CHAPTER 38 | bloodbending

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"SUDDENLY, THEY HEARD something down the hall, in the dark." Sokka said. "It came into the torchlight. And they knew the blade of Wing-Fun was haunted!"

"I think I liked 'The Man with a Sword for a Hand' better." Aang said.

"Water Tribe slumber parties must stink." Toph snickered.

"No, wait, I've got one." said Katara. "And this is a true Southern Water Tribe story."

"Is this one of those 'a friend of my cousin knew some guy that this happened to' story?" Sokka asked, putting an arm over Kasumi's shoulder, and pulling her closer to him.

"No, it happened to mom." Katara answered. "One winter, when mom was a girl, a snowstorm buried the whole village for weeks. A month later, mom realised she hadn't seen her friend Nini since the storm. So mom and some others went to check on Nini's family. When they got there, no one was home. Just a fire flickering in the fireplace."

Sokka could feel Kasumi shiver.

"While the men went out to search, mom stayed in the house. When she was alone, she heard a voice. 'It's so cold, and I can't get warm.' Mom turned and saw Nini standing by the fire. She was blue, like she was frozen. Mom ran outside for help, but when everyone came back, Nini was gone."

"Where'd she go?" Sokka questioned.

"No one knows. Nini's house stands empty to this day. But sometimes, people see smoke coming up from the chimney, like little Nini is still trying to get warm."

Toph gasped. "Wait. Guys, did you hear that?"

Aang ran to hug Katara, scared.

"I hear people under the mountain, and they're screaming."

"Pfft, nice try." Sokka scoffed.

"No, I'm serious I hear something."

"You're probably just jumpy from the ghost stories."

"It just stopped."

"Hello, children." An unfamiliar voice said. Everyone screamed and ran to hug each other.

An old woman stepped forward. "Sorry to frighten you, my name is Hama. You children shouldn't be out in the forest by yourselves at night. I have an inn nearby, why don't you come back there for some spiced tea and warm beds?" Hama offered.

"Yes, please." Sokka accepted.

Katara thanked the old woman for letting them stay

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Katara thanked the old woman for letting them stay.

"Aren't you sweet?" Hama cooed. "You know, you should be more careful. People have been disappearing in those woods you were camping in."

"What do you mean, disappearing?" Sokka questioned.

"When the moon turns full, people walk in and they don't come out. Who wants more tea?" she asked, completely changing the tone she used for the sentence before. "Don't worry, you'll all be completely safe here. Why don't I show you to your rooms, and you can get a good night's rest?"

smoke and frost | sokka x oc ✔️Where stories live. Discover now