Chapter 10: Somber

Sokka was surprised to find Piandao reading Arnook's personal diary, which the swordmaster had found upon surveying the businessman's old room for more evidence that would help their claims. It was a waste of time, Piandao realized, when his student explained with great distress all that had transpired with Miss Atsanik. Both men were left helpless, trying to think of loopholes, clinging to the diary as possible backup evidence, and they read through every page, hoping for clues, anything they could use as leverage to get Miss Atsanik out of this situation. But Arnook's writings were rather tragic in the sense that the man was completely oblivious to all of Zhao's misdealings. If anything, Arnook's strongest emotion throughout most of his writings was his overwhelming love and pride for his daughter and each of her achievements. And if that wasn't enough evidence of his guileless nature, he kept a portrait of Yue tucked in the folds of the pages— a smiling Yue against a backdrop of what appeared to be an Earth Kingdom village, her eyes bright like twinkling stars amid a dark sky, glimmering more brightly than the gold medal of her achievements draped around her neck.

There were signs, however, of Arnook's tension with Zhao in the businessman's last few diary entries— though the feud was not necessarily over the business, per se, as it was over Yue's future. Arnook's frustrations lay in Zhao repeatedly bringing up Hahn Mimik, the heir to a wealthy enterprise who had taken a liking for Yue when he saw her with Arnook at a friend's wedding. It could never go wrong, Zhao had claimed, for Hahn was a "man of decency and virtue." Refusing to blindly believe anyone with regard to a prospective groom's character, Arnook arranged for some people to ask around about Hahn without Zhao's knowledge, simultaneously finding it odd that Zhao would be so interested in this alliance in particular.

As it turned out, it wasn't just that Arnook didn't like Hahn; the man hated him and with good reason. To Arnook's horror, Hahn was a womanizer and a habitual drunkard, accused of harassment by the workers in his own factories and sexual abuse by the women. While Hahn's utter lack of loyalty to women was in itself abhorring, the fact that he was barely sober most days presented an inexcusable issue given Yue's extreme discomfort around drunk men— a discomfort that prompted Arnook himself to stop taking alcohol altogether ever since she was young. Additionally, there was the fact that Hahn could do nothing for himself. He had no experience with dealings, no skill set he could ever hope to own to make a living or provide for a family. Had it not been for his parents' wealth, he would've lived in the streets and sought shelter in brothels.

And for what purpose Zhao was hyping up such a man and bestowing him a place beside his daughter, Arnook would never know and would never dare to accept.

I do not care if my future son-in-law has sacks of wealth or if he comes from humble origins and has seen no more than five copper pieces at a time, Arnook had written in one entry. So long as he is skilled and able to make a decent living in the event all is lost. Wealth and opulence are transient; what we have today, we may not have tomorrow. In those circumstances, an honorable man would take up a profession, however laborious, to feed his family. Any profession is honorable so long as it does not harm innocent lives. People like Hahn can never hope to become honorable. That boy measures manliness with the number of women he indulges in. But a true, able-bodied, respectable man has the capacity to support his loved ones in times of calamity. Such a man must love Yue as much as I do, or — Spirits-willing— even more than I ever will. Such a man must hold her hand without regard for her wealth and cherish her for who she is. Only that man is fit to be my son-in-law, and Hahn could never even dream of being him.

Arnook had ultimately told Zhao that he despised the alliance and would much rather have Yue live her life for a while, that she is better off focusing on her career at the moment, but Zhao's pressure only increased. He dismissed all the information Arnook had gathered as false accusations and insisted that Hahn was a good man. He had even asked Arnook to be given a chance to present Hahn to him in person so Arnook himself could realize the falsity of those accusations. Even when Arnook fell sick, Zhao was relentless in his attempts at persuasion, and Arnook feared that Yue's peace of mind would get disrupted should Zhao mention any of this to her, so the businessman had to send him away from work for a few days.

