The Mahaha Tribe Arc 2
"Alright, what's the situation?"
The air turned frigid; unusually cold, even for the south. Everyone's demeanour shifted from amused and playful as the atmosphere became stark and serious. The embers and flame from the fireplace provided barely any warmth to the tribesmen as the reality of recent events came knocking on their doors once again. The Fire Nation imported couches provided barely any comfort, and the sake they were drinking hardly numbed the severity of the situation.
"A two or three days walk from here," began the Chief, "there's an ancient mountain. For centuries, it was known to host many rare herbs that could only grow in the South Pole. My Parddaddi - uhh… my great grandmother, I mean… told me stories of how a predominant amount of the tribe's profits and earnings were derived from selling special medicines using said herbs." The chief sighed as he rubbed his forehead, still not totally believing the rumours before him, until he was forced to, at least partially. "I don't know when specifically, but around my Daddi's time," he paused when he saw confusion within Suki's eyes, as well as the advocates from the Northern Tribe; they didn't speak or understand the old, native southern language - he needed to remind himself to refrain from speaking it around them. "Around my grandmother's time," he elaborated, "many of the waterbenders and healers stopped visiting the mountain. There's more to the story than I know, my mother: Kanna, can tell you more, but from what I've heard… Locals began believing the mountain was cursed, because whoever visited, from that time on, would not return."
"A rumour passed around," spoke up Sokka, surprising everyone except Aang and Hakoda, "around the time Katara was born," Sokka could swear he saw the airbender frown, but wasn't sure, "people began visiting the mountain again. Before that, everyone had sort of forgotten about it as the Tribe adapted and invested in other sources of income. But, when the war began, and the casualty rate increased, suddenly, those herbs and medicines were in great demand - with our alternative sources of revenue cut off by the Fire Nation, people turned back to that mountain."
"But, it was the same as before: whoever ventured up there would be reported missing. Initially, they would send out search parties to uncover bodies - if there were any - but even they never came back," continued Hakoda when his son paused. "I was planning on investigating the cause of it myself, but before I could, the Fire Nation attacked… and I left." He sighed in shame, slightly - Aang and Suki could tell that he still felt somewhat guilty for leaving his children with his mother, not being around to help raise them, subjecting them to years of life without a father in a war-torn world after they'd just recently lost a mother.
"I didn't know it before, because I wasn't even born at the time, but my Daddi (grandmother) told me stories when I was young… of how angry spirits haunted that mountain… because every so often, if you were close enough, you'd hear faint screams and cries at night. She warned me to never go near that mountain, that it wasn't safe," Sokka turned to meet Aang's gaze while avoiding everyone else's, knowing if he looked at one person in particular he'd lose his thought process. He stared into the Avatar's grey depths, highlighted by the flame from the fireplace dancing in his orbs. "I didn't believe it then. But after travelling the world with you, seeing all the things I've seen, I can't deny that it's within the realm of possibility." He paused for a moment, watching as the seventeen year old Avatar turned back around to face the fire, before continuing, "Well, that… and recently, we had someone venture up there. A girl. She said she was looking for herbs for her mother who's ill right now. No one had visited that mountain since the war, so we all kinda forgot to warn her - well, that and she left without notifying anyone. Anyways, she was attacked, but surprisingly, she somehow made it out. She stumbled down to the village closest to the mountain bleeding and exhausted and-"
"She survived?" Suki asked suddenly, surprised and yet hopeful. Sokka didn't meet her gaze as he nodded - her eyes weren't on him either, though. It was too painful; hurt too much to look into the same eyes that meant so much, and see everything you went through with that other person, knowing that in the end, it couldn't keep you together. Everyone in the room knew something regarding the fact, well, all except Haru.
"She's recuperating for now, but before she lost consciousness, she said her attackers seemed too fast and strong to be humans… and that she could hear growling and screaming coming from within a nearby cave," explained Sokka, leaning against the arm of the couch Haru was seated on. "She didn't get a good look at them as the sun had set long ago, and the moonlight was disfigured due to the surrounding trees. But she did say that whatever she felt, up there, wasn't human… not entirely, at least."
"If the mountain really is haunted by evil spirits who are attacking our people, then we need to somehow force them to leave. Or at least convince them to abandon their hostility. That is why we require your help, Avatar Aang," explained one of the Northern Watertribe delegates. "You're the bridge between the spirits. You're the only one who can help us."
"We can offer you the supplies you would need to make the trip should you choose to accept our request for help. I can also offer you our best warriors and waterbenders for aid." Just as the Avatar was planning to object, Suki spoke up first.
"I don't think that'll be necessary, Chief Hakoda. Haru and I will go with Aang, it'll be easier that way."
Hakoda was about to insist, but Sokka also nodded in approval, "She's right dad." Suki briefly gazed at him with a small, appreciative smile - he tried so hard to keep his eyes trained on the floor. "Since this is a recon mission, which could possibly turn into something more if we run into trouble, it'll be more effective to have fewer people. Working in a smaller platoon will allow us to be more effective and efficient, and because we've been friends for years, we're already in sync. Plus, the mountain terrain is too harsh to house more than five people for a mission like this."
"We?" Haru finally spoke up, "What do you mean 'we'?"
"I'll be going with you," Sokka deadpanned, gazing at Suki as she worriedly met his eyes for a moment before trailing off towards the fire. "You need a guide to get you there, and you also need someone who knows the terrain; shortcuts, wild animals, spots to camp etc. Plus, there's no way I'm letting my friends infiltrate a cursed mountain without getting in on some of the action myself," he joked, smiling softly as Haru, Hakoda and Suki let loose a small chuckle.
A beat of silence passed between the people in the room, each of their eyes trained either on the floor or some random item in the distance. They all knew who they were waiting on; they knew he'd accept, of course, he'd never been able to say no to people in need of assistance, much like a certain waterbender. But he'd changed, the life threatening situations he'd experienced and deception he'd faced in the last few years allowed his usually suppressed, cynical side to breathe every so often. And although his friends were initially surprised by the airbender's newly acquired 'bite', they accepted him regardless.
Nobody knew for how long the howling of the blizzard from outside and the crackling embers from the fireplace filled out the otherwise silent ambience, not until his low and surprisingly calm voice penetrated their ears.
"This mountain," all eyes locked onto him, "what's it called?"
Confused by his line of questioning and somewhat surprised, Hakoda simply opted to answer the Avatar. "Bhoot Pahaard," he stated.
Another beat of silence passed between them, one in which Aang inhaled and exhaled deeply in either realisation or frustration or maybe both.
"Ummm… what's uhh… Bhoot Pa-Pahaard?" Haru stuttered, finding the native tongue language of the south difficult to enunciate.
Just as Hakoda opened his mouth to answer, the Avatar finally turned to face them. Within his eyes, they saw determination, sadness, and a hint of fear; his grey orbs locked onto the window behind them, which revealed the barely visible cursed landscape they all feared in the distance, blocked out by an immensely heavy blizzard and various other landscapes. Yet again, as Hakoda was preparing to answer the earthbender's question, Aang answered for him:
"It means… Mountain of Ghosts."