Shattering Ice - Chapter 9
*All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it.
She was heavier than he thought, but then again, maybe it made sense. She spent a lot of time working in the market, carrying buckets of ice and fish around. It was only natural that she developed muscles.
“Pakku,” He looked up from where he was sitting on the floor, in the same position he had been when he caught Kana. He had completely forgotten that they weren’t alone. Standing over him, while he held an unconscious young woman in his arms, were two pairs of adults. The fisherman that had called out his name knelt down on the other side of the girl. “Give her to me. I’ll carry her to her room.”
“I can do it,” Instinctively, his arms tightened around her body. He pulled her closer to him as he met Suka’s gaze. “I can carry her to her room.” He insisted.
“Don’t be silly, Pakku,” his mother’s voice wafted over from where she stood behind his father. “Let Suka carry his daughter. You aren’t strong enough to pick her up.”
He bristled. It took all his strength to suppress the scowl that crossed his face. “I said I can carry her.” Pakku told them firmly. His arms carefully made their way beneath Kana’s legs and back. He adjusted his position as the adults around them watched worriedly. Once Pakku was sure Kana wouldn’t slip off, he took a deep breath and stood up.
His legs shook. “Careful!” Akna gasped as she reached forward.
“I have her,” Pakku assured them. He straightened up and adjusted Kana in his arms once more. “Now… where is her room?”
“I will take you there,” Akna said. She brushed past the young man and led him into the hall. Pakku watched his step as he gingerly made his way through the narrow hallway. He was cautious; making sure her head and feet didn’t needlessly hit the walls. Ahead of him, Akna pushed back the door to Kana’s room. “Let me prepare her bed,” she said as she darted into the room. As Pakku brought the unmoving young woman into her modest looking quarters, Akna tugged down the heavy furs that lined Kana’s bed. “Here, put her here.”
Pakku silently did as he was instructed. Kana’s head was placed gently on the pillow; her arms and legs resting in a comfortable position before Pakku pulled his arms out from underneath her and took a step back.
“Will she be okay?” he asked in a quiet voice.
The woman beside him gave him a small nod of her head. “She’ll wake… she was only… surprised. That was all.”
Pakku found himself nodding in agreement. Surprised… was that it? He hoped it was. He stood beside Kana’s mother for a moment longer. “Thank you…” His voice was quiet and Akna almost didn’t hear it.
She turned her head and looked at him curiously. “What for?”
“For accepting the arrangement,” Pakku explained. “I promise you, I will give Kana everything she needs. I’ll make her happy.”
The woman’s face softened. She smiled at him and gently patted his shoulder in a comforting manner. “Then please take care of my daughter,” she replied softly. Pakku looked down at her and met her gaze. “Now… would you please leave the room?”
“Leave?” Pakku’s eyebrows shot up and Akna nodded.
“She can’t go to sleep dressed in her thick over clothes. I’ll change her into sleep wear.” Akna told him. She ushered the young waterbender towards the door and gave him the final push out. Pakku stumbled into the hallway as Akna closed the door behind him.
Silently, he stood in front of the door, staring at the worn grains on the wood. Then it hit him. Her parents had accepted the marriage proposal from his parents, which meant one thing: he and Kana were going to get married.
Fireworks exploded in his mind as a sudden feeling of elation swept through him. Nothing could stop them now. Not family. Not rivals. He was sure that the Chief himself would bless their union. It took all Pakku’s strength not to jump in the air with joy.
“Pakku,” a voice at the entrance of the hallway caught his attention and he turned towards it. Kana’s father stood at the entrance and motioned for him to follow. “There are some details that need to be discussed. We’d like your opinion on them.”
“Of course.” Pakku nodded eagerly and followed the older man. He entered the main living space of Kana’s flat and then joined his parents and her father at the table.
“As I was saying,” Siku began. “Kana will have duties to fulfill as Pakku’s wife,” Beside him, the young man in question felt his cheeks burn. He quickly lowered his eyes before Suka could see him. “Such as join the other wives of councilmen and waterbending masters in assorted events. She will have to help oversee the neighborhood festivals.”
“Of course, that is understandable,” the fisherman said. “And do not worry about Kana’s manners. She may seem tomboyish and loud at times, but she is still Akna’s daughter.”
“Kana plays the flute,” Siku told his wife, almost proudly. “And very well, I might add. I am sure that she will be able to represent the family wonderfully before the Chief.”
