The cool morning air was tense as the both of them tried to search for the right words to begin with. Iroh stared at the smoking remains of the fire. To be honest, conjuring up memories from Shudao Valley was extremely uncomfortable for him, too. He was never shy in admitting that he was ashamed of some of the things he'd done in the name of the Fire Nation, but Shudao was among the worst.

"Before you even begin," he heard Arlei say sternly, "just know that any kind of apology means nothing to me. So save the effort of trying. Just tell me the truth. Tell me why the hell you had to hurt them. Why did you h-have to…" There was a catch in her voice. Her outer shell was beginning to crack, and the vulnerable woman underneath was just starting to show through. "… To string them up, put them on display like that. Was it to get to me?"

Arlei was starting to turn more and more human in front of him. But he didn't like watching this change. Her eyes, trying to hide behind their black painted mask, became so clear. So readable. Iroh saw scars that ran deep and refused to heal, even after all these years.

But perhaps it was time that changed. For the longest time, Arlei remained a mystery to him even though their paths had crossed multiple times. Now he could see her: a broken warrior still trying to take refuge behind a cracked shield. But there was something else. There was Seiya. Somewhere amid all those scars and iciness, there was still the capacity to love. Maybe that's how he'd be able to save her.

"I never meant for them to lose their lives," Iroh said cautiously. "Never in my dreams would I order something so heinous to be done to them. They were warriors in life and in death, and I intended to honor them as such. But I still feel like I was responsible for what happened."

Arlei was listening with an emotionless face. Iroh wondered if she would even believe him. Then she asked, "If you didn't order it, then what happened?"

"I would have had them taken in as prisoners. They'd be sent to Boiling Rock, but they would live. One of the other generals with me disagreed. He said that those warriors had been thorns in our sides for too long."

"We made it our mission," Arlei interjected.

"He wanted them executed right in that camp. I refused to let any soldier carry it out. Then, scouts rushed in claiming that we had found the trail to the warriors' leader. You." Arlei's face remained unmoved. "Capturing the leader was of the upmost importance, so I was tasked with leading the hunt myself. But the trail hardly existed. Now that I think back to it, I believe it was a distraction planned by that general himself. As soon as I was gone, those warriors were executed."

Arlei finally looked down at the ground. Sorrow was etched into the lines of her face.

"The general knew we wouldn't be able to find you, but he wanted to break you. That's why he made sure you'd see them."

She closed her eyes, and they disappeared behind the mask. "Well it worked." A black tear rolled down her face, tracing a dark trail down her face. "And you know what makes it worse? I wasn't with them. I should have been dangling from a rope of my own. But I'm still here because I abandoned them in their time of need. That's what really, really pisses me off."

Iroh had wanted to say more. He wanted to say how, on that bleak night, he had planned to go up to the strung bodies and cut them down to rest. But before he reached the peak of the hill, he had seen a dark silhouette lowering the dead warriors down and carrying them away on a large, four-legged beast. And he had stayed back to let the lone silhouette mourn her fallen friends. He wanted to say that. But the black lines that ran down her face silenced him.

Sho crawled along the ground to Arlei's side. Sensing her distress, he rested his chin on her knee. Arlei wrapped an arm around his neck.

"But you didn't break," Iroh comforted. "You met us at Ba Sing Se. With General Shen and his daughter, you ended my siege. To this day, I still can't quite believe it, or how you managed to pull it off."

"A hero, they called me," Arlei said, her voice growing spiteful. "They sang their praise and basked in their preserved freedom. But if they knew the burdens their 'hero' had to carry, perhaps they would not have sung so loudly."

There was something Arlei was hiding about herself. Something vile. It was apparent that Iroh was not the only one who suffered after the end of the Siege.

"What happened?" It was his turn to ask.

Arlei's eyes met his. They had returned to their stoniness. "Ten minutes is up," she announced solemnly. "It's time to get going." With the base of her palm, she wiped the dark trails from her skin and stood up.

"I was sent to the colonies first," Seiya continued. "I never realized how vast the ocean is between the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. It took days and days out on sea. I spent all that time chained to a rail in the lower deck of the ship. When we arrived, I was handed over to the man who had purchased me." Her hands tightened over her dress. "He… hurt me in so many ways. I screamed and screamed, hoping someone would hear me. Hoping Zuko would…" Seiya's eyes lowered to her hands, the dress pinched tightly between her white fingers. "Or Lu Ten—just hoping one of them would find me, hug me, and tell me I was safe. But the only hands I ever felt were his, doing the vilest… I spent so many nights trying to find the courage to end my suffering." A grim look passed over Aang's face as he understood what she meant. "But I couldn't. I feared death too much, even over what that horrid man did to me. Eventually, I managed to find the bravery to run. I was so scared that I would get caught and taken back, but I met a man who helped me stow away in his cart. He brought me all the way to Ba Sing Se, but that was as far as he could take me. He wished me luck and went on his own way. I thought for sure that my life was going to improve within the City of Walls." She stopped talking as she tightened her lips into a tense line. Her hands were beginning to tremble.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "But I had to get by the only way I could. No one would take me in for honest work. I was so lost, and there was no way out."

