-1Chapter Fourteen; Healing

Kaeji let out a loud burp, and it was followed by raucous laughter. "I'd bet m'weight in gold he's ne'er tasted our grog before!" Sairo jeered as she clapped a hand roughly on his back. The alcohol had been brought over to the iron monstrosity of a ship from more homey one for a celebration. Someone mixed the salty grog with some of the spiced beers aboard the Fire Navy ship, and discovered that two drinks had someone extremely tipsy, but one was enough to get Sukue hiccupping and flushed. Kaeji seemed to be holding out a little better, still being able to stand after three jars of the mixture. Iroh was enjoying a cup of the beer and a quiet conversation with a surprisingly sober Captain Hue. Loki was chugging down a plain tankard of grog, when he slammed it down, suddenly standing and shouting to his fellows, "Haharr! I think it's time for a shanty, boys!"

Shouts of approval rang out from the tables that had been shoved together to form one long one. Empty plates, bones and crumbs were all that remained from the raiding of the pantries. Some of the more sober among them were sent back to the ship to gather the drums, guitars and horns. Loki looked over at Sukue, who was having her glass refilled with some of the beer from the ship. He chuckled as she turned back to the table, sipping at her drink greedily, but some of it sloshed out as she hiccupped. He reached out, gently pulling the glass away from her face, and she looked at him with surprise. "Don't drink too much now," he admonished.

She muttered something about not patronizing her. He couldn't hear her over the guffaws of the crew. "I said," she started a little stronger, "I can take care of myself. Thank you," she added.

"Sukue, do you remember that song about the soldier and the flame in the forest? I can't recall how it ended, Sairo wants to know," Kaeji called from the other end of the table. She thought for a moment, then the tune came floating to her from an old memory, one of Ai Li practicing for her choir classes.

"I remember it."

"Can you sing it? I've gone and forgotten the rest of it now…" he murmured into his jar. At first she refused, but the rest of the men began cheering her on, and Iroh offered to accompany her on a reed flute someone had found in the captain's quarters. Sighing she resigned herself to her fate, and Iroh played the introduction. After a few lilting notes, she began singing, her voice soft, and wavering at first, but she began finding her strength as the song progressed. It told the tale of a young soldier, who was the only son of a very loving couple, and despite their pleas, he joined the army. After serving one term, he returned home to find his mother deathly ill. His father insisted he stay home and tend to his mother, but he argued that he'd already signed himself back up, and so returned to the war. One night after a terrible battle in hostile Earth Kingdom lands, he was lost in the mountains, and far from his fellows. Suddenly in the darkness, he saw a spurt of flames. Deciding it must be one of his comrades, he rushed towards it, but it reappeared a little ways off, so he followed it further, only to see it return even further away. He followed it through the mountain forest, until suddenly, near exhaustion, he stumbled into a Fire Nation camp. None of the other soldiers claimed to be roaming the woods, much less to be fire bending in the night in hostile lands. The young man chalked it up to hallucinations.

When he returned home, he found that his mother had died upon sunset the night he'd become lost. Sukue sang the last verse in a clear, but softening tone, her voice resonating through the silent dining hall.

"He fell to his knees

The tears cascaded from his eyes

He thanked Agni for her love

And prayed that she was resting peacefully now…

Now that her fire had led him home."

Her voice lingered on the last notes, the flute mimicking her pure tone. The whole crew erupted with shouts and cheers of praise. Sukue bent her head embarrassedly, her blush deepening to a crimson hue. By then the others had returned and were setting up the instruments at one end of the tables. She stood, her head still bent, saying she was tired. Loki couldn't help but notice how she limped slightly as she walked out, worry furrowing his brow. Sairo caught his eyes, then glanced at the door, then back to him with a questioning look. He shrugged, but she jerked her head at the door, giving him a hard look. He sighed, standing up and exiting without a word.

Sairo smiled after him, hoping he and the Fire Nation girl would have a nice heart to heart. But suddenly, she recalled a rather pertinent fact; they were both almost drunk. She hoped this wouldn't their judgment; though she was pretty sure Loki would be okay. She knew for a fact he would never take advantage of someone. Still, she wondered if sending him after the fire bender was wise.

Loki swung down on a rope, landing lightly on the deck. He knocked on the door, and hearing her response, he opened it. Sukue sat on the edge of her bunk, her hair unbraided, pulling her black undershirt back on. Below the bandages that covered the nasty burn on her left side, he saw bruises peeking just above the waistband of her pants. "What's that?" he asked crouching in front of her and pointing at her hip.

"N-nothing, just…a bruise from the fight today," she stuttered. Sukue avoided his eyes, hoping he would believe her weak lie. He kept his gaze steady on her face, which was still flushed from the alcohol.

"Let me see," he asked casually.

"No, really, it's nothing," she shook her head plastering a fake smile on her lips.

"Let me see it, Sukue," he commanded gently. It was the first time he'd called her by her name, and it surprised her so much she didn't react as he began pulling up the hem of her shirt. He traced the edge of the bruise with his fingertips, and she didn't gasp or make any motion to indicate it caused her pain. In fact, she seemed to be holding her breath. He'd noticed, though, that the bruise was faded, not new, but he chose not to mention it. "Does it hurt?" he asked.

