Thankfully, Katsu was taking responsibility for his lifestyle choice. Yakedo harbored no ill-will for the boy, but was certainly comforted by the fact that he hadn’t remained a child or turned into a real criminal since he left. The Grand Lotus let the small group work out what they wanted on their own until Katsu asked him a question.

“If you’ve any friends, I recommend choosing one that knew you before you found out you were the Avatar. Are you still in touch with any of them? The Fire Nation would certainly have less defectors looking to hurt you,” He mused, hesitating as he thought out loud. “Where you go is up to you, Katsu. You guys can get anywhere you want. I’ll leave you a bit more cash, make sure you can get where you need to, where you feel safe. I can’t even know for sure where you’re going – trust me, you’ll be safer without the attention on me being on you as well.” Hideki gave a small smile and clasped the boy’s shoulder.

-----

Siku huffed and rolled her eyes, “Stop. No self-pity on this one, Katsu. There’ll be time to pay us back when we find somewhere to settle down, alright? Sounds like we’re gonna have a long way to go and… we can’t be at each other’s throats for that.” She sighed and tried to push the irritated look from her face. Stepping up to Katsu, she knocked on his forehead, “Hey, you. Yeah, Mr. Avatar. You wanna pay me back? Let’s get somewhere safe – like the Fire Nation or wherever you wanna go – and then duel me. That way, I can officially say I beat the Avatar in a fight,” She declared proudly. “Once Asha is all packed up, we’ll go get mine, and then we’ll head out, alright?”

-----

Siku’s House

“No, Sesi… You can’t go with us…” Siku explained as she packed her things. The girl’s younger sister stomped her foot.

“You don’t let me do anything! You wouldn’t let me learn with you and your pro-bender buddies, you don’t let me go around the city with you, I don’t get to do anything!” She complained.

SIku sighed and took a knee in front of the smaller girl. “I know, I’m sorry… I promise, when I get back, we’ll go and do all sorts of things. And then, when you’re older, we’ll leave the city together and I’ll show you some of the really cool places I get to see now, okay?”

The girl kicked at the floor absently, frowning and staring downward. “Ugh… Fine… But… You have to write, okay? Lots and lots!”

Siku rolled her eyes and smiled, “Fine, Sesi. I’ll try, okay?” Meanwhile, she had risen back to her feet and opened an armoire in the large bedroom. Inside was a leather harness with shoulder and hip guards. After putting it over the clothes that Asha had given her on the island, Siku pulled a long black case from the shelf inside and placed it on her bed.

“Siku, why are you taking… that with you? You’re just travelling aren’t you?” Sesi asked nervously.

Siku sighed, “It’s… uh… ceremonial, Sesi. It’s not because I expect to need it or anything,” She said with a reassuring smile, unlocking the case and pushing the top open. Inside, a long, curved dao. The handle was wrapped in pitch-black leather with a modest, circular crossguard. In the case, just above the sword, was a sheath of white emblazoned with a golden dragon wrapped about it. Culturally, it was a hodge-podge of themes. The sword itself was used in the Earth and Fire Nations by benders and non-benders alike, the sheath was of Fire Nation design and origin, but Siku’s father had given it to her after they moved to Republic City from the Water Tribe. She inserted the blade to the sheath and attached it to her hip before rising and shutting the case, closing it back into her armoire.

Giving her sister a hug, she finally went back downstairs to the foyer where her father, Katsu, Asha, and Yakedo stood waiting. She had a bag and on back with some changes of clothes and a bedroll – nothing too huge. She wore a pair of rough leather gloves which she often used when practicing her swordsmanship. Her father seemed a bit irritated, but was trying not to let it show to Katsu. Siku would be fine out there, but he didn’t want her to leave. She wasn’t even done training…

“Alright, Hideki… I’ll trust you on this one. But this effort better not be extraneous…” The older man stated, “You know it’d be really bad if this got out… If you guys are going to the Fire Nation, I know somebody out there… Lives a little bit like a hermit nowadays, but he’s in a little coastal town out there… I think it was… Iwa, on one of the tail-islands of the Nation. One of the real small ones at the end of the tail somewhere… I might have the name wrong, but he’s a very talented water bender. Find yourself out that way, I think you could benefit a lot from at least some of his tips,” He said, looking more to Siku than Katsu.

Siku nodded, “Thanks, papa… I… Guess we should really get going,” She said, shifting on her feet before giving her parents and Sesi each a hug before all of them let. Siku wasn’t sure if Katsu had spoken to her father much while she was packing, but it didn’t much matter now as they all departed. It didn’t seem like long before all five of them were at their final meeting point. They stood at one of the small routes out of the city, westbound. Yakedo and Hiresh looked to the three newest travelers and Yakedo sighed.

“This is where you guys and us part, I suppose. Take good care of these ladies, Katsu…” He said with a small smile before looking to Siku, “Keep him in line, Ms. Tsukiko. It’s not often you get to have an Avatar in your debt,” He teased. Despite his age, Hideki still held onto that youthful excitement, even in the most serious of situation. “Come on, Hiresh, I’ll get you to the station and talk to the Chief.”

