Here's the sequel to In Her Hands, also known as Water Tribe Romance. This is Bato and Nami's romance and--with exception to the prologue--picks up where the first left off. The prologue takes place the night before Kita sneaks onto the Fire Navy ship.

Like the first WTR, this will romance will be mature.

Water Tribe Romance 2

Prologue

"That's impossible." Chief Arnook gripped the icy sill of the window to his study so hard that small chunks broke free and fell to the courtyard four stories below. He breathed a heavy exhale out into the frigid evening air, which left his lips as an agitated cloud of mist before evaporating away to nothing over the frozen Northern Water Tribe capital city.

His city—for now.

For how much longer would be up to the Great Spirits.

This revelation couldn't have come at a worse time. "I don't understand how that could be. He's dated girls before, Ana. This has to be some kind of joke he's playing on us both to shirk his birthright." Except the joke wasn't funny in the slightest.

"I saw no jest in my son's eyes when he refused your offer for the Chiefdom." Four of Anana's daintily gloved fingers curved around his shoulder and squeezed, offering him little comfort. "I'm sorry but I am afraid this is no joke, as much as I wish it were." The hand dropped from his shoulder to stifle a sob. "I cannot believe it. My only son..."

The pain in his sister's voice was more than palpable. At the moment Arnook wanted to throttle his nephew senseless for putting it there, though such rash actions wouldn't solve a thing. Not a damned thing. The Northern Water Tribal lands would still be left without a leader from his line in the near future.

He turned from the window, trying his best to maintain the strong and stoic façade his sister had come to expect. Since her husband had been killed in the Fire Navy raid last winter and their parents had passed decades ago, Arnook was all she had to help her through what must be devastating news to any parent—save the one of death.

Arnook pushed that memory away. Now wasn't the time to grieve for his late daughter. Soon he would have his chance to walk with her. "Irnik is still very young. Maybe this is just a phase for him. Spirits, he hangs around the armory all the time and sees no one but men all day so I can understand these... these urges he's having." Arnook winced at his words the instant he uttered them. He didn't understand, but that was beside the point. "Perhaps if you introduce him to some of the single girls from the hospital he might change his—"

"He won't," she interrupted, holding up her hands in defeat. "I've already offered the same suggestion, but Irnik refuses to spend another day pretending something he's not just to fit in."

"Well maybe he needs someone to remind him this is not about 'fitting' in. This is not some game we're playing. The future of his tribe is at stake here." Arnook knew that wasn't completely true. His people had weathered far worse than a simple change in leadership. "Does he understand that the Chiefdom has been in our family for over two hundred years? That he'll be throwing away an entire legacy?"

"He does and I've explained to him over and over what he's giving up, but he will not change his mind. In fact, he told me that if you want to keep the Chiefdom in the family after you... you..." Tears filled her indigo eyes and Arnook had to glance away to keep from tearing up himself. After wiping her face on the sleeve of her midnight blue parka, she took a deep breath and continued. "He proposed that either I or Namika should marry and the husband whichever one of us takes become the paramount chief."

"What?" His voice resonated off the icy walls of the room. "That's absurd. Never has a woman passed down the Ch—"

"Now I know I'm too old to bear children, but Namika is only twenty-two winters of age." His sister went on, ignoring his protest. "She has plenty of years left to give our line many heirs. And she knows the politics of this tribe better than her brother. Her knowledge would be a useful asset to whomever she marries."

"But only if this flies with the council, though. And if it does... Nami? As a paramount chief's wife?" Despite the direness of his family's situation, Arnook had to bite his lip to stifle a laugh. Not at the idea of Nami in a role of leadership. If his tribe's customs would ever allow it, she would probably make a better chief than he. Half the men of Capital City were already scared of his outspoken hothead of a niece. The other half stayed well out of her way. All of them respected her.

No, it was the idea of her getting married—of her finding someone who could endure her fiery temper—that sounded as preposterous as a thunderstorm in the dead of winter. And entirely hilarious.

Anana, however, wasn't laughing. In fact, she had one raven eyebrow raised like she was awaiting his approval, as if he would ever in his life think of giving it.

"You can't seriously be considering this?" he asked.

"Why not?"

Arnook raised a hand in front of him, signaling the end to this conversation. His nephew's hare brain scheme had disaster written all over it. Without another word, he strode over to his desk to retrieve his whalebone coffer. Come the first light of dawn, Arnook was to depart for the Fire Nation, the reason he'd come up to his study in the first place. He needed to prepare for the trip that very well might be his last.

Anana moved to the front of his desk, watching him in silence as he unlocked the intricately carved white safe box and extracted a sealskin pouch full of water tribe coin. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft yet full of determination. "I haven't mentioned anything to Namika about this yet, but I have thought about the idea. A lot. I know it's extreme, but considering my son's refusal to eventually take a wife, this might be our only solution."

