The Spirit Remains (Morton x Zara)

[JMortonTU]

The endless blue sky passed over Sorran as Aangs sky bison floated above the icy water. Aang and Katara sat on Appa's head and excitedly talk about the upcoming training at the Northern Water Tribe. He was grateful that the young Avatar allowed him to join him and his friends on their adventure, because if it was up to Sokka then he would still be with Jeong Jeong and the rebels. The young warrior still looked at him with judgmental eyes, mainly settled on his red tattoo across his left eye, as they both sat in the saddle with their equipment. Sorran's hand rested on the hilt of his sword and Sokkas on his club. Sokka gripped the handle so to make sure that he was prepared to react in case Sorran moved to kill any of them.

"Still don't trust me, Sokka?" He asked. He made sure to remain friendly and open with them so to promote their trust, but Sokka was hard pressed on proving him as some Fire Nation spy.

Sokka was sarcastic saying, "Oh no it's so easy to trust a guy who claims to be a prince of a people that have only been rumors for the past hundred years!" He then sat back in the saddle and grumbled a bit.

Sorran should have expected a reaction like that, but he never had to bring up his past to anyone before so it all seemed moot. He released his hand from his sword and held out the pommel to Sokka. He gave a slight nod as a gesture to take it, but Sokka huffed and turned away. It seemed that it would take more than a mutual love of arms to get him to his side.

Not wanting to talk to Sorran anymore he turned to Katara ad groaned, "There's nothing up here! We'll never find them!"

Suddenly, as if to spite Sokkas words, an ice formation appeared in front of Appa. Aang was able to maneuver them away from it and Appa began to speed up to try and avoid whatever was trying to get them. With the sudden shift of speed and movement, Katara flew back in the saddle and Sorran grabbed her, pulling her back to grip the saddle. All of them held on for dear life as the great beast flew through the air. Appa kept moving until ice surrounded his feet. The momentum they had was able to force them out of the ice formation, but it shifted where they were moving and put Appa into a spin. They descended until they hit water and skidded across until coming to a halt. As they stopped more ice grabbed at all of Appas legs and they were pinned. Sorran quickly got up and drew his sword, separating the blades and prepared for what was coming. They were met by a number of rafts and canoes coming from the ice around them. He did a quick count and sheathed the blades. A younger him would have charged first anyway... but it costed him dearly once and he wan't going to let that happen again. He eased back and prepared for the worst case scenario, but Katara saw something.

She lept up from the saddle and pointed to them exclaiming, "They're water benders! We've found the tribe!!!"

Aang identified who they were and there would-be captures turned to friends and guided them to their home. Appa cruised through the water, happy to be out of the air and allowed to relax.

Sorran was grateful that the benders found them when they did. As they traveled through the ice packs he noticed that the path became increasingly difficult. Only thanks to their guides were they able to make it to the great white wall that was before them. The seal of the Water Tribe adorned it and benders let them through the large wall and into the canals that acted as the city's streets.

As they traveled the canals they all waved and said hello and the citizens cheered and welcomed the Avatar to their city. Sorran looked around and saw the many small rafts pass them and he gave them a small smile and nods. Then, a larger canoe began to pass them, and in the front he saw someone that made the world around him go dark. In the canoe sat a lady fair to look upon. Young she was and yet not so. The braids of her silver hair looked as pure as snow, her tanned skin and clear face were flawless and smooth, and the light of the moons was in her eyes, blue as clear as the oceans around them; yet queenly she looked, and thought and knowledge were in her glance , as of one who has known many things the years bring.

He couldn't keep himself from staring as she passed. Many questions passed through his mind. Who was she? What was this feeling that he was getting from her? Why was her hair silver? What was her name? Her name. He had to know. As the raft passed he slid down Appas tail to gleam a few more moments of her beauty, but he didn't stop there. He lept onto the streets and tailed the raft.

"Where are you going?!" Sokka asked, prepared to hurl his boomerang at him.

Sorran only stopped a moment to turn and say that he would find them later. He then moved back into a crowd of people to follow the raft.

 

[Zara]

It was a day like any other, except it was also her sixteenth birthday; she was of marrying age now. Her day consisted mostly of sitting next to her father when council was in session or in her room. Her schedule allowed outside activities in the form of canoes and taking walks on occasion.

