Chapter 10: Guardian of the North
It had all started with her foolish self thinking, One, only one visit, then, Just one more. Two decades later, here was her umpteenth one.
Like it always did, her presence sparked a touch of life in the dead night upon her entry into the physical world. As she scampered closer to the infirmary tent, she felt so human. She could feel fallen icicles prick the soles of her bare feet. She could feel the chill in the air, the winds that tried to whip at her hair from beneath her hood. She could feel her pulse picking up in tune with the haste her body displayed.
She had known the terms of spirithood; she needed to be apart from the physical world to enforce its own good, mingling only with the intention of nourishing it. She was supposed to let go of all emotions and earthly attachments, and that was what she did at the time of her sacrifice. She let go of her material possessions. Her promise of standing by her people following the end of the Great Siege. Her position. People she called family.
But Sokka...Sokka was different. He kept tugging her attention, pulling at the seams of her divine being, weaving fantasies of the future they could've had together. His affections ripped her in half, reminding her that she never had the intention to let go of him despite letting go of his hand the moment of her sacrifice.
He made her wonder if beneath the phantom-like remains of her image— behind the doors she had closed long, long ago in her being as light and moondust— there was still some substance she could call a heart (although spirits weren't supposed to have one). She had buried this heart of hers under layers of duty, masking her visits as healing sessions, her thirst and longing for a life she has never lived with "surveys" of the physical world. And over the course of the years, she had stopped giving excuses, stopped giving answers to spirits despite never being questioned. Her own actions no longer surprised her, no longer mattered in the grand scheme of things in light of certain crucial moments.
Like this one right now; she had a certain warrior she needed to heal, and in more ways than one.
Presenting herself as a cloaked healing assistant for curious eyes, she rushed towards the North's royal infirmary. Ever so gracefully, she picked up the pace once reaching the desired premises. Several guards had stopped her, questioned her, and let her go on with the exception of one guard who was particularly skeptical. Deciding she didn't have the patience for this— she was a human at this very moment, patience meant nothing— she sent even the most active and sincere of guards to sleep with a brush of her hand. Once they succumbed to her spell, she ran over to the infirmary tent. Fierce winds most willingly brushed the tent flaps aside and persuaded her to slip through. Before she could step in, however, his voice stopped her.
"Yue…"
She froze. He wasn't awake, was he? He didn't notice her somehow, did he?
An inaudible mumble followed, making her wonder if he was asleep. She peeked in to investigate. He was there, comatose. A mess of a man who'd slipped into sleep while facing the entrance of the tent. As if he'd been waiting.
"Yue…"
It was only the two of them by the ocean shore, the light of the full moon encasing them. He was standing in front of her, eyes glazed, gazing into her icy hues. She was smiling at him warmly, encased in a bewitching glow. He had taken great care to hide away her image all these years, noting how she was just as he remembered her. Young, kind, beautiful.
Dutiful. The word left behind a bitter aftertaste, and yet, his body shook as awe took control.
"Sokka..."
The dam burst. His happiness and grief spilled over as tears. He laughed at himself in the middle of his desperate chokes, vaguely suspicious of this being a dream.
Yue lingered by the tent flaps, still frozen. He was still asleep, though, caught in a dream that likely involved her. Taking a deep breath, she slowly made her way inside. She gazed at his tear-stricken face, trampling the feelings that were welling up inside of her. She rested her palms softly against his cheeks, brushing away his tears like a persistent breeze.
She placed her palms on his cheek, thumbing the tears away. The touch, which proved to him that she wasn't a wisp of air, was enough to reignite his starved yearning. He lost himself, bathing her face with kisses, his lips trembling against her skin, whispering her name against her milky complexion. She was all warmth and life, her heart beating along with his, the race of her pulse made more apparent as she pulled him against her, bright fingers sieving through dark locks.
"I missed you…" his tears soaked the ethereal weave of her white dress.
She kissed the side of his neck, sighing, unable to stop a sob, "I missed you more than you'll ever know."
