Chapter 12: I Have Seen the Face of Tui
The Crescent Moon Estate could've been a palace on its own with how luxurious it was. The ice walls and floors were glassy and smooth, glistening like crystals as the torchlight danced upon them. A vast ballroom awaited them, giving way to numerous hallways that welcomed them. Decorative arches swooped over every entrance. Beautifully sculpted pillars housing wavy designs stood at attention, and cultural art and plentiful ceremonial pelts lined the corridors. Adding to the grandiosity were two different flights of stairs branching from the hallway and winding up to a large balcony two stories upward, a balcony that overlooked the northeastern lot— early the entire inner division, really— and welcomed sunrises and moonrises alike with its exemplar view.
The estate as a whole was surrounded by waterfalls that were artificially designed, coming together and pooling into a large, crescent-shaped tributary-like system that sent the waters coursing through the plaza gardens and replenishing the winter flora. Plethoras of flowers like ocean lilies, Arctic jasmines, even moonflowers (much to Sokka's unusual amount of delight), and countless other types held their own sections in the gardens, which all came together and housed a courtyard in their connecting center. A big, beautiful fountain containing plenty of blue lotuses was seated in the midst of the courtyard, and as the lingering moon showered its light on the lotuses, the reflected hues lit up the fountain in a veil of serene cerulean. Basking in the light were several security guards, who lined nearly every section of the building, from the courtyard to the plaza to the hallways on the inside, even the corridors leading to the bedroom chambers. There were several servants there, too, and they greeted the royal family with low bows. Sokka, despite having traveled the most among his family members via trading missions and having seen fanciness in nearly all of its forms in different regions and cultures, still felt surprised by the great lengths the princess went with her hospitality.
"This is the most beautiful place we've seen yet," Katara breathed, walking around the courtyard.
"The princess herself has overseen the refurbishment project of this estate ever since we started from the South," Ivaneq said, drawing Sokka's attention.
"It's touching how she's doing so much to make our stay here as comfortable as possible," Katara said.
Even to the point of saving Kohana at the expense of her safety, the Southern prince thought. But of course, if she had the heart to provide for the South's starving families without even knowing them, of course she'd have the heart to look out for a child.
"This is all so...intensely beautiful…" Katara breathed, reveling in the waterfalls.
And while Sokka agreed, he couldn't help compare the blue veils of light in the courtyard to the superior baby blue sapphires that the princess (caretaker, as she might expect to be called) had for irises, the way her eyes crinkled at the corners with every smile that she kept hidden beneath her mask. How was it possible for him to feel so lightheaded just by looking at those eyes of hers?
That's illogical, you hopeless sap. You stayed up many nights working on her present, so you're obviously sleep deprived. Of course you'll feel lightheaded.
The Southern royals' admiration of the estate was eventually tucked aside from the demands of sleep given their sleepless night, extensive travel, and the onset of sedative relief from a thwarted danger. Kohana snuggled up near Kya, who was content to have him next to her for the night. Hakoda stayed up to converse with Ivaneq about other matters regarding the Southern Revival Project. Sokka, who was not quick to sleep, simply wallowed in the moonflower garden, breathing in the fragrances.
How exactly did she become a caretaker? he asked himself. Did Arnook know? Well if he did, he wouldn't have agreed to it, so he probably doesn't know. Was anyone else aware that she was the princess? If she really isn't the princess as she says— there's no way that's she's not, but— what if she has a twin? Arnook hid her from the world all this time. What's to say he's not hiding another daughter? Nah, what are the chances of that?
Somewhere along his train of thought, he'd reached into his pocket and pulled her letter back out, having memorized its contents the way his mother memorized mantras. He ran his gaze over the calligraphy.
"Sometimes we don't see the bigger picture, the possibility for other realities."
"Isn't righteous temper something to be admired? Isn't that what we admire about La Himself?"
A part of him was, indeed, squeeing. How interesting was it that the princess had been giving him nothing but compliments all this time, knowingly or unknowingly?
Woah, slow down. She's naturally sweet like that to everyone. A lot of people pointed this out already.
But she was defending him.
Because you defended her. There's nothing to think too much about.
And yet, the deepest part of him silenced his inner rationalist for a moment and wondered if he on a personal level meant anything at all to her.
"She really was aware that the prince would hold onto disappointment. According to his appeal, he sounded very passionate about uplifting his home, and she was very impressed. She said she admired his persistence even in times of adversary and that she has complete trust in his leadership."
He went into a gushing spree all over again. She made him feel so weightless, and he'd never felt this way around anyone before. All these years, he was shut down by zealots and others' blind beliefs. The religiosity of his family and friends often kept him tied down with regard to his opinions and declared his version of fairness and ethics as utter nonsense. His rightful heresies were labeled as madness and ignorance out of the religious majority's efforts to protect his "spiritual lunacy" and retain his practically fit leadership. But the princess was different. She acknowledged that there was validity to what he was saying out of her remarkable open-mindedness— all in spite of his awkwardness around the opposite gender, around religiosity. He genuinely enjoyed talking to her, enjoyed being with her in that space that so proudly "defied barriers," as it was often described. Sure it was only a few moments, but those few moments made him positively double over from effusiveness.
Come on, man, get it together. You're Sokka, you don't have time for this stuff. At this rate, you're gonna be like your sappy friends back home.
Indeed, his pride wasn't going to allow him be seen as just another tribesman who lapsed into the mushy feelings that he so openly scoffed at, particularly what he saw to be the apparent restrictive part of a relationship and such (although a part of him admitted that his freedom surprisingly wasn't curbed in the princess's presence, but anyway). But his pride also wouldn't allow him to stand there and do nothing about the values he supported.
"Just as the Yin-Yang Mother found a way to protect your little one, She will find a way to protect the wolf as well. She does not discriminate the least between them."
