Mornings are just harder for some people. That was Sokka's main line of defence when Zuko got mad about him not being able to get up - so what if he was the one who wanted to go to that training after all? It didn't make waking up any easier.
Aang and Katara didn't have this much problem with waking up, as they had already left for their waterbending training, after having a good laugh and wishing Zuko good luck. Unfortunately for Sokka, Zuko's patience was short. The firebender tearing his cozy warm duvet off him in the end was a bit cruel, but at least it worked. Fortunately after Sokka was up the actual excitement came and soon both boys were on their way.
"We should have left with Aang and Katara so we weren't late." Zuko complained on the way.
"I don't get how you do it! Are you really getting up at dawn every day?"
The prince looked at him confused "Yes? What use is sleeping in?"
Sokka returned the look with a more grumpy face "It's not about use, it's- You're weird, okay? Who else would get up that early if they didn't have to?"
Zuko wasn't sure if he should be offended, but the moment they entered the training grounds it turned out that apparently plenty of people there were getting up early. They were the last ones there, and they were receiving some funny looks already.
"Oh, look who finally showed up! The Prince couldn't get up on time like the rest of us?" the mocking voice sounded from the side, and a few giggles followed it.
Zuko frowned, but Sokka quickly responded with a sheepish "Naah, this guy was up at first sunlight. But boy, I'm REALLY not a morning person."
"It's fine. We can let it slide this time."
Everyone silenced as Battle Master Kanuk finally spoke up. Zuko recognized the man from the feast - he was the one who had spoken in his defence when the other Elder was making his snide remarks. The prince didn't know what his motives were, so he decided to stay guarded in his presence.
Kanuk himself was quite impressive - his gray hair didn't deny the fact that he was in great form. The wide shoulders and a strong stance suggested that he was used not only to combat, but to actual battle as well. His title was surely well-earned.
"Before any warrior wields a weapon, he must first master his own body. " Kanuk announced. "We begin with warm-ups. Fall in!"
All the girls were already gathered inside, but Yugoda was still glancing at the entrance. Katara said she would be learning waterbending, so perhaps she actually was busy with that already. Good for her. But what Yugoda was more worried about was the prince's absence. Did her conversation with Arnook backfire and the chief actually forbid the boy from attending?
Just as she decided it was enough stalling and turned to the class to start the lecture, a silhouette appeared in the entrance. Yugoda quickly glanced, expecting to see Zuko there, but to her surprise it was Katara, with an utterly defeated look on her face.
"Good morning, Katara. Are you not training with Master Pakku today yet...?" the woman asked hesitantly, but Katara dropped her gaze on the ground.
"No. And I won't be." she replied quietly, and Yugoda's eyes softened with compassion. Once she heard it yesterday, she suspected it would be the case, but how much did she hope to be wrong just this once, just for this excited girl's sake. But she knew Pakku very well.
"I see." she said, then tried to bring an appealing smile to her face "Would you like to join us for the healing lesson then?"
Katara failed to suppress the sigh "I guess…"
"And of course, you both have been up for a long time by now." Bumi commented with a snarky giggle.
"But of course." Iroh replied with a warm smile. He got up from his meditation position, and glanced at Jeong Jeong, but the other firebender apparently wasn't done yet. Careful not to disturb him, Iroh stepped back inside, leaving the balcony door open.
"Do you care for a cup of tea?" he offered warmly.
Bumi grinned "And here I thought breakfast would be the real treat, but nothing beats tea, right?" He still didn't actually answer the question, but Iroh was already preparing it regardless. With age comes appreciation for fine things, and Iroh's tea was certainly the finest Bumi's had in years. A fitting way to repay the hospitality.
"Any news?" Iroh asked as he prepared the tea blend.
"Not really." Bumi made himself comfortable in the armchair, and grumbled "At least not the ones you're awaiting."
Iroh glanced at him, raising his brow, and waited for him to continue.
"The Fire Nation army is gathering near our borders." the king said, and then suddenly falling into a fit of giggles, added "It's a matter of time before they come for Omashu."
