Though at length, our hero found himself in a dreadful situation, hopeless and forlorn in the wild plains, a glimmer of hope remained. However, such hostile and foreboding events seemed to dictate a rather bleak outcome for our Prince. But, if anything could be said, the peculiar situation that our young maiden found herself in could be described as a happier one than the one confronting our Prince, or worse depending upon one's point of view. To Ty Lee, however, no matter how many rosy colors her immediate comfort our safety could be painted in, it was the still the later.
Dazshi and his company set out almost immediately to this "rallying point" which he had chosen. The name of this place was never spoken by anyone. All of the soldiers already knew where they were going, so it posed no need to say it. So, the able group began traveling south, crossing the various pikes and roads through the uninhabited ascending forest and swamp lands of the lower of Fire nation,
Upon setting out, she was given leave to mount upon a horse. The young girl obstinately refused to ride it, preferring to trek through the muddy quagmires that the roads had become in the rainy months. But no amount of mud flung upon her person could cast down her pride, nor could it break the resolve of her will. She was determined to flee, to fly like a bird, to escape these foul and obscene captors at the first chance she was given. The prospects for this happening however, were very slim indeed. For Dazshi, not being a fool, had clapped in her a set of heavy irons, which were wrapped around her horse on a padlock. The horse was then tied to a guard's horse, to ensure she didn't escape.
This minor deterrent, though minor, was still enough to constrict her abilities below those needed for a successful escape. Slitting ones wrist to get out of a set of irons was not worth the few moments freedom before she bleed to death. If she was going to escape, it needed to be subtle, an opportune moment when their backs would be turned and they wouldn't give her a second thought. But if she was ever going to do that, she was needed to earn their trust, and play the part of an ideal captive fora while, or so she had devised. And so, thinking it her best interest to lower their suspicion, she, with much reluctance of heart, finally mounted upon the horse.
Another drawback in the plan, was the sheer number of men whose eyes she needed to slip away from to make her getaway, and whose ranks seemed to increase every day. For it seemed, that the more they traveled through the trees, the more men seemed to join into the party. These men who seemed to be hiding in the trees; mysteriously blended into the ranks just as quickly as they revealed themselves. There was no doubt the difference between the two, the original soldiers who had first set out and the ones who now secretly bolstered the ranks.
The newest compliments were mostly deserters. One could tell by the imperial insignia on their arms, given to each man of the army after he was admitted into the army or navy. But unlike any trained soldiers, they collected themselves more as a mob. They lacked any formal discipline and showed it in the way walked and carried themselves. If one could guess, they were probably petty thieves and criminals who had been impressed in the army to fill the hole left by the bravest of their contingency who had fell in battle.
Thinking back, she recalled so many times, surveying barracks throughout the country, that life for the common solider was a frightful one. Every officer had the right to inflict punishment, and often did. Minor infractions, such as forgetting to salute, were punished with a beating, more serious ones, such as stealing, were punishable by flogging or death. It was no wonder then, that these common rouges, none too eager for service, quickly fled the army as soon as the war was done.
Thus she concluded, through sound judgment, that given the chance, that these despots would not act like true men of honor if they captured her while trying to escape, and might try any number of unpleasant advances or tortures. And so, as the situation dictated, her only practical option was to wait, wait for the eternity of time it took to reunite her with her true love: Zuko.