Sudden Rescue

"And next, we shall-" the captain started to say, only to be interrupted as a sudden howling gale of wind blew through the village square. Several of the soldiers were nearly bowled over, and they were all blinded as dirt and dust was blown up in the air from the intensity.

And then suddenly Aang was among them, staff sweeping out to knock the captain and several others off their feet.

"It's the Avatar! Get him!" one of the still standing soldiers yelled. Immediately, blasts of fire were filling the air as they attacked Aang, only for him to dodge around the flames and retaliate with air blasts. And while the firebenders were completely distracted by this fight, Sokka ran out from where he'd been hiding and up to the girls, quickly using his boomerang's edge to cut through the ropes binding them to the poles.

"Quick, run for it!" he shouted, while tossing a blanket over Katara for her to cover up with.

"Hey, how come you didn't get anything for us?!" Mai demanded angrily as the group ran for the trees beyond the village.

"We didn't have time to get cover for everyone, and I didn't need to see my sister naked!" Sokka snapped back.

"Just shut up and run!" Katara cut in before an argument could break out and slow them down.

A few minutes later, the group had reached a clearing where Appa was waiting for them. A few more minutes after that, Aang joined them, having managed to lose the pursuing firebenders and at some point grabbed a bunch of spare clothes that had been hanging out to dry on a clothesline.

"I just hope no one's too upset we're borrowing their clothes," Aang said awkwardly as the girls put on the clothes as best they could over the feathers still stuck to their bodies.

"Who cares, we need them more than they do," Mai grumbled, "Right now I'm more concerned about getting these feathers off."

"It's fine, we just need to find a river to wash off in," Katara said, "And someone will probably have to watch Azula while we..."

Katara trailed off as it suddenly occurred to her, and everyone else, that the fire princess wasn't present.

"...Did we forget to bring Azula along?" Ty Lee asked hesitantly.

"Uhm... oops?" Sokka said. When he received several flat looks from the others, he threw up his hands defensively, "Well excuse me for not thinking to save the evil princess who wants to kill us!"

"I mean, she'll probably be okay?" Aang said nervously, "She's smart and dangerous, she probably escaped on her own. Right?"