"You don't need to apologize," Katara said. "This was never your fault." Aang saw that there were tears in her eyes. He knew how she felt. He could hardly imagine the horror that Seiya had been subject to.

"One day, something happened, and I was thrown back out onto the streets," Seiya said. "But shortly after, the Master found me and brought me here to work. I've been here ever since."

Aang rose to his feet. Seiya watched him carefully. "Thank you for sharing this with us," he said. "You've been very brave. I just need to ask you one question."

"What is it?"

"Is your master the Lower Ring killer?"

Seiya's eyes widened. Aang saw fear reflected in them. She opened her mouth to say something, but her attention quickly snapped to the door. A look of increased urgency crossed her face. She pointed wordlessly at the wardrobe. Aang could hear footsteps approaching the room. He and Katara exchanged worried glances for a second and then quickly rushed into the wardrobe. As Aang pulled the doors close, he left a miniscule crack open. A thin line of light crossed his and Katara's face as they peeked through.

Seiya shoved the scarf under her pillow and straightened up just as the innkeeper stormed in. She bowed hastily.

"Good evening, Master," she greeted, her pleasant tone poorly hiding her nervousness.

"Don't think I haven't noticed," the innkeeper growled harshly, "that boy with the scar visiting you without my approval." Seiya remained in frightened silence. Aang could see her hands, stowed behind her back, starting to shake.

"And what's more," the innkeeper continued. "He's the firelord, isn't he? Firelord Zuko?" From within the concealment of the wardrobe, Aang caught Seiya's hands squeezing one another to keep the shaking from spreading to her entire body. "I thought you'd already know what to do with Fire Nation scum, especially him. With all the chances you had, I'm surprised he's still alive."

Suddenly, Aang felt a crushing grip on his shoulder. He suppressed the urge to grunt out in pain. Katara was staring at him intensely. "Her?" she mouthed. "The killer?"

"He… I won't hurt him," Seiya declared meekly. "I refuse." Her eyes were glued to the ground. The innkeeper placed his hands behind his back and breathed deeply.

"Is this defiance I hear?" he wondered softly. "I think you're forgetting something." Suddenly, an arm flew and was held out. Seiya let out a cry as her body was abruptly yanked towards him. He was bending her neck cuff, dragging her against the ground until she was right in front of him. "I OWN YOU."

Seiya whimpered as she grasped at her neck cuff. Katara's hands were already on the wardrobe doors, ready to shove them open. Aang reached and pulled her back. Letting the innkeeper know of their snooping would probably make things worse.

"And you dare disobey me?" the innkeeper roared. "Where would you be if it weren't for me? You had nowhere to go after the brothel threw you out! You will dispose of the firelord, or I'll take THEM down into the tunnel! You really think I won't be able to find them?" With a shove, he threw Seiya back. Then, he turned and marched out of the room.

When the coast was clear, Aang and Katara spilled out of the wardrobe. Katara's hands were balled into fists. "That… that monster!" she muttered through gritted teeth.

Aang crouched down next to Seiya. "We need to get that off of you," he said as he raised his hands, about to earthbend the cuff from her neck. But before he could, Seiya raised her hands and shielded it. "Don't!" she cried.

"Why not?" Aang asked.

"I-I can't ever take it off," Seiya stammered. She pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face. "It's been me," she sobbed. "It's been me all along. He made me kill over and over again. But not Zuko. I can't hurt him. But if I don't, he's going to kill them."

"'Them'?"

They had traveled for nearly an hour. Arlei now rode atop the saddle with Iroh, but she spent the entirety of the journey silent. Finally, with a brief tug of the reins, she slowed Sho down to a stop.

"I need to tell you before we get there," she said, dismounting from the saddle. "Come down." They settled down in the grass.

"You asked me how I met Seiya. I intend to fulfill my promise now. But this isn't going to be easy to hear," Arlei warned. "Especially if you are as close to her as you say you are."

"I am prepared," Iroh said.

"I hope you are."

Her head swam and there was an incessant ringing that drilled her ears. She breathed heavily through her mouth, her breath reeking of alcohol. Damn this city and its mazelike interior. Maybe she shouldn't have left the tavern. The night was still young, after all… or was it?

Still, she was comfortably numb. The demons had been silenced for another night. That was all that mattered.

It was then that the quiet night air was interrupted by voices. Arlei turned her head, blinking her heavy eyes. She stopped to listen. There were a few rough voices, and a quieter, pleading one. God dammit, those loud voices were making her head hurt. A frown crossed Arlei's face as she turned and followed the noise. The voices led her to a dark alleyway. There were two dark shapes cornering a third, smaller one. As Arlei walked closer, she began to see the shapes in detail.

