AN: Apologies for the late upload, have been dealing with the "Invalid Request" error when trying to generate the chapter on the site. Hate to have to cite technical error, but there was nothing I could do to remedy this, other than wait for the system to figure it out. Sorry again, and hope you enjoy!
Chapter 4: Reasoning
The most occupied and busy establishment that the traveler and his companion walked past just happened to the one they most needed to enter. It was dimly lit and there was a roaring fire in a great stone fireplace that was surrounded by a half circle of chairs and couches upon which every open space of cushioning was occupied. Wooden tables were sprawled out around the main floor the majority of which were also occupied, and booths wrapped around the sides of the establishment. Strangely enough, it wasn't particularly loud inside the bar, but the traveler still had to lean into his companion's ear to make sure she heard him.
"You don't need to follow me around for this; if you promise you won't get in any fights, you can hit the bar and—"
She cut him off, "I'd rather stay with you. You're not exactly a person I'd openly want to have a conversation with. Who knows, whoever you might try and talk to could get scared away by that stare you've got. Even with you hiding your eyes."
"I appreciate your confidence in my conversational skills," the traveler muttered and stalked towards the bar without another word, his companion sticking close behind him. He rounded around the side of the bar closest to the wall where there was something of a gap between him and the elbow of the nearest patron and leaned against the wood of the bar, flicking glances all around him as he did.
"Stop," his companion chided him as she stood with her back just to his. "You're worried about looking suspicious, but the only thing you looking around like that is doing is making the situation worse."
He ignored her and gave the barkeep a wave when he happened to glance that way. A heavyset, yet very muscled man, the barkeep strode over to him and leaned in, speaking in a rough voice through a thick moustache.
"What'll it be stranger?"
"Two beers," the traveler said and the large man turned away to fill two mugs which he brought back forthwith, the foaming tops of the mugs fizzing over the sides. The traveler pulled out a heavy bronze coin and pushed it over the counter, and as the barkeep picked it up between two giant fingers, the traveler asked, "You know the crews and vessels going in and out of this port?"
"Tolerably well," the barkeep grunted and the traveler passed one of the mugs back to his companion, enjoying the somewhat doubtful look she gave it.
"Myself and my companion are looking for a ship, for the purpose of travel," he said. "Do you have anyone you'd recommend?"
Running a finger through his thick and wild moustache, the barkeep gave his head a slow shake, "Friend, any captain would be willing to ferry you and the young woman for the right fee. Is this voyage likely to be dangerous?"
The traveler knew that playing it safe would be of no use should he choose to play this conversation that way.
"Considerably," he replied and as the barkeep nodded slowly, he added, "But money is no object. I can pay whatever is needed."
"If that's the case," the barkeep growled. "You'd be best off speaking to the captain of the Bjorn. She's one of the most daring sailors this archipelago has ever seen, and she's never been one to turn down a job, not that I've heard of. Heard that she and her band of reckless pirates were planning on crossing the Eastern Sea at some point. Damned fools if they do, we'd never hear from them again, they try something like that."
The traveler ignored his companion as she slipped a hand over his wrist and squeezed it and instead asked another question. "Pirates you say; they're outlaws?"
The barkeep chuckled, "Stranger, out here, everyone is an outlaw. As long as they mind the Callaghan Navy, sailors and ships can sail, plunder and pillage however and whomever they might please. The Bjorn's crew are pirates through and through, but they're the more treasure-seeking kind, they don't have a great interest in ship fighting and plundering these days, at least since the new captain came in."
"This captain… what do you know of her?"
A thoughtful look passed over the barkeep's face. "No one knows much about where she came from, that much I know. The Bjorn used to be a combat vessel until it was sold to a man named Lars who took it upon himself to make it into a proper pirating ship. This was a long time back mind you; anyway, one day the story goes, the Bjorn finds a woman floating on a piece of driftwood out east. They pull her in, beautiful woman, and Lars decides he's going to keep her as his own personal bedside lady, in exchange for his saving of her life. She puts up with it for a while I suppose, then when they made port in Fogarty's Cove, she guts him like a fish in front of the whole crew. They're stunned of course, don't even have time to try and stop her and they are shocked through to not even string her up afterwards. She rattles off some ideas she had on how they could run a more tight ship and make more bang for their buck plundering, and then leaves the ship and goes into the port, fetching her up a beer with the money she took out of Lar's pocket. Anyway, the crew have a long talk on what ought to be done; turns out no one cared much for Lars as a captain and none of them crew were that interested in taking up the post. So, they take a vote, send a couple guys into town and they find the woman. They tell her it sounds she knows a fair bit about sailing and asked if she wouldn't mind coming aboard as their captain for a short spell until they got their bearings again on what they wanted to do with the Bjorn what with the abrupt change in leadership and all. She agrees, only as long as her orders are followed through and through."
The traveler grunted. "Guess she never quite gave up that post, then."
The barkeep grinned. "That she didn't, lad. Became the captain that night and stuck with it, and has to this day. Her crew are as loyal as they come, she must be quite the sailing woman for them to have gotten so devoted and such."
"And how long has it been since she killed Lars and became captain?"
"Hmm… I'd wager about fifteen, maybe twenty years. Built up quite the reputation, she has."
The traveler drummed his fingers on the bar top and took a big swig of his beer, a rather pungent, yet warm flavor greeting him.
"Would you mind pointing her out to me?" he asked as he took the mug from his lips. The barkeep pointed again.
"Just there in the corner, friend. Got her two best mates and some of her crew with her now. Don't know if she's looking to be taking on any jobs just now though…"
"She'll take mine," the traveler said, pushing up from his stool. "Thanks."
The barkeep waved them off as they began to wade through the tables stocked full of sailors and the traveler's companion moved to lean in close to him, shoulder to shoulder.
"This sounds too good to be true," she said and the traveler shook his head.
"Don't take anything for granted just yet," he said. "Just because there's been talk of them going our way does not at all mean we're about to manage to find our ship first try."
