Disclaimer...Disclaimer...I do not own, I know this comes as shock.
Kana stared down at the trail of pink snow, wondering what or who had been injured out here on the tundra. She nodded to Yanna and the other woman snapped the harness of the lead frost wolf. The male whine as it followed the blood trail. An hour later the sled stopped as the blood trail ended.
Kana moved quickly when her sharp eyes caught the snow dusted form. Her gloved hand brushed the snow from the prone figure, eliciting a slight moan. Startled Kana rolled the figure over and fell back. A large bloody gash could be seen reach from the right shoulder across to the left breast.
'Breasts?" Kana noticed suddenly startled, this was a woman. The old water tribe woman glanced at the snow dusted form, she was tall, probably as tall as Hakoda though of a more slender buld. "Yanna! Come, she is alive, for now."
The other old woman sighed and between the two they drug the injured woman onto the sled and set the wolves for home.
By the time they reached the village the sun was setting, Kana called for help from the other women of the village to assist moving the body into her tent. Nyla lit a fire and promised to keep her supplied with wood until the injured woman died or was able to be moved. Hatta promised to bring food for the injured woman and Kana.
Kana bowed her thanks, since Sokka and Katara had left with the Avatar; the women had become more communal with her. Life was hard in the Poles, people had to work together to survive. Stripping herself of her gloves and outer coat she began to attend to her self appointed duties as healer.
She didn't recognize the fabrics of the woman's clothing or the hide that she wore on her feet and hands. She thought of them for no longer than a moment, her hands had worked swiftly to reveal the wound. The ice had saved the woman's life, the cut was deep and she would have to cauterize it or else she would die of blood loss before it could heal on it's own.
Kana moved from the woman's side and set one of her skinning knives in the fire. She returned to the injured woman and continued to divest her of her clothing as she determined what was salvageable and what wasn't. With a needle made for piercing hide, she stitched the wound closed.
Kana stared at the woman's pale skin, paler even than those of the Fire Nation, and paler hair, it reminded her of moon-light. Shaking herself back to her duties she check the knife to find that it was glowing red. Wrapping her hand in a layer of hide, she pulled the knife from the fire and knelt beside the woman. Please that the wound was not weeping blood, she positioned the knife above the wound and in a quick motion lay the searing edge to the rent flesh.
The smell of burnt flesh was joined by a piercing scream as the woman suddenly returned to consciousness as her body arched up off the furs and inadvertently pressed the knife further into the wound.
Kana sighed when the woman collapsed back onto the furs and was taken from consciousness. She removed the knife and let it cool on the rock of the fire pit. Moving quietly and efficiently she prepared the bandages that would sooth the angry burn and hold the cauterized wound closed.
Yanna was watching over the woman when her eyes slowly opened, revealing eyes the color of the deep ice. She nodded once and moved away from her sewing to fetch Kana, saying "I will bring the healer."
The woman lay stunned on the comfortable furs as she flexed her fingers and caressed the hide under her. With a smile she recognized it as belonging to a polar-phant. When she rolled to her side, the pain in her chest stopped her breath. Glancing down she noticed the still angry red line that crossed half of her chest. With a frown she pulled water from the ice around her, forming a glowing glove and rested it over the scar as she lay back down.
Kana returned with Yanna to her tent, both woman stopped when they saw the glowing water and the injured woman healing herself. "You are a bender," Kana's even voice stated.
The woman's eyes opened and she smiled as she saw the deep blue ones of the women before her. "Greetings Mothers," she inclined her head in acknowledgement of the women.
Kana watched the glowing water slowly dissipate leaving a fine pale scar that crossed the woman's chest. "I am Kana of the Southern Water Tribe."
"I am Yanna of the Southern Water Tribe," Yanna replied.
The woman on the furs smiled as she slowly moved to sitting. Her smile faultered when she realized that she didn't know her own name. She looked around and could place the names to all that she saw, she knew where the Southern Water Tribe lived, she knew where the people of all the nations lived. She looked into the woman's eyes again and felt that these were her people, "I do not know my name."
