Chapter 4: Prosperity at the Door

Dawn was fast approaching as Sokka dragged himself up a steep hill, his sealskin pouch filled with enough fish and a bit of game to last them for the next day and a half. The only energy he was running on was from the cucumberquats he'd munched on about four hours ago, but even that was proving to be insufficient. With every passing minute, bouts of exhaustion pierced through his muscles like needles, worsened by the bites of the falling snow. His eyelids were ready to drop down to the ground rather than bear the weight of sleeplessness any longer. He managed to climb over the slope and trudged down the knee-deep snow, kicking away the surpluses of ice on his feet until he reached familiar territory. He could hear someone calling out to him and fixed his attention through the chaos of snowflakes, finally seeing someone approach him.

"Sokka! Prince Sokka!"

In the near distance was the hut belonging to Kirima and Panuq, the couple that had been on the brink of starvation up until last night. Panuq raced ahead to meet up with the warrior with a shovel in hand and cleared the way.

"Thanks, bud."

"You're welcome to stay in our hut until the weather clears up," Panuq said.

"I appreciate it, but I need to get moving."

"At least have some warm yak milk. You seem like you're nearly frozen."

It was an offer that Sokka could not refuse, knowing fully well that if he was to go hunting again later that night or get on the ship to head to Ba Sing Se, he shouldn't go with symptoms of hypothermia, so he followed Panuq through the treacherous ice. The tribesman welcomed the prince inside his humble abode and had him seated on a set of cozy pelts. The hut was a stark contrast to the chilling air outside, so much that Sokka was flushed from the warmth within seconds. Through his glazed eyes, he saw Panuq's three children look up from their board game and wave to him, simultaneously hollering, "Hey, Uncle Socks!"

"Hey, little warriors," he flashed them a toothy grin.

Kirima stepped out into the main room with cups of milk in hand and smiled in greeting, her look turning to that of immediate concern as she handed the prince the first cup. "Prince Sokka, you don't look well. Have you been hunting all night?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Not having much luck, either, huh?" Panuq asked.

"No. All the areas nearby are fished out."

"I know," the tribesman sighed. "Last night, I came home empty handed. I wasn't sure what to do. Thanks to the Spirits, a kind stranger left a generous amount of food at our doorstep with a note saying it was exclusively for us. We have no idea where it all came from or who put it there."

"Why does it matter?" Sokka said, brushing the remnants of the milk away from his lips and chin. "Just take it. Don't think twice."

"We have surpluses, sir," Kirima said. "La Himself must have blessed us with plenty, and it would be against His will if we keep it from those in need. We will be happy to share some of it with you."

The warrior was moved. "Ma'am, you're a family of five with another child on the way. You of all people shouldn't be looking to share. We have a household of mostly adults. We'll figure something out."

"Don't you worry about that, Prince Sokka," Kirima assured. "My brother will be arriving tonight. I'm sure he can take care of the hunting if need be. But I'm sure that won't be necessary. We will all have enough."

"It's okay, don't worry about us. I'll take Katara and Gramp-Gramp along tonight. Why should all the nonbenders do the work anyway?"

"But there's a partial lunar eclipse tonight, I hear," Panuq said. "No bending for at least four to five hours, and even after that, "

Oh. Great. "I'll figure something out. No worries."

"Sir—"

"Look, whoever it is that brought you all this food, they wanted you to have it, alright? That La of yours would be greatly disappointed if you go around sacrificing what you got. End of discussion." He set his drained cup aside. "And another thing. I decided to take the trip to Ba Sing Se alone."

"Alone?" Panuq widened his eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"My initial plan was to take all of the men; I thought the greater number of representatives for the South, the better. But the circumstances here aren't looking too well. I'm guessing a lot more families are going through the same situation that we are, and it will be hard for us to all go when we don't have everything settled beforehand."

"But sir, it's a very important trip this time. We will be meeting with the officials in Ba Sing Se."

"I've thought through everything once again, and to tell you the truth, I highly doubt the king's officials will allow all of our crew members into the meeting room," Sokka said disconcertedly. "I don't even know if they'll have me around long enough to hear what I have to say, but I don't have a choice. I have to go on behalf of my dad, and the letter from the Earth King was addressed to me. It will be more convenient for all of us if you men stay here with your folks. That way, you don't have to worry about catching lots of game at once and I can manage something with the Earth Kingdom officials. It's one of our longer trips, too, so it would greatly benefit you if you don't take the risk."

