Trickle [Sokka - Book One]

⚝Prologue⚝

In the winter of 85 AG, a droplet was born from a trickle of hope.

Cries rang out as the baby felt the cold air of the Northern Water Tribe. Those cries were refreshing to the couple because their first daughter did not cry at all. However, the cries seized suddenly. The mother frantically glanced down at the baby and saw that she wasn't upset. She had blank look on her face, and her blue eyes shone with an understanding that the mother didn't know. 

The father took the baby girl into his arms and said, "Water Spirits have blessed this baby." He laid her in the warm water of the Spirit Oasis. A blue light filled the Spirit Oasis, signifying the blessings that the Water Spirit had placed on the baby. "She has an important role in the future."

Her older sister crawled toward the Spirit Oasis, but their mother grabbed her before she could tumble in. "Yue, that is your younger sister," her mother said softly. "She will be your best friend."

The light haired young girl smiled and reached out her arms toward her baby sister. She babbled something as her father and younger sister splashed back toward them. The happy family stood together under the light of the full moon. However, after that night, nothing was going to be the same. The sisters' destinies were entwined together forever.

Nine years later . . .

At the age of nine, Eimi's world was flipped upside down. 

Her father sat her and her sister down in their shared room. He never did that. That was how she knew something was wrong. She glanced quizzically at Yue, but all she did was shrug. Yue didn't know what was happening, and Eimi grew nervous.

"Yue, Eimi," he said, his smile growing. "I have exciting news."

"Yes, Father?" Yue said.

"According to tradition," he said, his voice ringing with excitement, "both of you will be given arranged marriages. This is a high honor for both you and the man you will marry."

He stared at them both. Eimi didn't understand what an "arranged marriage" was. It didn't sound like fun, though. "Is that all?" Eimi asked, picking at her finger nails. "I want to go play in the snow."

Her father frowned but said, "Yes, that is all."

Eimi happily jumped up, tugging Yue out of their room. "Let's have a snowball fight."

"You know I always win," Yue said, grinning. "Since I am older and better."

Eimi scoffed, shaking her head. "You are not better than me."

They stopped near the piles of snow. Eimi hurried to her side of the clearing and busied herself with building her snowballs. She didn't even notice the little boy who joined her side. Kids her age usually joined in on their snowball fights because it was so much fun. By the end of the game, everyone would collapse in a pile of giggles.