Smellerbee looked over at the girl on the floor, she had lain her on a poor excuse for a futon, but it was what they had. The cuts along the girls face would scar permanently, her burns would probably heal, she was disfigured. She wished she could have done more for her. The wood of the tree trunk was damp and was spreading along the branches, not good for someone who was possibly unwell.

The girl stirred and started groaning, her blackened hands reaching defensively over herself. Her eyes opened, just barely, but enough to show her eye color, almost yellow.

"It was pretty amazing, what you did last night," Smellerbee said. "I did the best I could for your wounds. My parents were doctors, I learnt a bit from them until they were killed by firebenders."

She realized what she had said and looked nervously at the girl. She was just lying still, curled up in the foetal position, staring blankly at the side of the hut. Smellerbee crawled over to her, those amber eyes looked up at her, filled with a desolate loneliness.

"My name's Smellerbee. What's your name, huh?," Smellerbee asked.

The girl sat up, a sigh escaped her, like just living tired her out

"Rai, my name is Rai," she said, her voice husky and unusually low.

Smellerbee looked at her, feeling almost jealous of Rai's femininity, of her cold, distant beauty. Her own hair was short and brown, her body narrow and flat, boyish. Rai had long, black hair that was falling over her face in haunted lines, with most of her clothes burnt away, the curves along her hips could be seen. She was not pretty, she most certainly could not be described using lush words, she was not seductive in any way.

She was tragic and beautiful, so emotionless and yet crying out with waves of depression. Rai was entrancing, even the way she held herself showed that she was of quality.

A shadow fell across the small room, Smellerbee looked up, in the doorway stood Longshot, his silent presence had a way of letting them know what he thought. He looked at Smellerbee and then at Rai.

"Yeah, we're coming now," Smellerbee muttered.

She motioned to Rai, who stood up and stretched gracefully. She led her out of the hut and made to follow Longshot.

Rai could not shake off the hollow feeling inside her, she had lost complete control and had done untold damage. She had no home anymore, nobody would want her around anymore. She was alone, alone and damaged.

She could not allow herself to lose it like that again, and to her, the only way to accomplish that was to not allow herself to feel anything, anything at all. So why did she feel so empty?

She would just have to get used to it.

She glanced around her, they were up in what looked like a tree fort, the bareness of winter made the place look even more desolate than the inhabitants. The children around her sat in clumps, their hunger lurking in their eyes, following her, haunting her. They held various weapons in their hands, most of them limply and without any vigor.

Now she looked at Longshot, he was of average height and not much, but there was something about him that demanded to be heard. His back was straight, he carried his bow tightly in his hand, there was something about him that Rai recognized. A loneliness perhaps, or maybe is was the over strength in his general demeanor.

They were coming up to another hut, this one slightly larger and covered in red and blue fabric, instead of one or the other. She pushed away the emptiness of her heart and briefly wondered who they were going to see, if it was anyone at all.

Longshot pushed aside a curtain of red, he held it aside and allowed Smellerbee to walk in. Rai followed, her previous and bare interest had been fleeting, she was starting to become indifferent to her surroundings, no one could care less about her, so why should she? She did not care what happened to her, she could live, she knew how to survive, if she needed to.

She stared off into space, unaware that someone was in the tent. She only looked up when Smellerbee tugged at her arm, nodding towards someone.

It was the boy who had the tiger hook swords, his brown hair was shaggy and fell over his eyes. A piece of wheatgrass was between his teeth, his eyebrows raised as she looked at Rai roguishly. He was good looking in a ragged way, he had life around him, and trouble. There was definitely an air of trouble about him.

He stood up and nodded to them. "The name's Jet," he said with a half smile, "And these are my Freedom Fighters."

Jet took in the girl in front of him, her blank stare intrigued him. Those seemingly glassy eyes held a fire behind them, like she was thinking as fast as she could, faster than he would ever be able to. She was attractive, her hair fell into a straight fringe across her forehead, framing those amber eyes of hers. Her hair was black and surprisingly shiny, her skin was pale, though her hands appeared to be scorched. Even the crimson scars on the sides of her face were beautiful. He let his eyes wander over the soft curve of her hips, she was thin, but appeared to be in top physical condition. Maybe not mentally well, but to him that added to her beauty.

All in all, Jet was attracted to her. Maybe not entirely in a romantic sense, definitely in a sexual sense though. He wanted her, that much was clear.

"Who are you?" he asked. He hadn't taken his eyes of her.

"I was, until yesterday, Rai Utsuro. But as of then, I am now just Rai," her voice was even and emotionless.

She really was something.

"Can you fight?"

She looked down at the floor, then back at him. "My parents, I mean, carers, sent me to self defense because I couldn't earthbend. My teacher was a shinobi and decided to teach me ninjutsu in secret, I joined his Village. So, I am a shinobi."

Jet nodded, this girl was getting more and more interesting, she could fight and was attractive. He was certainly lucky.

"But," she continued, "Ninjutsu is no good in battle. I am, in a sense, an assassin, though I have never killed anyone and received payment."

That was understandable, and he would make sure she joined him. He needed her.

Jet held out his hand, "Will you join the Freedom Fighters?"

Rai looked him straight in the eye, considering her possibilities. She could go and find the Kaga Shinobi Village, but there were these starving people, these people who called themselves Freedom Fighters. She had no choice really, she had a duty.

"I'll join you," she said, shaking his hand. And Jet smiled, almost to himself.

A/N: I'll probably keep Rai in this time for about another chapter, I'm then moving it forward to when the Avatar returns. I hope people read it and like it! But all that aside, this doesn't follow the Maiko ship, just to warn you. Neither is it Zutara (my OTP), so be warned.