Into the Oven (The Return North)<Shai City, NPole>

[kaiapo]

Aila and Kaiapo remained there, huddled for what seemed like an eternity. A group was brought into the shelter, one member of that group appearing to be injured. Aila recognized one of them...the injured one, Shona. While she didn't know him personally, nor did he probably know her or the rest of the Holokai family, but she knew he was another fisherman. Kaiapo noted the family as well...and looked up at his mom.

"Mom...do you think they may know where dad is?" he asked expectantly.

As the family struck up a tune, Aila sighed. "I don't know, 'Po..."

The pair grew quiet, even as others within the shelter took up the song with Shona and his family. Kaiapo looked about...and frowned slightly as even his mother began to hum the tune. He wanted to know if his dad was alright...and there was a good chance that Shona or one of his family might know if he was okay.

He wasn't in the mood to be comforted by some stupid song.

He wanted to find out about his father.

So, much to his mother's dismay. Kaiapo stood up and approached the family. He approached the man and his family, with every step churning over how to ask his question. In the end?

Kaiapo simply blurted out, "Mr. Shona, sir, were there any other fishing boats still out?"

Impertinent to say the least...and not only that, but in his haste to fire off his question, he failed to even introduce himself nor give the name of his father...

[gandalan]

Nakamura rolled his eyes, as the girl ignored him. She probably would now, though. The vigil was getting to everybody. They could still here the bombing going on outside, but there was nothing they could do. Waiting was sometimes worse than doing something. It put everybody on edge. Whenever there was a silence, which was seldom, people were silent, waiting for a sound, and then when the next explosion came, the place was in a frenzy for a moment.

Nakamura was no different. He was still very frightened by the prospect that they might lose. He wasn't worried about anybody in particular... it was just frightening.

Taartoq seemed to be the only one in control, and he was under control only because he had to be. Because he was a soldier (at least for now), and he couldn't afford to let loose, and let his emotions out.

Nakamura sighed, and hugged his knees. He closed his eyes, trying to blot out the sounds of explosions.

[sokka]

Manja's house took up a cresendo, melding together in a wash of son g that seemed to soothe the tense energy of the shelter, a few other clans joined in, knowing the tune others hummed, and some just tapped to the beat. All in all, the energy of the place was starting to be far less nerve-wracking than before. Until a child walked over to Shona and asked:
Mr. Shona, do you know if any other fishing boats are out? Shona stopped singing but his family continued. Nezumi starting the song again, as Shona mulled over the question. The fisherman looked at he boy worriedly, it sounds like his father or brother might still be out sea. Shona didn't want to like to the child but he might have to, fortunately or rather unexspected it was the elder Manja that spoke.

"Child, go back to your mother." The old fisherman wheezed. Manja long white hair flowed over his shoulders as he took a long shuddering breathe.
"Most of the ships are still out on sea a few might have been caught by Fire Nation. We we're fourtante. It was lucky that Arrluk caught wind of the attack and called his brothers home or Atka and Kesuk might have still been on the Morning Breeze or caught. "If your asking about the Holokai man, you look like his son. The I'm afraid I don't have anymore information about him. Now please leave us." Manja coughed hard and Shona looked sheepish.

"I'm sorry little one, if you would like some company, you and your mother are free to join us. We have plenty of room." Shona added in hopes to repair the hotness of his father's anwser.
Miki started to whine again..."I want Uncle Arrluk and Uncle Ikaiq." Chulyin tried to console his son when Sedna, Atka's daughter and only three, started to cry. Shona sighed, the song lost it's power when the boy interupted him. Until Kokomi started it up agian, her voice louder than before.

[ebele]

Ebele slowly leaned back and looked at the prisoner on her other side, studying him. He was a strange character, wasn't he? He was probably hated by the whole tribe, for whatever deed he might have done, and yet he was trying to help.

It was hard coming by these sorts nowadays.

Ebele crouched down in front of the two nobles, tilting her head to the side once more. "I'm a storyteller," she said simply. She turned to the little girl, wanting to get her head out of the war and into a world that was filled with baby turtleseals and penguins.