"It took you this long...to come to me…"
Yue froze again, staring at him. He was still asleep, but his voice dripped with pain. She tore at her bottom lip, trying not to submit to the human emotions that tempted her. She had been watching him constantly since the night they parted, expressing her feelings in the most subtle ways possible. The soft breeze wafting over him when he slept, the mist that kissed him during night travels, excuses for a touch under noble pretenses...such things were extensions of her longing when her desperation was at its peak. Seeing him directly, though, was always much different, and it stirred feelings that she was no longer supposed to feel. Running her hand through his hair, despite knowing he wouldn't hear, "I was always with you. I just couldn't have you see me."
"I was always with you," she murmured against his lips, "I just couldn't have you see me."
"That's not fair," he pointed out like a little kid, keeping one hand on her cheek and sieving for the necklace in his pocket with another. He pulled it out in seconds: a silk blue ribbon completed by the sapphire centerpiece. The same necklace that was destroyed during the attack— a fact that didn't quite reach his dream self.
"I can't take it," he rasped, "I can't stay away from you any longer. Take me with you. I want to be with you, so please..." His hopes rose as he clutched the necklace, wordlessly begging, Marry me, Goddess?
She broke from the embrace, looking at him, and he brought the soft ribbon up to her neck, gazing into her eyes expectantly, thinking she had let go to give him the chance to put the necklace around her. Instead, he saw that her smile had vanished as she caught sight of the necklace. He took a few steps closer, but she placed her hands on his chest to stop him.
"You don't...like the...necklace…?" The frown on his face was apparent now.
Yue started backing away from him. His hopes dashed to the ground.
"Where are you going?"
She responded with a shake of her head. "I'm sorry…"
"Did I do something wrong?"
Yue's hand slowly trailed up to his wounded arm. She noticed the deep gash the blow from the arrow had left behind; other healers' attempts at healing it apparently hadn't gone far. She noticed his face had gotten quite pale, too, in the two minutes she'd been here.
"Y-you're not leaving me, are you?"
Her eyes turned glassy. "Sokka...my life has never been in my hands. Physical world or Spirit World, it doesn't matter. My life is not mine."
"But you love me, don't you?"
Yue flinched, wondering what kind of dream about her he was having now. She tried her best to be quiet so as to not wake him, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Sokka's arm began to glow in a white hue where her hand was, and the vague glow evolved into a disk-like shape. Her palm traced his entire arm and upper chest, and the glow followed before merging into the warrior's chest and seeping into the chambers of his heart. The glow pumped through his body along with his blood, purifying his bloodstream. His face turned back to its normal color, and he began sweating. A smile of relief found its way to the Moon Spirit's lips, but it was easily broken by Sokka's distressing words.
"Don't go."
The heaviness in her chest was all too familiar. No, she wasn't supposed to feel this way. She had to leave. She turned around, attempting to go back, but she was startled by the way his hand caught her arm. Her eyes widened.
"Please…Don't go..."
It was too late. She was starting to fade away.
"Yue!" his palms cupped her face— or at least tried to— but the warmth of life was replaced by the chilling cold of reality. "I'm sorry! Don't leave!" Flailing to grasp the fading mist, "Yue!"
Yue gently slipped her hand away from his, turning her face away with a resolve not to look back, but her feet didn't move, keeping her pinned in place. She couldn't escape the reality even if she wanted to; she hated leaving him. She wanted to wake him up and tell him it was all a dream, that it was just a figment of his subconscious woes. The more blasphemous side of her felt tempted to kiss him senseless and to bask in the reunion. Even if for a small speck of time. She wanted to tell him she was right here with him and would never even think of leaving...
But that wasn't a promise she was capable of making. She was a spirit. She had whole universes she needed to look out for.
And he needed to move on.
She planted a kiss on his forehead, breathing in the warmth, the desperation of the act that tempted to drive her away from her dutiful path, and she faded away before he could open his flooded eyes.
"A lucky penguin-duck he is. The poison somehow managed to not circulate through his body."
