Responses to Reviews:

RonaldM40196867: No, I do not. I think it's fundamentally about Chi isn't it?

TORONTOSUN: Unfortunately it might not do him a whole lot of good.

Zigzagdoublezee: He's been thrown under the bus. It's only a question of whether he realises it yet.

61394: Ozai has his excuse. Accidental treason may carry a bit of a higher penalty than talking out of turn at a meeting though...

As Always, Please Review, and be aware that this chapter contains mild spoilers for the Yangchen novels.

The atmosphere was grave as Yue, flanked by Sokka and Katara, stepped into the chamber where the Council of Elders of the Northern Air Temple were meeting. Five elderly monks were sat in a row opposite them, the one in the centre sat under a parasol. All of them had their mastery tattoos.

Champo was stood off to one side, having gone in first to confer with them.

"Avatar Yue," the lead monk bowed his head. "Sokka and Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. It is an honour to meet you. I am Tenzin, the head of this council. To my left are Akar and Jetsan, and to my right are Ceba and Kipu."

All bowed their heads as they were introduced. Yue did the same.

"I'm sorry to hear of what happened last night," Tenzin continued. "For you to be the victim of such an unprovoked attack is terrible. If there is anything the Council can do to assist you, all you have to do is ask."

"Thank you," Yue replied.

"There is one thing," he said. "Champo says that there was a Firebender there who could control explosions."

"There was," Yue agreed. "He attacked us on the bridge. Master Pakku fought him off."

"That's troubling," Tenzin told her frankly. "We have experience of that art in this temple."

"Why? What is it?" Sokka asked.

"Hundreds of years ago, during the life of Avatar Yangchen, that bending style- combustion bending- was created as a weapon. Yangchen defeated and imprisoned them here. If one of them has been used against you, it's possible you'll encounter him again. We have a library. Yangchen's writings about these people could be useful to you."

"Or you could speak to her yourself," Kipu pointed out. Yue doubted that, she wasn't quite at the level to even speak to Aang yet, let alone go back an entire Avatar Cycle to talk to Yangchen.

"The Fire Nation seems to have gone mad," one of the other nomads, Jetsan, said. "I fear the world needs you, Avatar."

Yue coughed.

"I'm afraid it may have to wait," she replied. "I am not ready."

"Don't worry, nobody expected you to be ready," Tenzin pointed out. "You did only find out yesterday, we're not unreasonable. But the fact remains, you're going to have to be ready soon. Avatar Roku's training took him 12 years. Avatar Aang's training took him 8. You will not have that luxury."

"I know," Yue nodded. "But I have to try."

"What about her firebending?" A third member of the council asked. "We can provide an airbending teacher, and the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes can still provide masters, but anyone who becomes the Avatar's Firebending master will also become a traitor to their people, won't they?"

Yue hadn't thought of that. How could she learn an element if nobody was willing to teach her?

"There must be someone," Sokka reasoned. "Surely not everyone can agree on what the Firelord is doing."

"Maybe not," Tenzin conceded. "No nation is a hivemind after all. But even so, you won't have to worry about a firebending master for a while anyway. Tradition dictates you begin by learning earthbending."

"I think I'll have to start with learning water first," Yue replied.

"You don't know waterbending?" Tenzin looked startled by the revelation. Then he nodded.

"No matter," he said. "You'll get there. But the sooner the better. Do you have a plan?"

Yue did have the beginnings of a plan.

"We need to learn waterbending," she said. "Which means we need to find a master. So my plan is to go south to our sister tribe, helping as many people as we can along the way, and find a master there."

"We?" Tenzin asked. "You and who else?"

Yue gestured to Katara. Tenzin nodded.

"Well, good luck," he said. "I imagine you're going to want to get going as soon as possible. What do you need from us?"

Sokka pulled out a list that Yue hadn't even known he'd been keeping.

"Let's see," he began. "Transport, money, food, water, mostly. A Bison will help us get where we're going so much faster. Oh! And a tourist guide!"

"Why?" Yue asked.

"We need to know where we're going!" Sokka pointed out. "And where all the fun is."

"You want a bison?" Tenzin repeated, before Yue had a chance to ask further about that.

"Bison are our companions for life! We can't just part with one like that." Another elder protested.

"No," Tenzin said. "But we can assign someone to go south with them, can't we? That way we won't be parting someone from their bison and they will have their airbending teacher ready as soon as the Avatar needs them."

He turned back to them.

"You would be alright with a fourth member of your group, wouldn't you?"

"I would be more than alright!" Yue agreed. As Tenzin had said, having an airbending master- and another friend- would be very valuable.

"Alright, we will confer and select someone to go with you," Tenzin nodded. "With money and food and water."

"It won't be him?" Katara asked, gesturing to Champo.

"I'm afraid not," Tenzin shook his head. "It is common, I believe, for the Avatar's companions to all be around the same age as the Avatar themselves. That helps bond them into a more cohesive group who can guide the Avatar throughout their life. So no, it won't be him."

"Thank you," Sokka replied gratefully. "For the help, I mean. Not about Champo."

"There is one more thing," Yue interjected. "Are there any good tailors here?"

"You want clothes?" Tenzin asked.

"I want specific clothes," Yue clarified. "So I don't sweat to death in these furs before I ever get near the south."

And to make a statement too, she thought. Kyoshi had cultivated her own unique look as the Avatar, and Yue intended to do the same. She would have to work on fighting, but she could do politics and a big part of politics was image.

"There'll be someone you can speak to," Tenzin nodded again. "But you might have to wait here a few days while they work, you understand."

"Thank you," Yue nodded.

"Again, it's an honour to host you," Tenzin bowed. "It looks like we all have much to do before you'll be ready to go south as you plan."

Yue nodded. She knew he was right. There was work to do, and all the while the Fire Nation was digging its claws into the northern Earth Kingdom.