Warnings for this chapter: Water Tribe focus, implied sexual content, some unreliable narrator

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After that night under the stars she spent with Hakoda, the balance aboard the vessel had shifted for Ursa, and with it a world of possibilities made clear and present.

Hakoda watched her sometimes out of the corner of his eye during the day, gaze flickering over to her as he wound a length of rope across his hands, almost nervously like he was worried she would disappear when he wasn't paying attention. And made sure she always had a meal (even if she was slow to adjust to the differing diet). His attentiveness was at once both worrisome to her and endearing at the same time. Worrisome because she knew without the need for words that whoever Hakoda had lost to her country was someone he loved, and the hurt was clear enough to continue onto Ursa. But it was endearing as well, because Hakoda was too nervous to be anything but genuine to her, possibility for deception not even a thought in her mind.

It was grounding, to know that he cared for her. Even as wild and unexpected as the truth was.

(Love wasn't a word Ursa wanted to use in seriousness just yet, not for something so young and fresh. But even so, she could feel the emotion he inspired in her blossoming little by little, like a Fire Flower blooming in mid-winter.)

But it wasn't as though his attentiveness went unacknowledged. Though unwilling to label their relationship, Ursa took new interest in the talks that she spent with him, subject matter varying wildly from what they were before. Hakoda listened as she told him wistfully of the gardens back home, verdant green flower beds sprouting blooms in clusters that the household tended to dutifully. When a faintly pained look entered his features, she hesitated until the man waved her on to continue. Ursa knew he couldn't provide that for her, no matter how much he wanted to. She believed him when Hakoda told her there were beautiful things in the South too, but hoping for flowers was too much to expect from a world of ice and snow.

Still, he listened and that was everything she hoped for. To be heard was a precious thing.

Aboard the Water Tribe vessel, there were no secrets. In such a cramped space, it was impossible to keep her relation with the Chief under the radar, even if they were subtle. Ursa had worried that the crew, unswervingly loyal and honest, would reject her for daring to be involved with their leader. It was a fear born of losing the trust she was beginning to entrust to them. But she was no stranger to them now. Ursa walked among the men of the South for long enough to know their names, their stories, and their protectiveness over those they considered their kin.

So they did not reject Ursa, and the relief surged through her. It wouldn't do for her to become so entangled with the brilliant Chief, only for his own people to make him bear the fallout for it. If they had been from the more established North, or if Hakoda hadn't been such a capable and well-respected leader, she wouldn't have gotten off so easily.

Even when Hakoda's second in command decided to cross ships to meet her himself.

Bato was Hakoda's right hand man and introduced himself as a friend who'd known the Chief since he was a kid, commanding one of the two ships that usually accompanied his leader's vessel. If it were not for the benign smile, he would have looked intimidating in form alone. Bato looked roughly a few years older than Hakoda and practically towered over most of the crew, long haired and hard-edged.

After the initial introductions were made though, Bato asked to speak with Ursa in his office alone. His friend agreed with a furrowed brow, stepping aside to leave him in his office, seeming to take all the energy in the room away with him.

"You might want to sit down, Lady Ursa, I'd like to get this over with," The man told her, slipping into place behind Hakoda's desk. It was odd to see him there, but she supposed Bato was a good friend of Hakoda, and commanded his own ship besides; he shouldn't look so out of place. "There's just something I need to check, so I know that you know what you're getting into here."

Ursa took a seat across from him, uncertain of what this could all be about. Hiding hesitance behind poise, she spoke up, "Was there something in particular you wanted to ask me about?"

"Yes…" He paused, rifling his fingers through the papers on the desk, before looking straight up and staring sharply into her eyes. "I don't know how to phrase this gently, so I'm just going to come out and say it…are you in love with Hakoda?"

What? Ursa froze in her chair, staring at the warrior with wide eyes. Hakoda was more cagey than this and never pushed the subject even when it was convenient for him, heeding her tendency to dance around the issue instead of confronting it. It was their flaw, both too cautious and indirect to face their emotions directly unless pushed otherwise, but still… For Bato to address it now almost felt like an accusation, an ultimatum. "Why are you asking me this…?"

"Because I need to make sure that you've thought through this…relationship, because whether you want to or not, it's going to be brought up the moment you arrive at the Tribe. The elders are going to have things to say to you, Ursa. They trust Hakoda as Chief, so as long as you're committed and honest, they'll ultimately defer to his judgement even if they fuss about it at first," Bato allowed himself a small smile of amusement before his expression sobered up again. "Also because Hakoda is my friend and he's more sensitive than he seems. I'd rather he not throw himself headlong into this unless you're certain."

He quieted then, presumably to let her think, and she was grateful for it.

Did she love him? Ursa knew that she cared for Hakoda a great deal, eager to hear his opinions and thoughts, happy for any helpful touch he extended to her (once mere politeness now meaning something more), and respectful of his abilities. And she couldn't label her affections as platonic either (not anymore certainly, the first kiss had seen to that thoroughly), not when the fire in her blood and the veiled passion within it wondered at what he looked like under the cover of that blue cloth…

She couldn't deny that if Hakoda had asked her directly to take that step, she would have indulged him.