Throughout the course of his progressing illness, more suspicion clouded Arnook's mind. He kept receiving letters from aggrieved workers citing that their compensations had not been received despite the fact that he authorized them several weeks ago. His strength was waning too much for him to question the claims, having placed his faith in his daughter, who insisted that she handle company matters until he recovered. The man could only lament that his condition was keeping her away from her dream, and to his dread, he realized that recovery might not be an option for him. He wrote of being scared and uncertain about the future despite the peak condition of their company. He wrote of his feeling that something was terribly wrong, but he didn't know what. He regretted that he didn't have his will prepared beforehand; he could not bear to see the terror unfold on Yue's face every time he mentioned a will, so he remained quiet in her presence. He did not feel like asking Zhao to make such arrangements, knowing he would snap if Zhao brought up Hahn one more time.

And in his very last days, he bemoaned over what the fate of his daughter would be once the Spirits snatch him away. With every moment that Yue spent by his side — she rarely left his side these days— he cast aside the burdens in his heart and forced himself to smile. But in certain moments, like when she fell asleep or left to retrieve more medicine, he let himself sob, hoping for a miracle that would allow him to live long enough to see her married and happy with a family of her own.

Arnook did not write again for several days. His very last entry was, in fact, a will of sorts. With increasingly difficult penmanship, he left everything he owned to her and her children, and he regretted neglecting his health to the point of now having to abandon her.

When Ahnah was gone, I felt that all was lost. I would have gone with her if it wasn't for Yue. She was the only tether I had to this world, and I knew that for her sake, I had to be strong. From that moment on, we clung to each other so tightly that the thought of letting go frightened us.

All these years, I refused to let Yue out of my sight. I drove away my sister-in-law, who challenged my business decisions several times, thought we would hit the streets, and insisted on raising Yue by herself. The thought of losing Yue in any way was unbearable, and I was determined to give her everything she needed. When she had to go to the Earth Kingdom for her studies, I went with her and stayed as many days as I could with every visit. Even when she insisted that she live humbly in those villages to better connect with the poor, I couldn't resist making sure she had all the comforts in the world.

I spent so long promising Yue that I would always be by her side, but in failing to think about my own mortality, I may have made the grave mistake of not preparing her for a world without me. Even when she refused to think about marriage, I supported her and insisted that she focus on her studies if that was what made her happy. I thought of myself as the best father in the world for supporting her dreams and making sure she would stand on her own two feet, and I was so confident that I would always be with her that I did not once think of what would become of her if anything were to happen to me. I did not think about sitting her down and explaining the importance of a companion in her life should anything happen to me. And for my negligence, I will be forever punished by the Spirits.

There is nothing I can do now but pray that the Spirits will watch over her when I'm gone. It is impossible to describe the fear that is crippling me — the fear of leaving Yue in the dust. My only hope now is to return to her as her child and give her the same happiness that she has given me.

Sokka had never seen Piandao cry, but he did now as the swordsman closed the book, brushing back specks of moisture slipping from his eyes. He leaned back and closed his eyes, trying to keep his voice even. "She needs to be protected at all costs, Sokka."

"That's what I'm saying," the tribesman looked over the contents of the last entry once more, "If we show this to the finance officers, she'll be able to keep the estate, right?"

"Even if it belongs to her— which it did, anyway, since the law would absolutely recognize the rights of children over parents' property— she still needs to face the consequences of eviction. She would also have the right to give the estate away, which she already did."

"But we could argue—"

"There's no time to argue. The manor will be demolished in the evening," Piandao said, displeased, "There's nothing we can do."

"Demolished?"

"For Zhao's new villa. She signed off on it."

Sokka glowered helplessly at the ground. Dammit!

"We need to give this diary to her," Piandao said. "Hopefully she won't burn it. There's nothing exposing Zhao in this, and it's her father's diary, besides. Maybe reading this will remind her that Arnook's happiness is in hers."

"And help her see just how much her dad hates Hahn with a passion. How going through with this alliance will torture him in the heavens," Sokka huffed, "I keep trying to tell her this, but she's not listening to me. I feel like shit, Master. I don't know what to do. I never expected us to get our money back like this!"

"And I never expected you to tell her about our plan."

Taking a deep breath, "She's not reporting us—"

"That doesn't make your confession any less ridiculous."

"I know it doesn't seem like the best idea—"

"It really wasn't," Piandao frowned.

"But I didn't wanna keep anything from her. She didn't seem very sure, and she probably thought we were on Zhao's side or something… and I didn't want her to back out of this because of suspicion. I thought if we made ourselves vulnerable, she would trust us and let us help."

