From childhood, Azula had been trained to endure pain. Despite their noble birth, her father had seen to it that both of his children were never coddled; even his favorite, the firebending prodigy, had begun her training for the military at the tender age of five. She had known and endured many kinds of pain. There was the dull ache of young muscles strained beyond their capacity; the sharp throbbing of broken bones; the raw sting of burns; and many others. But this (and she winced as she thought it, trying not to move her pinioned limbs) was excruciating – and she wasn't sure how much longer she could bear it without being forced to plead for relief.
She'd been hogtied since June had pulled her out of the hole, her arms twisted behind her back, her ankles fastened to her wrists with a few links of chain. Her sleep had been fitful. And now – nearly thirty-six hours after they had been captured – the discomfort was fast becoming unbearable. Her wrists and ankles were raw and bleeding from the chafing of the metal cuffs. Her shoulders ached; her knees and hips throbbed; and the muscles along her neck and spine were cramping in a way that made her appreciate what Mai must have gone through in the throes of tetanus. And the jostling as the shirshu loped along was not helping! She grimaced as her right shoulder tightened, and tried to ease herself into a more comfortable position. She only succeeded in making her muscles cramp even more; a soft groan squeezed from between her clenched teeth.
The shirshu stopped. "Lunch time," came June's cheerful voice. "Ty Lee, you hungry?" If the acrobat replied, Azula couldn't hear it. The bounty hunter dismounted; the firebender could hear the sound of their voices, but could make out no clear words. I hope she's planning on feeding me, too, Azula thought sullenly. At this rate, I'll starve long before June gets a chance to turn me over to...to whoever it is that hired her. The firebender's neck seized up; she hissed.
A minute or so later, June appeared in her line of sight. "Let's give you a bit more water," she said amiably. "You thirsty, Princess?"
"Yes." Azula's voice was strained. She took the mouthful of liquid that June gave her. Then, as bread was held to her lips, the prisoner turned her head away. "June, the chains hurt."
"Well, that's too bad. They're not coming off." The bounty hunter's dark eyes were unconcerned. "Are you hungry, or not?"
"I'm not playing games here, peasant," Azula snapped. "They hurt – they bloody hurt! Can't you tie me differently, or something?"
"No. As a matter of fact, I can't. My instructions were pretty specific, and I only get paid if my client is happy." June held up the bread again. "Now eat, your highness. Unless you're not hungry? I'm not going to offer again."
Azula felt a rush of blind anger. She didn't consciously plan what happened next. As if in slow motion, she inhaled, then let out a blast of firebender's breath – blue flames curled from her mouth, spreading outward in searing plumes. She heard June cry out in pain, but the fire hid her from Azula's sight for a moment or two.
Time returned to normal. Azula found herself gasping and shivering weakly – the effort of bending the fire had left her drained. June had backed about ten feet away from her, and was standing very still, doubled over slightly; she seemed to be clutching at her arm. As Azula watched, the bounty hunter began to curse, softly and deliberately, through her clenched teeth. I firebended her, the former princess thought, dazed. I...oh, shit. What's she going to do now? Slowly, June straightened up and looked down at her arm. Azula could see that her right hand was an angry red; the fire had scorched right through the cloth of the woman's fingerless glove. "Bloody hell," June muttered, her face still twisted into a grimace of pain. Her dark eyes flicked up to glare at her prisoner. "You nasty little bitch!"
I'm in for it now. Azula squirmed a bit in her chains as June strode toward her. She flinched, expecting blows; instead, the bounty hunter caught her by the hair with her unburnt hand, twisting her head away from her. "You are damn lucky I was ordered to deliver you alive," June growled. "I've slit throats for much less than what you just did, firebender." Azula snarled at her – then she felt a sharp pain in the side of her neck. A familiar tingling rushed through her body, and she felt her muscles go slack; her eyes closed. June wasn't finished, though. A minute or so later, Azula felt cloth being forced between her lips. Her mouth was stuffed with rags until she almost choked. More cloth was tied around the lower part of her face. Azula could hardly breathe. "Let's see you firebend now, Princess," came the bounty hunter's icy voice. There came another sharp pain in the side of Azula's neck. A strange, cold sensation spread out from it. Azula fought it for a moment or two – then darkness claimed her.