Anyu sighed in relief at the words of the elderly healer who was summoned to check on the councilman. It was found that the arrow that pierced the councilman was apparently marked with shirshu saliva. The toxins in the substance were not known to be easily treated in the Water Tribes due to the general lack of shirshus in the region and, thus, limited knowledge of how its poison worked in the body. If the healers tried to get outside help even with booming technological advancements, the chances of adequate treatment in such little time would have been slim. Needless to say that the use of shirshu poison was consciously decided by the rebels; they had probably hoped the lack of adequate treatment due to a substance foreign in the Water Tribe would be the cause of the councilman's demise.
As if the Goddess would just let that happen, Anyu thought, wondering if Yue indeed played a role in Sokka's healing. "It's great to hear he's doing better. The Spirits are merciful."
Sokka, however, was quiet, sporting a sullen look. He thought back to his dream and the smoldering necklace from earlier. Does she not want anything to do with me?
Anyu could sense that something was bothering Sokka but chose not to point it out or ask him about it. What mattered now was not him poking at the councilman's personal life but helping to ensure the councilman's health and safety.
"He seems to be doing well," the healer said. "He can actually breathe without looking like he's going to be sick." She examined Sokka's arm and raised her eyebrows, "It seems his gash is also closed up... When did you say the attack was, Your Highness?"
"Day before yesterday," Anyu answered. "We got your assistant to come and see him when it happened. The councilman had been highly feverish and pale. He was out the entire next day."
"He doesn't look sickly anymore. He should be fine within a couple of days."
"Are you sure? If necessary, we can get the healers who specialize in toxins from the Earth Kingdom or—"
"It's not necessary. Did you notice anything about his signs and symptoms?"
"According to what the guards told me, he began sweating profusely at one point in the night. He began coughing really badly, too, and he had been sick all morning."
"Those are very good signs," the healer said. "The poison must have left his body through the purgings and perspiration. Can he hold down water?"
"That's all he wants to drink."
"Then he's practically cured, Your Highness. No need to worry. In a few hours, he should have an appetite. Although…"
Even though Sokka himself was withdrawn from the conversation, Anyu looked worriedly at the healer, "Is there something wrong?"
"No, it's just…" keeping her attention on the councilman's healed arm, "It still surprises me how his wound healed up so quickly. My assistant told me it kept cracking and bleeding even after several healing attempts...and as I'm seeing his arm now, I don't see a trace of the wound. Not a scar, not a scratch..."
"The Goddess was merciful. That's all we can say."
"Right you are." The healer slung her sack of medications over her shoulder, "I'll be heading to the healing hut now. The councilman's out of danger, but if anything comes up, please let me know."
After she left the tent, the prince took his seat beside the warrior, who was staring at the ceiling, unfocused. "Are you feeling okay?"
"You don't have to worry about me, Your Highness. I've been through worse."
"I told you to call me Anyu."
"It's going to take a while."
Sighing, "I know you're not comfortable with being in the infirmary for two days straight. You can shift back to your quarters shortly."
Looking up at the prince, "Could you do me a favor?"
"Of course."
"I would really appreciate it if you make sure Aang doesn't find out about this. I don't want him to panic. He's already busy."
"I'm afraid that's not possible. Word has already been sent by General Bo to the United Republic Council about the attack the day it happened. Even if the tribe kept calm by any chance, the Avatar would easily have found out about it some way or another."
The warrior frowned, "Oh joy."
"We also received a message from Avatar Aang yesterday. He said he's on his way here with his family."
"On his way here? And with the whole crew? But he's too busy to be roaming around—"
"He said he wants to see you. His message was very brief."
"That means he was getting on Appa maybe two seconds after reading the message," he huffed, embarrassed that just a few hours into his arrival, he was injured enough to be knocked out for nearly two days. "I'm fine now, aren't I?"
"We both know that, but your family doesn't."
"Even if they did, they wouldn't resist. It's Aang and Katara we're talking about," and he shifted around on his cot, the absentminded look on his face persistent.
