Aang took a deep breath before starting. Well, maybe one wasn't quite enough. Better take a second deep breath. Maybe a third would do the trick.
Katara laid a hand on his shoulder. They were the only ones standing close to the water. All of the others stayed back, several feet behind. Even Momo stayed back there; he had cringed when Aang suggested approaching the water. "Are you okay?"
"Just a little nervous," he admitted. "I've never talked to an invisible spirit before."
She smiled at him. "It's okay. We all felt and saw it just now. We know it's there. You won't look silly."
Aang turned back to the water. "Yeah. You're right." She smiled and went back to her place with the others, leaving him to face the water. For a moment, he felt full of confidence. Then he heard Sokka quietly snicker, and thought again of how this would look. What if one of the warriors came down the beach? They would see him yelling and gesturing at empty water like a crazy person.
But he had to try. Aang summoned up his courage and raised his staff. "O great and powerful water spirit!" he yelled. "Spirit of ice and waves and other things! Come out and talk!"
Absolutely nothing happened. The ocean crashed onto the beach, spreading a ribbon of foamy water over the sand. As quickly as it had come, or faster, that ribbon slipped backward and disappeared. It was soon replaced. Seabirds squawked. The orange sun glimmered on the waves. All ordinary stuff.
Aang raised his staff again. "Or not! That's fine too! I just wanted to say that we do not like your waves! We are small and in danger of being crushed! I know you mean well, so, please leave!"
Absolutely nothing continued to happen. There was no sign of trouble, past present or future. Not a hint of a breeze, nor a single splash of a fin. When the sun fell behind the land, the air would become chilled, but for now it was perfect. Aang stood on a sandy paradise in front of the calmest ocean and under some of the clearest skies he had ever known.
"Maybe that means it's gone?" Kota asked.
"I doubt that," Sokka said. "Maybe you just can't see it from here, Aang. Going into the spirit world might help."
"Maybe if I could get closer to it, like on a boat…" Aang looked up at the boat with eyes full of possibility. Suddenly, there was a loud and familiar creaking noise. The boat began to tilt, first one way, then another, seeming to wriggle its way backwards off the beach. Everyone on the beach was able to follow the boat's course with a single smooth turn of their heads. It found a new port against a rock.
Aang gulped. That was super intimidating. On the other hand, it was also clear proof that the water spirit could hear and understand him. Aang raised his staff again. "O great spirit! I wasn't kidding!" He lowered his voice to the normal speaking voice he had used to suggest taking the boat out. "You seem like a nice spirit. I can imagine us being friends. I want to be friends. I don't think you meant to hurt anyone."
Aang was sincere. He did still want to be friends with the water spirit. But he could also feel the other people behind him who entrusted him with their safety. The water spirit's appearance had proven Zuko right. Everyone must share his desire to be rid of it now, and Aang couldn't blame them. He'd shaken with fear while watching death pass feet away, too. Their needs had to take priority over his wish. He had to give up on trying to befriend the water spirit.
"But even if it was just an accident, we almost died. Everyone was scared." Aang walked forward, all the way down to the waterline. "You're nice, but you're also really big and powerful. We can't take that. I know it's not your fault; you didn't ask to be this big and strong. I'm not mad. I just think it would be better if you left." He smiled. "Go to the Fire Nation! They have much sturdier boats. You could play for days and not hurt anyone there."
The only answer he got was a splash. A tall wave curled before smashing down onto the beach. It left not a mark on the sand. All traces of it were erased in seconds. If it were not for the boat staying in position despite having no anchor, there would have been no sign the water spirit was around.
"Can you do something to let me know you heard me?" Aang asked.
The ocean rose and lowered, its side rising and falling like it was breathing. A clump of seaweed from all the way out beyond the horizon, thousands of miles away, floated and lived in the shallows just a few steps in front of Aang's feet. Every single rock on the seafloor was as smooth as snake scales. Green algae grew on bare stone. A billion different ways for a wave to land had been tested, and none of them were the same.
Aang didn't see anything impressive or dramatic like he had hoped for. Just boring normal stuff. He slumped and wondered how the water spirit could stand to sit around doing nothing.
.
Kota placed a hand on his shoulder. "There's only so much you can ask for at once. Be patient." The chief looked up at the water. "Can I have my boat back?" The boat left its position next to the rock and beached itself at a bad angle. Kota winced; that landing job would have to be corrected immediately. Or semi-immediately: he had a more important job to do first.
He led Aang back up the beach and waved for Sokka and Katara to come to him. "Our ice dodging didn't go as planned, but that changes nothing about my promise," he told them. "I still have a father's duty to perform."
The old man immediately dragged his nephew away. Or son, or maybe grandson. Their exact relation was unclear to the chief, but it was perfectly clear that the old man must be a father too. Kota allowed them to discreetly sit behind some rocks out of hearing range. Then he pulled out his tools: a tiny bowl, hardly more than a notch in a rock, and a little bottle of ink.