Panuq nodded. "I suppose that would make sense...but…"

"With our situation, it's usually a strength to go out and trade, but not anymore. What matters the most is surviving, Panuq, and as of today, we've reached the point where we have to be here and take care of the village instead of leaving it to starve."

"I understand...but sir, you still shouldn't go completely alone. I bet there are other crew members who have prepared everything beforehand."

"It's okay, I can handle it. I've been on plenty of trips alone before." Sokka cast him a smile and pat his back. "Besides, I was starting to feel bad for dragging an expectant dad along for the trip. Take it easy, my friends."

He thanked them for their hospitality before stepping back out into the cold, his insides warmed but still sore from the journey and the remaining ravages of hunger. Bearing everything, he continued on his way, highly tempted to flop down where he was and sleep the day away. Before long, he saw to his relief the path that snaked its way to his igloo. His mother, who had been sitting near the entrance, waiting for him, pulled herself up to her feet as she saw him tread along the snow with heavy steps. Kanna and Pakku approached her at the door.

"This was all I could get," Sokka admitted, handing the pouch to Pakku. "I'll go back tonight and—" He was cut off by Kya's fierce hug, which he returned with a soft sigh of apology. "I'm sorry."

"No, sweetheart, it's my fault. You're working so hard and...how could I be so stupid?"

"Mom."

She sniffed and dried her eyes. "Come on. I made fish sticks the way you like them."

"Actually, I finished up the cucumberquats on the way," he said, his exhaustion taking over his need for food. "We might as well save the fish sticks for later. Just in case."

They tugged him inside, and he flopped against a set of pelts and leaned his head against the furs on the wall.

"Did you sleep at all?" Katara probed.

"For an hour, maybe."

"That's not enough."

"It's not like I have time for naps when I'm trying to cross the Aklavik."

"The Aklavik River?" Pakku exclaimed. "That's thirty miles farther than Innanut! You walked all the way there?"

"That's why it took a while," Sokka said.

"Where else in the name of the Spirits did you go?"

"Hunkaq. A little village five miles from there. I caught what I could. The Aklavik is nearly fished out, too." A burdened look crossed over Sokka for a moment, but when he saw it reflected in the faces of his family members, he assured them quickly, "But I still have a plan. There's a snow forest off the coast of Tulit'a. I'll go there tonight and see what I can do."

"Are you kidding? That's going to take you almost half a day," Hakoda said. "And it's bandit country. Is there really no other place for you to hunt?"

No, not really. "Well...I just want to try it out."

"You can't possibly walk all the way there."

"I'm taking a canoe this time," he said. "It's easier to get there by sea."

"And what about sleep?"

"I'll just have to sleep on the ship to Ba Sing Se."

"You shouldn't go," Katara said. "On the hunting trip, I mean. See what you can do around here where it's closer. Or if you want to make this difficult, let me come with you."

"Katara—"

"I can hold my own. I'm a bender."

"I'm coming with you, too," Pakku said. "I'm not too old for a hunting trip."

"You two know there's gonna be a partial lunar eclipse tonight, right?"

Their faces fell seconds afterward. "Oh no."

"So don't risk it. I'll take care of it. But I won't deny that it's still going to take me a while, so I decided to postpone the Ba Sing Se trip for a day."

"Did you tell the men?" Hakoda asked him.

Sokka took a deep breath. "The men aren't going, Dad."

"What?"

"I decided to go alone this time. That way, I won't have to make as many stops. And I can get to the Omashu Port faster. I also know a shortcut." He took a moment to whip out his maps from his satchel and sieved through them to find the one of the Earth Kingdom. He set the maps on the floor to where they could see. "From Omashu, I'll have to travel to Full Moon Bay," his fingers trailed along the parchment, "and from there, I'll have to take an alternate route to avoid the Si Wong Desert, but it's still doable. Then I'll have to cross the East and West Lakes—"

"Isn't that where they say a giant sea serpent lives?" Kya asked worriedly.

"That's just a myth, Mom, there's nothing to be afraid of," he dismissed. "I'll just have to cross that, and then I'll reach for the outer wall of Ba Sing Se."

