Chapter 2:
I woke up the next morning with renewed hope. I was excited to go to the South, to see how our brothers and sisters really lived, but more importantly, I was ecstatic at the possibility of spending some time on my own and away from my mother. I frowned at the thought, but I couldn't deny that our relationship was nowhere near where it should have been.
I got up out of bed, and decided to go to the Spirit Oasis to pray. I needed a clear head for the inevitable conversation I was going to have to have, and I wanted to put to rest my anxiety about travelling so far away from everything I'd ever known.
I was excited to find that the Spirit Oasis was empty. Now I could be alone with my thoughts and pray in solitude. I made my way over to the small koi pond in the center, where the Moon and Ocean Spirits, Tui and La, rested. I looked down to find them swimming in circles around each other, always and forever locked in their cycle of push and pull. I put my hands out and lifted the water up out of the pool so that they swam directly in front of me.
I closed my eyes then, steadying my breathing as I prayed for mental clarity and guidance. I prayed that the soldiers would return home safely, that my mother would let me go without a fight, and that my journey to the South would be a safe one. I also prayed that once there, the teaching, training and rebuilding processes would go well. It was a tall older, but we had the strongest, most capable waterbenders in the world up here. If anyone could rebuild the South Pole, it would be us.
When I was done, I brought my little ball of water down into my lap. I looked down at the spirits swimming in my hands, absolutely awed that they had chosen to take a physical shape and that I was holding them in my hands. I sat like this for I don't know how long, mesmerized by them.
It was quite a few hours later that I decided to end my prayer session. I returned the spirits to their pool and left the Oasis. I decided to go and check on my friend Taruk. I made my way to the healing huts and quickly found his cot. He was sleeping peacefully, but woke up not long after I had arrived. "Yarah," he said with a smile. "It's good to see you." He leaned forward to give me a hug, and I happily returned the gesture.
"It's better to see you," I said warmly. "How are you today? How are you feeling?" I asked.
"I'm fine. Much better than I was even twelve hours ago," he said. "All thanks to you," he said with what I thought was a blush.
"Oh, stop it," I said. "You've done most of the work on your own. You're a strong man, and definitely my easiest patient." His blush was confirmed when it deepened at that. "You're going to be back to normal in no time, trust me."
"You're about the only person I can trust, Yarah," he said, looking me deep in the eye. Was he flirting with me? I was bad at this. I had no experience with men whatsoever, and my father died before he could teach me about boys. I looked away with a blush of my own then, closing my eyes. I didn't know whether or not I wanted to pursue a relationship with Taruk. He was sweet, and strong, and kind, yes, but… I didn't know if I even wanted to get married.
It didn't help that my mother often made all kinds of snide comments and remarks about how he and I should get married and do it soon, too. Most of the girls in the Water Tribes wed at sixteen or seventeen, so the fact that I had made it to twenty-two without finding my husband was practically unheard of. It helped, though, that my father wasn't around to arrange a marriage. That was the one good thing about his death. It granted me a certain freedom that most women didn't have.
And, if I was being honest, I liked not having a husband to tie me down. I absolutely relished being able to go and do what I wanted, when I wanted, without having to answer to anyone. If I got married, all of that would change. I would have had to be absolutely subservient to my husband. I could do nothing without his permission, and that was not an idea that particularly enamored me.
So I decided to play it cool, to be aloof and withdrawn from him romantically until I could figure out what it was that I wanted. "Are we alone in here?" I asked.
"Yes," he said as his face lit up with hope, and I could tell right away that my question was worded all wrong.
I shook my head to try to get him to abandon that notion. "I was talking to my uncle yesterday," I said.
"Oh," he said. I could hear the dejection in his voice.
"You were right," I blurted out. "You were right about the Southern Tribe. I asked if we were alone because I don't think Arnook wants anyone to know how bad it is just yet," I continued.
The light returned to his eyes, then. He was glad about being right and that I was confiding in him, I could tell. "Really? How bad is it?"
"Not even five waterbenders and fewer than 100 people," I answered honestly. "And from the sounds of things, they have only women and children left. My uncle says all the men went to fight, but that no one's heard from them since they left. And that was eight months ago," I finished, pursing my lips.
"Oh my La," he murmured.
"You can't tell anyone, though. I don't even think he really wanted me to know. I think it was weighing heavily on his mind, and I was just there. A pair of ears to listen," I said bluntly. My uncle and I were close, but more often than not, he wanted to be left alone with his secrets and his silences, and I couldn't possibly blame him because I'm the same way.
"What is Chief Arnook going to do about it?" Taruk asked seriously.
"That's the best part," I said with a smile. "You weren't in the Hall yesterday, so I'm not sure if you've heard, but my uncle is bringing all of the troops home and activating a neutrality doctrine."
"After everything we've done?! After all the men we've lost?! How could he possibly—"
"I know. I said the same thing. But he's bringing them home because he wants them to go to the South. He wants to help the Southern Tribe rebuild."
"Oh, oh wow that's great!" he said, his entire demeanor changing.
"Isn't it? And he said he wants ME to go!" I exclaimed excitedly.
"… Why… why you?" he asked, and I could tell that he was hurt by the idea of my absence.
I raised an eyebrow. "Because of my age, silly," I said, shoving him playfully. "I'm sure a couple of the other healers are going, but the next youngest master is in her fifties. The trip will be far less strenuous for me." I took his hands in mine then. "I want you to come with me, Taruk."
"Are you serious?" he asked.
