Chapter 88
The arrival of Kya's ex-girlfriend Yumae introduced a whole host of complications.
For one, Tenzin was extremely distraught that he could not go to bed as planned. Somewhat surprisingly, Yumae was not visiting Air Temple Island for the first time in several years with the sole purpose of seeing Kya. She first wanted to speak to Tenzin, about troubles in her village, and Tenzin immediately went into councilman mode despite the late hour. Yumae offered to hold the conversation till morning, but there would be no hope for rest if they were all waiting in anticipation to find out what she intended to ask for. So Lin followed Tenzin somewhat reluctantly into his study, shooing the kids off to bed even though she doubted any of them would listen. Su and Bumi seemed about to join Lin, Tenzin, and Yumae out of curiosity, but apparently wanted to keep the new year party going instead, so they stayed behind with Mako, Bolin, and Su's kids. Kya, on the other hand, trailed right behind Lin, after urging Nira to take Amali to bed and promising to come find Nira later.
Once Lin, Tenzin, Kya, and Yumae were closed into Tenzin's study, Yumae quickly began, "I'm sorry to just drop in like this, but I didn't have the time to send a letter. It was difficult enough getting here. I've been traveling for days, avoiding bandits and armies alike. I know we haven't spoken in many years, but I didn't know who else to come to, and I had heard that the new Air Nation was helping in other areas of the Earth Kingdom."
"We go where we can," Tenzin confirmed. "Has your village been having trouble with bandits?"
"No, it's not the bandits that are the problem," Yumae answered. "We have plentiful harvests. Whatever food the bandits need they can have. Our problem is Xai. He was elected as our leading councilman shortly before Ba Sing Se fell. He used the death of the Queen to strengthen his power and enforce stricter laws. He has the backing of the village police and he inserted his own people into the council. But more troubling, now people have begun to go missing, particularly young women. My sister is one of them."
"Shuri?" Kya gasped.
Yumae nodded grimly. "She's been gone two weeks now. It isn't like her to run off without at least a letter, and when I had heard about all the other girls missing… Many of us think Xai is taking them, but we can't prove it and the police aren't investigating. Some of the villagers and I tried coordinating attacks of our own on Xai's mansion, but the police are always three steps ahead of us. Many have been arrested on false charges. We need someone on the outside with powerful influence. There is no government to call on with the Earth Kingdom in disarray, so this is my only hope."
"Technically speaking, Kuvira has been chosen as the Earth Kingdom's provisional leader," Tenzin said, looking contemplative as he stroked his beard. "Have you tried contacting her military? I'm surprised that, with your village's proximity to Ba Sing Se, that she hasn't already brought you into the fold."
"Oh she has," Yumae revealed, "but she hasn't been back since, and the few troops she left behind are practically children themselves. They don't know how to handle it. Xai smooth talks them or maybe he pays them off and they ignore it. They don't want to report any problems to Kuvira because they don't want to face punishment."
"How many women have gone missing?" Lin asked. "Are any of them children?"
"I don't think so," Yumae said, considering. "There have been at least twelve so far, all women in their twenties. Kuvira took many of our people for her army. The women that are disappearing are either unattached or their spouses are off serving Kuvira. The only people noticing their absence are friends mostly, some relatives, and they don't always notice for several days. Xai is trying to say they're running away. He's using it as an excuse to lock people in, nobody in or out of the village without his say so."
"So then how did you get out?" Lin questioned.
"I had some help distracting the guards. We had decided that I would be the one to come here to beg for your help."
"I'm certainly concerned about what might be going on there," Tenzin told Yumae, "but I'm also concerned about what our involvement could cause. Lin and I no longer have any official power, and the Air Nation deals mainly with rogue bandits in territories Kuvira hasn't reached yet. If she gets word that we're messing with an elected government official in her jurisdiction, she may consider it an act against her."
"Isn't she family?" Yumae asked in confusion. "Contact her then. Tell her you'll be there and why."
"It's… not quite that simple," Lin muttered, folding her arms across her chest.
"Well we have to do something," Kya insisted. "Kuvira will understand."
"No, I don't think she will," Tenzin said calmly, before Lin could say something rude, "but you're right. We must do something. We were already planning to leave for Zaofu in a few days. We'll stop at Yumae's village on the way."
"Will you bring some of the airbenders with you?" Yumae inquired.
"No, I don't want it to look like we're there to start a fight," Tenzin reasoned. "If I arrive with just my family then Xai may not suspect what we're there for. It will give us time to investigate before we confront him."
"I'll travel with you," Yumae decided.
"And I'll come for support too," Kya offered.
"That's not a good idea," Lin interjected, frowning pointedly at Kya, and then turning a sharp gaze on Yumae. "If we show up with you then Xai will know you enlisted our help. We can leave you on the outskirts if you want a ride home, but that's the best we can do without blowing our cover straight out of the gate. And Kya, you need to stay here and help Nira keep track of the airbenders."
"You may need my help," Yumae insisted. "I know that village and its people, and you'll need that information or you'll be going in blind."
"You can write it all down for us before we leave," Lin countered. "You've got two days. We'll discuss the rest of this tomorrow."
Yumae seemed to sense Lin's unwillingness to budge and the finality in her tone and inclined her head without further argument.
"We're a bit short on space at the moment," Tenzin told Yumae apologetically. "I'm not sure that we'll have a room. You'll likely have to bunk with someone –"
"She can have my room," Kya cut in, and Lin and Tenzin both looked at her incredulously. "What? I don't really sleep there anymore."