"Ev'ar hear d'e story of d'e two bro'ders?" she wondered innocently, speaking to the little girl more than her sister. She set her chin in the palm of her hand, her elbow resting on a knee, "It be a very funny story. You might like, yes?" And then she grinned her toothy grin, a hopeful smile. She looked toward the sister now. "Yes?"

[ukaleq]

Ukaleq for the first time paid attention, lifting her sapphire eyes up to Ebele. The dark girl's lips parted almost in a plea as for a moment, the olde sister looked lost. Her gaze dropped to her cheeks, to the child's head pressed tightly against her chest.

"Naira.." Ukaleq whispered, brushing her hair which had completely out of it's simple braids. "Lift your head, dear.." She commanded, curling her hands under the tiny rounded chin and lifting her sister's face up. "We must be brave.. like Mother. Like Father and Quanah. No tears.." Ukaleq then kissed her sister's button nose, illicting a sniffle from the tear faced child, snot running down her lips and to her chin. She was an absolute wreck, her breathing quite paced for a child.

"C'mon.. we're going to listen to a story.. I bet you haven't heard this one.." That was probably a bold face lie.. there weren't many folk stories that the sisters didn't know. But Ukaleq was willing to try.. Naira always loved stories.. they could keep her attention for hours.
The little girl turned her head, looking over her shoulder to the woman Ukaleq had gestured too. "...You gotta a story..?"

[taartoq]

With his consciousness all but lost, Padma tried her best to bring her husband back into the world of the living, so to speak. Still a bit shaken, she waved her hand in front of his eyes, but received not even a blink in return. Taartoq merely kept staring toward the ground, his mind wrapped around the vanity of war and the sad state of affairs outside the bunker.

After tapping her nimble fingertips on her forehead, she spoke in a hushed voice, saying to her husband, "Darling...?"

After not finding a response yet again, she placed her hand on his shoulder and declared, "Taartoq son of Chieftain Attu of the Chulyin family, please answer me!" She added a firm jolt on his shoulder, pushing her husband back.

Innately trying to keep his balance, Taartoq placed his arms out and snapped back into consciousness. Soon after, he looked around and ran his fingers down the back of his neck. Padma grinned nervously at him, with dark circles beneath her eyes showing a lack of sleep.

Taartoq gazed at his wife and sighed deeply. His tone was rather grim, but his voice stayed mellow. "War is ugly..."

Padma looked back at her husband and sidled over, placing her head on his shoulder. "Of course it is, husband..."

And moments later, another bomb sounded and shook the place.

[ebele]

"...You gotta story?"

There we go. The building shook once more, but Ebele paid little to no heed to the disturbance. She had the child's attention now; she could help. Slowly she lowered herself into a much more comfortable position, moving her few robes around for better access. Once she had finally seated, she grinned at the small child.

"Yes'm, that I do. I have two tales for you" She really didn't have a tale. So Ebele busied herself with getting even more comfortable, before finally settling down with a grin. She had a story.

"D'ere were once two bro'ders, Zhuangzi and Huizi. D'e bro'ders were obsessed with knowledge, and d'ey often fought over who was right and who was wrong. Now, the two bro'ders were not of noble blood, and lived wi'd d'eir mo'der and fa'der and d'eir li'dle sid'der. D'eir li'dle sid'der, as it is said, was never bright and was born with illness. The bro'ders gathered d'eir knowledge for her. Ever night, they would return home and d'ell her what they saw, since she was unable to leave herself.

One day, the bro'ders told her that they would go to the Bridge Hao in d'e middle of d'e ci'dy, t'ah see d'ah fish, and tell her about it. So d'e brothers took d'ah'mselves to the bridge and looked over into the water."

She paused only minutely when another explosion sounded outside the bunker, and dust fell from the ceiling. She smiled slightly at the girl and continued.

" 'Look how happy d'ah fish are just swimming around in d'ah water,' Zhuangzi had exclaimed in excitement," slowly she changed her voice into a deep one for Huizi, "Huizi looked at his brother as if he were idiot," she changed her face expression to match that of what Huizi's would look; and it was quite a laugh-formidable look, with her nose wrinkled and one eyebrow lifted and her mouth twisted, "and asked, 'How do you know d'ey are happy? You are not fish!"

