Chapter 7

Izara was walking with Ming to clock in for their shift. They were both on the same shift today, but Ming was posted outside, whereas Izara would be inside since she was still in training. For the first week, she would be shadowing high-ranked guards to learn from them. Since most of the job was simple, they would spend their patrol discussing emergencies and the procedures followed during various situations. According to Ming, who had been working there for just over 14 months, it would take around a year for her to be fully trained. The highest-ranked guards were spread out over the day and night shifts, but the night shift guards were usually the more skilled ones because an attack at night was more likely. The afternoon shift was the one everyone started on since there was a good overlap with the day and night shifts for new guards to see a bit of everything.

The girls chatted quietly about a few work-related topics as they reported to the Captain's office. Ming went her separate way, and Izara was introduced to Luan, the second in charge and the guard she would be shadowing this week. Their post was just inside the back door since it only received traffic from the palace staff, not civilians. For the duration of her shift, Izara took special care to take in everything Luan discussed with her. Since she was used to military camps, it wasn't too far off what she had gotten used to over the last few years. In fact, it was glamorous compared to some of the backwater, middle-of-nowhere camps that she had stayed in.

Luan was around 10 years older than her and had worked at the palace since he was just a little older than Izara, so he had plenty of experience. He lived outside the palace, within the city, and had a wife and a young boy. Thankfully, he was well-spoken and gave her clear instructions and advice without being condescending. She felt lucky to have him as her first instructor. His experience working at the palace throughout Fire Lord Ozai's reign meant that he was versed in a stricter work environment. Still, it sounded like he much preferred the current atmosphere.

By the end of her shift, she was mentally exhausted, just from trying her best to take in every bit of knowledge and advice that Luan had given her. They headed back to the Captain's office, which would be empty by this hour of the night, and Luan also gave her the firebending training roster. Together, they worked out the best time for her to train and ensured it didn't conflict with her work shifts or Suki's training. She wasn't quite sure how to schedule it to avoid training with the Fire Lord, but she figured that he would only give her a few lessons on basics to get her up to a normal standard and send her on her way.

After that, she thanked Luan with a polite bow and headed back to her quarters. Ming was just going past to report in and leave for the night, and Izara waited for her to get back so they could wash up together. Out of all the people she had met so far, Ming was easily the quietest, but they seemed to be getting along well. Ming wasn't shy, but she was more inclined to listen rather than speak. It made conversation difficult sometimes, but Izara knew she would eventually get used to it. Ming appeared through the doorway and gave her a smile that Izara returned.

"How was your first shift?" Ming asked softly and walked over to get her things out of her trunk to wash up with.

"It was good. I'm working with Luan this week, and I've also sorted my firebending training time. I'm so nervous about it." Izara replied as she sorted out her things as well.

"I'm sure you'll do fine. I do understand why you might feel nervous, though. People were talking about how the Fire Lord personally selected the new guard today." Ming didn't mince her words, but Izara appreciated her candour. At least she knew what to expect.

"Ugh, I'll bet. They will be disappointed when they realise that I look like a drunk dragon moose when I firebend." Izara groaned and closed her eyes as her head rolled back, but Ming chuckled at her joke.

"Did the Fire Lord tell you why he hired you?" Ming asked and the girls stood in front of their trunks with their bundle of clothes and toiletries in their arms.

"He hired me for my potential, apparently. I will admit that my past occupation gives me a decent start on these sorts of jobs. Normally, I wasn't protecting someone, though." She trailed off, not wanting to give away too much, and gestured for them to head to the washroom.

They continued chatting as they walked together and began washing up.

"Ming, is that your shampoo that smells so good?" Izara exclaimed as the fresh, fruity scent hit her nostrils.

"Yeah, do you like it?" Ming said with an amused tone.

"It's amazing. I don't have anything like that! I'll have to get some when I get paid." She answered with an excited tone. Spending her 20s in military camps and her teens struggling to survive meant that she had never enjoyed those girly luxury items.

"Here, use some of mine." Ming thrust the bottle toward her with no hint of hesitation and nodded encouragingly when Izara stared at her with uncertainty. It seemed that now she and Ming shared common ground, that Izara had broached the shy exterior.

