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“I’m going to live there?” Sokka had said incredulously. “What, next thing you’ll tell me is that they expect a dowry too,” he scoffed.
Hakoda had merely looked at him, lips pressed into a thin line. Kya didn’t look all that pleased either, but to her credit she’d kept her calm.
That was last night. Sokka had stormed out of his parents’ tent and gone straight to Katara, only to snap at her as well. To say he was on thin fucking ice with his family was—well, it was a terrible pun but it was true, nonetheless. But not even stupid puns could distract him from the fact that he was being shipped off to the Fire Nation, and there wasn’t anything he could do about it.
Sokka could never hold onto his anger for long, however. Now, he sat cross-legged in his base, his one safe space in the whole South Pole, and he contemplated going back and just apologizing. But to apologize meant admitting he’d been wrong, that there truly was nothing they could do except follow this arrangement. That they had to accept these demands just because one man said they needed to.
Just how fearsome was Fire Lord Ozai that Hakoda, Chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe, merely gave in without a fight?
The blocks of ice behind him gave way to water all of a sudden and Sokka yelped, twisting around to see who’d come. Of course it was Katara—who else would it be?
“I see you’re moping,” Katara said simply, crawling into the igloo. She raised her hands in a motion that made the wall form behind her again.
Sokka glared, but it was half hearted. “Can you not use your magic water to destroy my fort, please?”
Katara ignored the “magic” jibe once more, having had this argument with her brother a great number of times. Instead, she studied the inside of the dome, inspecting the packed snow. Eventually she nodded, satisfied. “I always like your forts. It’s toasty in here.”
“… Yeah,” Sokka sighed, taking the unspoken offer to let bygones be bygones. He’d been looking at her with a pout, but now he just seemed to deflate.
“I’m gonna miss you, you know.”
Sokka glanced up at that sharply, only now noticing the brightness of Katara’s eyes, and her watery smile. He softened. Of course he did; this was Katara, his baby sister, who was just as upset that he was leaving. He was ashamed to have only now realized.
“I’ll miss you too. Promise me you’ll visit one day.”
He held out his pinky, and Katara wrapped her own around it.
“Promise.”
Man, it was hot. No—sweltering even.
Sokka had been to the Fire Nation before, of course; but only on the way to the North Pole, and never during the summer at that. How romantic was that: a summer wedding? Sokka grimaced under his helmet and prayed to the spirits he didn’t look as sweaty as he felt.
His mom had seen him off, having stayed in the South with the other women and children. At first Sokka wondered why so many of their tribe’s warriors had come along on his trip, but now… Sokka eyed the fleet of ships they had to pass before they docked at Capital City. It was a show of power on both sides, and the Fire Nation was winning 1 to 0.
“I can hear you from over all the way over here,” Hakoda called out from the main deck. He had his helmet under his arm as he sauntered up to where Sokka stood above the figurehead.
He tilted his head, puzzled. “Hear me?”
“Thinking,” Hakoda said, giving a hearty laugh. He beckoned his son closer.
Sokka climbed down deftly, heaving a sigh once they were level. “Am I that obvious?”
“I know you’re nervous. Who wouldn’t be?” Hakoda replied levelly. “You don’t know this princess and you don’t love her, either.”
He looked uncomfortable, but after a moment he nodded.
“Love isn’t just an emotion, my son. It can also be a decision. One day, maybe you can learn to love her.”
“Are those your last words of wisdom for me?” Sokka gave a little laugh, but Hakoda looked weary. “What is it?”
“I should have told you this before.” his father sighed. “When Fire Lord Ozai first sent the messenger… he asked for Katara to be wed to his son. I refused.”
“What?”
“Yes. I need you to know—I refused not because I value Katara more. I refused because—you’re both strong, but…” Hakoda seemed to struggle with his words.
“I know.” Sokka nodded understandingly at his father. “I get it. I’d have volunteered anyway, if that were the case.” He waited for Hakoda’s face to clear. “But… I’ve come to terms with it already, so—why tell me this now?”
“You’re wise, Sokka. A good man, and one day you’ll be a better warrior than me. I want what’s best for our tribe,” Hakoda explained, “but most of all, I want what’s best for you. This is to foster good relations between our nations, but I believe you can learn from them as well.”
Sokka was quiet for a moment, before he nodded. “I understand. I’ll make you proud, dad.”
When Hakoda beamed at him, Sokka couldn’t help but smile back.
There was the sound of the great horn, and Sokka knew they had arrived. Heaving a breath, he took his first steps onto the harbor of his new home.