Arriving back at the tribe, Kaiyo immediately told the kids, "Get Aang to your Gran, tell her what happened and let her.... talk to him, okay."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sokka asked with one of his brows raised and lips jutted out.
"Just... let her talk to him. She'll understand," he gathered the fishing rods and began to advance back to his tent on the vacant end of the camp where mostly crates and supplies were held.
"Hey, aren't you coming too?" Katara asked as she rushed to him to which he turned back.
"I'm tired," he looked down at Oka whom was already looking at him, "And Oka must be hungry too so, see ya." He raised his hand as he walked away with his back was to them. "Take care, Aang!"
"Uh, Bye!"the airbender hollered as he watched Kaiyo and Oka leave. "I like them!" Sokka and Katara looked to Kaiyo as he left.
....
As the next morning arrived Kaiyo did his usual morning routine; woke up, freshened up, and made his tea all the while Oka followed him.
As he exited his tent and let the sun sink in he heard a commotion going on in the middle of camp causing him to sigh. 'Somehow, I think I know what it's about.'
He looked down to Oka only for the wolf to already be looking up at him, "Nope, I'm not going to see what's it about."
Oka merely perked his ears, "You know why!" Oka licked his paw, "Ugh, fine.... this is so troublesome...." he began to walk to camp with his morning tea in hand.
As he made it there, he had enough time to hear what they were talking about, "No one has seen an airbender in a hundred years. Naturally we thought they were extinct until my grandson and granddaughter found you."
Aang looked worried, "E-Extinct..."
Kaiyo merely sighed.
"Aang, this is my grandmother," Katara introduced.
"You can call me gran-gran," their grandmother said as she stepped forward.
It was then that Sokka took Aang's staff and they both got into a bout about whether or not humans could fly. Kaiyo and Oka watched as the scene unfolded.
Aang tapped his staff and then flaps of some sort extended giving it characteristic of some kind of kite.
It was then that he took off and the kids all seemed to enjoy his 'magic trick' prompting Kaiyo to smile.... it then however disappeared.
"Think he knows...." Kaiyo asked as he took a sip of his tea while continuing to watch Aang glide through the sky.
"I do not know, but it doesn't seem likely," gran-gran said as she stood by his side wincing when she saw Aang crash into Sokka's watchtower.
It was then that murmurs started circulating...
"Look, it's him."
"I can't believe he was sent back here."
"How is he still allowed in the camp?"
Gran-Gran was about to say something to Kaiyo only for her to see him already walking off, "I'll see you around, Grams."
Gran-Gran held a sympathetic look as she looked back to see mothers holding onto their children. She sighed before going to Katara, telling her not to have too much faith in Aang.
....
Kaiyo ended up spending the rest of his time in his tent sharpening his dual blades, reading, the occasional tea and basically lounging about.
It wasn't until he heard someone enter his tent that he turned around to see that it was Katara and Sokka's grandmother, "Grams, to what do I owe the pleasure?"he asked as he placed his throwing knife back on the miniature table next to his sleeping bag.
"Kaiyo.... it's Katara," she said as she came and sat on one of the crates in his tent.
"What about her?"he asked as he continued with his reading.
" She has become convinced that this airbender can teach her more about waterbending..." Kaiyo raised a brow, "I know, it may seem foolish, but she had just threatened to leave the tribe."
"She did what?"he asked as he put down his reading material, "She must really be convinced then."
"That's not all, she and the bender just sent off a Fire Nation Flare," gran-gran finished, alerting Kaiyo to his feet.
"How long ago?"
"About ten minutes," she watched as he got his coat and other little weapons ready, "Kaiyo, please.... promise me that you'll protect them. Sokka is a capable warrior, yes, but..."
"Say no more grams..." he was ready, "C'mon, Sokka must already be out there," he whistled for Oka whom immediately perked up from his sleeping state and was at Kaiyo's side.
By the time they arrived at the scene, the ship already arrived and the hatch was opening. While everyone had scared expressions on their faces, Sokka stood at the fore front. Kaiyo however, seemed relaxed and calm being sure to keep gran-gran and Katara shielded behind him.