You'd better not sleep there tonight, Lin wanted to say, but she pursed her lips instead.
"I appreciate it," Yumae said sincerely. "All of it, not just the room."
"Don't thank us yet," Lin said.
Yumae shrugged. "The effort is something at least. I'll see you tomorrow then. Sorry again for crashing the party."
"It's completely understandable under the circumstances," Kya assured. "I can show you to my room."
"I think she can show herself," Lin snapped.
Kya frowned and opened her mouth to snap back, but Yumae hurriedly cut in, "It's okay. I think I remember how to find it. But we should catch up later. It's good to see you, Kya."
Yumae smiled tiredly in Kya's direction, and then slipped out of Tenzin's study, leaving the door half ajar.
Kya barely waited until Yumae had disappeared around the corner before whirling on Lin and demanding, "What the hell was that? You were being rude, exceptionally so considering her little sister is missing."
"I'm just trying to stop you from doing something stupid," Lin defended, "or are you forgetting about Nira already?"
"Spirit's sake," Kya huffed. "I haven't forgotten. I just stood out there in front of everyone and made that cheesy ass speech about how much I adore her, and I was sober. I'm not planning on dropping her the second Yumae shows up. Do you really trust me that little?"
"It's not necessarily a matter of trust," Tenzin said. "We're only trying to look out for you."
"Great," Kya snorted humorlessly, "so no matter what I do you'll always expect me to fail. Good to know."
"Kya," Lin called, as her sister-in-law went storming out of the room, but Kya did not stop. She turned to her husband and sighed a regretful, "Shit."
"She'll calm down," Tenzin soothed, landing his hand on Lin's shoulder with a soft squeeze. "I think seeing Yumae has thrown her and she doesn't want to admit it."
"Yeah, and we know what she does when she's feeling off balance."
"She has been doing well for a while now. I don't think there's reason to suspect she'll go back on her old ways."
"Even so, I'm keeping an eye on Yumae," Lin grumbled. "She broke Kya's heart once. I'm not letting her do anymore damage."
"What do you make of her story?" Tenzin inquired. "Do you think all of it is factual as she described it?"
"I think there are a lot of missing pieces and not a whole lot of facts," Lin concluded, "but whatever's going on can't be good. I just hope it isn't as bad as it sounds."
Tenzin nodded and grimly agreed, "Me too."
"You're sure about taking the kids with us?"
"The matter seems too serious to hand off to any of the airbenders, and I don't want any of us separated. Bringing the children along seems the only choice, but it also seems a wise choice. They may well speed the investigation along with their input. Considering what they've been through I don't see how this could be any worse."
Lin could imagine much worse things, but she could also concede that the kids were well beyond needing to be coddled.
"How much do you want to bet that all four of them are waiting in the living room for us to come back, instead of going to bed like I told them to?"
"Oh, I have no doubts."
She sighed. "I miss the days when they listened to me."
Tenzin chuckled. "Are you sure you didn't imagine those days?"
Lin nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right."
As expected, the four kids were all waiting in the living room when Lin and Tenzin entered, Asami with them, and they all turned expectant looks on their parents as Lin softly scowled at them.
"Didn't I tell you all to go to bed?"
"I think you knew perfectly well that that wouldn't happen," Ronen casually replied.
"What did Yumae want?" Yunjin asked.
"She came on behalf of her village," Tenzin began to explain. "Some young women have gone missing recently, including her younger sister. She suspects the leader of the town, Xai, is to blame, that he is using the police and his council to cover it up."
"Oh, so it's serious then," Sora surmised, looking worried.
"Yes," Tenzin confirmed. "Your mother and I have agreed to look in on the situation."
"You agreed," Lin muttered.
"And the four of you will be coming with us," Tenzin went on. "It'll be a family investigation before we go to Zaofu for a much-needed vacation, and to support your Aunt Su."
"You're making this sound oddly cheerful," Lin said, squinting her eyes at him.
"Would you mind if I come along?" Asami inquired hesitantly.
"Well he did say family vacation and Mom did declare herself your protector," Ronen said, throwing a smirk in his mother's direction.
"You did what?" Tenzin asked in confusion.
Lin waved a hand and dismissed, "It's a long story. I'll tell you later."
"Wait," Yunjin cut in, "did you say you're actually taking us with you? Into a situation that might be dangerous? Without us arguing our case? Okay, now I know you're drunk."
"I'm not without my concerns," Tenzin admitted, "but I also recognize that you are all growing up and can be quite helpful. I wouldn't have agreed to make you and Sora masters if I didn't believe in your capabilities, and Ronen, well, you've been running off to investigate crimes with Korra for years now. Besides, it's better we all stick together, is it not?"
"Finally!" Sora exclaimed in plain relief. "I've only been saying that for seventy-five years."
"Well we're listening to you now," Lin pointed out, and Sora gave her a look.
"Does that mean I get to help?!" Jeia enthusiastically cried, bouncing a little in her seat.
"Uhh we'll see," Lin hedged.
"So, that's a yes?" Jeia said with hopeful eyes.
"It's a no until your life depends on it," Lin corrected.
Jeia rolled her eyes with a huff and folded her arms across her chest. "You never let me have any fun."
"You're right, that is exactly my intent," Lin sassed.
"Where does Yumae think this Xai person is keeping these women?" Ronen questioned, getting back to the point. "And why is he taking them?"
"Well, that's the mystery we'll have to solve," Tenzin answered. "No one has any clue where the women are being taken. They've simply been disappearing at random, according to Yumae."
"So what's our plan then?" Yunjin wanted to know. "We just walk into the village and demand an audience with their leader?"
