Equivalent Exchange
Chapter 36: Getting to Know You
Hakoda's inventive 'weapons' worked wonders. Once the Water Tribe sailboats got close enough to the Fire Nation vessels, Iroh, Zuko and Jee continuing to deflect and dissipate the endless volley of fireballs, the Water Tribesmen released the tangle mines. They did exactly what their name implied. The seaweed caught up in the propellers while the horrible odor from the stink fish sent many a hardened soldier running for cover.
The smell didn't seem to affect Hakoda, but Mai's eyes watered and she covered her mouth and nose in a vain attempt to filter out the stink.
"They call them stink fish for a reason." Hakoda laughed as he watched the young woman.
Iroh took it all in stride. "Interesting smell; I've never run across anything quite like that."
"Mercifully," Mai added. "Agni, that's terrible."
"Terribly effective; I see, Chief Hakoda, where Sokka gets his inventiveness from."
"Sokka's inventive?" Hakoda seemed surprised. "When did that happen?"
"I couldn't tell you that, but your boy has a good mind. It's creative and clever."
"He was always so eager to fight. Sokka wanted to come with the men when we left two years ago. He was only thirteen then. All be could think about was that boomerang of his."
"Oh, the boomerang has come in handy more than once." Mai took a deep breath and then covered her nose again.
"Good, good; I feel like you know my children better than I do." The chief looked a bit wistful. Leaving his children behind was one of the hardest things he ever had to do, right behind pushing back the flaps of his family's tent, knowing what he would find inside, his wife's lifeless body, a hole burned right through her chest, where her heart had been. War was good for nothing, nothing but tearing families apart whether through death or separation.
"Are you all right?" Iroh saw the pain and regret in Hakoda's eyes, feelings he was all too familiar with.
"Yes; I need to get back to my men. Thanks for your help, Iroh."
The former general gave the chief a bow and watched as the tall, dignified man walked to the other end of his boat and spoke to the others. As they left the disabled Fire Nation vessels further behind, the smell finally began to weaken and Mai got up from her hunched position. She walked to the boat's prow and looked out to sea, taking big gulps of fresh, cold, salty air. Her black hair blew crazily in the wind. Reaching inside her tunic for a tie, she pulled her hair back into a pony tail. Briefly she wondered what Zuko was doing on his boat. A smile tugged at her lips. Mai missed him already.
As night closed in, the sails were adjusted. They cruised more slowly, still making their way northwards, of course, and using the stars as guides. Mai went below deck to help with dinner. A surly man named Kahn gave her directions in bitten off words he could barely get out, never bothering to actually look her in the eye. She shrugged off his bad manners and did as she was asked. She and Iroh ate alone while the Water Tribesmen talked and laughed in a circle around the cooking fire.
"This isn't too awkward," Mai hissed to her betrothed's uncle.
"Give them time; we are the enemy remember."
Shrugging, Mai picked at her meal and watched the men carefully, their gestures, their ways of talking, the way they sat. Each man told her a story without them knowing it.
When the meal was over, Kahn looked at her and then looked at the dishes. His meaning was unmistakable.
"Somehow I knew it would be you," she muttered under her breath as she gathered up the dirty bowls and spoons.
Zuko and Jee weren't faring much better on Bato's boat. The men were polite enough but only spoke to the Fire Nation men when they had to. Zuko was glad that at least he and Jee had been of use when they encountered the Fire Nation vessels. The Water Tribesmen had to see now that he and Jee were willing to fight their own countrymen. The men had to see that they were on the Water Tribe's side; Zuko and Jee wanted to end the war and Ozai's reign as much as they did.
'No,' Zuko thought to himself. 'They don't have to see anything. We're evil firebenders trying to trick them or use them or something.'
Like Mai had said, it was understandable. It would be far stranger if the Water Tribe men were kind and welcoming and completely unsuspicious.
"What's the matter, Zuko?" Jee gave the young man a nudge.
They sat below deck, much like Mai and Iroh, eating their evening meal in a deserted corner, listening to the men laugh raucously as Bato related stories of his time in the abbey.
"Geez, this feels awkward." Zuko heaved a big sigh and ate another mouthful of fish soup.
"It will get better." Jee spoke the words confidently. "And you'll be back with Mai soon."
Zuko missed her already.
The Northern Water Tribe celebration and welcoming dinner was spectacular. Citizens gathered in a plaza right at the city's heart, eager to see the newcomers that had been whispered about all day. Musicians played huge kettle drums, sending a pulsing, loud and intoxicating sort of beat out into the crowd. At the center of the plaza, men worked on cooking a huge animal, huge enough to feed the waiting citizens who sat patiently on pews carved from ice. No less than seven waterfalls along with a fountain, decorated the area. There were statues of ice and a beautifully intricate citadel as well. The entire sight was almost overwhelming.
Aang, Sokka and Katara sat at the head table with Chief Arnook and other dignitaries. Appa rested in a far corner, eating the massive tray of food that terrified servants had brought him. Momo meanwhile was everywhere; he sat with Aang, then visited Appa, returned to Aang, then flitted off somewhere else. The Avatar had given up trying to keep an eye on the lemur.
