When the celebration ended with songs and dances, I performed songs from my past life, and we ended up sleeping past midnight.
When everyone finally woke up, tired and groggy after noon, I gathered them at the center of the tribe. I decided to wear my new clothes and the cloak they made for me-this would be my first decree, and I intended to do it properly.
"First of all, good morning to everyone," I said, looking at the small crowd. "I know this village holds countless memories and experiences that you all cherish dearly. However, we can't ignore reality."
Their expressions shifted from attentive to uncertain, almost as if they sensed what I was about to say.
"This place is lacking in many ways. The land, located just meters from the sea, offers us poor defense against ships and enemy attacks, as well as for food production," I said clearly, laying out the points I had meticulously studied for this. "The gardens and greenhouses work thanks to the soil I bring from elsewhere, because there simply isn't enough here. Likewise, our so-called 'walls'-just mounds of compressed snow-don't protect us from the harsh freezing winds that hit us daily."
"What do you suggest we do?" asked one woman, seeing I paused for a long moment.
"We move," I replied calmly while analyzing their reactions.
Some were full of disbelief, surprise, and reluctance.
"What are you saying? We can't do that!"
Unsurprisingly, the one who said this with hostility was Katara.
"We can't leave our tribe. This is our home," she retorted.
"We don't have a choice. If we stay here, we risk losing our food supply or our lives," I lied confidently; I knew perfectly well this place could endure at least five more years without issue.
"Even if that's true, we have nowhere to go. It would take too long to build another village and homes," Tiga said, clearly concerned.
Katara and several women nodded in agreement.
"The new village is already built and equipped. It's not perfect, but it's safer and more stable than here."
They were shocked by my words.
"When did you do that?"
"I started building it four days ago and finished yesterday at dawn. With my waterbending, the work was really fast."
"Even if you've already built it, we're not leaving!" Katara shouted angrily.
"We will move. As chief of this tribe, it's my duty to see and decide based on the benefit of my people. That's why I'm telling you: we're going."
"No! Mom lived here all her life-we can't just leave like she didn't matter!"
"Katara!"
She flinched at my commanding shout.
"This is for the good of the tribe. If Mom were here, she'd support me in this. And all the memories you have of her in this place won't be lost or mean less just because we move. You can't let that guide your decisions."
Katara shrank under my angry gaze. I saw how she pressed her lips together, holding back her words.
"Those in favor of the move, raise your hands. But remember: this decision must be made with wisdom, with your head-not emotions or your heart."
Every word I said was carefully chosen to make them hesitate. I knew they didn't want to move, but by making them think, I got them to see things my way.
This place wasn't safe from enemy attacks, and invoking Kya had the desired effect. She died because the ships of the southern invaders destroyed the pathetic excuse for a wall that Hakoda and the others had built. If they were reasonable, they'd make the right decision.
After a few minutes of thought, they began raising their hands-one by one, decisively-including Gran Gran, forming about 80% of the tribe.
The rest who voted against it included only Katara and a few others. Their reasons were expected: attachment to memories, worries about the return of the men, and what would happen to the graves of the deceased.
I let them voice their concerns and feelings, interrupting only when they finally finished.
"We'll leave in two hours, so eat and pack your things. Prepare transport and a way to carry the deceased."
While I was tending to the caribou, Katara intercepted me.
"We can't go, Sokka!"
"We can, and we will," I said, continuing to walk.
"No, we can't! This is where Mom lived-we can't just abandon her! We can't forget her!"
Her words about Kya felt indifferent to me-they didn't even stir a single emotion.
"We're not forgetting or abandoning her. But we can't stop moving forward and living better lives just because you don't want to leave. Understand that this is about more than just one person's feelings."
"I don't care if-"
"Enough!" I interrupted harshly. "We're moving to a safer place, and that's final. I'm the tribal chief, and the people already voted. We're going."
The anger in my voice was clear to anyone nearby, and Katara only looked at me with a frustrated and sad expression, knowing she had done wrong but unsure how to apologize.
"Now go eat and then pack your things. I made breakfast before the meeting-just go to the dining hall and they'll serve you."
I said calmly as I patted her on the head.
She just looked away and left without saying another word.
I went to the small stables and gathered all the polar bear dogs and leopard-caribou of the tribe to harness them for sleds.