And so he came to a decision. Leaving behind his royalty robes and throwing on an old, shabby cloak while keeping his nose and mouth covered, he grabbed hold of his bag of hunting materials and other useful paraphernalia, particularly his wolf gloves, flute, smoke bombs, machete, and a couple of other things ('cause you never know!), and a little over four hours past midday, he snuck out of his room, dodging the guards by keeping himself in the shadows. He had to actively distract the guards by throwing something in another direction, and as they rushed to investigate, he fumbled to climb over the ice wall surrounding the estate. The princess was not kidding when she told him she had extensive security arranged for them, only fueling his appreciation.
He carefully wandered away from the estate and meandered through the northeastern lot. Daylight was approaching far too slowly, and the distant dawn did not yet reach the moon to his side, so he managed to sneak past the additional guards somehow. He recalled Ishuqan saying something about a storage hall in the western corner of the palace, and once he left the northwestern lot, he asked a few servants, who directed him to the palace premises. He grabbed hold of an empty basket that lay in the snow and posed as a servant, making his way towards the palace.
The palace was shaped like a tiered pyramid, reaching high into the sky like a stairway to the Spirit World. A colossal staircase separated the front entrance from the vast courtyard beyond the gates. Lining the courtyard were decorative pillars sculpted into the faces of Water Tribe animals and spirits, and on the wall that wound around the courtyard and the palace were rugs bearing the nation's insignia. As remarkable as it was, the palace, in all of its grandiosity and luminosity, still paled in comparison to the estate refurbished under the princess's contributions.
There were numerous servants there, bustling to and fro. They engaged in conversation as they worked on several different tasks, all having to do with decorating the palace. To his surprise, Sokka caught hold of many of their conversations, which gave away the fact that a feast was going to supposedly be arranged at the palace tomorrow for all the main guests from different parts of the world. And that would include the Southern royals, too, most likely. That's why a multicultural setup was in the works overnight, which would earn the workers and servants a highly-anticipated bonus in their salaries.
"Her Highness sure is particular in pleasing her guests," remarked an enthusiastic worker.
"Yeah," another replied. "All the visitors are gonna feel welcomed for sure."
"Too bad we can't see the princess for ourselves. She's got a big heart, and we can't even say thanks to her face."
"We gotta see her at some point, though. The tribe's gotta see its future leader at some point!"
"The chief won't have it, though. Poor Princess, it's like she's just born. She's yet to see the world."
Following the servants and catching hold of bits and pieces of information (which didn't really help him out in terms of cruciality), Sokka ended up slipping through the massive gates. He was soon directed to the storage halls in the western corner. He came to a particular corridor, which was guarded by two guards in the distance, so he reached into his bag and pulled out a smoke bomb, and he rolled it over to another abandoned corridor. Smoke hissed forth, distracting the guards, who then took off to the other hallway to investigate the alarming sight.
Now's my chance. Sokka grabbed hold of a torch and rushed ahead through the dark, sieving through one door after another. He soon came to a room in the innermost chamber of the hallway, finding the door locked from outside. He could hear quiet animalistic whimpers from inside. Jackpot. He pulled out a whale tooth from his bag, and once he picked the lock, he fumbled inside, locking the door behind him. True to his guess, the wolf pup was mewling in its cage a few feet away, licking its paw.
"Psst. Hey!" he lowered his muffler, exposing his face. "Over here, little guy."
The pup stared at him, and when he stepped closer, it scampered to the edge of its cage and whimpered even more, howling in a low, soft tone.
"Shhh!" Sokka put a finger to his lips and stopped where he was. He crouched down and knelt before the cage, watching the pup freeze. He simply reached into his bag and pulled out a box of fish treats.
"Look what I got," he pulled out a fish and held it out to the wolf pup. It mewled again but still didn't move. Sokka carefully inched closer to it, keeping the fish held out in front of him. He ended up gently tossing the fish into the cage. The pup stared at it for a long moment.
"It's safe, boy," Sokka said, tossing another fish. "Come on, eat it."
The little wolf sniffed the two fish and circled it before slowly biting into one of it with its baby teeth.
"There ya go!" Sokka encouraged and threw a few more fish into the cage, moving closer with each fish the pup gobbled up. Soon, he was right in front of the cage, and he picked at the lock with the whale tooth again. The lock tumbled into the ice, and the cage opened. The wolf looked startled at this and backed away into the corner again, but Sokka kept placing fish before it until his box of treats was emptied.
"Now come on over," Sokka said, trying to lure the pup forward with one last fish that dangled in his hand. The wolf didn't come close to him but kept its eyes on the fish.
"I'm trying to help you out of here, okay?" he sighed. "Cooperate, please, come over here—" he froze as he heard the sloshing of water coming from the other side of the wall to his right. It was as if there was water moving within the wall. What's that?
Part of the wall was eventually cut through and pushed out of the way, and from the path bent through the wall stepped out a waterbending figure, whose face was mostly covered in a blue face veil. Sokka, who was holding out the machete that he'd swooped out of his bag, softened his wide eyes at the familiar shade of baby blue and the moonflower-spice fragrance.
"Mr. Wang?"
And he beamed, his eyes brightening in more excitement than was probably necessary. "Oh, hi!"
The woman held a finger cautiously up to her lips, and he swallowed and whispered, "Right, sorry."
"I didn't expect to see you here," she stepped forward.
"Uh...I, um...well…" he shrugged and let out a nervous little chuckle, finding it extremely difficult to speak for some reason. "I guess I just...wanted your goddess to smile down on me a little more."
She blinked at him.
"Unless if she's not smiling, and you're going to report me to the authorities…"
To which she laughed in amusement. "No, not at all. I was actually coming to free this little guy, but it seems you've beaten me to it."
"Oh, hehe...Great minds think alike."
She knelt beside him and peered into the cage, and the fragrance graced him again. "Did he budge at all?"
He looked at the baby wolf, which had stolen the fish out of his hands while he was distracted. "He, uh, had his breakfast, but he doesn't wanna come out."
The wolf whined and growled, casting its clawless paw forward in desperate hits. The woman reached for it anyway.
"Don't get too close," Sokka warned. "We don't want him to bite our fingers off."
"He seems too young to have his teeth fully grown in," she observed and reached forward, her hand gentle as it caressed the back of the pup's neck. The touch was probably gentle considering how the pup immediately warmed up to the touch, mewling again.
