Suki didn't really think she would be as bad with directions as she was. It was one of the things the Kyoshi before her didn't impart before they...left. It hadn't really helped she had been holding the map upside down either. After one of her girls had pointed out this particular detail Suki heaved and exasperated sigh, and they all decided setting up camp was probably for the best.

The sun had only now started setting and they still had a couple more hours of good light to travel by, but what's the point in traveling when you have no idea where you are going. Besides, they had chores they needed to get done anyway, laundry, some fabrics to be mended, and with a river close by they could restock their water and food supply.

Suki delegated the girls to different groups to get things done, and currently two of the girls were struggling with the map and compass in her place. They seemed to have better a chance than here but so far it didn't look good. After she made sure everything was getting done she decided to finish the last of the mending.

They had only been bustling around an hour when the screams rang out among the trees. They instantly recognized the shrieks, not in pain but in warning. One of their sisters was in trouble and needed their help. Suki knew the only ones not with the group where the girls down by the river and she quickly directed the rest of her warriors into the dense tree tops. The forest was so dense they easily could hurry to the river silently and surprise who ever or what ever had attacked their sisters.

It was an interesting scene the girls witnessed from their view among the dense leaves. A group of ragtag kids surrounded the two girls who had been filling up their canteens. They hadn't put up a fight, which Suki thought was for the best. Their was too many attackers, and they appeared to just be a bunch of well armed kids, not Fire Nation. Besides their assailants didn't appear to be harming them, at least not yet. Bunch of forest thieves is all. Suki was about to signal for her women to drop down, when she heard the twang of an arrow being shot. In a matter of seconds a yelp was heard and branches cracking. Before the attackers from below could look up the Warriors had descended upon them with ferocity.

Suki was taking in every detail she could on their opponents, none of the kids were benders, but many were skilled with their respective weapons. But their weapons of choice were incredibly varied. Many had been disarmed and incapacitated by their initial drop, and even if they hadn't the Kyoshi Warriors had the numbers advantage. Suki quickly zeroed in on a tall boy who seemed older, about her age. He was one of the few that didn't get immediately taken out, and had snapped into action quicker than the others, not to mention he was putting up a very good fight against two of her own. He used strange long metal hooks, the likes of which she had really only seen in her studies.

It wasn't long before the two were making slices at each other, and he proved to be a powerful foe. He fans sliced the air with deadly force, but he always managed to dodge. His hooks certainly kept her at range from him, and his swings were filled with brute strength she didn't posses. At the same time though he couldn't land a blow on her, and she kept managing to slip in and attempt a blow. But he was specifically sticking to defense, and occasionally she thought she heard him try to slip a word in.

The fight was silent besides the clangs of metal and whizzing of thrown weapons, but only a minute after the fight had started Suki heard one of her Warriors break the vocal silence.

"Narumi!"

Suki abandoned her fight swiftly and dashed into the rushing river to the source of the call. On her side in the river was Narumi trying to surpress her wails of pain, and gagging on the cold rushing water. One of her fighters stood over them, defending her comrades from attacks. Suki dropped to her knees and pulled the girl into her lap, helping her cough out the water. It had only been a handful of seconds since she left the fight when she heard a husky authoritative voice.

"Stop fighting!"

Immediately they had ceased fighting, and her girls quickly disarmed them but looked to Suki before doing anything further. The leader of the Kyoshi surveyed the field. The golden fans poised for attack and glinting beautifully in the fading sunlight. Besides what was on her own clothes and Narumi, there didn't appear to be any real blood loss. The boy she had been fighting before was the only one standing his hooks on the grass at his feet and his hands up in surrender. It was only a moment before two warriors held there fans to him in wait. The two girls that were originally captured by their opponents were already freed. Suki held her sister in her lap cradling her head, the woman wheezing and moaning in pain.

"Narumi is hurt, and Kyoshi Warriors never kill those who won't fight back." Suki tucked herself under Narumi's arm and began to pull her to stand. Another warrior rushed to her side to help.

Their attackers were looking to the boy who shouted the same way her girls had looked at her. Suki instantly recognized the authority of a leader and fiercely glared at him.

"Touch one of my girls again and I will give my girls the order to permanently disable." She motioned for her girls to retreat back to their camp. Swiftly and silently they disappeared back into the forest.

Suki stayed by Narumi's side holding her hand while she was being cared for. The arrow which had pierced her leg was dull, and had barely stuck into her thigh through her fabric. It was a heavy arrow though, it's intent was to send a powerful force to knock her from the tree but not to kill or maim. A few stitches in her thigh but nothing permanent there. It was the fall that had caused the real damage.

