It was cold. It was almost painfully cold, this early in the morning as Akela-Vis stood knee-deep in the river passing through the forest, letting the water current pass around her almost fully clad legs. Standing there with the occasional slimy brush of a fish or water vegetation against her bare feet, Akela-Vis stared up at the trees. Sunlight cut in through them and bounced along the leaves, down onto her face, warming her just slightly while she waited for her partner to appear. She wasn't at all disappointed when after she'd washed her face, she heard familiar chirping close-by. Lifting her head she found the monkey sitting a few feet away from her on a slab of pale grey stone, hands clasped around something that looked like bread. Probably stolen from her very own kitchen too, Avi thought as she waded out of the river, water briefly touching the middle of her thighs before subsiding when she got out of the opposite side of the river. Oru hopped onto the girl's hip and clambered his way to the shoulder, perching there as he finished the rest of his meal. For Akela-Vis however, the hunt was only beginning.

An hour later she sat, warm and dry, in a nest of branches, bathed in sunlight and biting into fruit, watching birds flit about. Her father and mother probably had gone off to the market by now because while they kept her here, they did still work themselves. The path back to their home was dangerous and winding but they knew it well and it allowed Akela-Vis and her family to live there safely without being found out about. Even so, the girl was growing increasingly curious and wanted to see the outside world for herself. Exploring the vast forest and developing her bending, learning about plants and animals and medicine was fun, but it lost some of its spark. Akela-Vis wanted to meet people and talk to them. Telling her parents things didn't have much to it anymore. They seemed preoccupied with getting things for Akela-Vis to read. Buying her books and materials that would help her mind grow. They weren't interested in the newest type of flower she'd discovered while on one of her journeys.

"Where are you going?" Roseen looked tired and afraid as she watched her only daughter pack a bag of essentials. Jorman stood with his arms crossed over his chest, half-glaring at the girl when she slipped a jade amulet around her neck that the man had given her when she was born. "[color=f7976a]I am leaving to go see the outside world, Mother. I wish to learn about people. I am tired of living here. While I love you both, I cannot stay here forever. Please understand,[/color]" Akela-Vis said, her tone soft but not overly so, demonstrating that she was serious about leaving and nothing would get in her way. Not even her parents. Jorman's brows furrowed tightly before he exhaled heavily, his wife looping her fingers around his bicep. "Fine then. Go. But know that we will be awaiting your return, little one." Roseen wiped her eyes. " Oh I knew this day would come. I just knew it. Please be careful, Avi. Please," she said with tears in her eyes. Akela-Vis on the other hand, didn't so much as get a watery eye. A slight tightening in the chest, perhaps. "[color=f7976a]I will not disappoint you[/color]," she said, squaring her shoulders and letting Oru make himself comfortable on her shoulder. With that, a hug or two and a blessing, Avi was off to the city.

So many people. Avi had never seen this many people. Often, she'd run her fingers over pictures of them in her books but this was so different. Here all she could do was stare, blatantly ignoring the stares she was getting. She probably looked incredibly strange, with the way she was dressed. Her pale hair contrasted with her tanned skin and light eyes, pale beige trousers cut off by bandage-like tape that wrapped her calves. The girl wore an equally beige shirt, the tape-like fabric wrapped around her forearms. Aside from where they were wrapped, the clothes were very light and billowed out slightly when a breeze passed. Like this, Akela-Vis wandered the streets, without a clear idea of where she was going. For now, she'd just absorb knowledge and sites. Strange but not unpleasant smells, animated chatter and things she'd never seen before all threatened to overwhelm her but she kept herself stable. She was surprised when a creature on four legs and with pointed ears popped out in front of her. It mewled and Akela-Vis found intriguing, following it into a dark alley. Further and further she followed it, not aware of any possible dangers. It was only when she heard snickers and felt something hard clip her shoulder that she looked up. The creature was gone but there were four men staring down at her. "Whatcha doin' 'ere girly?" Akela-Vis straigtened herself and looked up at them without batting an eye. Why did they care about what she was doing? "[color=f7976a]Why do you care? It is not any of your business regardless. I do not know you,[/color]" she said evenly. The man's expression darkened. "This 'ne's got a smart mouth on 'eh, eh? You know who we are, girly?" Akela-Vis paused momentarily to think, looking over the men. "[color=f7976a]Four not very attractive nor masculine men wasting their time talking to me. Do you not have something else to do? Surely there must be[/color]," Akela-Vis said, moving forward into a slightly open space, the men moving a step or two back while the one's anger spiked. He grabbed the collar of her shirt and yanked her up until she felt the tips of her toes just barely touch the ground. "I'm gon' beat ya to a bloody pulp and no 'ne gon' save ya," he grinned smugly, reeling his meaty fist back to strike her. He didn't have time to however before Avi's hands twisted, hardened earth pulling from the ground before her and slamming into the man's stomach with crushing force. Gasping, he dropped the girl, watching in rage as she dusted herself off and got into a fighter's stance. "What're ya waitin' fo'?! Get 'er!" He screamed as soon as he found his voice. Avi stood and Avi fought.

Looking down at bloodied and bruised men, she dusted herself off again, gently stroking a fingertip along the monkey's head. The creature chirped and nibbled the rough flesh, curiously looking down at the remains of the battle. They were conscious but in no shape to fight. Akela-Vis avoided pulling any particularly hard punches or aiming for pressure points. "[color=f7976a]Goodbye[/color]," she said before stepping over them and moving on.