Blades and Fans

The Archer

Zuko managed to make it back to camp his body slumped over as the pain began coursing through him intensified. He could feel the soreness from the fighting and his aching stomach. He managed to set the rice the Kyoshi warriors let him take to boil in a stolen pot over the campfire. As he watched the rice and water boil he thought about their offer more and more wondering if traveling with them would be a good idea. Sure, having a more reliable food source would be nice and traveling with the Kyoshi warriors most likely guarantees safer passage across the earth kingdom, especially since they probably have charts and maps of the area to avoid fire nation outposts. If he makes a single misstep a single mistake he's dead and he doubts that the Kyoshi warriors, especially their leader Suki wouldn't be merciful if they learned who he is. Just as he thought of her name her face flashed into his mind, he couldn't help but think of the way she smiled at him the way her eyes gazed into his. He felt weak thinking about her but shook himself out of his dazed scolding himself again just like before "She would have nothing to do with you, you are her enemy, you are fire nation." he spoke out to himself hoping his words would convince his confused mind.

Zuko saw that the rice was finished boiling, and he set the pot to cool on the rock bed. He then reached up and pulled his blue spirit mask off his face, letting it rest in the palm of his hands. He let his fingers slide along the inside of the wooden mask feeling the words etched into the brow 'Too My Brave Little Soldier...Ursa' as his fingers grazed over her name he let his fingers linger on it picturing her face in his mind. "I wish you were still here with me...," his mind imagining the last time he saw her, watching her face disappear behind her hood like it consumed her as she walked away from his life. He sighed as the memory always caused his eyes to water as he fought back the tears that threatened to spill over as he put away his mask.

Zuko grabbed a pair of chopsticks and pulled the pot into his lap the metal a now more reasonable temperature as he started to eat. He scooped up and ate the bland nearly tasteless rice. He groaned at the taste, but he stomached it too hungry to care. After finishing off the small pot he put his stuff away clearing up his campsite packing his stuff. He wanted to sleep, he felt his movements sluggish, but he could feel the sun about to rise and banishing the dark sky. If he was really gonna decide on joining these Kyoshi warriors he would need to leave soon to meet them before they leave or he would miss his chance.

Almost finished packing, Zuko readjusts the saddle on his Ostrich horse as the beast awoke and he loaded everything up. The Ostrich Horse whined as the heavyweight was put on him making him shift around shaking his feathers. "shhhhh don't worry just a little longer, and when we get to town we can get rid of most of this stuff okay." Zuko said trying to calm and soothe the bird, stroking his gloved hand down its head brushing back the feathers along its brow. This earned Zuko a soft chirp and purr from the animal as it tried and nuzzled its beak against Zuko's hand and face. Zuko let a soft smile grace his lips as he took hold of the reins and mounted the Ostrich horse to ride off, the sun now peaking for the trees.

The Kyoshi warriors had a brief, but unrestful sleep. The fighting last night made all their body's stiff and sore making any movement a pain. Dawn came only a few hours after they collapsed in their sheets and as the sun rose up they knew that they had to start packing, but no one was eager to get up. Suki took her time like the other girls in slinking out of bed, but she needed to set the example and crawled her way out of her tent. She let out a loud yawn as she stretched her back. "Come on girls, up and at 'em!" she called out as she rubbed a large round bruise on her back from when the blue spirit slammed his sword pommel into her.

Aikio was the next to try and get out of bed her dark hair a complete mess as she scratched her head and stretched out her back. "Damn I haven't felt this sore first day of training," she complained as she stumbled over to the fallen food stash fishing out an apple from one of the bags for her breakfast.