Chapter Text
Hakoda rose at the crack of dawn, finding himself too restless to sleep through the golden light of morning despite the lingering weight of exhaustion dragging him down. He blinked away the bleary vision that plagued him as he shuffled out of his tent, leaving Bato still sound asleep in their shared cot after brief muffled partings and the sweetest press of a kiss to his lover’s brow. The camp was still quiet as many of the men were sound asleep with only a small handful of the early birds preparing the water for the daily chores, getting breakfast on the fires and tending to the animals.
He checked in with Alik as the older tribesman hauled buckets of water to boil in pots on the fire to prepare for the morning, offering the chief a nod of greeting in passing. Kela was just shuffling tiredly out of his and Tonuk’s shared tent as he stifled a yawn and gave Hakoda a small abrupt wave before being steered to work by Alik. He headed towards the end of camp where Sokka and Li’s tent was situated and noted the soft snores that could faintly be heard coming from inside. He approached the flaps and reached into the top most fold where he slipped his fingers inside to free the latch so he could reach his arm in further to release the rest of the fasteners. They slipped through the loops with a quick flick of his thumb and parted the hides. The noisy flatulence that came from Sokka was enough to half wake the sleeping wolf from his deep doze before he flopped his head back against the layers of furs. Hakoda wrinkled his nose at his son, but unlike Sokka whose canine nose had apparently gone blind to his own odors, the fire ferret that was curled up asleep on the wolf’s back was not so fortunate.
Li’s head perked up at the noise as his fur fluffed in displeasure. His tiny paws batted at his snout as the wolf let another one go, far noisier now and loud enough to wake Sokka completely as he coughed and snorted, seemingly disgusted with himself. There was a low growl that left the ferret’s chest before his bushy body turned on the wolf with a lightning fast lunge that latched onto his son’s back with teeth gripping the thicker scruff of his neck with an irate hiss and a loud startling screech.
Sokka yelped and leapt to his feet in a burst of panicked movement before blindly darting towards the opening of the tent that Hakoda had managed to unfasten enough for his pup to bound over and race into the camp, bucking and frantically running about to dislodge the aggressive fire ferret holding onto his fur for dear life.
The yelps and growls were loud enough to stir the sleeping occupants of the tents they raced past as the ferret screeched and seemed to latch on more firmly. His paws gripped tight to Sokka’s shoulders and neck as his bushy tail was tossed about the air like a signal flag of warning. The whimpers, howls and growls of alarm broke the silence of the calm morning as Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe soldiers alike started to vacate their tents in confused panic, stumbling about with sleepy eyed bewilderment as they tried to process what exactly was going on in front of them. Some of the Earth Kingdom men had brandished weapons in their haste to investigate only to pause with them tightly held in their fists when they realized the massive black wolf wasn’t attacking any of them. Hakoda rushed towards the pair as Li refused to be shaken off by Sokka’s desperate attempts as the wolf whimpered in whatever pleas he could muster to find freedom from the ferret’s ire.
General How had emerged from one of the tents and approached with a similar haste, daring to reach for the fire ferret to pry him off of Sokka’s back as Hakoda grabbed his son by his midsection and dragged him away from the Earth Kingdom man.
Li squirmed in How’s arms where the General cradled him firmly against his chest, his bared teeth turned on the larger man with a hiss of displeasure but the calming strokes of the general’s fingers through the ferret’s fur managed to abate some of the aggression as Li’s hackles were smoothed down. Sokka had shifted with his tail tucked between his legs to hide his massive bulk behind Hakoda with his head hanging pathetically as ice blue eyes glanced nervously up towards the angry little ferret glaring daggers in his direction. It was a ridiculous attempt considering just how massive Sokka was in this form compared to his father, and most of his body was still easily within view, including his head no matter how hard he tried to hide it.
“Really you two?” Hakoda demanded as he looked between the ferret and his son, purposely ignoring the baffled looks of the audience that had emerged to stare at the strange sight before them. “I expected better than this.”