Once the crow d was settled into place, Arnook stood up to speak. He raised a hand and everyone quieted immediately. His voice was gentle but strong and it carried easily to everyone.
"Tonight is a night of celebration. We have guests from our sister tribe to the south, a tribe we have not been in contact with for many years. I want you to welcome these two young people, Sokka and Katara. They brought with them someone who hasn't been heard from for years, someone we thought had abandoned us, someone who will bring a new hope to the world. They brought with them the Avatar, Avatar Aang."
The crowd cheered loudly and Aang blushed, standing up for a moment and waving to everyone.
"On a more personal note, it is my daughter Yue's sixteenth birthday; she is now of marrying age."
The crowd roared again as the white haired girl Sokka had seen on the canal earlier entered the plaza, two attendants following her. The Water Tribe warrior nearly fell off his seat. She was the daughter of the chief and he had shouted at her like he would any ordinary person. Her blue eyes sparkled with mirth as she took a seat beside Sokka. He gave her another smile and was about to say something charming and witty when she shook her head and pointed to her father. Arnook began to speak again.
"Alongside all that happy news, comes some of a more disturbing nature. Our friends from the south came for two reasons; to find a waterbending master and to warn us."
A murmur sped through the listeners then and everyone looked at Arnook expectantly.
"The Fire Nation has planned an invasion of our home led by Admiral Zhao, a particularly nasty man from our new friends' accounts. He has one hundred Fire Navy ships at his disposal, a huge force. And worse than that, he plans to kill the moon spirit and knows of its location inside the spiritual oasis. Zhao wants to render us weak and helpless, destroy our bending and destroy our culture, making us nothing but slaves, those he leaves alive anyway. But we are forewarned and we have additional help coming."
Another murmur worked its way through the crowd. No one was eating now, no one was thinking about anything but the upcoming invasion. Their city, isolated at the top of the world, protected by several lines of defense, from iceberg spikes in the ocean just outside the city, to patrol ships to the mammoth city walls, had been free from attack for near one hundred years. In fact, the last Fire Nation attempt has been easily thwarted and the firebenders had turned tail, returning to the balmier waters further south.
"The men of the Southern Water Tribe, led by Sokka's and Katara's father, Chief Hakoda, are on their way here. And with them are four people of the Fire Nation, people who traveled with Sokka, Katara and the Avatar for some weeks, helping them out as best they could. You'll be surprised to learn that two of these allies are related to the Fire Lord."
The crowd erupted loudly then, shocked at Arnook's announcement. How could members of the Fire Nation royal family become allies? How could evil become good? It made no sense.
"Quiet," Arnook shouted. "I am not finished."
He was a dignified, authoritative looking man; narrow, intelligent blue eyes and high cheekbones were his best features. The chief was capable of both sternness and great humor and as he stood there, tall and straight and strong, looking out at his people, he smiled widely. It was good to shake people up sometimes, make them question things and he had certainly just done that. The days ahead might be dark ones for his people, but they would be prepared, and informed. He didn't believe in keeping secrets from the citizens.
"The Fire Lord's son, Prince Zuko, banished by his father, has discovered during his travels that the war is wrong, that his nation is wrong and that change is needed. He will be the next Fire Lord, one who will respect other nations, not trample over them. He has traveled with his uncle, the Fire Lord's brother, his betrothed and an army lieutenant for almost three years, training and educating himself. Prince Zuko wants change. We want change. We must work toward that end and defeat Fire Lord Ozai. But before we can do that, we must stop Admiral Zhao. Are you with me?"
Silence was followed by deafening applause. There were shouts of "Yes!" and "We're with you" and "Avatar Aang." The boy blushed again and petted Momo who now clung to his shoulder, the noise of the crowd too much for him.
"This whole thing is weird," he whispered to Katara.
The young woman looked back at him with shining eyes. "You deserve it, Aang. You're the Avatar and you help people."
"Yeah, but I haven't stopped the Fire Lord yet; what if I don't?" His grey eyes were worried now and his face was pinched.
"I believe in you. I know you can do it." Katara kissed the boy on the cheek and his blush suddenly shone like a beacon in the night.
Arnook meanwhile encouraged the people to enjoy the festivities before getting down to work the following day. They took his advice; ate heartily and enjoyed the entertainment. When Pakku and his waterbending students performed, Katara's face glowered with anger. She should have been captivated by their tremendous skill and excited to be joining them soon. Instead, she felt bitter and could hardly bring herself to watch at all. It wasn't fair and the more Katara thought about it, the angrier she got. She'd try the healing class, but she wasn't done with Pakku yet either.
Sokka stared openly at the girl named Yue. She was a princess, a real princess and she was sitting right next to him.
"So, um, you're like a princess, right?" he finally asked.
She looked at him with her big blue eyes and wondered how in the world he could fit so much food into his mouth at once. "Yes."
"I guess you could say that I'm a prince; my father is the chief of the Southern Water Tribe after all." Sokka gave her his best smile while Katara snorted beside him.
"All hail Prince Sokka, builder of latrines, trainer of toddlers and the only person ever to try digging a fish hook out of his thumb with another fish hook."
