The carriage rocked and bounced as they drove along the narrow road. Kitsu could not remember the last time she had been in a carriage and she decidedly did not enjoy the experience. Each rock and pothole jarred her injured leg and the constant swaying made her stomach roll. Ai would not stop fussing over her, constantly adjusting her blankets or trying to fluff her pillows; it was maddening!
"Stop it, Ai!" Kitsu snapped when the girl pulled her blanket up for the hundredth time. The sudden noise startled Mooshi from his snoring and made him snort as he blinked wearily.
"What's the matter?" Iroh asked as he looked at the two young girls. He could see a stormy mood brewing in Kitsu's eyes and Ai seemed thoroughly rebuked.
"Nothing." Kitsu grumbled as she pulled the blanket up to her chin and peeked out the carriage window through the curtains. Through the sliver she could see Lee, riding along among the guards, looking serious. Despite his pointed gaze he seemed at ease among the men and it made her wonder about him.
"Who is my husband, Uncle?" Kitsu asked, never taking her eyes off of Lee and the stern set of his jaw. He seemed too serious for his own good, let alone for his age, but then again who was she to talk?
A throbbing pain bloomed in her left temple as a foggy memory of the two playing in the pond on her compound glinted through the haze. She rubbed her temple and turned to look at Mooshi who had begun stroking his beard as was apparently his habit.
"That is a complicated question to answer, Kitsu." Iroh replied cryptically. Kitsu squinted at him in confusion.
"Why?" She asked pointedly. Iroh thought for a moment and glanced at Ai before looking back to Kitsu.
"Like you, Lee has a sensitive past. It is best if you ask him, so that he can tell you himself." Iron concluded finally. Kitsu sighed but nodded in agreement. She remembered the way Lee had stopped her from fire bending. Kitsu hadn't meant to. She was just so scared and angry when it happened. Her hand didn't even ignite, but somehow he knew what was happening and stopped her. Kitsu peeked back out the window at Lee. Could he be…. a fire bender?
A blurry memory taunted her but she couldn't grasp it. Kitsu swallowed and shook her head. He couldn't be a fire bender. She would never betray her parents like that. After everything the fire nation had done, she could not imagine loving one of them.
When they reached the ferry she would ask him about his past.
"How long will it take us to reach the ferry, Uncle?"
Mooshi chuckled and thought for a moment. "If my memory serves me it is a two day journey." Kitsu felt her heart fall and looked back out the window. As she watched Lee ride along, guiding Poki gently, he turned and caught her spying. What could barely be called a smile pulled at his lips and he threw her a quick wave. Kitsu waved back and turned her attention to the countryside as they passed. It would be an excruciating two days.
LORD GUMO'S PALACE
Lord Gumo was sitting in his study when the inevitable happened. As he sipped a cup of tea he heard the first blood curdling screams. The lord leapt to his feet just as another scream pierced the peaceful silence, knocking his tea to the floor. As the hot liquid pooled on the floorboards he heard a commotion outside his door that sent chills down his spine. He took up his fighting stance, rooted into the floor like a mighty oak, but when the door to his study opened he saw Ming Ming's terrified face and a small jet of flame directly next to it.
"I'd cooperate if I were you, Lord Gumo." The woman holding Ming Ming by her hair was smiling viciously as she advanced into the room. Lord Gumo growled and broke his stance, fists clenched in fury.
"You're too late!" Lord Gumo snarled. "She is gone!" Azula's smile faltered for a moment before she turned to the dark doorway and barked an order.
"Search the palace and round everyone up!" The sound of armor and booted footsteps followed her command immediately. Lord Gumo swallowed roughly and felt sweat bead upon his brow.
"I hope for your sake that she hasn't gotten far, peasant." Azula whispered into the shaking housekeeper's ear. "Or you won't be fit to work in a palace by the time I'm done with you."
SERVANT'S QUARTERS
Chen awoke to a hand in the darkness, covering her mouth and muffling the cry of terror that threatened to wake the whole house. As she struggled she saw a familiar face appear in the shadows and she went quiet.
"The palace is under attack. As quickly and as quietly as you can, wake your mother." Shan ordered as he gazed seriously down at Chen. "We must escape before we are seen." Chen's wide eyes pained him as he removed his hand from her mouth and she nodded hurriedly. Shan stood from his kneeling position next to Chen's bedroll and waited as she quietly shook her mother awake.
The old healer put up a fuss before she realized the gravity of the situation. She glared bitterly at Shan, but kept quiet as she took her daughter's hand and allowed the young warrior to lead them into the dark hallways.
Chen's heart beat like a frantic drum in her ears as she clung to Shan's hand as well as her mother's. Shrieks that froze the blood in their veins and raised the hair on the back of their necks clattered through the palace in a cacophony of agony. Each terrible cry made them jump in unison, but Shan kept them moving quietly. As they reached the kitchens, Shan yanked up the trap door that led to the ash shoot and ushered the two women into the dark pit below. They landed in a ploom of black soot that coated their clothing in an instant.