Anyu didn't expect to tell the councilman the big news while the warrior was lying wounded, but he figured that once word spread through the tribe about Sokka's new position as the interim chieftain, there would be tighter security and quicker enforcement of laws. Avatar Aang, too, was on his way here; the quicker the preparations were made, the sooner the coronation, and the sooner the tribe will be in safe hands. "That's not the only reason why everyone is visiting."
Raising his eyebrows, "It's not?"
"They're coming here because...because I told them you were going to officially take charge of the tribe as chieftain," Anyu admitted, folding his arms. "I know this might not be exactly the right time for me to tell you this, but you've been chosen to lead the Northern Water Tribe."
Sokka eyed him, clueless, "Huh?"
"We've all decided that the best way for you to ensure the safety of the tribe is to take charge with full, unquestionable authority."
Blinking as he sat up, a hand on his head, "Sorry, I think I'm mishearing you—"
"You're not. You're now the interim chief of the Northern Water Tribe, Councilman Sokka. If you accept, the coronation will take place the day before the Moon Festival begins. Since Avatar Aang is also going to be here, we can have him as our honorary guest."
It took a while for Sokka to process this truth. His discomfort was visible. "Your Highness—"
"Anyu," the prince corrected.
"Anyu...I came here as a diplomat. I'm not here to be the chieftain. That's your duty."
"The plan has changed. We decided that if you're the chief, there could be more weight to your commands. Additionally, you would have much tighter security and would be under constant watch."
Sokka sank back against the pillows, shaking his head, "I don't know...I can't…"
"Of course you can. Councilman, several times, you've been in a position where you had people's lives in your hands, and you've never failed. From all I've heard about you, I know you helped end the Hundred Year War by taking risks other nonbenders would never even dream of taking—"
"That's not enough for you to say I'd be a good chief," Sokka persisted, looking out of the nearest window. "I don't deserve to be chief. Not of the North. I might have saved lives...but that doesn't excuse me from my greatest failure." That is, failing to protect the former princess of the North herself, but that didn't have to be expressed out loud.
"Councilman Sokka, I understand how you feel, but please don't let the past define what you're capable of now," Anyu said. "What happened was...tragic...but it was destined to happen—"
"Don't take offense to this, but I don't want to talk about destiny," he said, rejecting the destiny argument for the millionth time throughout the course of his life, "This isn't just a matter of the North. I might be the candidate for Southern chiefdom, but who knows how things will turn out there? I'm just a simple guy with simple needs. I don't need to be the chief right now."
Anyu nodded, "Alright, I can respect that...but I want you to know...If anything, you're more capable than the rest of us to handle this. You've been my uncle's right-hand man for a long time. You've witnessed the progression and evolution of the tribe. Even if you're not interested in the outcome of Southern chiefdom, you were nevertheless confirmed as a candidate for a reason. It would only make sense for you to take the reins of this huge responsibility. I know for certain that I'm not ready to handle it, and there's no one else I can turn to."
"But—"
"If anyone has the experience, it's you. You have been put in charge of your tribe when you were a teenager. You have traveled with the Avatar and have seen more of the world than I could ever see."
"You realize you're giving me too much credit, right?"
"I'm not wrong, am I?"
"I—"
"If you don't want to do this for glory and fame, then do this for the tribe. We are your people, too."
Sokka's eyes softened. He placed his hand on the young teen's shoulder. "Prince Anyu...I agree that we're the same people, I've never thought of our tribes as being separate ever since I first came here."
"Then do it. Be our leader. Just for a short time," Anyu said. "I myself need someone as my leadership mentor."
"Being a leader isn't something you acquire just under someone's guidance. You have to discover that yourself. Not to mention I'm from the South. This will make a lot of people here uncomfortable."
"If you're afraid of discrimination, don't be. This tribe loves you, and it will be more than happy to accept you as the leader."
"It's not discrimination I'm worried about. Internally, there will be more problems...as they're bound to be if someone outside of the homeland is chosen to lead...you wouldn't understand, you're young."
