The first issue to be settled, before anything else could be dealt with, was the issue of Zuko's nationality. "Those of us in the Water Tribe do not often marry outside it," Hakoda told them. "In fact, opinions differ on whether it is even permissible for an outsider to marry one of our own—Sokka," he added, turning toward his son, "keep this in mind for when you wed your Earth Kingdom bride."

The easiest way, Kanna explained, would be for Zuko to be adopted into the Water Tribe. "If we can find a family willing to adopt the Fire Lord, that is," she continued, eying him. "Perhaps a family who has lost a son of about your age in the war—they might accept you as restitution, in accordance with the ancient Water Tribe custom."

At this, however, Zuko dared to draw the line. "No," he told them as firmly as he could manage. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that. I can't pretend to be something I'm not. I'm Fire Nation, not Water Tribe, and I will not pretend."

"I think my nephew is correct," Iroh rallied to Zuko's side. "To my knowledge, only captive enemy warriors are adopted in this fashion, or warriors that have been rendered to the other side in tribute. My nephew is not a captive—" Zuko half-flinched at that, wondering for a flash if Bato or Kanna or someone would say, He's not a captive yet, but of course that didn't happen "—so this form of adoption cannot really be appropriate. For him to claim Water Tribe membership while still remaining as the leader of a nation that has been engaged in active hostilities with that tribe, might be seen as an arrogant enemy claiming a status to which he is not entitled. Furthermore, as I understand it—and by all means, correct me if I am wrong—according to the tradition of adoption, the adoptee takes on all of the duties and responsibilities toward his new family that the original family member would have had. Zuko of course will not be in a position to fulfill these responsibilities, so he will not be able to truly honor the custom. If anything," he added, raising an eyebrow, "it seems to me that attempting to adopt Zuko into the Water Tribe might lead to exactly the sort of cultural incident that we are hoping to avoid."

Kanna looked testy, but after a glance at Iroh, Master Pakku spoke up. "I think Iroh is right," he said. "In addition, the symbolic power of this union as a wedding of Water Tribe and Fire Nation would be diluted if Zuko were to be adopted into the Water Tribe. It is best if Zuko remains as he is."

"Perhaps you are right," Hakoda conceded after a moment's thought.

"Oh, very well," Kanna agreed, grousing, but she squeezed her husband's hand.

"However," Hakoda continued, "there are two further customs that have to be decided." He paused, his face set and stern; the expression reminded Zuko of his own father, and made him swallow. "First: in order to marry within the Water Tribe, by custom as ancient as our people, the man must demonstrate that he has the ability to provide for his new wife and any children they might have."

Zuko frowned. "Of course I have the ability," he began, confused. "I'm going to be—"

"Zuko, be quiet," Iroh told him sternly. "Can you please spell out exactly what that means, Chief Hakoda?"

"Of course." He paused. "You may have noticed," he told the old firebender, "that our land is a harsh one. Survival is never a guarantee; it is something that must be wrested from the environment by strength and skill and cunning. Within the Water Tribe, the purpose of marriage is to ensure the continuity of our people through the raising of children, and thus the survival of us all, for it is the young who will care for the old, and engender more young to continue the tribe when they grow old in their turn. Generally speaking, a couple who cannot demonstrate that they have the skills to provide for children will not be permitted to wed." Hakoda gave Zuko a long, measuring glance. "What I am trying to say," he continued, "is that in order to wed Katara according to Water Tribe custom, Zuko must demonstrate proficiency in the skills required of a Water Tribe man, and Katara must demonstrate proficiency in the skills required of a Water Tribe woman."

"In Katara's case, this is already done," Kanna said now. "Like all Water Tribe girls, Katara began work on her wivesgifts when she was still a child." Katara made a face that Zuko would have found charming under other circumstances. "Ordinarily, she would present these gifts to her mother-in-law before the marriage; however, since your mother is no longer living, I suppose she will have to present them to you, General Iroh."

