Hot Ice, Strange Snow

by Redbayly

Destiny is a funny thing. A split-second decision results in Zuko being injured during the escape from Pohuai Stronghold. Aang is determined to turn an enemy into a friend and, despite their doubts, Sokka and Katara find themselves also starting to better understand their erstwhile pursuer. For Katara and Zuko, this new understanding could even lead to something more.

12. Shooting the Breeze

I really wish I could've gotten this done sooner. I wanted to have it done in time for my 30th birthday (January 22nd) as a gift for my readers. But things don't always go the way we want. So, I guess it's a late Valentine's gift now. Still, it's done, and I hope it turned out all right, even if I did rush a few parts of it.

Oh, quick heads-up, there will be some swearing and violence in this chapter. And underage drinking. And references to drugging, kidnapping, and human trafficking.

Shooting the Breeze

Sokka was nearly out of his mind with worry.

One job. He had one job. Protect his little sister with his life. He couldn't even do that right and now Katara had disappeared to who-knows-where. How could he live with himself if something terrible had happened to her?

What if she was hurt? What if she was lost and alone? What if she'd fallen down into a crevasse and hit her head and was getting closer to death with every passing hour he wasted searching in the wrong place? He would never forgive himself for this. He wouldn't be able to look his father or Gran-Gran in the eye again, knowing how badly he'd failed Katara. He doubted he could even face the rest of the Southern Water Tribe after this.

"Do you think it might have been those bandits that merchant told us about?" said Zuko.

Sokka mentally cursed himself for goading the universe so much. He'd whined internally about how they were always up against the Fire Nation and that bandits would be a nice change of pace. Why couldn't he be grateful for the predictable antagonists he'd come to know so well? Things always went badly when they were up against anyone but the normal run of Fire Nation mooks.

"I guess the only thing we can do is fly around on Appa and try to find their camp," said Aang.

"That's assuming Katara was taken by the bandits," said Zuko.

"She was," said Sokka. His instincts were flaring up. "Katara wouldn't just wander out of camp for no reason. Someone took her."

And when Sokka found that someone, he was going to make them regret ever laying a hand on his little sister.

They took to the skies and began to circle around the area, searching for an indication of where a kidnapper might have taken Katara. As the hours dragged on, though, Sokka grew increasingly restless. The snowfall from the previous night had done a thorough job of obscuring any tracks and there were no settlements nearby.

They searched miles around their camp in every direction. Before setting off on Appa, they found evidence that someone had been lurking nearby, as whoever it was had dropped a bag of spiced melon seeds (they were still pretty fresh, which meant whoever they belonged to had lost them recently), but nothing else to show what direction they went in.

They continued onward, occasionally landing to poke around for clues, but, so far, they had come up empty.

After the fifth failed spot check, Sokka gazed down from the edge of Appa's saddle, scanning the area with an almost manic focus. The weight of failure and despair hung heavy on his shoulder.

No, wait, that was Zuko's hand.

"She's going to be okay," Zuko said by way of an attempt at comforting him. "Katara's very strong and determined. She can look after herself."

"She shouldn't have to," said Sokka. "She already does so much, but I couldn't even keep her safe. Some excuse for a big brother I am."

"Sokka, none of us saw this coming. We were all asleep."

"Then I should've been on guard duty."

"You're being too hard on yourself."

"Or maybe I'm just not trying hard enough."

"Ugh, what would Uncle say at a time like this?" Zuko muttered to himself. "Sometimes, when trying to reach the mountain peak, the peak seems like an impossible goal. But, once you reach it, you'll realize it was the journey there that was the true goal all along. And you find that what you needed was there in front of you the whole time."

Sokka was about to retort that that was the most nonsensical, disjointed, irrelevant rambling he'd ever heard, but stopped when something caught his eye. Human figures, at least two of them, down below them on the mountain.

"Maybe there is a chance," he said.

"Of course there is," said Zuko. "Wow, I guess coming up with proverbs isn't as hard as I thought."

"No, Zuko, that was all gibberish. I meant, look. Down there!" Sokka pointed towards the figures moving slowly up the pass.

Aang steered Appa down, bringing him to a landing. They immediately got off the bison, hoping that they'd found Katara. The two figures before them drew back, one of them assuming a fighting stance.

It wasn't her.

But it wasn't bandits, either. In fact, the boys found that they knew the two people standing before them.

---

Katara was mad.

No, not mad. Absolutely furious.

After stepping outside for a moment to take care of…personal business, someone had slapped a hand over her mouth and dragged her away. It was too dark to see her assailant, but she soon ended up with a bag over her head before being thrown onto the back of some sort of transport animal and carried off.

And that after she had promised herself that she wouldn't end up in a damsel-in-distress situation ever again.

As soon as she got free, she was going to make her abductor regret thinking they could get away with this. All she needed to do was wait for an opening and then she would attack.

Her hearing was muffled by the bag, but she could still detect voices around her. There was more than one, possibly even three or four. She couldn't quite tell, but she would err on the side of caution and assume there were at least four. If she was going to get out of this situation, she couldn't underestimate her captors' numbers.

Her heart was pounding as she thought of how she was going to handle this. She would have to go it alone, as she couldn't count on the others to come to her rescue if she was being carried off in the night with no clue as to where she was being taken. Even Sokka's tracking skills might not be enough to find her if there was snow that night and any tracks left behind got covered up.

She had to be prepared for anything.

Going off a hunch, she guessed that she'd been grabbed by members of the bandit gang they'd been warned about the day before. Who else would abduct a teenage girl in the middle of the night, throw a bag over her head, and carry her off?

She supposed that they hadn't realized that she was a waterbender. They hadn't bothered to bind her hands, but whoever was steering the animal they were riding on was holding her in place with one hand so she didn't fall off.

Katara would have tried to make a break for it or at least taken the bag off her head, but they were going very fast at a rough pace and it was a struggle just to not tumble off. As they were in the mountains and her vision was obstructed, she couldn't be sure if she would simply end up on rocky ground or careening down a cliff if she fell. She was also still in a fair amount of pain, which was making it difficult to think without becoming distracted. All things considered, she couldn't act until she knew what she was up against.

Finally, they came to a stop and the person in front of her dismounted. After hearing some more muffled words, Katara was suddenly lifted down and set on her feet.

Her nerves were on fire and she wanted nothing more than to rip the bag off and attack. However, she waited. She reached out with her bond to her element, honed from the meditation practice which Zuko had shown her, and sensed nearby snow drifts. A source of water. All she had to do was wait for just the right opening.

Hands reached towards her face, gathering the bottom of the bag and slowly raising it.

The morning light hit her eyes, half-blinding her and making it hard to see her captors' faces. Before they could say a word, Katara struck.

Water shot towards the bandits.

One got frozen to a nearby boulder instantly. The others – two of them – barely managed to dodge the sudden attack. Katara lashed at them with water-whips.

"Wait! Hold on a second!" one of them shouted.

Katara didn't stop.

She turned around and began to make a run for it. Only to see more people approaching from her right, having been drawn by the sounds of the fight. She was outside the bandit camp. That meant she was going to be vastly outnumbered. Her only chance was to outrun them. Maybe if she drew the water under her feet and used it to propel her forward.

Except a rock wall sprang up in front of her, blocking the way.

"Wait! Please, calm down! We're just trying to help you!"

A girl's voice.

Katara whipped around and saw a girl standing in an earthbending pose. As her eyes adjusted to the light properly, Katara could see that the girl was around her own age. Pretty and slight as a willow, with full cheeks and a button nose, she didn't seem especially intimidating and looked to be the furthest thing in the world from a bandit, aside from her rough clothing.

Behind her was another girl, slightly older, maybe sixteen or seventeen. She was watching Katara warily with cold, golden-brown eyes. Fire Nation. She looked far more imposing than her companion. Tall and pale, like a statue carved from ice.

"Please," the first girl repeated. "We don't mean you any harm."

"Don't waste your breath, Pinyi," the Fire Nation girl said sharply. "Some people just don't know gratitude."

"Gratitude?" said Katara, suddenly snapping out of her surprise. "You kidnap me in the middle of the night and expect gratitude?"

"Kidnap?" said the first girl. Pinyi. "We were saving you."

"Saving me from whom, exactly? My brother and my friends?"

Pinyi glanced to the Fire Nation girl and then back to Katara.

"You mean…weren't you being held against your will?"

"…what?"

Pinyi threw a horrified look over at her companion.

"Subei, I think we made a terrible mistake."

"Oh, well, you can't get 'em right every time," the Fire Nation girl said with an indifferent shrug.

Katara took the uncomfortable pause to glance around. The crowd that had come out of the bandit camp was a motley collection of people. Mostly women, but there were a few men and some children there. Not far away, the one person she'd frozen to a boulder was squirming against the ice. He was a young man, maybe in his twenties, and somehow managed to look stoic despite the awkward position he was in. The Fire Nation girl turned and strolled over to him before lighting up her palms with the faint glow of her firebending to begin thawing him out.

"What's going on here?" Katara finally demanded of Pinyi. "Who are you?"

"Um, we really were just trying to help," Pinyi mumbled, shuffling her feet and looking red-faced. "We're the Taihua Mountain Gang."

"You're the bandits who've been causing so much trouble? The ones who go around abducting young women?"

"I mean, sort of. I don't know what you've heard about us, but we don't actually kidnap anyone."

At Katara's unamused stare, the girl shrank.

"Well, not usually, anyway," Pinyi amended.

Katara pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a massive headache coming on.

"Okay, I think a proper explanation is in order," she said. "Who's in charge around here?"

"That would be the three masters," said Subei, who came back over, supporting her now-thawed friend as she did so. She glanced over at the crowd of spectators. "Don't you guys have stuff to do?" she snapped.

The crowd quickly dispersed.

"Maybe we shouldn't bother the masters," Pinyi said with a nervous smile. "It's so early. I'm sure they'd rather not have to deal with something like this at such an hour."

"You're just afraid they're going to punish you for botching a mission again," said Subei.

"Enough," said Katara. "I want to have a word with your masters, right now."

Pinyi began to tremble and bite at her fingernails. Subei simply shrugged and motioned for Katara to follow, still supporting her male companion who was a bit off-kilter from Katara freezing him.

As they proceeded into the settlement, drawing curious looks from the other residents, Katara worried about how the guys were going to react when they woke up to find her missing. Hopefully, this entire situation would be resolved easily and she could return to them soon.

Either way, she had some very choice words for these three bandit masters, whoever they were.

---

"Well, what are the odds?" said Sokka.

Zuko had to agree. Really, what were the chances that they would run across those two ladies they'd helped at the Fire Days Festival again? Especially in a place like this. Trang and Lalita, if he remembered correctly. He hadn't recognized them, at first, as they had changed from Fire Nation clothes into more nondescript attire.

"If you're here to rob us, you better think again," Trang said, still holding her fighting stance.

"We're not here to rob you," Aang replied in his usual, peacemaker tone. "We're looking for our friend."

"Trang, stop," Lalita said, putting a hand on her companion's shoulder. "Don't you know who that is?"

"A bald kid on a giant buffalo?" said Trang.

Lalita frowned, raised a hand, and flicked her fingers against Trang's head, right on one of the bruises she still had from a couple days prior.

"OW!"

"Calm down, you silly moppet," she said. "That's the Avatar."

"Huh?"

Trang looked Aang up and down for a moment before slowly easing out of her stance. She still seemed on-edge, but she didn't appear to be spoiling for a fight like when she first saw them.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Avatar," Lalita said, stepping forward and giving a bow.

"It is?" said Aang.

"Aren't you guys Fire Nation?" said Sokka. "You don't wanna, I don't know, try to take Aang prisoner?"

"Tch, what for?" said Trang. "Not like the Fire Nation's ever done us any favors."

"Yeah, after that incident at the Fire Days Festival, I can imagine that."

"Wait, how do you know about that?" She stared at them all for a moment. "It's you! You're the people who got us out of that scrape, aren't you?"

"That's us," Aang said brightly. "Helping people. It's what we do."

"Well, you're definitely not like what everyone says, Avatar."

"Really? What do they say about me?"

Zuko could see Trang about to go into a monologue about all the horrible things the propaganda said about Aang and decided it would be best to interject.

"We can talk about this later," he said. "Right now, we need to get back to looking for Katara."

"That's right. We actually wanted to ask if you two might have seen her."

"I doubt it," said Lalita. "We haven't seen much of anyone until you three appeared."

"We're on our way to my sister's place," said Trang.

"I thought you guys lived in the colonies?" said Zuko.

"I'm from the colonies. Lalita and I actually live up here in the mountains most of the time. We just come down to run a food stall sometimes."

"I didn't think there were any Fire Nation villages in the Taihua Mountains."

"Oh, there aren't. Not official ones, anyway." Trang paused. "Say, if you guys are looking for your friend, my sister could probably help. She's one of our village's leaders. We could get some scouting parties out there."

"Really?" said Aang. "You'd help us find Katara?"

"Sure. You guys got us out of a jam. Consider it as us repaying a debt of gratitude."