Seven men then proceeded to come off the ship, one standing out above the rest with a scar on the left side of his face. Kaiyo immediately recognized him.
Sokka then charged at the boy only to be kicked out of the way and into the snow head first. This caused Kaiyo to sigh, 'Maybe I should have taught him how to fight....'
The soldier with the scar looked around at the tribe, "Where are you hiding him? Where is the Avatar?"
Everyone was confused, the soldier, whom Kaiyo deduced as Zuko, looked to gran-gran, "He'd be about her age," he pointed to gran-gran, "Master of all four elements!"
"Why don't you calm down," Kaiyo stepped forward only for Zuko to glare at him.....for a prolonged period of time.
"You...." Zuko pointed, "...I know you..." Kaiyo raised a brow before Sokka eventually tried to attack the fire bender again.
As the fight dragged on Kaiyo scratched his head when Zuko eventually broke Sokka's spear that was handed to him by one of the kids and proceeded to poke his head repeatedly making Sokka fall.
However, the boomerang that Sokka had thrown eventually came back and hit Zuko in his head causing Kaiyo smirk. Right about when Kaiyo had decided to step in, Aang came to the rescue.
"Hey guys!" Aang said as he made a turn with the penguin he was riding.
"Aang!" Katara cheered.
"Hey Aang.... thanks for coming," Sokka said unenthusiastically.
The Fire Nation soldiers surrounded him causing him to jump into the air and bring his staff down making the snow fly onto the soldiers and Zuko.
"Looking for me?" Aang asked Zuko whom seemed overall surprised.
"You're the Avatar?!" Zuko asked surprised.
"What?" Katara asked surprised.
"No way...." Sokka was just as surprised.
'Avatar...' Kaiyo and gran-gran shared a look.
Zuko and Aang then began exchanging a series of quips and quick attacks until Aang looked to the villagers seeing them afraid. He then gave himself up to them. Aang looked to Kaiyo whom said nothing to him, but nodded. Aang then gave a sad smile.
Katara continued to look toward the ship as it left until she stormed off, Sokka following her action soon after in another direction.
Kaiyo merely sighed but went back to his tent anyway, 'Well... that was something... back to sleep then.'
Looking back at Oka, he saw the wolf sitting looking at where the shop once was. Kaiyo whistled for him, "Hey bud, let's go back to the tent."
Oka looked back to him as if trying to tell him that they should go after Aang. "No..." Oka wagged his tail, "No," he said a little more sternly this time.
The wolf made a sound, "No!"he said more to himself now he walked off only for Oka to tug on his coat. "Ugh...fine, we save him and that's it!"
....
Kaiyo went to his tent and began to gather a plethora of weapons and put on his old Water Tribe outfit which consisted of his usual pants, smaller boots, a dark blue coat with a hood and a thinner Water Tribe Jacket without the sleeves and hood. To go along with this he also had a thick brown belt with weapons attached to them as well as his dual blades on his back.
It was then that gran-gran walked into the tent, "Going somewhere?" Prompting him to sigh.
"The kid protected the tribe and asked for nothing.... he did nothing wrong so why should he be held captive.... plus Oka won't let it go, so."
"Katara and Sokka seem like they are going after him as well...." she began as she sat on the crate from earlier, "But it seems that they don't have any intention of coming back.... at least not soon."
"What are you getting at, grams?"he asked as he stood and faced her.
She stayed silent and merely stared into his eyes as if already telling him. "So you expect me to just leave.... after Hakoda specifically asked me to protect this place?"
"Hakoda just wanted you off the battle field, he was worried--"
"About what?!" Kaiyo burst out causing Oka to jump to his feet. "...about what...."
Gran-gran walked to him and held his arm, "Go with them, Kaiyo...."
Sighing, he then let out a breath of amusement looking to her, " You've always been kind to me grams, even after... all of what happened."
"Because you are a good person Kaiyo," she then looked to the chester box that was by his sleeping bag, " So what'll it be be?"
He looked to the box......