And with that, they were gone… and Team Avatar was once again formed. Siku looked to her two newest companions and then placed her hands behind her head, “Leave it to me to travel with the one Avatar that doesn’t have a faster ride than his own feet,” She mused tauntingly. “Ready for this, Asha? We’re gonna be stuck with doofus here for a while, don’t let him get the better of ya.” She winked, glad that she’d not even had the time to process leaving her family yet.

Asha's facial expression turned into one of sympathy as she seen how Siku was taking the whole situation; she could certainly understand why the older girl wouldn't want to leave, this was her home...and home was a hard place to leave. When she heard they were most likely going to go to one of the Fire Nation's Islands, she was pretty excited. This would be her first time ever leaving Republic City and despite the people after them she was eager to see the world.

"Okay, just let me go and get some things really quick," The brunette mumbled before side-stepping Yakedo and Katsu on her way out to get her possessions. She quickly formed an air ball and rode it to her room, gathering a small bookbag and shoving a few clothes, extra hair ties, and of course her cat owl. She also grabbed a small amount of money that she had accumulated from her jobs of babysitting; it wasn't much, but it should be enough for food and the like.

After she had packed up her things, she quickly explained the situation to her family and friends who were all awake and said her goodbyes. They were reluctant to let her go, but understood that this was what she needed to do. Asha gave them all bear hugs and waved behind her as they made their way back to the ferry to go to their next destination, which was Siku's house.

----

Siku's sister, Sesi, was not taking the information and situation well...at all. Asha cringed a bit at that look that Sesi was giving her older sister. Man, Sesi could be scary when she wanted to be, she had babysitted her a few times before, and while Asha really liked the little girl, she could be a handful at times.

They all waited for Siku to gather her things and say her goodbyes, Asha standing a little awkwardly with her hands behind her back. She took a glance over at Hiresh and quirked her lips to the side; she really wished he could come along too...Hiresh was a strong warrior and would be a benefit to everyone's well being on their travels. That and Asha just liked the guy, he was nice.

Once Siku was all set they all said goodbye and left the house, soon to be saying goodbye to Hiresh. "Bye, Hiresh. I'm sure our paths will cross again soon," the brunette said with a small smile before reaching out to give him a hug. She did it quickly, hoping that he didn't dislike her affections too much.

Now they were on the road, the three of them, all unsure of what exactly was to come in the future. Asha smiled and laughed a little at Siku's comment. "I have you here to look out for me, of course!" she replied as she came to walk in between them; this adventure was going to hard, but Asha felt that she was right where she was supposed to be.

Katsu really hadn't wanted to go to Siku's home, hating to face her family after what was happening with her. As if he hadn't felt guilty enough to begin with it was almost smothering once there, the Avatar trying to keep to the back of the group while they waited. Being in the same room as Siku's father was terribly awkward, as every time he looked up he swore he caught the man staring at him; did he know what he truly was? Yakedo may have filled in the man without his knowing, which given that Katsu was taking his daughter away it was only fair, in a way. Just another person to know the truth about him, and another to potentially get in trouble because of it. The Wait for Siku to get back was a rather long and uncomfortable one, and when she finally came back downstairs he almost let out an audible sigh of relief. Now hopefully they could get moving, he didn't want to stay here much longer and be scrutinized.

So it seemed they would be heading to the Fire Nation after all, and a place Katsu knew no less. He'd only been to Iwa all of twice before in his lifetime, yet each visit had been pleasant enough; cherry blossoms, fields and a large set of mountains obscuring the northern shore were what he could remember the most, and of course the relatively friendly locals. It would be interesting going back to his home nation after so long, and Katsu couldn't help but wonder if word might have spread about him since then. So long as everyone just knew he had run away and not the reasons surrounding it then he'd be fine, otherwise they couldn't stay in Iwa for very long either.

After some brief farewells they were back out on the road, the three of them carrying meager belongings to help them on their journey. The entire way to the edge of the city Katsu couldn't look anyone in the eye, a crushing feeling of guilt threatening to make him break any second. Siku wasn't fooling anyone when she said she was okay with this, and Asha probably would be more upset when the gravity of the situation finally hit her; there was no telling how long they might be gone for: Months? Years? Either way it seemed like a long time to have to leave home, something he knew from experience. Everyone he'd formed a band with since arriving in Republic City were now a memory, it was the second time he had to leave a family behind. Just how many times was this going to happen because he was the Avatar? Why did being what he was have to bring so much misery with it?

Katsu gave Republic City one final glance back when they stopped on the western edge of the city. The sun was just beginning to rise, giving the cityscape an unmistakably beautiful gleam, the rays basking over everything in a soft glow. Almost poetic, in a way, to see the sun rising when they were to begin their journey; when he had left home all those years ago it had just been rising as well, and in some way it made this feel oddly familiar. Smiling somberly he turned to Yakedo when addressed, giving a small nod of his head in reply. Of course he would watch out for them, it was his fault they were even in this situation. While it may be true he didn't have mastery of bending yet he could still most certainly fight, and he'd protect both of them from any dangers they might face.

