19 BG (Flashback)
Laya
Having spent a full year providing her baby daughter with the milk of her bosom and caring for the newborn, Laya had spent the entire night readying herself for the next stage of her life. She had fulfilled her duty by giving the next generation an airbending child. Now, she had to experience what it truly meant to rid herself of earthly attachments.
Granted, the notion that an Air Nomad could only gain higher spirituality by severing earthly ties was a subject of constant debate among the different masters. Some believed in entirely different ways to guide their wind. But for Laya, she knew this would be her defining milestone.
Giving up her child to the communal upbringing of their culture was simply how it had always been done. She had experienced it herself, harboring fond memories of growing up alongside her peers, raised collectively by the temple elders during her toddler years. She had never known anything about her own biological mother or father.
Now, it would be the same for her daughter. Laya sat tiredly in the dim light, unable to sleep, as she slowly rocked the wicker crib of baby Tanza. The little one had just finished nursing and now slept as softly as a gentle summer breeze.
The past year of raising Tanza had been pure delight, and now she had to surrender it to pursue the advanced ways of airbending and the traveling life of a nomad. Tomorrow, she would be leaving the temple to tour the world with her friends. She could feel that the journey and friends itself was its own kind of earthly attachment, but her motherhood instincts made her heart ache fiercely at the thought of giving up her baby.
But it was all for the sake of becoming a true airbender, and to ensure the continuation of their way of life.
After whispering a heartfelt goodbye to little Tanza, she carried the sleeping bundle toward the upside-down spires of the temple buildings. Before long, she reached the stone buidling where Elder Pemi stood waiting. Laya still vividly remembered being raised by Pemi alongside the other girls, though the elder now looked much older, her face etched with deeper wrinkles.
As Laya approached, the elder offered a knowing, somber smile, holding her arms out to accept baby Tanza into the community. Tanza would remain here until she was old enough to be chosen by her own master. Laya felt a sharp pain pierce her chest. Her throat clenched, and her lips trembled.
Reciting the oral teachings Pemi had given her to memorize the day before, Laya spoke her vow. "From the wind we arrive, to the wind we give. I release my duty and earthly attachment to my daughter, now and until the end."
The old master smiled warmly down at the baby before looking up to meet Laya's eyes. "Go now, my child. Your daughter is with the wind. Be free of the earth, and master yourself within the gale." Pemi accepted the infant, cradling Tanza securely against her side, and offered Laya a comforting, grounding pat on the shoulder.
A single tear escaped Laya's eye while she remained bowed. Before her resolve could crumble any further, she turned and launched herself across the massive chasm between the temple buildings. She put as much distance as possible between herself and baby Tanza, forcing herself never to look back.
18BG
For the next year, Laya traveled through vast stretches of the Earth Kingdom before heading to the Northern Air Temple. She enjoyed a few months there among the monks, learning their unique perspectives on the wind, before journeying to the capital city of the Northern Water Tribe, Agna Qel'a. She wasn't alone on these travels; she was accompanied by her energetic friend Khandro, and the stoic Niola, who took her spiritual studies far more seriously than the rest of them, but whom Laya loved dearly regardless.
The travel was wonderful, reminding her of the very first time she had experienced the nomad lifestyle alongside her own master. However, as the months passed, she and her friends decided it was time to head back home. They all wanted to experience the legendary Yangchen Festival. All three of them had been vocal about their regret over missing the last three festivals while out in the world, and they didn't want to break the streak any further.
With a shared nod of agreement, the three friends set a course to return to the Western Air Temple before the next festival season arrived.
Before long, Laya was back home. Though it had been nearly a year since she left, it felt as though the days had stretched out in her absence. Yet, everything remained exactly the same as she and her friends guided their sky bison down onto the stone landing pads.
Hopping off the saddle with a soft gust of wind, Laya landed with a light step. She brushed the travel dust off her robes and called back to Khandro, who was landing right behind her alongside Niola, that they had arrived with plenty of time to spare.
But as she glanced around to see if the monastery was already filling up with early travelers, her words died in her throat. Right in the middle of jokingly telling Khandro that she worried too much, her eyes locked onto a nearby terrace. There, among a group of toddlers under the watchful care of the elders, was her two-year-old daughter.
