Zhao stared at the place in the holding area where he held the Avatar, and he was furious.
One week ago, he was poised to receive the commendation of a lifetime. One week ago, he was poised to be appointed to the highest position underneath the Fire Lord himself. One week ago, he was poised to deliver the Avatar, that pathetic child, to his liege. And one week ago, all of it slipped from his grasp, and to make matters worse it was the ever elusive Blue Spirit, one of the empire's most notorious criminals, who was responsible for his loss. Zhao refused to let any of this leak out, and be the laughing stock of the military and the court. But most of all, he feared what the Fire Lord would do to him if word did get out of this blunder.
Knock! Knock!
"What!" he shouted.
"Sir, th-the records you wanted have arrived," said the fearful voice of a soldier through the door, "They're in the briefing room."
"Finally! Something good for once," said Zhao before storming off to that very location.
He had spoken too soon
He opened his door to the briefing room, and instantly became frustrated when he saw that there was crates worth of documents to go through. Since he became Admiral, he had taken charge of tracking the Avatar, and had ordered all branches of the military and the colonial government to provide him with all the records and sightings, past and recent in an effort to map out any possible routes that the Avatar was taking. And there, evidently, was a lot of records. The Admiral knew that he would lose a lot of time going through it all. However, he was not willing to risk wasting more time hunting blindly. Zhao quickly barked at his men to get to work, as he himself went through the first crate.
xXxXx
In a lightly hazy morning, Zuko walked through the woods by the Northwest coast of the Earth Kingdom continent, a region that was still holding onto it's independence from the Fire Nation. The land was known for its nearly limitless pine forests, and its natural harbors. Its breathtaking scenery and mild climate would enthrall anyone, and normally, he would enjoy the scenery of the area while he could when he went walking. However, he didn't feel comfortable ever since he left the Avatar's group.
'They probably still hate me,' he thought.
He wasn't referring to Aang though; the kid would probably forgive him the first chance he got. It was the Water Tribe siblings that he was thinking about. He remembered how Sokka yelled at him and accused him, and he could see he had hurt Katara just by looking at her eyes. He sighed at the thought.
'Why am I beating myself up over this?' he asked himself, 'I did what I had to do. I had to show them I was a firebender.'
What about your father?
Zuko clenched his hands into fists as he thought about that man.
He groaned in exasperation, and sat down by the road and pulled out a map. He found his position, traced it along to his destination, an abbey, and estimated how long it would take for him to get there. He could get there by midmorning if he pushed himself, but he felt tired and decided to take a break. He pulled out a canteen and some jerky and began to eat.
As he ate, he heard running, and stopped. Zuko looked down the road, in the direction he heard the noise coming from. He saw a young woman wearing white robes running frantically.
"Please sir, help me!" she cried out as she saw him.
Zuko immediately got onto his feet, and the girl nearly ran into him she stopped and pulled herself toward him. He was taken aback by her actions, but after a moment he understood that it was for seeking protection. He gently pried her off of him, and got a good look at her. She was around his age, wore white robes, had long hair that was covered in a white veil, and prayer beads around her neck. He realized that she was an initiate from the abbey he was looking for.
"What's wrong?" he asked trying his best to sound comforting.
"The Fire Nation," she uttered.
"You there!"
Both Zuko and the initiate looked up to see a large group of men in Earth Kingdom uniforms approach them.
Zuko's eye widened at the sight as he realized they weren't really Earth Kingdom soldiers, but Fire Nation in disguise. They strode confidently and gracefully in their formation, which was supposed to emulate the way dragons flew as opposed to Earth Kingdom soldiers, who waltzed as gracefully as angry badger-moles. Zuko instantly recognized them as infiltrators, and guided the girl behind him with his knees bent and his drawing arm at the ready.
"Is there a problem, sir?" Zuko asked deciding play along with their game for now.
"That woman there is aiding the Fire Nation army," sneered the lead officer, possibly a sergeant based on Zuko's observation.
"I am not! And if anyone is Fire Nation, it's you!" she retorted.
"How dare you accuse me of such a thing?" threatened the sergeant in a poorly convincing voice.
Zuko rolled his eyes; it was way too obvious to him.
"Stop the charade, you're not fooling me; you are Fire Nation. I can tell by the way you march, talk, and by the way your uniform is worn," he said as he noticed that the uniform wasn't properly assembled.
