Hi! Quick author's note!

I have published an accompanying Suki-centric one-shot along with this chapter, titled "Suki, Alone" (very original, I know). I welcome you all to read it, but it's not necessary for this work as a whole, so you're also welcome to skip it!

Chronologically, it takes place between chapters 18 and 19, so you could go read it right now, before you read this new chapter. However, it is written from Suki's point of view, and therefore may "spoil" some things that happen in this chapter. You're welcome to read it in whichever order you choose - seriously! Reading this chapter first will let you experience it along with Suyin; reading the one-shot first will give you a dose of dramatic irony for this next chapter.
Either way, hope you enjoy!

The days passed all too quickly, and Suyin dreaded their arrival at Bhizu more and more as time went on. Arriving would mean handing the prisoners off - Suki to the airship heading to Boiling Rock, and the others to Captain Ihn. Suki would no longer be under Suyin's care. She'd oversee the other prisoners for the duration of the ship journey to the Capital City prison, but after that? She dreaded to think what might happen to them in prison, what sort of mistreatment they would be subjected to. Especially Suki in Boiling Rock.

Evidently, Suyin wasn't the only one plagued with these thoughts, for when she came to the girls with dinner one day, Reina jumped to her feet and pressed herself against the bars, as close to Suyin as she could physically be. She was practically tearful when she spoke, but determination kept her tears at bay.

"Please. Suyin." Reina pleaded. "I can't allow Suki to go to Boiling Rock. She's always looking out for us. It's time that we help her out."

Suyin raised a brow. The dedication was commendable, sure, but she didn't understand what Reina was getting at. She and the rest of them were behind bars - there was absolutely nothing they could do to save Suki from her fate.

But the girl turned to her with those awful, pleading eyes that pierced her very heart, "Please. Let me take her place."

The request took her by such surprise that Suyin couldn't help it - she laughed. "That's a nice gesture, but it won't do for just any one of you to go there. Boiling Rock's expecting the leader of the Kyoshi warriors. And as far as I know, that's not any of you here."

"I know." Reina swallowed. "But that's precisely it. No one else knows who we are. If you - if you were to look the other way, and allow me to take her place - no one would know that I'm not the leader. Please."

"Are you really asking me this?" Suyin couldn't believe it. This girl was insane, asking her - her Fire Nation captor - to allow them such a thing. To ask her to not only defy orders, but to actively assist the prisoners in - well, if not an escape, then at least some sort of treason? Whatever it was, she wanted no part of it.

"Please."

Suyin couldn't believe that she actually had to say it. "No."

"Please- please, just think it over." Reina begged. "If you have even a drop of mercy in your heart- think it through. It doesn't make a difference which one of us is out there. Let it be me. Please."

For two days, Suyin thrust Reina's offer to the back of her mind. She wasn't going to do it, so why not forget about it? But now, with just three days left before they arrived in Bhizu, Suyin found that the thought kept resurfacing, like an annoyance that simply wouldn't drown. Boiling Rock…

The thought made her nauseous. She'd heard stories about that prison, certainly. Some of them from Lian, some of them from Azula, Mai… but most of them from the soldiers that were travelling with her now. She knew it was the most frightful prison in the Fire Nation, where the most dangerous enemies were sent. She knew that it was surrounded by a boiling lake and that escape was impossible. She also knew that the prisoners were mostly allowed to run free in what space they had - and that prisoner-on-prisoner fights were just as common as warden-on-prisoner violence. That sometimes the guards would bet on fights like dogs in fighting rings, encouraging teeth and claws and blood.

She could not imagine that Suki would be comfortable there. That she would be safe there. And certainly, the girl was important as the leader of the Kyoshi warriors, but she was still a teenage girl. Would she be able to defend herself in such a place? She'd probably be a prime target. Even if she could fight off one, two, three attackers, what about the others? At some point, it was simply a numbers game… wasn't it?

Reina's plea echoed through Suyin's mind. She hadn't brought it up at all, for she wasn't planning on allowing it to happen either way, but as the days passed, her heart wavered more and more. Suki was kind. Smart. Pretty. Even if it was out of loneliness, she spoke to Suyin as though they were friends, and somewhere along the way - Suyin had truly started to care for her.

She couldn't possibly send her to Boiling Rock. Even though they were technically enemies - she simply couldn't send a friend to that dreadful place.

