Kain woke up early in the morning. He had a breakfast consisting of seaweed alongside crab legs. Finishing his breakfast he left, wearing the furry scarf and the black gloves.
He was now walking alone, as Maroq had gone to talk with Master Pakku about his special condition regarding waterbending. As he walked around he saw children playing with each other, people bartering for food and a crowd of people standing next to one of the empty places usually used for waterbending practice.
As he approached the crowd he heard the sound of cheering. He stood at an empty place amongst the crowd that allowed him to see the field. It seemed that two people, were fighting each other.
'A waterbender duel' he thought, as he tried to observe the two of them fighting as carefully as possible, 'Its seems that this is quite a rare circumstance for so many people to be watching. Either that, or there are a lot more people in the northern tribe then I expected.'
As he was watching he saw the person in the left send a wave of icicles at the person on the right. The person on the right leaned back, dodging the icicles as they flew above his head before he created a water tentacle and made it attack in the direction of the other person. But the water tentacle was just slow enough for the person on the left to bend the water tentacle away from his and into another pool of water.
But as the water tentacle was redirected another one sprouted, this time to quick the person on the left to react, hitting his legs and making him fall face flat on the ground.
The people around him started cheering as the person on the right laughed heartily before helping his friend on the left stand up, supporting him and taking him to what Kain assumed was the infirmary.
'So this is how it looks seeing a waterbender fight.' he thought, 'Both of them looked like quite skilled benders, but it was obvious that the one on the right was more skilled. It seems, that with an element as versatile as waterbending, there is also a lot of ways to trick an inferior bender into losing.'
He suddenly heard a groan from behind him, "I was late again?"
As he turned around he saw Tamara with an annoyed expression. As he looked at her she looked back before saying, "Oh, it's you that Kain guy right?" her eyes narrowed, "What are you doing here."
Kain felt a bit uncomfortable hearing her slightly hostile tone, "I was just watching the waterbending battle, just in case watching them could improve my waterbending. What are you doing here?"
"I'm trying to see how skilled waterbenders fight." Tamara sighed as her face fell, "Unfortunately I was too late, again. I came as soon as I heard about it but it finished too quickly."
'Again? How long has she been going to these battles without her father noticing.' Kain was a bit amused.
Realizing her mistake, Tamara said hastily, "Oh! Don't tell my dad that I said that or I'll get in trouble again."
Tamara started walking away as she said that, but Kain followed her, asking, "You're Tamara right?"
Tamara stopped for a second before she continued walking, "Yes, I am. What's it to you?"
"Could you please tell me what's going on with the frontlines? Why have the fire nation's attacks became rarer and rarer?" Kain had been wanting to know this ever since he had heard about it from Maroq. It was likely that Tamara wouldn't know anything about it, but considering both her father and brother were in the army, there was a chance that she had some information about it.
Tamara hesitated for a moment before saying, "Everyone believes that the fire nation has hardly attacked us the past few years because they're focusing all of their troops on the earth nation."
Kain raised an eyebrow as he heard her choice of words, "... And what do you believe?"
She replied nearly instantly, "I believe the fire nation is saving up their power for multiple all out attacks on the northern tribe. If they had withdrew their troops to focus on attacking the earth nation the earth nation would not be in far more trouble than they are now. Besides, the fire nation is far too prideful to ever back down from a fight."
He held his breath as he ingested that bombshell, 'That means that my theory that they are saving their power is likely true. So likely around now will they start launching attacks on the northern tribe.'
Tamara misinterpreted his silence as she said, "I can tell you don't believe me. I didn't expect anyone here to listen to a woman in the first place."
Before Tamara could continue, Kain reassured her, "No I believe you, I've also been thinking the same thing."
Tamara was surprised as she looked at Kain with an expression akin to disbelief, "Wait, you actually believe me?" before she smiled, "At least there's someone else that believes the fire nation is too egotistical to ever give up."
She sighed, "I don't blame them though, we've been fighting this war for too long. They've finally gotten some hope with the retreat of the fire nation."
"But hope is not important right now." Kain said with a firm tone, "If we don't prepare for the worst, the tribe could be in massive danger. We should start preparing for the worst as soon as possible."
The duo fell in silence as they walked together, before Tamara spoke up again, "You're a waterbender right? They won't listen to me because I'm a woman, but maybe they'll listen to you."
"Then again, you'd have to be a important warrior to be able to convince my father, or anyone else higher up."
Kain paused hearing this, "You've already told other people about your suspicions?"
Tamara sighed saying, "Yes I did but they don't believe me. I don't even think its because I'm a woman I think it's because they just want to hang to this strand of hope that has been given to them. Maybe the commanders at Na'Ok Thu will believe me."
This was new news to Kain, "Na'Ok Thu? What's that?"
Tamara looked at him weirdly before saying, "Na'Ok Thu is the second biggest city under the rule of the northern water tribe. It holds about sixty thousand people." after seeing his still confused look she continued, "It's located near the frontlines, and its the place most often attacked by the fire nation."
Kain's thoughts were running wild, 'Na'Ok Thu? I don't remember it ever being mentioned in the show. Why would it go unmentioned?'
Kain had a very bad feeling as he remembered Tamara's words, 'Multiple attacks. If the fire nation was saving up its power for years it would have the power to deal massive damage once the northern's tribes defenses became more lax from the constant silence.'
'But if this place, Na'Ok Thu was really a northern tribe fortress located in the frontlines, the fire nation would have to eliminate it first to gain easy access to the capital of the northern tribe.'
'In the show, the northern tribe navy had been far less powerful than the fire nation navy. As practically all of the northern tribe's power was focused on their navy and infantry these few years of silence from the fire nation would have been plenty for the northern tribe to build up their power. And yet when the fire nation struck, they easily invaded the capital and killed the moon spirit.'
'Even if they had focused all of their power on their defenses, they should have been able to defend the invasion far better than they did. Was this because all of their power had been stationed on Na'Ok Thu? And did Na'Ok Thu fall to a surprise attack from the fire nation?"
Kain suddenly had a very bad feeling about going to the frontlines.