Equivalent Exchange
Chapter 17: It's Called 'Stronghold' for a Reason
Pohuai was alive with activity. Once inside its main gates, Mai and Zuko saw many other wagons and lots of Earth Kingdom men unloading them. The Fire Nation guards watched everyone casually, occasionally barking out an order or a demeaning slur. It was obvious to them both that the guards were comfortable in their safety; once you were inside the gates, you had passed inspection and didn't need to be worried about.
"This way," one guard yelled at Zuko and Mai, waving his hand in the direction of a good sized building with a wide open door.
It was a supply depot and filled with all kinds of goods, from rice to weapons, from bolts of cloth to dishes and writing supplies. Neatly organized, everything was stacked in piles or pushed into specially made slots in the walls. Zuko drove the wagon as close to the building as he could and then looked over at Mai. She shrugged and hopped off their borrowed transportation, keeping her face down. Zuko followed and they walked around to the back of the cart, let down its little gate and reached in for the barrels that were stored inside.
"That's it, bring them in here," the guard encouraged and pointed to the far wall of the depot. "Stack them up there and then go to the office to sign your forms."
"Office?" Mai asked.
"Yeah, office; you go through that door and down the hall. There's a sign that says 'office' in big, black characters. Agni, you Earth Kingdom types are stupid."
"Then why aren't you doing the work yourselves?" Mai asked under her breath.
The guard moved away and began talking to a friend, Mai and Zuko already forgotten. Once inside the depot, they moved slowly, waiting for everyone else to clear out so that they could whisper their plans.
"Apparently, just about everything is here," Mai stated. "I say we burn it."
"Hang on a minute," Zuko replied. "I see barrels of blasting jelly in the corner. Light those up and this whole building will blow along with part of the actual fortress."
"Okay. But should we have a look around first? By the time they wonder why we haven't come out yet, we'll be Agni knows where in here."
"If you think we can manage it, Mai. I trust your judgment."
"We're here now; let's find out what we can."
They stacked their last barrel and then pulled their masks out of their bags, tied them up and moved silently into the hallway. Zuko unsheathed his sword, separated it and led the way, Mai following immediately behind. The corridor was empty but they could hear distant shouts and laughter. They passed by the office that the man spoke of and saw two men inside, hunched over their desks. Further on there were more hallways branching off from the first one and several sets of stairs leading to the different levels. They stopped to look in several small rooms, one of which was a document archive of sorts. Signaling Zuko, Mai motioned to the papers and then to the torch on the wall outside. Zuko nodded, taking a look at the important documents first; letters from officials back in the Fire Nation capitol and orders from the Fire Lord himself. Zuko stared at his father's seal, anger and pain warring within him. Placing a comforting hand on his arm, Mai indicated the torch again and smirked behind her mask.
The Fire Nation prince grabbed the torch and lit up the papers, watching for a moment as they burned, changing from crisp white parchment to crumbly, black ash. It was cathartic and he could feel an old tension and weight finally leave his body. It wasn't a cure or solution for all that was wrong in his life, but somehow it was a start, a symbolic action that that he hoped would eventually be one of many.
"Let's go," Mai signaled and they left the room, closing the door behind them. An alarm would sound soon enough and they needed to get moving.
Deep within the fortress they found the office of Colonel Shinu, top military man at the installation. A torch was lit inside and a half finished cup of tea sat on the desk along with a plate of biscuits. He would be back and soon. With a swiftness that impressed Zuko and a sense of mischief that she rarely displayed, Mai took out a blade and calmly shredded every document on the desk along with the plethora of maps that were piled in corners, unrolled here and there or pinned to the walls.
"Sir," they heard someone shout from far off down the stone corridor. "There's been a small fire in the archives room."
"What do you mean?" Shinu replied angrily. "Did some idiot leave a lamp burning in there?"
"No, sir; there was no lamp. I'm sure it was deliberate. Whoever did this targeted correspondence from the Fire Lord."
"What?" Shinu snarled. "So we have some kind of anarchist in our midst, a rebel, maybe even a traitor?"
"I really couldn't say sir."
"Increase the security along the hallways. I want this person captured."
"Yes, sir!"
Mai and Zuko slipped out of Shinu's office, both shaking with uncontrollable and ill timed laughter. They slipped into an alcove and waited for a moment, trying to gain control of themselves. A guard stomped by, this one coming from the opposite direction, on his way to see Shinu. His face was panicked looking and he wiped a thin sheen of perspiration from his forehead.
