`talking´ with an friend

Karnia was walking a little bit in the norther air temple. She really liked it to visit the other temples as well. And she wanted to meet Aku Tei again. She liked to listen to him, and also try to speak with him was a pleasure for the nun. He never seemed to have a problem with the fact that she was mute, and he also seemed to understand most of the things she wanted to say. She did not often had to use her special sound bending technique.


Finally she had found Aku. Making a soft wind and sending it to him, she showed him that she was coming. This was also something good and at the same time bad about being mute. It was not easy for somebody to find out that you are coming, because you cannot say something to this person. So it never happens that you can get caught before you reach a person who should not know that you are near. When she finally stood in front of him, she bowed and smiled. She tried to ask him with his mimik how he was.

Monk Aku was working on some minor tasks in the Northern Air Temple where he stayed most of his time in. He would visit the other ones, but here he called it home. He sighed as he was using some minor bending to send some soil on the tile off and on a grassy area. He liked to keep all the area in the temple clean. One time every week he uses his bending and goes through the whole area sending dust out of the Temple and in the land around it. People say things about Aku, he was a man who wanted so much order at times he would ignore the comments made by the King and Queen and just act on the old teachings when the Monks were in charge. The calm looking man who was working on watering some small plants in the sun was actually a mess inside. Things rushed through his head at times he forgot them and some just stayed.

He let out a soft sigh as some of the dist got on his clothes. Using his bending again he forced the soil off and land softly on the ground. He then continued in the watering of the plants and then felt the balance of the area off. Soon he felt some wind quickly fly by him and some of his clothes go out of place. Quickly he put it in the right position and a soft smile went across his face, "Hello Sister Karnia." He turned showing his soft smile and placed the watering can gently on the floor. As he walked over to her it looked as if he was gliding across the tile of the outside patio area, he stopped and she met him half way.

He spoke in a calm and collective voice, "I am doing excellent, been a little busy but that is my life and well I am use to it. Just have to go here and then all the way to a Temple on the other side of the world. Then the training for the young ones is drawing to an end and soon those who are old enough will get their arrows and those who are in training for monks will start and those who are done will become monks. I bet you don't want to hear me talk on and on about my life. What about yours? How are you doing on a fine day like this?" He asked and then turned his head to the right viewing the sun in the middle of the sky and heard birds chirping off in the distance.

Karnia opened her mouth like to laugh, even if no sound came out of it. She also did not liked to fake a laughing sound, especially because it was not her own voice. Even if most of the people would not understand what she found so funny about everything Aku was saying, she thought it was amusing. Especially when he began to talk about everything that he had to do. She was really never getting tired to hear his voice, even if she had heared the same words out of his voice for quite some times.
The next thing that happened was also some fun for the nun. The only problem she always had when she was near Aku was that he had always thrown away some of her talking help. But she managed to find some dust that the monk had left out. Then she started to make pictures out of dust, smoke and air. First she was showing a group of laughing children who were dancing around a little bit. Then she made a female figure who was just walking around, no real goal in sight. Then she showed a person who was meditating and one who was lying on the ground, just relaxing.
Karnia was getting better and better. She was not good enough by now to let the small figures have faces, but you could tell if it should be a male or female person. At the end she made a person who held a book, and another person sitting by the feet of the first person, listening. That was not only what she planned to do, but what she did nearly every day. Then, suddenly, she remembered that she had some news for Aku.
Fast she made a picture of a girls face. It was big enough so that she could add details. Then she fast let it vanish and made two figures who were training. She hoped that the monk would understand that she finally had managed to get a student. Even if it was her first, and she feared also her last, she was really proud of the girl.

Monk Aku put his hands inside the sleeves of his robes and watched as she replied to his question. At times it was hard to read and understand the pictures, like when she started out doing it. There was no real way to tell from a man or woman and there was no real detail to any of it. Now, she has gotten better in time he liked that in people. They have goals and follow them he smiled as she showed him the things she has been doing. Some he gave a nod if he got it and a few he would stare and stare until it clicked in his head. The last thing he understood and gave the nun a long nod.

