𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍 | prince zuko

⁰³

As the man opened his mouth to add something else, a louder voice stopped him. "All new recruits, non-benders included, stand in formation! The commander has arrived!"

The man narrowed his eyes at Yan before he and the rest of the men stood in formation. Yan stood next to a boy around her age who looked her up and down; he was tan-skinned with blue eyes and had black tribal tattoos on his face and fingers, a clear sign that he was from one of the Water Tribes. Yan wondered to herself why a boy from one of the Water Tribes would be here in the Earth Kingdom. Before she could ask him, the boy turned his eyes to the commander as he started to speak.

"As many of you are aware, the Fire Nation's reign has not ceased. Our once impenetrable city of Ba Sing Se has been overrun by Fire Nation soldiers who strike fear into everyone's hearts. The Earth Kingdom army has tried over and over to find a way to bring back the freedom we once had; however, they have failed each time. It is now up to us to try. What would originally take you months to learn must be done in weeks." the commander spoke. The newly recruited soldiers all looked around at each other, muttering with uncertainty.

"Non-benders and benders will be trained separately; training will last from sunrise to sunset to ensure you are trained long enough and for us to get through your training faster. There are rules here that you must follow. Women are forbidden from entering the camp; if you bring a woman here, you will be expelled. If you lie, cheat, or steal, you will be expelled. Now that we have gone over the rules, go to your respective tents and find a place to keep your belongings. After that, return here so we can begin training."

. . .

     Training was difficult and very stressful for everyone. Yan trained with the non-bender men; she was taught how to use various weapons but seemed to excel in using swords more than spears or bows. She was also taught hand-to-hand combat but was very poor at it, easily getting knocked into the dirt by the much taller men she sparred with. As she and the non-bender men trained, she would take mental notes whenever she stopped to watch the benders. Most of the benders that were training were earthbenders, which made it perfect for her to practice in secret.

The sun was setting by the time everyone was finished with their training. Everyone was tired and exhausted as they made their way to their respective tents to finally relax. Twenty non-bender men fit inside the large tent as they began to undress to bathe in a nearby lake. Yan looked away to focus on someplace else, still clothed and very awkward. When the men exited the tent, she stayed behind, sitting on a cot that was situated near the back corner of the tent.

Night fell quickly and soon everyone was snoring. Yan was still awake as she lay on her side, still dressed in her clothes from before; she decided that she would bathe and practice her bending when everything had settled down. She moved a man's arm off her waist and sat up slowly into a sitting position. After looking around and seeing no one else was awake, she stood up. Carefully and quietly, she exited the tent to head to the lake; she would stop along the way to hide whenever someone passed by.

When she got to the lake, she took her shoes off and stood barefoot on the shore which was muddy and damp from the water. She took in several breaths, slowly levitating the few pebbles that were around her. As she stood by the lake, she practiced her earthbending, the earth vibrating under her feet; she would have to keep watching the benders as they trained to get better. She didn't even notice someone was watching her until she heard a branch snap. With a jump, she dropped the rocks and turned around quickly.

"There are many things that don't add up about you." the boy from before said as he stepped out from behind a tree. Yan shook her head and fiddled with her fingers awkwardly.

"Why are you following me?"

"I was wondering where you were going."

"It's none of your business."

"Who are you really?"

Yan paused, crossing her arms as she thought of something. She couldn't tell this boy the truth, she didn't know what his intentions were or whether she could fully trust him. "I am Tao Qiang and I am from Ba Sing Se. I don't even know who you are, why are you interrogating me?" she asked finally, stepping away when he stepped closer.

"My name is Nukilik and I am from a small village that is west of Omashu; I was born in the Northern Water Tribe before my family moved when the Fire Nation attacked our home. My mother's name is Siuppuk and my father's name is Ikiaq. My father and I are waterbenders and I joined the Earth Kingdom army to help free the Northern Water Tribe from the Fire Nation. There, now you know who I am." the boy now called Nukilik introduced himself.

"Pleasure to meet you. Now, could you please leave me alone? I prefer to be alone."

"You're an earthbender aren't you?"

Yan froze when he asked her if she was an earthbender. She scoffed and shook her head, laughing in disbelief. "No, I'm not an earthbender; if I were, why would I be training with the non-benders? Once again, I would prefer to be alone right now."

As Yan turned away, Nukilik grabbed a few pebbles from the ground and threw them at Yan. Out of instinct, she stopped the pebbles in midair, causing his blue eyes to widen. She quickly dropped the rocks, turning away from him and crossing her arms.

"Is your name really Tao?" he asked after he collected himself. Yan sighed and closed her eyes tightly.

"No, it's not. My real name is Yan. I wasn't lying when I said I was from Ba Sing Se. My mother and I are earthbenders and my father was a soldier in the Fire Nation army." she confessed, sighing heavily. She turned back to Nukilik, her eyes downcast.

"Why did you lie?"

"Because women aren't allowed to fight in the Earth Kingdom military."

At the mention that she was a girl, Nukilik's eyes seemed to grow even wider. "Wait, so you're a girl and you're also an earthbender?"

"Yes, why are you so surprised? I joined the military in my father's place because he is in no condition to fight and there is no other man in my family. There, now you know the truth. If you tell anyone, I won't hesitate to bury you under some heavy boulders." she threatened him as he quickly nodded and stood at the water's edge. He crouched down, gently touching the water as he thought about using his bending abilities or not.

"If you're a bender, why don't you train with the benders?" Nukilik asked as he kept his eyes focused on the lake before him. Yan sighed and sat on the rocky shore, tossing a few flat stones at the water, one skimming across the lake's surface.

"They would easily find out I'm a girl just by my movements. Besides, I could use some training with a sword."

Yan and Nukilik were quiet, the only sound being the slosh of water that he began to bend into various shapes. Yan sighed, folding her arms over her knees. She was tired from all the training she and the other men were struggling through. They would only have a few weeks of training until they were forced on the front lines; the idea scared everyone. They knew the casualties would be great.

"Do you understand why I'm doing this? My father would easily be killed if he went to fight; besides, he doesn't believe I can fight simply because I am a girl. My mother thinks life is just fine, but I know that we cannot keep living under the Fire Nation's boot." she explained, Nukilik looking back at her and nodding.

"I understand. But I can only imagine how surprised your mother and father will be when they learn that you joined the army." he smiled as he sat beside her. Yan nodded with a soft chuckle as she looked at the rippling water, her mother and father now in her mind.