The initiate looked up at him in wonder. 'How would he know?' she thought. The sergeant was also stunned, as were his men, but the surprise did not last long as the man sneered.
"You're pretty sharp. That's too bad," he continued arrogantly, "If only you played along, then you wouldn't have to die; men!"
Most of the soldiers took up firebending stances, and others quickly drew out their weapons, and both groups quickly surrounded the two. Zuko drew his swords out and separated them in a flash before crouching into a stance.
'Most of them are firebenders, including the sergeant; also, there's a young woman to protect... these are not good odds,' he thought as he analyzed the situation.
He looked at the firebenders, and their leader. He knew from looking at their stances and calm expressions that they would be the hardest to fight against, and that he would have to bend against them if he wanted to have any real chance. That was also a problem because he hadn't bent fire for combat purposes in a while because of the demands of his cover. He looked around for any weaknesses in the group formation. There was nothing until he saw the two swordsmen, and how cocky and arrogant they were.
He smirked, knowing where to go first.
"When I tell you, run," he whispered to the initiate.
"What-"
She didn't get a chance to finish, as Zuko's swords ignited in a bright, intimidating flame. Everyone doubled back, and Zuko seized on the expected reaction. He sidestepped the initiate, and shot the flames from his swords in a wave of fire at the two frightened soldiers. The explosions from the blast sent them flying onto their backs, and Zuko turned to the now frightened initiate.
"RUN!" he ordered.
The young woman wasted no time doing as he commanded. When she was out of Zuko's sight, he returned his attention to the soldiers.
"Well this is interesting," began the sergeant as his grin turned malicious once he recomposed himself, "I think we found ourselves a deserter, boys."
Zuko simply took a deep breath, reignited his swords, and charged at the firebenders.
...
The young initiate ran as fast as she could, still processing the fact that her savior was a firebender. She turned around to see flashes, and jets of fire shooting into the air.
As she did, she ran into something hard, and fell flat on her back. She looked up and her jaw dropped.
xXxXx
Zuko was having a difficult time fighting back. Taking on multiple firebenders and soldiers with only his swords and rusty bending was becoming tiring. Sensing his disadvantage, Zuko decided it would be better to fight in the woods.
He sheathed his weapon and dashed in, and sure enough, the enemies followed. Zuko went deeper and deeper into the dense seaside forest, and looked behind him briefly. As he had hoped, the trees had broken the pursuit formation that the soldiers were using, dividing the effectiveness of their numbers, and putting them in situations where they would be forced to fight him one at a time. Now believing that things were in his favor, Zuko drew his swords and turned to face them, but he would not really get the chance.
Something hit the side of one of the firebender's helmet, incapacitating him instantly. The soldiers gawked, and when war cries blared into the still quiet, many soldiers flinched. A large group of warriors clad in blue charged downhill. The blue clothes, and wild hair, meant one thing: these were Water Tribe warriors, and the firebenders were in no way prepared to fight them.
A little startled himself, he jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Zuko took a step away, and got into a stance to see two middle-aged men, one with a club and another with a whale tooth sword. One man, who stood behind the other, had long black hair tied in the wolf tail style, a black goatee, and narrow eyes, and the other one, who had his hand up in gesture of calming, had brown hair in the same style but with two beaded locks along the side as well as the same goatee.
"Hold it there, we mean you no harm," said the black haired man before turning to the man in front of him, "You shouldn't have startled him Hakoda."
Hakoda simply chuckled, and tried to calm the boy with a gesture of his hand.
"Sorry, for scaring you like that," he told Zuko, "You're a very brave man taking them on, but leave this fight to us now, young man. Let's go, Bato!"
That was all he said before grinning, and going off to join the other warriors.
Zuko simply stared as the two older man as they ran off into the battle before realization hit him.
'Hakoda... the Hakoda?'
He had heard about the Water Tribe leader from taverns in the Southern Earth Kingdom. The man was a magnificent warrior, and a man of honor that the Earth Kingdom was more than willing to have on their side.
Zuko clenched his swords and sheathed them so that he would have an easier time running. Normally he would have complied with the request, being the kind of person to avoid getting involved in something that would lead to people realizing who he was, but the soldiers were his opponents first. Childish as the thoughts were, he had picked the fight, and he was now going to finish it. Besides, fighting alongside the Water Tribe leader would be an honor, and it would give him something to brag about later on. He followed them, and would render assistance in any way he could.