So yes, Ursa wanted more, and to return the favor as well. Because wasn't that what Hakoda wanted; Bato implied as much, that his friend was willing to go all the way if she was real. And if that was the case… "I've never been in love before, so I don't know how it feels," Ursa regained the poise he'd broken before, straightening in her seat, "but I care for him deeply and want to share that with him as long as I can. If that's love, then yes, I do love him."

Bato relaxed and released the breath he was holding, the benign look returning to his face, "Well, that's really what I needed to know." But he didn't immediately leave, and Ursa took the opportunity to tell him how her motivations changed over the journey, that she hadn't always trusted Hakoda, but always saw value in his words. Her speech wasn't just to win Bato's good opinion, but to strengthen herself as well; in hindsight, it wasn't too hard to believe how Ursa had arrived to this point. She was silent afterwards, and the quiet man gave her his own personal nod of acknowledgement, and approval. He rose from the desk and Ursa quickly did the same, glancing out the window on his right to observe the rolling waves, "We're about a week from landfall. From here on, its Southern Water Tribe waters, so be prepared for the cold."

"Thank you, Bato, for asking me about this," She said, stopping the man before he could open the door and leave. "I think you've sorted out some things I was feeling by asking me that."

"I'm just looking out for my best friend, though for what's it worth, I hope you don't have any trouble with the Tribe," With a last, cursory nod, he finally opened the door and stepped away. Sighing as he pulled the door shut behind him, Ursa felt the tension leaving her there in the office as Bato left to have one more talk with Hakoda.

Somehow, she had managed to pass his test, and that did ease some of the pressure.

But now that she only had one week before landfall, Ursa knew that she'd be facing another one at least when the Tribe saw her.

Ursa waited there a little longer before rising to her feet and leaving the office, feeling lighter.

After all, what could change in a week?

A few nights before their arrival, Ursa finally seized the opportunity she'd been craving. An opportunity that would change her future from then onward.

It happened on a quiet night, when the water currents settled and the bustling activity on the ship eased to a halt, leaving them rocking slowly in a dark sea.

Ursa slipped out of her room well into the night, doing her best not to draw the attention of the warrior on watch that hour. Maybe the crew was all well aware and mostly accepting of the direction of their Chief's affections, but tonight was one in which she wanted a measure of privacy. It wasn't just that even accepting eyes could be tiring on such close quarters either.

Ursa hiked up her dress as she stepped lightly across the planks in her soft, insulated shoes the Chief had given her, bundling dark cloth between her fingers and silent in the dark. The old silk layers had worn to pieces ages ago, but the supply runs Hakoda had undergone had provided her with more to wear to make up the difference. The protection she wore now was more like a particularly lengthy parka than a dress and suited to the regional southern cold, heavy russet brown cloth and lined with gray fur, an under layer padded enough that she rarely felt the rougher exterior. It was very different to the touch, but pleasantly warm.

Ursa found her way across the ship and made it to a door that was now so familiar to her, knocking on the wood with two brief taps of her knuckles. Whether it was because he was a warrior accustomed to being on the move or a personal habit of character, Hakoda was a remarkably light sleeper, and it didn't take long for the entrance to creak open before her. Ursa didn't waste any time and stepped inside quickly, smiling smoothly at the man on the other side of the threshold, the room lit only by a single solitary candle from the desk.

Shutting the door to leave them in privacy, Ursa did the same things that she did every time she visited his room during the lonely hour, pulling herself from the cumbersome outer layers and offering out her hand for him to take.

A request for a dance.

Teaching Hakoda how to dance had been a spur of the moment decision on her part, something to do while waiting for that last week on the open sea to be over.

And to be frank, he had a lot to learn.

The Water Tribe, or at least the settlements in the southern reaches, didn't usually engage in revelry or celebration since the war had stifled and changed their country, but it wasn't as though they didn't know anything about it. Ursa heard from the crew about honorable rites offered to the moon and and the winter solstice, recognition of warriors and builders with the passing of age, some part of a history that had survived the invasions. And though not all of them involved open celebration, some did.

But apparently Hakoda was not an expert on the quieter affairs. He was a man who didn't understand the appeal of the upper class' definition of dancing, the grace and poise expected of it, and its value in privacy. Ursa was certain that she could show him the value in it though, the intimacy that public revelry simply couldn't capture.

She guided him over the floor in slow, languid steps, emphasizing every move to be as smooth and forethought as possible. Hakoda's eyes studied her as they moved, committing her actions to memory, learning just as easily as she expected from him. The Chief was a man of learning and his actions thus far made it clear, picking up on both the emotional and cultural significance Ursa wanted to impart to him. He could learn the steps, if only he displayed the desire to. That said, Hakoda couldn't resist enjoying himself in his own way too. He laughed at himself when he stumbled, working to coax smiles out of her in spite of the somber pace, and his lively steps itched for speed and energy. Ursa wanted still more.

