A plan and a nightmare
After the Rough Rhinos had gathered what they could of supplies and equipment, the night was fast approaching.
They settled for a meal in the cave from which the ambushers had emmeged, sheltered from the rain pouring down and the howling wind picking up trash and pieces of light equitment.
Dinning on old scraps of dried meat and noodles boiled in an old tea kettle, which had been the only thing they could hold the liquid with out leaking, their mood was not the best.
"Okay" Mongke began rather slowly, trying to get on with buisness
"We know that our camp has been razed to the ground, we know that the earth kingdom did it, that they took our comrades prisoner and we know partially from which direction they came, so, what do we do now?
Looking his men over Mongke knew they were not much for admitting it, but this was a huge blow to morale and to their pride, they didn't know whether to go berserk or despair, going into deep depression over their misfortune or go out and exact swift cold retribution.
No replies, Mongke's patience was wearing thin
"Come on, one of you got to have some sort of suggestion?" He was beginning to get desperate, their situation was too, they had to move, they had little food, thirdhand shelter and no security if the ambushers came back in case they found out the camp was missing five men. Five men was no army or battalion, but still enough to cause trouble if it was left unchecked. They would send out a group to corner them and ultimately capture them.
Earth kingdom had earth kingdom's population's support after all. They would be found sooner or later.
The hours went slowly when no one said anything, all Rhinos buried deep in thought, the only thing changing would be whose face lit up with an idea, then to suddenly consider it further and deeming it unfavourable.
Then out of the blue:
"captain, I think I have an idea"
Mongke looked up, Kahchi was always the one keeping up the spirits in the group, he was a winner at heart and had a slight grip on how to share it. But saying that he thought he had an idea clearly spoke for his own reluctance to go through with it.
"well speak up, the rest us have been out for ideas since we arrived at this ruin" Ogodei blurted out almost in a roar, all out of sheer anxiety.
"we, heh, heh, could, heh, follow the ambushers" Kahchi said almost embarrassed
After several seconds of having been starred at aghast by his friends, he continued
"We're already dressed like earth kingdom and we could easily find them if we asked some farmers in the direction which they went, to ensure they were the right ones whom we were following. we could travel through the country unnoticed".
Still looking aghast at Kahchi for his suggestion which initially sounded like utter "the airnomads are all alive" madness, Mongke slowly nodded in understanding at the soundly logical plan, yet still having second thoughts about it,
most of the rhinos had rode into battle bare headed and were therefore easily recognizable in the eyes of the civilians.
When asking for directions they would therefore rely solely on Yeh-lu. The rest of them had to wear cloaks and hoods in order not get recognized, especially Vachir.
That in itself was going to get difficult and it was bound to gather suspicion and ultimately attention. Attention they could not afford to attract.
People could take them for being criminals or even worse, traitors or snitches working for the fire nation.
And even then if they found them, they had to get all the men free and doing it without causing trouble in the earth kingdom camp or prison or where ever they were being kept. They most likely had to fight their way through to the prisoners and then out when the whole place had heard the warning calls.
Then again their alternatives were of little better quality.
They could go to the nearest fire nation camp, send word to their general and then have to answer to the unfortunate questions that were bound to come; "why weren't you in the camp when it was attacked? Why didn't you try to rescue your comrades? Why were they gone when you arrived?"
"Why, why, why?"
And then when their interrogation had finnished, their command would already have received the note for ransom, time and place for the trade and so on. All in the fire nations worst interests.
The place would most likely be a setup for a gigantic trap to be sprung when the fire nation troops were in position.
Then they would call for an even greater ransom or in the most likely off all scenarios; General Iroh would himself be present in order to boost the moral in his own army and deplete it in his opponents, would be captured and executed so to rob the fire nation its second greatest asset after Fire lord Azulon himself. That being if they could take him without taking heavy casualties themselves.
But then again, they had a trap for just this opportunity.
Looking up from his thoughts of possible fates for him and his men, he looked into their very eyes and took a decision.
"okay, since there is no better options, we'll go for Kahchi's suggestion" taking a pause not believing his own words
"we'll go and rescue our comrades, its going to be dangerous and risky, not to mention tricky and outright insane. We, are, going, to, mingle, with the enemy, more than we have ever done before"
Mongke had to force his words out in order to make his plan to come to light "we will bear earth kingdom colours and walk around freely in their camp, acting like entertainers, performing, singing and possibly dancing".
Pausing to catch his breath and after taking a long look at his men, whose faces were mostly stiffly frozen by his words, if they had even fully registered them all, Mongke continued:
"We will use this as one big diversion in order to get to our countrymen, when we are fully trusted, we will wait for the trade of soldiers to take place, if possible we will send our own message to general Iroh, so that he know what to expect from the earth kingdom army"
Mongke paused again for the words to sink into his men's heads, causing them to grin ecstatically, forgetting their fears in the rush of victory seemingly within their grasp, he continued
"when Iroh have won the battle and saved the prisoners, we will be hailed as heroes for our efforts, we will be allowed to skip this damned war and go home, ah ha ha ha ha ha!" a loud cheer erupted like a volcano around Mongke as he finished, even thought they were only four men there, their roars echoing off the sides of the tunnel making the volume almost deafening. Their spirits had been raised to the mountain peaks at the prospect of going back to their all but forgotten home on the fire nation peninsula.
The meagre meal suddenly seemed like a small appetizer in comparison to the grand meals they would receive in the future, but they ate it anyway knowing the banquets would not come anytime soon, but they would come, they would come.
Elsewhere, in the capital city, a man stirred in his sleep, waking up abruptly, though if someone had seen him they knew it wouldn't take much to do so, he had been tossing around in his sleep for some time at that point.
As he woke up, he realised he was drenched in cold sweat. Getting out of his bed not waking his exhausted wife, after the many dinners and meeting with important nobles, he shouldn't really blame her though he truly did, never being the understanding type, he walked out of his bedroom and into a chamber where several servants stood ready to do whatever he pleased.
He ordered them gone however, ordering only a bowl of hot water to clean his face, thinking about the nightmare which had awoken him from his sleep.
Smirking he let out a small laugh, good thing his brother-in-law and his men was to be sent to the frontlines soon, his orders had been carried out to the letter, sending them off to a peaceful outpost would cause them to become restless and reckless.
Then, when they would be sent to the frontlines they would rush into the thick of combat probably storming right at the largest unit and get killed in moments.
That would teach them to laugh at him.
Yes that would teach them all!
Well here it it hope ya like it, sorry it took a while to post, read and review