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It was hot.
It was so unbearably hot that he wanted nothing more than to slam the doors of this tiny room open, to breathe the fresh air that was more ashy than he liked. Anything was better than in here.
In this tiny dry room where every time you swallowed became a fight for your life. This tiny room that usually was a joy in his life was now turning into a living volcano, the peak of his suffering. Okay, maybe he was being dramatic, but that was honestly a part of his personality.
Slowly he raised a hand to bend just a tiny bit of water from the nearby plants, any drop that he could muster even if it meant the death of them. His fingers locked together, pointing towards the dry fire lilies that seemed to laugh at his misery, being used to these type of temperatures and environment.
He was so close to get a tiny drop from their leaves, his salvation before drying up completely, every breath prickled in his throat, every time he swallowed it was never enough to fight this damn dryness.
Mother Wolf please just let me have this!
A sharp slap against his hand made him flinch. The broad man, more like a strong warrior and leader, flinched like a puppy beaten, eyes darting to the woman who had intercepted his rescue. Her cold eyes looked at him unimpressed, his whining had become tiresome.
"Stop that."
A sharp command, the voice that usually brought a smile to his face was making him suffer. He was sure of it. This was punishment for something he had done. Had he been too loud at another assembly? Had he looked at a noble in the wrong way? Had he somehow dishonoured her? He shuddered at the thought.
"Hei-Ran...you are exaggerating. This is becoming unbearable."
"If you have to complain so much about it, then leave the room. It won't take long. For Agni's sake, Kuruk, even Esyra isn't complaining!"
Indeed, his wife was right. Their tiny daughter curled up in bundles of blue was laying peacefully in his arms. Or as peacefully as a toddler who was desperately trying to pluck out the hair on your head. Every time Kuruk leaned down her iron grip would snatch onto his water tribe braids, pulling them as if testing their resilience. It was either that or she really was a little menace, planning his bald spots.
"Esyra, my little raindrop, this isn't a toy ouch, this is your papa's hair. And I would like to keep it that way if you allow it."
Apparently that didn't sit well with her. She pulled on it again, with more strength, wherever she got that from, and giggled as his head dropped down before his hair wished him farewell.
On the other side of the low table Hei-Ran set down the important materials. Bark, cotton, and some special oils. Extra flammable. Kuruk watched her skeptically. They often had slight misunderstandings about their cultures, but this he had never seen before.
A test for new-borns to see if they are firebenders.
At first Kuruk was surprised to hear of this being common practice. In his tribe you either bent water when beginning to train or not. But here, Hei-Ran had explained it was for safety.
Nobody wants the neighborhood to burn down by accident.
Fair, he thought. A little rogue firebender or two could be a problem if left unsupervised. Especially with Kuruk's influence. Esyra was picking up all his bad habits, as Hei-Ran liked to call them.
Kuruk found them endearing.
"Relax, Kuruk. I have even prepared the room to make it extra easy for her."
Because Kuruk kept complaining for hours.
What if she burns herself? What if she tries too hard? What if we startle her?
What if? What if? What if?
In the end he managed to test Hei-Ran's holy patience. She shut him up with a pillow from Esyra's room.
History will never believe that the headmistress ever threw a pillow at her husband. The Avatar even! The scandal!
"I think you are the one overreacting, my love.", Kuruk responded while gently rocking Esyra on his lap, earning a little giggle from her.
"Just look at her! The image of a waterbender! My little raindrop is far too cheerful to be a firebender. And she is so young! Only ten months old. She doesn't need to be tested yet."
It did nothing to convince his stubborn Fire Nation wife. The spirits would one day swear that Hei-Ran was rolling her eyes. She also would deny it to her grave.
"That is ridiculous. You cannot control fire this early. If she sets the house on fire by accident it will look like we have been slacking off as parents."
The official response. Tradition. Appearance. Discipline.
Kuruk was biting his cheek not to groan. He loved his wife, but when she started talking about Fire Nation rules, or worse honour, he wanted to run off to the deepest part of the tundra and hide in the snow until his ears froze off.
"Just set her down. She just has to breathe. You can let her breathe once on the cotton, can you not?"
Kuruk's glare could have frozen the cotton in question if he had any water, or if he ever stood a chance against Hei-Ran. Against his will and with all disdain he could muster, he adjusted Esyra's position, helping her sit up as Hei-Ran held the cotton in front of her nose.
The toddler laughed in his arms, thinking they were playing. Even better, Mama was joining their playing! But after a second or two of waiting, her icy eyes wandered to more interesting corners of the room, the ceiling, the dried plant, the pillow that was certainly not a piece of evidence for a crime committed before.
"Focus Esyra. Just breathe on this piece of cotton. Can you do that for me?"
It still baffled Kuruk how Hei-Ran's voice could shift from strict headmistress to loving mother. He couldn't help but feel his face soften, seeing her in new light. Somehow this woman was melting his heart over and over, despite them being together for years.
"Ahh....ahhh baba!"
Esyra turned to her mother with a bright smile, her nose still scrunching whenever Hei-Ran held the cotton too close, like she physically didn't want to breathe on it.
"Please. Little flame. Breathe on this and perhaps dinner will feature glazed honey cakes."
The bribery of food did its magic. She mustered up as much concentration as she could - which was none - and held Hei-Ran's gaze, until that annoying cotton was in front of her again.
"BAH!"
Her tiny hand swatted the cotton away. Offended she turned against Kuruk's chest, burying herself into the blankets. Hei-Ran stared at her frozen. For a moment she couldn't believe it. All she needed was a tiny bit of fire. Just one breath.
"Esyra. Please. Just try to breathe on it. Your inner fire will do the rest."
