Tanza
It took them almost a week for the journey to carry them across the open ocean to the glacial continent of the Southern Water Tribe. The flight was long and grueling. Periodically, Master Kelsang had to let Juun dive low, gliding right above the ocean surface so the massive sky bison could ride the sea drafts and rest his airbending muscles during the peak noon hours. Beside them, little Hachi skimmed the cresting waves, his tiny paws splashing against the cold brine as he mimicked his elder.
About midway through the flight, the tropical winds faded completely, replaced by a biting, sub-zero draft that rolled off the distant southern ice shelf.
The cold was sharp enough to freeze a person's breath instantly, but Tanza didn't reach for heavy furs. Instead, she and her master closed their eyes and adjusted their posture in the saddle. They began internalizing their breathing, utilizing the ancient Air Nomad technique to warm the air inside their lungs and circulate the heat throughout their bodies.
For Tanza, regulating her internal temperature was a matter of basic technique. By focusing her airbending inward to accelerate the movement of air within her body, she kept her blood circulating perfectly against the freezing wind.
As she opened her eyes, the endless blue ocean finally gave way to towering, ancient icebergs. In the distance, rising from the stark white horizon, the dark ice-brick walls of Wolf Cove finally came into view.
As Juun soared over the final crest of massive, jagged icebergs, the capital of the Southern Federation finally revealed itself against the endless white plains.
From high in the sky, Wolf Cove did not look like its grand northern sister. Instead, Tanza observed a sprawling, unorganized settlement built directly into a crescent-shaped bay of dark stone and deep blue glacial ice.
Her eyes tracked the semi-circular defensive wall made of ancient, packed snow-bricks hugging the perimeter. It was visibly weathered by centuries of harsh blizzards, stained gray by sea salt and woodsmoke. At irregular intervals along the barrier, small watchtowers shaped like crouching wolves looked out over the frozen tundra, though her calculated gaze noted that many of them sat entirely empty in the morning light.
Inside the walls, the town presented a chaotic mix of lifestyles. At its center stood the heart of the city: a cluster of large, multi-tiered communal halls sculpted from translucent, dark blue ice that glowed faintly in the pale arctic sun. According to her master, these structures housed the Council of Elders and the central trading markets.
Surrounding these grand ice halls, however, the city fractured into a decentralized layout. The empty spaces between the permanent ice buildings were filled with a maze of temporary shelters—domed igloos, stretched-hide tents supported by massive whale-rib bones, and small, low-slung stone huts insulated with thick blocks of peat and moss. Wisps of dark smoke drifted from the roofs of hundreds of chimneys, filling the chilly air with a heavy scent of burning blubber and roasted seal meat that reached all the way up to the saddle.
The most active part of the capital was the harbor, and Tanza immediately focused her attention there to gauge their maritime strength. The docks were constructed from heavy, dark volcanic stone hauled from distant islands, completely reinforced by thick sheets of waterbent river ice to withstand the crushing tides.
Dozens of vessels were moored along the piers, but to Tanza's discerning eye, the fleet clearly exposed the South's greatest strategic struggle. There were no towering wooden warships or massive iron merchant vessels.
Instead, the harbor was choked with light, nimble catamarans, hollowed-out hide canoes, and medium-sized fishing boats built from a fragile mix of imported driftwood, whalebone frames, and tightly stitched seal skins. To someone who understood global logistics, it was a fleet completely unequipped for true naval conflict.
On the ice-slicked docks below, she watched hundreds of figures wrapped in heavy blue parka furs moving efficiently through their morning routines. By the looks of it, traders from distant, isolated ice villages were unloading heavy bundles of mammoth-caribou pelts, barrels of whale oil, and delicate white ivory carvings, rushing to barter them at the central market before the upcoming winter storms locked the harbor tight.
'An Inuit culture…' Tanza lightly mused in her thoughts as Master Kelsang directed Juun to fly down toward the harbor, with little Hachi trailing faithfully beside him.