"Honor does demand we repay kindness with kindness," said Lalita.

"Sokka?" said Aang.

"It's the best chance we've got," said Sokka. "We haven't found any leads and our only other choice is to keep flying around in circles."

"All right," Aang said to Trang. "We'll talk with your sister. If you can show us the way, I'll fly us there."

"Um, could we, maybe, go there on foot?" said Trang.

"What's wrong?" said Zuko.

"While there aren't any Fire Nation villages up here, there are some patrols. If they spot us, they could follow us to the village. We'd prefer if that didn't happen."

"Why would the Fire Nation harm anyone in a village run by one of their own citizens?"

"It's just a rather delicate situation," said Lalita. "Most of the people in our village are there to avoid being found. You understand?"

"Ugh, fine," said Sokka. "But let's hurry. We can't waste any more time."

Sokka had a point. While Zuko was sure Katara was able to take care of herself and get out of any sticky situations she found herself in, she might have trouble getting back to them. Something told Zuko that Katara wasn't in any immediate danger. He wasn't sure how he knew, maybe he was catching "instincts" from Sokka, but he had a feeling that Katara was all right, so far. It's not that he wasn't worried about her safety, far from it, he'd been terrified of what might have happened to her when they first realized she was missing.

But Zuko knew Katara. If she was in trouble, she wouldn't go down without a fight.

Just hang on, Katara. We're coming to find you.

---

The bandit camp wasn't anything like what Katara expected.

Far from a ragtag gang of rough, bad-tempered brutes, the entire place seemed more like a village filled with ordinary people. Most of them appeared to be Earth Kingdom, including a number of mountain folks, but there were a few people in muted reds who looked like they might well be Fire Nation. It wasn't always easy to tell just by their looks, though.

For a bandit camp, the settlement was surprisingly clean and orderly. The people looked well-fed and their clothes were in good condition. No one seemed to be there who didn't want to be there.

Soon, Subei brought her to a large building. It looked to be something akin to a town center. Outside the building, various goods were lined up in organized rows while a young man with an abacus took inventory.

"Xingqiu," said Subei. "Are the masters present?"

The young man stopped his work with a jolt and looked over at her.

"Ah, Subei, you startled me," he said. "What was the question?"

"The masters. Are they in?"

"Oh, yes. I think they're expecting you." He leaned in close to Subei, his wide, grey eyes peering at her intently. "They heard the little kerfuffle at the gate. You had best watch yourselves."

Pinyi gave a whimper, but Subei just pressed a hand to Xingqiu's face and shoved him back.

"Quit breathing my air," said Subei.

"Subei, please," said Xingqiu. "Don't make trouble."

"When do I ever make trouble?"

Xingqiu sighed in an exaggerated way, much like Aang did when he was frustrated but didn't want to argue, and gestured for them to enter the building.

It was a spacious room with rows of low tables surrounded by cushions. Katara realized it must also serve as a dining hall. Intricate tapestries done in patterns of vivid red, green, blue, and yellow hung from the walls. The beams were carved in delicate floral designs. The entryway was flanked on either side by guardian lion-turtle sculptures. A large, bronze brazier burned brightly at the center of the room, filling the space with a comfortable warmth. In one corner, a Pai Sho board sat with pieces abandoned in mid-game.

There were three people seated on a dais at the far end of the hall.

On the left was an older woman. Her black hair was pulled up into a tight bun and fastened with gold and jade hairpins. Her clothes were luxurious dark green silk, lined with white fur. She was idly drinking tea from a cup of green porcelain, her long, golden nail guards clinking slightly with each small movement. On her lap was a sleeping toddler.

On the right was a man. He had long, greying hair and an unkempt beard. He was dressed in what appeared to be a weathered Earth Kingdom uniform. His face was so scarred it looked more like old leather than skin.

It was the middle figure who really caught Katara's attention, though.

She was maybe in her late twenties or early thirties. Like Subei, she had golden eyes, indicating Fire Nation heritage – though hers were yellower, more like a hawk's – and her complexion was light, though she had a smattering of freckles across her nose. Her long, dark hair was pulled back and fastened into numerous braids that were decorated with beads of colored glass. She wasn't wearing Fire Nation clothes, instead opting for the thick, fur-lined clothes of the mountain people in neutral colors that gave no indication of her allegiance. There was something about her, though, that Katara found strangely familiar but she couldn't quite place it.

"Masters," Subei said, pulling away from the young man she'd been assisting so she could give a bow. "Our scouting mission has hit a bit of a snag."

"So it seems," said the elegant lady on the left. "We send you three out to watch for a caravan of Earth Kingdom girls and you bring back a waterbender."

"It was an accident!" Pinyi spoke up. "I saw her fighting with a firebender and thought she was being held prisoner."

"We were sparring," Katara said, bewildered at how an innocent training session could've been so badly misinterpreted. "He's my friend."

Pinyi looked even more embarrassed.

"Pinyi," said the woman in the middle. "You cannot keep acting on impulse. This is the sixth time you've harassed some innocent bystander because you failed to properly assess a situation."

"That's not even the worst of it," said the man on the right. "You were given clear orders to scout the mountain pass for the caravan we've been expecting. You might well have disrupted an important mission and put innocent lives at risk."

Pinyi hung her head.

"And as for you two," the man continued, scowling at Subei and the young man. "You're her seniors. You should've known better."

The young man, who was not as shaky as he was before, gave a low bow.

"My apologies, Colonel Aixinga," he said. "I take full responsibility for this incident."

"Yibo, you don't need to cover for these two," said the woman in the middle. "All three of you made a mistake and all three of you share the blame." She gazed at them sternly with those piercing yellow eyes. "Laps. Three times along Yongheng Ridge."

"Master Trinh!" Pinyi exclaimed.

"You think that unfair? Four times along Yongheng Ridge."

Pinyi looked like she was about to protest, but Subei slapped a hand over her mouth and growled, "You want it to be five times?"

"And before you go, you can give your sincere apologies to this young lady," the elegant woman said.

"Yes, Lady Nara," said Subei.

After giving Katara their bows and words of apology, the three delinquents left for their punishment.

"Hey, has anyone seen my bag of melon seeds?" Pinyi asked the other two as the door closed behind them.

With that, Katara was left alone with the three masters of the Taihua Mountain bandit gang. Master Trinh, Lady Nara, and Colonel Aixinga sat there before her, waiting patiently.

"Okay, could someone please explain to me what's going on?" Katara said at last.

"I suppose we owe you an apology of our own, young lady," said Lady Nara. "The children around here are not well-disciplined." She threw a sharp look to Colonel Aixinga, who hmphed in response.

"Their hearts are in the right place," he said. "They are just rather…impulsive. Rest assured, we will locate your friends and send you on your way."

"You're letting me go? Just like that?" said Katara.

"Would you prefer us to keep you locked in the woodshed?" said Lady Nara. "Not really my choice for a pleasant activity, but to each their own."

"No, I mean, aren't you supposed to be bandits? Abducting girls and robbing travelers? None of this makes any sense. Why was I brought here?"

The three masters shared looks between them before Master Trinh stood and approached. She wasn't much taller than Katara despite being older, but she had a poised air about her as she walked. Not too different from how Zuko sometimes carried himself.

"I will admit that we are, indeed, bandits," she said. "But it is not in our code to attack innocents. In fact, the people we seek to rob are the ones profiting off a truly detestable trade."

Katara looked at her and then over at the other masters.

"Human trafficking," Lady Nara explained as she raised her teacup to her lips.

Katara gasped.

"Does that surprise you?" said Master Trinh. "I can see you're not from around these parts, Miss…?"

"Katara."

"Katara." Master Trinh gave a polite nod. "Since you're traveling through the Taihua Mountains, you deserve to be properly warned. There is a dangerous ring of traffickers that we have been hunting for some time. Our disciples, well-intentioned as they were, mistook your group for one of their caravans and assumed they would be rescuing you by bringing you to us."

"But who are these traffickers?" Katara asked. "Why hasn't the Earth King done anything to stop them?"

Lady Nara gave a snort which she tried to cover with a cough.

"We can't be certain of why no action has been taken," said Master Trinh. "However, the traffickers seem to be operating out of Ba Sing Se. Every caravan we've routed has been headed in that direction."

"Does that mean Ba Sing Se is ignoring all of this?"

Katara was horrified. If Ba Sing Se was the main stronghold and base for the security of the Earth Kingdom, how could the government of such a place allow a practice like that to go unpunished? What's more, Ba Sing Se was meant to be the great foundation of Earth Kingdom culture. An ideal that the rest of the Earth Kingdom strove to emulate. What did it say about it, then, that it allowed such a despicable trade to flourish?

"We can't be certain that the government is complicit," said Master Trinh.

"More likely they're just incompetent," said Colonel Aixinga. "If the Earth King actually got off his ass for a change, not only would the traffickers be less of a problem, but the war might be going better, too."

"There's a chance that it's a malicious endeavor, as well," said Lady Nara. "When most of the victims are young, female earthbenders, it's hard to deny that it looks targeted."

Something twinged in Katara's memory. A conversation she had not all that long ago. Women being banned from the Earth Kingdom military. A young earthbender woman going missing on a trip to Ba Sing Se.

"Zhihao insisted on going to Ba Sing Se to plead her case before the Earth King, himself," Doctor Nuan's voice echoed in her mind. "We haven't had any news of her in over two years, now."

There was something going on in that city. Something very bad.

"For your own sake, Katara," said Master Trinh, "be careful in these mountains. Aside from the traffickers, there are Fire Nation divisions. Some of them are being run by agents of the Intelligence Bureau, and they can be especially nasty when interrogating people."

"I trust that we've answered your questions satisfactorily?" said Lady Nara. She set her teacup down, lifted the toddler on her lap up into her arms, and rose gracefully to her feet. "As you will be staying with us for the time being, we will see to it that you are treated well."

She strode to the main door, flung it open with one hand, and turned to the startled Xingqiu who was waiting outside.

"Have you finished taking inventory, Xingqiu?" she said.

"Yes, Lady Nara."

"Good. Then please let everyone know that breakfast is to be served soon. And tell the kitchen to ready an extra plate. We have a guest."

---

Trang, as it turned out, had a lot of opinions.

Opinions she was only too eager to share. Loudly. And without moderation.

"I'm just saying, if Fire Lord Ozai didn't want people to hate him, maybe he shouldn't be such a hog-monkey-fucking piece of shit."

She also swore. A lot.

Not that Sokka was overly sensitive about swearing, he just wasn't used to it. Katara considered swearing inappropriate and unladylike, so she tended to avoid it even when she was angry. Zuko had let a swear slip out every now and then, but mostly tried to restrain himself. Sokka doubted Aang even knew what swears were if the confused frown he gave to each new and unfamiliar word was any indication.

"It's pig-bullshit," Trang said, throwing her hands into the air for emphasis.

"Not that I disagree," said Sokka, "but what exactly do you have against Fire Lord Ozai?"

"His very existence!"

Harsh, but Sokka wasn't really going to refute that. Zuko, though, seemed incredibly tense. He'd been keeping that veil pulled down over his hat again, so Sokka couldn't see his face, but it was obvious that he wasn't comfortable with Trang's anti-Ozai tirade.

"I mean, conscription was already bad, but ordering people who've already done their military service to go back and do another fucking tour of duty…it's spirits-damned pig-bullshit!"

"All right, Trang," Lalita said patiently. "I think you've made your feelings clear. Now, maybe keep it down a little. You never know who might hear you."

"Oh, please. It's not like there are any agents of the Intelligence Bureau around. We can talk freely."

"And isn't the Intelligence Bureau only supposed to handle foreign espionage?" said Zuko. "They're not supposed to spy on regular citizens."

"How do you know what the Intelligence Bureau is allowed to do?" Trang asked, suspicion dripping from every word.

Zuko, with his negative ability to lie, only stammered and mumbled inarticulately. Trang, for her part, was only growing more and more agitated. She clearly had more than a fair share of paranoia.

"Hey, Avatar, how well do you know this guy, anyway?" said Trang. "Seems a bit funny that an Earth Kingdom citizen knows stuff about Fire Nation intelligence."

"What are you saying?" said Zuko. Now he was starting to sound offended.

"Me, I'm not saying anything. Certainly nothing an innocent person would get upset by."

"You're saying something."

"Oh, no, I'm not. It's just that most Earth Kingdom folks don't even know what the Intelligence Bureau is, and you know that they're not supposed to spy on Fire Nation civilians."

"Are you accusing me of something?"

"Well, the way I see it, there are three possibilities. One, you're a spy. Two, you're a spy. Or, three, you're a spy!"

"I AM NOT!"

The entire stupid, pointless argument was rendered moot a moment later when Trang yanked Zuko's hat off, revealing his face for her and Lalita to see.

"Oh," said Trang. Her eyes then went wide. "Wait a sec! Prince Zuko?"

Zuko blanched, panic rapidly seeping into his expression.

"I, uh, you must have mistaken me for someone else," he tried to bluff.