Their daughter made a sound too close to a hmpf! and continued to hide her face in Kuruk's tunic. Kuruk for his part went from surprised to a careful I told you so.
"My love, I think she doesn't want to-"
"Of course she wants to. Every firebender wants to. Every firebender wants to let their inner flame go for once. Maybe it's not dry enough..."
Kuruk's hand stopped her before she could turn the room into a living furnace.
"My darling wife. Love of my life. Light of my day. I do not think the air in this room is the problem. Have you considered perhaps...that she is not a firebender?"
He phrased his suspicion as gently as possible. It did nothing to the offended look Hei-Ran shot him. As if the slightest possibility of Esyra not being a firebender was absurd.
"Excuse me?"
That tone was dangerous but Kuruk swallowed the lump in his throat.
"All I'm saying is...she really didn't want to light it on fire. Didn't you say this test is...easy? Every new-born can do it?"
"Of course it is easy! Which is why she should be able to do it! She probably just..."
Hei-Ran struggled for words. She set the cotton down on the table, tapping her elbow impatiently, like she often did when bothered.
"Not a firebender...that's ridiculous. You are influencing her with your attitude. She felt your unease for the test and refuses to participate!"
Arguing with a Fire nation woman was never a wise choice. It was never a wise choice with any woman in general.
Kuruk dug his grave deeper anyway.
"Perhaps we try again later...? Or maybe... have you considered her being a waterbender?"
Hei-Ran's eye twitched once. A tell that he was pushing it. Though of course she wouldn't outright dismiss it. After all there was nothing bad about her being a waterbender. There was a 50/50 chance for her to be a water- or firebender. But...
Taking a deep breath Hei-Ran stood up and finally opened the doors to the garden. Kuruk inhaled the fresh air like a man starved.
"Fine. We try again later. She is probably just...tired."
A weak excuse but nonetheless an excuse.
Careful not to drop Esyra, Kuruk stood up walking to the engawa letting the breeze, if volcanic, clear him from the desert he had just survived. Their tiny bundle of joy wiggled in his arms trying to catch the cherry blossom petals falling from a nearby tree. One landed on her nose, making her sneeze it off, only for it to land back on her forehead instead.
For people who didn't know him, Kuruk was a feared and respected Avatar. Even if you heard of him being carefree, as soon as you saw him, you thought twice before disagreeing with a man that could bend oceans. He looked every bit a bloody warrior.
Except with his family or friends. The wolf turned into a soft polar bear cub.
"Way better out here, hmm? Your mother really wanted you to firebend. But she loves you either way. whispers She can be slightly competitive."
He thought he was subtle. Especially the way Esyra giggled as he tickled her stomach made him sure they were alone. The shudder on his back followed a second after, as he felt the dragon mother standing behind him. He grinned sheepishly as Hei-Ran walked forward to stand next to him, giving him the most deadpan look.
"Competitive. You are mistaking me for your fellow hunters. I am practical. There was nothing wrong with doing the test. In fact most families in the Fire Nation perform it even earlier! We waited too long. All because you were scared."
Her words seemed harsh, but her actions disagreed. She held out a cup of water for him. Her own way of showing affection.
"Call it a father's intuition, my love."
Accepting the water he turned to Esyra.
"You too must be dried out, my little raindrop."
He took a sip of water, emptying half the cup in one go before sitting cross legged on the engawa. Hei-Ran stood with crossed arms for a second longer before indulging him and sat beside him.
This time Kuruk could freely bend water without Hei-Ran scolding him for it. Tiny fishes began to form over the cup, the water rising and floating around Esyra's head. The joy in her eyes was infectious, especially when she tried to grab the fish, only for it to fly out of her range over and over. Her favorite game to play. Even Hei-Ran's gaze softened seeing Esyra so happy.
For a moment the test was forgotten. The expectations of bending pushed back to another day.
Until Esyra lifted her hand, mimicking Kuruk's bending moves.
The fish in front of his face exploded harmlessly into tiny droplets, giving all three of them a light shower of rain.
The birds seemed to stop chirping. Hei-Ran for a second didn't breathe, but the discipline in her managed to keep her jaw from dropping. Kuruk meanwhile took a minute to gather himself, blinking away the water from his eyes.
Then his smile slowly turned smug.
The playful slap against the back of his head from Hei-Ran was absolutely worth it when he lifted Esyra into the air.
"Hah! My little waterbender! I knew it! You take after your papa."
If Hei-Ran was capable of it, one could have mistaken her face as a pout. But it was gone just as fast before she plucked Esyra from Kuruk's arms like a protective mother hen.
"That. Was unnecessary. Clearly we have to work on your control."
Esyra's response was another bright giggle. Chaos was ensured. Hei-Ran sighed. She felt she had lost the battle before it even began. But she wasn't one to give up easily.
"If you inherit your father's theatrics, at least perform them gracefully."
It was another sign from the spirits when Esyra actually nodded at Hei-Ran's wish, both mocking her and listening to her.
Kuruk meanwhile was already drafting letters to Kelsang and Jianzhu.
"Waterbender! A waterbender! My little girl is a waterbender!"
Hei-Ran stared at her husband with a fond but skeptical expression. Esyra having the habit of copying her, did just that until it was too tiring. Deciding to get her attention instead she tugged on Hei-Ran's robe babbling nonsense until...
"Ah- ah ma-Mama!"
Kuruk's ink brush dropped mid sentence. Even Hei-Ran gasped, for one moment unguarded.
Her husband might have won the bending battle.
But Hei-Ran had won the battle of the first word.
She lifted their daughter higher, praising her for the accomplishment.
Smugness was written all across her face, even if she later on denied it.