chapters should now come at 1-2 a week, unless said otherwise :)
The raucous congregation yelled, gestured, and bickered before Kya. There was, perhaps, no better metaphor for the state of her tribe.
She looked at her husband in fatigue, the weight of a thousand lives on both their shoulders. Despite her attempts to help and delegate the tasks belonging to the High Chief, Hakoda insisted on carrying as much of the burden as possible. The price he paid though...Kya thought it was a miracle his hair hadn't turned grey yet.
Katara and Sokka looked just as drained. They sat on Hakoda's other side, a privilege allowed to them by virtue of being his children.
"We're wasting time," she hissed under her breath. She urged Hakoda to silence the room by elbowing him in the side, though she was careful not to do it too sharply.
With a sigh, he nodded.
"Enough!" He slammed a gloved fist on the ground in front of him.
The gathered room of tribal chiefs, elders, and captains immediately went quiet. Kya smiled; it was good to know they still held Hakoda in high esteem.
Tomak, an elder going on eighty years, spoke first. "High Chief, we've done as you asked. We've finally gathered everyone in the South Pole to your village."
Her husband nodded. "And you're sure this is everyone?"
"There isn't a rock, peak, or cave on this continent we haven't checked."
A tribal chief, Gilak, interjected. "It's been what, six, seven months since the battle? Now that we've consolidated the Tribe, what's our next move, High Chief? Fortify the village?"
Hakoda frowned. "No. We can't stay here in the South. I-"
Kanna interrupted him. "What do you mean we can't stay? This has been our home for thousands of years. We can't abandon it!"
"Your mother-in-law's right. We're Water Tribe and we have waterbenders, we shouldn't run," agreed Tomak.
"Water is also the element of change," Hakoda shot back, instinctively putting a hand on Katara's back. "We must adapt to the situation at hand and the situation is that the Fire Nation will return and they won't be foolish enough to run into our trap again. We - I - can't risk the survival of our people just for pride."
He looked to Kya. "There's also...there's more. They know the next Avatar is in the Water Tribe...and they think we have them."
The room erupted into chaos again. Chiefs and captains alike shouted at Hakoda and each other, while the elders shook their heads, bemoaning doom.
Hakoda slammed the ground once more. "Quiet! We get nothing done by shouting over each other!"
"How did this happen? We don't have the Avatar! We searched and searched and tested every child - the Avatar is in the North!" Gilak cried.
Kya spoke up. "Their commander found Aang's grave when he assaulted our village. And...he seemed to think Katara was the Avatar when she struck him from behind." Kya could feel Hakoda looking at her with a controlled expression; he had raged when she told him the full story of that day some months ago. He promised to kill every Fire National for her but Kya insisted that he keep a level head, that he couldn't afford to do anything rash.
He'd beaten himself up for his failure to be there, to protect his wife. It didn't matter, Kya had said. She protected herself, with help from Katara. He calmed down after that, but his hate for the Fire Nation was no less potent today.
Kya knew she hated the Fire Nation just as much as her husband did. But she couldn't let it consume her.
Lirin's voice dragged her back to the present. "They could be on their way here right now! Believe me, I want to fight as much as anyone, but the Fire Lord's going to send his entire army after the Avatar. I'm not waiting for them to come."
Hakoda nodded. "Which is why we need to evacuate immediately."
Tomak gestured around him. "And go where? The North? They haven't lifted a finger to help us since this war started. The Earth Kingdom is burning, the Air Temples are haunted tombs."
"Someone should still contact the North," replied Lirin. "We have Fire Nation ships that can travel long distances; why not use them to go to our sister tribe? Maybe when they learn of what's happened they'll help us! Besides, they have the Avatar."
Kya could sense another debate coming up. She cut in before anyone could speak. "Four small ships can't hold everyone. We just need one while the rest evacuate the Tribe." She drew in a breath, then let it out. "I'll go. I'll go to the North."
Her husband looked at her incredulously, along with Sokka and Katara. "What in the spirits - no! I can't - we need you!"
She smiled sadly at her husband. "If the North will listen to anyone, it's the wife of the High Chief. Plus, Mother is from the North. We are recent kin."
Hakoda glared at her. The others stayed silent, unwilling to interrupt an argument between husband and wife. They locked stares, neither backing down.
Then his eyes softened. "Ok. Ok. I want guards with you - waterbenders among them. And you take the fastest ship."
"Done."
"And you'll bring Katara."
Their daughter startled, her eyes jumping from one parent to the other.