Sokka whimpered softly as he bowed his head closer to the ground and tilted it up to face Hakoda, halfway to rolling into a more submissive posture. Hakoda shook his head at his son as he urged tiredly. “Straighten up.” His son obeyed as he lifted his head but refused to come out from his hiding spot. Hakoda’s eyes turned towards the ferret that was shooting looks at the wolf as he snapped his fingers to steal his attention. When Li turned his angry glare towards the chief, Hakoda met it with his own tired disappointment as he met the golden eyed gaze boring into him.
“Was that really necessary?” The ferret protested with a very disrespectful sounding screech. He squared up in How’s arms like he was prepared to fight a bigger predator, but Hakoda was unimpressed with the intimidation tactic. After a moment, Li averted his gaze to glare elsewhere and pinned an unwary Earth Kingdom soldier in place.
“You both need to apologize.” Hakoda demanded. “Now.”
Sokka straightened up a little more as he eased around Hakoda’s legs with a hopeful look in his eyes, ears perked as he scooted a little closer to his father. Li on the other hand, remained unmoved by the direction.
“Now, little one.” Hakoda demanded, leveraging the fatherly tone he often used against his own men when disputes broke out on ship. There was a frustrated squawk from the ferret as he turned his attention back on Hakoda, jaws parted to show all of his sharp teeth as he sneered at the chief. “What he did wasn’t nearly as bad as what you did, now was it?” There was a silent stare down that followed as Hakoda folded his arms over his chest and waited patiently as he added. “How is that fair?”
The ferret scoffed and turned his gaze away from the older tribesman, but instead of staring off at the surrounding audience, it turned down to find Sokka’s blue eyes as the wolf shifted uneasily behind the chief. His shoulders sagged as much of the fight started to bleed out of Li.
A defeated chirp settled it as Hakoda nodded. “Go on, apologize.”
How carefully lowered Li to the ground as he crouched to their level, and hesitantly released the ferret from his grasp to let him approach the wolf. Hakoda stepped out of the way despite Sokka’s soft whines of protest as he tried fruitlessly to place his father between him and the ferret. Some of Li’s fur had smoothed out and he looked less intimidating when he was no longer fluffed out to increase his body size. His aggressive posturing from earlier had crumbled to become something more timid and wary as he approached Sokka. His son shot the ferret nervous glances as he lowered himself down to the ground until he was lying flat out with his head tucked against his paws.
Li slowed his approach as their noses hesitantly met first before the ferret shuffled a little closer when Sokka showed no signs of refusal. He lifted his head to make room for the ferret to tuck under his muzzle and rub against the tender part of his throat. Li flicked his tail and settled easily between Sokka's paws before directing a tired look at the chief and the General as if demanding 'is this good enough?'
Hakoda was reluctant to agree at first until Sokka licked a long wet stripe up the ferret's back from the base of his tail all the way up between his ears. A wet strip of fur was sticking straight out where it had been ruffled by the wolf's tongue. The ferret silently seethed but made no move to retaliate as Hakoda stifled the urge to laugh.
"Good job, boys. See? Isn't it better when we all get along?" He gave his thigh a firm pat as he clicked his tongue to urge Sokka back onto his feet. Li used his paws to try to fix the upset in his fur before climbing up onto the wolf's back for an easy ride back to their side of camp.
Hakoda turned and smiled apologetically towards General How. "I'm sorry if the boys caused your men any problems, General."
"Don't worry about it, Chief Hakoda. Accidents happen, it's just another part of camp life." The General reassured, smiling knowingly as he eyed the pair as Li perched easily on Sokka's shoulders and balanced his front paws on the wolf's large head. Sokka's maw split into a panting smile as he stood by Hakoda's side, prepared to return to camp when his dad was ready, his tail wagging absently as he waited. "I'm just glad there wasn't any bloodshed."
"You and me both." Hakoda sighed then gave his thigh another firm pat as he directed. "Come on boys, let's go."
Sokka answered him with a quiet huff as Li remained silent as per his usual. His golden eye quietly observed the Earth Kingdom soldiers as they passed the open tents and met the gawking of puzzled faces. It was a short walk to cross the boundary line that separated the Earth Kingdom side of camp from the Water Tribe end of things where he found his own crew and Bato staring after the trio as they returned.