"I hope you can find a use for a leaky hide coracle, the skins and frame for an umiak, a pile of shedding furs, a warped hide shelter, a rickety drying rack, and a stash of moldy seal jerky," Katara said with a grimace.

"You never were any good at that stuff, Katara," Sokka put in, grinning.

"Hey, I had to demonstrate proficiency. Nobody ever said I had to be good at it. How's that kayak coming, by the way, Sokka?"

"Well, if you would ever have gotten around to sewing the skins for it—"

"I was worse, Katara," Kanna reassured her.

"She was," Pakku said feelingly.

"What about for Zuko? What would be required were he to follow this custom?" Iroh interrupted, bringing the discussion back to its starting point. Zuko waited anxiously.

"In the case of a man of the Water Tribe," Hakoda continued, "it is generally accepted that he has demonstrated proficiency once he has been on one of the seasonal whale hunts."

Quickly, Zuko and Iroh exchanged glances; Zuko looked at Katara, who was frowning. "Seasonal whale hunts?" Iroh asked.

"Yes," Bato continued. "Now that the war is over and the warriors have returned home, we can hold the hunts again. Your father has been delaying the start of the first hunt specifically for this marriage, to give Zuko a chance," he added with a small smile at Katara. "It is considered especially lucky if a man's first hunt ever is also the first hunt of the season."

"Sokka," Hakoda added, looking at his son, "you have never been on one of the hunts, and you will need to complete one soon if you wish to wed your Earth Kingdom girl. You may accompany the warriors on this hunt."

"Yeah!" Sokka's roar of approval rang off the ice walls as, oblivious to the circumstances, he pumped one fist in the air. Zuko couldn't share his enthusiasm; he turned an uneasy glance first to Katara, then to Iroh. Iroh straightened.

"As you know," he began, "young Zuko was not raised by the Water Tribe. He does not have the skills that Water Tribe hunters have learned since childhood. If he were to join, are you sure that he could successfully complete a whale hunt?"

Thanks, Uncle, Zuko thought. Make sure everyone knows that I'm incompetent. He knew that it was a real consideration—he knew very little about the Water Tribe whaling hunts, but even he knew enough to know that they could be dangerous—and he was grateful, but at the same time, the question needled him a bit.

"It would help matters a great deal if he were to at least attempt it," Hakoda said. "It would not be required that he kill the whale himself; he need only participate. As a member of the hunt, he would be entitled to a husband's portion of the whale meat and blubber, which he would then present to his betrothed's oldest female relative as a demonstration of his ability to provide for the daughter of her line and their children. That would be sufficient." He eyed Zuko again. "Most of the rest of the whaling party will be seasoned hunters that have been on many hunts previously. And Sokka can help to look after him, should he join the warriors," he added, glancing at his son.

That wiped the smile off Sokka's face right away, Zuko saw with dismal satisfaction; as for himself, Zuko felt his enthusiasm plummet to new lows. If there was anything that could make the prospect less enjoyable, it was having Katara's brother, who was a year younger than he was, hanging over his shoulder to make sure his boots were laced up and his spear pointed the right direction.

He looked over at Katara, and he could see she saw his unhappiness; she looked worried. "Dad," she began, straightening up. "I don't care if he does this or not—Zuko can't—"

"Katara, be silent," Kanna told her firmly. "This is a matter for the tribal elders to decide."

Zuko can't. He'd heard it from everyone else his whole life, why not from Katara too? His shoulders tightened, and before he knew what he was saying, he spoke up. "If that's what is required by your customs, then I'll do it. I don't want to offer any disrespect to your people, or to Katara."

"Very good," Hakoda said, nodding. "Then you and Sokka will leave tomorrow with the hunters at first light."

Great, Zuko thought again, swallowing. When was he going to learn to keep his mouth shut? What have I gotten myself into? He felt Iroh's sympathetic hand on his shoulder, but it didn't help much; suddenly it seemed as if he were very much alone.