Two men were advancing on a young girl. She was begging them to leave her alone. They replied with snide, biting remarks.

Arlei placed a hand on the wall. Her vision was still tilting from side to side, and the voices were muffled to her drunken ears. But then one of the men raised a hand and struck the girl in the face.

And she heard that as clear as day.

She felt heat build up in her core as she pushed off of the wall and stormed angrily at the attackers. "Hey!" she barked.

The men turned towards her. "This is none of your business," they demanded. "Get out of here if you know what's good for you." Arlei showed no sign of relenting. "Did you hear me, bitch? Hey, we don't mind a little more entertainment."

One of the men charged forward to confront her. His arm was already arching around to hit her head with a hook. Even in her state, Arlei saw it coming it a mile away. She caught him by the wrist, pulled his arm out, and slammed her fist into his elbow. There was a prominent pop as the elbow was bent backwards. The man howled and stumbled away, clutching his broken arm.

Arlei glared at the second one and took a step towards him. He broke out of his paralysis and bolted out of the alleyway. It became quiet again, save for the girl's soft crying. Arlei turned and cast one last backwards glance at the girl. She saw something that made her stop. Slowly, she turned back towards the girl.

"How old are you?" Arlei asked. The girl raised her tear-stained face.

"F-fifteen," she whispered. Arlei felt her stomach drop. The girl was just a child.

And she was pregnant.

"I was going to leave her there," Arlei confessed. "I had driven those two bastards away and I wasn't planning on getting more involved than that. But my god, she was so young. I could tell she was already several months, in, so it wouldn't be long. I guess I realized that I had to do something."

As Iroh listened, he found it hard to keep a calm face. He tried his hardest not to think about it, instead focusing on an image of the laughing little servant girl who had served him tea back in the palace.

"After that night, I cared for her myself. I saw this as a sign that maybe my life was turning around. Before I got involved with the war, I…" Her eyes flickered to the ground and her voice grew low. "… I always wanted a family, even though I knew it was never going to be possible. But then I met her, and I even started drinking less. For a while, I thought of her as my own daughter. But I knew that her childlike innocence had already been killed." Arlei lifted her chin back up. "Then one day she told me that she had started working at Silent Falls Inn. I had a bad feeling about the place. She wouldn't tell me much about her work, but I began to suspect what went on between the walls of that inn. I knew what the innkeeper was making her do with that poison." She stopped when she saw the shocked look on Iroh's face.

"Don't tell me you never suspected," she said. "Or did you really think it was me all this time?"

"I knew it wasn't you," Iroh said. "But I would have never suspected her."

"Well I didn't stop her. To be honest, I was just a little sad about having to be left with myself again. I hated that. But the inn kept her safe, and I was fine with that. Then the day came."

Now Arlei understood why Seiya had insisted they leave Ba Sing Se and return to her cottage. She understood when Seiya began crying out with pain, when the sheets between her legs grew dark with water. But why? There were no doctors around for miles! Arlei was terrified.

Towards the end of her term, it was becoming obvious that Seiya was pregnant with twins. Her belly had grown so much, Seiya often had trouble standing or walking. And she was still so young. Would she be able to make it? If Arlei had to choose between Seiya and the twins, she didn't know what she would do.

During labor, Seiya voiced Arlei's fears. "A-Arlei," she gasped between ragged breaths. "If I can't… If I d-don't… Please take care of them… P-please…"

Arlei didn't like being confronted by her fears. Immediately, her compassion shut down. Her face became grave. "No," she stated. Seiya stared at her with disbelieving eyes. "If you are not here for these children, I will leave them in the woods and let the wilds will do away with them."

Fresh tears spilled from her red eyes. "Arlei!" Seiya sobbed. Arlei gripped the girl's hand tightly.

"You will fight," she instructed. "Fight for them. Breathe. Don't ever stop fighting through this, Seiya."

But the effort was almost too much. By the time the two newborns met fresh air and cried their first cries, there was already so much blood." Arlei tried her best to save her, but Seiya was already slipping. The girl's face was so pale.

"I told you to fight!" Arlei snapped. "You fight, Seiya!" The girl was unresponsive. Holding the two bundles, Arlei broke down. Through tears, she pleaded, "Please, Seiya! I didn't mean what I said! I'll look after them no matter what! Just please, please don't go! Don't leave me too!"

It was a long night. But eventually, Seiya opened her eyes again. And when she saw the two little faces sleeping beside her, she smiled for the first time in a long time.

Our nights have grown so long

Now we beg for sound advice

"Let the brokenness be felt

'Til you reach the other side

There is goodness in the heart

Of every broken man

Who comes right up to the edge

Of losing everything he has."

"Mars" by Sleeping at Last