XLIII/ Behold the Great Divide

The journey to the Great Divide went smoothly, giving Elsa and her friends a much-needed break from the tensions with Jet. The young queen relished the time in the sky, marveling at the vast and varied landscapes of the Earth Kingdom. As they soared above forests and rivers, she felt a mix of curiosity and serenity, appreciating the discovery of this world so different from her own. Aang's playful nature was evident in his choice of detour, but Elsa was grateful of the strategic advantage of diverting their path, making it harder for the Fire Nation to predict their movements.

After a day of flight through the Earth Kingdom territories, they landed on a rock outcropping land. The sunset painted the sky in hues of orange and pink, signaling the end of another day. Elsa helped organize the camp, notably in appeasing both Katara and Sokka in how to use the tarp, smoothing over any disagreements with a calm, authoritative presence that they had come to respect. Aang also helped to appease his friends, which allowed him to prevent needless quarrels. While the young queen was still learning to handle living in the wild, she relied on her experience to find solutions and to be as practical as she could.

As night fell, the group sat around the campfire, sharing stories and laughter. Elsa found herself feeling a deep sense of contentment, watching over these extraordinary children who had become her family away from home. The night passed peacefully, with the group taking turns keeping watch.

The next morning, they packed up camp and made their way to the edge of the canyon, the rising sun bathed the scene in a golden light. As they approached, Elsa's eyes widened at the sheer magnitude of the sight before them.

Aang spread his arms wide, a grin splitting his face. "There it is, guys. The Great Divide!"

The young queen gasped softly, taking in the vast expanse of the canyon. It stretched out endlessly, a massive scar in the earth that seemed to go on forever. Its rugged beauty reminded her of the fjords back home, yet it was entirely unique. "It's... breathtaking," she murmured, her voice filled with awe.

Katara, standing beside her, echoed the sentiment. "Wow, I could just stare at it forever." Her voice held a reverence that Elsa found endearing as it showed the deep appreciation for the natural world.

Sokka, however, remained unimpressed. "Okay, I've seen enough," he declared, crossing his arms and turning away from the edge.

Her sister shot him a disbelieving look. "How can you not be fascinated, Sokka? This is the largest canyon in the entire world!"

"Then I'm sure we'll be able to see it very clearly from the air while we fly away," Sokka quipped, earning an exasperated sigh from his sister.

Before Elsa could comment, a figure pushed past Sokka, nearly knocking him off balance. A man dressed in elaborate robes, clearly of high status, approached them with an air of urgency. "If you're looking for the canyon guide, I was here first!" he snapped, his tone impatient and haughty.

"Ooh, canyon guide? Sounds informative," Katara remarked, her interest piqued.

The man didn't even glance at her. "Believe me, he's more than a tour guide. He's an earthbender," he declared proudly, "and the only way in and out of the canyon is with his help. He's taking my tribe across next." Sokka, standing behind him, rolled his eyes and mimicked the man's haughty demeanor, but Elsa gave him a small shake of the head, silently admonishing him.

The young water tribe warrior rolled his eyes but stopped mocking the man. Instead, he addressed him directly, "Calm down, we know you're next."

The man's face twisted in frustration. "You wouldn't be so calm if the Fire Nation destroyed your home and forced you to flee! My whole tribe has to walk thousands of miles to the capital city of Ba Sing Se."

Elsa's heart ached at the man's words, a reminder of the widespread suffering caused by the war. She was also intrigued by the mention of Ba Sing Se as it was the first time she heard of the capital city of the Earth Kingdom.

"You're a refugee!" Katara exclaimed, her voice laced with concern.

The man let out a bitter laugh. "Huh, tell me something I don't know."

Elsa's eyes shifted to the horizon, where a large group of people was approaching. Their clothes were rough and worn, a stark contrast to the man's refined attire.

Katara pointed at the approaching group. "Is that your tribe?"

Elsa had a feeling these weren't the people the person was waiting for because of the contrast in appearance.

As a confirmation of her thought, The man's face twisted in disgust. "It most certainly is not! That's the Zhang tribe, a bunch of low-life thieves. They've been the enemies of my tribe for a hundred years." He whistled sharply in their direction. "Hey, Zhangs! I'm saving a spot for my tribe, so don't even think about stealing it!"

Elsa's eyebrows furrowed at the sharp and provocative words of the man, showing both disrespect and animosity towards the newcomers.

The leader of the Zhang tribe, a woman with a rough exterior, scoffed at him. "Where are the rest of the Gan Jin? Still tidying up their campsite?"

The Gan Jin tribesman bristled. "Yes, but they sent me ahead of them to hold a spot."

The Zhang leader smirked. "I didn't know the canyon guide took reservations."

"Ha! Of course you didn't! That's the ignorance I'd expect from a messy Zhang. So unorganized and ill-prepared for a journey."

