Red opened his eyes, his head was pounding and his vision blurry. He looked up at the open blue sky, so clear, excluding those bars in the way. Red slowly edged himself into a sitting position and looked around the carriage, a difficult thing to do with both your arms and legs bound. His eyes were met with hunched figures with defeated faces, some were bound like him, one had an Air Nomad symbol tattooed on his forearm with surprising skill. They were ripe for selling. Red himself was bound because he was a fire bender, one of the very few left. A bout a month ago raiders had stormed their town and kidnapped both Red and his sister Mae. They were delighted when they came across the tattoo marking him and his sister as descendants of the great Firelord Zuko himself. He now wore a second tattoo on his forearm similar to the air bender, the red emblem of the fire nation barely visible amongst his sore, reddened skin. Red moaned at his hunger as his stomach promptly did the same, he'd been hungry ever since his enslavement and his formerly muscular body was beginning to waste away
He shuffled to the side of the cage and stuck his head out between the bars, desperate to catch even a glimpse of his sister. He hadn't seen her for days and was furious at himself for his failure and inability to protect her from these slavers. It was one of the last promises he made his father before he was taken away by the Humanic Army. The Humanists had set up a strong anti-bender regime forcing the few left to either go into hiding, or slavery. Red and his sister had been struggling to remain unnoticed and managed to do so until the raid. His surroundings didn't reveal much, they were somewhere cold as a few snowflakes were beginning to fall. Thinking about the past, Red was filled with both anger and sorrow. Suddenly enraged he channelled all the hate and grief he had and fought desperately to free his limbs, driven by a blood lust that shocked even him. Before he could even loosen them slightly, a guard jabbed him savagely with the shaft of his spear making a solid connection with his temple and knocking him out cold. Not for the first time in his brief experience as a slave Red lay unconscious as the slave train approached the nearby town of Strongfall
Ashe wandered quietly through the bustling streets of Strongfall, wandering from store to store and browsing the merchandise, scrutinising their quality and craftsmanship. She smiled to herself when she saw a small sculpture of a southern penguin. She was a long way from the southern water tribe, she had to leave though, she had no choice. She turned away from the shop window and began to walk a little more slowly, dwelling on memories of her homeland. There was a very good reason she had to leave, she knew it very well. It had been about two years ago that day she'd been told she was the Avatar. She had been reluctant at first, the elders of her tribe urging her to accept her destiny and bring an end to bender discrimination. But there were barely any benders left! People had forgotten the spirits and the ancient arts in favour of new traditions and technology. Ashe sighed noticing her breath, clearly visible in the cold air. She looked up and spotted a few stray snowflakes, a smile returned to her lips, she'd always loved snow.
"Ashe what are you doing? I told you not to leave the room." Ashes attention was snatched away from the tumbling flakes by the harsh voice of Marc her, unnecessary, guardian.
"I get bored when I'm cooped up there alone, besides I'm hardly in any danger here, there are children half my age wandering around alone!" Ashe replied turning to face Marc, fluttering her lashes and looking up at the man, pulling of her signature innocent puppy dog face. Marc just laughed.
"Darlin, you and I both know that doesn't work on me." Ashe smiled as his play name for her.
"It did when I wanted to my new cloak" she smugly countered rubbing the soft fabric of the large grey cloak she wore, Marc had brought it for her not long after they first met and he assumed the role of her guardian, almost three years ago now. "and when I wanted to come here." she continued her eyes turning serious.
"I still don't see the logic behind this pointless journey that has led us massively off course." He said as he drew her closer and towards the threshold of a nearby store as the snow had began to fall more heavily.
"I don't know" She answered biting her lip "I just felt like I had to be here and the elders from the Northern water tribe told me to follow my instincts" She finished shrugging her shoulders and reaching up to sweep a stray strand of dark chocolate hair behind her ear.
Before Marc could answer someone shouted something indistinguishable amongst the noise of the town, but those who did hear it suddenly appeared excited and began to make there way towards the town centre. "What do you think they're all excited about?" Marc asked raising an eyebrow as people began to flood past them.
"Let's not think" Ashe laughed and quickly ran to join the crowds, Marc tried to reach out to her before retracting her hands and following her towards the town centre.
When he got there he found Ashe standing at the back of a crown desperately trying to look over their heads, but being the small sixteen year old girl she was, struggled to even reach the shoulders of the full grown men in front of her. Marc laughed as he walked up behind her and lifted her up onto his shoulders, causing her to jump in surprise before giggling.
Ashe looked on at the man who demanded the attention of the entire towns folk, a smile plastered across her face which disappeared quickly when she realised the nature of the event. It was a slave auction. She looked down and me Marc's gaze before returning her eyes to the auction. She wanted to leave, but... something kept her from doing so, just a hunch. So she sat there and watched as various men and women were paraded out, one had to be kept bound and in a cage and it was obvious why. He was a young man, maybe seventeen, heavily muscular with dark hair and tanned skin he wore nothing except a pair of shorts yet he didn't seem to shiver despite the fact the snow was beginning to fall steadily.. He obviously wasn't around here and from his behaviour Ashe decided he wasn't too happy being a slave either. He thrashed against his bonds and screamed into a gag which covered his mouth. Ashe felt a wave of pity wash over her, and also... recognition.
