Chapter 3
Eona
Earth Kingdom port village, western shore
Eona peeked her head out of the hold, hoping to quickly slip off the ship before anybody noticed her presence. The ship had just docked, and Eona's hunger and impatience had forced her to leave her cramped hideout behind. When she was sure nobody was watching, she pushed herself up onto the deck and hurried for the loading ramp. Just as she was about to step off the deck, she heard a man yell, "Hey! What are you doing on my ship?"
She sighed dramatically, cursing the fates for her bad luck. Turning, she muttered an uncertain "Um…" She wasn't about to admit she had stowed away on his ship, but she wasn't sure what to say to get out of it.
Before she had a chance to come up with an excuse, the man narrowed his eyes at her, tilting his head slightly to one side. "Do I know you?" he asked.
"Uh… no, I don't think so," Eona muttered, taking a step back. She glanced behind her, wondering, if she bolted now, could she get away?
"I do know you! I'm sure of it. You're very familiar…" the man muttered, stroking his bearded chin dramatically, as if it would help him think. Suddenly his eyes widened as realization dawned on the man's face. "Princess Eona!" he exclaimed, dropping to the deck of the ship, his head resting against its wooden planks. "Please, forgive my disrespect, I did not recognize you at first," he moaned.
"No, no, it's alright, I was hoping you wouldn't," Eona said, approaching the man. She was thinking quickly, trying to come up with an excuse for her presence on his ship. Obviously the man didn't know about the events that had unfolded in the palace, which was good. She rested a hand on his shoulder, wanting him to rise. He looked up, and she motioned for him to stand.
"May I ask, princess, why you are on my humble vessel?" the merchant asked carefully, his tone layered with admiration and respect. Now that's something I've missed, she thought as she felt a small sense of the superiority she had once held returning.
"Nobody can know I'm here," she ordered. "Swear you will keep my presence a secret, and I may feel kind enough to explain what is going on."
"Of course, princess. Your order is mine to obey," the man agreed, bowing his head slightly.
"Good." She paused, thinking of a quick story. "I'm here because I'm on a secret mission, sent by the Firelord herself. I'm trying to solve a problem that involves the disappearance of people. We suspect the Earth King himself is involved. I couldn't be seen leaving the country, so I was forced to stow away on your ship. I'm sorry if it caused you any inconvenience."
"No, of course not, Princess. I'm honored to have you aboard my ship. Being able to serve you, even without my knowledge, is a wonderful privilege," the man insisted.
Eona graced the man with a small smile, something she knew royalty rarely did in the presence of their citizens. "Thank you, kind sir. Now, I must be leaving. Remember, nobody can know of my presence here. Some people might ask about me. They may even be my sister's generals. Do not tell even them that you saw me… we suspect traitors among them, and my sister and I don't know who to trust." I can't even trust her, she thought bitterly.
"I will see that this is done," the man said, bowing again.
"I must leave, now," Eona repeated, backing away. She slipped down the ramp, hurrying down the dock. She couldn't help but hope her plan wouldn't backfire, and the man blabbed about where she was to everyone back home. He seemed loyal enough. Hopefully he remains that way.
Once at the end of the dock, Eona took in the small but busy earth kingdom town she had ended up in. It was partly walled in, but half the wall had collapsed into the sea, along with plenty of other rubble she could only assume used to be buildings. Behind the city, a large but young forest sprouted from the ashes of a previous forest. All of the buildings were had green tiled roofs and tan walls, looking like a quint essential earth kingdom town. She couldn't help but notice how much of a change it was from red and gold color scheme at home. No, not home, she thought, realizing it was probably best she no longer referred to it as that. If she did, she would never get over what she had lost.
Moving farther into the town, she started scanning the shops near the docks. Most sold food and other stuff, but one shop had a painted sign above it boasting the 'best weapons in the Earth Kingdom'.
Deciding to stop there, Eona moved inside, looking around. She had to admit, the weapons inside were pretty impressive. Every type of weapon from every corner of the globe lined the shelves and racks. With such a large selection, it took her a minute to find what she was looking for. She stopped by the bows and almost bought one, but decided her archery skills were too lacking. There were plenty of smaller bladed weapons, perfect for concealing. She did grab a set of small knives, but that wasn't what she was looking for.
Finally, near the back of the shop, behind the spears, Eona stumbled across one of the largest selections of swords she had ever seen, and she had seen some pretty large ones. She started scanning through them, picking up a couple to test their weight, or how the grip felt. Picking up one, she smiled as it slipped into her hand comfortably. It wasn't too heavy, with a long, thin blade. It was a perfect one-handed weapon, just right for the style of fighting she employed. Stepping into the center of the aisle, she gave it a few experimental swings. "Like that one?" A man asked behind her.
She spared a glance at the man, and then allowed the sword to rest lightly on the palm over her empty hand. "Yeah," she muttered as she studied the blade.
"It is quite the sword, isn't it?" The man said, smiling, obviously very happy she was interested. "It's called a Jian sword. Apparently it's pretty popular in the Fire Nation."
She had recognized the design, and now it made sense why. This sword was very similar to one she had practiced with a few times back at the palace. Its familiarity is what had drawn her to it in the first place. "Yes, it is," she agreed. "How much for it?" He thought about that for a minute, decided a price, and announced it. Deciding it was fair enough, she said, "I'll take it."
The man nodded, looking even more pleased. "I'll go get the sheath that goes with it," he informed her. She nodded, and he disappeared into a back room of the shop. She reached into her pouch and retrieved the proper amount of gold pieces. When he returned, he handed her the sheath, and she handed him them the money. "Thank you for your business, miss!" he called as she headed out of shop.
Eona crossed the street to acquire some food from another shop, and added it to her pouch. Then, thinking it a good idea to acquire some clothing that would blend in with the crowds a little better, she stopped at a clothing store and claimed some. After that, she stood in the middle of the street, not knowing what to do next.
