Chapter 13: The Witches of Winter
A pile of history books he'd read was stacked high on Sen's right, and a much higher stack of unread books was on his left. Sen's usual appetite for knowledge was wide and varied, but he had focused his research quite a bit in the past few weeks. He was reading almost exclusively about past Avatars now. He had access to all of Korra's memories, so he read very little about her, preferring to focus on those who came before Aang.
"Sen, it's time for training," Ariak said. Sen's waterbending was already fantastic, but there was always time to reinforce it. He needed to put the books down for a moment anyway. Sen finished scanning a page and reluctantly put his book down. The history of Avatar Feng would have to wait until later.
In the courtyard, Sen and Ariak went to work, going through the routine of waterbending once again. Ariak paid close attention to Sen's movements, and noticed a certain sluggishness. Sen was not focused on his training. In the middle of their routine, Ariak came to a grinding halt.
"That obvious, huh?"
"What's on your mind, Sen?"
Sen put his hands on his waist. That was not an easy question to answer. He was getting closer and closer to having mastered all four elements, and yet he still didn't feel fully prepared to take on the Energybender. Sarin was still an enigma. Sen knew next to nothing about Energybending, or about Sarin's spirit companions, Ta Jide Shui and the Hssk.
"I need to know more," Sen said, explaining his dilemma to Ariak.
"Have you talked to Korra?"
"Of course," Sen said. She had explained everything she knew about Energybending, but the powers that Aang had inherited from the Lion Turtle barely scratched the surface of Energybending's true potential. Sen paced back and forth in the snow for a moment.
"I've been thinking about going back to Wan Shi Tong's," Sen said. "Maybe if I reread his scrolls, I can figure something out."
"You've already read everything he has on Energybending, haven't you?"
"Well, yes," Sen said. The great library's selection was a bit sparse on that topic. "But I think I might have a new perspective on some of it, maybe I can read between the lines."
"Sen."
"I know, it's a stupid plan," Sen shouted. "But it's all I've got. There aren't many other sources of ancient forbidden knowledge, you know?"
Ariak bit his lip. Sen's eyes narrowed.
"Is there another source of ancient forbidden knowledge?"
Ariak hesitated slightly, kicking his heel through the snow.
"Potentially…"
"Tell me more," Sen demanded. Ariak sighed and nodded his head, before waving the Avatar inside. Sen followed along as Ariak led the way into Yakkul's home and began to search for something. It was more difficult to find than it should have been. Yakkul didn't go out often, so he had very little need for a map. Eventually, though, Ariak managed to get his hands on a well-worn map of the North Pole. He unfurled it and pointed out an inlet of water on the continents western coast.
"What's there?"
"Coldharbor," Ariak said. He laid the map out flat. Many of the settlements in the north were mapped out, but there was no actual marker for Coldharbor. Ariak explained why.
"The Northern Water Tribe was all located in one city until a few decades ago," Ariak explained. "But it wasn't always that way. The North Pole had a sister city once, many centuries ago. The city of Coldharbor."
"What happened to it?"
"It froze," Ariak said. "Or so I've heard. The story is older than ancient, and many of the details have been lost, but what remains says that an unnatural cold consumed the entire city, freezing it solid. Those who survived the chill fled to the North Pole."
"So, the city froze," Sen said. "Do you think there might be some old records or stories hidden in the ruins?"
"Not quite," Ariak said. "The North sent people to explore Coldharbor years afterwards, to see if the refugees could return to their homes. The chill was still there, and still is to this day. As are the Witches of Winter."
Sen leaned forward and looked down at the unmarked map of Coldharbor.
"Witches?"
"Warmth, Wane, and Winter. Always three. They live in the frozen heart of Coldharbor. I don't know much else, but the legends say they have secrets. Things so well-hidden even Wan Shi Tong does not know of them."
Sen put a hand on his chin and considered the distance to Coldharbor. Ariak saw the look on his face and nodded slowly.
"I'll get the gear ready," He said with a sigh. They would need special equipment to reach the frozen city.
"You do that," Sen said. His curiosity had been piqued, and he would not allow anything to stand between himself and the Witches of Winter. Sen stepped out into the courtyard for a moment to find Ada. With Whistler asleep and Suda at the hospital, she was the easiest to talk to. She was preoccupied dueling two of Yakkul's students at once, but she still found time to barely pay attention to Sen.
"Me and Ariak are going to meet some Witches," Sen said. "You're in charge while I'm gone."
"Got it," Ada said, parrying two blows at once. "Have fun with the Witches."
Sen nodded. He got the impression Ada wasn't paying complete attention to him. She always got a bit spaced out when she was swinging her swords around.
There were a significant amount of supplies to be gathered before heading out into the frigid wastes that lead to Coldharbor, so Sen went back inside to help Ariak prepare. Ariak had a grim look on his face the entire time. It wasn't hard to guess why.
