#LinZinZolt

[nyamadermont]

Tea in the Snow

@flashfictionfridayofficial

Avatar: The Legend of Korra

661 words

TW: referenced torture

Katara held open the door to the large lodge, and Zolt marched inside, Rohan cuddled close to his chest. When Tenzin bent down to give his mother a hug, Zolt stepped around him to let the rest of the crew through the door. He felt Lin come up along his other side, her arm reaching behind his back.

Tenzin straightened, saying, “Mother, this is Rohan.”

Zolt extended his arms to the baby’s grandmother. When the crying started, Zolt felt himself having to fight off tears. Lin squeezed him. Tenzin cooed into the baby’s ear, bringing him up against Katara’s chest.

“And this is Zoltan. Amon took his bending, as well.”

Katara looked up, and he could see the flash of recognition. “Zoltan is an unusual name. You were a firebender?”

Silently, Zolt nodded.

His hands fell to his sides, his arms feeling so painfully empty.

Lin spoke up. “Rohan was given to Zoltan to take care of when Pema died.” She glanced at Tenzin, continuing, “They stopped torturing Tenzin a little bit before they gave up on me.” She dropped her hand to lace her fingers with his. “Zoltan is why all three of us are still alive.”

And then Tenzin gave him a brief hug at the shoulders.

A small, giddy, part of him felt cuddled, his shoulder fitting neatly under Tenzin’s arms.

Rohan chose that moment to whimper again and Zolt reached for the child.

Katara smiled at him as she transferred the baby to him. “Thank you for taking care of them. It can’t have been easy. No matter what you did before, you have my gratitude.”

His eyes watered for real.

Tenzin folded closer to him, his other arm reaching for Lin, who slid her free hand along Tenzin’s waist. Rohan opened his eyes and reached for his father’s beard.

It was as if there were no other people in the world.

Zolt looked up at the gentle touch on his shoulder, seeing Asami, looking as tired and drawn as she had the entire trip. Behind her, he saw Mako and Bolin helping a younger couple set out a tea service.

“Senna has some tea and snacks for us. I think she’d really like it if people tried to eat. It sounds like she has been cooking since we called to say we were coming.”

Zolt exchanged glances with Lin and Tenzin, and they pulled apart just enough to move over to the seating.

Later, Zolt would notice that only Bolin and Tonraq were able to hold little Rohan for very long. Senna looked somewhat relieved, but Asami just looked a little more forlorn. Poor Bolin felt like he had to sit very, very still, but Rohan smiled at him more than at anyone else.

Mako and Lin went for a walk out in the compound, but when they came back, Rohan fussed until she picked him up. Mako got a spooked look and went to help Senna in the kitchen. He reemerged with a tray, carrying a pot and two small blue cups. Bolin hopped up and slid the door open long enough for Mako to pass the tray to Katara.

With Rohan content with Lin and Tenzin, Zolt took a teacup and slipped out through the front door.

The nearly unrelenting white expanse was overwhelming. It was so completely different from his native environment that he knew he would be a dead man in minutes, left to his own devices. The shivers didn’t take long to start, and soon, he was shaking too badly to keep his hands on the teacup, and it spilled on the snow at his feet.

The cup itself landed in the snow with a soft sigh.

He leaned over to pick it up, but his muscles cramped and he fell against the railing. He couldn’t fill his lungs with enough air

Breath of life Life of breath

He repeated the words to himself, but they faded away.

His vision blurred.