"Aww, he's scared…" she pet the wolf softly and ushered it towards her with a gentle tug. The pup strode forward, leaning into her touch, and it didn't struggle when she brought it into her arms. She cradled the pup in her arms as if it were a baby. "It's okay," she said to the pup in a hushed tone. "It's okay, sweetie, you're safe here…" She pet its ears. "Look at you with your cute little ears. Who's a good pup? You are, yes you are!"
The pup relaxed into her grasp and licked her fingers, earning a sweet laugh as the woman surveyed the storage room. "Hey, can you hand me that baby blanket over there? Mr. Wang...? Mr. Wang?"
Sokka blinked, his face heated. "H-Huh?"
"The blanket? Over there to your left."
"Oh yeah, sure... sorry…" Stop staring, you idiot.
The woman wrapped the blanket around the pup. "In case anyone might see us. Since when are our people ever suspicious of a woman carrying a baby?"
"Ah," he nodded, "That's smart."
"We need to leave before the guards get here again."
"Where are we taking the pup?"
"A pack of wolves has been hanging out in the south wing's entrance. They're most likely this little guy's pack. I was thinking of returning him to them so they can escape with him."
"Sounds like a plan."
"I made a path through the wall. We can go from there for most of the way."
"I'll bring the torch."
They stepped into the wall quickly and went on their way with the woman closing the open area again, leading Sokka through the tunnel that she crafted through the walls with her bending. Sokka had to wonder if the disguised princess found her way throughout the palace by using this system of ice labyrinths. What a pitiful way to be so locked away from the world, he thought; he couldn't imagine concealing himself from people to such an extent.
When they reached the end of the path, she looked to Sokka. "Do you mind holding the pup, Mr. Wang?"
"Not at all." And as he took the pup into his hands, straightening the blanket around it so it wouldn't be easily exposed, she took the torch from him and bent another opening through the wall, breaking away from her previously formed path. She quickly ushered him out. "Follow me," she said, and they stayed within the shadows and walked quietly across an open hallway. Thankfully, no one was present, and the wolf pup was quiet for the most part, adding to their relief.
It was all like a labyrinth— both inside and outside the walls— and their path wound through different corners, taking shortcuts, hearing the servants' voices every now and then. She led him to another storage room, and she quickly made another opening in the wall, carving another path through the ice.
"This is one big palace you got here," he noted, looking around. "It's taking a million years to get from one place to the next."
"We do get our exercise, yes," she chuckled.
They finally got to the south wing, and the caretaker marked a final opening, leading him to a completely abandoned part of the palace. The place looked as if it had been neglected for a long time.
"There's no one here," he noted. "Not even the servants. I guess no one cleans this place, either.
"This area is actually really close to the Jungqiran Snow Forest and the Shinkum Mountains," she explained. "It's typically abandoned because of potential danger of wild animals. Most of the people who work here don't even know about this place."
"How do you know about it?"
"Let's just say I can be rather adventurous sometimes," she said. "In here, follow me."
Worn-out signs had been pasted onto the walls, warning them of the danger of rabid wolves, but the woman moved past them and motioned for him to follow. They stopped just a few feet away from a door that led outside, and she looked through the peephole. From the other side, growls could be heard. Sokka peered into the peephole after her and saw large wolves struggling with the chains that they were bound in.
The woman took the pup back into her arms. "Wait here."
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"I'm returning the pup."
"Well don't go near 'em! They don't look like they're ready to make friends with humans."
"It'll be alright."
In spite of her insistence, Sokka wasn't keen on letting her go by herself, so he followed her outside, hit by the biting winds. The pack went wild upon seeing the pup in her arms, and the restless wolves lunged forward only to be held back by their chains. They howled in a melancholy tone, and the pup mewled and struggled against the confines of the blanket. The woman set the pup down, and she and Sokka watched as it raced over to the pack. The wolves nuzzled the little one against them and licked its face, and a few smaller wolves— also pups who were heavily chained— jumped forward and licked the little one's paw. The wolves temporarily forgot about the two humans staring at them, basking in the reunion, but they grew aggressive again very quickly, baring their fangs and teeth. Through the rays of lingering moonlight, they were able to make out deep gashes on the creatures' bodies; they had been whipped.
The woman nearly took a step forward, but Sokka held her arm to stop her. "I don't think it's a good idea to go any closer. They're not happy to see us."
"But they're hurt," she let go and stepped carefully in front of them. Sokka followed and crouched down next to her, watching as she formed a tendril of water from the moisture in the air and cast the water over a wolf's coat. The water gleamed a little before leaving behind recovered skin, and the healed wolf relaxed in its demeanor. The woman continued to heal the other wolves, walking around to observe other possible wounds, and it wasn't until they were totally relaxed that she dared to step close enough to rub the back of their heads. The wolves leaned into her touch this time, their tails wagging as her cool, water-coated hand trailed around them one by one, making sure there were no other wounds to their majestic coats.
"I could cut their leashes, but it might hurt their necks," she said, her eyebrows furrowed in concern.
Sokka traced the source of the leashes to the top of the nearest pillar, on top of which a row of levers rested. "There are some levers up there. I bet I can turn 'em with my boomerang."
"Boomerang?"
He sieved into his bag and pulled out his prized possession. "My boomerang and I go way back," he said with pride. "It's the most loyal of all weapons out there. Pretty good with the angles, too." He squinted at the levers atop the pillar before swinging his boomerang forward, growing visibly pleased when his aim managed to knock the first lever, setting the smallest of the pups free. The pup ran around, licking its paws as it played with the pup that Sokka and the woman had freed from the cage.
"Nice aim!" the woman praised him, and with a smug little grin followed by a warning to stand back, Sokka swung his boomerang a few more times, letting the rest of the wolves go free one by one. When the last of the pack members were freed, they gave their two human liberators a cautious stare before running off in the snow, tearing into the trees that swayed in the direction of the mountains.
"Well would you look at that?" the woman said, beaming beneath her veil. "Thank you for your service, Mr. Wang's Boomerang."