But she couldn't defy Azula's orders, either. She didn't want to. It's not as though she could simply let Suki and her friends go - to release prisoners was a capital crime and she was sure that even Azula would not be able to protect her from her punishment then. But Reina's idea…

"Your friend, Reina, mentioned something very interesting the other day." Suyin began when she delivered Suki's food that evening.

At the sound of her friend's name, Suki's eyes widened. She looked at Suyin with such intensity, such expectation, that it made her head spin. This little bit of power… No wonder Azula liked her dramatic pauses so much. The moment of expectation, of someone practically begging you to keep talking, felt nice. Powerful.

"What is it?"

"She wants to take your place."

Suki furrowed her brows. "What?"

"She wants to take your place," Suyin repeated, "at Boiling Rock. As the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors."

"No." Suki answered with no hesitation. "I won't let her do that."

"Do you know what it's like there?"

"I've… heard. And that's precisely why I'd never allow her - or anyone else - to take my place."

Suyin shrugged. If Suki wanted to pass on this opportunity, so be it. It was better this way, even, for Suyin. She'd be breaking no laws, doing nothing that could get her in trouble. She should be glad of it, and yet…

"Would you even allow us to switch?"

Despite all logic, Suyin found herself nodding, slowly.

"Why?" The question lingered, until Suki spoke again. "Why would you do that?"

She didn't answer for a long moment, mulling over her answer. If Suki couldn't handle herself at that awful place, she was certain that neither could Reina. She was as much a teenage girl as Suki. It should give her no relief to see the other girl take her place, and yet…

"I don't want you to go to Boiling Rock." Suyin admitted. "I like you more than Reina."

Suki drew in a deep breath. Pressed her lips together. She wasn't sure whether her answer upset her or not. Suyin waited for her to respond, but when she didn't, she shrugged.

"Think it over. You'll be handed over to an airship in three days."

When Suyin came in the following morning to bring Suki her food, she was greeted with the soft sound of weeping, audible even behind the closed door. Suki furiously wiped her eyes and tried to steady her breathing when Suyin came in. The sight of her tears sent an ache through her heart.

"What's wrong?" Suyin asked, though it was a stupid question.

She knew that the looming promise of prison drawing closer was something worth crying over. And that even though Suki put on a brave face, she must surely be frightened to death. She knew that, and yet she couldn't help but ask, as though any other answer might be leave to give her comfort…

Suki didn't respond. Her eyes were still glistened with tears. She was shaky, her breath hitching in her throat with every little inhale. It made Suyin want to lower her gaze, to give her some semblance of privacy. If she wouldn't speak - maybe she ought to leave. It felt too intimate to watch her recover from her tears. So she set the tray of food down on the floor and turned, awkwardly, to leave and let the girl despair in what comfort privacy could offer.

But as she turned and unlocked the door, Suki piped up.

"I'm scared," she admitted, her voice unusually small and shaky. "Could… could you ask Reina if her offer is still open?"

Reina was indeed still willing to go through with what she had earlier suggested. Suyin knew she was crazy for allowing this to happen. She knew it, but neither did it give rise to any second thoughts. She was determined to help Suki in what little way she could. She'd wondered whether she ought to wait until the middle of the night to conduct this switch, for she didn't want to risk any of the soldiers finding her out as complicit, but ultimately decided against it. Should anything go wrong - should the Kyoshi warriors turn on her - she'd much rather have the other soldiers awake and ready to help. Even if it meant finding her guilty.

She escorted Reina out of her cell and made sure to lock it after them. The other girls, at least, weren't getting out. She grabbed her securely by the wrists and urged her forward.

"Don't try anything," Suyin whispered in her ear. "If we go quietly, the soldiers won't be alerted, and this will go smoothly. But I will call for them if I need to. Understand?"

The girl nodded and went obediently with her. The walk through the short hallway between the cells was just about the most nerve wrecking thing Suyin had experienced. But Reina went quietly, and, just as expected, they'd come across no one in this section of the tank train.

Suyin rapped her knuckles on Suki's door. "Stand back." She announced as she always did - more a force of habit than a conscious decision at this point. Then she unlocked the door and stepped inside with Reina.

"Suki!" The girl exclaimed.

They fell into each other's arms with such love that it made Suyin's heart ache. After not seeing each other for so long… She could allow them a moment of privacy. A moment of touch. It would be the last time they would see each other for a long, long while.

But this also made her anxious. Suyin wanted to get this over as quickly as possible, so that there was as little a window of opportunity to find her guilty of treason. Anxious, she tapped her finger against her thigh.

