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Disclaimer – I can't be bothered to do anything witty today. I don't own Avatar.
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The next morning, the Stranger declared that he had to be on his way. Mum, Dad and I stood by the gate to see him off. I knew I was going to miss him and wished that he would stay longer. Though I had only met him a day ago and I didn't even know his name, it felt like Shen-Shu was leaving home again.
Mum gave him a packet of food, enough to last him a few days. But just as he reached out a calloused hand to take it, we heard hooves thundering towards us in the distance. A cloud of dust could be seen as Gal and the rest of his soldiers came stampeding on their ostrich-horses towards us. A surge of panic gripped me he came into view. Had he realized that it was Hong and I that had thrown the egg at him?
A scowl immediately crossed Dad's face and Mum's hand gripped my shoulder in reassurance. She still didn't know about the egg incident. The Stranger's eyes darkened and a hand dropped to the hilt of his blades.
The village guards skidded to a halt in front of us, spraying sand into our faces. I sneezed violently as dust flew up my nose and blinked away the grit in my eyes.
"What do you want Gal?" asked Dad harshly. It was common knowledge that he and Gal despised each other. Gal had been tormenting our family with vicious jibes but when Dad had tried to do something about it, he enraged Gal into a violent fit. Gal had destroyed our house and beaten my dad into unconsciousness in front of the whole village to set an example to anyone who would disobey him.
"Just thought someone ought to tell you that your son's battalion was captured," he said maliciously. There was malevolent glint in his and his lips were twisted upwards in a cruel smirk.
"Did you boys hear what the Fire nation did to their last group of Earth kingdom prisoners?" Gal continued savouring every drop of our anxiety.
"Dressed them up in Fire navy uniforms and sent them to the front line unarmed," drawled one of the soldiers. He paused for effect and made a great show of spitting on the ground at Dad's feet. "Then they just watched."
Dad's eye widened and his shoulders tensed. I felt my knees go weak, like they were going to give way beneath me. Mum's grip on my shoulder tightened so hard it hurt but I didn't move her hand. I didn't feel I had the strength too. All my energy seemed to have been sapped out of me by the devastating news.
"You watch your mouth," my dad snarled, jabbing a finger furiously in the direction of the village guard.
Gal made forward as if he was about strike for speaking back. Unexpectedly, the Stranger rode in between Gal and Dad and gave the soldier a withering look, fixing his unblinking gaze onto his Gal's. Gal was the first the break eye contact. He lowered his head and muttered obscenely under his breath. With a last insult he left, his band of lackeys following, but not before glowering at the Stranger, vengeance etched in every muscle of his face.
"What's going to happen to my brother?" My voice sounded foreign, not loud and boisterous as it usually was. It sounded barely above a whisper, like the sound of a dying breeze crying through the trees.
Dad hugged Mum tightly wiping a tear tenderly from his face. "I'm going to the front. I'm going to find Shen-Shu and bring him back," he stated to me before leading my mum, who was still sobbing, inside the house.
I looked up imploringly at the Stranger.
"When my dad goes, will you stay?"
The Stranger felt like my only hope now. Even though I didn't know much about him, I could relate to him, like I could with Shen-Shu. He made me feel safe.
He didn't look at me when he replied.
"No" was his blunt answer. "I need to move on." He dug inside his jacket and drew out a long thin object. "Here, I want you to have this. Read the inscription."
I took it from him. It was a beautiful knife and sheath. I vaguely wondered how he got it. It looked fit for a general. Maybe it was a gift from one as thanks for saving a town. I slide out the blade gently. It glinted in the sun reflecting my downcast expression. My despairing eyes stared back at me and I felt the tickle of a tear trail down my cheek. I read the tiny, delicately carved engraving. I didn't want the Stranger to leave. I didn't want the knife to be the only thing I had left of him. But I was grateful for the gift. He didn't look like he had much which made the blade all the more precious. I read the carving aloud.
"Made in Earth Kingdom."
"The other one," the Stranger said sheepishly.
I turned the knife over to see another inscription. It was far more beautiful one than the other one which I had read. It took up the entire length of the blade and was written in bold and striking lettering.
It read; "Never give up without a fight."
"Thank you," I whispered; but he never heard. Tearing my eyes away from the gift, I looked up to see the back of the Stranger who was already galloping of into the distance.
I tried to run after him but he disappeared over the horizon as quickly as he had come. Tears blinding my vision, I trudged home. I sheaved the knife and clutched it tight to my heart, clinging onto every memory that I shared with the Stranger.
oxoxoxoxoxoxo
Randomly changing the topic from angst to comedy – if anyone is interested, I've drawn a picture of Iroh and Zuko; the Flowerpot Duo. You can find it at this link www (dot) fanart-central (dot) net (forward slash) pic-478671 (dot) html
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