"Thank you. That's so kind of you." Izara grinned and used the smallest amount possible, so she didn't use all of her friends' products.

Once they were clean, they hopped in the large bath and relaxed. Izara and Ming spent their time discussing work, and Izara asked questions that Ming was more than happy to answer. After that, Ming asked her what Izara was doing before she came to the Capital and listened quietly as Izara talked about her Uncle. Izara got to rant about him, giving her an excellent opportunity to get some of her lingering frustration out. It was almost as if she didn't realise how much she wanted to complain about it until she started to talk about it.

"Why did you stay with him for so long?" Ming interrupted, clearly confused about Izara's lengthy stay.

"Honestly, I didn't know anyone aside from my Uncle. I didn't have friends or other family with whom I could stay. I should have left years before now, but many bad memories about what happened when I tried to survive on my own during the war frightened me. I think I was a bit scared to leave." Izara didn't give details about what she did to ensure she had enough money to eat during those dark years. Ming seemed to understand that Izara didn't want to talk about it.

"I'm glad you had a chance to regain your courage and break away," Ming said sweetly with a smile, and Izara smiled back.

"Me too."

After that, they got out of the bath, dried off, and put on their pyjamas before returning to the room. Nami and Lia were already asleep, and Ming and Izara hopped into bed as quietly as possible to not disturb them. Izara read her new book for a while before slipping it aside and rolling over onto her side. Being in a new place, it took her time to drift off to sleep...

Izara and Zhang were walking together and chatting with a few others in their training group. They introduced themselves and were polite, which Izara appreciated. It was her first training session with Suki, and Izara was still trying to figure out her game plan in her head. She knew these guys would all be incredibly impressive fighters, but she had no formal training like them. Was it going to be her downfall in trying to keep up, or would her practical skills be her saving grace? She just wanted to be normal and avoid standing out at all costs. It didn't matter if she stood out for a good or bad reason; she just wanted to blend in.

So far, Luan had been happy with her progress, and they had been working well together. She would only be working with him for two more shifts, but since she had tomorrow off, she would still have the day after tomorrow to complete her last shift shadowing him. The afternoon shifts suited her well since she had always been more of a night owl. She usually got into bed around midnight after she bathed and spent half an hour or so reading before she went to sleep. It was still tricky to fall asleep since she hadn't exactly gotten used to being in a new place just yet, but that was only temporary and would improve as she grew more comfortable in the new surroundings.

Izara tightened her ponytail in preparation for the training session. There were 8 of them in her training group, and they waited patiently off to the side of the training area and took the chance to stretch and warm up while the last group finished up. Each session was 2 hours long and set at the same time, on the same day each week. Once a month, there was a larger group session that everyone who trained on the same day attended. With two morning sessions and two in the afternoon and evening, everyone could train at a time suitable for their shift. Izara was glad that she got along with Zhang and that they were in the same group. She felt a little better having someone familiar around.

When the group before them was finished and bowed to Suki, they were dismissed, and Izara's group was called out. Suki came over to speak to her personally before they began the session. Izara was surprised to see how incredibly pretty she was, with beautifully shaped blue eyes, and her short hairstyle suited her face shape. She didn't let herself feel intimidated by someone's physical skill, but she felt intimidated by Suki's looks.

"Hi there. I'm Suki." Suki gave her a cheery smile, and Izara returned it before she gave a formal bow.

"I'm Izara. Please look after me." She had said that so often in the last few days that it was habitual.

"Nice to meet you. Let me know if you need anything, okay?" Suki nodded at her encouragingly before she walked back to the front of the group, and they bowed to signal the start of their session.

Izara smiled appreciatively, but inside was just realising how out of depth she was. Suki was pretty, strong, and also nice too! How was she going to survive amongst such incredible people? Everyone she had met so far seemed to have their lives together and sorted out. Izara felt odd for having spent her last few years wasting away, serving her Uncle just so she could eat. The stark reality of how little she had achieved in her life threatened to hit her full force, but she mentally brushed it aside. She would have plenty of time to lament later; now, she had to focus on getting through training without looking like an idiot.