"You could have bought us a car, you know..." Katsu offered weakly, slumping slightly when Siku poked fun at him. The only alternative they had was Koinu, albeit his companion was barely up to his knee, hardly something the three of them could ride on. Sure walking was bound to take a while, but they didn't exactly have much choice for the time being. Narrowing his eyes when Siku laid on the hurt and added "doofus" into the mix he let out a sigh, his face reddening in embarrassment before sniffing indignantly. "This doofus protected you in the sewers, you know, so watch it Siku," he retorted, managing a small smile.

Something slowly dawned on him then too, something he didn't know how he'd failed to realize before. Glancing at an elongated item hanging at her hip. It didn't take a genius to figure out what it was, especially considering she hadn't made any conscious effort whatsoever to hide the thing. Blinking owlishly as he stared at the dao for a moment he slowly looked up at Siku, frowning before pointing to the weapon. "Why the heck did ya bring that thing along with you?" he shouted, shaking his head in disbelief, "Since when do you use a sword? We aren't killing people you know, so why are you taking that?" He was somewhat back his regular self, now truly baffled why they had something as lethal as a dao in their midst. "I don't kill people Siku, I knock them out. We have no reason to need a sword! But now people are going to get the wrong idea and we'll probably scare someone away, sheesh!"

"Protected..?" She scoffed, her mouth hanging off. "I am perfectly capable of protecting myself, thank you. If anything, I'm coming along to protect you," Her observation was met with a remark about her sword. "That goes to show you just how much Mr. Avatar here knows about swordplay. I'm not a killer, Katsu, and I don't use my dao that way. But what if we were attacked by people with weapons? If they get too close, it's nice to have an alternative. Not to mention, it'll only scare away the kind of people we don't want around anyway."

The small group was off and heading on down the road. Going by foot was not something a lot of people did anymore, but it wasn't entirely unheard of either. Lots of people traveled traditionally if only for the pilgrimage nowadays. Leaving at this strange hour, with only the sleep from the night before, the three were already rubbing their eyes and yawning after only a few minutes. Siku sighed, "How far do you think we should go before setting up camp?" She asked, adjusting the pack on her shoulders and yawning for what felt like the millionth time. The sun was already moving up and Siku was just glad that they were westbound, keeping it out of their eyes. "We could take a quick four-hour nap up here, the road had enough little twists in it that I can only see a couple of the tops of buildings... We could get past the treeline here and set up camp, sleep for a couple of hours, and then get back on the move for a while until we can get a good rest. We can take a look at the map I brought too, figure out where we want to stop for the night... Plan it all out, so we can relax for a minute."

There was little enthusiasm left in the group as they stepped from the road and pushed past the trees, moving deeper into the woods for a few minutes. She dropped her pack to the ground and rolled out the bedroll from it. She didn't pack a tent, but she didn't see any need for one, at least not yet. "Alright, here's as good as anywhere else, right? Night... Morning... Whatever," She mumbled, sitting on the bedroll and laying back. She placed her sheath and sword by her side and put the pillow over her eyes. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep. She hadn't had much rest at all since waking up the day before. Between practice and dinner and then... everything between, she was exhausted.

A few hours later, the watch on her wrist began to beep and she rubbed her eyes. "Ugh... Please, just six more hours..." She mumbled, sitting up and looking at the time. Yup, they had to wake up now. She groggily reached for her bag and pulled out a map, "Hey, wake up you two," She ordered, clearing her throat and still trying to wake up fully. "Alright... Alright, c'mon over, let's look at this." The girl ushered the other two toward her and pointed to Republic City on the map, "So, we started here and left... West, right? yeah," She decided having to think for a moment to recall the day so far. "So... If we spend a few more hours walking, we can probably make it... Hm... It might be night time, but we could get to Gung-Li... And then either see if there's any kind of ride to Iwa from there. Or get a little boat and get ourselves there... It's open water, so we'll have to be careful if we don't charter it. Gung-Li might have something, but going farther would yield better results for options, I think..."

Asha smiled as she listened to the other two in her group bicker playfully back and forth about Siku's choice in taking her weapon with her. Although Asha didn't agree with violence, she knew there were times when it was needed, and if someone decided to attack them with steel, well, they had something for that.

"Sounds fine with me, we can stop where you said," The brunette said, agreeing with Siku's choice for a camping site for a few hours. It was relatively out of the way of the road so that people couldn't easily spot them, but close enough that they wouldn't be too far away from the road. Once they were all settled, Asha took a small blanket out of her backpack and settled it over herself. Using her backpack as a pillow, she laid her head down and wished the two a good morning, or whatever time of day it was.

Siku woke up first it seemed as she was trying to talk them awake. Asha rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms, trying to get her body to become more responsive to being awake. She crawled over to where Siku was with the map and tried to follow along with what Siku was saying, but she was a bit confused by it all; if there was one thing Asha was bad at, it was navigation.

