Equivalent Exchange
Chapter 34: Part of the Tribe
The ocean breeze was fresh and cold and Mai's cheeks and lips felt numb. She and Zuko, under Bato's careful tutelage and watchful eye, had spent the rest of the day on deck, taking turns between the sails and the tiller. Mai had almost steered them into rocks twice while Zuko and the sails seemed to have a tangled and miserable relationship. The prince muttered under his breath and jerked the sails roughly, earning several disapproving glares from the Water Tribe man and pointed comments about respecting his boat.
"I see that patience is not one of your princely virtues," Bato remarked as dark set in. His tone was acerbic and he looked Zuko up and down thoroughly.
Iroh chuckled from his seat on the deck. "It never has been; believe me I know."
"Not all of us are born with patience, but it's something that we can work on attaining," Bato replied. "Zuko, you have much work to do."
"Yes, sir," the prince said wearily.
Mai bit back a smirk from her perch by the tiller. While not faring much better than her betrothed, she hadn't pitched any fits either.
"I'll take over; I'd like the two of you to start dinner now. There's rice and dried meat and vegetables stored in barrels; they're all marked. And your uncle has the tea, of course."
"What are we, his slaves?" Zuko asked Mai as they walked down the wooden steps that led below deck and pulled open the wooden door, grateful to get out of the cold.
"No; he's proving a point, that's all; no special treatment for anyone."
The sleeping and cooking areas were neat and organized with fur hammocks strung from the ceiling and boxes of supplies stacked against the sides of the two rooms. Decorative furs and herbs were hung on the walls, while several rolled up furs lay in tidy piles on the floor. Smaller boxes and barrels contained the food and the tea was in Iroh's satchel.
"I need to make my tea," Mai reminded Zuko. "Though I don't think we'll need it for awhile."
She cupped his cheek in her hands and gave him a quick kiss before returning to the tasks at hand. Zuko lit the wood in the small fire pit and set water to boil in the huge pot that hung down from chains. Rice, meat and vegetables along with some seasoning all cooked merrily within a few minutes and Mai was sipping on her bitter tasting tea.
Zuko stirred the concoction every so often and when it was finished stuck his head above deck and called out for everyone to come down and eat. Bato could drop the anchor safely since they were in water that was not too deep. In order to avoid the less maneuverable Fire Nation vessels, they hugged the shoreline, and sailed very carefully, skirting around rocks and shoals and keeping a constant watch on their surroundings. It made for stressful sailing, but a bit of stress was better than being assaulted with fireballs.
"Smells good!" Jee sat down near the fire and waited for his bowl of food and cup of tea. He rubbed his cold hands together both in anticipation of the meal and an attempt to warm them up.
Mai ladled out the dinner while Zuko poured everyone a cup of green tea.
"Nicely done; thank you." Bato gave the young couple his first encouraging words. He sniffed appreciatively at the food before digging in with his bone spoon.
"You're welcome," they both replied automatically.
Dinner was quiet and slightly uncomfortable. Iroh asked Bato about the Southern Water Tribe's fighting force and what they had done for the past two years. Bato gave basic answers, not offering a lot of detail. Then he asked Iroh a question.
"You're General Iroh, am I right; the Dragon of the West?"
"Yes, but I am retired now." Iroh tensed a bit as if he knew what Bato's next question would be.
"So, you laid siege to Ba Sing Se? You caused thousands of deaths?"
"Yes, I did," Iroh admitted willingly. "And I regret all of that more than I can ever say."
"Regretting doesn't change things, though, does it?" Bato looked at the former general with hard eyes. "And now you're on our side, actually fighting against your own people. How does that happen?"
Sitting off to the side a bit, Mai observed the two men quietly. It would be interesting to see just how Iroh, ever unflappable, handled himself here. She knew of Iroh's history as a general, and not just any general, but a powerful, feared one who ran campaign after campaign, winning most of them and losing few of his own soldiers in the process. But traveling with the man, it was easy to forget his military past. Certainly, he was a powerful bender, intelligent and insightful, but his philosophizing and kindness and obsession with tea seemed to cancel all that out.
Iroh stroked his grey beard, one that had grown very long over the past few years and looked down at the floor for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts into a coherent whole. "It took the loss of my own beloved son for me to see the error of my nation's ways. My grief, a grief that almost killed me, finally opened my eyes to the war and how wrong it really is. I realize how that sounds. You're wondering if I would be here now were Lu Ten still alive. Truthfully, I can't answer that question. And the sad truth for me is, he did die, as much a victim of this war as any Earth Kingdom or Water Tribe soldier who died fighting the Fire Nation. I miss him every day. I think that a small piece of my heart will be forever broken. But I have my nephew now and I want the world he inherits to be much better than the one we're living in now. The war needs to end. My brother needs to be stopped. His thirst for power is insatiable and I fear the horrors he will perpetrate to that end. Zuko needs to take the throne, painfully young and inexperienced as he is. He needs to turn the Fire Nation around."