The traveler continued to make his way through towards the section of the pub where it had been indicated he would find this captain and was not blind to the heads that were turning towards their direction. He knew that these eyes were not looking to him of course; it was his companion who was drawing the attention. Even despite the travel cloak that he had lain over her to hide a feminine form that would no doubt have been the envy of every old sailor in the room, perhaps her beautiful face or her silvery hair were still enough to turn lonely and hungry eyes her way. Or perhaps it was even the hilt of the sword that protruded from beneath her traveling cloak, as who would expect a woman as gorgeous as this to know how to handle herself with a blade. Whatever the reason, the traveler kept himself wary, ready to reach out and break any hands that might try and turn themselves her way in a moment of unrestrained lust. These ports didn't exactly have a reputation that suggested they didn't partake in some level of debauchery, and while the traveler knew his companion could handle herself, he knew that the last thing they needed was her cleaving a man in two for trying to grope her. He would have to rely on himself to be somewhat more subtle in his discouragement, and a broken hand would be much less suddenly conspicuous than a pair of legs dropping to the ground followed by the upper torso that they had previously been connected to.
Despite his faint concern, they pushed their way to the back of the room without any difficulty and the traveler stood in front of a booth tucked in the corner, the table of which and the occupants seated at it illuminated only in the pale orange of a single oil lamp hanging from a beam just nearby. This made it even more dimly lit than the rest of the establishment, but even in the low lighting, the traveler could still make out the figure before him, flanked by two men twice her size, but not nearly as imposing as she was. This wasn't to say that neither of them wouldn't be thoroughly intimidating to anyone else, their scarred bodies, large frames and weapons strapped to their belts, but the traveler found nothing intimidating about such individuals.
The woman was a completely different story. Her body language spoke of someone completely and utterly relaxed, one leg thrown over the knee of the other, her arms splayed out on the backrest of the booth with the faintest smile playing at the edges of her mouth. The traveler could tell she would have been rather tall standing and though her frame was quite lean, he had no doubt that the twin swords she sported would make quick work of anyone who crossed her. Her face was hard and tough, but it held a very mature beauty though the traveler would never have thought this woman old. Her dark hair sprawled down behind her back, some of it spilling over her shoulders and down her chest reaching her stomach. She looked every bit like she could have owned this joint and had everyone within working under her thumb.
She and her two compatriots seemed to be laughing at some joke as they approached, but she regarded him as he came to a stop before her table and raised an eyebrow, the laughter dying away.
"A wandering swordsman and his… girlfriend? Apprentice? Sister?" she inquired in a mature and low voice that matched her quite well.
"Just a traveler and his companion," the traveler replied simply. He had no desire to expound too greatly on himself or his companion prior to him knowing just how much he wanted to reveal to this woman, but judging by the shrewd look in her eye, she was one who was just as smart with information as he prided himself on being.
"Suit yourself," the woman replied. "Though judging by your standing in front of my table with that serious expression on your face, you have some business with me?"
"That's my hope," said the traveler and the woman gestured to the bench that sat on the other side of the table. The traveler glanced at it a moment before sitting at it, gesturing for his companion to do the same; she complied with his motion and sat beside him, sipping her beer awkwardly and grimacing slightly at the taste. For a moment, the woman across from them flicked her eyes between both of theirs before smirking and taking a swig of her own mug before setting it with a heavy thud on the table.
"I'll be honest, you're not the kind of people I usually see coming up to me looking to talk business," she remarked.
The stranger raised an eyebrow slightly. "Oh? And what is it you usually see?"
"Pfft, all manner of folks, I suppose," she said with a dismissive wave of the hand. "As captain of a ship, and a damn good ship at that, all kinds of jobs come thrown my way. Families and communities looking to be transported, traders in deep shit looking to be smuggled, treasure hunters looking to charter trips to desert islands, sailors looking for revenge on the ship that sank theirs, etcetera. You two look much different than anything like those I've encountered before… young, intense, definitely look like you can handle yourselves."
"You saying we're not your clientele?" he asked and she inclined her chin in his direction.
"I'm saying I'm very interested to hear what kind of job you've got for me." She took another swig of her drink and dropped it back on the table with an equally loud thud. "How'd you happen to wind up looking to me for an answer to your predicament?"
The traveler found it rather interesting that she had named their job a sort of 'predicament' before he had even stated what it was, but still determined it was best to play along for the time being.
"You came rather recommended. Been told there's no job you won't take as long as it's for the right price and that you haven't any fear of any sea; even heard that you and your crew plan to sail the Eastern Sea border."
Plant the seed, he thought, but was slightly discouraged as the captain swapped looks with the men on her left and right, all three of them looking more skeptical than anything.
"We've yet to take on a job that was too dangerous for us… but unless you just crawled into a port for the first time today, you ought to know that no one crosses the Eastern Sea and lives to tell of it. Storms, monsters from the deep, you name it, that sea probably has it and is reason enough that it cannot be crossed. We've… spoken of what it would be like to cross on occasion, but any sailor has enough drinks and he starts talking big, even about making a trip such as that. It hasn't been done though, young man, and I don't anticipate that's likely to change."
The traveler could feel his companion set her eyes on him, but he paid her no mind. Such a response he could have expected, and it had been far from something he believed he would be unable to sway. Incentive and convincing would be two things he would be more than able to take advantage of, provided he could broach the subject without her dismissing him without another thought.
"So, what's the job?" the captain was asking and he blinked himself back to the moment at hand. He didn't need to dig into the specifics of what he was asking just yet, the more time he was able to get her interested in taking him and his companion on as clients, the less likely she would be to immediately blow them off when she realized what he was requesting.
"Just transportation. The both of us have need of a ship to ferry us a great distance."
"Mmm, 'great distance' is relative, care to be a little more specific?"
The question slowed him up, if only for a moment.
"Looking at about probably a few days of sailing, assuming we have decent weather the whole way through."
"Alright. And this is just you and the girl, is it?"
"Correct."
The captain fixed him with a raised eyebrow over the table.
"Seems like an awful lot of trouble to contract a ship the size of mine just to transport two people," she remarked and the traveler replied to this as best as he was able without outright admitting where he was asking to go.
"We prefer better to be safe than sorry," was all he said in reply and the captain nodded slowly in his direction.
"You both being tailed? Got debt collectors on your back, or something like that?"
"Hardly," the traveler replied and left it at that. The captain didn't seem too interested in questioning him further than that for which he was grateful. But then, she said the last thing he had been hoping to hear, at least this early on in their talks.