"I believe, in this case, we should use our celebrity names to our advantage," Tenzin replied. "We'll enter the village under the pretense that we've been travelling for a while, perhaps harried by some bandits, and are in need of a place to stay for a few nights before we move on. We'll make our presence known, and see if this Xai attempts to seek us out. If not, I can create some reason to speak with him, tell him I want to offer the services of the Air Nation if he's interested. Meanwhile, we can also speak to the people in the village, see if we can get any more information on the disappearances."
"That's a good plan, but it could get us kicked out before we have a chance to learn anything," Ronen pointed out. "If Xai notices us sniffing around he'll clam up and we'll get nothing out of him."
"Do you have a backup in case he turns on us?" Asami added.
"Yeah," Lin said mildly, "we start knocking heads. If he won't budge or he sends his police after us then we'll just kick the door down and see for ourselves if he's got those women trapped in his mansion."
"It's a wonder they let you be Chief for as long as you were with that mentality," Sora teased.
Lin shrugged. "I'm old. I don't have the patience anymore."
Yunjin snorted. "So you plan to take on the entire police force with just the five of you, a cripple, and maybe a six year old if she's allowed?"
"Hey," Jeia protested. "I'm just as good as an adult. Mama said so."
"It's small town police," Lin dismissed. "There won't be many of them and half will be rookies or a week away from retirement."
"Even so," Tenzin admonished his wife, "that's an absolute last resort. Diplomacy is the best way to handle this until we're certain there's foul play."
"Yeah, yeah," Lin relented, "but if that's the case, I'd better not meet this Xai myself until you're ready for me to knock his teeth in."
"Two years into retirement and she's already itching for a fight," Ronen said to his siblings.
"It's been too long since she's been allowed to punch someone," Yunjin sympathized.
Lin opened her mouth to argue, but Sora spoke up first saying, "I have an idea." Everyone looked at her expectantly, and she hesitated, seeming surprised for a second that they were actually waiting to hear it, and then she hurriedly finished, "I can be the bait."
"No," Lin immediately said.
"You didn't even hear the rest of –"
"No," Lin repeated.
Sora huffed in frustration. "You say I'm ready to be a master but you still won't let me be a master."
"Well, I am still your mother."
"You're also not listening," Sora countered.
Tenzin put a stilling hand on Lin's shoulder, giving her a look that she understood all to well, and she gritted her teeth, holding back a retort and simply folding her arms across her chest and pursing her lips.
"We're listening," Tenzin told Sora.
Sora sucked in a deep breath and began, "I would arrive separately, on my own, posed as a refugee seeking somewhere safe to stay. You guys can still go about the original plan, talking to the villagers and trying to get an audience with Xai. Meanwhile, I'll make myself look like an easy target, and hopefully whoever is snatching the women will notice me and take an interest. Then, if I'm taken to Xai's or wherever, I can find the other women and then use my spirit projection to tell you guys where to find us."
"It's too dangerous," Lin asserted.
"If it's too much for me to handle I'll fight my way out or immediately call you for help," Sora insisted. "But it worked when I got captured by the Dai Li and I wasn't even doing that on purpose."
"Yeah, and you also got hurt –"
"A few bruises won't kill me –"
"You're probably too young anyways. Yumae says it's mostly women in their twenties."
"So I'll make myself look older. It's not that far of a stretch to think I look young for my age."
"You are young –"
"I'll go with her," Asami suddenly interjected, cutting off Lin's argument.
"I'm sorry, what?" Ronen said in bewilderment.
"I'll arrive with Sora," Asami said again. "We'll pose as sisters. If they won't grab her, they'll at least take me and she can track them. Or they'll take both of us and we'll be able to protect each other. Problem solved."
"I don't like the idea of either of you being used as bait," Tenzin said, stroking his beard and frowning thoughtfully. "I don't doubt your capabilities, but it's a major risk."
Yunjin reasoned, "But if it works it'll solve the mystery much faster, and it'll deliver stronger evidence to use against the creep."
"I hate to admit it, but he's right," Ronen agreed. "If Sora and Asami can get on the inside, we'll have all the proof we need, and it'll tell us exactly what's going on."
"I can be bait," Jeia chimed in.
And everyone in the room collectively countered, "No."
Jeia groaned dramatically and slumped back in the couch. "You guys are boring."
Lin sensed movement approaching and turned just as the front door suddenly swung open, and Mako and Bolin came clambering in.
"Oh good, you're here," Bolin said with delight.
"Did you find out what that woman needed?" Mako asked.
"Her village needs saving, the usual," Ronen replied.
"Oh really?" Mako said with interest. "What exactly did she –"
"I'd love to hear the story too," Bolin interrupted, "but we're actually here for another reason. "Opal sent for you, Chief – er – I mean Lin – I mean ma'am – I mean Mrs. Beifong? –"
"What?" Lin snapped impatiently. "What did she need?"
"Oh, Bumi is getting Su plastered," Mako said casually.
"Oh for spirit's sake!" Lin exclaimed, turning an accusing look on her husband. "Why did you let me leave her alone with him?"
"Me?! How was I supposed to know she'd let Bumi persuade her?"
"You know she's in a fragile state," Lin said through gritted teeth.
"I assumed her children would stop her," Tenzin defended.
"The five of us actually left a little bit ago with Akira," Bolin revealed. "Wei and Wing made another new game. Or was it an old game? Or did they even invent it?"
"Ugh!" Lin grumbled. "Do I have to do everything around here?"
