xXx
Even with Appa flying at breakneck speed, it had taken Noelani and Sokka the rest of the night and most of the following day to reach the halfway point of the Western Air Temple. Noelani was grateful she slept most of the journey. The one time she woke up and peered over the side of Appa's saddle, it took half a bottle of plum wine and Sokka helping her breathe into a bag to calm her down.
Diving to the ground, Noelani let out a relieved sigh. "I missed earth so much."
Sokka snorted, "You sound like Toph. She isn't a fan of flying either."
Hauling herself into a sitting position, Noelani studied Sokka as he set up their small individual tents. "Really? She seems pretty…" she trailed off, searching for the right word to describe the enigmatic earthbender, "... fierce."
His eyes sparkled with humor, "She is one of a kind, but I don't think anyone would be happy with their only sense of sight taken away. Toph sees through the vibrations of the earth. No earth, no sight."
Noelani was shocked. Despite staying several days at the palace, she hadn't spoken to the earthbender one on one. She knew she was blind but wasn't aware that the young woman used earth to see. "That's incredible. No wonder she was able to get around so easily."
Sokka smiled, "Yeah, she is. Don't tell her I said that, though."
"I'll start dinner...you must be hungry after piloting Appa." Noelani set to work, putting together a light dinner of rice porridge and dried meat.
"Appa pilots himself pretty well, actually. He just doesn't like flying alone. He likes having someone talk to him."
"So you stayed up just to talk to a sky bison?" she couldn't stop the giggle that escaped at Sokka admitting to chatting away to a giant flying fluff ball.
"You're laughing at me? If I remember correctly, someone mentioned that you cry when you fish." Sokka retorted, his eyes glinted with mischief.
Gasping, Noelani flicked water towards him with a smile, "I can't help it if I feel bad! Stop laughing at me and come eat. I'm sorry it's not better tasting, Aang all but catapulted us onto Appa. I didn't have time to properly raid Zuko's kitchen for herbs and spices."
Spooning the concoction into his mouth, Sokka made a sound that Noelani had aptly named the male-sound. A grunt of acknowledgment that is usually punctuated by muffled words blocked by either food or drink. Haku, Jiang, and every male in her village were fluent in the male-sound. It was a sound used to agree, disagree, argue, acknowledge, and essentially have a complete conversion without saying a word.
"We'll be there within the next two to three days, so I told the kitchens to pack light. I'm hoping we won't have to land again." Sokka finished eating and offered to hike to the nearby stream to rinse the cookware.
Noelani took advantage of the solitude to study the ruins around her. So, this was one of the temples Aang was going to restore? Carved into the cliffside, the high arches and canyon view were breathtaking, but the scars of war were everywhere. She cautiously gazed up at the pockmarked ceiling and said a silent prayer that it wouldn't fall on her in the middle of the night.
She began poking around with a sigh to see if she could find anything to make their traveling food more palatable. Noelani believed food should be an entire experience that should bring joy and warmth to the body. Plain boiled rice and dried meat did not bring her joy.
Sokka returned quickly and finished setting up her tent, "Come on," he said, "get some rest."
Turning towards him, Noelani cleared her throat to cover the shock of seeing him once again with his hair down and his tunic unfastened. Obviously, he was already one foot in bed.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep you up." She scurried to her tent and nodded in his direction, "Goodnight, Sokka."
Sokka was grateful that Noelani was an early riser. They had broken camp quickly and ate on the move. Confident that Appa was on course and settled, he crawled back to the saddle where Noelani was absent-mindedly gnawing on a piece of jerky.
"Did you sleep well?" He reached across her to grab the jerky bag.
"Like a rock," she laughed, "Do they sleep in tents in the North Pole?"
"Sometimes, but they're definitely more heavy duty than these. Usually, it's an igloo or ice-structure. The only major resources we have are ice, animal bone, and animal pelts. It's actually amazing what the benders can do."
She was sitting on her knees and leaning towards him like a small child, eager to hear more. It dawned on him that she had never seen a real winter before. The Kyoshi Islands and surrounding islands had relatively mild winters. Suki had never seen snow before she visited the South Pole.
"Well," he continued, "Usually we pack ice-bricks, but if we have skilled enough benders, they can bend the water around a bone structure and freeze it into ice-walls. It's always cold, so the ice rarely melts."
She nodded, but he could see the gears turning in her mind, "What about staying warm?" She questioned.
He laughed, "Layers, lots of layers, and lining the walls with pelts. Some igloos had a fire pit. Even with a fire's heat, it's too cold for the ice to melt too much."
He saw her eyes go wide, "That's...cold."
Sokka couldn't help but laugh, "You'll get used to it, I promise."
They settled into easy conversation, trading stories from their childhoods, and comparing siblings. Sokka was genuinely shocked to learn that their small community had set up a social structure and government.
"How many of you are there?" It was his turn now to lean forward like a curious child.
"About sixty of us, maybe a little more? There were only about 40 or so benders originally."
Sokka nodded, "And is everyone a bender?"