"Well, where would we be heading?"
The traveler's mind immediately went wild trying to concoct all the possible replies to this query, ways to avoid directly answering it and giving away what he knew would be a dealbreaker for perhaps every vessel in port. He felt the eyes of his companion anxiously burrowing into the side of his head, but as he looked calmly back at her over the table and saw the stormclouds in her eyes, blanketed by her easygoing and confident persona, he knew that she would just as soon know he wasn't telling the whole truth than figure out his motives. Being truthful was about his only option and he decided to go with it.
"We're looking to cross the Eastern," he said simply and watched as both the captain and her two companions all seemed to deflate somewhat in exasperation, trading looks of annoyance amongst one another; the more lean of the two men leaned forward to speak up for the first time, gesturing aggressively with a prosthetic of some sort that sprouted halfway between where his elbow was and where a normal human hand would have protruded, and the traveler couldn't help but draw the comparison to a multi-pronged fishhook.
"You being serious with that, stranger? You either thinking you're something real funny wasting our time with a request like that, or you are just plain stupid in the head."
He spoke with a surprisingly intelligent sounding dialect, which was odd considering his body, scarring and rather vacant expression. The traveler shook his head in response to this.
"Not joking and not stupid. I have a very serious need to cross the Eastern Sea, and that's the truth of it."
This affirmation did nothing to seemingly alleviate the situation as the captain leaned back against the back of her booth, gazing at him with an irritated expression though she remained silent. The other man, the larger, and even gruffer looking of the two, spoke up then, a rumbling snarl that seemed to shake the wooden floorboards beneath them.
"For you to ask about it, you must know that crossing the Eastern Sea is impossible a task."
The traveler shook his head. "It isn't. I come from the other side of it, that's how I wound up here."
Both men chuckled, only a touch of humor in the sound, the laughs sounding more like they wanted to pull his head off for wasting their time like this.
"Sure you did. Where's the ship you came over on, then? Why don't you just hitch a ride back on that miracle vessel?"
"It sank," the traveler replied simply and honestly, but this only seemed to dig his hole deeper as the two men exchanged another laugh at his words. When it had died away, the hook-handed man leaned over towards the captain, speaking in a low tone to her, but plenty audible enough for the traveler to pick up on what he was saying.
"C'mon, boss, let us just drag this prankster out of here and throw him in the slop out back. We'll even give him a few good hits for ya, let him know you're not the type to be fooled around with like this."
The captain said nothing in reply to this, merely continued to examine the traveler with the same tiredly aggravated gaze. He watched as she gently cocked her head back and forth for several long moments before groaning quietly and inquiring, "So, you've crossed the Eastern Sea coming the opposite direction. Fun story. In that case, why don't you tell me why it is you need transportation back to the other side?"
Both of her crewmates the soldier had to assume they were, looked over at her and attempted to raise their voices in outspoken decrying no doubt towards anymore of the traveler's words, but she held up a hand and they fell silent just as quickly.
The traveler knew that this would be the moment of truth. His companion was looking like she was trying hard not to shimmy on the bench they sat at and he knew her arm was itching to reach back and at least grip the hilt of her sword to reassure herself it was still there. Things were still not yet that close to growing violent, but the reveal had been made and it was entirely possible things were going to escalate from there depending on the answer that was given to the captain's question. Again, he considered what he could say that would possibly be of any benefit to the situation. He hadn't yet told a lie, he reasoned, and he supposed that telling the truth here was about as reasonable a play as he could make.
"On the other side of the Eastern border rests the Fire Nation; I very much need to speak to Fire Lord Zuko of that same nation," he finally said and this inspired fresh jeering attitudes from the two men once again; the one with the hook hand leaned forward, his expression a wolfish grin that suggested both amusement and irritation.
"Oh, so now there's a whole nation on the other side? No one's been across in all the centuries of history we have recorded here in the islands, but it's been speculated there's very little if any land once you cross, and now you tell us there's a whole nation sitting on the other side?"
"There's three actually," the traveler replied matter-of-factly. "There were four but the Fire Nation wiped out all but one member of the Air Nation, so we're down to three."
Hook hand leaned back, raising his eyebrows in a gesture of total disbelief with nothing more to say as he shook his head. The larger man put his hands on his knees in a gesture that indicated he was ready to stand and get physical if necessary to end this conversation, but the traveler only saw this out of the corner of his eye. His gaze was locked firmly on the captain whose expression had changed not a great deal, but still very drastically.
Her mild smile was gone like it had never been there in the first place, her mouth now set in a very serious line. She still maintained the same relaxed pose, but he could tell her body had stiffened based on her whitened knuckles and still frame. The stormclouds he had seen hiding were now on full display, regarding him through the flickering gold that her eyes projected his way. Something he had said had rattled her to the point of completely losing that confident front she had been pushing since he sat down. The traveler had experienced enough of the human condition enough in his life to recognize when a mind was racing with suspicion and questions. And that too in her eyes… hope? Too difficult to tell, but it seemed to him that there was a good deal she was trying to keep hidden herself just then.
"This… Fire Lord Zuko you speak of. How do you know this person is still in power?" she finally asked, and it seemed like there was a great deal more she wanted to ask just then, though she kept it to just that. The traveler watched her carefully, curious as to why she might interject with so specific a question before continuing to answer honestly, finding the fact that she looked so intent on him and also hadn't ordered him removed from her sight as very encouraging.
"I suppose it has been about eleven years since I left and the state of things might very well have changed in the time I was gone, but I have no reason to assume that Zuko isn't still in power, taking over after his father died. Perhaps something has happened in that time period, perhaps his sister taking over power instead for some reason, but whoever is reigning Fire Lord is besides the point. I just need to speak to whomever is the current leader of the Fire Nation as quickly as possible."
Her two men gaze her sidelong glances as though inquiring how much longer she was willing to put up with this, but she paid them no mind, keeping her attention fully locked on the traveler. He kept his eyes on her as well, probing for any signs of weakness or vulnerability, but despite how his words seemed to have shaken her, her attitude was impressively impenetrable; why it was exactly that these words had piqued her so suddenly was a mystery yet, but the traveler was starting to piece together some ideas of just what it was that might have made her so intrigued by his words.
