~~~~~~~~~~~~~*`~~:Chapter Ten:~~`*~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If someone had told her a few days back that she would have a civil conversation with a person from the fire-nation, Ally would have laughed in that some ones face and tell them that would never happen.
The only fire nation people she had ever gotten along well with was Susan and Kuzon; Aang had introduced her to them. Ally felt a stub of pain at the thought of them gone; she'd never see them again; after a hundred years they'd have to be dead... Or a hundred and fourteen... Ally knew it was possible to live longer but it was rare...
Ally sighed and shook her head, trying not to get her hopes up to much. Snow-fire growled and Ally's attention went to the large kingdom of Omashu. Ally smiled in relief; it hadn't changed a bit.
She frowned... She couldn't see how she'd find Aang here... maybe she should wait for him? Maybe she was too late? Ally went pale... but maybe she was early? She thought hopefully.
Ally looked at the road that meets up with the city, then to her animal companions frowning, would the earth benders attack her if she flew over the city's walls... A hundred years of war would surely leave the tough earth kingdom jumpy and the water nation twitchy... She wasn't about to take chances, even though Omashu's citizens back a hundred ago were known to be the friendliest in the world, but that was a long, long time ago. She wasn't about to take unnecessary risks.
Ally jumped down to the ground and pulled lightly on Snow-fire's reigns, "Common Snow-fire, we should walk."
Snow-fire growled and started to walk forward with the lemurs on the saddle. Ally and her animal companions reached the gate after several minutes'.
As she reached the gate with her animal friends one of the Gate Guards earth bended a huge boulder out of the ground and held it over Ally's head. Snow-fire growled threateningly with her large white fangs exposed and the other Guards stepped forward in alarm. Ally put a comforting hand on Snow-fire's wrinkled snout, silencing the furious Ermine-wolf.
"No untamed animal's allowed." said one of the Guards.
"My Ermine-wolf is very tame; she only reacted to the threatening way you have put a boulder over my head." Ally said, looks like things have changed here, Ally thought sadly. Snow-fire growled in response, looking at the soldier who looked abashed.
"You're a bit young to be travelling by yourself." said the Guard who had earth bended a boulder over her head, he dropped the boulder next to himself and flattened it back into the hard earth.
"War does that to people." Ally responded with a smile.
"You're a refugee?" Asked one of the Guards.
Ally shook her head, "I am a Nomad, a friend of mine is going to pass through here and I am merely hopping to stay here until he arrives." Best stick to the truth as much as possible... then I don't have to remember what I've said!
"Keep your pets out of trouble. There's a stable on the lower ring, you can keep your - er- Ermine-wolf there." Said the Guard who had previously earth bended a boulder over her head.
Ally bowed as they stood aside and Ally and her companions entered as the huge wall opened, revealing Omashu. Ally had only been to Omashu once before and it certainly had grown, the city had many houses with roofs painted in Earth Kingdom green. There were chutes all over the city with crates and packages sliding along them.
Ally smiled back when she remembered a crazy friend Aang had introduced her too. Chuckling, Ally fondly remembered the way Bumi and Aang used the chutes as a crazy slide, she had one of the best times of her life here at Omashu.
Ally found the stables easily enough, and payed for a night stay for Snow-fire... She didn't know how long it would take Aang to get here, so no need to pay overboard, just one day at a time. There was an inn next to it, but Ally proffered the safety that Snow-fire and the two lemurs offered, she had grown use to relying on them for safety and in this new world she felt safe only when she was with them or nearby.
Ally moved through the city easily and reached a crowded street. Ally looked around; the street was decorated like there was a coming parade. Or a feast of some kind was about to happen... Ally used her natural agile ability and slipped through the crowd to see what was happening.
It was obviously the King of Omashu, Ally tilted her head slightly, studying the clearly ancient man; his fashion sense was clearly eccentric, a outrageous purple royal robe and a strange sort of hat that had two feathers that looked like rabbit ears, his eyes held a pale green colour and each a different size, giving the frail old man a look that complemented his dress sense... He looked familure.
He gave the air of authority but also of childishness seen in most air-benders... Ally frowned in confusion... He also had this genius look to him... So familure, perhaps he was a descendent from a person she once knew?
Ally looked to the source of the celebration; the opening of an Earth-bending school. Ally wondered if Aang had mastered water bending yet...
Ally clapped along with the crowd as the Earth bending school opened by the Kings smashing of a bottle of orange juice. The King scanned the crowed clapping also, grinning toothily. As his mis-sized green orbs passed over her part of the crowed; his gaze narrowed in on her. She felt very self-conscious at the intense, almost critical, gaze.
Deciding it was best to disappear now she slipped back through the crowed, but not before noticing the King talking to one of his royal guard. Crap. Was the King old enough to know what Air-benders looked like? She hoped not.
She spread out her senses and walked back to the stables where Snow-fire, Nyx and Neo were waiting for her. But a tingle travelled down her spine and she felt nervousness and insecurity churn in her stomach; trusting her senses she could guess where her stalkers were and inconspicuously pulled out one fan from her belt and flared it open to reveal yellow fabric. She fluttered it in front of her face they way she'd seen other girls doing it.
She turned into an alleyway and then leaped onto a green tiled roof quickly. She opened her other fan and steadied her heartbeat, she peaked over the rooftop, three guards had gone into the alleyway which was now empty. Ally smiled at their confusion and bounced onto a cart that slid down for several streets then hopped off it, landing onto the ground with an easy grace.
Folding her yellow fans back and sliding them back into her belt, she started to head back to the stables where her animal guide and her two lemurs were waiting.
She'd have to keep a low profile, she was almost certain the old King knew she was an air-bender, and she wasn't about to let herself be caught so easily.
Two days passed without incident, Ally had been able to avoid all the guards of Omashu while looking around for Aang, who was a no show for now. Ally knew that it wouldn't be easy to find Aang, he was really good at disguise games and hide-and-go-seek; and since he was the Avatar he'd have to disguise himself for his own safety. Ally was worried that she had missed him, spirits she hoped not. She hadn't had a vision yet so that must be a good sign.
Ally walked down the shopping street empty of Omashu guards, a hand suddenly rested on her shoulder and spun her around. She gulped at the sight of a guard. Not just any guard, but the guard who was at the gates before; the one that had earth bended a boulder over her head.