With waterbending, I made snow carriages. Instead of wheels, they had a large sled base. Each could carry five people and their belongings. I hoped at least thirteen would be enough.
In a large ice chest, I stored all the food supplies and crops to take with us.
I placed Horn and Hoof on the first sled, along with four polar bear dogs. They would lead, since they knew the way.
An hour later, as the women brought out all their belongings, I helped them load everything with ease.
Standing before the graves, I knelt and, using waterbending, manipulated the ice and snow around the bodies and froze them into blocks of compressed snow, preventing them from being visible.
I secured them with ice hooks and tied them with rope, attaching them to the sled I would ride in-the last one-so I could watch over from the rear.
"It's time to go."
They nodded as the sled-carriages started moving, following the lead sled.
The journey was peaceful and uneventful. Halfway there, we saw the decades-old abandoned ship.
"Since when have those mountains been there?" asked Gran Gran.
When I heard her words and looked at the walls, I leapt between the sleds until I reached her.
"That's not a mountain or anything natural. Those are the walls I built."
My words carried a hint of arrogance I didn't even bother to hide.
"How did you build a wall that big?" Kanna asked, incredulous.
"Well, it was a full moon. And trust me, moving and freezing large bodies of water is easier than it looks. At least for me," I said with a grin. "And you haven't even seen the inside yet."
When we reached the great gate and entered:
"That big cabin is the communal house. In it, all the older women who want to can live. It's designed for at least twenty of you. I made it so you can be together and not feel alone. It's equipped with a bathroom, a hearth, and something I call 'beds,'" I said with a smile.
The elder women exchanged glances for a few seconds before finally agreeing to live together, leaving only a couple and Gran Gran with individual homes.
"Everyone else can choose whichever house you want-except those three," I said, pointing to one large cabin and two medium-sized ones. "The big one is Gran Gran's, and the others are Katara's and mine."
"We're not living together with Gran Gran?" Katara asked, surprised.
"Nope. You can go with her if you want. In general, having our own houses gives us peace and space for our things. Though I made Gran Gran's house bigger so we can still spend time with her," I said with a playful smile.
"I'll help you all unload your things, and by nightfall, we'll have a banquet that I'll prepare."
Everyone began settling into their new homes, organizing rooms and beds for their young children.
In the communal and other cabins, fireplaces and chimneys were lit. The warmth quickly spread through the homes, and the granite floors warmed comfortably.
They were excited and deeply moved by the warmth. Words like "my joints feel better" echoed everywhere.
I let them settle in and started storing the food and seeds I had brought.
The meat went to the cold storage, while vegetables and seeds went to the greenhouses.
I took shrimp, spices, vegetables, and seafood to prepare the grand dinner.
I made stewed shrimp and various seafood stews, and a near-perfect attempt at food from my past life. Everything was prepared using the new ovens and grills I'd built.
When night came, I made a large ice table and raised a firm ice ceiling using waterbending. This time, the drain on my spiritual energy was practically zero due to minimal use.
I covered the chairs with padded furs and began serving dishes as my cloak waved in the wind.
When the women finally sat down in their finest clothes, I gave a short speech.
"—I know that change can be difficult," I said as I looked at them calmly. "I know that leaving behind something we know can hurt… but all of this has a purpose. And that purpose was to improve the quality of life for all of you."
"—I don't want you to think this change erases who we were. On the contrary. This new village is the result of everything we've endured, everything we've learned… and everything we're still capable of building."
"—I know that recovering what we lost will take time. That becoming a great tribe once more won't happen overnight. But I'm certain we'll achieve it. Because here, now, I see determination. I see a desire to move forward."
"—The war has taken so much from us—some more than others. But that doesn't mean we should remain where we are. I promise you, our time to rise has come. And we are not alone, or broken. We are alive. We are together."
"—And if there's one thing I'm sure of… it's that this people has more willpower than most would ever dare to imagine."
They cheered, and I saw a few shed quiet tears. I've never been good at speeches, but this one seemed to strike the right chord.
That night, we ate with joy and enjoyed a happy evening.
I had one year to improve this place even just a little, to prepare myself more than ever-and that's exactly what I intend to do.
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That's the end of today's chapter, dear readers. The next chapter will begin the canon storyline with a time skip.