Yue sat in front of a large canoe as the waterbender on duty kept the rhythm even. It was a scene all too familiar to Yue, the familiarity of the routine always a welcome as it was a chance to see her people and get a little taste of fresh air away from the palace. The princess remained still as she sat, hands poised in a fashion she had been taught, her purple coat hiding her hands in the process. Her expression was neutral, content in the sense that she couldn't put on an inexpressive face even if she tried.

Even as a huge bison passed, she took a quick glance and it was that moment when she noticed the crowd gathering as it was not often a crowd gathered to cheer yet she remained still, overruling any curiosities in favor of mannerisms taught to her, set by her role as the princess of the Northern Water Tribe. Traditions ran deep as her culture formed her upbringing, in terms of what was proper and what was not. Judging by the reception of the crowd, she would eventually meet these outsiders in the palace if the waterbenders that kept patrol allowed this group in.

The rhythm of the water still kept even as the waterbender kept the canoe moving. In a sense, the water soothed her just like the moon did.

 

[JMortonTU]

Sorran kept within the crowd, his natural black hair helping him blend with them, but his tattoo always picking him out. He drew up his hood and picked up the pace as the raft moved quicker. He then stopped in his tracks as her eyes met his. Time froze then as his grey clouded eyes crossed her shimmering blue pools. Sorran became stiff as her stare held for a few moments before turning away. His breath caught again and he felt a chill down his spine. Though it wasn't from the cold, well not a cold from the environment, but a small chill and then a warming in his chest. It was quite a lovely feeling, he felt as if the feeling had been described to him before, but it escaped him.

Looking up from his thoughts he found that he was just standing in the middle of the sidewalk and he had lost the raft. His heart quickened as the thought of losing the woman came to the forefront of his mind. He let loose the inhibitions and training that told him to remain hidden, stay inconspicuous, and search from a safe distance. He found a ladder up to the rooftops and he immediately took it. Once up top he frantically looked down to the canals to find his snowy woman and caught a glimpse of her locks turning a corner. He dashed over the rooftops, leaping between the small gaps of the buildings and cutting across the roofs of homes and businesses. Cold air rushed through his lungs and down the gaps in his wrappings and overcoat. The feeling reminded him of winter at home. Snow fell and everything hardened over. When he was a child he would play in the snow with his mother, his father even sometimes joining if he had free time. Those were better days.

He found the trail of his target again and followed from the rooftops. He would have remained atop them, but a large gap forced him down. He took the drop and landed with knees bent and throwing himself forward to save himself from injury. He found himself alone on the walkway as the raft passed him. He put his hood down and gasped to try and get words out, but his nerves kept something from coming out. He closed his mouth and took a breath to gather himself.

"Hello," he said. It was nervous and shaky.

He didn't understand. He had faced down many a soldier before him, striking them down with a calm breath and a quick stroke of his sword or a release of his bow. Now he was acting as if he was a nervous child.

 

[Zara]

Yue couldn't help but turn her head as the lone figure on the walkway gasped. Even the waterbender that worked the raft stopped momentarily, both eyes fixated on the stranger. Yue's neutral face faded as a faint smile graced her features. It took all effort not to giggle, what an impression that would make.

"Hello," Yue responded politely, it was rare to have conversation initiated when she seemed so distant. Yue assumed the male on the walkway was one of the group members riding on the bison due to several reasons. The red tattoo was one of the reasons, the detailing quite different from Water Tribe designs. The other reason being an attempted conversation, the nervous and shaky tone caught her off guard as the few conversations she had with Hahn were filled with bragging. She didn't think of herself as intimidating, instead she found herself feeling awkward at the lack of knowledge at what to say. "You're one of the newcomers, correct?" Her voice took on a more curious tone at the only question she could think up on the spot after the sudden interaction filled with waves of solitude.

For the time being, the raft stopped completely, there was no harm in a brief conversation. Turning away another from a conversation was not the route to be taken.

 

[JMortonTU]

Hearing her voice made Sorran shy away slightly as the soft and melodious voice passed through his ears. The raft stopped so he did not have to give chase. "You'll have to pardon me for my rude intrusion mam, and pardon me a second time if my actions alarm you." He had his bow strung across his back, his dagger behind him and sheathed in his quiver, and his sword kept at his side. He must have looked the part of an assassin rather than a visitor. "I swear that I mean you no harm." He made sure to keep his hands away from his armaments so it would not cause any doubt. The raft pilot was obviously a waterbender and Sorran was not in the right place to challenge a bender.