She changed her voice to a lighter one for Zhuangzi, her funny expression disappearing with the change of characters. "Zhuangzi looked at his bro'der and declared, 'And you are not me. How do you know I do no'd know d'ah fish are happy?' "

Ebele grinned and pointed her nose in the air, crossing her arms over her chest and deepening her voice once more, " 'Of course I'm no'd you, and I do no'd know what you t'ink; but I do know d'at you are no'd fish! You could not possible know d'ah fish are happy.' "

Once more, she changed her voice to a lighter one and lowered her nose, "And Zhuangzi looked t'ah his brother in exasperation. He said, 'Look, when you asked me how I knew the fish were happy, you already knew d'at I knew the fish were happy! I knew it from my feelings standing on d'is bridge.'

Huizi looked a'd his bro'der once more and said, 'You canno'd know this jus'd by standing. Our gods Tui and La would have none of i'd.'

And Zhuangzi sighed and lifted his hands t'ward the wa'der, for he was wa'derbender, and lifted a bubble up to eye level, a fish swimming around inside. 'Say, fish,' Zhuangzi began, 'Are you happy swimming here in d'eh wa'der?' "

Ebele changed her voice to a squeaky one, " 'Yes, yes, sir! I have fun swimming with m'eh cousins!' " she changed her voice back to normal, " 'And Zhuangzi lowered d'e fish back into d'e water, and d'at is why people say, "as happy as a fish"."

Slowly Ebele looked at the child once more. "How was that, child?"

[sokka]

The fisherman closed his eyes. And felt the bunker shake, his family and relatives have gaved up on the song and in another wave of disquiet, the clan looked around fearful of their lives. Slience was suffocating to Manja’s clan. Until Chulyin decided to break out story of their own, not a folk talk like Ebele’s which Miki and Nigiq where listeing to quietly, Dyani and Halona; Arrluk’s and Kesuk’s wives were also listing as well. When Chulyin spoke up.
“Hey Dy, do you remember when Arrluk you met?” Dyani nodded, “Oh yes how could I not forget that day, Shona you were there, do you remember?” Said Dyani softly smiling. Shona started laughing, recalling the memories. “Oh man what a day, I was what…how old was I? Twelve? I just started working on the ships, when Arrluk dumped his last suitor. I didn’t know the reason, but I guess Arrluk was picky at that time, anyway Chu’ and I were finished with work and Ikaiq was goofing off someplace, flirting with much of the women I suppose. Skirt chaser to end. Anyway, I met Dyani at he healer’s hut earlier when I sprained my wrist you remember Chu?” Chulyin nodded, his children liseting and Kesuk’s only daughter Sori too. Shona went on with the tale,

“Well all of us decide to head to the sauna for good steam bath after working, I was excited because I finished my first week without Dad supervising just ‘Luk and Chu, so we were in the sauna steaming off the grime and fish smell when, Arrluk opens the door closes it and strips off fast, I could tell by the look of panic that he was hiding from someone. Most likely another suitor, and by way Arrluk was hiding in an all male sauna. She sounded aggressive. So It was ‘Luk, Chu, Icky and I. All in the sauna and Arrluk looked relax knowing that know women was gonna follow him into sauna full of men right?” Dyani shook her head and the kids nodded, Kokomi looked mildly interested.

“Well Auntie Dyani, was no ordinary woman, bold like lighting in cold sky, she stode in to the sauna and looked at all of us, most of were shocked to see woman in the sauna I was at least being the youngest, Chu and Icky didn’t even both to cover up as Dyani took Arrluk by the ear dragged him out stark naked to the house next door.” Chulyin was snickering as he remembered.
“Oh I remember what she said…” Dyani finished the tale. “You will be my husband, even if I have to drag outside naked, you can’t hide from me, and so you know the rest of the story, Arrluk was mad at me, but he was impressed by the way I took charge like that. He gave some time and soon we were wed. Simply for the fact that I was ballsy enough to go inside an all male sauna and drag out my husband.” Some the children laughed but it went slient again. When Shona hear something. Someone was pounding on the ice. Slience again until now he heard footsteps.
“SHONA! FATHER! It’s me Arrluk!” Family stood up, something has happened.