She looked at the bustling crowds below. 'They certainly dress the part, and they live the part.'
She let herself smile a bit with quiet humor. It was a fascinating realization. She had previously asked her master what life was truly like down at the South Pole, and Kelsang had given her a simple, straightforward explanation. The female master had explained that while the Southern Tribe was loosely related to the great kingdom up north by many centuries of migration, they maintained their own distinct traditions, among a few other unique societal habits.
Tanza had already formed her own strong guesses that they would possess a culture exactly like this—hardy, resourceful, and deeply adapted to the brutal environment.
As Juun caught a final downward gust of wind, his massive shadow swept over the stone piers, drawing the immediate attention of the fur-clad dockworkers below. The great beast let out a deep, echoing low that bounced off the high walls of dark ice, signaling their official arrival at the heart of the Southern Federation.
But as Juun smoothly touched down on the stone docks, Tanza's attention was instantly pulled away from the bustling crowds. From her high vantage point atop the large saddle, she caught sight of another sky bison and a small calf resting inside a large ice structure situated right near the edge of the harbor.
The stable itself was completely circular and dome-shaped. If anything, the structure immediately reminded Tanza of an old aircraft hangar, only entirely sculpted from thick, reinforced glacial ice. It was impressively designed, built large enough to comfortably house a few fully grown sky bison and keep them sheltered from the freezing, harsh winds during the brutal arctic nights.
But the architecture was beside the main point. The presence of the massive beasts meant one undeniable truth: she and Master Kelsang were not the only airbenders currently visiting the South Pole.
Not to say that was a bad thing, of course. If anything, her mind immediately began to run through the possibilities. Air Nomads rarely traveled in large groups unless there was a specific, diplomatic reason. A curious gleam lit up her eyes as she adjusted her robes, deeply wondering exactly who these other airbenders were and what business had brought them all the way to the edge of the southern world.
The moment Juun's massive paws settled onto the dark rock, a stout, broad-shouldered man wrapped in a heavy, grease-stained blue parka stepped forward from the bustling crowd. He carried a heavy wooden ledger strapped with whale-hide, a large bone stylus tucked behind his ear. His face was weathered entirely leather-brown by the harsh arctic salt-winds.
The man himself took a quick sight of her master's face, a shadow of recognition passed along his features, before he softly smiled. "Greetings Kelsang, it's been a while." the harbor master called out, his voice a gruff, booming rumble. He gave a short, practical nod of his head.
'Make sense he'd know master Kelsang.' Tanza mentally noted, 'He holds the position as the harbor master afterall…' She mused.
"Also good to see Juun looking healthy." He gestured to where the other Bison were, "We've got space in the eastern dome hangar for both beasts." He faced her once more as she hopped down from Juun's head, "The wind is scheduled to pick up hard by nightfall, so you'll want them under the ice before the frost sets in." He warned with a calm look and small smile.
Kelsang, after having hopped down from Juun's head, landed with an effortless, feather-light grace that contrasted sharply with the heavy, thumping boots of the dockworkers around them. She offered the man a soft smile, "Thank you, Harbor Master Binak." She chuckled warmly. "It is good to be back in the Cove."
While the two adults talked about how things have been between them for the past years, Tanza hopped out from the saddle and landed with a soft breeze below her feet to cushion her landing; her small boots hit the stone with a soft thump at the end, before her eyes glanced around.
If anything, these people looked like they needed some better import of wood, but given the fact that she saw many ice structures, and that they have water benders among them, she imagined they might have the ability to make water into ice.
If that was so, then that made it easier and near limitless for them to build homes and structures, judging by the looks of the many ice homes.
She quickly focused her attention back to the conversation between Kelsang and Binak. "-and the council halls are open if you're looking for the elders," the harbor master added, gesturing with his thumb toward the multi-tiered dark blue ice structures rising at the center of the town. "Though fair warning, Chief Sineq of the western ridge is currently arguing with Chief Bili about fishing territories, so it's a bit rowdy in there today." He chuckled a bit, before speaking again, "If you need a quiet place to settle your things, the visitor quarters behind the marketplace are completely cleared."