"No, I'm pretty sure you're Prince Zuko," Trang said.

Beside her, Lalita gave a tired sigh.

"Trang, give him his hat back," she said.

"Huh?"

"Give His Highness his hat back."

Trang did just that. She then resumed walking like nothing had happened.

"Hang on," said Zuko. "That's it? That's your reaction?"

Trang just blinked at him.

"Well, if you're Prince Zuko, that means you couldn't possibly be a spy for the Intelligence Bureau."

"I could be," Zuko said defensively.

Sokka slapped himself on the forehead in frustration.

"No, you couldn't," Trang insisted. "I heard you can't lie for shit."

Zuko made an offended noise and he began huffing out smoke and sparks. But that wasn't what caught Sokka's attention.

"How do you know that?" Sokka asked Trang.

It did seem strange. After all, how did an ordinary Fire Nation citizen know about Zuko's inability to lie? In fact, how had she recognized him so quickly? It had been one thing for Chey to recognize Zuko, as the guy was a former Fire Nation soldier and had been living around people who deeply respected Zuko for trying to save them from a massacre. People who would have had a reason to commit Zuko's face to memory. That was one thing. Some random woman living in the mountains shouldn't be able to identify him that fast. It's not like Zuko's face was on wanted posters all over the place.

Well, not his real face, at any rate.

Before Sokka could press the matter, though, Lalita spoke up.

"I think the bigger question is: Why is the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation traveling with the Avatar?"

"Oh, Zuko's my friend," Aang said brightly, oblivious to what was really going on. "He saved me and then I saved him, and now we're all a team. Right, Zuko?"

Zuko was caught in some weird limbo between still being angry at Trang, uncomfortable with the prying questions flying back and forth, and embarrassed by Aang's cheery declarations of friendship. But, sadly, Sokka couldn't really enjoy the hilarity of it as he still felt something was off about Trang. Lalita, too, was clearly not being totally on the level with them.

He wasn't surprised. They were still Fire Nation, so they couldn't be trusted so easily. While Sokka had come to the realization that Fire Nation people weren't all bloodthirsty, warmongering monsters, they were still on the other side of the war. So, he needed to be cautious.

He was already going out on a limb to accept their offer of assistance. And he only agreed to that because he had literally no other option for trying to find Katara.

Sokka could only trust his instincts that Katara was fine for the moment. In the back of his mind, though, he still dreaded what might have befallen his little sister because he wasn't there to protect her.

---

For bandits, they sure were quick to make a person feel welcome.

When the residents of the settlement began to line up by the kitchen to get breakfast, several girls had excitedly hurried over to Katara to invite her to eat with them. By that point, everyone in the camp knew she was there, so she wasn't subjected to a lot of awkward stares, but it was still a bit odd to be treated so warmly by people she didn't know.

She'd even been given fresh cloths and some medicinal tea that helped with her cramps after Katara had delicately hinted at her condition.

"I'm Miaojing," one of the girls said as they all sat down for breakfast. She was a short, stocky girl of about sixteen with a bright smile and twinkling, blue-green eyes. She had a darker complexion than most of the other girls, and her brown hair was pulled up in a style that looked almost Water Tribe. "This is Suiyong, Khien, and Little Xia."

Suiyong was a strikingly pretty girl. Her hair, black as a moonless night, was long and loose. Her face was like a porcelain mask, save for her cheeks which had turned rosy from the mountain chill.

Khien was tall and almost masculine in appearance, with a broad face and wide build. It was clear she had some muscles, too, with how the fabric of her sleeves bulged. Her eyes were also very sharp and keen, like two chips of pale green jade.

Little Xia was the youngest of the group, maybe twelve or thirteen. When Katara saw her, she almost did a doubletake due to how much the girl looked like Aang. Small, smiling, and sweet, with big, innocent, dark grey eyes. She also seemed to have a fondness for beads, as she was covered in strands of them, some of which she'd woven into her long braids. She also had what looked to be a set of wooden prayer beads around her wrist, much like the Air Nomad beads Aang had found at the merchant stall the other day.

"Are you really a waterbender?" Miaojing asked. "I wasn't there to see the fight this morning, but everyone said you used waterbending."

"I am a waterbender," said Katara. "I guess you don't see many of us around?"

Miaojing grinned and raised a hand over her cup. She slowly moved her fingers and a few droplets of tea rose from the cup.

"You're a waterbender, too?" Katara gasped.

"On my mother's side," said Miaojing. "My dad's an earthbender."

"I never knew there were waterbenders outside of the Water Tribes."

"Not many," said Khien. "Miaojing and her mom are the only ones any of us know personally."

"Northern Water Tribe?" Katara asked.

"Yeah," said Miaojing. "Mom left the North Pole when she was my age."

"Did she leave to fight in the war?"

"My mom's not really a fighter. She knows healing and works as a field medic for the army. That's how she met my dad."

"How'd you end up here?"

"They couldn't exactly bring their kid to a battlefield. My father was one of the Nara family's tenants before he enlisted, so they left me in Lady Nara's care."

"She's one of the few people here who just came along for the ride," said Khien. "Most of us are rescue cases."

"From the trafficking ring?" said Katara. "I heard a little about that."

"Bastards." Khien's expression turned dark. "I was drinking at a tavern when one of 'em snuck something in my drink. Couldn't earthbend, couldn't even move, really. They shoved us into these cramped, tiny carriages with a bunch of other girls and kept us there for days. Thought I was gonna go mad until the gang came along and busted me out."

"It was a bit similar for me," Suiyong said in her light, melodic voice. "I was taken away when I was pretty young, but I remember the experience very clearly. I was being kept as a concubine for several years. By pure chance, my former 'owner' decided to travel the same route as the people who'd sold me to him. I have to admit, it was very satisfying seeing that disgusting cow-pig get what was coming to him."

It was horrifying to think that such a thing had being going on for so long. Someone had to put a stop to it.

"What about you, Xia?" she said.

"Huh? Oh, I already lived here," the girl replied. "I'm mountainfolk, through and through. Also, I'm 'Little Xia.' My auntie is 'Big Xia.' You don't want to get us confused, do you?"

"I suppose not. How'd you get involved in the gang?"

"Master Trinh is very convincing. She's the one who started this whole thing."

That was a surprise. Master Trinh was the youngest of the three masters, so to hear that she was responsible for creating the bandit gang was more than a little startling.

"She showed up one day, out of the blue," Little Xia continued. "Convinced a number of the mountain clans to stop feuding and had this area designated a safe zone. Next thing anyone knows, she starts bringing in refugees, runaways, and some girls she'd freed from the trafficking ring."

"Do you know where she's from?" said Katara.

"The Fire Nation colonies," said Suiyong.

"And you're okay being around Fire Nation people?"

"Hey, she's the reason we're free," Khien said with a shrug. "And it's not like she's ever tried to hide it."

"Besides, she's not exactly loyal to the Fire Nation," said Miaojing. "She's helped more than a few deserters to hide."

"Really?" said Katara.

"Yeah. I mean, you already met Subei. She joined up with us to avoided getting drafted into the Fire Nation army."

"Why did she do that?"

Miaojing leaned in, lowering her voice.

"Subei lost more than half her family in military campaigns," she said. "Said she refuses to end up as another statistic."

"So, we've told you about ourselves," said Little Xia. "What about you, Katara? What were you doing before you got dragged up here because Pinyi botched another scouting mission?"

Katara was beginning to feel a little sympathy for Pinyi. Even if the girl had stupidly abducted her in a misguided attempt at a rescue, she was getting dunked on by practically everybody Katara spoke to. Even Little Xia wasn't pulling any punches.

"Well, me, my brother, and my friends were on our way to the North Pole," said Katara.

"You were?" said Miaojing.

"Yeah, I'm hoping to find a waterbending master who will teach me."

Miaojing seemed to deflate.

"Oh, you aren't already trained?" she said.

"No, I'm from the Southern Water Tribe. There aren't any other waterbenders there except for me."

"I'm sorry. I…well, I was just thinking…"

Miaojing began to clam up until Khien gave her a jab with her elbow.

"Sorry, I was being presumptuous, but I'd kind of hoped I could ask you to teach me waterbending," Miaojing stammered. "My mom only ever taught me healing and I've always…well, never mind. Forget I said anything."

"You want to be a fighter, too, huh?" Katara said with a smile. "I'll admit, I'm not a master, but I have learned a few moves. And I've adapted some things from other bending styles."

"You have?" Miaojing brightened.

"I'd be happy to show you, if you want."

"Of course! Yes!"

Katara smiled at the enthusiasm radiating off of Miaojing. It was much like how she, herself, felt at the prospect of learning more about waterbending. Being a waterbender in the Earth Kingdom couldn't be easy, especially if her mother, the only source of knowledge she had about her culture, wasn't there. And Katara also knew what it was like to not have parents around when you needed them.

"Well, if everyone's done with breakfast," said Khien. "I say we should head down to the training grounds."

---

Zuko was certain that Lalita and Trang were hiding something.

Sokka had noticed it, too, as he'd leaned over and whispered his suspicions to him. Aang, meanwhile, just ambled along in cheery ignorance of how dubious their two guides actually were. Sure, they said that they were just trying to repay them for handling those jerks at the festival, but Zuko couldn't shake the weird vibes he got from them.

He also wasn't sure why, but he was still certain that he'd seen Trang somewhere before. He'd first thought she was familiar during their interaction at the festival, but now he was almost positive he'd met her or someone who looked like her some time ago. Furthermore, she never did explain how it was she knew he was bad at lying.

"How much further to this village of yours?" said Sokka.

"It's just on the other side of Yongheng Ridge," said Trang. "We've made pretty good time. We should be there by nightfall."

"Why do you guys live so far up in the mountains, anyway?" said Zuko.

"I told you, many of the villagers are folks who don't want to be found."

"Does that include you?" said Sokka.

Trang went quiet for a moment.

"Let's just say we're not exactly welcome in Fire Nation lands," she replied.

"Why? What did you do?"

"Hey, it's not like it's our fault that Fire Lord Ozai is a massive cunt. His agents take one look at your ancestry and declare your mother a traitor for 'tainting her bloodline.' Next thing you know, you're living on the street and eating out of garbage piles."

Zuko froze.

His father had done what?

He knew his father hated Fire Nation citizens mixing with people from the Earth Kingdom, but he never expected that it went further than snide words and a few new laws to restrict intermarriage. Fraternizing with people of other nations wasn't technically illegal, though it was strongly discouraged. Only aiding enemies of the state was outright treasonous.

"Is that really so surprising?" said Lalita, clearly seeing his disbelief. "You saw how those brutes harassed us at the Fire Days Festival. That was hardly the first time such a thing has happened just to us."

"But why does Ozai hate his own people so much?" said Aang. "You're all Fire Nationals-"

"Not as far as Ozai is concerned," said Trang. "In the last speech of his that he released to the public, he basically said anyone who isn't Fire Nation is worth less than an animal. What do you think that tells everyone about how they should treat 'half-breeds'?"

Aang was clearly horrified. The entire situation was probably so far outside of his belief that "all life is sacred" that he couldn't fully grasp what he was hearing. Zuko felt horrible for the kid having to find out about this. Zuko, himself, was pretty shaken by learning how far the prejudice was going. Then again, to Zuko's dismay, he realized it wasn't as shocking as all that. After what his great-grandfather did to the airbenders, why would Earth Kingdom people not be viewed with similar hatred?

"And it's not like all full-blooded Fire Nationals have it any easier." Trang nodded towards Lalita. "Outer Islanders are hardly seen as equals to folks from the capital."

"Of course, what should we expect from someone who doesn't even respect the spirits," Lalita added.

"What do you mean?" said Aang. "Doesn't the Fire Nation revere Agni and Fenghuang? And there's always been worship of the island spirits. And you told us all about the Queen Mother of the Dawn."

"Do you believe Fire Lord Ozai cares about any of them?"

"Wait, hold up," said Zuko. "Not that I'm defending him, but my father's always observed the worship of the dragon and phoenix. Respecting the spirits is still expected of a Fire Lord."

"Is that why the Head Fire Sage is under house-arrest on allegations of sedition?" said Lalita.

"…what?"

"The news reached the colonies a few weeks ago. Apparently, the sages of Crescent Island were charged with treason. Something about aiding the escape of the Avatar."

She gave Aang a pointed look.

Aang and Sokka both suddenly began whistling and looking anywhere except at Lalita. Zuko wondered what that was about before it dawned on him that he had been there when that whole chaotic mess had happened, too.

"But only one of them helped Aang," he said. "The others were only too happy to capture him."

"Well, someone must've told the Fire Lord different," said Trang.

Fucking Zhao, Zuko thought.

"After that incident, Fire Lord Ozai has been making a lot of trouble for spiritual leaders," said Lalita. "Fire Sages are being investigated. Shrine Maidens have been banned from performing rituals or entering their own shrines. Even religious celebrations have been suspended."

"Not to mention the pig-bullshit he tried to pull against your island, Lalita," said Trang.