Noelani shook her head, "Nope! Most of us are, but there are a few non-benders...will they be welcome, in the Northern Tribe?"
Leaning back against the saddle, Sokka nodded, "They will be. The Northerners are stuck up, but they won't turn them away just because they're non-benders."
A blush crawled up her neck, "Oh, I didn't mean...I'm so sorry!"
Sokka laughed, "It's fine! It's a good thought process."
Noelani focused on her hands, engrossed in a hangnail, "It's just that everything is so different from my home, that I'm beginning to automatically assume the opposite. No one even notices bender versus non-bender. We all have particular roles, and that's that."
Sokka leaned back in the saddle, drinking in the open air. He could feel the first licks of icy nordic wind on his face. "There's a lot you need to learn, but I'll teach you as much as I can. If we fly through the night tonight and stop for a quick lunch tomorrow, we should reach the North Pole tomorrow evening. That's more than enough time for a crash course in Northern Water Tribe etiquette."
Tense would be an understatement. At Haku's request, Hanu alone boarded their cutter ship and stood staring Zuko down with an unreadable expression.
"Hanu," Zuko fell to his knees, pressing his forehead to the ship's deck in a deep bow, "Please accept my sincerest apologies. I have dishonored your people by exposing your vulnerabilities to yet another Fire Nation threat."
The elder stared down Zuko with a grim expression, "Rise, Fire Lord. The threat we are facing does not come from you alone. Many paths were crossed to lead to this moment, don't take credit for the work of the Sprits." He offered his hand to him.
Zuko gratefully accepted and rose to his feet. Behind Hanu, Haku looked grim. Zuko suppressed a scowl. Did that man know at all how to smile?
"Hanu, I'm sure you can tell from the ships that I did not come solely as a representative of the Fire Nation."
Casting a glance at the vessels, Zuko saw a ghost of a smile cross Hanu's face, "It has been almost fifty years since I've been on one of these ships. Tell me, who did you travel here with?"
Hakoda stepped up from the ship's belly, "It's been a very long time, Hanu."
The two men grasped forearms, before embracing warmly, "It has been quite some time, you are not the toddling five-year-old I left behind."
Hakoda laughed, "No, I am not. I would like you to meet my daughter, Katara. She was unable to truly learn the Southern way of bending."
Katara bowed, and Zuko realized this was his first time seeing Katara truly nervous. She shuffled her weight from foot to foot, and her gaze darted to every part of Hanu's face but his eyes.
Shame bubbled in his stomach. It was his nation that caused so many identities and cultures to be destroyed. He knew that continually feeling sorry for himself wouldn't change what had happened, but it was hard to come to terms with the indoctrination he had been taught his entire childhood.
"Katara, I would be honored to teach you when we reach the North Pole. Now, Hakoda, there's one very troubling aspect that I need to be corrected. Haku must have made a mistake when he wrote that my granddaughter married your son."
Hakoda's nervous laughter did little to quell the older man's aggravation, "Hakoda, she's only twenty years old. I included many people here, married young because there wasn't much else to do on this island. Noelani and the rest of the young people can have a life outside of this island. Marriage is not what I wanted for her!"
Zuko shrunk back, this was not a conversation he needed to take part in. Katara's hand on his shoulder stopped him, and when he glanced at her face, he could see the corner of her mouth fighting to subdue a crooked grin.
"What's so funny?" He whispered, keeping one eye on the bickering older men.
"My dad is in hot water," Katara whispered back, "It's funny."
"You know," Haku cut in, gliding to Zuko's other side, startling him. Like his sister, Haku seemed to move without a sound, "It's been a while since I've seen Elder Hanu this annoyed."
Zuko noted the ghost of a smile that passed over his face and felt himself relax. "Why do you refer to your grandfather as Elder?"
Haku's smirk turned into a full grin reminiscent of his twin's blinding smile, "Everyone is on a first-name basis with most of their family members, we're such a small island that we're basically one big family anyway. You'll see. Just wait until you meet my parents."
The small bubble of happiness that was beginning to fill inside Zuko burst. His heart fell to his stomach, and he saw Katara preemptively move as if to catch him.
"Parents?" he choked over the word. Of his brief time on the island, he had only ever spoken directly to Noelani, Haku, and Hanu. Neither twin had mentioned parents, so he had made the assumption that they had passed away, "You never mentioned your parents!"
Haku studied Zuko's paling complexion and laughed, "You never asked, Fire Lord. Kai and Senna are relatively relaxed, don't worry."
"Isn't it weird calling your parents by their names?" Katara interjected, genuinely curious
"Not at all," Haku shook his head, "Obviously when we were kids, we called them by 'mom' and 'dad,' but as we got older, it just felt natural."
Zuko grumbled in response, turning his attention back to the old men's bickering. Hakoda was tripping over his words, clearly agitated while Hanu stood with his hands firmly on his hips.
"My son is an honorable young man, he's only three years older than Noelani! As soon as this entire debacle is handled, they plan on annulling the marriage. We just have to keep you safe long enough for Zuko to finish off the rebellion." Hakoda stood up to his full height and held Hanu's stare.