"But now our evidence is burnt to a crisp and there's nothing we can do about Zhao, and this diary has very little information. A claim can probably be made of Arnook's disagreement with Zhao, but that by itself will never be enough."

"And it's not like we can do anything in front of her. She's threatening suicide if we do anything," Sokka held a look of terror, earning Piandao's alarm in return. "I don't understand. How is she able to sit through all this? She's signing things off and giving up everything."

"There's something else going on, and she's not in the situation to express that so openly," Piandao mused. "At least, that's the only logical explanation I can think of."

"We need to do something," Sokka insisted. "These people are ruining her life."

Piandao nodded, losing himself to thought, "We'll think about what to do. We're going to get her out of this mess one way or another. But what she needs right now is a place where she can stay comfortably and not have to worry about seeing Hahn every day. The eviction proceedings will take place early in the morning, and she needs a place finalized."

"Can't those stupid officers wait for a few days? She's badly hurt, and getting kicked out of her home is the last thing she needs in her condition."

"The officers are not lenient in these kinds of matters. Zhao already approved of their procedure, so there's nothing anyone can do."

"Why would his approval matter?" Sokka frowned.

"Because he owns that site now," Piandao explained. "Zhao paid for the property in full for personal use so the officers don't have to hold title after the eviction. He paid for it with the currency that Hahn supposedly supplied for him. All documents were transferred to Zhao, too." With a perturbed look, "Apparently Miss Atsanik signed many papers a few hours ago."

"Fuck," anxiety pooled in his gaze, "Where's she gonna go?"

"She's refusing to stay with Zhao or Hahn and his mother for obvious reasons, and talk has it that she's likely staying with Minri."

"Minri?" the tribesman shot up from his pelts with a glare.

"Zhao made the case that they knew each other well since childhood, so she would be comfortable around her—"

"Comfort, my ass! That snake ratted her out! Yue was probably trying to escape all of this, but that woman dragged her back into this hell!"

"It's not only that. It's even more problematic now because Minri has apparently… been a favorite of Hahn's mistresses these past two days. He could visit Minri's place whenever he wants, and Yue is not able to defend herself in her condition if he tries to make a move on her. And who knows what he'll do in his drunken stupor."

With a worried scowl, "Can't she stay anywhere else?"

"None of the maids are offering to let her stay with them because they're afraid of Hahn showing up at their doorstep to see her. That man is insatiable and constantly indulges in alcohol. No respectable family with women in their household would want him making passes at them or risk getting assaulted."

"This is horrible…" his eyes widened as an idea suddenly flickered, "Master, what if we give her our quarters to stay in? We can relocate."

"The idea is well-intentioned, but we need to stay close to her so we can look out for her and assist her in her condition. If we move out, we're going to have to find another place outside of the premises since there are no available servant quarters."

"Then only thing we can do is ask her if she's okay with staying with us," Sokka said. "We're crashing out in the hall anyway; we can give her the bedroom. She'll have all the privacy she needs."

Piandao brooded over the suggestion, nodding, "Yes, that's the best option we have."

"And also…I wanna continue being Miss Atsanik's security guard. I just…I'm too worried. And I don't wanna work for Hahn. I might end up murdering him if I do."

Piandao took a deep breath, "We can ask Yue early in the morning, but we will also have to talk to Zhao about this. And if I'm being honest…I'm not sure how he will take it."

The finance officers arrived at the break of dawn, more than three hours earlier than expected. Even they must've realized their timing was unreasonable; they took mercy over her given her crippled condition, allowing her to stay until they clear everything out— a process that would take at least a couple of hours given the vastness of the place and the rich abundance of possessions.

The gold and silver-coated furniture around the manor was enough to invoke stares and drools, and yet, the officers took her wheelchair first, citing it to be of value. One officer took great pains to nearly toss her out of the chair. Another officer took to searching her bag, finding her gold medal to be the most valuable among her possessions and seizing it immediately.

Yue told herself that she could tolerate these things, that she would even tolerate being the laughingstock of the masses when she exited the building without a copper piece to her name later on, but there were certain things that her pride did not allow. One such example was the officer who wanted to seize a life-size portrait of her from Arnook's chambers. The officer salivated over the painting, over the beauty of the tribeswoman, and he sought to take it home for himself to keep in his bedroom. If he couldn't have the woman, he could at least have her image.