He wanted to be done then, but Katara's father continued. "Now that that matter is settled, we have one more thing to discuss, if anything, a matter of even greater importance than the previous one." He paused, and Zuko was jolted to see that the formidable Water Tribe warrior looked almost uncomfortable. "This is a very serious matter among our people, and it involves a custom I am not sure the Fire Nation shares—"

"Stop dancing around the subject, Hakoda, and spit it out," Kanna told him acerbically. She turned to the two firebenders. "He's talking about Katara's bridewealth."

Katara's face fell, and Zuko saw that Iroh looked grave. "Bridewealth?" he asked. "I don't understand—"

"It is a Water Tribe custom, nephew," Iroh explained. "In the Water Tribe, when a couple marries, the man or the man's family will present lavish gifts to the family of the woman. It is done to compensate them for the loss of her labor in helping to run the household, since the woman will either be moving in with the man's family or else establishing a new household with him. Often, the woman's family will give some portion of these gifts back to the woman, which she will then keep in much the same fashion as women keep their dowry in the Fire Nation." He turned to the Water Tribe elders. "Have I described the custom correctly?"

"Almost," Pakku said. "Unfortunately, you old firebreather, you left out the most important part: The amount and quality of the gifts varies depending on a number of criteria including the status of the couple and their lineages, the overall wealth of the man's family and their ability to contribute gifts, the degree to which either half of the couple is valued by their respective families, and a host of other factors."

"And that's the problem," Kanna said now, sighing. "Bridewealth indicates the status and relationship of the husband and wife and their families, as well as the level of respect the husband and his family have for the wife and her family. A woman for whom high bridewealth is given is considered to be a woman of high esteem—it demonstrates that she is highly valued both by her husband and by her family, particularly if her husband's family makes sacrifices to offer her wealth. Likewise, a man who gives high bridewealth for his wife is also considered to be a man of great respect—it demonstrates that he is a man of great resources and gives him and his family line a great deal of status. High bridewealth is an effective way of linking two families together, and has the further benefit of boosting the status of any children that might come of the marriage as well.

"Conversely," she continued, raising an eyebrow, "low bridewealth, or even bridewealth gifts that are considered to be less than appropriate, are a sign of great disrespect. Throughout Water Tribe history, dissatisfaction over bridewealth has led to much bad feeling and even feuding—it is safe to say that no other issue in Water Tribe culture has led to more blood being spilled. So you can see, young Zuko and young Katara," she added, looking over at her granddaughter, "how much more delicate the issue becomes when the husband is a man of the Fire Nation "

Zuko frowned uncertainly. He looked over at Katara, whose face was shadowed. "I wondered if this were going to be a problem," she murmured.

"But I don't understand," he put in, baffled. "Why is it a problem?"

"Zuko," Iroh began carefully.

"It is a problem, young Zuko," Bato said, his eyes narrowing, "for several reasons. First of all, Katara's status in our tribe is….quite high. Not only is she now the daughter of a chief, but in addition to that, she is an extremely powerful waterbender, and an accomplished healer. Together, these two factors would make the level of bridewealth appropriate for her extremely high simply by themselves. However, on top of that…."

"On top of that, boy," Kanna put in, "she's Katara the Mighty. Hero of our nation, boon companion of the Avatar himself, ender of the war, reuniter of the two tribes, sister to Sokka, Beloved of the Moon, and so on. And, last but certainly not least," Kanna added with a glance at Hakoda, "she is very highly valued by her family."