He had been so worked on and focused on making himself seem like less of a threat that he forgot that she asked him a question. "Oh. Well yes, I did come with the Avatar and his friends. Though I haven't been traveling with them for very long."

 

[Zara]

While Yue was initially startled, it did not last long even with the weapon this newcomer had from what the princess could see. The hello was the last thing a threat would say, she was no expert in these manners but a threat would not be unnerved by her presence. She nodded at the apologies, her faint smile grew a bit wider in amusement before a soft laugh escaped her lips. It was clear as day the warrior carried no ill will against her. "I doubt those who wished me harm would greet me first." It had been a while since she last felt amused, it felt fresher than the air that surrounded them.

She had a feeling the newcomers would be important if defenses went down without an invasion and the Avatar most definitely fit that description, she should have figured that out earlier. Weren't bisons once prevalent among the Air Nomads before history stepped in?

"How exciting it must be to travel the world!" There was a wistful side to her voice as she made polite conversation. Traveling was out of the question, the world was in a troubled state and she was engaged as such had no means of protecting herself. The scandal it would bring was not a laughing matter, it was an issue that needed to be addressed seriously if it came to such a situation in the first place. "Are you exploring the city then?"

 

[JMortonTU]

Sorran smiled bashfully as the young woman pointed out his poor attacking strategy by greeting her and making her aware of his presence. Seeing as this was becoming more relaxed of an environment he took the liberty and sat down on the edge of the walkway, the chill of the ice helped him calm down. Seeing her perk up when she talked about getting to travel the world made him brightly. "It is," He told her, "There are a number of lands to see and still so much left unexplored. I have been to the great wall of Be Sing Sei and even bore witness to The Gates of Azulon." He would tell her of home, but after time in these the memory of the colonists was all but gone here. So why tell her something that will only confuse her?

Her final question had him pondering whether or not to tell her the truth. In an act of trust, he answered, "To be honest mam, I left my group to follow you. You're beauty is quite striking and I felt the need to at least talk to, or even ask for your name."

 

[Zara]

The newcomer's change from the greeting to casual, while it was an unfamiliar sight, it was a welcome one. It indicated comfort and Yue wanted her guests to feel relaxed as much as possible, despite any cultural differences that may arise. Some of the citizens were quite stubborn. Hearing the now sitting male talk to her about traveling aroused her curiosities but Yue asked no further questions. She wanted to ask questions but talking in great length about traveling seemed inappropriate, enough conversations might be taken as the princess prefers to be anywhere but her home, a sign of disrespect for many.

The act of honesty coming from the once nervous male both stunned and flustered her, her head turned away, cheeks flushed, words at a loss. She only turned her head when she gained her composure again. "Yue. My name is Yue." There was no harm in telling names. "What is your name?"

It was at that moment when Yue realized that she and the waterbender were running on a schedule, that it was getting close to the time to head back to the palace. "Would you like a ride to the palace?" It would be rude not to offer one of the Avatar's companions a ride, even if in most occasions it would bring disapproval.

 

[JMortonTU]

Yue. The name reminded him of the calm of the night sky, the moon holding high and . She asked for his in return and he was obligated in the manner of quid pro quo. "My name is Sorran." Sorran eyed the waterbender as they were beginning to make the movements to get the raft moving. He quickly accepted the princesses invitation and hopped into the boat. "Thank you for the ride."

As the raft pilot maneuvered them around the canals, Sorran noticed that most rafts were controlled and occupied by only one person, by pole or even by their own bending ability every now and again. It gave Sorran something to question. "So, what does one have to do to get their own driver around these waters?"

 

[Zara]

Sorran's name had a nice ring to it, it was unique yet not too strange as to render the name too hard to pronounce. "Very nice to meet you." She nodded at the thanks, neutral face soon settling in out of habit as the canoe began moving again. The neutral facial expression was broken as Yue smiled an amused smile before she laughed. "I would imagine it would take coin or an exchange of services." Yue then added in a more serious tone. "I would think an exception could be made for guests such as yourself." It all depended on the waterbender, some were more strict like Pakku who also served as member of the council, others were far more lenient.