"'No problem, ma'am!'" Sokka said in a squeaky voice, making her laugh. They stared into the distance, trailing their gazes over the fervent wolf prints. Howls could be heard several yards away, but they weren't melancholy like before. Being a lover of freedom himself, Sokka had to admit that the warmth he felt from watching them run free was addictive.
"Thank you for being my partner in crime, Mr. Wang."
"I should be thanking you, actually," Sokka rubbed the back of his neck. "Heck, I didn't even know where to take the pup after I freed it. I didn't think that through."
"You didn't do any less. You were the one who did the actual freeing. You opened the cage and pulled all the levers."
"Oh...well…it was a team effort…"
She seemed to smile, the crinkles near her eyes giving away more of her pleasant ambiance. Sokka felt lightheaded again for a reason he couldn't name. "C-Can I ask you something? If it's okay?"
"Of course."
"You're religious, right? So why…? I mean, it's apparently part of a ritual, so I thought you wouldn't…"
"Some ritual," she said. "It's a heartless excuse for one. La is the Spirit of Life. He wouldn't want innocents being killed for any reason."
The warm feeling in his chest began spreading. "I didn't think you'd come, honestly. You really wanted to be left out of this earlier, and...you said you respected what they did, so..."
"If those officials find out that I'm thwarting their efforts, they'll have my influence suppressed one way or another. That's why the plan is for me to seem unattached to the issue on the surface and claim to stay out of these matters, but behind the scenes, it's all about taking action, doing something. That's why I favor a more secretive approach."
Behind the scenes for taking action." Sokka had to wonder if that was the reason why she was hiding the fact that she was a princess. Surely she wouldn't have the freedom to do all that she was doing now if people knew she was a princess. Something about this also told Sokka that Arnook truly must not know what the princess was doing.
"I know I said I won't bother them with their rituals, but what's the point of justice if people are allowed to do everything they want without restraint or a sense of right and wrong?" she said. "What's the point of religion if it can't safeguard the innocent at least in theory?"
"Exactly! I-I mean..." he toned down the octaves of his voice, "Yeah, that's the thing. That's what I…I wish we had more people like you down South."
She tilted her head, blinking curiously at him, and he felt faint all over again. He tried to shove away the feeling.
"Sorry, that was loud, I…s-sorry, ma'am, I'm not...curse the universe, I'm not feeling like myself," he said with a nervous laugh. "But, uh...it's impressive that you'd think that far ahead and basically go undercover. This wolf sacrifice thing… I'm guessing it's fairly new? The assistant guy mentioned it's the first sacrifice in many centuries."
"Several centuries ago, wolf sacrifices had been a very common practice in certain areas of the North," she said. "Nearly every two weeks, a pup was brought in and killed by the tribesfolk in different villages. The wolves weren't totally helpless, though; they retaliated by attacking the people in the capital and the neighboring villages. This resulted in over five thousand deaths just in a six month period."
Sokka looked horrified. "Five thousand?"
"It was really bad, yes, so wolf hunting for reasons other than desperate measures was forbidden. But what was really interesting about the victims of the wolf attacks was that among them, there were no young children or expecting women. We might think of wolves to be wild animals, but they have a strict sense of ethics. They don't attack pregnant females and young children."
"I've heard of that, too, down South," Sokka said. "That's why my mom's super sensitive about wolf hunting. She never touches wolf meat." Frankly, Kya was the one who persuaded Hakoda to passing the laws against wolf hunting for all reasons, period.
"And yet, here are the humans, wanting to sacrifice baby wolves because of their 'pure blood,'" the woman said, despair in her voice.
"Well I guess it now makes sense as to why a believer would want to credit a wolf god with the Warrior Code," he said.
And speaking of which, "You were quoting the Warrior Code from the Water Tribe Code of Ethics earlier," she noted. "Not many people know about it, much less memorize it."
"Oh, that," he chuckled. "You see, normal kids learned nursery rhymes. I grew up learning the Code of Ethics." As preparation for leading the tribe in the future, but that part didn't need to be addressed for now. "My grandpa— I call him Gramp Gramp— taught it to me ever since I was really little. He's a bit of a boring chap, but he was my only babysitter sometimes, and I couldn't escape that. He's a strong traditionalist. Always believes in the power of 'proper tradition' and all that kind of stuff. So naturally the Code of Ethics was his obsession. He thought it would make the Water Tribe a better place if it was properly followed. And he would make me repeat certain parts of it and then give me a two-hour lecture on every article and whatnot," he rolled his eyes. "It was boring as heck, but now the entire book is stuck in my noggin."
"Did you ever get to learn the rhymes at least?"
"Yeah, later on when my sister was born and started learning them, but it's not the same. I was robbed of a childhood."
They laughed, and any lingering form of awkwardness disappeared from there.
"That's so interesting," the woman's eyes gleamed. "The Code that the warriors follow here most often is the abridged version of the full collection. That's why Nuqao and Ishuqan didn't seem to know what you were talking about earlier. The shortened version is missing some very crucial points. Nowadays, it's gotten harder to get a copy of the whole document. The abridged Code was basically tinkered by some Nationalists and is now being used as propaganda for the party. That version is being mandated in schoolhouses."
"That's awful," he frowned. "They don't know what they're missing out."
"And the question of these sacrifices is one of them. It's alarming to see it starting to come back. And at this rate, the wolf attacks are going to start again, I know it. But my technique is obviously flawed. How long will secretly freeing every pup go on? If their numbers increase, I can't possibly free every single one. Not without making it obvious." She sighed. "And freeing them won't fix the actual problem of making those people stop having thoughts of sacrificing animals. It's not like La Himself would appear and convince them otherwise."
Sokka thought for a moment and hesitated, but a part of him— the part of him that had settled into the comfort of the woman's company— urged him to blurt out, "What if he did?"
It took a long time for all the smoke in the adjacent corridor to clear out in the western corner. The two guards who had been diverted from their watch ambled their way out of the long hallway and headed towards the hall that previously housed the wolf pup.