"Right. Ozai decided that the Golden Lotus Clan needed to be interrogated and that their authority over the island was 'inappropriate' for a religious community. So, he appointed a new island lord and sent agents in to locate the Devi and her disciples."

"Oooh, tell 'em what happened, Lalita. I get chills just thinking about it."

"The new island lord is currently on his deathbed, from what I hear. Caught sick four days after his arrival. And those agents Ozai sent in? Well, the thing about the Golden Lotus Clan is that no one outside of Kochi knows where their temple is. Most of the island is covered in jungle and the temple is somewhere in that jungle. The agents went in and they never came back out."

"But why is my father doing all this?" said Zuko.

"How should we know?" said Trang. "You're his son. Can't you figure out what goes on in the Fire Lord's head?"

No. He absolutely could not fathom what was going on inside his father's mind. And, truthfully, Zuko did not particularly wish to endure the curse of such knowledge. Whatever his father's mental process was, Zuko had no desire to take a peek into it for fear of never being able to unsee it.

"But he can't ban people from spirituality," Aang spoke up. "No one has the authority to stop that."

"Well, he's certainly been doing his level best to do just that," said Lalita. "Really, the only temples he hasn't shut down completely are the ones dedicated to worshiping the royal family."

"And even then, he's ordered for his portrait to be set over the altars above the memorial tablets of his ancestors," Trang added. "And he's not even fucking dead! It's so tacky."

"Frankly, I'm surprised you haven't heard about it before, Your Highness," Lalita said to Zuko. "It's not like this is the first time your father has done things like this."

"Yeah, there are tons of places that got their shrines and temples outright demolished years ago. Some of the folks I've asked about it said it was because your father declared worship of the local spirits to be an 'insult to his divine authority.' Or some shit like that."

"It's almost like Ozai wants to make himself out to be a god, or something."

"Oh, please," said Sokka. "I'm sure even Ozai isn't that crazy."

Zuko felt a tremor of dread suddenly race down his spine.

---

Miaojing was an eager student.

Despite being older than Katara, she still acted like Katara was some wise sifu with a lifetime's experience rather than a kid who was mostly making it up as she went along just like Miaojing, herself. She felt a little hesitant to accept that sort of respect, as she knew she hadn't really earned it yet, but having someone admire her talents and genuinely put in an effort to practice what Katara taught her was exhilarating and not a little addictive.

It also left Katara feeling a bit guilty about her previous experience giving Aang an introduction to waterbending. While she had made up with him about it, she had been bitter and envious about how quickly he'd picked up on it. She understood that it was because he was the Avatar and had also already received training in bending basics, but it had still stung. There was none of that with Miaojing because Miaojing was a regular girl like Katara, someone who had spent years training herself without guidance from a waterbending master.

And Katara was happy to learn some of the things Miaojing taught her in return.

"I've tried adapting earthbending moves to my waterbending," Miaojing said. "It's not always effective, but it's something."

Strong, steady moves with lots of energy behind them. Not as precise and elegant as the firebending moves Katara learned from Zuko, but they could definitely pack a punch. In fact, as Katara realized in training with Miaojing, the best way to use those moves was with ice, as it was solid and more like earth. Miaojing had been delighted to learn this as she hadn't even known how to freeze water with her bending.

The actual earthbenders like Khien who were also in the training grounds were happy to give them some pointers, too. Even a couple firebenders were willing to share bending tips. There were also a lot of non-benders in the camp who were doing weapons training and hand-to-hand that had their own insights to share.

It was a strange yet thrilling experience, being surrounded by people of different backgrounds with varying abilities and skills, all of whom were working together and exchanging knowledge. Any past prejudices were left behind, or at least put aside in the interest of the little community they'd built together. It was peaceful. Harmonious even.

If only the rest of the world was like this, Katara thought to herself.

The calm was broken when Xingqiu rushed onto the training grounds.

"Everyone, drop what you're doing!" he shouted. "Code Green!"

All training stopped instantly as the group hurried back up to the village. Miaojing took Katara's hand to lead her along with the others and Khien used her earthbending to create a moving platform to get them there faster.

"What's going on?" said Katara.

"The traffickers have been spotted," said Miaojing. "We have to assemble for our attack."

"I'm gonna enjoy this," Khien said with a vicious smirk.

The three masters were waiting at the center of the village as everyone arrived.

"We're moving out in ten minutes," said Master Trinh. "There are three caravans on their way, so we'll each be leading a team."

She quickly glanced over the crowd and began pointing to people.

"You will go with Colonel Aixinga." Another round of pointing followed. "You will go with Lady Nara. The rest of you will be with me."

"Master Trinh," said Khien. "Pinyi, Subei, and Yibo are still out running laps. We're down several fighters."

Katara wasn't sure what spurred her on. Maybe it was just her natural thirst for justice or eagerness for a good fight or the fact that she'd already come to see some of the people here as friends, but she stepped up.

"I want to help," she said. "Let me go with you."

"You don't have to," said Master Trinh. "You are our guest."

"I know. But I want to."

Master Trinh paused, looking Katara up and down for a moment as if sizing her up.

"Very well," said Master Trinh. "You may join my team. Everyone, get ready to go!"

They were traveling light. Instead of ostrich-horses, the bandits apparently used eel-hounds, which were far faster and more sure-footed. Katara hung on tight to Miaojing, with whom she was riding, as they sped across the rough, rocky terrain. Soon enough, they came to the edge of a steep slope that led down to the mountain pass. From what Katara could tell, the area seemed to be in the opposite direction of where her camp was.

She vaguely recalled Sokka mentioning something about this area yesterday, but it slipped from her mind as she and the other members of Master Trinh's team were given a quick explanation of the plan and told to get into position.

The sound of rumbling carriage wheels echoed up from the road below them and the target appeared within their sights in a matter of minutes. To any ordinary person, it seemed like a regular merchant caravan. But looks could be deceiving and Katara, knowing what the actual cargo was, glared at the group of armed men that drew closer and closer into view.

Katara waited, poised and primed to strike when Master Trinh gave them the signal.

The whole team watched Master Trinh slowly raise one hand. The carriage rumbled closer. Master Trinh motioned them all forward. Katara's heart thundered as she felt the earth move beneath her. Khien was bending another rock platform down to carry them towards the target. Master Trinh was doing the same for another section of their force.

So, she's actually an earthbender, not a firebender, Katara thought briefly.

Her attention snapped back to the caravan. The men guarding the carriage moved into formation, but they were outnumbered. It would be only too easy to take them down.

Strange that they were traveling with so few guards when they should know that bandits live in the mountains. Katara only got to take down one guy before the fight was over. She was also nearest the carriage and decided to start freeing the captives inside.

What she found, though, wasn't a group of captured young women. It was empty.

Katara felt the blood leave her face.

"It's a trick!" she called out as she leapt from the carriage.

At that moment, the ground beneath her began to shake. The rest of the team was startled and froze for a moment, only for Master Trinh to shout at them to get on top of the carriage. The others did so, just as the ground around them began to turn to mud. One of the other girls, a non-bender named "Raoniu," got caught and pulled down to her waist in the mire, only for the mud to suddenly harden around her.

"Help me!" she called out.

Katara wanted to do just that, but Miaojing held her back.

"You'll sink in, too," she said.

The earthbenders in their team started trying to stabilize the mud back into earth, only for it to resist them.

"Something's fighting back against us," said Khien.

"Or someone," said Master Trinh, her gaze fixed on the opposite end of the pass.

A new group of men was approaching. Twice the number of Master Trinh's team. Several of them were wearing Earth Kingdom military uniforms. Katara felt another knot in her stomach at what that meant.

"So, these are the ones responsible for disrupting our business," a cold, smooth voice said. The man strolled ahead of his force at a leisurely pace, his arms folded behind his back.

He stopped at the edge of the mud, watching Raoniu frantically trying to escape with a look of cold amusement on his face. He took an earthbending stance and pulled her over towards him too fast for any of the bandits to stop him. Raoniu screamed as she shot over and immediately began to renew her struggling as he pulled her from the ground and shoved her towards one of his men.

"So, you're the one behind all this?" said Master Trinh.

"You flatter me," said the man. "I am simply a servant of the greater good."

"What 'greater good'?" Khien snapped. "How does snatching innocent women and girls off the street help anyone?"

The man gave Khien the most condescending smirk Katara had ever seen. Khien looked like she wanted nothing more than to put her fist right through his face.

"I don't expect any of you to understand the reality of preserving the Earth Kingdom's future," he said. "Perhaps you'll get a better grasp of it once you're in Ba Sing Se, where many of you should've been a long time ago."

"As if any of us will go with you," another one of the girls piped up. Katara recalled her name was "Chun."

She sent a large rock flying towards him. He shattered it with one hand and then shot something towards her with his other one. It was a hand-shaped stone that grabbed Chun by the front of her tunic and dragged her over to him; the stone hand then affixed itself back around his real one like an earthen glove, leaving Chun in his grasp. Before Chun could fight back, he spun her around and slapped a pair of metal cuffs on her, binding her hands behind her. He tossed her casually over to another of his subordinates.

"You little girls have caused me quite a few headaches," the man continued. "That ends today."

Katara had to do something. They were outnumbered and two of their fighters had already been taken down. They were also trapped on the carriage and couldn't risk jumping down into the mud, as the number of earthbenders around them was enough to render any earthbending attempts from their own team useless. What was more, their opponents were starting to make the carriage sink and their own earthbenders were straining just to keep it from going down.

Wait, mud has to have water in it, she thought to herself. Even earthbenders can't create mud with no water.

"Miaojing," she said quietly. "I need your help."

"You have an idea?" Miaojing asked.

"Let's bend as much water out of the ground as possible. But try to keep the water looking like mud. I don't think they know we're waterbenders."

Miaojing gave a devious smile as she realized Katara's plan.

The two of them moved close to the edge of the carriage roof, but out of the direct line of sight of their adversaries. They got into their opening stances, raised their arms, and began to bend the mud below, raising it high up overhead and towards the men.

A huge, powerful wave. Something Katara had once struggled to achieve.

Just as Katara expected, their attackers assumed it was an earthbending attack and began to bend the earth in their mud wave. However, Katara and Miaojing kept their grips firmly on the water as the particles of earth were ripped away, leaving behind a wave of pure water which they dropped down on the men below. Katara and Miaojing then pushed the water to freeze.

In an instant, the tide of battle had turned. At least a dozen men were frozen in the ice while the rest were distracted by the shock of it, leaving an opening for Master Trinh, who'd quickly overcome any surprise she might have felt, to lead their own team into attack mode once more.

Katara and Miaojing leapt from the carriage top, drawing as much water from the ground as they could to prevent another mud marsh and keep the space safe for their earthbenders. They then began to use the water to freeze as many enemies solid as they could. They wouldn't take any chances and engulfed the men completely in blocks of ice to prevent any chance of them busting out.

When the other men saw that they were becoming increasingly outmatched, they turned and began to make a run for it. Their leader paused for a moment to glare at Katara and Miaojing before he, too, began to book it. But Katara wasn't going to let him get away so easily and she started to chase him.

She wasn't the only one. Khien had noticed and joined up with her, earthbending the ground beneath them both so they could follow more effectively. Khien had murder written in her gaze. They chased the leader all the way to the edge of a cliff.

It was then that Katara was able to get a proper look at him.

He was definitely no older than mid-to-late thirties, of average height with dark hair pulled back into a long, braided queue. He was almost unnervingly normal-looking, his face neither particularly handsome nor especially unattractive, but more the kind of face Katara would find among any number of regular Earth Kingdom citizens. He just didn't look like the kind of person who would be involved in abducting and exploiting innocent people. His eyes were a dark shade of green, but they almost seemed lifeless, as if there was no sense of warmth or feeling behind them.

"Who are you?" Katara demanded. "Why have you been doing all this?"

He just sneered at her as if he considered her so inferior that she wasn't worthy of speaking to him.

"She asked you a question, asshole," Khien said.

"Pathetic," the man replied. "You think stopping our attack today will do anything? We'll be back."

"Who's 'we'?" said Katara. "Who are you working for?"

The man gave another nasty smirk.

"You little girls don't realize the mess you've gotten yourselves into," he drawled. "Before, I was going to be lenient. I was going to bring all of you back alive. But now…now, you've made me quite angry. The next time we meet will not be nearly so pleasant."

"What makes you think there'll be a next time?" said Khien.

Several other members of their team had arrived and started to move in behind her, ready to help them apprehend the man before them. But he was still eerily at-ease as he moved closer to the edge of the cliff.

"Enjoy your victory for today," he said. "It won't last forever."

With that, he threw himself over the edge.

Katara and Khien darted forward and stared down at the chasm below.

He was gone.

"Is he…?" said Khien.

"I don't think so," Katara replied. "For a man about to face death, he was way too calm."

"Guys, we have to go," Miaojing said, suddenly dashing over. "Master Trinh says we need to find the other teams. They may be in danger, as well."

