Chapter Two: Katara of the South
"Earth Nation! Fire Nation! Water Nation! So long as bargains are your inclination, you're welcome here! Don't be shy, come on by!"
Pirate Barker Oh- The Waterbending Scroll
"Feast your eyes and your bellies on the most exotic assortment of fruit you've ever seen, right here, folks!"
"Nobody beats Cho's high grade spices and herbs!"
"Introducing the finest quality cotton, silk, and linen clothes, all at the affordable prices you've come to know from the Bei Fong name!"
"Get your knives sharpened right here, ladies and gents!"
Soft little flakes of snow danced on the chilled autumn breeze, but the atmosphere was anything but cold to eight year old Katara as she held onto her brother's gloved hand and tilted her head every which-way to gaze at everything she could. The great Autumn and Spring Trades were some of the best times of year for the children, and the sights, sounds, and smells stimulated the senses like nothing else could. It was a special time -almost as special as the holidays- when her fellow tribesmen who traded fur, meat, ivory, and tools mingled with Earth Kingdom merchants who sold all manner of exotic things inside the ice walls of the main village. The air was filled with the scent of cooking meat, fish, and various noodle dishes; and coupled with the noise of people bartering and and colorful sights lit up with the glow of the late afternoon sun, it was like the Moon Festival all over again.
"What do you think, Katara?" Sokka asked mischievously, stopping at a hat vendor's stall and plopping a rather gaudy purple felted piece accented with long green feathers onto his head. The nine year old let go of his sister's hand and turned around for her with a grand flair, preening a bit. "I look pretty good, huh?"
The eight year old eyed him critically, though a small giggle threatened to escape. Though the shade of purple could be alright by itself, seeing the over-sized hat in all it's dubious glory on her big brother's head was leaving Katara fishing for an appropriate answer. "Well..."
"Hey, stop playing with that!" The hat was snatched away by the offended vendor. "These are for ladies only!"
Sokka recoiled in disgust, while Katara laughed. "I was going to tell you it didn't really look like a guy hat." She chided. Her belly rumbled noisily, startling them both before she grinned sheepishly. "We should get back to Mom and Dad," Sokka nodded up at the slowly setting sun, "The trade is wrapping up for the day, and the feast should be on soon."
Katara nodded in agreement, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "And then we'll get to see the dancing! Maybe Dad will get Gran Gran to come out this time and do the paddle dance!"
They reluctantly moved away from the hat stall and started back to the fur station. "Wouldn't it be great if we could travel around the world like the merchants do?" Katara asked dreamily, looking over at a stand that held various hair ornaments and jewelry on their way, "We'd get to see so much. We could go places that we hear about from Gran Gran, and meet new people..."
Sokka offered a shrug, huffing an annoyed breath and rolling his eyes. "You say the same thing every year! Why would you want to leave the South Pole? It's our home. Besides, we have everything we need right here, really. The Trades are here to help feed Appa and to have Dad find out some news about the war."
She didn't reply, though a scowl darkened her features. The war was something that seemed so far away- Gran Gran and even Mom and Dad had lived through raids on their small tribe, but so far Katara herself had never seen anything more serious than the old Fire Nation warship that was stranded on the outskirts of her village. Being so young, it seemed like everything outside of her small corner of the world was simply too far away and disconnected to be a bother. She hated the fact that Dad and many of the men had begun talking of joining the war effort. She didn't want anything to change- everything was just fine as it was, thank you very much!
However... it would be so much more fun to explore things beyond her little corner of the world. It would be interesting to see new things, and the notion of seeing something new outside her culture was highly appealing. The Trades felt like the world was visiting her, letting her know that there were things out there that simply couldn't be found here among her beloved plains of snow and ice. A budding longing grew in her heart, even as she looked over at her family that she loved so much. It was a nameless restlessness, and she could do little other than try to be content with dreams of traveling and the hope that she'd meet a waterbending teacher someday.
She had confided as much to her secret friend, Aang. He reassured her about the prospect of meeting a master someday, and would often distract her with all kinds of fascinating stories about the places he'd been to; stories of sliding down mail chutes in Omashu with his madcap friend Bumi, seeing giant elephant koi, and of flying through the air and watching sky bison polo tournaments at the Northern Air Temple. He's so lucky. She thought with a tinge of disappointment. He and Appa had all kinds of fun.