Kana had watched the confusion play across the younger woman's face, she nodded briskly at the statement, "Perhaps it will return in a day or two. For now you need rest." She handed the woman, two sets of Hakoda's old cloths. "These will suit you until after tanning season."
The younger woman smiled as she received the clothing and watched the older woman retreat from the tent. She held the cloths to her chest and a most pleasant scent came to her, it was faint and she couldn't identify it but she found it very pleasing.
The village watched the new woman move gracefully from Kana's tent and out into the cold morning air.
Kana frowned, "You should be resting."
The taller light haired woman smiled warmly, "Mother Kana, I," her voice paused as her ears caught a sound. Then her pale eyes scanned the area around her, in a burst of speed she grabbed a line spear and ran toward the sea ice. Moving quickly and quietly she glided over the sea ice until she came to unfrozen water. There she waited for her prey. A few minutes later she was rewarded with a spray of sea water and she released her spear at her target.
As soon as the spear flew out of one hand, her other buried the stake end of the rope into the solid ice around her and she waited. The line snapped taught and she waited for her prey to tire. By the time the rope slackened, she'd buried the stake back into the ice near her four times. She slowly coiled the rope as she drug her catch back toward her spot on the sea ice.
Five hours later she returned to the village dragging a sea-rino, once she got it passed the small wall indicating the village she collapsed onto the ground, exhausted.
Kana stood over the now supine woman and glanced at the carcass of the sea-rino, "I thought I told you to rest."
The woman closed her eyes and laughed, "Yes Mother Kana, your advice is wise." She moved to her feet slowly and disappeared into the tent she'd come out of.
All the women of the village made short work of skinning, cleaning and dressing the great beast. It had been far too long since they'd had something other than seal-jerky and sea prunes to eat. That night they lit a central fire and roasted a hank of sea-rino. They would feast well in the morning.
Under a quarter moon Yanna watched the un-named woman move toward the communal fire. "Mother Yanna," she asked.
"Yes daughter?" Yanna replied, smiling as she did so. The younger woman spoke in the old way and Yanna found this pleasing.
"What has happened to the South Pole?" She shook her head, "I feel as though I should know but I see what was, not what is."
Yanna sighed, "The greed of the Fire Nation, they attacked, stole our benders then continued to raid our shores until nothing remained but what you see here."
The woman rested her hands on her folded knees and her light blue eyes flashed with fire, "Why do I not remember this?"
Yanna patted the younger woman's shoulder, "It will come, do not push." Yanna glanced at the sizzling beast and asked, "Daughter, how did you know how to catch such a prize?"
The younger woman smiled as she closed her eyes, "I heard their great breath and knew if I was fast enough my hunt would be successful."
Yanna considered, "It has been no less than forty years since the last sea-rino was brought to this village, I had thought the knowledge died with my husband. How is it that you know?"
The woman's eyes opened, "I remember my father teaching me, he was skilled in the hunt. He could track a snow-serpent through the tundra, back to it's den and return with the serpent, it's eggs and it's treasure. My favorite is the snow-phant," she paused and her eyes glittered."
Yanna stared at the moon haired woman, "These creatures you speak of have not been hunted since before the time of Sozin, the knowledge taken with the warriors killed with the greed of the Fire Nation."
Flashing ice blue eyes caught ancient sapphire ones, "No longer," the younger woman replied, as she glanced around, "if the elders permit, I will teach the children of the village to hunt as I learned."
Yanna glanced around, "there are none older than nine seasons."
"Yes, they will learn the hunt as my father taught me," her voice strong and certain.
Yanna thought of the water, "You are a bender, they are not."
"I have some talent at healing and moving ice," the younger woman replied, "my true gift is reading the signs of the ice and snow and the hunt. These can be learned as bending is inherent."
Yanna nodded as she glanced around the village, "We are vulnerable."
The other woman nodded, "The tents are effective but if we are to flourish," she paused, "Perhaps the walls." Then with out speaking, she moved to the outer edges of the village and rested her hands on the ice walls.
Yanna watched as a door appeared in the ice. As the Sun crested the horizon, the pale woman returned to the fire, warmed herself for a moment, then sat beside Yanna. "If you would inspect Old Mother, I would like a second pair of eyes to tell me what I forgot."