"You're married, man," another officer reminded him.

"To a boar-cupine bear of a woman," came the response. "I don't know what my parents saw her when they got her arranged to me."

"You also have a daughter with that 'boar-cupine bear.' A daughter who is Miss Atsanik's age."

"So what?" the officer brushed away the dust that accumulated at the corners of the painting, overwhelmed with lust, "This is grace. This is beauty. I could just kiss these lips all day long— AAAHH!"

Both officers screamed and propelled themselves away from the painting, dropping it as soon as a torch slammed itself against the portrait, lighting it completely aflame. The officers gawked at the fuming young tribeswoman, who threw the flaming torch onto the carpet as they fumbled to back away. Her tears burned more intensely than the fire that consumed her smiling picture, and they blurred her vision as she staggered away in disgust, struggling her way over to the far side of the emptying manor. She collapsed before the door to her father's old room with her few belongings, her tears dampening the carpet.

"Why didn't you just take me with you, ataata?" she sobbed, leaning against the door, "What did I do wrong?"

"What the hell, they're here earlier than scheduled!" Sokka growled as he and Piandao raced up the steps of the manor. It was the first time in their two-day stay in the North thus far that they witnessed this grandiose beast of a manor be devoid of bustle and servants. The place was emptying little by little with several officers carrying lofty possessions into buffalo-yak carts and several others ripping away the exquisite tapestries and fine carpets.

"Her belongings are clear for the most part," Sokka heard one officer tell another, "Nothing but family portraits and herbal stuff. I did confiscate a medal, though," he said, holding up Yue's award.

"It's her greatest achievement," the second officer pondered, "Maybe we don't need to—"

"It's the institution's fault for giving this to her in gold. And no one asked Arnook to apply for more loans than he needs." Throwing the medal unceremoniously into a container filled with other exorbitant articles, "Load 'em in the carriage— AH!"

"Look out!"

A boomerang swerved past them, slinging right back around to its owner. The impact of the swing had startled the officers, one of whom dropped the box of possessions in his arms.

"Sorry, sorry," Sokka caught his boomerang and rushed towards them.

"What in La's hell, man?"

"I was just bored," the tribesman knelt down to help pick up the possessions. "Didn't see ya there—"

"Playing with a boomerang like a child," the second officer huffed, snatching the box away from the tribesman, "Who even put you in the security division?"

Sokka feigned a sheepish grin at the officers as they left. He then stood up, sliding the medal out from under his swooping fur cloak and holding it behind him before any of the other officers could notice it. Piandao gave his student a curious look as he caught up to him, "What was that for?"

"This is hers," Sokka cast the medal into his coat pocket, "She's losing a lot today. She's not losing this, too."

They headed towards Zhao's former study, where he was directing Aziran and his other assistants to carry a few of his belongings into his own estate. The firebender was surprised to see Piandao and Sokka by the door, his eyebrows raised, "I wasn't expecting to see you two here."

"We needed to talk to you about something important," Piandao said.

Zhao patiently directed his attention to them, gesturing for the assistants to give them privacy. The firebender kept an occasional eye on Sokka but said nothing, his eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"Where's Miss Atsanik?" Piandao asked.

"Somewhere in the building," Zhao said. "The officers allowed her to stay until the closing. Minri's keeping her company." The firebender noted Sokka's uncomfortable look, "You don't seem to approve, Ingiullik."

"It's just that you mentioned before that they had a falling out," he said, averting eye contact, "I don't know if staying with her is in Miss Atsanik's best interest."

"Oh, that," he shrugged, "That's all in the past now. I'm sure we have nothing to worry about."

Sokka didn't buy the explanation at all.

"That may be so, but we want to offer Miss Yue to stay with us," Piandao said, diverting Zhao's attention away from the tribesman.

"With you?"

"Ordinarily we would offer her our quarters and move out, but she will need assistance and security. That's why we're suggesting this."

"She's to be engaged, Piandao. I don't think either of you are remembering that," Zhao frowned. "And how is her staying with Minri not the better option here?"

