I Am Not the Last Airbender {ON HOLD}

Chapter Three

            Perhaps you may have already thought of this.  Perhaps not.  But I did.  My parents didn’t.  And I was going through with it: I was leaving.

            Night had taken its toll on our little village of the Southern Watertribe and everyone was fast asleep.  Except two.  The silence of the night startled me, my footsteps like water dripping in a hollow cave.  The echoing.  No amount of muffling and careful measures taken could make me any less loud.  Perhaps in a crowded street I would have been able to slip by, but in the dank noiselessness, I felt like every soul could hear me breathe.

            Macco was already there waiting for me at the water’s edge by our source of travel: Appa.  Appa was Father’s air bison and the quickest form of transportation around.  I knew Appa would certainly be confused and would want to stay with Father, but we needed him, desperately.  The furry beast opened his eyes groggily as I patted his nose.

            “Are you ready?” I whispered to Macco but I was more saying it to myself.

            He nodded soundlessly, climbing up on Appa’s back and throwing his sacks up onto the saddle.  Before jumping up as well, I filled my canteen with water that would be needed later, whether it be a dry throat’s attack or that of an enemy.  I had no way of knowing what we would encounter.  And I at least had the humility to be scared.

            But soon we were up and away, gliding over the arctic waters.  I glanced back to see our small village slipping away, the dim fires growing farther and farther into the foggy, untraceable night.

            “Macco?” I said from behind to reins to Macco who was lounging in the saddle, loud enough so that the wind couldn’t snatch my voice away.

            “Yeah, Jay?”

            “Do you think this is a good idea?”  My words seemed so small and helpless.  I felt weak and fragile as I spoke them.

            “What do you think?” was his response to which I groaned.

            “I was asking you,” I clarified.  “Do you want to leave?”

            He was silent for a moment before he answered, “Well, of course I’ll miss my parents.”  This made me begin to doubt my decision.  “But I could let my best friend have all the fun.”  I turned around to see him smiling as he said it, reassuring me a bit more.

            “Okay,” I said, still slightly unsure.  “Because you can go back right now-”

            “Jay,” Macco interrupted me.  “I’m not leaving.”

            I just grinned back at him, glad to have him on my side.

            “Where to, Mr. Map Maestro?” I called over my shoulder to Macco after a few minutes of silence.

He rifled through his pack, searching with definite purpose.  Finally, he pulled out what he was looking for.

“I think it’s time we met some of your parents’ old friends,” he said with a grin.