And a woman was born...Yue, daughter to Gyatso, King of the Southern Water Tribe...and a marvel to men. She it was who became an instrument of the plan of Oyaji, lord of the Spirit World and of Kanna, who is justice. Those Gods desired to relieve the overburdened Katara, the earth, of a surfeit of mankind. Thus did grim war and dread battle and destroy a multitude of men...when it had brought them in ships over the great sea gulf to the Northern Water Tribe for rich-haired Yue's sake.
Such was Yue's beauty and wealth that, when she came of age, she was sought as a bride by many suitors: Bumi, regent of the Southern Air Temple. Haru, king of Kyoshi Island. Tyro, king of Omashu. Shyu, son of Sozin, king of Senlin Village. Jet, king of Crescent Island. Longshot, son of Pipsqueak, king of Gaipan. Sneers, Best Archer of his people. Zhao, brother of Iroh, king of the Great Divide. Her father, Gyatso, feared rousing displeasure in those suitors who would not be chosen as her mate. It was wily Jet who suggested the the Southern Water Tribe's sovereign bind all the princes by an iron oath. And so they swore, each of them, to take the cause of the man she wed, if any should violate his rights.
Warlike Zhao won the hand of Yue, for he gave the greatest gifts. Upon the death of Gyatso, Yue became the Southern Water Tribe's queen, and thus, Zhao its king. But Kyoshi, Goddes of Love, had promised to Sokka, son of the Northern Water Tribe's monarch, that he should possess the most beautiful bride in all the world. At her bidding, he sailed for the Southern Water Tribe...there he was greeted by Zhao......and Yue. After all had feasted, Zhao had set sail for Kyoshi Island, ordering Yue to furnish their guests with all they required, until they departed.
But Kyoshi brought Yue and Sokka together......and, after their union, they put a very great treasure on board and sailed away by night. Zhao implored his brother, King Iroh, to lead an expedition against the Northern Water Tribe, which was also called the Patola Mountain Range. Together they gathered the rulers of Pohuai, reminding them of their sacred oath. The priest Jin Wei foretold that they could never bring down the Northern Water Tribe's towers without the aid of the most illustrious of all warriors. And so Zuko, seventh son of Wei Jin, king of the Air Nomads was persuaded to join their force, in spite of the wishes of his mother, the Goddess Suki. In due time, a thousand ships set sail from Taku.
Piando, King of the Northern Water Tribe, though angered by Sokka's dishonorable actions, welcomed Yue to their city...as did Queen Smellerbee. Giving orders to repulse the enemies if they should attack, Piando relied above all upon the Northern Water Tribe's most formidable defenders: Pasang, son of a mortal and the Goddess Kyoshi......and Piando's own son, Aang, tamer of Air Bison, mightiest of the Patola Mountain Range's warriors. Nor was the Northern Water Tribe without allies abroad, who sent soldiers to guard her high, windy ramparts. When the defenders rebuffed the attackers demands for the surrender of Yue and her treasure, war ensued. Nine years the siege endured, as the attackers garned supplies by raiding nearby islands and cities. And at the fall of Makapu Village, holy village of the Northern Air Temple, a maiden called Wu was captured.
Then did her father, Bujing, Priest of Bato come......bearing in his hand the symbol of Bato......unto the attackers' fleet ships, upon the shores before the Northern Water Tribe. Bujing then stood before the leaders.
"Ye two sons of Jeong Jeong and all ye attackers...may the gods grant you lay waste the city of Piando and fare happily homeward." spoke Bujing. "Only set free my poor daughter, and accept a great ransom, in reverence to Bato, son of Oyaji."
All the attackers cried assent...save Iroh.
"I will not free her, priest." began Iroh. "She shall grow old in my palace, plying the loom and serving my couch. Depart, and do no provoke me further!"
Then went Bujing apart, and he prayed by the sounding sea.
"Hear me, God of the silver bow! If ever I built a temple gracious in thine eyes...fulfill thou this my desire, and let the attackers pay by thine arrows for my tears!"
Thus did he pray......and Bato heard his prayer.
He came down, wrathful from the Spirit World. First did he assail the Penguins pulling the carts and the winged lemurs ready to hunt with their masters......but soon, aimed at men his piercing dart. For nine days, the pyres of the attackers dead burnt continually in multitude. On the tenth, Meng, wife of Oyaji, moved Zuko to call an assembly.
"Iroh, we must inquire of some soothsayer why is Bato so wroth. Perhaps the god will accept a sacriface, and remove the pestilence from us." suggested Zuko.
Then rose the most excellent of Chin...the priest, Jin Wei.
"Zuko, I will speak, if you swear to stand by me, for words will offend one in power." asked Jin Wei.