"Because you and I both know about Hahn's inability to control himself," Piandao pointed out. "And his lust for women and drink is not a secret by any means. I guarantee you that he will visit them at night and try to have his way with them. Minri might be willing, but Yue isn't, and that has to be respected, yes?"

"Well that's their personal matter, and neither you nor I can interfere with that," Zhao said simply. "If Hahn wants to be intimate with her, then there's nothing I can do. He might be quite adventurous with his women, but he's the only one who has ultimately stepped up to marry that insane girl. And he's filthy rich. I need to make sure she's provided for."

Sokka clenched his fist beneath the table, but Piandao's hand stopped him from blurting out a retort. "If she stays with us, we will keep watch," the swordmaster persisted. "And we will respect her privacy and boundaries."

"Oh really?"

"She is like a daughter to me, Zhao. Assuming anything inappropriate about my offer is an insult to my moral compass and a shame on yours."

Looking him squarely in the eyes, "How are you going to look after her if you have work?"

Piandao let go of Sokka's hand— a nonverbal gesture allowing the tribesman to speak. "I'll be home when Master's at work," Sokka said. "Miss Yue won't be alone."

"And what about your new obligation to act as security for Hahn?"

"We actually wanted to ask you if you could let me go back to being Miss Yue's security," he managed without glowering in his direction. "I would be happy to take care of her."

"Take care of her, hm?" Turning to Piandao, "So you'll be out working during the day, and he'll be at home taking care of Miss Atsanik. You know, carrying her around if she needs anything. Preparing her meals, helping her with physical therapy. What's next, maybe giving her massages? How delightful and heartwarming it would be to touch her wherever and whenever she needs to be touched?"

Sokka glared daggers at the man in spite of Piandao's warnings.

"And you expect me to not be worried about this arrangement, Piandao—?"

"I think you're greatly misunderstanding the situation," the tribesman said, again earning a cautious grip on his hand.

"She's like a daughter to you, Piandao," ignoring Sokka's comment, "but not to him, is she?"

"You didn't have any of these concerns when you first appointed Sokka," Piandao covered.

"Because I didn't have a reason to be concerned, but now?" Zhao folded his arms, his focus again resting on a clearly incensed Sokka, "Ordinarily, any man would slobber over the chance to guard a woman with zero hindrance to their privacy. But any young, hot-blooded tribesman would kill to privately guard a woman who is quite literally sculpted in the image of their tribal goddess. Hahn will take great offense. He's already seething with rage that Ingiullik groped her in public in the pretext of help. And now with an arrangement like this, if she ends up pregnant—"

"I don't know that you know the definition of groping," Piandao said before Sokka could lash out, "He was clearly helping her. If I see an elderly woman collapsed in the middle of the tundra, I'm going to help carry her to the healing hut, Zhao. That doesn't mean I've groped her, does it?"

Zhao didn't respond, his glare on Sokka intact.

"I think you should tell Hahn and his mother to stop seeing everything and everyone with suspicion," the swordmaster said. "Sokka will never take advantage of any woman like that. And I advise you not to look for anything inappropriate in this gesture. The only reason he's keen on doing this is gratitude. For everything she has done to help the South and his family, personally—"

"His family?"

"She was gracious enough to prescribe a serum that would help improve his grandmother's health."

"Ah, yes, her herbal nonsenses."

"The least we can do for her is provide shelter and security," Piandao pressed. "We want to help in our own way. That's the only reason behind Sokka's request."

"He might be a man of impeccable virtue, but he and Yue are both young—"

"They're both adults in their mid-twenties, not passionate teenagers. And if anything, it's Hahn you should be worried about when it comes to senseless lust."

"You can't say my worries are totally baseless. Whether she'll spread her legs for this man or not, just take a look at him," pointing to the exasperated tribesman, "He hasn't been here for two full days and he's already pining for her—"

"I'm not pining!" Sokka sputtered.

"And what's to say this really isn't just another exercise in sexual competition—?"

Having noticed the flaming spark that lingered at Zhao's knuckles, Piandao swiftly stepped in front of Sokka, cutting off the firebender with a serious, "As I told you before, Yue is like my own. And if Sokka had any impure thoughts about her, I wouldn't bring him all the way here."

"And how do you know what his thoughts are—?"