Chen looked up through the shoot, expecting to see Shan follow, but she was only met with the creaking of the trap door and a hushed apology just before metal clanged against metal.
"No!"Chen yelled frantically, but Dongmei clapped a hand over her mouth and hissed in her daughter's ear.
"Hush, child. He is doing as a man must. Now come, we must escape." Dongmei felt her daughter's tears drop onto her hand and her heart broke for her child. Without another word she began to drag Chen down the tunnel that led to the mountain road where servants would cart away the ash once a year.
The room was rank with the stench of burning hair as Azula stood over Ming Ming, systematically singing her beautiful hair from her head as the housekeeper sobbed. Lord Gumo watched with clenched teeth as two fire nation soldiers held him half bent with his arms behind his back.
"Quit your pitiful wailing." Azula commanded cruelly. "I haven't even scorched your pretty skin… yet." She yanked another hank of hair sharply and Ming Ming gave a muffled yelp.
"Didn't I teach you not to play with your captives?" Soo Ming chimed as she entered the study. Azula shot her a startled glare and elicited another scream from the housekeeper impudently.
"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be on the ship!" Golden eyes flashed furiously at Soo Ming, but the obsidian eyed snake barely noticed.
"Obedience is a virtue of beasts." Soo Ming countered calmly as she surveyed the room with a blank gaze of apathy. "She isn't here, you are wasting your time."
"And how do you know that?" Azula ground out. Her patience with her father's whore was growing as thin as spider silk.
"They found the man you killed. No doubt they shipped her out the moment he was discovered. Your sloppiness compromised our position." Soo Ming chided as she glared at the wild eyed princess.
Azulu grit her teeth and shot venomous looks around the room as she assessed the situation. "Captain!" She yelled and a man stepped forward from the shadows. "Lock everyone in the dining hall and burn it to the ground." Azula flung the housekeeper to the floor and stormed out of the palace as her men set about enacting her orders. Soo Ming followed the princess into the courtyard and straightened her kimono as Azula rounded on her furiously.
"You are ruining everything!" Azula roared, flames shooting from her mouth as she shrieked. Soo Ming paused and fixed the princess with an unimpressed look.
"Blaming others for your failures will get you nowhere." Soo Ming countered, folding her hands demurely in front of her. Azula shrieked in furry and advanced on Soo Ming with a fist of flame, but the older woman did not even blink as the attack was halted mere inches from her lily white cheek. "Go on, Azula, don't be a paper tiger. Surely your father would let it slide if you disfigured his favorite concubine."
Azula shook with anger as she lowered her fist and snuffed her flames. As the two women stood in the courtyard screams erupted abruptly and the smell of smoke began to choke the air. They turned and watched as the imperial guard marched out of the burning palace as it became an inferno, and the screams slowly died out.
That night the small group of travelers set up camp within a large cavern the guards knew of in the mountains. They were many miles from Lord Gumo's palace and would be safe there for the night.
Kitsune sat on the large cot the guards had placed within the ridiculously oversized tent they set up for her. The green cloth behemoth was larger than her own cottage, and had a ridiculous range of amenities, including a folding wash stand and mirror, as well as a portable wood stove that was crackling away. She could hear the din of the men setting up their own tents and preparing for the evening meal. Kitsu couldn't help but marvel at how efficiently so much had been packed and arranged. Ai was helping cook the meal and performing other tasks, while Kitsu sat in the tent in blessed silence. With a heavy sigh Kitsu bent down and began unwrapping her leg. The outer bandage was easily removed, but the inner layer stuck to her skin and pulled as she unwound it.
Kitsu gasped softly and felt tears well in her eyes as she continued to unwrap her wound despite the pain it was causing. She could tell it was swollen and agitated by the constant motion of the carriage and her inability to keep it still enough.
Zuko crossed the cavern and dropped firewood next to the cook fire where Iroh was settled in and brewing tea.
"You should check on your wife, nephew." Iroh informed gently just as Zuko was about to return to hunting for firewood. "The men have this under control." He reassured the young man as Zuko thought to protest.
Zuko's amber eyes drifted to the large tent that was set to the side of the cavern. He was anxious to see how she was, but equally nervous to spend time alone with her. Iroh was right, though, she would need tending, and he could imagine she would prefer a more familiar face. With a nod Zuko left his uncle's side and approached the tent. He paused for a moment, contemplating what he might say, but a gasp of pain from within spurred him forward.
Kitsu was bent over her injured leg, tears streaming down her face and a pile of bloodied bandages next to her on the cot. Zuko felt a shock at the sight of her doubled over in pain.
"Kitsu." He breathed in a panic as he hurried to her side and knelt in front of her. "Why didn't you wait for help?" He asked as he assessed her wound. It was inflamed, and weeping. Kitsu rubbed the tears from her cheek with her sleeve but as soon as she did more fell to replace them.
"I… I didn't want to be a bother." She choked out as she winced at the lightest touch of Zuko's fingers.
