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Post by aden on Feb 25, 2007 1:50:47 GMT -5
Nearly ten days of travel had passed since their last battle with the Fire Nation. The War Party from the Northern Water tribe had covered a vast distance in that time. By foot for several days and by water for the rest, they had spanned nearly the entire width of the continent. After a brief stop in Tachi Dai for supplies, the group of soldiers and benders made their way down the rivers leading toward Ba Sing Sei on ice-rafts that were kept solid by constant attention from benders. With those makeshift vessels, they made great time in approaching the Earth Kingdom capital.
However, their plans changed slightly when they came across the path of rather large battallion of Earth Kingdom soldiers. After a meeting between Hissun and the field commander, the Water Tribe warriors were told that their help was not requiredwithin the walls. The wizened war chief of the Northerners was unsettled by that claim, considering the desperate straits the city was in. He was told that a group of warriors from the Southern tribe was currently guarding the mouth of a bay that led right to the outer wall of the city, and although he couldn't help but feel the commander was deliberately trying to avoid their help, Hissun agreed that they would be much more effective by the sea. He bid the Earth Kingdom commander luck in future battles and then led the War Party toward the destination he'd been told of: Chameleon Bay.
Hissun was curious as to why the Earth Kingdom wouln't want their help in or around the city, though he didn't dwell on it too long. He'd been given a task he felt his men could perform and a chance to meet with their long lost kin to the South. After the Siege of his home, he had come to feel a great deal more empathy for his Southern bretheren who'd not been so fortunate as to have to Avatar on their side when the Fire Nation came to their shores.
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Aden sat quietly at the rear of a long boat, wafting his hand rythmically in a circular motion to propel the craft at a decent pace through the calm waters of the bay. The young waterbender was looking ahead towards the not-too-distant mouth of the bay. The sails of a few ships could be seen floating along the inside edge of the shore and the blue fabric of a row of tents made it clear that these were indeed the Southern Water Tribe warriors they were told about.
The war party from the North had reached the inner edge of the bay that morning and had been gifted the use of 4 longboats to ferry themselves across the water and save themselves another day of walking. There were nearly ten men assigned to each boat with the supplies evenly distributed as well. Benders provided the power to the vessels in shifts. Aden's had just begun, and it appeared he wouldn't have to provide the power for even another half hour before they reached their destination.
A slight smile crossed the young bender's face, a sight that had grow surprisingly more common over the last few days. After his talk with Hissun, Aden had become even more quiet and introspective than usual. He only spoke when spoken to and had more or less become a ghost around camp. He was always on his own, whther it be scouting or simply secluded in a dark corner of the camp. But lately he'd begun to actually socialize with the other men of the tribe, including their own member from the South, Chamir. Granted, he still wasn't as gifted with gab as the storyteller, but when spoken to he would respond with more than just a terse answer or comment. It was almost shocking to the other warriors who had only heard the young bender talk at any length when the subject was how to kill Fire nation soldiers.
Aden finally seemed to be taking Hissun's words to heart, and despite the young waterbender's unwillingness to admit there was anything wrong his his mindset beforehand, he had to admit that he hadn't smiled even this much since before his 15th birthday.
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Post by chamir on Feb 25, 2007 3:12:38 GMT -5
Teeth slid onto his lower lip as notes floated about the breeze. Gentle umber toned fingers strumming and stroking the pipa’s strings as the flotilla drifted downstream. Pleasurable travel music to his comrades certainly, but to Chamir the performance helped to calm his mind.
News of traveling to Chameleon Bay in order to aid his own menfolk, of the Southern Water Tribe, had left him apprehensive. Last night’s sleep being restless, less than the restless nights after his first real battle, but without peace nonetheless. So much to say, so much to expect and so much to hope for when he would meet them after over a decade of his departure. Would they recognize him? Would they remember him? Would father—well of course father was alive, he kept repeating to himself.
But what would he tell his father once he saw him?
Releasing the hold over his lower lip, Chamir attempted to return to his cheerful demeanor. Or, at least a façade of happiness at the familiar sight of Southern Water Tribe dhows created a new lump in his throat. Licking his lips as folds his white cloth scarf wafted in the breeze and patted his neck. A decade it may have been, his vision blurring to the point he blinked and held back the flow, he remembered those dhows far too well to mistake them.
His eyes closed again, holding tight for a moment before looking back at the comrades sharing the long boat with him. Smiling with his famed, face engulfing smile he turned his view downstream again.
“Today, is a beautiful day,” the azure clad man softly admitted.