"Hakoda, it's too dangerous-"
"You'll be in a Fire Nation ship. And you've heard the other benders, Katara has great promise - she can learn from the Northern masters, and the Avatar." Hakoda looked at her with imploring eyes. "Family should be with you, please..."
"I'll protect you, Mom! Don't worry, I won't slow us down!" Katara said shyly. Evidently, it didn't take much to convince her.
Kya felt the growing suspicion that Hakoda and her daughter had already talked about this.
She looked at both of them resignedly. Now it was her turn to forfeit. "This isn't a vacation. The Fire Nation controls the seas. But...alright. Katara can come."
Gilak clapped his hands, bringing the conversation back to the rest of the group. "Lady Kya is right. If anyone can convince them to help, it's her. But we can't count on the Northern bastards. We need to decide on a landing place today."
They threw a few ideas around. Any place too far was discarded. Their ships could only hold a fraction of their population - they'd need a place close by to ferry people back and forth.
No one wanted to go to the Air Temples. No one wanted to go too into the Earth Kingdom for fear of the enemy being there. Everyone wanted to be by the water.
The solution handed itself to them on a silver tiger seal.
Morrono, an old captain, threw his voice into the mix. "There's an island we used to trade with, before the war. They and the Air Nomads were always friends to us, my grandfather said. We could go there."
"They can't be too far then if they knew both us and the airbenders," said Kya.
"If they have any memory, they'll remember our people."
"We'll have to dig out the old maps. What's the name of this island?" Hakoda inquired.
"Named after the most fearsome Avatar to ever live, with protectors to match." Morrono smiled wanly. "It's called Kyoshi Island."
Zuko could practically touch the fear in the air when the commander of the Southern Raiders entered the throne room, a dozen men trailing behind him.
Apparently the battle that humbled the commander had occurred months ago, but from the look of it, the battle might've just been last night. Stress and age lined his face, and the eye patch that covered his right eye made him look exceedingly weary. Father watched him from his throne with a stoic expression, Zuko and his sister seated on either side of him.
The commander prostrated himself before his sovereign ruler. "My lord."
Father's eyes narrowed in disgust. "Yon Rha."
The absence of the man's title was deafening. Zuko was knowledgeable enough to know that the omission was a sign of disrespect, proof of his father's stone-hearted nature.
And he looked incredibly displeased. Despite the old veteran's haggard, pitiful appearance, Zuko couldn't help but feel fear for him.
"Rise," his father commanded. He cut to the chase. "Explain your loss."
Even from half a room away Zuko could make out the sweat beads on the man's head, shining off the firelight.
Yon Rha lifted his head from the floor. "My - my lord, we were badly outnumbered. The water peasants lured us in like cowards and they were prepared, more prepared than we thought! I - I swear we will not fail you again, I just need-"
"Enough!" The word sliced through the air, accentuating the stench of fear. "My father may have been foolish enough to trust you but decades of the Southern Raiders' failures, your failures, have cost the Crown ships, money, and soldiers. No more."
Zuko could see the horror that painted itself so plainly on Yon Rha's face. He didn't even try to hide it.
"And your eye?"
The old man involuntarily raised a hand to touch his patch. "I - I underestimated a warrior. In the chaos of battle she managed to get in close and - and-"
The Fire Lord cackled. "You truly are a wretch. Not even my idiotic brother would've made such a mistake." He sat up, and the wall of flames rose with him. "The only reason you aren't imprisoned for your incompetence is because of the information you have. The conquest of the South is no longer under your command. But that will be sorted out soon enough. Now, tell me about the last airbender."
Zuko could see Azula watching with piqued interest out of the corner of his eye. Sweat was now dripping off the commander's face. He nodded vigorously, gesturing for one of his men to come forward. "Yes - yes of course, my lord!"
The Raider he signaled strode forth and laid down two items in front of the Royal dais. Zuko leaned forward and strained his neck for a closer look.
Yon Rha inched forward, gesturing at the items as he fearfully explained them. He pointed to the first, a long, wooden staff. "My lord, this - this is an airbender's staff. They used them to strengthen their bending. And these-" he pointed to what appeared to be robes. "These are Air Nomad clothes. Undoubtedly. The colors have been dulled by time, but they're yellow and orange - airbender colors. The Av - Avatar must have fled to the South and hid there."
Zuko's father leaned forward too, his fingers stroking his goatee as he stared at the items. "Yes...my predecessors kept...artifacts from the other nations, the Air Nomads included." The Crown Prince gulped - he wondered if Father meant to call them trophies. "These match the look, and seem authentic as well. Did you find any bodily remains?"