"I'm not sure what that was," mumbled a guard by the name of Irimak. "There was no fire or anything."
"You think it would be a smoke bomb?"
"Who'd put a smoke bomb here?"
"An intruder, obviously."
"But there's no way to get to the highly secure parts of the palace from here."
"It could be a thief, you never know."
"Shingkan, give me one reason why someone would steal something from the storage rooms, of all places. Even if they wanted to, who would stop them? There are no valuables here. Nothing ever happens here, either."
Their conversation was cut short by the sudden trill of a flute. It lasted for barely a few seconds before silence whipped them again.
"Did you hear that?" Shingkan asked.
"Yeah…"
"What is that?"
"This is gonna sound crazy, but I think it's a flute."
"I know that," Shingkan glared. "I meant why now?"
"Must be a servant," Irimak said. "It's probably music night or something, relax."
"It's not nighttime, though, and besides, music night was yesterday."
Another trill caught their ears. It stopped after a few seconds, but then it picked back up as if it was taunting them, playing a more ominous tune. Shingkan gulped; he sieved for a La talisman that he kept in his pocket. "The tune's kind of creepy, too, don't you think…?"
"I keep telling you, it's probably a servant messing with people's sleep cycles. Man, who in the world signed you up for this job? Quit being a coward!" But Irimak himself was starting to feel doubtful about the scenario. Even more alarming was the way the hallway they were ordered to keep watch over was quickly being filled with smoke coming from the distance.
"Look!"
"Oh, La, not again."
Since the situation became weird enough for investigation purposes, they ran towards the smoke and the direction of the music, wandering cautiously upon being enveloped by the smoke. They broke into coughing fits and tried to stare ahead at the ambiguous distance. It took them a while to realize that the smoke was likely coming from the very room where they kept the wolf pup caged.
"We need to get the offering before anything happens to it!"
They were stopped in their aimless tracks by a growl that cut off the lilting of the flute. A very beastly growl that reverberated through their beings. Irimak, who finally caught onto the severity of the situation, shared a look with his fellow guard, the hairs on his body standing straight up.
"It's all happening the way it's written in the scriptures," Shingkan swallowed.
"What? What's happening?"
"The flute, the smoke, the growl…these are the signs of La's wrath…"
Irimak widened his eyes, remembering the age-old description that all faithful tribefolk memorized in their prayers. "W-Why would the Great Spirit be displeased with us? We're safeguarding His offering!"
"I don't know. All that's needed now is some black mist to complete the—" Shingkan was interrupted mid-sentence as the aforementioned black mist began radiating from all around them, barging into the hallway through the many rooms that surrounded them. All the doors were open, in fact, when the guards had been so sure that they were closed before.
"Oh my La!" Irimak breathed.
Shingkan began sputtering a few mantras to pacify the "angry La," but his efforts came to a dreading pause when he and his fellow guard saw the black smoke move around them. It all coalesced in front of them near the entrance of the door that was supposed to house La's wolf offering. And the smoke began to swirl, forming a shape. A weird, circular shape that began to grow jagged at the edges, two small triangles sticking at the top and morphing to form what looked like canine ears. The face, which was nowhere near a circle now, gave way to the form of a ferocious wolf. As the wolf made of smoke opened its mouth, a loud growl was let loose.
"Aaaahhhhh!"
The shape dissipated, but the mist lingered, clearing only a little to reveal a figure. Irimak and Shingkan held onto each other for their dear lives, their legs shaking and pooling below them like a mess of lifeless limbs. They squinted to get a better view of the figure in both fear and awe, but their hearts nearly gave out because the figure burst forward at unimaginable speeds, rising in the air and flying towards them.
"AAAAAHHHHH!"
Irimak forced his friend to get up and pulled him along, and they ran for their lives, chanting La's name even as they tried to escape from their patron god. La roared and charged behind them, following them, his fierce growls rattling the place. The guards were too afraid to look at him but found themselves quickly being cornered before they could get to the populated working areas of the palace, and they found themselves tumbling into an abandoned room— a room that was instantly filled with black smoke again, which circled around them like a tornado trying to suck them in. The figure loomed above and slowly made its way down towards them.
"LA!"
"GREAT SPIRIT!"
"Please, have mercy!"
The figure hit the floor gracefully, but somehow, his landing caused the ice to crack significantly. The cracks spread to where the guards were huddled, and they screamed and backed away to the corner, their hands folded in prayer. Irimak became the more desperate one; he thrust his body forward and crashed onto the uncracked part of the ice in a reverent bow. "La, my God! My Savior! Please, spare me!"
The figure froze their feet and hands to the ice so they wouldn't move from their positions, and as they dared to look at the figure, they saw that it was taking slow, dangerous steps towards them. The figure was clad in shimmering dark robes, and as the smoke cleared just a little more, they saw that its physique was well-built. It held out its hand— no, paw. And the paw was bloody. Blotches of blood were smeared on the wolf's robes, too, a little bit.
"Oh my La! The blood of the treacherous!" Shingkan recognized from his La prayers.
"Please forgive us for our mistakes, Great La!" Irimak nearly sobbed. "We're your humble servants!"
The paw suddenly seized Shingkan and shoved its bone-chilling face in their faces, and they howled in fear and shook uncontrollably. The figure's head was that of a wolf's, and its fur was stained in blotches of blood. It roared in their ears, and the guards nearly peed themselves from fright. La showed his teeth, and the guards could see blood oozing from its fangs.
"If you are my servants," La boomed in their faces, "Why did you run from me, fools?"
Irimak and Shingkan were nearly about to pass out from fright to even think about a reply. Sweat dripped down their quivering faces.
"You have tried to kill my child! You dare to call yourselves my servants?!"
"Y-Y-Y-Your Holiness—"
"YOU TRIED TO KILL MY CHILD!"
"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"You tried to take the life of an innocent being, and that, too, an infant wolf! My material manifestation!" La bellowed. "And you corrupted my Holy Law and call yourselves my servants! Bastards, claiming me as La, your God, the God of Wolves, the Lord of Lore and Justice! And yet, you deceive me like this!"