Yue was curious as to where Sorran was from, if he traveled to such places as Ba Sing Se and Gates of Azulon without worry of tension in another nation. She looked at the warrior for a a moment trying to assess from looks but her mind came blank with answers. "I'm curious as to where you're from." A moment of hesitance overwhelmed by curiosities that would not fade.

 

[JMortonTU]

He was rather enjoying the ride to palace. A relaxing time down the canals. a beautiful girl at his side, and soon Aang would be trained and moving on towards the Earth Kingdom to begin his earthbending training. Things were finally going right for once. His calm state of mind was disrupted when she asked about home. His face grew puzzled as he tried to piece an answer together. What could possibly be the reaction of when she tells her that his homeland wasn't even mapped anymore. "Home is.... home-" The words came out awkward as he still wasn't sure of what to say. He took a breath to calm down and give a straightforward answer. "Home is complicated, Yue. It would be easier to tell you that I'm from very far away."

 

[Zara]

Sorran's answer both puzzled and intrigued Yue but she did not push for answers. Judging by the awkward start and the breath taken, it did not seem like the type of topic that was pleasant. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." Still, in Yue's mind the thought of living far away was appealing in terms of imagination only. The sense of adventure, adrenaline as the heroes went against their foes. Living a life of a sheltered princess as her activities were quite limited, Yue had an imagination that she tried to keep secret especially as she was no longer a child.

The princess shook away her thoughts back to reality, she had to enter the proper mind frame as the palace drew closer. There was no room for childish daydreams when her duty was set. She settled in content once again as the palace came to view. Her outdoor activities were to be over for the moment until the joint celebration. The raft pilot stopped his rhythm against the water.

"Thank you." Her voice turned gentle, polite directed at the waterbender. The older man smiled and nodded. She turned to face Sorran. "Here it is. I'm sure your companions are inside already." The guides, Yue figured, would guide the Avatar and his friends to the palace right away.

 

[JMortonTU]

His answer seemed to disappoint her. The look in her eyes yearned to hear of his home beyond the archipelago of the Fire Nation, about the vast continent that was just within reach, but further out of their memories. "No, no, it's fine. I should be the one apologizing. You were probably looking to hear about everything I've seen, but I stymie you with coy statements." The moment then drew quiet as they glided along the water and watched the other people of the city view her with a form of reverence and gave her curt nods. The feeling was familiar to him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. He pondered it only little more as the palace came into sight.

They arrived outside and the pilot stopped his movements. Sorran looked up and marveled at the fortress of ice and snow. The palace was layered with walls where guards were posted with spears and shields bearing the seal of the Water Tribe. His hunting senses kicked in and began to look around for quick exits, easy positions to move into to defend and jump on to the offensive. He closed his eyes and calmed himself. He was safe here, there were no enemies to fight and no danger to defend from. Feeling Yue next to him helped calm him faster.

He exited the raft and asked one last question. "Ok Yue, the private raft, the pilot, getting a direct ride to the palace. Who are you, some important business mans daughter, daughter of the captain of the guard, an officers daughter?"

 

[Zara]

Yue exited the raft after Sorran, the pilot moving once again to take the raft to its proper place.

The casual tone spoken by Sorran amused her greatly, a slight smile crossing her features. Her answer offered no hesitation, her blue eyes gleaming with pride. It would be silly to hide her identity when the palace was just around the corner. Silly and inappropriate. "I'm the princess of the Northern Water Tribe." Her pride was not out of vanity, it was a more nationalistic pride. Yet she hoped the revelation would not cause him to become distant, she was starting to enjoy Sorran's company.

"Let's go inside, shall we?" She wondered briefly if council was cancelled due to the abrupt occasion. It would be a nice break to take.

 

[JMortonTU]

Sorran was certainly caught off guard when the word princess left her mouth. His eyed widened as it sunk in. He had treated the princess of a nation like she was some commoner. Who knows the breaches in etiquette that he had committed in their brief time together. Was there supposed to be some formal greeting that he was supposed to give, a bow, a salute, some sort of hand shake?! Granted he was not adjusted to such customs from his own home, his uncle disrupting any sort of royal treatment when he usurped his father. He was now worried that he had now created animosity between himself and the princess and she was only acting this way because of his relation with Aang and keeping up appearances around the people. She asked to move inside and he nodded, moving with her to the inside of the palace.

