Equivalent Exchange
Chapter 38: Blood is Thicker than Water
Something niggled at Pakku's brain. As the reunion scene played out before him, father embracing daughter, he thought of a girl he had not seen for about sixty years, a girl he was once betrothed to, a girl he carved a betrothal necklace for and a girl who left the Northern Water Tribe without warning, slipping away in the night with three of her friends on a stolen ship. Kanna; he'd spent hours on that necklace. After a long day of training with his waterbending master, Pakku searched the shoreline for the best stone. It had to be perfect, no marks or tiny fractures or chips. It took him days of looking before he found a stone that he was satisfied with. Evenings were spent coming up with the design and then carving, slowly and carefully. There was no room for error. And when the pendant was finally finished, a tiny gold loop at the top to run ribbon through, he presented it to his betrothed. Kanna had flushed and then given him a kiss on the cheek. Pakku wanted more, so much more, but was a gentleman and more than willing to wait until their wedding night.
The wedding never happened. He and Kanna argued about some little thing. He'd thought it little at the time. As a young man and even as a child, Pakku had always been a bit harsh, quick to criticize and full of a sharp, sarcastic, almost demeaning wit. He believed in tradition and rules and followed them to the letter. He didn't often think about whether they made sense or not. So when Kanna expressed her strong dislike of the tribe's treatment of women, and her wish to change that treatment, Pakku became patronizing and condescending. He left Kanna angry and disappointed and ready to find a different sort of life somewhere else. He never saw her again. But she took the pendant with her. That was something.
There was never anyone else.
"I said that you had better have a damn good reason for making my daughter cry!" Hakoda was livid; his tan face was red and his nostrils flared.
Pakku shook his head as if dislodging something annoying and then fixed his cold stare on the middle aged man before him. "Your daughter and her friend have both disrespected me, my class and the entire Northern Water Tribe. She knows that women are not allowed in waterbending class yet she allowed the Avatar to teach her what he had learned from me just a few hours prior. That is a deliberate twisting of the rules and I won't tolerate it. She's begging me now to take the Avatar back. I won't."
Iroh moved forward and touched Hakoda's arm, getting the Water Tribesman's attention. "He's a tough old bird. I know of him."
"What do you mean you know of him?" Katara turned to face the firebender now.
"He's part of the Order of the White Lotus." Iroh looked almost apologetic.
"He's part of that….him….that miserable old…"
"Katara," her father hissed warningly.
"I could speak with him," Iroh offered.
"No, thank you, but I want to deal with this matter. Katara's my child and it's been a long time since I helped her with anything." Hakoda was adamant. He walked toward Pakku and Arnook, both of whom sat on thrones of ice, far above everyone, up a steep set of ice stairs. "You would deny someone training who wants so desperately to learn? What kind of man are you? What kind of place is this?" The warrior's voice was strong and true and full of passion.
"We have our ways." Arnook spoke softly and with compassion, but the message was the same.
"Change and growth are a part of life and should be a part of your tribe as well. What was fine a hundred years ago may not be the best thing now. For spirits' sake, the Fire Navy is on the verge of invading your city. We saw them, ships upon ships upon ships. You will need all the fighters that you can muster up. My daughter wants to help, she needs to help and you will teach her to be stronger or answer to me."
Hakoda pulled out his club and assumed a fighting stance. Pakku looked down at him and laughed. It was a dry, creaky sound. "I won't fight you."
"Yes, you will." The younger warrior started up the stairs, brandishing his club threateningly.
"How dare you!" Pakku stood up, bended some water from a nearby fountain and whipped Hakoda, causing the man to tumble head over heels down the stairs.
"Dad!" Katara screamed.
Sokka who had been watching everything carefully from the sidelines, put a firm hand on his sister. "Don't go to him. He can take care of himself."
"Son," Hakoda waved as he jumped back up nimbly. "We'll talk later…kind of busy now."
The crowd, watching raptly, roared with laughter. Pakku was halfway down the steps already and he wore a smirk wider than any genuine smile he'd ever made. The Southern Water Tribe chief lunged forward unexpectedly, hooking his club around the old man's ankles. Pakku fell clumsily, landing on his behind, and shot Hakoda a look full of venom. "You'll pay for that."
"Teach my daughter. Open your classes up to anyone." Hakoda swiped at his opponent again, this time getting a hold of Pakku's arm and twisting it behind his back.
