In the mornings, Hakoda and Sokka took him out on the ice, showing him how to track prey. Or they took a canoe, and taught him to fish.

The afternoon was for combat training. They started him with the club, then the spear, and finally the boomerang. This part made him more nervous because they practiced back in the village, where Katara could see them as she went about her own chores and duties. Her attention was never so nerve-wracking before, even when she hated him, but…this was different.

He listened to songs and stories during the evening meal, watched the traditional dances (though this, at least, he did not intend to take part in) and got to know the other villagers. It was at this time that it was easiest to handle the political aspects of his visits, too, with Katara and her family helping to act as mediators.

When the fire began to die down and people began slipping away to bed, Hakoda took him aside, away from prying eyes, and stayed up teaching him how to carve.

He counted down the days until he was worthy of going ice-dodging.