"I don't want to keep you up too late, but I'm looking for some information."
"Of course. Please, sit."
He seats himself and heats his bowl of stew in his hands.
She picks up one of Lee's torn shirts and begins sewing.
"I hope you don't mind, but he said that a few of your clothes needed done as well." She motions to a pile of clothes on the chair beside him.
It wasn't a very big pile, but it was sizeable given the size of the bag they had to fit back into.
"You really don't have to do this. I'm not sure what Lee was thinking, but it really isn't necessary!" Zuko insists, trying not to let his shock and embarrassment show. "We have some money to buy new clothes. And you've already provided us with enough help!"
"It's really alright. You chopped our wood for us. And I usually wait up for my husband when he's out late! It's of no trouble to me. And besides, I always like talking more when I have something to do." She laughs.
He can see the exhaustion in her eyes, but her joy doesn't seem to be false.
He doesn't know how she can have so much energy while everyone just leaves her alone all day and bunch of soldiers could just march in and demand food and a place to sleep.
"Do you need more light?" He asks, rising to get a few lanterns from the counter by the door.
"A little more would be nice."
He places them on the table and carefully lights them.
"So, you're looking for your mother. And you said she disappeared four years ago?"
"Yes. My father banished her. Made her an enemy of the Fire Nation. But because she was from the Fire Nation originally, she'd have had to hide her identity. Her name was Fire Lady Ursa. She was a kind lady, maybe about this high," He stands and places his hand an inch or two above his own head, "and would have had lighter eyes than normal for someone of the Earth Kingdom. She told someone on Kyoshi Island that she was looking for work in the theatrical arts. She was possibly headed for here, Omashu, or Ba Sing Se." He gets several spoonfuls into his mouth before she has a chance to reply.
"Well, I think we can narrow that down. Right now, there are no theater arts to be found here, except for traveling acts at the larger estates. And I know everyone that is here has been here for my whole life, more or less. The only strangers in town are the new soldiers. So unless she disguised herself as a soldier, I very much doubt that she would still be here if she passed through at all. To get to Omashu, she'd have had to cross the entire Swamp. That's a daunting place to be in a group, much less alone. They say that the Swamp is haunted by shrieking spirits who lead you around until you die or are found by the Swamp Tribe. They are rumored to be cannibals. Was she traveling alone?" Xue seems almost sick with worry at the thought.
"I don't know. I think so. But I'm not sure." He decides not to mention that he's been through the Swamp once. And that the Swamp Tribe are just a bunch of weird Waterbenders that don't seem to know their heads from the Swamp roots in the ground.
"Well, then she would have passed by this way, looking to go around the desert, close to Chameleon Bay, then take the ferry across Full Moon Bay. She almost certainly would have sought refuge in Ba Sing Se." She nods authoritatively, taking another shirt from the pile to mend.
"That's what me and my Uncle did on our first trip through here. That's sort of what I was going to do, but...well... I have Lee this time, and he needs to stop pretty often. And I wanted to see how things were in this town. I heard Earth Kingdom residents aren't treated too well in most colonies." He's heard the stories, seen the burnt towns. All either abandoned or with the natives living in slavery, or at least with high taxes and tight curfews. He tries to get the scent of charred ruins and shattered lives out of his head.
"Well, here it's a little easier to get along with the occupation." Her relaxed tone sharply contrasts his raging memories.
"The Bei Fong family and some of the other wealthy groups in town complied with the soldiers' orders when they pointed out that we could be a good trade hub for the Fire Nation. This happened about two or three months ago. They came in and talked to the Bei Fong family and a few other wealthy groups in town. They agreed to the occupation provided that they kept their privacy and property, and be permitted to travel freely between the colonies."
She puts down her sewing and gets a piece of paper from a drawer and a paintbrush. She writes down a few of the terms for the different groups as she explains, and paints a small map below. To the side, she writes a few traded goods.
"The artisans and merchants get a slightly less appealing deal, in that the soldiers can come into our houses, eat our food, demand our services whenever they please, and we have limited travel outside the town. They've issued passports to those deemed worthy of trust for trade. But only to other colonies, and they watch where you go."
Zuko scans the list of traded items, and notices that these people, regardless of social class, have access to many Fire Nation treats that were normally reserved for special occasions in the Homeland. He looks at the list of food in particular.
These people would never have had access to some of the fruits that grew only in the Fire Nation.