"Hey, you didn't have to mention that," the young warrior hissed. He turned back to Yue and grinned maniacally at her. "Don't mind my sister. She's always been jealous of me."
"I see; it must be nice to have a sibling. I don't have any and it's lonely." Yue's gaze grew distant for a moment and then she focused on Sokka again.
"Oh, well, you can have Katara if you want. I've already had her for fourteen years. I'm good."
"You're funny, strange but funny." She played with the betrothal necklace that fitted snugly around her neck.
"Katara has a necklace like that. Our mother gave it to her." He looked at the young woman curiously.
"Oh, yes, she does. It's a betrothal necklace. I'll be getting married soon." Words that most people spoke with happiness sounded heavy and leaden falling off Yue's tongue. Her face was almost sad for the briefest of moments.
"Is your betrothed funny?" Sokka had to ask.
"No, no he's not. Let's talk about something else. What's it like to ride on the air bison? Is it scary? I can't imagine being up in the sky like that."
"It's pretty great, though Appa does have his own mind about things sometimes. There was this one time when…oh, hey, I'll take you for a ride tomorrow. Would that be okay or would the fiancé get upset?"
Yue giggled. "He'll be busy in the armory tomorrow. It shouldn't be a problem."
"Okay, it's a date…or not." Sokka blushed and shook his head. "Maybe I'm better off just eating and keeping my mouth shut."
Yue laughed again, a sweet, musical sound that warmed the boy's heart. From his other side he heard Katara say, "I wonder what Suki's doing."
He gave his sister a warning kick.
The Water Tribe boats looked beautiful sailing in a sort of formation, sails pale blue against the deeper blue of the sea. The day was cloudy and cold. Mai put on her parka, leaving it partially undone. It fell past her knees and hung from her frame like a sack. She looked ridiculous and knew it but refused to care. It kept out the cold wind and that was all that mattered. Some of the men sniggered as she walked passed but she chose to ignore them. Once up on deck, she joined Iroh, who stood with Hakoda staring off into the horizon.
"Must be something interesting," she said by way of a conversation starter even though a conversation was really the last thing Mai wanted to have.
"Not really, dear; Hakoda and I are just getting to know each other a bit better. Did you know that his mother, Sokka's and Katara's grandmother, actually came from the Northern Water Tribe? What a brave woman, traveling from pole to pole."
"My mother is something else, that's for sure. She never really told me why she left, but I think it has something to do with that necklace Katara wears. It was my mother's originally."
"Ah, love gone wrong perhaps….." Iroh pondered.
"Maybe I can find out while we're there." Hakoda's face was thoughtful as he continued to look out at the calm sea.
"Oh, damn, it seems as though we have more company." Mai pointed eastwards and the men looked.
Zhao's invasion force was close, the one hundred and one ships looking impressive as they made their way through the frigid northern waters. Rows of five ships across, Zhao's own ship alone at the front of the flotilla, sped along leaving large waves in their wake. Mai was certain that Zhao was aware of the Water Tribe ships. Perhaps it would be best if she and Iroh went below deck. He had no idea that they were traveling with the Southern Water Tribe. And the less he knew the better.
"We need to prepare for another attack." Hakoda left Iroh's side and went to gather his men, sending a signal to the other boats as well.
"If I know Zhao, he won't bother." Iroh rubbed at his long beard. "We could only be heading one place and he plans to wipe out everyone there. Why bother wasting energy now?"
"Sounds like him." Mai made a little disgusted sound and went below deck.
"Agni, I've never seen that many ships at once. Zhao must have really convinced my father that he could succeed."
Zuko gaped at the huge gathering of Fire Nation vessels. It was an impressive sight and despite his awareness of what exactly the purpose of the ships was, he couldn't repress the little twinge of pride he felt. His people made those ships; think what they could do to help the world rather than to destroy it.
"They're not making any move toward us. Do you think he'll let us continue unhindered?" Jee turned to Zuko, his eyebrows raised.
They were vulnerable now, with no coastline left to hug, sitting turtleducks in a wide open sea. Zhao could obliterate them without too much trouble. But Zuko, like Iroh, knew that he wouldn't.
"He won't bother with a few pests like us right now. He's got bigger things on his mind."
The prince dragged a hand through his wind tangled hair and stared northward, eager now for his first glimpse of the pole.
Zhao's ship
"Admiral, sir, there are Water Tribe boats just west of us, heading northward like we are." Tanaka handed the telescope to Zhao.
"Yes, yes, I see them. They don't pose a problem. They'll get swept up in my invasion anyway. Death awaits them, it awaits them all." He rubbed his hands together as if anticipating a particularly tasty meal. "Soon, Tanaka, soon; I will return to Fire Lord Ozai in triumph and the past will be forgotten."
"Yes, sir!" The man's response was automatic; he was a well trained military man.
"If you perform your duties properly, you will be rewarded to, Tanaka. Remember, once I leave the ship and head into the city in search of the oasis, you will be in charge."
"I'll do my best, sir." Tanaka sounded apprehensive now, even a bit frightened. He swallowed hard and secretly wished that Zhao would never make it back out of the city. That would be reward enough.