"Taken all together," Hakoda said now, "this sets Katara's bridewealth at astronomical levels—levels so high that it is, frankly, unlikely that any one man in the Water Tribe, south or north, could meet them, except for perhaps Chief Arnook of the Northern Water Tribe." He glanced at Master Pakku, who nodded. "And then, on top of that, there is the fact that you are not of our people. You are Fire Nation. In effect, by marrying Katara, you are taking her and her future children out of our tribe completely; therefore, in a sense, the entire tribe becomes her family and compensation for their loss must be commensurate." Katara bit her lip, looking serious; Hakoda held up his hands. "When that factor is taken into account, the appropriate level of bridewealth for this union is so high as to be effectively meaningless—you simply cannot meet it. If you were of our tribe, and Katara wished to marry you—or even if you were of the Fire Nation but not the Fire Lord—it could be arranged for you to 'steal' or 'kidnap' her, to get around this problem, but in this case…."

He trailed off. Zuko was frowning, trying to understand. "But that shouldn't be a problem," he said. "I'm the Fire Lord, I can pay as much as I have to for Katara—"

The moment the words left his lips, he heard how bad they sounded, and knew he had said exactly the wrong thing. The collective indrawn breath of the Water Tribe members confirmed it. Zuko felt himself flush painfully in mortification, wishing that the floor would just open up and swallow him whole. Shut your mouth, Zuko, when are you going to learn to shut your mouth! Iroh had closed his eyes and was shaking his head wearily. Sokka was breathing hard and looked like he was a hairsbreadth from throwing his boomerang at him. Bato's fists were clenched, and Hakoda's jaw was tight; the chill in his eyes had deepened to arctic temperatures. Way to go, Zuko. If he didn't hate you before, he certainly does now. Pakku was looking, not at him, but at Iroh, with sardonic disbelief, and Kanna's lips had thinned to a flat line. His heart sank, but it was Katara's reaction that was the worst: she looked….hurt. You hurt her feelings. The one person in the world who cares for you besides Uncle, and you hurt her.

He swallowed unhappily. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, staring at the floor. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that how it sounded. I'm sorry, I just—"

"Bridewealth," Bato said, his words metallic and clipped with barely suppressed fury, "is not a payment. It is a gift. It demonstrates respect. If you don't understand that—"

"What my nephew means," Iroh interposed deftly, "is that as Fire Lord, he has enough resources that wealth is no object. Whatever you decide is appropriate, he will be able to match."

For a long moment, the Water Tribe members remained silent. Zuko could feel the disapproval radiating off them like a solid wall. It was Pakku, after another glance at Iroh, who finally broke the silence with a sigh. "Yes. Well….that's a problem too. To be blunt, the wealth of the Fire Nation, and more so the Fire Lord, clearly outstrips that of the Water Tribe—at least, the Southern Water Tribe," he added a bit tartly. "If Zuko offers too much bridewealth—far more than anyone else in the Southern Water Tribe could offer—it could also be seen as an insult: the arrogant, wealthy Fire Lord demonstrating his power by showing those poor, backward Water Tribe peasants just how far beneath him they are." Right then, Zuko did not feel as if there was anyone beneath him. He clasped his hands together and swallowed again, staring at the floor and wanting it to be over. "So the question then becomes: how much is appropriate—almost certainly less than either Katara merits or Zuko can offer—and how do we portray the final amount in such a manner as to avoid offense?"

Iroh was looking carefully at Zuko. "A delicate question," he agreed. "However, as I understand it, in the Water Tribe, such matters are usually negotiated between the elders—the couple in question need not be present. And these negotiations will be long and tiring. Perhaps this is a matter for another time."

Hakoda nodded. "Perhaps you are right. Let us adjourn for the evening."

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Hakoda's house was at the edge of the village; it was a long, low multi-roomed igloo. Several Water Tribe coracles and kayaks of varying sizes were leaning up against the walls of the house and its outbuildings, secured in place by lashings of hide cords. Inside it was almost uncomfortably warm, compared to the chill in the air outside, with ice floors covered by rich, luxurious pelts and furs, and furnishings crafted out of ice and bone and hide; lamps burning whale oil and blubber hung on the walls, sending up acrid smoke. There were also a few vials of some kind of glowing water which gave a bluish light; Katara explained when Zuko asked her quietly that the water contained tiny animals too small to see that glowed in the dark.

