Quiet for a long moment, Sokka doesn't stop stroking her hair. But he isn't so relaxed anymore and the quiet is speechlessness, not a choice.

A good father wouldn't have let his son go.

"...what you're doing is fine," he says finally, softly enough that the break in his voice is barely heard. "You're doing your best to make sure the bastards that did this get what they deserve. That's what she would have wanted you to do."