She was realizing she had stumbled across a freedom she had never had before. She could go anywhere, do anything, as long as she kept her identity a secret. Her life was completely her own for the first time in her life. Yes, she was free, and it terrified her.
Avani
Ba Sing Se's middle ring
Avani was spread out on her back, snoring softly, when she started to wake. Something had stirred her, but she wasn't sure what. Her groggy mind suddenly started to focus, and she realized there was a strange pressure on her chest, making it slightly difficult to breathe. She blinked her eyes open and looked down to find a furry thing curled up on her chest, purring softly in its sleep. She flinched, yelping. "What? What is it?" Arrkun said as he sat up, attempting to rub the sleep from his eyes.
The furry thing lifted its head, blinking at her with big yellow-green eyes. It yawned dramatically, flashing small canine teeth, before stretching and climbing off of her. She rolled over, facing it, and studied the intruder. It was a catowl, but one like she had never seen before. Instead of the body of an owl with a head of a cat, this one seemed a little weird, which was why it took her a minute to identify it; it had the body, legs, tail, and head of a cat, with owl wings tucked against its sides, and light feathering mixed in with the fur on its back. It's coat was dark brown with lighter and dark spots mixed in, like the wings of an owl. "Weird," she muttered. The catowl mewed as if what she had offended it.
"Is that a catowl?" Arrkun asked as she sat up. She nodded. The catowl began licking its long brown tail, obviously no longer bothered by Avani calling it weird. "What's it doing here?" Arrkun asked. He crawled out of his sleeping bag, moving towards her.
"Don't ask me. The thing can fly, maybe it just wandered here," Avani said with a shrug. She reached out for it, hoping it wouldn't shy away. Purring happily, it shoved its brown head into the palm of her hand, obviously wanting attention. She chuckled, stroking its head and soft, feathered back. "I think it likes me." It purred louder, as if in agreement.
"Well, we better get going, if we want to see the upper ring and get out of the city before the day's over," Arrkun said, climbing out of his sleeping bag and rolling it up.
"Alright," Avani said, turning to her sleeping bag. As she grabbed it, the catowl shot forward, shoving its nose underneath her hand, prying it from the bag. It tilted its head back, ending up with Avani's hand resting on its head again. She laughed, amazed at the strange creature's determination to not be ignored. She petted it for a few minutes more, and then rolled up her sleeping bag. It mewed pitifully, swiping a paw at her. "Hey!" she exclaimed. It shied away, mewing again.
"Aw… it's cute. Can we keep it?" Arrkun asked as it moved towards him, staring up at him with wide, pleading eyes. It bonked it's head on his leg, and then rubbed its side against him, mewing repeatedly.
"Yeah… it's adorable," Avani said wistfully, staring at the mottled pelt of the catowl. Then she blinked as she realized what he said. "Wait, why are you asking me if we can keep it?"
"I don't know… I guess I just felt I should ask before I started dragging it around," Arrkun said with a shrug. If she wasn't mistaking, he was blushing a bit, but his tan skin made it kind of hard to tell.
"Well, with the way it's acting now, I don't think we'll have much of a choice. I bet you it'll just follow us, whether we want it to or not," she said as it pawed at Arrkun's hand, rolling over playfully.
"Well then, it's decided then. He can come with us," Arrkun proclaimed, stroking the catowl's belly, which only made it purr louder.
"She."
Arrkun blinked. "What?"
"It's a girl. Male catowls have green or red markings on their wings. This one doesn't. It's a girl," Avani explained.
"Oh." He shrugged. "She, then. She needs a name."
"How about insistently needy?" Avani suggested. The catowl turned to stare at her, looking sad. She chuckled. "I don't think she likes that name."
"No, I don't think she does… what about Tora?" Arrkun suggested.
"I like it. Welcome Tora, to this strange band of random people," Avani said. Suddenly, Tora flipped back onto her paws, staring intently off in one direction, and then stalked off, returning a few minutes later with a mouse in her jaws. Avani's face scrunched up in disgust. "That's gross Tora," she informed the catowl. Tora obviously didn't seem to care what Avani thought because she dropped the mouse and started eating it. Avani pulled a face and turned away.
Arrkun laughed. "She's got to eat too," he pointed out.
"Yeah, but does she have to do it in front of me?" Avani asked, glancing at the catowl and then quickly looking away again.
"We should eat too," Arrkun decided, pulling some food out of his pack.
"No thanks, I've completely lost my appetite," Avani said. He handed her a biscuit anyway, and then suddenly her appetite was back at the site of the soft bread. "Never mind, I lied." She accepted the biscuit and bit into it, discovering it wasn't so soft anymore. A little disappointed, she finished anyway. While she ate, she doggedly ignored Tora.
After the three had finished their meal, Avani stood, pulling her pack onto her shoulders. Arrkun joined her. They climbed down the stairs off the porch, and Tora mewed at them, as if to ask where they were going. "Come on Tora," Avani called, but the catowl stayed put. "Fine then, stay there. We'll come back."
They continued walking, and then suddenly Avani saw a flash out of the corner of her eye, and Tora was landing lightly on her shoulder, her long tail curling around Avani's neck. She purred softly as she rubbed her face on the girl's cheek. Avani smiled. "Changed your mind, huh?" she patted the cat's head, and then continued. At first she felt as if she had to be very careful not to make any sudden movements, afraid she might knock that catowl off, but Tora balanced expertly on her shoulder no matter what she did. Eventually, Avani relaxed. The three made their way across the city slowly, heading for the last wall they hadn't passed through.