"Let's go." She finally ordered them to break apart.

Suki looked at her and nodded, and then turned to Reina once again with such a tender expression. "I'm sorry," she said, "and thank you."

With their goodbyes said, Suki turned to Suyin. As she had done with Reina, Suyin moved to grab her by the wrists, to keep her in a secure hold as she transferred her to the other cell, but–

"Ah-!"

In one swift motion, Suki swept her leg beneath hers, sending Suyin tumbling to the ground with a painful crack of her head against the metal floor. It took her a moment to register what this meant - that Suki had turned against her.

"Reina, go! Go get the others!" Suki ordered.

She climbed atop Suyin, straddling her to keep her pinned down to the ground, as Reina snatched the keyring out of her hand and rushed out of the room, slamming the door closed.

"Sorry, Suyin." She gave her a crooked look. "It's not personal."

"Get off of me!" Suyin thrashed against her, but she was pinned too strongly to the ground, and could not push her off of her no matter how much she tried. She was not a warrior, after all, and had little hope of overpowering her.

"Don't scream." Suki warned her and covered her mouth with her palm.

Suyin screamed anyway. It was muffled, with her hand over her mouth, and the door to Suki's cell was closed, but she hoped it was enough to alert the soldiers of what was going on. Maybe they wouldn't hear, but she had to try.

Ugh, how could she have been so stupid? To think that Suki wouldn't attack her because- what, they were both women? Because they'd formed some sort of friendship over the past few weeks? They were still enemies, and Suki was being shipped off to literal prison - of course she'd fight back. It was stupid to have hoped for anything else, and Suyin dreaded the punishment that awaited her. She'd never felt such instant regret before.

She thrashed against her, desperate to push her off of her, to regain her own independence, but Suki was a dozen times stronger than her and barely even budged against her desperate attempts to break free.

The door barged open and from the corner of her eye, Suyin could see Reina standing in it. The others were behind her, just outside the room. The Kyoshi warriors. Suki visibly lightened at their sight, relieved - she hadn't seen them in weeks.

"Come on, girls. We're getting out of here."

She pulled Suyin up by the braid as she got up to her feet - painful, but it was nothing in comparison to the fear coursing through her veins right now. The movement, at least, meant that Suki freed her mouth in preference to changing her grip on her, and now, mouth free, Suyin screamed with all the breath in her lungs.

"Help!" She shrieked. "The prisoners are escaping!"

Clearly, the Kyoshi warriors knew they had no time to waste. They ran, blindly, through the tank train's long corridor in a desperate search for the exit. Suyin stumbled along, still tight in Suki's grasp, though she tried her hardest to slow them down as much as possible. To kick and scream and bite - though that did little to slow Suki and the others down.

But the train only had one corridor, leading through it all like destiny's path. And there were multiple exits. They had almost arrived at the nearest exit when the soldiers came upon them, and the hall at all once filled with bursts of fire as they desperately attempted to stop the escaping prisoners. The Kyoshi warriors, though fatigued and malnourished, nimbly leapt away to avoid the sudden onslaught of attacks, and stepped into an offensive stance as they prepared to fight back–

"Stop!" Suki cried. "Or I'll kill her!"

It was then that Suyin felt a cold, sharp edge of danger against her throat. The ceramic shard, Suyin realised in horror. In anger. Suki must have hidden a piece on purpose when her teacup had broken, all those days ago. Where had she hidden it? Had it always been so sharp? Or did she hone the edge against something? Either way - Suyin had no doubt that it could slit her throat - perhaps not with ease, not with comfort, not granting her a quick death - but it could slit it very well. All Suki had to do was apply a little bit of force.

Reluctantly, the soldiers stopped their fight. As did the girls. At that moment, everyone was looking at her. At Suki. Suyin could almost see the thoughts running through the men's minds - the question that haunted them. That had no answer.

What was her life worth?

Which would upset Princess Azula more - the escape of these prisoners, or her handmaid's death? Which would bring the more severe consequences? Suyin knew that their people died for the good of their nation. Sacrifices were inevitable. In terms of the good of their country, she had no doubt that her life was worth less than that of six prisoners.

She was frightened to death that they would rather let her die.

Would Suki really kill her? She wouldn't have thought that this kind girl would be capable of such a thing - but she supposed a situation like this would be an exception to just about anything. She supposed she didn't know Suki half as well as she thought she did. Or at all. Had it all been a ruse? Suki's kindness? Their friendship? She'd wrapped herself around Suki's finger without ever even having realised. Stupid, stupid-!