Hakoda noted the bedraggled state of his lover as he haphazardly threw whatever clothes on that he could muster on short notice with all the noise and alarm. The chief withheld a laugh when he realized Bato was wearing one of Hakoda's shirts inside out, and opted not to say anything about the tiny mistake just yet. He needed the quiet relief of these simple matters and mistakes after the last few days he endured. He supposed they all did, Li especially after the upsetting news he had divulged with the tribesmen late last night.
The chief had a lot of work ahead of him today and only half the mind to offer the daunting tasks so early this morning. He craved a hot drink and a decent meal to help kickstart him into some semblance of functionality because not even that raucous was enough to shake the lingering haze of sleep from his bones and his thoughts. Sokka had returned to the tent they had previously been occupying, as Hakoda settled into an open spot beside Bato next to the campfire as Alik cooked puffinseal sausage in a pan of fat.
By the time his son returned to join him at the campfire, he was dressed and still cradling the fire ferret in his arms without any new wounds of revenge to account for. All in all, Hakoda considered that a small victory at the end of the day. He was well aware of what kind of damage those teeth could deliver in a single bite, but Sokka's tough exterior seemed to do the job well enough this time around to save his son on some new stitches.
"What was that all about?" The Earth Kingdom side of camp was still in a tizzy over the very strange rude awakening that stirred many of the men from their tents. The sight of a massive black wolf in imminent distress with their little ferret friend clinging bitterly to its back was quite the shocking sight, How will admit. He supposed that among his men, he may have become the most desensitized to its strangeness these last few days. It was surprising, yes, but somewhat expected at the end of the day.
His men on the other hand, were still wound up in a state of shock and awe in regards to just how normal this occurrence appeared to be for the Water Tribe.
"I told you!" Private Min blurted with an ounce more of excitement than the rest that had gathered around the fire for breakfast. "They practice spirit magic over there. Jin He and I saw it ourselves."
"That's ridiculous!" Corporal Xiao dismissed with a scoff as he picked at the fish on his plate. "Spirit magic doesn't exist. It's just some gimmick to intimidate people and mess with their heads."
"Then how do you explain that wolf and now the weird ferret?" Min retorted back.
"They domesticated them." Xiao supplied. "It's not so hard, right sir?" He turned his attention towards How. "You spent a lot of time with them."
"That is true, I have." How agreed with a reserved nod as he considered all he has witnessed these last few days. It was hard to just dismiss it all as the will of the spirits, but he couldn't deny that there was something otherworldly about those two that he was missing.
"It might not entirely be spirits." He elaborated as Min frowned and Xiao looked skeptical. "But I won't deny that the Water Tribe appears to know more than we do on the subject, and they've found a way to coexist with it."
“Sir, with all due respect, have you been sipping the cactus juice again?” Xiao asked teasingly, earning a few light hearted chuckles from the surrounding soldiers as he smiled at them with a little more mirth offered.
“Not this time.” He smirked. “It’s a little hard to get that all the way out here.” Their laughter improved, growing louder now as they poked at their meals and ate with a little more calm than before. Their shaken wits were composed with the light hearted banter that easily shifted away from the topic of that morning and towards the much more common worries of the day.
As his men departed to their respective chores and tasks, he found his feet underneath him and rose to do his usual rounds to hear the reports of his men. He wasn’t expecting Chief Hakoda to come seeking him out as he made his way towards the makeshift stable area to check on the ostrich horses and how the handlers were faring with their needs. He stepped away from one of the handlers after hearing the updated report on their supplies, and politely excused himself to approach the chief who waited just outside the entrance. He had a grim expression as he regarded the Earth Kingdom man with a calculated stoicism that he hadn’t seen from Chief Hakoda in quite a long time.
“Can I help you, Chief Hakoda?”
“I certainly hope so, General How.” The chief agreed with a small nod as he gestured towards the river path leading them away from camp and towards the boats. “Mind if we take a walk to speak privately?”
“Certainly.” The chief led the way as they matched pace side by side. Their boots crunched the trodden earth of the path as they navigated away from camp and towards the river that often carried their men out to sea once more. After several minutes of silence as a great weight hung in the air between them, General How opted to break the tension with a question. “What is it you wished to speak to me about?”