"Even if I don't understand, you think the Goddess wouldn't? You think she hasn't thought of these things?"
The comment completely froze Sokka. He eyed the teen keenly.
"No one becomes the chieftain of the North against Tui's will," Anyu said. "She chooses those who are worthy. And right now, she's chosen you. I'm not making this up; I've been seeing signs, Councilman Sokka. I know you probably wouldn't believe me, and that's fine, but I know she wants this." With a deep breath, "At our board meeting, there was a servant lady...We couldn't see her face properly, but she suggested making you the chief. With the way she spoke, the knowledge she had of politics in spite of her stature…I don't know, I felt it in my bones."
By now, Sokka was sitting up again, his eyes wide, hands quivering with the tide of emotion threatening to consume him. He managed to hold it back but nevertheless felt the yearning churn within him.
"It could be her. It might not even be her. But this is her will. If she was alive today, I'm sure she would've wanted you to carry on the task…considering how you would've married her and would've had a right to the throne anyway..."
Sokka trampled his bottom lip. "Yes, but—"
"If it's true that you really loved our princess, then it has to be true that you would give a rice grain's worth of care for her homeland. And you've demonstrated that. You've shown boundless loyalty to the North over the years. You can't expect her to not acknowledge that." And as he noted the radical change of emotion on the councilman's face, "It's only for a short time. Do it for her, Councilman Sokka. Do it for Yue."
Sokka didn't have a chance to argue after that, but the conflict on his face didn't change. Even so, Anyu fumbled for a scroll canister that he left nearby. He pulled out the collection of scrolls and unfurled the attached documents, reaching for a quill and some ink next, "We'll need your signature to officially start the preparations. There's no time to waste."
But Sokka only stared at the page set in front of him, lost in thought.
"She chose you. Remember."
To which the Southern warrior closed his eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. He grasped the quill, steadied his shaking hand, and scribbled something presumably longer than his name upon the first page. The councilman sieved through the rest of the document and scribbled the same: authorized by Chieftess Yue, represented by Councilman Sokka.
"Councilman Sokka…" Anyu frowned, partly out of confusion and partly out of concern, "What are you…?"
"There's a reason behind you succeeding her as the leader. You're next in line. You're related to her. You have a piece of her in you. It'll be like a part of her is ruling the tribe one way or another. But in my case...even if I'm just going to be an interim leader...I won't even dream of taking what should be hers."
Anyu's frown didn't waver, "I don't understand."
"You said I would've had access to the throne had I married her, but she would've been the chieftess of the North. She would've been the one in this position, wouldn't she?"
"Well, yes, but—"
"I want to honor that," Sokka said firmly. "I don't want to take her place."
"You're not taking her place, Councilman," Anyu began patiently, but Sokka wouldn't hear him.
"She's gonna be the rightful ruler of this place as long as I can help it. Even if for a short time." Placing the document in the prince's hands, "The interim leader of the North is Chieftess Yue. Her philosophy is the basis of all laws and actions. I'm only her representative. People can think I'm the chief all day long, but I'll actually be ruling on her behalf."
"It's not possible to rule on her behalf, Councilman," Anyu protested. "Why are you being stubborn about this?"
"There's always the option of not choosing me to be the chief. There's more than one way of protecting the North. One doesn't have to be a chief to do it."
The prince knew there was no use arguing. Councilman Sokka wasn't going to back down when it came down to his loyalty to the princess. "Alright. Do as you wish."
"And also, the public should know about this just yet," Sokka added. "I need some time to fully accept this myself."
Ignoring several warnings to take things easy, a recovered Sokka set out on his first investigation effort since his arrival. The air was thick and dreary as he made his way to the Northern Water Tribe's notable prison. The prisoner he was about to see was neither familiar to him nor was the direct cause of what happened to Arnook as far as the evidence went, but Sokka wasn't willing to let him go just yet. He needed answers, and he was going to get them before nightfall.
One of the guards noticed Sokka approaching their way and bowed. "The prince notified us of your arrival, Honorable Councilman. How may we be of service to you?"