Like the Fire Drop, a sweet red fruit, shaped like a teardrop, popular for birthday and holiday side dishes. Or Dragon's Flower, inedible itself, but the seeds would ripen into spicy sweet treats akin to candy and were useful in cake icing and decorative desserts. And these treats, so rare for him at home, and cost a pretty coin, were sold for the same price as normal Earth Kingdom food here.
I'll have to get some of that before we leave. I'll bet Lee's never had any before. He thinks to himself.
"The farmers get the worst of the deal. They produce the food for the town, the soldiers take money from them in the form of agricultural tax, they stand guard over the fields when they work and impose a harvest quota, now that it's harvest time. They don't take the food until the farmers sell what the town needs. They take a rationed amount aside for the family, then any surplus goes to the soldiers. They buy fairly from us in town, if the surplus isn't enough. It isn't really a fair system, but it works. It keeps trade going, and everybody stays fed. The only ones not happy with the arrangement are the farmers, and they have every reason for that."
"If the Fire Nation were to leave tomorrow, what would the locals think of that?" Zuko asks.
"I'd imagine the wealthier families wouldn't be too pleased with it. They like getting exotic goods at low prices, trying new foods, setting new trends. They are all trying to outdo each other with new jewelry and clothing designs. It's rather amusing to watch them. I'm certain the Fire Nation ladies don't wear nearly that much jewelry with that much clothing in the middle of the summer! I believe the soldiers are getting their share of amusement from them too. They're so wrapped up in their world that they don't realize that everyone else is laughing at them. Of course, there are a few that have surprisingly good taste, but you aren't interested in local fashion trends! All that needs to be said about it really is that it keeps people like me and my husband busy. And we do get our share of foreign orders for Earth and Water jewelry too. So, honestly, we've benefited here too. We aren't too happy with the quartering situation, and not being able to travel freely if we want, but on the whole, it hasn't been all that bad for us. We have more money now than we ever have."
"Do the farmers get any benefit at all from the arrangement?" Zuko thinks of Lee and his family sheep pig farm. He remembers helping to fix the roof of the barn. He remembers the heat of the last few weeks outdoors.
"Other than being allowed to live, earn about the same amount of money as they did before the takeover, eat just enough to stay alive and in working condition, and not have their home burned down?" She shrugs and goes back to mending the clothing. "Not really. But it varies."
"So nobody is really likely to rebel?"
"Not without the risk of starving the rest of us. They wouldn't have a chance against the soldiers at any rate, and I wouldn't be surprised if the farmers view the rest of us as turntunics, not worth the trouble. And they would be right, really. Their best bet would be to try to sneak away. Then things will really change around here. But they can't since each house is guarded by quartered soldiers. And I don't think any of the rest of us would help them. If anything, we'd fight with the soldiers. But the soldiers wouldn't want to fight that much, or they would risk the farms and the utopia they have set up for us here. Then we would fight back, if we had to do jobs we didn't want to. So it's more of a stalemate. They know what we'd do and we know what they'd do, so we just follow the routine and march in line."
She pauses her sewing long enough to imitate a marching motion with her arms.
"What if some of the soldiers were to betray the Fire Nation?"
"Now why in the world would they do that?" She sounds genuinely surprised.
"Nevermind the why. I'm asking, if they did, what would happen then?"
"Well, between the farmers and half the soldiers siding with them, against the rest of us, I suppose it would be a good fight. But then where would our food come from? And their own? No matter which side started it, the farms would be the first things to go up in smoke. It's very simple. Neither side can win without burning their own feet."
"I guess so. What if the soldiers became civilians, and this place got to be it's own country? Between Gao Ling and the other Colonies." He takes the paper and examines the map a bit closer.
"Seeing as how we have our situation rather worked out here after only a few months, other places that have been occupied for years or even the entirety of the War are probably so well integrated that there no longer is a distinction between Earth and Fire. They probably already do see themselves as separate from both countries. It's a possible solution. But each colony functions under it's own rules, and some are still downright authoritarian. Mostly the ones to the Northwest. The ones we aren't able to go to. There is a very clear line between the Northwestern Colonies, and the Southern and South Eastern colonies. You might have two new countries coming out of this."
Zuko has a hard time picturing five countries in the world, let alone six once enough new Air Nomads and Airbenders have been found. He stares harder at the map, trying to draw imaginary borders.
"Is there anything that I can help you with in here? I really appreciate your work on our clothes." He offers. He puts the map down and looks towards the jewelry room.
"No, I think we're fine on everything in here. Like I said, my daughter will be home later. She can tidy up the jewelry room."
