Chapter 34

Izara woke from her light doze in the early hours, roused by someone flicking her tent door open and checking on her. No one had looked in on her for at least two or three hours, and she doubted they would bother to check on her again for a while. Since they'd beat the shit out of her, they likely assumed she was too injured to cause them any grief. Unfortunately, they were wrong. Her pain tolerance was relatively high, and she could easily push through her wounds.

For now, she intended to wreak some havoc on their war balloons and keep them out of service for as long as she could. Tilting her head back as far as she could, she yanked the tie from the bottom of her hair. She gently shook her head from side to side to allow the plait to fall apart and hoped to be able to catch her knife in her bound hands. Praying to the spirits silently, she felt the metal fall into her hands safely. Going forward, though, she needed to free herself from her bonds without anyone noticing or dropping her knife.

Little by little, she managed to cut through the rope and sighed in relief. It was still tied tightly, so it took her some wiggling and moving before she could finally pull her hands free. When she finally brought her arms in front of her, she resisted the urge to groan loudly in pain from her shoulder wound, leg, and ribs. Instead, she whimpered softly, biting her bottom lip to keep the noise as quiet as possible.

With her injuries as severe as they were, she wouldn't be able to stay any longer. Any more of the treatment they were giving her, and she would no longer be able to escape nor sabotage their plans. Her leg wound, in particular, was going to make it hard for her to walk, run and fight if needed. Her cracked ribs made breathing uncomfortable, but she couldn't do anything about that for now. Taking full advantage of her small amount of privacy, she treated her wounds as best she could, cutting some of the tent fabric away to tie around her shoulder to keep it from reopening. After doing the same to her arm and calf, she carefully peeked through the tent door to see if someone was keeping guard outside.

Shockingly enough, no one was out in front, but they likely assumed she was too injured to escape anyway. A few guards were walking around on a rhythmic patrol. She closely watched their movements, memorising them before she slipped outside, keeping out of the torchlight around. Maybe they had lost more men than they'd expected in their attack, and they were low on forces, thus leaving her tent unguarded. Only the regular patrol would be keeping an eye on her. This worked in her favour, and she used it to explore the camp a little under the cover of darkness. For now, all she wanted to find was the location of the main tent where the higher-ups would be and where the war balloons were. She needed to do her best to familiarise herself with the camp layout so that she could plan how to inflict maximum damage and escape.

Moving silently behind a tent, someone emerged abruptly from it, and she regripped her small dagger with gritted teeth as she listened. She hoped they wouldn't come to the back where she was hiding, but her hopes were dashed when she heard footsteps approaching her. With a sigh, she watched from the darkness as they used the minimal torchlight to move out of sight. It was an older male, and he began adjusting his pants as if he were going to relieve himself. With a soft groan, he did precisely what Izara expected, so she took the chance to search the inside of his tent. It was small enough that it was improbable that anyone else would be in there, and her anxiety was at its maximum as she snuck to the front of the tent. After checking, the coast was clear, and she peeked inside. Thankfully, it was empty, and she kept a close ear out for the man to finish his business, thus signalling for her to leave. She rummaged through some of his things, trying to find any papers or even some medical supplies for her to use. There were only a few notes, but nothing appeared significant from her quick assessment of them. The only thing of value to her was a stale chunk of bread and a piece of fruit on the table that looked to have been leftovers from dinner that he hadn't wanted. Stuffing them into her pockets, she left the tent cautiously, just as she heard his footsteps coming around the tent to return inside.