It didn't occur to her to be afraid of him, even when she had found out at the tender age of five that her glowing, slightly transparent friend was not a real person at all, but a spirit. It was like something from a fireside tale, and she was thrilled that she had another friend to play with, even if she had to be a little sneaky about it. "Your family can't see me," He had explained patiently after the first time she had unsuccessfully tried to tell them about him, "They'd think you're crazy or think I'm a ghost coming to do something bad to you if you tell them about me again. We have to keep me as a secret, okay?"
She had cheerfully complied, and ever since then she and Aang were nearly inseparable. He was always somewhere nearby (even if she couldn't see him right away), and he would play games with her whenever she found herself alone. Once the stories of where he had been to started flowing, her wild curiosity about the world in general only grew. When the Trades came, he'd often point out different things and tell her what they were and where they came from. She drank in every word without so much as a peep, because the last time she responded to him without thinking, Sokka had given her a funny look and then laughed about her 'make believe' friend.
Speaking of which...where was Aang, anyway?
It turned out he was with her family, unseen by all except herself and Appa, who let out a soft rumble of contentment as the spirit boy scritched behind the bison's ear. He perked up and waved at her as she and Sokka approached. "Hi Katara!"
She glanced over at her family to be sure no one was paying attention before she offered a grin and waved back. Sokka was busy talking to Mom about the hat incident, Gran Gran was sorting out the newly acquired goods from the trades Dad had made earlier in the morning (were those papayas in that basket? Ugh...), and Dad was busy with the scruffy, rather greasy looking Earth Kingdom trader who was looking over the pack of turtleseal skins and the polarbear dog pelt that were left. They wouldn't hear her if she spoke to Aang for a minute. "Hi! Did everything go good over here?"
"Yep." Aang floated down from Appa's head down to her side, coming to rest on top of the fresh snow without disturbing a single flake. "Your family made off pretty good this time! Lots of things got traded, though I'm sorry to say your grandma got some papayas again."
"Yuck..."
"Your dad has been asking around most of the day for a waterbender to teach you, but no luck so far." He added.
Katara wilted in disappointment. Dad, at Mom and Gran Gran's urging, had begun to look around for a water bending master to teach her, but it seemed that she was (so far) the one and only bender in the whole South Pole. "What if they can't find one for me?" She worried aloud, absentmindedly swirling the snow around her feet into a couple of peaks. "What if this is all I'm able to do, because no one's around to teach me new tricks?"
Aang looped an arm around her shoulder sympathetically. "Don't worry, you'll find one sooner or later. Trades are a good spot to ask about these things, because traders meet more people and-"
Suddenly, Aang hand on her shoulder stiffened, and he turned to look over at the trader. Gran Gran had done the same, and strangely they were both frowning at the man. Katara was startled to find the man was staring right at her, even while he was speaking to her Dad. "...You have a waterbender here?" He was saying, adjusting his green headband and pushing his stringy long hair out of his face to get a better look at her. His hair got caught on the large hoop earrings he wore, and he uttered a muffled curse under his breath as it pulled before continuing. "Huh. I was under the impression that there were no more benders down here."
"Yes, we are looking for a teacher." Dad repeated, a tad annoyed. "There are benders up north, I know, but are you sure you've never heard of any that are closer?"
"...No," the merchant replied slowly, "This is the first I've heard of in a long time."
Did he see her waterbend? Suddenly Katara wasn't so sure she liked the idea of this guy knowing the bender Dad was referring to was in fact herself. The merchant was kind of creepy, with his painted lips tilted down in a thoughtful manner and sharp green eyes never leaving her. Aang's presence made her feel better, though.
"I'm sorry to hear of it," Dad sighed, "I've heard the same from everyone else I've asked today. That's going to make my search that much harder. I don't think we can afford to make a trip all the way across the world just for a teacher."
The man shrugged, but he sent one more look in Katara's direction before abruptly taking his leave. "I'm sorry Chief Hakoda, but I'm not seeing much here that interests me. Your friend Bato already sold me a pack of tigerseal pelts, and I don't have enough here to make a fair trade for the polarbear dog. Maybe next time..."