"I was the one who raised him, Zhao. He's my son. He's not someone who steps out of line."

Zhao gave Piandao a long, stubborn glare.

"And anyhow, we know better than to disobey you. We are only here to fulfill our duties. We're nonbenders, besides."

"That never stopped you from sticking to that moral compass of yours, did it?"

Piandao took a deep, patient breath, "Alright. If you're still so concerned about this, how about I organize the transaction books from the quarters? I will report to you periodically through correspondence. This way, I will also be home. Both Sokka and I will be with her at all times."

The fire at Zhao's fingertips dissipated, and he stepped back, "Now this is a much better option." Casting a look at Sokka, "But you should know that I don't plan on paying for her security. The position is nonexistent now, informal at best, so it's not like you would have an actual job like Piandao does. That's why you were initially transferred to Hahn's security personnel, and if you want to get paid, you're better off as Hahn's security."

"It's not about the money," he said." You don't have to give me a single copper piece."

"In that case, I'll have to fire you. Is that what you want?"

"If you must," came the unflinching answer.

"No surprise there. You've been trying to get yourself fired since you started." Zhao reached for an empty scroll on his desk and took some time to quickly write up the tribesman's termination letter. He handed the same to him.

"We will speak with Miss Atsanik and finalize the moving plans beforehand," Piandao said. "The last thing we would want is for her to leave without securing a place to stay. We want to spare her that embarrassment."

Zhao took his seat in his chair, gesturing to the exit, "Be my guest."

"Oh come on, Yue, it's all in the past! That was when you were stinking rich! But now that we're on the same level, we can really be friends."

Yue said nothing, huddled by the fire that warmed up her father's freezing, neglected room. She refused to say a word to Minri, much less spare her a passing glance.

"Oh, that's right," Minri chuckled, "We can't be on the same level. You don't have any income. But I tell you what. I'll give you a tip every now and then." Nudging her shoulder, "What do you say? Just like old times, huh? Except I'm the one giving you everything?"

Again, Yue said nothing.

"You can't escape me, Yue. No matter how hard you try," Minri said. "Instead of holding onto old grudges, open your eyes to what's before you. For starters, do you know how lucky you are? To get Hahn's exclusive attention?"

Yue furrowed her eyebrows as she turned away, staring into the fire.

"You know, you and I shared many things together over the years. We shared our stories, our roughest memories. We shared money. Well, you shared your money with me so we both shared your money, I suppose, but you get my point." Shrugging, "We're gonna be sharing a house now. And guess what? We're even sharing the same man soon."

Yue held back a disgusted wince.

"Mr. Hahn does not disappoint. He's very generous. Never turns a lady down. He gives them everything they could ever want..." Minri sighed and leaned against the wall, wearing a dreamy look on her face, "We're both very lucky, Yue."

In the throes of her throbbing headache, "Does Zhao pay you to talk so much?"

Minri's grin fell apart, replaced with a glare, "No, but he does pay me to stuff some noodles down your throat and throw you a pelt to sleep on. You have nothing now, Yue, nothing. You're dependent on me whether you like it or not. Seriously, how ungrateful does someone have to be—"

"Alright, that's enough filth coming from you."

Yue recognized the voice to be Sokka's. She looked up to see him standing by the doorway and glaring at the servant.

"And who the hell are you?" Minri questioned.

"Security for Miss Atsanik." He directly handed Yue the scroll in his hand, having noticed her visible suspicions, "I'm authorized to be here."

Yue skimmed over the contents, frowning and gawking at him in disbelief.

"Now get the hell out of here," Sokka ordered Minri. "I better not see you around Miss Atsanik again."

"Watch your tone, Boomerang Boy," she spat, "Master Zhao specifically authorized me to—"

"The papers don't lie," he snapped. "If you want details, you can talk to him directly. Now out."

The servant huffed, storming her way out of the room. Yue cast him a frown, "You got yourself fired? Why in the world would you—?"

"Because I don't care about the money," he said calmly. "I care about you."

"Well as you can very clearly see," not meeting his eyes and ignoring the remark, "I don't have anything that'll be of your care—"

"I said I care about you. Not anything you might have." He then knelt down beside her and pulled her medal out of his pocket.