"What is it he needs to be told?" she asked and he allowed himself to cut off there.
"I'm afraid that information isn't something I can freely unhand," he said, and felt a twinge of relief that she didn't seem offended or put off by this reply. There was a change in the light of her eyes, but when she asked her next question, it seemed like she was annoyed more than anything at the necessity of her needing to ask it.
"How much are you willing to pay were we to take this job on?"
Both hook hand and the larger man spun to face her then, now looking like they might have some proper outrage to voice, but she raised a hand more sharply than she had the first time and they cut off into silence. Judging from the looks on their faces however, the traveler could tell that even their full-fledged loyalty and respect of their captain wouldn't hold their tongues for much longer.
Fortunately, I know the one thing that might appease them, at last for the moment.
He responded with a question of his own, "What's the pay you took for the most dangerous job you had?"
Her face slipped briefly into one of recollection as she dredged up the memory that applied to his inquiry. "Let's see… we were hired by one of the island oligarchs to transport his family to Callaghan controlled waters. He had made his riches plundering the free trade spice islands and ruining the careers of several sea gangs in the process. They knew he had already made it to safety, but there were plenty of those gangs looking to get some last revenge on him and so they were out looking for his family that he had hidden in one of the southern ports. We hurried them along the coast, around several islands and through a whole lot of open water to get his wife and two children to safety."
"Much trouble?" he asked and she gave him a look.
"What do you think? Word that we were escorting them to safety wasn't information that was kept quiet for long, sold out for one price or another and we encountered our share of ship to ship battles and several pursuits that lasted upwards of a week. We had to take several routes out of the way to try and shake them and what would have been a four or day journey under prime conditions took about three times that."
The traveler leaned back and gestured widely. "Well, this will take but a fraction of that time."
As the captain stared at him, he could have sworn he saw the corners of her mouth flick up in mild humor at his statement.
"Correct, we are along the arm of the archipelago that's awfully close to where you're asking to go, but that place also just so happens to be I think the last place any of us want to venture to."
Not yet having heard an answer to his initial question, the traveler asked it again.
"How much were you paid for that?"
The captain sighed and she too leaned back, looking more tired than anything.
"More than anything you've got in your pockets, buddy."
"How much?" he pressed and she sighed again.
"About sixteen thousand standard in coin and in spice total."
The traveler nodded; this was indeed a pretty good haul for anything he had heard of as far as currency went in this vast sprawl of islands. He himself had taken several jobs himself early on in his time moving amongst the miniature continents, escort, hitjobs and other, the most expensive of them all being barely over a thousand standard, the currency used among the islands. This was before he had tapped into a much more prolific way of remaining financially stable while moving around in his search. In recent years, he had found that this stockpile was of little use and he had nearly destroyed the lot of it out of spite. Now though, it seemed like he might be able to finally put some of those hidden funds to good use.
"I can give you ten thousand now…" he started. "Plus forty more when the job is finished."
That was enough to cause both of the captain's crewmembers to widen their eyes rather comically as his offer aired over their ears. They began looking quickly between one another as well as at their captain whose expression hadn't so much as changed since he his proposal.
"How is it you happen to have this kind of wealth?" she finally asked slowly. "You look hardly like a lord or an oligarch."
She gestured at his companion. "Is it her? Maybe one of you is royalty perhaps?"
Something like that, the traveler thought in mild amusement before shaking his head.
"No, nothing quite so heritage-based. Purely a result of circumstance that I've happened to attain such a level of riches."
The captain cocked her head. "That's a lot of money. Though if we can't spend it, I don't exactly know if accepting such an offer would be worth it."
"Is your ship fast?" the traveler asked abruptly and she blinked at him a moment.
"Tremendously so, when the wind is with us," she replied and the traveler nodded.
"Every ship that has disappeared in the Eastern Sea border did so because they knew not what they were facing. I have a different set of experience and can tell you what it is that we can expect to encounter and how best to deal with it; the vessel I reached these islands on sank only because we weren't prepared just as the hundreds before us had, you will have access to knowledge that none of them have had. You take on this job and you can be the first ship and crew in who knows how long to make this crossing and you will be fifty-thousand standard richer to boot."
He allowed it to sit at that for a moment and regarded the three people before him; beside him, his companion gulped nervously at her beer, and he found himself grateful for her silence. Despite her words, she had seemed confident enough to let him handle this on his own and he knew that he was in the endgame of these negotiations. Very quickly he had laid out his plans for what he wanted out of a ship and crew, and all that he had to do now was see if they would be willing to accept what he knew to be a ridiculous proposal. He hoped his confidence was coming across in his words, but he knew that at the end of the day, it was purely a level of personal motivation and pride that would bring the captain to accept his job.
Her two mates both were looking now with a look he had seen in so many sets of sailor eyes before: the promise of riches such as what he had just offered were without a doubt something that were causing them to seriously consider what he had just asked of them, but the traveler knew it would come down to the captain and her alone.
She had a salient look in her eyes that the traveler couldn't quite put a finger on. Stormclouds continued to rage at him behind the golden inflection of her eyes, but no longer was it at all easy to guess at what she was thinking. This was surely something they had never heard the likes of before being offered to them and he knew that such a decision would not be made easily, especially if she truly was weighing how much potential danger they were up against in making a trip to the east.
How much does she know? I've heard gossiping and stories for years about what happens if you sail too far to the east… you fall of the earth, you're swallowed by a sea monster, you capsize in an enormous maelstrom, all kinds of tales from people, some of whom had never set foot on a ship in their life. But that kind of fear that builds and builds over centuries of legend becomes as real as the sand beneath their feet. So what does she believe? That's what this is all riding on, what she's weighing against my offer, not the offer itself.
"Tell me about your knowledge of this crossing," the captain suddenly said. She had a somewhat urgent undertone to her voice, like she was trying to keep from giving away too much of her hand. "What is it we can expect to sail into? We've never gone ourselves and I haven't heard stories from anyone I trust to paint enough of a picture on what to guess we're riding into."
Her tone suggested as well that she didn't at all take him at his word, but this seemed almost like a test of some kind. Still, the traveler didn't want to overplay his hand either.
