: The Last Airbender - Book 1: Water Reader Insert

The Boy in the Iceberg - Part 4

He was surprised to hear that that was her first concern. Sokka hadn't thought much about Katara's part in all of this. As he looked back on the past day, he realized his sister had smiled more than he'd seen in months.

"I don't trust the kid." That was all he said at first. It was blunt and sure. Y/N wasn't surprised by his feelings. She understood his concern. Y/n followed his glazed stare into the snowy distance, nothing notable amongst the nil-changing snow dunes that surrounded the village.

The cheers and giggles of the tribe children pulled her attention to the opposing direction. Some were playing in the snow, building little men and igloos while the more introverted of the bunch played with the sleeping sky bison's fur. Her lips quirked up a bit seeing a little boy huddled against the loveable monster, eyes shut and an ungloved thumb in his mouth. Their new companions brought comfort and joy to the village, something she thought had nearly drained away since the chief left. For once, she wasn't sure what the future held. It wouldn't necessarily just be fishing and babysitting and chores. A light dose of happiness charged the air today and nearly everyone could feel it.

But that didn't mean it was a good thing.

"I have a feeling something's off with him. Don't you think?" She spared Sokka a glance before turning back towards the kids. "I mean," his eyes now lingered on his fingers, fiddling with the damp leather of his gloves, "it's just weird. I...I think he should leave."

Y/n turned back to him, lightly chewing on her bottom lip. She was hesitant with her next words.

"I-," Katara would hate her for this, "I can't say I disagree."

****
Penguins slid off an icy cliff as the two kids clung on tight. Laughing loudly and enjoying the fun, they continued sledding across the snowy terrain. Gleefully, Katara shouted, "I haven't done this since I was a kid!"

"You still are a kid!"

The two kept racing. They entered a tunnel, maneuvering around its many twists and turns. Eager to pass Katara, Aang used a bit of air bending to speed past. Exiting the tunnel still giddy with laughter, they slid to a halt.

Dismounting their penguins, Aang's eyes glittered at the sight before him. He walked closer to get a better look. "Whoa. What is that?" he questioned; his voice laced with wonder.

"A Fire Navy ship and a very bad memory for my people," Katara replied. Aang continued his approach to the ship. "Aang, stop. We're not allowed to go near it. The ship could be booby-trapped," Katara warned him.

"If you want to be a bender, you have to let go of fear," he uttered. Unsure, Katara joined him, and they climbed and entered the old, dingy ship.

They wandered around the dark corridors within. Steely gray and cold, the pair peeked around corners, making sure not to bump into anything, not even unsettling the lingering dust. Aang decided to enter one of the eerie rooms, one filled with a variety of weapons.

"This ship is haunted by tribes since Gran Gran was a little girl. It was part of the Fire Nation's first attacks," Katara explained.

"Ok, back up. I have friends all over the world, even in the Fire Nation. I've never seen any war."

"Aang, how long were you in that iceberg?"

"I don't know, a few days maybe."

"I think it was more like a hundred years."

"What? That's impossible. Do I look like a one-hundred-twelve-year-old man to you?" Aang tried to dismiss the idea.

"Think about it. The war is a century old. You don't know about it, because somehow you were in there that whole time." Dread washed over his face. "It's the only explanation."

He backed against the wall behind him. "A hundred years." He dropped to the ground. "I can't believe it."

"I'm sorry, Aang. Maybe somehow, there's a bright side to this," Katara comforted him, placing a warm hand on his shoulder.

He smiled and looked up at her with a smile on his face, "I did get to meet you."

She grinned back at him, "Come on, let's get out of here." She helped him stand up and they began to leave the ship. After wandering around a bit more, Katara spoke up, "Aang, let's head back. This place is creepy."

"Huh?" Aang acknowledged her. His foot caught on a trip wire buried in a small mound of snow. Katara gasped and Aang whipped around when they heard the creaking sound of metal. Behind them, the door they just walked through had been barred shut. They were trapped and there seemed to be no way out. "What's that you said about booby traps?"

They turned back around to see a series of contraptions go off in a chain reaction. Steam began shooting out of the pipes. A small explosion popped, and they rushed to the windows at the side of the ship. "Uh-oh." Above them, a flare shot into the air. Going high, it burst brightly before sputtering out upon its descent.

Aang looked around spotting a large hole in the ceiling. "Hold on tight!" he advised before he lifted up Katara, an arm supporting her back and the other, the crook of her knees. With a gust of air, he jumped through the hole and onto the snowy roof of the ship before leaping down the icy wreckage and back to the village.

What he didn't see was that far off on another ship stood a young man watching through a telescope.

"The last airbender. Quite agile for his old age," he spoke to himself, proud of his discovery. "Wake my uncle!" he directed. "Tell him I have found the Avatar."

The men working the ship followed the orders of the Fire Nation prince.

He glanced once more through his telescope, following its subjects' movements. He scoped out the land ahead of where Aang was headed. He spotted the small village. "...as well as his hiding place."

***

About to walk her catch to the igloo that held the village's store of food, y/n lugged it over her shoulder, her feet crunching in the snow. Out of the corner of her eye, Sokka sprung to his feet.

Jaw clenched and eyes wide, the flare taunted him, daring him to make the final decision that had been bothering him all day. 

Not far off, y/n mirrored his posture, mouth parted in awe and concern. They both knew what ruins lie below where the flare cracked the sky. Hopefully, hopefully—y/n prayed to the spirits—the flare was for their eyes only. The last thing she wanted was to relive anything resembling that—No. Even if trouble was to come of this, she'd never allow for anything like that to happen again.