Feeling the need to say something, Sorran stood up straight while they were walking, the way his father taught him as a boy. "Your highness, you'll have to forgive me if I may have offended you in anyway with my prior actions. I'm unaware of any customs or protocol when approaching you or speaking with you. So I apologize for any breaches in etiquette that may have occurred."

 

[Zara]

She was used to formal titles, yet hearing it from Sorran's mouth sounded strange. She preferred her own name being used for a reason Yue couldn't quite place. The sudden formality caused the slight smile to fade. She stopped walking to address the issue that wasn't an issue at all.

"You didn't offend me at all, Sorran. Truly. I enjoy your company." It was a refreshing change to be treated like a normal person, amusing and strange all at once but it was the good sort of strange as she was smiling previously rather than thinking hostile thoughts. "There is no need to concern yourself about customs or protocol, you meant no ill will and that is enough for me." Personally, Yue didn't care much for protocol and proper etiquette seeing both as a habit and a duty instilled early in the mind. In fact, those protocols kept her nearly isolated no matter the gender. "I think most people will understand, though there are exceptions to the rule. There is nothing to apologize for, you did nothing wrong." Now if Sorran paraded around disrespecting her people or worse - harming her people, she would have issues against the male despite the company he kept or how his presence previously amused her.

 

[JMortonTU]

Sorran was glad that nothing he had done had stepped on anything regarding rules. He sighed a sigh of relief, "Oh, good. For a moment there I thought that I had laid down the framework of a crisis." Still there was that small nugget of paranoia within the recesses of his mind that thought that she was only saying that to make him feel safe before she dropped the proverbial hammer on him when in front of her father. Thinking upon that further he couldn't help but chuckle. Even though he had only known Yue for a very short time, it seemed that those types of games were not in her nature.

"So I'm surprised that even the Water Tribe had a king. From what I have seen your people are much more tribal based than monarchical." He wasn't sure if it was the right time to say that he himself was a prince. It may even come out sounding like a dirty lie just to gain more of her affection. So he withheld that detail until a more appropriate time.

 

[Zara]

"You would be right. Father is the Chief, not a king. The Chief's influence grew when the Fire Nation last attacked us 85 years ago. It's a lot more organized than it used to be because of that." She wasn't sure what Sorran meant by even the Water Tribe though. Did her people have an uncivilized reputation in comparison to other nations? Yue's eyebrows furrowed in thought, she didn't understand how that might be the case. The Northern Water Tribe never attacked first unless it was in self-defense.

Should she question what he meant? Should she just stay quiet? "Even the Water Tribe?" After a moment of hesitation, Yue voiced out her confusion softly. "...Is there something wrong with the Water Tribe?"

 

[JMortonTU]

So he's only a king under a technicality. Still, one man given the power over others. He shouldn't have been surprised since he was a prince himself and his uncle the current king. He looked and saw that Yue was greatly confused by his statement and she might have even been offended. He quickly reeled back, "No! Nothing is wrong with it." He ran his hands through his hair as he had just been doing everything wrong at this point. There were sometimes where he just needed to keep his mouth shut. "I'm just surprised to see the similarities between all of the three nations. The Earth Kingdom has a king, The Fire Nation has their emperor, and now the Water Tribe has their chief. There is at least one thing that carries through all three of the cultures here."

 

[Zara]

The explanation subdued her confusion and she nodded in agreement. Yue took it as a misunderstanding, glad to have asked for further explanation than to take offense right away.

She also let the subject drop in favor of getting inside the palace, further steps being taken until her arrival opened the door to her home. She figured her father would be in the council room, it was the equivalent of a throne room except the room held no throne. The council room was where she was supposed to head in anyway as her only other frequent destination was her room. The courtyard and dining room were both outside with the dining room being left to the devices of the servants to prepare for the night.

"Your friends must be in the council room with Father. Please follow me." She began to lead the way towards her next destination. With each step taken further, she could hear the familiar voice of her father, along with a young voice - a voice that sounded younger than her own. Upon entrance, she stood still until her father beckoned her closer.