The faintly flirtatious looks aimed over their joined hands didn't help either.

But as she relaxed, Ursa found herself caught up by the energy and enthusiasm that her partner exuded, little by little, kicking up her feet. They moved faster, no longer stifled in near silence, dancing in tight circles in the constricting quarters. Barely keeping quiet, grace drizzling away, the candle on Hakoda's desk swayed in time to the beats.

And in tandem, a flame inside Ursa flared up in turn.

When their increasingly haphazard turns brought them close to Hakoda's bunk, her hands pressed hard against his chest, unbalancing his steps enough to drop him to the bed. And she followed soon after, hands bearing down on his shoulders as if to try to pin him there, even if it was just for show.

Hakoda stared up at her for a moment, almost in puzzlement at the sudden turn of events, and then laughed, "You planned that, you little sneak!"

"I learned by example," Ursa murmured, her heart racing. She was finally at the crux of want, and no matter how many layers of poise she wrapped herself in, the passion of the Fire Nation still ebbed at her core. "I want to see all of you," She said, pulling at the blue threads that barred them. Up to this point, Hakoda's hands had been her favorite part of him for more than one reason, but tonight could easily change her mind. But before she could, the man's hands moved up to catch hers and held them in place, meeting her eyes. "What?"

His tone was imploring, "Ursa, I need you to be sure about this. I can't undo anything that's already been done, so–"

She cut him off with a kiss, startling the warrior enough that he dropped her hands, and leaned in close. "I know, Hakoda. Trust me, I thought about it for a long time after speaking to your friend the other day, and I'm not known for making impulsive decisions. I want this, and I have a feeling…you feel the same too." He didn't deny her, expression warm, fingers rubbing slow circles into her wrists. Certainty made her continue in a hushed, "Let's take the next step."

Hesitation and any barriers stripped away, Ursa fell into him at last after so many days of dancing around each other, both physically and emotionally. The breaking point never felt so satisfying. She lost herself that dark night in a tangle of tanned muscle and loose cloth.

They moved together like the even rocking of the waves that carried their vessel.

Slow, deliberate and lasting.

Undisturbed through the dark hours, the pair had no constriction of schedule to bother them this time and claimed the morning to talk and recover.

And though neither of them would recognize the signs and find the truth until later, Ursa would find out that night when she first sought physical pleasure from Hakoda, was in fact the very night that they would conceive their first child.

'What could change in a week,' indeed.

Reaching landfall in the southern reaches was an exciting affair for the entire crew, splitting the air with shouts and directions, bringing in the sails to slow them to a stop before the ice.

Ursa stood up on deck as out of the way as she could, observing as what was recently a meer white sheen on the horizon grew into a snow-covered landmass that spread far out into the distance. Hakoda had been telling the honest truth when he promised his home would impress.

For starters, it wasn't just white.

When the midday sun struck the ocean, it threw light across the icy cliffside across the land, painting them in many shades of blue, adding color to a landscape just muted enough not to be overwhelming. Several of the men told her that the light changed with the hour, that sometimes in the twilight one could see the hues of purple as well. She could only look forward to the ribbons of light she's heard about at night, snaking across the sky so far out of reach.

But the impressive landscape was offset, unfortunately, by the barriered village near the shore. It was much smaller than Ursa had built up in her expectations, an irregular circle of igloos and a number of larger ones made up the settlement, mostly surrounded by a dense wall of packed snow that served as a defensive wall. Ursa had once read renditions of Water Tribe cities (North or South it never really specified, assuming of course the author cared about the difference) bolstered by a fortress wall of ice and snow. Somehow she'd imagined a city, comparable in size to something from home.

The reality didn't stack up to that at all.

It was understandable considering everything she'd been told but….

The undercurrent of hostility she remembered from the beginning gained new context.

But the ships weren't content to sit among the waves observing the villages, pulling up to the jagged coastline with a closeness that would have scuttled less skilled sailors, and lowered the gangplanks to shore without ceremony.

After that, warriors started unloading the ships, stepping off the vessels with arms full to meet the modest crowd of villagers gathering on the shore to welcome home the company. Some of the crew stayed apart, exchanging politeness but not drifting too far away from the ships. Thanks to so long at sea, Ursa had come to learn that these men were probably some of those that Hakoda had recruited into his ranks from other settlements, and their homes were farther away yet. But for now they mingled on the coast, lending a hand to the rest as best as able.

Ursa caught sight of Hakoda making his way down the plank before her, rushing to embrace a much older woman with a tight bun of grayed hair. The two of them began to talk animatedly, voices easily drowned out by the cacophony of noise settled over the docks. "Who is she?" Ursa remarked curiously, not aware she was speaking loud enough to be heard until someone took notice. The cook, Wolrik, had been handling a crate full of pots and pans nearby when she spoke and leaned a little closer to explain.

