Ignition
Chapter 17: Incendiary
As soon as they were out of sight, Katara dashed to the tent she shared with Rhyu who followed on her heels. Skidding to a halt, she threw open the tent and crawled inside. Her smaller friend wriggled through the opening behind her and pulled the tent flap closed. Rhyu sat back on his heels and watched as the older girl rummaged frantically through her pack, dislodging the strangest assortment of items. Finally, it seemed like she had located the source of her frustration as she plopped down beside him with a small wooden box balanced across her folded legs.
Katara glanced up at him and smiled briefly before refocusing her attention on the small kit provided to her by General Iroh. She slid the flat top outward and let it clatter to the ground at her feet. Rhyu lifted up onto his hands and knees to investigate. The box held a neatly organized assortment of vials and sachets in a wide array of shapes and sizes. Katara fingered through the medley, mumbling to herself as she went.
"Aloe, comfrey, no, no…wormwood, no that won't do," she mumbled to herself as she rummaged through the medicinal kit. "Catuiba? Really? Good lord, now why would we need that?" she muttered, allowing the small pouch of the bark known for its aphrodisiac and hallucinogenic properties to fall back into the box. "Honestly Iroh, couldn't you pack something useful?"
Rhyu watched the older girl with rapt attention, hoping he would soon be informed of the plan. "What are you looking for?" he asked when the anticipation began to mount.
"Something to knock out those guards," she replied without looking up, her brow furrowed in a strange combination of concentration and frustration as she turned her attention to the numerous phials of extracts, tinctures, and serums. Lifting an older looking bottle from the container, she held it at eye level and swirled the viscous amber liquid. It appears to be the right color at the very least.
Gently Katara unfurled the peeling label with her thumb. A smile spread across her face. "Perfect," she gasped. Holding it out to Rhyu, she muttered, "Take this. And be careful, it's nightshade."
The young boy gently took the bottle and set it on the ground next to him. Katara continued rummaging through the box until the located a tiny vial of what appeared to be a viscous white liquid. After snapping the lid back into its tracks and sliding it closed, she set the kit aside. "Milk of the poppy," she explained simply after noticing Rhyu's querying gaze.
"This should knock them out for a while," Katara stated as she began to mix the two using a dropper from the kit and a small flask from her pack. Securing the stopper in place, she held the mixture up to the light. "Looks good to me," she said, giving the bottle a tiny shake. "We'll mix it with a little honey to mask the taste and it should blend right in with their evening mead."
"Will it hurt them?" Rhyu asked. Katara shook her head. "It could if we gave them too much, but that shouldn't be necessary. We just want them to sleep heavily for an hour or so. A few drops each should be sufficient," she explained, tossing the small bottle into the air and catching it in the palm of her hand.
"Where did you learn all of that?" the young boy asked, clearly impressed.
"My mother had started to teach me about healing a while before we were attacked. My brother Sokka taught me the rest in the course of our travels. More often than not there wasn't a place that we could stop to resupply so we foraged and did what we could," Katara answered softly as she wrapped the bottle gently in a thin strip of cloth and stuffed it down into her boot. That way I'll have it if the opportunity presents itself.
"Was it tough?" Rhyu inquired.
"We managed," Katara answered with a shrug as she bundled up the scattered contents of her pack and went about refilling it.
"You miss your friends and your brother don't you?" Rhyu asked after a slight pause. Katara nodded silently. Not wanting to allow the longing to overtake her, Katara stood. "Why don't we go sneak Zuko some food and let him in on our little plan?" she suggested, picking up the half-filled flask of soup the pair had shared with the boys earlier and a roughly hewn bowl. Rhyu nodded and leapt to his feet. The two exited the tent quietly, trying to move as stealthily as possible. They stuck to the shadows when they could and darted quickly across the few open spaces between the rows of tents.
Coming to the last row of tents before the clearing in the center of camp, Katara and Rhyu paused. Peering around the edge of the tent in front of her, Katara swore. The guards were much closer to Zuko than they had been previously in the day. "There's no way we'll be able to talk to him," she mumbled angrily. Rhyu cocked his head to the side briefly, considering the scenario.