His wife gave a small, demure nod. She looked across the table at the fisherman. “Everything seems in order,” the woman nodded. “When should we have someone come to pick up the dowry?”
“Ah…” Suka lifted his hand and rubbed the back of his neck. “You have to understand that we are but a humble fishing family…”
“Suka, no dowry is necessary,” Siku assured him sternly. His wife stiffened beside him and looked at him questioningly.
“But… it is tradition…” she trailed off. “Surely Akna has been preparing a dowry for her own daughter.”
“Oh, she has,” Suka told them reassuringly. “Akna has saved much of her own dowry for Kana; however, by today’s standards, it must pale in comparison, especially compared to the dowry that you have prepared for your own daughter.”
“Worry not about the dowry, my friend,” Siku insisted. “What matters is that my son and your daughter will be married. We will bring Kana into our family welcomingly. We will not need a dowry.”
“I must insist,” the fisherman replied. “It is small, but it will be given. Now, about the announcements.”
“That’s right, we must inform the tribe,” Siku mused as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Pakku,” he said as he looked over at his son. The young man sat up straight in his seat. “When would be a good time to properly announce this? You are in the middle of your waterbending classes, and the festival has already come and gone…”
“We can inform the chief first,” Pakku suggested. “Then the tribe.”
“And what about Kana?” Siku turned back to the bride-to-be’s father. “When does she turn sixteen?”
“In a week and a half,” Suka replied. “We will be celebrating it when I return from my fishing trip.”
“Oh! That’s right!” The councilman slapped the table in front him as he chuckled. “Forgive me, Suka. I must be holding you back from your preparations. You are leaving soon, aren’t you?”
“In a few hours actually,” Suka said as Siku stood up and motioned for his wife to stand with him. “But please don’t feel rushed. It was I who called you here.”
“We are honored that you came to us first the moment Kana’s previous engagement was retracted,” Siku smiled widely. Pakku gave his father a questioning look. Previous engagement? He wanted to ask, but knew it was not his place. The young bender crossed his eyes thoughtfully. The point was that he was the one marrying Kana. “We are very lucky.”
“Are you leaving? Already?” a voice asked behind them. The standing adults turned as Akna walked out from the hallway.
“We’re sorry to have disturbed you, Akna,” Sesi said as she bowed her head. “We lost track of time and have intruded on Siku’s preparation for his fishing trip.”
“Oh, nonsense, it doesn’t take long to prepare now. Everything is ready,” Akna chuckled. She looked over at Pakku and smiled warmly. “If you are leaving, would like you to say goodnight to Kana? I’m afraid she’s asleep now, however.”
Pakku stood up beside his father as he fumbled with his hands. A pink tint reached his cheeks as he gave the woman a small bow of thanks. “If you allow me to,” he glanced over at Kana’s father. “ I’d like to see her once more before I leave.”
Beside him, his father seemed to puff out his chest with pride. Ever the romantic gentleman, that was his son. Akna nodded and Suka gave him a small look of warning before Pakku headed back down the hall. He walked past Kana’s mother and retraced his earlier steps to Kana’s room. The wooden door was partially open.
He stood outside for a second and took a deep breath. His hand reached out and gently pushed the door open. Hesitantly, he took a step into the room. Kana was where he had left her, on her bed. The only difference now was that her hair was down and that the blankets had been pulled up to her chin to keep her warm.
Pakku left the door partially open as he crept into her small room. This time, he was able to notice the small details of the space. The drawers against the wall that held her clothes, the wooden wardrobe in the corner, and even the bed itself looked old and worn. He remembered that she wasn’t wealthy. Everything there might have been a hand me down from relatives.
Still, everything looked comfortable and lived in. Almost warm and welcoming. The blankets over Kana looked snug and worn in. As he neared the bed, he could make out the light blue fabric of the pillows beneath her brown hair. The fabric was thin, but Kana still looked comfortable and that was what mattered.
He paused for a moment and looked over his shoulder. He was right beside the bed and wondered if he was too close. There was a possibility that her father would walk in, and Pakku didn’t want to look as if he were planning something devious. Blue eyes lowered back to the sleeping young woman.
She was prettier with her hair down, he reasserted. Pakku looked over his shoulder once more and then carefully sat on the edge of her bed. His movements were slow and deliberate, trying to keep as silent as possible so as not to disturb the sleeping person. The edge of the bed dipped under his weight, but didn’t make a sound.