"Yes. We won't be leaving for at least a few months, which is plenty of time for you to get back to one hundred percent, and I want a familiar face with me when I go. And besides, you are one of the strongest benders in the North. I'm sure it won't be long before my uncle asks you anyways."
"If I go, it'll be because you asked me. Nothing more, nothing less," he said, dead serious.
"Oh, come on! Where's your sense of adventure! Don't you want to take a potentially dangerous trip all around the world and visit our sister tribe and help them rebuild?"
"Well when you say it like that…" he said, and I could tell my excitement was rubbing off on him.
It was an exhilarating thought, traveling all around the world, and for such a noble endeavor. The very thought of it made me happier than I had ever been since my father died. I was completely thrilled to go, and I knew that these next few months would be the absolute slowest of my life as I waited to embark on the journey.
I was snapped out of my thoughts when Taruk groaned suddenly, harshly. "Here, let me help you," I said. I quickly bended some water out of a nearby pot and placed it over the spot he had been holding. I could tell that the tissue was heavily damaged, so healing it took a lot out of me. I was exhausted, both physically and mentally, and so after giving him a hug, I left to return home.
I took a deep breath as I made my way up to the threshold. I was filled with anxiety about the conversation I was going to have with my mother, but it needed to happen. I was going to the South, and that's all there was to it. My mother could either accept that, or she couldn't. But I hoped to La with everything I had that she would accept it.
I opened the door to the shock of my life. My mother was actually folding laundry. "I thought about what you said yesterday, and you're right," she started before I could even open my mouth. "You are doing everything around here, and that's not fair. I need to pull my own weight." I smiled at that. Maybe there was hope for us yet.
"That's great, Mother!" I rushed to her then, throwing my arms around her and pulling her close. "I'm so proud of you," I said honestly.
"It feels good to be doing something again," she admitted. "After our fight, I realized that I was wasting away in that bed all day. I had thrown away six years of my life, and for what? Your father wouldn't have wanted me to live that way. He would have wanted me to try to enjoy my life again, to try and find happiness."
Tears flooded my eyes then. "That's wonderful," I said. "You've just made me so very happy."
"Not as happy as you make me," she said, pulling me into another hug.
"Mother, while I have you here, we need to talk," I said seriously, sitting down in front of her.
"What is it, Yarah? What's so serious?"
"After our fight, you were tied up, so you didn't get to go to the Great Hall yesterday. Your brother made an important announcement. He's bringing the soldiers home and starting a non-aggression policy. We are officially withdrawing from the war," I started.
"Oh, OH that's great!" she said happily.
"But that's not all. What he didn't tell them was that our Sister Tribe is in dire straights, and they need serious help. When the soldiers arrive, after a few months, he's sending a battalion of benders and healers to the South to help," I said, taking a deep breath. "And I'm going with them."
"What?" she said quietly in disbelief.
"I'm going to the South Pole, Mother. It's my duty to help our brothers and sisters—"
"Your duty is to help me!" she screamed. "I'm your mother! I don't care about the South and you shouldn't either!"
I was shocked. The callousness with which she had spoken had taken me aback. How could she say that? It could have just as easily been us in the South, sending a desperate message up North, praying that someone would hear our cries and come to help us. I pursed my lips. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Mother, but my mind is made up. I'm going. I have to. They need my help. You are getting back on your feet—today is proof of that—and you will survive just fine without me. Besides, I won't be gone forever. It'll just be a few months, maybe a year at most, and then I'll return in no time—"
"Get out," she murmured.
"What?"
"Get out. Get out of my house right now!"
Tears flooded my eyes again. "You can't possibly mean that, Mother…"
"Can't you hear me?! I SAID GET OUT! Since you're so keen on running off to your fools' errand and leaving me to die, you might as well do it now so GET OUT OF MY HOUSE AND DON'T YOU EVER COME BACK!"
I looked away from her. I couldn't believe this. I couldn't believe she was throwing me out in the cold simply because I wanted to help others. "If that's what you want, fine, but you will never see me again and I couldn't be happier because now I see what kind of monster you really are," I spat before turning and running out of the house.
I ran to—where else—the palace, where I found Arnook in his study. "Oh, no, not again. Yarah, come here. What's wrong?"
It was several minutes before I could speak. I was simply crying too hard. "S-Sh-She threw me out!" I wailed.
"What?" Arnook asked in utter disbelief.
"I told her that I was going to the South, and she said I was abandoning her and told me to get out so I did. I left and I'm never going back! I never want to see her again!"
"You don't mean that, Yarah."
"Yes I do! She's horrible! She's a fucking monster and I'm glad that she's out of my life! I just… I just don't know what to do now. I have nowhere to go."
He held me out in front of him at arms length. "How dare you say such a thing—"
"It's true! I don't—"
"Nonsense. You're staying right here with me. I'll go to my sister's house and get your things in the morning."
"I couldn't possibly—"
"I don't want to hear another word about it. Besides, Yue will be glad to have her favorite person around full time." The smallest of smiles formed on my lips at the thought of Yue. My little baby cousin was ten years old, and she would always say that I was her bestest friend in the whole wide world. Arnook was right. It would be good to spend more time with her, especially now that I was leaving.
"Come on, I'll show you to a set of rooms," he said gently as he led me through more winding hallways and into the Chief's Quarters. He showed me into a lavish set of rooms with a sitting area that was bigger than my entire house. Well, former house. He commanded me to rest, and I happily obliged. I took a bath and climbed into bed, where I promptly started to cry myself to sleep.