"That right there is Kanna, one of the circle of elders. She's one of the most respected among them and definitely the most loved. Kanna's like…a mother to everyone in the village." Ursa nodded quietly, watching while the woman pointed a finger in Hakoda's face sternly like she was scolding him. Wolrik chuckled, crate shifting in his grip with a clang as he took in the sight of his Chief being berated and moved away. "Well, more so for Hakoda than the rest of us of course."

Ursa didn't miss the implication of family there, the way that Hakoda only replied to Kanna's chiding with a embarrassed smile and shrugged. But then Kanna turned and scanned the docking ships, before her eyes took a double-take and alighted on Ursa's face, her black hair and pale skin standing out starkly among the crowd of tan and blue. The old woman had unusually sharp eyes, and the once-noble stood up straight, drawing the furs tighter around her body, self-conscious. Kanna looked more wary than angry, and nodded slowly when Hakoda called her down to join them. Uncertain but trusting him, Ursa did, adjusting to the give her heavily insulated shoes made in the snow, moving slowly as not to stumble in the drifts.

It wouldn't do for her to make a bad first impression on her first steps on the South after all.

Without even thinking about it, she shifted over to the brand of polite distance expected for meeting high society dignitaries. Judging by what she'd been told of the elders, the circle was more or less the Southern Water Tribe version of that anyway.

When she'd neared close enough, Ursa dipped her head respectfully, hands clasped together under her thick sleeves while Kanna regarded her with carefully appraising eyes and began to speak, "Lady Ursa, I presume…. We of the Water Tribe were not expecting to host someone of your…status."

Ursa modulated her voice carefully, hoping to get a read on her, "After some careful deliberation between myself and Chief Hakoda, he graciously offered me the opportunity to learn more about your people. I've learned a great deal from him during the voyage here."

Kanna stared at her thoughtfully and gave Hakoda a sideways glance, humming quietly to herself before speaking up, "Hmm, I'm certain he did." Hakoda coughed into his fist and looked away, looking embarrassed. "Regardless, the moment the elders here were informed you were coming to meet with us, they called a council on the decision. Many have some very…mixed reactions to our esteemed Chief's idea to bring someone of the Fire Nation here, despite your bloodline. They respect him, but there are concerns still. You are the tipping point. You must speak with them, earnestly, and convince them you can be trusted," Kanna sighed slowly, turning to look over her shoulder at the town center, where a larger igloo was set apart from the others. "Trust and loyalty are among the most valued traits for the southern people. So appealing to these is the first thing you must do in order to be accepted here."

The older woman broke off and headed for the igloo, gesturing for Ursa to follow. As they walked, the older woman kept shooting Hakoda suspicious glances out of the corner of her eye, and the man was making a pointed effort not to make eye contact.

Hakoda stopped at the entrance, giving her an encouraging look, "This is as far as I can go. Convincing the elders is up to you now, Ursa." Even though he didn't go into detail, the woman read the message in his eyes clearly enough; he was too close to the issue to have a say beyond what he'd already done. It was a check on the Chief's power that she was unused to back home.

Either way, Ursa nodded and stepped onward, moving the fur covering to follow Kanna inside.

The chamber was a looming space, presumably for town meetings and celebrations, and much of the village could probably fit comfortably inside. Before her on the far side of the igloo, the council was a small-ish half circle of a dozen elder men and women, including Kanna who took her place on the far, right side. Blue banners circled them, marked with the emblem of the Water Tribe and tied around the poles of ceremonial spears impaled in the ice. Each of the elders were sitting on a thick pallet of fur, while a thirteenth, empty one sat a couple meters in front of them.

Ursa took the invitation for what it was, taking her place before the council. Despite the buildup, both Hakoda and his friend had insisted that she would be fine if she was honest, and Ursa had confidence that they were correct. Who would know better?

"Lady Ursa," One of the men began to speak, beard and hair tied and frosted white with age. "We are aware of your pedigree by the boon of our Chieftain's messages, of the value you held as a woman due to marry into the royal family, and your family's current status of wealth and prosperity. But we do not know you, or what motivates you. Who are you, and why did you come to our homeland, Fire Nation native as you are?"

Ursa paused, thinking on how best to satisfy them, "Where would you like me to start, Sir?"

From the beginning," The man intoned, and the woman braced herself for another long tale.

She started back, back when her family had received the summons and a hefty dowry to pay for her hand in marriage, and how–at the time–it was considered to be such a great honor. Ursa had been…ambivalent about the arrangement she remembered, and now it seemed like a relief to be from it, knowing who she had met instead. Ursa didn't really touch on her feelings for Hakoda though, she wasn't sure how it would be received yet. Instead the woman talked about the things the man had shown her, the world as it was, and how her opinions changed over time.

Ursa couldn't hate her home, she just couldn't. But this war should have ended a long time ago, long before it caused such devastation, and having the perspective given to her helped to see that. Ursa told them that coming to the South was her idea, that she had come to respect them and wanted to learn more about the people and region from where Hakoda came from. Outside of her interest in him, this at least, was true.

