Gladiator

by Seyary-Minamoto

In a world where the Avatar wasn't found, the Fire Nation took over two nations and they strive to overcome the last one. Water Tribe warrior Sokka seeks to fight for his people's rights, but he's captured by his enemies. His life is no longer in his hands as he fights as a Gladiator, and his fate will eventually depend on the Fire Nation Princess, who needs him for her own ends...

121. Chapter 121: The chase of Jeong Jeong 3

"The Deserter?" Sokka repeated, an eyebrow raised. "And… who's that?"

Azula stared at him skeptically for a moment before realizing she had forgotten to mention him to Sokka, even after her conversation with Zhao: she hadn't thought the topic would be important enough to bring it up again. It was an odd coincidence that the man would be spotted nearby around a month after she had talked about him with the Admiral.

"A man who abandoned the Fire Nation's armed forces over a decade ago," said Azula. "A remarkable firebender, a great military leader, with a mind deeply disturbed by all his experiences in the battlefield. He abandoned his troops one day, never to be heard of again. He's the most wanted traitor in the Fire Nation, to date…"

"Huh," said Sokka, frowning. "I'd never heard of him before…"

"And I'd never heard that he'd let himself be seen before," said Azula, turning to Fei Li. "What exactly was the situation? How did this happen?"

"I don't know the full details, Princess, I just came to alert you as quickly as I could," Fei Li explained. "The messenger arrived only minutes ago, looking for Mayor Morishita, but the Mayor wasn't home so he came to us. He carried this message to bring as many troops as he could to Pohuai Stronghold, and I suppose he also needed to tell the Mayor his city will be unprotected briefly…"

"That's unacceptable," Azula snapped. "We can't leave Yu Dao unprotected just because the Deserter has been sighted. Capturing him is important, but Colonel Shinu has the Yu-Yan archers. Aren't they amongst the best elite troops the Fire Nation has to offer?"

"Indeed, but… I don't know the situation, Princess," said Fei Li, grimacing. "Maybe you should speak to the messenger yourself."

"Maybe I will," Azula growled, stepping to the door. Sokka bit his lip before deciding to follow her and Fei Li to the guards' current headquarters.

The messenger was a soldier in his forties, breathing heavily as he recovered from what no doubt was a strenuous race to Yu Dao. The Royal Guards around him looked wary and uncertain of how to act, and Rui Shi seemed relieved when he noticed Azula had arrived.

"Princess…" said Rui Shi, nodding towards her. The messenger bolted upright and turned to her, bowing deeply.

"Crown Princess Azula! It's… it's a relief you're here! No doubt you'll be able to help in this time of danger in the Colonies…"

"What has happened? Why would Shinu need reinforcements so urgently to capture the Deserter?" Azula asked, looking at the messenger with a stern frown. "From my understanding, Pohuai Stronghold is one of the sturdiest military bases we hold, and it's manned by all sorts of perfectly trained soldiers, including the best archers this world has seen. Why aren't they enough?"

"Because… because our forces have already fallen against them," said the messenger. Azula's frown deepened.

"What do you mean by that? How?" she said, demandingly.

"A week ago, groups of scouts were sent to the forests north to the base, for our usual patrols. Only one man came back from the first one," said the messenger. "He said the Deserter had ambushed them. The second squad was sent afterwards, and this time only two soldiers returned, badly wounded. We've already lost many of our best men, and we don't understand how! The survivors, they said… they said the Deserter is not alone. He has amassed some sort of following, and they're strong and well trained, too…!"

"And they surely know those forests better than your fellow soldiers," Azula reasoned, frowning.

"The second squad we sent caught up with them closer to our base," said the messenger. "We believe… that they intend to attack the Stronghold."

"And you're two squads short to take them on comfortably. I see," said Azula, breathing deeply. "Well, just as they might have the advantage in the forests, Colonel Shinu should have the advantage if the enemy does move in to attack the Stronghold. You can arm yourselves fully there, and lay waste to the whole lot of them as long as you have enough men to fight…"

"But we've lost archers after those raids, Princess, and we don't have enough firebenders…" said the messenger, swallowing hard. "I was sent to Yu Dao for reinforcements at haste, though I'm afraid we might not make it back on time even if I do find any…"

"Well, surely you won't if you all go to the Stronghold on ostrich horses," Azula reasoned. "But there are faster means of transportation. More efficient ones, too."

"What… what do you mean?" asked the messenger.

Azula breathed deeply before looking at her men.

"You're amongst the greatest firebenders in my father's armed forces. It's the main reason any of you were eligible to serve as my guards in the first place," she said, her eyes scouring them. "I don't know if it's a coincidence that we would be here just as the Deserter reappears, but whether it is or isn't, our course of action is clear: get the train-tank from the Barge and make your way to Pohuai Stronghold immediately."

"Yes, Princess," said Rui Shi, diligently. The rest of them bowed and got ready to take off, as commanded.

"What…? Your guards?" the messenger said, his eyes wide with hope. Azula looked at him sternly.

"I'm not doing this just because I want to help capture the Deserter: I'm doing it because even under this situation, or precisely because of this situation, this city cannot be left unguarded. For all you know, the Deserter is sending a group to Pohuai as a decoy when his actual goal is to attack here. You may ask for any available units to help as well, but you aren't taking all of Yu Dao's soldiers to the Stronghold."

"Oh… of course, Princess," he said, nodding.

"You have around an hour until my men bring the train-tank here. Make haste gathering any available solders, and take the train-tank to the Stronghold with them," said Azula. "That way, if the situation is as dire as you said, we'll certainly make it there on time."

"Yes, yes, Princess, we… wait, we?" he said, looking at her in surprise. Azula nodded.

"You don't expect me to send my men to fight while I sit here in Yu Dao, counting the minutes until they return, do you?" Azula asked. "In fact, I'll be taking off first. I want to ask Colonel Shinu for a complete briefing of what's happening and what he means to do about it."

"You'll be taking off first? What do you…?" said the messenger, as Azula turned and walked out to the street.

Sokka followed silently, standing beside Azula as she frowned, in deep thought. The messenger lurked behind them, and Sokka eyed him with uncertainty before the man bowed to the Princess and rushed to round up whatever soldiers he could find. Once he was gone, the gladiator turned to Azula.

"I'm guessing you're waiting for a lift to Pohuai?" Sokka muttered. Azula nodded. "And I'm guessing that you also know I'm not planning on staying here, counting the minutes until you return, right?"

"Indeed, I don't expect as much," said Azula, looking at him skeptically. "Though I do hope you'll know not to get too involved in whatever happens. You're coming because I know there's no stopping you, but this is likely to be dangerous. You're staying by my side at all times, and causing no trouble, alright?"

"Well, the first condition was a given. I'll do my best with the second one," said Sokka, with a weak smile.

Xin Long had traveled with them to the Earth Kingdom lands, and he had spent the last weeks searching for any signs of other dragons, as he often did. Fortunately, he wasn't far at the time, and he returned by Azula's call as quickly as he could, clad in his armor – Azula had forced him to wear it so he wouldn't get as filthy as he often did on long trips. Rui Shi had stayed by the house, supervising the guards' preparation for heading to Pohuai, and he nodded as Azula climbed on the dragon.

"Make haste, Captain," she commanded, as Sokka climbed behind her. "If the Deserter has amassed a force as dangerous as it sounds, we have to arrive there before he does. Pohuai needs to be defended."

"Yes, Princess. We'll be there as fast as possible," said Rui Shi, bowing his head down to her. "Don't get started without us, if you can help it."

"Well, I can't promise anything, but I'll certainly try," said Azula, with a weak smirk before ushering Xin Long to take off.

Sokka clutched the saddle's railings, wishing he could embrace Azula instead, but knowing it wasn't safe to do so right now. Until Yu Dao was far behind them, he couldn't dare do anything as bold as that.

"Okay, so… what's the story with this Deserter guy?" he asked, trying his best to be heard through the wind that buffeted against them.