Katara nodded and began to follow. However, she couldn't help but notice the men she and Miaojing had left frozen in ice. If she walked away now, those men would certainly die. They were likely already in a great deal of pain, surrounded by ice and starved for air. She initially thought about freeing them, but a harder and colder part of her told her to stop. If she let them go, they might try and attack her and the rest of the team, or else they would run and maybe return to their repulsive activities.

But they were also Earth Kingdom citizens. Some of them were soldiers, too. They weren't supposed to be her enemies. They were meant to be part of the fight against the Fire Nation. At the same time, though, they'd engaged in an obscene and inhuman practice that had harmed countless people. And they would likely not have shown her any mercy had they been successful in their attack against the Taihua Mountain Gang.

Khien had a hand on her shoulder, trying to urge her along, but Katara was stuck.

Then, perhaps against her better judgement, she thawed the ice just enough so that their heads were exposed and they weren't suffocating anymore. The men started gasping for air. Katara stepped forward, glaring intently at them.

"Consider this your first and last warning," she said. "Maybe losing a few pieces to frostbite will make you less likely to do something like this again. But if I ever catch any of you harming innocent people, I won't be nearly as kind."

With that, she turned and walked away, doing what she could to ignore the shouts from behind her. The sounds of desperate, freezing men begging to be released. She was giving them a chance to live. How much remained of them after spending hours upon hours in blocks of ice…

Well, that was up to fate, now, wasn't it?

---

Liuna was woken by the sudden jolt of the carriage.

Her eyelids were heavy, but she managed to force them open. She tried to move her hand, only for her own body to refuse to obey her. It was as if everything was encased in stone she couldn't bend. Despite her lack of control over her body, her mind remained clear even in the dizzy haze.

She remembered everything in perfect clarity.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. She was just a normal girl from a normal town and a normal family. She was only a little bit special, being the first earthbender in her whole family, but she wasn't some great prodigy or even a master. She'd gotten some basic earthbending instruction, enough so that she could control it and utilize it in ways to help her family. And that was all it was ever going to be.

But her family wanted so much more for her. They thought she could be exceptional.

So, when several men from Ba Sing Se showed up at their house to invite Liuna to attend an elite earthbending academy in the capital, her parents agreed before Liuna could offer any sort of refusal. She didn't want to leave her hometown. She didn't care about becoming a master. She wanted to be there to look after her family and help run the store, especially considering the news that the Fire Nation was advancing on their province.

Her parents wouldn't hear any protests.

You can learn so much in the capital.

It's a great honor for you to be chosen to go to a school in Ba Sing Se.

You'll be much safer in the capital.

What would we do if anything happened to you?

Except, something had happened to her. Despite all her family's assurances that she would be fine, things had taken a nasty turn.

The 'recruiters' had gotten her and several other women and even a few little girls loaded into carriages and started taking them in a strange circuit that brought them to the Taihua Mountains. No one had really thought there was anything wrong, at first, until they realized that not all of them were earthbenders. When they started to ask each other more about why they were going to Ba Sing Se, the stories didn't match up.

Liuna and some of the other older women decided to organize an escape.

They'd been staying the night at an inn and planned to sneak everyone out, only to find themselves being drugged during dinner. By the time they woke, they had all been crammed back into the carriages and sent on their way. Liuna wasn't much of a fighter, but she'd slammed her head into the gut of one of her abductors in an attempt to break free once the drug started to wear off.

She hadn't gotten far before several men grabbed her and forced the next dose of the drug down her throat.

A whimper escaped her mouth at the absolutely hopeless state she and all the other ladies around her were in. She didn't know exactly what was in store for her, but she had a pretty good idea. She'd caught snippets of conversation from the men guarding the carriages and she was certain that the words 'cargo,' 'price,' and 'buyers' did not bode well.

"Why have we stopped?!" one of the men outside shouted.

"The wheels got caught," another replied.

"Well, hurry up and – wait, someone earthbent around the wheels. Who would –?"

A rumbling sound erupted around them and the men outside began to scream. Whatever was happening seemed to drag on for an eternity. Slowly, Liuna started to regain feeling in her arms. With a great deal of effort, she dragged herself over the still incapacitated bodies of her companions, promising to save them all once she got out that damned carriage. Her arms were aching from the strain, but she still pulled herself along. The drug's lingering effects left her feeling mostly numb, except for the pain of going several days without food. Her lips were dry and cracked from a lack of water, as well. All she knew was that she had to get herself and the others out of there.

At last, she reached the carriage entrance and shoved herself through it.

She landed with a dull 'thud' on the sweet, rough, familiar earth and what she saw when she looked up was startling.

The men who'd captured them were running for their lives back down the mountain path. A large force of earthbenders, non-bender warriors, and, most surprising of all, two waterbenders had routed the caravan. One of the waterbenders noticed Liuna and rushed over to help her up.

"It's all right," she said. "You're safe."

Liuna wasn't usually emotional. Growing up, she saw herself as a strong woman. Earthbenders weren't supposed to be frail or weak or vulnerable. They had to be sturdy and reliable and tough as their element.

But at the waterbender's words, Liuna broke down in sobs of pure, exhausted relief.

---

It was utterly monstrous what those men had been doing.

Nearly two dozen women and girls had been kept locked in those carriages and treated like they were a load of wares being sent to the market. It was no wonder, then, why Khien had such a raw hatred for the traffickers if she'd been through the same experience.

Katara couldn't imagine what it must have been like to be in that situation.

This entire business had left Katara with a sick feeling deep inside her. As she helped tend to the people they'd freed, anger coursed through her veins as she thought about how far this trafficking ring was willing to go and how it appeared that the Earth Kingdom wasn't just turning a blind eye but outright profiting from it. Such exploitation was the kind of thing evil people in legends were punished for. It wasn't something the good guys were meant to do.

Still, the gang had been able to locate the real caravan and free the captives. It hadn't been easy. Both Lady Nara and Colonel Aixinga had been led into traps, just as they had. Lady Nara's team had fared better than Colonel Aixinga's, though, as one of the people with her was Little Xia.

When Master Trinh led their group to assist Lady Nara, they found a substantial number of ambushers had been paralyzed. Little Xia, as it turned out, had a curious skill. She was somehow able to block people's chi paths by jabbing at their pressure points in just the right way, causing them to lose feeling and even their bending abilities for a short time.

"It's been passed down in my family for generations," Little Xia explained when Katara asked about it. "Not many people know how to do it and even fewer teach it to anyone other than family. The only ones around here who know it are me, Auntie, and Xingqiu."

Katara blinked at her as she recalled the very mild-mannered young man. The unspoken question must have been clear on her face, because Little Xia explained.

"He's my cousin."

After a little while, Katara became curious about another matter.

"Little Xia, how exactly did you and Xingqiu get involved with the Taihua Mountain Gang?"

"I told you before."

"You just said Master Trinh is convincing and persuaded some of the mountain clans to work with her. You never explained how you and your cousin got involved."

"Ah, you caught that? Truthfully, the reason why we joined is we don't have many people to rely on. Both Xingqiu and I lost our fathers in an avalanche a few years back. My mother is a mountain guide, so she's not here very often. Really, it's just me, Xingqiu, and Auntie. Oh, and Mama Tshering."

"And who?"

"Mama Tshering. She's mine and Xingqiu's great-grandmother. I'll introduce you when we get back. She's the one who passed chi-blocking down to us."

Once they'd freed the women and girls from the caravan and brought everyone back to the settlement, Little Xia did just that. She bounced along, pulling Katara behind her, until they came to one of the huts where a tiny, ancient-looking woman sat in a chair, bundled up in brightly-patterned blankets and humming to herself. Xingqiu was seated nearby, peeling fruit which he handed to the lady.

"Mama Tshering," Little Xia chirped. "This is our new friend Katara."

The woman cracked open her eyes, which were a deep, dark grey like those of her descendants, and gave a toothless smile.

"Is she here to watch the comet, Diki?" Mama Tshering asked, her voice creaking.

"No, Mama Tshering, and I'm 'Little Xia.'"

"We were supposed to watch the comet." She looked off into the distance, as if watching something none of them could see. "It's so pretty. Diki, why do we have to hide in this cave?"

"There's no cave here, Mama Tshering."

"We came all this way. We were gonna spend the festival with Papa. Why is he making us hide in this cave? Why'd he tell us to stay quiet, Diki?"

Little Xia gave a sad smile and turned to Katara.

"Sorry about that," she said. "Mama Tshering…isn't always aware of what's going on anymore."

"Why does she keep mentioning a comet?" Katara said, her mouth suddenly going dry.

"She was a little girl when the war started," said Xingqiu. "She's probably having memories of the comet."

Something about this situation felt very odd. An elderly woman who lived in mountains the Air Nomads considered sacred remembering Sozin's Comet and being hidden in a cave by her father. Katara looked at Little Xia and Xingqiu again, and she started to suspect the reason why she was reminded of Aang whenever she was around them.

"Hey, Katara!" Miaojing called out as she hurried over to them.

"What's going on?" said Katara.

Miaojing was panting from having to run, but she was grinning widely like the exertion didn't bother her.

"Katara, the masters were just talking and, well, just come with me."

Katara once more found herself being dragged along somewhere by someone bursting with excited energy. Once inside the meeting hall, Miaojing led Katara before the three masters and gave a respectful bow to them.

"Katara, we've been discussing what happened today," said Master Trinh. "You and Miaojing were invaluable in preventing us from being captured. And Miaojing has told us that she wouldn't have been half as helpful today had you not taught her some new waterbending moves."

"As such," said Lady Nara, who was again cradling the same toddler from earlier that morning, "we have agreed to recognize you as an official member of our organization, if you are willing to accept."

"I…I don't know what to say," Katara replied.

"Naturally, you don't have to accept if you don't wish to. We already recognize you as a friend and ally, we simply wish to make it official."

"You showed remarkable courage and skill today," said Master Trinh. "Even more, you showed an incredible sense of compassion and loyalty. You had no obligation to us, yet you risked your life to aid our mission."

"I was just doing what I felt was right," said Katara.

"And in doing so, you demonstrated the qualities we most admire. We would be honored to have you as a member of the Taihua Mountain Gang."

"Thank you, I mean, it's my honor to be asked, but I can't really stay."

"We understand," said Lady Nara. "We've had people looking for your friends today. No sign as yet, but we will inform you if that changes. And, of course, we make no demands that you stay. We are not simply one group of bandits in the mountains. We have sworn members living all over the place. If you accept our offer, you may find others out there in the world who will be willing to assist you when needed."

"Is there anything I would be required to do if I become a member?"

"To aid the weak," said Colonel Aixinga. "To fight for peace and the basic rights of all people. To promote the way of philosophy, beauty, and truth in the face of violence, hatred, and lies. To admit mistakes and learn from others. These are the principles we aspire to. Do you accept these as the guidelines of a noble life?"

That sounded incredible. And being in a war meant they needed whatever help they could get. Besides, they didn't seem to be asking anything of Katara other than being a good person. In the end, she couldn't think of anything to say other than:

"I accept."

---

They were maybe a mile or two away from the bandit camp when the truth revealed itself.

"I knew you two were up to something!" Sokka shouted.

Lalita and Trang were part of the bandit gang. Zuko and Sokka had figured it out and were not going to be taken for suckers. The two ladies had given their intentions away when they asked that the guys turn over all their weapons. They gave some lame excuse about 'not frightening the locals,' but that wasn't fooling anyone.

"Don't be a fucking idiot," said Trang.

"We're not giving you our weapons," said Zuko. "You two have been suspicious since the moment we met on this mountain."

"Hey, we've been nothing but nice to you," said Lalita.

"That, in itself, is extremely suspicious," said Sokka. "Very few people are genuinely nice to us. And we've met more than a few who were only pretending to be nice as a manipulation tactic. Well, I am not going to be taken in by such an obvious trap."

"Um, Sokka, maybe we should just take their word on good faith," said Aang. "They haven't done anything wrong."

"Nothing wrong? They're probably part of the group that kidnapped Katara."

"Well, that's mighty presumptuous," said Lalita. "We're trying to help you find your sister."

"That's been your plan since the beginning. You abduct Katara and lure us to your bandit camp to ambush us."

"Why wouldn't we have just snatched all of you in one go?" said Trang.

"To prevent a fight. You didn't have enough people to take us during the night, so you decided to use my sister as bait. Diabolical."

"Look, we're just trying to do you guys a good turn," said Lalita. "Just go with us to our village and you'll see there's nothing wrong."

"Oh, we'll go to your village," said Sokka. "But you two are our hostages. When the rest of your bandit gang hands over my sister, we'll let you go."

"You seriously think we're some sort of masterminds who've been playing you from the start?"

"You said it, not us," said Zuko. "You two have been acting furtive this whole trip. Just because we helped you out before, that's not enough reason for us to trust you."

Lalita and Trang exchanged a look and then sighed.

"Fine," said Lalita. "If it makes you feel better, you can take us to the village as your hostages. But don't blame us if you end up looking like idiots."