"Alright then. Please, take this for your trouble." He presses some gold Fire Nation currency into her hands.
"Oh, no. Please, my Lord. It's an honor." She stands and bows.
"Very well. If you insist." He slips it back into his pocket, fully intending to leave it for her later.
He's about to go to bed, but he decides to refill Xue's water bucket at the well first.
He follows the path out behind the shop and draws the water. He looks through the trees and can just make out some of the farms on the outskirts of the town down below.
On a sudden whim, he decides to go down and look at their situation for himself.
He takes Rina, who offers no objection to being woken up in the middle of the night other than trudging down the path, half asleep.
When he gets to the first farmhouse, he looks for the harvest quota in the tool barn.
He is shocked by what he sees. What these people are being told to do in a day would be more than should be expected in three.
He looks at the condition of the farming equipment, and is pleased to at least find it in working order.
But that quota! It's absolutely impossible, even in the best of conditions!
He rides to another house, and another. And another. It's all the same.
No way! I won't let this happen! I won't. He thinks to himself.
But how can I enforce anything I decree here? And if I do, the soldiers won't be too happy. This might push them over the edge and get the half that hate me to turn on the half who don't.
There is no time to write Uncle and wait for a reply! He has to make a decision, but either choice might hurt these people.
Could he leave a message for Aang? Should he postpone looking for Mother? What would he occupy Lee with if they were to stay? What about Lee's family? What about his promise to Sela?
No, he has to keep moving. He already has too many commitments. And as Uncle pointed out, he shouldn't have left home so soon after ascending to the throne. And the more he hears back from Uncle, the more he thinks he may have to go home soon to sort things out there.
Leaving these people with the unnecessary occupation feels so wrong. But between Lee and Azula, Uncle and the Fire Nation, Mother and Sela, I've got far too many promises and responsibilities already. And I'm spread out across the world between them!
He'll just have to leave a message for Aang and hope he comes soon. Maybe he can buy an extra messenger hawk and fly one to him. But there is still no telling for certain where they'll be. They're almost certainly not at the Air Temple anymore. They have to be out looking for other Nomads now.
Leaving Rina in her barn stall back in the village, he writes a note for Aang, and then writes a note addressed to the farmers. He makes several copies of it, and begins to deliver them.
The job takes most of the night.
By the time he's tacked a note to the handle of each plow machine in a three mile radius, the roosterhawks are crowing and the dawn is fast approaching.
He sees a few farmers already at work in their fields, a few raise eyes filled with lightly veiled hope as he rides by. Neither he nor they dare to wave a greeting.
He's exhausted, and it feels like he hasn't done enough. Like he should be out there in the fields with them.
But pictures of his mother, Uncle, Lee, Mai, Sela, and Azula all swarm his tired mind and burden his ever heavy heart.
It's time to keep moving.
-o0o-
"Hey! Where were you last night? I never heard you come in!" Lee says, running circles around Rina.
They are on their way to the Bei Fong estate. Zuko rides Rina, Lee opts to run.
"I had some work to do." Is Zuko's tired reply.
"What work?" He leaps over a few crates, then dodges a cabbage cart that seems to appear from nowhere in front of him.
"Some writing. And observing." Zuko rolls his eyes at Lee's antics.
"What were you writing?" Lee passes in front of Rina, a bit closer each time he does so.
"Letters."
"What were you watching?" He looks up at Zuko through a hole in the side of an empty barrel.
"Birds."
I'm going to pretend I didn't say that.
"Why?"
"Why do you care?!" Zuko raises his voice a bit.
"Just curious." Lee shrugs. Then, he brightens. "Want to hear about my dream?"
"No."
"I was a dragon! A really big golden one! And I could fly! Then," He demonstrates flying with his arms, and is positioned to jump from the top of a cart full of wine barrels.
"Lee! Would you please stop running?" Zuko snaps. "We're almost there, and I need them to take us seriously. They may have information regarding some people that we're looking for."
"Person you're looking for, you mean." He pouts. He kicks a rock as he trudges angrily, but obediently, along.
"No, people we're looking for." Zuko insists. He lowers his voice and tries not to show how irritated he is. He's never been very friendly when tired. "A lot of trade goes through here, including from other Fire Nation colonies. When Ba Sing Se was captured, it became a colony. Meaning there may be information on where your brother is. A lot of Earth Kingdom soldiers were sent there to protect the city when the Great Siege began. Everyone knew there would be another one, and when the Avatar appeared, people started moving."
"So these people will know what happened to them?"