The Firebenders fought hard, but the Water Tribe warriors had the high ground and began to drive them down to the beaches. As Zuko tried to catch up to them, he witnessed the warriors' skill in battle. He was in awe, but also intimidated by their ferocity. They did not fight like a regimented military, but they did fight as a group. Working together, pulling individual talents and abilities and using them to their maximum potential. It was a potent combination of strength, speed, and teamwork that kept the Fire Nation on the run until they arrived at the beach.
When the two groups got to the beaches, the fight was no longer one-sided. Most of the non-bending Fire Nation soldiers had fallen back, and only the firebenders remained. They had no intentions of running however. In fact they were fighting much more ferociously now that they were out in the open, no longer restricted by the trees and thick brush of the woods. This put several of the Water Tribe warriors on the defensive, and some into weaving toward their enemies.
When Zuko arrived at the beach, he saw Hakoda finish dealing with a spear man when he noticed the enemy leader ready to attack the black haired warrior from earlier from behind.
"Look out!" he shouted.
Hakoda heard him, and spun around to see who had said that when his eyes caught the sergeant trying to sneak up on Bato.
"Bato!"
Bato suddenly felt heat against his back, and turned around only to see a powerful blast his chest hard. He flew to the ground as the fire burned his clothes and skin, causing him to howl in pain, and a moment after the rough landing, struggled to get back up. The sergeant charged to finish off Bato, but Hakoda charged in as well. Being lightly armored, Hakoda was quickly closing the gap to Bato, but the sergeant pulled out one last trick. He sent a powerful blast heading straight to the wounded warrior, and it traveled faster than Hakoda's own legs could carry him.
'...No, I can't make it!' Hakoda thought as he pushed his legs beyond his limit and struggled to keep fatigue from winning.
He didn't have to.
A powerful jet of fire hit the ground, in front of Bato, and consumed the incoming blast before dying down on the non-combustible sands.
Bato, Hakoda, the sergeant and everyone else all looked to the directions that the flames had come from. While the firebenders simply scoffed, the Water Tribe warriors stared dumbfounded as the saw that Bato's savior was the boy Hakoda had earlier told to leave the battle.
The boy was a firebender.
As he stared, Hakoda remembered what the young girl had told just minutes ago.
"Please sirs help," she pleaded while catching her breath, "Fire Nation soldiers in... Earth Kingdom uniforms... a young man is fighting them... but he-"
"Where?" Hakoda asked.
"Down the road," she answered, "But... let me finish. The young man is-"
"I'm sorry, but if a single person is fighting them, then we need to move," he cut her off, "Let's go men."
He and his war band ran off down the road to confront their enemy.
"Is this what the girl was trying to tell me?" he asked himself.
He watched as the boy crept closer, never breaking out of his stance, as the sergeant turned his attention to the boy.
"Interfering in another's battle?" he sneered, "What kind of self-respecting firebender would do that?"
"You're one to talk," retorted the boy, "You just attacked a warrior from behind, without honor."
"There's no need to fight savages with honor," said the firebender, "Neither is there a need for it when fighting a traitor like you."
'Traitor?' thought Hakoda.
Zuko stared down at the firebender, and readied himself for battle. He felt the adrenaline pumping, a roll of sweat trailing down. He couldn't tell if it was because something snapped when the Water Tribe man was attacked from behind, the fact that he blew his cover in front of a war band of Water Tribe warriors, or if it was from the faces of Sokka and Katara flashing in his mind when it happened. He'd figure in out later; all that mattered at the moment was the firebender in front of him.
He took a stance, and faced the sergeant as he did the same. They circled each other for a few brief moments before the sergeant fired the first shot. Zuko instinctively blocked it, and shot a counter blast. The man also deflected this blast and in the same motion, shot an attack from his foot before swinging back and punching two larger blasts from his fists. Zuko anticipated the attacks, and dodged them, rolled, and getting back onto his feet. He was taking the battle seriously, but slowly, spending the majority of the skirmish letting his body remember the forms and feeling of his bending, and allowing his mind to revert to the mindset of a firebender.
Slowly, but surely, it was all coming back to him.