"Jeong Jeong was one of the most powerful firebenders to be seen in the Fire Nation during Fire Lord Azulon's time," Azula explained. "From what I've heard, he grew unstable and even started loathing the element which he bent, leading him to abandoning his post in the navy when he was needed most direly. I believe he hadn't been seen since."

"Huh… so he, deserted when your grandfather was in charge?" Sokka asked. Azula nodded. "Your dad must have liked the guy, then, if he screwed his dad over…"

"Not really, Jeong Jeong is as much a public enemy to my father as he was to my grandfather," said Azula. "And it's strange that he would pop up out of nowhere right now, just after…"

"Just after what?" Sokka asked, leaning closer as she dropped her voice tone slightly.

"I didn't mention it because I didn't think it was important, but when I had my meeting with the Head Sage, he mentioned Jeong Jeong," said Azula, glancing at Sokka. He frowned. "He said the Deserter was one of the men who understood fire the best, which I questioned since I doubted a man who hates fire could possibly understand it… and then I also asked Zhao about him, since Jeong Jeong was his firebending master…"

"Woah, really?" Sokka asked, his eyes wide. "Sideburns learned from some sort of prodigy, then?"

"He did, but from what he said, he lost all his respect for Jeong Jeong after a while," said Azula, biting her lip. "What I find odd is… why would Jeong Jeong show up for the first time in over a decade right after I talked about him with them? I mean…"

"You don't think either of them has any connections with the guy, do you?" Sokka asked, looking at her in confusion. Azula swallowed.

"Not Zhao, that's for sure. The Head Sage…? Oh, I doubt it, really," she said, shaking her head. "Maybe all of this was only just a coincidence after all, and I'm making too much of a fuss over it."

"Maybe," said Sokka, biting his lip and reaching for her hand while frowning. "But… well, I don't want to feed your paranoia or anything, but we should keep in mind, whether the Head Sage had anything to do with this or not, that… that this could be more than what meets the eye."

"A trap?" Azula asked. Sokka clenched his teeth.

"It's ridiculously convenient for it to happen when we've spent around a month in Yu Dao, isn't it?" he whispered.

"Yes, it is," said Azula, nodding. "But even so, we're going to handle this problem as we have with countless others. Trap or no trap, we're doing our damnedest to capture the Deserter and bring him back home. And who knows? Maybe I'll get to ask him what he thinks of gold fire if we do capture him."

"Surely you will," said Sokka, smiling. "I mean, we've handled many nasty situations so far, this isn't our first crisis. The Dai Li set up a nasty one for us, and we still got out of it and captured them, instead. We can do it again now for sure."

"I hope so," said Azula, sighing and dropping against him, her forehead against his neck. "Just make sure not to do anything stupid, okay? You're to stay by my side at all times unless I command otherwise. I'm sure my guards are stronger than the men Shinu has at his disposition, so hopefully they'll be able to handle everything without our involvement…"

There was a groan underneath them, as Xin Long turned his head to look at Azula. She smiled at him, and Sokka blinked as she stroked the dragon's hair.

"Indeed, we have Xin Long too," she said. "And he's all ready to fight, with his neat armor and everything…"

"Heh, you think he'll join the fray?" Sokka asked. "If so, it's great you made him wear it. It'll finally come in handy for its actual purpose!"

"He might serve to scare them off if need be," said Azula. "All things considered, Pohuai is as good as impenetrable. The defenses are top-notch, it's one of the strongest bases we've ever established. Attacking it… well, it's quite a stupid move, all in all. They're probably terrified of doing it, to begin with, and having a dragon against them, on top of it all, would only continue to damage whatever convictions they might have."

"But indeed, it's… it's not the wisest thing to attack the Stronghold," Sokka reasoned, resting with his chin on her shoulder. "If that guy's such a great strategist, would he do something so pointless if he knew how bad his chances are for winning?"

"Either he has a reason to believe he's unbeatable…" said Azula. "Or, as we suspect, this is a trap or a misdirection. I suspect he's after something else other than attacking the Stronghold. I mean, what could he possibly gain from taking it, if that's even possible? Even if he has amassed followers, they can't be enough or better trained than the armies my father would send to take back the Stronghold, if Jeong Jeong succeeds at conquering it."

"So, you don't think he could have an army of his own?" Sokka asked. Azula frowned.

"Where would he find one, and how would he organize and train it without anyone noticing?" she asked. "It's weird, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," said Sokka, breathing out slowly. "Weird and dangerous, from the sound of it. I get the feeling he's not quite as easy to predict as Long Feng was."

"So, he might be the worst threat we've had to face," said Azula, glancing at him. "Well, I guess we didn't have some sort of ground-breaking argument this time, but we're still caught up in an insane adventure together, as usual. It'd been a while since our last, actually."

"Yeah," said Sokka, smiling gently and surrounding her with his arms. "And I sure don't want to be on insane adventures with anyone else. We've made a good team sorting them out so far, haven't we?"

"I guess," said Azula, looking at him with a gentle grin of her own. "But we really are missing the usual strife between us for once. Whatever shall we do now that we're getting along so well? Something's missing, Sokka, we really can't set out to deal with Jeong Jeong without some conflict that's threatening to drive us apart…"

Sokka chuckled against her shoulder as Azula smiled warmly. He knew he shouldn't do so, not when they would be arriving in the Stronghold sooner than later, but he leaned in to kiss Azula's lips without any restraints. Her hand reached up to caress his face, keeping him in place as she returned the kiss fully.

They felt more stable than ever, which was a novelty for them both. Their partnership had scarcely been shaken up lately. If they were to face off against dangerous, intelligent enemies whose goals, allegiances and beliefs were mysteries to be unveiled, they certainly couldn't do it in a better moment than this. They were fit to face whatever challenges would come their way, and they were determined to overcome them as the strong team they'd become.

They spent most the trip kissing, desperately at times, for they had no idea what the future would bring, but there was an undeniable enthusiasm to it too, a camaraderie they'd never shared with anyone but each other. Even if this upcoming incursion was so uncertain, they didn't feel as anxious about it because they knew they'd face it together.

She had to make sure to wipe his lips clean as usual, once Pohuai was within sight in the horizon. Sokka continued to hold her as she reapplied the paint on her lips carefully, and until she warned him to release her, his reassuring embrace kept her calm and encouraged. He obeyed immediately upon her command, although she recklessly wished he had kept holding her for a little longer.

The Stronghold was bustling with activity: even at a distance it was apparent they were preparing for battle. Azula led Xin Long to the Stronghold's northern walls, where the majority of the soldiers were gathered. As expected, Colonel Shinu was amongst them.

The man had been giving orders to a group of Yu-Yan archers when Xin Long roared to make his presence known. The soldiers were startled, some of them even yelped, and Shinu's eyes widened as Xin Long descended. It took him a moment to remember who the renowned rider of the only known dragon of the last decades was, but once the shock receded, he understood just why the creature would appear so suddenly, in such timely fashion.

"Nobody attack, you fools!" Shinu shouted, noticing some of the archers had instinctively nocked arrows to their bows. "It's the Princess!"

A gasp of surprise was heard through the compound, and Xin Long landed gracefully before Shinu. Azula was quick to climb off his saddle and step towards the bowing Colonel.

"Princess Azula! It's an honor, and… and a surprise, too!" the Colonel confessed, standing upright to look at her.

Even at his full height, Colonel Shinu's top-knot was only level with Azula's nose. His short height had always been the subject of countless jokes amongst military officers, but nobody dared make them in front of the fearsome man. He was one of her father's most reliable military leaders, and he took his job very seriously.

"I imagine it must be. Your messenger showed up in Yu Dao, requesting back-up. The reinforcements are on their way. You will need to send a transport ship to fetch the train-tank at the other side of the riverbank, if it's not much bother, but it shall be the fastest way to bring in the troops you requested," Azula said, as she scanned the nearby soldiers with a keen eye. "You don't seem to be as lacking in numbers as he implied…"

"He might have exaggerated matters, that fool, Peng," said Shinu, shaking his head. "I requested reinforcements because I lost almost two full squads, but I didn't need…!"

