Balance

𝗖𝗵. 𝟭𝟳

          Elua sighed tiredly while she turned back to her previous actions, but she stops, spotting Katara as she went to follow after Haru and obvious speak to him about what had happened a few hours ago with his mother. She didn't say anything about it as she left. There couldn't be much harm in letting her have a simple conversation with a boy near the same age.

          "You know," Elua turned back around when Sokka began to speak as he walked over towards her, "I've never seen you air-firebend before," he told her as he picked up the basket of fruit at her feet for her and they both walked over towards Appa together.

          "You did when we first met," Elua reminded him of the time she had bent a fireball back at a certain infamous angry prince that was undoubtedly still following them.

          "That was reflecting. It wasn't real firebending," Sokka said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice that made Elua chuckle, "What I mean, is that I thought it was kinda... awesome," he told her with a sheepish smile.

          Elua glanced over to him with a look of surprise, "Really?" she asked, having thought that he and his sister would have been afraid, or maybe even offended by it.

          Sokka gave her a nod of his head with a bright smile as he set the basket down near the giant bison, "You could've totally taken that soldier down!" he shouted as he punched the air in front of him, trying to mock firebend as he spoke, and in turn making Elua laugh out of amusement and relief that he found it more entertaining than anything.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

          The next day was an early one for everyone. Sokka had demanded that they all left as soon as possible, having no wish for another run-in with the Fire Nation, and also knowing that it was simply just a bad idea to stick around with the enemy so close to the shoreline. Aang and Katara hadn't been the happiest about it but Elua saw reasoning to Sokka's words and agreed that it was for the best if they left quickly... but she definitely wasn't going to let them leave without stocking up on food seeing as no one would have wanted another potential meal of marble.

          She smiled as the feeling of the cool morning breeze hit her skin gently as she walked down a dirt path that led towards the market which was only a hundred feet in front of her. Katara would have joined her, but someone had to get the water, and the boys were busy packing up camp... and who better than the waterbender? Elua didn't mind the lonely walk though. It was peaceful—the whole village had a sense of peace and tranquility to it, and it would have been something of a small paradise had the Fire Nation not been lurking within every corner of it.

          Elua lifted her hand as to block the brightness of the early sun from her eyes while she walked. She paused her steps soon, turning slightly to her side before she walked over towards the edge of the hill she stood upon, spotting a large Fire Nation ship floating a small ways away within the ocean tides. A frown crept its way onto her face as she watched the small clouds of charcoal vapor drift up into the clear blue sky where it kept the engines of the vessel running while it sat within the waves. She could not help but sigh before she turned away from the sight and continued on down the hill.

          The market was far busier than it had been the evening before. It was clear that everyone was out getting food for their families before the Fire Nation soldiers came to take anything that they wished... unquestionably without any sort of compensation for the people that they took it from. How did they actually believe that they were all in the right to do all of this? Elua had absolutely no idea.

          Elua gave a market stand tender a thankful smile as she handed them a few coins for a few pieces of fruit to which they smiled right back while also giving her a thankful nod before she moved on through the marketplace. She quietly held onto a woven basket looped around her right arm as she walked through the crowded place, almost grateful that it was like this, for it lowered the odds of her blue tattoos being noticed from where they sat on the back of her uncovered hands.