Shattering Ice - Chapter 8B
Shattering Ice
Chapter Eight
By DamageCtrl
*All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it.
His voice had been solemn. He sounded sincere. Worse yet, he sounded as if he were desperate to let her know he meant what he said. To Kana, that was the most confusing and frightening part of it all. If he meant it, it meant marriage with Pakku. She couldn’t see that. In her analyzing daze, she barely noticed they were approaching the street she lived on.
Beside her, the tall fisherman glanced down. Kana’s face was twisted with concentration, and he was certain that if he didn’t take her hand and physically lead her back home, she would’ve gotten herself lost elsewhere in the sprawling city. A small part of he smiled, remembering years ago when he used to hold her, Anyu, and even Yugoda’s hands as they walked around.
He could never believe how those three ended up in different areas of the neighborhood; lost and in tears because their game of hide and seek went awry and someone couldn’t be found. The tomboyish girl he knew wasn’t like the quiet, brooding young woman he was walking beside.
“You’re not like yourself tonight,” Kahasi began as he looked straight ahead. “Was your argument with your friend worse than usual?”
I don’t even know anymore… “No,” Kana shook her head and tried to lose the contemplative look on her face. “It’s nothing.”
“Nothing doesn’t silence you. Anyu and Yugoda can attest to that,” he told her. He stopped and inadvertently stopped Kana as well. The young woman looked back at him. “If something is bothering you, you can tell me, you know. You used to complain to me all the time about Anyu.” He added with a warm smile. Kana chuckled slightly. Complain was an understatement; it was more like tell on Anyu.
“This has nothing to do with him,” Kana assured him. “I’m fine, Kahasi. I swear.”
He gave her a suspicious look and nodded. He began to walk forward, bringing her forward with him. “I’m going to head out for some over night fishing trips in a few days. Keep an eye on my idiot brother for me?”
“Of course,” Kana nodded. “Someone has to.”
Kahasi nodded. “Also… I’d like to talk to you before I leave. Do you mind?”
“No, of course not,” Kana assured him. “It was my fault we didn’t get to talk. I’m sorry.”
“I told you not to apologize,” Kahasi sighed good-naturedly. They stopped and he released her hand. Kana looked around and realized they were standing in front of her building. “Remember; you can talk to me about anything. I am older and much wiser than you three, after all.” He gave her one more smile and Kana smiled back widely.
“Thank you, Kahasi, I’ll keep that in mind,” He opened the door for her and followed her up to her door. “Did you want something to drink? The water should still be warm from my mom’s evening tea.”
“No, its fine,” Kahasi assured her. She opened the door and stepped in. From the table, her parents immediately stood up. “Good evening.”
“Kana! Kahasi, how was your evening? Did you have a nice talk?” Her father asked expectantly.
His daughter didn’t seem to catch his words and yawned. “No… something came up…”
“She got into an argument with her friend Pakku,” Kahasi reported. Kana wrinkled her nose at him and he chuckled. “Sorry.”
“I’m going to sleep,” Kana told her parents. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Goodnight, Kana.” Kahasi gave her a nod of her head as she disappeared into the hall. Her door closed and her parents immediately turned to look at the young man; concern written all over their faces.
“Kahasi, we are sorry,” Suka said as he gave a bow of his head. “We didn’t know that Pakku would approach Kana like that.”
The young man stood in his spot, his eyes still fixated on the darkened hall where Kana had disappeared to. “Has anyone come to speak to you about Kana?” he asked quietly. They might not have noticed him on that wall as Kana vented her frustrations to the wealthy waterbender, but he had seen it transpire. He had heard what had been said.
In front of him, the husband and wife looked at each other. Suka let out a heavy breath and Akna nodded. “Pakku’s father came just a few moments ago…” the woman admitted. She looked up and studied the man she had promised her daughter to. “We… declined his offer.”
Kahasi closed his eyes for a moment, feeling relief, but at the same time, feeling a new weight rest on his shoulders. He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to look at his would be parent-in-laws. “Kana doesn’t know, does she?”
“We barely found out,” Suka told him tiredly. “Kahasi, we declined the other offer for a reason. We just don’t think his son would fit for our daughter.”
“And we have already promised her to you,” Akna added in quiet voice. “You need not worry about that.”
The young man nodded. He had known the couple his entire life and respected them greatly. They were not ones to break a promise. He stood up straight and gave them a bow of his head. “Thank you,” He told them as the stood back up. “But… this is Kana’s future…”
Two sets of eyes locked on him immediately. “Kahasi…” Akna began quietly. “What are you saying?”