"Colonel Shinu, sir," the man called as he approached the office.
The man still stood outside, shaking his head and wondering at everyone's incompetence.
"What is it now?" the old man asked. "Can't you men do your jobs?"
"Sir, um, well, it seems that two of the Earth Kingdom delivery people went into the supply depot but never came back out."
"Never came back out," the colonel repeated. "Do you think that maybe those two are responsible for the fire in the archive?"
"What fire, sir?"
"Documents in the archive were purposely burned."
"Oh," the guard said dumbly. "Perhaps you should retreat to your office sir and post some guards outside."
"Oh, and are you in control now? Should we switch titles perhaps? I can call you colonel and you can call me guard."
Shinu's voice dripped sarcasm, slow and smooth like honey from a spoon.
"No, no, sir, of course not; you're in charge, sir."
"Very good, guard; now move along, and make sure you get me a fresh cup of tea. Mine must be cold by now."
Shinu turned around, a disgusted look on his face and entered his office. He let out an undignified yelp and called for a guard; the poor man, already halfway to the kitchen, didn't know what to do.
With guards running down the hall toward the records archive and Shinu's office and the attention taken off the supply depot, Mai and Zuko turned themselves around, went up a floor and headed back in the direction they had come from, hoping beyond hope that they would find a staircase that led back down again, close to the depot. They encountered several guards on the second level, all of whom they dispatched with ease and then shoved unconscious into rooms. They destroyed the locks as they left. It was exhilarating and a little terrifying and neither had ever had so much fun in their lives.
Eventually they did hit a staircase and snuck down cautiously. There was no need. That part of the stronghold was silent. Edging their way back to the supply depot they entered it and found it empty as well. Peeking outside the main door, Mai saw four guards milling about. Looking up, she spotted a row of Yu Yan Archers standing rigidly alert on a nearby rampart. Their face paint looked eerie in the failing evening light and the flickering orange glow of the torches. Mai ducked back inside and made a motion like drawing back a bow. Zuko understood. If things went right, the explosion would be enough of a distraction to let them slip out the main gate unnoticed. It was controlled by a simple lever; all they needed to do was pull it and run.
Zuko grabbed a torch form its holder on the wall and looked to Mai. She nodded and then held her breath. Slowly, the prince moved to the barrels of blasting jelly, pulled off the lid on one and dipped the orange flames downward. As soon as the jelly ignited, he grabbed Mai's arm and they sprinted out of the depot and into the courtyard, not pausing for anything.
The door of the depot blew outward, sending splintered bits of wood and metal flying at high speed through the air. Covering their heads out of instinct, the couple made their way toward the gate and that was when the arrows started to fly. Zuko blocked with his sword. He spun like a child's top, kicking up bits of dirt with his swift feet. Mai released her own arrows, aiming confidently at one archer. Though much smaller than the ones used by the elite group, they were effective enough. The archer dropped, arrows sticking out from the sensitive flesh of his thigh and upper arm. With one of her shuriken she knocked the bow right out of another archer's hand, damaging flesh and bone at the same time.
They continued to move backward, heading for the gate, making slow progress. It seemed much further away than the hundred or so feet it was in actuality. The archers were taking all their attention and they heard rather than saw the large group of guards pounding their way out of doorways and into the courtyard. The disorganized men shot balls of fire their way, trying to surround the pair in a circle of fire. Zuko stepped in front of Mai, prepared to block the flames and to protect her with bending if necessary. His swords and quick reflexes kept the fire at bay while Mai focused her attention on the remainder of the archers. She didn't have many blades left, however, and that could pose a very serious problem. * She reached down and grabbed the two that remained in her ankle holster. She needed to make the most of her shots. Giving Zuko a quick nudge, Mai indicated her remaining knives and then began moving backwards at a quicker pace.
The heat from the flames was making her sweat, and drops of salty perspiration ran down her forehead and into her eyes. The mask prevented her from wiping them away, so she blinked as hard as she could, aimed and threw. Two archers went down but not before a single arrow was loosed, hitting Mai just below her right shoulder in the large muscle of her upper arm. Blood, warm and sticky, flowed sluggishly out of the partially sealed wound and the pain was sharp and searing. She could feel her awareness slipping away and reached for the offending projectile, wanting to pull it out.