"Not fond of Witches, I take it?"
"I'm not worried they'll harm us, if that is what you insinuate," Ariak said. "The Witches of Winter don't give anything away for free. They bargain, Sen, and they do it very well. They will offer you exactly what you need, and you will pay the price."
"I'll be smart about it, Ariak," Sen said. "I won't give away anything we can't afford to lose."
Ariak placed the last piece of gear into his pack, and buckled the entire arrangement securely in place. He slid the pack onto his back, ready to go. He placed a pair of frost-proof goggles on his face and looked at Sen through the tinted lenses.
"The Witches are smarter than you," Ariak said. "Don't let your guard down."
The trek through the winter wastes had been, without a doubt, one of the most backbreaking labors of Sen's life. Blizzards, glaciers, and constant risk of avalanche had impeded their progress every step of the way. There were some places that common men were not meant to go, and Coldharbor was one such place. Luckily, there were no common men on this expedition. Sen and Ariak cut their way through the tundra to the frozen bay.
As tempestuous as the journey to the city had been, there was an eerie calmness surrounding the ancient city. The silence and stillness somehow seemed more foreboding than the raging tundra they had left behind. There was no wind or snow here. The only sound was the slight crunch of Ariak and Sen's footsteps against the frozen soil.
The unholy calm was only made more terrifying by their arrival to the frozen city itself. Coldharbor was frozen, in ice and time. Relics of the ancient civilization laid open in the air, undisturbed for generations. Household items and curios stood out in the open, laying exactly where they had when their owners had abandoned them hundreds of years ago. Sen saw a rack of hunting tools, and wondered for a moment if he could not simply grab one of the ancient spears off the shelf. He did not dare to reach out and grab anything, however. He felt there was some strange force holding everything in its place, and he did not wish to disturb that balance.
"Why is there no snow?" Sen said, breaking the silence for a moment. After centuries in the northern wastes, this city should be buried under mountains of snow and ice.
"Too cold," Ariak replied briefly. Sen believed it. There was no wind, which made the biting frost almost tolerable, but Sen could still feel a deep chill in the air, even through his many layers of coats and gloves.
The duo continued their trek through the city stopped in time. There were no maps of Coldharbors' ancient streets, so their wandering was aimless. They searched amidst hollow buildings and frozen streets for the lair of the Witches.
It was a surprisingly large city, for a settlement so ancient. It had none of the hallmarks of the North's elaborate architecture and thoughtful designs. It was a haphazard arrangement of crude buildings, a few hunting lodges and homes at first, and then more and more structures as the city was built up around that small trading post. This had been a true city once, vibrant and full of life. Now it was a mausoleum for an entire civilization.
"You'd think the only living things in a dead city would be easier to find," Sen said. The joke rang as hollow as the abandoned homes.
"Maybe they don't want to be found," Ariak said. Sen saw a hesitance to his every step. Ariak didn't want to be here, and he'd be glad to have an excuse to leave.
"We prefer to find you," A small voice said. Ariak nearly jumped out of his snowboots. He took a few frantic steps away and looked to where the voice had come from. Sen managed to hold his ground when faced with their new guest. She was not, after all, particularly intimidating.
The girl in front of them was no more than five feet tall, but Sen would never describe her as "small". There was an immensity to her that came from the inside, not her outer appearance. Her body was that of a girl barely in her teenage years, though the set of her eyes and the slight tilt of her head as she examined Sen showed clearly that she knew far more than Sen knew, or would ever know. Sen had never seen a Witch before, but he knew right away that this girl was one.
"I'm Warmth, youngest of the Witches of Winter," She said. "And you are the Avatar."
Warmth tucked her hands behind her back and kicked her feet slightly. She was wearing a very light gown, and she wore no shoes, apparently unaffected by the biting cold around her. Sen was not surprised.
"Grandmother says the Witches haven't seen an Avatar in over seven-thousand years," Warmth said, sounding astoundingly like a normal little girl. "Why are you here?"
"You already know that," Sen said. Warmth smiled.
"I don't, actually," She said cheerily. "Mother and Grandmother do, but they're very private. They say I'm not old enough to be a proper witch yet."
"You're enough of a witch to scare my friend here," Sen said, gesturing to Ariak. Warmth giggled at his joke. Ariak was still keeping his distance from the girl. "I'm here to see you and your family. I'd like to learn from you."
"Follow me," Warmth said, spinning around and leading the way through the frostbitten streets. Ariak found they were being led down unfamiliar streets. He found it hard to believe that he recognized nothing, after searching the city for so long.
"I don't think these streets were here before," Ariak said suspiciously.
"Yes they were," Warmth said flatly. "You're just not very observant."
Sen shrugged. He had a much better sense of where they were. Ariak clenched his jaw and followed the youngest Witch to her home.