"You didn't need me?" Azula finished, when Shinu fell silent. He squared his jaw.

"This is going to become a battleground, Princess. I would rather you were somewhere safe," he said.

"Considering this is the greatest of the Fire Nation strongholds in the Colonies, I'd like to think this is somewhere safe," said Azula, raising her eyebrows defiantly. "Or are you implying Pohuai can fall to the Deserter's forces, whatever they may be?"

"I… I certainly doubt it will, Princess," said Shinu, his fists clenched. "But the situation is delicate. And I'd be far more comfortable if… if I could guarantee your safety for good."

Shinu's eyes shifted towards Sokka, who had climbed off Xin Long's back after Azula. The Colonel raised an eyebrow before gesturing at him.

"And this is…?"

"My gladiator. He's here to serve as my last line of defense in case anything were to happen to the rest of my guards," said Azula. "They will be here shortly, they've come on the Mechanist's train-tank. They'll be bringing the reinforcements you requested from Yu Dao, and by my command, they shall also lend their help in this delicate situation, as you put it."

"Well… I'm grateful, Princess. But still…" said Shinu, shaking his head before turning to one of the Yu-Yan archers. "Finish the briefing. I'll be back shortly."

The archer bowed his head, and Shinu ushered Azula to follow him inside one of the compound's watch towers. Xin Long eyed her with uncertainty but she nodded in his direction to appease him before following Shinu. Sokka kept up with her, his shoulders square, his brow furrowed: he hadn't been involved in a genuine war conflict of this magnitude since his first encounter with Azula.

"Princess, I understand you would very much like to help us defeat the Deserter," said Shinu, once they were inside a metallic room, furnished with only a table and a few bookshelves. "But you have put me in a complicated position now. If anything happened to you, your father would unleash his rage on all of us. I cannot focus on defeating the Deserter and ensuring your safety simultaneously"

"So, I'm just a liability in your eyes?" Azula asked, skeptical. "I came here to offer my support and assistance, Colonel. I am not some weak, misled child who wandered into your compound. I have already been involved in a fair share of battles for the Fire Nation before, so perhaps you should consider I'm not quite as defenseless as you might expect me to be."

"It isn't that I believe you defenseless, Princess, but…! Oh, you don't understand," said Shinu, shaking his head. Azula rolled her eyes.

"I won't get involved in the battle itself, my guards will be the ones to do as much," she stated. "I will remain safe, with my gladiator to stand guard over me if need be. Even if you believe this might have been a move of recklessness…"

"It was! You should have stayed in Yu Dao," said Shinu, shaking his head. "If you had, we wouldn't be in this predicament. I wouldn't have to wonder how to handle this situation, if only…"

"If I had stayed in Yu Dao, which will have decreased security because you sent word for reinforcements? Sounds absolutely reasonable," said Azula, looking at Shinu skeptically. The man gritted his teeth. "In fact, if it had been up to your messenger, the city would have been left completely defenseless. I intervened to ensure otherwise, and offered my men so that the city and people of Yu Dao could remain safe. So, as much as you might think my recklessness might cost us direly, yours would have likely done the same thing without your awareness. What if this attack is merely a misdirection, Colonel? What if the Deserter's real goal was to strike against Yu Dao while you're too busy battling his lesser minions here?"

Shinu lowered his head. Azula could tell he had pondered this possibility, but he hadn't taken that potential threat as seriously as he should have. She scoffed.

"If you're done protesting my decisions, I advise you return to your men. You may have to hold a siege soon, and the better prepared you are for it, the sooner it will end," she said. Shinu sighed.

"I'm sorry to be so abrasive, Princess. It may be you're right that this is the safest place for you… but I'm afraid I'm not comfortable with it regardless," he said. "The Deserter is a hazard. He wouldn't be attacking us if he didn't believe he has a chance to win, and that's what truly daunts me."

"Unless, as I said, this is all a misdirection," said Azula. Shinu clenched his teeth.

"I have no idea what would be worse. Do you truly think Yu Dao might be in danger?" he asked. Azula sighed.

"Hopefully not in as much danger as it could have been if it were left completely unprotected," she said. "Go on, Colonel. You're needed by your men."

Shinu sighed and nodded, bowing his head towards Azula before filing out of the room. Sokka watched him go before turning towards Azula. He couldn't remember seeing such a strange mix of coldness and frustration in his lover's face before now.

"That didn't go so well, huh?" Sokka whispered. Azula shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"It's unbelievable. I should have stayed in Yu Dao, he says," she grunted. "Did he expect me to just send him my men and sit around chatting with the Morishita famiily, without a care in the world?"

"I think he didn't expect you here altogether, that's what," said Sokka. "Maybe he hadn't heard you were in the city, or if he had, he didn't think you'd want to have a say in what's happening here."

"Either way, he's lost his mind if he believes I'd do nothing when a known enemy of the Fire Nation is lurking around," Azula snapped. "Shinu's likely just expecting me to get in his way, that's probably what truly bothers him."

"Would you get in his way?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow. Azula smiled at him.

"Only if he messes up so badly that I can't stand to watch anymore," she said. Sokka chuckled as she made to leave the room in the tower, and he followed her. "Fortunately, Shinu isn't the most incompetent of my father's men. He's usually effective enough, but I can't say he's very creative. He doesn't tend to think outside his box, and hardly ever tries to adapt to the circumstances…"

"So, you're an unforeseen complication for him," said Sokka. Azula shrugged.

"It's quite amusing if you think about it, considering I'm bound to be the strongest firebender on our side, but to him I'm just a bother," she muttered, through gritted teeth. "Oh, well. Perhaps the Deserter will give me a chance to prove myself to him, much like you did down South…"

"Heh, I had no idea I was giving you one," said Sokka, with a weak smile. Azula allowed her hand to graze his softly. "But as much as I do love seeing you shut down jerks who don't take you seriously, I hope it won't be necessary this time. That Deserter guy sounds like a lot of trouble."

"Hopefully old age has gotten to him," said Azula, as the two of them climbed down to the middle wall of the Stronghold.

The compound was comprised by one tall tower at its very center, and the tower was surrounded by three walls of sturdy, impenetrable metal. There were watch towers on every vertex of the walls, and they were tall enough to allow them to look past the Stronghold's barriers. Arid territory spread in front of the fortress, which led to a small forest. Two wide streams hugged the terrains where the Stronghold stood, and they joined together south of it to become a massive river: north to the Stronghold stood mountains. It was behind those tall peaks that the Deserter's forces had appeared and attacked for the very first time…

The train-tank took a few more hours to arrive, and the sky was already darkening by then. Azula's guards joined the fortress's soldiers right away, and they were ready to partake in battle whenever the Deserter's forces showed themselves. The wait before the fight was quite stressful for everyone, though. The archers positioned on the walls and towers watched the mountains impatiently, and the soldiers on the ground paced with unease. Azula stood inside the central tower now, watching through one of the windows as Xin Long lay in wait as well, perched behind the inner wall, hoping to stay hidden until the enemy appeared.

"How many men do you have?" Azula asked Shinu, who was watching the mountains anxiously next to her.

"Thirty archers. A hundred and fifty spearmen, a hundred swordsmen. Forty firebenders," he said, his eyes shifting towards her.

"And a dragon, too," said Azula, breathing slowly. "It's not a lot. But then again, he shouldn't have a large force either. At any rate, the Yu-Yan archers should be able to cut their numbers by half before they even climb off those mountains…"

"I would hope so. As long as… as everything goes according to our plan," said Shinu, tensing up. Azula glanced at him.

"How many people do you think he has?" she asked. "Did the survivors from your scouting squads have any idea of what their numbers were?"