"Hanu, stop acting like a grandpa." Haku walked over and took his grandfather's shoulder, "Sokka is a good man and Noe's idea. You know how she gets once she puts her mind to something. We can't stand here bickering all day, we need to get back to the village and get everyone on board with the plan."
For once, Zuko was grateful for the irate earthbender. They had only traveled with three cutter ships, but they knew they would still stick out like a sore thumb in these waters. Zuko had one chance to get these people on board with their plan, and he knew Noelani and Sokka were counting on them to get the people of this island to safety.
"All I want," Zuko mumbled, taking Katara's hand to guide her down the steep gangplank to the shallow water they had docked in, "is just a few days of no catastrophes, no war, no rebellions, no advisors...just peace and quiet."
Katara squeezed his hand, and tugged him toward the shore, "One hurdle at a time, Zuko."
The Fire Lord warily gazed up the steep cliff they had to hike to get to the small island village, "One hurdle at a time," he echoed back, and began his ascent up to the village. Hanu, Hakoda, and Haku already several paces ahead and deep in conversation.
Noelani's head was spinning. How could one tribe have so many customs? The duo had stayed up late into the night with Sokka quizzing her on Councilmen's names and other random aspects of Water Tribe history. They took brief breaks for stargazing and snacks, but Sokka always found a way to steer the conversation back to teaching. Her head was beginning to pound.
As if sensing her impending dread, Sokka crawled up to the reins and guided Appa down to the vast ocean below them. "Noe, can you freeze some of this water for Appa to land and take a break? We still have a few hours left to go, but with a good rest, we should make it by tonight."
A flick of her wrist and a circle of ice bobbed up to the surface.
"I can't wait to eat something other than dried meat and dry oatcakes!" She exclaimed, stretching her arms above her head.
Sokka laughed, "Can't argue with you on that one. Water Tribe food is the best, too."
"A little biased, no?" Noelani laughed, dodging the water Sokka splashed at her in jest. Settling on the edge of her structure, she pulled off her boots and let her feet dangle into the cold water.
Sokka plopped down next to her, "You alright? I know this is a lot to take in."
Noelani smiled, but even she knew that this one wasn't genuine, "I was just thinking of when we left...Aang seemed pretty distant, and so did Katara…" her voice trailed off, remembering the seemingly austere sendoff she had received from the Avatar and her new sister-in-law.
Sokka's face fell, and Noelani felt her stomach twist, of course, she had managed to do something wrong already.
"It's not your fault," Sokka started, "It's just...that weird stuff at the end of the marriage ceremony took them off guard. Aang is very spiritual, and Katara is easily spooked."
Noelani rubbed her temples, "I'm sorry for springing that on you. I thought if I tried to explain it beforehand, you would freak out and get cold feet. Legend has it that the original bloodbenders of the village were taught by the moon spirit. The elders refuse to tell us what really happened, only that many of the benders were injured escaping the ship, and many more were falling ill with infections. Tui took pity and taught the benders how to use bloodbending to slow infections and stop wounds from bleeding out. That's where that ceremony came from, and to us, it is very spiritual."
When she finally mustered the courage to bring her gaze to Sokka's, she was not at all surprised to see the wheels turning in his mind. His look was pensive. "You know," he started, "The Northerners are also super spiritual, it's one of the reasons Aang really liked it when we visited. I think that's a story he would love to hear."
Noelani smiled relieved. Sokka had an uncanny way of knowing what to say, "Thank you, Sokka."
Sokka smiled and squeezed her shoulder. He reminded her of the island bay, a peaceful refuge from the sea with steady and calm waters.
The rest of their break was spent stretched out on the cold ice in companionable silence as Appa munched away on his hay. It wasn't until Sokka began to resaddle Appa to fly again that the silence was broken.
"Here," he called over to Noelani, pulling a blue bundle out of one of the saddlebags, "It's going to start getting colder, you're going to want to bundle up."
Noelani unfurled the bundle of cloth and held it up. A long, thick, tunic dress. It looked to be made from animal pelt and lined with fur. After fumbling to find the correct way to slip it on, Noelani struggled into the heavy garment. It fell to her ankles, with two high slits up both sides that stopped just above her hips. The garment was heavy and awkward.
Sokka laughed, watching her waddle over to the sky bison. She was unaccustomed to wearing such heavy clothing. "Stop laughing at me, this isn't funny! How do you move in this?"
"Trust me, you'll be thankful for it." He shrugged into a thick pullover like hers that fell just at mid-thigh.
Clamoring back up to the saddle, Noelani settled down by the saddlebags to take a nap. The more she slept, the less time she would be awake in a world where she wasn't with her family. Snuggling down, she was pleasantly surprised at how soft the pullover was.
Sokka managed to get Appa settled on course, and crawled back to where Noelani was drifting in and out of sleep. When she next awoke, the day had crossed to night, and Sokka had curled up next to her, acting as a human windshield.
Sleepily, she tucked the blanket under his shoulders. She wondered how Haku was and drifted back to sleep with a pit in her stomach.
xXx