hello! this chapter mainly focuses on sokka, katara, and yue. zuko and azula pov's will be back next chapter! lots of dialogue in this one, but more action will be coming once the siege starts.

leave a comment to make my day!

Sokka had underestimated how long it would take to find the Northern Water Tribe, and his bladder was constantly reminding him of. In his defense, most of the world didn't know where it was either. Their only plan was to fly north and hope for the best. Gran Gran used to tell them stories of Agna Qel'a, the Northern Water Tribe's capital. The many Northern tribes came together to form one cohesive city, and it was from there that a group of villagers migrated to the Southern sea and founded Sokka's tribe.

From her description, Agna Qel'a was a large, glistening city of ice, with many levels and beautiful sculptures. But those were just stories from a hundred years ago. Flying around the Northern sea for two days definitely dampered Sokka's hopes of finding the city of ice.

Katara leaned against the saddle beside him, her hair whipping around in the wind and occasionally hitting Sokka in the face. Aang sat on Appa's head like usual. Zuko and Azula sat huddled together in a blanket- they were not happy with the drop in temperature as they flew north. And they weren't amused with Sokka and Katara's comments about it. It wasn't even that cold! He hadn't even put on his parka yet.

But he was starting to get bored. And hungry. And his tail-bone hurt and he had to pee.

"I'm not one to complain," he began, firmly ignoring Azula's disbelieving snort. "But can't Appa fly any higher?" The bison's feet were trailing in the water, which stretched on endlessly in all directions. They were not going to find Agna Quel'a anytime soon if they flew this low.

Aang's normally cheery face was pinched with anger as he whipped around. "I have an idea," he sneered, pointing aggressively at Sokka. "Why don't we all get on your back and you could fly us to the North Pole?"

"I'd love to. Climb on everyone, Sokka's ready for takeoff." He shook his rear playfully.

Zuko snickered as Katara rolled her eyes. "Look, we're all just tired and cranky because we've been flying for two days straight," she said.

"How do we even know where we're going?" Azula's voice cut in. She was huddled so deeply into the blanket that her face was hidden. "We could be flying for another week and not find them."

Everyone fell silent as her words sunk in. It was true. They were in the middle of nowhere and their food supply was dwindling. And they didn't know where they were going, not really. Sokka just had them fly north and hope for the best. If they failed, it would be entirely his fault.

The conversation lulled, and soon they were staring listlessly into the horizon again.

But one of the perks of traveling with the Avatar was that there were almost never dull moments. Appa swerved violently to avoid a large wave that appeared out of nowhere, and soon Sokka was preoccupied with clinging to the saddle and screaming at the top of his lungs. He thought he even heard Azula shriek as Appa rolled again, this time to dodge several icicles shot in their direction.

They were thrown around as Appa landed heavily in the ocean. Sokka peeked his head above the saddle before cursing and reaching for his boomerang. They were surrounded.

Katara gasped. "They're waterbenders! We found the Northern Water Tribe!"

But apparently the waterbenders weren't as excited to see them as they were. They remained in their defensive positions, and one of them rose up on a pillar of water to speak.

"You are in Northern waters, strangers."

"We know!" Aang stood up and beamed at him. "I'm the Avatar. We seek safe passage to Agna Qel'a, and to learn waterbending from your masters."

The man gazed at each of them in turn, and Sokka exchanged panicked glances with Katara as his gaze hardened on Zuko and Azula.

"They're Fire Nation," he spat, and the others quickly raised spears of ice.

"No, no, they're not!" Aang waved his hands frantically. "They're from the Earth Kingdom!"

Sokka elbowed Azula as she opened her mouth. "Shut up," he hissed.

"And how did you come to travel with them?" The man asked suspiciously.

"They're, umm- you see," Aang blathered. "They're my…. protect me, uh, from the Fire Nation. With their swords."

Sokka resisted the urge to smack his forehead.

"He's heading north. The Northern Water Tribe." Zhao tapped the map with his finger. "The Avatar needs to master waterbending. He's looking for a teacher."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go get him!"