Little Tanza was peeking over the stone ledge directly at the landing pad. Her baby had grown so fast, now standing firmly on her own two feet. Her wide, curious eyes stared directly across the chasm at Laya. Neither of them moved. They simply watched each other across the distance, and a sharp, heavy pang thrummed in Laya's chest.
Niola was the one to rescue her. The stoic monk placed a firm hand on Laya's shoulder, gently pulling her gaze away. "Come on," Niola said softly, getting her to move. Khandro helped by offering a subtle, supportive pat on Laya's other side.
"I'm starving, and that day-long ride was awful," Niola added, shifting the focus by shooting a gruff, playful look at Khandro. Laya silently thanked her friend for breaking the painful eye contact with her little one.
"Oh, don't be like that, Niola!" Khandro laughed, raising a fist in cheer. "We got here early, and now we can enjoy not being late for the first time in years!"
For the rest of her stay, Laya steered completely clear of the nursery. She focused entirely on the festival, spending her time with her friends and the other visiting airbenders. After that trip, Laya made a conscious choice to avoid returning to the Western Temple for several years, determined to ensure she felt no lingering earthly attachments to her child.
Subsequent Yangchen Festivals were spent at the Eastern Air Temple. This change of pace suited her friends just fine; since they had spent most of their lives celebrating at the Western Temple, a few years at the Eastern spires was a welcome mix-up.
During one quiet discussion on their travels, Laya admitted to her friends that letting go wasn't nearly as easy as they made it look. Niola and Khandro comforted her, sharing that they each had a son being raised in the other temples. Granted, their sons were far away, while Laya's daughter was being raised in the exact same monastery she herself had grown up in, making it a much harder emotional hurdle. Still, the deep empathy and sentiment from her friends was a welcome comfort.
13 BG (Present)
Laya
It was a very welcome change of pace to arrive at Wolf Cove, and just in time to assist with a birth alongside her senior sister, Master Kelsang.
Just a year before she would find herself offering a birth blessing in this freezing ice dome, Laya had achieved the status of an Air Master herself. It was finally time in her life to take on a student. She had taken on a young acolyte named Neli, who was about Tanza's age. When she had first returned to the Western Temple to select her apprentice, Laya had resolved to do her best to feel nothing if she crossed paths with her biological daughter.
In truth, all her quiet worries had been for nothing. When she arrived back at the monastery a year ago, she realized she probably wouldn't even recognize the girl anymore. Yet, right after accepting six-year-old Neli into her care, a single question had slipped past her lips anyway.
She had asked Elder Pemi, "How has Tanza been doing?"
Laya had figured it was a harmless question. After all, she was the one who had birthed and nurtured the child; it would simply be nice to know how well little Tanza had grown among her sisters. But Granny Pemi had merely thinned her lips, let out a soft tut, and shook her head.
"Ah, your little one?" Pemi had remarked. "Well, she was actually chosen by a master just a few weeks ago. They've already departed, but she grew into quite the airbending girl!"
Laya had let the conversation end there. She simply nodded, focusing entirely on her new duty to raise little Neli—an eager, playful girl who loved practicing her airbending and learning how to be a proper monk. It was better to drop the questions anyway. She had briefly thought about asking which master had taken Tanza as an apprentice, but she let the inquiry die in her throat.
And now, after a full year of traveling along the Earth Kingdom's coast with little Neli, their journey had brought them directly to the South Pole.
When Laya had first arrived at the settlement, she was thrilled to reunite with Kelsang, a senior sister who was a year or two older than her. While she let her own student, Neli, head off to play with the local village children, Laya walked over to warmly greet Kelsang, who was busy helping out inside a communal building used for storing salted seal meat.
The senior master had quickly caught sight of her and offered a warm greeting. Kelsang even jokingly mused that Laya had just missed running into Pema, another sister from their exact same age group. Pema, as Laya remembered, had always been an incredibly excitable girl, then teenager, and finally adult. Despite being a bit childish in her mannerisms, Pema took her spiritual studies very seriously.
While it was a shame to have missed a close sister from back home, Laya simply smiled, knowing they would likely meet again whenever the wind guided them back together for a future Yangchen Festival or global gathering.
The peaceful reunion didn't last long. Late into the freezing night, Kelsang knocked urgently on the ice wall of the guest igloo where Laya and Neli were sleeping. The Chief's wife had gone into labor. Kusede was already there, but Kelsang needed Laya's help immediately to serve as a spiritual anchor while they worked to deliver the baby.