"No, just… dozens, too many to count properly when fleeing from them," said Shinu, shaking his head. "They don't know. They were overwhelmed."

"Just climbing those mountains ought to overwhelm them this time around," Azula muttered, sighing and turning her back on the window.

Sokka and Rui Shi were in the room as well. As promised, the gladiator had stayed by Azula's side and done nothing out of place so far, while the Captain of the Guards stood nearby to ensure the Princess's absolute safety.

Yet when Azula set eyes upon Sokka she couldn't help but frown, mirroring his own expression. He was in deep thought, and in these situations, he wouldn't usually be as withdrawn and quiet unless he had an idea of some sort. Those ideas tended to be spot-on, too, whenever he started analyzing things coldly from a distance, just as he had when he figured out the Rough Rhinos' mode of operation, and when he discovered the link between that same group of brigands and the Dai Li. So Azula huffed, looking at him skeptically.

"What is it now?"

Sokka jumped and looked at her in surprise. Shinu and Rui Shi turned as well, as surprised by Azula's question as Sokka was. But she kept a questioning glare on her face, her arms crossed over her chest.

"W-what do you mean…?"

"I know that look, and I know you're thinking a little too hard for your standards, gladiator," she grunted. Sokka grimaced. "What's going on? What did you figure out?"

"I didn't figure… well, I don't think I figured out anything," Sokka said, shrugging. "I was only trying to understand why the heck would a guy like that Deserter try to attack a Stronghold as well defended as this one. I really doubt he'd gain anything from it…"

"So?" said Azula, raising her eyebrows. Sokka sighed and looked at her almost apologetically.

"You said it was a weird coincidence that you'd talk about this guy to the Head Sage and Zhao only a month ago," he said. "And yeah, it's weird, but that might just have been a coincidence after all. But… maybe what isn't a coincidence is that the Deserter would act out just after you've spent a month in the Colonies. It's the first time you've been in a single city abroad for so long, and…"

"And you think that might be connected to why the Deserter is conveniently popping up now?" Azula asked, her glare growing apprehensive as Sokka's ideas finally sank in. "You think he's… after me?"

Sokka gritted his teeth as Rui Shi clenched his fists. Shinu's eyes widened too.

"I don't know for sure, maybe I'm making a big deal out of this, but…"

"If the Deserter is after the Princess, then she cannot stay here!" Shinu said, stepping towards them. Azula huffed.

"You don't have to talk like I'm not in the same room as you, Colonel," she grunted. "By all means, maybe you think this was only a trap just to lure me into the Stronghold, but I doubt that. If anything, it was a trap to lure all guards and soldiers away from Yu Dao. Jeong Jeong probably expected me to stay there, away from the frontlines…"

"So, this really could be a diversion?" Rui Shi asked. "Or…"

"Or he knew you'd come rushing to the Stronghold after he goaded you, and he's strong enough to tear our defenses apart just to get to you!" said Shinu, looking at Azula reproachfully. "Princess, I must insist. Your life is more valuable than that of anyone else here, and we cannot risk you being hurt, let alone captured by them!"

"Ah, and where do you propose I go, then?" Azula asked, staring at Shinu defiantly. "We don't know for certain if they were hoping to find me in Yu Dao, or if they were only going to attack the Stronghold. Returning to the city right now would be pointless: I might just head straight into a trap if I do."

"Then… not to Yu Dao. Maybe across the eastern river instead," said Rui Shi, frowning. "They may not expect you to head away from the conflict areas, so that just might be what you should do…"

"Oh, so you agree then?" Azula asked, looking at Rui Shi in surprise "You think I should leave you all to fight a battle against the most mysterious and quite possibly most dangerous foe we've faced, while I run off in the opposite direction like a coward?"

"It's not a matter of cowardice… it's a matter of keeping you safe," said Rui Shi, breathing out heavily.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I do not share it," Azula snapped. "I'm not leaving while all my guards stay here to fight. I can't do it."

"Well, then, let Captain Rui Shi go with you too," said Shinu. Azula looked at him in disbelief. "Take him and your gladiator, and stay away from all danger. It's best that way."

"Really, now?" Azula asked, affronted. "I wonder if anyone ever said that to my Uncle back when he was fighting in the war. He was a highly ranked military officer, higher than you, even, involved in bigger operations than this, and yet nobody batted an eyelash about it. Why is it so different when I do it, if I may inquire?"

"It's different because he was Fire Lord Azulon's son!" Shinu exclaimed. "And you… you are Fire Lord Ozai's daughter."

The weight of Shinu's words struck Azula more heavily than a pile of rocks. Her gold eyes grew colder as her hands trembled with rage that refused to be contained…

"Fire Lord Azulon was reckless," said Rui Shi, cutting in, with hopes to salvage the discussion. "Sending his heir to such dangerous battles was never wise. General Iroh lost his son that way…"

"I don't expect to die today, mind you," Azula growled, glaring at Rui Shi. "My cousin may have been a remarkable firebender, but as it is…"

"You're probably better, yes," said Rui Shi, sighing. "All the more reason to keep you safe, Princess. I'm sorry, but…"

"This is ridiculous," she said, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "It's utterly ridiculous. But truth be told? If you really believe the Stronghold isn't safe, that Jeong Jeong can just as easily seize it with whatever group of misfits he's brought with him, then maybe we don't deserve to hold this blasted bastion in the first place."

"Princess…" said Rui Shi, but Azula shook her head and stormed off.

Shinu seemed unmovable, with almost satisfaction drawn on his face upon seeing Azula give up her fight against him. Sokka scowled at the Colonel, and he looked at Rui Shi with unease before the Captain turned to him, too.

"We'll be going with her wherever it is she goes, right?" Rui Shi asked. Sokka nodded and sighed.

"I probably shouldn't have talked, huh?" he said. Rui Shi shook his head.

"It might be better to do this. She doesn't see it right now because of how upset she is, but…"

"This is no child's play," said Shinu, frowning. "The Deserter is a real threat. We cannot expect him to behave like an ordinary soldier would: he knows the Fire Nation because he was with us before, unlike most our other enemies. If someone would know how to tear through our defenses, it's him."

"That is, if you only resort to the same defensive strategies you've used for over twenty years," said Sokka skeptically. Shinu turned his scowl to him. "No offense, Colonel, but Princess Azula has already overcome every expectation to be placed upon her. She's no ordinary royal, never has been. If someone just might be able to concoct a plan that this Deserter guy can't begin to imagine, it's her. He may have known the Fire Nation back in the times of Azulon and Iroh, but he has never faced the likes of Princess Azula."

Shinu stared at Sokka with a mix of confusion, affront and disbelief, but before he could decide what to say, Sokka had already made to follow the Princess. Rui Shi was behind Sokka as well, leaving behind a Colonel who only huffed and returned to the window, his eyebrows drawn together heavily.

"And he never will," Shinu whispered, his glare again on the mountains that stood ahead of the Stronghold: he would do his damnedest to keep the Princess away from the battlefield tonight.

Seeing how resigned Azula already was, however, Shinu wouldn't need to go the extra mile to achieve his goal. The Princess had stormed into a storage room in the tower, angrily searching for provisions to bring along on this pointless new road trip she'd be forced to take. The more she pondered the circumstances, the more they angered her, but there was nothing she could do other than stem in her rage for the time being.

It wasn't hard for Sokka and Rui Shi to find her, both because she didn't go too far and because her anger was noisy enough, too. She kept pushing closets open, searching for bags to carry whatever she'd have to take with her, but she didn't succeed until she finally reached the second to last compartment.

"Princess…" said Rui Shi, as Sokka rushed in to help her. Azula grunted to acknowledge them, and she handed the Captain one of the bags.

"Fetch whatever provisions we'll need," she grunted. "I've already wandered blindly through this blasted continent once before, with hardly any supplies to survive, and I'm certainly not doing it again. Get a map, too."

"Yes, Princess," said Rui Shi, nodding and leaving quickly to obey her commands.

