The Jaded Princess - A Sokka Love Story

Chapter Forty-One

"I don't know," Sokka said, despair dripping from his words. Orzala cocked an eyebrow, ignoring Katara's growing smile, and allowed her eyes to drift further down the beach.

"What's that?" She asked, raising a shaky finger to point at a boat. It was obviously Water Tribe. It donned blue colors, and it was made of wood, unlike Fire Nation's navy ships. Sokka followed her gaze, his face brightening as he saw the structure.

"It's one of our boats!" He and Katara made a mad dash for the ship, wide smiles plastered on their faces.

"Is this dad's boat?" Katara asked him, running her fingers along the body of the ship. Sokka shook his head.

"No, but it's from his fleet." His blue eyes darted between Katara and Orzala, and a small smile began to tug at the princess's lips. "Dad was here!"

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Once the excitement had died down and they had set up camp, Orzala found herself wishing to be alone with her thoughts once more. Thousands of theories and scenarios were blazing through her head, and to be quite honest, it was giving her a migraine. 

What if I hurt them? What if I can prevent this?

What if I leave?

She shook her head at the thought, running a hand through her raven hair in frustration. Her jade eyes flitted around to her friends whom she loved with every part of her being. Aang dozed beside Appa, cuddling the furry beast's leg, and Katara wasn't too far off, cuddled up in her sleeping bag. The princess's lips twitched upward. They had both grown so much since they had first met. They were still so lost, though, like her. At least that's what she would like to think.

They were all lost in some way, trying to find themselves in their bending and their destinies. She couldn't leave them now. Not only for them, but for her sake as well. Aunt Wu had told her about the battle that grew inside of her. Perhaps her friends were the only thing that was keeping the battle inside. If she didn't have them, she may topple right over the edge and find herself in a situation she didn't want to be in.

Her gaze shifted to Sokka. The orange light of the campfire highlighted his face eerily, sending an unconscious chill down the girl's spine. It was obvious that he was in his own mind, not aware of the things around him. She watched the flames flicker against the iciness of his blue eyes, and her face fell.

What if he had heard what Aunt Wu had told her? Would he send her away? Would he beg her to stay? Or would he think her too dangerous to keep around? She grimaced.

A loud crack snapped her from her daze, and she shot up from the ground. Her fingers twitched anxiously as she scanned the horizon, drawing the sand from below up slowly. Another snap made the girl tense, and she threw her hands up into a defensive position. At this point Sokka stood, heart thudding rapidly as he focused on the raven-haired girl before him.

Orzala's expression was as dark as the night the surrounded them, her features exaggerated by the moonlight above. Her green eyes shone dangerously as she drew up the sand from around her, her gaze sweeping the treeline. Sokka gulped, reminding himself not to get on her bad side before he followed her example. He drew his weapon slowly, moving to stand beside her.

"Who's there?" He called, tightening his grip on his club. Suddenly a figure moved from the trees, approaching them warily. The boy's eyes widened when he recognized familiar tribal clothing. As Orzala went to strike, he held out his hand, squinting through the darkness as the newcomer drew near.

"Sokka?" The boy's eyes widened as the man stepped into the light, his face contorted in confusion.

"Bato?" Sokka's face morphed into one of pure joy, and Orzala felt her heart drop as she lowered the sand back down. Aang and Katara stirred behind them, rubbing the sleep from their eyes as they looked around.

Katara's face lit up as she spotted the Water Tribe warrior, and she shot up from her sleeping bag. "Bato!" The siblings rushed toward the man, welcoming his embrace. Orzala stood by awkwardly, shooting an anxious look toward Aang. The airbender moved to stand beside her, watching their interaction with a small smile.

"It is so good to see you two!" The man was saying, looking down to the children with pride. "You've both grown so much since I last saw you!" His eyes caught the other two, and he smiled to them warmly.

"Hi. I'm Aang." The avatar gave a slight wave, but Orzala only stared. Aang looked to her in confusion, elbowing her harshly in the ribs when she offered up no introduction. The princess's gaze hardened as she glared at the boy, but none the less, she turned back toward the man and offered a nod of respect.

"My name is Orzala. It is a pleasure to meet you, Bato."

"Where's dad?" Sokka interjected, looking up to the man hopefully.

"Is he here?"

"No, he and the other warriors should be in the Eastern Earth Kingdom by now." The siblings faces fell. A harsh wind began to blow around them, and Orzala felt herself began to shiver from the cold.

Bato shivered with them, hugging himself for warmth. "This is no place for a reunion. Let's get inside." He slipped his arms over the siblings' shoulders, leading them away, and Orzala felt her heart sink deeper than before. She glanced to Aang, noting his despairing gaze, and quickly grabbed his hand with her own. She squeezed it as he turned to her, offering up a small smile that he returned, and they followed along after their friends into the night.