The Jaded Princess - A Sokka Love Story

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"You'll regret breaking a deal with me!" Orzala looked over her shoulder just in time to see fire blasts heading their way. She jumped up, gasping as the flames licked the ground right under her feet. Her jade eyes flickered to Sokka, worry surging in her chest until she realized he was fine. The princess rushed toward her fallen friends, using the commotion around them as a cover.

"Are you alright?" She asked, falling to her knees beside them, but her only answer was a battle cry. Her gaze snapped to the soldiers heading straight for them, and her breath caught in her throat. A group of pirates quickly jumped to their defense, and the air around them became thick with smoke from their smoke bombs.

Orzala's lungs felt heavy as she attempted to breathe through the stuff, and a bout of coughs tore from her throat. "Orzala?!" The girl whipped around, eyes straining to see through the gray air.

"Sokka? Where are you?"

"I'm right here, follow my voice." She frowned, taking a hesitant step in the direction she thought she had heard him.

"Keep talking, I have no idea where I'm going."

"Uhhhh, what do you want me to say?"

"I don't know. You never shut up. Why is it so hard to think of something now?"

"Hey! I take offense to that."

"Sokka, you take offense to everything!"

"Because you always say offensive things!" The girl let out a snort, eyes locking on a shadowed, hunched figure up ahead.

"Found you," she breathed, and she saw the figure turn to her. She smiled as he stepped out of the smoke, and he returned the favor. That was, until a knife went flying over his head. A screech left the princess's lips as she narrowly dodged the blade. She set her her jaw, running toward the weapon that was now embedded in the ground and using it to cut the ropes that bound her wrists together.

Once free, she whipped the blade out of the ground, taking a moment to admire the weapon and its gold hilt. "Hm," she mused, lips quirking up into a small smile as she tested the feel of the blade in her fingers, "guess this is mine now." She approached Sokka, reaching for his bound wrists and cutting the rope carefully. As soon as his hands were free, he grabbed her own, pulling them up and examining the rope burns that marred her pale skin. A frustrated growl escaped him.

Orzala only let out a small chuckle, pulling away from his grasp and shaking her head. "I've had worse, water boy. You know that."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," he grumbled, rubbing the ache away from his own wrists. "Aang, are you there! I found Orzala!"

"I'm over here! Follow my voice!" The avatar called, sounding far off. Orzala frowned.

"Where?! We can't find you!"

"I'm right here!" He called, louder this time. A beat passed. "Nevermind, I'll find you!" The princess let out a huff before pulling Sokka closer to her and calling out to Aang once more.

"Don't worry, I got this!" She gave them no time to question her words, wrapping her arm around Sokka's torso and throwing another arm up quickly. She winced when Sokka's scream filled the air, turning to glare at him as they were propelled upwards. "Chill out, you big baby." She released him once they were high enough that they were above the smoke, bending several more rocks so they had something of a staircase to walk down and out of the smoke.

"Run!" Aang's cry filled the air, and she watched as he catapulted himself out of the smoke and toward the pirate ship ahead of them. They wasted no time to follow, and their faces lit up as they saw Katara by the ship. "Katara! You're ok!"