After dodging another attack, Zuko, very quickly, snapped his arms back and rapidly shot off blasts in short successive bursts at the sergeant's feet to break his stance. The sergeant managed to avoid the attacks by stepping backward, but this is what Zuko was counting on.
The sergeant took a step back as he dodged another blast to his foot, but when he was about to get his footing, he sank into the ground.
"What the-" he began looking down at the ground.
Zuko was pleased in managing to break his opponent's root to the ground.
The sergeant struggled to get his foot out of the wet sand when he heard the whiz of a fire blast heading towards him, and he snapped his head up, seeing a very large and powerful flame. In less than a second it sent him flying into the sea.
After a few moments, there was a pillar of steam bursting from the water, and the enraged sergeant charged at Zuko.
Zuko, now confident in his refreshed bending abilities, faced his frustrated opponent with renewed vigor. The sergeant lunged at him sending fire in every direction. Zuko blocked most of the flames with his own fire, and sent a few to his opponent. As he did, he slowly advanced, and his opponent took careful steps back. Zuko, seeing that he wouldn't get anywhere with steady attacks, ducked to avoid an incoming blast and formed fire daggers and charged at the sergeant, weaving side to side to avoid getting hit. The older firebender began to step back, but Zuko moved too quickly toward him and closed the distance. He lashed his flame dagger out and cut the bender across the cheek, causing the older bender to reel back and making a partially cauterized wound. The sergeant, in a fit of rage, quickly grabbed some sand and threw it at Zuko's eye. The Water Tribe warriors were shocked at the underhanded ploy, as Zuko's hand went to his face.
The sergeant immediately heated his hands, and went for Zuko. However, victory would not favor the dishonorable today. Zuko felt the heat closing in on his face, and an image of his father's fist flashed in his mind. He immediately tilted his head to dodge the attack, and caught the man's wrist. Zuko heated his hands intensely, causing the Earth Kingdom vambrace that the older bender wore to heat up. While the man wailed at the intensity of the heat, Zuko blinked the last bits of sand from his eye, ignoring the pain in his own hand, and gave the man a cold, almost lethal glare.
"That was a pretty stupid stunt-," began Zuko with fierce eyes as the older bender tried to get out of his grasp.
"You little brat, let me go!" the sergeant demanded.
"I fought and lived through Uragiri. Tricks like that won't work on me," said Zuko, ignoring the mans' protest
The older bender stopped struggling out of shock.
"Uragiri..." he gasped, "I-It can't be. You're ly-"
Zuko didn't let him finish. He pulled the sergeant toward him, and sent him flying with a powerful flame kick. The older man struggled to get up, but fell on his back and as he looked at the young man, he realized he was no longer looking at the same kid who got in the way of his fight. He thought only one thing: 'This kid's eyes... he was one of them... He mentioned Uragiri... that's where they fought.'
"You... T-Then you were a member of his division? Y-You fought under The T-Tiger-Wolf?" stammered the sergeant.
Zuko dropped from his stance, and gave his robe a slight tug. He pulled out his handkerchief and displayed it, causing all the Fire Nation soldiers to take a step back.
"Yes," answered Zuko.
The soldiers looked in horror and fear at the sight of the handkerchief, and what it represented.
"Leave," said Zuko causing the men to look up, "Leave and never come back. Tell your commanding officer that you failed, that you were found out."
"B-But..." began the sergeant, only daring to look up.
Zuko's good eye was narrowed and almost completely black, and his voice was cold and even. He made a gesture toward the swords on his back, wordlessly stating his intentions if they didn't do as he ordered, and the soldiers immediately ran.
As Zuko saw them leave, the color in his eyes began to return.
'Even after all this time... we're still feared,' he thought closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.
The adrenaline in Zuko's body began to die down. Despite the exhaustion setting in, he felt exhilarated. Bending his element made him feel alive. The feel of the intense power within him which coursed through his veins and caressed his skin was unlike any other in the world, and he missed that feeling.
The moment was short lived, when he felt a cold aura behind him, reminding him of the one he got from Katara when he sat on Appa's saddle for the first time.
He turned around and saw three Water Tribe warriors with their spears ready to kill.
xXxXx
Hakoda was shocked that the boy was a firebender, but even more so that he would fight his own people to protect his best friend. He was not willing to leave things to chance though. He gave a hand signal to three of his warriors to keep a steady eye on the boy, but not harm him. The warriors began to lead Zuko to their leader while he tended to his friend.