Once she was safely out of sight behind the tent again, she took a moment to stuff her face with the bread, then moved on to the next tent. She could hear snoring inside, so she kept moving. After passing this tent, she saw the three war balloons, which were not currently inflated, but she wanted to go over and see what she could do to disable them. Unfortunately, her knowledge didn't expand into mechanics or how war balloons worked. She'd done enough sabotage in her time to be able to do something, even if it only slowed them down. One of the war balloons had an open hatch, likely its entry, and she watched from the shadows for a few minutes to see if anyone would go inside or come out, but no one did. Hoping it was empty and safe, she snuck across the gap in the tents and went straight inside. Once hidden from anyone outside, she stayed still for a minute, waiting to hear a conversation, footsteps, or anything to indicate if anyone was there. It was so early in the morning and very dark inside, so it was unlikely, but she wanted to be sure.

Izara was happy she was alone inside and did her best to find her way into the engine room from her location. She did recall that, albeit not as clearly as she'd hoped, but somehow found her way there, pleased that no one else was inside. When she got there, she looked everything over and saw that a part of the engine had been deconstructed, and she hoped that was because it was the one that needed repairs. Without knowing with certainty if what she would do would actually have a severe impact, she did her best to do some damage to the engine. Using the tools that had been left lying around, she loosened screws, removed some, and disconnected pipes. She took some and placed them in her pockets, then did her best to melt some of the pipes to a point where they would have to be wholly replaced. She couldn't do much else without more know-how, so she moved on to the following two war balloons. Successfully, she sabotaged the other two balloons to the best of her ability without getting discovered.

Now, she wanted to find some paperwork and plans that would give her insight into their plans. Through a simple process of elimination, she remembered that her captor had always walked in the same direction when he'd left her tent. This direction was opposite her location, so she would have to sneak back through the camp, hoping his tent was on that side. Maybe his superior, who had ordered her to be denied food and water, was also located there. Her desire to get revenge burned inside her, but espionage and escape were her top priorities.

Despite her limping from her leg wound and the pain in her ribs, her ability to blend into the darkness and stay undetected hadn't dulled as much as she had thought. Her high threshold for pain was coming in handy. She headed near the middle of the camp and saw a much larger tent, with a few others immediately surrounding it, and hoped she'd found her target. The scent gave him away, and she knew the tent on her left contained the man who had taken her captive. When he'd had the knife on her throat, and in the other conversations she'd had with him, he had smelled so strongly of fire-flakes that she knew it was his tent. It had almost made it too easy to find him. Instead of going to the front of the tent, since she knew the patrol would be coming this way any second, she prepared her small blade and wanted to cut through the tent fabric. Firstly, she listened to see if he was asleep and heard soft snoring, confirming her guess.

Her folding blade was incredibly sharp, and she quietly stabbed a hole through the tent fabric but realised it would be too loud to cut a hole big enough for her to climb through. With a silent sigh, she waited for the footsteps of the guard on patrol to approach and then fade as they headed towards the other end of the camp. The torchlight was much brighter in the middle here, and there were fewer shadows to hide in, so she was cautious at timing her entrance into the tent. Once she'd slipped inside without making a sound, she moved over beside the cot the man was sleeping on. She wanted to wake him up to get him to see her face, but it was too risky since he would raise an alarm. He was sleeping on his side, facing away from her, and she took stock of him so that she would etch his appearance in her mind. She was confident they would see each other again in the future.

Settling for the less satisfying option, she raised a clenched fist and hit him hard enough on the back of his neck to knock him out. His body slumped a little more, signalling he was unconscious, but she lifted his arm and let it drop before she went ahead with her plan. Her blade was in her other hand, and she moved the light blanket off him until she could see his right side. She carved into his leg, specifically severing his Achilles tendon. She had often done this to disable someone from chasing after her, and it had become almost like a personalised flourish that confirmed she had been there. It was her very own mark from her past as the Yoshikage, and since he had made sure she would have trouble walking until her leg healed, she wanted to do the same to him. It was unlikely that he would know that it was Yoshikage's signature, but it just seemed like it was the perfect revenge.