He mulled over his words for a moment and looked away. “Kana doesn’t know about her engagement to me, however, Pakku has made his intentions known.”
“He what?” Suka snapped as he frowned. “What did he say?”
“On the wall,” Kahasi explained. “I saw Pakku reach forward and…” he hesitated. Kana’s parents looked at him expectantly. “He kissed Kana.”
Instantly, Suka was on his feet and heading towards the door. “Suka!” Akna gasped as she ran after him. She grabbed her husband’s arm. “What are you doing!?”
“That boy had no right to touch Kana like that! They are unwed and he has not even come to speak to us and ask for permission, Akna! I’m going to speak to him and his father immediately-”
“Sir,” Kahasi stood in front of the doorway, keeping Suka from walking out. “He asked Kana to marry him.”
The fisherman and his wife froze in their spots. Their eyes were wide as Akna’s hands slipped from her husband’s sleeves. Suka’s mouth hung open before slowly closing. He narrowed his eyes critically. One thing came to the father’s mind. “And what did my daughter say?”
Kahasi’s eyes saddened. “She believed that he was joking, however, from what I saw and heard… Pakku is very much serious.”
“Kahasi,” Akna pulled her husband away and stood between him and her daughter’s suitor. “Does this change anything? Do you not want Kana to be your wife? You asked us years ago.”
“I did and I do,” the young man nodded. “I care for her greatly; as I do my own family. I only want what would be best for her and…” He trailed off.
Suka’s face fell. “Are you… retracting… the marriage offer?”
Kahasi swallowed hard. “No… no…at least not now…” he took a deep breath. “But I need to think.”
“Class adjourned!” Master Sae Kung swept his arms forward and returned all the spare water back into the pools on either side of the plaza. In front of him, his handful of students began to disperse.
Anyu reached into his pockets as he headed for the stairs. He didn’t make it three steps before the sound of Pakku’s voice reached his ears. “Anyu!” The waterbender let out a tired sigh.
“What is it, Pakku?” he asked, not bothering to turn around. The other bender jogged to his side and fell into step with him.
“Your brother,” Pakku began without hesitation. “Kaha… something.”
“Kahasi,” Anyu corrected him. “What about him?”
Pakku looked over his shoulder warily as they walked down the long stretch of stairs. “Does he know Kana?”
Anyu rolled his eyes. “Of course he knows Kana. He’s known her for years. He knows Yugoda and the others, too.”
Pakku bit his lower lip; trying to figure out the best way to ask without looking completely obvious. He looked back at his friend. “I mean… how well does he… know Kana?”
The other young man raised an eyebrow and gave Pakku a questioning look. Surely, Pakku didn’t know about his brother’s engagement to Kana. Kana didn’t even know about the engagement! Carefully, Anyu answered his fellow bender. “Why are you asking?”
Immediately, Pakku jerked his head back. His eyes darted around nervously as walked beside Anyu. “I’m… well… I ran into him the other night. I didn’t know you had a brother!” Pakku added quickly. “I mean… I thought that, as friends… you would’ve at least mentioned it.”
Anyu narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “Pakku, why are you following me?”
“Following…?” The master waterbender’s son looked around. Had he been walking to his side of the city, he wouldn’t have come this far. “Oh… I thought I’d come with you. Hang out… maybe.”
The other young man let out a heavy sigh. “Fine… come on…” Anyu waved his hand and continued walking. “You’ve been acting really odd lately, Pakku,” he began offhandedly as he looked straight ahead. “Even Kana’s mentioned it.”
“She has?” Did his voice just break? Pakku felt his cheeks heat up with embarrassment as he scowled at the ground. “When did she say this?”
“During the festival,” Anyu shrugged. “She’s been really busy since then,” Pakku gave him a questioning look. “At the fish market. Her father is getting ready for another fishing trip, so they’ve been preparing. I’ve barely seen her.”
“Oh…” Disappointment wavered in Pakku’s stomach. He had hoped to at least catch sight of her while he was in the neighborhood. “So… what are you going to do today? Going to your cousin Miki’s? Shopping at the market?” he asked, somewhat hopefully.
Anyu shook his head as they crossed over a bridge. “I’m not a fisherman, but I need to help with the mending of the nets,” Anyu explained. Pakku’s face dropped and his friend smirked. “Still want to come?”
Pakku snorted indignantly and lifted his chin up. “If you can mend a few nets, I don’t see how hard it could possibly be.”
“Right…” Anyu chuckled. “Just don’t get in the way.” He stopped in front of the first floor of one of the buildings and knocked on the frame. Pakku looked up and studied the façade of the house with a frown.
“This isn’t your house.”