"They're very expensive," Hakoda added, overhearing. "They have to come all the way from the Northern Water Tribe, and often the animals die in transit. Several of our own benders are working on growing the culture here, with Master Pakku's help but they are having difficulty getting the minerals in the water to be the correct balance. Katara, you've bent water all over the world, perhaps you can help them while you're here."

"I don't know much about that issue, but I can certainly try," Katara said gamely.

He and Iroh had accompanied Katara and Sokka to their father's home; Kanna and Pakku had an addition in back, which had been built by the waterbending master for his bride. "I told her let a construction team do it, but she was always yakking, yakking, yakking. 'They won't do it right. They'll be careless. I don't trust them.' You see what I have to put up with?" he groused, taking his wife's hand. Kanna kissed him under the ear. Zuko wondered glumly if Master Pakku had had to go through anything to marry Kanna like what he was going through to marry Katara. Probably not. And I'm sure he didn't say stupid things like I do either.

"Wow, Dad, this is huge!" Sokka exclaimed, looking around. "It's, like five times as big as our house when we were kids!"

The entire structure was perhaps half the size of Zuko's private suite of apartments back in the Fire Palace. He was silent, hovering awkwardly in the background next to Iroh, wanting to sit down but not quite daring to.

"With all the benders who came down from the Northern Water Tribe, plus those who came back from the war, construction is booming," Hakoda said, nodding. "This house is on the edge of the village, but it won't be for long, with the way the town is growing."

"I just wish Mom could see it," Sokka continued sadly. "She'd be so amazed."

"Yeah." Katara looked down, and Hakoda's face was shadowed. There was silence for a moment.

At last, Sokka broke it. "Where's my whaling gear?" he asked. "I want to get it out and make sure it's all ready for tomorrow—I haven't touched it in over a year—"

"It's down the hall, second room on the left," Hakoda told him. "I've been looking after it, keeping it oiled, making sure the sinew is in good condition. You did a fine job making it, Sokka," he added, smiling, "even if you never got a chance to use it—it's much better than my first set of whaling gear was."

"Thanks, Dad," Sokka said sincerely. Hakoda reached out and rumpled his son's hair. Sokka ducked away, grinning, and trotted off down the passageway; a moment later a yelp of delight rang out as the water tribe warrior presumably got a look at his room.

"Zuko," Hakoda continued, turning toward the firebender, "I assume that you do not have a set of Water Tribe whaling gear, so you may use my spare set of tackle for the hunt tomorrow."

The hunt tomorrow. Zuko swallowed down a sinking sensation in his guts. He didn't even want to think about that. First light tomorrow….

Katara was smiling at her father, he saw, her eyes shining. "Oh, Dad, are you sure?" she asked him. She turned that bright, happy look on Zuko, taking his hand again.

"I'm sure, Katara," he told her. "He is going to be family, after all." That distant look was back in his eyes. Assuming I survive, that is. And Hakoda looks so happy about it, too, Zuko thought dismally.

Iroh nudged him. "Hakoda is doing you a very big honor, nephew," he whispered. "A man's whaling gear is considered to be an extension of his spirit. He is essentially granting you his whaling expertise. Say thank you." Zuko put his hands together and offered a bow.

"Thank you," he said quietly. He felt as if he should say something else, remembered his blunder earlier, and decided it was probably best to shut his mouth.

"Anything for family," Hakoda said, with that distant look in his eyes. Zuko saw it and his heart sank.

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Kanna prepared dinner that night, with Katara's help: a meal that Zuko found largely inedible. Perhaps he was too queasy to eat; at any rate, he wasn't up to tackling a meal consisting of stewed sea prunes and whale meat fried in what appeared to be rancid blubber. The other Water Tribe members pronounced it excellent—Sokka in particular crowed, "Awesome, Katara—I remember Mom always made this the night before Dad left on the whale hunts!" Iroh also ate with evident enthusiasm. "It's been many years since I've had authentic Water Tribe cuisine," he said, smiling genially.