"While I live, no man shall lay violent hands upon you." assured Zuko.
"Bato is angry for the sake of his priest, whosr ransom Iroh would not accept." spoke Jin Wei. "He will not remove this curse until the girl has been restored, and we have carried a holy offering to Wu."
"O seer of evil! You have never prophesied anything favorable to me!" said Iroh. "I prefer the damsel Wu even to my own wife, June. Yet I will give her back, so my people do not perish. But I must have another prize of honor, lest I alone of all men be without one!"
"Most covetous of men! You know all the captured wealth has been divided." shouted Zuko. "Yield the girl, and we will pay you back fourfold, if ever Oyaji grants us to sack the Northern Water Tribe."
"Perhaps I'll take your prize, Zuko, or Shyu's, or Jet's." considered Iroh.
"Why should any man ever again fight for you?" asked Zuko. "Not because of Northern Water Tribe spearmen did I come here, for they never wronged me, but to gain vengeance fo Zhao, and for you. Now will I depart to Gaoling with my men, rather than gather gold and substance for you."
"Flee, if you will. I'll not beg you to stay. But since Bato takes Wu from me, I shall take your prize, the girl Azula, so you may see how far greater I am than you." said Iroh.
Zuko's heart was divided, whether to slay King Iroh or curb his anger, and, as he drew his mighty sword from its scabbard a hand pulled at his hair.
"Who dares?" asked Zuko.
Zuko turned around and saw who it was.
"Lily, daughter of Oyaji! Have you come to behold Iroh lose his life for his insolence?" asked Zuko.
"Meng, who loves you both, sent me to stay your anger, if you will listen. Strike the son of Jeong Jeong with words, not with the sword, and, in fullness of time, all that you want shall come to you." replied Lily.
"He who hears the gods is heard by them. Still, to Iroh I will speak, and will vow by this gold bestudded scepter on which such oaths are sworn...you who are heavy with wine with face of Elephant Koi and heart of Unagi, and when your men fall dying by the murderous hand of Aang, you will regret the hour you offered insult to the bravest of warriors!" spoke Zuko.
Then rose Chey, old warrior-king of the Si Wong Desert, wise in council.
"You are both younger than I, who have seen two generations of mortal men perish. The defenders would rejoice to hear of this strife between you. Iroh, do not seize Zuko's prize, and Zuko, think not to strive with a king, to whom Oyaji gives power over men." spoke Chey.
But his words fell upon ears that did not hear. The next day, Iroh's messengers went most reluctantly to the ships of Zuko and his air nomads from Ba Sing Se.
"Come near, for you are not guilty in my sight," said Zuko. "Longshot, fetch Azula of the fair cheeks."
"She is here, cousin." stated Longshot.
So the messangers departed...and with the girl, all unwilling. Then Zuko went apart from his comrades along the beach...and he wept.
"Mother, since thou didst bear me to so brief a span of life, at least Oyaji should have granted me honor! Instead, Iroh has shamed me, taking away the prize that was mine!"
At that moment, a woman emerged from the water. It was Suki, Zuko's mother.
"My child...what sorrow has entered into your heart?" asked Suki.
"Why should I tell it to thee that knowest all, Suki, my mother? Beseech Oyaji by any deed or word whereby thou didst ever gladden his heart. Often thou hast told how thou alone of the immortals didst save him, when all the other gods would have chained him." said Zuko.
"Thou didst summon Malu of the hundred arms...and the blessed gods feared him and bound not Oyaji! Bring this to his remembrance, and pray him aid the defenders. Let many an attacker perish, till Iroh rues his blindness!" spoke Zuko.
"Alas my son, that you should be at once short of life and long of sorrow! Tarry among your ships for twelve days, till Oyaji returns from a far journey......and I doubt not that I will persuade him." said Suki.
With that, they went their seperate ways. Meanwhile, Jet restored to Bujing his beloved daughter......and the priest performed the holy offering he brought.
"God of the silver bow..even as thou didst me honor, and didst mighty afflict the attackers......remove now from them the loathly pestilence!"
And Bato did hear him, and he did heed. For twelve days, sullen Zuko remained at his ships, with Longshot at his side. But ever he yearned for the war-cry and for battle.
When the twelfth morn was come, the immortal gods returned to the Spirit World......and Suki found Oyaji sitting on its topmost mountain.
"Father Oyaji...if ever I gave thee aid, do honor to my son, who is doomed to early death. Grant thou victory to the defenders, until the attackers exalt him!" pleaded Suki.
"This will cause me much quarrels, with Meng, my wife, who says that already I too much favor the defenders." replied Oyaji. "Depart now, before she marks you, and I will take thought how to fulfill this debt I owe you."