"I need to speak with Unnuk."
"Please, follow me."
Sokka was led through the arching entrance and past several metal cells. He passed by each individual cell and sharply observed the criminals. Some of them sneered at him while others refused to look at him in the eyes. Some were benders whose hands were tied behind their backs, and others were nonbenders who were left with nothing to do but gnaw on the bars in futile hopes of escaping.
"He should be in there, sir," the guard said, pointed to a cell in the far right corner that they eventually approached. "I must warn you. His mental stability is waning little by little. He might attack you. Are you sure you want to go unaccompanied by guards? You're already injured."
"I'll be fine."
"If you're thinking of getting that scumbag to talk, he's not revealing much about how he committed the crime."
"Is he actually confessing?"
"That's all he's confessing. He's saying the same thing over and over again."
Sokka took a deep breath. "I'll handle this."
Once the guard left, Sokka made his way over to the said cell and peered through the bars. He saw that the man he was looking for was facing the opposite wall and was bound completely in chains, his back turned to the world. The prisoner wasn't totally detached from the world, though; it seemed Sokka's shadow stirred his slumbering mind.
"I told you already that I'm the one who committed the crime. Get my death sentence over with."
"That's not what I'm here for."
The man didn't move, but he did flinch a little at Sokka's voice. He was quiet for a moment.
"You're not going to look at me?"
Unnuk sighed. "What good will I be to the most revered councilman around?"
Sokka was surprised that he recognized him so easily. "You know who I am?"
"Of course," the prisoner still didn't turn around. "You have quite a lot of reputation about you."
"Not as much as your reputation at this point."
Unnuk chuckled in bitter irony. "I suppose you're right."
"I wish to talk face to face."
"Interesting enough, but there must be an underlying reason to that. One doesn't just wish to talk to a stranger face-to-face."
"I want to know the truth."
"The truth?" The man stood up, almost tripping over his chains but gripping the wall to keep balance. "I'm tired of telling the truth to the world."
Unnuk dared to show the councilman his face. A twisted man, he seemed, who was in his early sixties. His hair was long and graying, and he seemed very weak. It appeared as if he had been deprived of food. Most alarming was the crazed look in his eyes— like he was ready to burst out of his sanity as the guard pointed out— but his crazed look softened when he caught a clear glimpse of Sokka.
"I thought you were just a good fighter. Not bad in looks, either. No wonder that moon princess fell for you."
Sokka's glare didn't subside. He wasn't going to submit no matter how well this man taunted him with mentions of Yue. "I know you know something about the crime."
"The crime," Unnuk repeated the words with emphasis. "You can go ahead and say that I was the perpetrator of that crime rather than someone who merely witnessed it. The entire world is against me. It won't take but seconds for you to agree to it."
Sokka sighed patiently. "I told you I want the truth."
"That is the truth." Unnuk didn't face Sokka directly. "I killed Arnook. Ruthlessly. I had no mercy when I did it, and I have no regrets now that it's over."
"I think this lie itself is your biggest regret."
Unnuk was getting agitated. "I killed Arnook! How many times should I drill this into your head?! For an intelligent councilman, you're acting far too incompetent."
"I can understand your frustration, but I don't know why you're hiding your innocence."
Unnuk tried to keep from stuttering but failed. Clearly Sokka knew more than what was necessary about the murder (or rather about Unnuk). "I-innocence?" the elder man flared, his fists clenching.
"I went through the evidence over and over again. You obviously had no personal motive for committing the crime. It's not like you would inherit Arnook's wealth...even if you did go through extensive trickery to obtain the position as chief. It would have been impossible, and in the end, Prince Anyu would have been next in line anyway. If you had been caught or suspected, you would have been done away with, so you didn't stand a chance either way. Oh, and since you're a bender, you would have no real reason to somehow side with the recent anti-bending revolts and betray Chief Arnook. Besides, you knew him for a long time. Surely if you had intentions to kill him, you would have done so already."