Ursa's impassioned speech ended with the elders deliberating amongst themselves for a time in hushed voices, then turned their attention back toward her. "Ursa of the Fire Nation," The first man spoke again, "In light of the Chief's efforts and your story, we have decided to grant you asylum in the tribe." The declaration sent the built up tension from the woman's body washing away. But before she could get too excited he continued, "However, know that this is a privilege, not a right, and can be taken away at the first sign that you prove undeserving of our people's trust and respect. You will be watched by one of the elders for a time to be certain of your sincerity and after which we will discuss what you will be doing here in the tribe." With that pronouncement completed, the circle rose to their feet and exited the igloo.

All except for one.

Kanna was still seated in place, watching Ursa carefully. Out of all the elders, Ursa was the most wary by this one, she was the mother after all.

"Was…there something else?"

Kanna just nodded adjusting her hands in her lap and meeting Ursa's eyes head-on, with eyes that burned with a protective inner fire despite her age, "Yes, there is something. A very important conversation that should only be shared between you and me. Hakoda is romantically interested in you, isn't that right?" She didn't hesitate, and didn't mince words.

Ursa straightened up in surprise, "What?! He already told you–"

"Hakoda hasn't told me a thing, yet. But I can see it in his face, the way Hakoda looks at you, and the way you respond to him. Besides, he is my son. I know him well enough that he could never hide that kind of bond from me…" Kanna's gaze softened, interlocking her fingers thoughtfully. "So…I wanted to address those feelings with you first before he rejoined us here."

Ursa paused, thinking quickly to herself and knowing that she'd passed over some important decorum in her pursuit of the Chief. But in her defense, she never expected to meet her…. "Do you disapprove?"

"I don't know you well enough yet to pass judgement, and even if that were the case, this is something too personal to Hakoda for me to stop or forbid. He's not been a child for me to guide for a long time, long before he became Chief and I trust Hakoda to have thought his decision to get involved with you through. If we lived in the northern pole and adhered to the customs there, it would be a different story. The Chief would be expected to choose a bride from a powerful family or one laden with benders," Kanna looked at her wryly, "though you do successfully hit those points, at least. If you were Water Tribe, I actually doubt they would even mind."

The Northern Water Tribe was a strange topic to brush, untouched by war for decades, locked away by a fortress of ice and filled with waterbenders. The people that Fire Lord Azulon had never managed to reach and break down. Ursa wondered how the southerners managed not to hate them, damaged as they were and left unaided for so long. But it helped somewhat, knowing how different the distant cousins were from the Southern Water Tribe, how the culture that would have impeded her there wasn't a problem here.

"No," Kanna continued, her expression becoming more somber, "what concerns me is that…I'm worried that Hakoda isn't ready to risk his emotions again."

"…Again?"

Kanna didn't answer for a moment, looking away at the slopes of the domed wall, the Water Tribe symbols etched into their surface. "You must not repeat what I'm about to tell you. Normally I wouldn't broach this topic but," The old woman turned back, face deeply serious, "I'm only telling you to use caution, and I know Hakoda will never speak of it." She sighed quietly, faintly sad. "You are not the first woman that our young Chief has fallen for, to catch his heart, but she was taken away…. And not one of ours taken by the black ships ever returns."

The realization settled like a heavy weight on Ursa's mind. Oh, he was in love.

"Everyone knows each other in the Water Tribe, one way or another. But he never managed to confess the true depth of his feelings to her before she was lost to us," Kanna said.

"I never knew who it was…but on the first few times we talked, he spoke like a man who had lost someone. But I never knew it was love." Ursa admitted. Back then she had been looking for advantages, ways to get a verbal leg up on their interactions. It was probably a good thing in the end that she never knew what the true shape of his motivations were.

Kanna huffed, rising to her feet and waiting as Ursa did the same, "Hakoda is a careful man, and you are Fire Nation. Even now, even trusting you the way he does, these wounds aren't things he's keen to share." The two of them moved to the entranceway, and the elder gripped the hide cover hard between her fingers before pulling it aside, "All I'm asking is to be cautious with your words. Don't tear open any scars. I don't want to see that pain again."

Kanna stepped out alone, leaving Ursa staring at where she'd left.

The Southern Water Tribe was a busy place. The village was in constant motion, either from the adults working on their daily chores both inside or outside the walls, or the children that ran from end of the snowy town to the other. The men hunted and fished outside, worked on repairing the outer from wear and tear, and scouted beyond the reaches of the village on the boats to keep warned of any possible surprise attacks. Women built, stitching together tents, canoes, nets, and clothes for use throughout the population.

And the kids, well when they weren't learning from their elders, they played. The entire adult population essentially acted as babysitters for the younger generation if the parents needed it, watching as the children went from house to house unhindered. The openness and trust in the community allowed them to move with such seemingly worryless play. But beneath the innocent surface, everyone in the south knew that they were practically at war.