Just as Avani was getting tired of studying the buildings around her, she found herself face to face with the stone wall. They approached the train tunnel, which was identical to the one they had closed up on the other side of the city, except for this one's track was still intact. The bottom of the tunnel was just a little higher than she could reach, but Arrkun, who was about a head taller than her, could reach. He grabbed onto the ledge and pulled himself up easily. Tora lifted off Avani's shoulder with a flap of her feathered wings, disappearing into the tunnel. Arrkun turned and crouched down near the tunnel's edge, reaching a hand down to help her up. Suddenly she felt an extreme sense of independence and said, "It's alright, I've got it." She earthbended the ground under her feet, making it level with the tunnel, and strode inside.
"I could have helped you," Arrkun said, as he stood up and turned to her.
"It's fine," Avani said, feeling a little bad for denying his help. What had made her feel the necessity to show him she could do it on her own? Shaking the strange feeling off, she walked deeper into the tunnel. After a couple of seconds, Arrkun followed.
On the other side, Tora was perched on the track, her tail flicking impatiently. She stared at them, seeming to say, what took you so long? She leaped back onto Avani's shoulder, almost unbalancing the earthbender. "Please, warn me before you do that," she told the catowl, who mewed apologetically.
They continued out of the tunnel, to the massive upper ring of Ba Sing Se. This part of the city was much nicer than the middle ring, and it seemed people had recently been there. Construction on new buildings had obviously started, abandoned mid project. Repair to other buildings had been done, making the city almost look complete again. Almost.
It was still eerily quiet, making Avani shiver. It was almost worse, seeing that people had been there so recently, and then disappeared. They passed a tea shop, with a faded sign proclaiming it the Jasmine Dragon. When they stumbled across the palace, Avani stared at its withered grounds. It obviously hadn't been tended to for a while, and the bushes and trees were overgrown, the grass long and tangled. They passed many empty houses, one with a wind chime that clinked softly as they passed. "You know what, I think it's time we get going. This place is depressing," Arrkun muttered, breaking the eerie silence.
"I couldn't agree with you more. Let's go get the water out of the lower ring and get going," Avani agreed.
"Avani, I don't think we're going to be able to fix the lower ring," Arrkun said with a sigh.
She turned to him, a curious expression on her face. "Why not? We can fix it the same way we did the middle ring."
"There's a lot more water, and I'm only one bender. I think only a fully realized avatar could do that alone," Arrkun said.
"Oh," Avani said, trying to hide her disappointment, and embarrassment. Why hadn't she realized that? She had saw that the amount of water from the night before had almost been too much for one bender to handle. "Well, then I guess it's time to leave then," she muttered. Glancing up, she said, "We can go over that side, sense we're heading north. That way we don't have to go all the way around the city after backtracking out of it."
"Good idea," Arrkun agreed, and together they started towards the far wall, Tora circling lazily overhead or riding on Avani's shoulder.
Eona
Farther inland, at another nearby Earthkingdom town
Eona pushed open the doors of the cantina, wondering what it would be like inside. She had never been to a cantina before. Glancing around, she claimed a table near the back of the room, and signaled for a waiter. She requested a hot meal and something to drink. The waiter nodded, and moved away, returning a few minutes later with her food.
Eona began eating quietly, studying the crowds around her. Her cultured life was so much different from the lives of the people around her, it fascinated her. As she took a sip from her drink, a man entered the cantina, glanced around, and seemed to stare right at her. She pretended not to notice, but an uneasy feeling coursed through her. She couldn't help but wonder if the man recognized her, even this far from the fire nation. He approached her table silently, his eyes not moving from her once. Great, she thought. She slipped to the edge of her seat, ready to be on her feet and ready to fight at a moment's notice. She would have reached for the sword strapped to her back, but that would be too obvious, so instead she dabbed at her mouth with her napkin, wiping away the grease from the meal. He hands had to have something to do, or they'd betray her nervousness.
The man came to stand next to her table, staring down at her. "Can I help you?" She asked politely, trying not to let her emotions show.
"Yeah, you can, by moving out of my seat," the man ordered, sounding pissed.
She took another sip of her drink, and then placed it down on the table, taking her time. "Your seat? I don't remember it being reserved," she pointed out, sounding innocently confused.
The man rubbed a hand across his face, looking exasperated. "Look, sense your new in town, I'll explain it to you nicely. Every night, at this time, I come here to eat, and I always sit here. Everybody knows not to sit there, because I beat the crap out of anybody that does, got it?"
Eona's eyes narrowed. She knew she should just back down, let him have his precious table, but she hated people who thought they could push others around just because they had a bigger fist. She also really hated being told what to do. "Well I had no idea. Like you said, I'm new here. It won't happen again. Why don't you sit somewhere else tonight, and then you can sit here tomorrow?"
The man literally growled, sounding like an armadilolion. "Obviously your too dimwitted to get it, so I'll say it nice and slow. Get. Out. Of. My. SEAT!"
She stood slowly, stepping in front of the man. The man was surprisingly short, allowing Eona to look into his eyes. "I am not the dimwitted one, my friend. You're the one picking a fight over a table in a rundown, pathetic cantina." They stared at each other for a minute in silence, each of them waiting for the other to back down.
"Hey!" somebody called. They turned to see the waiter standing with her hands on her hips, staring at them angrily. "If you're gonna fight, take it ou'side. Nobody's gonna mess up my place tonight!" she ordered.
Realizing just how stupid of a fight she was about to get herself into, Eona turned back to the man and said, "Don't worry, I was just leaving." She pulled a couple of gold pieces out of her bag and tossed them to the waiter, who caught them. The man's eyes widened in surprise at the money. She eyed him one more time, and then strolled outside, her head held high.
It was dark outside now, the last light from the sun fading in the distance. She hadn't made it far, when she heard the guy's voice behind her. "You know, you've got a lot of money in that bag. It's not safe to carry that much money around… maybe I should remove its burden from you. Wouldn't that be a gentlemanly thing to do?" She turned. His big face was plastered with a smirk, and two short swords were clutched in his grip.