"Ladies and gentleman! I know why you are here! So while your pockets are full I will present to you our high value stock!" The slave driver shouted, a devilish smile spread thinly across his face. As he spoke two extremely muscle bound men opened the cage of the boy and restrained him before dragging him before the slave driver. One of the female slaves shouted out to him, obviously she knew him some how and from the tears streaking down her face she Ashe gathered she knew him quite well. She quickly received a hit over the head which silenced her shouts to be replaced with cries of pain. At this the bound young man became noticeably more enraged. "This!" the slave driver shouted gesturing for his men to turn him around before pointing at a tattoo on his shoulder. "Is an ancestor of Firelord Zuko himself, the scum that delayed the end of The Hundred Year War so that the oppression of non-benders could continue! He is also!" He said nodding at one of the men who raised the boys left arm. "A master fire bender and took twenty of my finest men to capture him!" he shouted as the crowd roared. They were just drinking it in. the boy was getting noticeably angered at his inability to escape the grasp of the two larger men. The slave driver laughed "As you can see, he's hardly tame, but a few weeks under the whip will sort him out straight, do I have any bidders!" The crowd burst to life as they mad many, but ultimately feeble bids.
Ashe slipped off Marc's shoulder and began to push through the crowd before he reached for Ashe's arm once more, this time stopping her in her tracks. "What are you doing?" he hissed.
"I need a fire bending teacher, this is the only fire bender we've met in all our travels and you just want me to walk away?" Ashe replied all too aware of the on going auction.
"But we only have three hundred gold left, and that has to get us all the way to Ba Sing Se!" Marc said reminding her of their ultimate destination.
"Tell me, you're a member of the White Lotus, have you ever seen a fire bender who isn't in the depths of some rotting prison" Marc's head hung in defeat.
"We still don't have enough" He replied, he knew she was right, a fire bender was hard to come by these days, let alone a master descendant of Firelord Zuko himself! But the fact was slaves like him sold for thousands. Ashe reached behind her neck and undid the clasp of her mother's necklace, it had been a gift to her from her mother's father after he returned from the first non-bender bender conflict. It was priceless and contained over a hundred different gems, my grandfather always told us he stole it from the Emperors bedroom itself. Marc saw my idea and met my eyes. "Are you sure? It's all you have left of her"
"That's not true, I have her in here" Ashe said placing a hand over her heart "And here" she continued by pointing one finger to her head. "Besides I need a teacher, I not gems" Ashe continued struggling not to cry. Marc nodded and wiped away a single tear before helping Ashe push to the front.
"Do I hear four hundred gold?" The slave driver continued relishing the desperation as a few rich bidders competed for their prize.
"Three hundred gold and this necklace!" Marc shouted, his booming voice silencing the other bidders and easily drawing the slave drivers attention. In the silence he wandered over and looked at the necklace, drawn by it's countless shining gems.
"Such a generous offer, yours m'lady?" the slave driver smiled as Ashe merely nodded in response.
"And this man" He said pointing to Marc "Is he your father?"
"No he's my..." Ashe said her mind drawing a blank.
"Slave" Marc finished much to Ashe's surprise which she quickly tried to mask.
"Well, since this is such a high quality product" He sneered gesturing towards the boy "I'm going to regretfully decline" he sneered stepping back.
"Wait" Marc shouted to the slave driver "What if I sweetened the deal, I'm competent in both battle and tracking" The slave driver returned with a savage tone
"Watch your tongue slave and don't speak out of turn" He then turned to Ashe before continuing more politely. "That would be an acceptable deal, however I wouldn't want to rob you completely, I'll let you keep ten of those coins" He gleefully grinned before bowing slightly.
Ashe franticly looked around, all eyes were on her, she gave a sweet smile before dragging Marc a step back and talking to him in a hushed whisper. The slave driver cracked a joke about me scolding the slave causing everyone to laugh and gave great cover for their conversation.
"What are you doing?" Ashe hissed confused and close to tears.
"Darling I'm trying to get you a teacher" he said sombrely.
"But I can't sell you to slavery!" Ashe cried, drawing closer to tears.
"Like you said this is rare, I'm not going to let you walk away from this, besides you need a teacher , you're a bit old for a guardian." he smiled his eyes gleaming
"But all these years..." Ashe went on, at a loss for words
"I know Darlin I know" He smiled warmly a sombre but steeled look in his eye.
Ashe felt as if the immense weight of the situation was going to crush her. There was no escape from the situation, or it's logic. When she was told of her destiny she knew she would have to make hard choices, but losing Marc? In the end the young Water Tribe girl, hundreds of miles away from her home did the only thing she cold. Putting on a brave face she wrapped her arms around the taller man's waist and hugged him with all her strength. Hidden from everyone's view a single tear rolled down her cheek.
"I'll find you" She whispered "I'll come and free you"
"Unless I do it myself first" He laughed still holding her in a tight embrace before they turned to face the slave driver.
"Deal" The girl whispered as Red still fought to loosen the bonds. Don't buy me! Buy Mae he tried to scream through the gag, at least then she would be out of the hands of these abusive dealers. The girl handed them the money and necklace and her slave hopped up on stage where he was cuffed to the rest of them and stripped of his possessions. The girl looked as if she was ready to cry. Red stared at her face with hatred. It was the last thing he saw before for the second time that day he was knocked unconscious.