Nestled in the midst of the dead and frozen Coldharbor, the home of the three Witches of Winter was an odd sight. Fire and warmth emanated from open windows and doors, releasing a pleasant glow into the frozen city. Sen felt an odd familiarity with this place. It was oddly quiet, and possessed a sort of isolated serenity. He had felt a similar calm before, but he could not recall where.
Warmth stepped lightly through the curtain that acted as the door to the home of the Witches. Sen looked over his shoulder at Ariak.
"I have no interest in making deals with Witches," Ariak said. He pointed to an open area further down the icy street. "I'll make camp over there. Come to me when you're ready to leave. And be quick about it."
"I'll do my best," Sen said. He shook Ariak's hand quickly and then followed Warmth through the curtain.
The Witches lair seemed much smaller on the inside, cluttered as it was by strange decorations. Strings of cloth and fabric hung about the walls, each one ornamented with a variety of dangling trinkets. Sen recognized a few items; betrothal necklaces, air nomad talismans, earth kingdom signet rings, among others. A simple grey mask stared at Sen from a hook along the walls. Sen found its empty eyes unsettling. It seemed oddly hostile for a blank mask.
Lined along the floor were weapons of various eras, ranging from prehistoric clubs to the shock-tools of the modern era. From the roof dangled the skeleton of a creature that Sen didn't recognize as belonging to any species living or extinct. He didn't let his eyes dwell on the mysterious bones for too long.
Sen realized that he had found his way to the center of a circle, with the Witches surrounding him on all sides. Sen straightened his back and looked them each over in turn. Warmth he had seen before, but Wane and Winter were new to him.
Wane, the middle Witch, was just beginning to show signs of her advanced age, with grey hairs and wrinkles creeping their way across her head. Her face was far more severe than that of her daughters; she seemed slightly offended by Sen's presence. Wane's clothing was more complex in its design than Warmth's; she wore numerous layers of fabric, and she wore a small amount of jewelry, including an emerald ring that caught Sen's eye.
Wane seemed to be the middle ground between Warmth's simple clothes and the absolute ostentatiousness of Winter. The eldest witch wore an elaborate pattern of fabric, with a heavy shawl draped over it all. She wore numerous rings on her hands, bracelets on her wrists, and her silver hair was braided tight with golden chains. The expression on her face was almost one of amusement and anticipation, as if she was looking forward to an entertaining evening.
"Welcome to Coldharbor, Avatar," Winter said. "It has been a long time since your kind has graced our fair frozen city."
"Strange to see when heroes willingly consort with we Witches," Wane said disdainfully. "The last Avatar to come here came as an enemy."
"An altercation to be left in the grave, along with all those who participated in it, daughter," Winter chastised. "We'll not turn away a guest because of the actions of ancestors neither of us ever knew. Besides, my granddaughter seems fond of him."
Warmth smiled on cue. Sen smiled back and nodded back at her. Wane examined her daughter, and her critical eye softened a bit.
"Then it is as it is," Wane said. "What brings you to Coldharbor, Avatar?"
"It's a long story," Sen said. "I don't know how much you know about current events-"
"We know about your conflict with the so-called Energybender," Winter said with a chuckle. "More so than you do, in fact. Is that why you come to us, then? Knowledge to destroy your enemies?"
"That is…exactly it, I suppose," Sen said. He wouldn't bother mincing words with witches. He was here to learn how to fight Sarin.
"Then you will have it," Winter said. "But first, a deal. He seeks secret knowledge, my daughters, but what do we seek from him?"
There were no words between the three Witches, but Sen felt a great degree of communication all the same. In unspoken ways the Witches conspired around him, deciding what price they would make Sen pay. The circle of Witches was briefly abuzz with arcane thought. Then, the silent conference came to a close, and Winter took a step forward.
"We need nothing from you, Avatar," Winter said. "But you do present a unique opportunity to us: you can make deals that last many lifetimes."
Sen put his hands across his chest. It only took him a moment to realize what Winter was speaking of.
"You want something from a future Avatar," Sen said. He paused slightly. He had rarely considered what would become of the Avatar after him. He was focused on his own problems, rarely thinking of what might befall his next incarnation. It was a strange thing to think about. It was even more discomforting to make deals on behalf of a person who hadn't even been born yet.
"I'm not sure I'm comfortable putting that burden on someone else."
"Every action you take burdens future generations, often in unseen ways," Winter said. "I doubt Korra anticipated that returning bending to a certain metalbender would begin a chain of events that caused the annihilation of the White Lotus."
Sen grit his teeth. It was an unpleasant thought. Sarin's grandfather had been inspired to pursue Energybending because of Korra's actions, and that miniscule action, something Korra had probably never thought twice about, had caused so much death. It made Sen wonder what actions of his might contribute to future chaos.