"I am very glad that you were able to find someone to teach." Aku said his same monotone voice being heard over the chirping of the birds. "Teaching a young mind is such a great honor to do." He smiled at the though looked out at the mountains around the Temple. He looked back at her and though to himself, 'What was I going to say?' He stood there and then a gust of wind went through the Temple and made his clothes whip in the wind. Then it all went back to normal and he said, "I hope she is a good student, maybe I will get to meet her one day." He said and faced one of the entrances to the Temple. "Come with me Sister Karnia. Lets go inside and have some tea." He looked around and a young boy caught his eye, "You!" Aku said to him and the boy froze and faced Aku and pointed to himself. "Yes you come over here." Aku said taking his hands from his sleeve and motioning the boy to come. He did and then Aku said, "I want you to finish watering these plants for me. Then you can go on your way, don't worry it is not that much." The boy bowed saying, "Yes Monk Tei." Aku turned and walked inside putting his hands back inside the sleeves.

The room was lit by two windows that let the sun shine in and all over the room were bookshelves a desk in the middle with papers neatly in stacks and then a clean quill next to a tightly closed ink holder. Adjacent from the room was a nice little sitting area that lead to some other rooms and finally was Aku's room. In all of the Temples he had a room just for himself and some actually had an entire area off of the Temple just for him. The Northern Temple Monks had to make a room for him, but they did not mind. The room already smelled like tea and then he smiled. "Good they brought my tea." He walked over to a seat and sat down and motioned her to sit also. He took some tea poured himself some and looked at her asking, "Do you want some?"

Karnia was glad that Aki showed some interest in what she had told him. She could be sure that he listened to her, and that was what she liked about him. Then, she slowly followed him inside. It was nothing new to her any more that the monk had an room on his own in the temple. She had met him so often, she knew every room he had in every temple. She nodded when Aki asked her if she wanted some tea.

Then, finally, she decided to ask him what she wanted to know. Fast she made again an man who was talking and then she changed the picture so that you could see some monks, sitting in an half circle, talking with each other and with another young man too. She hoped he would understand that she wanted to hear another story of the time when the council had ruled. She had no idea if he knew a story she had never heared before. But it was also the reason to hear something new that had brought her to the northern air temple.

Aku nodded to himself and then poured the tea for her and placed the kettle on the plate and leaned back in the chair. He was going to let her make it herself he was not really sure what she puts in it so he would let her do it this time. He added the few things to his cup of tea and slowly stirred his cup as he watched the symbols and as the disappeared. He took a small sip of the tea, the hot liquid going down his throat and burning his tongue a bit, ignoring the pain he cleared his throat and asked, "You want to hear about when the council was around?" He smiled and then sat up again, "I love telling stories about them, lets see here."

With his back against the soft cushion of the chair he was trying to recall a story he has not told her yet. "Have I told you about the time when I saw a banishment trial?" He shrugged and said, "I don't think I have so listen up. I really like this story because it shows the real power which the council held." He looked around and then lowered his voice, "That is until the monarchy stepped in and got rid of it." He sat back up and continued. "It was in the winter and I was actually in this Temple. I was about the age of nine or ten and there was a monk who had radical ideas of actually using our bending for evil and they had caught him with plans of overthrowing the recent council, making a new one, and then try to take over the world. I actually saw the trial take place, I was actually on the roof of the council room and there was a hole to let in light. It was so cold, but really worth the watch. Voices were raised, evidence shown, and at the end the man was banished from the community stripped of his status, and sent off into the cold."

He sipped his tea and then cleared his throat, "Some saw it as harsh, but I think it was our government in action and they were actually doing something good for us." He smiled and then shrugged, "I think I have a few other stories but I am not sure I can remember any."