"Sokka, this is the longest trip you'll ever take. It's too dangerous to go by yourself."

"I've been to Omashu alone plenty of times before—"

"This isn't the same as Omashu. And we're not having you crossing Serpent's Lake," Kanna said firmly. "I don't care what you say about it. I've heard actual stories of people who disappeared along with their boats in the middle of the lake."

"It's just folklore, Gran. We have no actual evidence of a sea monster in that area. I'm the one who travels around, I should know this! And even if there is anything fishy about that area, what can I do about it?"

"Take the ferry. It would be the safer option," Kya said.

"It would also be the more expensive option," Sokka reminded. "Five hundred yuan for one ticket. We can't afford even five percent of that money."

Nothing could be said after that. Times were difficult and were worth certain risks. They couldn't just sit here and starve for the rest of their lives.

"No matter what happens, I'm going to have an audience with the Earth King, and I will not leave Ba Sing Se until everything is finalized," he said with determined resolution. "We have so many vital resources here. We can't rot away with so much unrealized potential. It's not like all the other three nations are going to show up and hand us everything on a silver platter—"

"Sokka!"

The tone of alarm in that voice by the door caught his immediate attention, and the sore warrior forced himself up, wincing his way to the tribesman who was waiting anxiously near the entrance. It was Bato, their family friend. And he must have run a long way to get here, judging by his hoarse pants for breath.

"There are ships headed our way," Bato said.

"Ships?"

"They're not our ships?"

"No, Hakoda. They're too big to be ours."

"Oh no," Kanna gave the others a grave look. "He really did mean it when he said..."

"Who said what?" Sokka asked.

"...Lee..."

"Lee?"

"That Earth Kingdom noble, and his financial advisor, Donghai...they stopped by yesterday," Kya began. And one by one, everyone else chimed in, explaining the whole ordeal to him. The conversation regarding the new mining project, the rash confidence that Chunta displayed, the threats issued to their home, and the false notion of overnight prosperity. Bato widened his eyes in horror.

"And you're telling me this now?" the warrior facepalmed in exasperation. "Chunta, you fucking idiot…"

"We were going to tell you yesterday, but we didn't get the chance," Pakku said. "If those men seize our property, we'll have no choice but to move out to a different location, but where will we go if it's so hard to find fish or game anywhere?"

"It won't go that far," Sokka assured. "I'll talk it out. I know they're definitely interested in the partnership, and I'll use that to convince them. No matter what happens, all of you stay indoors."

"Wait, Sokka, I'm going with you—"

"That's not a good idea, Dad, we'll handle this." The warrior stepped out of the igloo and made his way out with Bato. Katara stubbornly caught up to them.

"They insulted Dad, Sokka. They don't deserve it."

"And Dad doesn't deserve feeling like he's not able to help in a time of crisis. If our prospects get better, then he won't have to worry as much."

"He has a point, Katara," Bato said. "Hakoda has suffered enough humiliation since his injury. It's even more degrading considering his position as the chieftain. We have to ignore certain things if we want him to be—"

"Do either of you have any idea what they even said?" she demanded. "They were...they kept saying he was useless."

"Just because they said that doesn't mean he is—"

"But are we going to just take that? We might not have money, but that doesn't mean we don't have dignity. So why would you just stand back and let those idiots take the partnership in what's not even theirs?"

Sokka stopped mid-step, glowering at the ground.

"These minerals belong to the South," Katara reiterated. "And the South should have complete ownership over them. We shouldn't let mannerless brutes take over."

The prince was no stranger to everything their family had faced and all the trash talk he'd heard from several people over the years. Hakoda's injury didn't just stop at throwing the responsibility on Sokka's shoulders; it gave him an additional responsibility: to make sure he protected his dad from demeaning comments. It took the chieftain several months after his injury to get back on track, and another blow to his self esteem would be a greater cause for concern. "Look, I hate it, too, but this will be helpful in the long run. We don't have much of a choice. And if they don't listen, things will get rough for sure."

"You're not saying…?"

"I'm not letting them take away the one thing we have left. No matter what it takes. Now go back inside."

"But—!"

