A/N: Thanks to Sirithdiliel, JFAPOI, Lucyz, Sobatra, ayameko2TTe, and Aristeia for reviewing!
Chapter Seven - Crossing Paths
Ursa had never seen the town of Gaoling, and her first view of it was not ideal. The firebender who had her prisoner shoved her quickly down the hill that led to town. It had only been a ten minute walk from the army base, and Ursa's hopes that someone would come to help had grown slimmer with each passing moment. She didn't know why she should expect help. Her life was one that always demanded self-sufficiency. Even the Water Tribe recently coming to her rescue had been far from ordinary.
"Do you really think you'll be able to carry on normally back at the army base? Don't you think someone will suspect if I just disappear?" Ursa asked quietly as they walked, expecting to be told to shut up. Maybe being far enough away from the army base made her captor more confident, because he answered.
"No, I don't. From what I can tell, you're a big unknown to all of these people. The Water Tribe and the soldiers don't really know what you would do or how you would act. So you wanted to go to Gaoling and quietly disappear. They'll never know, and you won't be able to point me out as a firebender."
Ursa clenched her teeth. He was right. He could take her wherever he wanted and return to the base; he could weave a story of lies and no one would have reason to doubt him. "The Fire Nation will lose."
"Against an Earth Kingdom who can't even recognize a firebender in their midst? Against an Avatar who's a kid? I think you chose the wrong side. I guess we know who your son inherited his weakness from, don't we?"
Ursa sucked in a sharp breath before she could stop herself. It had been five years since she'd heard any news about her children, and she desperately wanted to know what this man meant by Zuko's weakness. She kept quiet, waiting to see if he would continue.
"You should have just kept your nose out of—"
There was a loud rumbling noise directly behind Ursa, and a shout from the firebender, but the yell was no longer near her. Ursa cautiously turned her head and saw that a huge chunk of earth had jutted out of the ground and had propelled the firebender back through the air.
Her gaze darted around for the earthbender who had helped her as her mind screamed at her to run. She had barely taken a step, however, when the ground opened underneath her. She dropped down and landed painfully, unable to use her hands to brace her fall. Then the earth sealed above her, leaving her in complete darkness.
Coughing and struggling to her feet, Ursa smacked headfirst into a wall. At least the room or tunnel or wherever she was had enough space that she could stand straight without hitting her head.
"I thought you could use some help."
Ursa jumped at the sudden voice in the dark. She turned slowly toward the person who had spoken. "Thank you."
"Just be glad I was walking under you at the right time." The voice was very high and young—a child. Ursa was fairly sure that it was a girl.
Ursa was starting to breathe more easily as she accepted that she was, for the moment, safe again. All of the being in danger, out of danger, back in danger of the past days was frustrating and frightening, and surreal at times. She kept trying to focus on what she had to do next, just to keep herself going. And right now, she had to get back to the army base, and fast. She had to warn General Ling. The implications of what had just happened to her were enormous.
Despite all the heavy thoughts and emotions weighing on her, she heard herself asking, as if from somewhere very far away, "How did you know I needed help if you didn't see me?"
For some reason, that brought a short laugh from the girl. "I heard you talking. You sounded scared, and besides, your big friend sounded like a bully. I don't like bullies. And your heart was beating really fast."
Ursa wasn't sure how to respond to that. She didn't even know what a child would be doing wandering around underground in the middle of the night, or how she could know that Ursa's heart had been beating fast, and thought it might be best to not pry. She cleared her throat. "Well, thank you. Might I ask for your help again? My hands are tied, and I need to get back to the Earth Kingdom army base. That man you saved me from took me from there."
The girl heaved a sigh. "Fine. I'll get you back to the base and then you're on your own. Got it? I don't have time to rescue you again tonight."
There was a touch on Ursa's arm from a small hand, and then the girl was working on the ropes. It wasn't long before they slid off of Ursa's wrists. She gratefully rubbed feeling back into them, until the child took her arm and tugged. "I just said I don't have all night, so if you want a tour, you've got the wrong girl."
Ursa had no idea how the girl could possibly know where she was going, but she moved through the pitch black so quickly that Ursa was disoriented. It was hard to go quickly through a space she couldn't see; her equilibrium was thrown off and she kept expecting to run into something. The only sounds Ursa could hear were her own short breaths and the earth moving as her guide created tunnels to walk through.
"Okay, here we are. Try to avoid getting into trouble in the future." The girl dropped Ursa's arm.
"Wait! Will you at least tell me your name?"
There was a moment's silence, and then the girl replied, "Toph."
"Toph," Ursa repeated. "Thank you for all your help."