Tilting a glance up at her friend, Katara was surprised to see Aang's suspicious glare darken even further as he watched the man leave. It was a look she'd never seen on her friend's normally gentle features before. It kind of scared her. "Aang?" She tugged on his shawl in concern. "What's wrong?"
Mistaking the last question as being directed to her, Gran Gran (who had also been warily watching the man leave) shook her head a little and offered a smile. "Nothing, dear. How about you come over and help me carry these things back to the hut? We have a lot to do before the feast tonight..."
By nightfall the strange exchange of words with the greasy looking trader was forgotten by all except Kanna and Aang, but it was hard for Aang to remain worried and serious during the feast, the ceremonial gift exchange, and the dancing that would last well into the night. Even Appa enjoyed a special treat of hay mixed with alfalfa as he got cozy in his stable outside the enormous central igloo that was reserved for feasts and ceremonies. Thankfully, the man and the rest of his fellow crew members and traders from his ship were not present, and it was easy enough for Aang to push aside the ominous feeling that filled him earlier. I'll just ask Roku about it later. He rationalized, amusing himself by walking right through the dinner table before sitting down by his young charge as she played a game of katajjaq with an older girl. After all, the guy wasn't even here. No reason to worry.
Presently, the feast was wrapping up, and the men were laughing boisterously over their drinking bowls of imported sake and native vodka at some wild tale being told at Hakoda and Bato's expense. Sebutai the Scarred was putting a finishing touch on the tale of their esteemed Chief's near disastrous wooing of Kya.
Bato and Hakoda groaned aloud over it. "Are we ever going to live that one down?" Hakoda wondered mournfully, his cheeks red from embarrassment and the copious amount of alcohol he'd already consumed.
Bato shook his head. "Not a chance."
The sounds of Namin and Quallik's turtleseal drums pairing up with a few of the traders' erhus and pipas wove itself through the communal igloo, but it was the laughter of the men that seemed to ultimately conjure up Kya's graceful presence. "Chief Hakoda," she stated, her respectful tone cutting through the laughter and gaining the men attention. Hakoda gasped as his wife took the drinking bowl from his hands and, without any warning, chucked it over her shoulder. "I challenge you to a dance off."
Aang laughed at Hakoda's flabbergasted expression. It was easy to see the mischief and merriment that snapped in Kya's blue eyes as she stood in false seriousness, hands planted firmly on her hips as she gazed down at her slightly drunk husband and awaited his answer.
Hakoda stood, matching his wife's posture. "Well, it looks like the gauntlet's been thrown down." He stated mildly.
"More like the drinking bowl!" Bato jeered.
More laughter erupted, this time coming from all sides of the large igloo as the women and children also gathered around to watch the pair. Dance off challenges were always fun to watch, because as it went on the 'penalties' made up for whoever lost got progressively more and more ridiculous as the pace became faster and faster. It was always most fun to watch a pair of talented dancers who were friends or in a relationship, since the dares got even more bold and wild. It pleasantly reminded Aang of the Winter Festival held at the Western Air Temple, and Kya's dancing was the best he had ever seen, anywhere. Tonight's competition would truly prove to be a treat.
The Chief and his wife faced each other in the middle of the (now cleared out) room, bowing to one another before beginning to sway and step in time to the drumbeat, careful to keep their upper body straight even when the dance called for them to dip down in the shallow swooping motion that the bird's wing dance typically called for. Their eyes never left the others', even as the pace subtly grew faster. "If you lose, I dare you to dance with a bowl of sake balanced on your head."
Quallik called out for a change of dance, and as the drums and the Earth Kingdom strings changed notes the pair shifted seamlessly into a faster paced square step. Aang applauded along with the crowd.
Kya scoffed at the idea, though she had in fact done it before. "I dare you to dance shirtless." She countered.
"I can dance shirtless for you anytime." Hakoda wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"You are drunk."
Hakoda said something else, but it was lost in the noise of the drums and strings. It must have been a doozy, though, because Kya lightly slapped the side of his head during a spin. "Shame on you!" She cried, laughing even as she blushed furiously.
"I'm not sorry at all."