Here collar bone was certainly severly bruised and likely fractured, her shoulder slammed out of socket, and fractures and breaks along her forearm which she used to break her fall. Her armor had protected her and left only slight bruising on her right side. And her head had taken a huge hit, which left her nearly incoherent.

It took four girls to hold Narumi down while another forced her shoulder socket back into place and reset her collarbone. Her shrieks would have filled the whole forest had she not been muffled to the best of their ability. They didn't want to alert others in the forest to their presence. After that she had been left fading in and out of consciousness, babbling incoherently every time she came too. In less than an hour the fever started.

Warriors patrolled their perimeter, while few stood in camp posed for battle, and approved for near execution if necessary. Suki would have been patrolling, but she had a duty to be fully aware of Narumi's condition at all times and thus never left the her side. Holding her hand and trying desperately to draw her into consciousness and to keep her there to avoid a coma. Another woman helped to further medically, preparing medicines, icing the wounds, keeping a fresh cold rag on her head, and making sure Narumi was both well hydrated and nourished.

It was early night when a warrior slipped in and urgently pulled Suki out. Before her stood the boy she had battled just an hour before, flanked on either side by her girls, and the others posed to strike if necessary. But it didn't look like they took him by force, or even fought. Neither parties had a scratch on them and she knew her girls gave him a thorough pat down for weapons before allowing him in her presence.

Now that they weren't engaged in a heated value Suki could look him over. Her was tall, had a few inches on her for sure. A long piece of wheat hung from his lips, and his skin a deep tan. His mahogany hair was long and shaggy, and his eyes a deep brown. His clothes where baggy, and had certainly seen some amateur mending in their time, random patches of miscolored fabric were used to fix rips and holes. But they certainly seemed well suited for his environment and for battle.

Suki instantly soured, but kept her voice calm and authoritative, "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to talk. Could we maybe do this uh in private?"

Suki crossed her arms and kept her gaze steady. "Fine, inside the tent. But some of my girls will be in there with me, and outside prepared." She spun around, her long uniform swinging behind her as she motioned for her girls and the boy to follow her. She could hear the whispers already forming on her warriors lips.

Inside they sat facing each other. Narumi laid behind behind Suki being further tended to, and one fighter stood by Suki's side. Only two other girls entered the tent, and they stood behind him on either side, fans already drawn. After a few moments of tense silence the boy finally spoke.

"My name is Jet, and I lead the Freedom Fighters."
Suki kept her eyes looked on him, but her voice void of emotion, "You mean those kids we fought back there."

Jet froze before reluctantly nodding and resuming, "Yes. I also came to apologize about that. They caught your two warriors thinking they were some sort of Fire Nation spies. This forest is infested with Fire Nation. I had only just arrived when you and your other fighters did. When I saw how you fought, and your makeup I instantly knew who you really were."

Suki raised her eyebrow, "Oh and who are we exactly?"

This time Jet immediately responded, "You're the legendary Kyoshi Warriors. The all female non benders established by Kyoshi. I had heard of you before from old Earth Kingdom tales but… I honestly thought you guys were a myth, or at least from ancient history."

"Well it looks like someone paid some attention to their history teacher in school." Suki kept her voice level but added a tone of condescension.

Jet's voice immediately fell "I never actually went to school. I mean not since I was very young."

Suki immediately snapped to attention. Sure not many places had formal education but nearly every small village had something, how else would the traditions, laws, and ways of the village be passed down? Jet must have sensed the question on her lips because he already began explaining.

"My village was attacked and burned to the ground when I was 8, I was one of the only survivors. Of course it was the Fire Nation scum. Over the years I had found other kids. Orphans and refugees like me, that's how the Freedom Fighters were born. Since then we have dedicated our lives to stopping the Fire Nation, and currently we are working to liberate this forest."

Suki lowered her eyes while he spoke and when he finished she looked upon him softly, a new found kinship forming between them. "I'm sorry for what happened to you. I really am, the Fire Nation has devastated our home too. And I like what you and your Freedom Fighters are doing here. It is much like what our mission is, to fight and protect those who can't do so for themselves, and to teach those who are being destroyed to fight back. You aren't much different from us." Jet brightened, his agreement clearly shown in his features.

"I'm glad you said that. I was hoping you would. See there is another reason I came here tonight. Even if it's temporary, I would like to propose a team up, my Freedom Fighters with your Warriors."