Daughter of the Moon - Book Three: Fire

Chapter 14: That One Time I Tried To Let A Boy Train Me

- Elara -

There were few things I had been confident about since my whole world had been turned upside down, but I knew for a fact that I needed to change a few things if he was going to be stalking around the temple on a regular basis. I couldn't be a weak, little pushover anymore. I had to be able to stand up for myself, and I had to be ready for when he would betray me again—I mean—betray us again.

"Again!" I huffed as I staggered to my feet for what felt like the hundredth time, my body aching in a places I didn't even know existed.

Sokka winced at the venom in my voice, hesitating for a moment as he seemed to be on the verge of giving up. However, that hesitation didn't last long, and before I knew it, he was flying towards me once again with his hands prepped and ready to attack.

Sokka threw his fist towards me, and I ducked as quickly as I could before cutting upwards with the intent of socking him in the jaw. Unfortunately, I was much too slow, and Sokka caught my fist in his hand before linking his leg behind my knee and pushing me to the floor. Again.

I stayed on the ground for a moment as I struggled to catch my breath. I had known when I had asked Sokka to train me that it was going to be hard, but I did not remember him being that strong. I hadn't even gotten a single hit in, and we had been going at it for who knew how long. I must've been extremely weak.

Regardless, I eventually found that I was pulling myself to my feet once again, my breathing labored as I did my best to hold my position. "Again!" I ordered.

"Elara, we've been doing this for half an hour, and you've gotten nowhere," Sokka sighed as he relaxed his stance. "I'm telling you, we should wait until you regain your strength."

"I'm not going to get any stronger unless you train me!" I argued feverishly. "Let's go again!"

Sokka studied me carefully as I trembled from the exertion of standing alone, and he eventually shook his head with a sigh. "No. I'm putting my foot down. I'm not going to train you until you're ready."

"But I am ready!" I protested.

"No, you're not," Sokka spit, and his words seemed to physically pierce my heart. "You can barely stand on your own, not to mention that you refuse to use your bending, which is your most valuable asset when it comes to sparring! You're nowhere near being ready to fight again. End of discussion."

"Please, Sokka," I continued, my voice trembling as I stalked over to him and grabbed onto him with as much desperation as I could muster. "Please, you have to help me."

"For the last time; I'm not doing it," Sokka groaned as he wrapped his hands around mine. "We can start again once you've had a chance to heal."

Sokka's words crumbled my resolve, and as my hopes crashed into the floor, so did I. I had just wanted to make myself stronger so that I would be less of a burden on my friends—so I would be able to protect them if that boy even stepped one toe out of line—but perhaps Sokka was right. Maybe I was just too weak.

I felt Sokka sink to the floor next to me, his arm working its way around my waist and sending sickening shivers up my spine as he went to hold me.

"Here, let me help you to your room," he offered quietly as he pulled me back to my feet.

For a moment, I almost allowed Sokka to help me, but once I had regained my balance, I had also regained an ounce of my determination. I had only asked for him to train me, and he failed. I had failed. I had every right to be mad, and when I snapped, Sokka just happened to be on the receiving end of my anger.