"At least in this case the future Avatar will know what to expect," Wane advised. Sen nodded. There would be that, at least.
"Witches are concerned mostly with ourselves," Warmth assured him. "We won't ask your successor for anything that would harm another."
Sen grit his teeth. Warmth's reassurances did very little to ease his nerves. He knew very well that making this deal was a mistake.
"Deal."
Some mistakes had to be made. Sen needed the knowledge the Witches had to offer.
"Now, how to give you what you seek," Winter said, stroking her chin with bony fingers. "Normally we would pry the knowledge from the king of secrets, but he fears you greatly."
"The king of-"
Sen's eyes shot open wide.
"The Hssk?"
"Mm, is that his name," Winter said, sounding intrigued. Wane and Warmth looked at one another in surprise. "Yes, we have consorted with the Mind-Eater. It is how we acquire the secrets for which we are famous."
"So you can see him? You can remember him? How?"
Sen was only aware of the Hssk's existence because Vaatu allowed it, and that was not a power he could share. If there were some other way to remember the Hssk, some way he could share the knowledge with his allies, then it could completely shift the tide of his fight with Sarin.
"It is not something that can be shared," Wane said harshly. "Our insight is ours alone."
"You could as easily give your friends an extra eye as show them the king of secrets," Warmth said. Wane and Winter shot her a dirty look. Sen shook his head. His hopes had been raised and then dashed quite quickly.
"If we cannot go to the Mind-Eater, then how will we honor our end of the bargain?" Wane asked. They were as beholden to Sen now as he was to them. A Witches bargain could not be broken, not even by the Witches themselves.
"It is not as if we are brainless without the Mind-Eater," Winter boasted. "Wane, you shall tell him your story."
"I have many stories," Wane said.
"Your petulance begins to bore me," Winter said harshly. "You know of what I speak."
Wane pursed her lips and nodded stiffly. Winter stepped forward.
"From her you will gain knowledge," Winter said. "We shall discuss my offering afterwards."
"What will I have to give him, grandmother?" Warmth said cheerily. She was eager to participate in her first bargain as a Witch. They'd only had two other guests in her lifetime.
"I'm sure you will think of something, darling," Winter said. "Why don't you run off to find a gift for our guest?"
Warmth nodded eagerly and vanished into the cluttered depths of the Witches lair. Winter watched her skitter off, and then likewise motioned to leave the central chamber.
"Enjoy the story, Avatar," She chuckled. "You shall find it most illuminating."
Sen found that oddly threatening. Now left alone with Wane, he turned to the middle witch and examined her carefully. She was regarding him with no small amount of disdain.
"So," He said casually. "What's this story of yours about?"
"About the day the Energybender came to meet the Witches of Winter," Wane said.
Sen froze like the city streets around him. Wane's tightly pursed lips bent in a small frown as she saw his reaction. Sen was quick to regain his composure.
"He was here?"
"He was," Wane said calmly. "Sarin, as well as his brother, came to us some years before your emergence."
"You could have mentioned that earlier," Sen said angrily.
"We owe you nothing, Avatar," Wane said harshly. "We are no side but our own. We offer you this story only in exchange for your promise to aid us in the future. Do you wish to listen, or not?"
Sen sighed. The momentary panic was over. He settled in and listened to the tale of the Energybender.
The cold wind dug into Sarin's skin like fangs of ice biting into his flesh. This place was harsher than any forsaken landscape he had ever walked. He longed to be free of this icy wasteland. Nothing that lived out here was worth the effort, not even the witches his brother had spoken of so much.
Kalden led a quiet march across the wastes, ignoring the cold that dug its fangs into his weathered face. The eldest of the two Energybending brothers was far beyond such mortal concerns as the cold: the spirit-rending cost of Energybending had devoured too much of his soul for him to be bothered by things as petty as the cold.
The icy streets of Coldharbor offered some respite from the gnawing wind, but the deathly cold remained. Abandoned tools and homes stood still in the frozen air, leering threateningly at those who would dare disturb their hundred years long rest. Sarin was looking over his shoulder constantly. He had the feeling that someone was watching them.
The elder Energybender paid no mind to their observer in the shadows. He'd known from the minute they'd walked in that their every move was being monitored. It was why he wore the mask. Disguising his face was best when dealing with these witches; if they saw Kalden's prematurely aged face, they might take it for a sign of weakness. He could afford no such assumptions in this matter.
"I don't think the witches want to be found," Sarin said aloud. Kalden quieted him with a wave of his hand.
"Or perhaps they prefer to find us," Kalden pondered. He was answered by a few shuffling footsteps from the alleyway. Kalden turned to the source of the noise.
"Such wisdom from a man in a mask," A woman mused. She wore a long robe, with sparse ornamentation. She seemed amused by Kalden's appearance. "You look like an old adversary."