"I will trust in whatever direction you guys want to go in...I'm not so great with maps," the girl replied, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment. She went back over to her things and packed them back up to get back on the road. Asha was fine with walking places, it let someone really take in their environment.

"Well, yeah... I beat most of those creeps, so I protected you," Katsu retorted, frowning when he saw Siku's dao, "And you're bringing a sword with you..." There was no reason to have a weapon on them, not when they were all benders. Bending could be used for defense or offense, sure, but it wasn't always as lethal as a sword. What was the point in bringing along a blade anyways when the way they fought was likely to put them at distance from their opponents? Siku tried to justify her having the dao but he wasn't a fan of it still, frowning and letting out a huff before shaking his head. "If they get close then you can still bend, it's not like you lose bending in close quarters," the Avatar said, "Besides... If someone else is chasing us with a weapon can you really use it that well? If they're using one then they're bound to be really good with it, can you match them?" Made more sense in his mind to just put distance between themselves and their attacker and keep bending.

This was going to be one abysmal trip, if only because they had just begun and were already exhausted. Katsu hadn't slept terribly much the day earlier to begin with, having been busy on a job, and today hadn't allowed him more than a moment's reprieve. Much as he wanted to take a break and settle down he didn't want to be the one to say it, both pride and reluctance playing into it. When Siku mentioned taking a quick nap he tried not to jump at her decision, giving a small shrug instead. "We can do that, we've come a decent ways already," Katsu remarked, stifling a yawn with his hand before rubbing at his head, "Planning would be good... Don't want to wander around aimlessly." He had a few places in mind he might be able to go, places which would be easily accessible had they a vehicle; ferries and cars had gotten him around before, this would be the first time he really had to do extensive walking. The thief wasn't going to complain, he didn't mind the exercise, but it sure did make traveling take a bit longer.

Taking to the cover of the trees, the trio had sought refuge along the tall vegetation, just barely out of view from the road. They could have gone in deeper if Katsu hadn't objected, wanting to be able to keep an eye on the road to know if anyone was on their way up. Finding the only clearing they could, bedrolls were laid out and everyone got ready for a brief if much needed respite. Siku and Asha had fallen asleep fairly quickly, as had Koinu, yet Katsu found himself sitting up and awake for some time longer. There were too many thoughts swirling around in his head, too many concerns and ideas that things would only get worse from hereon out. It was probably lack of sleep and stress doing this to him, but for a good while he could only sit and stare down at the road, a bit paranoid that someone was going to come up on them while they slept. Eventually however his eyelids grew heavy and he found himself drifting off, and when next he'd open his eyes he would hear Siku's voice calling to him.

"Nnn... 'M up... 'M up..." the Avatar grumbled, already having been half awake by the time he was called for. Groaning as he sat up from his spot he raised his arms above his head in a stretch, popping his back before glancing down at Koinu, smiling as his companion woke too and greeted him with a happy yip. Scratching at the fox's head he moved over to join Siku and Asha, glancing down at the former's map curiously. "Gung-Li... Never heard of the place..." Katsu said through a yawn, sitting down on his rear and scratching at Koinu's fur habitually, "If we can get a ride there then let's get one there, no sense in more walking, right?" If they could find a ride then they'd make far better time, and more importantly put more distance between themselves and anyone that may be chasing them. If given the chance to get their own vessel should they take it? He'd been on boats before, sure, but he'd never actually piloted one on any kind of journey. Siku could water bend, Asha could air bend, so they'd have an easy enough time of making it he figured. "It might be better to get our own ship, come to think of it... Less people know about us that way and we're not relying on anyone else. If we're trying to keep out of view then we should avoid making any kind of transaction, you know?" he asked, smirking as he glanced at Siku and Asha, "I know something about flying under the radar, we should be fine."

"Well," Siku started, pointing to a small island off the Fire Nation. "This is Iwa here and Gung-Li is... Here," She moved her finger to a peninsula where the city was marked, about a few miles from where they were now. "It's not exactly on the coast closest to the Fire Nation, but it's on the Eastern front of this peninsula here, so they might have some way to get there. However, it might be faster to find something to get us closer to the south-western border and cross there..." She mused, scrutinizing the map. "We'll have to see what options we've got when we get there and decide then."

She looked at Katsu when he mentioned getting on their way privately and she nodded, "On the other hand, if we go like that, then there's a more specific trail to follow. If we take a public route with lots of people, at least there will be witnesses and other people there to follow us in case something goes wrong. It'd be harder to track names, at least." The girl made sure she had all of her equipment before rolling the map up again and rising to her feet. "Alright, well... I guess we won't know until we get there, at least, yeah? So let's move."

Siku shouldered her pack and rubbed her eyes again. Four hours was not enough, no, but hopefully it would last her through the night. They needed food even more, though. "When we get there, I'm gonna eat... and eat... and eat..." She said as they found the road and started walking once more. "I'm so freakin' hungry... We could have planned our food and this walk a little bit better, I suppose."