Afraid to even tremble in case the ceramic at her throat cut her skin, Suyin tried to stand perfectly still, focusing, only, on not moving. On breathing in and breathing out - as evenly as she could, as not to hyperventilate.

"Put your hands behind your head." Suki ordered the soldiers.

The dozen or so men looked expectantly towards Han, the highest ranking amongst their midst, to await his decision. His expression was hard to read, lips pressed into a thin line, frowning. Slowly, and without a single word, he raised his arms and placed them atop his head. The other soldiers followed suit.

Suki nodded in approval. "Step back. More. Line up against that wall, over there. Facing it."

They were less eager to follow that instruction, but Suyin's pained gasp as Suki pressed the ceramic shard against her throat was incentive enough. A warning. It hurt, but Suyin didn't think she'd broken the skin. Not yet, at least.

"...Stand down." Han decided. He turned to the far wall and reluctantly took his place, and the others did the same.

Now that the soldiers backed off, there was nothing but a few metres between the Kyoshi warriors and freedom. The door was right there. Not wasting a single second, Reina rushed to it and turned the circular handle with all her might, struggling, for a moment, as the heavy metal creaked with effort. And then, all at once and without warning, the door flung open and a terrible wind pulled at them all, deafening and freezing. Reina cried out in surprise, but her voice was lost over the incessant howl of the dancing gale. It tore at their hair and their clothes without mercy. What few loose papers and items were stored in this hallway were long since lost: the first victims of the wind.

The world outside was a blur of green and blue and beige as the tank train sped through the Earth Kingdom with just as much fervour as it always did, no sign of stopping. There was no other option - the girls would have to jump. That, or return to their cells as prisoners.

"Stop them!"

"Don't move!" Suki cried over the howling wind, her voice painfully loud against Suyin's ears. She faced the men as they turned to move, and she pulled her hostage close against her, and the weapon that she held even closer against her throat like a vicious reminder of what she was all too capable of doing. "Not a single step!"

The string of curse words from the soldiers were lost in the wind.

"We'll have to jump!" Reina yelled.

"Go!" Suki assured them, her grip on Suyin unrelenting. "I'll hold them off!"

If the girls were afraid of jumping off the speeding train, of breaking their legs or snapping their spines when they landed, they did not show it. Clearly, they knew they couldn't afford to hesitate; they couldn't afford to waste a single moment of what escape opportunity they'd been given.

Reina shouted something that Suyin could not make out, and backed off just enough to have a running jump out of the tank train door and in the blink of an eye, she was gone, disappearing into the landscape that passed so quickly that it may as well have been a void. Suyin and the Fire Nation soldiers could only watch as, one by one, the four remaining Kyoshi warriors sprinted and leapt off the train with nothing but forward momentum, probably hoping to make a landing roll to ease their crash onto the ground. In less than ten seconds, five of their prisoners had escaped. Everyone, that is, but Suki.

"Come on." Suki said, this time quieter, just for Suyin to hear.

She tugged on her braid to pull her, gently, back as she stepped closer towards the open door, still facing the soldiers. Still holding the ceramic shard against her throat. Reluctantly, Suyin moved along with her.

"You could come with us." Suki said against her ear, "You're a good person, Suyin."

She swallowed thickly. The soldiers had all their eyes trained on them. There was no way she could go with the Kyoshi warriors. There was no way she could betray her nation. Betray Azula. She hated herself for even considering Suki's offer. But one look through the tank train door suffocated any untoward thoughts she might have had. The scenery that rushed past them was as much a threat as the weapon against her throat, and Suyin knew that she didn't have the courage to jump. It was one thing for trained warriors to leap out of that door, and another thing entirely for Suyin to do. She was just a handmaid. Nothing more.

And at least this way, she didn't have to burden herself with making that choice. She could pretend she'd never been tempted at all.

When, after a moment, she still didn't reply, Suki spoke, "Right then."

There was no way she could leave with Suki. But there was no way she could just allow her to escape, either. Already she'd messed up so severely, already she'd been the reason for the escape of not one, not two, but five of Azula's prisoners. She couldn't show up empty handed; she couldn't let the princess down entirely. She had to at least try to make things up. To salvage what little she could.

"Farewell, Suyin."

Even over the wind, she could hear her own heartbeat in her ears, rapid and afraid. The soldiers were staring at her. The moment was coming, she could feel it. The one moment she'd been waiting for all this time. She would have to be quick; she only had one chance, maybe a two seconds at most. A deep breath in.