She grabbed the hilt of her newly acquired sword, pulling it from its sheath and slipping into a light stance. "I'd like to see you try, bud. I've fought a lot worse than you. Maybe you should just turn around and head back inside," she warned.
With an angry yell, he charged at her, swinging the swords aimlessly. He had obviously no training whatsoever, which made Eona sigh. This is too easy, she thought as she sidestepped his attack, not even bothering to raise her sword. There was no need. The man stumbled past her, whipped around, and came at her again.
She continued to dodge his blows for a while more, making him flustered and even more angry. When she was done humiliating the guy, she shifted, holding her ground. He charged at her again, his swords raised above his head. He swiped down hard at her head. She met his blades with her own, pressing up. He was stronger than her, she'd give him that, but she didn't have to hold him off for long. A swift, hard kick to his gut sent him stumbling backwards, before he fell with a thud on his butt. He dropped his swords, clutching at his middle.
She walked towards him, pointing her sword at his throat. He grabbed halfheartedly for his swords, obviously more concerned about the pain he felt than the weapons. She kicked them out of reach, just to be sure. He scooted away, suddenly a coward, but she followed. "So who's the dimwitted fool now? I was willing to challenge you, a lone woman. You would think that and the sword strapped to my back would be sign enough I'm not somebody who takes threats lightly." He groaned, crouching in front of her. She smirked, enjoying his pain. "Remember this, idiot, and try to think before you attack next time."
After a minute more, she backed away, replacing her sword in its sheath on her back. She scooped up his swords, and started back down the path, glancing over her shoulder to make sure he didn't follow. He eventually stood and walked back into the cantina, obviously having no interest in attacking her again. After a few minutes, her smirk faded as she realized she had stood there as he had suffered, actually enjoying his pain. When did I become such a horrible person? She said, inwardly chastising herself. She couldn't help but compare herself to her sister.
"You know, I don't know many people around here with that kind of skill," someone from the side of the path said, shocking her from her thoughts. Great, what now? She thought with a sigh.
"Who's there?" she demanded, raising the stolen blades, her golden gaze raking the surrounding trees carefully.
"Don't worry, I'm not here to mug you or anything," a man said, stepping out of the shadows, his hands raised submissively. He was tall and thin, and well dressed. He looked pretty important. "I've been looking to hire someone with you skills, and happened to notice you fighting that man. I was impressed."
She relaxed, letting her arms fall back to her sides and stood up straight. "Well, thanks… I guess," she muttered, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
The man relaxed as well, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Would you be interested in doing a little job for me? I pay well," he asked.
Eona was about to decline. She didn't really need the money, she already had plenty, and she wasn't really interested in working for the man, but then she stopped to think about it. Eventually, the money she had would run out, and having a job would mean she had something to do with her life. It would be easier to move on, forget her past, if she had something to focus her mind on. "What do you need me to do?"
The man smiled, showing off a set of perfect teeth. "Wonderful. Come with me, and I will explain everything over a cup of tea." She followed him back up the path, wondering what she had gotten herself into. "By the way, what's your name?"
Realizing if he was a nobleman, he may just recognize the name of the previous crown princess of the Fire Nation, she quickly came up with a different name. "Hikari," she replied.
"Well Hikari, I'm about to make your life wonderful," the man promised. Part of her couldn't help but doubt it. "I'm Ilesh, by the way," he added, almost as an afterthought. He led her to a large house deep in the forest. Climbing the porch steps, he unlocked the front door and allowed her in. "You know what? It's late. Why don't I have one of my maids show you to a guest room, and tomorrow we can discuss business, alright?"
She glanced at him, and then sighed. "Fine," she said quietly.
He smiled again, and then called for a maid. Two identical looking women entered the room and bowed in unison. "Yes sir?" the both asked, their voices eerily in sync. She stared at them, on eyebrow raised, feeling just a bit creeped out.
"Girls, this is a new friend of mine, Hikari. Show her to a room, and make sure she's comfortable for the night," Ilesh ordered, and then he walked away, leaving Eona alone with the two maids.
"Please, follow us," they said, still speaking at the same time. The turned and glided down a hall in the opposite direction of Ilesh. Eona reluctantly followed. They stopped in front of a room, and slid the door open to reveal the lavish room inside. "Does this room please you?" they asked.
"Um… yes. Thank you," Eona said, entering the room. They followed. "I think I'll be fine now, thank you for your assistance," she told them, hoping they would leave.
"Of course, mistress. Good night." They bowed together and slinked out, leaving Eona alone. Though they were creepy, the conversation reminded Eona of the maid she had left, Faia. She had always been so kind to Eona, and though she had never told Faia, she had always been grateful.
Eona unstrapped her sword and dropped it on the large bed. She couldn't help but notice the bed was imported, from the Fire Nation, of all places. Though its curtains and coverings were green themed instead of red, Eona would have recognized the large, four-poster bed anywhere. It was the same style as the one in her old room in the palace. She sighed, hating all the reminders of home in this lavish house.
She threw her satchel on the bed as well, and then turned to face the wall opposite, to discover a full length mirror on the wall there. She stared at her reflection, and how much it had changed since the last time she had laid eyes on it. She was dressed in a simple green tunic and trousers now, instead of lavish gold and red robes. Her hair was in a tight ponytail, instead of pinned up tightly and adorned with a crown. Her golden eyes were the same though, and she stared into their depths. She remembered thinking as Faia had helped her prepare for that meeting if she would look differently the next time she saw herself. Well, I definitely do, but not for the reasons I was expecting, she thought. Instead of changing because I became Firelord, I changed because I became a renegade, lost and alone, in an unfamiliar land. Not what I was expecting at all.