"That's stupid." He snapped, but his words didn't bite the way they should have. "Let me help."
Zuko took Kitsu's ankle gently in his hand and slowly lifted her leg so that it rested on his knee. She winced but did not cry out as he began unwinding her remaining bandages.
Kitsu swallowed her pain as she watched Lee tend to her gently. He balled up her bandages the moment they were off and tossed them next to the woodstove. "What do you need for the pain?" He asked as he searched around the tent with his eyes for anything that would stop the awful tears that were streaming silently down her cheeks. It pained him to see her cry, nevermind why that might be.
"There is a basket, by the door. It should have everything in it." Kitsu murmured. Zuko nodded and twisted to pull a footstool from beside the cot to settle under her leg in absence of his knee. Ever so gently he moved her leg to the stool and stood up to retrieve the basket. Kitsu watched as he grabbed it and returned with a pained expression on his face. He began to shuffle through the items it held, but it quickly became clear that he was unsure what exactly he was looking for.
"Hand me the mortar and pestle." Kitsu instructed. Zuko nodded and did as she asked. "There should be viper's kiss and aloe in a small pot." Zuko nodded and handed her the pot in question. She set about grinding the herbs as she sniffed. Zuko lifted her ankle and sat on the stool while holding her leg gently. Kitsu tried to keep a blush from creeping up her neck at his delicate touch.
"You don't have to do everything by yourself anymore you know." Zuko murmured lowly as he watched her work. Kitsu flicked her mismatched eyes at him and turned a shade of pink he found unsettlingly attractive.
"I'm used to it." She replied as she inspected the grey paste she'd created and moved to begin spreading it on her wound. Zuko plucked the mortar from her hands with a stern look and took a glob of the paste on two fingers. With a touch as light as feathers he smeared the paste on her wound. Kitsu sucked in a sharp breath that made him pause and look up at her, but she nodded for him to continue. Despite the sharp pain, the paste had an almost instantaneous soothing effect.
"From now on, I'm going to come do this for you as soon as we set up camp. You aren't going to do it by yourself anymore. Besides I thought that was what we brought the maid for." Zuko grumbled as he worked.
"I had enough of her fretting." Kitsu admitted grumpily. "You try sitting in a carriage for hours with someone constantly fussing over you."
Zuko chuckled. He had in fact done just that many times as a child, and could appreciate her frustration. "You're so stubborn." He said with the smallest grin.
The way he spoke made Kitsu flush even more and she coughed nervously. "You're one to talk." She muttered in response. A shiver racked her and she pulled her kimono tightly around her. Her chill didn't escape Zuko's notice. He was perfectly warm in the tent, but she was no doubt still feverish. He covered the last inch of her wound with paste and set the mortar aside before grabbing a roll of bandages and wrapping her leg up deftly. When he finished he did not place her foot on the floor immediately, instead he looked at her, his hands still cupping the underside of her calf.
"I'm serious, Kitsune. I don't want you to do this by yourself anymore. I want to help you." Zuko pinned her with his eyes and watched her gaze at the floor. "Please."
Kitsu nodded and tried to sink into her kimono collar. She felt a tightness pool in her stomach at his words. "Thank you." She mumbled in response. Another shiver ran through her and Zuko grimaced at the sight. He gently set her leg down and stood up from the stool. He pulled off his outer coat and draped it over her shoulders. Kitsu shook her head and was about to protest but a stern look from her husband silenced her.
"Get under the covers, idiot. You're going to freeze to death." He mumbled as he helped her lift her legs onto the cot, and pulled the heavy blankets over her. Zuko felt her grab his sleeve and paused to look her in the eye. She was looking at him as if she were about to cry again, and he watched her swallow roughly.
"Stay with me… please." She implored him. Zuko felt a burning heat bloom in his chest and nodded after a long moment of silence. The small smile she rewarded him with made a blush creep up his neck, but he shook it off. Kitsu pulled the covers down on the opposite side of the cot and patted the mattress. He looked at her surprised and she laughed. "You weren't going to let me freeze to death were you?" she asked, sounding more playful than she felt. Zuko stared at her for a long moment before slowly shaking his head and standing. He rounded the bed and slowly sat down, kicking his boots off. He was tired after all, and having a bed to sleep in was enticing. It was just for warmth, it didn't mean anything… He pulled his legs beneath the blankets and lay flat on his back, unsure of what to do or say. A tugging at his sleeve drew his attention and he allowed Kitsu to silently lift his right arm and scooch under it. Zuko was glad she couldn't see his face as she laid her head on his chest and pressed against his side with a shiver.
Even through several layers Kitsu could feel how hot he was and she found herself snuggling into his warm side. It was such an unfamiliar sensation, but she found herself feeling inexplicably at home wrapped under his arm. She could even hear his heartbeat thundering in his chest, just as loud and frantic as her own.
Zuko swallowed the lump in his throat and reminded himself that it meant nothing, nothing at all...