The wind was still howling, tearing at their clothes and hair as though it were trying to pull them out of the train itself. Suki would have to release her before she jumped. Each millisecond felt like an eternity. Suyin felt the subtle beginning of her pulling the weapon away from her throat, and the release of her grip on her hair. But before Suki could push her away and sprint off the train to her freedom, Suyin slammed her body back against her captor. The movement was clumsy and not anywhere near enough to cause her to lose her balance and fall - but enough, evidently, to make her stumble back and lose momentum. To allow Suyin to escape her grasp and stumble far away from her.

The soldiers were upon Suki in an instant. With no hostage to keep them at bay, they rushed to surround her and immediately cut her off from the door. One man pulled it closed and the sudden halt of the wind's roars and the silence that followed it somehow felt just as deafening as the wind itself.

Suki fought valiantly, but ultimately, she was just one person up against a dozen. They'd barely even used their firebending; they caught her quickly and pinned her down with relative ease. She cried out as they handled her, rough and surely hungry to punish her for the stunt she'd pulled. For facilitating the escape of the other prisoners. There was no one else to abuse, no one else who could shoulder the blame for the escape.

Suyin could not stomach the sound of Suki's cries. They pierced her heart and echoed through the room. Followed her through the hallway. Light-headed and on shaky feet, Suyin returned to her room. Collapsed on the bed. Feeling so incredibly miserable and sorry for herself, yet torn asunder by both betrayal and guilt, she wept. She wept and wept until her entire face ached and she could weep no more.

How could she possibly face Azula after this?

A part of Suyin never wanted to see Suki again. She spent the next day, miserable, in her room, replaying everything that had happened on a cruel and endless loop. How stupid she'd been-! Trusting Suki and Reina! She hated them for playing her like that, for betraying her, but oh, she hated herself most of all.

Han and a few of the other soldiers interrogated her once they'd subdued Suki. Demanded to know what had happened. Suyin lied and told them, over and over again, that Suki had attacked her when she brought her food that day, for she always had to enter her cell to do so. She said that she stole her keys and locked her in the room while she went to free the other Kyoshi warriors, and that although Suyin had screamed and banged on the door, the soldiers hadn't heard her. That once all the prisoners were freed from the cell, Suki returned for her and took her along as a hostage.

It wasn't a complete lie, Suyin tried to ease her guilty conscience. She didn't mean to help the prisoners escape. But she had to look out for herself; if she revealed that she was at all complicit in this breakout, she didn't know what they'd do to her. It was treason, plain and simple. She could very well be sent to prison for such a thing, maybe- even executed. The thought frightened her to death.

The soldiers believed her, at least, and thank Agni for that. They weren't in the least bit pleased, though. Suyin knew well what they were dreading - she didn't want to be the one to have to tell Azula about the escape, either. Nor Captain Ihn for that matter. The plan had been that they'd join him and the prisoners on the ship back to the Fire Nation and oversee their transfer to the Capital City prison. Now, with no prisoners to give him, there was no reason for them to make the journey back to their hometown, either. That, at least, could be counted as a blessing. They could return to Azula in Ba Sing Se earlier, perhaps, if she was finished with her business.

They were only a couple hours away from Bhizu now. Only a couple of hours before they'd hand Suki off to the airship bound for Boiling Rock.

Good riddance, Suyin thought bitterly, and then immediately regretted it. Of course she was furious with Suki for what she'd done - but still, she didn't deserve to be locked away in that awful place. A small, damning part of her wished, maybe, that she hadn't interfered with Suki's escape after all…

She wanted to see her again, one last time. There'd never be another opportunity; she'd likely never see her again. She had one last question burning in her mind. One last mystery she needed solved.

While she didn't know what state Suki was in, she knew it couldn't be good, so she brought with her to the cells a bottle of antiseptic and some clean rags. Azula sometimes returned injured from her training sessions, or, more recently, from her missions, so Suyin had some experience cleaning cuts and scrapes and burns.

With all the other prisoners gone, Suki had been placed in a proper cell. She was given everything through the bars now, and had absolutely no chance of escape. The poor girl was curled up on the cot in foetal position, as though her stomach ached. She lifted her head when she heard the door open.

"Suyin-?" She murmured.