She stormed towards the exit, Bolin and Mako leaping out of the way just in time for her to barrel through the doorway. Tenzin came hurrying after her calling, "I'll come with you –"
But Lin whirled around to face him, poking her pointer finger into his chest as he flailed his arms and came to an abrupt stop. "No," she told him, "you need to go check on your own sister, make sure she's not doing something stupid."
"Oh, yes," Tenzin said in realization, "you're right I should probably go do that…" He sighed wearily and his shoulders slumped as he pouted, "I just want to go to sleep."
But he still went off in the direction of the women's dorms, where Kya would probably be, hopefully with Nira, while Lin went back to the fire to get Su.
It was another hour before Lin and Tenzin were finally able to collapse into bed together, their sisters accounted for and their kids finally in bed too.
Tenzin was half asleep as he muttered, "Told Kya we were sorry. She seems okay."
"She's with Nira?" Lin had to make sure.
"Mmhmm," Tenzin hummed, nodding his head against Lin's shoulder, laying partially on top of her. "How drunk was Su?"
"Just drunk enough to get her to go to bed," Lin rasped, eyes closed and sleep already beginning to drag her down. "Got to her before Bumi could make it worse."
"Need to talk to him," Tenzin mumbled. "'Bout his bad habits."
Lin snorted but couldn't muster the energy to respond, her vocal cords apparently asleep even before she was. Tenzin kissed the only part of her he could reach without moving, which was her collarbone, and that was the last thing she remembered before she was pulled under at last.
The second complication to come from the arrival of Kya's ex-girlfriend became apparent the following evening.
In the morning, everyone rose at different times, so breakfast was scattered and mostly separate. Lin and Tenzin ate the left-over scraps of something Sora had made, which led to Lin scouring the cupboards in search of something with carbs or meat because she was still starving and couldn't live off of vegetables like Sora did. Afterwards, the pair went to find Yumae, who was in the dining hall surrounded by a few acolytes and airbenders, all of them enraptured by whatever she was saying. Yumae could make friends wherever she went. Even when she was so bogged down with stress and worry for her sister and her village, she could captivate anyone with her words and her wit. Or at least, that's what Kya used to say about her. Lin had rarely been captivated by anyone, though she could admit that Yumae was fairly charismatic. Which was what had Lin worried.
Once Lin had inserted herself into the group, the acolytes and airbenders started to disperse, catching her sharp look and the jerk of her head – or maybe they just listened to Tenzin when he softly asked them to give him a moment with Yumae. Then Yumae went through everything with Lin and Tenzin, people in her village to talk to, a rough sketch of a map, and everything she knew so far about the disappearances, which wasn't much. She had talked to someone that saw it happen, a woman being snatched in the middle of the night, grabbed by two hooded figures and dragged away too fast to follow. Another villager claimed the police had come to talk to one of the missing women, and the next day she was nowhere to be found. One older woman insisted her son was taken too, another young person in their twenties, but Yumae wasn't certain he hadn't simply run off because his mother was supposedly difficult to deal with.
After all that, it was time to start packing and planning. Lin still wasn't thrilled with the idea of Sora going in as bait, but she knew the kid was good and she'd have Asami with her. Not to mention that Lin had every intention of keeping close to the two of them, even if they would be going into Yumae's village separately. She was going to be wandering the town with Jeia and Yunjin while Tenzin and Ronen tried the diplomatic route, and while Lin was questioning and spying on villagers, she'd also be tracking Sora and Asami as much as she possibly could. The girls had strict instructions on where to go in the village, and so long as they stayed within those areas, Lin would be able to find them.
Su left that afternoon too, along with Opal, Wei, and Wing, to go back to Zaofu. She had been sorely tempted to join her sister and the others in their investigation, but she seemed hesitant to go anywhere else in the Earth Kingdom, as if she was afraid she might run into Junior or Kuvira. As desperate as she was to see her son, she was also worried about how that reunion might go. She still hadn't told Lin all of what had been said when Junior and Kuvira left Zaofu, but Lin had a feeling it had been particularly hurtful, not least because of the whole betrayal. However, Su did urge Lin to write to her if the situation in Yumae's village got out of hand or was going on too long, and she would be there to help as quick as possible. Lin was annoyed that she had to wait to go to Zaofu at all, especially when she felt so sure that her sister needed her, but a slew of disappearances did warrant some concern, so she sucked it up for now.
Dinner in the house that night was distinctly quieter, with Su's family gone, Mako back at work, Bumi out in the city with Bolin and some friends, and Kya noticeably absent. Nira and Amali were there, even though they would usually have dinner in the dining hall with Kya, or Kya would go to the main house with them. No one asked Nira where Kya was, but it wasn't hard to guess that she'd be with Yumae. So once dinner was over, and Amali was distracted talking to Yunjin, Lin approached Nira to find out more.
As the two women were walking dirty dishes into the kitchen, Lin quietly murmured, "Please tell me you two aren't fighting over this. Tenzin said everything was fine last night."
"No, not fighting," Nira replied in a low voice, glancing over her shoulder to make sure no one was following them as they entered the kitchen. "They wanted to catch up over dinner and I figured I'd be in the way, and I think it's confusing Amali, so the two of us came here for dinner."
"And you're okay with leaving the two of them alone?" Lin said incredulously once the door swung shut behind them.
Nira deflated once she was in the empty room, shoulders slumping and expression weary as she sighed, "What else am I supposed to do? I can't control her every move."
"No, but you can tell her not to be hanging around with her ex," Lin insisted. "You have that right, you know?"
