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Borealis: A Zutara Story	By : jaded_priceless Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > AU/AR - Alternate Universe/Alternate Reality Views: 34026 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, Avatar: The Legend of Korra, any historical figures or events, or easily recognizable persons, places or things. I make no profit from this work of fanfiction

Chapter List
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Chapter 57
While the Waterbenders and warriors focused on improving their skills Chief Hakoda made plans. He pulled several of the more experienced men and women that he knew he trust implicitly from the lessons and told them to get some rest. Tomorrow they would be sent out in search of the scattered tribes. He penned a letter to each of their leaders explaining what had happened and what he intended to do to retrieve his children. He asked that if they were in agreement to meet at the old capital in three days time. He would be angering the Fire Nation and it would be better if they were once again in a central location and able to share resources.
The next morning he sent the teams of polar bear dogs to deliver the message. Those who were not learning how to heal went hunting and prepared for the journey inland. They left the next morning and arrived shortly before nightfall. The next morning they began to set up to welcome the other members of their tribe.
The Waterbenders rebuilt the defensive walls and created lookout towers while a group of non-benders set up the tents and shoveled snow to form the interior of the city. Another group worked on stripping the ships they’d captured from the Fire Nation. All of the food, coal, tapestries and bedding were taken into the storehouse to be distributed equally among those who joined them. The catapults from the larger slower ships were mounted strategically around the newly formed the city
Two of the leaders only brought a small group of elders but the others brought all their people and belongings. They too wanted to assist Hakoda in whatever way possible in getting retribution against the Fire Nation. The two who only brought a delegation wanted proof they would be better off in a group instead of hidden.
Hakoda led them to the closest harbor, “We will use their own weapons to take the war to them.”
After seeing the large green whales transform into ships from the Fire Nation they left agreeing to come back with their people.
Hakoda merely shook his head in disgust; his trap was already falling into place. He knew that one of their own people had to have notified the Fire Nation about a new Waterbender. There hadn’t been any raids in decades but less than six months after Katara’s status as a bender was confirmed the Fire Nation came looking for her. The culprit was smart enough not to let the Fire Nation know they had missed their intended target so he had no way of narrowing down the suspect until now. The other leaders had brought their people so it was unlikely they were selling secrets to the Fire Nation. He had sent warriors he could trust ahead of the other two to see where they would be going.
Hakoda watched the horizon for the next few days. One by one his warriors returned and told him what they had seen. Both camps primarily used coal for heating and both leaders had sent messenger hawks with Hakoda’s fake plans to the garrison stationed at Whale Tail Island. They gave Hakoda messages from the hawks they had shot down.
“We will move against them tonight.”

Pakku created a snowstorm to block out the moon and hide the movements of Hakoda’s small group. He had only chosen those from his village who had lost family members in the last Fire Nation raid and would not be squeamish about punishing those who caused it or profited from their loss. After it was done he sent up a round of fireworks to cue his mother to bring the adults and other village leaders to the destroyed villages.
They had already disposed of the bodies, but he wanted them to see the luxury they lived in and the proof they had betrayed their people to obtain it. There were several storehouses of food, coal, blankets, metal tools and implements several barrels of the resins that made Fire Nation ships rust proof. There were also rookeries filled with messenger hawks and chests filled with Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom money as well as the universally accepted copper, silver and gold coins.
“Hakoda, where are the children?” one of the women asked.
Amnak led them the tent that held the sleeping infants and toddlers.
The woman nervously asked, “Where are the others?”
“They would have remembered their parents and how they cooperated with the Fire Nation. If they were allowed to live, in time they too would grow to betray us. It is better that they crossed into the spirit world with them,” Amnak explained quietly.
The woman who had posed the question nodded. She had lost a son during the last raid. She didn’t want to risk the lives of her other children by giving mercy to the child of a traitor.
“The children did not suffer,” Hakoda stated in a manner that let everyone know the adults did. “Are you still willing to stand with me knowing the lengths I am willing to go to?”
People silently began packing the traitors belongings while the other leaders conferred. In less than two minutes they removed the beads and bracelets marking them as the leader of their groups and presented them to Hakoda.
“Skinwalker, when Chief Hakoda’s spirit returns to the realm of men, these will be waiting for him. Until then we will watch over his people.”
Hakoda hugged them in a brotherly manner, “Thank you. Your words and deeds will not be forgotten. Before I retrieve my children, I must make sure there is a safe place to bring them. I have full trust that you will take care of it.”