Pakku grimaced but with his free hand drew more water from the fountain, turning it into ice as it hung suspended in the air, then freezing Hakoda's feet to the ice beneath them. The younger man struggled to break free, swinging wildly now. He chopped at the ice with his club until he could move his feet again. Pakku watched all that with arms crossed and a smug expression. He backed away from the man and his club. "Are you done yet?"
"No, I'm just starting to have fun." Hakoda grinned and then winked at his daughter.
His fingers, strong and sure, lifted the boomerang from his belt and whipped it at Pakku, connecting with the man's back and knocking him flat. As it returned to him, like every well made boomerang should, he jumped up and grabbed it out of the air.
But Pakku wasn't finished either, he wasn't even close. The old man was furious and threw everything he had at the warrior. From his prone position, he formed a circular mound of ice and sliced off discs with a flick of his wrist, whipping them at Hakoda with all his strength. The warrior blocked most of the discs with his club, but some managed to get through and hit flesh. Hakoda knew all about ice; he knew how sharp it could be and the pain that it could cause. The stinging sensation didn't surprise him, then, nor did the trail of blood droplets that moved along with him.
Once Katara saw the blood, impossibly red against the glaring white of the ice, her father's blood, whatever had been holding her back broke. She charged forward, fueled by rage and adrenaline, ready to face down the man who had hurt her dad.
"So, why exactly is Pakku a member of the Order of the White Lotus?" Mai looked at Iroh curiously. "Seems like all he appreciates is keeping women down."
"I've never actually met the man; I know of him and he knows of me. That's why I offered to talk to him. As fellow members of the Order of the White Lotus, I thought that perhaps we could come to some sort of compromise. I'm sure that he's a decent man, perhaps a bit misguided or old fashioned, but decent. Alas, Hakoda is a fierce protector. He would do anything for his son and daughter. He doesn't need or want help from me. That is obvious."
Zuko was transfixed by the scene before them. He knew from Bato and from his brief dealings with Hakoda that the man loved his children. Seeing it on display sparked anger inside the prince. Hakoda's love was raw and powerful and intense and Zuko wondered why his own father never felt anything close to that for him. Didn't he deserve the same? Didn't Mai deserve that from her disinterested father too? Had they done something wrong or were they just unlucky.
He felt Mai's gloved hand reach for his. She knew exactly what her betrothed was feeling and what he was wondering about. As much as Zuko had grown away from the need for Ozai's love and approval, somewhere deep inside, a little boy, hurt and shamed and craving nothing but a few kind words or a pat on the head, still lived. He was quiet most of the time, but at moments like these, Mai knew that the little lost boy was wide awake. She gave his hand a squeeze and then kissed his cheek.
"You have Iroh, remember. He's your father now, Zuko. He would do the same for you." She linked her arm with his then and went back to watching the battle.
"You hurt my father!" Katara shrieked.
She stood between the two fighters, blocking Hakoda from the old waterbender's continued onslaught. Aang, who stood with Sokka now, looked on, worry in his large grey eyes.
"I'm okay, Katara. It's fine. You don't need to do this."
The young woman paid her father no heed. Instead, without thinking she made her own mound of ice, drawing water from one of the many pools that were scattered throughout the city. She sliced off her own discs, directing them furiously at Pakku. The master waterbender blocked them with ease and drew most of the water from two reservoirs, forming a huge wave and pushing it toward her. Katara was swept away in the rush of water and emerged drenched and dripping and even angrier.
Laughing, Pakku circled water about his body, making it move faster and faster until it was like a whirlpool or a cyclone. He released his hold on the water, and sent it roaring at Katara. She fell again but got up just as quickly, her hair loose and hanging down in her face, hiding the absolute rage in her blue eyes.
Hakoda meanwhile, had moved off to the side, soaked himself. He stood with Bato and Sokka, watching with amazement as his daughter fought with no hope of winning.
"Are you learning how to fight now, little girl?" Pakku asked condescendingly. "How does it feel?"
"It feels great!" Katara made a long tentacle like whip of water and managed to get the old man across the face. Despite her anger, she couldn't help but giggle. Pakku looked so surprised. "How does that feel?"
"THIS. ENDS. NOW." The master positively glowered and he moved toward Katara throwing wave after wave at her, forcing her to back up until until she was pressed against a wall. He made daggers of ice then, almost a hundred, and aimed them carefully, pinning the young woman in place, much as Mai's knives would have.