Sokka stayed to help her load two large packs with all the food and utensils she could find in this storage room. An emergency healing kit went into the pack as well, along with a handful of hygiene products. All the while, Azula kept frowning as her gold eyes flickered from side to side with annoyance, blazing with fury.

"Azula…" Sokka whispered, once he couldn't take the tense silence anymore.

He knew she'd launch into a promised rampage, which was why he'd thought to call her name in the first place. So, he only bit his lip and lowered his head as the Princess snarled and closed the second pack somewhat savagely.

"I'm Fire Lord Ozai's daughter, he says. Like that should mean I'm some sheltered fool who cannot fend for herself!" she growled, rolling her eyes and glaring at the wall. Sokka grimaced. "This is absolutely ridiculous. I should be allowed to stay as my men charge into battle, no commander would be deprived from that right! I should be…!"

"Yeah, you probably should be," said Sokka. Azula huffed.

"It's unbelievable, isn't it? I have gotten involved to help him, and I made sure to keep Yu Dao safe, stopping Shinu's messenger from taking away all the soldiers, and yet I'm forced to leave, told I can't even watch as my men fight? I…!"

"You've done a lot, yeah," said Sokka. "It's not fair, but…"

"But what?" Azula asked, looking at him in disbelief. "Do you think there's any truth in any of that? Do you think that because I'm my father's daughter I have no business involved in these matters?!"

"Hey, hey, hey… are you seriously asking me that?" Sokka asked, placing his hands on her shoulders. Azula's anger seemed to be tempered as she realized who she was talking to. "I saw you tame a dragon, remember? I watched as you took down that blasted Colonel Mongke ages ago, I helped defeat your enemies in the Capital, and I joined in to help you beat the Dai Li in Ba Sing Se, too. Do you honestly think I'd believe you have no right to get involved in combat?"

"I… sorry. I just… I know you're the last person with whom I should react like this," she said, lowering her eyes and shaking her head. "I'm just tired of this. Of being told how great I am, of being praised for being so strong and told of the wonders I'll achieve… yet when every opportunity arises, I'm told to step back, to stay away, to never take action. All because I'm my father's heir and I must be protected… I know using my uncle or my cousin as examples is quite counterproductive, considering what happened to Lu Ten, but even before them, countless Crown Princes fought as often as it was needed. And yet I'm not allowed to do the same?"

"You are allowed, Azula. You are," said Sokka, his hands rubbing her arms now. "But I'm afraid some people may not see it. And in this case… well, I do want you to be safe, and I admit I don't know what's more dangerous, staying or leaving. But I understand why you're so frustrated. I mean… I felt the same way a long time ago."

"You did?" said Azula, looking at him in surprise. Sokka smiled.

"Many years ago, a very reckless Water Tribe warrior took off, seeking battles he wasn't ready to fight," he said. "Battles he shouldn't have picked, likely, but he picked them anyways. And he lost like a fool, against none other than the most incredible woman he'd ever know."

"So, you're saying I shouldn't pick this fight because I'll lose like a fool too…?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. Sokka smiled and shook his head.

"I'm saying I got ahead of myself and went out looking for a destiny that entailed lots of things I didn't understand at the time," he said. "Things have turned out a lot better for me than expected. I'm pretty sure I just got lucky… but anyways, the point is, you really are as strong and extraordinary as everyone says. I know it for a fact, Azula. No one is anywhere near as amazing, in any sense, as you are."

"Well, great. But it doesn't seem that makes me good enough to fight for my people," Azula muttered.

"Maybe not in some people's eyes. They're looking out for your safety, mostly, though probably for their own sakes more than anything," said Sokka, sighing. "Pretty sure this Shinu guy is mostly scared of what your dad will do to him if you're hurt here."

"I wouldn't be hurt," Azula muttered stubbornly.

"I'm sure you wouldn't be, too," said Sokka, with a smile. "But this… this isn't the last chance you're going to get, Azula. This isn't the last battle, I'm sure of it. One day you'll ride out into a major fight, riding Xin Long and soaring through the air, flames all around you…"

"Sounds like quite the scene, huh?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow but smiling a little. Sokka chuckled.

"Sure, it would be," he said. "But I want you to keep this in mind, alright? Not because you didn't fight today does it mean you won't be able to fight tomorrow. You'll have your chance to prove your worth to this guy, and to any other bastard who dares think you are any less than what you really are."

"I hope you're right. I really do," said Azula, looking at him with uncertainty. "It makes no sense for me to have all this power and do nothing with it."

"You'll do great things with it. But you'll have to delegate to Colonel Thickest-Sideburns-Yet for today," said Sokka, with a weak smirk. Azula chuckled. "Really, though. I thought Zhao was bad enough, but…"

"Shinu takes sideburns to a whole new level," she agreed, smiling weakly.

They finished setting up the packs, balancing their weight so they wouldn't be uneven, but Sokka frowned upon noticing a detail he hadn't paid attention to until now.

"Say…" said Sokka, biting his lip. "All things considered, if we're going to try to go unnoticed, maybe we should try to alter our appearances a bit so people don't recognize us?"

"What… you mean you want to shave?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow. Sokka chuckled.

"No, I mean… at least you need to pocket your hairpiece," he said, removing it gently from her hair.

"My armor is another dead give-away," Azula admitted, staring down at it with irritation "So I suppose I ought to leave that here."

"Yeah, uh… please don't take off anything else or I might not be able to control myself, Princess," he said, biting his lip as she undid the clasps of her black armor. Azula smirked.

"It's why I won't ask for your help, gladiator. How shameful of you, lusting after your sponsor like this…" she said, as he helped her anyways while she pushed it over her head. Sokka smiled guiltily.

"It's a good thing you were wearing this one instead of the gold one, huh?" Sokka asked, setting the armor down as Azula pocketed her hairpiece, as advised. "What with it being new and everything… or at least, newer than this one."

"Indeed," said Azula, sighing. "I'll have Shinu's head if this one gets so much as a scrape on it, though. I don't need more reasons to be cross with the man, but I have the bad feeling he'll keep giving me more of them in the near future…"

"Can't you just tell your dad about what a jerk he was?" Sokka asked. Azula shrugged.

"I really just might…" she said, enigmatically. Sokka snickered. "Who knows? Maybe that way he'll realize that keeping me alive is a priority on the same level as letting me get my way…"

"You do always get your way somehow," said Sokka, smiling. "I wonder what you'll pull off this time."

"I'll admit, so do I," said Azula, raising her eyebrows with uncertainty.

Sokka leaned close and kissed her cheek softly. She stared at him in surprise, but his gentle eyes made her uncertainty fade away soon enough.

"You'll figure this out, Azula. You always do," he said. Her smile grew more earnest now as she nodded in his direction.

"With your help, more often than not," she admitted. "Let's hope this isn't going to be the first time the circumstances overcome us, shall we?"

"Heh, we're the best gladiator and sponsor combination! What do we have to fear?" Sokka said, proudly. She laughed and shook her head as she led him out of the room.

Xin Long was waiting for them right outside the tower, his gold eyes gleaming with unease. He had paid attention to what had happened between Azula and Shinu, and not only was he concerned for his rider's state of mind, but also for what part he had to play in this matter now that Azula had unwillingly accepted to leave the compound.

Sokka watched as Azula sighed and placed a hand on the dragon's armored snout, communicating with him wordlessly in that strange, telepathic way Sokka didn't quite understand. Xin Long only looked more disappointed after Azula dropped her hand, though.

"What's…?" Sokka asked, as she looked at him with resignation.