Arnook shut his coffer and ran his fingers along the moon and water symbols his great grandfather carved into the lid. "She will not marry, you know." What he wanted to say but didn't was what man could they find who would agree to marry his niece? The Northern Water Tribe had a severe deficit of available males versus females at the moment, thanks in part to the raid last winter. Even the meeker, more even-tempered ladies—the preferred bride of a water tribesman—had a difficult time gaining husbands.

For a woman like Nami...

"If the offer of paramount chief is on the table as part of Namika's betrothal along with her more than generous dowry, she should have no problem acquiring a husband," Anana said, as if she had read his thoughts. "One who would gladly overlook some of her more... spirited personality traits."

Spirited was putting it lightly, but Arnook simply nodded as he locked his coffer and placed it in his bottom desk drawer.

"And, through me," his sister continued, "You'll be able to choose who shall take your place. You can appoint your successor without looking like you're playing favorites with your tribesmen." She reached across the desk and caught his forearm, forcing him to look at her. "This can work, Arnook. I know it can."

Arnook sighed. His sister was one convincing woman. "Okay, I'll admit that this could work, considering Nami is aware of the plan and agrees to it, which I highly doubt. She's told me numerous times that she doesn't wish to marry. Ever, as I recall."

"And she has expressed the same to me time and time again. She's probably the only female at the North Pole who doesn't wish to be settled with a family. And then Irnik..." Anana dropped into the overstuffed leopard sealskin chair behind her. "I don't know when or how it happened, but somewhere along the line I've grown too old to understand my own children."

"I think it's a requirement of parenthood to not understand your offspring. And vice versa." With a half-hearted chuckle, Arnook shoved the pouch of coin in the pocket of his parka and rounded the desk. He sat on the edge, crossing his booted ankles. "These days, the youth don't revel in the old traditions like we did, nor do they fight change quite as much. They welcome it like the ocean welcomes a summer thaw.

"Just because you and I think it important to keep the Chiefdom in our family, your daughter probably wouldn't see it that way. We cannot expect her agree to something she is adamantly against—marriage—just to keep our heritage alive. And for that matter, I don't even think it would be right to ask, regardless of my limited future."

"Arnook—"

"No, Ana. The time for our line to end has finally come. Unless your son changes his mind, that is."

"I don't think he will. He told me he has a... lover." She spit the word out as a tear traced down the lines of her cheek. "Irnik is fully committed to whoever that man is."

"I understand." Arnook rose from the desk. Night was rapidly approaching and with this new information, he now had one more task to take care of. One he'd hoped to put off for as long as possible. "Then I'm afraid I'll have to call an emergency council meeting and give everyone the details on my health earlier than I had anticipated." In order to get the selection process going for a new paramount, Arnook knew it would be best to tell the five lesser chiefs of his tribe before he left for the Gathering. He closed his eyes, praying he'd make it back to welcome whomever they chose, but the bleeding had gotten worse these past few weeks. This might be the last time he saw the walls of his study. His last night in Capital City. "Let Irnik know that I'll still expect him to be in charge until I get back. He can at least grant me that much."

"I will," Anana whispered as she wiped her eyes, pasting a smile on her face that Arnook could tell was forced.

Guilt stabbed him like a thousand icicles. His sister had gone through hell and back that day the Fire Nation took her husband. Before long Anana would have to make the trip once more, all because of Arnook. Cursing his weakening body for this mess they were in, he headed for the door before he succumbed to tears.

"Wait!" Her hand snagged the sleeve of his parka as he swung open the door. "You'll be gone for five weeks, right?"

Arnook stopped and promptly closed the door to keep away the prying ears of his servants. "Probably more like six. Maybe seven. Why?"

"Just..." Anana let go of his coat sleeve and stepped back. Desperation shone in clearly her eyes, along with something else. The same calculating light he'd often seen in the eyes of her daughter. "Just give me some time to talk to my children about all of this before you make any decisions. Or at least before you talk to the council. Please," she stressed, walking into his arms. "Just give me time."

Arnook squeezed his sister tight. "Time is something I don't have a lot of, Ana."

"I won't give up on this. Or on you. Irnik just 'came out' today, as he aptly called it. Namika didn't know about his preference either. As you can imagine, we were all a little angry and—"

"I can imagine." Arnook had to smile. To his sister, a 'little angry' inferred pots, pans and other flying objects were involved. "I hope no one got hurt."

She shook her head. "Just our prides. Namika and Irnik aren't talking to each other, or to me. But I hope that after things cool down some, we will all be able to sit down and discuss the matter like adults. And maybe come up with an agreement."

"Agreement?" Arnook echoed, looking down at her. Knowing the inner workings of his sister's mind, he had a feeling she already had a Plan B in the works. She was just like her daughter.

Anana nodded. "One I think that could suit us all. And when Irnik gets a taste of how it feels to be a leader, there's no way he can refuse it. I promise... by the time you return, a man will be in place for the Chiefdom. I guarantee it."