Chapter 41. Faith [FIXED]
About five hours remained until we reached the Western Air Temple when local meteorologists—birds, in this case—predicted an unprecedented storm. Flying in bad weather is possible, but it's far from pleasant. I've had negative experiences before. It's best to simply observe the birds' flight occasionally; they won't lead you astray.
It was getting late, so we decided to spend the night on some unnamed island and continue our journey in the morning. A dry cave became our shelter for the night. No one objected. I'm used to such inconveniences, and the others didn't mind—everything was too new for them. After all, it was their first time beyond the lands of eternal winter.
"I wish I could learn waterbending sooner. Then I could see the whole world," Katara said dreamily. Sitting by the campfire is the most heartwarming experience. There's something mystical about the fire.
"You'd need a hundred years to reach that level," Sokka couldn't resist chiming in. He was thoughtfully twirling ordinary stones, trying to figure out why he couldn't create a spark with them, while I had succeeded with the same stones. Firebending chi—that's the key to success!
"Hmph," Katara sniffed, lifting her nose. "You're just jealous of my bending."
"Kids, no need to argue. Everyone has their strengths," Kaya intervened, stepping into the budding dispute.
"Mom's right. True power lies here," Sokka said, pressing his fingers to his temples. "Brains, intellect, wit—call it what you want, the essence remains the same." His words weighed on Katara, who preferred solving everything with bending. But she refused to admit he was right, so they spent the rest of the evening in silence.
"At least we'll get a few hours of peace from their arguments," Yui whispered to me. The flight had never been boring. Katara and Sokka were masters of debate, making our journey more... active, I suppose.
"This is nothing. Look at Kaya. She has to navigate between her two children's interests," I replied. Kaya genuinely looked a bit exhausted, especially emotionally. But I knew how to end her day on a pleasant note—I just needed to stay quiet.
Two hours later...
Well, a good, deep sleep is also a great way to end the day. We spread out our beds and prepared to sleep—or rather, finally tried to sleep. A heated argument erupted over the spot next to me: South Pole versus North Pole. Expressions, threats, facts, arguments—but in the end, friendship won. I had wanted to lie by the wall, my favorite spot... Now I'm trying to fall asleep with Katara and Yui lying on top of me—no, not just lying, but squeezing me tightly in their embrace. Where do such small bodies get so much strength?! In the end, Kaya didn't wait for my release from their tiny but tenacious hands. She fell asleep soundly, leaving me to the mercy of our adorable girls.