"I'm afraid I can't do that unless you agree to take us on as passengers. The information is somewhat sensitive… and I won't be handing it out to any party that doesn't need to know."
This had the exact effect he had hoped on the captain's two crewmembers; both of them adopted looks of serious curiosity beside their greed for the promise of wealth. In ports like these, every story that could be relived, imagined or otherwise made up were told, you didn't just suggest something like what the traveler was doing and not expound on it, not without good reason. The captain had narrowed her eyes ever so slightly, but he could tell she wasn't going to press it. He waited for more questions to come, but just as quickly as she had asked the question, she stood as swiftly as a dog might bound for dinner and he looked up at her curiously as she stared down at him.
"Meet me at the dock furthest down the port to the left, the last sailing ship before the pier grows smaller. Early morning, just before dawn. Come alone and bring the money."
The traveler shifted where he sat and turned his head slightly to face his companion.
"Where I go, she goes, I can't—"
"Fine, bring her," the captain snapped. "But you and I need to talk alone before any decision is reached. Don't think I remotely am accepting anything you're offering yet."
She snapped her fingers and both her men also got to their feet and moved to stand at her side, their eyes still glowing with different levels of excitement, but their expressions now stoically loyal once more. Without another word, the captain strode around the booth and made her way through the dense layer of drunken sailors and townspeople to exit into the night, leaving the traveler and his companion alone at the bench.
After the door had closed behind the captain and her men, his companion spoke up somewhat excitedly herself, but she sounded concerned too.
"So, what do you think? Is she going to be the one?"
When she didn't get a reply, she looked up to see the traveler walking slowly around the table to sit at the booth where the captain had been sitting not a moment ago. He eased himself down and took a swig of his beer, relishing the bitter taste before running his fingers over the splintered wooden surface of the table and gazing distantly down at it.
"I don't know. She's hiding something."
His companion rolled her eyes. "Of course she's hiding something. Everyone in this dive looks like they've got a book full of secrets they'd rather not get out."
The traveler shook his head. "That's not what I mean. Something about what we talked about just now. She didn't say everything she wanted to."
Giving her head a shake, his companion looked back at him with furrowed brow. "So? It's not like you told her everything either. And you remember what you can't do, you can't go probing around in her head to put your mind at rest. Besides, we have more pressing matters at hand, like that money you promised. Where the hell do you think you're getting money like that?"
"I have it handled," he replied quietly, still running his fingers absently through the grooves in the table. It was a credit to how long he and his companion had been traveling together that she didn't continue pestering him; there was clearly more on her mind, but she could tell he was trying to do a good deal of thinking, so she pursed her lips, got up and moved over to sit beside him where she would remain for the rest of their time in the establishment, sipping at her beer moodily.
The traveler allowed himself to retreat into his thoughts, replaying everything that had been exchanged in the past several minutes. He found it deeply strange that of all the things that he would have taken away from the conversation wasn't the discussion of their travel, not the pay, not even where they were going.
He could only reflect on how peculiar it was to how she had reacted to what he had said.
Aang leaned over the banister that looked out over the main ballroom of the royal palace, still deep within his own thoughts and stewing angrily as he did.
He had stormed away from the reporters earlier that afternoon and had gone straight to his room in a deeply upset state. There was a good deal of anger at the reporters and their stupid, rude and personal questions, but he also was extremely upset at just how unhinged he had become back there. Every year, he was confronted with all kinds of hardships, small wars between clans, natural disasters and the tragedy they could bring, plenty of things to rattle him and harden him to become a controlled individual. Yet all it had taken were some triggering questions and he had flown off the handle, possibly making quite the mess he knew, even if the scale of it wasn't yet clear to him.
He had taken away to a part of the palace where he had known he wouldn't be found, avoiding Katara and Sokka and whoever else might come looking for him following his outburst. It had taken him quite a while to come down from his anger, and he hadn't wanted to lash out at any of them in anger; Katara in particular he knew would likely have sought him out to talk with him about what had happened, but there was no part of him that was interested in being reprimanded just then. Katara had always been the best at calming him down in stressful situations, her voice soothing and low as she stroked the top of his head and held him to her chest, but he also knew that she would no doubt try and slide a lecture of some kind into the mix, subtly disapproving of him and his actions.
So, he had secluded himself until the welcome dinner that had come that evening; it was hardly the most important evening of the celebratory week, but he was required to be at it, so he had put on his formal decorative wear and attended like the good Avatar he was expected to be.
All of his friends had been there, Katara, Suki and Toph joining the likes of Ty Lee and Mai in getting fully done up in their gorgeous dresses and makeup, all of them making every man in sight look twice at their beauty. Sokka and Zuko seemed very much at ease, talking and allowing themselves to be introduced to all kind of prestigious individuals that had attended the dinner reception, wealthy moguls, politicians and royalty of all kinds. Aang had finally sucked up his pride and joined the pair of them and had been relieved that they had accepted him with welcoming voices, not raising a word about what had transpired earlier. The three talked and enjoyed themselves well into the night, mingling with the others and speaking to whomever they needed to. Iroh had arrived and been greeted most vociferously by all, everyone's love for the old man spilling out at getting a chance to see him again. Aang had shared a dance with Katara, Mai and Toph, and had found himself further grateful when no one else either brought up his enormous error from earlier, and he had found himself actually rather enjoying the evening.
The only stutter in what had become a relatively pleasant evening was when no one other than Azula had strode up to him while he was speaking with the rest of his friends and asked very politely if he wouldn't dance a song with her. He could remember how he had felt his throat constrict and had flicked his eyes towards Katara, Zuko, and the rest and seen varying levels of concern and anger on their faces, but no one spoke up. Aang had slowly gotten to his feet and obliged her; from an outsider perspective, it was actually quite the smart move: Azula had developed a reputation for being a rather brutal enforcer for the Fire Nation while Aang's proclivity for being an arbiter of peace made them quite a contrasting pair, and seeing them sharing a dance was certainly something that looked good from a public relations standpoint. Aang, however, had been much more worried about what she was going to talk to him about while they were together, intimately close and able to speak quietly without being overheard.