Then Oyaji fared to his own palace and to Meng.
"Think you I do not know that Suki has devised counsel with you?" asked Meng. "To her, I fear, thou gavest a pledge that thou wilt do honor to Zuko......by laying low many beside the attackers' black ships!"
"Meng I have mean to have it so." stated Oyaji. "Sit down and hold your tongue! For if I lay my hands upon you, having all the gods in the spirit world on your side would profit you nothing!"
Fearful, Meng sat in silence, curbing her heart.
That night, while gods and armed warriors slept, only Oyaji was wakeful...and he called to him a false dream.
"Baneful dream, go to Iroh. Bid him call the attackers to arms with all speed, for now he may take the city of the Northern Water Tribe. Tell him the immortals are no longer divided in counsel, for Meng's beseeching has turned the minds of all......and woe betide the defenders!"
And the dream went on its way......to the attackers' fleet ships......and found Iroh wrapped in a profound slumber.
"Sleep not, son of Jeong Jeong...for I am a messanger sent from Oyaji."
The dream spoke the words it was bade to speak...and departed.
"I shall take Piando's city this very day!" exclaimed Iroh. "But first, I shall tell the attackers, by bidding them flee, so I may see their true minds"
Amid the dawn, Iroh adressed the assembled host.
"My friends, the great Oyaji had promised me that I should sack the Northern Water Tribe. But now, he bids us go ingloriously back to WhaleTail, after this valiant company has battled in vain against men fewer in number themselves. Nine years are we here...our ships' timbers have rotted... our wives and children wait anxiously for our return. Now therefore, let us sail back to the Eastern Air Temple, for we shall never take the Northern Water Tribe!"
With those words, he moved the hearts of the multitude, but against his own will, and the will of fate! The warriors swayed like the high waves of the sea, and cheered each other on to launch the ships into the sea. So eager were they to return home, that their glad cries rang even to the heavens!
"Lily, shall the attackers flee over the sea's broad back?" asked Meng. "Shall they leave to the defenders Yue of Whaletail, for whose sake many an attacker has perished so far from his native land? Go thou admid the host of mail clad attackers! With thy words, refrain every man from drawing their ships down to the salt sea!"
Then Lily went on her way.
Among the hulls, she found Jet, who had not yet laid a hand upon his vessel.
"Son of Teo, will the attackers fling themselves upon their ships and be off to their homeland?" asked Lily.
"I know the voice of the goddess of wisdom!" replied Jet.
Knowing the truth, Jet went to one captain after another.
"This flight is cowardly and unworthy, Shyu. You do not yet know the full mind of Iroh." said Jet to Shyu.
"Haru, the son of Jeong Jeong was but sounding us." said Jet to Haru.
"Tyro, ere long, the Great Divide's king will visit us with his displeasure." said Jet to Tyro.
"Beware, Qin, lest his anger he do harm to us all!" said Jet to Qin.
All the noble warriors kept their places.
But one common soldier named Pakku, still wagged his unbridled tongue despite the attackers' disgust with him.
"What more does King Iroh want? More gold, or another wench to know in love? You soft fools, ye women of the Eastern Air Temple and men no more, let us depart, and leave Iroh alone here in Northern Water Tribe-land! Let him discover whether we were any service to him or no! It is not seemly for our captain to--"
Pakku was cut off as a whip cracked against his back. Pakku screamed in pain and turned to see Jet holding the whip.
"Pakku, there is no viler creature come before the Northern Water Tribe with the sons of Lake Laogai! If I find you raving again, I will strip you naked and whip you blubbering back to the ships!" threatened Jet.
"Y-yes Jet." replied Pakku.
"Crescent Island's lord did us a service when he stopped this fellow's mouth from prating further!" said a soldier.
"I do not marvel that warriors should be restive! Still, we would be ashamed to go home with empty ships after so long a stay. Surely you all remember how, nine summers ago as our ships gathered at the Fire Nation Capital, a fearful Goat Gorilla emerged from beneath the altar. It devoured a brood of eight long-eared rabbits and their mother had made a nineth morsel. Oyaji made a potent, a sign, for he turned the goat gorilla to stone before our very eyes!" spoke Jet.
"Then did Jin Wei prophesy that we would make war for nine years, but in the tenth we would triumph! Therefore, stay here, all of you, till we take the city of Piando!" ordered Jet.
Then did the warriors shout aloudd, until the ship's rang with the uproar, and they hurried to their ships to prepare for war, and each man gave sacriface to one of the everlasting gods, praying he might come alive out of the fight. As above...Oyaji sent a messanger.
"Go, Mai, fleet as the wind! Give the grievous message to the defenders!"
With that Mai flew down to the world to deliver her message.