She forced herself to turn away from the mirror when she noticed the tears building in her eyes. She angrily rubbed at her eyes, wiping the tears away. She wouldn't cry over her lost future, never again. Taking a deep breath, she promised herself that. No more tears. Never again.
She pulled her tunic off, replacing it with the dress she had grabbed from her closet back at the palace. She had started using it as a nightgown, sense she hadn't thought to grab any night-clothes. She slipped under the silk covers, realizing just how much she had missed a real bed. She stretched out, knocking her belongings onto the floor below, where she had left her clothes. She buried her face in the soft pillow for a minute, and then turned to look out the window, staring at the full moon until she dozed off.
Author's notes: I just couldn't wait to introduce Tora! She's actually the real main character of this story... XD just kidding. Please, if you read, post a review or something! I love hearing from my readers! Thanks for reading! :)
Chapter 4
Eona
Earth kingdom Noble's home
Two soft knocks on the door to her bedroom woke Eona. For a minute, she was a bit disoriented, not sure where she was. She almost called out to Faia, telling her to leave her be for a few more hours, but then she remembered she was no longer in the palace.
She stretched, her eyes closed, feeling pleasantly comfortable, a soft smile on her lips. Soft sunlight filtered through the curtains on the bed, not enough to keep her awake, but enough to warm her. She suddenly had no intention of answering the knock, wanting to stay wrapped in the comfortable silk sheets. She had just started to doze again when the knock came again. Her smile disappeared, and she sighed. "What?" she asked, sounding slightly irritated.
"Mistress? Ilesh has instructed us to help you prepare for the day. He's waiting for you. May we enter?" Eona recognized the voices of the two maids from the night before. She rolled over onto her back and then sat up, prying her eyes open. She studied the room again, able to see it better in daylight. It was lavishly furnished, the large bed she now rested in the centerpiece of the room. Large doors opened to a private porch. Sunlight filtered through them, the source of the warmth she had felt earlier. There was a dresser next to the mirror she had noticed the night before, and near the foot of the bed there was a bench seat pushed up against it. A small, low table sat next to the side of the bed. Other tables boasted a variety of plants, bringing life to the room, along with several paintings. "Mistress?" the maids asked again.
"Yes, come in," Eona said, slipping out of bed. Her bare feet rested on a soft, deep green rug. The rest of the floor was wood. She stood, stretching, as the doors slid open.
"We bring a gift from Ilesh," the two maids said as they entered. Between them, they were carrying a few packages, wrapped in simple brown paper. "He told us to tell you that as his employee, he wants to provide you with the best supplies. Also, he says that we are to serve you for the duration of your stay." They bowed, lifting the presents to her.
"Um… okay," she muttered, the gifts taking her by surprise. She accepted the gifts, and laid them on the bed behind her.
"Please, open them, mistress," one of the maids said, speaking separately from the other one for the first time since Eona had arrived. She glanced at them, one eyebrow raised in surprise, and then turned back to the unexpected gifts. Shrugging slightly, she pulled the paper carefully off the packages one by one.
Once the last piece of the paper was removed, Eona examined the contents. Spread out before her on the bed was a black two pieced tunic and belt, very practical but nicely made, obviously for traveling. There was a nice dress, in shades of dark green. A long coat in a similar dark color looked like it could be worn with either garment. There was a set of soft slippers, obviously for the dress, and more practical boots. There was also a hairbrush, a large traveling bag, a small pile of jewelry in similar coloring to the dress, and set of nightclothes, which surprised Eona. How did he know I needed these? She wondered, feeling a bit unnerved. "They're nice," she said when the stares of the two maids urged her to comment.
"Yes mistress, they're the finest. Ilesh had his wife found them for you, earlier this morning," the maids informed her, speaking in unison again. For some reason, hearing that Ilesh hadn't picked them himself was a relief. "The dress is for this morning, and for any other formal moment you may run in to on your travels. He wanted you to have something nice to wear when you meet his family."
"Well then, let's not keep him waiting any longer. I should get ready. Thank you for bringing these," Eona told the girls, dismissing them.
"Will you need any assistance preparing?" they asked.
Eona shook her head. She could get dressed on her own. "No thank you. Wait outside." The two bowed again, and then slipped outside, leaving Eona alone. Holding the dress up to look at it, Eona discovered it actually had two parts; the outer most layer separated easily in her hands, the darker second piece falling to the ground. She laid the top layer on the bed, and gathered up the second part, laying it next to it.
After undressing, she gathered up the dress, and slipped it on. It fit snugly, the long flowing skirts barely scraping the floor below. It had a low collar, ensuring it wouldn't be visible with the top piece, and no sleeves.
The outer most layer was the lightest, with long sleeves. She picked it up, and discovered two pins on the side. Undoing them, she slipped her arms into the billowy sleeves. They just reached her knuckles, making it easy to hide her hands in them. Around the sleeve cuffs was dark embroidery. The layer's skirt was cut at a slant starting at the hip, revealing the layer underneath, which was a few shades darker. The deep green complemented the top layer's color nicely, and matched the embroidery well. She wrapped the front shut, tucking one layer underneath the other, and then redid the pins.
Staring at her reflection, she couldn't help but like the dress, even though she had never been a fan of fancy wear. It was simple yet elegant, not nearly as fancy as what she was used to, but in her opinion it made her look better than any of the stuff she had worn back in the Fire Nation. She had thought she wouldn't look good in green, but the shades made her raven hair look even darker, and turned her eyes a bright coppery color.
Reaching up to brush her loose hair away from her face, she glanced around the room, grabbed the hairbrush from the bed, and began taming her wild hair into a tight braid. She then pinned it up into a bun, and added a headband she found among the jewelry. It set nicely behind her loose bangs, making her simple hairdo look nicer than it was. Adding earrings, and placing her feet in the slippers, she felt ready.