"Missed it, have you, smokebreather?"

"There is nothing quite like it," he told Pakku. "It is lucky that we are having a Water Tribe woman marrying into the family, so that perhaps we can have it more often."

"That's right," Pakku said with a laugh. "She needs to fatten you up, my lad," he added, fetching Zuko a mighty clout on the shoulder that almost knocked him sideways—the water master looked like a frail old man, but Zuko's shoulder smarted from the blow. "You're skinny as a seal's rib; you'd never make it through one of our polar winters. You need a good Water Tribe woman to take care of you!" Zuko managed a nod, watching Pakku warily; he saw Katara give the water master an irritated look across the ice table. Zuko forced himself to choke down as much as he could, knowing that he would need his strength for the coming day.

After dinner, Iroh and Pakku set up a pai-sho board and began to play—"You owe me a rematch," Pakku ribbed him. "From forty years ago—the Earth Kingdom town of Wutai."

"I remember that—I kicked your tail." Iroh beamed.

Master Pakku raised an eyebrow. "You only won there because you cheated."

"I sure did!" Iroh said happily. They set out the tiles under the flickering light from the smoky lamps, as Kanna, pressing Katara into service, cleared the dishes away. Sokka had brought his whaling tackle out from his room and was laying it out on the tiger-seal-pelt-covered ice floor. It looked complicated enough that just the sight of it gave Zuko chills.

"Help me go over it, Dad," Sokka said. "I want to double-check and make sure that everything's fine for tomorrow."

"Certainly. Zuko, would you care to join us?" Hakoda invited politely. "It would be good for you to see this before the hunt."

"Thank you, sir. Maybe later," Zuko managed. "I…would like to get in a bit of firebending practice before sunset. If that's all right." At Hakoda's nod, he made his escape, ducking through the hangings of the long, low entryway.

The cold struck him as soon as he was outside with the force of a physical blow; the sun was low on the horizon, and its slanting rays gave no warmth. The sky was a crystal clear that made the incredible chill seem even colder than it was. His Fire Nation garments did little to protect him; shivering, he raised his internal temperature to compensate. I can't stay out here for long, he thought, feeling the heavy draw on his resources; it was all right though. He just needed to get away from everyone for a little bit. Just a few exercises, to clear my head and find my center…The snow squeaked under his boots as he made his way around back, where the hide boats were propped against the wall of the igloo.

Careful to keep his fire away from the boats—that's all I need, to accidentally set Katara's father's boat on fire—he began to run through a few simple exercises. It was harder than he had thought; the cold dragged on his limbs like weight, and the energy drain was causing him to become fatigued very quickly. Steam rose off the ground where he stepped. His fire bursts were weak and feeble in the chill and glassy air; the ends of his new topknot grew damp with sweat that quickly turned to frost. I can't take this cold. How does anyone live in this?

He stopped for a brief rest, breathing hard, leaning against the waist-high fence—wall?—of solid ice that surrounded the igloo's yard, then snatched his hand back when he realized that he was melting into the wall. He had left a divot behind, not large, but enough to be noticeable. Great. How do I fix this? He had gathered up a handful of snow and was trying to pack it into the dent when he heard footsteps behind him.

"Here. Let me."

"Katara…." With a sigh of relief he stepped away from the wall as his betrothed came up behind him. She looked gorgeous, he thought distantly, feeling the familiar ache in his chest at the sight of her. Her blue parka perfectly complimented her eyes, and they matched exactly the deepest shadows in the hollows of the snow hills around them, the crystal color of the sky stretching above them, the luminous hue of the blocks of ice that made up the walls and structures of her village. She was home; this was her land, he realized, her element, and in this setting she stood out with a radiant beauty that he had never seen in her before.