Hakoda didn’t waste any time getting into the thick of the problem, and he didn’t spare many cautions on the topic. “It has recently come to my attention that the Earth Kingdom has been taking far more supplies than have been reported.” There was a sternness to his tone as it was laid heavy with displeasure on the subject. “These supply drops that have been intercepted from our enemy are quite sizable as you know just as well as I do, and should have increased our available rations substantially.”
General How stopped in his tracks as he considered these cold decisive words like the quiet warning they were. Which baffled the General as he recalled what he knew of any recent supply reports. “General Fong reported the recovery of Fire Nation supplies a few days ago. Have your men not received their portion of the inventory?” There wouldn’t be any reason why these supplies would be withheld from their allies, as their agreement required that all recovered usable inventory should be equally divided up between the camps.
“We have not received any influx in the supplies recovered by the Earth Kingdom in months. The information brought to me regarding this issue has exposed that the Earth Kingdom has secured, in the last six months, at least fifteen of these supply caches out of a total of nineteen, four of which were recovered by my men. An additional seven were successfully taken by the Fire Nation.” Hakoda recalled easily as he observed General How for an explanation. The General was baffled by this information, which he was not made aware of in the slightest until now. The only supplies that had been reported to him were four or five successful recovery efforts made by General Fong’s regiment.
General Fong’s regiment, who had been the first to discover that these supply drops even existed and were quite adept in hunting them down even when the locations appeared to change for some reason or another. General Fong, who was more than satisfied with executing a plan that would use the Water Tribe as bait to take the blow when moving in on the Fire Nation.
“I’m more than aware of General Fong’s desire to use me and my men as canon fodder.” Hakoda declared bitterly with little care for the crudeness of his words as he spat them boldly before General How. “We’ve been used, lied to and now General Fong has conspired to betray us. I’ve no reason to trust that man another minute, but what I want to know is where you stand in all of this General How?”
He was a bit shocked as he considered how in the world Hakoda could know these things. Perhaps his men’s suspicions of spirit magic and the rituals of the Water Tribe weren’t so far off. The only way the chief could possibly know about General Fong’s plan was either by one of the other officers talking, which they weren’t inclined to have loose lips, or Hakoda had extracted this information from their odd ferret friend somehow.
“I want the truth.” Hakoda urged firmly.
“You are our allies, Chief Hakoda. I respect you and your men for all the hard work and sacrifices you’ve made in your service to the Earth Kingdom.” General How started, hoping to word this with the utmost care. “However, having said that, I do not condone anything that General Fong has done, and if that includes withholding sensitive information and supplies from the Earth Kingdom forces and our allies, then that act in and of itself is treason and will be dealt with harshly.”
Hakoda remained firm in his stance as he studied the General’s expression, searching for any give or signs of weakness in his conviction, but How meant every word he said. If Fong truly had lied or withheld this kind of information, not only has he been forcing an already helpless enemy into a state of starvation without any resources to depend on, but he’s been withholding medicine and food from their own allies who have been doing everything in their power to make up for the perceived scarcity of their available resources and draining that from their environment unnecessarily. How much manpower was wasted? How many hunting parties and scouting parties could have saved the time and effort had they known this? How long ago could they have ended this stalemate once and for all, and simply captured or negotiated the Fire Nation’s surrender in the pass? These men didn’t need to suffer unnecessarily. Fong’s cruelty in this war was the problem that started it all. Greed and deception, a power struggle of men lying, scheming and denying instead of facing the cold hard facts of what’s before them and treating their opponents like human beings and not animals.
Anger curled up in a tight knot in his gut as he considered the truth of the matter. His fists clenched at his sides as he sucked in a slow deep breath, held it in his lungs for several seconds before letting it out through his nostrils and inspected the chief. His hands relaxed as he slackened his shoulders and spoke calmly.
“I believe it would be beneficial for the both of us to investigate this situation. General Fong will be made to answer for these discrepancies, and if he refuses to speak to you, he will be made to report to either myself or the Council of Five.” He explained simply. “It’s his choice in which court he desires to face on this matter.”
The chief’s expression softened to something contemplative and thoughtful before he tilted his head in a small nod of acknowledgement. “Thank you for your honesty, General How. You’re an honorable man.”