"I apologize for the interruption, Father, but I thought I should return back the Avatar's friend."

"Thank you, Yue."

Discussion continued until the topic of a waterbending mentor came up. Her father then reassured the young Avatar about a possible waterbending mentor. Pakku, Yue had no doubt it was Pakku. Extra caution should be used with Pakku as he was extremely strict on all manners from tradition to his students. She was pleased to discover that two of the Avatar's friends were from the Water Tribe which only increased her belief that Sorran had misused his words. Soon enough, the dialogue between the two came to an end.

"Yue, please show our guests all the possible rooms to pick out from. The servants are all busy preparing for tonight."

"I understand, Father. Please follow me." She held down any curiosities about the group in favor of the request presented to her. Maybe with most of her people too busy preparing, she could allow herself to be more casual? Only if her guests were casual first.

 

[JMortonTU]

Seeing that his answer was satisfactory they returned to a comfortable silence as they walked through the halls of the palace. He remained slightly behind Yue so he could watch where she was moving and follow her. The constant white of the ice forced his eyes to focus and adjust to pick out the subtle details in it. The different intensities of light allowed into the corridors made it difficult to do so.

Yue led them to what looked like a great hall, out in the open and surrounded by flowing waterfalls. At the back there sat a long table, no great throne or decorative chair for the chief to sit on. In fact there were really no chairs, just the table and a pack of ice beneath it. They must sit on the ground. Yue kept them to the back walls while he saw Aang, Katara, and Sokka talk with who must have been the chief. His blue parka was adorned with more shells and other local jewelry that made it look more ornamental than functional. From their conversation the chief looked up and waved them closer.

As they went closer he could hear their conversation, the chief reassuring Aang that he would learn from the local master, Pakku. He even told him that he would see this masters ability tonight at the banquet. This was the first he was hearing of a banquet, but that meant a large amount of food and drink to have. Sorran was thankful as the small rations that they were sustaining on while traveling were begging to grow old for him. He remained silent as the chief finished with Aang and instructed Yue to guide them to their rooms. When he left Sokka went into interrogation mode. "So, where in the world did you run off to, huh? Throw up a signal flare for the Fire Nation?" Katara gave Sokka a solid thump on his shoulder, "Come on Sokka. He hasn't given us any reason to suspect him. If Jeong Jeong trusted him then I'm sure he's not here to spring some sort of trap." Sokka begrudgingly mumbled, "Fine."

They all began to follow Yue, but Sorran turned back. "Ah, my bag!" He moved back to go to Appa and get it, the bison was in sight and he could easily run and get it. Aang stopped him, "I got it." With a few quick movements his bag was soon flying towards him and he caught it. Then came his spear. He grabbed it by the shaft and placed it down. "Thanks Aang." He smiled in return and they went back to following Yue to their rooms.

 

[Zara]

That was fast. As soon as the line of sight went away from the main hall, it was a scene to behold. Is this what a casual interaction entailed in? Did her people act like this when etiquette wasn't needed? Why did no one teach her this along with etiquette? She crossed any more thoughts from forming, as if to discourage her from even trying. Yue was also curious as to who this Jeong Jeong was and what he did to the Fire Nation. Was it an exciting experience? Did the Fire Nation come after him? Did Jeong Jeong evade the Fire Nation only for the Fire Nation to play evade and capture? At that moment, she realized how boring her life was when the most exciting detail of her life was going outside and being inside her room with curious thoughts that never seemed to end. Still, despite the thoughts roaming in her head she did her best to ignore it and continue onwards.

She turned briefly to face the group, Sorran catching her attention. Blue eyes lighting up at the display of airbending before turning away, it was not proper to stare and she had a duty to perform.

"Is the Southern Water Tribe well?" Since the North isolated itself from the world after the attack those 85 years ago, she honestly had no clue if the South got attacked as well. The sudden mention of the Fire Nation had her thinking along with the spear. It was probably a strange time to ask and a strange question at that, but the way Sokka spoke about the Fire Nation Yue had to know. Perhaps she could drop in a suggestion to her father or Pakku if the times really were troubled.