"We'll see about that..."
The dancing grew faster still, Quallik calling out the name of a different dance at random (and even having props thrown in to them, such as feather rattles and hoops) in the hopes of throwing one of the dancers off their game. The crowd cheered, jeered, and clapped at intervals, though the clapping became more frequent as the contest, which was normally rather short lived, continued on.
"Go Dad!"
"Come on Hakoda, trip her up!"
"Make him suffer, Kya!"
Katara, Aang, and the rest of the crowd burst into laughter and applause when Kya's foot missed a step during a turn, and she reflexively swung out her arm in an attempt to steady herself, accidentally catching her husband's chest in the process and causing the two to go down in a smoldering wreak of tangled limbs, hoops, boots, messed up hair, and a kiss. Quallik's announcement of Hakoda as winner was nearly drowned out, and soon everyone poured out onto the dance floor as the lively music began again.
Katara bounded over to Aang's side. "Come on, let's go join them!" She cried, forgetting herself and tugging on his wrist as she started to hop in place. Thankfully, no one noticed her speaking to seemingly thin air in the midst of the whirl of gaiety, and Aang decided to throw caution to the wind. After all, what was the harm? "Alright," He grinned, "Let me show you a little something called the sparrow hop..."
"You're sure of this?'
The brisk night air of Whale Tail Island made the trader shiver a little. Sheesh. Why couldn't they ever go inside the building to report these things? It's not like being on deck of a ship was anything new or special.
'High Risk Trader' Pirate Barker Oh nodded, his eyes darting to his captain, waiting for the nod to keep going before turning back to the leader of the Southern Raiders. "It was just last week. The Chief is looking for a waterbending master to teach his..."
He trailed off uncertainly. The barbarian chief had never actually said it was his daughter, he had only referred to the waterbender as a 'her'. Perhaps Oh was mistaken and it was really the man's wife? "Well, someone he knew in his tribe." He finished, rather lamely. Damn. He really should have pried for more information before leaving so fast... "I'm quite certain it was someone in his family, though."
The leader of the Southern Raiders quietly appraised him for a moment before nodding once, the moonlight glinting rather ominously off of the sharp curves and points of his armor and helmet. "Thank you for the news. We will investigate the claim." He pulled out a small sack from within his belt and counted out a few gold pieces in his hand before tossing the rest in Oh's direction. The Captain snagged the sack just as it brushed Oh's fingers, eliciting a cry of irritation from the barker as he pouted the loss of payment that was rightfully his.
The Captain's eyes lit up as he peeked at the amount inside, and in a rare gesture of thanks, he bowed. "Anything for an extra coin or two."
Author's note: My head canon about the Southern Water Tribe at this point in history is that it had once been a great nation comprised of many large villages, but it had dwindled down to only a few tiny ones since the men seen in canon seemed to greatly outnumber the women in Katara's village. I also have a head canon that Kya's personality would have been a mixture of Katara, Sokka, and Mai's- passion, love, and mischief lurking beneath a normally demure and serious facade. (I also have a head canon that she was the tribe's best dancer, and that Hakoda had first fallen in love with her when he saw her dance when they were teenagers, but I guess that's not important to elaborate on here. Maybe I should do one shots related to this story?)
The trades mentioned are drawn from a few different sources: The passing mention of the 'paddle dance' was a nod to the French Voyagers, something that was a part of the history in my neck of the woods 300-400 years ago, so I couldn't resist sneaking that in there. :) Some of the dances are loosely derived from northern Pow Wows I've been to (Attend one if you can, it's so much fun!), and the feather rattles are something that are used in some traditional hula dances.
Katajjaq: A throat singing related game played by Inuit women.
There will be a few mild swears here and there, just as a warning. I'm not given to profanity, but there are some characters who I know would swear rather frequently if the show hadn't been rated for children. I won't use strong language, though. This will be rated 'T' throughout.
Aang's speech will be presented in italics to help set it apart and remind everyone that Katara and Appa (and you, the reader) are the only ones who can hear/see him on a regular basis. His thoughts will be too, so please note the quotation marks or the lack thereof.
Next chapter deals with Katara's discovery as the Avatar, Hakoda's departure, and the beginning of the adventure!