Kynthia leaned tiredly up against a great, mossy tree. It was mid afternoon and the summer sun threatened to cook any unsheltered creature on Earth alive. Her wrists were sore from the constant weight of the stone shackles Aidan had to this point refused to remove, but at least her legs had been freed. Aidan joked that he was tired of carrying such a heavy weight.

The ancient forest around her teemed with life, something of a luxury compared to the frozen Northern tundra that Kynthia was so accustomed to. The chirps and growls emanating from the forest made her cringe and fear, but she felt relatively safe in the camp Aidan had prepared. Kynthia had watched as the Earthbender had braced himself, rose walls, stamped out deformities on the ground and bended makeshift shelters. It was quite impressive, especially from a bender of his age. Kynthia was herself skilled in her art, but Aidan seemed to be leaps and bounds ahead of her in his element.

Almost too far ahead… Something about him doesn't seem quite right.

Now pondering on it, Kynthia realized she knew very little about the Ranger that had captured her. It had been a week since Aidan had slain the pirates on the beach and saved her from the Captain, but the Ranger avoided speaking about any personal details pertaining to his life thus far. In a way, Kynthia couldn't blame him. He was an outlaw, a drifter, and she was certain that people were chasing Aidan every waking hour of the day. Aidan insisted they move only during the night and make camp in secluded and isolated parts of the countryside, never close to a village or town. Often, he would pause during their travels northward and ask Kynthia to kneel and remain silent. Obeying, Kynthia would watch him as he gazed out across the countryside, his sharp steel eyes surveying the scenery and his Earthbending senses attuned to any vibrations caused by a cynical enemy.

"I see you haven't run away yet," Aidan said causally to Kynthia, entering their small, walled fort silently with a large canvas sack slung over his back. He was dressed in his black armor and tunic from head to toe, but his hood was lowered and his weapons stowed. Aidan's short hair shone like polished shards of obsidian, jet-black and naturally spiked. His skin was naturally tan and weathered; small pale silt-like scars streaked the brow of his right eye. Kynthia had jumped when the Ranger made his unusually quiet entrance and Aidan had noticed with a grin.

"Scared you?"

"Earthbending through that wall usually isn't a silent operation," Kynthia retorted.

"Maybe for some benders, but I've learned how to make it… stealthy," Aidan said with a smile as he threw the canvas sack at Kynthia's feet, "Here, I bought you something today."

Kynthia raised an eyebrow. She noticed the quick change of subject.

"Bought or stole? You can keep it if you stole it. I'm no thief like you."

Aidan rolled his eyes.

"I bought it, trust me. I don't steal from the common people," Aidan explained, "Plus, I'm sure you're going to want it regardless of how I managed to get a hold of it."

Kynthia looked at the sack at her feet and then back at Aidan.

"And how exactly am I supposed to open this?" she asked with a raised brow and slight smile. It was nice to make her capture feel stupid for a change.

Aidan raised his hand and lifted the cuffs of stone around Kynthia's wrist. She felt them momentary leave her body, but suddenly they clamped down harder than before. Kynthia looked at Aidan with a questioning look.

"What gives?"

"Hold on. I know how skilled you are. I can't take any chances; I need your bounty," he said quietly, quickly ducking into his stone shelter. He returned momentarily with a large bladder of water. Kynthia's stomach fell slightly. She knew that bladder was in the shelter. She had been trying to bend it all afternoon while Aidan was away. Aidan slowly raised his arms out at his side and powerfully brought them together over his head, bending a large, rounded shield of stone over the bladder. Kynthia immediately lost any connection with the bladder.

"There. And don't tell me you didn't know that wasn't there," he said. Before Kynthia could spit out a retort, Aidan waved his hand and she felt the stone crumble into dust around her wrists. She rolled her wrists and rubbed the pink skin worn away by the stone. Kynthia winced as she moved her shoulders forward for the first time in days; her joints cracked and popped like the elders in the Tribe.

"You're welcome. Now open the bag!" Aidan pressed excitedly. Kynthia couldn't help but smile at her capturer. He reminded her of a small child giving a gift at the once-a-year Bluemoon Festival in the Northern Water Tribe.

Kynthia reached deep into the sack. Her hands immediately felt fur and soft cloth as she withdrew the light blue Water Tribe outfit. Kynthia instantly recognized it as a modified summer version of the normal Northern Water Tribe outfit. The usual parka was missing and the sleeves on the upper portion of the outfit had been trimmed away entirely. The usual long dress had also been modified; it was now a knee length skirt hemmed at an angle with fur lining the bottom. Kynthia also found elastic, lionseal skin shorts dyed pitch black and a matching bra made of silk at the bottom of the bag. Kynthia looked up at Aidan, who was positively beaming at his gift.