Taking advantage of his unconsciousness, she summoned a tiny spark of flame to let her see what was on the small table in the tent, and she found a few good things to take. There was correspondence from other Supremacist members, a list of some of their members and assets and a map that marked some locations. It wouldn't be groundbreaking, but everything they learned would be helpful. Not wanting to waste more time, she rolled them all up and was ready to leave. Since she was prepared to go, she grabbed a satchel from the tent floor, filling it with the papers and some more food left on the table. Finally, she found a few coins, a couple bronze, silver, and gold, and stashed them in the satchel. She had no idea how she would get to the Capital, but now she at least had something to barter with. Grabbing anything else Izara thought might be helpful, she knew that she needed to get out while she could. Zuko would be waiting for her.

With a nod to the empty air in the tent, she listened intently to hear footsteps outside, signalling the patrol going past. She'd timed it well, and they were just going past for the second time while she'd been in the tent and passed by as expected. Sneaking out and swiftly moving behind the group of tents and into the darkness, she had planned for guards to surround the camp, so she made her way carefully away. Someone was standing guard, but there were trees and shrubs on either side of him that she couldn't get by without making a noise. Quickly making her choice, she came up behind the guard and wrapped her arms around his head and neck, muffling his cries whilst also starting to suffocate him. When she knew he wouldn't be able to yell out after not being able to breathe, she moved her arms to a full choke, cutting off the blood supply and reinforcing it with her hands on the back of his head. A minute later, he went completely limp, but she held onto him and helped him slump silently to the ground since she knew that he would come too within a minute or two if she didn't hold on a little longer.

Once satisfied, Izara let him go and silently left the camp, leaving the chaos the Supremacists would wake up to behind her. The sun wouldn't be up for a few hours, so she had to do her best to cover as much ground as possible before sunrise so she could successfully escape their clutches. Despite the pain she was in, knowing that the wound on her calf was only going to get worse while she travelled, she pushed through as best she could and eventually found a running stream. Grateful for the find, she drank as much water as possible and took a few minutes to wash her wounds briefly before continuing. Unfortunately, she didn't have a canteen or anything to carry water in, but she knew that walking along the stream would be a great way to find either a village or a large river with boats and thus means of transportation.

Hours later, when the sun began to rise, she was exhausted already but knew she had to press on. She had hoped since the small stream was getting more expansive, increasing her expectation that it would empty into a river. Once there was enough light for her to see farther into the distance, her hopes were answered by the sight of a river. As she got closer, she could hear the water running, too. Now, all she needed was to find someone so that she could figure out where she was and how to get back to the Capital.

The universe seemed to be cheering her on. She saw people's footprints in the dirt and mud along the riverside and followed them toward what she hoped would be a settlement of some kind. After an hour of travel, she saw a small wooden pier with a boat docked downriver and sighed in relief. A small bungalow-style home was nearby, and an older woman was outside tending to her garden. The woman yelped upon turning around and seeing Izara, clearly not expecting company. She also knew that she would look like shit, her clothes torn and burned, and she was bruised and limping.

"Are you alright?" The woman asked so kindly that Izara almost collapsed in relief.

"I was captured and need to return to the Capital. Where am I?" Izara answered with her own question, and the woman's expression fell into a sad frown.

"We're about half a day's travel from the Capital. This river leads right nearby when it goes to the ocean." Her response was music to Izara's ears, and she stared at her in shock.

"Which direction?" Izara asked, still trying to figure out how to proceed.

"This way. The same way you're heading." She pointed behind her and then glanced towards her house. "Come inside and get some rest, my dear." She invited sweetly, giving Izara a reassuring smile.

"I need to get back as soon as possible. I'll be okay," Izara promised, knowing that she would get through on sheer willpower.

"My husband is probably on his boat downstream. He usually goes to the harbour to sell his catch straight away before coming home. Tell him you've come past, and he'll help you." She explained, and Izara's heart soared at the news.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be any trouble," she said, although she was too tired to decline.

"Of course, my dear! I can't let you go on without something to eat, though."

