Siensao sipped her tea and considered the two ragged fugitives who had fallen into her lap. All I have to do is convince the big simpleton that I'm fighting for the Earth Kingdom—not hard—and he'll follow me all the way around the Path to the Horizon. Easy. Karida al-Jita, though—as if I didn't know who she was the instant I saw those scars—she needs to go. If she ever recovers, she's astute enough to be suspicious and perceptive enough to make trouble. How to do it without arousing his suspicion, that's the question. I'll figure something out in Omashu.

"You told me last night that you wanted to fight the Fire Nation, Jomei," she said aloud, "And that you want lessons in earthbending."

"Yeah," he said, frowning at her, arms crossed. "What of it?"

"Well…" she said, lingering on the word as she glanced about the inn, "I might be able to help with that, if you're interested. Honestly, I don't know if it would really suit you, but you would be able to learn from some of the foremost teachers in the world without having to pay in coin for their instruction."

He let out a harsh bark of laughter.

"You're a merchant, all right. Fine, let's hear it. What's the catch?"

She smiled, bowing her head, hands raised.

"And you, Jomei, are accustomed to dealing with merchants, it seems. The catch is that once you begin this…course of study, shall we say, you can't back out, and you'd be accompanying me on a very long journey. I don't exaggerate when I say it might well take us all the way around the Earth Kingdom and back. If we're very lucky, it shouldn't take more than a year."

"A year!" Jomei burst out, slamming his palms down on the table loud enough to make Siensao wince and the other customers glance over. Realizing his mistake, he quieted down to a low growl.

"I'm not spending a year traipsing all over the Earth Kingdom! Every day I waste is another day Teoro suffers and the Fire Nation keeps winning. I need to start fighting back now."

"I absolutely agree," she said, "I only thought I'd suggest it because…well, that isn't really important. Anyway, only you can know what's best for you."

He blinked at her, his face scrunching up in consternation.

"If you knew it was a stupid idea, why did you suggest it?"

"As I said, that isn't important, now look, if you're set on joining the army, I would be happy to write a letter to—"

He leaned forward on his elbows.

"I think it's important."

No doubt the posture was meant to look terribly intimidating, but Siensao had some difficulty keeping a smile off her face. Spirits, he's overdoing the glower something awful. And he's too far away to breathe on me and too close to look at ease with what he's doing.

She let out a sigh, avoiding his eyes and twiddling her thumbs a bit.

"All right. If you join the army, I'd put down half my profits against a clipped copper that you'll be dead within half a year and never see Teoro free, if it's ever freed. They won't care about one more mining village and Sky's Edge Pass isn't strategically important right now. The provinces south of the mountains are only contributing token resources to the war. They'll give you a nice helmet and maybe some armor if you're lucky and throw you into the front lines, where thousands might die in a day. I've travelled a long way, Jomei, and the world is a dark place where brave souls like yours burn out too fast. I had hoped maybe I could spare one person that fate."

Jomei leaned back, visibly wavering in his resolve. Now he was the one unable to raise his gaze.

"But…the Earth Kingdom needs every soldier," he protested, though without heart. "Even if I'm just another earthbender, it makes a difference. It matters."

"I wish I could believe that," Siensao murmured, shaking her head. "But one more or less inexperienced soldier doesn't win fights, battles, or wars. Those are won by people with years of experience. And even if you got lucky and survived, you don't have the years to spare. You've heard the stories, just as I have. The comet is coming next year. If we don't win this war before then…well, best not to think about that."

"How would me wandering around learning earthbending win any more battles than joining the army?" Jomei asked, still frowning.

Siensao exulted inwardly. He's hooked. Now to reel him in.

"I'm not precisely who I appear to be, Jomei," she said, and this time she let the smile she was feeling blossom on her face. "I know people. Powerful people devoted to ensuring that the lessons of the past and the wisdom of the ages are not lost to time, ignorance, foolishness, and war. There's a journey I could go on with a fellow student, the Path to the Horizon. But that student has to be a bender. If I could complete the journey, I might be able to bring a new army into the war. My friends haven't been fighting so far. They're afraid. But if I can just get the chance to talk to our leaders, I'm sure I can convince them to fight, and we can drive the Fire Nation back into the western sea."

"Would you believe that story if I told it to you?" Jomei asked. "No offense, but it sounds crazy."

"Well, we're both heading to Omashu anyway," she said with a shrug. "I can prove it's the truth when we get there. Until then, you don't need to decide. I don't think we could take your friend along, though, not in her condition. She needs a healer, a good one, and it will take a long time for her to get better."

"No," Jomei said firmly, crossing his arms. "If I go with you, she comes too. End of story."

"Jomei, you can't give her what she needs. I'm not a healer, but—"

"If you're not a healer and haven't lain awake at night wanting to die then shut the hell up!" he snapped back, leaning forward again, fists rapping on the table, "Because you don't have any idea what she needs. I have some idea, so that means if she wants to come with us, that's what's going to happen. Get it?"

Siensao sighed. Yes, she definitely needs to go.

"I understand. My apologies, I only want to help."

"Yeah, yeah. And use me to go on your little journey. I knew you didn't hide us from the ash-eaters just because you felt like being nice."

She raised an eyebrow. "It's just business, Jomei. You'd be using me, too."

He actually grinned back for the first time since they sat down.

"Now that's more like it. Just be up front with me about how we're using each other from now on and we'll get along fine."

She raised her cup of tea in a toast.

"I'm sure we will, Jomei. No secrets about what we want from each other from now on."