Zuko looked over at her, saw the arrow and let out a soundless scream. Scooping her up, he ran, not giving her a chance to protest. The prince cradled her in his arms and held his wide blades out on either side of her body.
"Go," he felt her say, her warm breath hitting the fabric of his black tunic and letting him know that she was very much alive and still able to give orders.
He ran faster, reached awkwardly for the lever and pulled down. He could feel the encroaching heat of the flames behind him as the guards grew closer. Their shouts were muffled and distant sounding, like he was hearing them from underneath water or below the earth. The gate seemed to creep open more slowly than usual just to mock Zuko and he pulled at it desperately as a spear landed inches away. He couldn't believe they were both still alive. He couldn't believe that they hadn't been captured.
Finally, the gate opened wide enough for him to slip out sideways. With the butt of his sword, he knocked out the two stupefied guards who stood just beyond the outer wall, pulled down the lever on the outside of the gate and then snapped it off, jabbing at it viciously with his sword.
Throughout it all, Mai hung on weakly to Zuko's neck, occasionally whispering encouraging words. He sprinted down the road like their lives depended on his speed, and for all he knew, Mai's life did. Zuko silently thanked Jeong-Jeong for his training. He was barely winded yet. When he reached the ostrich horses, off the side of the road in the brush he took a second to look back. Out of shape guards were stumbling their way down the road, some leaning over to catch their breath, others moving at a mere crawl, trying to ease the pain of burning muscles.
Zuko lifted Mai up, and sat her one of the komodo-rhinos. He sheathed his sword and then hopped on behind her, wrapping one arm tightly around her waist and using the other to hold onto the reins of the second rhino. The animal bolted forward, inspired by Zuko's knees pressed hard into its sides, and Zuko guided it deeper into the forest and further away from Pohuai Stronghold. After half an hour's hard riding, when he was certain that no one would discover them, he stopped.
Gently, he pulled Mai off the rhino and laid her down on the ground, putting a bedroll underneath her head. He made a flame in his fist and looked down at her arm, examining the situation and willing himself to remain calm. His first fear had been a poisoned tip, but that, it seemed, was not an issue.
"Zuko," Mai whispered, placing a hand on his cheek. "It's not that bad, just pull it out gently and use water to clean the wound."
"You need to see a healer. What about infection?"
There's no healer around here, is there? So we'll have to make do."
Her voice was sharp now and Zuko put it off to the pain she must be suffering, minor wound or not.
"I don't want to hurt you, Mai," the prince said softly.
"Then I'll do it," she replied and reached over with her left hand.
"Okay, okay, first I'm going to cut away your sleeve."
He pulled out his Earth Kingdom knife and sliced the material away from the wound. Black threads were entangled around the arrow's shaft. He looked at Mai and she nodded firmly.
"Do it," she insisted and Zuko pulled.
Mai clenched her teeth together, biting back the scream she wanted to send echoing through the night air. Zuko tossed the arrow aside and poured water into the wound. He did his best to swish it around and then pulled back the edges of the small gash, looking for bits of wood left inside. It was clean as far as he could see and he let the edges go. Brushing Mai's bangs back from her forehead, he placed a kiss on her clammy skin.
"I should bandage it up now, okay?"
"Go ahead; use my nightgown. It's in my bag."
"Why did you bring that?" Zuko asked.
"I don't know. I just did," Mai snapped.
He rooted around in her satchel, found the white nightgown and pulled off strips of material, binding her wound tightly.
"It's not too tight, is it?" he asked.
"No," Mai replied. "I'm cold, though, Zuko."
"Hang on then," the prince said reassuringly.
Zuko got some kindling, using his own fire for light while he searched. He constructed a makeshift fire pit with some stones he found and then lit the bundle of twigs. Slowly, he added bigger bits of wood until the fire was roaring. He helped Mai move closer to the warmth and then sat with his legs outspread, letting Mai wriggle against him, so that her back was pressed into his chest. He rested his chin on her left shoulder and whispered in her ear.
"You're sure that you're okay? If something happened to you…"
"I'm fine, really. I wonder what they're all thinking at Pohuai right this very minute."
