The Traitor Princess

Chapter 14 - Jet: Part One

The next morning, everyone started to pack up their belongings.

"Where's Momo?" Aang asked. The group heard screeching sounds and started looking around. Aang searched the trees and found Momo strung up in a cage. "Hang on, Momo!" Aang shouted. He used his airbending to propel himself to the top of the tree. He moved to the top of the traps and undid Momo's. The trap lowered to the ground and the little lemur ran out.

Aang landed gracefully beside his friends before seeing the other animals strung up in cages. "Alright, you too." He said.

"This is gonna take forever," Sokka complained and pulled out his boomerang. Eziri smirked and shoved Sokka before he could throw his weapon. She then pulled out one of her knives and shot it up at the cages, releasing the remaining animals.

"Must you always be so competitive?" Sokka asked, shoving Eziri back. She grinned.

"It's part of my charm." Sokka rolled his eyes and walked towards the fallen traps. He agreed but he didn't want to give her the satisfaction.

"These are Fire Nation traps. You can tell from the metalwork." Eziri examined the traps more closely and nodded in agreement. "We better pack up camp, and get moving."

The group started to pack up their belongings and load Appa's saddle.

"Uh uh. No flying this time." Sokka said, stopping Aang from loading the saddle.

"What? Why wouldn't we fly?"

"Think about it: Somehow Prince Zuko and the Fire Nation keep finding us. It's because they spot Appa, he's just too noticeable." Sokka explained.

"Well actually if we stayed away from the sea--" Eziri started.

"What? Appa's not too noticeable!" Katara exclaimed. Why does no one listen to me? Eziri thought.

"He's a gigantic fluffy monster with an arrow on his head! It's kinda hard to miss him!"

Aang pet Appa. "Sokka's just jealous 'cause he doesn't have an arrow."

"I know you all want to fly, but my instincts tell me we should play it safe this time and walk." Sokka said confidently.

"Who made you the boss?" Katara asked.

"I'm not the boss, I'm the leader." Sokka said with a finger to his chest. Eziri quirked a brow.

"You're the leader? But your voice still cracks!" Katara teased.

"I'm the oldest, and I'm a warrior--" Sokka lowered his voice. "--so I'm the leader."

"Hold up, Mr. 'Warrior,'" Eziri intervened. "First of all, I'm pretty sure I'm the oldest. Second of all, I'm literally heir to the Fire Nation throne. Wouldn't that make me the leader?" Eziri asked, amused.

"Well Fire Nation titles don't count!" Sokka crossed his arms over his chest. "Besides, when's your birthday, anyways? You don't know that you're the oldest."

Eziri thought for a minute. She started counting on her fingers and then widened her eyes. "Actually....my birthday is in a couple days." She put on an amused grin. "So I guess that makes me the oldest, huh?" Sokka was too flustered to come up with a response.

"If anyone's the leader, it's Aang. I mean he is the Avatar." Katara chimed in.

"Are you kidding, he's just a goofy kid!" Sokka protested.

"He's right!" Aang agreed as he hung upside down from Appa's horn.

"You say that like you're not a goofy kid too." Eziri joked.