He looked down at Kana’s sleeping face. Despite himself, he could feel the soft smile reaching his own lips as he looked at her. Soft brown hair fell over her forehead and he reached over to brush it aside. Before his gloves could touch her skin, he pulled back. Silently, he peeled off his gloves. His hands were warm, yet clammy.
Even if her family had approved their engagement and they were destined to be man and wife, he was still nervous being in the same room with her. It was odd. The first time he had met her, just a few months ago, they had immediately clashed. She was rude, aggressive, and proud.
Nothing of what he had been brought up to believe was good in a woman. Despite what seemed to be all her faults, he’d fallen for her anyway. She had somehow entered his life and took over every thought. And he was grateful that she did. The fisherman’s daughter showed him a world outside of the one he had around him. He had some semblance of a ‘normal’ young life with friends and laughter.
And she had been there every step of the way, coaxing him, prodding him, egging him on. Now, knowing that he would be with her in marriage, he’d never felt happier.
He slipped his gloves into his pocket and felt something cool and smooth to the touch. His hands coiled around the hard object and gently pulled it out of its cloth confines. The glistening blue surface looked back at him as it lay across his palm. Soft velvet fabric imported from the Earth Kingdom trailed from either side of the pendent.
A shaky hand lowered and slowly caressed the symbol engraved upon it. It had taken him a while to work on it. Not nearly as long as other men, as waterbending helped a great deal in smoothing and shaping the stone. However, it was prefect. The symbol that graced the wall and was woven into their lives was carved into the stone.
It was for the Northern Water Tribe. It was for waterbending. It was for the moment they met. The moment he laughed. The moment he realized he loved her. The moment he kissed her for the first time. No matter where she went, she would always be reminded of them. Of him.
His eyes rose and looked back at Kana’s sleeping face. A small smile reached his lips as he leaned forward. Warm fingertips stroked her hair back as he swept it over her shoulder. His fingers ran along the velvet choker. He held the necklace over her slender, brown neck.
It complimented her nicely. Carefully, Pakku leaned over and reached behind Kana’s neck. Making sure not to wake her, he fastened the necklace in place and then pulled back.
It was done. Kana was engaged to him.
He felt his heart swell as he admired the glistening blue stone over her neck. He’d buy her more jewelry later on, of course, but the necklace would always be the defining piece from him.
“I promise you the world, Kana,” he whispered as he stood up. “I promise.”
“Pakku?” A quiet knock rapped against the wooden door and the young man shot up straight. He whirled around, his face wearing a heated blush as he made out Akna’s figure in the doorway. “Your parents are leaving now.”
“Oh, thank you,” Pakku gave the woman a bow as he turned to get one more look at Kana. He’d see her again, soon. He turned his back to her and headed out the door. “I’ll come see her in the morning.”
“Of course.” Akna stepped aside as Pakku walked past her. She reached back and pulled the door closed.
A tiny click sounded and Kana shifted in her sleep. Warm droplets slid from the corners of her eyes.
For some reason, her head hurt. The dull throbbing at her temples woke her from her dreamless sleep. On instinct, Kana raised her hands from beneath the heavy blankets and gently brought them to the sides of her head. As she applied some pressure to the area, she opened her eyes.
They shut almost immediately. Kana’s hands lowered and she turned her head away from the bright light coming through her window. It was one thing to have a sunny day, but it was several times brighter once the sunlight reflected off the ice walls of the buildings across from them that time of day.
Her eyes shot open. Time of day? Kana shot up in bed, ignoring her headache and the cold air in her room as she looked out the window. From experience, the sunlight wouldn’t be reflected into her room like that until well past midday. Her heart stopped.
She had over slept. She hadn’t over slept since she was eight! Not since she began helping her aunt at the fish market…“Oh, spirits…”
Multiple thuds, a groan, and panicked footsteps came from Kana’s room before she tore the door open and shot out. Akna lifted her head and looked up from the sea cucumbers she was slicing on the counter as her daughter hopped into the kitchen in search of food. One hand was desperately trying to put on her boot while the other tugged her coat down the rest of the way.
“Kana,” Akna voiced her concern as she put the knife down and then wiped her hands on a nearby cloth. “What are you doing out of bed?”
“Mom, it’s past midday!” Kana exclaimed as she frantically pointed out the window. She stomped her foot on the floor to try to place it in the correct position before beginning to open all the cabinets. “Auntie can’t man the booth alone!”
“She isn’t manning it alone; your cousin Sedna is helping her.”