A thought occurred to her as they walked and she looked at Katsu, "Wait... Katsu... In the sewers... You only used earth and fire bending..." She noted, furrowing her brow, "Have you tried air or water yet... at all?" It still baffled her that he could even think of having the power over all four and not at least have a grasp on all four.

Asha just listened to her two other companions as they decided the right route to take. Feeling a bit uncomfortable with all the zig zags swirling around the map, the brunette took to gathering her things up and placing them neatly in her backpack. She walked back over when it sounded like the two had settled on things and clasped her hands behind her back, "So, have we decided how we are doing things?" she asked, remembering she overheard something about their own boat...how were they going to buy their own boat? Weren't they expensive?

She giggled at Siku when the other girl mentioned food and how she was going to gorge when she was in sight of some; their food supply wasn't much since they had decided to pack light and with the older girl talking about food, made her tummy grumble in agreement. Asha held her stomach in slight embarrassment and laughed a little, "Sorry, guys. Guess I am hungry, too!"

The brunette looked over at Siku when she mentioned to Katsu that she had only seen him use Earth and Fire bending. She blinked when Siku asked the Avatar if he even knew how to use Water or Air. That would make sense as to why he hadn't used either or...but maybe he just didn't like them as much as earth and fire.

Either way, his answer was sure to startle the both of them.

Whichever way they decided to travel it was going to take some time, Katsu knew that much. They had a destination, getting there was another matter entirely; shame he didn't have something like a flying bison, they could make the trip in no time at all. Koinu couldn't even carry him, let alone the three of them, so riding an animal was out of the question. The fact they were going to have to rely on public transit, a boat of all things, hardly thrilled him. What Siku said about it made sense, that being in a crowd might help obscure them. Yet the opposite might be true too, they could stand out in a crowd like a sore thumb. Not only that, but being in a mass of people it would be almost impossible to tell who might mean them harm; if they chose the sneakier route, then anyone they came across would more likely than not be against them.

"However we do it, we should do it soon. Nothing worse than sitting around while someone's searching for you," Katsu said aloud, frowning as he rose to his feet, "So we'll head to Gung-Li, and worry about getting to Iwa when we get there." If he'd learned anything in life, it was to be flexible. Even the best laid plans could be ruined by just one instance, so better to prepare to change than to stick to some routine. Improvising was something he was particularly good at, yet goodness knows if the same might be said for Siku or Asha. Giving Koinu's head a gentle rubbing, the Avatar began following alongside the Water Bender, smirking somewhat amused when she brought up food. "You'd never survive in the kind of life I've lived, you're too spoiled," Katsu teased, placing a hand on his stomach, "I can go for a while without eating, I guess it pays to be poor sometimes." Not that he was particularly poor now, but he had been for a while.

He would be fine without food, but Katsu did worry about Koinu. Still being a pup he really should eat regularly, and without any food really packed for travel, there wasn't much for his furry friend. Worst case he supposed he could go and hunt something, it wouldn't be the first time he'd done so. Glancing over to Siku when she started to question him, the Avatar's cheeks flushed slightly at what she had asked, looking away abashed and clearing his throat. "Well... Uh... No... Not really," he admitted, scratching at his nose casually with his index finger, "Never really had a chance to learn, or a teacher. Most of what I know now is self-taught too." He didn't really bend all that often, there was typically no reason to do so. It wouldn't be totally unfair to say he was out of practice, not that he'd ever admit such a thing.

"But hey, I can get on just fine without those two! I mean there's no big apocalyptic event going on, or some war threatening the world, it's just me running from some oppressive jerks. I don't see a reason to need all four elements for that," Katsu continued, grinning as he reached over and put an arm around both Siku's and Asha's shoulders, "That's what I've got you two for, right? My water princess and my little air nomad, you can make up for what I didn't learn." More than anything he just really had no desire to learn. Learning another element was difficult, that went without saying, and also immensely time consuming. It could take up to a few weeks to even grasp the basics, depending on his teacher, and longer still to have some semblance of a mastery. Much as he'd like to think they could teach him, Katsu had serious doubts about his companions being good teachers.

Siku's face twisted into one of disgust and mockery as she mimicked Katsu, "You'd never survive the life I lived... I'm the Avatar and a scrappy vagabond! Nobody's had a life as tough as mine!" She laughed, grinning at herself before involuntarily releasing a single snort. Her hand instantly covered her mouth as her face turned beet red. "Shut up, I can live without food for a bit... But in case you don't remember, a certain Avatar made us run out of a restaurant in the middle of a meal," She muttered, crossing her arms.

What she didn't expect was his legitimate answer to her question. She was only teasing... he really hadn't even tried, or successfully attempted, the other two elements? The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she felt his arm come in contact with her shoulder. Her lip curled in contempt as he continued to blather away. Her mind echoed back to her the words 'water princess' as soon as he said it.

Water princess... Water princess...

Her brow furrowed gradually... Princess.