Laya understood the gravity of the request right away. Throughout the world, having an Air Nomad present during a major life milestone was a symbol of profound good fortune. Since Kelsang was focusing on the physical assistance, Laya was the only other female master around who could perform the sacred blessing chants during the birth.
The labor dragged on for several grueling hours, stretching through the deepest dark of the night and well into the early dawn. It was an incredibly tiring affair for everyone involved. But finally, the sharp, high-pitched wail of a newborn baby filled the ice building.
With the blessing complete, Laya stood up and stretched her aching muscles. She turned toward the exit, expecting to step out into the quiet morning frost.
What she did not expect to see standing right at the threshold was a face that looked entirely familiar. Even after six long years, Laya's eyes immediately locked onto the distinct, unmistakable little cowlick sprouting from the top of the seven-year-old girl's dark hair.
Even with the baby fat long gone and her toddler shape replaced by that of a growing seven-year-old, the girl's face looked undeniably familiar. Tanza simply stood there, staring curiously back at her.
Laya opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. What could she possibly say? She no longer felt that sharp, crushing pang of longing from years ago, yet a deep hesitation still gripped her at the prospect of addressing her own biological child.
Fortunately, little Tanza spoke first, saving her the effort of finding the right words. Looking up at the master with an unblinking, calm expression, the girl spoke in a remarkably respectful, steady tone. "Ah, I don't believe we've met yet during my stay here."
Hearing her daughter speak so eloquently and maturely for her age brought a sudden rush of mixed emotions to Laya's chest—surprise, pride, a fleeting sadness, and a few other feelings she couldn't quite name. But in the end, she simply let them pass and offered the girl a soft smile.
"No, we haven't," Laya replied quietly, mindful of the newborn baby still sleeping peacefully in Ayiri's arms just a few feet away. Her smile crinkled with genuine amusement. "My apprentice and I actually just arrived yesterday, so we haven't been around the settlement for very long."
Tanza nodded understandingly. She lowered herself into a formal, traditional bow, the perfect posture of a young acolyte greeting a visiting master. "Well, I am Tanza. It is a pleasure to meet you."
Laya bowed her head in return, and they both straightened up.
As she looked at the young girl, Laya noted with a sense of relief that the old, heart-wrenching ache in her chest and throat didn't return. Instead, it was replaced by something far more peaceful: a quiet pride that her little baby had grown up so well-mannered and capable. She felt very little personal connection to the girl now, a realization that made her wonder what it must be like for Khandro or Niola whenever they crossed paths with their own distant sons.
Their quiet conversation and unexpected reunion were soon joined by Kelsang. Having finished folding up the used towels, she set them aside to be washed later and thoroughly rinsed her hands in a bowl of hot water. Drying her skin, the senior master walked over to join Laya.
She smiled warmly at them both, her voice low and soft so as not to disturb the resting mother. "Ah, you've met my apprentice? This is Tanza," Kelsang remarked, introducing the girl with a gentle gesture. "She's a remarkably bright-eyed student, and she has already mastered her fifteenth tier of studies!"
Laya's eyes widened in genuine astonishment. 'So fast!'
Her own biological child was apparently a prodigy, a fact she had never known because she had spent years actively avoiding the nursery to master her detachment. Laya looked down at Tanza in a completely new light. Never in her wildest thoughts did she imagine her daughter would turn out to be that sort of exceptional airbender.
Nodding wordlessly, Laya quickly collected herself and looked back at Kelsang. "Um... let's take our conversation outside, shall we?"
Kelsang nodded in immediate agreement. "Indeed! I had almost forgotten we haven't truly had a chance to catch up." A fond, nostalgic smile traced her lips as she placed a hand on Laya's shoulder, guiding her toward the exit.
Tanza trailed silently behind them. Once they stepped out past the thick fur curtains and into the crisp morning air, free to speak at a normal volume, Kelsang smirked playfully. "I still remember being there to celebrate your arrow tattoos, Laya. And you were there for mine."
Ah, that's right. While they hadn't grown up in the exact same age brackets, they had spent their late teens and early adult years running into each other frequently at the Western Temple, both grinding through the final, grueling tiers of their master training.