Ursa watched curiously from the doorway as they went, bundled up thickly in her russet furs, a spot of dark clothes and pale skin in a veritable sea of blue and deep tan. She had taken up temporary residence in a guest house near to the Chief's (though it didn't stop him from spending a lot of time with her anyway), and Kanna had taken steps to make sure she had resources until she got acclimated. Of course, it would cause a big stir if she immediately moved in with Chief Hakoda right after getting off the boat.

For a time, Ursa met the southern weather with illness and weakness. She pulled through and eventually acclimated to the climate but was left debilitated for weeks until she felt strong enough to venture outside again.

She remembered Hakoda hovering worriedly nearby so often he had to be chased off by Kanna and her healer. They chastised him for not attending to his duties, and that Ursa would be fine. The healer had told the woman that other foreigners fared much worse in comparison, and only after the fact did Ursa appreciate it.

And it may be that her inner fire had helped a little too.

After Ursa recovered, Kanna started to teach her all about duties around the village, what she could contribute to, how she could help. Ursa couldn't do nothing. There was no such thing as nobility in the Southern Tribe, and if there ever used to be, nobody remembered or needed it. (Of course there were nobles in the metaphorical sense, Ursa reflected, thinking of Hakoda and chivalry on the sea that men back home failed to show.)

The work was new, and tough, and it didn't take long for blisters to break out on her hands from a layer a physical labor she was never accustomed to undertaking.

Kanna wrapped them in a poultice and said that learning to do hands-on work after so long without it was a challenge in of itself. She had to take things slowly. Injuries were nothing if not expected in her situation. But as Ursa tended to her stinging fingers, now so removed from the soft noble's hands she remembered before…all of this, she found herself wondering about something else. For the past month she'd been putting on weight without much explanation.

Except that there was an explanation, a very big one that Ursa wasn't prepared for.

Combined with the sickness that hadn't entirely gone away, even after all the time Ursa had put into trying to adjust to the snow, she couldn't think of anything else it could be. Under the parka, it wasn't very noticeable, but Ursa knew that she couldn't hide it forever. If she had gone to the Fire Nation, it would be expected from her of course. But still….

It was Kanna that Ursa went to in the end, confessing about her condition and the cause.

"You're pregnant? So soon?" The old woman asked her, sounding more exasperated than angry. "By that timeline, it would have to have been soon before you arrived here, or just after…and I'm guessing on the former. Hmm, maybe Hakoda is more rash than I expected." There was definitely a level of frustration in that voice. Kanna told her in no uncertain terms that Hakoda had to be told immediately, and sent for him to come to the tent with the healer. "No good will come from being secretive. The council will put up less of a fuss over this than they did for the first day you came here, but I'll handle smoothing things over with them. Get some rest and don't wait up for Hakoda! You're not completely well yet, he'll understand."

Blown away by the whirlwind of activity from the older woman, Ursa didn't have the energy to argue, bundling herself down to rest and dozing off.

Hakoda was knelt down at her side when Ursa awoke. He had a strained look on his face like he'd been waiting on pins and needles for her to wake up. She didn't even have to guess what the first words out of his mouth would be, "Are we really going to have a child?"

"Seems so," Ursa said, still dazed from sleep.

The distance didn't bother Hakoda. He looked downright delighted, in contrast to her anxiety. And he reached down to draw her into an embrace, remaining gentle despite the obvious excitement flowing from him. Ursa smiled faintly, and settled into the crook of his neck.

She would let him have this. There would be plenty of time to panic later.

–

Ursa was moved into the Chief's quarters soon after the news of her condition became apparent. Hakoda insisted on it, both because having her separate from him when there was no doubt as to the father would cause problems and she would be more comfortable there. (To an extent, she was aware that Hakoda didn't really live much more highly than the rest of the village, but having him there with her more worked wonders.)

Ursa found herself growing used to the south week after week, month after month, even after she could no longer get around the village as well as she used to.

Hakoda was on edge for a time though, unsettled by the complete lack of any Fire Nation ships within their territory. Apparently the black patrols didn't attack often or regularly, but impeded on Water Tribe territory so often it was an act of aggression all by itself. Ursa caught him conversing with Bato on the matter only once, saying how strange it was that they pulled so far back for so long with no sign of returning. "I don't like this. I don't like not knowing why their movements have suddenly changed like this," The Chief said, reading over the patrol reports.

"This is good though, right?" Bato insisted, hushed. "The last thing we need right now is an attack. Especially not with who is here now."

"Not until I know why," Hakoda said, eyes narrowing on the horizon warily.

Ursa hadn't said anything about it. She didn't know any better than him; if it had anything to do with her the Fire Nation would be invading, not pulling back. She focused on work as distraction. Kanna was as patient as she could be with Ursa's fragile fingers as she learn to weave fishing nets, staying indoors more often now instead of watching the children as they roamed outside.

And beyond that….

Hakoda married her during the mid-point of her third trimester.