While Tanza kept her expression calm, her mind noted the passing information Binak informed her master with. 'A decentralized leadership, with active internal territorial disputes…' she internally noted, all the while she smoothed down her robes against the freezing breeze, before she took a cursory glance down the snow pathway leading deep into the central part of Wolf Cove. 'An incredibly vulnerable political structure…' She narrowed her eyes, before she relaxed them and looked elsewhere.
'If an invading force chose to strike, they wouldn't even need to fight a unified front…' Tanza took a good look at all the boats that were not even worthy of being feasibly able to defend against a naval battle. 'They could simply exploit the friction between the chiefs.'
While Binak helped Kelsang guide their bison toward the stable, the general atmosphere of the harbor remained loud and busy. The air was filled with the deep voices of men talking, the heavy grunts of dockworkers heaving large packages and crates of food, and the distant, rhythmic sound of ice being chipped away somewhere along the piers.
But that heavy harbor noise was abruptly shattered by a high-pitched, incredibly familiar gasp.
"Tanza?!"
Tanza quickly snapped her gaze in the direction of the voice. A few buildings down the snowy pathway leading to the center of the city, she spotted the familiar face of Yoko. Her fellow six-year-old peer from the Western Temple was standing there with a look of pure excitement on her face, her small hands clenched tightly into fists of pure joy.
"It really is you!" Yoko rejoiced, her eyes bright.
Without a moment of hesitation, she began jogging over.
"I knew it! I told Master Pema I heard a bison lowing at the docks!" Yoko giggled to herself, fast approaching Tanza with an abundant, restless energy and a massive, cheerful smile lighting up her face.
Meanwhile, from around the corner of the ice building where Yoko had just been standing, a few more girls emerged wrapped in heavy, blue-furred clothes. They watched with immediate curiosity as Yoko jogged away, and it didn't take long for the younger Water Tribe girls in the group to trail right after her. The older ones followed at a more measured pace, trailed behind by two of the eldest of the group—two mature girls who looked to be in their late teens.
Before Tanza could fully analyze the new arrivals, Yoko finally reached her and instantly engulfed her fellow temple sister in a massive, breathless hug. Tanza stood steady and allowed the physical affection, bracing her small frame against the sudden impact.
"It's been what, a few weeks? A month or two since we last saw each other?!" Yoko asked excitedly.
She finally stepped back just enough to look at Tanza, her expression full of joy as she gestured toward the group of newcomers.
Tanza mentally thought of how long it had been, and by her estimate… "About a month and a week." Tanza replied smoothly, with a quirk of a small smile, "It wasn't too long since we last saw each other." She reasoned for her temple sister.
Yoko blinked, her hands still resting on Tanza's shoulders as she tried to process the hyper-specific answer. "Uh... right! See, I knew it was around a month!" She giggled at the end, finally retracting her hands.
"Hey!" Yoko caught herself a second later, quickly stepping aside to gesture toward the Water Tribe girls who were walking over to meet the new airbender. "I almost forgot to introduce everyone! I made some friends here!"
The first two girls reached them first. They looked to be older than both Tanza and Yoko by one or two years, and both offered friendly, curious smiles.
"Hello!" the younger of the two greeted politely.
"Hi!" the next one chimped in immediately afterward, her tone significantly louder and much more excited.
Tanza offered them a cordial, practiced smile and gave a small wave back, her eyes instantly assessing their features.
"These are Nalu and Renu," Yoko explained, gesturing first to the quieter one and then to her louder sibling. Tanza estimated their ages to be somewhere around eight and ten years old. "They just started learning more of their waterbending from their mom!"
'So they are sisters, then. Easy enough to deduce', Tanza thought silently, filing the information away.