Laya smiled fondly at the memory, remembering how Kelsang had always been a bit of an outlier among her own peers. She was a maverick of an airbender, yet she possessed an undeniable hunger for growth. Kelsang had been willing to learn, study, and train just as hard as any of the other soon-to-be masters.
Once they were fully clear of the igloo, Laya turned to face her old friend. "Well, congratulations on having such a... fine student!" she remarked with a proud grin. "I actually took on my own apprentice about a year ago. Her name's Neli." She figured it was only fair to share the news of her own student.
Kelsang's face lit up with amusement. "Did you now?" She shifted her weight to stand in a more relaxed posture, tucking her hands neatly into the opposing sleeves of her robes. Her eyes crinkled. "Then we must have missed each other by only a week or so back at the temple."
Laya chuckled and nodded in agreement. "The wind does like to guide us in mysterious ways like that. You really never know when you'll run into someone you know in this lifetime."
Kelsang nodded, her smile soft and nostalgic. However, their conversation was suddenly cut off by the sound of rapid, rushing footsteps. Neli came sprinting down the snowy pathway, rounding the corner of a nearby ice building as she called out for her master.
"Ah, Mast—" Neli started, but her words died in her throat the moment her eyes landed on the other young girl. "Tanza!"
Before anyone could stop her, Neli rushed forward and tackled Tanza into a massive, excited hug. Tanza blinked, doing her absolute best to stay anchored in the snow as she caught the energetic girl in her arms, awkwardly patting Neli on the back to maintain her balance.
"It's been like a whole year since I've seen you!" Neli squealed in pure excitement.
Laya and Kelsang both smiled down at the display of childhood friendship. However, Kelsang quickly cleared her throat to get the energetic girl's attention.
"Try and speak a bit lower, little one," Kelsang said with a warm smile, nodding her head toward the thick fur curtains of the nearby igloo. "A new baby is sleeping peacefully in there."
Laya nodded in immediate agreement, offering her own student a gentle, guiding look to match Kelsang's warning.
Tanza
She had assumed meeting her biological mother would be an awkward, high-tension disaster. Instead, it seemed Laya was playing the role of a detached master perfectly. Whether her mother truly recognized her or was simply following her monastic conditioning to suppress any lingering attachment was hard to say.
The woman had looked just hesitant enough to show she was processing the reality of their reunion, but on the outside, she was coping remarkably well. If Tanza had to guess, there were probably a few faint, maternal emotions drifting through Laya's mind, but her serene expression betrayed nothing of the woman who had nursed her for a full year before handing her over to the elders.
Now, with the formal introductions cleared away by her master and the sudden childhood tackle resolved, Tanza watched as Kelsang and Laya walked off toward the edge of the settlement to truly catch up in private; as from the sounds of it, they had met yesterday, but had neither the time or energy to speak enough to each other till now.
She stared at her mother's retreating back for a fleeting moment, harboring a mild curiosity about the life the woman lived away from her. But she quickly pushed the thought aside. Turning back to face Neli, who had finally released her from the tight embrace, Tanza offered an idle question.
"So, how far along are you in your training?" Tanza asked. "Last I recall, you were still working through your third tier when I departed the temple."
In response, Neli flashed a massive grin and proudly held up five fingers. "I'm way past that now! I just finished mastering my fifth tier under Master Laya's teachings!" she gushed, her eyes sparkling with pride. She then tucked her hands behind her back and leaned forward inquisitively. "What about you, Tanza? Weren't you at the fourth or fifth tier when you left with your master?!"
Tanza offered a slow, deliberate nod. She turned to walk back toward her training grounds, Neli immediately falling into step beside her. "Indeed, I was around that number when we left," she answered vaguely. "Though, I can safely say I have progressed since last year. My studies have... forced me to adapt to many new concepts."
There was absolutely no need to break her peer's heart by revealing she was already operating on her fifteenth tier.
Neli let out a delighted giggle, throwing her arms up in the air with childish amazement. "I bet! You must be on your tenth or eleventh tier by now! You always were the fastest learner and the absolute best airbender among us."
Tanza simply offered a faint, unreadable smile as they walked together through the snow. Her old temple peer was clearly expecting her to be far past the average student. But even Neli's highest guesses couldn't touch the reality of what Tanza had actually achieved out here in the cold—and for now, she was perfectly content to keep that entirely to herself.