~~~~~~~~~~~~~*`~~: Chapter Nineteen: ~~`*~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Man overboard!"
Ally weakly looked around toward the voice; she spotted a Fire Navy ship. She groaned in annoyance, fate just loved to torment her. Too weak to move she listened to a distant splash then someone swimming towards her.
Strong armoured arms wrapped around her torso and she was dragged toward the ship, a rope was thrown down and the soldier looped the rope around them both, Ally looked up to see John, looking down at her worriedly. She let her head go limp as she was hauled onto the deck of the ship.
"Get her inside!" an old voice barked sharply... Iroh?
"And take those fans off of her." a familiar voice added, she couldn't identify the person though. She looked at the speaker and recognised Prince Zuko.
Panic settled over her and she feebly clutched her fans, but strong hands removed hers; almost gently, and they took her only weapons away.
She felt like crying out in frustration.
"It's going to be alright, Ally." Said a voice she could pinpoint, she focused her eyes and saw Commander Lee. She felt like punching him in the face.
Oblivious to her thoughts Commander Lee picked her up and Ally gritted her teeth and tried to pull away, his grip only tightened. She hated herself for being this pathetically fragile, worst in front of her enemies.
Surprisingly she was placed on something soft; she fought the numbing sleep but it was futile, her pain slowly drifting away and she welcomed it... she hoped she would still wake up; being in enemy grounds and what not.
"Where is she?" Aang cried out, "Ally! Ally, where are you?"
"I don't understand," Katara said, looking at Aang. "She was right in front of me when..." her voice trailed off.
The old people were reunited and Sokka was looking at them and out to the calm sky after the storm had passed. "Could she have gotten caught in the storm?" he asked them.
Aang and Katara looked at each other fearfully. Aang snapped his glider open and took off into the sky, Katara broke down into tears and fell to her knees, Sokka bent down to hug his sister, he looked pained, a few tears fell from his blue orbs.
Snow-fire howled a long note of miserably.
Ally kept her eyes closed when she awoke, she felt stiff and her stomach was aching. Her throat felt like sand paper hand rubbed against it. She wanted nothing more but to drift back off into the oblivious.
Ally stiffened as she remembered what had happened, the storm, her wound reopening, the blood, John pulling her on board the ship, Zuko ordering her fans away, and then;
Commander Lee.
At least she wasn't wet anymore, she thought lamely to try and break her pessimism… and she wasn't dead, yet.
Ally peaked an eye open just a crack and looked through her dark lashes, she closed them immediately however, because Iroh and Commander Lee were in the room, they were having tea and playing Pai Sho. Ally stifled a laugh from breaking the silence, Commander Lee was so old; tea, really? It was hard to comprehend, she thought him a coffee person.
She listened attentively as Iroh left to get some food, her stomach growled silently.
"I know your awake, Ally." Ally did nothing, he sighed, "You must be hungry; Iroh is getting some food."
She still said nothing, but she opened her eyes and looked straight at him with an expressionless face.
After a minute of staring each other down she rasped, "How long have I been–?"
"Just a day," he said, looking at her in concern, obviously he hadn't been aware of her throat. Ally sat up wincing slightly and looked down, she was in light red robes; she glared at him. He raised his hands in a placid show of surrender, "It was that or having you freeze or bleed to death. The handmaids did it. Your cloths are at the end of the mattress."
Sure enough her orange and yellow robes were there, folded neatly.
"My fans?" Ally asked, well croaked really.
Commander Lee gave her the all too familiar smirk, "Can't have you hurting yourself can we?"
Ally's glare intensified; then she said, "How is a Poi Sho tile, of all things, supposed to convince me that you've changed?"
He laughed quietly, Ally wanted to punch him. "What's the point of a puzzle if you don't figure it out for yourself?" Yeah she really, really wanted to punch him.
"I've got the safety of my friends to think about instead of wasting my time wondering if you're still my enemy or not." She said coldly.
That shut him up; he grimaced and looked at the Poi Sho board. "Ally, I did terrible things to you and your people because of my devotion to Sozin, and I'm surprised you haven't attacked me yet, but I honestly have really changed for the better."
Ally looked away, "You're still in the Fire Nation army." She pointed out.
"As a spy." He admitted.
"For…?" Ally asked.
"The order of the white Lotus," he said.
"Never heard of it," Ally said dryly.
His lips quirked upwards, "Not surprising, the group is made up of mostly old people," he said. "It was apparently formed by Air Nomads; Avatar Yangchen suggested it I'm told."
"Avatar Yangchen's one of my ancestors." Ally said without thinking, he looked at her in surprise. Ally grimaced.
"You're spiritually related to the Avatar?" he asked in ill hidden curiosity.
The door opened and Ally looked at Iroh, who was carrying a tray of tea and a large platter of dried fruit. He closed the door behind him then set the plate on the table next to her bed, one eye on her all the while, Ally inclined her head to the fire master slightly.
Ally was in no shape to fight and all occupants in the room knew it. Though her stomach growled at her she didn't touch the food or tea, it was tempting but she knew things about Aang that could endanger him and her two water tribe friends, plus she knew the location of the last Air Nomads; she'd rather die then betray her friends.
"Do you not like tea?" asked Iroh slightly mortified by the idea.
Commander Lee sighed at Ally in exasperation, "You're more suspicious and stubborn since we first met." He took a piece of fruit from the plate and ate it.
"I wonder why." Ally said sarcastically.
