I had been extremely uneasy the last 3 days while pacing around the Tribe thinking of how to better sure up our defences. I had suggested a few ideas to a couple of men of guard that morning, only to have them laugh it off and pat me on the back with a caution on leaving that sort of thing to the adults. It was frustrating to have my concerns for the defences brushed aside, when one asked why I frustratedly tried to tell them about the raid knowing full well it wouldn't come out right. When I first tried to tell Sokka why I was so anxious the last few days, I had him gasping for breath, laughing so hard at what I had said. It broke my heart trying to tell him that his mother was going to die only for any word related to it to be replaced with something nonsensical.
The first preparation I made on day 1, had been to map out the area surrounding the Tribe perimeter wall and the defences already in place with M.I.C.A's help. Unsurprisingly there wasn't too much in the way of defences other than the gates and perimeter wall. I could think up a few things like trenches cutting into the snowy ground, and palisades littering the field and such but nothing I could do myself. I also tried to ask the Chief if we could practise combat drills which earned me an odd look and a chuckle about children wanting to learn military drills before being sent to do chores if I were that eager to do something. That had wasted the whole day helping around the village.
The second day,I tried to stay around Kya as much as I could in vain hopes I'd be here when the time comes. That, didn't last long. Hakoda came around and sent me to help the Hunting party sharpen their Bone Spears, Boomerangs, and Machetes. I repaired nets and straightened fishing lines as well. It took the whole day and I did more than was expected of me earning the praise of the hunters for maintaining their tools. I at least felt better about maintaining the weapons of the tribe let me know that our weapons were ready to defend ourselves when the raid struck. That was about all I could do as a child with no authority to change or train the men. Not that I really knew how, I just wanted someone to take charge and train us in military tactics but I couldn't expect much from a small tribe like this one. There simply isn't a need for extreme discipline in a small tribe like ours. There hadn't been a need with so few Fire Nation raids anymore these days.
That was the crux of my issue. I couldn't tell them another raid was coming and even if I did, who would believe a child? So few had happened in most of the tribe's living memory that it wasn't too much of a concern. Today, I decided since I wont be able to stick to Kya, to take Sokka and practise what little drills the adults had taught us after incessant badgering over the years. It wasn't much, just basic spear and boomerang practice. I couldn't find any sticks to use as swords much to my disappointment as I wanted to practise sword drills though I knew a day's worth of training wasn’t going to help me much at all. The spear and boomerang practice went better as we had been practising those things for a couple of years now. We were decent but nowhere near the level the worst hunter in the tribe could do.
We didn't let that stop us though as we practised all day, steadily improving our aim as the sun started to go down. Not wanting to get another dress-down from the chief, I called out to Sokka.
“Hey Sokka, I think it's time we head back. The sun is starting to set.” I stated as I finished observing the growing night on the horizon.
“Aww come on Cade, I almost hit the target! Can we wait a bit longer?” Sokka complained after he had thrown his spear
“No we cant, I don't want your dad giving us a tongue lashing if we are late again” I sighed while going out to where the spears landed.
“Why do you have to be so responsible, loosen up!” He chased after me with a snowball in hand. He threw it but it was wildly off so I disregarded it. I didn't want to start another snowball war like we always did.
I chuckled at Sokka's antics as we gathered the spears to return them to the hunters shed in the tribe. All tools and weapons were kept there except for one's personal sidearm like a machete or boomerang. Most other weapons were shared by the tribe. When we were finished, we set out back to the tribe. It was a long walk as we wanted to get out of the adults supervision before we were set to work around the settlement.
“Hey Cade, why have you been acting weird the last few days? This was the first day you've been seemingly back to normal.” Sokka asked as we were halfway to our destination.
“Sorry Sokka, I've just had a lot on my mind. Did you dad have any luck the other day at finding a master for Katara?” I asked changing the subject, knowing full well he hadn't, as Katara needed to go to the north pole to learn in the original story.
“No, he was unsuccessful. It seems like there are no waterbenders left in the whole south pole. Can you believe that?” Sokka stated in disbelief. I couldn't blame him. I also thought the same thing when I first watched the show. Everything was so different than it seems.
“Surely that isn't the case. In the whole wide south pole, not one?” I feigned ignorance again.