"No, but these items were found in a graveyard and arranged in the manner of a burial. I'm s-sure the Avatar's body is there."
Zuko could hardly believe it. The Avatar that long eluded his ancestors was dead then, the last of the Air Nomads gone forever. For some reason the thought saddened him, but Zuko didn't let it show. The wheels in the Prince's head turned. That meant the current Avatar was of -
"The Water Tribe. They've been harboring the Avatar all this time, and the new one is there as well. If I had known...no matter." Father's eyes narrowed again as his gaze shifted back to the commander. "You said you might know where the new one is."
The old man's eyes turned wild. "I saw a - a young girl. My back w-was turned and she attacked me without any water nearby and - and-" He seemed to realize how ridiculous the story sounded and he quickly lost steam. "I - she - it must have been - there was no water-"
"You fool!" Father roared. The wall of flames before him rose so high they touched the ceiling. He stood up and Zuko jumped in his seat at the sudden, furious motion. To his quiet satisfaction, he noticed Azula had jumped too. "Did you see her bend another element?"
The floor beneath the commander was practically puddled with sweat. "N-no, but-"
"Then you waste my time with conjecture. You can hardly even speak. This information, like you, is worthless to me," Father seethed. "Since we cannot confirm the identity of the Avatar, the only knowledge we have is that they are in one of the Water Tribes."
Father paused and sat back down. No one dared speak a word. Even Azula looked at him with wide eyes and anticipation.
Then he glanced at her, then to Zuko. A cruel smile graced his face. "I have much to think about. Leave me, before I turn you to ash. But you and your men will wait in the Capital. I still have use for you, regrettably."
"Yes, my lord!" Yon Rha all but sprinted out.
His father rose again. "Back to training, my children." It wasn't a request. Despite the heat, a chill ran down the Crown Prince's spine.
Father departed without another word.
Zuko's eyes meet Azula's, and for the first time in a long time, the uncertainty he felt was met by her's. Then his sister's eyes turned to steel and she followed their father out of the room.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?"
Yue nodded as she and her father walked towards the courtyard where Master Pakku was waiting for them. Last week she had told him that she was finally ready to begin her Avatar training - or, rather, waterbending combat as a start.
Dancing with Minu and easing back into practicing healing with Yagoda over the past two months had done leaps and bounds for the princess. Although she missed her mother tremendously - it was a hole that Yue believed would never be truly filled - and some days were worse than others, the two activities gave her purpose, a means to honor the woman she missed so dearly.
After a long conversation with her father and Minu, Yue decided it was time to take the next step and make good on her mother's deathbed promise. It also was, as her father reminded her, the first step in the long road to becoming a fully-realized Avatar. Yue felt ready. After all, she had already mastered healing. Harming bodies, she thought, seemed much easier than fixing them.
"Master Pakku is a...taxing teacher, I've heard. But he's the best in the North, and as royalty and the Avatar, you deserve just that," her father stated.
"I imagine if I wasn't the saviour of the world he wouldn't be teaching me at all," she said offhandedly. She knew it wasn't untrue.
Her father just shook his head. "Yue…"
When they entered the courtyard, they found Master Pakku sitting on a self-created ice chair, sipping his tea. Seeing them approach, he set his tea aside and melted the chair with a wave of his hand.
"Chief Arnook, Princess Yue, it's good to see you. Again, I'm very sorry for your loss." He bowed before the pair. The waterbending master looked polite and civil; later, Yue would realize this was the only time he would ever act so.
Yue and her father bowed in return. "Thank you, Master Pakku, and thank you for agreeing to teach Yue." The princess inwardly winced at the last part. She knew how much of a traditionalist Pakku was; "agreeing" was undoubtedly not his happiest choice. "Two hours of instruction as we discussed, yes?"
"Of course, Chief Arnook. And don't worry, I'll make an Avatar out of her yet," Pakku replied.
"I'll leave you to it. I'll see you tonight for dinner, Yue." Her father kissed the top of her head as he always did and exited the courtyard.
The old man turned to face Yue, all pretense of politeness gone. His mouth tightened into a thin, hard line and his eyes held only the sharp glint of scrutiny. "Yagoda tells me you've mastered healing, yes?"
Yue cringed just the tiniest bit under his gaze, but stood up straight nonetheless. "I have."
"Then forget everything you think you know." Pakku started pacing away from her, talking as he went. "Waterbending combat is vastly different from moving internal chi paths. Healing involves caution, steadiness, the ability to notice the smallest imperfections within the body."
He stopped, his back still facing Yue. "But in combat you must be quick, unforgiving, and above all else, one step AHEAD!"