Arnook spoke up then. "Enough Pakku; she's had enough though I must admit that Katara's a worthy opponent with much potential."
Pakku let the daggers drop and Katara ran to her father. He put an arm around her and gave her a proud smile. "You are pretty darn amazing. That old coot is crazy not to let you into his class."
Stepping forward once more, Hakoda stood face to face with Pakku. Everything about the man spoke of dignity. "It's no wonder my mother left the Northern Water Tribe and moved south."
It all clicked into place for Pakku then. "Your mother; do you mean Kanna?"
"Yes, Kanna, how do you know that?"
Pakku didn't answer but walked to Katara instead. He recalled the flash of blue at her throat, not thinking anything of it then. "May I see your necklace?"
Her first instinct was to refuse. But something in Pakku's voice moved her. Katara opened her parka further and held up the pendant for him to see. The master's eyes softened. In fact his entire body seemed to turn to mush and he sank down onto the ice, a mound of blue, shaking now with emotion not expressed for years, but just as strong as it had ever been.
"Kanna's granddaughter; you look so much like her. Why didn't I see that before? And her son, and grandson. She's happy is she?"
"She's happy," Hakoda answered from behind the man. "She's a good mother and a good grandmother. After my Kya was killed, she was a great help to me and the kids."
"And her husband, your father?" Pakku's voice was hesitant now and almost hopeful.
"He died a long time ago."
"I'm sorry to hear that. I was going to be her husband, but she left. She never said goodbye or gave me a reason."
"I think you know the reason now," Katara ventured. "Are you still too stubborn to change? Will you teach me now, for my grandmother's sake?"
Pakku turned and looked to Arnook who simply shrugged, leaving the decision up to the master waterbender. "Be in class this afternoon. And be prepared to work." Louder then he made an announcement to the entire crowd. "Anyone is welcome in my class" To himself then, he whispered, "For Kanna."
The excitement of the confrontation over, Arnook stepped into hosting duties and had the visitors accompanied to their temporary housing. The citizens of the Northern Water Tribe stared openly at Zuko, Mai, Iroh and Jee, but especially Zuko. They took in his scar and his gold eyes, the dual swords slung across his back and his regal bearing. The prince of the Fire Nation, the son of Fire Lord Ozai walked through their city, down their streets and he was there to help, not to hurt. It was almost too much for them to comprehend.
They were all put into small houses, in groups of four thankfully, so Mai and Zuko would be together along with Iroh and Jee.
"I'll see about getting you some better clothes," a kindly older woman said to Mai. "And Prince Zuko, I'll get you some as well. No offense; but the ones you're wearing now won't combat the cold properly."
"Jee and I could use parkas too." Iroh winked at the woman shamelessly and she immediately began to fuss with her long brown hair.
"Of course you could. I'll be back shortly. And lunch with Chief Arnook is in an hour."
"So Zuko and Mai, what do you think of the city so far?" Jee turned to both of them.
"I guess I'm surprised at how intricate and well made it is; a city of ice. It's lovely, though, and I'd like to see more." Zuko looked at Mai then and she looked back at him, a plan already forming in both their minds.
"It's beautiful but if that Pakku guy says anything about me not fighting, he'll be wearing my knives." Narrow gold eyes glowered with indignation.
"He better not say anything," Zuko agreed threateningly.
"Now, now, don't worry about Pakku. Put your things down and relax for a few minutes until our clothes come. I, for one, am going to stretch out on these warm looking furs." Iroh did just that. He lied down on a comfortable pile of polar lion bear furs and pulled some more on top of his large frame. Within seconds he was snoring.
"How does he do that?" Mai drew her eyebrows down together and stared at the man, amazed by his ability to sleep instantly.
"For as far back as I can recall he did the same. Sometimes I wish that I could do it too."
Zuko put his satchel and swords down in a corner and then sat on some other rugs. Mai joined him, leaning her shoulder into his, grateful that they could touch again. Twenty minutes later, the same woman arrived, loaded down with clothes in various shades of blue.
"For you," she began and handed Mai a pile consisting of everything from leggings and tunics to parkas and gloves. "I'm pretty certain that they'll fit you."
"Thanks," Mai replied and looked through the clothing.