She stepped out of her room, leaving it a mess. She'd take care of it later. The maids bowed to her and said, "Follow us to breakfast, miss." They turned and started back down the hall, Eona in tow. They led her to an open dining hall, with a nice table big enough to sit many guests. Ilesh was already seated at the head of the table, a nice woman about his age sitting on his right, who Eona assumed was his wife.
"Hikari, join us," Ilesh greeted, standing. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, thank you," she said gratefully. The maids pulled out the seat across from Ilesh's wife, and Eona sat. "I must thank you for all of your gifts, Ilesh. They're wonderful," she added.
"You're welcome. Only the best for my employees, right Jaya?" Ilesh said.
The woman smiled with a nod. "My husband insists on supplying only the finest for his guests, and those he hires. What job did he offer you?" she asked.
"Oh…" Eona started, still having no clue what her job would be. Ilesh jumped in, saving her from having to answer.
"She's for a special job. We haven't discussed the details yet," he informed his wife, who nodded. Just then, two young men walked in. They looked like brothers, the older of the two about her age, the other about five years younger. "Boys, join us. Hikari, these are my sons, Charan, and Harshul." He gestured to the older boy first, and then the younger.
The two bowed in turn, and then the younger of the two waved enthusiastically. "Hello!" he exclaimed. The older boy smiled, but remained silent. They both had brown hair, Charan's slightly darker. Harshul had big chocolate-brown eyes like his mom, and Charan's were a nice hazel color.
"It's an honor to meet you," she told them. The two claimed seats, Charan sitting next to her, his brother across from him. Another door opened, allowing the smell of cooking food waft into the room, and then five people walked out, carrying plates of food. They placed them in front of the people at the table, and then five more filled their empty cups with steaming tea.
They ate silently, and then when they finished, Jaya excused herself, taking an irritated Harshul with her. Charan stayed, but remained silent as they talked. Ilesh turned to Eona. "So, Hikari, let me tell you why I hired you." Finally, she thought, setting her tea cup down. "Recently a man broke into our home and stole a very valuable and precious family heirloom. I hired a man to track him down, and he followed him all the way to Omashu. Then the thief discovered he was being followed, confronted my man, and severely injured him. I've been looking for somebody since then that has the right skill set to retrieve this item for me, when I met you."
"So you want me to find the thief and retrieve this heirloom for you?" Eona asked.
"Exactly," Ilesh confirmed with a nod. "I'll pay you well for it. I put a bounty on the man's head, but nobody's managed to stop him yet.
Eona nodded, taking this information in. So I'm doing a bounty hunter's job now, she thought. That's a new low for me. "How am I supposed to find him?" she asked.
"The thief is reportedly quite tall, with darker skin and gray hair. He's younger than he looks though, and a great fighter. My sources tell me he's heading north again, following the coast line. Why he would come back this way, I have no idea. He's probably trying to sell the heirloom, but with my seal on it, it'll probably be hard for him to sell it; it's obvious he stole it from me, and most people wouldn't want to get mixed up in that business. If he has managed to sell it, I ask that you see if you can track it down," Ilesh requested.
"That shouldn't be too difficult," Eona said.
"So it's settled then?" Ilesh asked. Eona nodded. "Good. You should leave soon, if you want to catch him. He was last spotted a few towns south from here."
Finishing her tea, she stood, "Well then, I better get going. Thank you for your hospitality. I'll return as soon as I can." She bowed to him, something she wasn't used to, and then left the room.
Once back in her room, she changed quickly into the tunic Ilesh had given her, briefly wondering why he had insisted she wear the dress to breakfast. I changed right back out of it. That was pointless. She then began placing all of her belongings in the larger pack. "I'm surprised," came a voice from behind. Eona glanced over her shoulder to see Charan leaning against the door frame.
Turning back to the bed, she grabbed the sword and started strapping it on. "Why?"
"My father hired somebody else to track down that stupid piece of junk. And a girl, no less," Charan clarified.
Eona couldn't help but feel a spark of anger at that comment. "Do you think I can't handle the job?" she asked, letting her irritation show.
"Do you want the truth, or the nice lie I should tell you?" Charan asked, sounding a bit sarcastic.
"The truth."
"No, then. You can't possibly beat this guy alone. The man my father sent before you was older, stronger, a great fighter. Your one girl, probably no older than eighteen, and I'm guessing you don't have much experience with that sword," Charan said, his tone blunt.
Eona turned towards him, her anger flaring. "You know what? If you feel so sure that I can't beat him, why don't you go in my place? I can't imagine you'd do much better. Being a nobleman's son -especially one like Ilesh who hands his problems off to someone else instead of manning up and taking care of them himself- you probably don't even know how to hold this sword." She gestured angrily at the hilt protruding from behind her shoulder.
Charan raised one eyebrow, smirking slightly. "That's who you think I am? A spoiled brat?" he asked, his tone void of any malice.
"That's exactly what I think," Eona confirmed.
"You're right."
Eona blinked, completely surprised by that comment. Her anger deflated a bit, replaced by confusion. "You are? I mean, yeah, you are!" she said, trying to not let her confusion show. She couldn't let him win. Why in the world are you agreeing with me?! she wondered silently.
"You're right, my father would never take care of his own problems. He hates conflict, unless it's a debate for political power. He expected me to grow up, exactly like him, the perfect child. So I would be a spoiled brat unable to hold a sword properly, if I hadn't taken matters into my own hands. I was determined not to end up like my father, so I decided the first step I needed to take was to learn how to defend myself. It took me some time, but I found a master, and I learned," Charan clarified.
"Oh… Well then, that more than qualifies you to take my place," Eona said, crossing her arms over her chest. She couldn't help but admire Charan for taking control of his situation like that, and was desperately trying to remain angry at him.
