Marks of the Wise
1. Hakoda and Kya knew what they were doing when they had two children only a year apart. They wanted their children to grow up together and be able to help each other.
2. They had mixed feelings about Katara's waterbending, especially upon discovering her ability. They were proud, but also frightened for her sake, knowing what had become of waterbenders in the past. On the other hand, her presence gave them hope that there might someday be more waterbenders in the Southern Water Tribe.
3. As Katara grew, Kya encouraged her to use her bending minimally, because she didn't want to make other kids feel bad, and they didn't want her to get hurt. The only everyday use Katara had for waterbending was getting herself dry after bathing; it was especially helpful for drying long hair.
4. Even though the Water Tribe used oral tradition more than written stories, Hakoda made sure to teach Sokka and Katara how to read, using whatever materials he could use to draw characters. When they painted tanned animal skins, he began by writing symbols and explaining their meaning, filling up the space until they finally painted over the characters. He thought that literacy would help them make their way if they ever had to leave the South Pole, which seemed like a real possibility since the tribe had become so small.
5. Hakoda wanted to give up his position as chief after Kya was murdered. After all, how could he protect a tribe if he couldn't protect his own wife?
6. A few weeks after Kya's death, Hakoda came home from another long hunting trip and found Katara trying to prepare dinner by herself. Seeing her struggle somehow woke Hakoda up enough to remember that he had to move on, and take care of the family that he still had.
7. Sokka's sense of humor came out mostly through sarcasm prompted by frustration. Hakoda didn't scold him for this, but he tried to encourage Sokka to have a slightly more cheerful sense of humor.
8. There was a moment when Hakoda considered taking Sokka with him to the Earth Kingdom. He was growing up, after all. But he couldn't separate his children, not when the siblings would need each other more than ever.
9. None of the Water Tribesmen learned how to swim until they traveled to the warmer climates of the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation, where falling into water wasn't equal to a death sentence.
10. Leaving Bato behind was one of the hardest decisions Hakoda ever made as a war leader. The two of them were like brothers, and Hakoda didn't want to set a precedent for leaving behind fellow warriors. He felt the same way he had when he left behind Sokka and Katara two years prior.
11. When they were reunited, Bato told Hakoda about how he saw the children and even took them ice-dodging. He wasn't sure what hurt more: knowing that they had been so close, or not being able to grant them that milestone himself.
12. Hakoda never made promises he couldn't keep. When he left the South Pole, he didn't promise any of his family members that he would be back. He realized that he had forgotten to teach his children this lesson, when Sokka promised that they wouldn't be apart for too long after the failed invasion.
13. He learned not to underestimate the power of a promise, when Sokka found his way to the Boiling Rock and succeeded in organizing his escape.
14. Meeting and allying himself with Chit Sang and Prince Zuko taught him not to judge people based on where they came from or what their past was.
15. Through all of their misadventures, some part of Hakoda had held on to the idea that when the war war over, he and Sokka and Katara would return to the South Pole together. But when they met again at Fire Lord Zuko's coronation, he realized how things would be from now on: Sokka would always look after Katara, and Katara would always follow Avatar Aang. They still had work to do, and they had seen and done too much to go back to their quiet lives in the South Pole. Hakoda chose to try to accept this, even as he returned home to help rebuild his tribe.
16. Objectively, Hakoda couldn't decide whether his mother's remarriage irked or amused him.
17. Subjectively, he learned to respect Pakku when he saw him waterbending with Katara. His stepfather and daughter bowed to each other when they finished, and Hakoda could see genuine pride and respect in Pakku's expression. So he forgave him for initially refusing to teach Katara.
18. When Avatar Aang visited the Southern Water Tribe, Hakoda could see how vividly energetic and joyful the children became. They remembered how silly and eccentric he had been on his first visit, and even though Aang was in his teens now, he still had a wonderful sense of fun. He made Katara and the children laugh, something Hakoda thought they had almost forgotten how to do.
19. On one of their visits, Hakoda took Sokka and Katara out to sea so they could show him their ice-dodging abilities. Not for the first time, he was impressed by the teamwork they showed.
20. Hakoda made a point of visiting his sister tribe and meeting Chief Arnook. Under their direction, and aided by Pakku's restoration efforts, the Water Tribes strengthened their relations and agreed to stay in closer contact.
21. During one of these visits, Hakoda went to the Spirit Oasis, which now had guards posted at the entrance. When the moon came up, he spoke briefly to Yue. He thanked her for saving their people, and making Sokka happy for a short time. He acknowledged that if she hadn't restored the moon, the waterbenders' source of power, Katara would have lost her abilities, and would have been unable heal Aang, or Hakoda, or Zuko, at their moments of greatest need.
22. As the years passed, Hakoda actually grew fond of Avatar Aang. The only thing that made him hesitant to give his blessing was knowing how stressful it would be for Katara to be married to the Avatar. But then, he reasoned, she had already devoted herself to him, and withstood more hardships than he'd wanted for her, all for the sake of the boy she loved. Compared to what they went through in the war, married life and politics would be easy.
23. After seeing the way Sokka struggled with public speaking (most infamously on the Day of Black Sun), Hakoda offered to help him develop this skill. He saw the fruit of his labors when he sat in on a trial in Republic City and heard Sokka deliver a verdict. He had always known that Sokka was a capable warrior, but this was the first time he witnessed Sokka being a leader.
24. Katara asked Hakoda for permission to give her mother's name to her first daughter. He agreed that it would be a great honor, both for the grandchild and for the late grandmother. He managed not to cry until after she had left the room.
25. Of Katara and Aang's three children, Hakoda and Sokka found they could relate most easily to Bumi, a non-bender like them. Katara later said that they were responsible for Bumi's sense of humor as well as his desire to be a leader of men.