The girl crouched quickly, ducking under the Avatar's arm, before taking one decisive step forward and placing her foot into the back of his knee. The soft scraping of metal against sheath sounded as she pulled her blade a mere two inches from its home without drawing it. "You wanna find a better way to phrase that..? Stick possession in front of a reference to me ever again and I'll carry you back to Republic City on a platter myself," She offered, leaning forward with a small growl in her voice. She paused for a moment, just long enough to ensure he wouldn't be able to answer before she pressed her weapon back into the sheath. Siku stepped around him and kept walking as though she hadn't just falsely threatened his life... again. One hand rested cautiously on the hilt of her dao.

"Hm... If I have the cycle correct, Asha, he'll need air bending once he actually learns fire... Maybe you can show him the basics, at least. Of course... to do that, he'd actually have to be a skilled firebender..." She shook her head, "So maybe it'd be better not to clear your calender just yet.

"It's sad really... What kind of Avatar doesn't at least try on their own..? I understand not mastering or even caring to master the elements... but to completely pretend like two of them aren't in your repertoire... Pfft, I'd say that makes it sound like you're more afraid of failure than you are death."

The small brown haired girl hummed to herself as the other two in her group conversed. Asha's mind was somewhere else completely, as she wondered about what all they might see during their travels. She had been born and raised in Republic City and even then she hadn't seen much of it. This whole traveling and adventuring the world was an exciting new prospect for her and that was all that was going on in her mind, before she felt a hand around her shoulder which caused her to jump. Her cheeks flushed a bright pink when she had seen just who it was who had their arm around her shoulder; Asha giggled softly and nodded at Katsu's words, him saying she was his little air nomad...she sort of missed the other part of the conversation, though.

It was then that Asha realized that the avatar had said something that ticked off her water bending friend and she just watched with amusement at how easily Siku threatened Katsu's life yet again over something she was assuming was petty. Still though, it was funny to see how the two interacted and despite how much they fought, how close they seemed. The brunette smiled at the others before turning her attention back towards the road they were traveling, hoping to watch out for anything suspicious. Since the Avatar was wanted and now on the run, one could never be too cautious.

"Hm?" Asha turned her attention once again towards her comrades, more directly to Siku, "Oh, yeah, I think that is how it goes. So, whenever you want to learn some air bending, lemme know!" the girl said with zeal, forming a fist with one hand and throwing it in the air. "It really is a fun element..." Asha trailed off, not knowing whether or not Katsu was ready to even attempt air bending. Since Katsu had taken more of a liking towards fire (obviously) and earth, she feared that the boy would have a very troubling time with the other two elements.

Katsu bit his tongue and refrained from snapping at Siku, not at all appreciating her taunting behavior. His life hadn't been easy, not that he expected her to know, and the fact she was joking about it annoyed him to no small end. Did she know what it was like to not eat for days on end? To sleep on a bench in the park in the pouring rain? He doubted it, yet he wasn't going to sit here, get on a box and cry his troubles out to the world; she could go on thinking he was just complaining, he didn't really care enough to correct her. All of that was behind him anyways, and even on the run now his life was better than it had been. Rolling his eyes at the complaint about the restaurant, Katsu smirked slightly amused and gave a dismissive shrug, just to egg on Siku.

"Food sucked anyways, too overpriced if you ask me," he responded calmly, looking away as though he were disinterested. Heh, two could play at that game, he'd rile her up just as she had him. When asked about whether he'd practiced other elements or not he answered honestly, a bit ashamed to say he hadn't yet seeing no reason to hide it. There was no need for him to, it wasn't like there was some great war or anything going on; aside from his problems with the Lotus defectors the world was in a relative time of peace, there was next to no reason for an Avatar to even exist. Seriously, if he only learned fire and nothing else then he should be perfectly fine!

Heh, water princess, he figured that was a pretty good one. Obviously he didn't mean it and made it in jest, but given Siku's sometimes haughty nature it fit. Chuckling to himself at her expense, Katsu gasped when he suddenly felt his support leave him, and soon was knocked to his knees with a rather angry Water Bender looming over him. Blinking just once when she began threatening him he glanced at her dao silently, doubtful she had any real intention of using it but not wanting to test his luck. Watching as she retracted the weapon and left him be, the Avatar breathed a sigh of relief before climbing back to his feet. "Jeez Siku, someone sleep on the wrong side of the ground last night?" he joked, rubbing at his neck before grinning at her cheekily, "You're kinda hot when you're mad though, anyone ever tell you that?" He really didn't know better it seemed, or maybe he was calling her bluff with her weapon being drawn, who knows.

"You said it, I don't care to master them. Why should I when I can use two already?" Katsu asked in turn, placing his hands into his coat pockets as he strode along. At least Asha was plenty supportive and not at all being a pain in the neck, unlike some women of the group. Seriously, two days thus far and Siku had already threatened him twice, what gives? If she was going to draw her weapon on him every time they spoke then he'd just leave her be, see if she preferred that! She could have a pet rock if that was better for her, then he'd not be at risk of getting shanked for speaking.