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Post by aden on Feb 25, 2007 10:52:29 GMT -5
Aden's gaze eventually left the Southern camp in the distance and scanned over the boat in from of him. Aside from a few gifted crates of supplies, there were about ten others seated along the leng of the craft. However, his eyes came to linger on the form of Chamir who was playing a sparse melody on his pipa. Although, the storyteller seemed to be far removed from the present.
Over the past few days, Aden couldn't help but notice the usually talkative man had become a bit more quiet. More reserved. At first Aden figured it was the after-effect of the last battle, but further observation made him realize that perhaps it was the meeting with the Southern Tribe warriors that had him so unnerved. He'd only started acting like that after Hissun had come back from his talk with the Earth Kingdom commander and informed the war party of its new mission.
The young waterbender let several possibilities for Chamir's unease bubble up in his mind. Perhaps he'd left dishonorably for some reason? The possibility of the slightly older man getting a bit too friendly with his chief's daughter came to mind and he couldn't help but smirk. Another possibility soon took its place, and Aden wondered if perhaps he'd refused to join the warriors when they left to fight? The thought had merit, but after seeing Chamir's readiness to join in battle just a tenday previoously, Aden didn't think that was the case.
Maybe he was just homesick, then? Aden wondered. Whatever the reason, he decided it was not his place to ask and he allowed Chamir his space. The war party was nearing its destination, and it seemed that they'd been noticed.
A ship made of bone and leather with blue sails had entered the mouth of the bay from the sea. It didn't head immediately for the Southern camp, though, and seemed to be making a bee-line right for the incoming war party. Aden swiveled his head around to look at the other boats to see what they were doing. Hissun was standing tall on the next boat over to his left. He called out to the rest of the men steering the veseels, "All ahead Slow!" Aden gave a sight nod and decreased the force behind his bending.
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Post by ryota on Feb 25, 2007 23:45:23 GMT -5
The ships sat on the horizon for a lengthy amount of time, or at least long enough so the clamor of the men at the camp died down. The encamped warriors had earlier sent out a scout ship to ascertain just why the ships were there, what exactly their intentions were.
There were still a small number men perched by the water's edge, looking out at the small fleet of ships now being escorted to shore by one of their own. Far less than before, of course, since the majority of tribesmen had long since resumed their daily chores and activities.
Ryota, however, had no assigned chores that morning, and was in eager expectation to greet the visitors. Unlike the people watching the approaching boats, he sat by the opening of his tent, clinching some sand in his fist, then letting it fall from the spaces between his fingers down to the ground, doing so just to pass the time. Doing it over and over, he was fading in and out of this humdrum activity, waiting ever more so for the arrival of those strange visitors that everyone was talking.
Bored, he slid back into his tent, only his bare feet sticking out and resting on the sands. He moved his headband over his eyes to prevent the sun from shining on them, which caused his messy hair to slump forward into his face partly. He then rested his head on his palms and crossed his feet, the right one over the left.
It wasn't long before he heard the same clamor he had heard earlier that morning, jolting his from his rest. Moving his cobalt headband from his left eye, he saw, other than the tent across from his, the rest of the warriors moving across the front of his tent, rushed to greet someone. The time he was awaiting had indeed come.
Rising from his tent too quickly, he stumbled and fell into the sand, as he does often. He swiftly rose again, shook off the sand covering his front, and followed some other men to the place where the sailless boats had parked themselves in the shallows, eager to greet whom he had quickly learned to be his Northern Water Tribe kinsmen.
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Post by chamir on Feb 26, 2007 1:04:16 GMT -5
Under escort of the incoming dhow, the four longboat flotilla drifted further downstream towards the Southern war camp. Ponderous glances and incredulous hinting smiles were thrown back and forth by the Northern and Southern warriors, the reunion between the two polar tribes being rather sedated as they continued.
Ceasing his playing and furtively looking downwards or away from his natal tribe, Chamir ignored them all. Uncertain if anyone was able to recognize him as they came closer to shore. Begrudgingly he looked upwards as the flotilla neared the war camp’s surf. The sedated demeanor of everyone bubbling into a clamor as the Southern men began gathering along the shore line. Hearty shouts, cheers and waves to greet a welcome for the Northerners. As they came ashore, boots jumping into the surf, Chamir quickly turned from the onlookers to wipe a sleeve across his face before grabbing at a side of the longboat to bring it further ashore. He kept his head downwards during the task. Not wanting to try and pick out members from the crowd. Seeing who was and was not among them, how some of the adults aged and how different those he somewhat grew up with changed.
Shoulder nudging Aden next to him, Chamir smirked, “do not worry,” as they shuffled the longboat ashore, “my people are not as loquacious.”