"Kya loved her very much," Nira reasoned. "I can't say what I would do if Azu suddenly walked through the door."
"That's different," Lin dismissed. "Azu didn't leave you. Yumae pushed Kya away. She has no right to come back in here and expect Kya's attention."
"I think she really is just here for her village and her sister," Nira claimed, "and even if she isn't, Kya will have to decide what she wants. I can't decide that for her."
"Why not?" Lin countered. "Pretty sure I decided for Tenzin."
Nira smirked fondly. "No, you didn't. He was – and still is – desperately in love with you. There was no choice for him to make. And if that's not what I am to Kya then it's better to find that out now."
"Except Kya doesn't always know what's good for her," Lin pointed out. "Sometimes she needs a nudge."
"She knows better than you think," Nira defended, smiling a little but it looked pained. "All I can do is hope that I know her as well as I think I do."
Lin didn't like that plan at all, but she wanted to believe that Kya would make the right choice, and goading Nira into worrying about it wasn't the right move.
Lin sighed too. "Well, do you want to hide out here for the evening or go spy on them? Either way, I'm with you."
Nira chuckled. "Amali and I will stay here a bit longer, if that's all right."
"'Course it is. And you're not doing the dishes," she added, snatching the plates out of Nira's hands. "It's Jeia's turn she's just trying to get out of it."
Nira and Amali stayed for a little over an hour, playing cards with Lin, Tenzin, Sora, Asami, and Jeia. Yunjin and Ronen were in a corner of the living room pouring over some old looking book. After a while, Lin got tired of playing, and went to go make some tea. Nira followed, and Lin didn't say anything, but Nira seemed to be rethinking her earlier words, staring out into the courtyard and mumbling mostly to herself, "It is getting late. I wonder if they're still catching up."
Lin just nudged Nira gently away from the window, pressing a cup of tea into her hands.
It was just as the two women were about to reenter the living room that the front door swung open, and in came Kya.
Amali immediately hopped up from her seat on the floor with a grin and a delighted, "Kya!"
"There you are, kiddo," Kya said with a smile, opening her arms just as Amali leapt into her embrace. "I've been looking all over, and here you are partying the night away. It's past your bedtime, isn't it?"
"Do I even have a bedtime?" Amali retorted.
"Okay, smarty pants," Kya snorted. "Well, you ought to have one."
"Nah, I don't think so," Amali said with a barely suppressed laugh. She tugged on Kya's hand. "Come play cards with us."
Kya looked over at the group waiting in a circle for the game to resume, and then her eyes scanned the rest of the room until she found who she was looking for. Her eyes didn't leave Nira's as she patted Amali's shoulder and said, "I'll be there in a minute, sweetheart."
Amali went back to finish the game without argument, and Kya strode straight over to Nira and Lin. She grasped Nira's elbow and leaned in to kiss her cheek saying, "Sorry I'm so late. I didn't realize you'd still be here so I went looking around the dorms and I ran into that new girl, Ari. She was having a meltdown, about her roommate being messy and noisy or something, but I think she's just homesick, so I had to talk her down, it was a whole thing."
"Oh," Nira said, sounding almost as bewildered as Lin felt, "that's okay."
"How was dinner with Yumae?" Lin asked, because she wasn't certain Nira would.
Kya snorted, looking amused. "She was trying to get me drunk ten minutes in. She's worried about her sister and I think she just didn't want to get drunk alone. So I started telling her how drinking to deal with stress never turns out well and quickly realized I was that buzz kill now."
Kya seemed unperturbed, but Nira looked worried. "She didn't pressure you did she?"
"Oh no she definitely did," Kya said with a chuckle. "She seemed confused when I finally told her I was staying sober, and I started thinking back to how much time we spent drinking when we were together. Granted, she was a lot more moderate than I was, more like a glass with dinner instead of a whole bottle, but I don't think she ever saw it as a problem." Kya shrugged. "Must be why I never saw it as a problem either." Suddenly, a thought seemed to occur to her, and she frowned. "Wait, you weren't worried, were you?"
"Well, not worried per say," Nira said slowly. "I didn't expect you to… I just know how much she meant to you and –"
"Yeah, she did," Kya said softly, "and I'll always be glad for the time I had with her. She taught me a lot, and she was patient with me for a while. And don't get me wrong, I was definitely tempted by the alcohol, I don't think that'll go away anytime soon, if ever, but it wasn't even a choice. You're kind of the best thing that ever happened to me."
"Spirit's," Lin muttered, "you really have turned into a sap."
"I like it," Nira said with a smirk, looping her arm through Kya's and tugging Kya closer.
"Oh, well, there's more where that came from," Kya promised, giving Nira a seductive look, and Lin rolled her eyes.
"Gag. I'm gonna leave you two now –"
Kya laughed and reached out to snag Lin's sleeve before she could get away. "Hey, I'm sorry about last night, by the way. I know you were just being protective. And I really have made some terrible life choices. I had no right to be mad."
Lin shook her head. "Nah, I should have had more faith in you." Kya was doing better than Lin had seen in her in a very long time. She had finally gotten it right, and Lin didn't think she was going to let anything take that away from her. "It's good to see you like this."
A relief, more like, and Lin had never been so happy to be wrong. Maybe Yumae's arrival wasn't so much of a complication after all.
Well, except for the mystery she had dropped in their laps.
