𝑾𝑨𝑽𝑬𝑺 || 𝑨𝒂𝒏𝒈 (𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 1)

The Northern Air Temple*

"So, travelers, the next time you think you hear a strange, large bird talking, take a closer look."

Jade is only thirteen, so she doesn't have many regrets. But one that she can't deny is her lack of winter attire. Back when she first joined their journey, she realized she'd be needing warmer clothes for when they got to the North Pole. But it wasn't like she could easily find those sorts of clothes in the Earth Kingdom. So really, it wasn't her fault.

Her only sources of warmth were the campfire in front of her, Aang and Katara's body heat, and the blanket that was slowly becoming her most prized possession. The closer they got to the North Pole, the more time she spent wrapped in that warm, fuzzy green blanket. She didn't care how much Sokka made fun of her for it.

"It might not be a giant parrot, but a flying man." The storyteller pointed at the sky. "A member of a secret group of air walkers, who laugh at gravity, and laugh at those bound to the earth by it!"

When he finished, he went around to collect money from those who listened. On Jade's right, Aang was grinning widely. He had been ever since they sat down around the storyteller's campfire somewhere in the snowy mountains.

"Aren't airbender stories the best?" He asked.

"Was it realistic?" Katara asked. "Is that how it was back then?"

"I laugh at gravity all the time." He chuckled. "Ha! Gravity."

Jade glanced down with a small pout. "Sometimes it feels like gravity is laughing at me..."

They looked up when the storyteller approached them. He shook his hat full of coins in Sokka's face. "Jingle jingle."

Sokka searched through his fur coat, but all come up with were some crumbs, a bug, and a worm. "Sorry..."

"Aw," The man turned away. "Cheapskates!"

Aang followed him. "Hey, thanks for the story!"

Without turning, the storyteller shook his hat again. "Tell it to the cap, boy."

As Aang searched his clothes, a coin fell from the hat. Momo hopped down from Aang's shoulder to place it back where it belonged. Thinking him to have donated, the storyteller turned to pat Momo's head with a grin.

"Aw, much obliged, little bat-thing."

Aang smiled as Momo returned to his shoulder. "It means a lot to hear airbender stories. It must have been a hundred years ago your great-grandpa met them."

"What are you prattling about, child?!" He pointed to the elderly man sitting behind him. "Great Grandpappy saw the air walkers last week!"

The old man waved cheerfully. Blinking, Jade shared a stunned glance with Katara.

~㊌~

After learning what they did, they decided to take a detour to the Northern Air Temple to find the supposed "air-walkers". Not even Sokka could protest that. But, unfortunately for Jade, the cloudy skies were just as cold as down in the mountains. Her blanket provided her with the warmth she needed, but she still wished she had a coat that wouldn't fly away if she wasn't holding on to it.

"Hey, we're almost at the Northern Air Temple!" Aang called out. "This is where they had the championships for Sky Bison polo."

Katara turned to her brother. "Do you guys really think we'll find some airbenders?"

Carving a piece of wood into the shape of a gopher, Sokka didn't look up. "You want me to be like you and Jade, or totally honest?"

"Are you saying we're liars?" She frowned.