But there had been no words exchanged between them, no questions were sent his way by the princess, she only looked at him with a mild smile and eyes that glowed with a tempting fire. Aang had been forced to admit to himself while they had held one another and danced that she truly was quite ravishing as he looked at her figure, dark hair flowing down her back, looking as powerful a person as he had ever seen, every bit of her radiating confidence and poise. Following the song, she had bowed low, thanked him and then strode off regally through the crowds of people, disappearing to Aang's eye and leaving him deeply unsettled.
The night had of course slowly wound down to an end, with guests starting to depart the palace and last drinks being had. Sokka had suggested everyone meet in the parlor upstairs for a nightcap and to talk more privately and comfortably and Aang had been in the process of agreeing with this, even willing to accept questioning towards his behavior earlier so improved was his mood for the most part, before he had turned at a smartly dressed man standing at his shoulder.
"Avatar Aang," he had said with a low bow. "I have been instructed to ask you to remain in the ballroom for a spell; Governor Bradley would like a word with you before you turn in."
Piers Bradley, still the governor and director of Ba Sing Se and chairman of the United Nations Council, hadn't seen fit to grace the palace with his presence for dinner, but seemed more than happy to delay Aang's evening for a private word now. Aang had felt himself growing disgruntled but had quieted angry replies from Katara and Suki that he be asked to stay after like that, ensuring the governor's personal aide that he would do as instructed.
"Go on," he had said wearily to Katara, Sokka, Suki, Toph, Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee as they had stood around expectantly. "I'll join you when I'm finished."
They had reluctantly done so, but not before Katara had asked if she could stay with him. He had sadly shaken his head and pulled her into a kiss. She had hugged him then and followed the rest from the ballroom. Aang had watched them go, before slowly walking up the stairs to the floor that overlooked the ballroom and had leaned on the banister and looked down as the vast room had quietly finished becoming deserted. It was only when he took a moment to listen to the silence around him that he realized he had been left alone, his breathing sounding strangely loud in his ears.
I know what this is going to be about. Bradley is going to berate me for saying what I did, and I'll get a chance to hear just how bad this actually wound up being. I know his office has been able to stifle stories before, but I get the feeling even they're going to have trouble trying to cover this up.
A part of him felt a slight twinge of satisfaction that his actions might have caused Bradley quite the stir. He had no great love for the governor, a man who seemed to play politics over the good of the people more often than not, and for a few other reasons beyond that, not the least of which was how he seemed to still have a rather negative outlook on Zuko, even despite all the good the new Fire Lord had done to fix the state of things following the war.
"Thank you for the dance," came a voice behind him and Aang about jumped out of his skin as he spun to see who had shaken him from his mental musings.
Azula was approaching him, having come up the stairs about as silently as anyone could, an impressive feat considering her heels. The thought of it sent another wave of unsettlement through Aang's insides, the idea that she had snuck up on him so easily made him wonder if she had felt the urge pass through her to strike him dead then and there. He had always wondered if Azula's feelings towards them prior to their allying so long ago had ever fully diminished or if she still felt her hate for him and the others swell from time to time, pushing violent thoughts into her head as she remembered how much she had tried to murder them when they had been younger.
Here now though, he saw only her arrogant and sickly-sweet smile as she approached him, the makeup around her eyes giving them even more of a predatory look. Her dress clung tightly to her curves making Aang's insides react involuntarily to her beauty and he had to give himself a moment before replying in a tone that he hoped was calm and collected to her ears.
"It was my pleasure. You're an exceptional dancer."
She raised her eyebrows slightly at his words.
"You're too kind, Avatar. It would be any woman's honor to be able to take your hand in a dance, and I appreciate you indulging that desire of mine."
As she approached, Aang knew that he needed to respond with something probing of his own by way of a reply, or she would swallow him up. He had seen Azula completely dismantle people with nothing but her words before and he had fallen victim to being dissected by her smooth and silky tone on more than one occasion himself. Azula had a knack for using this ability to stir out emotions or information that she wanted to extract from certain people, and thought Aang wasn't sure if that was to be her intention now, he wasn't planning on risking it.
"I don't suppose you wanted to dance with me just to satisfy some prideful desire?" he asked, silently relieved at how relaxed he sounded. "There's always an ulterior motive with you, your highness."
Putting on an expression of mild hurt that Aang knew was as fraudulent as her smile, Azula moved to stand beside him and leaned against the railing too, her shoulder nearly brushing his.
"Has my brother convinced you of that? Such a shame; I've long since grown beyond needing all of my actions to serve a greater purpose, and I've been able to thus allow myself to treat situations with a good bit more of openness and honesty."
Aang wondered if her words were true, if she wanted him to think they were true, or if she wanted them to be true herself, but he didn't so much as let his guard down in the slightest.
"I've never denied you were honest," Aang deflected with a lie. "I just find it hard to believe that you just happened to want a dance with me when there are a great deal of eligible male bachelors about that you could surely take your choosing of."
It was a bait and he knew that she could see right through it. The question was whether or not she would take it anyway, purely as a result of her ego.
"You know I have to be careful in that department," she said slyly. "Any man I would choose to make my husband or lover or anything remotely intimate to me is someone I would have to get my daughter's stamp of approval for as well."
What her daughter wanted for her mother's significant other was irrelevant, Aang knew. When Azula said that, she really meant that she was wanting to find someone that she believed would be a good influence on Soza.
And what Azula believed to be a good influence was something that Aang knew just about no one else in the world would find to be the same. In his heart, Aang truly believed that Azula might never truly be happy with a man, not in the way he knew Suki was happy with Sokka or what he hoped was how Katara felt towards him. Since she had given birth to her daughter, the way she looked at all men was something close to indifference and insufficiency, like no man would ever be able to give her what she wanted out of a relationship. For the sake of every man alive, Aang hoped that were true; Azula would settle for nothing less than a powerful, spiteful, ambitious and cruel person, a match for her that Aang sincerely hoped didn't exist.
But somewhere along the road, someone had been good enough for you after Sasuke left, he thought as he stared at her. You had taken someone, you had let him make a child in you and then had likely killed him or locked him away in some hole that no one will ever find. Was it just for Soza? Or was there maybe someone you loved?
"What you said before… to the reporters. About Sasuke," Azula said then, her voice dropping in volume, sounding almost hesitant and Aang slowly pulled in a breath, understanding then what this was.