It wasn't good news. Iroh's brows furrowed as he watched his friend silently. He knew him well enough to not take his laugh as not taking the matter seriously - but also knew him for being completely unpredictable at times.
"How long till they come?" Jeong Jeong's grim voice cut in from the doorway.
"A few days, a week at best." Bumi said, chuckling under his breath "You'd do best to leave soon."
Iroh stroked his beard in thought "And what are you planning to do...?"
"Me? Wait!" Bumi said, finally giving in to a full fit of laughter. Both firebenders exchanged their looks grimly. It was bad.
Kanuk's warm up was a bit rough, if Sokka was the one to speak. The old warrior led them through a rigorous series of exercises, followed by some stretches.
For Zuko it wasn't anything unexpected, he was used to strength-building exercises, but it was the first time he ever attended a group training.
"We begin with drills! Choose your weapons. You'll pair off for sparring." the old warrior commanded.
The boys moved to follow the command, but before Zuko could join them, Kanuk stopped him "Prince Zuko. I was informed that you're a firebender, but you also have some weapons training, is that right?"
The prince was surprised only for a moment.
"Of course they told him about my swords. What else would I be doing here?"
He straightened himself and replied "That's true."
"Good. I'm not sure if we have a weapon of your choice here, but I hope you'll find something suitable."
Zuko replied with a nod, and moved to pick the weapon, seeing that most of the other boys already had theirs. Mostly spears, but a few of them had axes and clubs. Fortunately he wasn't the last one, as Sokka was still there too, having a hard time deciding what weapon he should take.
Zuko's eyes flickered over the weapon racks. He instinctively searched for something similar to his dual swords, but nothing on the rack matched. No twin blades, no broadswords. Not even a regular sword. The thought about handling a completely foreign weapon wasn't comforting, but then his eyes rested on a bunch of wooden machetes in a barrel nearby.
Curious, he moved over there and picked one of them up. The wooden blade was slightly longer than a knife but shorter than an actual sword. Much smaller than he hoped overall - weight and balance were different from his dao. He adjusted his grip, testing their feel with a few careful swings. At least it still could be considered a single-edged chopping weapon, which would allow him to apply some of his usual techniques, so it was probably best he would find there.
While he was testing the grip, a scoff came from nearby. "What, planning to cut down some bushes, Prince?"
Zuko turned his head slightly, locking eyes with a tall boy - judging by the voice, the same one who commented on their late arrival earlier. The arrogant warrior stood with a wooden spear resting against his shoulder, a smirk tugging at his lips. "That's not a real weapon." he added in an indulgent tone.
"It will do." Zuko replied coldly, and picked a second machete.
Sokka, on the other hand, hesitated before reaching for a wooden training club. Most warriors picked a spear, but he only had experience with a club so far. He had a feeling that fighting with a club against a spear would be hard, but it was not time to experiment if he wanted to show his proficiency. Perhaps he'd be lucky enough not to be paired with spear guys?
Kanuk walked through the ranks, pairing warriors. "Hahn, with Ekkik. Tuvaq, with Kalut. Sokka, with Prince Zuko. Skjar with..."
"Yesss!" Sokka grinned. He was dying to actually try to spar Zuko and see if he really would still be an unbeatable opponent. Especially after what he learnt from Kyoshi Warriors, and assuming Zuko would not use firebending... This thought made Sokka gulp. It was just a spar and he didn't doubt that Zuko would fight fairly, but it was kinda easier to think about besting him when he couldn't firebend.
Still, he turned towards Zuko with a smile "So, we'll find out who's better, huh?"
The firebender smirked, rolling his shoulders. "That won't take long."
Sokka's overconfidence was starting to amuse him, but honestly, Zuko was relieved. At least with Sokka as his opponent, he didn't have to worry about revealing too much. Or causing any problems.
Before they could begin, Kanuk's attention was pulled away by an older warrior. After a brief exchange, the battle master sighed and addressed the group.
"I have to take care of something. Continue the spars while I'm gone." His gaze swept over the warriors, lingering on a few of them. "Keep it clean."
