The Lost Scrolls: Water (Avatar: The Last Airbender) Read online

young Water Tribe warrior, who recounts a tale

  of faith lost and found once again.

  “Hey, look at this sword

  made from a whale’s tooth,”

  Aang said, picking the weapon

  up off the ground.

  “This is a Southern Water

  Tribe weapon,” I said, my

  heart racing. The warriors of

  my village carried these swords

  when they set off to battle the

  Fire Nation.

  Then, on the nearby shore, we spotted one of their

  ships!

  “Is this Dad’s boat?” Katara asked, teary eyed.

  “No,” I explained. “But it is from his fleet. That

  means that Dad was here!”

  This was as close to my father as I’d been since

  he left two years ago. I couldn’t believe we had

  missed him. Maybe we’d catch up to him? Thinking

  about seeing him again made me so happy, but also

  nervous. Would he let me go to war with him now?

  Or would he say I’m

  still too young? And

  what about Aang and

  Katara? I promised

  I’d help them get

  to the North Pole.

  Would I have to

  choose between the

  two?

  That night we built a fire near the boat.

  I stared into the flames to try to take my mind off the

  painful memory of saying good-bye to my father, but

  I couldn’t help thinking about the last time I saw him.

  I wanted to go off to war with him so badly. I had even

  applied traditional wolf battle paint. But my father

  said I was too young, and then he said something else

  that I never forgot: “Being a man means knowing

  where you are needed most. And right now that is

  here, protecting your sister.”

  I didn’t understand

  it then, but I think

  I do now. I used to

  think that being a

  man meant putting on

  war paint, grabbing a

  weapon, and fighting

  the enemy. In the time

  since my father left and

  I’ve been charged with

  helping to protect my

  village, I’ve realized that

  I was right where my people needed me most. Just like

  now, when Aang and Katara need me, this is where

  I have to be.

  A sudden rustling sound snapped me back to the

  present. Someone was moving through the woods.

  “Who’s there!?” I yelled. Then, like he had stepped

  out of a dream, Bato, a warrior from my tribe, walked

  up to the fire.

  “Bato!” I cried. Katara woke up.

  “Sokka, Katara!” Bato said. “It is good to see you.

  You’ve both grown so much.”

  “Where’s Dad?” I asked.

  “He and the other warriors should be in the eastern

  Earth Kingdom by now,” Bato explained. My heart

  sank when I heard that. I had hoped he would be here

  too. Bato told us that my dad brought him to this

  abbey after he got wounded and that the sisters have

  cared for him ever since.

  “What smells so good?” Katara asked.

  “The sisters here craft ointments and perfumes,”

  Bato explained.

  “Perfume?” I asked, never one to pass up an

  opportunity to crack a joke. “Maybe we can dump

  some on Appa! Because he stinks so much! Am

  I right?”

  For some reason nobody laughed.

  “I see you have your father’s wit, Sokka,” Bato

  finally said.

  Wow! Bato thought I was like my father. I felt

  so proud at that moment, I didn’t care that no one

  laughed at my joke!

  After introductions, Bato invited us to his quarters.

  They were amazing! He lived in a cottage that looked

  exactly like the inside of a Southern Water Tribe hut!

  “It looks like home!” Katara cried.

  “Right down to the animal pelts on the floor,”

  I added.

  Then Katara spotted a bowl of stewed sea prunes

  over the fire. My father could eat a whole barrel

  of stewed sea prunes—and so could we! Over a

  steaming bowl of food, Bato, Katara, and I laughed

  and laughed about stories of home and of when my

  father was young.

  The only weird thing was Aang interrupting our

  stories with dumb comments and fidgeting around

  the hut. I didn’t know what had gotten into him.

  “I have to tell you,” Bato said after finishing a

  story, “that I’m expecting a message from your father

  telling me where to meet him. If you’d like, you can

  come along.”

  That was the best news I’d ever heard! I could go

  with Bato, join the other warriors, and fight beside

  my father. But then I remembered Aang.

  “That would be great, Bato, but we really need to

  get Aang to the North Pole,” I explained.

  “We promised,” Katara added.

  “I’m sure your father would understand,” Bato

  said. “And he would be proud that his children are

  helping the Avatar.”