Tenzin landed Oogi about two miles out of Yumae's village, so that Yumae, Sora, and Asami could disembark. Yumae went ahead west, after thanking all of them for the help they were about to give, and Tenzin promised to find her as soon as they found anything out about her sister. Sora and Asami lingered for a moment, going over the plan one last time and promising to be careful. Sora hugged her family, Asami hugged Ronen, and then the two girls started the short trek to the village towards the east. Lin, Tenzin, Ronen, Yunjin, and Jeia watched them go, and then climbed back onto Oogi and flew straight ahead.
They landed in the village a few minutes later, just on the outskirts, where a couple of military personnel surrounded them at once. All three of them just looked like young adults themselves, as Yumae had said, uncertain and twitchy. Their metal armor hung awkwardly on their frames, and they stood several paces back from Oogi, eyeing the animal as if afraid he would strike.
"What's your business here?" one of them demanded.
Tenzin floated down to the ground and slowly approached the young man. "My apologies," he began amicably. "I am Master Tenzin, of the Air Nation, former Councilman of Republic City. My family and I were on our way to visit some family farther south, but we were attacked by bandits a few miles from here. They took all of our food, and it was very stressful for my children. Yours was the closest village we could find to settle down and rest. We were hoping there might be a place to stay for the night. We have money still. I suppose the bandits didn't think to ask for that."
The kid soldier stammered, "We're not really taking tourists right now –"
But one of the others hurried over, elbowing the boy in the side and hissing, "This is Master Tenzin and his family. We can make an exception. Call the sergeant, get him over here."
The sergeant was older, but didn't seem that much more experienced. He grinned at Tenzin and the others while toying with his great, bushy beard, and welcomed them to the village without any questions. He did assign one of Kuvira's soldiers to them, which Tenzin tried and failed to avoid.
"We wouldn't want to trouble one of your soldiers," Tenzin insisted. "I'm sure they all have much better things to be doing."
"Nonsense," the sergeant dismissed. "You'll need someone to show you around town. Haito here will take you to the lodge, get you some food. If you need anything else, he can get it for you."
"We appreciate that very much," Tenzin said with a tight smile.
Haito showed them to the village inn, unnecessarily helped them carry in their few belongings, and then offered to take them to find food. None of them were quite hungry considering they had eaten just before leaving home, but it was clear that Haito wasn't going to let any of them wander around the village without him.
So, after exchanging a brief look with Lin, Tenzin took Haito aside and said, in a tone quiet enough to seem conspiratorial, but loud enough for his family behind him to hear, "I'm afraid only Ronen and I are up to going for lunch. My two youngest were rather upset by the whole ordeal and my wife would like to stay here in the room with them."
"Shouldn't they come with us?" Haito entreated. "Some fresh air and a good meal might do them good."
"I'm afraid not," Tenzin said grimly. "Jeia is so young, you see, and my son…" He sighed. "He's only just recovering."
Tenzin glanced over his shoulder, satisfied to see his family playing their parts perfectly well. Jeia wrapped her arms around her mother's waist and hid her face in Lin's side, while Lin pretended to comfort the girl. Yunjin made a pained expression as he grasped weakly for a nearby chair, collapsing into it with a groan, his metal braces clanking together. Ronen was pressing his lips together to suppress amusement, which to a stranger sort of made him look perturbed.
When Tenzin turned back to Haito, he could see that his family's dramatics had worked. "Well, I suppose if they need the rest," the young soldier said. "They can stay here then."
"Excellent, thank you," Tenzin said gratefully. "Just let me say goodbye…" Tenzin went over to kiss Lin and told her, "We'll be back in about two hours," and she nodded in understanding, checking the clock on the wall to see how much time that allowed her to poke around without supervision. "Ronen and I will bring something back for everyone."
Lin, Jeia, and Yunjin feigned weariness as they waved goodbye to Ronen and Tenzin, and Haito led the two of them back out onto the street.
"Is there anything in particular you're craving for lunch?" Haito asked. "There's some pretty good options around, a few bad ones. The locals here are crazy about their onions, some worse than others, so there's a few places to avoid."
"Oddly enough, I'm craving sweets," Ronen answered, even though the boy didn't actually care much for anything too riddled with sugar – the opposite of the rest of his siblings. But Yumae had said that the owner of the sweet's shop on the south end of the village was someone to talk to. "Are there any sweet shops nearby? With pastries and teas maybe?"
Haito gave Ronen a funny look, and for a second Tenzin feared that they were being too obvious, but then Haito chuckled. "Craving sugar after a battle, eh? I've been there. There's a sweets shop just a few blocks down that should do the trick. The old lady that runs the place is a bit of a bitch, but the cakes are damn good."
"Sounds great," Ronen acquiesced. "You don't mind, do you, Dad?"
"Of course not," Tenzin assured. "Perhaps I could pop into another eatery while you get your sweets."
"That's okay," Haito interjected. "We can do both. You've got to try these rice cakes. Then I'll take you to a good noodle place."
"Very well," Tenzin agreed, as Haito began to lead them forward, exchanging a slightly annoyed look with his son. Shaking Haito was going to be more difficult than he thought.
Once at the sweet's shop, Ronen, Tenzin, and Haito sat down and looked over the small menu. Tenzin only ordered a cup of tea, but Ronen ordered a pastry and Haito a cake.
As they sat there, Tenzin used the opportunity to ask Haito, "How long have you been part of Kuvira's military?"
Haito shrugged, focused fully on his cake and shoving it into his mouth even as he replied, "A few months."
"What made you decide to join?" Tenzin prompted.
"Same as anybody I guess," Haito mumbled. "Responsibility and all that. To help the Earth Kingdom." He suddenly seemed to remember something, choking slightly as he forcefully swallowed his mouthful of cake, eyes watering as he hastily added, "And, of course, the honor of serving the Great Uniter."