The next two girls were significantly older. One looked to be about eleven or twelve, while the eldest was definitely in her young teens, around thirteen or fourteen. They finished their approach with a quick, light jog before stopping right in front of the younger girls to greet them.
"So, this is Tanza?" the younger of the two remarked, her eyes observing Tanza's features with a welcoming smile. "The one you said liked to spend her entire recess practicing her airbending?"
Yoko quickly responded with an enthusiastic, "Yup!" to which Tanza noted.
'Of course my peers would gossip about me…' She internally grimaced, but kept a polite look on her exterior.
The girl gave Tanza a friendly nod. "Well, it's a pleasure then, Tanza. I'm Kunei!" she greeted, palming her heavy, coated chest with a thick, mittened hand.
The eldest girl standing right beside her simply crooked a relaxed, confident grin. She lifted her palm up in a casual wave. "And I'm Tinni," she added simply.
The final two girls were the absolute eldest of the bunch that Yoko had managed to make friends with.
As they finally caught up and reached the group, Yoko enthusiastically gestured toward them with a wide sweep of her arm. "And those two are Lohoni and Zetida!" she chirped, triumphantly finishing the rounds of introductions.
The two eldest girls stepped fully into the circle. Tanza's gaze instantly registered the difference in how they carried themselves compared to the younger children.
Lohoni, who looked about sixteen-years-old, stood with a sharp, guarded posture. Her heavy winter parka was worn and bore the faint, distinct scent of ocean brine and sea-grease.
Beside her stood the eldest one, Zetida, who carried a quiet, natural air of authority; she looked at the newcomer with a calm, steady gaze.
"So you're the sharp one Yoko keeps talking about," Lohoni remarked, her voice a cool, direct rasp. She crossed her arms over her chest, casting a critical eye over Tanza's robes. "Must be nice, flying around on a giant beast all day while the rest of us are pulling nets out of the freezing salt."
With a soft smack of her mittened hand against Lohoni's arm, "Lohoni, be polite," Zetida chided gently, though her eyes held a warm, curious gleam as she looked down at the six-year-old airbender. She offered Tanza a respectful, measured nod. "Welcome to Wolf Cove, Tanza. My father mentioned a sky bison had cleared the harbor markers. We are honored to have Master Kelsang and her apprentice among us."
Tanza offered them all a polite nod of her head. "The pleasure is mine," she smoothly responded with a calm, practiced smile, before turning her focus back to her temple sister. "So, how long have you been here?" she asked.
Yoko answered in quick order, her tone practically bursting with excitement. "Oh, I think about a week!" she exuberantly answered, throwing her hands up. "Just wait till it's dinner time, Tanza! You have got to try the food here, it's—"
Before she could finish her thought and go off on a long ramble about arctic recipes, Lohoni let out a dry chuckle and stepped forward, interrupting the younger girl with a smirk. "Don't promise her too much, Yoko. It's mostly just blubber stew and dried meat this time of year. Unless your friend here likes the taste of grease, she's in for a surprise."
Zetida shook her head at Lohoni's bluntness, then looked back at Tanza and Master Kelsang, who made her way over after putting Juun and Hachi into the stable. "If you are ready, I can guide you up to the visitor quarters to drop off your traveling gear. My father and the other village chiefs are still in the middle of their morning council, but they should be wrapped up by the time you're settled."
Kelsang on the other hand looked down at the seventeen-year-old girl, her eyes crinkled with a humorous grin. "Well, look at you, Zetida, being all mature." Kelsang remarked, her voice full of affection. "The last time I saw you, you barely reached my waist. My, how much you've grown!"
Zetida's face instantly flushed a bright, embarrassed red. She reached up to rub her mittened hand against the back of her head, completely losing her serious posture for a split second.
"Sheesh..." Zetida chuckled, looking up at Tanza's master with an awkward smile. "Well, of course I've grown, Master Kelsang! It's been ten years since your last visit!"