She took a breath, wondering how she could respond to that. Though it wasn't anywhere near a severe injury, she knew it would be one of the most painful memories of her life. "Yes, it does," she whispered, trying her (drunken) best to sound normal.

"Lie down," Loki said, reaching over to his desk. He pulled some water out of the jug sitting there and covered his left hand with it. She nodded, remembering reading somewhere water benders could heal some wounds. She picked her legs up, resting on her right side, ignoring the tingles of pain coming from the identical bruise on her right hip. The water around his left hand glowed dimly, casting an eerie glow on the water bender and the fire bender.

"I would've done this for all yer wounds, but it takes a lot outta me," he explained, laying his hand gently down on her side. Sukue gasped a little as his cool touch began healing the bruise. He pulled down the edge of her waistband gently, his hand moving over the rest of the darkened flesh. Strangely enough, his hand seemed to fit right over the bruise, almost perfectly. How did she manage to get a hand shaped bruise on her hip? Why was someone gripping her side with that much force? His heart skipped a beat, and he realized what had been done to her, why she always kept distance between her body and others.

"There," he said, pulling her shirt back in place. He stood up, waving his hand and sending the water back into the jug. "I'm gonna go back, you…y'get some rest," he said uncertainly, his new revelation making him feel awkward. Loki paused at the doorway, her soft thank you making him turn around. She was sitting up again, her eyes looking into his. There were a thousand things he could have said at that moment-I'm sorry, I hope you'll be okay, I'm here for you-but all he did was nod, and softly close the door behind him.

Sukue waited until she was sure he wasn't going to come back in until taking off her shirt and pants, replacing them with a soft, red cotton robe. It was sleeveless, and was hemmed just below her knees, made for warm nights. As she reached for the gold sash, she noticed how the bruise on her right hip was still visible against her pale flesh. She traced the edges of it with a finger, like Loki had done, feeling the familiar unpleasant tingle. Sighing, she tied the sash around her waist, and crawled under the thin blanket. She pulled the flimsy pillow close, her flush returning to its former deep red. She allowed herself a small smile as she snuggled into the blanket, appreciating the lack of pain from her left hip.

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Loki stood at the bow, glaring across the ocean, the half moon shining down on the two ships. He understood now, everything that had happened to her, he was sure of it. She had been burnt and beaten and…and…he couldn't even bring himself to form the word in his mind. He hated them. He hated all Fire Nation citizens. He hated them for creating a war that changed the entire world. He hated them for the pain and death they had caused. He hated them for killing his mother and his first love. He hated them for all this and more, and he hated her for it. He knew it was wrong to hate her at all, considering she was trying to help end the war; but he knew the other emotion he considered her with was just as wrong. He could not feel anything towards her, she was a fire bender. Only trouble would come of falling for her. But still…she needed to be healed, in so many different ways, he couldn't help but feel like he could help her. And, who knew, maybe she could help him. "Sedna have mercy," he mumbled, grabbing onto a rope ladder and hauling himself up onto his enemy's ship.

----

Kaeji was slumped over on the table, his head in his arms. Sairo chuckled and poked him gently, causing him to jerk his head up suddenly. His honey brown eyes met her green ones, and Sairo wondered how she hadn't noticed what a soft tone they had before. She nudged him again, asking, "Y'feeling alright? Yer lookin' a lil green about th'gills!"

He nodded, keeping his eyes on hers, reveling in their delicious hue. "I'm fine. And I think I need to say this while I'm drunk or else I won't have the balls to say it when I'm not. I think you're the most beautiful person I've ever seen Sairo," he babbled loudly. A pirate sitting nearby chuckled and punched him in the arm, making him slide off the table and right up to her face. Sairo wanted to laugh and push him away roughly, but suddenly his lips were on hers, and she didn't want to shove him away. The beer made her forget they were sitting at a table with twenty men, and she kissed him back, parting her lips slightly.

The crew erupted in loud jeers and cat calls. Kaeji pulled away, his ears beet red. Sairo just grinned widely, then downed the rest of her grog. "Not bad, fire bender," she teased, giving him a wink. Kaeji smiled back at her appreciatively.

"Ditto, pirate."

Loki burst out in laughter at the other end of the table, holding his gut in glee. Sairo threw a metal plate like a disk in his direction, glaring at him with mock ferocity as he ducked it and the plate landed in a wooden bookcase with a loud thock. Loki jumped up, looking rather savagely at her. "Is that a challenge?" he growled.

She stood up from the table, anger glinting in her eyes. "Aye, if y'be takin' it tha' way." The crew cheered loudly, happy to see the two teens acting normally. Usually they sparred a couple of times a week, though since the arrival of the fire benders, they hadn't sparred once. The congregation moved to the deck of the ship, and formed a circle around the two fighters, who'd already taken their stances, glaring at each other fiercely with fists raised.

DOOOM!

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