The guards kept wailing and screeching in fear.
"ANSWER ME, FOOLS!"
"T-That was an o-off-fering f-f-for y-y—!"
"OFFERING?!" The paw around Shingkan tightened, and La's claws raked venomously against the guard's skin. "You tried to feed me my own child, you heathens! And now, I'm going to claim the two of you as my offerings!"
"LA!"
"GREAT GOD OF LIFE! SPARE US!"
"You were willing to slay the life I have caused to flourish! Why should I let you live?!"
"Spirits! Great Father, please—!"
"What of my wolf child, imbeciles?!" La slapped his paw against Shingkan and grabbed hold of Irimak next, tearing him away from his icy confines and slapping him against the wall.
"We were blindly following Nuqao's orders! We will never again disrespect you, Lord La!"
"We promise never to take another life! We swear to you! My god, have mercy on your children, PLEASE!"
La shoved his face in their faces one more time, growling, licking the blood that dripped from his fangs. "You will tell every coward in the nation to respect my material embodiments, lest they wish to become man meat," he hissed. "If at any time I see another wolf, let alone another living being in your possession for the purpose of sacrifice, I will claim you as my sacrifice and relish in your blood! I am La! He Who Gives Life to All, He Who Bows to None But Tui, and only I have the permission to take lives as I see fit!"
"We will never again commit such a sin, Great Spirit, we swear to you!"
"Cross my soul, hope to rot in hell!"
La let go of them, the ice beneath them still cracking. "Begone!" he roared. "Filthy humans! If I see you in these parts again, you will regret it!"
Her laughs and praises chimed along the path they took out of the palace premises. A giddy Sokka beamed at her excitement, his chest inflated in pride, his insides somersaulting. Far too many people down South would disapprove of every measure he had taken to pose as one of the Water Tribe's patron deities, but here was the disguised princess, clapping like a little girl who was mesmerized by a spectacular show. He had expected her to be displeased by his suggestion, but he was pleasantly surprised by the smile that had immediately tugged at her lips.
She had perfected his disguise, too, once they raced back to the western corner through the labyrinth inside the palace ice walls. She'd sieved through the storage shelves to find a cloak, coloring it black by bending torrents bending onto the fabric and glossing it over with oil-made varnish, which made for a shiny black look giving way to makeshift "La robes." They looked so official and regal, even, that he was eager to keep them safe with his other hunting belongings for future use. To add to his ferocity, she mixed some black ink with bright red pigment and stained the mixture on his wolf glove, pelt mask, and a little more on his fake fangs— made down South out of sharpened shark teeth— to make it look as if he had blood smeared all over him and his fangs. Not to mention the way she propelled him upward with her waterbending, making it seem as if he'd flown behind the men to chase them down. She dealt with the plentiful inks so expertly to make them appear like black smoke, and she summoned enough mist in just the right angles to maintain the eeriness and prevent his disguise from being blown. She had taken care of a lot of the creative effects, and yet, she was pleased more by his performance.
"You were really good with the flute!" she said. "Where did you learn to play like that?"
"My dad taught me," he smiled. "It's something I learned as a hobby."
"And the way you did those growls, wow! They sound so realistic!"
So she likes that, huh? he smirked.
"Can you do it again?"
So he granted her wish, letting a low, animalistic growl leave his throat, and she laughed and clapped again. "That sounded just like a wolf! Where did you learn to do that?"
"I guess it's just practice," he said. "My baby brother and I play around sometimes and reenact Spirit World stories, and we act like certain characters like spirits. I usually play La."
"I would imagine so. You make an excellent La."
He shrugged, his cheeks warming. "You were really amazing, too. The way you made the shape of the wolf with the smoke and stuff, that was super cool! I bet you're a really talented artist."
"Oh, no, not at all."
"Well not everyone can be so good at manipulating vaporized ink."
"Never mind me, you were the star here. You were super scary. If I didn't know this was all staged, I would've been traumatized."
"Was it really that convincing?"
"Yes, of course! I have a really strong feeling that this is going to work."
"If they're even a tiny bit superstitious, it'll work for sure," he said. "You know, just a few weeks ago, I dressed up as La to intimidate some robbers down South..." And he managed to get through his occasional nervous stutters and spilled out his anecdote.
"Well that was really clever! I bet they'll never steal in their life again. Serves them right for trying to steal from the hungry."
And he welled up even more with pride, puffing his chest out a little more.
"That's a very nice pendant you have there, by the way."
Clearly she was referring to his La necklace. "Oh, this. My mom gave this to me when I was little," he said. "I got whale fever when I was four. It was pretty bad, too, and a lot of the healers gave up. Then an old priest guy gave her this amulet to put around me. She thinks it's because of this amulet that I got better, and to this day, she believes I returned home safely after so many trading missions just by wearing this." He held his hands up. "Not that I believe there's anything supernatural about it. I just wear it as a reminder of my mom."
"That's really sweet."
"It's 'cause of my mom that I have a lot of amulets and dreamcatchers and whatnot," he said. "She really believes in all this stuff. My sister got an amulet, too, and hers looks like a weird betrothal necklace, She had to tell every single nosy tribesperson that she wasn't engaged. And don't get me started on Kohana. That kiddo's lost all his amulets so far…"
He apparently had his brain filter turned off; having forgotten that he only knew her (in person, at least) for a few hours, he rambled and raved to her about many things. The situation of the South the night before the Northerners came, its reaction to the Northerners' arrival, their subsequent journey here, Kohana's mischief with his little menagerie, his sister's fascination for the sky bison along the way. Had anyone else given the prince company, they would have fallen asleep in the middle of the walk, but he could tell that she was smiling the entire time as she nodded to everything he said and kept up the eye contact.
"You and your siblings must be really close," she said as he paused to catch a breath.
"Oh yeah," he said. "I'd say my sister and I act more like siblings. We bicker and get on each other's nerves. With Kohana, though, I can't strictly play bickering big brother. He and I are always on the same team. We're so much alike…well, now we know he's a bender, but that doesn't change things too much."