“Sedna?” Kana whirled around. Her arms were still raised and holding on to the cabinet doors as she looked at her mother with disbelief. “Mom, Sedna doesn’t know the first thing about fish…” She trailed off as her arms lowered. “How did Auntie know to bring Sedna?”
Akna smiled softly and crossed the kitchen. She raised her hands and gently pressed them against her daughter’s cheeks. Under her mother’s critical eyes, Kana began to squirm. “You look fine…” the woman mused. “You don’t have a temperature… does your head hurt?”
Kana pulled her head back and gently batted her mother’s hands away. “Mom, I’m fine,” she insisted. Her head still throbbed, but it wasn’t painful. “Did Aunt Nauja send for Sedna when I didn’t show up?”
“Actually, I sent for Sedna,” Akna replied as she turned around. Kana narrowed her eyes as her mother returned to the counter. “You were asleep all of yesterday and-”
“Yesterday!?” Kana’s eyes widened. “Wait… no! That’s not possible! Yesterday, I worked at the booth!”
“Do you remember what happened afterwards?” Akna asked. She turned around to face her daughter once more.
The young woman stood in her place, her eyes narrowed as her mind raced with memories. “I… I came home to help dad pack for the trip… but Pakku caught me and…” She blanched. Akna nodded in affirmation as Kana’s eyes widened. A shaking hand rose and covered her gaping mouth. “No… That couldn’t have…”
Akna smiled at her daughter, almost sadly. “You fainted as soon as we told you the news…”
Kana looked at her mother with a desperate expression on her face. “Mom…” She remembered walking into her family’s flat and the smell of food from the kitchen. She remembered the warmth of the room wrapping around her, becoming confining rather than welcoming. She remembered the councilman and his wife. She remembered her father and his words. Then she remembered falling and darkness.
Akna watched the expression dance across her daughter’s face. Realization was followed by uncertainty, and then by horror. “Kana,” Akna began gently. “This should be a happy time for you. You’re getting married. And to a young man who promises to be a good provider for you and your children.”
“But…” Kana’s mind whirled. “To Pakku?” She couldn’t help the whimper in her voice. “It can’t be…”
Akna smiled softly. She gently tugged down the fur-lined collar of her own coat and tapped the blue pendent resting against her throat. Instinctively, Kana mimicked her mother’s actions. Soft, sensitive fingertips touched hard stone. An engagement necklace.
Kana tore from the room, her heart slamming in her chest as she rushed back to her bedroom. She flew through the doorway and headed straight for her dresser. Her free hand grabbed the handle of the mirror lying there and lifted it up. A crescent moon and waves looked back at her from their reflection. They were carefully carved into the shining blue stone.
Kana swallowed. She hadn’t even felt it on when she woke, yet suddenly, she felt its weight against her.
“He placed it around your neck before he left the first night,” a voice said from her doorway. “He caught you when you fell and carried you to your room. He came by yesterday morning to check on you. Then he returned after his waterbending practice and didn’t leave until late in the evening. I’m surprised you didn’t wake up with how he was talking to you.” The woman chuckled.
Kana kept her eyes on the mirror as her fingertips gently stroked the smooth surface. That was it, then. She was engaged. To Pakku.
“Kana,” Her mother’s voice drew her attention back to the doorway. Kana slowly lowered the mirror in her hand as she looked at her mother. The older woman walked into the room and put her hands on her daughter’s shoulders. “Pakku is a good boy. He has been nothing, if not respectful to your father and me. He has come every day to make sure you are okay. I know you two are always at odds, but give him a chance. Do not close him out of your heart so quickly.”
Kana lowered her eyes and gave a small nod of her head. She took a deep breath and pulled away from her mother. “I need to think about this…”
Akna nodded her head understandingly. “There could have been worse matches, Kana. Be happy that he cares for you so much.”
The young woman nodded and watched as her mother exited her bedroom. Silently, Kana closed her eyes. Her fingers never left the pendant around her neck. She traced the outlines of the moon and waves once more. It was happening so fast… she didn’t expect it.
She raised her hand and ran it through her thick, unbound brown hair. She looked down at the mirror once more and closed her eyes. She walked out of her room and down the hall. “Mom, I’m going to take a walk…” she called out lamely as she cut through the living area.
“Don’t stay out too late.” Akna added from the kitchen. Kana closed the door and headed for the stairs. Silently, she fixed her hair into a bun at the base of her neck and then lifted her hood over her head as she walked down the steps to the front door.
Author's Notes: This story is written for thefireisblack, who requested it after reviewing my mini-challenge of mine. It was betaed by loveroftheflame.