"Bato..." began Hakoda as he examined the burns on his friend's chest.
"Don't look so concerned, it's just a flesh wound," said Bato weakly, trying to cheer his friend up.
"This isn't funny," scolded Hakoda.
"Neither are your jokes," replied Bato.
Hakoda would have scowled at the comment had it not been for Bato's wound. Bato slowly began to close his eyes, falling into unconsciousness.
"Bato?" Hakoda started to shake Bato, "Bato!"
"I can help him."
Hakoda looked up to see the boy.
"What did you say?" he asked to make sure he wasn't hearing things.
"I said, I can help him... if you let me," the boy repeated sheepishly.
Hakoda studied the boy, wanting to know if the intentions were for helping for helping's sake, or something else. The boy's face was filled with blatant concern and honesty within the amber pools.
"What should we do?" asked one of the warriors.
Hakoda looked down on the wounds that his friend suffered from. The burns were very extensive, and looked way beyond his skill, even with the knowledge he had in treating burns. He looked at the boy, and sighed as he realized he needed help.
"Very well," said Hakoda lacing his voice with a tone of warning. He looked to the three warriors guarding him, "Keep an eye on him."
Zuko approached with the other warriors in tow, keeping his hands in plain view to show that he meant no harm. When he got to the man, now known to him as Bato, he knelt down and opened the burned tunic he wore. The burns were indeed serious, but he needed to know specifically how much damage the man had suffered in order to treat them properly.
"I need someone to hold him down for a moment."
Hakoda nodded to two warriors who made their way over to Bato. One got his legs, the other got his arms.
"Ok, this may hurt him, but it's important in knowing what we're dealing with. Hold him tight," he told them.
The did so, and Zuko gingerly pressed down on Bato's burns. When he heard a sharp yelp, and felt Bato's unconsciously jolt, he quickly removed his fingers.
"Alright, he can still feel pain, that's good," said Zuko before telling the warriors to let him go so he could determine what type of burn it was now that he ruled out third-degree burns.
"He has second degree burns," said Zuko after noticing the color of the splotched burns that covered most of Bato's upper body. He returned his attention to Hakoda looking very serious turning, "With those soldiers around, we need to get him somewhere safe, and I need the medicine in my pack so I can properly treat him."
"...very well," said Hakoda acknowledging the boy's instructions, "But, you will have two of my warriors with you to escort you to get your things."
Zuko nodded in understanding, and Hakoda ordered his men to make a makeshift stretcher out of branches from the trees, and their shirts.
"There's an abbey not to far from here, somewhere in the hills," said Zuko before handing him the map and looking back to Bato, "You're going to need to keep his burns cool. Get any light cloth you have and soak it in the sea water. The water should keep his prevent swelling and ease the pain."
Hakoda nodded, and let the boy go with two of his warriors. He ordered the men who weren't going to escort Bato or the boy to return to the ships, and to bring them to the area, before following the boy's orders. They put Bato in the newly made stretcher, and Hakoda followed the map to Abbey. On the way, Hakoda hoped his instincts were correct in trusting the young firebender.
xXxXx
The superior and the other nuns gasped in horror as the initiate told the story of the day's events. They began to whisper if the Fire Nation had truly gotten far in the region, and other speculations. However that all stopped when there was banging on the abbey gates. The superior ordered the other women to calm down, and one of them to open the gate.
The woman did as she was ordered, and they saw a man in blue standing with several other men.
"Please! We need help. My friend was wounded."
The superior approached, and took a good look at the man and the injured warrior they were carrying.
"You are Hakoda of the Water Tribe... you saved our initiate, and are an ally of the Earth Kingdom. You will always be welcome, please get your friend inside," she told him.
Hakoda bowed in thanks, and ordered his men to take Bato in. He asked the superior if there was a place that he could set his friend down, and she guided him to one of the guest lodgings reserved for travelers in need of shelter. Once they set him down, Hakoda returned his attention to the superior.
"I have several more men on their way. They're bringing... a specialist in this kind of thing," he told her.
"I will welcome them in," said the superior.
"Can you look after my friend until they return?" he asked with hope in his voice.
"Of course," she answered before calling one of the nuns to get cool, moist towels.
"Thank you for everything," said Hakoda.