Toph earthbended an opening above Ursa's head and then thrust the piece of ground Ursa was standing on upward, depositing her in fresh air. It was dark, but not the blinding darkness of the tunnel. Ursa could see trees and the outside of the rocks surrounding the army base. Looking around hastily, she ran for the rocks, and was quickly stopped by two soldiers who popped out of nowhere. She recognized them as the same soldiers who had allowed her captor to leave the base with her only a short while ago.
They looked at her in surprise. "Lady Ursa? Didn't Captain Gan just escort you to Gaoling?" one of them asked.
Ursa bit back the urge to scream at the man that no, this 'Captain Gan' was a firebender who had dragged her out of bed at knifepoint and could be anywhere at the moment. Instead, with a calmness that she certainly didn't feel, she said, "I need to see General Ling immediately. It's an emergency."
She still did not feel safe as they opened the entrance and brought her back into the army base. What if there were other firebenders? It was unlikely, but she wasn't going to discount it. She no longer had any idea how many firebenders were involved in infiltrating the Earth Kingdom, but she'd met two in only a matter of days. She was feeling a little bit paranoid. More than that, the full impact of what had just happened was settling in. A firebender had discovered her true identity. If he had any brains at all, he would not be coming back to the army base. He had lost her, but he still knew who she was and he knew she was working with the Earth Kingdom.
This had the potential to be very, very bad if it got back to Ozai that she was working against him.
"Ursa?"
Ursa's head jerked upward toward a second-floor balcony. Several faces were peering down at her—Mikko and Hakoda, she realized. Part of her relaxed the slightest bit. She was positive that none of the Water Tribe, at least, had any traitors among them, and they were perhaps the only people she could say she had no reason to fear at that moment.
"Are you okay?" Mikko called down. "We saw you come in—we didn't even know you had left!"
Ursa bit back the ridiculous urge to either laugh or cry. She wasn't sure which, but neither was appropriate. "I found another firebender." She shook her head. "He found me. I'm going to talk to General Ling."
:-:-:-:-:
"So Sokka and Katara are with the Avatar," Mikko said thoughtfully as he followed Hakoda out to one of the balconies attached to their rooms. Inside, most of the Water Tribe was sleeping, though a few were still awake.
"That's what the report says."
There was a silence as Mikko gazed at Hakoda for a moment before smiling. He clapped a hand on Hakoda's shoulder. "The Avatar couldn't be in better hands."
Hakoda stared out at the dark army base where two soldiers walked the grounds, keeping watch. There was a mixture of pride and worry in him when he finally said, "I know." Sokka and Katara were resourceful and smart, and he knew they would do everything they could to keep learning and to acclimate to the world away from the South Pole. They would protect each other and the Avatar.
But they would still have the Fire Nation after them, actively pursuing them.
Keep them safe, he thought, not sure who he was asking. If only he could be there with his children, helping them. His fingers grasped the hard stone of the balcony railing. Keep them safe.
"As soon as I find out where General Ling wants us to go, I'm sending a message to Bato to tell him where to meet us," Hakoda added.
Mikko nodded. "It will be good to have him back."
It would be more than good. He was Hakoda's brother in all the ways that mattered, and the lack of his presence was felt more strongly every day. "We should find out—"
He stopped talking something caught his attention. The two guards suddenly opened the ground underneath their feet and disappeared into the earth. It wasn't long before an opening was made in the rock around the army base, and then the two guards were coming back inside, with a third person between them. Even from up on the balcony in the darkness, Hakoda could see that it was Ursa.
Mikko leaned onto the railing. "Is that Ursa? Did you know she left?" Without waiting for Hakoda to answer, he called, "Ursa!"
Her head jerked upwards. It was too dark to really see her face, but Hakoda had a growing sense of alarm that something was very wrong. When Mikko asked her if she was okay, her answer to him was anything but okay. As soon as she continued walking toward the base, Hakoda turned and ran through the guest rooms, heading for the exit.
The other few men who were awake stood in alarm or looked at him with wary expressions. "What's wrong?" Pika asked, already gripping his club.
"That's what I'm trying to find out." Hakoda was out the door, and wasn't surprised when Pika and Mikko both came out after him.
"It's Ursa," Mikko explained.
That put even more worry in Pika's eyes. No other words were said; they weren't needed.
"I'll find out what's going on," Hakoda assured. "Just keep a close eye out."
He left them talking outside the rooms and hurried for the stairs. He reached the main hall just as Ursa was entering it. She glanced at him, and in the light of the torches on the wall, Hakoda saw that she was covered in dirt. She didn't speak, and her expression seemed unwelcoming of discussion.
