Trickle [Sokka - Book One]

⚝Chapter Twenty Two⚝

A hand touched Eimi's shoulder, breaking her from her dreamless sleep. She jolted up and looked around, wondering if everything that had happened was a dream. It wasn't.

"Eimi?" Katara asked gently. "Are you okay?"

Eimi shook her head, wrapping her arms around her legs. She buried her head into her knees and rocked back and forth. Her chest ached with the thought of Navrek. 

Katara wrapped an arm around Eimi's shoulders and whispered, "What's wrong?"

"He died," Eimi murmured. Her eyes were so dry that they couldn't produce any more tears. She still shook, though. "Navrek died."

"He was your best friend, wasn't he?" Katara asked. Eimi nodded. 

"He died to protect me," Eimi cried. She sat up and dug her hands through her eyes. "Sokka and Navrek came to protect me, and Navrek died."

"Is Sokka okay?" Katara asked quickly.

"Yes." Eimi was slightly annoyed that Katara was more worried about Sokka than she was about her. However, she knew that she would immediately ask about Yue over anything else. "He was the one who brought me here. He went to find my sister."

Suddenly, Appa landed on the ground with Yue and Sokka in the saddle. Yue immediately hopped down and made a beeline for Eimi, wrapping her up in a hug. 

"I got you," Yue whispered. "Let it out, Eimi. I'm here now."

Eimi sobbed into Yue's shoulder, and more tears started rushing down her cheeks. She didn't know how that could happen because her eyes were so dry. Yue rested her hand behind Eimi's neck, holding her close. It sounded like Sokka and Katara were having a conversation behind them, but she couldn't focus on that. 

Eimi wanted to stay in Yue's embrace forever. She felt safe and at home. Her tears slowly subsided, but she still clung to Yue. The pain of losing Navrek dulled slightly as Yue rubbed her hand along Eimi's back. She knew she could overcome it as long as she was with Yue. 

However, Yue separated from her, keeping one arm secured around Eimi's waist. Katara knelt at the pool of water, watching the black and white fish circling each other. 

"I can't believe I lost him," Katara said softly.

"You did everything you could and now we need to do everything we can to get him back," Sokka said with determination. He looked at Eimi, his eyes softening. His words struck Eimi to the core. She tried everything she could to get Navrek back, but he still died. "Zuko can't have gotten far. We'll find him. Aang's going to be fine."

Katara stood up and nodded. "Okay."

"Father tasked Sokka to watch me, so I have to go with him," Yue whispered. "Do you want to come with?"

Eimi nodded. "Yes." She paused, her throat burning. "I - I can't lose you, Yue. I have to stay by your side because I'm terrified."

That was the first time that Eimi had ever said she was terrified. Yue looked surprised for a second before she nodded as well. She led Eimi over to Appa and helped her up on the flying bison. They sat down near Sokka at the front of the bison. He held the reigns in his hands, so he wasn't in the saddle with the three girls. She rested her head on Yue's shoulder as Appa lifted off of the ground. 

Her grip tightened on Yue as the land got farther and farther away. She didn't realize that she was afraid of heights until now as they soared toward a frozen, snowing wasteland above the Spirit Oasis. Appa flew them over ice dunes, and the snow fell in large clumps. Eimi shivered in the frigid air.

"Where is your parka?" Yue asked, wrapping hers around Eimi as well as herself.

"I tried to use it to stop Navrek from bleeding out," Eimi whispered. Her eyes stared at the saddle, picturing his lifeless body. "I left it with him because it was soaked."