Ronen and Tenzin exchanged a look.
"The Great Uniter?" Ronen echoed. "Is that what they're calling Kuvira?"
"She's done a lot of good for us," Haito said, as if reciting rehearsed lines. "Saves us from bandits and anarchy. All villages under her rule are made better than before."
"Like this village?" Ronen questioned, brow pinched with a bit of concern.
"Of course," Haito replied. "I was stationed here pretty early on. There's been no trouble."
"Not even bandits?" Tenzin inquired.
"Well some of them still try, of course, but they don't get past us."
"And there's no one in the town to worry about?" Ronen pressed. "The crime rates are low?"
Haito frowned, and Tenzin could tell they had pushed as far as they could.
"You'll have to excuse my son," Tenzin said with a chuckle. "He's very interested in world events, wants to know all the details."
"I'll stop pestering you," Ronen told Haito, who was starting to relax again. "These sweets really are delicious, by the way. Should we bring some back for the others?" he suggested to his father.
"I think they would quite like that," Tenzin agreed.
"Well, well, well," a wizened voice interjected, prompting the three men to look up at the woman now standing next to their table. She was old and gray, lips pursed half into a scowl, leaning with both hands on a walking stick. "Thought I was lookin' at a ghost when I saw you sat over here. You must be the son of Avatar Aang."
Tenzin smiled kindly and replied, "Indeed I am. And this is my eldest son Ronen." He gestured to the boy and Ronen inclined his head with a polite smile. "And who might you be?"
"I'm Chiyo," the elder woman responded. "This is my shop."
"It's lovely to meet you," Tenzin said with interest. "My son was just raving over your delectable sweets."
"You have quite a gift," Ronen complimented. "How long have you been open?"
"Since long before you were born," Chiyo almost chuckled. "Probably before your parents were too. I was just about your age, I'd say."
"So you've been in this village a long time," Ronen surmised. "I'm sure you know almost everything that goes on around here."
Chiyo dragged the fourth chair out from the table and sat slowly. "I've got some stories I could tell. Once you get to be my age you've seen it all."
"I'm afraid we can't stay much longer," Haito cut in nervously, eyeing the old woman with distrust.
Chiyo shot Haito a dirty look, and Tenzin sought to break the tension by rising to his feet. "Haito, why don't we leave them to chat for a bit and you can help me pick out some sweets for me to bring back to my family? Then we can go."
Tenzin ushered Haito up before he could begin to protest, and Ronen leaned in to whisper with Chiyo the moment Tenzin and Haito were out of ear shot.
Tenzin did his best to prolong picking out sweets, asking a lot of questions and indecisively deliberating, as if he couldn't remember what Jin and Jeia's favorite sweets were, and wondering which chocolates Lin would find most appetizing. Once he had run out of delays, he slowly purchased the items he had known he would all along, cheerfully thanking Haito for his patience and suggestions, as if he hadn't been purposefully stalling the entire time.
As soon as Tenzin and Haito returned to the table, Chiyo stopped talking, and rose slowly back up to her feet, shooting a scowl at Haito and telling Tenzin and Ronen, "It was good to meet you. Come back anytime."
She shuffled away without another word, and Haito watched her retreating form with a wrinkled nose. "Frightful woman," he muttered. "Not sure how you could stand talking to her."
"I never pass up an opportunity to hear people's stories," Ronen said mildly, gesturing for Haito to lead the way out of the sweet's shop. He fell into stride with his father, and gave a short nod with a troubled look. Whatever Chiyo had told him, Tenzin was interested to hear, but until they were free of Haito, it was Ronen's knowledge to bear.
Five minutes after Ronen and Tenzin had left with Haito, Lin and Yunjin and Jeia hopped to their feet and left the inn. They went in the opposite direction in which Lin had sensed Haito leading Tenzin and Ronen, going first to another place Yumae had suggested. It was a tiny diner that was apparently often bustling with people, many of whom might be open to discussing the recent problems in their village. However, when Lin arrived with two of her children, the place was not quite bustling. It was an odd time of day, shortly after lunch, and the few people that were there didn't seem interested in talking to the three outsiders.
So Lin lead the kids back out onto the street, after a quick cup of tea for each of them, so as not to look weird. Drawing attention to themselves wouldn't help them investigate much. They wandered in the direction of the eastern border, stopping along the way to talk to various merchants and average villagers. They weren't getting much information though – not even the chatty people had anything useful to say – but Jin and Jeia seemed to be enjoying themselves so Lin tried not to be too outwardly negative. The main issue was probably that, out of their entire family, Lin, Yunjin, and Jeia were the three that were the least charismatic – well, Yunjin was charismatic but not at all subtle or patient – and coaxing strangers to open up to them was not exactly one of their strengths. Yunjin just liked to talk to people and Jeia liked to be involved in an adventure. Her heart rate always leapt with excitement when they had to duck behind cover every time they saw a soldier passing by. It wasn't a certainty that the soldiers would recognize them and report it to their sergeant, but better to be safe than sorry. They didn't know what to expect of anyone in that village, and if Yumae's assertions were correct, they couldn't trust any authority figures. Lin was actually a little dismayed to see that there were more of those around than she had expected.