Zuko felt a flicker of doubt, but quickly brushed it aside. They couldn't risk walking into an unknown location with people they barely knew who had been much too eager to help them out. Sure, they'd defended Lalita and Trang at the festival, but that hardly seemed enough incentive to assist their search for Katara. For all they knew, Lalita and Trang had been spies all along, laying the groundwork for their trap since the festival. All that stuff earlier where they'd been trash-talking his father, or accusing Zuko of being the spy, or how readily they'd accepted learning Zuko's real identity, it could have all been part of some intricate ploy.

Trang accusing Zuko of being a spy was even more suspicious. After all, what better way to deflect suspicion against yourself than by acting suspicious of other people?

He had endured enough mind games from Azula. He wasn't going to allow himself to be tricked. Sokka had the right idea about not trusting people, especially if they were too nice.

"Zuko, I need a more threatening weapon to make sure they don't try anything," said Sokka. "Could you loan me one of your swords?"

Zuko passed him one of his dual dao and used the other one himself as they restrained their new captives and began marching them towards the settlement as the darkness grew overhead.

Aang still seemed reluctant to go along with this, but he was just a kid. He hadn't fully learned to distrust people. Despite the past experiences he'd mentioned, Aang refused to accept that other people weren't inherently good and kind. It was up to Zuko and Sokka to make sure Aang didn't get himself killed due to his bad habit of taking everything he was told at face value.

Zuko would not have Aang getting hurt on his conscience if he could prevent it.

More to the point, Zuko wanted to get Katara back safely. They couldn't put her life at risk by blundering into an obvious trap and not attempting to circumvent it in some way. The least he and Sokka could do was ensure they had some way to negotiate her release. There was no telling how many bandits there were, but Katara was most certainly outnumbered. No matter how good of a waterbender she was, it would assuredly be difficult for her to get away on her own. She needed backup and a getaway plan.

Don't worry, Katara, Zuko thought as they headed towards the settlement. We're almost there.

---

Katara had been given a ceremonial robe to wear over her tunic.

The base fabric was plain, but it was lined with brocade made from intertwined red, blue, green, and yellow threads. She'd also been given a crown of woven mountain flowers for her hair; it must have been difficult to find them, as it was a pretty rough winter.

She was waiting in a side room attached to the meeting hall, along with some of her new friends. They'd been excitedly fussing over her since the announcement that she was becoming a member of the gang. Miaojing was talking her through her part in the initiation ceremony, Suiyong had helped her into the fancy robe and was currently painting her nails, Little Xia had brought Katara some more of the medicinal tea when her cramps started acting up again, and Khien was standing by the door to alert them when it was time to start.

It reminded her a little of being back home in the Southern Water Tribe. Just being with warm, kind people who wanted to support each other. Not that Katara had ever had this many female friends before, girls her own age who shared an interest in the things she, herself, enjoyed and were willing to give their own opinions on things. The only friends she'd really had up until this point were all boys; her brother and Aang and, more recently, Zuko.

Even back home, there hadn't been any girls her own age in their village. The only girls roughly close to her in age were all young children, the eldest of whom was nine. Among the adult women, the youngest was Isi, who was twenty-seven. And even if Katara wanted to spend time just hanging around with friends, there was so much work to take care of that she wouldn't have had much of a chance to.

"You have lovely skin, Katara," said Little Xia. "How do you keep it this soft?"

"I use a special seaweed lotion," said Katara. "My grandmother gave me the recipe. I can show you how to make it if you want."

"Oh, man, I need something like that," said Miaojing. "Being up in the mountains dries my skin out like you wouldn't believe."

"I think the red nail dye suits you," said Suiyong as she painted another of Katara's nails.

"Really?" said Katara. "I've never worn nail dye before. I've also never worn anything red before."

"Trust me. It looks great."

"Hey, it looks like the three idiots are finally back," said Khien. "Pinyi looks like she's about to drop dead."

"No great loss there," said Miaojing.

"Hey, why are you guys so harsh towards her?" said Katara. "She's a bit reckless, but she doesn't seem like a bad person."

"We know she's not bad or anything," Little Xia replied. "But you know how she kidnapped you? That wasn't a one-off."

"Yeah, she's always doing stupid stuff like that," said Khien. "Even the masters have thought about kicking her out because of it."

"That seems a bit much just for making a few slip-ups," said Katara. "I mean, nobody's perfect."

"If it were only a few incidents, that wouldn't be such an issue. The problem is it happens too much. This is a dangerous business. You saw what those guys today were willing to do. If Pinyi had been with us, she would've made things even worse. We can't have a liability around."

"Why is she even allowed on missions, then? If she's such a risk, the masters could make her stay in camp."

"Colonel Aixinga keeps making excuses for her," said Miaojing. "He says Pinyi just needs more chances to prove herself."

"Why would he do that?"

"She was one of the girls he saved in a previous mission," said Suiyong. "He's been trying hard to make her a better fighter since then."

"Fighting isn't the problem," said Khien. "The problem is that she's stupid."

"She's not stupid," said Little Xia. "She just…doesn't always think things through."

"Well, if she doesn't grow up, that behavior could get someone killed."

"Perhaps she just needs more guidance," said Katara. "Have you tried talking to her about it? Maybe asked her about why she keeps being so impulsive?"

None of them met Katara's eyes.

"I guess we have been kinda tough on her," said Khien. "It's just, well, it can be frustrating when you have to work with someone who never acts like she's trying to improve."

"She's part of the gang," Katara continued. "Instead of tearing her down and making fun of her, maybe you could offer her some encouragement and real feedback. Who knows? She may surprise you."

They all grumbled a little, but Katara had a feeling that they would take her suggestion on board. She certainly hoped they did. While she was still kind of annoyed by what Pinyi had done, the girl had her heart in the right place. She just needed a bit more direction and restraint.

After a little while, Lady Nara arrived, carrying the child she often had with her.

"Miaojing, I can't have Binbin with me during the ceremony," she said. "Could you watch him for me?"

"Of course, Lady Nara," said Miaojing.

"Miaomiao!" the little boy exclaimed happily as Miaojing lifted him into her arms.

Lady Nara gave a thankful nod and left. Little Binbin was absolutely adorable. He giggled and bounced and reached for Katara's hair-loopies. Katara liked small children a lot and Binbin was simply precious.

"So, he's Lady Nara's son?" she asked.

"Yeah, she had him shortly after she joined Master Trinh," said Miaojing. "I assisted with the birth."

"So, um, is the father off fighting in the war?"

"Him? Fight? Katara, don't make me laugh. That selfish bastard wouldn't lift a finger to help anyone but himself."

"Lady Nara's marriage wasn't the best," Suiyong said delicately. "That's why she came out here in the first place."

"That's putting it mildly," Miaojing huffed, shifting to let Binbin rest on her hip. "Lord Hongli is one of the worst people I have ever met."

Considering she spent a lot of her time hunting human traffickers, that was certainly saying something.

"Lady Nara couldn't stand living with him," Miaojing continued. "He was always throwing his weight around and talking down to her, like he thought she was an idiot. He was always going on about how she should be grateful being married to the head of the Yumsoon-Han family. As if the Nara family aren't ten-times as noble."

"Why did she marry him, then?" said Katara.

"It was an arranged marriage," said Suiyong. "The two families wanted an alliance, so she had to marry him."

"That's ridiculous."

"That's life," Khien said with a shrug. "It happens all over the Earth Kingdom. Not even just with the rich folks."

Katara felt sick at the thought. The idea of forcing people into marriage against their will was horrifying. It made her thankful that that didn't happen in the Water Tribe. Sure, people back home were sometimes pressured into getting married, but no one could legally force another into a marriage they didn't want. The only times forced marriages happened was in the past, and those instances were regarded with deep scorn by the present generations in the South Pole.

"It's not like Lady Nara's the only one running from an arranged marriage," said Little Xia. "There are plenty of people in the gang who joined for that very reason. I mean, that's why Yibo is here."

"Wait, isn't he the guy who helped Pinyi and Subei kidnap me?"

"That'd be him," said Miaojing. "He's from the Caifu family. They're the main supplier of weapons and armor in the Earth Kingdom."

"So, why'd he run from his arranged marriage?"

The other girls all exchanged knowing glances.

"Let's just say," said Suiyong, "his betrothed lacked an attribute that is non-negotiable for him."

It took a moment for the implication to click, but it soon dawned on Katara what Suiyong was trying to say.

"I mean, he had other reasons to leave, too," said Miaojing. "But forcing him into a marriage he didn't want was the straw that broke the camelephant's back."

"Did Lady Nara have a breaking point, as well?" said Katara.

"Yeah. See, one of the biggest reasons her husband acted like a total tool was that she hadn't given him a son."

Katara looked at Binbin, who was giggling and trying to reach for a nearby bowl of fruit.

"As I said, Lady Nara didn't give birth to him until after we'd left," said Miaojing. "She actually burst out laughing when she realized she was pregnant. Considering her husband was so desperate for a kid that he tried to make me and some of the other servant girls his concubines, it was kind of funny."

"He tried to do what?" Katara choked.

"That was why Lady Nara left. She'd put up with his attitude for years, but she wasn't going to stand by and watch the girls in her charge be treated like that. So, she got all of us out of there."

Katara suddenly had even more respect for the elegant bandit leader.

"Hey, guys, it looks like the ceremony is about to start," said Khien. "We'd best get to our places."

They filed out of the room, wishing Katara good luck as they did. Katara waited patiently until she heard the sound of a gong being rung. At that signal, she rose to her feet and processed out into the meeting hall. She walked down the main aisle between the rows of attendees. She wished the guys were here to see all this. There still hadn't been any word of them and Katara was worried they might have done something rash when they saw she was gone. Hopefully, they would turn up soon.

"Today, we welcome a new member to our ranks," said Master Trinh. "Katara of the Southern Water Tribe."

"In joining our mission to protect the innocent," said Colonel Aixinga, "she has shown great compassion, bravery, intelligence, resilience, and loyalty. These are the virtues we, as a martial order, hold in high esteem."

"As of tonight, Katara is an oath-sworn warrior of the Taihua Mountain Gang," said Lady Nara. "You will all treat her as your martial sister."

Another older woman approached Katara. She was dressed in plain, brown robes and wore a multitude of beads. Katara realized she must be Little Xia's aunt, Big Xia, if the grey eyes were any indication. She led Katara up onto the dais and pulled aside a curtain to reveal an altar. Above the altar was a set of four bronze emblems, one of each of the four nations. The emblems were framed by floral motifs, the topmost one being a very detailed lotus flower.

Big Xia handed Katara four incense sticks and motioned her forward.

"Do you swear to uphold justice?" said Big Xia. "To defend the weak? To promote truth and wisdom where there are only lies and ignorance?"

"I do," said Katara.

Big Xia lit a match and ignited the tips of the incense sticks. Katara held the sticks above eye-level as Miaojing had instructed her. She then gave four bows to the elemental symbols before placing the sticks into the burner on the altar.

Big Xia then picked up a wine jug from the altar and poured it into a cup made from a halved gourd. She handed it to Katara and led her back down off the dais to face the three masters, each of whom also held a drinking gourd. Katara gave one final bow before she and the masters all drank from their cups.

It was the first time Katara had ever had alcohol. She'd been nervous about trying it, but hadn't wanted to offend anyone by refusing to drink. It burned as it went down and she fought the instinct to gag at the sharp taste on her tongue. Still, she managed to finish it and the hall erupted with applause.

With the ritual done, Katara joined her new friends as dinner was served. Khien slapped Katara on the back as she sat down and handed her a fresh gourd of wine. As the evening went on, Katara gradually began to feel dizzy and her face got warmer and warmer.

Distantly, she heard the chatter dying down as some shouts came from outside. Someone rushed in and hurried over to the masters to tell them something. Katara couldn't hear it, she was lost in the pleasant sensation of another sip of the increasingly tasty drink in her hand.

Through the haze, the words "attack," "hostages," and "threat" filtered through. They did not fully impact her, though, until most everyone had already moved to follow the masters outside. When they did register, Katara slammed her drink on the table.

"Who dares attack the Taihua Mountain Gang?" she shouted, swaying a bit as she got up. "I'll take them all on!"

"Um, Katara," said Miaojing. "I think you've had a little too much to drink."

"What? Noooo, I'm fine." She snatched up another wine gourd and took a swig just to prove her point. "I am a sworn-sister of Taihua Mountain and I won't let anyone threaten us! To battle!"

---

There were more people than he expected, but he was right.

Lalita and Trang had been leading them into a bandit camp. No regular village had racks of weapons just sitting out for everyone to see. He also doubted that Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom folks would live together all buddy-buddy-like unless they were up to something skeevy. The only places you saw Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom people living together at all was in the colonies, and Trang had even admitted that there were no official Fire Nation settlements in this area. Therefore, the only logical explanation was that it was the bandit gang.

Really, the only thing that surprised him was how many female bandits there were. In fact, it looked like a vast majority of them were women. Not that Sokka didn't think women could be bandits, he just didn't think so many women would go around kidnapping other women for undoubtedly shady purposes.