“That's what my dad said. He has been searching since Katara tried to drown me in the ice.” Sokka complained for the umpteenth time about the incident that changed their lives forever.
“To be fair, you did keep teasing her. We all said she will get you one day.” I lightly berated him like I always did.
"Hey! I could have died! And she had it coming! Just that morning she-" The words died in his mouth as he noticed the snow that lazily fell down around us for the last hour had begun to turn gray. His face white with a look of horror that must be mirrored on my own face as we saw the colour so unnatural in the sea of white ice.
"RUN!" We both screamed at each other as we took off towards the tribe with abandon. My mind was racing as I berated myself for leaving the tribe at a time like this. Even though I knew logically that I, a 10 year old boy, would be of any use in repelling an enemy raiding party.
"I think we are under attack from the fire nation!" I yelled, surprising myself that I could actually say it aloud. Either since the attack was underway or there was enough evidence for the assertion I didn't know. But either way I could.
Sokka exclaimed harshly and ran harder, me struggling to keep pace with him on the uneven grey snow.
—
Smoke billowed from a foreign ship outside the settlement as we came near signifying where the battle was. There sat the Fire Nation Warship in icy Bay. It had breached the ice nearest our settlement and sat there, the tall black metal behemoth proud amongst the icy cove around it. The battle raging directly around the Warships breaching ramp, Fire Nation troops in an organised fashion were pushing back the tribe's warriors expertly. The Water Tribesmen bent under the assault but they did not buckle, managing to slow the enemy's advance.
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It was plain to see that the watertribe was outmatched in most aspects. Only fierce determination to protect our home helped them face the fire being thrown at them. I watched them fight from afar, running with all my might not towards the battle but the back gate of the settlement where I knew from the downed men at the back gate and from what little I knew from the show, that one if not more troops had snuck in from behind.
The view of the fight soon vanished from sight as we got closer to the all but useless back gate. Stopping to check for signs of life in the downed men, one of which had succumbed to his wounds and the other was unconscious with signs of injury. Sokka wanted to stop but I shouted at him there wasn't any time pulling him into the tribe and through all the Igloos until we found the one I was looking for.
Sokka was confused as we reached his own Igloo and I didn't have time to explain. The animal skin serving as the door flapped open as a fire nation soldier came out. Horror and sadness filled me upon seeing that hard face followed by rage and regret that drove me to without a thought, throwing my boomerang with all the Force I could muster at such a young age.
The boomerang flew in its arc towards the man with no avail. It struck his helmet with enough force to rotate it to cover half the man's face. However it only caused him to stumble forward before righting it atop his head. This gave me enough time to rush him. I didn't know what I could do but I had a spear so charging him was all I could think of in this situation.
With a yell that sounded faint in my ears, I lunged point first into the man. He being the older and trained fighter of us, meant that he responded with contemptuous ease sidestepping to get around my spear. Next thing I knew was the pain that blossomed on my face as I felt the cold icy ground come up to meet me. Realising I had been swept onto my face, I quickly got up absently grabbing the boomerang that I landed near and hurled it again. This time at the second soldier coming around the corner as Sokka had charged the first man after I had been swept into the snow.
Due to repetition of training, the boomerangs arc was true as it careened through the air striking at the unguarded neck of the passing soldier. It was a gruesome sight as red blood spattered out in a mist cloud before the soldier dropped like a sack to the ground making gurgling sounds as blood gushed from his open neck arteries. Seeing the downed man, I switched my focus to the first man who had easily disarmed Sokka and struck him in the head with the pole before trying to gut him with the point, all focus on the task ahead.
"NO!!" I shouted loud enough to make the man hesitate just a moment, making a glance at me. That's all I and Sokka needed, sokka rolled away while I brought my spear up to stab at the men causing him to defend himself with the spear shaft he held. A loud thwack echoed as the spears collided. My hands numbing at the impact nearly made me drop my spear as I was pushed back a couple steps. After which he stood there tense, listening to the shouting in the distance while in the middle of Sokka and I. Suddenly he relaxed. Before either Sokka or I could tell what was going on, a blazing hot wave of fire was shot out in all directions making Sokka and I yell and dive into the snow to avoid being burned to cinders.