"They might. And our host mentioned that my mother may have passed through here too." He pulls Lee up behind him roughly, trying to push down his hope, and some of his guilt. "We are here for both of us. Not just me. I mean it, Lee."
Lee makes a noncommittal sound.
They come to a great wall, guarded by two large, silver, ornately crafted gates.
As the gates open and admit them to a wide open, lush courtyard, Zuko can't help but smile at Lee's gasp of amazement.
"Does your palace look like this?" He asks.
"Almost." Zuko chuckles.
Two people enter the courtyard and move towards them, dressed from head to toe in a strange combination of cream and gold, Earth and Fire clothing. The lady wears a mix of orange and red beads that seem to flicker in the sunlight.
The day isn't too hot, fall being on it's way, but Zuko can tell that they are already uncomfortable in all that heavy attire.
It would be amusing if it weren't so...weird. He thinks to himself.
"Fire Lord Zuko," The man steps forward. "It is an honor to welcome you to our estate. I am Lao Beifong, and this is my wife, Poppy."
The lady bows silently, and steps politely back behind her husband.
"It's an honor." Zuko helps Lee off Rina, and hands the reins to the waiting stablemaster.
"Shall we go inside? We have prepared a meal for you that we hope reminds you of home." Lao bows and motions toward the door.
Zuko follows them, keeping a wary eye on Lee all the while.
Lee manages to suppress his urge to run, but gets a bit close for comfort when it comes to some of the paintings and the pottery lining the halls.
"Don't touch anything." Zuko orders.
"I'm not! I'm just looking!" Lee replies, staring at a painting of a lady in Earth Kingdom garments boarding a boat with the a compass in the lower right corner pointed South. A Sky Bison flies, small as a lady's ring, next to a cloud in the upper right corner.
"Well, look from a bit farther away, please."
Lee turns to glare at him, then goes on looking at every random thing in the room.
-o0o-
"I hope it's to your liking, Your Majesty." Lao says, as Zuko takes in the scene before him.
He keeps his face the picture of composed gratitude, but inside, his exhaustion flees as he spots a cake decorated with Dragon's Egg Seeds.
He wonders how he can ask for some for the trip, but still make it seem polite and official.
"I hear that you are looking for someone. The Commander wasn't specific. Who is it that you're looking for, my Lord?"
Zuko has been waiting for the man to begin filling his plate, as he did when he was young and at dinner with his family. The honored guest, or head of the household, or the elderly, would always fill their plates first.
He realizes with a small sense of surrealism that he's now the honored guest, and that they are waiting for him to begin the meal.
He awkwardly takes a tray of seared wild Kyoshi elephant koi and serves Lee first, then takes some raw sea slug tentacles and gives those to him to try as well. He bites back a grin as Lee examines it, trying to figure out what it is.
Zuko plans on not telling him until after he's eaten it.
Then, he serves himself, per tradition. The Beifongs then begin to take food for themselves.
"I'm looking for several people now, actually. My mother, Ursa, is one of them. She would have been by sometime around four years ago. She was banished from the Fire Nation and we think she was heading to Ba Sing Se. We're also looking for Lee's brother, Sensu, and a few villagers from his town as well. I have their names here." He hands the paper across to them.
"We haven't heard of these people." Lao says, looking over the names. "We haven't seen many Earth Kingdom soldiers since the First Siege of Ba Sing Se. That's why there wasn't a fight when the Fire Nation soldiers came here. There was no army left to defend the smaller towns and cities." Lao shakes his head, as though it were a crying shame.
Zuko bites his tongue at that. He knows that isn't the only reason there was no fight here. Azula's voice in Ba Sing Se comes back to haunt him.
"As for your mother, there is a chance that she was with a band of refugees that we helped to get to Ba Sing Se. Tell us more about her."
"She was about this much taller than me," Zuko uses his hands to measure. "She was interested in theatrical arts, and may have mentioned something about getting a job as an actress."
"If I may, dear?" Poppy asks quietly.
"Of course."
"I do believe there was a lady in one of the groups that matches your description. It was some time ago. I don't remember it very well, but she mentioned something of the theatrical arts. I found it surprising, because you don't really hear much about it these days, especially from the refugees. They usually say something along the lines of, "I can learn any work, I'm most experienced in this or that, I work cheap! Only for a roof over my head and enough to eat." The poor souls!" She places a hand over her heart. "I felt so bad for them. But anyway, not many say they want to become actresses, as though it's the only thing they'll consider. But she made a point to mention it several times."