"But then, that would leave you without a job. So, I've decided I'm going with you," Charan announced.
Eona stared at him for a minute, once again surprised. "Is that why you came here? To ask if you could come?" she asked. He nodded. "Well, you have a weird way of asking it." After a pause, she added, "What would your father say if he found out you were planning this?"
Charan's face darkened. "My father thinks I'm off to an all-boys private school in Omashu. He won't miss me. I just said goodbye. My stuff's waiting on the porch outside."
"Oh I see, I'm just your ticket out of going off to some horrible school," Eona said with a slight smirk. He stared back, one eyebrow raised, not denying it. Her smirk faded, and she sighed. "I don't blame you. Private schools suck, I should know. Fine. You can come."
He grinned. "Great. Wait, you've been to a private school?" he asked, looking surprised.
"Uh… yeah," she hadn't realized she had said that. She had, back in the Fire Nation. Recovering quickly, she added, "Didn't expect that from a girl like me, did you?"
"Nope," he said, being bluntly honest again. He seems to have a habit of doing that, she thought. "What's taking you so long? We really should get going," he pressed.
She rolled her eyes, turned, grabbed her bag, and swung it over the shoulder opposite of her sword. "If you hadn't barged in here and basically called me a weakling, I would have left by now," she told him. She pushed past him, hearing him laugh lightly, and then he followed.
Avani
Somewhere between Ba Sing Se and the northern shore of the earth kingdom
Avani strolled along, her gaze fixed on the rock she was kicking in front of her. The dusty landscape around her was hot and dry, and very boring. Tora rested on her shoulder as usual, and Arrkun walked a few paces ahead of her. She desperately wanted to ask Arrkun, how much longer? But didn't want to sound like a little kid, so she kept herself busy with the rock.
Suddenly Tora crouched lower on her shoulder, letting out a pitiful moan. Deadly sharp claws slipped out of her padded paws, digging into Avani's shirt. Thankfully, they didn't catch her skin. "What's wrong, Tora?" Avani asked, reaching up to stroke the catowl soothingly. As she did, she caught a glimpse of the sky above, and looked up. "Oh… that's what. Arrkun!" She hurried to catch up to the waterbender, and then grabbed his arm to stop him.
"Avani?" he questioned, turning towards her.
"A storm's coming. A big one. We have to find shelter, now," Avani explained quickly. Arrkun glanced up to find that the previously empty sky was now slowly building with clouds.
"Where did those clouds come from?" Arrkun wondered out loud. "I swear the sky had been clear seconds ago."
He hadn't expected an explanation, but Avani quickly supplied one. "Ever since the war, the weather hasn't been normal here. Those clouds are building way too fast. I've seen it before. And notice the air? It feels heavier. I don't like it, and neither does Tora. We have to find shelter, quickly."
Arrkun stared up at the sky for a minute, watching the clouds, one hand shielding his eyes from the sun. They were getting bigger, as if he was watching a storm develop in fast forward. It was an unearthly, menacing sight, making goose bumps rise on his arms. "Yeah, you're right," he muttered grimly, and then began looking around for shelter. She too searched the horizon for anything they could use for shelter. "There," he suddenly said, pointing at a mound of earth in the distance. "That might work. Don't know what it is, but it just might." She nodded, and the two started moving towards it, as the wind began picking up.
It seemed they had made hardly any progress when the sun disappeared behind the clouds, and the gentle breeze that had started became stronger, whistling across the dusty ground, picking up sand and dirt. Tora nestled herself in the curve of Avani's neck, as if she could hide from the storm above. Avani kept an eye on the weather, as if watching it could prevent it from getting worse. Glancing up again, she was amazed to see that the sky was covered in clouds as far as she could see. Angry, rolling black clouds. She looked away, fear leaping through her heart. We're not going to make it, she thought, trying to come up with different solutions.
"We're not going to make it!" Arrkun called back to her, as if he had read her mind.
"I know!" she said, having to yell to be heard over the wind.
"So what do we do?" he asked.
"I'm thinking!" She was, but she couldn't come up with anything. She stared down at the earth below her, wishing a cave or something would just appear. Then she slapped her forehead, realizing just how much of an idiot she was. "Arrkun! I can make shelter!" she yelled, but her voice was drowned out by the sound of thunder. She saw the glimpse of lightning just out of the corner of her eye, the cause of the thunder.
"What?" he called back as the sound faded. She repeated herself, but he still looked confused. He took a few steps towards her, when the lightning struck again. The flash blinded her, and she clamped her hands over her ears as the thunder crashed over her. She shuddered, fear racing through her, making her heart race. That was close, she thought. Way too close. On her shoulder, Tora let out a terrified hiss, flattening herself even smaller against Avani's shoulder. The sound faded, and she opened her eyes. The lightning had blinded her temporarily, so she blinked, trying to clear her vision. As the dark splotches cleared, rain began falling- sudden, horrible, torrential rain. She glanced around, looking for Arrkun, when she realized he was laying on the ground in front of her.
"Arrkun?" she said, stepping closer. He didn't reply, didn't even move. Suddenly, she realized what had happened. The lighting hadn't missed as she had originally thought. Her eyes widened in fear and shock, and she hurried to his side, kneeling down next to his limp form. She gently touched him, her eyes searching for the rise and fall of his chest. No… wake up Arrkun. You can't be dead. She knew it was highly unlikely for someone to survive being struck by lightning, but she still refused to believe he was gone. Sorrow filled her, overwhelming her, mixing with the uncontrollable fear she already felt. She didn't even notice Tora detach herself from her shoulder and curl up near Arrkun's limp form. She just kept staring at his face, waiting, hoping.