"No, I wouldn't say so," he retorted before snatching the flask and the bowl from Katara's hands. He emptied the soup into the bowl and tossed the container back to his shocked friend before stepping boldly out of the shadows. Not wanting to expose Rhyu, Katara remained frozen in the shadows, wide-eyed.
As Rhyu approached one of the guards turned to face him. Relief rushed through him as he released the small breath that he was not aware he had been holding. Thankfully, it was a soldier who was nicer to him than most. The second sentry was a greater distance away on Zuko's opposite side, staring into the trees. "Hey Ban," Rhyu called as he approached. Recognizing the boy's voice, Zuko lifted his head. The man Rhyu named smiled.
"Good evening little man," the older man replied as he set aside the helmet he had been polishing. "What brings you my way at this hour?" he asked as he stood. The man was tall and lean but sinewy. Katara noted the deep gash over his right eye, evident even in the dark from her distance. To her, he looked lethal despite his kind words. Praying her friend knew what he was doing, she continued to watch.
"Zahn said that I'm to feed the prisoner," Rhyu replied, nudging his elbow in Zuko's direction. To Katara's amusement, he did his best to act dejected as if the task had been forced upon him.
"Good to see that shit still flows downhill, even for you boys," the older man replied with a chuckle. "Alright then, get on with it," he added before sitting down to continue working on his armor. "He's pretty tame now aren't ya lad?" he called to Zuko.
Zuko did not acknowledge his query. Instead, he stared at the bowl in Rhyu's hands. Rhyu approached slowly, feigning distrust. "Are you sure he's r-restrained?" Rhyu asked, allowing the old quiver to return to his voice.
"Aye. His chi's blocked and those chains are so tight an elbow leech couldn't wriggle its way through. You'll be fine. Plus, Senno and I are here to see that nothing goes wrong. He knows what happens if he puts up a fight, don't ya boy?" Ban added, casting a glance over his shoulder at Zuko.
Zuko glared in return, the firelight illuminating the harsh purple bruises and dust-caked cuts he had sustained earlier. Ban chortled quietly to himself as he switched to sharpening his blade. Rhyu stepped forward and held out the bowl to Zuko. The young man eagerly raised his head as Rhyu set the edge against his dry, split lips and slowly tipped the contents into Zuko's mouth. The fire prince gulped down the stew readily, hardly pausing for to breathe until it was completely devoured.
Glancing over his shoulder to ensure Ban was out of hearing range Rhyu turned to face Zuko. "Aren't they feeding you?" he whispered. Zuko barely registered the movement of his lips.
He laughed weakly, letting his head fall to the side as he regarded Rhyu through his dark brown mop of hair. "I'm not exactly the guest of honor, now am I?" the older boy replied bitterly.
"Well, it won't be much longer…" Rhyu began, casting another nervous glance around them. "We're busting you out of here," he added with a mischievous smile.
"How? When?" Zuko asked, forgetting himself for a moment out of surprise.
Rhyu clapped a hand over Zuko's mouth and shushed him. Thankfully, Ban was too distracted by his maintenance and Senno was just slightly out of range.
"Tomorrow night," Rhyu breathed. "Zhao said we were camping here for a few days to round up some dissidents and heretics rumored to be hiding nearby. We'll come for you when the campfires burn down and everyone goes back to their tents."
"And what about your friend?" Zuko murmured gruffly, peeking around Rhyu to glare at Ban's back.
"Katara has that covered," Rhyu replied with a grin before straightening. "See you tomorrow," he whispered. Turning on his heel, he strode back towards Ban.
"Still got all of your fingers there boy?" Ban asked.
Tucking the bowl under one arm, Rhyu wiggled his fingers. "All ten," he responded cheerfully.
"Good, then you can still count hire than that twit Tinzo," Ban answered.
Rhyu laughed honestly, nodding his head. "I'm going to turn in. G'night Ban!" he called as he scampered into the darkness between the tents. Two hands reached out of the darkness and grasped the front of his tunic. He was spun around and set firmly on his feet. Before a word could escape him, Katara enveloped him in a crushing hug.