"Maybe because she knew I'd come looking for her one day. She always used to take us to see "Love Amongst the Dragons". She loved that play for some reason. It was always her favorite." Zuko says.
"Ba Sing Se may be your best chance at finding her then." Lao comments.
The rest of the conversation revolves around local trade and economy, and other than having to hold his tongue on the situation of the farmers, it's a rather pleasant discussion.
Zuko walks away feeling like he's finally beginning to understand economics, and Lee walks away with a stomach far too full for someone his size. He seems none the worse for wear.
Zuko, on the other hand, feels stuffed full and doesn't particularly want to get on a ship at the moment, but the only one heading to Ba Sing Se this afternoon is due to depart soon.
-o0o-
As soon as Rina is taken to the hold and Lee and Zuko have gotten settled in their cabin, Lee wants to run around the ship and see everything.
Zuko, his large brunch and too much time away from sea fueling a nasty nausea, struggles to keep up with the boy.
"Can we go to the engine room?" Lee asks, looking at a lookout's ladder as though he's contemplating climbing it.
"No." Zuko replies firmly.
"Why not?"
"Too hot for you. You'll get burned. Or fall into a coal barrel."
"Can I meet the captain?" He places a hand on the first rung.
"Eventually. He's got a ship to run right now."
"You had a ship too, right?" Lee shows no sign of being disappointed.
"Yes."
"Why didn't we use yours?"
"It, uh, kind of..exploded." Zuko replies a little awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.
"Why?"
"I'll tell you some other time." Zuko never intends to do so.
"Can we go up the ladder? I want to see the waves! Where are the sails on this ship?" Lee is already a few feet above Zuko at this point.
"You can't and there aren't any." Zuko grabs the back of his shirt and gently pulls him down.
"Can we go the kitchen?" Lee rubs his stomach, forgetting about the lack of sails on a ship for the moment.
"What for?!" Zuko definitely wants to avoid the kitchen right now.
"I'm hungry."
"Again?!" His eyes widen in shock.
Lee nods.
"No." Is his resolute answer.
"What's wrong? Are you seasick?" Lee finally seems to take note of Zuko's constant swallowing and looking at the side of the ship.
"A bit. I think I ate too much." He winces as his stomach twists again.
"You aren't too good with ships, are you? Are you sure you owned a ship?" Lee's tone isn't even close to accusatory, but it may as well have been for all Zuko cares.
"Yes!" He snaps.
"You never showed me your trip on the map."
Zuko has almost forgotten about that.
"Are you saying that I'm lying?" The irritation drips from his voice.
Lee shrugs. "Can we go to the kitchen anyway? I'm really hungry."
How does this kid keep changing topics so fast?
"You aren't sick at all?" Zuko feigns surprise. He's getting an idea.
"No, why?"
"Well, those crispy things that you said tasted like ham sticks were actually sea slug tentacles." He holds back a smirk at Lee's reaction. If he has to suffer, Lee can too.
"WHAT?!" Lee's face goes a little green. "You're just joking, right?"
"Nope." Zuko smiles and waits for the show.
Lee takes a minute to think it over. His face goes back to normal.
"Ok then. They still tasted good." He shrugs.
"Still want to go to the kitchen?" Zuko grins. His plan may not have worked, but it was still funny to watch. And he's pretty glad that it hadn't worked anyway. A sick Lee would probably be even worse to put up with.
"No. But I still want to climb the ladder."
"Ok, maybe later. Want to go see the waves behind the ship? It's called the wake. Sometimes it brings up seaweed, and sometimes the dolphins like to swim behind it." Zuko knows he isn't getting out of a trip up the ladder anyway. Lee won't let it go. But he can be distracted for a little while.
"Okay!" Lee is off like an arrow shot, and the effort to follow him finally does Zuko in and he has to stop and lean over the side of the ship.
He glances at Lee out of the corner of his eye and sees that he's already attracted a small group of people who are trying to keep him from standing on the railing to get a better view.
A/N I did look up ATLA cuisine for this chapter (although I invented Fire Drops and Dragon's Egg seeds), and it turns out that while smoked sea slugs are mostly eaten by commoners, the raw tentacles are considered a delicacy for the middle and upper classes.
I apologize for any errors in the chapter. I wrote this at two am and edited until almost five am. I've been up all night. Lol!
As always, feel free to review or pm me and tell me what you think! Constructive criticism is always very appreciated.
Special shout out to my new follower, SpaceDragonGod. Thank you for following and favoriting this story, and I hope that you continue to enjoy it. :)