As she stepped closer, she got a better look at Suki and it made her chest ache, and filled her with guilt so strong that she felt her anger fade. She looked absolutely terrible. There was dried blood on her face. A split lip. A black eye that swelled her left eyelids shut. The back of her forearms were rife with bruises - injuries that she must have sustained in an attempt to protect her face. She was certain there were more beneath her clothes. Not wanting to stare, she dropped her gaze to the floor. Her mouth felt dry and for a moment, she forgot how to speak.

"How are- how are you feeling?" She whispered. She already knew the answer.

"Terrible."

Suyin swallowed. Nodded. "You should clean those up. Here. I brought antiseptic."

She approached the bars of the cell, sat down against the wall, and uncorked the bottle she'd brought with her. The strong scent of it encompassed Suyin as she splashed some of the chemical on a rag. Suki got up slowly and groaned with effort and in pain as she did so. Her steps were clumsy, but she managed to make it to the edge of the cell and sat down against the wall as well.

"Lean in a bit closer." Suyin urged her, so that she could dab at the injuries on her face.

But Suki frowned, "I'll do it myself."

That hurt. It was understandable, of course, that she wanted nothing to do with her anymore, but Suyin couldn't help but feel the sting of rejection. Suyin should be mad at her, not the other way around. And she was mad at her. Just… seeing her in such a miserable condition put things in perspective. She felt so, so sorry for her. And Suki didn't need to be the target of Suyin's anger on top of everything else. So without another word, she relented and handed the cloth to her through the bars.

Gone was the sweet girl who always had a kind word for her. Gone was whatever friendship had grown between them - if it had ever existed to begin with. Maybe it had always been a farce. Just a tool used to manipulate her. Clearly, Suki saw no further use in keeping up with her facade. Without the friendly mask, she just- she looked so incredibly tired. Not afraid - just exhausted.

Suyin pulled her knees up against her chest. The silence between them was unbearably heavy, permeated only with Suki's hisses as she dabbed at her own wounds. Injuries that, even if inadvertently, Suyin had caused.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, but Suki didn't respond. Didn't even look at her.

She marinated in her shame and pity for a long moment, hoping that Suki would say something, but the girl only focused on tending to her injuries. Just as well.

"I wanted to ask you something." Suyin started quietly after a while.

Annoyed, Suki sucked air in between her teeth, "Look, I'm really in no mood to tell you stories-"

"That's not it." Suyin interjected. "I've been- I've been thinking about it all this time and it's driving me insane. How did Reina know?"

"Know what?"

"That she should ask to switch with you. To escape. You must have planned it out, or she would've never offered to take your place, and- and you must have told her, somehow. Was it the note? It was the note, wasn't it? I don't know what else it could be."

Suki sighed. She gave her a small, pained smile, distorted by her injured lip. "She didn't know. We didn't plan anything, not together, at least."

Suyin frowned. "She was willing to gamble on something so terrible? If she'd really gone to Boiling Rock…"

"I suppose." Suki mused, "But I know she meant it. She really was willing to take my place. I wouldn't have allowed her to, though, but still. She meant it."

"Why?"

"Because," she gave Suyin a funny, exasperated look, as though the answer was obvious, "we love and trust each other. That's what our sisterhood means. And- she trusted that if she ended up in that prison, we'd find a way to rescue her. She knew it."

"...And do you know that they are going to rescue you?"

Suki shrugged - probably reluctant to say anything more to her enemy - but her smile said it clearly enough: yes. She'd suffered terribly, and she would suffer still, but her friends were free because of her. Suyin wondered whether it was worth it. For her sake, she hoped so.

"I'll be all right. Don't fret so much." Suki assured her, and for a moment, a glimpse of her old friendliness was back. "And I'm sorry, too. I really am. I hope I didn't get you in too much trouble."

Suyin shook her head. "I'll be fine. I think." Hopefully.

She'd probably lose her job once Azula found out about this catastrophe, but she'd be, at least, physically unhurt. As long as no one knew she was complicit in this escape, of course. She could go back to her hometown for a little while, look for a new job. Working for the princess for so long would surely make her an attractive handmaid for other employers, so she'd be all right. Certainly better off than Suki in Boiling Rock.

There was just an hour or two before the handoff to the airship. Suyin ought to go. To give Suki some more space. She stood up, purposefully leaving behind the glass bottle of antiseptic with the prisoner.

"I'm sorry it was under these circumstances," Suyin said as she turned to leave, "but I'm glad we met."

"Me, too."

Goodbye felt inappropriate, somehow. "Take care, Suki."