(only read Suki's lines and the lines inside of the quotations, not the "a more feminine voice threatened", etc.)

"And if you don't answer our questions, we're throwing you back into the water with the Unagi," a more feminine voice threatened.

***

"Who are you? Where are the men that ambushed us?" Sokka asked, aggressively.

I shook my head at his stupidity. Of course he wouldn't think that the girls who's faces were painted in some sort of warrior make-up would attack us.

"There were no men, Sokka," I told him, "They ambushed us." 

"Smart kid," the same girl said. "Now tell us! Who are you and what are you doing here?" 

"Wait a second! There's no way a bunch of girls could take us down," Sokka said, mockingly.

If I could've moved my arms, I would've strangled him by now. Did he seriously have to be so sexist at a time like this? 

"A bunch of girls, huh?" the girl threatened, grabbing him by his collar, "The Unagi's gonna eat well tonight."

"Uh... hi," I stuttered, scratching the back of my neck, "You look a lot different without your makeup. I almost didn't recognize you as the girls that nearly killed us." 

"Are makeup is apart of our tradition," the lead warrior smiled.

I blinked. I didn't know she would be so friendly. I guessed it was because of the way she accused us before.

"Thanks for not feeding us to that Unagi," I said.

"We didn't know you were traveling with the Avatar," the girl  answered, "You must've come a long way."

"All the way from the South Pole," I shrugged. "It's more like a camp site than a village."

"Well, we hope you enjoy your stay here," the girl said. "I'm Suki."

"Kyra," I answered, offering my hand. She shook it with a firm grip. "Say, do you mind if I stop by for training?"

"Training?" Suki repeated.

"Yeah, it would be nice to know some techniques. We have a lot of run-ins with Firebenders."

Suki turned to the girls, who nodded in response. 

"Is that so?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why not, then? Stop by our dojo later on." 

The path lead me to a large wooden house. As I approached, I kept hearing more groans and screeches. Sokka! I couldn't believe I didn't recognize his high pitched voice! I ran into the room. The girls were dressed in their makeup and kimonos. I blinked, my eyes darting over to Sokka, who was getting a good beat up.

"Uh... I'm here for," I was interrupted by a loud thud! Sokka was on his stomach, his hand tied to his leg. "Warrior training?" 

 A faint blush appeared on his cheeks as Suki towered over him, smirking. "Is there anything else you want to teach us?" The girls laughed, causing Sokka to look down in embarrassment. I sort of felt sympathetic, but he deserved it.

I sighed, "I don't even wanna know." 

"Your brother decided he could give us a lesson," Suki said, mockingly. "He did say he was the best warrior in your village."

I gritted my teeth, "Just because he's the only warrior, doesn't mean he's a good one." 

As I said this, Sokka stood up and left without making eye contact. He kept his head dow, knowing that his ego was completely shattered. Suddenly I felt this little pinch in my heart. This new wave of emotions took over. Did I really feel sorry for him? I mean, he did say all those dumb things about girls. The question was, did he learn his lesson?

I was brought out of my trance by the sound of Suki's voice. "Alright girls, we should go back into our regular routine. Let's try to push that event away and help Kyra get ready. She'll be training with us today."

The girls smiled cheekily at me. I really wanted to be accepted by them, since I never met female warriors before. 

"Speaking of training, let's get her into one of our traditions," Suki continued. 

***

"Try to follow my wrist movements," she guided me, "Let your energy flow and guide it."

"Like this?" I asked. I started copying her movements, but I seemed so stiff. My heart raced as I tried to copy her movements, but they were all so rough and out of control. My cheeks turned red as I accidentally let go of my fan. I winced as it-let's say-accidentally smashed into the wall.

"Oops?" 

Suki laughed, "It's okay. We all started training when we were a lot younger, and we kept making the same mistakes," she put a hand on my shoulder, "You'll get the hang of it."

"I feel like I could really use this," I said. "What if I can't bend anymore? It would be nice to know how to fight in different ways."

"You're a Waterbender?" she raised an eyebrow.

"My sister and I are the last Waterbenders in the South Pole," I nodded, "I admire how you fight. You're not scared."

"It takes a lot of practice and hard work," Suki said.

"Hard work..." I repeated. "Can I try again?" 

"Of course," she smiled.

The two of us started practicing. As I followed Suki, she showed me how the fan was an extension of the arm. That was the main focus of energy. I continued repeating the moves over and over, concentrating on my internal flow. 

"Remember, use the fan as an extension," Suki instructed.

I closed my eyes, concentrating on my movements. I moved my hands, balancing the energy flow. As I flicked my wrist, I removed the fan that Suki held in her arms! I felt this huge sense of pride! I actually did something  new! 

"I did it!" I cheered.

 "Not bad," Suki said, nodding in approval.