O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
The first thing she knew was the pain. Every bone in her body seemed to ache, and she could feel the raw skin at her wrists and ankles. Azula groaned softly.
Something warm pressed gently against her cheek, and she felt someone's breath against the side of her face. "It's okay, 'Zula," came the whisper. "You'll be all right." Ty Lee. Azula lay still, hardly daring to breathe. Am I dreaming? Soft lips trapped her own. She felt her heart beating faster.
The kiss broke. Groggily, Azula opened her eyes and peered upward. "Ty?" she murmured.
"Shh." Ty Lee glanced nervously to her left. "You have to whisper. June won't let me near you if she sees you're awake." She looked down at her again, and her gray eyes were tender. "Are you all right?"
"No. The chains hurt a lot." Azula grimaced. "Is...is she really angry?"
"A bit, yeah." The acrobat stooped down to kiss her forehead. "You shouldn't have burned her, 'Zula. She could have really hurt you."
"Mm." The firebender's brows lowered. "Well, at least I got a shot in. I'd hate for my epitaph to read that I fell without landing a blow." A muscle spasmed along her shoulder blade, wringing a sharp gasp from her lips. "Ow! Damn it!"
"You're really in pain." Ty Lee bit her lip, and her eyes grew suspiciously moist. "Do you want me to ask her to untie you?"
"Won't do any good," Azula muttered, trying fruitlessly to shift her shoulder into a more comfortable position. "I already asked her. She said her client told her to keep me like this." A thought stuck her, and she peered up at the acrobat again. "Ty, are...are you all right?"
A shaky smile tugged at Ty Lee's mouth. "I'm fine. I mean, I'm tied too, and it's kind of uncomfortable, but nothing like what she's done to you. And she could feed me more. And my leg still hurts, kinda. But I'm okay." She bent down until Azula could feel her breath on her face. "I missed you, though," she whispered, and captured the firebender's lips with her own.
"You two lovebirds having a good conversation?" June's dry question broke in on them. Ty Lee jerked away with a gasp. Without further comment, the bounty hunter reached down, grasped the acrobat firmly by the arm, and dragged her away. Azula watched, scowling, as June dropped Ty Lee by the nearby campfire. Then the huntress turned and approached again; the firebender glared at her defiantly. The woman paused and studied Azula down the bridge of her nose. "So," June said at length, her tone noncommittal, "you're awake." The prisoner said nothing. Her eyes moved to the woman's arm – her hand and wrist were bandaged.
Abruptly, June leaned down and caught the firebender's gaze. "Let's get something clear, Azula," she said coldly. "I took out the gag because I didn't want you to suffocate. Don't mistake that for weakness on my part. If you so much as look at me funny again, I am keeping you unconscious for the rest of this trip. Do you understand?" Azula's lip curled. June caught her roughly by the collar and shook her. "Understand?"
"Fine," Azula muttered bitterly. June let her go, and she fell back to the ground, unable to restrain a hiss as her cramped body protested. I won't beg for mercy – I won't! Azula clenched her teeth and spoke through them. "How much longer do I have to stay like this?"
June paused in the act of turning away. Her dark gray eyes searched Azula's face for a moment, and the captive thought she saw a glimmer of compassion. "About a day and a half," June said quietly. "We'll arrive in Ba Sing Se before noon the day after tomorrow. After that, you're out of my hands. You'll be my client's problem."
Ba Sing Se. Azula's mind raced. She'd made many enemies there – which of them would have hired the bounty hunter? "Who is your client?" she asked.
The huntress smirked and shook her head. "I'll let that be a surprise," she said. She thrust out her jaw and whistled shrilly; a moment later, the shirshu appeared and lay down nearby. Azula shuddered in disgust. At least it doesn't stink of fish this time, she thought morosely. June smiled. "Good night, your highness," she said simply, and headed back for the fire.