Kirana awoke feeling groggy and to a throbbing pain in her left shoulder. She could hear voices around her. One sounded like a woman's and the other a man's. They seemed to be arguing about…her? Why?
"Why not let her family see her first? I had to drag her father away for he was dead on his feet." The woman was saying.
The man replied, "The Fire Lord's orders were," he was cut off as another voice, a young woman's, interrupted.
"Lady Kirana need's at least a day's rest before she talk's to the Fire Lord. I don't care if he gave you specific order's, she'll need rest." A day? Last time I hated being stuck in bed.
"Her fever just broke last night. If she catches fever again from a meting with the Fire Lord you'll be sorry." This voice was slightly accented and sounded the youngest.
So, three women and one man surround me, great. Kirana thought this as something cool ran across her forehead and down her neck, while the sent of roses filled her nose.Rose water. She'd have to get up now, no more pretending.
Slowly Kirana opened her eyes. Immediately the arguing ceased. Again slowly she looked around. A young pregnant woman was splotching rose water on her face, an older women stood beside her right side, the guard was standing on her left and the young accented woman stood with her finger in the air as though she had been shaking it.
"I'll give her a few hours, but that's it." The guard left quickly, slamming the door behind him.
The oldest said, with a curtsy, "My name is Gudjen, and the pregnant one is En, short for Endwina.'
With a curtsy the accented one said, "My name is Kelda. I would like to know, if you don't mind, how you got the scar across your stomach."
Kirana flinched at the memory. "It was a few years ago during an Agni Ki that I lost. I had gotten mad a boy about my age and challenged him. He accepted. We held it in a clearing by his house at sunset.
" The battle was fierce. I knocked him down three times, but could not bring myself to give the final blow. He then brought me down. He did give the blow." Here Kirana took a shuddering breath. "I tried not to scream, but couldn't hold it in. My scream was that of misery and pain. People said they could hear it a mile away. The next thing I remember is waking up with my aunt patting my head with a damp cloth, my uncle passing nervously and my father sitting beside my bed asleep in a chair."
Kelda gasped and all went quite. Kirana knew she shouldn't have told the story. Just then the door bursts in and Kirana found herself engulfed by three figures.
"Oh, Kirana we though we lost you! Oh!" Aunt Chen had engulfed Kirana in a bear hug. "We were so worried."
Jackpher watched his daughter tears in his eye. Kirana slowly pulled herself away from her aunt to embrace her father. Soon she found herself crying into her father's shoulder out of relief that he had not died during the battle.
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Zu Ling turned to face the two figures behind him. "I expect you are ready for your missions?"
Jo and Nora nodded. "We're ready sir."
"Good. Jo you must make sure the Avatar does not escape before we are ready, and Nora this is a good time to perfect your healing skills. Good Luck to the both of you."
Bowing, Jo and Nora left for the palace.