Healing Trust

Jurishe made a slight face, humming to herself. Someone in the town might be able to tell her; maybe she could go out and ask while she got the two of them breakfast? Still, for now, they both needed rest.

"If you're still up to it," She began, tugging her fingers gently through the curly mane before her, "How about that story, now? I'd love to hear it." Rather than sitting, however, she remained where she was, still brushing through Katara's hair.

"Oooh, the old witch," came Jurishe's excited answer, though her hands continued their calm, recurring path, "I'd like to hear the other, too, but if the first is too long, maybe another time?"

This would be the perfect story to add to her collection; she had nothing similar, thus far. She hoped that it was a good one! If Katara was telling it, it must be!

"Let's move to the bed," She suggested, giving one last tug on Katara's hair before moving, crawling up onto the mattress, "This way you can sit in front of me, and we'll both be comfortable."

Once her friend mentions that the stories are her own, Jurishe's eyes widen, "Well now I HAVE to hear them both!" She tells her eagerly, "Start with whichever one you want; I don't mind which."

"Whatever you're comfortable with, Katara... If it's too much, I'll still enjoy the short version," Jurishe brushes her own hair back before continuing with dem curls, "I'd just like to hear them."

It seemed that brushing through her hair was relaxing Jurishe was well, almost making her sleepy, but not quite. Her entire body was calm and her breath was slow and even. Her position may have helped, despite how uncomfortable it might look to someone else.

Jurishe remained quiet, as the story progressed, though she did offer Katara's shoulder a gentle squeeze, when she mentioned her mother. "They"... That was interesting. She wondered who "they" were, and what "they" had to do with her friend; why "they" wanted her.

The symbol on her hand was something that Jurishe had already noted, before, though she hadn't said anything about it. So that's what it was.

Jurishe tried to think; "Takamatzu"? It didn't ring a bell, though she hadn't exactly been a prominent member of her Tribe, so it was possible that this "Mia Takamatzu" had been.

"When did you last see her?" She finally asks a question, intrigued by this small insight into what had happened to her friend, before she had met her. Jurishe had another question, of course, but one that Katara probably couldn't answer: would she see the old witch again?

Shaking her head, Jurishe tells her: "No... the opposite, really. I'm surprised that I don't, considering she came from my Tribe. Maybe she left a long time ago, or maybe I just never met her. Either is an option. Especially if she's as old as my mother, or older."

For whatever reason, she didn't like the sound of this woman. Not that she could say why, but something didn't sound completely right.

Taking that as a sign to stop, Jurishe let her fingers slowly slip out of the curls, and then into her lap. "You're welcome. It was nice; your hair is really soft," She tells Katara with a smile.

"So... That was the story of the old witch. Now what about the girl who could sense heat?" She asked, curious, trying to shake off her feeling about the waterbender described in the previous story.

"Oh! Of course," She nodded, lifting her fingers to Katara's hair again, "Sorry; usually when someone says 'thank you', like that, they want me to stop what I'm doing. Like they're politely saying 'that's enough', you know?"

Then, after Katara continues, "How did you meet her?"

"It sounds like she'd be a good person to find," Jurishe nods, "Maybe she can help you? What do you think? You said you ran into her recently; what happened then?"

She didn't usually ask so many questions, but this story seemed to coincide with her idea of helping Katara. If there was some way to help, she would try as best she could.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Jurishe asked, very seriously, "I would never want to see anyone hurt that badly again... but this is you! You don't deserve this, Katara, and - while I can't help you replace what you've lost - and that kills me, it really does - I want to help make it right, as much as I can."

Her thoughts may be scattered, as are her words, but the conviction is strong and unbreakable. She wouldn't stop until something had been accomplished.

Jurishe returned the tight embrace, tears welling up in her eyes as well. They truly had become so close, so quickly. She felt Katara's pain, and it hurt her too. Call her a bleeding heart, but she wanted to bundle the smaller girl up and make it all better, as quickly as possible. She'd felt the same way about Takeshi, when they were younger...

Wiping at her eyes, Jurishe gently nudges Katara, "Hey. We'll do it together, right?"