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Post by ryota on Feb 26, 2007 14:40:59 GMT -5
While the longboats were pulled ashore by their respective passengers, Ryota ran up to welcome the visitors, cheering and waving like most everyone else, an joyous expression on his rounded face.
Laughter and smiles swept across the two tribes as they commingled. Two tribesmen would greet each other by grasping their hand around the area above the other's lower forearm as a brotherly greeting. Ryota would also throw in an occasional bear hug. He was indeed thrilled to finally see some new faces, let alone other fellow Water Tribe members.
Strangely, he couldn't help but notice, if even for a moment, one man who seemed to not only separate himself from the crowd, but also make attempts to hide his face. For whatever reason, the man caught his eye for that split-second, perhaps because he looked so familiar. He couldn't place his finger on it, but he had definitely seen that man some place at some time before in his lifetime.
But what did Ryota know? To him, all of them were total and complete strangers.
His attention on the one tribesman, however, was quickly broken by the commotion from the two tribes' interchange of greetings, in which he, too, was swept up again. He quickly resumed his prior activity, joining in the jovial commotion between the two warrior crowds.
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Post by aden on Feb 26, 2007 17:20:14 GMT -5
Aden had managed to stay out of the fray of greetings for a few moments longer than most. He'd stayed behind the crowd of his bretheren and helped haul the longboats ashore using his bending to deposit them on land with far-reaching waves. Though even after completing that minor chore, he still took his time in joining the reunion. He was barely half the age of most of the men in his own war party to begin with, and now that they had joined up with their sister tribe, he felt even more out of place. These Southern Tribesmen seemed to be hardened veterans all. He felt like a novice among them; a boy playing soldier...
At that point, however, Chamir had nudged Aden to get his attention and said, “Do not worry my people are not as loquacious.” Aden huffed a quiet laugh and allowed himself a small smirk.
"I should hope not," he replied after a moment's thought, "Or else it'll be nightfall by the time everyone has exhausted their supply of witty banter."
A sudden blast of sound coming what sounded to be a conch shell rose over the din of the two tribes and brought the greetings to a pause. The Southern Tribesman seemed to part like bending water for the arrival of what Aden assumed to be their leader. Standing on his tip toes to look over the shoulders of the gathered men, he could see a man of tall stature and strong features making his way through the throng. He also noticed that Hissun and his two Lieutenants had also come to the forefront of the gathering in order to recieve the commander.
Seeing them stand side by side, Aden was a bit shocked by the similarity between Hissun and this man. The war chief of the North was a bit older and his hair had more snow than stone, as the expression went, but they shared the same general features. If Hissun wore his hair in a wolftail and sidebraids, it would have been like looking into the future of the Southerner.
"Greetings, brothers," HIssun began, bowing slightly to the other warrior, "I am War Chief Hissun of the Northern Tribe. My men and I have come to aid the war effort. We were informed that a group of warriors from the Southern Tribe has been guarding this bay and we seek to help in whatever way we can." He paused briefly and smiled warmly, "And I could not pass up the opportunity to reunite our long-separated tribes." A small cheer passed through both groups of warriors and the leader of the Southerners smiled.
"I am Hakoda," he replied once the noise had quieted. Hakoda offered a bow of his own before continuing, "Your help will be greatly appreciated, as will your company. Welcome to our camp." The two leaders strode forward and clasped forearms in an informal greeting, and once more, the informal reunion began.
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Post by kavik on Feb 26, 2007 17:41:47 GMT -5
For several weeks now, Kavik has been on the sea
The son of Shona, the northern fisherman, ran from home. Or rather selfishly ran from his own wedding. He took his satchel, food, clothes, a map and his buffalodeer, Denali. Kavik left his northern lifestyle and his family to find Hoji, the only man, that he has any real attactment. The only man that Kavik loved.
For weeks, Kavik has been stopping at various islands and coasts, to stock up and let Denali stretch his legs. Kavik's plan was simple, He will moor his fishing rig. The Winter Sun, on to the cost prefferable near, Chamelon Bay and continue his trek to Ba Sing Se on Denali. To Kavik it was a lot more effecient.
"Drat I think I'm lost now...Hey I Denali? Do you know where we are?" The fisherboy ask his mount. Denali made noise that sounded like elk bugle. "I take that as a no. According to the sun's postion which is facing North by Northwest...so if I'm right we should be facing the bay, We'll be entering in it tonight." Denali munch on his oats as he was tethered and cover with a sealskin blanket. Ignoring his masters inane babble.