"Patience, Captain Li. This isn't some little Earth village we can just march into. The Water Tribe is a great nation. There's a reason they've survived a hundred years of war. The frozen tundra is treacherous, the landscape itself is an icy fortress." Zhao stared intently at the map, but he wasn't really seeing it. Instead, he recalled a certain scroll he discovered in a long forgotten library. "We'll need a massive invasion force."

It was the perfect plan. Muster up the forces to assault the city, capture the Avatar, and eliminate all waterbenders in one fell swoop. Maybe kill a couple of Blue Spirits as well. He would be a legend- greater even than the dragon slayers. The Fire Nation would honor him for his achievements and immortalize him in history.

Zhao the Conqueror. Zhao the Moon Slayer. Zhao the Invincible.

Sokka had a hard time concentrating on his meal. Normally, this would alarm him. He was surrounded by exquisite foods; some that reminded him of home, and others that he'd never even heard of. The turtleseal soup, for example, rivaled even Gran Gran's five-flavor soup. There were also sea prunes, of course, and pickled fish, seaweed rolls, oyster-clams, and fresh beluga-shark.

But he couldn't keep his eyes off Princess Yue.

It was becoming a problem, because he kept missing his mouth when eating. And she was sitting right next to him, which meant she probably saw and was judging him.

Oh shit. She was looking at him.

"So… uh… you're a princess, huh?" Encouraged by her nod, Sokka leaned forward. "You know, back in my tribe, I'm kind of like a prince, myself."

Katara scoffed loudly. "Prince of what?"

He glared at her. "A lot of things! Do you mind? I'm trying to have a conversation here."

"My apologies, Prince Sokka," Katara bowed her head as Zuko covered his mouth to hide his smile.

Azula leaned forward, a predatory smirk fixed on her face, and suddenly he was sweating. "Funny, Sokka, that you never mentioned your status. I never knew a prince could drool so much in his sleep."

Princess Yue giggled, and it was the most beautiful sound he ever heard. He would gladly make a fool of himself just to hear it again.

"So, it looks like I'm going to be in town for a while. I'm thinking ... maybe we could ... do an activity together?"

"Do an activity?" She was breathtaking even when confused.

"Yeah, like maybe we could… go on a walk together. Or something." He could literally feel the glee radiating off of Katara and Azula.

"Very smooth," Katara whispered.

"Sokka," Azula said, her innocent tone contrasting with her evil grin. "Why don't you tell Princess Yue about the time you got two fish hooks stuck in your thumb?"

"Or when you fell down the stairs because you were looking at your own reflection?" Katara added.

Little sisters were the worst.

Today was finally the day. She was going to learn proper waterbending from a master. Spending her whole life being the only one of her kind was lonely, but it also made her more determined. She didn't let that stop her- look how far she'd come! And now she was going to become a master, something that she previously never thought possible while living in the South pole.

"I've waited for this day my whole life," she gushed to Aang. "I finally get to learn from a real waterbending master!"

There he was, bending a stream of water gracefully around him.

"Good morning, Master Pakku!" Aang called, waving cheerfully.

Master Pakku muttered something to himself, turning to stare at them critically. Katara tried not to shrink under his gaze.

"This is my friend, Katara." Aang said. Katara bowed respectfully. "The one I told you about?"

"I'm sorry, I think there's been a misunderstanding. You didn't tell me your friend was a girl. In our tribe, it is forbidden for women to learn waterbending."

Her heart dropped into her stomach. "What do you mean you won't teach me? I didn't travel across the entire world so you could tell me no!"

"No."

"But there must be other female waterbenders in your tribe!" Katara shouted, infuriated by his dumb, stupid, smug face.

"Here, the women learn from Yagoda to use their waterbending to heal. I'm sure she would be happy to take you as her student, despite your bad attitude."

Ignoring the insult, Katara exchanged a glance with Aang. "You can use waterbending to heal?" How did she never know this?

"I'm not surprised you never learned it," Pakku sniffed. "Evidently your boyish attitude has prevented you from connecting to your healing abilities."

"I don't want to heal. I want to fight!"

"I can see that. But our tribe has customs, rules. It's the natural order of things."

"Well your rules stink!" Katara resisted the urge to stomp her feet.