There were days when he still could not believe she wanted him. They were getting fewer.

She looked at the wall, and raised one eyebrow, screwing up her face charmingly. He grimaced. "I….kind of….broke your wall. Can you fix it before your father sees?"

"The nice thing about building houses out of ice is that they're really easy to repair," she said, smiling. "Especially for a waterbender." A quick gesture and the dent smoothed itself out as glossy and perfect as if it had never been there in the first place; Katara hopped up on the wall, kicking her boots—mukluks, she had told him they were called—against it idly.

"Dad sent me out here to fix a crack in the roof," she told him, pointing; as she traced a line in the air with her fingers, he could see it: a barely visible glistening fault line in the perfect dome of the igloo. "That'll take about two seconds. I think he was really trying to give us some alone time." She smiled again and gestured to the wall beside her. "Come and sit next to me."

He turned away. "I'd better not. I'll just melt the wall again. It's so cold out here…." She hopped down and came up behind him, reaching up to put her arms around his shoulders and laying her head against his back. He would never have told anyone—well, maybe her if she asked him right—but he loved it when she did that; it made him feel strong and protective. She trusts me to keep her safe. She could do it herself, he knew she could….and in a way that made her trust all the more precious.

"Yes. I can feel how warm you are." There was sudden concern in her voice. "Are you sure you should do that out here, Zuko? I know how dangerous the cold can be and how much energy it can take to stay warm even without using firebending…."

"I know what I'm doing." It sounded harsher than he meant it, and he cursed silently; still, her question had pricked, and he was already sore.

"All right," Katara said without the slightest hint of indignation. "How are you holding up?"

The gentle sympathy in her voice made his eyes sting. He drew a careful breath, then another one. When he spoke, he could hear his unhappiness in his own voice. "Your father hates me."

"Oh, Zuko," Katara sighed. She stroked his shoulders softly.

"I'm sorry, Katara," he fumbled. "I'm sorry for what I said about your bride pr—bridewealth," he corrected himself forcibly. "I hurt your feelings, I could see it, and I didn't mean to—"

"My feelings did get hurt, but I know you didn't mean to," Katara said quietly. "You just didn't understand, that's all. You're not Water Tribe; no reason why you should. It's not a big deal. If anything I was oversensitive—it just caught me by surprise. I guess I had just somehow assumed that you would know all about bridewealth—which was pretty silly of me. No harm done."

"Tell that to your father." He shifted his feet. "He already didn't like me, and now with this—He hates me," he said again, glumly.

"Zuko, my father does not hate you," Katara told him firmly. She turned him to face her. 'I know my father very well, I assure you. I would know if he hated you, and he doesn't." She paused. "I'm not going to lie to you—he's disappointed, and still sort of taken aback and trying to adjust to the idea. I think some part of it is that he always hoped that I would marry someone from Bato's family—at first maybe one of Bato's sons, but then when Bato never had any sons, perhaps one of his cousins or nephews. Bato's like a brother to Dad, and I think he really liked the idea of actually being joined to Bato by blood. It's hard for him to give up that idea, on top of everything else. But he'll come around," she told him. "Dad trusts me and he trusts my judgement. He trusts that I would not come home with anyone that is not worthy of me. And that's a good place to start."

Zuko sighed heavily, pulling away from Katara. He kicked at the snow, sending up a spray of it. "I feel like I keep doing everything wrong," he said in frustration. "It's great that Uncle and your waterbending master are friends, but I feel like everyone around me knows everything and I'm the only one who doesn't. I hate it. I hate feeling like that."

Katara didn't answer. He looked back at her to see that her face was shadowed. After a moment, she said, "I guess that's pretty much how I'm going to feel when we get back to the Fire Nation, huh?"

The Fire Nation. He was silent. As taxing as everything had been in the Water Tribe so far, Zuko realized he still wasn't looking forward to returning home.