"So do you like it?" he asked anxiously. Kynthia was very confused. It was hard to imagine the bounty hunter in front of her acting like a normal person, especially after witnessing the events on the beach. Kynthia quickly forced a smile.

"It's… it's great, thank you," Kynthia replied gingerly with what she thought as her most cheesy smile ever. Regardless, Aidan was satisfied.

"You're welcome," he said with a smile that just screamed that Aidan was absolutely content with himself. Kynthia guessed it was quite the endeavor for the Ranger to purchase clothes for a woman he knew nearly nothing about.

"I'll let you change while I'm away. I'm leaving you un-cuffed," he said and then threw a small sheath at Kynthia, "and here's a weapon. If anyone enters the camp, or if you hear them beyond these walls, hide, Kynthia. I hope I've impressed on you that I will get you to the North safely and quickly. Those other bounty hunters aren't too kind. They don't try to keep their bounty in… presentable condition. Do you understand me?"

The seriousness in his voice and his eyes conveyed that Aidan was putting much trust in Kynthia. But something in his steel, sharp eyes convinced Kynthia that Aidan did indeed have Kynthia's safety and well being in mind.

He may be an outlaw… but he's not inhuman…

"I understand. I'll be here when you get back, one way or another."

"I hope so. I'll be back after nightfall with dinner," Aidan said. He slowly turned to leave, but held a gaze with Kynthia for as long as he could. After throwing on his hood and grabbing his bow, Aidan quickly bended through the wall and sprinted off into the surrounding forest, disappearing among the thick and damp foliage.

Kynthia stood there for a moment, looking down at the pile of new clothes and the dagger in her hand. All at once a wave of confusion washed over her. She simply could not get a grip on her capturer, if she even wanted to call him that anymore. She felt he was more of her protector; that somehow he was constantly watching out for her for a reason larger than himself. Things about the mysterious hooded man had continued to pile up inside of Kynthia's sharp and curious mind over the last week. He was only slightly older than her, yet his skills in Earthbending were far greater than she had even heard of. Only very old and very devout Earthbenders ever reached the level Aidan seemed to be at.

In addition to his accelerated Earthbending, Aidan was a superior craftsman. Kynthia, in the very short week that she had been with Aidan, she had noticed all of the amazing things he had made for himself over the years. His obsidian arrows were incredible, truly a new piece of technology that the Earth Kingdom could use to great effect in its armies. Kynthia had also examined Aidan's armor when he carried her that first night. Underneath his dark clothing, pieces of jet-black armor had glistened and bathed in the silver moonlight. Each piece of armor was constructed in the same fashion. Aidan had managed to craft obsidian into small, thumb size hexagons and secure them to silver silk. The hexagons were evenly spaced, close enough to protect against the sharp point of a spear or a bolt of fire, but spread apart enough to allow the armor to flex and breathe. In a funny way, it reminded Kynthia of the scales on the giant serpent rumored to guard Serpent's Pass.

On top of all of this, Kynthia was baffled by the amount of obsidian Aidan carried on him. Fire Nation soldiers often carry obsidian on them, but it is usually small like a necklace or a totem. And before the war, the Fire Nation was the only part of the world that exported this rare material. Kynthia knew it is revered for its incredible properties: it indefinitely holds a razor sharp edge, reflects more damage than it absorbs, and is very lightweight.

There is absolutely no way he learned all of this within his lifetime… he is far too young. But somehow he did learn it. Considering his… profession, I doubt he learned from a master. I wish I knew more about him!

Shaking herself out of her frustrating thoughts, Kynthia knelt down and gathered all of the clothes Aidan had purchased for her. Without looking, she quickly turned and walked toward her shelter, but suddenly tripped and fell, sending her new clothes sprawling onto the dusty ground.

"What the-"Kynthia gritted through her teeth, unaware that anything would have been in her way.

Kynthia glanced over her back at what she tripped over. It was a small block of stone like something Aidan would bend upwards. Curious, Kynthia looked around from whence it came.

"Oh…" she said in a small voice, her emerald eyes gazing upon the source of the stone block. Aidan, before he had left into the forest, had silently bent a chunk of stone out of the dome he had created early. Kynthia almost immediately knew that Aidan had moved the block behind for the sole reason for her to trip on and notice it. As she stared at the moved stone, Kynthia began to feel her deep green eyes begin to water.

Why am I crying?

She tried to wipe them away quickly as if to prevent anyone from seeing her true reaction to this jester of kindness Aidan had left her. Kynthia herself almost didn't know what was making her feeling this way, or even what kind of feeling was coursing through her emotions right now.

Get a hold of yourself!

Once again, Kynthia shook it off, gathered her clothes, and ducked into the shelter to change. All the while, she thought of the curious, hooded young man that dashed through the countryside, undetected and unwanted by any nation, who was probably one of the most extraordinary benders alive.