Sokka's jaw hung open in disbelief. "But we didn't finish the ice dodging."
Kota laughed. "No, you didn't. You finished something a lot harder." He dipped a thumb into the drops of ink held in the bowl and drew a point like the head of an arrow on Sokka's forehead, with a dot beneath. "Sokka, you have truly earned the mark of the wise. You kept your head in a crisis and gave directions that kept us alive. I am so proud of you, my young warrior." Sokka's eyes glimmered.
Kota drew a crescent moon on Katara's forehead. "Katara, you have earned the mark of the brave. You stood your ground against the unthinkable." Her eyes also filled with tears. Kota blinked his own eyes clear before moving on. On Aang's brow, he drew a curved line with a dot beneath. "And you, Aang, have earned the mark of the trusted. You were just where you needed to be. I feel confident entrusting my children's safety to you on your journey."
Aang sputtered. "Er - uh - thank you, sir. I'll do my best." Kota's words seemed to have shocked him. He was the Avatar; he should be used to having such faith placed in him. But it was also true that he was only twelve. That was a young age to be praised by a chief.
"You all may stay the night at our camp," Kota offered. It would be good to have dinner with his children again. "You are all full-fledged members of the Water Tribe. Your guests will be welcome too, of course."
Something changed in Katara and Sokka's body language. Before he could begin to guess what, the chief heard his son say, "That sounds great, but I think we really need to get away from the ocean."
They were...saying no? That couldn't be right. But then Katara said, "Yeah. It isn't safe." She looked doubtful and resolute at the same time. She was always so responsible, like her mother. There must be a good reason why they wanted to move on instead of enjoying a family dinner.
If there was, Aang didn't know it. "What? But you guys missed him so much. We're not in that big a -"
"It's alright." Kota kept his voice level and free of hurt, though he did hurt. "I'm sure there is a good reason to move on. If that's what you wish, you should go now. It's nearly night." Katara and Sokka were in shadow and the air was cooling.
Katara hugged her father fiercely. "I missed you, Dad."
Sokka piled on. "Me too." Kota put his arms around them both. Sokka sniffed. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Kota waited until the hug ended so that he could look his son in the eyes. "A warrior always goes where he is needed most. Right now, that's with the Avatar."
Sokka smiled. "Hey, Dad?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think I could send you lemur mail?" Momo, who had returned to his usual perch on Aang's shoulder, blinked.
Kota laughed. He scratched Momo under the chin. "I don't think so. We are on our way to fight firebenders. I wouldn't want him to get caught in a hairy situation."
"Yeah, you're right. He should stay with us at the North Pole. Relax, chill out, eat snow."
"Your other animal, though, would be more than welcome. I see he has enough hair to spare."
Aang shared a horrified glance with Katara. "Bato was right," he whispered.
Katara took hold of Sokka's arm. "You were right, Dad. We should go before nightfall." She got Sokka moving down the beach in Appa's general direction. Before going that way herself, she turned back. "I'll miss you, Dad."
Kota heard the note of fear in her voice. It was wartime, and he was fighting firebenders. There was a chance they would not see each other again. He forced a smile to his lips. "Honor that mark and protect yourself. I will always be proud of you, no matter what."
Katara still couldn't leave. Her feet seemed glued to the solid earth hidden somewhere beneath the sand. Aang had to put his hand on her shoulder and whisper something reassuring about how Kota was sure to make it.
After what had happened to her mother, Kota wasn't surprised to see that she didn't believe that. Katara had to visibly fight herself with every step she took to keep from running back to him. Aang kept her moving. Kota was grateful for the young monk. He must have given Katara back a sense of faith in the world, or else she would not have left her home trusting the rest of the tribe to stay safe without her. The Avatar gave everybody a sense of faith like that. Kota wondered if he knew it.
.
As they passed the spot where Zuko and Iroh were sitting, Sokka waved for them and said they were moving on. Zuko said absolutely nothing either with words or with his face. He looked just like he had that morning, before the big explosion. Katara dropped back behind Aang. She could not face him. She might never be able to face him ever again. How could she travel with a firebender after the sacrifice her mother had made? How had she even left home? Anything could be happening back home, and she wouldn't be able to do anything about it. But, she reminded herself, Aang was the Avatar. He would end the war. Protecting him was protecting her people.
She wasn't protecting him nearly as well as she wanted to. Aang was sleeping and flying with a firebender right next to him, and she was allowing it. How could she? But Aang got to make his own choices, and he was choosing that. She could take it. She would take it. There was still a lot Katara could do to keep him safe.
She realized Iroh was walking beside her. When had that happened? She tried to focus on her surroundings more. But she was glad he was here, because he was the one person who could most help her keep Aang safe. Keep her people safe. Keep everyone safe.
Katara dropped back further. So did Iroh. Now they were far enough away for her to whisper, "Did you notice anything about what Zuko said? It sounded a little forced to me."