Before Kelsang could answer, Lohoni abruptly interjected, stepping up with a rugged, teasing grin. "Oi! Where's that fishing pole stick you promised me back then!?" she demanded playfully, crossing her arms. "It's been ten years for me, too, Miss Kelsang! I haven't forgotten about that bet!"
Kelsang let out one of her signature boisterous laughs, the deep sound echoing across the snowy docks. "Ah, Lohoni! I see your memory is just as sharp as your harpoons!"
The group finally began moving away from the busy harbor, stepping onto the wide, hard-packed snow trail that led deep into the heart of Wolf Cove.
Up ahead, Zetida and Lohoni walked on either side of Master Kelsang, excitedly catching up on everything that had transpired over the last decade. Zetida, the chieftain's daughter, proudly explained that she had been spending her years learning ancient traditions from her grandmother, diving deep into the nature of spirits while aggressively training her waterbending. She animatedly told Kelsang that she couldn't wait to show the Air Master exactly how far her skills had progressed.
Not to be outdone, Lohoni abruptly butted in with a rugged grin to steer the conversation toward her own triumphs. She insisted that Kelsang absolutely had to visit the harbor docks later to inspect her latest catch. With sweeping hand gestures, Lohoni boasted about a massive tundra-fish she had personally harpooned—a beast easily the size of her entire hide canoe—and how she had successfully dragged it up onto the ice with nothing but a line and the help of her father.
Master Kelsang let out a series of warm, boisterous chuckles between the two eager teenagers, nodding her head as she happily agreed to see both the waterbending display and the giant fish in short order.
Behind the adults, the younger group of girls formed a tight circle around Tanza as they walked. Yoko trotted happily on her right side, alongside the two excited waterbending sisters, Nalu and Renu, while the other two older girls flanked her left.
"So, what places did you visit?!" Yoko animitedly asked, leaning in close with wide, curious eyes as Tanza kept her measured pace. "Master Pema and I traveled all along the Earth Kingdom coast! Which way did you guys go?!"
Tanza paused, her adult mind instantly weighing the options of what to say, before she reasoned to answer. "We... made a few stops on our way here as well," Tanza responded calmly, keeping her tone completely neutral. "With the largest part of our temporary journey taking us to the Southern Air Temple."
Internally, she deliberately chose to filter her answer. She wasn't entirely sure if she needed or even wanted to tell a group of high-energy children that on their way to the pole, she and Kelsang had made a stop at a Fire Nation island, let alone that they had personally met Avatar Roku himself. Her reasoning told her that if she mentioned a detail of that magnitude right now, her peace and quiet would be utterly decimated, and she would be aggressively bombarded by a relentless storm of childish questions for the rest of the afternoon.
Some information was best left until after she got acquainted with the place and eased into a much better storytelling atmosphere. Right now, she simply did not need that exhaustion all day long.
Master Kelsang, however, completely betrayed her. The tall monk turned her head back while she walked with the oldest girls, offering her student a teasing, mischievous grin.
"Oh, don't be like that, Tanza," Kelsang called out playfully. "Go ahead and tell them we met Roku."
An abrupt chorus of sharp gasps instantly erupted among all the girls.
Lohoni interjected immediately, completely losing her tough, rugged hunter persona as she aggressively patted Kelsang's arm. "You met the Avatar?!" she demanded, her cheeks puffing out in slight childish indignation, her eyes suddenly shining like stars. "You can't just have your little one explain a story like that! You have to tell us what he was like!"
Zetida agreed right away, crossing her arms over her chest with a broad, knowing smirk. "Yeah, there is no way you're leaving that kind of thing for a little kid to explain."
Her carefully calculated plan for a quiet afternoon had been utterly dismantled by her own master in a single sentence. Now, the younger girls were already circling back toward her with completely breathless, hungry expressions, their wide eyes practically demanding a grand tale. Her silent plea for a boring, uneventful arrival had officially turned into a disaster, and they hadn't even reached the front doors of the visitor quarters yet.
Some battles, Tanza realized with a heavy internal sigh, simply could not be won.