Unnuk was dumbstruck, but he tried to hide it. He felt his eyes burning with rage and confusion and sorrow. He was having a hard time staying bitter. "I see you've done your research."
"I didn't need to. Chief Arnook talked about you quite often."
"Well, if you're finished with your hypothetical theories—"
"I wouldn't say they're theories. They're more like facts."
Unnuk fumed, but he was shaking more from a certain fear than fury. "You don't know me."
"I don't, huh?" Sokka crossed his arms. "You were a waterbender who was born in a small, poor village around the premises of a swamp. You came here to the North Pole to further your bending abilities. You met Arnook, and both of you became good friends. You settled down and had a family of your own but was forced to move back to your village when you were charged with a misdemeanor that you didn't commit. You came back last year, a few months after I left, and enrolled in Arnook's court as his attendant." He raised his eyebrows. "And now you're saying that you killed the chief—"
"STOP!" Unnuk yelled, drilling his fist angrily at the wall.
"Are you sure? I can keep going if you want me to—"
"ARGH! JUST STOP IT!"
The councilman wasn't moved by the man's agitation and kept a straight face when looking at him in the eyes, but the warrior did notice something that seemed off about him.
"I know you couldn't have been the one, Unnuk," Sokka said quietly. "You respected Arnook far too much to kill him. You were his friend, and his loss affected you more than it affected any of us."
"I was his friend at one point," Unnuk's voice shook violently. Tears rolled down the man's cheeks much to his irritation. He turned back around, drowning in his own silent misery.
"Something tells me you still are."
Unnuk couldn't handle it. He sunk back to the ground and wept like a child. Sokka sighed, giving him a moment to heave his sorrow out. The guards raced over to Sokka, thinking that perhaps Unnuk was going through another one of his extremist episodes again and was threatening the swordsman, but Sokka held his hand up to stop them, observing Unnuk closely.
"T-they were horrible. Merciless. I...I begged them to let my friend go."
"They?"
"Yes. There were two of them."
A marshal rushed inside and stopped midstep where the other guards were, listening to Unnuk's enraged cries and sobs. An assistant accompanied him and wrote down Unnuk's responses.
"Who were they?" Sokka inquired.
"I d-don't know. I couldn't see their faces. They were wearing masks and cloaks, but they did have some arrows. A couple of bombs, too."
"Those were the people who attacked you, sir," the marshal told the warrior in alarm. Not that Sokka was too surprised.
"How come the guards were intoxicated that night?"
"I don't know. I was with the Chief at the time. We were heading back to his private quarters from the Spirit Oasis. T-they stabbed Arnook and… told me to be quiet," Unnuk sniffled. "They told me to seal the deal by saying I was the culprit. They said that if I spoke a word about this to anyone, they would kill off my son and his family."
Sokka frowned. His fists clenched in anger, but he suppressed the feeling and decided to make his way over to Arnook's quarters for a close-up inspection. Unnuk was breaking down even more at this point and couldn't continue further with the details, so there was no point in Sokka staying anyway.
"My talk with him isn't over yet," Sokka turned to the guards. "Notify me after he has calmed down. It'll likely be tomorrow that I'll get back to him."
"Should we release him from his cell, sir?"
"That's probably not a good idea. Those assassins are going to get suspicious and will target him if he's released from prison. He has to be safe."
"Yes, Councilman."
Sokka took one last look at the whimpering prisoner and grew slightly worried. The crazed look returned to the man as he bawled his eyes out and violently shook the metal bars. The officials attempted to calm him down.
"Don't worry about him, sir," the guard said, leading him away from the cell. "He should be fine by tomorrow."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, sir. Now that he confessed what happened, he should be able to shake the burden off."
"I want you to start making plans to bring his son's family to the palace. They need to have security as well. Unnuk gave us some insight into the crime, and it's our duty to keep his people safe."
"You think we can find them before the Moon Festival takes place? I have a feeling that the festival day will be intense."
"I hope so," Sokka mumbled. In reality, he had a bad feeling about this.
