AVATAR: THE LAST FIREBENDER

BOOK 1: WATER

CHAPTER 1-3: THE BOY IN THE ICEBERG, PART 3

waters around the Southern Water Tribe; later in the afternoon

Both Zuko and Iroh knew how the sky bison flew—they were well-familiar with Air Warrior raids, particularly those from the Eastern Air Temple, where huge herds of sky bison were raised. When possible, they would try to only attack those riding the beasts instead of the beasts themselves, but sometimes; even that series of tactics was not always possible. Such were the casualties of war.

"Yip, Yip!" Aang called out, and Appa leapt into the air. A few seconds later, he plopped back down into the water. The jolt was enough to knock Zuko loose, but his swift reflexes saved him from taking yet another plunge into the icy depths. He swung his arm around as he fell, bringing a wave of water up beneath him. He froze this, and then used his own momentum to glide across it and back on top of the saddle and next to his uncle, where he curled up with his hands around his shins and his face half-hidden behind his knees. There was no real reason for him taking this position other than that he wanted to, or maybe he was still a little chilly.

"You've learned well," Iroh smirked, and Zuko turned to face him. Iroh slipped a coin into Zuko's palm. Zuko's whole incident where he had nearly plunged into the icy depths had not been an act, neither had the coin been of much value. Rather, it was just Iroh's own satisfaction that his nephew's waterbending skills were by no means novice anymore. Aang meanwhile, had turned around to face the two waterbenders.

"So tell me about yourselves," he invited, "you two are obviously from the Southern Water Tribe."

"We are," Zuko nodded, though he remained curled up, "and so does your bison know how to get there from here?"

"I think so," Aang replied, "we've been to the Southern Water Tribe Capital several times."

The Southern Water Tribe Capital remained where it always had been, but the population of that entire region had dramatically increased in the last 100 years. Under the command of various powerful Water Chiefs, including Iroh, the tribe had expanded into several small cities that were linked to the main capital city. Even the smallest village had significant anti-airbender defenses mounted, as they were used to repetitive Air Warrior raids.

"Alright," Zuko nodded. "Well, you already know our names and where we're from. There's not much else about us other than we've been holding off the Air Warriors successfully so far. You mentioned something about a storm earlier though—and an 'old war'. What was that all about? You weren't fighting the Air Warrior Confederation too, were you?"

"It was the Air Warriors that attacked the Southern Air Temple when I was there." Aang replied, "The monks at the temple told me to run. I didn't want to—I wanted to help fend the traitors off. It was only after they reminded me of who I was that I fled. I got caught in a storm on the way south. That was the last thing I remember about it. Maybe after we're done in the Southern Water Tribe I can take you guys to the Southern Air Temple."

"Maybe," Zuko shrugged. The last time he had checked or heard information on the subject, the Air Warriors had wiped out the Air Nomads at the Southern Air Temple because of their refusal to join with them on their quest to strengthen their confederacy. He had a feeling that "who Aang was" may be a crucially important missing link in the war. He whispered this to Iroh, who agreed with him, and then Zuko addressed this question to Aang.

Just as he suspected, Aang hesitated for a moment, but then admitted he was the Avatar.

"That was why they told me to run," he confessed, "they did not want me getting caught by the Air Warriors."

Aang continued to elaborate his story of how he froze himself and Appa into an iceberg, and that was when his memory disappeared. He mentioned the year when he ran away, and that was the surprising factor to both Iroh and Zuko.

"Aang," Iroh warned, "you have been gone and frozen for over 100 years. Things may be a lot different than the way you last remembered them. The good news though, is that there are still Air Nomads who are not part of the Confederation of Air Warriors. The other good news is that you, the Avatar, are back. The unfortunate news is that there are other people searching for you, and not with good intentions."

Aang frowned. "The war isn't over then," he sighed, "I guess that's what I get for turning my back on the world. I knew I should have stayed and fought at the Southern Air Temple. If I had died, I would have just been reincarnated into the Water Tribes."

"That is in the past," Iroh remarked, "and there will be a time to mourn for our errors. However, what is most important for you at this point, Aang, is to decide what you are going to do with yourself and the world right here and right now."

"I'm not turning my back on the world again," Aang declared, "not this time. This time, I'm making my stand."

Eventually, they were able to return to the Southern Water Tribe Capital with little trouble. Iroh was the first to reappear off of Appa, and then he and Zuko explained to some of the villagers (who in turn relayed the information to the remainder of the Tribes and cities) the condition of themselves in the Air Warrior raid they got caught in, as well as the identity of their newfound airbending guest. Like Zuko had been previously, many of the Southern Water Tribespeople were a bit apprehensive at the presence of an airbender, but after Aang explained that he too fought off Air Warriors and that most of the confederation was composed of vicious female airbenders, the villagers too were pacified.

By the time they had gotten back, evening had fallen. Aang stayed at the Chief's palace with Iroh and Zuko, and App was close by outside. The entire tribe was wary, but they did not have upped security in the evenings, as that was when waterbenders were at their strongest. The Air Warriors knew this, and so most of their attacks were in the mornings, as they had long since learned that they were unable to attack Iroh's Water Tribe effectively through night ambushes and raids.

The only thing that had kept Aang's follower back had been the storm that Iroh and Zuko had seen coming. She and her warriors camped out on a sheltered piece of ice, and they too weathered the storm as it raged around them. Even though the iceberg on which Aang had been found had been a ways away from the Southern Tribe, it was still in a close enough direction that they would have a good idea where to go from there once they found out that Aang was absent…