"We just want my sister back," Sokka said to the crowd of bandits gathered around them in the dark. "Hand her over and we'll let them go."

"There's no need to be so dramatic, young man," said one of the bandits. "I take it that you are Katara's brother?"

"Yes. Where is she?"

"She's in the meeting hall. If you'll just be patient, we can –"

"Who is it?! Who's attacking us?!" a slurred yet familiar voice yelled out.

That was when a disheveled, red-cheeked Katara came stumbling out of the crowd. She pointed wildly every which way until one of the bandits turned her around so she was facing the right direction.

"Katara, are you okay?" Sokka said frantically, relief flooding him to see she was alive and unhurt. This was quickly replaced with concern over how disoriented she seemed to be. He scowled at the bandits. "What did you do to her?"

"What are you shouting about?" Katara shouted at him, giving him a weak shove as she did so. "I am Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, oath-sworn warrior of the Taihua Mountain Gang. I fear no one!"

"Katara," said Zuko. "What Sokka means is that we were worried about you."

She looked him up and down as if seeing him for the first time, ambled forward, pushing past Sokka and Aang, and then suddenly grabbed Zuko's face.

"You are sooooo cute," Katara said, giggling as she squished his cheeks.

"Um, Katara," Aang said, trying to get her to let go of Zuko, "what are you doing?"

"Okay, what's going on?" said Sokka. "What's wrong with my sister?"

"She may have had a little too much rice wine," said another bandit.

"You gave my sister alcohol?!"

"It was part of the ceremony."

"What ceremony?" said Aang.

"Her initiation. Katara has agreed to become a member of our organization."

Sokka stared. Katara, his little sister, a righteous do-gooder, had joined a bandit gang? He knew he should've kept a sharper eye on her antics after the incident with the pirates. Stealing that waterbending scroll must've been the start of some deep, hidden addiction to thievery.

"Hey, I'm gonna keep this one," Katara said, grabbing Zuko's hand. She glared around at everyone. "This one is my husband. No one touches him!"

"Um, Katara, maybe you should sit down for a moment," said Zuko, his face turning bright red.

"Huh? No, I'm fine. I'm greaaat. I'm ready to fight! Now, where is the enemy who dares attack us?"

Many of the bandits started chuckling to themselves, some trying to stifle their snorts behind their sleeves. Three of the bandits stepped forward. In the dim light, he saw that they were an elegant older woman, a gruff-looking man, and a young woman in rough, mountainfolk clothes.

"As you can see, your sister is unharmed," said the young woman. "Can you say the same for mine?"

"I'm all right, sis," said Trang.

"So am I," said Lalita.

"Why did you take Katara?" said Aang. "Why are you kidnapping people?"

The woman shot a look at three of the other bandits.

"There was a bit of a mix-up," she said. "It is not our way to kidnap people. If anything, we are the ones saving people."

"That's right," Katara drunkenly chimed in. "We protect the weak and preserve justice! Down with the evildoers!"

The bandit leaders looked like they were trying to stifle laughs of their own.

"It seems Katara is more than sincere in her allegiance to our cause," the older woman said.

"Indeed," said the younger woman. "Now that we've gotten this matter cleared up, there's no need to keep Trang and Lalita as your prisoners, is there?"

Sokka lowered the sword he'd borrowed from Zuko and let them go. Trang ran over to the younger bandit leader and hugged her.

"You've been getting into trouble, haven't you?" the bandit said.

"Hey, I was trying to repay a favor," said Trang. "It's not my fault they're the suspicious types."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Sokka said. It was pretty embarrassing finding out that Trang and Lalita really had just been trying to help them.

"No hard feelings," said Lalita. "You were simply concerned about your sister. That's understandable."

"I guess all's well that ends well," said Aang. He was still trying to pry Katara off of Zuko, but she was clinging to him firmly. "We'll just be on our way, then. Right, Zuko?"

But Sokka realized that Zuko wasn't listening. Instead, he'd become intensely focused on the younger bandit leader, Trang's sister.

"Trinh?"

The bandit's eyes went wide.

"Your Highness?"

---

Five years.

It had been five long years since Zuko had seen the woman before him. The very last time he had, she had been standing patiently behind his mother along with her other handmaidens. Not that Zuko was ever particularly close with any of his mother's servants, but he did remember them.

They'd all left the palace the same night his mother had disappeared.

Now, here was one of those former servants. Sitting on a dais and sipping a cup of tea while he stood there before her, struggling not to burst from sheer anxiousness. Trinh just sat there, staring him down with unreadable, hawk-like eyes. At least he now realized why Trang had seemed so familiar. Their eyes and ages were the only things that were significantly different between them.

"Your Highness, I know you have something to ask me," she said at long last. "You don't need to wait for my permission."

"How are you here?" he blurted out. "What happened?"

"Your Highness, with all due respect, I very much doubt that that's what you really want to know."

Zuko tensed. She knew what he wanted to ask. But he was terrified of the answer. Trinh, seeing that he wasn't going to say it, gave a weary sigh.

"You want to ask me what happened to your mother," she said. It wasn't a question. "I have to tell you that she's not here and I am not sure where she is or if she's alive."

Zuko slumped. Any sense of hopefulness he might have felt died instantly at that.

"But what happened that night?" he still pressed.

"I don't know all the details, but I can tell you that, whatever it was, it was your father's fault."

Trinh took a moment to glare at the floor.

"Your mother has always been the very best of women," she continued. "No matter what, she was determined to look after everyone, even at risk to her own life. She came to the servants' quarters and told us we needed to leave or we might be in danger. She gave each of us money and jewelry and sent us on our way."

She took a slow sip of her tea.

"I didn't know what was going on. And, instead of trusting Princess Ursa, I followed her to find out. She and Tomoko had stayed behind to talk about something and I lurked outside the door to listen to them."

Tomoko was his mother's chief handmaiden and personal secretary. From what Zuko had heard, she'd been by his mother's side since before she'd even entered the palace.

"Your mother handed her a scroll. Tomoko was terrified. She said that she and your mother would be executed if anyone found them with it. But your mother was insistent. She said that she wasn't going to let anyone hurt her children, no matter what it took. She said that scroll was her best bet at keeping you and your sister safe."

"What does that mean?" said Zuko. "What could be so dangerous that Azula might even be at risk?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry, Your Highness. I never saw what was on that scroll. What I do know is that your mother ordered Tomoko to hide it in 'that place.' Wherever 'that place' is. I suspect your mother had some sort of secret compartment or hidden room."

"What happened next?" he said.

"I had to hide when they left so they didn't realize I'd been eavesdropping. But, as it turned out, my lingering was very costly. As I was on my way to join the others for our departure, your father caught me. He was furious and started demanding I tell him what your mother was up to."

Trinh paused to set down her cup. She then undid the high collar of her robes and pulled it back to reveal a dark, hand-shaped burn.

"Your father can be very persuasive, Prince Zuko," she said. "To my eternal shame, I told him I had seen your mother give a scroll to one of her servants. I never said which one, but it was enough to get him to loosen his hold so I could run for it."

She hung her head.

"It's my fault. My cowardice brought your father's wrath down on all of us. Several of the other servants were captured while we were fleeing. By the time I managed to get back home to the colonies, my parents had been arrested and Trang was living on the streets. When I found her, Trang told me that the Intelligence Bureau had gotten orders to investigate our family and they discovered my mother had married an earthbender. That was all the excuse they needed to take them away."

"That's why you're here in the mountains, isn't it?" said Zuko. "It's why you started the Taihua Mountain Gang."

"It's my penance. I figure that saving innocent people might make it easier for me to sleep at night after what I'd done."

"It wasn't your fault."

"Wasn't it? I chose to save my own life by putting my friends and family in danger. I'd say that makes me culpable."

Zuko wanted to argue the point, but Trinh held up a hand.

"Your Highness, I know what you want to say, but please don't. I did something wrong and I'm not going to try and excuse it."

They sat in a heavy silence for a few minutes before Zuko decided to introduce a new subject.

"I never knew you were an earthbender," he said.

"No one in the palace knew," said Trinh. "Except for your mother, of course. I had to keep it hidden because, well, do you think Fire Lord Azulon would let an earthbender within a hundred miles of the capital?"

Zuko shook his head.

"Your mother caught me practicing one night. It was incredibly foolish of me to be doing so, but I always feel…off if I don't do any earthbending for too long a period. When your mother saw me, I was certain that I was done for. But she promised to keep it a secret and told me to be more careful."

She gave a rueful smile.

"And look how I've repaid her kindness. A betrayal at the first threat to my life."

Trinh flicked her sharp gaze back to him.

"Your Highness, let me give you some advice. I saw how you act with those Water Tribe kids and the Avatar. You've got some true and loyal friends, there. Do yourself a favor and don't disappoint them. Or else you may regret it for the rest of your life."

Zuko wasn't sure what else he could say.

He was still reeling from all the revelations he'd gotten within the span of twenty-four hours. What Trinh had to say about that night shook the very foundations of his view of the world. For five years, he'd longed for answers. Just the slightest hint of what became of his mother. And now, he was left with even more questions. His mother hadn't just disappeared. His father had done something to her. His mother had known of something that could've brought harm not just to Zuko but even to Azula.

He wanted so badly to rush off to the Fire Nation at once. Maybe convince Aang to give him a ride on Appa. Aang could drop him off, he could sneak into the palace, search for the scroll, find out the truth, and be on his way.

It was a stupid, reckless plan, and Zuko had to admit that it wasn't his best idea. In the end, he could only sigh and resign himself to being patient and handling this situation rationally. He had to focus on getting back to his ship. In the morning, once Katara had slept off the rice wine, they would finally get back on track and start heading for the rendezvous point. His yearning for the truth had to take a backseat for now, as there were more pressing, immediate concerns.

Of one thing he was certain, though. He had to get back to the palace and find that scroll. He had to know what was so important that his mother had to hide it for both his and Azula's safety.

---

Katara thought she might've gone blind when she opened her eyes and the sunlight hit them.

Almost without thinking, she let out a hiss and pulled the covers over her head. There was a sharp throbbing in her skull and an ache in her limbs. All she wanted was to lie there and never come out of her blanket cocoon again. She startled when a gentle hand rested on her shoulder through the covers.

"Good morning, Sleepyhead," came Zuko's voice, which he mercifully kept low.

"Why won't the sun just shut up?" Katara groaned.

"Congrats on your first hangover, Katara."

"Ugh, my head feels like it was beaten in with a spiked club."

"I'm sure it does."

"And something tastes like rancid blubber."

"You did throw up a bit."

"I'm never drinking alcohol again."

"If that's what you want." She cringed when she heard a pouring sound. "I'd suggest having some water."

He set the cup down by her and she snaked a hand out from under the covers and snatched it. She really was thirsty. So much so that the water stung going down.

"I also brought you something to eat," he added.

"How will eating help?" said Katara.

"It soaks up the alcohol and gets it out of your system faster. The sooner you get rid of the alcohol, the sooner you stop feeling crappy."

Katara reached her hand back out of the blankets and felt around, grabbing a steamed bun when Zuko held it out for her to take. She bit sharply into the bun, certain that she looked like an angry wolf tearing into a prey animal.

"How do you know so much about dealing with alcohol?" Katara asked Zuko through her mouthful.

"Well, I have spent almost three years on a ship with a bunch of old sailors. Do you think I wasn't going out to taverns for a drink?"

Katara gave an unladylike snort.

"Okay, fine, I didn't," he admitted. "Truth be told, I rarely allowed shore leave while I was hunting Aang."

Katara pulled the blanket back to look at him. Wincing at the light, she sat up with her back towards the window.

"Actually, the real reason why I can handle liquor is mostly due to my firebending."

"How?"

"My internal heat helps to burn the alcohol off faster. It's like if you cook something with alcohol in it. Most of the actual alcohol evaporates."

"Not all of it, though."

"No, not all. The other main reason I can handle liquor is because it was part of my education."

Katara chuckled.

"What, your teachers made you get drunk in your lessons?"

"You can laugh if you want, but being able to drink a lot is a pretty important political skill. In the Fire Nation, nobles are expected to drink at banquets and formal occasions. If you can't handle a few drinks or share a toast with someone, it's considered a serious insult. Some people get so offended they see it as grounds for an Agni Kai."

"So, they really let kids drink?"

"My etiquette tutor had me take my first taste of sake when I was six."

"Six?! You're kidding me."

"I'm serious, Katara. And I remember my sister got her first drink at five. Our father thought Azula was mature enough to handle it a year early."

"It's just…well, surprising to me that anyone would make kids drink." She rubbed at her head. "Especially if this is the aftereffect."

"It's not like we were chugging ten bottles of Angry Dragon baijiu a day. It's always carefully monitored and we're taught to know our limits." Zuko gave a wry smirk. "Perhaps you should figure out some limits of your own so you don't get such a nasty hangover again."

Katara groaned and curled up on her sleeping mat, pulling the blanket back over her head.

"Jerkbender," she grumbled, though with no real spite.