"Where did you get that? I thought the officers—"

"I'm not letting them take this from you," he said, placing it back in her bag in her presence. "Where's your chair? I'll go get it."

She shook her head, "I don't need it." And upon his unconvinced look, she admitted, "It's the first thing they took."

"Bastards," he glared.

Flashing him a tired look, "Why are you really here? What, did I miscalculate one of the compensation claims? Just tell me, I don't have time to figure out your little puzzle."

"I'm here because I'm loyal to you, and I'm your friend," he told her patiently. "It's as simple as that."

She directed her glare to the fire beside her, shivering from the gusts of cold air swooping in through the window. Sokka closed the window, taking the liberty of casting his cloak over her shoulders to keep her warm. "Master Piandao's here, too, by the way. He wanted to talk to you. Is that okay?"

She huddled closer to the fire, acquiescing with a slow nod, and moments later, the older man stepped in, approaching Yue gently, carefully. "Miss Atsanik?"

She gave him her attention, her eyebrows remaining furrowed as he also knelt down, taking a seat beside her. "How are you doing, Miss Atsanik?"

A brief nod of acknowledgment, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

The swordsman sighed, "We heard that you were designated to stay with Minri, and I think we're right when we say you hate this arrangement."

"It's better than staying with Zhao or Hahn."

"Well how do you feel about staying with us?"

She gave him a curious look.

"Please do not take this the wrong way. We are concerned for your safety. That's why we're asking. We have spoken to Zhao about this, and he agreed so long as both Sokka and I are present around you. That just leaves your approval."

Yue had not been expecting the offer; hence she remained quiet, brooding over what she was just asked.

"The quarters are not very big, but they have basic amenities," Piandao explained. "There's one room with a nice bed. That will be yours. You will have all the privacy you need. Sokka and I will sleep out in the hallway. We have two bathrooms as well. One is attached to your room; that one's more spacious and convenient, so no need to worry. Sokka and I will take the other one down the hall. Also, there's a small common area for dining and lounging. There are three fireplaces in total and a hearth for cooking. My understanding is that the servants won't be getting meals from any of the kitchens in Zhao's or Hahn's estates, so we're getting paid extra in advance to arrange for our own meals. But not to worry. Sokka and I will take care of the cooking. I've cooked nearly all my life. This boy needs a little more work—"

"Hey," Sokka pouted.

"But he's decent," Piandao acquiesced, "And I think we can manage. We don't have any distasteful habits, either. We don't drink or smoke. We'll keep the quarters spotless."

"We'll also do the chores," Sokka told her. "You don't need to do anything around the house, just rest and recover. Anything you need, we'll bring it to you in seconds."

"We will also stop Hahn from coming to see you at inappropriate times," Piandao told her. "Or at all, if we can help it. And we are not going to leave you alone with him in any circumstance."

"What do you say?" Sokka asked anxiously, "Will you stay with us?"

She shook her head, "I can't ask this of you. It would be too inconvenient for you. And I don't have anything to pay rent with…Whereas Zhao would actually be paying Minri to—"

"Yue, we are not interested in rent," Piandao told her gently. "Not everything in this world needs to be paid for. We are your friends."

Which she didn't seem to buy at all.

"If you stay with Minri, there is a strong possibility that Hahn will be coming to visit late at night. Given their…history… thus far," Piandao told her. "And he will very likely be drunk. I know you don't want to be around him at that time."

Her frown softened, melting into unspoken worry, "Oh…" turning away, "I guess I just assumed he would…invite her…"

"We never know. And he would know where you're staying, right? He would want to come see you…I would imagine…and Minri isn't going to drive him away, will she…?"

"Yes…I see the concern," she said, finding it ridiculous that she didn't piece that possibility together as fast as a couple of strangers did, "But it's fine. I don't expect you to bend over backward to accommodate me just because I authorized the compensations. I'll find another place on my own. The North also has its fair share of shelters for the homeless—"

"Miss Atsanik!" Sokka exclaimed, hurt, "This isn't about the compensations! We're here because we care about you, okay? Why would you put yourself through that when we're right here with you?"

"I can handle myself. I don't need anyone sacrificing their valuable time and privacy for my sake." Fixating her glare on the fire, "Just take your money and leave me alone. Please."