Curious Yanna moved slowly to her feet and into the ice door. She moved carefully into the lower chambers, her sharp gaze taking in all the detail of the storage rooms and the place for the sleds as well as the round chamber for the ice wolves. She moved up the central stairs to communal food storage areas, hide tanning areas and a large open chamber for gathering as well as a deep pit and smoke column for warmth and light. On the third level were the individual residences, five on either side of the great room. Each residence contained, two or three sleeping chambers, a cooking area, a food storage area, a smaller storage area as well as fire pit and smoke column.
Yanna exited the living area at the other end of the ice wall and made her way back to the communal fire in the village. "Rapid escape exits, in case the need should arise."
The other woman nodded for a moment, then moved quickly back into the ice wall. An hour later she came jogging around the base of the ice wall and returned to the communal fire.
Kana watched the tall slender woman as she sat herself next to Yanna and accepted a bowl of steaming meat over seaweed.
The small community ate in pleasant comraderie, until all bellies were satisfied.
"I would like to train the children to hunt," the unnamed woman announced after everyone had finished eating, "the South Pole was once the most renoun of the ice hunters and though I do not remember my name or history, I remember my skills in ice," she pointed to the ice wall, "and hunt," she pointed to the beast on the spit.
All the women and children looked to Kana, Yanna and Altera, the three oldest women of the tribe.
Yanna rose, "Tui and La have blessed us with the arrival of a daughter, versed in the old ways." She glanced at Kana and Altera as she said, "I have inspected the ice residence and will await your determination."
Kana and Altera moved to their feet and into the newly constructed residence in the ice wall. Slowly the children and curious mothers followed the older women into the new construction.
No more than an hour later Altera returned to the fire and gave her approval to the young woman. Kana was the last to return to the fire as she considered the pale woman, "Should the men return to the village, we will have need of more quarters and storage."
The younger woman bowed her head, "As we will have need of hunting caverns that face the tundra and deceptive faces that allow for quicker access to both snow and sea ice."
Kana considered the other woman's words, "Iris," she said simply.
The younger woman stared at her blankly.
Kana smiled, "You must have a name, your shape is tall, slender and strong. Your eyes the color of the Ice Iris, until you recovered your own name; that is how you will be addressed."
The woman now known as Iris smiled and bowed her head deeply, "Thank you Mother Kana, it is fitting that you name your daughter."
Yanna laughed at Kana's slight frown as she considered the tall woman.
"I have grandchildren already," Kana sighed.
Iris looked around, "Which are they?"
Kana sat suddenly, "They have gone with the Avatar to help the boy master all the elements."
Iris said nothing, "May I take the older children and the ice wolves hunting tonight?"
Three mothers pulled their children to them.
Iris noticed their fear, "I will return with them in three risings of the moon, they must learn to hunt in dark before Agni leaves us to La for the winter."
The oldest boys pulled away from their mothers, "We must provide," they said simply.
Iris waited on the eldest girl, "Do you wish to stay? Or would you like to hunt?"
The girl glanced up at her mother, then at the strange pale woman, then to the still sizzling meat on the spit, "I would hunt," she replied softly.
"It's a man's place to hunt," the eldest boy frowned.
Iris glanced at the boy, "When you can catch a sea-rino of your own, you may teach the children to hunt. Until then," she paused, "it is a tribes right to teach their daughters and sons to hunt. Would you leave the mothers of your children with no way to provide if you were gone as your fathers are?"
The eldest boy considered her words, then glanced at the cooking meat, "No Mother Iris."
Iris nodded, "Good, bring two days rations, a stake harpoon, an air harpoon, skinning knife and either a club or a bow." She directed at all the children. After glancing at the sun, she nodded, "I will feed the ice wolves and meet you at sun down, by the tundra wall.
As the sun set the three children and their gear were settled into the sled and the ice wolves were waiting for the command to launch into action. Iris ran joyfully next to the sled as the wolves pulled it along the snow covered ice. She ran until the moon was half way through the sky, then she rode the last distance. Moving the wolves to the left as she returned to an old hunting place of her fathers.
