Fall of the White Lotus [Zutara/Taang]

22 | Caramelldansen

Music: Infinite Legends, Two Steps From Hell

                     A watery afternoon sun cast a bleak light on the autumnal Hei Bai forest as Appa skimmed the dense woodland in search for a good spot to land. He made an elegant turn and the only settlement for miles around came into view.

The settlement consisted of a small collection of longhouses surrounded by high wooden palisades. Arched green roofs, decorated with brass ridges, gave the buildings an elegant look. The most beautiful roof was that of the community house, a large, inviting building with a veranda, that featured prominently near the rear of the village. The rest of the houses sat in neat rows before it.

Last time Katara had visited this village, it had been late spring and the modest village had been skulking behind the lush trees surrounding it. Now, the only green she could see were the roofs of the buildings behind the palisade fences.

"What's with these strange, stretched buildings?" Zuko asked as Katara steered Appa towards the village entrance. He leaned forward and studied the buildings with interest.

"They're terraced houses. It saves space," Katara replied, and a smile appeared on her face when people emerged on the square to watch the Avatar's bison landing.

They had arrived in Senlin Village.

                    As soon as Katara and Zuko dismounted Appa, the leader of the village, a stately, benign, middle-aged man, approached them. An old man, dressed in worn clothes, inconspicuously followed him. His eyes were almost invisible behind the loose skin hanging over his eyelids.

"We saw something fast and unfamiliar approaching our village from the sky. Then we realized it was the Avatar's bison," the village leader said as a welcome, a warm smile softening his quiet, beardless features. His gaze wandered from Katara to her companion, expecting to see the young Avatar with her. But the young man appearing next to her wasn't the Avatar. The village leader's smile froze when he recognized his Fire Nation features. Back then, the conspicuous facial scar wasn't partially covered by messy black hair, though.

Once, this firebender had pushed him down in order to get information on the Avatar's whereabouts. Though he'd merely been a teenager at the time, his angry demeanor had made an indelible impression on the village chief. Today, however, there was something completely different about the young man as he quietly went to stand next to Katara and looked at the village leader with a wary and slightly apologetic gaze in his amber eyes. He had recognized the village leader as well.

The uncomfortable expression now passing over Zuko's face told Katara that this was yet another confrontation with his troubled past. One that caught him off guard this time. Apparently, he hadn't recognized the village from the air. She resolutely stepped before him and made a respectful bow to the village chief.

"Aang couldn't join us this time, sir," she said. "He kindly lent us his bison to help us on our journey, though."

Zuko, whose heart leapt up at Katara's use of the word 'us', mirrored Katara's bow and introduced himself. The village leader had been shocked to recognize him, but Katara stood up for him. He cast her a warm, grateful glance as he straightened up and, although Katara didn't notice, the village leader did.

His features relaxed. He had heard of the young Fire Lord who had helped the Avatar end his own father's reign. This must be him. And he decided there was no need to confront one of the Young War Heroes with his deeds from his past. He was a friend of the Avatar's now.

"Of course." The village leader smiled. "I hope the Avatar's friends will do us the honor of staying for dinner."

                    The village leader and his family lived in the large community house, where they served a simple but nutritious meal to Zuko and Katara. After having lived on dried seal jerky for days, the travelers were grateful to taste fresh food again.