How was a little caught off guard by that, which suggested Chief Hakoda might have known the answer to these very questions from the start. It was almost eerie in that fashion as he fell under the wolfish intuitive gaze of this man. He turned to head back to the camp, leaving How staring after him with bewilderment before he could compose his thoughts and quickly followed suit. He couldn’t help but wonder how much the chief knew, and just where this investigation might lead them. What else was Fong hiding that Hakoda was hunting him for, and was the strange Water Tribe ritual he performed yesterday related to all of this?
This man was frighteningly perceptive and resourceful.
"If General Fong handles the Omashu regiments, and you manage the Ba Sing Se regiments, wouldn't that place you both on even ground?" Hakoda inquired with a note of curiosity as they walked. How had matched pace with the chief as they skirted the edges of the Water Tribe end of camp. In the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of young Sokka seated near a campfire entertaining their little ferret friend with an offering of pumpkin seeds from the pouch How had given him. Both appeared to be in good health, though Sokka looked like he was wilting a little with the shreds of exhaustion that clung to his posture.
It was a look that many of his men bore more often than not these days. Neither man or ferret paid them any mind as they passed, and Hakoda waited patiently for an answer as How collected his thoughts in order to explain it.
"Normally, we would be in neutral territory, but we are in Omashu's jurisdiction which would typically permit Fong to do as he pleases to some degree with a little more power to his orders than mine." Hakoda frowned bitterly at that, but How continued regardless of the sour expression on the other man's face. "However, this particular campaign was ordained by the Council of Five which means that under certain circumstances, I have the authority to veto Fong's decisions and place them under scrutiny."
"And would this fall into that category?" The chief challenged.
How nodded sagely. "It would. Refusing to report supplies or cargo shipments recovered by military officials under orders of the Council of Five, is considered theft against King Kuei himself."
"Huh." Hakoda soaked in that information with a considerate look that bled into the faintest glimpse of a smile. "So it really would be considered an act of treason."
It wasn't a question but How nodded in confirmation regardless.
"That's good." The chief sighed. "To some degree, your rules on the continent don't differ much from ours in the South. If greed dictates our choices, then the whole village starves and dies. A single man's selfish act could condemn us all to a miserable death."
"Thankfully the consequences of his actions in this case aren't as drastic." How agreed.
Hakoda stopped and fell silent at that. The grim expression he bore did not comfort the General as he considered his next words carefully. "Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it isn't happening somewhere else."
"What do you mean?" The General dared to ask, as he stilled and listened, finding he didn't like the sick uneasy feeling this conversation was giving him. He was apprehensive about whether or not he actually wanted to know the answer to this, but he was not a cowardly man who shed a blind eye towards the truth. He needed to accept this fact if he wanted to manage this delicate situation appropriately with all the knowledge necessary to make an informed conclusion.
"The Fire Nation camp is being starved to death because of Fong's selfishness." Hakoda admitted quietly, taking a step towards the General as he closed the space between them to maintain the hushed tones in the common tongue. They were straddling the boundary line between the two sides of camp now. "They have no food, no clean water, no medicine and no way to leave this place. Whether Fong knows this or not, his actions are going to force hundreds of soldiers who do not want to be here and cannot leave, to their deaths."
It left a foul taste in his mouth to hear these things spoken in earnest, and rankled him even more with the knowledge that even if Fong knew all of this, he most likely would not care. It may even convince him to attack them now while they're at their weakest, or hold out a few more weeks with the hopes that these men and women will simply drop dead from starvation or sickness. It was an unpleasant reality they had to face, and How despised the man even more for his cowardice and dishonor in the face of battle. It was disgusting and disgraceful.
"I trust you Chief Hakoda, I really do." How began carefully as he maintained that quiet calm as he lowered his voice to a conspiratorial tone. "But I need to know, how is it you know these things?"
Hakoda's lips curled ever so slightly in a predatory smile that sent shivers down the General's spine. His heart leapt inside his chest in a momentary panic as if he were facing a rampaging saber-tooth moose lion with no route for escape. The amicable warmth that often followed the chief in all their past encounters was clearly absent now, replaced by an uneasy chill that settled in the General's bones. It made sense as to why this man was regarded respectfully as the great Wolf of the South .
