Wild At Heart (Zuko)

Chapter Sixty-Eight

In the market of the small village, Kali wanders around glancing at the stalls set up. Even here, there is an aura of weirdness. That feeling from the forest is here as well. An unnerving and fearful aura. Everyone looks terrified. Haunted even. Sokka suddenly drops his arm around her shoulder causing Kali to look at him surprised, jumping slightly. She didn't know he was going to be here. He smiles at her, seeing the question in her eyes.

"Katara" He explains and nods across at where Katara is walking with Hama, the two of them looking around the market stalls. Kali hums a little. "You feeling better?" He asks her, Kali shrugs a little. She's not sure she will feel better until she leaves this place, or Zuko finds her. There is just something off here. This whole place feels wrong.

"There's something wrong here" She voices. Sokka nods in agreement.

"We've heard things" He admits. "People disappearing in the woods, weird stuff happening during full moons" He explains, she frowns at him, turning to face him. "This just reeks of Spirit World shenanigans" She glances around the market. Something affecting the Spirit World would make sense. That it worries the trees and the plants. Aang and Toph join them.

"I bet if we take a little walk around town, we'll find out what these people did to the environment to make the spirits mad" Aang offers. Sokka makes a gesture with his hand.

"And then you can sew up this little mystery lickety-split, Avatar style!" Sokka points out brightly.

"Helping people ... that's what I do" Aang agrees proudly. Kali smiles a little listening to them. Because they are willing to so quickly jump in to help. Sokka touches Kali's arm and raises an eyebrow.

"You want to help?" He asks her, she nods in agreement. This is part of why she came to them. To find them. To help. To put things right. She then narrows her eyes and gives Sokka a look.

"This is because you think Katara will listen to me" She points out. Sokka opens his mouth to argue with her but then thinks better of it. He pulls a face and nods.

"You do have an aura about you" Toph agrees. "Makes people believe anything you say" Aang nods in agreement. Kali sighs a little but nods in understanding. They do seem more willing to listen to her. Perhaps because she doesn't have a history with them. That they know each other too well, that they are too comfortable with one another. It's easier to ignore facts. Kali is new. She also feels older than them. That brings a new perspective.

.......

Back at the Inn, Sokka walks over to a counter and sets his basket down looking rather pensive. Kali sets a second basket down next to Sokka's before she starts to take the items from within it out. Sokka glances at her and she sighs knowing the look he's giving her. He's wanting validation that she agrees with him. Hama is still being weird and creepy. Even when she sent them back to the inn with the shopping. She looked rather sinister. And it just made Kali even more suspicious of her. And maybe it is her. Maybe it is these kids that are bringing that out in her. She doesn't remember feeling this suspicious of anyone whilst she was with Zuko and Iroh and there were a few she should have. She glances at Sokka who raises an eyebrow at her. Katara, Aang and Toph walk into the room. Aang holds out the flower to Kali who smiles as she takes it from him. It is a sweet gesture. Because they know how much she hates that this inn has no plant like in it. Kali lifts the flower and slides it behind her ear before she goes back to unpacking the items from the baskets.

"That Hama seems a little strange" Sokka voices. "Like she knows something, or she's hiding something"

"That's ridiculous" Katara argues as she leans on the counter. "She's a nice woman who took us in and gave us a place to stay. She kinda reminds me of Gran-Gran"