Siku's knuckles turned bone-white as her nails dug into the flesh of her palm. He was insufferable and how she managed to get stuck with him was beyond her. She and Asha were in the wrong place at the wrong time, that was all there was. Now her whole family was left behind and she had no idea when she'd see them again. Her little sister would have to be escorted to school and spend her days under watch until all of this was cleared up... The hot, salty particles of water gently slid down her cheeks before she knew it. At this point, she wasn't even listening to Katsu's incessant blathering; she was only trying to prevent the tremors from overtaking her body as she walked point, her back to both of her compatriots. She crossed her arms and let out a sigh as the weight of danger she had put her own family into came down on her. She had to blame Katsu, but where would that get any of them? Getting angry with the already hard-headed Avatar could only exacerbate the situation. He was sorry enough as it was, the last thing she needed was The Bridge groveling at her feet... She smirked through her tears at the thought. That idiot.

The girl cleared her throat and used her hand to "itch" her eye and, without turning around, responded with a roll of her eyes, "Fine then. Don't learn them. You'd probably just waste all of the water anyway, then what would I have to bend?" She taunted.

It took the remainder of the day, but finally they arrived in Gung-Li. Siku used her hand as a visor, the sun was just about set, but the sliver that was still on the horizon decided that her eyes were a fine target. The small coastal town was quiet, as she imagined it often was, and many of the shops were already closed and turning in for the night. It was so different from Republic City and even from the North Pole... She'd never had time or reason to visit the smaller tribes up north, the ones that lived peaceful, nomadic lives of simple tasks like hunting, fishing, and sleeping around fires. Father always said it was too uncivilized a life, but Siku had always wanted to see what it was like. Now it was a life she had no choice in. Her eyes scanned the different wooden buildings; they were all so quaint, they looked like homes, not houses. Like livelihoods rather than franchises. Some people were carrying baskets of food home and even a few children went running by, obviously chasing each other.

Siku smiled a little bit - what would her life have been like here, had she been raised in a small Earth nation home with no ridiculous customs or courtesies? Then again, she loved being a water bender and she used to love being an Ice Wolf. Oh well, life goes on. She placed her hands on her hips, "Ugh... I'm taking a guess that the transit is closed, so let's go find a place to eat dinner and sleep then we'll get moving in the morning, yeah?"

They wandered the streets for a few minutes, looking for a sign mentioning restaurant or inn of any kind, but it was slim pickings. The town likely got very few visitors, as it wasn't a major harbor, and she was beginning to grow more sure that "chartering" anything to Iwa was going to be more of a hassle than they bargained for. The girl looked around and bit her lip in thought. Each moment that passed it seemed less people were outside, but god dammit to ask for directions would feel so foreign. She never needed directions...

Then, she heard it. Likely, Koinu would have heard it first, but it still wouldn't take long for them all to. It was a soft sobbing sound coming from just around the corner a couple of roads ahead... It sounded like a child - either lost or in some kind of distress.

Asha watched the two interact with one another, her heart picking up pace when she thought that her two companions were going to get into a fight. She hated fighting between two friends and was hoping that neither Katsu or Siku was going to instigate one, or give one another the cold shoulder. It seemed that just as quickly as they had spat out their arguments, did they quiet down and forget the whole ordeal. The young brunette shook her head to herself and walked alongside Katsu, seeing as Siku was on point. Katsu and Siku had such strong personalities that they clashed, but she was sure when the time called for it, they would be there for each other.

They finally found Gung-Li and the air bender was happy that they have reached their destination for the day. "Ah...Yes! You're so right, let's find some food and then make sleepy," Asha replied, putting her two cents in. She covered her mouth with one of her hands, her tiredness showing through. While it would be great to get some food, it seemed that many of the restaurants and businesses were closing for the night, which made sense in a small village.

"Hm...we should probably hurry," she added, looking at Katsu and then Siku for direction; she wasn't quite sure what to do and was very unused to doing things all on her own. It made her feel extremely young and inexperienced, but that was just what she was...she hoped she would still be able to contribute and help her friends through this.

Just as they were looking for someplace that was still open, they heard the sobbing of a young child just a few roads down. Asha glanced up at her friends, wondering if they were thinking what she was thinking: they should see what's wrong.

"What, can't pull moisture from the air? Any half decent Water Bender can manage that," Katsu shot back, sticking his tongue out childishly even if Siku couldn't see him. Tch, maybe he would learn them now just to spite her, wouldn't that be fun? He'd be better than she was and then he could rub it in her face, that alone made it worth putting in the effort. Seriously though could Siku just come off of her high horse for one moment and learn to take a joke? It's not like he was being lecherous and grabbing her or anything, he'd made a comment in jest and got a sword to the neck as a result, talk about overreacting. Maybe he'd just be better off talking with Asha from hereon out, worst she could do was blow some wind and ruffle his hair.