With that, he strode off, leaving the warriors behind.
For a moment, the group hesitated, unsure whether to continue. Then, a scoff broke the silence.
"Oh, this should really be quick." the arrogant boy's voice carried, his smirk widening. "A bender trying to fight with weapons? Please! Your name's Sokka, right?"
Both mentioned boys looked at him confused. It was a matter between them, so why was he even talking to them instead of fighting his opponent?
"Yeah, Sokka, Southern Water Tribe." Sokka answered, frowning slightly. "But Zuko's actually quite good, a few months ago he beat me to be honest."
The warrior chuckled, eyes flicking to Zuko "Oh? Can't wait to see it. If-"
"Why don't you mind your own spar?" the firebender cut in roughly, irritated with his nosiness.
The boy's smirk faltered for a split second before returning, now laced with something sharper. "Hey, who do you think you are? You may be some prince in the Fire Nation, but here you're nobody."
A few warriors chuckled, emboldened by his tone, while others shot uneasy glances toward Zuko.
"Hahn, are you-" one of them started, shifting uncomfortably.
"What? It's true." Hahn shut the boy down. "Even worse than nobody, he's a Fire Nation scum-"
The Fire Prince's expression remained unreadable, but his grip on his machetes tightened.
"Quit it, okay?" Sokka spoke up sharply "Zuko's with us."
Hahn tilted his head, turning his gaze back to Sokka "Oh. So in the Southern Water Tribe you just team up with the Fire Nation now?"
Sokka immediately stepped up furiously. "You got a problem with the Southern Water Tribe now too?"
Hahn scoffed, clearly enjoying getting a rise out of them. "Just saying, real Water Tribe warriors don't play nice with Fire Nation."
Zuko's expression darkened. Like it wasn't enough to insult him, but even Sokka and his Tribe. "The Southern Water Tribe actually fights the Fire Nation." he stated loudly and pointed at Hahn's chest with a machete "Unlike you, just hiding behind your walls."
A few murmurs ripple through the gathered warriors. Some shifted uncomfortably, while others exchanged looks, clearly unsure whether to take offense or be impressed with his attitude. Sokka's lips twitched into a small smirk, despite his anger - he definitely appreciated that. But Hahn's face twisted in anger.
"You think you're so tough, huh?" He steps forward, looming just a bit. "So maybe we'll check it? The two of you against two of us?" he said, and crossed gazes with his sparring partner, who gave him a quick nod after a moment of hesitation "How about that?"
Sokka didn't hesitate. "Fine by me."
Zuko didn't answer immediately. His eyes flicked toward Hahn's partner - Ekkik, if he remembered Kanuk's words right - who stepped forward, hefting his weapon of choice: a wooden axe. The weighty weapon balanced in his grip with practiced ease as he moved. He was definitely not as cocky as Hahn, but clearly confident as well; they've probably been training for years. A disturbing thought crossed his mind - will Sokka be able to keep up?
Hahn twirled his wooden spear in one hand, smirking. "What's wrong, Prince? Thinking of running?"
Zuko's eyes snapped back to him, his jaw tightening. That's it. He shifted into a ready stance, raising his machetes. "Just remember we're not the ones who started it."
The gathered warriors quickly stepped back, forming an impromptu ring around them. Murmurs of anticipation rippled through the group - this wasn't just another spar anymore. One of the warriors stepped towards the door to check if Kanuk wasn't approaching yet, but the fight was already on.
Hahn and Ekkik moved first - Ekkik stepped in with a heavy swing of his axe toward Sokka's side, but the boy sidestepped quickly, barely dodging the blow.
"Whoa, okay, we're not holding back, huh?" he commented pointedly while he swung his club in response, aiming for Ekkik's ribs, but the other warrior deflected it with the haft of his weapon.
At the same time Hahn lunged forward with a confident smirk, thrusting his spear straight at Zuko's chest. With a sharp pivot, Zuko twisted to the side, just barely avoiding the tip. Instead of stepping back, he surged forward, trying to close the gap between them.