Fong was a fool to ever disregard a man of Hakoda's skills, military tact and overall combat prowess. He was a man fully capable and aware of those capabilities, and the one thing keeping them afloat in this war. Spirits bless them that they never end up on opposing sides in this lifetime, because this was a man that How would genuinely fear to face on the battlefield. Hakoda wasn't even the outlier of his men either, but the overarching rule of the Water Tribe's ruthless efficiency and ingenuity. He has witnessed his men in action firsthand, and their well trained regiments couldn't compare to the adaptability and brilliant engineering of the southern warriors.
"Fong had his tricks of the trade, but we have our own." Hakoda hummed, but the sound was closer to bordering a growl that made How's chest tight with unease. It was unsettling just how eerie the chief could be, and how this side of him sank in so smoothly without any sort of warning. It lingered as the General remained pinned under his sharp blue eyes before they finally tore away, freeing the Earth Kingdom man to finally breathe easily once again.
"I estimate that my sources might just be more reliable and accurate than Fong's." Hakoda explained as he resumed their walk through the Earth Kingdom side if camp, cutting through the Ba Sing Se regiment's portion with How directly behind him, trying to keep up with his quicker pace as they crossed the boundary line near the meal tent that split the Ba Sing Se men from the Omashu men. Fong's tent was imposing in its size compared to the much smaller more practical tents of the soldiers around him. As they closed the distance towards it, the aforementioned General stepped out in a hurry, his expression twisted into something sour and unpleasant as he moved stiffly through the flaps, letting them fall hastily behind him. At first, he didn’t notice the two approaching men, until How called after him.
“General Fong.” He waved his hand in the air to catch his attention as Fong’s head snapped up and blinked distractedly towards them. “Might we have a moment to speak in private?”
“I’m afraid now is not a good time, General How.” He grunted, only pausing briefly to even acknowledge Chief Hakoda’s presence with a quiet huff before stalking away from them. He seemed paler than the older man recalled and he was sweating despite the cooler autumn temperatures that had been creeping in on them each night and carried through the crisp mornings of day. How was confused by the dismissiveness of his behavior, but Hakoda was undeterred as he followed after him like a wolf after a limping caribou.
“General Fong.” Hakoda growled. “Don’t make this any harder than it has to be.”
Fong froze and turned to address Hakoda’s words with a sneer. “What is this nonsense about?”
“You’ve been withholding recovered supplies without reporting them or dividing them up with the other regiments.” Chief Hakoda declared simply. Fong’s eyes widened for a few seconds, just a short flash of surprise before he narrowed them at Hakoda and scoffed at the man.
“Have I really?” He snorted in amusement. “I don’t suppose you have any proof to back up these unfounded accusations? I should remind you, Chief Hakoda, things in the Earth Kingdom are different than your little villages. If you have a problem, and you have proof, then a hearing can be granted to voice your concerns but until then-”
Hakoda’s cold glare at the man could rival the ferocious displeasure of their fire ferret friend the day he attacked Fong in the officer’s meeting. How stepped in to diffuse the situation as best as he could before things turned unpleasant between the two men.
“I don’t need any proof to have a search warrant issued by the Council of Five.” He explained to the other General, offering an ultimatum on the issue. “But I’d rather not go to those lengths. I believe we can settle this issue right here, right now like honorable men.”
Fong scoffed at the older man’s words and shook his head, shifting on his feet to turn away once more. “This is ridiculous. You’re just wasting my precious time with these games, General How.” He turned his back on the two men and resumed his hasty stalk away as he groused. “Here I thought you were above such trivialities but I should have known better.”
Hakoda’s body was strung taut with carefully concealed anger pulsing beneath every tense muscle and the tight set of his jaw as his eyes settled on Fong’s back with a murderous cold that rivaled the sea in its wintery rage. It was a look that made the General take a cautious step back to offer the man a little more space.
“If you’re going to send that letter, I suggest you do it now.” Hakoda warned bitterly. “Because if this issue goes unanswered, with all due respect to your position as the leader of this camp, that man’s blood will meet the ground before Autumn’s end.”