Trickle [Sokka - Book One]

⚝Chapter Seven⚝

Eimi strolled out of the palace, in search of someone. She really didn't know who she was looking for, but she had a feeling she would know once they found her. 

She slowed to a stop when she saw the Avatar and Katara walking up toward the huge ice staircase up to the citadel. Eimi knew Master Pakku was up there, ready to train his students. She knew because she saw Navrek. She decided to follow the Avatar and Katara and stayed behind just enough so they wouldn't think they were being followed.

"I've waited for this day my whole life!" Katara said excitedly. "I finally get to learn from a real waterbending master!"

Eimi felt sorry for her. Her hopes were too high, especially in the Northern Water Tribe. She knew what was going to happen when Master Pakku spoke to her. 

"Good morning, Master Pakku!" the Avatar said loudly.

Master Pakku dropped his water blob with a grimace. He slowly turned around and said, "No, please, march right in, I'm not concentrating or anything."

Eimi snickered to herself. That old man was nothing more than a grump. He deserved to be knocked down a notch. 

"Uhh, this is my friend, Katara, the one I told you about?" Aang said, gesturing to the girl by his side. 

Master Pakku looked at Katara with a look in his eyes. Eimi immediately didn't like the look he gave her. He twirled his fingers and an ice chair was created. He sat down as if he was the most important person there. Little did he know that one of the Princesses was watching. 

"I'm sorry. I think there's been a misunderstanding," he said simply. "You didn't tell me your friend was a girl. In our tribe, it is forbidden for women to learn waterbending."

Eimi simmered at that thought. If she was a waterbender, she would shoot him where it hurts the most and laugh as he fell down in pain. Katara's face reflected the anger Eimi felt. However, Katara turned on her heel and stormed away, right next to Eimi.

"Don't you just hate when they throw that card out?" Eimi asked Katara.

Katara's eyes flashed before she recognized who had spoken. She slowed to a stop and sighed. "At my tribe, all the men left for war," she explained. "The women had to do everything. We cooked. We cleaned. We hunted."

"What about Sokka?" Eimi asked. "Isn't he a man?"

"He was too young to go off to war with our father," she said, nodding. "He desperately wanted to go with Dad, but he couldn't."

Eimi was surprised. She thought he was older than that. He looked older, but acted younger. "My tribe hasn't grown out of the old ideas," Eimi said to her. "We shut all of our ports off and didn't allow anyone to come in. Besides you three."

"Really?" Katara asked.

"Yes. I would know."

"Yes, of course you would," Katara said, laughing softly to herself. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"How do you like having an arranged marriage?"

Eimi barked a laugh. "I hate it. At least I have another year to wait until I find out who Father chooses to be my betrothed."

"Does Yue already have an arranged man set up?"

Eimi nodded. "Don't tell Sokka, though. She didn't tell him yet."

"Okay," Katara said. She nodded. "I don't think I would like an arranged marriage."

"I don't like much of the tradition here," Eimi told her. "I hate how women are treated."

Katara was silent for a second, staring out at the water. Eimi was almost distracted too, but she focused on the conversation. "What am I supposed to do about Master Pakku? Am I supposed to go along with what he said or what?"

"Or what," Eimi told her. "Challenge him. Give him what he deserves."

"What does he deserve?" she asked.

"Everything he gets," Eimi replied. "He is a sexist old man who needs to know who really rules the world."

Katara smiled and laughed. "You are really different than what I thought you would be."

"How'd you think I would be?" Eimi asked her.

"Well, you were very cold -"

"That's what Sokka said!" Eimi said, laughing. "Do I really come off as cold?"

"Well, not now," Katara said. "You were closed off when we first met."

"I don't really open up to much people," Eimi admitted. "Actually, not anyone anymore."

"Really?" Katara asked. "Why?"

"Things," Eimi answered immediately. "I don't open up anymore because people can be mean."

Katara nodded. "That's a good reason, but people can be better than that person was. They just have to know the real you to understand that you're so much better than what you appear to be."

Eimi nodded absentmindedly. Master Pakku's students were dispersing, so she nudged Katara. Katara took a deep breath before calling out, "What do you mean you won't teach me?" She stormed over to Master Pakku, saying, "I didn't travel across the entire world so you can tell me 'no'!"

Master Pakku stared at her, something dancing in his eyes. "No."

Katara placed her hands on her hips. "But there must be other female waterbenders in your tribe!"

"Here, the women learn from Yugoda to use their waterbending to heal," he said simply. "I'm sure she would be happy to take you as her student despite your bad attitude."

Eimi rolled her eyes. He really made her angry. Katara looked angry, too. "I don't want to heal, I want to fight!" she said.

"I can see that," he said. "But our tribe has customs, rules."

"Well your rules stink!" Katara said. Eimi sighed and shook her head. That wasn't a good comeback.

The Avatar walked up behind Katara, frowning. He looked mad too. "Yeah! They're not fair," he said to Master Pakku. "If you won't teach Katara, then -"

Master Pakku stood up and stared down at the Avatar. "Then what?"

"Then I won't learn from you!" he said defiantly.

The Avatar turned to walk away when Master Pakku said, "Well, have fun teaching yourself. I'm sure that you'll do a great job."

Eimi didn't want the Avatar to lose his chance to learn waterbending. Katara didn't, either. Eimi was slowly realizing how similar her and Katara were. 

"Wait!" She turned to Master Pakku. "Aang didn't mean that."

Katara ran over to Aang's retreating figure and grabbed him by the shoulder to stop him. Eimi stepped out of her hiding spot to back up Katara if she needed to. She could do something to make Master Pakku listen, but it didn't look like Katara wanted to let it go.

Eimi wouldn't let it go, though. She lived there. She had to face those rules every single day. She didn't want to anymore.