 

[JMortonTU]

Sorran slung the bag across his shoulder and kept his spear in hand as he walked alongside Yue. He noticed the look on her face, contemplative as if she was taking apart the conversation that the group had with each other. He was about to ask if something was wrong, but she dashed the chance of that when she asked about the state of the Southern Water Tribe. He only knew that it was the home of Katara and Sokka, but other than that, he knew nothing. He turned to deffer to the others for this one.

Katara, deciding that she would answer it. "It's doing well, princess. Though food is beginning to run a little scarce and while the Fire Nation has steered clear of it, there was one time where a ship came. That was when we found Aang."

 

[Zara]

Yue turned to face the Water Tribe girl specifically when it was made clear she was the one to answer. Her eyes widened at the part when a ship did come. "That's horrible, but at least you were found by the right people." That statement was headed towards Aang, who look flustered at the reminder for a split moment. Perhaps the Avatar had feelings for the girl in the group, how cute!

"I'll try and see if I can help somehow for our sister tribe." Listening to old men bickering in the council room when it was in session wasn't really helpful, if she could help others - albeit indirectly - before she had to spend the rest of her life with...

The part of the palace where the living quarters were located came in sight just in time. "Please feel free to take whichever room pleases you the most." Yue motioned to the four unoccupied rooms closer to the back where her father's room and her own room was located. She pointed to the room next to her own. "This room is designed for a female in particular though. Would you like to take it, miss?" The other three rooms were across her room, also next to her father, across to the room Yue offered to the Water Tribe girl and next to the offered room. The rest of the rooms were occupied by servants and warriors when on duty.

Katara agreed, leaving the remaining three rooms up for grab. The remaining rooms were the typical warrior rooms, a bunch of weapons used as decoration with the bare necessities for furniture.

 

[JMortonTU]

Yue's compassion brought a soft smile to Sorran's face. If the Norther Water Tribe behaved, politically, as the other nations have then her powers, while above the standard citizens and smaller positioned officials, the final say came down to the men. Her opinions were taken into account, but really she was the soft and kind face of the "throne" in the chieftain structure, the heart. Meanwhile the power of the couple was held by the man. Hopefully Yue's concern would be taken more seriously rather than a kind gesture that will bring comfort to the other officials.

His contemplation was interrupted by the arrival to their rooms. He politely waited for Yue to finish before taking the first room in the block for the men, allowing Katara to take the girls room. He stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him. Looking around he found the room to be oddly comforting, the weapons strewn about had him feeling like he was home in his own room. The ones in his room from home were merely replicas, supposedly designed from the account's of the weapons from the heroes of their tall tales. He ran his fingers of the edges of the boomerangs and spears as he inspected them. Dull, as suspected, but he admired the craftsmanship. The small details with the molars on the base of a large knife, the lightweight bone of the pikes and spears, it was impressive.

Finally he set down his bag and spear. Feeling safe he began to disarm himself: taking the bow off of his back and the quiver along with it, unbuckling the belts that held his sheathed sword, finally he reached inside his long coat and unclasped the small pouches that held his throwing knives. He set each item down with care and made sure that each was not damaged. He set them aside on a dresser and sat down on the soft bed. Feeling the need to remind him of home, now with his goal realized again, he reached for his bag and placed it next to him. He opened it and pulled out a small pouch. He reached to open the clasp on it, but his hand shook in hesitation. With conviction, he unclasped it and reached inside, pulling out small, token, items from within. They seemed like nothing, a small medallion, a bracelet, a piece of cloth, a pin, and a locket. Small nothings to an outsider, but these were the last memories he had of his team... his friends. It is custom from Sorran's home that each warrior had their own item that worked as a marker. If a soldiers mark was unidentifiable in battle these items, each bearing their family's mark, would be used to identify them. Some made them to be arbitrary things, but many had special items to be their marker. His friends had such. The sight of them brought back painful memories, but he felt some of the hurt fade as he knew that their deaths would be for not. Even with all the items out, one remained.

Nestled in the bottom of the pouch sat a small stone arrowhead. He took it out and placed it in the palm of his hand, the warmth from his hand heating up the stone. On one side was the mark of his family, the one tattooed over his eye, the other had markings on it. The markings were typical of what the object was, a Hozen. A Hozen and the markings on it were a symbol of reconnection. Sorran made this his marker since he kept it in hopes of reconnecting with his homeland and its people. He clenched it in his fist and closed his eyes, visualizing home.