"Go, Katara, please! It's not safe!" And he and Bato hurried through the demanding inches of ice to the Southern shores. A few other tribesmen were waiting for him, one of them peering out at a distant line of ship silhouettes crossing over the South Sea through the mist. Indeed, they were gigantic in size and much faster, too, considering how quickly they were getting closer to land. Sokka grabbed hold of a pair of field glasses and observed the ships further. As they got closer, he took note of the more subtle details.

"They're Water Tribe ships," he mused. "Really big Water Tribe ships…"

"But we don't have such big ships."

"I didn't say they were from out tribe." Because they didn't belong to their portion of men who were supposed to return from their recent trading mission. These ships were obviously not from anywhere in the South. And not only were they more elaborate in design and style but also their sails…they were not the typical blue with the image of the black wolf like Southern ships. Instead, they bore the shape of a white circle in the center.

"A full moon," Sokka said eventually. He wore a conflicted expression on his face. The Land of Tui.

"Sokka, it's broad daylight."

"No, I mean... on their sails…they have full moons…"

The tribesman grabbed hold of the field glasses and looked on again. "Oh my Spirits...I can't believe it!" he exclaimed, rousing the interest of the other men. "I can't...oh my goodness! They're from the Land of Tui! They're Northerners!"

"What?!"

Bato looked through the field glasses next. "Yes...yes, they're definitely Northern ships."

"Oh Tui and La!"

"We're saved! We're finally saved!"

"Looks like Chief Arnook finally decided to get in touch with us!"

"We must inform the chief!"

But Sokka stopped them all with a wave of his hand and remained silent, staring at the plethora of Northern ships with excitement and suspicion swirling in his gut. Suspicion soon overpowered him, and he held a look of bitterness and impatience. "Not yet. We don't know what they're up to." Because how could they know for sure that the Northerners were looking to help? Over twenty five years of attempted contact didn't bear fruit; what could've happened for them to head this way now?

"Sokka, don't be cynical," Bato advised. "You should be happy about this."

"I'm only worried about what they'd want from us."

"What? No!" a tribesman exclaimed. "Don't you see? They're coming to help us out! After all these years!"

"Exactly," he said to the men. "After all these years. After ignoring us for so long...why would they suddenly turn to the South?"

"Maybe they finally got the message."

"Does it take twenty five years to process a need for help?" Sokka demanded. "Would you be okay with waiting for twenty five years for a piece of meat to cook?"

"We never know what the situation is like in the North," Bato reasoned.

"What is it with you and Dad and defending the North? I need to know for sure that they're here to help. Otherwise, I'm not falling for anything."

"Think what you want, but I can tell that this is for the best," Bato said. "Men, send for Chief Hakoda."

Within minutes, the curiosity of the entire tribe was roused, eventually blooming into excitement. The women in the village stepped out of the confines of their cooking fires and left behind their crafts midweave. They took to the streets of ice and crowded around the shores. The mist cleared little by little, giving rise to the majestic view of Northern ships. There were so many of them. They kept coming one after another, endless in their endeavors. It was almost as if the entire Northern population was making its way down South.

Sokka was persistent in his doubts. He looked on with further skepticism even after Hakoda and the others made it to the shoreline and expressed their pleasant surprise. It wasn't until they spotted the sight of additional ships, this time belonging to the Earth Kingdom, that Sokka finally let down a portion of his cynicism. Ignoring the tribesfolk's calls, he raced further ahead and barged up the watchtower. He then saw that the next huge wave of ships did indeed belong to the Earth Kingdom. These ships proudly bore the emblem of the Earth Kingdom capital. For a second, Sokka did not get his hopes up, thinking that those were most likely sent by Lee and were coinciding with the arrival of the Northern ships, but it didn't make sense to think that way because were so many Earth Kingdom ships, perhaps too many to belong to any single party. And when they got close enough, he saw to his great surprise that the ones towards the back of the mass influx bore silk flags bearing the symbol of the Earth Kingdom in golden embroidery.

They had to be from Ba Sing Se. They had to have been sent by the Earth King!

As if he wasn't surprised enough, he was practically flabbergasted when another set of ships, this time from the Fire Nation, pierced through the horizon. The royal fire insignia loomed above its ships in the form of similarly embroidered flags. Golden scepter-like masts jutted into the skies, indicating that they come in peace.

"Those things look too furry to be ships," a tribesman panted as he made it to the top of the watchtower and succeeded in grabbing Sokka's attention.