Hahn took a step back to gain some distance, but before he could retract the spear for another strike, Zuko's machete swung upward in a sharp arc, slamming into the wooden shaft near its midpoint. The impact jolted Hahn's grip, forcing the weapon upward and throwing him off balance. He staggered slightly, his arms jerking as he tried to keep hold of the spear.
Zuko didn't let him recover. He used the momentum to spin and in a fluent motion his second machete came in from the side. Hahn barely managed to avoid it and he stumbled backwards, gritting his teeth. "Not bad, for a bender."
To his credit - Hahn recovered quickly this time, planting his foot and swinging his spear in a wide arc, aiming to catch Zuko off guard. The firebender raised one of his machetes to intercept, intending to deflect it like he would with his broadswords - but the lighter weight of the weapon threw off his timing. The spear's shaft slammed into his forearm before he could fully block, forcing him to stumble back a step.
Hahn grinned. "What's wrong? Not used to real weapons?"
"More like, not used to fake ones." Zuko meant to respond, but he stayed silent as the stinging pain from his forearm hit him. He clenched his teeth, ignoring the pain and adjusted his stance, gripping the machetes tighter. Hahn lunged again, this time feinting a thrust before twisting the spear downward toward Zuko's legs. Recognizing the tactic a split second too late, the prince barely managed to hop back, but the tip of the spear grazed his shin slightly. Luckily the wooden weapons weren't sharp, and he doubted it would even leave a bruise.
Meanwhile, Sokka had his own problems. Ekkik was strong and relentless, swinging his wooden axe in heavy, cleaving arcs that forced Sokka to stay on the defensive. He ducked one strike and barely managed to shift out of the way of another, the air whistling past his ear as the weapon missed him by inches. He needed an opening - fast.
Then he remembered what Suki had taught him. Use your opponent's force against them.
Instead of meeting Ekkik's next downward chop head-on, Sokka pivoted at the last second, angling his club to deflect the axe's momentum rather than absorb the full force. The sudden shift threw Ekkik slightly off balance. Seizing the opportunity, Sokka spun low and swept a leg at Ekkik's ankle - the Kyoshi Warrior training finally paid off. His opponent grunted as his footing wavered, and in the same motion, Sokka lashed out with his club, striking him squarely in the ribs.
"Yes!" he blurted, before remembering he was still in a fight.
Ekkik only grunted, barely fazed. "Not bad, Southern boy," he admitted, rolling his shoulders. "But don't get cocky."
Sokka's confidence wavered slightly as he realized he'd need more than one good hit to come out on top. Before he could respond, Ekkik's axe came at him again - fast. Sokka barely raised his weapon in time, but the sheer force of the hit sent shockwaves up his arms and knocked him off balance. He stumbled back, barely regaining his footing before another blow sent him staggering to one knee.
Zuko, mid-clash with Hahn, caught the moment out of the corner of his good eye. He stepped back to gain enough distance to take a look to check their situation. Sokka was struggling. If this kept up, he'd be overwhelmed.
Hahn followed his sight and smirked again. "Ready to give up already?"
Zuko's eyes snapped back to Hahn and he breathed through his nose impatiently. He had to get rid of this jerk first. No more time for playing around.
This time, he didn't wait for Hahn to strike first. He surged forward, machetes flashing. His sudden aggression caught the Water Tribe warrior by surprise, forcing him onto the defensive.
Hahn blocked the first few slashes with quick maneuvers, his spear moving fast to deflect each attack. But Zuko was fast. The shorter, lighter machetes allowed him to switch angles quickly, striking from unexpected directions. He managed to land a few hits, but he realized that machetes' lightweightness came with a price - there wasn't enough power behind the strikes to cause real damage. He needed something more.
Hahn barely batted away another slash aimed at his ribs when Zuko suddenly stepped inside his reach. Before the warrior could react, Zuko twisted his grip and slammed the hilt of his machete into his face.
There was a sickening crack.
Hahn reeled back, clutching his nose as blood immediately started gushing. He let out a strangled curse, staggering.