The Zhang tribe members behind her erupted in protest, their anger evident. Elsa frowned at the hostility between the two groups, concerned about how this conflict might affect their journey if they were to travel together. She was also thinking that. She exchanged concerned glances with Katara and Aang, sensing the tension building. Suddenly, they heard a loud crash behind them, and they turned to see a pile of rocks being levitated away by an older man. Elsa guessed he must be the canyon guide and an earthbender, which would be relevant in such a place.

"Sorry about the wait, youngsters," the man said, his voice gruff but not unkind. "Who's ready to cross this here canyon?"

Katara hesitated before responding, glancing between the Zhangs and the Gan Jin scout. "Uh, one of them, I think."

The Gan Jin tribesman didn't waste a second, rushing forward. "I was here first! My party's on their way."

The canyon guide shook his head. "I can't guide people who aren't here."

Elsa watched the exchange, her blue eyes narrowing slightly as she sensed the tension rising. As the Zhang tribe filed past the three kids, the young queen and the fuming Gan Jin scout, their leader couldn't resist a parting shot. "Guess you guys will have to make the trip tomorrow," she said mockingly.

The Gan Jin scout's eyes twitched in anger, his frustration palpable. Elsa felt a pang of sympathy for the man but knew that such hostility would only make the situation worse, especially as he provoked them in the first place.

Just as she was about to step forward and attempt to calm the situation, another group approached the canyon entrance. The Gan Jin scout, eyes lighting up with triumph, pointed at the incoming tribe.

Elsa observed the new group arriving, noting their clean, finely dressed appearance. The contrast between the two tribes was stark, and she could already sense the brewing conflict.

The Zhang leader turned to the canyon guide, her voice filled with indignation. "You're not seriously gonna cave into these spoiled Gan Jins? I mean, we're refugees too! And we've got sick people that need shelter."

The canyon guide looked flustered. "I ... uh ... well ..."

The Gan Jin scout jumped in, his voice rising. "We've got old people who are weary from traveling."

"Sick people get priority over old people," the Zhang leader shot back.

The Gan Jin leader, a tall man with an air of superiority, stepped forward. "Maybe you Zhangs wouldn't have so many sick people if you weren't such slobs."

The Zhang leader bristled, her eyes narrowing. "If you Gan Jins weren't so clean, you wouldn't live to be so old."

Elsa felt a cold chill run through her, the exchange reminding her of the conflict she had seen between the Northuldra and Arendelle's soldiers in the Enchanted Forest when encountering them. Her thoughts drifted to Captain Matthias and Yelena, and how they had struggled to bridge the gap between their people. The hostility here however felt more deep-seated, and she wondered if there was any way to help these tribes find common ground. At least in the Enchanted Forest, even for the fact both groups blamed the other for what happened the day her grandfather murdered the Northuldra leader, it wasn't so insulting and condescending as what was happening now.

Katara, sensing the mounting tension, leaned closer to Aang. "Well, Aang, ready to put your peace-making skills to the test?" she asked, her voice tinged with both hope and anxiety.

Elsa turned to look at Katara, surprised by her suggestion. Her gaze flickered to Aang, her concern mirrored in her expression. She was worried that despite his position of Avatar and his natural inclination for peace, the young boy might not be ready for a challenge of this magnitude. And yet, she knew he needed to learn by experience if he wanted to bring back peace in the world, especially with a war of such scale. It was as if the feud between the tribes was a test for his skills to bring an end to the current conflict. The young queen was conflicted, both feeling concerned and protective and yet wanting to help her friend grow out.

Aang's face fell slightly as he looked at the bickering tribes. "I don't know, Katara. A fight over chores is one thing, but these people have been feuding for a hundred years," he said, his voice laced with doubt.

Elsa nodded in agreement, about to suggest that perhaps they should all take a step back and reassess the situation. However, before she could speak, Katara stepped forward, her voice ringing out with confidence.

"Everybody listen up! This is the Avatar, and if you give him a chance, I'm sure he can come up with a compromise that will make everyone happy."

The tribes fell silent, all eyes turning to the young airbender. Elsa noticed how the weight of Katara's words seemed to settle heavily on Aang's shoulders. She admired the waterbender's confidence in the young Avatar but couldn't help but worry about the pressure it placed on him.

Aang scratched the back of his head nervously, trying to come up with a solution. "Uh, you could share the earthbender and travel together?" he suggested, though his tone lacked conviction.

The reaction was immediate and vehement.

"Absolutely not!" the Gan Jin leader exclaimed. "We'd rather be taken by the Fire Nation than travel with those stinking thieves!"

The Zhang leader was equally adamant. "We wouldn't travel with those pompous fools anyway!"

