The Officer and the Princess: The Flames Of War

Chapter 37

Silently she rode up to the gates and stepped off the Ostrich Horse and knocked. Her fist against the wood echoing. She heard voices in the distance and her head immediately turned the way she had come. Straining her ears to hear. The voices were far off and she couldn't make out what was being said. She tried to keep her composure it could just people going home after a night of drinking and they weren't being quiet about it. But still she turned back to the gate and knocked again, harder this time.

Silence greeted her, was everyone inside asleep? She hoped not. But the longer she waited the more that fire stepping was looking like the best option, especially as the voices grew closer, and she could hear the rumble of Ostrich Horse feet. It was still far off but it wouldn't be forever. Her heart began to race and just as she was about to knock on the door as hard as she could, a slit in the door opened and a pair of young golden eyes were looking back at her. "Can I help you Sister?" A female voice said in a softly, friendly tone."

"I-I need to see Mother Honoka." Azula said as rapidly as possible. She didn't understand the Shrine Sister rank structure but she had seemed to be their leader, the title seemed to denote her seniority.

The woman on the other side of the slit had a disappointed look on her face. Or at least Azula assumed it was a disappointed one, she couldn't make out much of her face with her eyes only visible. "I'm sorry Sister, but Mother Honoka isn't taking visitors tonight, the gates will be opened in the morning. You can see her then."

"Take that street!" She heard a Female Voice echo from down the street. "You five with me!" Azula turned her head back down the road and off of some of the buildings she could see dancing fire From Lanterns, and the shadows of people. Along with the rumbling of Ostrich Horse feet.

Azula looked back at the woman, fear growing inside her, they were coming for her. "Please." Azula said. "I need her help, I don't know where else to go..."

The woman looked past Azula down the street. Then she looked back to Azula...then she closed the slit. Azula couldn't believe it. She began to bang on the door hard now. "Mother Honoka." She called out, hoping the woman would hear her. "Mother Honoka please!"

She heard a lock unlatch, then the creaking of a door as it was pulled away from her. In the door frame was a young woman, the same golden eyes. Her brown hair pulled back with a red ribbon tied around it at it's halfway point on her lower back. She was dressed in a white Kimono with red trim. "Get inside quickly." The woman said as she stared down the street. The Ostrich Horse riders were close now. No more than a block or two away at most.

"T-thank you." Azula said with a calming exhale as she gripped her Mounts reins and pulled the Ostrich Horse inside the Temple grounds. The woman immediately closed the door back and latched it. It wasn't a moment too soon, seconds later they both heard at least a dozen riders gallop by, soon fading off into the distance.

From across the Temple ground she could see someone approaching. The closer the got the more she recognized them. Dressed in her yellow Kimono, her grey hair pulled back like the younger woman's, was Mother Honoka...and she looked none too pleased. "By Amaterasu's Grace Sister Chō what is all that racket at this hour?"

The woman beside Azula bowed her head. "Apologies Mother Honoka, she said she needed to see you...the Defense Force was after her, I offered her Sanctuary."

Mother Honoka stopped and eyed Azula with suspicion. "Is that so... Princess, what hornets nest have you stirred up?"

Azula bowed as well. "Mother Honoka, I have a very good explanation for what is happening."

"I should hope so." Mother Honoka said skeptically. "You can start with why you have a Yang war mount."

Oh that was definitely a great way to start off this conversation, with an admittance of theft. "I...stole it." Azula said keeping her eyes glued to the ground. "But I had a good reason."