Kavik looked up from his maps and compass. And looked ahead, he would enter the bay tonight. Well later at least.It was sometime after meridian or noon the clears skies promise another quiet night. Kavik was sitting at the wheel looking at a few maps as well as his compass to check his postion. Kavik looked up again. The though he saw something on the horizon. Shore oviously. But is that fire? Kavik was hesitent. He didn't know what was on Chamelon bay. Most of what he knew of the sea and navigation was from his lessons with his father. He taught everything, but not what was on the shore of Chamelon bay.
Kavik furrowed his brows, he was feeling aphrensive, Why?
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Post by chamir on Feb 26, 2007 21:11:09 GMT -5
Chamir’s feet shuffled nervously in the sand as his eyes looked anywhere but the faces of his natal kin as the reunion began again. There was no use in separating or hiding himself again as he swallowed.
Suddenly, from the ranks of the Southern Tribe, a man strode through most of the line, pacing his way towards Chamir’s direction. Whether out of his peripheral vision or looking downwards he knew that gait. Touching down lightly, brief enough to gain a footing, before rising as if the foot settled there too long it would sink. The same gait as when he walked on snow, now walking on sand in much the same manner. The boots came to a stop before him, his own eyes began looking upwards but turning away chest height.
Meekly, a calloused hand cradled his lower jaw, gingerly turning it Chamir’s face. Gently a thumb attached to each cheek. A tear pelted one as the calloused hands cuffed his face. Lifting it up, tilting it down in observation. A decade… a decade of change, of being a man and yet those hands took that away. Feeling like a child, yet having no shame at an almost forgotten touch. Nor could a decade of aging could entirely erase that familiar face from Chamir’s mind, despite crows feet, wrinkles and a few hidden strands of graying hair. Dropping from his face the hands clasped his shoulders. Stronger than he would have expected them to, giving Chamir’s body a slight shake. Confirming he was real.
“My son,” closed eyes withheld water, “my son,” s a hereditary face engulfing smile hid them. “I am Jamil Osahar!” he proudly announced.
“My father,” a stream flooding down his face, “I am Chamir Chandrakant Osahar!” before he was pulled in an embrace.
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Post by ryota on Feb 27, 2007 0:56:33 GMT -5
Within minutes, Ryota found himself pulled into a friendly tete-a-tete of mixed company, with a couple of North Pole natives. "Hello! I'm Ryota." he said to his two Northern Water Tribe peers, extending his hand toward the one standing closest to him, the one on his right.
"Tsai. It's...nice...to meet you", the young man replied rather indifferently, hesitantly grasping Ryota's plump forearm, clenching unenthusiastically, and letting go as soon as possible to resume crossing his arms. A slight confused smirk on his face, Ryota figured the young man was a bit...how does one put it...antisocial?
Disregarding this, he turning the the one facing him more directly and exchanged a smile. He hoped for a more genial reaction from this other tribesman, though it wouldn't be the end of the world if he too were unfriendly. Incedentally, this one was smiling. It was a good sign, at least. He extended his arm to the man.
Suddenly, interrupting things, he caught a glance of Jamil, a member of his own tribe, in an emotional reuniting. Turning more so to get a better look with his arm still reaching out, his cerulean eyes widening in stark realization. That was when it struck him. That was Jamil's son, whom Ryota had known during his childhood, yet had never been particularly close friends with due to the five-year age difference between the two. It could more accurately be said that he knew of him rather than saying that he truly knew him.
He couldn't even quite remember the man's name. Najir? No...Kamal?...Charmy? That one is just stupid... At once remembering the name, he snapped his fingers and mouthed the word "Chamir".
Ryota turned back to the two warriors, noting that the more unfriendly of the two had sauntered off for no apparent reason while the remaining one had a confused look on his face. Scratching the back of his head and smiling nervously, Ryota claimed "Sorry...I...thought I heard something?"
A pitiful excuse, considering the beach was abuzz with various sounds of socializing Water Tribe members.
The other young warrior smiled graciously and clasped Ryota's forearm. His docile, friendly voice replying "Cheung. I look forward to getting to know you and your buddies better while we're here." Ryota smiled again and loosed his grip, letting his thick, hairy arm fall back to his side. The two went their seperate ways, Ryota going toward the long-lost member from his hometown, Chamir.
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Post by aden on Feb 27, 2007 17:26:34 GMT -5
Aden made it a point to stay on the edge of the crowd in the following minutes. His plan to stay near Chamir through the greetings was thrown out when a man, apparently the storyteller's father, had come to embrace him. Aden felt uncomfortable bearing witness to such an emotional moment and had decided to give Chamir his space.