Zuko didn't waste time watching it. He turned sharply toward Sokka and Ekkik. The Southern warrior was still on the defensive, though he managed to regain his footing. Deciding he could still use his help, Zuko dashed forward. As Ekkik raised his weapon for another crushing swing, the firebender stepped in and slammed one of his machetes against the shaft of the axe, knocking it off course. The unexpected interference threw Ekkik off, and in that moment, Sokka seized his chance.
He lunged in low, driving his club into Ekkik's side with a heavy thud. Ekkik grunted in pain, his balance faltering. Not letting up, Sokka pivoted, using the momentum to spin and slam his club into the back of Ekkik's knee. The warrior's leg buckled, and with a final shove from Sokka, he hit the ground hard.
Sokka stood over him, panting, but grinning. "Ha! Kyoshi style, baby."
But before he could celebrate, a furious roar erupted behind them.
Hahn, blood smeared across his face, charged straight at Zuko in a blind rage, his spear aimed like a battering ram.
Zuko turned just in time. He didn't even try to block it - he sidestepped at the last second, letting Hahn's momentum carry him past. As the boy barreled past him, Zuko swept out a leg and hooked his opponent's ankle.
Hahn crashed to the ground with a heavy thud. Before he could scramble up, Zuko was on him. He planted a knee against Hahn's back and pressed the edge of his wooden machete against his throat. "Ready to give up?" he asked coldly.
The training grounds fell silent.
And then-
"That's enough."
The voice, sharp and commanding, cut through the tension like a whip.
Zuko immediately pulled back, lifting his knee and stepping away from Hahn. He dropped both machetes to the ground and straightened, his gaze snapping toward the source of the voice.
The Battle Master stood at the edge of the group, arms crossed, and his expression unreadable.
The gathered warriors shifted uncomfortably. Some looked guilty. Others looked like they had just watched the best fight of their lives.
Realizing he needed to use his good reputation, Hahn wiped his mouth from the blood and said quickly "Master Kanuk! We were going to spar, but they teamed up-"
"I didn't ask you to speak." Battle Master said, silencing him with a glare. Then his attention shifted to Zuko "You're good with those blades. But this isn't how warriors train."
The prince opened his mouth to reply, but Kanuk added "This is a place for training, not settling personal grudges. I don't care who started it, you'll have to put it aside here. I won't be tolerating any disruptions."
Zuko considered his words, but immediately came to the conclusion - it was best to leave. He didn't even want to be here in the first place, and the Battle Master might appreciate it more if he spared him the trouble.
As much as he hated it, he folded his hands in a formal gesture and bowed his head, saying "I didn't mean to cause trouble. It'll be best if I just take my leave." After a brief hesitation, he added "Thank you for letting me train."
Kanuk watched him for a long moment, then gave a small nod.
Sokka blinked. "Wait, you're just leaving? It wasn't even your fault-" he started, agitated with the unfairness, but Zuko just shot him a look. Drop it.
The warrior scoffed. As if he would just drop it. He moved to follow his friend, but then Kanuk spoke calmly "You can stay. You wanted to train, right?"
Zuko stopped and glanced back, realizing Sokka's intentions. "You should stay. There's no point in you missing training because of this. It's fine."
Sokka hesitated, but eventually let his gaze fall on the ground as he turned back towards the room.
Fast pace, eyes down, and avoiding attention. Zuko was getting good at this. At least no one was stopping him anymore. Maybe Arnook's speech had actually helped.
"Prince Zuko?"
Zuko cursed in his thoughts, raising his eyes, but much to his relief they fell on the princess. He bowed his head in a polite greeting "Good morning, Princess Yue."
He hoped that would be the end of it, but she had clearly stopped with the intent to talk.
"Good morning." she echoed kindly, and tilted her head "Are you not at warrior training...?"
"No, uh- I was, but I had to leave early." he explained quickly, avoiding her gaze.
"I see. Is..." her eyes were drawn to his hands, as he absently started rubbing his arm that took Hahn's hit during their fight "Was there any problem?" she asked, looking him in the face.