"I would prefer to look like a new friend," Kalden said. He held his ground against the strangers advance. Sarin took a cautious step back, ready to attack if it was necessary.
"We have no need for friends," The witch said harshly. Any amusement dropped from her face. "I am Wane, of the Witches of Winter. If you have something to offer, we will take it."
"Then take me to your fellows," Kalden requested. "And we will strike a bargain."
Wane gestured stiffly down the streets of Coldharbor, and the two Energybenders fell in line. They walked far behind Wane, keeping their distance so as to converse in private.
"Speak nothing to them," Kalden advised his brother. He knew very little of these Witches, but he knew they were not to be trifled with. "Listen if they speak to you, but do not respond."
Sarin nodded. His brother had the entire endeavor quite thoroughly planned out, as he did everything. Under their fathers leadership the organization had been a cult of a few dozen people; under Kalden's cunning and charismatic hand, that number had grown to the thousands. He had taken the Cult of the Energybender from a few devoted individuals into a true army to be reckoned with. Sarin never questioned his brothers orders.
Wane led the brothers to the home of the Witches. Sarin took one look around and decided he might wish to be elsewhere. The skeleton of some unknown predator looked down at him from the ceiling, its empty eyes glaring with surprising malice for a creature long dead. Kalden tapped his brother on the shoulder to set his mind straight. They were in the company of Witches now: fear could not be allowed.
The youngest of the witches was little more than a girl, perhaps six or seven years old. She seemed greatly displeased with Kalden's presence in her home. Wane regarded them as a nuisance at best, given the look on her face. Winter, yet the oldest of them all, seemed to be in a state of perpetual amusement with events. Nothing would ever remove that sadistic smile from her face.
"You are quite the curiosity," Winter said.
"I don't like them," The young Warmth said. She then left the home at a light pace. Winter raised a narrow eyebrow at her rapid retreat. Warmth was too young to be a proper Witch yet, so her presence was not required, but it was odd to see her flee so quickly. Winter knew her granddaughter well. She was no coward, nor was she shy. She had some ulterior motive for this departure.
"You, young one," Winter said, pointing a bony finger at Sarin. "Go and keep an eye on my granddaughter. We shall deal with your brother."
Sarin was somewhat reluctant to leave, but at a nod from his brother, Sarin acquiesced to Winter's request. Left alone with Kalden and Wane, Winter smiled ever more broadly.
"You are so frightened of us," Winter said. "You command your brother not to speak, and you hide behind a mask."
They had known the Energybenders would be coming to visit them before even Kalden did. It was inevitable, after all, that two individuals training in long-forgotten powers would seek the aid of the Witches.
"I should have known," Kalden said. He had been worried this might happen. He removed his mask, placing the grey disguise along the wall of the Witches home. His weathered face now exposed, he turned back to the witches. Wane and Winter examined his tortured face with a sort of sadistic glee.
"Sarin has a role to play, and I will see that he plays it according to my plans," Kalden said harshly. "Everything I do is to prepare him."
"And do you believe he will ever be prepared? The boy was not even born a bender."
Kalden's wrinkled face bent into a severe frown. It was true that Sarin had not been born with natural bending abilities, but Kalden had granted him airbending along with his Energybending abilities. The real problem was that the Witches could tell the difference. Perhaps they knew too much.
"I am here to prepare my brother to the best of my ability," Kalden said. It had been nearly a decade since the attack on the White Lotus, and Kalden felt his time was running out. Energybending had done too much damage to his soul. He had to find a way to keep the same fate from befalling Sarin, if only for the sake of their victory.
"I have wasted enough time already," he continued. "I need knowledge, and you can offer it."
"Your determination is commendable," Winter said mockingly. "Come, then, let us make a deal."
While an arcane bargain was struck within the house, a more mundane interaction occurred outside. Sarin had been approached by the young Witch with curious intent.
"Do you have a father?"
Sarin said nothing. He always followed Kaldens orders, and Kalden said not to speak. Sarin had little to say anyway. He had no memory of his father. The cost of Energybending had consumed him very shortly after Sarin was born, and Kalden had taken over as the Energybender.
"I never knew my father," Warmth complained. "Mother says he was looking for his son, so I suppose I have a brother too. I don't know him either."
Sarin looked down at the small Witch. She seemed very sad. She waited a moment for him to speak, but he did not. She continued on with her story all the same.
"Mother says something terrible happened in the Earth Kingdom, and lots of parents became afraid of their children. My father didn't want to give up his son, but his wife did, so she took him away. Now my father's looking for him."
Sarin frowned. He knew exactly what she was talking about. He had been on hand during the attack on the White Lotus, the event that had sparked a schism between parents and their own children. Thousands of infants had been orphaned because of Kalden's attack.
