Waterbending

Kain and Maroq stood on an empty field facing each other. Littering the field were cracks on the surface of the ice, which revealed a layer of water underneath. Surrounding the field were sturdy ice covered rocks useful for hiding behind.

It was clear that this big empty area was meant to be a sort of practice ground for waterbenders. It had quick access to water on all directions and multiple rocks that could act as either cover or an obstruction.

Moraq looked at him and began speaking, "Water is the element tha represents change. Just as how the tides of the sea rise and fall, all waterbenders must be able to adapt and change."

Moraq began to move his arm from one side to another with a fluid style, "Each movement of ours dictates the flow of water. We must be ready for any slight change in the water and to that change we must adapt."

As he spoke a tube of water flowed out of a nearby crack and into another.

"Now you try."

Kain closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he tried channeling the water from the pool. He tried to remember how he felt waterbending earlier and attempted to make the same movements as Maroq did.

A tube of water flowed out of the pool, but unlike Maroq's his tube of water was shaky and as he tried to guide it to the other pool he felt that he might lose control over the water at any movement, up until the water finally landed into the other pool.

Maroq frowned as he watched Kain struggle before going closer to him as if to observe his waterbending better.

"Again."

And so Kain tried to channel the water tube from one pool to another again, still feeling the instability of the water that he was trying to control, up and until the water landed in the other pool.

Watching his waterbending Maroq's frown turned heavier, "I don't understand, your movements are perfect and you are doing it and yet your water feels unstable. It feels like you're missing something very important, something that defines the nature of your waterbending itself and yet... I don't know what.

Maroq made him practice the same move over and over again, changing his position and movements but even so his bending still remained as flimsy and weak as before.

Just as he was about to give up hope after his tenth attempt he heard a giggle coming from the side of him, behind a rock.

Both him and Maroq looked over to the side to see a rock with a brown tuft of hair sticking out, before an audible gasp could be heard and the hair disappeared behind the rock once again.

But it had been too late as Maroq walked up to the rock with an annoyed expression on his face before saying, "Tamara? Didn't I tell you not to spy on people waterbending again?"

Maroq dragged the girl, Tamara out from behind the rock. She had black hair tied up into one massive ponytail that extended to her waist. She had a slightly curvaceous figure, but her main characteristic that stood out was that she was abnormally short. From where he stood she looked to be around 150 cm tall.

The girl responded with a slight hint of despair in her voice, "Dad I just wanted to watch you waterbend this time-."

"No Tamara I want you to go back home." Moraq responded to his apparent daughter with a hint of annoyance in his tone, as if he had done this multiple times before.

"Hmph" the girl crossed her arms before walking away, mad at her father.

Moraq waited for the girl to get back to the confines of the city before he sighed and turned back to Kain.

"I'm sorry about that Kain, that was my daughter Tamara."

Kain looked at Moraq before realizing what had happened, 'It seems that Tamara is a waterbender too, but Moraq doesn't want her to learn anything about waterbending. After all, the northern tribe heavily looks down on women waterbenders using their power for anything that was not healing.'

His hunch was confirmed as soon as Moraq spoke again, "You see, Tamara is a waterbender. She tries to learn as much about waterbending as she can but you see, this village frowns upon female waterbenders so she wasn't able to learn much."

He sighed, "I could have taught her but... I hesitate to. I know that she wishes to join her brother in the war effort but I don't want her to be in danger. Even though I know she would be fine I just have a bad feeling about letting her fight in the war.

Kain looked at Moraq with pity, 'It seems that he doesn't want his daughter to fight in the war. After all, what caring father wouldn't? Then again, its probably because of the northern tribe's views on women warriors.

Kain faced a dilemma. Should he try to change the northern tribe's view on women warriors? After all, Katara would eventually change their views anyways. But, if women were allowed to gain training as waterbenders earlier, it would be far more beneficial. Even if a few more waterbenders were to be trained, it could save far more people in the long run.

He sighed. He was far too weak to be thinking about such things right now. Only when he became much stronger could he finally act on any of his plans.

Maroq interrupted his thoughts, "Well I guess we can begin practicing again. Now, adaptability and change, remember that."

Kain spent the rest of the day practicing the same move over and over. The both of them stopped in the middle to eat a late lunch before continuing. But even when the sun had started to dip below the horizon of ice he had not made any improvement.

Eventually, the two of them stopped and they head back to Maroq's home. Upon reaching there and opening the door, he saw Quiella and Tamara eating at a table next to the kitchen. Upon the table lay four plates of food consisting of mostly fish and rice.

As he sat down he caught Tamar's eyes for a split second and saw her eyes narrow. Kain ignored her and sat down to eat. He was quite famished from attempting to waterbend.

Quiella said as soon as they sat down, "Why don't you tell us about what you and Kain did honey?"

Maroq responded in the middle of a bite, "Me and Kain went down to the chief and introduced him to everyone. We tried working on his little waterbending problem that he had but we were unable to resolve it today. I'll go ask Master Pakku for some help tomorrow."

Maroq turned his head to Tamara and said, "Tamara, this is Kain Owen, the waterbender that you saw practicing today. He will be staying with us in your brother's room for some time until he gets sent to defend the frontlines."

Tamara seemed to turn a bit more hostile as she heard her father's voice. Quiella frowned upon hearing that her daughter had been trying to watch others waterbend again, "Tamara, haven't I told you not to spy on your father before. Please, for once."

Kain watched Quiella lecture Tamara with pity. He learned not to get on Quiella's bad side. She was terrifying when she got ticked off. He decided not to focus on it too much and retreated to his room after he finished eating.

As he lay on the bed he started thinking, 'I wonder, what could be the reason for my inability to waterbend properly. Perhaps I just don't get a core part of it. Maybe I need to envision the water in my head? No, no I've already tried that. Well I'll think about it later.'

Kain closed his eyes and slept.