"You are far more intelligent than anyone gives you credit for, you clever, clever boy," she whispered as she held him at arm's length to look at him. A small laugh escaped her as she dropped her arms to her sides. "Forget firemouse, they should call you silvertongue."
"You really are a bad influence," Rhyu teased as they headed quickly back across camp.
"Did that explosion muddle your head?" Zahn demanded, crossing his arms over his thick, barrel-shaped chest. He strode forward, lifting himself off of the edge of the heavy wooden table against which he had been leaning while he listened to Tinzo's report.
"I know what I saw," the young man replied. "That skinny new brat palling around with my brother and his merry band of misfits is no messenger. It's a girl, and a waterbender at that."
"Then kindly explain to me how he managed to get through a training session with the masters," Zahn hissed, infuriated that his time was being wasted on the boy's mindless speculation.
"I don't bloody know!" Tinzo retorted, his frustration evident. "Maybe someone helped him. I can't imagine who. Jeb's not that stupid and the little brat that follows him around like a pup can barely make a spark!" he quipped.
"What your tongue, boy. If I didn't know your family you're head would be spinning right about now. He seemed to do fairly well when you vexed him earlier," Zahn replied smoothly, raising an eyebrow.
"He got lucky!" Tinzo yelled defensively. "You've seen him in training; the kid is useless for anything besides target practice."
"I'll give you that," Zahn conceded. "If his father wasn't of noble blood there's no way we'd have been forced to put up with him this long."
"Pity," Tinzo spat. "Enough about Rhyu, what of the girl?"
Zahn paused, looking Tinzo over. "It's a reach at best, but I'll look into it."
Tinzo nodded. "So do we go to Bujing first or straight to Zhao?" he asked impatiently.
"I'll ask again – did that blast addle you? Honestly!" Zahn hissed through bared teeth as he rounded on the boy.
"I saw her bathing in the river, there's no mistaking that. And the water bowed to her will. I would not lie about such a thing and for the last time, my head is fine. The men all say a young waterbending girl travels with the Avatar. Last I heard, Zuko the Traitor fought alongside them. Do you think it's a coincidence they're both here at the same time?" Tinzo stammered as he cowered. "They have to know where the Avatar is. He might even be near. Surely the Admiral would be pleased?"
Zahn scoffed as he crossed the tent to pout himself a bit of the sour wine the higher ranking men were permitted. "What are you now, 16 summers?" he asked, staring at the canvas wall at the back of the tent as he drank.
"Seventeen, sir," Tinzo replied.
"So young. So naïve," Zahn murmured.
"I don't understand. We'd be rewarded. They'd honor us!" the boy exclaimed emphatically.
"Or perhaps the Admiral would demand to know how she went unnoticed for so long. Did you consider that?" Zahn replied in a sinister snarl. Tinzo struggled to come up with a response, but Zahn cut him off. "You've been here long enough; you've seen what is done to conspirators. And that's just how we'd be seen. They'd say we were either neglecting our duties or involved in whatever plot these two have likely concocted. Personally, I like my limbs attached and being fed to Bujing's tigerdillo is not on my list of things to do," Zahn finished, turning to face Tinzo and resting against the table once more.
Tinzo's face blanched, his mouth snapping shut. In his two years with the division, he had witnessed several executions meted out by their superiors. The number of accusations had skyrocketed since Zhao's arrival nine months ago. Heresy, mutiny, insubordination – the list of charges went on.
"We've come to an understanding then?" Zahn asked. Tinzo merely nodded. "I'll tell you what. Find her and bring her to me. Secretly, do you understand? Don't go making a scene or I'll have your hide."
Tinzo nodded frantically. "Of course, sir. I'll find her. Tonight."
"See that it's done. That is all," Zahn finished, dismissing him with a wave of his hand. He watched the boy depart, his frown deepening at the thought of this new development. If the messenger really was a spy for the Avatar, they were facing a much larger problem.
Author's Note: See, I told you I'd have it up quickly. Feed the writer bug – let me know what you think!