They went through some basic sets as a warm-up, and Izara followed along the best she could. Zhang was next to her and kept his pace a little slower so that she could copy him. The beginning sets weren't too tricky, but they gradually got more complex, and Izara just tried her best to follow. She couldn't memorise the advanced ones but had no problem giving it a go. Maybe she would ask Zhang to train with her outside of their regular training and work hours so she could learn them.

After they had done their hour of sets that gradually got more difficult, it was time for partner work. Suki demonstrated a technique, and then they would work on it with a partner and eventually add more or learn other extensions. This was the part where Izara felt most comfortable. Hand-to-hand combat was her strong point; she didn't have much trouble understanding the technique and even gave Zhang a few pointers. She occasionally felt Suki's gaze and remembered that she had to take it easy, so she didn't stand out. All she wanted was to do a good job but stay out of the spotlight.

Once the session was over, they finished with a formal bow, and Izara went to leave as she fell into step beside Zhang, but heard Suki call her name. She persuaded Zhang to go ahead and go back to Suki.

"You had a great first session. I must say that I'm impressed with you already. These guys are already elite, but you seemed to be holding back in the partner work. Am I right?" Suki didn't seem suspicious, but she was still busted anyway.

"Uh, sort of." Izara offered with a hint of anxiety in her tone. She couldn't hide it, even if she wanted to.

"Well, as soon as you've got the hang of the sets, I might have to bump you up to a more advanced group." Suki put a hand on her hip and held Izara's gaze evenly.

"Oh no, no." Izara shook her head vigorously. "I am more than happy in this group. I… I have a lot to learn."

"Let's play it by ear then. Anyway, keep up the good work." Suki gave her a smile and a nod to dismiss her.

"Thank you." Izara bowed formally and spun on the ball of her foot to leave.

When she turned, she was looking straight at the Fire Lord, who looked like he was there to train and was walking in Suki's direction. As he got closer, she bowed low and waited until he passed before she rose. Only he didn't go past.

"Izara. Today was your first training session, wasn't it?" His voice stunned her, but she schooled her expression before straightening up from her bow.

"Yes, it was," Izara responded politely and respectfully.

"How did she go, Suki?" The Fire Lord spoke louder so that Suki could hear, and she walked over to join them.

"I think she's a lot better than she lets on," Suki answered with a pointed look, but she was smiling Izara lowered her head but didn't reply.

"Why am I not surprised?" The Fire Lord responded with a sigh and exasperated tone. "She is quite guarded about how talented she actually is. I wonder if she will ever show us one day." At this, she looked up at him and saw that both he and Suki were smirking in amusement.

She had no idea how to respond and stood there silently, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Suki nudged her playfully as she laughed softly, and Izara finally smiled and went along with their jokes. Although they made it sound like they were just playing around, she knew they were perceptive enough to see that she was holding back and that they were actually being serious. She knew The Fire Lord had a sense of humour, but this was slightly different.

"Ready?" The Fire Lord asked her in a casual manner that showed their friendship.

"Yep. Let's do it." Suki was equally friendly and gave Izara a wave before she turned, walked out to the training area, and waited.

Fire Lord Zuko turned to her and smiled before he spoke.

"How are you settling in?" He asked politely.

"I'm settling in well. Trying to learn everything as quickly as possible." Izara replied respectfully, standing formally with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Glad to hear it. Afternoon shift today?" He maintained his polite tone, and Izara felt slightly awkward since Suki was waiting for him. Still, he didn't let it show and nodded to answer his question. "Do you work tomorrow?"

"No, but I planned to do some training. I need to learn the sets for Suki's training sessions."

"Can you spare some time for me? I'll have a few hours free for a lesson."

"Are you sure that's okay, my Lord?" Izara was shocked at his casual offer and couldn't hide it from her tone.

"Of course. How does 12pm sound?" He smiled when she nodded in agreement. "Okay. I'll see you then."

Izara bowed as he walked off towards Suki, and they began chatting too quietly for her to hear from this distance, but she snapped herself out of it and headed back inside. She would need to freshen up and get ready for her shift. Her shift started in just over an hour, so she took the time to change and get something to eat before she went to work for the night…