As the moon set and the sun started it's rise, Iris slowed the wolves and walked behind the sled. She stopped when she felt the ice crunch beneath her boots, "Wake children," she said softly, "quietly, we are here."
The three pre-teens moved slowly from the cocoon of the sled and before they could remove anything from the sled, Iris shook her head as she gathered the wolves to her. In Five quick moves she released each one from it's teathered harness and whispered, 'hunt.'
The five ice wolves launched into action, running directly toward the prey they could smell.
Iris spoke softly, "Bring the spears and follow me." She grabbed the spears she'd taken from the village, "quietly."
The three children followed the taller woman to the edge of the tundra forest and stared in awe at the giant creatures who towered between the trees snapping off the tallest branches with their trunks and curling them into their mouths.
Iris watched the children's expression as she motioned them to watch the wolves, "they will go after the young or the ancient ones."
The children's blue eyes nodded as they watched the wolves move relentlessly around the heard of beasts.
Iris scanned the small heard and finally found a target. She touched the children and showed them the ancient male with the fractured tusk, "that one will fall to us. Come." She ran low behind the snow bank to position them. Looking into their scared and excited eyes she whispered, "courage." She positioned each of the children with their backs to a tree, the shaft of the spear resting against the base of the tree and positioned their hands. Directing each one silently, "This tree is ancient, it will hold, do not move from your place when he comes."
After each of the children were in place, she ran swiftly toward her target and launched her spear into it's eye.
Enraged the old bull charged toward the source of pain.
Iris ran loudly through the trees and passed between the two eldest children she howled.
The bull charged directly at his target, his useless eye leading him directly into the path of the spears. The force of his impact buried the spears into his shoulders and stopped his giant body in a cloud of snow.
The children scampered away from its thrashing trunk as they turned to watch the great beast.
Iris beckoned the younger boy to he with his spear, she positioned his hands and together they stabbed the wounded animal through the other eye and into it's brain, ending it's suffering and life. Grabbing the children, she pulled them away from the giant beasts body as it's last wail faded into the crisp air. She ran with them back toward the sled and once away from the tundra forest she stopped. "Well done children," she smiled at them.
"Why did we leave?" the younger boy asked.
"His herd will stay with him until the body is cold," Iris said as she ruffled his hair. "There is still much to do, come we must prepare the sled."
Mid morning they stopped their tasks and had a meal of seal jerky and dried sea pears. By mid afternoon they'd set long thin polls on the sled to receive the weight of the snow-phant.
Iris watch young Hato and Kodo work on finishing modifying the sled, while she and Caya finished the igloo. By the time the sun was setting they had a small fire going outside of the igloo and the smells of dinner were wafting through the air. The ice wolves had returned to camp, and wolfed down the food that had been brought for them. And lay down by the entrance of the igloo.
Kodo rested against one of the wolves as he enjoyed his warm food he asked, "What is the creature that we killed?"
"It is called a snow-phant. They are easiest killed during the daylight hours, the light from the snow blinds them. They are most dangerous during the dark hours and many warriors have lost their lives to the great beast because they hunted at night. They live their whole lives in the great tundra forest, moving from one end to the other in a great circle. What we saw was a small herd, a group of fifteen to twenty adults and half as many calves." Iris smiled at their young faces. "The one we took today was very old, he had outlived his prime. There were younger bulls to defend and breed with the females. That is why I choose him. The snow-phants live long and remember much. Now when one of that herd feels it's time, it will return to this part of the forest, for its last challenge."
Caya frowned, "It's last challenge?"
"The old ones often find a challenge that they will not survive," Iris smiled, "most often it is swimming through the frozen waters to the other side of the tundra forest. They are no longer needed with in the herd, so they must leave. That is your first lesson, always help the herd to be strong, take the injured and the aged. That way we will always have snow-phants to hunt. If there is not aged or injured, wait until the next herd passes into your hunting territory. That is why we built the igloo, to mark our hunting grounds and provide safety and shelter until we leave."
Hato smiled, "the wolves are to distract the main herd, like bait for fishing."
Iris returned the smile, then yawned, "I will sleep now, come in when you are tired and bring the food into the shelter. The wolves will guard and tomorrow will be long."