Gung-Li was a beautiful place to live, Katsu surmised as much just from his first glance alone. Despite being a resident of Republic City for many years now he vastly preferred rural spaces like this, where everyone knew one another and got on well. It was reminiscent of his own home actually, a thought which gave the Avatar a slight pang in his chest at considering. Someday he would have to return home, even if unannounced, just to see how his parents were doing; would they be happy to see him? Angry? Disappointed? It would be a very uneasy meeting to be sure and there would be dozens of questions to be answered, yet he felt he needed that peace of mind at some point. For now though this was good enough to act as a stand-in, however temporary it might be. After being in the city for so long he'd forgotten how warm a small town was, and Katsu almost wanted to suggest they spend the night, leave in the morning instead. Or maybe even tomorrow night, just to have some more time here.

"Sure thing, I could use a good meal right about now," Katsu said with a grin, glancing down as Koinu poked his head up through the neck of his shirt, "So can my little buddy, we'll get you a big steak! Siku's treat!" Heh, if it was for him she'd sooner skewer him with that dao than feed him, but surely she wasn't going to refuse his pet? Smirking smugly at the Water Bender he followed along as they descended into the town, being taken in by the sights and sounds of a bustling little village; vendors peddling their wares in the final moments of business, families running to and fro to get home or to fetch dinner, children enjoying the weaning sunlight. He'd love to be able to just live like this again, not have to worry about any Avatar crap or any of that nonsense. Maybe later he'd sneak off just to walk around a little, enjoy himself some.

"There is nothing around here! Even my home town had some stuff worth seeing," Katsu voiced aloud, unknowingly speaking to Siku's woes as they wandered about. Not a single inn yet, and no large charter ships like those in Republic City for transit. At best they could probably get a fisherman to take them across, though that was asking an awful lot for such a small vessel. If they could just get lucky enough and find a decent craft then they could somehow pay for it, yet so far there was no obvious signs of anything they could use. Sighing to himself he wondered it they should consider traveling further inland, maybe they could find a larger town and go from there.

That might be a decent plan, but it would have to wait. A distressing sound grabbed the group's attention just then, the sound of a child crying, and it simply could not be ignored. Were it an adult or even someone their age he might turn a blind eye, but Katsu didn't have it in him to ignore some kid. Frowning uncertainly he started walking towards the source of the crying, taking cautious glances down each street they passed as if paranoid something more might be going on. "Hey kid...? What's wrong, why you crying?"

Siku refused to give him the time of day. He clearly didn't know the first thing about water bending, let alone science. The amount of water in the air was so slight that harnessing it was an ability acquired only by masters and only useful when there were no other options. Katsu was off before she had even heard the child. She furrowed her brow at the sound as it finally reached her - the hell was it? She placed a hand on her sheath and started after the Avatar, hoping to God they weren't already facing a trap in the form of a child. She came to a halt just behind Katsu.

A young boy of no more than six rested in the back street, his face buried between his knees. It sounded like he was holding his breath every few moments before it was let out raggedly. He looked up, wiping at his face when he saw Katsu, though his eyes remained bloodshot. "O-oh... Uh... I..." He sputtered, flinching as though each word hurt to say. "M-my dad... he said to run... So I did... There were men... He tried to tell them to leave..." He tucked his face back into his knees, "But... they just came in. I don't know what they want... I think my family's in trouble..."

Siku's lip curled back slightly, a gentle scraping sound coming from her sheath as she drew her dao. "Let's get going, then," She said, still wary of a possible trap. She felt paranoid, but it wasn't like she was going to abandon the boy either. In this quiet town, though? Who would be attacking his home? She lowered her voice beside Katsu, "Right behind you."

The boy flinched, staring at her sword and starting to crawl away slightly. The intimidating glint of the bright steel was off-putting as the set sun and already-bright moon struck its surface. When he noticed Asha, however, he lightened up, feeling calm when he realized that a young person trusted these two enough. And the white-haired man gave him a sense of security too, though he knew not why. Siku, on the other hand, was giving him chills and he shakily rose to his feet.

"This... this way," He said, moving at a brisk walk down the road. He led them out into the open street, down a few roads, and right outside the edge of the town on the coast. The ocean stretched far off into the distance, shimmering under the light of a million stars. Beneath its surface, countless fish of countless varieties swam, blissfully unaware of how easy it could die within the next few minutes. The water lapped hungrily at the shore's edge, never getting any nearer to swallowing it than it was with the previous lick.

"It's the one on top of the hill," The boy stated, pointing ahead. It didn't seem like much from the outside, but looks could be deceiving. He took off up the hill for the home, but as he was about to shout, Siku grabbed his arm and put a finger to her lips.

"Sh." She hushed, releasing him and bending a stream of water over her left arm as she started up the hill, looking at Katsu before nodding toward the front door. She was going around back. "Asha, up top," She instructed, "See if you can find a way in up there, or come through a window when you hear us going in, alright?" The swordswoman crouched and gave the house a large radius as she moved around the house, coming up to the rear door. For a moment, she debated knocking, but finally decided to just slowly open the door. The little boy stood directly behind Katsu, however, feeling safer with him. Siku crept through the door with her blade at the lead, taking small steps into the first dark room. Her eyes narrowed in the darkness, Where... is everybody?