Unlike the Fire Nation, which used a variety of colours in its clothing, focusing mainly on reds, golds and blacks, Water Tribe clothes were all blue and white. It was a bit much, but warmth was the important thing and Mai gamely went into the next room and changed. Everything did fit perfectly and the warmth was incredible.
Iroh, wide awake now, complimented Mai on her attire. "That's better, dear. You look lovely."
Mai adjusted her tunic and did up her parka. "Not my best colour but right now I really don't care."
Zuko took Mai's place in the side room and came out a few minutes later dressed like a Water Tribe man.
"You look very handsome, Prince Zuko," the woman remarked politely. "And Iroh and Jee, here are some things for you."
She took her time with the older men, handing them one piece at a time, lingering for as long as she could. "It's almost time for your lunch, so I'd better leave now. It's been an honour to serve you."
"Thank you, fine lady; what is your name?" Iroh folded his hands behind his back and waited expectantly.
"Nukka, my name is Nukka." She beamed at Iroh and Jee.
"Thank you, Nukka." Iroh beamed back.
"Someone will be here shortly to accompany you to Chief Arnook's. Perhaps I will see you later."
She ducked out of the little house and walked down the wide roadway that fronted it, humming to herself.
Lunch with Chief Arnook was really a war meeting with food. He sat at a delicately carved ice table, Pakku on one side and Hahn on the other, and waited until everyone else was seated before he spoke.
Katara and Sokka sat with their father and Bato, Aang there too, while Zuko and Mai sat with Iroh and Jee. Not having seen each other for about a week, the young people exchanged a few words. Sokka told them proudly of the hot air balloons and Mai and Zuko were suitably impressed. Zuko mentioned Hakoda's tangle mines and how they had disabled the pair of Fire Nation ships they encountered.
"See, my dad is awesome," Sokka declared enthusiastically.
"Yeah, he kind of is," Mai agreed with a small smile.
"Enough with the gossiping," Pakku snarled. "Chief Arnook requires your attention."
Rolling her eyes, Mai found her seat and waited patiently for the chief to begin. Zuko held her hand under the table and the two felt like silly schoolchildren. Neither cared, though; a few days apart left them both craving physical contact and they would get it not matter what they had to do.
Arnook cleared his throat and began. "Preparations are well underway to counter the impending invasion by Admiral Zhao and his fleet of Fire Navy ships. My soon to be son-in-law, Hahn, is in charge of a plan to infiltrate one of the ships and gain information, cause confusion and whatever else he might do. The fact is that we are terribly outnumbered even with our brothers from the south and our new Fire Nation allies."
Women glided silently into the room and left trays of food behind; squid, octopi, sea prunes and a number of other things that turned Mai's stomach. She longed for spicy pigchicken or roast duck but she was hungry too and so decided to go with what looked safest, the seaweed soup.
"But we do have the Avatar on our side." Arnook put particular weight on those words.
Aang winced and looked down at his bowl of soup. Sokka clapped him heartily on the back and whispered in his ear. "No pressure, buddy. Just do the best that you can."
"Pakku will be working with our skilled waterbenders while Hahn and I will be working with our warriors. Now, not only is this Zhao planning to invade, he plans to kill the moon spirit, whose physical form rests in the pond inside our Spiritual Oasis. I've placed guards outside the Oasis door and along the outer edges of the city. Patrol boats are always in the water watching and waiting. Please, if you have any suggestions, I would like to hear them now."
"Wouldn't it be wise for your waterbenders to get a little training with Zuko and Iroh and Jee. They'll be fighting firebenders, after all." Mai was shocked to hear her own voice. She usually sat back and listened rather than speaking. Zuko gave her knee an approving squeeze and she quirked her lips, forming a small smile.
"What's so funny, young lady?" Pakku asked her. He looked irritated. "What is it that you do exactly and why are you here? You're not a bender or a warrior. You're just a woman."
Mai stood up then, one hand reaching inside her sleeve. "Didn't you just go through something like this? Don't you learn?"
Pakku spluttered and looked to Arnook for assistance but the chief was having none of that. "Bending is a gift from the spirits. Katara has that gift. But women aren't meant to be warriors. They're too weak."
Mai turned fiery eyes to Zuko. He nodded, knowing exactly what she had planned. Mere seconds later, the waterbending master found himself pinned down to his ice chair unable to move. For a final flourish, Mai tossed one more blade, slicing off the dangling bits of fur that hung from the collar of Pakku's parka.
"That's what I do."