"No. Battle Master Kanuk is quite impressive." Zuko realized what he was doing, and he let his arms fall down along his body. "Uh, it's a bit cold today, right?"
Her eyes widened slightly, and the prince feared he said something improper, when she suddenly said "Are you cold? I should have asked earlier! What kind of a host are we? It should have been taken care of right away-"
"I didn't mean to-" Zuko started, seeing that his attempt of changing the topic made her feel so bad, but she continued:
"Perhaps we could go get you proper attire for our weather? I'm sure we'll find something fitting near the Main Market. Unless you're in a rush right now?"
It was a tempting offer, but going into that crowd again would be utterly exhausting, as he would have no way of avoiding people's gazes.
"It's... very kind of you. But, we don't have to go that far, I think I saw a shop on the way here...?" he quickly offered, hoping that the building he noticed before was actually a shop.
Her eyes wandered aside in thought, and she slowly said "Ah, I think I know what place you have in mind. It's not far indeed. Shall we?"
That training was finally over. Under Kanuk's eye the sparrings were much cleaner indeed. Sokka ended up fighting another warrior, but ended up losing it by a hair. Turns out he had a lot to catch up.
"Sokka, may we have a word?" Kanuk stopped him, watching as the rest of the warriors gradually left the room.
"Uh, sure. What is it?" Sokka asked carefully. "If it's about that fight-"
"It-" Kanuk sighed "Look. You may be Avatar's companions, but here on the training grounds it doesn't matter much. Warriors are simple people. You either fit in or not."
Sokka was ready to protest, sensing that it was going to be a lecture about siding with Zuko, but then Kanuk surprised him by adding "Antagonising Hahn is going to make it even more difficult. He's someone you'd do better to stay on good terms with."
Sokka raised his brow. Yeah, sure, because Hahn is such a joy to be around, he meant to comment, but before he opened his mouth, Kanuk gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. "Aside from that, you did well today. You're welcome to continue attending our training."
"And what about Zuko?" the boy asked immediately.
Kanuk hesitated with an answer, clearing his throat as if thinking about it.
"Prince Zuko..." he hummed eventually "Tell me, do you actually trust him?"
Sokka didn't hesitate "Yes. I do."
Kanuk studied him for a long moment, then exhaled through his nose. "I see. You have to understand, his presence here may lead to further misunderstandings like today." he said, and seeing that the boy was about to retort, he added "But, he is not banned from training grounds."
Satisfied, Sokka gave a polite nod, and said his goodbye. Perhaps this wouldn't be as bad as the Battle Master thought. Just as he was about to leave the training grounds, his ears caught up a familiar voice, though not a pleasant one to hear:
"I'm telling you, he played dirty! If that was a real fight, I'd wipe the floor with him."
Sokka slowed his pace, trying to see around the corner who Hahn was talking to.
"Yes, I can see that much." a sarcastic response came from an old man. Sokka could have sworn he's already seen him somewhere, but couldn't quite place it.
Hahn must have caught what the man referred to, as he grabbed a fistful of snow and started rubbing it into his face in an attempt to wipe the dried blood off. "Ok, so he was fast. So what? He probably-" the boy started angrily, but the old man stopped him, glancing suspiciously in Sokka's direction. Fortunately he had enough reflex to duck behind the corner fast enough not to be seen. Apparently, the old man wasn't taking chances. He muttered something to Hahn, ushering him away.
Sokka waited a little more before peeking around the corner again, but he only caught a glimpse of their silhouettes joining the crowd on the street. What was that about? Unease curled in his gut, but he continued on his way. As if Kanuk's earlier warning about Hahn wasn't enough, and now this weird-
After almost bumping into someone, Sokka finally stopped and took a deep breath. Pondering on it probably wouldn't be of much help. He looked around to check if he was even going the right way, when he noticed a familiar figure. Or even two, actually? Sokka blinked in surprise, but he could clearly see Princess Yue, with a soft smile on her face. Next to her was Zuko, though Sokka almost didn't recognise him in the blue coat. What was that about...?