A/N: I'm not so good with action scenes so don't hurt me if I have caused any discomfort.
Chapter 4- Danger
A few years passed and I was making my mark as a good leader. My father would have been proud. That's the quote that my mother has said to me over and over again. I began to get tired of it. I didn't want to hear about what my father thinks. It just made the void inside of me grow bigger.
In these few years a lot had changed. Jin Won and Liu had grown older so fast. Jin Won was just thirteen and he is already fit to go to war. If he had the chance, he would be gone with my father on that ship. Liu was becoming a master in healing. She had remedies for the sickness that ailed many in our town. I could picture her saving everyone's lives. As for me, I'm stuck conversing with the other generals of important matters such as our growing numbers of waterbenders and warriors. Should we send them to join the fight or wait until it all blows over? I hated this.
All this time, without my father, I kept on feeling like I was still waiting and was growing restless. There was something missing, I knew it. Was my life too boring for me? I was pondering this at dawn while I was still lying in bed. Even though I was wide awake, I couldn't find the strength to just get up.
I was going to spend another day lying in bed until I was hungry or bored when Liu came rushing in.
"Riena, three firebenders were spotted on the southern horizon!" Damn firebenders – disturbing my sleep. I quickly got up and started to put on my armor. "Liu, get all the waterbenders and warriors ready." There were bound to be more of them coming.
"Yes, yes." She disappeared quickly out of the room. Quietly after putting all of my armor on, I too went out of my room and went to the room adjacent to mine. It was the shrine of my father. The necklace that he made for my mother hung there surrounded with candles that flickered in the dimly lit room.
"I may not grant you wish today, but this battle is for you." I bowed and headed to the south watch tower.
"How far are they?" I asked the watch guard.
"Last reported sight of them was about 3 kilometers away and decreasing." Another guardsman appeared, "They are just 2 kilometers away now and there's another troop approaching the town just as fast."
"That's too quick." What kind of power did the firebenders have now? "Get everyone in their hiding places and have the warriors ready to fight." Father, I wish you were with me now.
I watched from the watchtower as the three firebenders approached the first gate. The troops were waiting quietly in front of the second gate which was a mile away. I turned to watch our enemy come riding up to the gate. And what were those things that they were riding on? – That is if they are allowed to be called things.
Rhino's in the North Pole? What is going on with this world? Yes, you heard correct – rhinos – those animals with the horns that are big, long, pointy… sharp horns.
"What do you want from us?" The three faced upward and I could see why people were so scared of them. Their helmets were shaped like skulls and were…
…shiny.
"What is your business here?"
"By the order of the Fire Nation, Prince Zuko is granted any land that he wishes to conquer," the guy stopped suddenly and replied with, "Well, to make it short: if you don't cooperate with us, well we'll just take you puny town by force."
"Huh? You think you can waltz up here and think you can come and take over!" Jin Won nudged me and I looked down. He shook his head. What was he doing here!
"Well ma'am yes." Nice job with my challenging voice.
"Yeah, okay so where is this prince of yours? We'll have to talk."
"Sorry, but that's not our orders." He signaled the other two beside him back and thrusted his hand forward. The other two ran toward the gate and rammed it. The watch post from where I stood shook. The line of archers to my right and left held on to the ice fort.
"Launch!" The archers pulled back on their strings and let out a black cloud of arrows. They hit the rhinos but not the warriors riding them. A giant flame singed all of the remaining arrows and had melted a good portion of our defense. Now, we fight.
