Ripples In The World

Chapter 7 - The Siege of the North

Edited - Stage 1 

(the picture is not my own work)

This is a really long chapter, sorry if it starts to decrease in quality towards the end but its really long to try and make up for the lack of updates.

Enjoy :D

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I surveyed my fallen victims: all sprawled out on the ice, some with limbs frozen in ice, others dripping wet and passed out. I was proud. My training had served me well and I had learnt so much in the few weeks I had trained with Master Pakku.

"Excellent work Umiko!" he strode over applauding me. "It appears that not a single student can match your abilities despite being here since they were five. Maybe when they're my age they'll be able to successfully defeat a sea sponge." He looked at the fallen and exhausted boys that were sprawled out before him with a disappointed look and raised eye brow that somewhat expressed the thought, 'are you serious'. The only one missing was Katashi, he was forgiven for teaching me but Master Pakku had insisted on suspending him for a month, so I would see him at practise next week. I couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not.

Once training was over I strolled around the streets as some gave me weird looks and others the 'thumbs up' or nod in acceptance. This had been a recent development in the attitude of my people that had begun when I started publically training with Master Pakku. The biggest change was with Nanuq: I don't think he approved but was playing it up for my father. He never dared mention it, and we only made small talk about our present doings or his 'war stories', which didn't even deserve to be called that. All he's really done is fight a territorial male turtle seal, he killed it but that's not a war story it just a story, nothing he has done has anything to do with the war that is possibly raging on outside these icy walls.

As I walked past the inner wall I looked up at its daunting height and mass. Looking up to the top while at its base made your head feel funny: like you suddenly going to over balance and topple over backwards. Behind it I was safe, but I was also trapped. It was the good with the bad I suppose.

"Hey, Mummy, look I found black snow! Mummy! Look!" I tiny shrill voice exclaimed. I looked over to the source to see a little pony tailed girl, showing a handful of charcoal coloured snow to her Mother who looked at it confused and slightly disgusted.

"Oh Mani, no put that down dear! It's not snow its soot," said an old woman who I identified as the child's grandmother as she walked over to the child and took the sample of soot into her own hands. She then looked up to the sky above the wall where I was previously staring. I looked again and this time noticed the small specks of black delicately drifting down to the snowy ground at my feet.

"Fire nation," she exhaled in a whisper. I turned to look at her wide eyed, "I haven't seen this much in 85 years. We should alert the Chief!" She spoke to herself rather than her family. Then she noticed my staring.

"Umiko, my dear, I'm afraid I have some bad news... I think the war has caught up with us..."

*****

Once again almost the entire tribe was summoned to the great hall. My sister and I sat much closer this time; we were afraid of what was to come; we had never seen fire bending before, only pictures in old scrolls. With Master Pakku sitting to our left, my father stood, before the many worried faces, not to misguide them with false hope but to ready them for the long awaited battle.

"The day we have feared for so long has arrived. The Fire Nation is on our doorstep. It is with great sadness I call my family here before me, knowing well that some of these faces are about to vanish from our tribe, but they will never vanish from our hearts. Now, as we approach the battle for our existence, I call upon the great spirits. Spirit of the Ocean! Spirit of the Moon! Be with us!" he paused thinking for a moment, "I'm going to need volunteers for a dangerous mission." My father called out across the sea of our people.