"The age gap brings out your protective side, I'm sure."
"Definitely. I was seventeen when Ko-bear hit the earth. I didn't get to stay home that much; I was already going on trade missions by then with the other men. But whenever I was home, I'd help out with him. Even the not-so-pretty stuff like changing his diaper-cloths. My family basically forced me to 'practice' so I'll be ready when I have a kid. They were already on the matchmaking train, too. 'A year past marrying age, oh Tui and La!'"
She laughed at his high-pitched squeak of an impersonation. "I can't imagine how your family members made it all these years without getting you forcibly hitched. They must be desperate."
"Oh please, it's ridiculous! Having no food to eat but having all the time in the world for that." He sighed, dismissing the matter but taking a moment to look at her. "I guess what I'm really trying to say is, Kohana might be my brother, but he might as well have been like a son to me." His eyes softened. "Thanks for looking out for him."
She blinked up at him and then turned away, looking at her feet. "It's nothing, forget it. All good things belong to the universe."
"The universe, huh?"
"Why not? Your universe and my Spirits are not too different. Even more shocking, they might even be the same."
A gleam lit up his smiling gaze. "I'm down for that. By the way, a heads-up. My mom might come to you for another amulet for Ko-bear. She's obviously gonna trust you with our lives from now on."
"Oh wow," she shook her head. "Well she will have to see Priestess Osha for that. I'm lucky enough to be allowed to do the rituals although I'm technically not supposed to do them."
"Even in the temple that 'defies barriers'?"
"What can I say? Certain customs are persistent," she shrugged. "'Caretaker' is just a nicer word for cleaner. Not that I feel any less of a human being because of what I do, but the priestesses-in-training are next in line. I'm just there for a very last resort."
"Don't you want to be a priestess?" he asked. "I think you'd be good."
She seemed caught off guard by that question with the way she paused walking altogether. He skidded to a halt and jogged backwards to stand next to her. "Did I say something wrong…?"
"Oh, no, not at all. It's just...I mean, no one ever really asked me, so…" She tried to play it off with, "Well, I would if I didn't have other important responsibilities."
Important responsibilities. What other evidence was needed for him to confirm yet again that she was the princess in disguise? And her reaction to actually being asked something. Having been locked away from the world for so long, denied basic freedoms… When was the last time she got what she really wanted? There had to be a way for her to still achieve what she wanted.
"It's not easily possible, either," she said. "For one, society still hasn't accepted that priestesshood is a thing."
"It's strange because we always thought the North was a bit more liberal with these kinds of things," he said. "I mean, the Water Tribe in general definitely has problems with inequality, and that sucks, but we still thought you had a possibility of having priestesses here since the spiritual realm is...you know, supposed to be 'transcendent' and all that crap, so I thought social inequalities wouldn't follow in a 'transcending' realm…" He paused. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to say 'crap...'"
"Better to speak your mind than pay false respects," she shrugged. "But yeah, you definitely have a point. It would also make sense since people believe we're more in touch with the spiritual side of things, but priestesshood is still condemned here. Some people in the public have opened up to the possibility, but in official terms, women and worship aren't going together well. The technical banning of Tui-worship is in the process of becoming more official, too."
"Because of all the Nationalists' shit."
She gave him a look. "I see you did your research about this place."
"The prince did," he said. "Everyone keeps saying the princess would not want us to know or get involved."
"They could be right." The lightness in her voice had dissipated for a moment, seriousness taking over. "It appears she's not a fan of conflict. She didn't even hire a war minister for her cabinet."
"No bodyguards, either."
"Yes," a blink, "No bodyguards."
"The prince learned quite a bit about how much of a risk she's taken in helping the South."
"A life without risks is a bit boring, don't you think?" she said, resuming their walk. "I'd imagine the princess's life to be especially boring. Who knows what she'd been doing all her life?"
Sokka couldn't help frowning in worry. The princess must certainly feel strongly about the differences she was yet to make, but it irked him that she ignored her safety and was willing to take those risks. Being hidden from the world would be debilitating and uneventful, there was no doubt about that, but she was in danger. There have to be measures for her to take to keep herself safe.
Maybe you're moving too fast? His conscience butted in. Maybe you just need to mind your own damn business?
How can you say that? She did so much for the South! I'm not gonna take this lightly.
"Are you a Revivalist?" he ended up asking her.
She shook her head. "No. I don't identify myself with any political affiliation. I just go with whatever's the right thing to do, whether a Nationalist proposes it or a Revivalist. I like to have everyone in my circle."
Which surely had to be the reason why she had so many diverse members in her cabinet and her council.
"Besides, what people are now calling 'Revivalism' wasn't really meant to be a political party. It wasn't even called that. It just happened to turn out that way."
"Yeah, I heard that, too."
The woman looked up at him, seriousness never made so apparent as it was now. "I know it's probably not my place to say this, but I would advise you and the prince to ignore the issues here. You should only be interested in these matters insofar as you want to learn from them and make sure they're avoided in the South. It's too risky to be involved with them here."
"A life without risks is a bit boring, don't you think?" he repeated her words with a grin.
"There are still certain risks we shouldn't take. Or as it's said in the warrior language, we choose which battles are worth fighting. The princess has chosen which risks are worth taking for her."
"If it's a matter of choice, then the prince made his choice, too," he said in equal seriousness. "Your princess is worth fighting for."
The walk across the palace premises was long but pleasant, and the moon continued to keep them company during the impending wee hours of dawn. It wouldn't last for long, though, because daylight was more abundant than before. They had lost themselves in chatter again, both persistent in their views without giving away their identities.
"We could talk about the measures to take to protect the princess for hours, and they all sound nice on paper, but it's ultimately her choice," the caretaker said. "Everyone knows she's not a fan of putting others in danger because of her."
"The princess saved millions from starvation, I would know," he told her, giving her a knowing look. "She's not going to be a burden for anyone. If she accepts, the prince himself would be honored to serve as her bodyguard—"
"Your prince is forgetting that the South needs his support to get back up," she remarked, and he noted how she was holding back her vehemence.