She waited her whole life, traveled the world, fought to learn every bit of bending she could, only to be shoved into a healing hut just because she was a girl. It was ridiculous! It was so unfair! She was literally incandescent with rage, but she had no choice but to leave after convincing Aang to stay with Pakku. She would find another way.

But, for now, it wouldn't hurt to learn some healing. It definitely would be useful to know.

So she swallowed her pride, and her embarrassment, and sat down in Yugoda's tent with the other children. Yagoda (not Master Yagoda, she noted, because women apparently weren't masters), was actually very sweet. And, as it turned out, knew Gran Gran when they were young.

She didn't blame Gran Gran for leaving this place. All the rules and stifling restrictions- she was already sick of it and she's only been there for a day.

"You're Sokka's sister?"

Katara turned as Princess Yue entered the tent. "I'm Katara," she replied tersely. Is that how she was going to be referred to while staying here? Only in relation to Sokka?

"Sorry, I didn't know your name," Yue apologized gracefully. "It's nice to meet you, Katara. Are you finding your stay with us comfortable?"

"Hardly." She probably shouldn't complain to the princess, but she felt her frustration bubbling up inside of her. "I came here to learn to fight."

Master Yagoda winced. "Katara, that is not how things are done here. We women are healers."

"But don't you want to help defend your city?" Katara asked.

"I will help how I can," she said. "I understand your tribe does things differently, but this is always how things have been."

Katara hung her head.

"It must be so frustrating to learn in children's lessons," Yue said. "Katara, I can teach you what I know, if you'd like."

"You're a waterbender?"

"She is one of our finest healers," Yagoda smiled proudly. Yue smiled as well, but it was thin and strained.

"Then I'd love to learn from you, Princess Yue." It was better than sitting with a bunch of children anyways.

Yue's smile brightened. "Perfect. We can start tomorrow."

Sokka stomped into their hut and kicked off his shoes.

"How's warrior training going?" Katara asked.

The training wasn't that bad. It was actually nice to show off his moves in front of guys his own age. Practicing with Zuko had definitely improved his defenses. He was just frustrated with Princess Yue. He spent all morning carving her that fish and she ran away!

"That bad?" Aang tilted his head.

"No, it's Princess Yue. I don't get it, one minute she wants to go out with me, and the next, she's telling me to get lost."

"Did she like your fish?" Zuko popped his head out from under the blankets. He and Azula had created a small blanket fort to keep warm.

Sokka pouted. "She thought it was a bear."

"Sorry, Sokka, I thought it was a bear too." Aang winced as Sokka sighed. "Maybe she doesn't like fish! You can try a different animal next time."

"I'm not sure there will be a next time. She said meeting me was a mistake."

Azula peeked out from the blanket fort. "She's a princess. Associating with someone of your status would be scandalous."

"Hey! I'm the Chief's son!" That was practically a prince, right?

"That doesn't matter here." Azula shrugged. "Royalty can't be seen with peasants. It's the same in the Fire Nation."

"Then why are you associating yourself with us lowly peasants, your majesty?"

Her eyes flashed, but Zuko covered her mouth with his hand before she could retaliate. "How's your waterbending training going, Katara?"

"Master Poophead won't teach her because she's a girl," Aang pouted.

Katara crossed her arms. "It's so unfair! I have to learn healing with Princess Yue instead."

"With the Princess?" Sokka asked eagerly.

"Wait, they don't let women fight here?" Zuko gaped.

Katara ignored Sokka. "Master Poophead says a woman's place is in the healing huts."

"Do you want me to give him a reason to visit the healing huts? Azula offered.

"That's a very tempting offer, Azula, but I think I would rather do it myself."

Sokka needed to nip this in the bud before they were kicked out for elderly abuse. "Nobody is hurting Master Poophead. Katara, just give healing a try with Yue, and we'll figure something out later. Azula, stay in your fort and put your daggers away. Zuko, you're doing great, keep it up."

Despite her rapidly growing resentment towards her situation, Katara was a natural at healing. At least that's what Princess Yue told her. They had spent most of the morning practicing on the chi dummies.

"Let your energy flow through their chi," Yue patiently explained. "Soothe the hurts and mend the body."