Hakoda kept his silence as he went along with Ursa and her escort to see General Ling, and he listened in shock as Ursa told them how she'd been taken away at knifepoint by a firebender.
"Captain Gan, a firebender?" Ling looked stunned. "He's been with me for six months! The intelligence he must have picked up…the position we put him in…how could this happen?" Then his eyes widened, and he hastily issued orders for several soldiers to go check on the firebender prisoner. He also commanded several of his earthbenders to go immediately to Gaoling and hunt for Captain Gan. As his orders were obeyed, Ling nodded at Ursa. "Please, Lady Ursa, continue."
She told of her short trip to Gaoling, and how she'd been saved by a young earthbender who had brought her back to the base. "I don't know what happened to your Captain Gan, but if he's smart, he won't come back here." Ursa rubbed the bridge of her nose, looking utterly spent.
A soldier came hurrying in to inform Ling that the firebender prisoner was still safely in captivity.
"That's not surprising," Ursa said. "Captain Gan planned on being able to come back. If he wanted to help your prisoner, he could have done it after he got rid of me."
Ling paced back and forth across the room. "The situation has grown more urgent than ever. Lady Ursa, it is now vital that you examine each of my men and determine whether they, too, are firebenders."
Hakoda spoke up. "It's unlikely there would be two firebender spies put here. It would be a pretty stupid move on the Fire Nation's part. Not that I'm crediting them with an abundance of brilliance."
"Still, better safe than sorry. Lady Ursa, it's obvious that you're in need of rest, but I wonder if I could have one more favor from you before you sleep. I have very few men on my base who are not earthbenders. If you could see them now and make sure they are not also firebenders?"
Hakoda stayed quiet, looking at Ursa, who looked ready to topple over. She nodded. "I can do it now." As General Ling went to summon the non-earthbenders on base, Ursa glanced at Hakoda. "You don't have to be here."
Hakoda shrugged. "How could I pass up on all the excitement?"
Ursa looked away. "I could pass up on all the excitement."
It didn't take long for the non-earthbenders to arrive, and Hakoda watched Ursa examine each one carefully. She dismissed the first three, and then frowned at the fourth. "You're an earthbender." She turned to General Ling. "A test, I suppose?"
He looked pleased. "I wanted to be certain of your abilities."
Finally, Ursa had gone through the line of men in the room, picking out three men as earthbenders and twelve as non-earthbenders, and fortunately for everyone, non-firebenders.
"Thank you, Lady Ursa. Chief Hakoda, would you take charge of Ursa's protection tonight?" General Ling said.
"Of course," Hakoda said, at the same moment that Ursa said, "I'll be fine."
Hakoda looked at her, and she stared back, unflinching. "I don't need a guard," she continued firmly.
He could have argued that particular point—from what he'd seen, she could have used a guard lately—but he knew enough to keep his mouth shut. "Perhaps you'll do me the honor of allowing me to escort you to your quarters?"
Ursa considered him, and then nodded tiredly. She fell into step beside him as they walked back toward the second floor. She shook out her sleeves and sent dirt flying. Sighing, she said, "I'm beginning to wonder if it's possible for my clothes to stay clean for more than a few hours." There was something in her tone, uncertainty or fear, something he couldn't quite pinpoint, but it was raw and Ursa was doing her best to cover it. Maybe her emotional shields weren't holding up as well as usual under the strain of her exhaustion and after everything that had just happened.
"Are you all right?" he asked quietly.
"I'm fine," Ursa said brusquely. "How else would I be?" She stopped in front of a door down the hallway from the Water Tribe quarters. "This is my room." She turned to go inside, but Hakoda put a hand on her elbow, bringing her to a halt.
Ursa quickly pulled her arm away from his touch, folding her arms tightly against herself. Her eyes were red-rimmed and she was trembling slightly with exhaustion. "I don't know what to do now." She grimaced and closed her eyes briefly. "I'm sorry."
"Why are you sorry? You haven't done anything. And there's nothing wrong with sharing your burdens with other people."
"Maybe not for you and your friends."
Hakoda frowned at her. "Not for you, either."
She seemed like she might say something, but she finally just sighed. "I can't even think anymore. I just need to sleep, provided no more firebenders wake me up."
"They won't."
Ursa narrowed her eyes. "You're not going to stand guard outside my room."
"No, I'm not."
She still looked suspicious, but went into her room. "Good night, Hakoda."
"Good night, Ursa."
Hakoda waited until her door was shut, and then walked down the hall to the Water Tribe rooms. Once there, he woke up his men to fill them in on the situation, and sent Ornu to patrol the hallway—which included Ursa's door. They wouldn't stand guard, but they'd sure keep a close watch.