  That’s when Aang walked back into the hut. To

  be honest I hadn’t even noticed he was gone. After we

  finished eating, Bato led us down to his ship.

  “This ship has great sentimental value to me,” Bato

  said. “It was built by my father, and he took me ice

  dodging in it. How was your first time ice dodging,

  Sokka?”

  The question hit me hard. I was so embarrassed.

  How could I think I had become a man when I never

  even got to go ice dodging with my father?

  “Sokka never got to

  go ice dodging,” Katara

  explained. “Dad left before

  he was old enough.”

  “What’s ice dodging?”

  Aang asked.

  “It’s a rite of passage

  for young Water Tribe

  members,” Bato explained.

  “Say, I have an idea!”

  And believe it or not, Bato took me ice dodging

  on his ship! Aang and Katara came along too, but I

  was in charge. It was my turn to prove I was a man.

  Only, there was no ice on this river, so we dodged tall,

  jagged rocks.

  I steered and called the shots, and Aang and Katara

  followed my every order. I commanded that ship like

  I owned it—and boy, it was a wild ride! We zoomed

  in between and around the sharp rocks until we came

  to a bunch of rocks so close together that they blocked
<
br />   our path. We couldn’t go around them, but we sure

  could go over them!

  “Aang, I’m going to need air in that sail!” I ordered.

  “Katara, I want you to bend as much water as you can

  between us and those rocks. Now!”

  I knew exactly how to get past the obstacle. The

  extra air Aang shot into the sails and the wave of

  water Katara created lifted us up and over the rocks.

  We landed safely on the other side.

  Bato was very proud. When we reached shore, he

  honored us by placing traditional tribal markings onto

  our foreheads with his thumb. I got the mark of the

  wise, the same mark my father earned during his ice

  dodging. I never felt prouder. I just wish Dad had been

  here to see it.

  Then Bato gave Katara the mark of the brave, and

  Aang the mark of the trusted. But Aang looked away,

  then wiped the symbol off his forehead.

  “You can’t trust me,” Aang said, lowering his head.

  Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a

  map—a map that a messenger had delivered, showing

  where to meet our father.

  I was furious! Aang had betrayed us. I didn’t

  understand how he could

  do such a thing, but I felt

  like I never wanted to see

  him again! I had to say

  something.

  “You had the map all

  this time and you didn’t

  tell us!” I yelled. “Aang,

  how could you?”

  “I’m sorry,” Aang

  said. “I was afraid you’d

  leave me.”

  “Well, you were right!” I screamed. “You can go to

  the North Pole on your own. I’m going to find Dad!

  Katara, are you with me?”

  “I’m with you, Sokka,” she replied, turning her

  back on Aang.

  Sometimes my sister can be a real pain, but she

  never lets her family down. As much as she liked

  Aang, I’m glad she chose to come with me.

  Bato led Katara and me through the forest. I was

  excited about seeing Dad again, but I just couldn’t

  stop thinking about Aang. The more I walked, the

  more I realized that no matter what Aang had done,

  he needed us. Then I recalled my father’s words:

  “Being a man means knowing where you are needed

  most.”

  “Katara, we have to go back to Aang,” I said.

  “I want to see Dad, but helping Aang is where we’re

  needed most.”

  “You’re right, Sokka,” Katara agreed.

  “I know your father will be proud of you,” Bato

  said.

  We said our good-byes and headed off to find

  Aang.

  Suddenly a huge beast burst from the forest,

  snorting and growling. The creature had light—brown

  fur with a dark—brown stripe running along its back.

  Its long tail whipped back and forth menacingly. Its

  enormous jaws opened to reveal razor-sharp teeth.

  On the beast’s back rode Prince Zuko, his uncle, and

  some girl. The weird thing was, it seemed as if it was

  the girl who was controlling the beast’s reins.

  “Where is the Avatar?” Zuko demanded.

  “We split up,” I replied. “He’s long gone.”

  “How stupid do you think I am?” Zuko asked.

  “Pretty stupid,” I said. Hey, the guy asked! Then

  Katara and I ran, but the beast charged toward us and

  stuck its gross, long tongue out and licked me. Within

  a few seconds the whole world began spinning, and

  then everything went black.