As the two tribes began shouting at each other again, Elsa could see Aang's frustration mounting. She was about to step in when the young Avatar suddenly shouted, his voice carrying an authority that belied his years and stunning her as she wasn't used by this outburst.

"All right, here's the deal! You're all going down together, and Appa here will fly your sick and elderly across! Does that seem fair?"

To Elsa's surprise, both leaders nodded in agreement, though their expressions remained sour. She was nevertheless relieved they seemed to accept this solution. At least, they wouldn't worry about those who would need the most help.

Seeing an opportunity to offer support, she leaned in close to Aang and whispered, "You handled that well."

Aang looked at her, his eyes filled with gratitude and a hint of uncertainty. "Thanks, Elsa. I know it's not perfect, but I'll do my best."

The young queen smiled warmly, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I'm here to help you. We'll get through this together, but I'll make sure not to interfere too much with your role."

Aang nodded, his confidence bolstered by his friend's support. Nearby, Katara was watching the interaction with a smile, clearly approving of Elsa's supportive approach.

A few moments later, the sick and elderly began boarding Appa. Aang patted the bison's side affectionately. "Sorry, Appa, you'll have to do this on your own."

The sky bison let out a low, comforting rumble in response.

Sokka, however, wasn't as easily convinced. "Aang, this feuding tribe stuff is serious business. Are you sure it's a good idea getting involved in this?"

Aang's response was accompanied by his characteristic broad grin. "To tell you the truth, I'm not sure. But when have I ever been?" He glanced at Elsa, his eyes twinkling with a mix of mischief and trust. "Besides, with Elsa here, I feel like we can handle anything."

Elsa felt a warmth spread through her chest at Aang's words. She was touched by his faith in her but also felt the weight of responsibility it carried. She gave him a small nod, her expression a mix of pride and concern.

Katara, ever supportive, chimed in. "Sokka, Aang's right. He's the Avatar. Making peace between people is his job."

Sokka's shoulders slumped in dismay. "His job's gonna make us cross this whole thing on foot, isn't it?"

Elsa couldn't help but chuckle at the Water tribe boy's dramatic reaction. She gently reminded him, "If I recall correctly, you once asked us to go on foot."

Sokka's cheeks reddened slightly at the reminder. He let out a resigned sigh. "Fine, fine. I guess we're walking then."

As the group turned their attention back to the two tribes and the canyon guide, they noticed the rising sun casting long shadows across the canyon's entrance. The guide stepped forward to address the group.

"Okay, now comes the bad news. No food allowed in the canyon—it attracts," he made a skittering motion with his hands, "dangerous predators."

Immediately, both tribes erupted in protest.

"No food? This is ridiculous!" the Gan Jin leader exclaimed, his voice full of indignation.

Elsa's eyebrows furrowed as she observed the tribes' reactions. She could understand their frustration, but she also recognized the wisdom in the guide's words. While traveling without food could be challenging, especially considering the hostility between the two tribes, she doubted the canyon guide would ask them to give up their food without any good reason.

The canyon guide, however, remained firm. "Oh, you babies can go a day without food. Would you rather be hungry, or dead?" He punctuated his point by raising an earth pillar to tower over the rest of the group. "Now, we're heading down in ten minutes. All food better be in your gut or in the garbage!"

As soon as the words left the guide's mouth, the Zhang tribe quickly whipped out various foods and began shoving them into their mouths. In stark contrast, the Gan Jin tribe produced small portions of food, eating slowly and deliberately with chopsticks.

Elsa watched the two tribes with fascination, noting how even their eating habits reflected their deep-seated differences. She couldn't help but draw again parallels to the conflicts she had witnessed between the Northuldra and Arendelle's soldiers in the Enchanted Forest. The differences between the two tribes were stark, and she could see how these contrasting behaviors might only deepen the divide between them.

Sokka approached her and commented with a mix of relief and disappointment, "Well, it's lucky our food is on Appa."

Elsa nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "Indeed. Though I have a feeling you might regret not joining in on this last-minute feast later."

Sokka mock-glared at her, "Hey!"

Aang, standing near Appa, called out to the people now seated on the bison's back. "Appa's going to take good care of you until we get there," he reassured them before turning to his companion. "See you on the other side, buddy! Yip yip!"

With a mighty roar, Appa took to the skies. As the sky bison soared into the sky, Elsa watched him leave, her gaze lingering on the bison until he was just a dot in the distance. She then turned back to the tribes, who were finishing their meals, her expression thoughtful. This journey through the canyon was going to be difficult—not just because of the terrain, but because of the deep-seated animosity between these people.

Elsa exchanged a glance with Katara, who nodded in silent understanding. They would need to stay vigilant, ready to step in if things went awry. This journey was just beginning, and Elsa knew that keeping the peace would be an ongoing challenge, considering how strong the feud between the two groups was. She hoped it wouldn't blind them to the point it would make them forget common sense.