“Obviously,” Anyu sighed. A voice called out from behind the door. “It’s my brother’s.” Before Pakku would say a word, the door opened and the fur hanging over it was pushed aside. The councilman’s son’s eyes widened as the fisherman from the night on the wall appeared in the doorway.
“Anyu! Good, you came just in time,” Kahasi smiled warmly at his younger brother. He glanced over Anyu’s shoulder and offered Pakku a welcoming smile. “Pakku, welcome to my home. It’s a bit of a mess right now… I apologize. I was in the middle of mending the nets.”
“Oh… uh…” Pakku stammered. Anyu slipped passed his brother, leaving the unsure young waterbender behind him. Pakku stood rooted in his spot, unsure if he should enter or leave.
“Pakku, come on!” Anyu yelled from within the small flat. “You’re letting the heat out!”
“Right! Sorry!” Aimlessly, Pakku stumbled in, Kahasi closing the door behind him. The room was lit with oil lanterns as netting was spread across the mats and furs. New coils of thread were waiting to be woven into the nets as the distinct smell of the ocean and fish hung in the air.
“Have a seat, Pakku,” Kahasi said, motioning his hands to the free space on the floor that didn’t have netting over it. “Would you like something to drink? Anyu?”
“No, I’m fine, brother.”
“I’m fine, too. Thank you.” Pakku said. He watched as Anyu sat across from him and ran his hands over the netting to find a place to start. Kahasi sat down next to his brother and repeated the motions. As soon as a hole was found, he reached over and began pulling a new strand through the net.
“So, Pakku,” Kahasi asked coolly, without looking up as the thread wove expertly through experienced fingers. “What brings you to my home? Would you like to try your hand at net repair?”
Sheepishly, the younger man shook his head. He was lost just following the movements of their hands. “I admit I’ve never done it before. I might be more of a hindrance than help.”
“Wow… that’s a first,” Anyu smirked as he mirrored his brother’s movements. “Pakku admits he’s not perfect. If only Kana were here to hear that.”
Pakku shot him a glare as Kahasi chuckled. “Well, if you’re lucky, you can catch her before she gets off at the fish shop in a few minutes.”
“Minutes?” Anyu lifted his head up; his hands still weaving through the net with practiced mastery. “It’s not anywhere near sundown.”
“She has to leave early. Suka will be leaving soon and she has to help her mother cook food for the trip.” Kahasi explained. Across from him, Pakku shifted awkwardly in his seat. Part of him wanted to go and see if he could catch Kana before she left. Or at least intercept her on her way home.
However, he didn’t want to make it too obvious. After all, Anyu’s brother had been on the wall that night. He could’ve heard Pakku’s desperate proposal. Or worse; was his rival in the matter. His fingers nervously tugged at his clothes, suddenly feeling the urge to rush out of the meager home.
He glanced out the window and then back at the brothers quickly. It would get dark soon and he’d miss Kana completely if he didn’t leave now. He took a deep breath and began to stand up. “Well… it’s getting dark out,” he began as casually as he could. Anyu looked out the window. There was still light out. “I should get going.”
“Thank you for coming by,” Kahasi said. “I’ll see you out.”
“No!” Pakku nearly screamed as he headed for the door. Two pairs of eyes looked up at him, surprised. He quickly composed himself and gave a subtle shake of his head. “It’s not necessary, Kahasi. Please just continue going about your work. I can see myself out.”
“If you are sure…” Kahasi said unsurely.
“I’m sure…” Pakku assured him. He didn’t want Kahasi to realize which direction he was heading towards. “Thank you for your hospitality! Have a nice evening! Anyu, I’ll see you at practice tomorrow!” With one last, fleeting bow, Pakku ducked underneath the furs that covered the doorway and practically shot out of the building.
“He really has lost his mind…” Anyu murmured. From outside the window, he could see Pakku rushing off somewhere.
“Well… he does seem to be going in the wrong direction.” His brother replied coolly. Anyu snapped his head back up and then turned to the window. Pakku wasn’t heading towards his house. He was heading towards the market.
“Kana!”
“It is fine, Anyu,” Kahasi said as he remained seated on the fur lined cushions; patiently weaving thread through the netting. “It is fine.”
“What are you saying?” Anyu gasped as he looked at his brother with wide, confused eyes. “He’s going after your fiancée!”
“I’ve already spoken to Suka and Akna, brother. Everything is fine,” Kahasi assured his sibling. He looked up and gave his brother a small smile. “Kana will be in good hands.”
Author's Notes: This story is written for
thefireisblack, who requested it after reviewing my mini-challenge of mine. It was betaed by
loveroftheflame.