After about an hour of no progress, Lin coaxed Jin and Jeia to head back to the inn, to make sure they got back before Ronen and Tenzin. She didn't want Haito getting suspicious of them already. Before she went though, she stopped near the eastern pub Asami and Sora planned to go to once they made it through the border. Yumae had suggested it as a place that they would likely garner the attention of the police, many of whom frequented the pub, and if the girls were going to be bait, it seemed only logical that they go straight to the suspected source. When Lin used her seismic sense from outside the pub, she was relieved to recognize Sora's familiar form, the girl's heart rate steady and calm. It was difficult for Lin to walk away, when she wanted so badly to stay and look after Sora, but she pulled herself away, reassuring herself that Sora could handle it, and that she would find her parents if something went wrong.
Lin made it back to the room with Jin and Jeia just ten minutes before Tenzin, Ronen, and Haito returned. Tenzin and Ronen came bustling into the room with a box of sweets and containers of food for the rest of their family. Lin was actually getting hungry then, and apparently so were Jin and Jeia, because the three of them pounced on the food with renewed energy.
Lin wanted to ask if Tenzin and Ronen had learned anything while they were out, but Haito was still lingering so she had to wait. Eventually, he finally left the room to contact his sergeant and give the family some privacy, and they all started asking questions at once.
"You go first," Tenzin insisted.
But Lin could only say, "We got nothin'. We went to the diner and walked around a bit, but nobody we talked to gave us anything. I checked the eastern pub though, and Sora and Asami were there, seemed fine so far."
"Did you have anymore luck?" Yunjin asked his father and Ronen, through a mouthful of food. "Or was the soldier with you the entire time?"
"I managed to get a few minutes with the owner of the sweet's shop while Dad distracted Haito," Ronen answered. "She said her granddaughter joined Kuvira's army, and that she's been hearing from some other soldiers about disappearances in neighboring villages. She heard whispers of people being sold off, but she doesn't actually know if Xai is the one who's selling them, or if more are being sold to him."
"What are they being sold for?" Yunjin questioned.
"She doesn't know that either," Ronen replied.
Lin and Tenzin exchanged a frown.
"This might be more serious than we thought," Lin said with concern.
Tenzin nodded in agreement. "If this is happening elsewhere, it may be too big for us to manage. It might be wiser to report it to the United Republic. They can coordinate with Kuvira to solve this faster than we can."
"I'm not so sure of that," Ronen admitted. "You heard how Haito was praising Kuvira, calling her the Great Uniter –"
"The great what?" Lin scoffed.
"The Great Uniter," Ronen repeated. "He seemed nervous about saying anything bad about her. And with the odd reports we've heard… Can we be certain she's not somehow involved? Or overlooking it?"
"She's not," Jeia immediately snapped, scowling at Ronen. "Kuvira would not kidnap people."
Yunjin scratched his chin in contemplation and said, "That is a bit of a leap. Whatever Kuvira's flaws, I doubt she would be okay with some sleaze ball kidnapping young women."
"True," Ronen conceded, "but I think it depends on what they're being used for. If it benefits her, then maybe she's okay with it. We know she's not above coercion." He shot Jeia an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, but I think we have to consider every possibility."
"Maybe we should pull Sora and Asami," Tenzin suggested. "If this goes farther than this village, who knows where they could be taken if they're snatched up."
"Unfortunately," Lin sighed, "I think that's why we have to leave them do this. We aren't going to get any real answers unless we get someone inside. It'll take too long to infiltrate the military or the police or whoever is behind it. If Sora and Asami are taken within the next few days, we'll know exactly where these people are being taken. Then we'll have a better idea of who's behind it and maybe why, and then we can go to the United Republic. If we go to them now, with so little evidence and only the conflicting reports from random villagers, they'll either do nothing or come barreling in, which will send the culprits into hiding, making it even harder to find these people."
Tenzin sighed too. "Yes, I suppose you're right."
"Of all the rumors and accounts we haven't heard anything too terrible," Yunjin pointed out. "I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to free Sora and Asami without them being in too much danger."
"But could they end up too far away for Sora to contact us?" Ronen wondered.
Yunjin shook his head. "I don't think so. She projected her spirit all the way to the Fire Nation after I had my surgery to check in on me. It wasn't as strong, kind of like having a bad phone connection, but she knows my spiritual energy well enough that she can latch onto it from pretty far away."
That was reassuring at least, but Lin could tell Tenzin was still worried. They both had full confidence in Sora's abilities, but with so many uncertainties, it was difficult to let her dangle herself as bait to some unknown threat.
A knock on the door startled the family from their conversation, and they all looked up just as Haito came striding in, along with the sergeant from earlier, neither of them looking all that apologetic for just barging in.
Tenzin rose to his feet. "Sergeant. To what do we owe the pleasure?" His rigid stance was in contradiction to his amicable tone.
"I've got good news," the sergeant said with that annoying grin. "I told Head Councilman Xai that you're passing through and he has invited all of you to dinner at his home tomorrow evening."
"Oh," Tenzin said in surprise. "That is…very kind of him. I hope it isn't too much of an inconvenience. We weren't expecting an audience with him, if that's what you thought."
"No, no, he's quite interested to meet you. Told me to make sure you were all well looked after."
Lin narrowed her eyes at what she was certain was some sort of threat.
"That is appreciated," Tenzin said convincingly. "But we only intend to rest and recuperate before we continue on our journey. We won't be much trouble."
"Of course," the sergeant said, less convincingly. "I'll come to fetch the five of you tomorrow evening. Until then, Haito here and one of my other soldiers will see to your needs."
The sergeant tipped his hat and then swept out of the door, leaving Haito and another young soldier standing stiffly in the entryway, and Lin looked over at the rest of her family, and she could tell by the looks on all their faces that they were starting to feel a lot like hostages the same as her.