Ally's stomach sounded like thunder and she took a piece of fruit and ate it. She took the steaming tea and blew on it, careful not to blow too hard; though, considering if she blew on it hard the hot tea would splatter across Commander Lee's face, oh that was so tempting, but she resisted, she was injured and in unknown waters. She took a sip, her eyes widened, it was delicious, and more importantly it was heaven for her sore throat.
"You approve?" Iroh said obviously thrilled.
Ally nodded smiling slightly, "You made this? You should think of retiring and open a tea shop, you'd make a fortune." At least her throat was good enough to speak normally again.
Iroh smiled, "I am retired, and I'm travelling with my nephew. Hopefully I can get him to settle down and open that tea shop. Would you like a game of Poi Sho?"
"I don't play." Ally said shaking her head, "I prefer Air Ball, Air scoot, Bison polo, Bison races, Glider races, Storm surfing and Penguin sledding."
Someone knocked at the door, Lee rolled his eyes, his eyes carefully trained on Ally, who raised a challenging eyebrow. "Enter John."
John opened the door and slid in, followed by Prince Zuko, Ally stiffened causing Iroh to tense.
Zuko stood in front of her and she stood up, poised to spring into action, ignoring her healing stomach wound, "Tell me where the Avatar is heading." He glared down at her.
Iroh sighed.
"I'd rather go another round with that storm then betray him." Ally said proudly.
Zuko glared, and then tried to retain his anger; he stepped forwards and was right in her face. "If you don't tell me where he is then I'll take you up on that statement."
Ally lifted her chin in absolute stubbornness; she gave her bone numbing glare. "Go on then," she dared.
"You're wasting your time interrogating her prince Zuko." Lee sighed, "Trust me you're not going to get anything from her."
Zuko glared at the commander, and then looked at John. "Put her in the prisoners hold; the one meant for the Avatar." He swept out of the room without a backward glance.
"At least let me change into my own clothes." Ally said to John, who looked at Lee. Lee nodded and left the room followed by Iroh then John. The door was bolted shut.
Ally put on her orange and yellow clothing on quickly but careful not jolt her stomach wound, Ally looked at it, the skin was melted together, it looked like someone put fire… Ally ran a finger over the delicate bright red scar that now looked like a burn. Shaking her head she wrapped her orange belt around her waist and tied it up in a tight knot.
Ally looked at herself in the mirror; her dark brown hair was a bird's nest. Ally quickly tied it up then platted it, she never had her hair so long before; the plat came down to her hips. She had to cut it soon.
"Are you decent?" John's voice came from behind the door.
Ally's cheeks heated, "I am."
John opened the door and walked in, holding a long rope in his hands. "I'm sorry, but –" he gestured to the rope.
"You aren't tying that up around me." Ally stated.
John sighed. "You have no choice." Ally gave him her bone numbing glare that she learnt from Sister Iio. He took a step back but then confidently walked up to her.
Bloody Spirits it was genetic!
She folded her arms together over her chest, but John unfolded them with strong hands and held them, his warm skin made her arms tingle. Ally blushed lightly when she saw his liquid fire eyes looking at her. "Don't make this harder for me then it already is." He spoke softly, then he put her hands behind her back and tied them up; they were surprisingly loose but Ally could tell his knots were that of a master; though they were loose, that didn't mean she could free herself from them, goose bumps crawled across her skin where he had touched.
He escorted her to her cell, Ally glared at every soldier that got too close.
When they arrived John opened the door with a small, silver key then pulled her inside gently. There were chains on the wall but John ignored them and untied the ropes then placed the key in her hand, slightly bewildered Ally closed her fingers around it.
He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Wait until its dark, I'll give you your fans when you get on the deck. An air benders staff from the last time you were on this ship is in my uncle's room, I'll give it to you with your fans, you'll find me on the left side of the ship next too a large create."
"Thank you." Ally murmured.
He left the room, the door unbolted. Ally looked at the door where the young fire nation soldier had disappeared; she had never felt more grateful. He saved her life by dragging her out of the ocean and giving her the opportunity to be escape.
"If only the fire nation was more like you." Ally said softly.
Ally snuck out of the room two hours after dark and slipped down the corridor, at the end of the corridor she saw a door and opened it with the small key, she ducked into another corridor; her heart beating so steadily that it kind of freaked her out. Then; hearing someone approach, she hid behind a door; she looked back as the guard walked into a room opposite the room she was in.
Ally crept out of the room and inaudibly rounded into the next corridor, to her horror a guard was right in front of her, luckily his back was to her. Ally jumped and watched from the ceiling as the guard turned around, he walked the way Ally came and disappeared around the corner. Ally let out a small sigh of relief and dropped down.
She continued down multiples of corridors, hiding in the shadows or on the ceiling as guards walked by. She walked up onto the ships deck and dodged as light from a lantern swept through where she once was.
She moved toward the only create on the deck, a hand covered her mouth and pulled her behind it, Ally elbowed the individual in panic and turned around to deliver the final blow but her eyes connected to Johns liquid fiery orbs.
"John," Ally breathed, "You almost gave me heart failure."
John smirked that all too familiar smirk and handed her fans and an air benders staff to her. Ally placed the fans to her belt and took the staff. Then he handed her, her lost necklace and fighting fans, Ally put her necklace on with surprise and awe then placed her old fans in her belt.
"You're amazing, do you know that?" Ally said, looking into his liquid fiery orbs.
John grinned at her, "You're pretty incredible yourself, now," he took out a map and pointed to a place off shore. "We're about here at the moment, about five miles from where we found you, if that means anything." He rolled up the map and gave it to her. "Now, hurry before they catch you."
Ally leaned forwards and kissed his cheek, "I owe you big time." She whispered before jumping overboard and twirling the glider open and soared away.