Walking (wide open)

[tora]

Tora shifted her pack, trying without success to find a more comfortable position for her shoulders. She really had to replace that shoulder pad when she got to the next town.

She pulled the bulky sack up farther on her back - and nearly fell over when the strap broke. "Oh, for the love of - " Closing her eyes in frustration, she knelt and started collecting her scattered belongings, muttering curses all the while.

[kalotnav]

Gan had been walking not too far behind Tora, his mind drifting. He came back to reality quickly enough when her pack strap broke. Hurrying over, he then went about helping her collect her things. When he had an armload, he tapped his bare foot against the ground and a small pillar rose up. He set her things on there before allowing the pillar to carefully sink to the ground. In this way he avoided dropping her things.

"Here," he said. "I think that's mostly everything."

[tora]

She stared at the dirt where the pillar had been a moment before replying. "Thank you," she said quietly, brushing her hair back. She adjusted the remaining strap on her shoulder and chewed on her lower lip. "You're...you're an Earthbender?"

[kalotnav]

((Yeah, did I mention he's very casual about his abilities? *koff* It's probably going to get him in trouble at some point...))

He closed one eye in quick consideration. "Sort of. I'm still in training," he replied before reopening his eye and giving her a quick smile. "I'm Royama Gan." He reached back and his staff, which he had dropped so he would have both hands to help gather her stuff, flew to his hand when he called the iron on its tips and in its middle to him. It was odd, he felt, that she stared first at where the pillar had been and was now looking at him in disbelief. "What's your name?"

[tora]

"Iwa...Iwamoto Tora," she stammered. Stammering? Since when do you stammer? "I'm...I'm actually looking for an Earthbending master." The pack slipped and she tugged at it again, debating whether or not it would be rude to start walking again.

[kalotnav]

"Pleased to meet you." Gan solved the problem for her by resuming walking himself. "Mm. Why? Do you have a problem that needs such expertise, or are you talented and need training?" he asked.

[tora]

She walked after him, still fidgeting with that cursed strap. "Yes. The second one, I mean. No one in my village could train me." It almost took her physically slapping her hand over her mouth to stop her babbling. Three weeks out in the desert by herself had given her a loose tongue.

[kalotnav]

Gan looked at her, puzzled. "There wasn't an Earthbender in your village, or someone who could direct you to one?" Generally an Earthbender would know at least where their master lived.

[tora]

"My..." she broke off. "There was an Earthbender, but he died before my youngest brother was born." Tora watched her feet as she walked. "No one knows where his master is. Probably got called into the army. Or something."

[kalotnav]

"...Oh." Gan really, really hoped he wouldn't be called to serve. Yes, it was an honor, but he really didn't want to die for the country. He'd prefer to live, thankyouverymuch.

"Until you find a master, I could try and help you with some of the basics. Teacher said I was good, but he also said you don't really know something until you can teach it," he said, giving Tora a slight smile.

[tora]

Tora's eyes lit up. She tried not to let it show, but they did, and she smiled for the first time in what felt like ages. "Would you? I mean, I would appreciate that. A lot." He wasn't a master; he'd said so himself. But at this point learning anything would be great. It'd make her feel like her trip had a point, anyway.

[kalotnav]

"Sure," he smiled. "Two questions. One, where are you headed, and two, what do you know so far?"

[tora]

"I've sort of been town-hopping," she admitted. "No real destination. As for what I know..." She lifted the hand not holding her pack up. A pair of stones rose with it, and she twisted them into a couple of loopdeeloops before dropping them again. "That pretty much covers it. A few tricks, not much else."

[kalotnav]

"Hm. My teacher, he started me working on defensive moves. The first one was to call up a simple front barrier from the ground. Like this," Gan said. He stopped walking and when Tora stopped too, he made a wide motion as if to beckon someone to him. A six-inch thick wall of soil shot up from the ground, stopping at a height just a foot taller than Gan, and a yard wider than Gan's actual body. "You'll note that this isn't topsoil--topsoil's density is rather lousy because it is the layer plants have to grow through to reach the surface. It's not rock, either. It's a mixture of clay and loam covered with a thin shell of topsoil. I automatically compress the soil to increase density and thus provide more protection. The topsoil sheath is to fool an enemy into thinking the wall is weaker than it really is." He paused to watch Tora's expression. "You can examine it if you like."

[npc]

Gan's display was not only observed by Tora. Four Fire Nation soldiers, who had been sent to patrol the region by their superiors (partially out of duty and partially out of a punishment) observed the young earth nation teens.

"He's an earthbender," one whispered to the others, who nodded. "If we arrest him and bring him to Dei Sang, we'll get praised and we'll get out of camping out in the wild. "

They approached as quietly as they were capable of, but there weren't really any hiding places to sneak up on the pair.

[tora]

Tora stepped forward, somewhat enthralled, and ran her fingertips across the grainy surface. She could feel the power thrumming underneath and she closed her eyes, letting it wash over her for a minute. After it had sunk in properly she stepped back and tried to copy Gan's movement. The path in front of her quivered, rose slightly, and sank back down again. She scowled. So much for "natural talent".

She sensed movement behind her and turned.

((OOC: If that last line was as crappy and last-ditch as I think it was, throw something at me and I'll change it.))

[kalotnav]

((It's fine. ^^))

Gan turned when Tora did, his eyes widening slightly upon seeing the Fire Nation soldiers. "Uhm...crap." He thought he was far enough away from any cities that he wouldn't have to worry about running into them. "Now seems like a good time to make ourselves scarce."

[tora]

"Yes," Tora agreed hurriedly. "Yes it does." What were Fire Nation soldiers doing all the way out here? Cacti reconnisance?

[npc]

(OOC: If you guys run and are creative about hiding, they won't catch you. ^_^ They're just here to provide a little action.))

"Hold it right there!" instructed one of the soldiers. He assumed a firebending stance, and the others followed his lead, sloppily, instead of like seasoned veterans jumping into formation.

[kalotnav]

((If this doesn't work, let me know and I'll change what I've written. And this is a desert-like climate, right?))

"How about no?" Gan replied, flipping his staff around behind him. Magnitizing the iron of his staff so that it stuck to his back, he then dropped into a crouch and slapped his hands onto the ground. The ground rumbled and under his hands formed a swell that moved forward two yards before rupturing and exploding a huge cloud of fine grit. Grimacing in concetration he pulled more and more sand up into the air to create a hissing, opaque cloud.

As soon as he had a cloud big enough to work against the soldiers he stood and threw the cloud at the soldiers. Leaving the soldiers to deal with that he grabbed Tora's hand and ran, keeping silent so as to not give the soldiers an audio clue as to which direction they were heading.