Piandao turned to an anguished Sokka, gesturing for him to be patient. He then reached into the fold of his robes and pulled out Arnook's diary, handing it to Yue. "Miss Atsanik, your father has been misunderstood by many, including us. And we are not trying to hide that. But reading his diary made me realize just who he was as a person…"

Yue turned her attention to the book held out in front of her. She took it carefully into her hands as if the book were an infant. Sticking out from the book was a portrait of her — the same oversized picture that she had burned down in her rage earlier.

"I think of him as a good friend," Piandao told her, "And I consider you like my own. This is the truth."

Yue spent several moments looking through the book before tucking her curiosity and her picture back into its folds. She was looking forward to reading the book later, that was for sure. "Whether you mean that or not…My father always held you in high regard and honor," she told the swordmaster. "Even if he only met with you a few times. Of course, his intuitions were not always right, but I know he was right when it came to you."

Softening his eyes, "Then you trust that I will take good care of you, Miss Atsanik?"

She didn't answer, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"I understand it must be very difficult for you to trust others at this very moment," Piandao sighed. "But you should know that I really do respect your father. I would never sit in his room and lie about that. On my honor." He reached out to place his hand comfortingly over her shoulder, careful as he did so, and he found it a success when she didn't flinch away. "If you think your ataata would've trusted me to look after you, please come with us, Miss Atsanik. We are not leaving you defenseless like this, all things considered."

She looked from Piandao to Sokka, who wore an identical hopeful look. "Please, Miss Atsanik?"

"If you stay with Minri, there is a strong possibility that Hahn will be coming to visit late at night... I know you don't want to be around him at that time."

"Alright," Yue sighed as they let out relieved breaths, "But I don't need you to significantly alter your lifestyles just for me. I don't want to cause more inconvenience than I already am—"

"There is no inconvenience whatsoever, Miss Atsanik," Piandao smiled. "I guarantee you that you will have more peace of mind in our quarters. You can be however you like. Sokka and I will not bother you in any way."

Looking at the swordsman, "You can just call me Yue. 'Miss Atsanik' can be a mouthful."

"Does that privilege extend to me, too?" Sokka blinked.

"Whatever makes you happy," she said tiredly, earning a smile.

It was shortly after dinner that several waterbending construction workers assembled around the stripped manor of the former owner of Arnook Industries. Yue looked up from her warm noodles and cast a peek through the window of her new room just in time for a deep rumble to shake the tundra. She saw the manor quickly be consumed by mist as the rumbling intensified.

A few moments passed by, and the workers, who had also been consumed by the mist, came back into view for a split second. Torrents of water flowed through the canals surrounding the manor as the icy building melted away, becoming one with the water the way corpses disintegrate and become one with the earth. Waves upon waves crashed against the walls of the servant quarter buildings, the howling winds momentarily resembling Arnook's sharp, piercing wails. And it was only when the water became still that the mist cleared, leaving behind an eerie emptiness that squeezed at Yue's heart. To think there used to be a building there…that she spent her entire life thus far in that building…

She was so painfully absorbed in what had happened that she completely forgot that Piandao and Sokka had offered to give her company and were eating dinner with her. At least, they had been. She also didn't notice that her hand was shaking, nor did she notice that Sokka was holding onto her hand. She didn't hear their whispers of her name, nor did she feel the rapid succession of her tears quietly slipping down her face and drenching the hand that was holding onto her. For several long moments, she stared at the empty field.

"Yue?"

Eventually she became conscious of reality, mortified that she let herself be so vulnerable in this moment. She pulled her hand away from Sokka's and fumbled to dry her eyes, turning away in embarrassment. "Sorry."

"Hey, it's okay," Sokka said softly, "It's perfectly okay."

"I'm not hungry," she choked out, "You can finish without me."

"Do you want us to stay for a while, Yue?" Piandao offered. "It's okay, we understand—"

"I need to sleep," came a shaky response as she took her pain medicine beside her bed and swallowed it dry, "Good night."

They reluctantly left her to her solitude and threw their dinners away, knowing no one was going to be eating tonight. They weren't going to be sleeping tonight, either, heavily burdened by the fact that she was currently muffling her sobs in her bed, refusing to be seen, heard, or helped.