After a few minutes, as the rain kept pouring down, soaking the three completely, she tore her gaze away, screaming at the sky. She was suddenly angry, at everyone, at all she had lost in the past month. The loss of her newfound friend was the last draw. Something changed in her, allowing her emotions to melt away, replaced by a sudden, cold clarity. She suddenly felt immensely powerful, powerful enough to fight the storm above them, to force it away.
That's when she noticed the large funnel cloud reaching for the ground, the beginnings of a tornado. With another flash of lighting, it touched down, sending a spray of rock and dirt into the air at its base. It began moving across the horizon, slowly making its way closer. She stared at it, not really caring anymore, only mutely aware of the danger it presented. She had the overwhelming sensation of being detached, as if suddenly she wasn't actually experiencing this, but more watching from a distance as it happened to somebody else.
With power she didn't know she had, she created a protective bubble around them, made of air, water, she didn't know. Instinctively she knew it would protect them for a little while, but not permanently. Then she stood and spread her hands out in front of her. A crack appeared in the ground, quickly circling them, following the perimeter of their protection. Then, she clenched her hands into fists, and with a stomp, they plummeted several feet down. She glanced up, and the earth shifted to cover the whole, leaving small places for air to enter but nothing else. To solve the sudden darkness inside the shelter she had created, she opened her hand again, and a flame erupted there. She rested it on the ground, where it grew larger. More flame appeared on the walls where she pointed, and, slowly, her surroundings were lit by a flickering, warm light.
As it began to sink in that she was now safe, she stood staring at the flames for a minute, before her knees gave out and she slumped to the ground. She glanced around, not understanding how she had managed these things. The earthbending didn't surprise her; she had done things like that before. It was her sudden ability to use other elements as well. Where did that come from?
She stared at the flames as they burned, slowly shrinking again. Her numbness began to fade, allowing her emotions to pour back in, filling the void inside of her. Arrkun… she thought. Slowly, she climbed to her feet, fatigue making her limbs feel like jelly. She moved towards his body, where Tora still lay curled up next to him. She crouched next to him, still not sure if he was alive or dead. She bit her lip, fighting tears, trying to figure out what to do next.
Under the light of the fires she had created, she could see better than she had above. He was lying on his stomach, slightly crunched up, as if his legs had given out from underneath him and he had fallen. There was a burn mark on his shoulder, probably where the lightning had hit him. He was paler than she remembered too. When she discovered he was breathing, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. He's alive, she thought, feeling a little hopeful.
Suddenly Tora moved away from his side and started licking his cheek, wiping away rainwater. That's when she realized he was soaking wet, and probably pretty cold. She pulled his pack off his shoulder. One strap was burnt through, leaving the pack hanging from one strap. She set it aside, and then as gently as she could, she rolled him onto his back and then scooted him closer to the fire. He has a sleeping bag in his pack, right? She thought, remembering he had slept in one the night before. She moved back to it, opening it and studying its contents.
Surprisingly, the pack had kept everything mostly dry inside. She pulled the rolled up sleeping bag out, and then noticed medical supplies in a small bundle underneath. She pulled those out too, not sure what to do with them but knowing that he needed medical attention.
Carrying the two items back to him, she sat down next to him again, and then started examining the bundle's contents. There were bandages, a small knife, and several strange smelling creams with no indication to what they did. Then she noticed on the lid of one of the bottles faded writing, barely legible. It was hard to make out, especially since the lights above were slowly winking out, one by one, with no fuel to keep them burning. Squinting, she leaned closer to the main fire, angling the bottle so the light caught it just right. When she made it out, she smiled, realizing it said one word. Burns. "Perfect!" she exclaimed, making Tora look at her curiously.
Knowing his shirt would get in the way of cleaning and bandaging his wound, she decided to remove it. It was destroyed anyway, a huge whole burnt away above his wound. She discovered it pulled off over his head, but that wasn't going to happen, not with the huge burn on his shoulder. She didn't dare lift that arm to remove the sleeve. Well… she thought, thinking of another solution. The sleeve's barely hanging on anyway. Sorry Arrkun. She grabbed the knife from the kit, and began cutting away the remnants of the sleeve. Once it was gone, it was easy to pull the rest off over his head without risking his injury.
She turned to Arrkun's shoulder, the angry red burn suddenly intimidating. She didn't really want to touch it, partly because she was worried she'd hurt him more, partly because she wasn't sure her stomach could handle looking at it that long. But, she was nothing if not strong, so she clenched her teeth and got to work smearing the fragrant cream on the wound.
Once that was done, she let out a sigh. Now for the hard part. Getting the bandages around him would require lifting him, while wrapping the wound at the same time. She couldn't help but wish for a second pair of hands. "What if I…" she muttered, and then stood. As carefully as she could, she propped him up using earthbending in a way that allowed easy access to his shoulder, but kept him upright without hurting him more. She quickly got to work wrapping the wound. She quickly discovered how awkward a place the wound was, making it difficult to get the bandages to stay. Her complete lack of experience didn't help. Eventually, she managed to get the wound covered, along with his chest and most of his upper arm. They were tight enough, she figured, and kept the wound clean, so they were good enough.
Then she thought of the sleeping bag again. Carefully allowing him to slip back down to the ground, she laid him on his back. She grabbed the sleeping bag, unrolled it, and with no way of getting him inside it, laid it on top of him like a blanket. Tora tried to climb onto him, but not wanting the catowl to bother him, she picked her up and set her down away from him. "No, Tora. You can sleep with me," she muttered, before moving towards her own pack where she had deposited it sometime earlier.
She pulled out the sleeping bag, laying it next to Arrkun. She quickly climbed inside, where she fell asleep immediately. She didn't even notice Tora curl up close to her, purring softly.
Author's notes: New chapters are coming a bit slower, but I promise, I will update! Starting school is making things difficult.