Upon the last word he whirled around with a raised palm, a river of ice as wide as a walrus flying at her.
It was only Yue's uneasiness that saved her from being slammed in the head. She ducked and spun out of harm's way, avoiding the second, smaller stream of ice that followed.
"What are you doing?" She cried out. Adrenaline overtook her and all she could do was dodge and dive out of the way of the projectiles he was apparently trying to kill her with.
He didn't answer. With a flourished wave he created towering pillars of snow around her and sent them crashing down a moment later.
Yue didn't know much about combat - she could hardly even find an opening to attack - but she had watched soldiers practice, read books on past masters. That couldn't go to waste now. She called upon the power of her bending, the life the spirits had given her, and pushed out. The pillars of snow redirected themselves to fall into heaps of harmless powder around her.
Pakku wasn't done. He slid around the courtyard on ice ramps, sending projectiles of every form and state at her. All she could do was block or redirect what she wasn't able to dodge.
What must have been minutes felt like hours. His attacks got faster and came from angles she wasn't expecting. Once, twice, three times she fell, until she gave up counting altogether.
Finally he stood still, his arms at his sides.
Her body shook with trauma and injury. She looked up at him, her lack of breath making the world seem blurry. "Are you crazy? You nearly killed me!"
Pakku raised an eyebrow. "If I did, then I'd be a much poorer master than the one I am. I tested you, and by Tui and La, you have so much to learn."
The princess sputtered, words failing to form sentences. "A - a test? How - you-"
"Had you been in normal shape perhaps I wouldn't have pushed you so hard. But your body and spirit are both weak. Not because of your age, but because you have let them fall into destitution."
Her hands balled into fists at her sides. Yue couldn't believe this man. It wasn't that she was royalty; Yue never really believed the Fire Nation-esque divine superiority of the Throne some people bought into. Pakku was just incredibly rude. "I was in mourning! I still am."
"And I didn't say that was wrong. However, you are the Avatar. You can never afford to be complacent like everyone else. Look at what happened to the last Avatar: he neglected his duties and his entire culture ceased to exist."
"What do you want from me?"
"Discipline. Mourn all you like, but your days of sitting around are over. You are young; the best time to mold your body and spirit into a tool for worldly balance is now."
Yue didn't know what training she had expected, but she hadn't thought it'd be like this. "I'm not a soldier, I've never been in a fight-"
"The Avatar isn't a soldier. You are a peacekeeper - or you will be - just as you are a princess. Oh, you hate me now but I guarantee you'll see I'm right soon enough," Pakku shrugged, his every word irritating Yue. "Not only will our lessons be daily, but you will keep yourself in shape outside of our meetings. I'll draw up a list of tasks tomorrow."
His self-satisfied grin was so infuriating that Yue could do nothing but sulk. Dejected and furious in equal measures, she got up and turned around to head back to the palace.
A wall of ice abruptly materialized in her path. "Hey!" She yelped.
"I didn't say we were done," came the old man's pompous voice.
She turned around and looked at Pakku in disbelief. There was no way he would keep her. "But-"
"But nothing. I only said what you had to do between lessons. I didn't dismiss you from this one. Now defend yourself!" He sent a wave of snow that Yue barely dodged.
"Tsk-tsk. Bend, Princess!" He summoned two larger, simultaneous waves, this time curving from either side of him.
She stood her ground against one, but the other knocked her down, leaving her dazed and defeated. Pakku's grating voice rang in her ears. "Chief Arnook and Lady Kusuna sheltered you. They should've prepared you for your role from the beginning."
Yue's mellow temper flared and she angrily picked herself up - an act that took no small amount of struggling. "You can't talk about my parents like that!" She reached out with her right hand and jerked it forwards, summoning a water whip to strike him.
Her depleted stamina and tired muscles worked against her. The whip lost potency and form halfway through and it collapsed to the ground in front of her acerbic master.
"First, as the Avatar's very disappointed teacher, I can." He smiled, then his fingers twitched and the snow below him bent to his will, carrying him into the air. "Second, never let your emotions control you in a fight."
He unleashed a barrage of water streams at her. She tried to dodge, but her legs felt like they had turned to stone and the first stream hit her in the shoulder, downing her once more.
It wasn't a particularly hard impact, but this time she truly struggled to catch her breath. She punched the ground in frustration. "You…you're a horrible man," she cursed, glaring at him in hatred.
He met her glare with his usual impassivity. "Suffer the pain of discipline or suffer the pain of regret, Princess. Now again!"