"He should stay here," she said. Sokka's eyes widened. "If we're trying to escape from the Deserter because we fear he might be after me, taking off on Xin Long will be a dead giveaway that I'm not in the Stronghold anymore. If anything, Xin Long's presence in the Stronghold should convince them I'm still here. If they expected to find me in Yu Dao at all, they'll be drawn to the Stronghold after seeing that…"

"Damn," said Sokka, sighing and looking at Xin Long in defeat. The dragon mirrored the expression in his own eyes. "It's the smart thing to do, sure, but it's somewhat harsh…"

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" said Azula, rolling her eyes. "I'd much rather stay in this accursed place, for starters, but the Colonel has been so very hospitable…"

"So, this really will be a lot like our first trip through the Earth Kingdom, huh?" said Sokka, gulping. "What with us walking around like that…"

"This time, though, we have provisions," she said, pointing at the bags Sokka was carrying. "We'll have a map too, once Rui Shi returns… and all things considered, we can just come back here once the danger is gone, right? We probably won't have to go too far."

"Yeah, hopefully this will be sorted out within a single night," said Sokka, with an encouraging smile. "You two won't be apart for long, I'm sure."

"It's what I'm hoping, yes," said Azula. Xin Long groaned and pressed his head to her shoulder, so she would hug him gently. "You will look out for yourself, alright? The men you might be fighting are new, unknown enemies. You can't risk being injured, captured, let alone killed by them. So just… take care, alright? And don't drop your guard, not even for a second, got it?"

Xin Long gurgled and nodded against her. Azula smiled and pulled away.

"Go, then. Defeat our enemies, for the both of us," she whispered.

Xin nodded again and rose into his full height, his golden eyes blazing with determination before he took off, flying towards the top of the tower so he could have a good view of the mountain range where the enemy hid. Azula watched him from below, her face a mask of apprehension as she wondered if her dragon would be safe. Maybe she was a fool to think Xin Long should stay, but at least if he did, she'd know what was happening in the Stronghold, if only through their bond.

"Hey… he'll be okay. For sure."

Azula blinked blankly and turned to Sokka. He was eyeing her with uncertainty, surely sharing her concern, but also filled with a lot of it for the Princess, too.

"I hope so," she said. She longed to clasp his hand, if just to feel a little more reassured that way, but she didn't dare do it here or now. She had the feeling he wanted to touch her just as badly, but he held back, too.

So, they were left staring into each other's eyes for the time being, both of them filled with confusion and uncertainties. They'd been on enough unwanted adventures together to know that they couldn't drop their guard any less than Xin Long could.

"I have the map…" said Rui Shi, startling them out of their momentary daze as he appeared in the building's threshold. "I also have some food and several waterskins, too. Will we need anything else?"

"Hopefully not," said Azula, sighing as she eyed Rui Shi's pack. "I suppose we'll be waiting until they attack, then?"

"But we shouldn't wait inside the Stronghold," said Rui Shi, swallowing hard. "If they notice any gates opening in the middle of an attack they might be quick to understand what we're doing."

"In fact, if they're fast enough they might even slip inside the Stronghold with an opening of the sort," said Azula, sighing. "Very well, then. We'll need a boat too, right?"

"I'll make sure to find one," said Rui Shi, nodding towards her and taking the lead to head outside the metallic compound.

Colonel Shinu had been pacing the walls, now on the southern wing of the compound, before spotting the Captain, the Princess and her gladiator heading towards him. He climbed down to meet them, aware of the Princess's glare upon him. His own sharp eyes settled on the insolent gladiator instead though, scowling still over what he had said earlier. Sokka held his gaze without a shred of shame.

"My men will lead you out," said Shinu, as the two soldiers flanking the gates bowed their heads towards Azula.

"We will need a boat, and we'll probably dispose of it if we're to make sure they won't notice someone left this Stronghold," said Azula, staring at Shinu defiantly. "Is that alright with you, Colonel?"

"Whatever it takes to make sure you're safe, Princess," said Shinu, nodding. "Make haste now. Be on your guard and…"

"We will be. But we're only taking the boat across the river once they start attacking," said Azula, folding her arms across her chest.

"We'll stay hidden within the southern forest," said Rui Shi. "They aren't likely to notice us there, and they may not notice a boat leaving in the dead of night if they're engaged in battle with our forces, and with a dragon, too."

"A… you mean to leave it here?" Shinu asked. Azula nodded.

"Not only is he a force to be reckoned with, but that way I'll know all of what's happening in the Stronghold without being here," she said. "Or were you hoping to send him away too, by any chance?"

"It's dangerous to…"

"If it gets too dangerous, he'll scorch them all into carcasses," Azula stated. "And if it were so dangerous that he can't possibly do that, he'll fly away and leave you to figure out this predicament for yourself, I suppose. But if he stays, we'll be able to deceive them into believing I am in the Stronghold despite I won't be, so…"

"Oh, well," said Shinu, groaning and shrugging. "I will do my best to handle the situation, Princess, but your dragon had best behave itself and not get in the way…"

"I advise you not to get in his," said Azula, with a sarcastic, dry grin.

The Colonel could say nothing more, so he sighed and spread an arm towards the gate. The soldiers standing guard next to the large metal doors took care to open them, and the three stepped outside the compound with uncertainty.

"Be on the lookout for any danger. Do not allow any harm to befall the Princess, Captain Rui Shi," said Shinu, sternly, from inside the Stronghold. Rui Shi nodded.

"I will see to her safety," he said. Shinu grinded his teeth.

"That better be the case."

The gates closed in front of the man, moving slowly until he was fully blocked from sight. Rui Shi huffed and turned to his protégé and her secret lover, whose clear distaste towards Shinu was apparent across their faces.

"Uh… I also found these," said Rui Shi, setting down his pack and opening it to reveal three dark cloaks with hoods. He extended one to each of them. "I would hope they'll help conceal who we are, if anything."

"From what I know, black cloaks don't always help with secrecy…" Azula muttered, but she took the cloth either way. "But in the middle of the night it's likely to be a different story. Good thinking, Captain."

"Thank you, Princess," he said, showing her a weak grin after removing his helmet. "I'll find the boat, then. Wait on the edge of the forest for me. We'll prepare to take off as soon as the time is right."

Azula and Sokka walked together to the southern forest, settling amongst bushes and sitting down to watch the mountain anxiously. Sokka struggled to do so in the darkening night, but Azula could use Xin Long's consciousness to see what he was seeing. So far, nothing had happened.

"Are all sieges like this?" Sokka wondered. Azula raised an eyebrow. "This endless wait when you know the enemy is closing in, but the fight doesn't start yet…"

"Maybe," she said, eyeing him worriedly. "Do you really think of them as the enemy, though? I mean…"

Sokka blinked and turned to her. Her golden eyes reflected uncertainty, wariness. He didn't have much trouble figuring out why.

"The guy's a man who decided he didn't like the Fire Nation anymore, so I should probably think he's got the right idea, huh?" said Sokka. Azula shrugged.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you did," she said. Sokka sighed.

"I won't say I'm disappointed to find that some people have turned against your forefathers," he admitted. "If you ask me, they had it coming. But… I also wonder just how much this man has achieved for his people by running off as he did. Unless he actually fought and lost against the Fire Nation during the last days of the war in the Earth Kingdom, then his betrayal to your grandfather doesn't amount to much. It sounds like more of a tantrum than anything."

"And what would you have expected him to do?" Azula asked, intrigued. Sokka shrugged.

"Maybe he should have traveled through the colonies, sharing the hard truths about the Fire Nation whenever he could to all those who were misguided by all the propaganda. He probably could have amassed great support that way, maybe gathering enough people to help the Earth Kingdom fight back against the Fire Nation. Heck, if he organized his supporters properly, they could have ended the war, once your father or grandfather realized the Deserter was leading forces too powerful to be stopped anymore."

"Sounds slightly wishful to me," said Azula, with a weak grin. "But… who knows? Maybe that's what he's been doing all along. It might be the process was slower than you'd expect."

"Maybe," said Sokka, sighing. "But if he does have that sort of army with him, a group of people who disagree with the Fire Nation like that, why use them to attack this place? Why, of all places…? I'd think he'd want to free Ba Sing Se, for political reasons, or Omashu, where people looked the most miserable. Doing so might yield even more supporters and it could help him weave a powerful campaign where he could take back the Earth Kingdom's land for their people, but…"

"But what?" Azula asked. Sokka lowered his head.