Neither of them had originally pushed for it–though for Ursa marriage was a far less alarming affair than children, having calmly submitted to it before without complaint. But Hakoda was uneasy about pushing her. No, the idea came from Kanna and the rest of the elders. She said that unwed parents were a major problem that wouldn't be looked kindly upon in the Tribe.

Ursa didn't mind that though. She acquiesced quietly when the request came through to her, and promptly went back to her nap. She already knew she loved the man. Marriage was just a social contract of sorts to make that commitment solid.

It was a quiet affair at that. At least, comparatively speaking.

Hakoda held a celebration in the village meeting hall, called back the patrols for the gathering, and danced with her under the light of the moon. So, in comparison to Fire Nation weddings, almost barren. Yet the people were happier.

Ursa counted down the days, one by one and time blurred, until her inevitable child was born.

None of them had been caught off-guard. Ursa had been spending the past few days inside, relaxing in preparation, with the healer waiting in the wings. She just breathed out a harsh breath and said, "It's time," when the water broke and soon after when the contractions started.

It lasted for hours into the night.

Ursa was sweating like mad, gritting her teeth against the pain that never seemed to stop.

She would find out much later that hers was a long and worrisome pregnancy, that Kanna had been half-convinced that the baby wouldn't make it. Hakoda had waited for hours outside, and nothing could convince him to be moved until everything was over.

Her firstborn child was a boy, howling at the top of his tiny lungs the moment he was pulled into view and found his voice. The first cry sent Hakoda rushing back inside. He had Ursa's fair skin and Hakoda's ice blue eyes; the contrast between the two traits almost made the baby look almost ghostly to her at first. Ursa couldn't help but loving him immediately despite herself.

She passed out several times as the exhaustion of the ordeal swept over her, but every time she awoke Ursa found Hakoda sitting as close to her side as possible, supporting their child. His eyes were hazy with sleep-deprivation, but refused to rest no matter how many times he was asked. And though she was too tired to say, Ursa knew she'd need him now more than ever. It wasn't until Ursa was rested and alert enough to not need help that he finally started to drift off, leaning on his arm and resting beside her quietly.

"What do you want to name him?" Ursa asked, addressing the man who'd collapsed at her side.

"Whatever you want," Hakoda replied, still half asleep and barely aware.

Ursa considered him, her son wrapped up in a bundle and peering up her with bright blue eyes. The baby had shouted so fiercely, loud and desperate to be heard. And…there was enough Water Tribe in him that no one should immediately assume exactly what blood besides that ran through his veins, only that it was mixed. But he was both southern and of her homeland, and she wanted to preserve part of that. A Fire Nation name, one tempered in ferocity and energy.

"How about…Zuko?" Ursa exchanged a glance with Hakoda, who shot her an encouraging look before drifting back off to sleep.

Zuko it was then.

Over the next few weeks and months, Ursa found herself getting more and more frazzled, having never prepared for the possibility of children despite thinking through her relationship with the Chief. All of that was biting her in the back after all.

She busied herself with learning from Kanna and the rest of the women around the village. Ursa never prepared for the labors of raising a child before coming to the southern pole, and unlike back home, she wouldn't have the luxury of a family caretaker. Just handling Zuko's nonexistent sleep schedule was running her ragged in so many ways; she didn't know how the other women, with multiple young children at once, could deal with it and make it seem so easy. Ursa started losing sleep more and more, until it almost became normal.

Zuko was a loud child, and hearing the villagers comment on the size of his lungs was a repeat event that lost its allure quickly. Many times the aforementioned voice was what brought her back to awareness in the middle of the night when she was supposed to be sleeping. Ursa had no idea how Hakoda managed to be so well-adjusted to deal with it.

But humans can adjust to almost anything given time.

Zuko was getting older, growing out the first signs of a mane of dark, messy hair. It was the beginnings of a thick man like his father's, they could tell. He was walking before she knew it, now able to get underfoot whenever the opportunity presented it itself. They celebrated every milestone he underwent, but at the time Ursa wasn't aware of deeply intertwined she was with the Fire Nation's concept of heirs and the first-born.

No, that came much later, after Ursa became pregnant with her second child.

Just like the first time, she hadn't planned for it, even if Hakoda had off-handedly made mention of wanting a second child. The only planning they did was have Zuko stay with Kanna for a while so the pair could have a break for while. Ursa was almost disappointed with her own lack of forethought. It had something to do with that strange way that the Water Tribe had of going off the rails, that led her astray. That continued to rattle her even now.

By the time she was nearing the tail end of her pregnancy, Zuko had his second birthday, and entered into what Hakoda had called the 'terrible twos.' He was grumbling and sulking about not wanting a sibling, kicking his feet and throwing snowballs at the walls. Hakoda took him aside for a talk while Ursa was laid up in bed.

The second birth was, if anything, even tougher than the first. Kanna called in another healer to see to her in shifts just to make sure nothing went wrong. She never said it out loud, but Ursa could tell this time that she really was worried.