"That's why he came to us, and that's why I was born," Warmth said. "Mother and Grandmother couldn't find my brother, though. I guess my father is still looking."
She kicked her bare feet across the icy streets and looked up at the mountain tops. She frowned broadly.
"I think it's awful that someone would take away a son, don't you?"
Her intentions seemed innocent enough. Sarin didn't speak, but he did nod in agreement. Warmth seemed pleased to finally get a response out of him. It meant he was paying attention. She looked up at Sarin with wide, innocent eyes.
"I think whoever does something that awful should die."
Sarin turned away from her quickly. Unseen by him, Warmth smiled wickedly. So many people underestimated children. But even as a child, Warmth was still a Witch. Nothing she said was unintentional.
Back inside the lair of the Witches of Winter, Kalden had struck his bargain with the Witches. His payment had been offered, and now it was time for the Witches to follow through on their end of the bargain. They could not offer him the location of the Avatar, as Raava's light blinded them to such things, but they could offer Kalden the knowledge he needed to fight the Avatar on equal terms.
Wane prepared the rites to summon the secret-keeper. Kalden watched carefully as she drew a strange pattern out of an unidentifiable colored powder, then added to it with layers of various colors, until an intricate and beautiful pattern had formed. The process took hours, but Wane's dedicated work paid off, and the simple patterns of dust expanded from the center in waves of vibrant colors, forming a strange kind of prismatic flower. The finished design was barely larger than Kalden's hand, yet it contained impossible levels of detail. Every time Kalden looked at it, he found some new beauty to admire.
Winter looked over the intricate mandala and nodded approvingly. Winter bowed as her daughter's work was finished and left the chamber. The Mind-Eater hated a large audience. Wane gestured to Kalden, and then to the chromatic mandala she had created.
"Destroy it," Wane commanded.
"It seems a shame," Kalden sighed. The patterns in the sand were among the more beautiful things Kalden had seen in his life.
"You are no stranger to destroying what is beautiful," Wane mocked. Kalden nodded.
He placed his palm on the intricate mandala and swept his hand across it, erasing hours of work and timeless beauty in a single sweep of his hand. Where once there had been gorgeous spirals of color and vibrant patterns there was now a black smear. A shard of pure blackness that seemed to grow darker and darker as Kalden watched.
From the depths of the ruined colors, the King of Secrets emerged, its four jaws flexing with malice. The Hssk was not summoned willingly, naturally. The Witches craft compelled it to act, and it was forced to give up its precious secrets against its will. It longed for a way to pry itself free of their power.
As the power of witchcraft compelled him, the Hssk crawled through the mind of Kalden, scouring his mind. Winter watched carefully as the Hssk went about its search. It would find what Kalden needed to know and grant him the information he sought.
But something was wrong. The King of Secret's tone seemed to change. Its anger faded, and it seemed to settle into Kalden's mind almost willingly. For once, Wane's façade of annoyance broke, taking on a slight look of concern.
The Hssk had searched Kalden's mind and discovered his intention. A world without order or chaos, a world of complete and utter stagnation, appealed to the Mind-Eater. A world without ego or curiosity was a world without discovery, a world where secrets would never be uncovered and new things would never be a learned. The Hssk would never again lose one of his precious secrets to the curiosity of mortal minds. With four razor-fanged jaws, the Hssk smiled.
The shadow of the Hssk never rose from Kalden's features. Wane stared in silent observation, barely containing the current of fear that ran through her veins. This had never happened before.
Kalden opened his eyes, and for just a moment, in the blackness of his pupils, Wane saw the blue pinpricks of the Hssk's eyes. Kalden rose and bowed to the witch.
"My thanks for your assistance," Kalden said. He left the room without another word, retrieving Sarin on his way out.
The Mind-Eater had made Kalden an offer. To rival the Avatar, Kalden would need the combined might of a mortal, a Spirit of Light, and a Spirit of Darkness. The Hssk could offer the power of the shadows, but they would need another to balance out his darkness, and the Hssk knew exactly where to look.
Sarin and Kalden departed Coldharbor, heading for the Spirit World, and the Undying Bloom where the immortal Ta Jide Shui lived his endless life.
"What truly happened in the depths of that Energybender's mind, I cannot say," Wane said. "But his alliance with the Mind-Eater began that day."
Sen clenched his fists. So he had the Witches to blame for Sarin's alliance with the Hssk and Ta Jide Shui. He knew better than to try and lecture them about it, however. The Witches of Winter were completely amoral. At least know he knew a little more about Sarin and the Hssk, and about Kalden, as well. Sarin's older brother had been an enigma up to this moment.
The grey mask that Kalden has once worn stared out at Sen from its place on the wall. Sen had to wonder what had become of the elder brother. Had Energybending consumed his soul, or had some other fate befallen him?
"He vanished not long afterwards," Wane said, sensing Sen's curiosity. "Sarin is the only Energybender now. Of that there is no doubt."