She disappeared inside her house, and Izara waited awkwardly outside. Within a few minutes, she emerged again with an armful of supplies. There was a water canteen that she'd already filled, and she'd wrapped up several rice balls and some bread and fruit for her. Izara tried to repay her by giving her some of the coins she'd stolen, but the woman declined.

"Thank you so much..." She trailed off, indicating that she was asking the woman's name.

"Eri. My husband's name is Jaru."

"Izara. How can I repay your kindness?" Izara asked, not wanting to appear ungrateful despite her rush.

"Come back one day and let me know that you're alive, Izara." The woman grinned happily and squeezed Izara's hand comfortingly.

"Of course." She bowed low, staying there for a moment to show her appreciation.

With an energised breath, Izara went on her way, turning to wave a couple of times over her shoulder. She intended to keep her promise, and she enjoyed the rice balls, water, fruit, and bread, thanking Eri out loud as she walked over, even though she couldn't hear her.

Around mid-morning, maybe 10 a.m., Izara could have sworn she saw a boat on the horizon. It didn't look like a huge vessel, perhaps just a small fishing boat, and she could see she was right as it continued downriver. When it got close enough to see her, she began waving her arms to get the attention of the sailor on board. A man, roughly the same age as Eri, came into view, and Izara was almost crying with relief that things had worked out so well.

"Are you alright, young lady?" The man called out as the boat slowed down.

"Are you Jaru?" Izara yelled loud enough for him to hear, and he nodded surprisedly. "I met your wife."

"Eri? You came from that direction?" He pointed towards where she had travelled from.

Jaru brought the boat to a stop in the middle of the river to talk to her. She was so grateful for the couple already and would likely have barely made it back or might have died from her wounds and lack of food and water had she not come across Eri and Jaru.

"I know it will cause you trouble, but I need your help. I need you to take me to the Capital Harbour. I can pay you for your time." She wanted to make sure she paid them back somehow.

"Can you swim aboard?" Jaru didn't even bother to say he would help her; he was already happy to assist.

"I can. I'll come across now."

Izara pulled the satchel off and prepared to hold it over her head so the papers inside didn't get wet. She could see the current wasn't too strong, but she still moved so that it would help to carry her towards the boat. Jaru was ready to pull her aboard, standing in the gap in the railing. When she reached him, wincing in pain from her injuries, he grabbed the satchel first, pulling it on board before grabbing her arm and yanking her up. She was too tired to help much and unable to raise her right arm due to her shoulder wound, so she was glad he was a strong man.

Jaru examined her closely and seemed shocked by her condition. "What's your name?"

"Izara. Thank you for stopping."

"What happened to you?" He asked with a deep frown.

"I was captured, but I escaped. Eri gave me some food and water and told me you'd be on your way home." Izara didn't want to give away that there was a Supremacist camp nearby, so she didn't alarm him.

"We are always happy to help out someone in need. You definitely appear to be in need." Jaru's tone implied he was worried but pleased to be able to assist.

"I cannot tell you how grateful I am for your help. I can pay you for your time as well." She said as she pulled all the coins from her satchel and tried to hand them to Jaru, but he shook his head.

"No need. I'm just pleased that Eri and I could help you," Jaru said with a smile. He then got them underway, slowly turning the boat around. "Get some rest." He indicated a corner of the boat where she could sit and be shielded from the wind.

Thanking him again, Izara sat down, placed the satchel in her lap, and went through some of the papers she had stolen to figure out just how much intelligence she had gotten about the Supremacists and their plans. She needed to ensure that she stayed awake since she knew she wouldn't be able to make her way to the Palace from the harbour if she fell asleep. Even though it would likely take them an hour or more to get there, she knew she couldn't rest yet. Zuko would be waiting for her to return, and she couldn't bear the thought of letting him worry much longer.

Relief flooded her as she finally began to feel safe aboard the boat; she remained seated until they finally reached the harbour...