After half an hour, there was banging on the door. Hakoda ordered two of his warriors to see who it was. It was the boy, and the other two he had ordered to keep an eye on him.
"That's him!" cried out the initiate, "That's the firebender!"
The other women became distressed, but Hakoda quickly put them at ease saying that he was the one who they were waiting for. The warriors urged Zuko onward to Bato, and when he got there, he opened his pack and rummaged through the contents. He found the medicine that Lao Ren's granddaughter had given him for his journey as thanks for saving her grandfather from Jet. When he got a good look at it after the incident in the valley, he realized it was a very special and highly prized ointment from the Fire Nation that both disinfected and treated burns. Zuko had been saving it for dire situations, and this certainly was one of them since his survival depended on how well he performed at this moment.
"I need bandages, a basin of clean water, and a fresh towel," said Zuko.
Hakoda asked the superior to cooperate, and reassured her that the boy was being watched closely. One of the nuns complied with the request, and brought what Zuko asked for. Zuko washed his hands thoroughly in the clean basin, and when he finished drying them opened the ointment's casing and used his hands to gather a generous amount. When it made contact with Bato's skin, the warrior stiffened in a jolt of pain and released a grunt.
"Easy there," said Zuko calmly.
He began to rub the ointment on Bato's burns, and once he finished coating the soothing mixture on the burns, Bato slowly began to relax. Slowly, Bato fell asleep with steady breathing, and Zuko turned to the warriors.
"You're going to have to help him sit up so I can wrap the bandages," he said.
Hakoda personally did this part, as Zuko got the bandages. He tied a loop around the bottom portion of his burn, and afterward, he quickly and smoothly began to wrap Bato tightly, but still loose enough for the body to breath and feel at ease.
"Alright, that should do," said Zuko, "All he needs now is rest, a daily change of bandages, and cold water bath."
"What about that ointment?" asked Hakoda.
"No," answered Zuko, "The ointment is meant to soothe, disinfect, and help start the healing process. One treatment is usually enough, but we'll see how it goes as it progresses. Here."
Zuko was handing the ointment to Hakoda, who looked at it before taking it.
"If he starts to scratch at his bandages, then that means he'll need another treatment. Just make sure your hands are clean when you use it," said Zuko. "Aside from that, all you need to do is follow the directions I've given out. Oh, and no strenuous exercise."
Hakoda had to admit, he was impressed with the boy. He was amazed at how the young firebender treated Bato, and listed the necessary steps to get Bato better so calmly and carefully. The boy seemed so young, but he knew so much.
"Those soldiers..." began Zuko still looking at his patient, "There may be more of them besides that group. You may want to alert the nearest Earth Kingdom garrison and warn them before something bad happens."
Hakoda nodded in approval, and told a warrior named Nava to send a message to the fortress of San Shang telling them the information given by the young firebender. He began to wonder if maybe the older firebender was right. The boy was a traitor, therefore an ally.
Then a thought occurred to him.
Unless he could prove the boy was on their side, he was still technically an enemy. The helpful attitude, the intelligence that was given, all of it could have been a ploy to assassinate him. His instincts as a warrior told him there was only one way to deal with him.
Fortunately for Zuko, age had tempered Hakoda's prejudice. His instincts as a fair-minded leader began to come into play as he decided to think of another way to deal with the boy. He did not think the boy was bad, and honor demanded he repay him for his efforts in helping, even if it may only be a final request in the end.
"Hakoda," began one of the warriors, "What do we do about him?"
Hakoda looked at the warrior as though he had read his thoughts before returning his attention to the boy. He promptly made his decision.
"We keep him around, just in case something happens to Bato," said Hakoda deciding to buy him a little time, "Once we confirm Bato is well, then we'll decide his fate."
Hakoda looked to the boy, "Do you promise to behave until then?"
Zuko nodded, "On my honor."
xXxXx
Zuko sat in a cellar underneath the abbey. The warriors marveled that he was not acting arrogant or calling them wild savages or being snide about Bato. Zuko instead meditated, and began contemplating his life, as if he was expecting his execution. Suddenly, Zuko's thoughts were on Hakoda.
He had ensured that he was fed, and put under decent care, and on occasion would watch him personally to give his warriors a break. Now was one such time and Zuko felt as though the leader was looking at someone else when he was being watched by him. To Zuko's surprise, so did he. Ever since he saw Hakoda, something about the Water Tribe leader still struck a chord with him, as if he had met him earlier somehow, but he couldn't place his finger on it.
