The boy crouched on a large tree branch, using one hand to steady himself against the thick trunk. He peered through the leaves at the Fire Nation soldiers milling around below, all of them setting up camp for the night. He leaned forward slightly, trying to hear their voices above the rustling of the wind. He gripped the trunk tighter, praying to the spirits that he wouldn't fall. A voice drifted towards him.

"Are you sure we should stop here, Captain Lo? This forest is rumored to have warrior spirits that live in the trees. Things have happened, unexplained things."

A giant of a man turned to the soldier who had just spoke. He crossed his thick arms, looking down at the quaking man before addressing him gruffly.

"Do you think I care about a couple of ghost stories? We stay here. If you have a problem with it, be my guest to walk the five miles to the next village."

The soldier dipped his head, shame blossoming on his face as a few fellow soldiers snickered. "Of course, Captain."

Captain Lo nodded, satisfied with the response he received, and turned to the snickering bunch behind him. They quickly snapped to attention as he spoke to them. "Men, set up camp!"

All of the soldiers nodded, their hands coming to their heads as they gave a salute. "Yes, sir!"

As they scattered to perform their duties, a younger-looking general spoke quietly to the captain. The boy had to strain to hear him, almost losing his balance as he hung further from the tree.

"And what shall we do with the prisoner, Captain? Do you intend on keeping her alive?" He asked, making the captain think for a moment.

The boy froze. A prisoner? That hadn't been in the cards. He silently berated Sneers for not giving him enough intel as he waited to hear more.

"We'll be stopping in the next village tomorrow night. Give her enough to last until then. We can get rid of her at the market," Captain Lo replied, before turning and shouting commands at a group of soldiers that were putting up a tent.

The general gave a curt nod and left to do as he was told. The boy hesitated for a moment before following after him. He slipped through the branches until the general stopped, making the boy catch himself before he fell from the branch he was currently squatting on. He allowed himself to go a level lower, making the general and the prisoner they had captured more visible. The general had a canteen and a piece of turkeyduck jerky in his hands, which he offered to the girl chained to the tree.

She looked like she had been through hell. Her clothes were muddy and ragged, the shoes on her feet falling to pieces where she stood. Her face was halfway covered in soot, as were her hands. Dried blood trailed down her face, snaking around her left eye and stopping below her neck. Her eyes opened when she heard the general approaching and she pushed herself back against the trunk of the tree, fear present on her face.

The man in front of her held out the canteen again and she hesitantly took it, taking big gulps of the liquid inside. She returned the canteen and took the jerky, chewing on it slowly. She continued to eat as the man spoke.

"We're going to be stopping in the next village over tomorrow. From what I can gather, the captain wants to sell ya on the slave market tomorrow." She stopped eating and stared at him, wide-eyed. He chuckled cruelly before continuing. "Oh, don't worry. Someone will pay good money for a young girl like you. It's easier to break you in when you're young. I'm sure some rich merchant is just dyin-"

He was cut off by an arrow through his throat. The boy lowered his bow, his face warm with rage. The girl cowered even further against the tree, bewilderment clear on her face, which was now splattered with the blood of the man in front of her. Quietly and slowly, as to not scare her, he jumped down, holding a finger to his lips to signify that she needed to stay silent. She nodded slowly, her eyes wide.

He sighed heavily, pulling the arrow from the man's neck as he gurgled once before falling silent. Get supplies, get intel, get out. That was the plan. He silently cursed Sneers again before turning back to the girl. He couldn't very well just leave her. He ran a hand over his face before coming to a decision. Turning back to the girl, he spoke, his voice cracking silently.

"I'll be back, promise." The girl just continued to stare at him, and he held his finger to his lips once more before slipping back into the trees.

He gave himself ten minutes. He had ten minutes to get food, medical supplies, and intel. Dusk had already fallen, and the soldiers were more preoccupied with building a fire than staying alert for intruders. The captain had retired to his tent, a light illuminating his hulking shadow. The boy crept behind a stack of wooden crates before coming to the tent with supplies in it. He pulled out a loaf of bread, a large handful of jerky strips, and some uncooked beans, shoving them into the bag he had worn on his back.

Making sure that no one had seen him, he went for the medical supplies. He took the minimum amount- just enough to get by but not enough to get noticed. He closed the chest he had been rummaging through, his hands freezing when he heard a voice getting closer to the entry of the tent. Trying to be quick, he crawled through the back flap of the tent, picking up the pace as he got farther from the camp.

Not straying too far from the safety of the shadows, he crept back towards where the girl had been. She was sitting against the tree, her eyes closed, when he came back up to her. Making his steps loud and deliberate so she would know he was coming, he produced a thin wire from his pack, twisting it so it would fit into the lock of her shackles. When he noticed that her eyes had opened and were now focused on him, he explained what the wire was for quietly.

She just continued to stare at him, and he finally moved to free her from the metal. A few flicks of his wrist later, the chains fell loosely around her ankles, and she moved tentatively, unsure of her new freedom. She was only able to take a few steps before her legs buckled underneath her. He caught her as she stumbled forward, her cheeks turning a light pink in embarrassment.

"Can you walk?" he asked, the girl turning and giving him an annoyed look at the question.

"'Course I can walk. Just gimme a few minutes." Her voice was rusty, and he thought it matched her slightly abrasive tone.

Letting go of his arms, she took a few more shaky steps, only to fall again. He gripped her arms, and she winced as she realized just how little strength she had. His head jerked to the voices behind them. They realized the general had been gone far longer than necessary. He could see the distant glow of a torch. He met her eyes, both of them terrified at the prospect of being caught. He motioned for her to get on his back, and she complied, wrapping her small arms around him as he adjusted his grip.

Trying to pick up some speed, he increased his pace to a light jog, hoping to get enough distance between the camp and him before they realized what had happened. Eventually feeling like he had made it far enough, he settled into a walk, relaxing a bit as he headed towards camp.

The girl on his back requested to be put down, and he let her go, making sure she could walk more than a few steps before continuing on. The silence of the forest was thick, and only broken by occasional birdcalls. He finally decided to break the silence and find out more about the girl he had rescued.

"What's your name?" She looked up at him and hesitated for a moment before replying.

"Bao Yu."

He nodded quietly, turning the name over in his mind. "Bao Yu. It's good to meet you. I'm Isamu."

She thought for a few seconds after receiving his name before repeating it. "Isamu." She nodded at the taller boy, and they continued on, though the silence was not as heavy.