Avatar the last airbender : The Dual bender

Chapter 14

Liling barely slept the last few days, whenever she closes her eyes she'd have nightmares of what happened. She never had any boy or even a man touch her like that. She didn't know why he would suddenly say those things. 'Was it my fault?' Liling thought 'Did I do something to lead him on?'

Liling looked at her shoulder, it was looking better than it was two days ago. She kept healing it with her bending and she was lucky to treat it on time if not it would've left a nasty scar on it. Today is when they're going to send Shi off for his punishment. Liling stayed in her room all day trying fix her ripped Kimono but quickly gave up on it tossing it in a corner, putting on her regular clothes and adjusting her green haori.

Her eyes kept staring at the door fear spread through her knowing that even if it only happened one time that it could happen again by anyone. She didn't feel safe being on this ship, she didn't have anyone she could fully trust...she thought back of her parents, if her father was alive then he would've protected her from anyone.

'But he's not here anymore...'Liling thought. 'No one...Aang isn't with me...I'm alone...why am I even here?'

Iroh was still a bit worried about the young girl, once they docked the ship, they immediately took Shi off to another firenation ship for his punishment. Iroh had a feeling something was going to happen but he never thought it was something like this. He should've known the signs whenever that soldier looked at her. He walked to stop in front of Liling's door. Lightly knocking the door while holding a tray with teapots and cups as well a few sweets, in his other arm held a wrapped cloth.

"Liling? It's me."Iroh said

There was no answer so Iroh knocked again.

"Liling?" He questioned

He heard the door slightly move and he saw Liling in tears.

"Liling what's wrong?" Iroh asked softly

"Everything..."Liling muttered crossing her arms over her chest in an attempt to comfort herself.

"Nothing is going to happen to you."Iroh stated

"You don't know that for sure!" Liling snapped slightly shaking. "I...just wish I can see them again...everything changed so much since I left..."

Iroh stayed quiet watching the young girl clearly shaking up from what had transpired, he placed the tray in the small table and poured some tea. He handed it to the young girl listening what she was saying hoping that talking would calm her spirits.

"What do you mean?" Iroh asked softly

"You may not believe me but...I was trapped in the iceberg with my friend..."Liling said taking a sip of her tea in an attempt to calm herself down. "The fire nation changed...the southern watertribe...I don't have a place to go back to..." she looked at Iroh. "Please tell me what happened to the southern tribe...there used to be so many waterbenders there...now it's just some women and a few kids. Where have they gone?"

"Things changed so much since you've been in that iceberg." Iroh's grip on his teacup hardened."The South Pole has always been geographically closer to the Fire Nation. After the attack of the Air Nomads, Fire Lord Sozin decided to capture the South Pole's water benders. One by one, the raids continued till there were none left and the south pole was-"

"Until it ended up like that..."Liling mumbled gripping her teacup. "My mother was so proud of her tribe, of everything they did..."

Iroh looked up from his teacup, staring at the young girl.

"She told me stories about each nation, her adventures with my father...and of how I was born."Liling said "My father was also proud of his nation but deep down he couldn't help but worry about something...at first I didn't understand it when he told me but he was right..."