"I have a feeling that the Blue Spirit and the White Spirit are major enemies of the Fire Nation now. We actually accomplished something, Mai. All those supplies destroyed and all those documents too. Plus they will be on edge for awhile at least."
"Yeah," Mai agreed. "We did okay."
Her head was nodding and she found it difficult to keep her eyes open.
"Go to sleep," Zuko said softly against her hair. "I'll hold you all night."
And he did.
They woke before sunrise, huddled together, Mai curled up tight against Zuko's chest and his arms still around her, just looser now. With a practiced movement of his wrist, he started up the fire again and shifted on the uncomfortable ground.
"Agni, my muscles are stiff," he complained. "How are you, Mai?"
"Mmmm," she yawned. "My arm's sore but other than that, I'm okay."
"Let me have a look," he replied, eyes wide with panic now. "Maybe it's infected."
Without waiting for a reply, he shifted his position and then peeled back the makeshift bandage on her arm, peering intently at the wound.
"Well?" Mai asked.
"It looks the same; but you should get it stitched up. Damn, I wish there was a town nearby, an Earth Kingdom town."
"I don't suppose you brought that sewing kit of yours, did you?"
"Of course!" he exclaimed. Then his face dropped. "But that means that I'll have to do it."
Mai shrugged and looked over at his bag.
"Fine," he sighed. "But don't blame me if something goes wrong."
He retrieved the little kit, picked out a needle and pushed some course black thread through the eye.
"You need to put a knot on the end," Mai instructed.
"Oh, yeah," Zuko agreed and made the knot. "I should sterilize the needle, shouldn't I?"
Mai just nodded and watched as Zuko made a tiny flame emerge from the tip of his index finger and then ran it down the length of the steel.
"I can't do much about the thread, though."
"No," Mai said. "It's fine now. I'm ready."
With great care and a frown on his face, the prince stitched Mai's wound. She never made a sound, just kept her hands clasped tightly together. After he knotted the end, Zuko heaved a sigh of relief and checked over his work again.
"I'm impressed," Mai remarked dryly. "Maybe I can get you to make me some robes."
Zuko glared at her and then proceeded to put the kit away and make them a quick breakfast.
"I think we should head home as quickly as possible."
In passing, he wondered why he had used the word 'home' and then continued on with his work. After eating, they rode, Mai on her own rhino again, and didn't stop until nightfall. Zuko fussed over her again, made dinner and set up the bedrolls.
"I'm perfectly capable of helping, you know, but since you're so intent on pampering me, I might as well just sit back."
"You need to rest," Zuko said, sounding every bit a husband worrying over his beloved wife.
They slept side by side, Zuko folding himself around her like the sea hugging the land. Sometime during the night, his hand strayed, whether consciously or unconsciously, Mai wasn't certain. His warm fingers caressed her breast and his soft breath hit the back of her neck. She made no effort to remove his hand but pushed herself against his body as if signaling her approval.
They made it back to Jeong-Jeong's hideout at around noon of the following day. Iroh's face broke into a huge relieved smile and he ran over to meet them, pulling both young people into an almost painful bear hug.
"Careful, Uncle," Zuko warned. "Mai's arm is injured."
The former general's whiskey coloured eyes grew wide with concern.
"Are you alright, dear? Let me see."
"I'm fine, really. Zuko took good care of me."
She smiled at her betrothed and he smiled back warmly.
"Did something else happen on your trip?" he asked mischievously.
"Uncle," the prince shouted, turning bright pink at the man's implication.
"Fine, fine, now please, tell us everything. Jee's been worried and believe it or not, I think that Jeong-Jeong fretted more than the rest of us."
"I hate leaving training incomplete," the gruff firebender stated as he joined them. "Don't think that my worry had anything to do with affection."
"No, of course not," Zuko replied.
As the prince looked at his master, the old man ducked his head as if to hide a smile.
*I've always wondered about Mai's knives…what does she do when she runs out? Does she retrieve them later or just constantly buy new blades? Once she's out, how useful is she in battle? I suppose it's one of those 'suspension of disbelief' things.
A/N: Ugh, action scenes always scare me….I have no clue what I'm talking about. Hopefully, it wasn't too painful to read. And Mai getting injured and Zuko 'rescuing' her was not a shot at the power of the female. I simply chose to write things that way.
Hey, the review button isn't rigged to explode. So don't be afraid to use it.
Thanks for reading,
Alabaster