A few times as he circumvented the majority of the warriors, one of them would call out a greeting and he would oblige them with a response in turn. He was even stopped once by a man who seemed surprised by his age. They shook hands and the man remarked that Aden seemed a little young to be fighting for a living. The young waterbender replied stoically, "If I'm old enough to take a wife, I'm old enough to take a life..." The Southern tribesman raised an eyebrow at the response, but didn't respond. Instead he patted Aden on the shoulder and went about his way.
From there, Aden began walking slowly towards the heart of the camp in order to look over the set-up of the Southern Tribe's operation.
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Post by kavik on Feb 27, 2007 17:50:20 GMT -5
"Well looks like someone already landed on shore, I heard rumors of other waterfolk that is positioned here, still I feel like I'm going to be an awkward guest." Kavik rolled up his maps and headed down below to but them back in a northern cedar chest where the rest of the maps and guides. He sighed as he threw the maps in the chest, remembering his uncles carving the chest with this father. A funny feeling lingered in Kavik. Was it regret?
Kavik when back up took with him a spy glass. Some of the older fishermen had them from the summer trades. When his father and the older ones went way south and fished. Some brought back trinkets. Kavik's uncle Arrluk brought back a simple spyglass, which he gave to Kavik many years ago. A little battered it still served it purpose.
"I see something ahead, it looks like a camp alright. Definatly watertribe. We should proceed slowly, we gotta make sure that we're not foes righ Denali?" Kavik looked at his mount, the buffalodeer snorted as Kavik adjusted the sails and began to enter the bay
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Post by chamir on Feb 27, 2007 18:54:34 GMT -5
Momentarily his father pulled back, lower lip trembling. Opening and closing his mouth a few times. Shaking his head as no words came forth.
Chamir wiped a hand across his face. “A long story,” a long story was the measure of what Chamir managed to say to his father. From his departure to Kyoshi Island to his departure from it, to the journey towards the North and the events that led him here. A decades worth of days compressed to so small a sentence.
His father smiled, nodding at an answer acceptable enough to suit him for now. The embraced his son again.
Afterwards the wayward Southerner, Chamir, was able to hold his head up eye level to everyone around him. His father personally introduced him to a few of the other men from Chamir’s childhood followed by some of the children he grew up with who had become men in their own turn after his departure.
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Post by ryota on Feb 27, 2007 22:28:53 GMT -5
Slowly and casually heading in their general direction, Ryota noticed the reunited father and son walk elsewhere after hearing Chamir say, “A long story,” These two men of the Osahar family walked away before Ryota was even three yards from them, causing him to stop in his tracks, seeing as how he had no important reason to continue any further. He also figured Jamil would re-introduce his son to Ryota, as he probably would to all the other Southern Water Tribe members he once knew.
After standing barefoot in the sand and twaddling his toes for a second or two, he turned back from his location and headed back to his tent. The large crowd he trudged through wasn't exactly the best place for one to be without shoes, as either foot could be stepped on at any given moment. Ryota himself wouldn't care all too much if his feet were stepped on, but he decided to take the precaution anyway.
While he strode to his tent, he accidentally and predictably bumped into two or three people. Understandably so, considering the crowd of this magnitude and how inattentive the twenty-year-old warrior tends to be. It was no big deal. Not like those he bumped into snapped at him or anything. He reached his tent and ducked around its right side, reaching for his brown boots that lay with his other belongings, then immediately afterward moving back to his tent to sit at its front. Dusting the sand caked on his feet as well as that which was wedged between his toes, he began the minor struggle of sliding his legs into the knee-high leather boots.
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Post by aden on Mar 1, 2007 11:54:16 GMT -5
Standing in the middle of two rows of cerulean blue tents, Aden was casually absorbing the scope of the Southern Tribe's forces. There were ten tents making up the rows with a larger tent at the far end that served as a command center, he supposed. In all liklihood there probably weren't more than 30-something warriors in the camp; 40 tops. And having counted a total of 4 ships, that put the Southern Warriors at a force almost identical to that of the Northern war party... not counting benders, of course.
The young bender took note of a rather hefty young man breaking away from the crowd and disappearing into his tent, but he let his gaze wander a moment later. Several clusters of warriors were beginning to break off from the group and wander towards the campsite. Hissun was among them, walking beside Hakoda and supposedly recieving a briefing on the situation as the Southerners have come to know it. Aden made his way to the side of the alley between the rows of tents to let them pass by unobstructed, which put him near the tent of the larger young man who was now working on sliding his feet into a pair of high boots.
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