The next morning everyone stood beside Bato's ship as he patted the prowl just as Sokka had done the evening before. "This ship is sentimental to me. It was built by my father."
"Is this the boat he took you ice-dodging in?"
"Yes, it's got the scar to prove it. Huh. How about you, Sokka? You must have some good stories from your first time ice-dodging?" Bato asked Sokka who looked away.
"He never got to go. Dad left before he was old enough." Katara explained for him.
"Oh, I forgot, you were too young."
"What's ice-dodging?" Aang frowned in confusion and Bato smiled.
"It's a rite of passage for young water tribe members. When you turn fourteen your Dad takes you... you know what?" He placed a strong hand on Sokka's shoulder, turning his downcast upwards. "You're about to find out." Bato helped everyone aboard then he and Aang pushed the boat out onto the waves. Aang airbended himself back on deck and Bato swung up on a line.
"Ice-dodging is a ceremonial test of wisdom, bravery and trust. In our village it was done by weaving a boat through a field of icebergs."
"How are we supposed to ice-dodge without ice?"
"You will be dodging...those." Bato pointed forwards and everyone stared at the sharp jagged rocks.
"It sounds dangerous." Thyra mused, arching an eyebrow then looked to Bato. "Are you sure they should be doing this?" He laughed then nodded his head.
"Sokka, you steer and call the shots. Lead wisely. Katara, you secure the mainsail. The winds can be brutal, so be brave. Aang, you control the jib, without your steady hand we all go down. Your position is about trust." Aang blinked then looked guilty for a second before scowling.
"I know that! Why wouldn't I know that? I'm the Avatar! I know about trust." He pouted and looked away, folding his arms across his chest. Bato placed a hand on Thyra's shoulder then pointed.
"You can call out warnings for the others, if you're so worried." Thyra rolled her eyes at him but proceeded to stand out of Sokka's line of sight but somewhere she could also see any danger. At the moment, it was practically all around them.
"For this to be done right I cannot help. You pass or fail on your own." Bato said as he sat down cross legged at the front.
"Aang, ease up on the jib. Katara, steady! Aang, less sail!" Sokka began to call out orders as he guided the tiller. "Katara, give him room!"
"Sokka! There are low rocks on the left, you have to avoid them!" Thyra yelled, pointing to the sharp rocks peaking out from below the waves, barely visible but if the boat hit them, then they would all be in big trouble.
"Aang! Helm to lee! Helm to lee!"
"What does that even mean?" Aang yelled back as the three of them struggled against their loads. The ship narrowly missed the massive pile of rocks, making Thyra draw back away from them.
"Great job!" Sokka called but the joy was short lived as the boat began to steer towards a completely dead end of rocks.
"There's no way through!" Katara yelled over the sound of rushing waves.
"We can make it!" Sokka answered determinedly.
"Sokka, you've already proven yourself, maybe we should…"
"Aang, I'm gonna need air in that sail! Katara, I want you to bend as much water as you can between us and those rocks!" Both of them nodded in reply and they prepared to move whilst still holding onto their ropes. Growling Thyra surged forwards then grabbed Aang's rope. "Here." She quickly tied the rope down then took over Katara's, holding it tightly in her hands.
"Now!" Sokka yelled and both Katara and Aang set to work. Katara formed a large wave of water whilst Aang shot sharp bursts of air into the sails. This made it difficult to hold onto the main sail but Thyra stubbornly kept it in her grip, allowing enough room for the air to make an effect but not letting it escape so that it was loose. The rope slipped through her fingers but she clawed it back, wrapping it around her arm to anchor it down.
The boat sailed over the rocks, missing them by miles. "Yeah! Go Sokka!" Thyra grinned, tossing a smile over her shoulder before easing off the main sail, allowing the natural wind to take her. Sokka sighed with relief then guided the boat back to shore.
Once they were ashore Bato quickly made some black paint then turned to Sokka. "The spirits of water bear witness to these marks. For Sokka, the mark of the wise, the same mark your father earned." He gave Sokka a mark of a curved line with a small dot underneath the hood. "For Katara, the mark of the brave. Your courage inspires us." He marked her with a crescent moon shape. When he turned to Thyra he smiled. "For Thyra, the mark of the strong. May it help lead you forwards." Thyra felt the mark of a straight line with a smaller, horizontal one at the bottom marked on her brow. She gave Bato a little nod and smile before he moved onto Aang. "And for Aang, the mark of the trusted. You are now both an honorary member of the water tribe."
On Aang's head he marked a single curved line. Aang paused before sighing in defeat.
"I can't."
"Of course you can!" Katara answered with a bright smile.
"No, you can't trust me." Thyra frowned as Aang rubbed the mark off.
"Aang, what are you talking about?" Delving into his shirt Aang pulled out a scrunched up piece of paper and held it out to them.
"A messenger gave this to me for Bato." Katara unravelled it then looked down with a gasp of surprise. "You have to understand, I was afraid you'd-"
"This is the map to our father! You had it the whole time? How could you?" Aang shrank away with guilt. "Well, you can go to the North Pole on your own! I'm going to find Dad." Sokka stalked away, fuming to his roots.
"Now Sokka, I think you should…"
"Katara, are you with me?" Katara looked at Aang then lowered her eyes.
"I'm with you, Sokka." With that she turned away and the three water tribe members left the beach. Thyra rubbed away her marking then turned Aang to face her.
"You should not have kept their dad's location from them." She began. "You must always speak the truth to people, Aang, it's not good to tell lies that hurt others."
"I know and I'm sorry, I was just so scared they were going to leave me." Aang collapsed onto the sand and hugged his knees to his chest. "I didn't want to lose them."
"Aang, they weren't going to leave you. Back in the hut I heard them saying that they knew that you needed them. They would never have left your side, Aang, until you betrayed their trust." Suddenly a burst of air hit Thyra full on, throwing her up into the air and tossed her about until she collapsed into the sand with Aang's angry shout in her ears.
"I know I screwed up! Stop treating me like a child!" Thyra glared at her little brother.
"You are a child Aang! Since our parents aren't here anymore, it's left to me to scold you when you do something wrong!" Thyra pushed herself up and brushed herself off. "I want you to go after them and apologise. They deserve that much and once you've matured, you can come and apologise to me." With that Thyra left him alone on the beach, stalking back to the small room the nuns had given to her to rest in. The moment she was in she flung the door shut then waited out her stormy anger until she was once again calm. The meditation helped.
Thyra stepped out from her little room and walked over to Sokka and Katara who were packing up their stuff. "I want to thank you for everything you've done. I'm sorry it ended this way." Katara stood then flung her arms around Thyra, hugging her tightly.
"Thanks for looking out for us. I hope we'll see each other again." She smiled sweetly up at her. Thyra returned the smile then hugged Sokka too, pulling away to ruffle his hair.
"You two take care. Make sure he doesn't get into any trouble, alright Katara?" She nodded with a smile then glanced to Aang, who was sitting alone on Appa's head. She walked over sadly then looked up.
"Good luck."
"Okay. You too." She walked away to the gate where Bato and Sokka were waiting for her. The moment they were out of sight the Superior approached the two of them silently.
"Guess we should be moving on."
"That would be best." She nodded in agreement. Thyra climbed up to sit in the front of Appa's saddle as Aang flicked the reins, guiding Appa up into the air. Both of them watched the figures of Sokka and Katara as they gradually reduced in size.
"I'm an idiot, Momo." Aang sighed in despair.