It's going to be worse, he realized with a chill. Worse for her, and maybe even worse for me. At least…at least Hakoda's trying. Her family's at least trying to accept me…except maybe for Sokka. I don't have any family at all anymore except for Iroh. Half the people back home hate me anyway for helping Aang kill my father and stop the war. How are they going to feel when I bring home a Water Tribe peasant…especially after the defeat? They would treat her like dirt, he realized. The thought of Katara having to endure the way Fire Nation nobility treated anyone who was not of their element filled him with a sick, helpless anger. And that's….that's even assuming they accept me as Fire Lord…. He didn't even want to think about what might happen if they didn't.

He reached out and pulled her into his arms, holding her close, knowing he could do even less to help her there than she could do to help him here. She settled against his chest, and her arms went around his waist, holding him with surprising strength. be rough," he admitted. That's the understatement of the year.

"We'll figure it out." Her words were brave, but there was a thread of doubt in her voice. "We'll be together anyway, and that's all that matters." He wondered if she really believed that. "Anyway, one thing at a time. First we have to finish this ceremony here."

"Yeah. There's that whale hunt tomorrow…." He trailed off.

Katara tipped her head up, putting one hand behind his head to force him to look down at her. "You're nervous about it, aren't you?"

He released her, turning away. "I've….never gone whaling before," he admitted. "I'm not sure what to expect."

"Well, Dad will lend you his tackle, and Sokka will be there."

That's not as reassuring as you might think, he thought.

Katara looked at him closely, seeing the tension in his shoulders. After a moment, she spoke. "As far as I'm concerned, you don't need to do this," she told him. "I know it's traditional, but I don't care. If you don't want to, we can find some other way."

He bit his lip. "If….if you married a Water Tribe man, would you care?"

"I don't want to marry a Water Tribe man. And I don't want you to feel like you have to do something you don't want to do, just for me. You don't have anything to prove to me," she told him, looking at him intently.

"I want…." He trailed off. He could see how much she loved her family, her people, all the things she had that he didn't. He could see how important her tribe was to her, and he remembered what Iroh had told him once—that the strength of the Water Tribe was in their community. She deserves a husband that can make her proud in the eyes of her people. One that doesn't shame her by not being able to master Water Tribe skills. But somehow he couldn't bring himself to say that—he couldn't say, I want to make you proud of me, Katara. And besides….never give up without a fight. He settled for a lame, "How hard can it be?"

She smiled then, and her eyes lit; he had written a haiku about that smile once, when he was feeling up to poetic experimentation, comparing it to the sun on the ocean. It had been awful—on his best days, he was a thoroughly mediocre poet—but she had loved it anyway. "I love you," she murmured. Hearing her say that warmed him more than fire ever could, even after all this time; when she reached up and slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him, it jolted him like an electric charge. Carefully, he closed his arms around her—she was so precious to him, that he suffered a superstitious fear of breaking her or hurting her. He knew it was foolish, but she was one of the few good things in his life, and he couldn't afford to lose her. How did this happen? I was never this lucky….

It wasn't until the kiss broke apart that he noticed how cold it was again. "I can't feel my toes." He stamped his feet on the frozen ground, tried to raise his temperature further to compensate, and was swamped with a sudden wave of weakness. "I think….I think I need to sit down. I've been out here too long."

"Yeah, we should probably go back inside," Katara murmured ruefully. "Dad wanted to show you his whaling gear before the hunt tomorrow, and maybe give you a few pointers. Plus, the sun's going down, and if you think it's cold in the daytime…." She paused. "Just a moment." With a quick gesture, she erased the hairline crack in the igloo's roof that she had shown him earlier. "See? Two seconds, just like I told you."

He managed a smile. "Can you give me a hand?" Katara pulled his arm across her shoulders and together, with him leaning on her a bit, they made their way back into the warmth of Katara's family igloo.