"Maybe he's just not interested in giving anything back to the Earth Kingdom," he reasoned. Azula frowned.

"And what do you think he wants, then?" she asked. "Revenge on the Fire Nation, maybe? And he targeted me to get to my father, much like… well, like everyone seems to do?"

"It's possible," said Sokka, sighing. "But you don't have to worry. He won't get to you. We'll make sure of that."

"We've already gone to such lengths to avoid it that I certainly hope so," said Azula, sighing and reaching for his hand: he gave her fingers a gentle squeeze.

Rui Shi returned around ten minutes later by the riverbank, rowing the small boat towards their hiding spot. After he sighted them, he tied the boat to the nearest tree and joined them behind the bushes, keeping watch on the mountain.

"Everything remains unchanged so far," said Azula. Rui Shi nodded. "I only hope this isn't a complete waste of time…"

"Hopefully they won't have anticipated to our actions," said Rui Shi. "For all we know, they might not even be aware that you were abroad right now."

"If that were the case, our little flight would be completely pointless," Azula said. Rui Shi grimaced.

"Indeed. I don't know if it would be better or worse for it to be pointless," he whispered. "Either way, we'll take off to the east now. It seems there's an Herbalist Institute nearby, according to the map I brought…"

"A Fire Nation Institute?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. Rui Shi shook his head.

"Originally it was Earth Kingdom, but the Stronghold's men told me that the woman who works there has been known for not holding hard feelings towards Fire Nation people. Her cat, apparently, isn't quite as easygoing…"

"Her cat?" Sokka repeated, blinking blankly. Rui Shi shrugged.

"You have to wonder just how much trouble a cat can be, but that's what they told me," he said. Azula snorted.

"This gets more ridiculous by the minute…" she whispered, shaking her head in disbelief as she stared at the mountains again.

It was almost impossible to see anything at such a distance, so she relied on Xin Long again for a better look at the peaks. She frowned, though, sensing a sudden surge of aggressiveness in the dragon. Were they finally under attack?

They weren't yet, Azula realized, as Xing Long eyed the mountain with his sharp eyes. There were dark shapes moving over it, though, which had prompted the dragon to start groaning threateningly.

"It's starting," Azula whispered. Both Sokka and Rui Shi jumped at either side of her.

Barely instants after Azula said the words, they heard the swishing sounds of strung bows releasing their arrows. Azula gritted her teeth as she watched, through Xin Long's eyes, how the Yu-Yan archers attacked resiliently, with the precision they were known for. But it didn't seem the attackers were slowed by that: more came rushing down the mountains, countless dark shapes, carrying rudimentary spears and wearing thick armors made of fur and hide.

"Who the blazes are these people…?" Azula said, frowning in confusion. Had Jeong Jeong recruited a tribal gang from the Earth Kingdom, by any chance? This made no sense… how could the Deserter expect such forces to defeat the soldiers of this Stronghold?

"What's going on?" Sokka asked, looking at Azula with uncertainty.

"The men Jeong Jeong has allied himself with look like… well, like an Earth Kingdom tribe or something of the sort," she said, shrugging. "Either he's using them as bait, and they're so suicidal they're fine with that, or they're truly just a distraction. They might not have realized they'd likely die in this pointless operation…"

"How many do you think there are?" Sokka asked. Azula bit her lip.

"It's hard to say. They're pouring down from the mountains consistently, though. Maybe hundreds?"

"It's not too many to defeat… but if they have any strategies to climb those walls, they might be more trouble than we thought," said Rui Shi, gritting his teeth before shaking his head. "We should go now, though. If they're attacking…"

"Right… Let's avoid drawing attention to ourselves, alright?" said Azula, sighing as Rui Shi rushed to the boat as stealthily as possible, his dark cloak rustling behind him.

Azula took off after him, with Sokka not far behind her. Rui Shi undid the rope that kept the boat in place, and as soon as Sokka had taken his seat at the prow he gestured at one of the rows.

"Take that one. I'll use the other," he said, pushing them into the stream with his leg.

The boat was unstable, even though Sokka and Rui Shi tried to time their rowing in order to be as efficient in this short trip as possible. The bumbling movements of the small vessel were but another cause of concern for the Princess, who sat at the center of the boat, clutching the wooden rims while hoping the two men would be able to fight the strong current on their way to the opposite riverbank.

She glanced over her shoulder at the Stronghold again, though, noticing that the Yu-Yan archers were lighting their arrows on fire. Small sparks of orange cut through the darkness, but it surprised Azula to notice that the small flames were moving in both directions: the Deserter's forces were starting to fight back, with burning arrows of their own.

She couldn't help but wonder where Jeong Jeong was, though. It wasn't uncommon for a military leader to remain hidden while his men fought, but the irregular situation was bothersome: this wasn't part of a normal armed conflict between nations, it was something else entirely. Was Jeong Jeong there at all? Was he truly leading these men? Was his legend a mere smokescreen for these people to hide behind? She had no way of knowing the answer to any of those questions.

Soon enough she stopped caring for those answers, though: a plum of blue fire suddenly shot out from the Stronghold, making her gasp and startling her two companions by it.

She allowed her link to Xin Long to surface again, and she found that he had been saving an archer from a deadly arrow; he had scared off the man who had shot it, his blue fire making him shriek and run for cover. Most the men standing at the mountains seemed perplexed, from what Xin Long could see, and a few were certainly scared of discovering they had to fight a dragon, too. But they weren't scared enough to stop attacking, so Xin Long had to keep repealing their attacks with the blue inferno from his jaws.

"What's going on?" Sokka asked, softly, but with concern. Azula gritted her teeth.

"Xin is joining the battle. So far, he's scared them somewhat, from the looks of it, but… but they're not stopping just with that. They're still attacking."

"Do they really think they can overcome a dragon?" Rui Shi asked, frowning while rowing as fast but as stealthily as possible. Sokka's prior experience in boats and helped him to be swift with his rowing, whereas Rui Shi had to make a more conscious effort to do so.

"They might, but they'd be wrong, I hope…" said Azula, breathing deeply. Her eyes remained glued to the battle, blazes of blue shooting out towards the mountain. As long as the blue fire remained strong and steady, she would know Xin Long was still fighting to his best.

They had expected to be anxious about reaching the other bank as fast as possible, but strangely, rowing away from danger was what bothered the three of them the most. When the boat touched the other end of the river it was an unexpected and unwelcome reality blow.

"Princess…" Rui Shi called, gritting his teeth. "We must go."

Her entire body burned with the urge to rip that row off his hands and return to where they'd come from. It was a massive battle, one where their enemies weren't willing to surrender, and she was stuck as far from the fighters' front as possible, left to do nothing but watch from a distance as her dragon and her men battled against Jeong Jeong's people, whoever they were…

She shook her head and stood up, climbing off the boat against her will and hating herself for doing so. Rui Shi followed, but Sokka stayed behind to stab the hull of the boat with Space Sword. It slid through the wood with ease, as it always did thanks to its sharp edges. After he climbed off the vessel he kicked it into the river, leaving it to sink in the cold waters down below.

The three of them stared at the battle from the distance now, the rumor of the war cries reaching them only weakly, screams and shouts and the whooshes of Xin Long's fire blasts cutting through the air. The river's stirring water was far louder, almost deafeningly so, for those who longed to hear what was taking place at its other side.

"We have to take cover," said Rui Shi, the first to snap out of the daze. He threw the hood of the cloak over his face. "Follow me. I should be able to find the Herbalist Institute from here."

"Right," said Sokka, nodding and imitating him. After hooding himself he turned to Azula, finding her still hypnotized by the battle, surely connecting with Xin Long to see through his dragon eyes. "Azula… we have to move."

"Yes, we… we do," she agreed, her fists clenched, her brow drawn together in a heavy frown.