Of course, this was what she wanted to talk about.
"What about it?" he asked bluntly. He was beginning to live under the assumption that he was going to be reprimanded for his words well more than once in the coming days, or at the very least questioned about them, and he supposed that starting with Azula was nothing he couldn't live with. And besides, he actually was rather curious what she thought of what he had said.
Azula turned to him, inclining her head slightly, and asked just as bluntly, "Did you mean it?"
The majority of Aang's mind went into deep thought over her words; he had spent so much time since it had happened stewing over what he had actually said and pondering just what it was he had implied with his words. But somehow as he met Azula's expectant eyes, he spoke words as clear and concise as he ever had.
"Yes, I did. Sasuke saved the lives of everyone one of us, and everyone in the Nations, whether they know it or not. We all owe him our lives, and even more than that, he was the only person I was able to talk to back then about being what I am. I felt he understood what I was going through. So, yes, he was my friend, Azula, and I'm tired of pretending otherwise."
His words stung even as he said them, and he felt something that might have been angry tears pulling their way into his eyes and he looked away from her back out over the banister. He knew that Azula would feel nothing but further disdain were he to cry in front of her, and he didn't want to show that kind of weakness to her anyway. To his relief, she said nothing further, only continued to stand next to him silently as he tried to keep himself from getting too worked up again.
As he stood there though and gently tried to control his breathing, Aang realized something very prudent that somehow was only now occurring to him. Slowly, he turned his head to look at Azula who was looking out over the railing as well, a hand gently dragging fingers through her hair.
"I don't know if I've heard you so much as mention Sasuke since he left," he said distantly and for a moment, he saw the composure of her expression flicker.
"It's of no great concern to me," she said dismissively as the flicker vanished, straightening her back and crossing her arms. "I was just curious as to your feelings on the matter, with it being such a thing of a taboo nature now. I've long since moved on, but it would seem you perhaps haven't quite yet."
"Well… I know that Sasuke leaving must have been hard on you…" Aang started and Azula turned her head slightly towards him, expression somewhat haughty.
"Please, Avatar," she said her voice both sweet and lofty. "Even then, my foolish childhood emotions aside, I knew that there were more important things to worry about; I was certainly able to move on faster than the rest of you."
"Don't I know it…" Aang muttered and Azula said, in a voice that was a little louder than the one she had been using, "What was that?"
"Nothing," Aang said, rubbing his temples. His usual fear and trepidation at being near Azula was buried by a deep feeling of loneliness that he hadn't felt in quite some time. He supposed that thoughts of Sasuke had never been far off, but ever since that afternoon and the questions had shocked his mind back into thoughts of the most unique person Aang had ever met, he had found his thoughts strangely enough not frequently drifting to what he wished he would have said instead. Rather, all that his mind really wanted to consider was how he really, actually missed Sasuke.
Gosh… he was a complete asshole, bullheaded as all hell and said so many stupid things… but I miss him. A lot, I guess.
"What's that look for?" Azula asked and Aang looked up to see her frowning slightly at him. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, barely able to believe he would even be able to open up at all to Azula about something like this, but he was too tired and somewhat depressed to care.
"It's just—"
That was all he was able to manage before steps sounded behind him coming up the stairs and he and Azula both turned to see who it was that was joining them in their relative isolation in the ballroom.
Two very different people were ascending the steps behind them. The one in front was a short and somewhat stout man who hadn't looked like had had changed a day since Aang had met him at the end of the war. The one just behind him was about twice as tall as the first man, tall and clad in armor, and an expression that was just as constantly smiling as Azula's, an arrogant smirk like he knew there was no one just above him.
As they approached, the shorter man bowed, followed by the taller one. The gesture was rather negligent as though the shorter man believed it to be nothing more than an expected and necessary pleasantry.
"Governor Bradley," Aang said plainly. Just as he had no great affection for this man, he knew that Bradley felt the same way about him; his ideal Avatar would be quieting dissenters, politically motivated and deeply focused on maintaining strict order, but Aang was anything but that level of forceful that the governor would surely have preferred.
"Avatar Aang," the governor replied. "It is good to see you after your most successful tour of the Earth Nation villages."
Aang nodded past Bradley to the imposing man behind him. "Gaeseric. I wouldn't have expected to see you prior to Lord Gilbert's arrival."
"Lord Gilbert decided to send me on ahead," the man known as Gaeseric said. "I've been acting as private chaperone to Governor Bradley in these trying times, when danger could be lurking around any corner."
"You see shadows even in the brightest and clearest day," Aang replied with a sigh and the lord enforcer's smiled widened.
"The brightest days cast the deepest shadows," he said in turn.
Gaeseric had been a veteran of the Hundred Years War, a earthbender for hire for many coastal skirmishes. He had never gone so far as to outright aid the Fire Nation, but stories and rumors regarding his loyalty were many. One could never find him out of his armor, as he always seemed ready for a backstabbing knife to come flashing towards either himself or one of the people he worked to protect. Lord Gilbert, possibly one of the most powerful men in any of the Nations, had taken interest in him following the war's conclusion and hired him on as chief of his personal security.
"Your highness," Bradley said and bowed again in Azula's direction. She inclined her head at him and looked up to Gaeseric, offering the same cavalier smile that he was wearing.
"Lord enforcer, it is good to see you again," she said, entirely ignoring Bradley by way of response and Aang saw the governor's mouth tighten at this.
Even someone like Bradley pines for her attention, he thought.
"As striking as ever, Princess Azula," Gaeseric said, as he bowed as well. It was no surprise that he and Azula rather liked the look of each other, each of them seeming so focused on appearances as facades, both possessing a very distinct knack for power as well.
"I apologize, your highness," Bradley spoke up, clearly eager to get things back on track. "But may I borrow the Avatar for a few moments?"
"But of course," Azula said with a bow and strode off elegantly. Aang saw both Bradley and Gaeseric eye her as she passed them by, just as every man at the dinner that night had.
"Please leave us a moment, Gaeseric," the governor added and the lord enforcer did so, treading a few paces respectfully behind Azula. Aang had a fleeting thought that perhaps he could have been Soza's father.
He shook off these wild thoughts and said quietly, "I'm certain I know why you asked to speak with me, governor."