"Hey, don't go back to bed," said Zuko. "We have to get going soon."

Katara blinked and realized that they must be in one of the huts at the bandit village. Her face turned warm as she thought of how badly she probably embarrassed herself in front of everyone last night. She couldn't remember any of it, but she was positive that she'd acted absolutely ridiculous. What a great start to being a member of a bandit gang.

"Where are Sokka and Aang?" she asked. "How did you guys find me?"

Zuko told her that the other two were having breakfast and meeting the rest of the bandits. He'd told them to go ahead and he would be the one to bring her something to eat when she woke up, especially since Sokka had already spent the whole night keeping watch over her and holding a bucket for when she threw up. Katara felt genuinely touched that her brother had done that.

He really does care, she thought to herself.

Zuko then briefly explained the journey with the two women they'd met at the Fire Days Festival.

"So, Trang is Master Trinh's sister?" said Katara.

"Yeah. And, there's something else…" He trailed off, looking very lost and hesitant.

"What is it?"

"Trinh is one of my mother's handmaidens."

"What?"

He explained the conversation he'd had with Master Trinh. About how there was some secret scroll that his mother had hidden to ensure he and his sister would be safe and that his father had done something to silence her and anyone else who might've been a witness to it.

"I have to find out the truth," he said. "If he's the reason my mother is…I need to know why."

Katara rested a hand on his.

"Don't worry, Zuko," she said. "We'll figure this out. I promise."

They sat for a while, eating steamed buns and some congee with fruit. Katara gradually started to feel a bit better and she told Zuko all about her time with the Taihua Mountain Gang. She told him about the friends she'd made and their training session and about going on a mission with them to stop a group of traffickers. After his initial disgust at what was going on, Zuko seemed to go deep into thought.

"But why would Ba Sing Se need to kidnap so many female earthbenders?" Zuko asked.

"Not everyone was an earthbender," said Katara. "Most of them were, though."

"I think there's something more to this. If they were just out to sell women, I would think having so many earthbenders would be more of a liability than anything."

That made sense. While non-benders weren't helpless, it was easier to keep them captive than a bunch of angry earthbenders. Katara recalled that Lady Nara had said something similar. She'd seemed to believe it was a targeted effort, as well.

"We'll have to look into it at some point," said Katara. "For now, though, we have other things to worry about."

"Still, you did a good job yesterday, Katara," said Zuko. "I'm sure you had to have been impressive if you got accepted as an honorary bandit."

"Yeah…" She felt a little less certain of herself, though. She still remembered the men she'd left frozen in the wilderness.

"Katara, what's wrong?"

"It's just, I think I may have...I think I killed some people yesterday."

She explained what had happened, feeling guiltier as she went on. If those men were still there, they were going to have a terrible end. Freezing to death wasn't a pleasant way to go and maybe it would've been more merciful to just slit their throats. But Katara wasn't sure if she had it in her to do that. They'd been stopped, but she couldn't let them go and she couldn't bring herself to finish them off.

"I don't know if it was the right thing to do or not," she said. "I just left them there. Even if they survive being frozen, they'll probably be badly hurt. And if someone let them out, they'll likely go right back to what they were doing."

"If you want my opinion, they got what they deserved," said Zuko. "They made their choice when they got involved in that kind of business and they'll get no sympathy from me. It was a fight and you were defending yourself and the rest of your team. If anything, sparing them from suffocating to death in blocks of ice was merciful. At least they have a chance to live and maybe they'll learn something from the experience."

"That's if they don't die from frostbite or exposure."

"Again, I wouldn't shed any tears for men like that."

"That's the thing, though. I don't feel sorry for them. I just don't want to be the kind of person who does that to people. Not even bad people."

"Katara, I'm going to be honest with you. With the way the world is and the fact that there's a war going on, you're probably going to find yourself in situations like that again. Maybe even worse. Not everyone is going to just surrender and agree to become good because you beat them. Some people won't stop unless they're dead."

"I know. I know I'm most likely going to have to…to kill someone someday. I just don't want it to be so soon. I want to be a good person. I want to do the right thing. But, what happened yesterday, it was really confusing and I can't tell if what I did was right."

"Katara, you are a good person. You saw what you were up against and you made as good of a choice as anyone. I don't think there was a right or wrong answer in how to deal with it. Of course you're questioning your actions, because that's what a good person does. A bad person never questions their behavior because they never think they could be wrong."

"So, how do I know if I did do the right thing?"

"I don't really have an answer. All I can tell you is my opinion, and I already said I think you did the best thing you could do under the circumstances. But anything else…that's up to you."

Katara wasn't sure how to take that. She still felt uncertain about what she'd done, but Zuko's words helped her feel less ashamed of it.

"Thanks, Zuko," she said. "Hey, if it's all right, could you not tell Aang about what I did?"

"Sure," he replied.

"Aren't you going to ask me why?"

"If you want to tell me, you can. I'm not going to demand a reason for it."

"I don't want to make him upset. If he knew about this, he might freak out and insist we go looking for those guys to save them."

"I understand. What happened to the rest of those traffickers, anyway? You said there was a pretty big force."

"Who knows? They're probably all the way down the mountain by now. Maybe holing up in some secret base, planning their next move."

---

"Congratulations on capturing such a large Earth Kingdom division, Major Hochi."

"Thank you, Minister Qin. But, to tell you the truth, we received an intelligence report that Earth Kingdom troops were running a secret operation in this area."

"Amazing. Who informed you?"

"A very brave young soldier. Corporal Wang Fire."

A sudden wail cut through the air and Major Hochi shook his head as Private Tora burst into tears again. The man had been doing that ever since the tragic sacrifice of Corporal Wang Fire. One would think they had been lifelong friends from all the crying and carrying on. Major Hochi's troops had even set up a little memorial for the noble young man who did his duty to the homeland and gave his life to rescue them all from the Avatar.

"I hadn't thought there were any major Earth Kingdom forces operating in this area, Major," said Minister Qin, ignoring the outburst.

"Neither had we," said Major Hochi. "But the corporal warned us that the soldiers were posing as bandits. Several groups of them came screaming down the mountain, only to be caught in our unbreakable ring of steel."

"Have you gotten any information out of them?"

"I haven't had much time to work on them, yet. But some of the fools tried to claim that they weren't trying to attack us and were actually running from the real bandits. Some of them even claimed their frostbite came from waterbender attacks."

"As if anyone would believe that nonsense."

"Naturally, the Fire Lord will be informed of this. And, if I may, I would like to ask what has brought you to the Taihua Mountains, Minister Qin."

"I am afraid my mission is highly classified."

"Minister Qin, you are aware that I am not just any army major. I am, in fact, an agent of the Intelligence Bureau. And I report directly back to Minister Susuyo."

Minister Qin froze. He then plastered a fake smile on his simpering face.

"Of…of course, Major Hochi," he said. "I'm sure you can see for yourself that I am a loyal subject of the Fire Nation and am always willing to give any assistance to the Intelligence Bureau that you may ask of me."

"Good. I am glad we are on the same page. Now, what brings you to our little corner of the world?"

"I am on my way to collect a set of important blueprints from a scientist who lives in these mountains."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, he's been collaborating with us for several years, now. Many of our newest technological advancements have been provided by him."

Major Hochi raised a brow.

"These wouldn't happen to be the inventions you presented to His Majesty as your own creations, would they?"

Minister Qin blanched and began to stammer.

"Well, why should it matter how they were obtained?" he said. "After all, it's not like some Earth Kingdom peasant can be given credit for things that have materially affected the war effort."

Major Hochi paced slowly by the minister, letting him sweat a bit.

"No, I suppose that can't be allowed," Major Hochi said, pretending not to hear the minister's sigh of relief. "After all, the thought of anyone from the Earth Kingdom having a place in the Great March of Civilization is treasonous." His gaze cut back into the minister. "So long as His Majesty continues to see success, I see no reason why the source of your inventions should be investigated."

"Ah, yes, my thanks, Major Hochi."

"I do have to wonder, though, why you have so many troops with you. Is it possible this contact of yours is not entirely agreeable to your arrangement?"

"Merely a precautionary measure. He sometimes needs a little reminder of where his loyalty should be placed. You understand?"

"Yes, sometimes these Earth Kingdom types are far too forgetful. Very well, Minister Qin, you may proceed on your way."

"Thank you, Major Hochi. Oh, before I leave, I was wondering if you had any word of my old friend General Kuromi. I haven't heard from her in a while."

"At present, General Kuromi is being investigated by the Bureau for treason."

"…Ah, well, when I said she's a friend, that was a gross exaggeration. We're simply acquaintances, at most. In fact, I don't particularly like her that much."

"Minister Qin."

"Yes, Major Hochi?"

"I would be careful about throwing names around, at the moment. You never know who might be plotting against Fire Lord Ozai."

"Ah, I try not to worry about that. I'm not a suspicious person."

"That is why you are not in the Intelligence Bureau and I am. To me, everyone is deserving of suspicion."

"Major Hochi, I can assure you, my record-"

"Your record is that you were granted the position of a war minister thanks to your wife's brother. And you can take my word for it that Lord Wen is not above suspicion, either."

"But Lord Wen and His Majesty have been friends for years."

'Friends' was definitely not the right word to use there. The Fire Lord had no friends, only allies who could potentially betray him at some point. Every agent of the Intelligence Bureau knew and understood that.

"Even so, I recommend you keep your eyes solely on your duty and remember that your own loyalty is to His Majesty and no one else."

"Of course, Major Hochi. I am absolutely, utterly loyal to our beloved Fire Lord. Nothing is as dear to me as my devotion to His Majesty."

"Not even your family?"

"Nothing."

"Good, then you won't mind that your daughter is on the Bureau's investigation list."

"Of course no—my daughter?"

"Your daughter is about to begin an apprenticeship with Doctor Kenzo at the royal palace. Once she begins, she will be singularly placed to cause harm to His Majesty should she get involved in any conspiracies. Naturally, she must be thoroughly scrutinized."

"I assure you, Major. My daughter is as loyal as I am."

"I don't care about assurances, Minister. I care about results. If your daughter has nothing to hide, she has nothing to fear."

"Of-of course, Major. I will remind her that she is to cooperate with the Bureau fully. Not that she needs any prompting. I just-"

"Good day, Minister. And good luck on your task. I trust you will not disappoint the Fire Lord."

---

Author's Note: I think I unintentionally made Katara a little bit bisexual with how I describe the bandits in her POV. Honestly, I loved coming up with the Taihua Mountain Gang. Trang and Trinh were my favorites to write. Also, yeah, Little Xia is a chi-blocker (Ty Lee can't be the only one in the world) and I'm sure a lot of my readers can guess what I've implied about her and Xingqiu's heritage.

Katara becomes the first member of the Gaang to really get a basic initiation into the White Lotus. She's not a full initiate yet, but the three masters are trying to ensure she and the other young members of the bandit gang are set on the path to becoming proper White Lotus. It's like a junior branch of the order.

Zuko, you little sweetheart. Trying to come up with Iroh-esque wisdom and not making any sense. I didn't use the "silver sandwich" line just yet, but I wanted to do something similar. Zuko actually gives better advice when he's not trying to come up with proverbs.

Major Hochi is based on Major Hochstetter from Hogan's Heroes.

The bandit subplot is slightly inspired by a mini-arc from today's C-drama of choice, "The Romance of Tiger and Rose."

While pushing herself to finish writing the script for a new drama, Chen Xiao Qian wakes up in her own story as the wicked Princess Chen Qian Qian who is supposed to be killed at the beginning of the series by the crafty, ruthless, and vicious male lead, Prince Han Shuo. She is determined to escape this fate and get back to her world, so she tries to get the script back on track by getting her leads together. However, the male lead isn't so cooperative as he has started to fall for her, instead. But the situation is even more complicated than it seems due to the enmity between their two cities and the real reason Han Shuo was sent to marry into the Chen family.

I absolutely adore this drama. It is lively and funny and sweet for the most part (with some serious drama thrown in), and Zhao Lusi is as brilliant as she usually is when playing a female lead. The chemistry between her and her costar, Ding Yuxi, is simply outstanding. There is even a hilarious role-reversal setup, as Chen Qian Qian's city is a matriarchal society that is meant as a mirror to an oppressive patriarchy, which provides some interesting commentary on sexism.

However, there is one dark spot that sours an otherwise adorable series.

(Spoiler and Trigger Warning). At one point, after Han Shuo believes Chen Qian Qian betrayed him, he invades her city and takes her prisoner. During this, he pretends that he is going to force himself on her in order to find out if she was lying about losing her martial arts. He doesn't go through with it, obviously, and he does stop his act when she starts crying, but he still held her down and touched her in a sexual way when she had already told him "No." I know Han Shuo is supposed to be a morally questionable male lead, but sexual assault is a step too far, in my opinion.

I do feel the series is worth finishing as it has lots of genuinely good moments, but I have to pretend that one scene didn't happen for the sake of my sanity. It was completely unnecessary, never really impacts the relationship between the leads, and is just very unpleasant.