"If there are similar issues in the South, he'd have to deal with them either way. How is the North any different? The North is still home."
The North is still home. "Well yes, of course, we are all one tribe, but it's still not safe. And besides, I can't imagine the South having issues like the ones we have here. The South seems so much better in that respect." She sighed. "Well, you don't have priestesses, of course— even we don't have our first generation of priestesses yet— but I mean the lack of power plays and such things. You all seem to mingle so well together. Like one big family."
"It's not a perfect land in the clouds or anything like we want to brag it is," he admitted. "Just a block of ice that lacks the appropriate infrastructure to have hierarchies like here. And besides, people who are starving don't have time to think about egos. Trust me, now that the South's actually being fed three to four times a day, we'll be running into the pursuit of egos."
"I'm sure it's not bad. Prince Sokka seems to have it all under his charisma."
It was his turn to feel a skip in his heartbeat.
"I hear he gets along really well with the other tribefolk, too."
"I wouldn't say 'really well.' Some people can't stand his disbelief."
"You're both one of a kind, I see," she chuckled. "But seriously, he'd been carrying the tribe on his back all this time, and even if he criticizes the tribefolk's beliefs, he doesn't make laws against their practices, yes? So why should his personal beliefs matter? Morality isn't dependent on what you personally believe."
"Seems that's not something people would easily understand," he said. "Something about the leader of the tribes being religious and overly superstitions. For the well-being of the entire nation."
"But you said it yourself. If the Spirits claim to be compassionate, they can't be narcissistic." She looked up at the sky, at the stars that barely lingered, granted by the slowly setting moon's company. "I like to think of the Spirits as our companions in this seemingly chaotic world. If we're to buy into the idea that some powerful force is out there, permeating our world and the Spirit World, the deities and many different cultures of this planet and their sometimes conflicting ideas, I would much rather believe they're our friends than our enemies, that they let the world be as it is. So why not play with them, wrestle with them, have fun?"
The warmth in his chest progressed into a euphoric fire, and by the time they made it to the northeastern lot, he felt so light that it was like he floated all the way here with her. He realized that he felt even more worried about her safety given her adamance.
He realized that he did not want to stop talking to her.
"I'm not one to use words like this, but... it was a very...enchanting experience."
"Enchanting, hm?" she laughed. "It was enchanting for me, too. It's not every day you get to save the day with La." She bowed, earning a lower bow in return. "Well, I'll leave you be. I understand you're required to escort His Highness and the royal family wherever they go. I wouldn't want to keep you away from your duties."
"Oh...well...It's okay, I can stick around for a while. They're probably dozing off anyway."
"Then you should doze, too," she held onto her face veil, which flapped from the harsh gusts of wind.
"I'm not in a hurry, really..." He rubbed the back of his head and ruffled his wolf tail. "I can, uh... walk you back to where you need to go…"
An amused glint lit up her eyes, and she crossed her arms. "Are we going to walk each other back and forth all day, Mr. Wang?"
He blushed. "I...well, I…"
She laughed again and waved. "Goodnight, 'La.'"
"Hey, wait, please ma'am," he flushed, stepping in front of her. "Sorry...I just...I don't know your name…"
"Oh, right, sorry...my name...my name is—"
Another gust of wind roared and snatched away her face veil and headscarf, and she gasped.
"No worries, I got it!" he ran forward, catching hold of them before they flew away and nearly toppling down onto the water from the sidewalk. He caught himself and turned around. "Here you are, miss…" and he froze as he got a glimpse of her face and hair. He knew her skin was fair for a tribeswoman, and her complexion shone ten times brighter beneath the gleams of the approaching sun from the east and the setting moon from the west, but her hair, dear universe, her hair. It was white, too. Exquisite and long, reaching past her knees and billowing behind her as if she had captured the moon, shaped it into strands and wore it for hair. Her pearly strands were woven into a braid that was quickly untwining, and as it completely unraveled and settled upon the stillness of the wind, it rippled like a waterfall of milk around her.
He swore he had never seen anyone this beautiful. It was like she's...Tui.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Wang, this is part of my uniform," she tried to take her scarf from him but saw that it had gotten tangled with his pendant. "Oh…"
Sokka didn't move or react. He kept gawking at her. She blinked up at him and gestured to his necklace. "Can you…? Do you want me to…?"
"Sokka!" It was Katara. She was calling for him. But Sokka was too far gone, too lost in the woman standing before him.
"The prince! He must be here somewhere," she went ahead and reached for his pendant— slowly, tentatively— and began to untangle her scarf from its jagged edges. Sokka sucked in a breath, his face fully red as he kept staring at her.
"Sorry I'm taking such a liberty, Mr. Wang, but I have to go," she fumbled with her scarf, "I'm not allowed to be around these parts—"
"Sokka, where are you? Sokka!"
"Oh, Spirits, the prince must be close by," she looked around her and kept fiddling with her scarf, finding her efforts useless as she was panicking and unable to focus.
"Prince Sokka, there you are!" a servant said as he saw Sokka in the distance, and the woman, who thought the guard was talking to someone behind Sokka, grew more and more confused as the guard made his way forward from the far distance. "Prince Sokka!"
And then she understood. She immediately let go of her scarf, letting her scarf dangle against his chest, tangled with his pendant, and she backed away, her eyes wide. He was Prince Sokka. Mr. Wang was the prince all along.
She might have been curious, perhaps even a little bothered that he lied about who he was, but she didn't show it. Deciding to forget her scarf, she flushed and bowed repeatedly and went on her way, increasing her pace, unaware of a pair of sharp blue eyes that trailed behind her as far as they could. She disappeared like the moon that faded from the sun's dominating light.
"Sokka, where have you been?" Katara caught up to him at the same time as the servant. "Mom's looking everywhere for you! Sokka? Sokka, what's wrong?"
Katara might have been the most confused person on the planet when her brother's eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he toppled into the snow, rendered unconscious.
"Sokka!"
A/N: Aang and a lot of other characters will be introduced in the next chapter. I had to set the stage for that, haha. Thanks for reading!