[amitolo]

Amitolo chucked a piece of ice at the ground, shattering it to pieces. Formerly, it had been a small carving of a koi fish, well…not anymore. Why couldn’t they have drafted Amitolo to the actual war with the other? Noooo, they stuck him on guard duty at the shelter. All the time, he had been carving small sculptures out of ice. What else was he supposed to do? He’d taken a couple rounds, he chatted with some of the other officers, and he got bored. Glancing around the room, he noted the faces of everybody around him. Mothers, sisters, wives, and even some young boys and old men. They all bore the same expression on their face, a mix of sadness and despair.

Yeah…it definitely didn’t help being a guard if you were surrounded by all this gloom. First twirling the chisel he held in his hand, he stuck it in his pocket, before looking around for the other guards. Damn, there were a couple bombs around the place, but nothing close to penetrating the walls of the shelter. Still, they could pose a potential threat. Sliding a hand through his hair, Amitolo’s eyes caught the eye of another guard, Taartoq or something, an archivist.

Walking over to him, Amitolo’s also caught the face of another, Ukaleq Ulloriaq, and her sister, someone who had been sick the last time Amitolo had heard of her. Deciding it would be best not to pry into whatever business those two had, the guard moved on. Within a minute, he had reached Taartoq, and put a hand on the archivist’s shoulder. “The bombs are closing in,” he said quietly and slowly, in case some of the citizens did not notice, and would be alarmed, “What should we do?”

[taartoq]

Padma raised her head and sidled over a few inches, since it seemed someone was approaching from behind. Taartoq looked over at her and, seeing the attempts his wife made to catch glances at the person without him or her noticing, decided to keep quiet. Soon, he felt a hand settle on his shoulder, and he turned back. It was Amitolo, a member of the tribe's higher society like Taartoq himself. Calmly, the man asked, "The bombs are closing in. What should we do?"

Taartoq bore an unamused glare when Amitolo touched him, and felt a chill run up his spine at the physical contact. Dryly, but with a clear amount of sarcasm poured on, he replied, "The first thing you can do is kindly remove your hand from my shoulder."

Without waiting for the man to say or do a thing, he decided to take a more polite route and inform him of their security. He himself read the blueprints for these very structures during slow days at the archival building, thus seeing firsthand the soundness of the underground bunkers.

Keeping his tone dry but hushed, he turned further toward Amitolo. "However, I hardly think we're in any danger. This bunker was carved out under so many feet of ice that it's virtually impregnable. Though I suppose if the structural integrity was somehow compromised, then the waterbenders inside could keep the place from falling in." As he mentioned waterbenders, he motioned to himself and around the room. Even to Nakamura, the young convict. If such an event were to occur, they would need all the bending hands they could get, no matter how felonous.

"Our only course of action is to sit and wait until the battle is over. And the ones with whom we should be concerned are those on the front lines..."

At that, he turned toward his beloved wife, Padma, knowing she was concerned about her brothers fighting outside the bunker's fortress-like walls.

[gandalan]

Nakamura listened to the conversations sullenly, a bit grumpy that Ukaleq had completely ignored him. It was to be expected... but it still hurt. He then listened to Taartoq and a newcomer. The newcomer asked what they could do, and Nakamura could already hear the smart remark from Taartoq, even before it was out of his mouth. "The first thing you can do is kindly remove your hand from my shoulder."

Nakamura nearly snorted in laughter. Although it wasn't much fun to have it done to you, to witness his dry sarcasm against another person was very funny. He held his snicker back, and then listened for more. "However, I hardly think we're in any danger. This bunker was carved out under so many feet of ice that it's virtually impregnable. Though I suppose if the structural integrity was somehow compromised, then the waterbenders inside could keep the place from falling in."

He then gestured at himself, indicating that he was a waterbender, and then around the room. And then, to a surprised looking Nakamura, who, taken aback, nearly slumped over sideways on the ice from surprise. His face was flushed with embarrassment as he looked up at Taartoq. Maybe the man didn't hate him, as Nakamura thought he did...


"Uhm..." He looked up at Taartoq, confused. "Would you LET me help?"