"We've been doing as you told us," Hakoda began.
Zuko thoughts abruptly ended, and he looked to his warden. It had been two days since the battle, and this was the first time that anyone had ever said anything to him other than "Here's your food and water."
"He's making a good recovery," he continued, "That ointment you gave him really did wonders for him."
"...I see," said Zuko looking away, "That's good."
There was a resounding silence surrounding them, before Hakoda cleared his throat.
"I am Hakoda," he started, "I am the chief of the Southern Water Tribe."
Zuko looked at him oddly, but cleared his own throat.
"I'm Zuko," he said courteously before looking back at the ground.
Hakoda just gave a noise that meant he heard him.
'Just a name...? He'll tell me when he's ready, I suppose,' thought Hakoda before pressing on, "How old are you?"
Zuko snapped his head back up. Was this guy trying to make small conversation? He looked at the guy with his good eyebrow raised.
"You don't have to talk, I get it," sighed Hakoda.
Zuko gulped, "...sixteen."
Hakoda looked at him.
"I'm sixteen years old," Zuko repeated.
Hakoda was bewildered.
"You're sixteen?"
"Yes," said Zuko.
"I assumed you were older, at least eighteen," he began, "The way you treated Bato's injuries, unflinching and focused, you must have seen the war first hand. Were you a medic?"
'Might as well,' thought Zuko, "Not exactly. The army I was a part of was understaffed, so I had to learn other skills to keep it functioning. But first and foremost, I was a soldier, and I fought my first battle when I was thirteen."
Hakoda was stunned.
"That's so young..." he said, "My son wanted to join me in the war when he was that age, but I told him he couldn't. He was too young, and he needed to protect his sister."
Zuko was quiet for a while.
"You're son is very lucky," he stated, "No one that young should be sent to war. There is more than physical pain on the battlefield."
"I agree," said Hakoda.
The superior walked in and gave Hakoda a nod before waving her hands, and two women came in, each with a bowl of porridge. An older nun gave Hakoda his, and the initiate that Zuko had met approached him with his. Zuko could tell she was nervous and looked away from her to put her at ease, and whispered a thank you after she gave him the meal. She ran out hurriedly, and the superior left the two alone.
The Next Day...
Hakoda joined Nava in watching Zuko, and Hakoda wasted no time in greeting Zuko and returning to the conversation from yesterday.
"You mentioned that the army you were in was understaffed, how so?" asked Hakoda, giving Nava a confused expression at the sight of his leader's apparent ease around the firebender.
"There's a lack of manpower in the army. The age of recruitment was reduced from fifteen to thirteen to compensate, and even then, the soldiers aren't well trained at the barracks. Recruits had to finish their training in the field or from surviving veterans. In other words, war was our graduation exam," explained Zuko.
"So, it's trial by fire?" asked Nava rather snidely.
Zuko grimaced at the word choice, and worked really hard to hold back his glare.
"Nava, don't interrupt," warned Hakoda, sensing Zuko's discomfort.
Nava stormed from the room. After the awkward silence, Hakoda spoke up again.
"Um... so, what was your training?"
Zuko decided to finish the conversation.
"My division was very... chaotic. It was once part of a group of divisions, and was given an important task to carry out. But they failed, and the divisions fell into disfavor. Some of them were disbanded, but those that remained gathered together and made a single unit. It was a melting pot basically, which is why in addition to being a trained soldier, I also have some medical skills and... other talents," finished Zuko when a blue and white mask flashed in his mind.
"Multitalented, eh?" asked Hakoda.
"Well... I guess you could say that," said Zuko.
The following morning...
"So, what's it like in the South Pole?" asked Zuko.
Hakoda looked up.
"Well, I figured if you wanted to make conversation, I should get on it too," said Zuko.
"...It's winter all year round. The summers, I guess you could call them that, they are slightly warmer than usual, but still cold," described Hakoda.
"I'm guessing there's a lot of snow too?" asked Zuko, despite how pointless the question was.
"Oh yes, lots of it," answered the chief with a chuckle.
"I've only seen snow once while in the Northern Earth Kingdom last year, and it was only a small pile of it," said Zuko, "It was nice."