Having heard the shouts of men converging on us, the man used this time to escape, throwing fire to cover his retreat, not letting either of us time to get up and follow. Even leaving his downed companion in his death throws behind as he ran towards the back gate. Only when he was out of sight did Sokka and I partially relax hearing the sounds of battle had died down and the shouts of men were coming this way. I moved to check the man while Sokka belatedly realised where they had come from rushing into his Igloo. Silence ensued as I checked the corpse. Sokka hadn't made a sound but I already knew what he found inside. Waiting for the shouts to get closer, I kept an eye on the Igloo, not daring to follow Sokka in.
Katara and some tribesmen came running between some Igloos weapons ready to repel what enemies they found. With a rough breath Katara asked where the soldiers were.
"They- ones gone while the other.. Lucky shot.." I weakly pointed at the corpse behind me. "But.." I tried to continue but had no words. And she didn't ask anymore as we all rushed into the Igloo as Katara said there was an enemy inside. The scene that awaited them was harrowing, a young boy weeping soundlessly in shock over his mother's bloody body. I didn't manage to see much more as I was pushed outside by a tribesman to clear the area. Someone had taken charge of the situation leaving the rest of us in a daze outside the Igloo.
Suddenly a flare went up from behind the settlement, it caught most of our attention before a horn sounded from where the main battle was underway in the ice. I was probably the only one aware that was most likely the signal to retreat as they thought they completed their objective of killing the last waterbender in the southern pole.
Most of the tribe looked at one another and cheered as they too took that as the enemy retreating, that they successfully repelled the fire nation raid. Most not knowing how tragic this raid had been and the future toll it would lead to.
After some time the noise from outside settled down as the smoke coming from the Warship got smaller, having retreated far out into the bay beyond the ice floats. Most of the tribe was now congregating just outside the gate taking wounded and welcoming back men that took part in the battle. It wasn't all cheer as many wives and mothers wailed at the lack of the familiar face in the men returning. Some falling to the ground, others screaming in disbelief that their loved ones didn't make it back.
A sizable amount of us left to help clear the battlefield of the dead and dying to bring them back to the tribe. The carnage of blood and burnt flesh everywhere was a gruesome sight even for one such as myself who had seen much of this in third world countries in my previous life. Being mentally prepared to see this sight and actually seeing it are entirely different things. At least a third of the men in our tribe had been killed or injured while less than 20 had been killed of the enemy forces.
It took several hours for us to clear the battlefield of bodies. The enemy soldiers were stripped of belongings and laid to rest on a pyre. Despite them being the enemy, A few others and I insisted on giving them a proper burial. Most in the tribe disagreed but the tribal warriors understood the importance of paying respect to the dead that died in battle. Much to my relief as I thought I'd have to fight for that basic human right.
I didn't see Sokka or Katara for the rest of the night until the funeral was to commence, I assumed they were too aggrieved to show their faces. Losing their mother had taken a toll on them, one that would be felt for years to come. Though Hakoda had to be present and maintain a public front, you could see the pain on his eyes evident by the red corners. He worked the hardest as we set up multiple old canoes to be used by our dead to send them off to the afterlife. The number of canoes we lost will take a long time to replenish, but not as long as it will take for the lives lost that day.
It came time for our to start the funeral now the moon was at its zenith l
As we lay our dead, with Kya at the centre, the whole Tribe stood silent and sombre as the Chief gave a heartbreaking speech with his two children by his side. Katara was crying into her hands, the poor girl while Sokka had his eyes straight ahead, bottom lip out and tears streaming down his face. He was trying his best interpretation of a stoic man like his father. And failing as grieve was written plainly in his eyes.
I unabashedly cried. I knew that woman for the last ten years. She had always been a kind ear to listen and someone full of praise and kind words when needed. Worst part was I felt guilty for not being able to do anything despite knowing it was going to happen. It hurt not being strong enough to protect my family, because she was, I now understood, family. Although I knew she had to die for events to take place in the future, I naively wanted to save her. She was an incredibly kind woman that didn't deserve the fate she got.
After that, we pushed the canoes out under the moonlight filled with candles and kindling to catch fire. Most of us stood there until the last candles burnt and caught alight, erupting in flames and carrying the dead to the bottom of the Southern seas. All the tribe started the mourning that night, with intermittent wailing piercing the night filling it with sorrow. No one felt cheer for their supposed victory, it remained a dark day that none wished to speak on.