"Do you know anything else about them? Their history?"
"Only that which I have told you. They left without a word not long after the summoning," Wane said. "Are we done here?"
"You don't like me much, do you?"
Warmth seemed oddly fond of Sen, and Winter was ambivalent at best, but Wane seemed to hold an active disregard for Sen. He couldn't imagine why. He'd never done anything to offend her.
"You remind me of someone I greatly dislike," Wane said, toying with the emerald ring on her finger. "We shall leave it at that."
Sen sighed and nodded. Wane was quick to leave. Sen stood up and prepared to move on. He still had to deal with Winter.
Outside, Ariak was keeping a careful eye on the home of the Witches. He wanted to be ready to go the moment Sen left that accursed lair. He stared unblinkingly at the exit from the building. He was used to such stakeouts from his days as a Shorewatcher. His hands wrung nervously around a nonexistent spear. Part of him still longed for the return of his old weapon.
"Hey Avatar's friend," Warmth said from behind him. Ariak hopped out of his seat and quickly whipped around. Warmth giggled at the way he jumped in fear.
"Please stop scaring me like that," Ariak pleaded. Warmth continued to laugh.
"You should get used to it," She advised. "The youngest of three women is going to be a big problem for you soon."
"What?"
"Doesn't matter," Warmth chimed happily. "What kind of present should I give the Avatar?"
Ariak sat down and tried to relax. Warmth was the least threatening of the Witches, and she seemed fond of Sen. They could probably trust her. Probably. Ariak knew better than to completely drop his guard around the Witches.
"Well," Ariak wondered aloud. "He came here to learn about his enemies."
"Mother is already telling him everything about that," Warmth whined. She flopped to the floor and pouted dramatically. "What can I give him?"
"Well…He likes learning, and he likes being prepared. Maybe you can give him something useful, or tell him something he doesn't know."
"Ah, that's perfect," Warmth said, hopping to her feet. Inspiration seemed to have struck her quickly. She ran off back to her home, leaving Ariak alone once again, which suited him just fine. He resumed his watch over the lair of the Witches.
Within the lair, Sen passed through shrouded halls, searching for the eldest Witch. The home of the Witches of Winter was surprisingly expansive. Sen saw all manner of rooms in his search, from tempting libraries to an oddly orderly kitchen. One thing Sen noticed, but did not question, was that there seemed to be no bedrooms among the myriad chambers of the Witches coven.
Sen found Winter in some kind of sitting room. It held far fewer curios and decorations than the main chamber, but there was still a lot to be seen. A collection of ancient maps hung along one wall, displaying the world as it had once been before the United Republic had reshaped the maps. Winter herself was sitting in a wood-carved rocking chair, rolling gently back and forth as she observed the Avatar.
"The world has changed, hasn't it," Winter mused. She didn't particularly care about the state of the world; she just wanted to hear Sen's reaction. Sen did not disappoint.
"Superficially, maybe," Sen said. "People still do the same things they were doing back then. There's still a lunatic who thinks he's doing the right thing, and there's still an Avatar who's going to stop him."
Winter laughed under her breath.
"You do not disappoint, Avatar," She said. She rose from her rocking chair and walked over to him. "Such certainty in your voice, though you do not even know what you fight against."
"I'm learning," Sen said. "And of course, you're about tell me more."
"It is so," Winter said with a smile. "Though I will show you more than tell you."
Winter held up her hand and examined her gaunt fingertips. Her fingers clattered slightly as her golden rings tapped against one another. She smiled through wrinkled lips.
"Sarin longs for a world without chaos and order," Winter said. "Do you understand what that means, Avatar? A world without black or white?"
"I've been closer than most," Sen said. Years of apathy still burned in his skull, all the wasted years he had spent cowering in the Beaker Hall orphanage. Sen had a firsthand experience with a life without joy or pain, and he would not allow it to happen again.
"You have come close, yes, but you have not felt the truth of the matter," Winter said. She held out her hand and her fingertips lingered close to Sen's chest. "You do not understand."
"Now," She said, pushing her fingertips slowly forward. "Understand."
With a quick jerk of her wrist, Winter's cold fingers grasped Sen's heart, sending a cold shock through his blood. He flinched, felt a brief moment of fear, and then –nothing.
It was not a thing like death, or unconsciousness. Sen was awake, and fully cognizant of his life, but he felt no urge to move or act. In the back of his mind he knew that soon he would have to sleep or eat, but that was all that concerned him. He felt no desire to do anything; he did not long for the companionship of his friends, nor did he wish to seek out and defeat his enemies. In his heart there was no rage or love or sadness, or anything at all. There was only life, and nothing else.