[taartoq]

Before Amitolo had the slightest of a chance to response, Nakamura posed a question. Taartoq glanced over at the oddly-positioned teenager, who had apparently been listening in the whole time. Taartoq could understand. In such a place like this, no one's conversations could have even a tiny bit of privacy. It was simply too crowded. The waterbender nodded at the boy's question and gave his reply. "Yes. We would need all the help we could get if that happened."

Taartoq knew in the back of his mind that Nakamura was far from evil. Even though the teenager broke an important law, Taartoq knew somewhat that the defiant boy was more misguided and confused than sadistic and psychotic. The law Nakamura broke was far from dangerous, but Taartoq still felt compelled to add sarcasm to the mix while still keeping a perfectly serious tone. Running his fingers through his long, dark hair and flipping it to the side, he stated, "I suppose if you started killing people in the meantime, then you would earn my undying contempt."

[kaiapo]

Kaiapo looked a bit crestfallen at the words spoken by Manja...and would've continued pestering the old man, when his mother came back, scolding the boy.

"'Po, you know better!" Aila whispered harshly into her son's ear. The woman cast an apologetic glance at Manja's clan, before she was guiding her son back to the small corner of the bunker they had been occupying. Halfway there, a bomb shook the shelter once again, eliciting a startled cry from the woman as she pulled her son protectively close to her.

'Po could tell his mother was scared...her hands were shaking, her dark skin paled. While he still wished to go back and pester Shona's family, in case there was ANYTHING they could remember, he didn't want his mother to get upset and more worried than she already was.

A pause in the bombing gave the pair a chance to get back to their corner...and that's when Kaiapo heard it. Someone pounding on the ice.

Dad?

He didn't realize he'd been holding his breath as he waited to see if whoever was outside would pound on the ice again...but he let it out in a disappointed sigh when he heard...

“SHONA! FATHER! It’s me Arrluk!”

The voice definitely did not belong to his father. Sulking a bit, he sat down with his mother, who pulled him close to her.

[sokka]

Arrluk being a waterbender, bended the door away before quickly stepting in and sealing it. He hurried passed Taartoq and ran to Manja who was already up and hobbling towards him.
"Arrluk why aren't you fighting? Where are your brothers?" Arrluk's face look upset and grived. Shona walked up and looked Arrluk straight in the eye.
"Please, tell us what happened.." Arrluk looked at Shona and took at deep breath, his parka was dirty and face ashy.

"There was bit of a lull up and gates we farther back. Kesuk and Ikaiq were together, I was with other water warriors Kesuk went farther ahead, he had gliders on was moving around the districts and canals, Ikaiq followed but I had to stay behind. Well..." Arrluk's voice becamed strained as he saw the faces of his clan.

"I couldn't warn them in time, one of the men saw a balloon, I was far enough away, but it dropped....and...they..got in the blast." The family faces all dropped in color, Halona looked terrified.
"'Luk, is my husband..is Ke alright?" Arrluk shut his eyes hard. "Icky was alright, broken bones and maybe a concussion, but Kesuk....I so sorry Halona, my brothers, my father. Kesuk didn't make it." Shona was stunned, his little brother...dead.

The family was slient except for Halona's weeping.

[ukaleq]

"...as Happy.. as a fish..?" Naira murmured, staring into Ebele's eyes with her own dark, wide doe like eyes. Her long lashes cramed the beautiful oceanic blue of her eyes. For even a child, her nose was small and petite, her cheekbones well formed, and her lips were pursed, ebony rose in color. She would grow up to be a beauty. However, she was snuggled deep into the silvery grey fur that edged her parka, her face still wet with tears, even as fresh tears streamed at her eyes. At least the snot that was running out of her nose on her sculptured lips had stopped. Naira sniffled, still holding tightly on Ukaleq's own parka, twisted around to listen to the story.

Ukaleq herself wrapped her arms tightly around her sister, smiling as she leaned forward to speak into Naira's ears. "Remeber..? Mother likes to say that you are as happy as fish.." Naira sniffled again, looking down as the sound of the explosions still echoed through the caverns. The story couldn't help with them.. but certainly voices did help. She looked up again and over quickly at the young man she had taken an, in her sister's mind, a silly intrest in. "...Are you as happy as a fish..?" Naira questioned in that idyllic child's voice.. Nakamura certainly didn't look happy.. Maybe Naira could tell a story, like Ebele did to cheer him up!