I rested my left hand on my much swollen stomach while stirred a pot of soup for dinner. Sokka and Zuko would both be home from work in about an hour, plenty of time for me to finish dinner, and rest in my room.
" Ugh" I groaned, rubbing the spot wear my child just kicked. Then I laughed " you're a strong one!" The Eight tiresome months that already passed, told me that my child was an active one, and had enough energy to go around. Zuko, of course, was growing more and more anxious as each day passed. Thinking of all the horrible things that the Phoenix king did to him, I wouldn't blame him. A pound at the door broke my train of thought. Turning off the stove, and putting a lid on the soup, I crossed my living room to greet my guest. I jumped back in fright to see five Dai Lee guards, their hands behind their backs.
' C- Can I help you?" I stammered.
" Yes," the first one, who seemed to be the leader, answered flatly, " Is you're husband home?"
" Would I not do?" I asked gathering my courage, " he's at work, he won't be home for another hour and a half" I hoped I could buy us time to pack and leave. The Dai Lee agent looked at the rest. Then answered
" I'm sure Lady Azula would like to see the woman to captured her as much as she would her treacherous brother."
" What do you mean?" I tried to act innocent
" Dai Lee, Capture the Waterbender. I dodged the first wave of rock attacks. Bending the soup out of the pot, I blocked the second. With out my notice, an agent came up from behind and bound my hands together with rock hand cuffs. I screamed for help just before they could block my mouth.
" Walk!' the one behind be growled in my ear. I stumbled out of my house and saw that our friends and neighbors had gathered to see the commotion. A shrill scream sounded from over head, when Smellerbee jumped down off the rooftop, daggers in hand, and stabbed one of the Dai Lee in the back. Blood gushed from the wound as he fell flat on his face. Two rock hands flew to her feet, keeping her in one spot.
" We'll deal with you later" one of the guards said indifferently, as if one of his comrades got stabbed in the back by a crazed rebel every day. Seven arrows flew through the air, from an unknown location, freeing Smellerbee and killing two more. Throughout the chaos that had broken on the street I struggled to free my hands. When that failed, I bent the water up from the puddle and tried to slice through the rock bonds. Sweat poured down my forehead as, I curled my fingers in awkward positions. One Slice. Another Slice. Another… A scream erupted from another Dai Lee guard. Glancing up, I saw that one of them, the one who had cuffed me, had an arrow sticking out of his chest and a hatchet in his back. Whimpering, I felt a warm wet liquid trickle down my arm. " Shit!" I muttered realizing that I had completely missed my target and cut my hand. A blazing blue inferno seemed to light up the darkening square as a shrill voice cryed out, almost naggingly, " You men are useless! Why send a bunch of savage earthbenders for a Firebenders job."
" I'm sorry my Lady" The last Standing Agent replied. Evidently he tried to keep his voice under control, but fear penetrated from him. He was obviously a new recruit, or how Sokka would call it, a nube. The town's people cowered before the firelord astride a mighty Komodo – Rhino. Icy blue daggers met even colder gold flames. Her hair, though it had grown out in the past few years, still showed signs of where she sliced it in frustration. Her top knot was a bit messier than usual, and her bloodshot eyes were shadowed by dark rings. Her insanity caused her a lack of sleep.
" So this is where my brother has been living for that past few years," she said flatly, glancing at the old apartment building, then looked down at her finger nails as if they were much more interesting. " I hear that you guys have started a resistance…I bet daddy wouldn't like to hear about that"
" You're 'daddy' is nothing more than a soulless, hope devouring, weak, cowardly, son of a hog – monkey, who sits around all day not giving a crap what goes on out side of his palace walls" the citizens stared at me,, surprised at my courage. Azula scouled then addressed the last standing guard.
"Bind and gag her…and make sure her eyes are covered. I don't want her getting any ideas." As rock shackles bound my arms, legs, and feet about a dozen Dai Lee guards stalked up beside Azula. " You two" she pointed to the two closest to her" take these two to the palace dungeon" they confiscated Long Shot's bow, and Smellerbee's daggers, and bound stone around their wrists as well. The guard behind me shoved a cloth that tasted like dust and bitter vinegar in my mouth, and tied a longer strip that smelled the same around my eyes. It was brown and difficult to see through. " the rest of you," Azula addressed the Dai Lee, " gather the rest of your men and blast their base to kingdom come, and hunt down any survivors. An ostrich – horse winnied in the crown as a few screams were thrown into the air.
" Sorry" Jin's familiar voice announced to the princess, " Lost control of her…I'm in a hurry, so I have no time for formalities your majesty." Her voice filled me with hope. By the sounds of it, she was heading to the crystal catacombs to warn the others. Rock gloves slipped under my arms and grabbed my ankles. They are in good hands I kept on thinking to myself, trying to bring peace to a mind running marathons. My bottom hit the wood floor of what seemed to be a wagon
" Sapphire" Smellerbee called somewhere to my left, the direction of the street, " Listen, don't tell them anything, no matter what they do to you" I nodded as she began to scream under a stone glove. As the wheels began to turn, a Dai lee guard ungagged me, but kept the blindfold on. A fragrent towel was pressed against my lips, and as I inhaled its honey like scent, my mind became opaque, and I was light like a feather, easy go wherever the wind takes me. My last thoughts were floating through the sky before I passed into the deepest sleep I had in ages.