Despite the strain, she pulled through, hazy-eyed and quiet as she laid eyes on her daughter.

Like Zuko, she was fair with blue eyes, but of a deeper, more intense color than his. Ursa didn't know why, but she didn't get the same feeling that she did before. "She looks like you," Hakoda commented after everything was over, speaking in a whisper next to her so as not to wake their sleeping son huddled in a corner of the bed. "Besides the color of her eyes, there's not much Water Tribe in her at all," From the amused quirk in his lips, he wasn't really upset about that.

Ursa tried not to frown. It was hard to explain why, but passing her face down wasn't something that brought her much satisfaction. "Do you want to name her this time?"

"Hmm, don't know if that's a good idea. I'm not the best with naming; just ask Bato, I'd probably come up with something silly anyway," The man admitted, laughing to himself. "You should probably come up with something again instead of me."

Ursa looked away. She couldn't get out of it then. The only names she could come up with were Fire Nation ones normally, and nothing else would fit a girl who looked just like her. The only trait that prevented her from being so obviously Fire Nation were those blue eyes…. And that in of itself was an idea. "…Azula," Ursa started, only half-aware she was speaking.

Hakoda stared at her with a look that was mostly confusion, "No offense, but…that's a bit close to another name I'm not fond of."

"No, I didn't mean it like that," She started, "the name means 'blue' and well…her eyes are the most distinctive part of her." Ursa wasn't wrong about that at all; they were kind of hard for her to miss. "And, to be perfectly honest, for someone to name a Water Tribe child this way is really more of an insult against the Fire Lord than anything else."

Hakoda just considered that for a moment and then sighed, "You really are a bad influence on me aren't you? All that we need now to complete the irony factor is for her to be a waterbender."

As it turned out, as if the spirits had heard him, she was.

At the age of two, when she was entering into the fussiest stage (though Azula was far quieter than her brother, to the point that Hakoda checked on her often to make sure she hadn't snuck off somewhere), the small girl displayed her bending for the first time. It was only messily dousing her brother's shoes, but Hakoda was in awe of it. And so was the rest of the village. It didn't matter anymore that Azula looked more Fire Nation than Water Tribe; she was a bender, and that alone was priceless to them.

But Ursa wasn't completely at ease with it. Surely that talent should have gone to Zuko first?

And it did, eventually. It took another year, when the children were five and three respectively for her son to bend on his own, also water. Her firebender blood had less pull over them than Ursa had suspected it would. Either way, time began to blur for her in the South. Besides the growth of the children, events moved onward smoothly, without any outside interference. It seemed that the Fire Nation really had pulled back their ships, but no one knew why.

The children started to bicker as they got older. Ursa disapproved of the fighting, but Hakoda mediated more often than her. She believed that the–often unnaturally quiet–Azula was the one who instigated the fights between them. Hakoda (with a uncharacteristically stern face) claimed that Zuko was getting more aggressive and escalating things, even getting mad at him when Hakoda wouldn't pick sides, but Ursa wasn't sure if she fully believed it. And anyway, he didn't act like that around her.

Going back and forth between them was wearing Hakoda down. She could see it in the increased lines in his face. But there wasn't much that could be done.

And it was the job of the father to discipline his children if need be.

Time passed, and while the Southern Water Tribe was left unharmed, the war was heating up again in the Earth Kingdom enough to draw their notice. The South had thrown in their lot with the Earth Kingdom, even if neither they nor the Fire Nation was really aware of how far their participation went. And there was only so much that Hakoda, acting Chief that he was, could do for them left behind in the village. Ursa didn't like it, but she knew that eventually he'd have to leave again. In a few years, or a few months, it would happen. Though she was far more prepared to be separated from her husband than the kids would be, when they found out.

But on the eve of Zuko's eighth birthday, an occurrence took place that managed to effectively distract the whole family from the war's advance.

It came in the form of a battered lifeboat drifting ashore one day.

The warriors in the village pulled the drifting wreckage in, and found only a single man on board. Careful but unable to ignore it, the healers cleared out a simple tent and laid him to rest there, and all of a sudden, the village was once again buzzing with activity. Ursa saw the make of the liferaft just as well as any of the warriors, and knew without a doubt that it was of Fire Nation origin. That alone piqued her curiosity enough to want to learn about the survivor of what must have been an intense battle.

The tent was guarded on the outside by two warriors even though the man inside had yet to awake, but they allowed her to pull back the cover just enough to see inside.

Ursa wasn't expecting to recognize him though.

She'd seen his profile painted on bulletins in the past, complete with odes praising the military might of the Fire Nation.

Even older and torn from injury, Ursa knew who he was.

And the realization of being confronted with her old world frightened her.

She wondered then, how Hakoda would react when he found out Crown Prince Iroh, Dragon of the West, had washed up on their village.

(A/N: And so ends Ursa's prologue. The next chapter will conclude Kya's prologue–running parallel to this one–and then the meat of the story will begin.)