The Dragon Princess and the Wolf Warrior

Chapter 67 [~|~] The Serpent's Pass

Azara laid out on a large rock, sunbathing next to Sokka, who was staring at various maps and documents he had stolen from the spirit library. She cracked an eye open, however, when she heard Katara yell out. "Waterbending bomb! Yeah!" Katara shouted, before doing a cannonball into the water. Noting the large wave of water barreling towards her, Azara sat up and sighed as she was soaked by Katara's splash.

"Sure, five-thousand-year-old maps from the spirit library. Just splash some water on them," Sokka snapped sarcastically as he held a now soaking wet map in his hands.

"Sorry," Katara chuckled, as she wrung her hair dry. Raising her arms, she bent the water out of the map as Azara tugged at her own hair, the water starting to pool beside her.

"So, did you figure out what route we're going to take?" Aang questioned, jumping up and over to the rest of the group.

"Okay, we just got out of the desert, so we must be around here," Sokka explained, placing the map down on the ground and pointing to their approximate location. "And we need to go to Ba Sing Se, which is here. It looks like the only passage connecting the south to the north is this sliver of land called the Serpent's Pass." Azara raised an eyebrow at the name of the passage.

"That sounds . . . foreboding," she commented, resting her chin on Sokka's shoulder to get a better look at the map.

"You sure that's the best way to go?" Toph asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It's the only way. I mean, it's not like we have Appa to fly us there," Sokka shrugged before Azara nudged him and Katara shushed him.

"Shush up about Appa. Can't you at least try to be sensitive?" Katara whispered, but Aang shook his head.

"Katara, it's okay. I know I was upset about losing Appa before, but I just want to focus on getting to Ba Sing Se and telling the Earth King about the solar eclipse," Aang spoke calmly, causing Azara and Katara to share a concerned look.

"Oh . . . well, okay. I'm glad you're doing better," Katara replied, sounding surprised at Aang's change of reaction.

"Then to Ba Sing Se we go. No more distractions," Sokka stated, standing up and placing his hands on his hips. However, before anyone else could say anything or move, a man called out to them from behind Sokka.

"Hello there, fellow refugees!"

Azara stood up and stared at the three refugees walking towards them, which included a man, a heavily pregnant woman, and a younger woman. "So, you guys are headed to Ba Sing Se, too?" Aang questioned, glancing over at the refugees.

"Sure are," Than replied and nodded. "We're trying to get there before my wife Ying has her baby." Azara smiled softly as the man wrapped his arm around his wife, placing a hand over her round belly.

"Great! We can travel through the Serpent's Pass together," Katara offered, but the refugees recoiled in shock.

"The Serpent's Pass? Only the truly desperate take that deadly route!" Ying explained, causing the group's eyes to fall on Sokka.

"Deadly route. Great pick, Sokka!" Toph scoffed, punching Sokka in the arm.

"Well, we are desperate," Sokka muttered as he rubbed his arm in pain.

"You should come with us to Full Moon Bay. Ferries take refugees across the lake. It's the fastest way to Ba Sing Se," Than spoke, a wide smile on his face.