Bradley nodded, his expression tense and serious. He didn't say anything until the footfalls of Azula and Gaeseric had faded fully away. "You caused quite the stir today, Aang. I don't suppose you are at a loss for just why that is."
Aang nodded. While there had been no great deal of suspicion raised towards him or any of his friends during the hearings following the war's end, he knew that Bradley and at least a few of the other council members were aware of how unfairly it was believed they were treating Sasuke.
Because they haven't a clue on what really happened that day.
The council had been more than happy to blame every heinous happening of that day on Sasuke, and Aang knew that while the thousands upon thousands of people among the Nations were eager to lap it up and create their own infamous legend and telling of Sasuke, the council was just happy to have an international scapegoat. Nothing was proven during those hearings, just a lot of speculation and emotional outbursts by those who pretended that Sasuke had been the true villain all along. No mention was given to Obito or Madara, nor was any mention given to Sasuke's heroism and personal risk he undertook to save Ba Sing Se and stop Ozai. Aang supposed it would never be known, the way things were.
"My office has been able to mostly muffle what would have been deafening words printed at presses all over the city, and have muted them into the idea that you merely suggested that Sasuke's story might be more complicated than we realize."
To this, Aang was surprised. He hadn't been sure that the story of his outburst wouldn't make at least one main paper, but if it really had been leveled to this point, he supposed that was something of a blessing.
"I understand," was all he said, by way of thanks. Bradley watched him for a long moment before continuing.
"I understand you and some of your friends have… reservations about Sasuke's standing in the eyes of our government and therefore, in the eyes of the people."
Aang said nothing to this; Bradley likely knew well enough towards his attitude and he had no desire to exacerbate things by snapping at the governor, no matter how much he felt like doing that.
"The United Nations Council cannot tolerate his name being put in such an awkward position," Bradley said with an air of finality and Aang turned to look at him. "You know what could happen if that investigation reopens."
"You'd all just shut it down and we'd move on again, Sasuke would remain public enemy number one," Aang grunted quietly.
"Not if it's your voice that has given rise to the investigation!" Bradley said sharply, his expression growing intense. "Curses, Avatar, you know what happens when you say things in public like that!"
"I get censored?" Aang asked bluntly and Bradley tightened his lips in frustration.
"People listen to you! My office can only manage so much, and I am still not entirely convinced what you actually said won't break public attention! I've read what you said today, it would be very damning for all of us! The public will demand that Sasuke's position is reevaluated!"
"Is that such a bad thing?" Aang snapped, finally unable to keep himself from flaring up. "You know as well as I that everything he's accused of isn't at all true!"
"We've talked about this!" the governor burst out, growing louder still. "If you go out, shouting that, in essence, everything we've labeled him for has been a lie! This dissolves so much; your credibility, our credibility, the government's credibility and the credibility of your friends! We cannot have this!"
Aang turned away with a snarl on his face and jammed his eyes shut. Every part of him wanted to shout back at the governor and yell his peace, but in his mind's eye, all he could see was Sasuke looking at him, his eyes tired and apologetic.
"You can't let me put you in any danger, which is exactly what would happen if any of you tried defending me during these upcoming hearings."
He let out a sigh of defeat and lowered his head. "I know. I'm sorry, it won't happen again."
Backing down just then felt like the most despicable and cowardly thing to do, but in honoring Sasuke, he knew that he also had to honor his friend's wishes. Sasuke had wanted this, to be the villain, and to be the one that could keep him and everyone else from coming under suspicion and trial for atrocities committed during the war.
Bradley seemed to deflate slightly and while Aang felt no sympathy from him, there was something in his voice then that could have been understanding.
"I understand not everything went as you would have liked. But we owe this to the people of our healing Nations; Ozai is gone, and people needed someone to blame. That is the fact of the matter."
"I know," Aang muttered bluntly. It wasn't as though anything Bradley had said was inherently false, but Aang was long since over wanting to be told why Sasuke was going to go down in history as a destructive legend that parents warned their children about as a boogeyman of sorts.
"I'm sorry, Aang," Bradley said. "I must ask you don't make any statements to the press until the open state dinner."
Gladly.
"Thank you for your time," the governor said as far as a farewell was concerned and marched off in the direction that Azula and Gaeseric had gone.
Aang waited until his footsteps too finally concluded what had been a short meeting, but an aggravating one nonetheless. There was no reason to have not seen it coming, especially after what he had said, but he could still feel his gut roiling angrily.
What does he know? None of those fools know the first thing about Sasuke.
He sighed and leaned over the banister, relishing this rare moment where he could just be alone. There was no one to be angry about what had happened other than himself, but he didn't want to confront that in front of anyone, especially not Katara. He loved her as much as life itself, but when he had to deal with her lecturing and condescending attitude, especially when she was right, was nothing short of frustrating.
I think I'll just wait here a bit… settle down before I go and see everyone.
There was no doubt in his mind that he would be asked about this when he met with the rest of them, and he wanted to have calmed down before he was questioned about what he said by Katara, or Sokka, or Suki, or…
Spirits help me, what if Azula decided to come along for the nightcap?
She had just questioned him in general, but Aang had no doubt that the vindictive part of her mind might try and prod him further, especially if she had an audience to do it in front of. He found himself actually chuckling as he leaned over the banister and tried to mentally prepare himself for having to deal with something like that. His hope was that Azula would go back to her room to be with her daughter, but she so freely went wherever she wanted these days, and her dropping by for a nightcap with everyone else was not at all farfetched.
Take it easy, there's nothing you need to explain that you already haven't said. Just be honest and open and don't try and hide anything, Katara will weed you out like—
It came on quite quickly and he had absolutely no way of preparing for it. There was a flash of pain in his head that came on as though the sun had suddenly blinked in front of his face. Aang jammed his eyes shut and screwed up his face, giving a shout at the sudden pain; it felt like some ethereal dagger had just plunged into the back of his head and sent electricity pounding through him. The only other thing he had a way of comparing it to was when Azula had attacked him in the cave and knocked him into his brief coma. This seemed almost more invasive though, as if something was trying to worm its way into his very mind.
He dropped to his knees and could only give the barest effort in fighting back before the pain eclipsed him and his body went limp, dropping to the floor as his body lost consciousness.