"Where?"

"Over there, sir."

Sokka squinted his eyes in the said direction before widening them. "Those aren't ships! They're sky bison! Flying bison swimming towards us!" And what a number of bison there were with several saffron-clad monks sitting atop each of them. The Air Nomads had joined in to complete the international family that was hitting the Southern shores like a tsunami. And if the Air Nomads of all people took the effort to leave their homes for any reason at all, it had to be for an important one. Sokka was definitely shocked out of his wits. This was too good to be true.

"Bison…" the tribesman repeated in a daze. "So many bison, too many bison. What do we do? What do we feed them, oh Spirits help us!"

Because that was what was most important out of everything else. "Don't panic, buddy," Sokka shook his head in amusement. "Arrange for the kelp nets." Since kelp was the only abundant resource left and one of the only food sources (if not the only food source) that was close to being vegetarian.

The people near the harbor were in another fix. How could they accommodate such a huge number of ships seeking to dock themselves up against the Southern shores? While the South was definitely a huge mass of ice and would technically be able to welcome so many ships, the glacial terrain was most concerning.

"I need all benders to form extra docks!" Sokka commanded from the watchtower. "The first round of ships will reach the shore any minute!"

Immediately, the benders got to work. They charged out into the water and froze certain portions, creating circular bases which gave rise to several different icy docks that jutted into the sea. Treacherous caps of snow were smoothed out to welcome more ships. All along the vast Southern shore were lines of expert sailors with giant ropes in hand, waiting to receive the ships and help dock them. Finally convinced of the extent of whatever was going to happen in the next few minutes, Sokka slid down from the tower, not even bothering to take the flight of stairs in his exhilarated state.

Eventually, the first row of ships approached land. Hundreds more were to follow, but for the time being, here were the leading ships. Foreign bowsprits hit the Southern ice after many long years, and out stepped groups of Northern tribesmen, wrapped in layers of billowing cloaks. The leader of the Northern division, a tribesman who was rather short for his stature, was the first to fully step onto Southern ice.

There was tensed silence for a moment as a feeling of primal brotherhood instantly took over the sister tribes. Apart from Sokka, Chief Hakoda was the only other Southerner to step forward. Before he could address the Northern party, however, he lost his balance and his grip on his crutch. The Northern tribesman raced forward and caught the chief before he could hit the ground. "Careful, brother."

Cheers filled the South and vibrated the mass of ice as the Northerner pulled the Southern chief into a warm embrace, one that Hakoda most gratefully returned. Kya brushed away her tears. Kanna and Pakku exchanged content sighs. Sokka let go of a greater portion of his skepticism, a tiny smile lingering on the corner of his lips, but it was quickly destroyed. No problem. It only took twenty five years. It was because of the North's neglect that Hakoda was heavily injured anyway. No need to allow sweetness to cover up the nasty bitterness of hunger.

"My dear Southern brothers, we stand before you with humbled hearts and ask forgiveness for our tardiness," the Northerner boomed, his deep voice betraying his short stature. "The Great Spirits are witnesses to the trials and tribulations we have overcome to reach the Land of La. But now we are finally here, and we are ready to serve you. And not only that. We bring with us friends from other lands."

More cheers, more chaos in the wake of such unexpected camaraderie among the great nations of the world, more so when the other ships began to reach the shore one by one. Hakoda pulled his father and son to the forefront and introduced them to the Northerner. "This is my father, former chieftain Pakku."

"Welcome, brother, to the South," Pakku greeted.

"And this is my son, Sokka. Soon-to-be-chieftain of the South."

"So this is the hero of the South we've been hearing about?" the Northern tribesman smiled at Sokka and bowed. "It is an honor to meet you, Brother Sokka."

Brother. Hmph.

"My gratitude goes out to Chief Arnook," Pakku said. "He sent help just in the nick of time."

The tribesman's smile dimmed a little bit, and he was overcome by a conflicted look of his own. "Actually, we were not sent by Chief Arnook. We come in the name of Her Highness, the esteemed Princess of the Northern Water Tribe."

Sokka raised his eyebrows. Hakoda and Pakku exchanged surprised looks. "We did not know Arnook had a daughter. Or any children at all."

The Northerner sighed. "In all honesty, none of us did, either, until last week."