Katara watched as the princess ran her hands over the dummy, directing her water through the chi lines and filling it with a soft blue light.

"So they really don't let you learn anything besides healing?" She asked, unable to keep it in her any longer.

Yue folded her hands in her lap. "It is not my place to fight," she said calmly, although Katara thought she could sense a hint of bitterness hiding beneath her serene voice. "I have learned healing and the arts. Dancing and ice sculptures are a common hobby for women."

"But don't you want to do more?" She couldn't understand it. How could they accept this? Bending was her right. They couldn't keep such a fundamental part of her locked away because of her gender.

Yue gazed at her solemnly. "There are times when I wish I could do more, but it is my duty as the princess to uphold my tribe's traditions." Raising her hands, she guided a stream of water in front of her and formed a leaping koi fish, glistening in the morning light. "But," Yue glanced around them before continuing. "I have found other ways to defend myself."

Katara's eyes met hers as they crinkled deviously. It was a strange expression to see on such an innocent face. With a sharp gesture, the koi fish transformed into a glittering knife.

"I can't fight like they do," she said. "So I had to get creative."

Katara grabbed her hand. "Yue, that's incredible!"

"It's nothing, really. I don't even know how to fight with it. But it comforts me to hold it- to feel in control for once."

Her heart broke at Yue's defeated tone.

"But you can change things! When you're the Chief someday-"

"But I won't be. My husband will control the tribe."

"You're married?"

"I will be soon." Yue pulled her parka down and revealed a necklace. "My fiance carved this for me." She tilted her head and gazed at Katara in bewilderment. "Aren't you married as well? You're wearing a betrothal necklace."

Her hand reached up to touch her mother's necklace. "This was my Gran Gran's necklace, and she passed it down to my mother. It's all I have left of her now. My father would never give me to someone I didn't choose."

"Then you are lucky," Yue's voice trembled. "It is my duty to marry Hahn, but I wish things could be different."

Katara grasped her hand again. "You and Sokka?" She prompted. He had raved to her at length about their very brief date.

"It doesn't matter how we feel about each other. I am betrothed to someone else, and he will leave with the Avatar once his training is complete."

They sat in silence. Katara could never turn her back on someone who needed her, and at that moment she knew that Yue needed a friend. Several friends, in fact. Friends who would stick up for her and fight for what she deserved. Friends who weren't afraid to slap some people around to get it done.

"Master Pakku!"

The old man raised his eyebrows as she stormed towards him. The others hurried after her- Sokka had seen her pass their hut and insisted they all go to prevent her from causing bodily harm to the elderly. She suspected that only Sokka and Aang would try and stop her, seeing how Azula and Zuko were quietly grinning as she approached Master Poophead. He sat with Chief Arnook, Princess Yue, and other members of his council. Yue's eyes widened in alarm, but Katara didn't care. She was done with their customs.

"I demand to be taught combat waterbending."

Pakku and the others froze. She held his gaze, unflinching as he began to chuckle.

"You are in no position to demand anything of me, little girl." He said dismissively, and he turned to drink his tea as if she wasn't still talking to him.

"I have found the Avatar and traveled across the world to get here, fighting the Fire Nation the whole way." She pointed to Aang, who waved awkwardly. "While you hid behind your walls, my tribe was wiped out, and now I'm the last of the Southern waterbenders. It is my duty, my right, to learn!"

"Enough," came Chief Arnook's voice, echoing authoritatively in the large room. "That is not how things are done here, Katara. You must adhere to our traditions. I expect an apology for disrupting our council, and for disrespecting Master Pakku."

Katara fought back tears as the council murmured in agreement.

"I'm waiting, little girl." Master Poophead's smug voice grated in her ears.

Her hands clenched. "No!" The ice around her began to crack as she shouted. "No way am I apologizing to a sour old man like you!"

"I'll be outside if you're man enough to fight me."

Ignoring Yue's gasp, she turned and stalked out the door.

"Are you crazy, Katara? You're not going to win this fight!"

"I know. I don't care." She pulled her parka off and shoved it at Sokka. Someone needs to slap some sense into that guy!"

"You're going to want to get in close then," Zuko advised. "It's harder for waterbenders to fight in close quarters."