She sat back down again and folded her hands neatly in her lap. Sokka stared at her with open admiration while Zuko glowed with pride for his betrothed. After a moment or two of stunned silence, Iroh cleared his throat.
"I believe that Mai has more than proven her worth and her skills as a warrior. Let's finish our tasty meal peacefully and then we firebenders can begin working with the waterbenders. Time is wasting, after all. Zhao will be here sooner than you think."
The afternoon was incredibly busy for everyone. As Mai had suggested, Zuko, Iroh and Jee trained with the most skilled waterbenders, giving them a taste of what was surely to come. They didn't hold back; now was not the time for restraint. Each man picked an opponent and battled one on one. It was Zuko's first time fighting a waterbender and the distinct differences in their style from that of firebenders intrigued him. It seemed that your element determined your movements somehow; waterbenders moved like liquid, their motions sinuous and smooth, slower and more patient than those of firebenders or earthbenders. He thought of Toph briefly, recalling her harder, punchier style of bending, and smiled. He missed the girl and so did Mai. Maybe one day soon she would be part of their rebellious little group.
The prince tried to do what Iroh always advised; learn from his opponent. Perhaps some waterbending moves could be adapted and used in firebending. He filed different things away in his mind for later. Hopefully they would be of use in the future.
Katara and Aang worked with Pakku and his other students for the entire afternoon, not stopping until the sun had set and dinner was ready for everyone. The girl's muscles throbbed and ached but it was a pleasant sensation. She was amazed at just how much she had learned in one afternoon. Make it beyond the nasty exterior and Pakku was an excellent teacher.
Aang learned too; once he actually concentrated, it all came to him as easily as breathing and soon he was performing advanced moves worthy of any master. Katara felt that twinge of envy again but forced it back down where it belonged. Aang was the Avatar; she shouldn't and wouldn't compare her bending to his.
Mai spent her afternoon working with the men of the Southern Water Tribe. Targets were set up and she threw and threw and threw, until the inside of her parka was damp with sweat and she could hardly lift her arms.
"You really are good," Kahn stated as she put the last of her blades back in their proper places.
"Thanks; lots of practice when I was little did it. There was nothing else for me to do."
"Well, we were never bored trying to survive," he countered.
"I suppose not." There was no pity in Mai's voice. It was matter of fact. Kahn's childhood was much more difficult than hers had been, in some ways at least. She couldn't be bothered to tell him of her own struggles. It didn't matter anyway. Those days were behind her.
Everyone was sleeping except for the guards scattered around the spectacular city of ice. Mai and Zuko walked hand in hand under the light of the almost full moon, enjoying the quiet and the regal beauty of their surroundings. It was good to be together again, no one and no distance between them.
"So, where's this Oasis?" Mai was curious about the place and wondered if the guards would allow them a quick look.
"Behind Chief Arnook's house, I think."
Zuko led his betrothed in the general direction of Arnook's palace and they skirted around behind, looking for the guards. There were three standing in the courtyard defending a small wooden door.
"Could we take a look?" Zuko asked politely.
The guards exchanged glances and then nodded, moving aside for the Fire Nation prince and his betrothed. Zuko pulled open the door and they peeked inside. The warmth of the air that hit them felt almost foreign for a moment. They could see a patch of green in the distance, a small pond at its centre and a waterfall cascading down behind it. Two wooden bridges led to the island oasis, spanning the water that surrounded it. To reach the bridges, one had to traverse a narrow path at the base of the high walls of ice.
"Grass and flowers in the middle of all this ice; the moon spirit is in the pond. I wonder how Zhao plans on getting here." Zuko was staring with wonder at the sight before him. It wasn't the grass or the blossoms themselves, but the sheer incongruity of them being where they were.
"Knowing him, he'll mow down everyone in his way. The guy's not subtle."
"Yeah," Zuko agreed. He pulled his way back out of the doorway, waited for Mai and then shut it gently. "Thanks," he said to the guards.
The couple continued their walk, ending up on one of the many bridges that spanned one of the many canals in the city.
"It really is pretty; it reminds me of Capitol City in some ways, well except for all the water and ice and bridges."
Zuko snorted at Mai's comment and took her into his arms. "Do you still miss home?"
"I missed you more in the few days we were apart than I've missed home in the entire three years we've been gone."
She put her head against his chest, her breath rolling out in waves of frosty white. Zuko held her even closer. "Me too," he agreed. "Me too."