  I woke up in the courtyard of the abbey. Katara

  was on the ground next to me, but neither of us could

  move. In front of me I watched as Zuko battled Aang

  and the beast fought Appa. Before each move it made,

  the beast sniffed around like it was searching for a

  scent. I figured out that the beast was able to see by

  using its sense of smell and decided to give it something

  to look at.

  I asked the abbey sisters to roll out barrels of

  their perfume. Once we were able to move again,

  I smashed the barrels open with my war club and

  Katara Waterbended a huge wave of perfume right

  onto the beast.

  Overwhelmed by the smells, the beast began

  lashing out wildly with its tongue. It struck Zuko and

  the girl, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

  Katara and I joined Aang on Appa, and we flew off.

  “So, where should we go?” Aang asked.

  “To the North Pole,” Katara said.

  “But don’t you want to see your father?” Aang

  asked.

  “Of course we do, Aang,” I replied. “But you’re

  our family too. And right now, you need us more.” I

  felt kind of sad as we soared into the sky. I had come

  so close to seeing my father again. Still, I was proud

  of myself. I knew I had made the right decision. One

  day soon I’ll see Dad, and I’m sure he’ll be proud of

  me too.

  A SOUTHERN

  WATER TRIBE HUT

  The inside of a typical Southern Water Tribe’s hut

  contains a number of animal pelts that are placed on

  bamboo floors. At one end of the hut a sealskin tent is set

  up. This is used as a sleeping chamber. Ceremonial animal

  headdresses, spears, and animal skins are usually displayed

  on the walls of the hut.

  I learned all about these aspects of Water

  Tribe life while visiting the North and

  South Poles.

  In the center of the hut sits a square fire pit,

  surrounded by a single line of bricks. The fire provides

  heat for the hut and is also used to prepare food. There

  are mats for sitting on all four sides of the fire pit.

  A stew pot, used for cooking, hangs suspended from

  the ceiling, hovering above the fire.

  When a Water Tribe boy reaches the age of

  fourteen, his father takes him ice dodging. This

  coming-of-age rite is a boy’s first step in being

  recognized as a true warrior of the tribe. The task

  of the ritual is for a boy to guide a boat through a

  narrow body of water filled with icebergs, which the

  boat must avoid.

  Though there is an adult onboard, once the ritual

  begins, the boy is the only person who can make

  decisions and direct the crew. He may choose two

  friends to assist him, by operating the main sail and

  the jib (a smaller sail at the rear of the boat), but he

  alone is in command. His skill a
nd judgment are

  what make the journey a success or a failure.

  ICE DODGING:

  RITE OF PASSAGE, BIRTH OF A WARRIOR

  If the boy is successful, he

  and his crew receive marks of the

  warrior, applied with cuttlefish

  paint. The mark of the wise is

  given for leadership ability and

  achievement in decision making

  under pressure. The mark of the

  brave is given for inspirational

  displays of courage. And the mark

  of the trusted is given to outsiders

  who prove themselves worthy of

  other people’s trust.

  My name is Aang. I’m

  the Avatar. At least, I’m the

  kid that the Avatar spirit

  was reborn into.

  I haven’t mastered all of

  the elements yet. That’s

  why my friends, Sokka

  and Katara, and I

  are traveling on my

  flying bison, Appa,

  to the North

  Pole. Katara and

  I both need to

  find a Waterbending

  master there in the

  Northern Water

  Tribe to teach us.

  himself, about his arrival at the North Pole and

  the terrible assault by the Fire Nation on the

  Northern Water Tribe.

  One day we were flying high above the ocean,

  with no land in sight, when huge chunks of ice shot

  out from the water!

  “Look, they’re Waterbenders!” Katara cried. “We’ve

  found the Northern Water Tribe!”

  The city of the Northern Water Tribe was so

  amazing! It was way bigger than Sokka and Katara’s

  Water Tribe village at the South Pole. That was just

  a bunch of ice huts, but this place looked like it was

  home to a pretty advanced culture. It had a really

  neat canal system operated by Waterbenders that

  moved big boats up from the sea and into the city.