"Kick him in the balls," Azula said. "Or cut off his goatee."

Pakku approached them slowly. "So, you decided to show up?" She taunted. But he passed her without acknowledging them, and she watched incredulously as he kept going. "Aren't you going to fight?"

He kept walking. "Go back to the healing huts with the other women where you belong."

She gathered up all of her anger and whipped it straight into the back of his head. That got his attention. She got the fight she wanted, but it was harder than she thought it would be. But she did not think she could win. What she wanted was to prove herself- to prove that women deserved the chance to fight for themselves and their people.

So she didn't back down. She didn't give up. She struggled and fought until she was trapped in the ice, unable to move.

But Pakku still wouldn't teach her.

"This is my necklace…" Pakku had picked her mother's necklace off of the ice, gazing at it with wonder. "I made this sixty years ago for the love of my life. For Kanna."

The ice pillars trapping her melted, and she fell to her knees from shock and exhaustion. This sexist old man was in love with Gran Gran?

"Kanna is my grandmother," she said. "She gave that necklace to my mother, and she passed it down to me."

Pakku stroked it gently. "I carved this necklace for your grandmother when we got engaged. I thought we would have a long, happy life together. I loved her."

"But she didn't love you, did she? It was an arranged marriage. Gran Gran wouldn't let your tribe's stupid customs run her life. That's why she left. It must have taken a lot of courage."

Katara wondered why Gran Gran never told her. But she definitely understood the urge to flee from Pakku and the tribe's stifling rules.

"So she never loved me," Pakku murmured. "Was the thought of marrying so terrible?"

She bit her lip to keep the "yes" from coming out. "She wanted to make her own choices, just like all the other women. Your stupid customs controls their lives."

"You look just like her," Pakku said. "I should have realized, you have her fiery temper." Katara rolled her eyes. "Katara, I would be honored to teach you. I owe Kanna that."

That's not what she wanted at all. She was fighting to learn combative water bending because it was her right as a member of the tribe, but it was a start. She would just have to slap the sexism out of him.

"I do like you, a lot. But we can't be together, and not for the reason you think. It's because ... I'm engaged. I'm sorry."

Sokka grabbed her hand before she could run away.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Her eyes shone with tears, glittering like the stars above them. "Because I don't want to be. My father arranged it for me."

"But there's got to be something you can do! He's clearly making you miserable."

"It's my duty as the Princess. I have to do this."

Sokka shook his head. "We'll figure something out. Come and meet my friends, we can brainstorm together." She hesitated, looking down at their joined hands. "Yue, I want to help you. I want you to be happy."

She squeezed his hand. "Your sister said the same thing. She did a brave thing today. I think it's time I did something brave, too."

"Hey everyone, this is Princess Yue. Please don't be weird."

Yue gave a quick bow as the others waved (Zuko and Azula were still in their blanket fort- they only emerged for food and watching Katara bitch slap Pakku). He had given her a quick run down of everyone as they walked to the hut, so she knew who Azula and Zuko really were. She took it surprisingly well.

"Hello everyone," Yue smiled. "We were hoping you could help me break off my engagement."

Katara gasped. "Really? Yue, that's amazing!"

"You're engaged?" Aang grimaced.

"Yes, to an oaf named Hahn," Sokka said. "Now, what we need to do is think of a way for Yue to convince her father that Hahn is no good."

Zuko and Azula raised their hands.

"A way that does not involve murder," Sokka ammended.

They lowered their hands.

"You could ruin his reputation," Katara suggested.

Aang raised his hand. "We could find someone else for him to marry."

"That's boring," Azula huffed. "Just scare the boy off. Rough him up a bit. Then he'll run with his tail between his legs and you won't have to talk to your father at all."

"Okay," Sokka said slowly. "Lots of ideas here- some good, some terrible."

Yue's eyes sparkled as she gazed at Azula. "That's a great idea!"

"What? Yue, no-"

"Teach me how to be mean, please?"

Sokka gaped as Azula examined her nails nonchalantly. "Sure."

Two hours later, Yue left the hut with an ice dagger and an Azula-like smirk on her face.

Their engagement was called off the following morning.