Bato nodded at Iroh, his eyes a bit softer now. "I lost a son too; he was old enough to come with us when we left the South Pole, seventeen. He was killed in only the second encounter with the Fire Nation. His youthful enthusiasm got the better of him; another young man gone."
"I am sorry; Sokka and Katara never mentioned anything."
"They don't know. It's almost impossible to get word back home and my Hakku never came up. My wife died years earlier. All I have now are the men of the tribe. They're my family and I would lay down my life for them without a thought."
Mai took note of the edge in his voice. Bato was letting them all know that if any one of them stepped out of line and tried to hurt someone from the Southern Water Tribe, he would step in; admirable and loyal, like a good soldier and a good friend.
The rest of the talk was lighter in nature and when the meal was finished, they all helped to clean up and then got settled for the night.
"Take one of those furs if you're cold." Bato pointed to the warm looking white furs with a small smile. "You all really need to get some warmer clothes. If you think this weather is cold, you truly haven't seen anything yet."
Mai took him up on his offer, unrolling one and pulling it on top of her bed roll. The warmth felt wonderful and she was asleep, across the room from Zuko, in seconds.
Admiral Zhao truly had nothing to lose now. With June unsuccessful in capturing the traitors, all his hopes rested on the conquering of the Northern Water Tribe and the killing of the moon spirit. If he failed, and failure seemed to be his constant companion these days, he may as well kill himself. But that wouldn't be honourable. He would die in battle and be sure to take some Water Tribe peasants with him. Yes, at least that satisfaction would be his.
He laughed an embittered laugh as he recalled his fight with Jeong-Jeong, a former admiral himself, and his former master. Zhao had to admit that the old bastard still packed a wallop. Their fight had been close with the traitor running off into the woods like a coward when things got a bit too hot. Of course, the deserter fought alone while he had a crew of firebenders as backup.
Back at Pohuai now, his ship along with part of his invasion fleet, was being resupplied with food, warm clothing, explosives, and weapons. The next day they would make their way out of the harbor and begin the long trek northward.
He wondered where the Avatar was now; that pesky brat, along with Zuko and Mai, were thorns in his side and he fantasized about killing them far more than was healthy. It was funny how life went. He was a grown man, a skilled bender and a skilled leader, and mere children were making his life miserable. With a heavy sigh and a shake of his head, Zhao crawled into his comfortable bed and slept soundly until morning. It was one of the last good sleeps he ever had.
Their second day aboard Bato's boat passed much as the first one had. Mai and Zuko performed marginally better with the sails and tiller. The prince lost his temper only once, sending a blast of fire harmlessly into the air. The Water Tribesman still shot him a glare and Zuko muttered an apology.
"I can't seem to get the hang of these things," he whined. "What am I doing wrong?"
Unbidden, an image of Azula came to mind. She would be an expert sailor within minutes. She wouldn't get angry and lose control. Then, everything came to her so easily that it was almost shocking. Zuko had envied her talent and skill since he was about seven and Azula only five. Even then, a little child, her abilities, her drive for perfection and her pure, raw talent were intimidating. Zuko hadn't stood a chance. He wondered how he would fare against her now. He wondered how she was doing and what. He wondered if he would ever run into her on his journeys. Zuko had a niggling feeling that he would and not too far in the future either.
"First of all, stop daydreaming and concentrate," Bato chastised. "You're mind was not on the sails."
"Sorry; you're right." Zuko gave the man his full attention then, watching his capable hands maneuver the large, carefully sewn pieces of blue material.
The prince improved then. When he really set his mind on things, and remained calm, he could accomplish things too.
"Much better." The Water Tribesman clapped the young man's shoulder roughly and then went to check on Mai.
Zuko heaved a sigh of relief. For some reason, over the past day, this man's opinion of him had become important. He would earn his respect, no matter what it took.
As the sun began to set and what heat the day held vanished, the boat approached the hidden cove where Hakoda, chief of the Southern Water Tribe, and his men camped. Zuko felt his chest tighten a bit and Mai gripped his arm tightly. Who knew what kind of reception four Fire Nation people would receive? If it wasn't good, no one would blame them. They were the enemy, after all, citizens of the nation that had terrorized their tribe for years. Zuko hoped that they would give his little group a chance at least. They all needed each other now; the more people fighting against Zhao and Ozai and every other Fire Nation warmonger, the better.
Tents were lined up neatly along the beach, at least twenty of them, and three boats were anchored in the shallow water of the cove. The men, all dressed in pale blue leggings and tunics over undershirts, sat around three fires, talking noisily and eating their supper. Bato just observed for a minute. He picked out every face, whispering the matching name under his breath, a wide smile on his own.
"Everyone's there." He sounded relieved. "You all stay here on the boat. I will talk to them first."