Taking the newly acquired goods back to the central city was easy with the help of so many people. Everyone was overjoyed to be united with their lost friends and family so there was a reunion celebration that lasted two days.
On the third day they returned to business. The city was organized to accommodate the larger groups of people and escape routes were planned. The Waterbenders strengthened the walls and built them outwards in concentric rings to give those within the inner circle more time to run if they were breached.
That night Hakoda called a war conference.
Sangok was surprised to see that everyone was in attendance, “I thought this was about the battle plans, not a general meeting?”
“It is,” Kanna said sitting next to him. “Down here we all have a part to play in ensuring the battle is successful. That last raid was so devastating because people panicked. We’d been left alone for decades so we foolishly believed the Fire Nation was through with us and was focusing entirely on the Earth Kingdom. When I first came here, we were targeted on a regular basis. We had meetings like this all the time to discuss readiness. We lost all of our Waterbenders, but the losses would have been heavier if everyone did not understand their role in protecting our tribe.”
Sangok listened as Hakoda and his council explained everyone’s duties. The youngest children were to obey their elders as well as practice being quiet and listening. The oldest children were to take the youngest children somewhere safe and keep them quiet as well as to listen in the event of an attack. The teenagers were to set off the traps as they ran toward the shelters. The role of the adults was to fight their way to the children and protect them. The role of the elderly was to protect the escape routes and to do whatever was necessary to take as many Fire Nation soldiers to the spirit world with them.
Sangok cringed, “But that’s…”
Gran-Gran smacked his hand, “That is what it means to be Southern Water Tribe. When you arrived you were amazed that people actually lived here and our children were healthy and smiling. It is because we are family and family sacrifices for each other. We are nearing the end of our time in this world. It would be foolish to extend it at the expense of someone whose life is just beginning.”
Bato began speaking, “Now that we’ve explained the worst case scenario, there are several things we need to do keep them from getting to that point. First off who wants to take Hop-Along’s place as best weaver?”
Several children screamed and jumped up waving their hands. Sangok was expecting woman with a limp to stand up but a tall man with a broken leg stood up.
“Now Uncle Bato, you know I won’t go down that easily” he said waving a crutch in the air. He turned toward them and Sangok saw he wasn’t a quite a man but a boy only a little bit older, “I’m the best. I am so certain that none of you little penguin riders can top the fabulous Taruk at weaving, I’ll even teach you brats my technique and you still won’t be able to beat me.”
The children cried out the accepted his challenge and made bets of how long it would take to best him. Taruk’s continued taunts made them all the more eager to begin their lessons.
Bato did the same thing with all of the essential skills: hunting, sewing, fishing, skinning, tanning, cooking, and carving until all of the children had chosen a trade and apprenticed themselves to a master who was not among the people who’d volunteered to go with Hakoda. Sangok looked at the red mark left by the gnarled fingers and back at the master tradespeople.
Since he’d been in the Southern Water Tribe he’d seen that men and women had specific roles in the tribe but duties weren’t as dependent on gender as in the North. The best weaver was a male and the best hunter was a female. The men had been gone for two years, but the food stores were plentiful. The furs were expertly skinned, tanned and waterproofed. They would last long after their current owners outgrew them. The fishing nets and tangle mines were on par with Chief Arnook’s best tapestries.
Women did most of the cooking and mending but unlike his homeland if they were busy a man wouldn’t interrupt them to restitch his button. He’d do it himself with a lot of good natured grumbling and complaining. People did what they needed to do rather than what they were expected to.
Sangok rubbed his stinging hand slightly, “I understand. No wonder I couldn’t beat her.”
“Chieftess Kanna, I’m going to go ask some of the women to teach me healing. Master Pakku said it would be years before I was ready to fight a sea sponge but Yugoda said it wouldn’t take long for me to master healing.” He chuckled, “Apparently sending healing energy down a body’s chi paths is similar to the aim and control needed to shoot marbles.”
She smacked his hand, lighter and more affectionately this time, “Call me Gran-Gran.”
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Borealis: A Zutara Story