"You wouldn't say that if you lived in it everyday," joked Hakoda, "The snow and the harsh environment make life hard. But it makes our people as a community stronger. We trust each other with our lives, and love one another as though we were part of a much larger family."
"That sounds nice," said Zuko sincerely, "It sounds a lot more appealing than the Fire Nation sense of community."
"How so?" asked Hakoda.
"We have the same idea of banding together, but it's more of the 'my way or the highway' variety," answered Zuko, "Any form of dissention or deviation from the rules is met with swift punishment."
Hakoda noticed Zuko stroke his eye patch as he said that.
"I see," said Hakoda.
Zuko sighed, and turned to face Hakoda.
"Why are you doing this?" Zuko asked.
"What?" asked Hakoda.
"Talking to me, trying to get to know me," clarified Zuko, "I mean, don't get me wrong, it's nice to have someone to talk to, but I'm your enemy. If I was held by the Earth Kingdom, I'd be lucky enough to be executed."
Hakoda knew what Zuko was implying, and he thought about it for a while. Why was he doing this?
"I guess... I wanted to know who you are," he answered slowly.
"Who I am?" asked Zuko.
"I leaned never to jump to conclusions about people pretty early on in my time in war. I've seen plenty of firebenders, and you're unlike any of the others I've met. I wanted to see what you're like before I made any kind of decision regarding your fate," answered Hakoda.
"So what is my fate?"
Before Hakoda could answer, Nava burst in with a scroll in his hands.
"Hakoda, some news," he said causing the chief to stand up.
"What is it Nava?" he asked.
"Well, there's good news and there's bad news too," he began, "The good news is that Bato is getting better."
Hakoda sighed in relief, "But, what's the bad news?"
"We received orders from Ba Sing Se," began Nava handing him a scroll, "They can't afford to maintain troops in this isolated region anymore, so the Earth Kingdom armies are organizing an orderly retreat of soldiers and civilians from the last of the western provinces by sea to Chameleon Bay. We are to go to provide an armed escort, and afterwards, to protect the city from the coast. However, that's where the bad news starts; Bato is still not well enough to travel."
"...I see," said Hakoda sadly.
"What should we do?" Nava asked.
"Wait with the others, I'll be there shortly," he answered.
Nava left the room, and Hakoda let out a sigh. He turned around to see Zuko looking at the ground.
Hakoda understood the expression on his face, but he knew one thing. He cleared his throat, getting Zuko's attention.
"To answer your question from earlier, I think you're a good kid. You did not cause trouble, and I have to say, I'm very impressed with your character. You treated my friend's injuries, kept to your promise, and you've been rather calm throughout this whole ordeal. That's not something I would expect from someone from the Fire Nation," said Hakoda before taking a deep breath, "I'm going to let you go."
Zuko's eyes widened.
"You are?"
"Like I said, you're a good kid. You don't deserve death," said Hakoda.
"Thank you," said Zuko with a bow, "I'm forever in your debt."
Hakoda smiled before he looked at the orders on the scroll. He would have to leave within the week, but he couldn't just leave Bato either. The mother superior's entrance broke him out of his troubled concerns.
"Yes superior," began Hakoda.
"Bato would like to meet the one who treated him," she answered looking at the boy.
Hakoda noticed that the superior had begun to warm up to boy as well. Granted, she did have her suspicions about him at first, but like Hakoda, she was impressed by his courteous behavior. They two looked to the boy, and Hakoda walked over, undid his binds, and helped Zuko get back on his feet. Hakoda led Zuko from the cellar to the entrance of the room where Bato was in, and the wounded warrior tilted his head to the side to see his leader and friend.
"You look terrible," commented Bato.
"It's your fault," joked Hakoda.
Bato gave a wry smile, and looked around.
"Where is he?"
Hakoda motioned him in, and Zuko was brought before Bato. There were a lot of wary eyes staring at the boy as he knelt before the warrior. Bato looked at Zuko surprised.
"This is him?" he asked earning a nod from Hakoda, "He's so young."
"Yes, he's sixteen," replied Hakoda getting some mixed responses from the other warriors and a shocked one from his friend.
"Sixteen," repeated Bato in amazement, "Tui and La, Sokka would be around his age by now."
That was when Zuko make a not so typically straight expression. Hakoda noticed the boy's eye widen, and his mouth fall ajar.
"Wait, Sokka?" blurted out Zuko, "You know Sokka?" I'm