Bato brought his vessel in closer, dropped the anchor and shouted a hello. Brown haired heads turned immediately at the sound of the familiar voice and huge smiles broke out on all their faces.
"Bato!" Hakoda cried as he watched his best friend wade onto shore. The chief pulled the man into a warm embrace, then pulled back and looked at him. "Thank Twi and La you got my message. How is your burn doing? Did the nuns look after you well?"
"Yes, yes, the nuns did a fine job. They babied me in fact. Sometimes I felt like I was back at home in my parents' tent with my mother nursing me through some sickness or other."
Hakoda cracked another smile and hugged the man again. "It is good to see you. We'll catch you up on everything. Come sit by the fire and have some stew." The chief paused as he sensed his friend's hesitation. "What's wrong, Bato?""I've got people with me…um, Fire Nation people." The tall warrior pushed his long mane of brown hair back over his shoulder and waited for Hakoda to say something.
"You've got prisoners?" the chief wondered.
"No, not prisoners, allies; very important ones."
Hakoda chuckled then and slapped Bato affectionately across the back. "So, who have you got in your boat, the Fire Lord? Has Ozai suddenly decided to fight for the Water Tribes instead?"
Bato didn't smile. "You're close; I have the Fire Lord's son, Zuko, the Fire Lord's brother, Iroh as well as Zuko's betrothed, a girl named Mai and a lieutenant named Jee. They were all traveling with your children, Hakoda. I saw Sokka and Katara just a few days ago."
The chief looked stunned for a moment but then got his bearings. "You saw my children, here in the Earth Kingdom. Why aren't they at home? What are they doing here? Are they all right?"
"They're both well," Bato said immediately, wanting to set his friend's mind at ease. "You would be so proud. They discovered the Avatar frozen inside an iceberg when they were out fishing and they've been traveling with him for the past few months. Katara's doing her best to improve her waterbending. In fact, they're headed to the North Pole right now to find a master for both her and Aang, that's the boy's name."
"My boy and my girl, out in the world all alone; I can only imagine the dangers that they've faced." Hakoda was worried looking now and his eyes implored Bato to tell him more.
As briefly as he could, the warrior explained to Hakoda and the rest of the men, all about the Avatar, what Katara and Sokka had been doing, and the role of Zuko and Mai. Lastly, he told them of Zhao's terrible plans for their sister tribe to the north.
"So Aang and your children, they have gone north not only to find a master, but to warn the tribe about the invasion and to fight, of course. I've never seen two more determined to help this world."
The men of the Southern Water Tribe were in a sort of shock. They mumbled about the evil of Admiral Zhao and the Fire Nation in general, expressing disbelief that any members of that nation, especially such high ranking ones, would want to stop the war and end the madness that had gripped the world for the past one hundred years.
"I understand; it was difficult for me to believe as well. But it is true. They've already helped your children and the Avatar, worked with them. We need this boy to become the next Fire Lord and soon. We need their help. We need any help we can get. So now it's up to us to see that they get to the North Pole safely and it's up to us to help stop Zhao from wiping out our people."
"I suppose stranger things have happened," Hakoda conceded. "Tell them to come ashore. I want to meet these new allies of ours."
Mai grimaced as she stepped into the cold water and walked ashore. Her boots were soaked and sand covered by the time she made it to Hakoda. Zuko stood on one side of her and Iroh on the other. Jee hovered in the back a bit. She studied Hakoda for a minute before Bato made the introductions. He was a handsome man, an older version of Sokka really, with the Water Tribe's blue eyes and chin length brown hair. His beard was short and pointed and he had blue beads in two sections of hair that hung down on the right side of his face. Despite the wariness Mai sensed, she saw great kindness in those blue eyes and decency practically radiated from him, from all the Water Tribe men, in fact.
Hakoda nodded at each in turn, peering at their faces closely, lingering briefly over Zuko's scar, and then showed them the traditional Water Tribe greeting; instead of a bow, like in the Fire Nation, it involved the tight clasping of the other's forearm. Mai supposed that it was a good sign he was willing to use it on them.
"Come sit by the fire. There's stew if you like and we'll set up some spare tents. Oh and I suppose you'll need parkas and mittens too. I'll have to scrounge around for them." He gestured to the campfires, surrounded by curious men and then the heavy cookpots that gave out some unusual smell.
"Thank you for your welcome, Chief Hakoda," Iroh finally spoke up. "You have two fine children. They are a credit to you and to your tribe."
"Yes, they are; now let's get down to business. I know that Zhao is probably on his way north already. We need to beat him there, so we can't waste time. Eat, sleep and we'll all rise with the sun. You firebenders should be used to that." He smirked a bit at his alst comment. Mai wasn't sure if he was trying to get a rise out of them or was just making a logical assumption.
"We're not all firebenders." Mai gave Hakoda a pointed look and he laughed.
"Too bad; you'll have to get up early anyway. Come along; we'll get you settled for the night."