Winter withdrew her fingers, releasing the grip of apathy, and Sen screamed louder than he had ever screamed before. He fell backwards, knocking the wall of maps to the floor as he slowly lurched to the floor. The pain of the impact was a welcome sensation in Sen's mind; feeling pain was better than feeling nothing at all. Sen clutched at his face with both hands, digging his fingertips into his face until he nearly drew blood.
For those brief seconds he had been robbed of everything and everyone he cared about. He had felt no desire to reunite with Hanjo or Miyani, or to spend any time with his other friends. All the love and trust he shared with the people he cared about had been torn out of his heart. He clutched at his skull, trying to cling to those thoughts, and never lose them again.
"And now you understand what you have to lose," Winter said with a chuckle. Few people were lucky enough to understand the horrible consequences of failure.
Sen clutched at the wall and pulled himself to his feet. In some people, such a rapid change from apathy to intensity might have caused a tumultuous explosion of emotions. Sen was not one such person. His brief experience with the apathy that Sarin intended to impress upon the world had narrowed his focus down to a singular point.
"Is that all you have to teach me?" he groaned loudly.
"This is all we can offer," Winter said.
"Then I'm leaving," Sen said, shaking off the last dregs of apathy and readying himself to face the world. Up until now he had been fighting a vague sense of unease about Sarin's plan to remove chaos and order. Now he knew exactly what the consequences would be if he failed, and that terrified him. He had never before been quite so determined to defeat Sarin. He could not allow the entire world to be condemned to that kind of living death.
"Until we meet again, Avatar," Winter said with a smile. Sen nodded and stomped towards the door. Wane bid him a cursory farewell on his way out. Sen cast aside the curtain that barred entrance to the Witches lair and stepped out into the frozen city of Coldharbor. Ariak quickly jumped to his feet as he saw the Avatar exit.
Sen intended to march right back to the North Pole and prepare for the future, but there was a slight speed bump on that road. Warmth was standing between Sen and Ariak, with her hands tucked behind her back.
"Hi Avatar," She said with a wide, but hesitant, smile. "I came to tell you something too."
Warmth danced slightly on her bare feet, clearly thinking of what she was going to say. She had options, after all. The other Witches would be mad at her for saying too much, so she had to choose the right one.
"Do you know why we live in Coldharbor?"
Sen looked around at the frozen city streets. His experience with Winter was clouding his thoughts, so he couldn't quite come to a conclusion on his own.
"No?"
"It's because it's quiet here," Warmth said. "It's quiet, and calm. It makes it easier to listen, and to see…Like ripples travelling through still water. Sometimes if you focus, you can see things, and hear them. Witches and masters and all kinds of people like quiet places like this, because it helps them see."
"…Okay."
"I think you could do it, Avatar," Warmth said. "Maybe if you focus, you could feel something. Anything."
Sen looked at Ariak. He was eager to leave, but Sen had a sneaking suspicion that Warmth was trying to tell him something. It would only take a few minutes. Sen paused, closed his eyes, and listened.
Warmth was right: it was astoundingly quiet. There was no wind to create noise, no snowfall to create motion, no life to add confusion. It was oddly serene, and Sen once again felt like he had been in a place like this before.
The quiet was all Sen felt, though. His head was still touched by his brush with apathy, and all his focus was internal. He could hardly see the echoes of the world that Warmth wanted him to see. He stopped focusing and sighed.
"Sorry, Warmth, I don't think I can right now," Sen said. Warmth frowned.
"That's okay," She said sadly. "Maybe you can try some other time."
Sen nodded. It would have to wait for another time, and another quiet place. Right now he needed to return to the North Pole. He had business to take care of. Warmth presented one more slight delay. She surprised Sen by jumping up and wrapping her arms around his shoulders in a tight hug.
Moments ago he had been so determined to storm onwards to his destiny, but the embrace gave him some pause. He allowed himself to wait for a moment. He could not be so afraid of losing friendship and love that he stopped enjoying them. He wrapped one arm around her and enjoyed Warmth's embrace.
It ended quickly, and Warmth scampered away from Sen, looking suddenly shy. Sen waved goodbye and walked onwards towards Ariak. Ariak was glad to leave the Witches behind, but Sen looked over his shoulder one more time, just in time to see Warmth joined by her mother and grandmother.
They watched the Avatar leave, and as soon as he was out of sight, the elder Witches turned to Warmth.
"Do not feel guilty," Winter said. "You tried your best to warn him."
"You seemed oddly fond of the young Avatar," Wane said suspiciously.
"I'm a little girl," Warmth said. "My affection is capricious."
Winter and Wane both knew that was a lie. There was a connection there that the elder Witches could not see. The chilled quiet of Coldharbor did not enlighten them to the hearts of their daughter. The serenity did, however, allow them to hear echoes of the things that were –and what would be. They had seen the shadow and noise that Sen had not. They knew what was about to begin –and what was about to end.