He reached for her hand, his fingers sliding through hers as he coaxed her to follow him. She looked at him with apprehension, her face barely lit by the starlight above.

"Stay in touch with Xin Long," said Sokka. "I'll guide you through the forest while you keep your… inner eye, or whatever it is, on the battle. Alright?"

"That… that's a good idea," said Azula, nodding. She clasped his hand a little harder and he smiled a little.

"Great. Come on, then," he said, jerking his head towards where Rui Shi was already hiking.

Azula followed Sokka half-mindedly, most of her focus on Xin Long. He was resting briefly now, hanging onto the tower while watching the battle unfold. So far there had been no casualties on their side, but they didn't know for sure if there had been any in Jeong Jeong's group either. The mountains were too dark, and the dark shapes were still lurking around them, shooting arrows and sometimes tossing spears too. There was no sign of any major weapons yet, however. How did they expect to tear through those walls?

"Even if they had earthbenders, the Stronghold is made of pure metal," Azula whispered, as Sokka led her through a rut in the terrain and over a fallen log. "They can't possibly dig their way inside…"

"Which is good news, right?" said Sokka. Azula sighed.

"Not for us," she said. "The more I think of it, the more I grow convinced that we should have stayed in the Stronghold too."

"We might have a chance to fly back there after tonight," said Rui Shi, as he pushed a low branch out of the way and finally reached a dirt road. "But we should decide what to do once we're somewhere safe."

They followed the road for around ten minutes until they finally reached a set of long stairs. It took them just about the same amount of time to climb them, and they were panting once they reached the top, crossing a large archway to arrive at the Institute. It was comprised by a large building and many smaller pavilions spread over the mountain plain. Night had fallen, but it wasn't so late yet, so the absence of any lights in the large building led them to suspect that the place was empty.

"When was the last time they saw that old woman you mentioned, Captain?" Azula asked, looking at him with uncertainty. Rui Shi frowned.

"I wasn't told, so I assumed it wasn't long ago. This place looks…"

"Maybe she's just in bed. I mean, if she's old it's not weird that she'd go to sleep early," Sokka suggested, shrugging. "We can look around, maybe we'll find someone if we…"

"Meow?"

The three of them were startled when the cat's voice cut across their conversation. Sokka turned around, finding the source of it to be a fluffy white cat, staring up at them with curiosity. They blinked before the cat meowed again.

"Hello there…?" Sokka said to the cat. Azula snorted.

"Maybe this is the cat you mentioned, Rui Shi," she said. "Though I can't see how it would be a troublesome one…"

"If the cat is here, maybe the owner won't be too far," said Rui Shi, frowning and looking around.

As though understanding Rui Shi's words, the cat lifted its puffy tail and took off to the nearest pavilion. Azula raised an eyebrow and made to follow it, releasing Sokka's hand briefly: it would be for the best to keep their relationship hidden from the herbalist, if that was who the cat wanted to bring them to.

The pavilion was mostly dark too, but there was a single candle flickering on a table at its center. An old woman, with long white hair and surprisingly elegant clothes was busy mixing the contents of a bowl with a wooden spoon. The white cat hurried towards her, startling her with another meow.

"Oh, Miyuki!" said the woman, smiling at her cat. "I told you dinner wasn't ready yet, you need to be more… oh? Well, who are these new friends of yours, Miyuki?"

The cat meowed again as Sokka smiled awkwardly and waved almost shyly at the herbalist. Rui Shi stared at Azula, guessing it would be best if he took the lead with this. It would be better if they kept their identities secret – they couldn't know who was in league with Jeong Jeong, so Azula would have to refrain from acting like the strong-willed Princess everyone knew her to be if they were to keep suspicions at bay.

"Good evening," said Rui Shi, stepping forward. "We're sorry to intrude like this…"

"Oh, don't worry, young man, Fire Nation soldiers have been coming and going for a long time now," she said, waving a hand. "Miyuki and I are fine by ourselves, of course, but we don't reject company."

"If that's the case, would it be alright for us to stay for the night?" Rui Shi asked. "We have money, so if you'd like to be paid…"

"Oh, why, I won't refuse that offer, of course!" she said, with a happy smile. "You and your wife will be just fine here, good sir!"

Everyone's eyes widened, but nobody was as shocked, or as irritated, as Sokka. Azula glared at him as a warning, while Rui Shi only bowed his head gratefully at the woman.

"Thank you very much," he said. The herbalist laughed.

"Your serving boy should be fine too, it looks like Miyuki is fond of him," she said, smiling as Miyuki brushed against Sokka's leg. His eyebrow twitched, but he forced out a weak smile too.

"Miyuki's very nice, yes…" he said, half-heartedly: the herbalist's assumption about Rui Shi and Azula would not stop stinging for at least a few hours.

"I'll arrange one of the empty pavilions for you all. You must be tired!" she said, smiling. "Or would you rather have some dinner first? I can certainly offer that too!"

"Uh… maybe dinner?" Sokka said, biting his lip. Azula sighed at the predictability of his decision.

"We're grateful for your kindness," she said, nodding towards the woman. "We'll make sure to repay you for it, though… do you really live here by yourself?"

"Indeed, young lady. If only I had an errand boy like yours, I'd have him gather all supplies I need to repair the main building! It's full of leaks," she said, laughing. "Though if I had an errand boy, I'd make him repair more than just the leaks. The place is as good as falling apart!"

"Sounds inconvenient. Maybe I'll let you borrow our serving boy if we stay longer than expected," said Azula, smirking slightly. Sokka flinched and looked at her in surprise. The herbalist beamed.

"Miyuki certainly wouldn't mind!" she said, cackling as she started pacing through the pavilion, searching for the fruits and plants she meant to use for their dinner.

Azula bit back a smile and looked at Sokka furtively. His eyebrow was still twitching, but he leaned down to caress Miyuki's head gently.

"There, there. Good kitty. Go help your owner with the food, okay?" he said. Miyuki meowed once more and made her way towards the herbalist, who was scratching her head while wondering what food to offer her sudden guests.

Azula breathed out slowly and stared out through the pavilion door. She returned to its threshold, watching from afar as a few more blasts of blue fire, smaller than before, sprung up in the distance. The Institute was high enough to allow them to see the Stronghold, but it was near impossible to discern what was happening at such distance. Azula had to reconnect with Xin Long as she stepped out into the open again, her heart aching with anxiety as she tried to find out what was happening.

She heard a few footsteps behind her, and only then did she notice just how far she had walked from the pavilion. A familiar hand slid inside hers.

"What's going on now?" he asked. Azula swallowed hard.

"Xin Long is growing weary of the battle," she whispered. "He keeps fighting, but the situation remains unchanged. Xin says there are earthbenders amongst them… They only came out to fight a few minutes ago."

"Really?" Sokka asked, worriedly. Azula nodded. "So… is this some sort of Earth Kingdom resistance you guys didn't know about?"

"I can't help but wonder, though, why a group of people bonded together by some patriotic sentiment would join forces under a former Fire Nation admiral," Azula asked. "Unless he's not their actual leader? It doesn't seem to make much sense if he is…"

"Maybe they're smarter than it seems, and they knew it was convenient to have that guy on their side," said Sokka, sighing.

"Maybe. But earthbenders won't be enough to take down the Stronghold," said Azula. "If that's all they have up their sleeves, our forces can't fail. Well, that is, so long as the Stronghold is the real objective and not Yu Dao…"

"I've been wondering if we should go there," said Sokka, frowning. Azula froze. "I mean… I know it would be crazy to cover that much distance between the Stronghold and the city on foot, but I'm worried I might have been wrong… that they really would have targeted Yu Dao, and not you. What if it really was the coincidence we thought it was?"

"Then Jeong Jeong would be a terrible strategist," said Azula, sighing. "But then again, he might have just wanted to lure us away from the city. And indeed, heading back to Yu Dao now would take us a long time. At the very least two or three days, if not more, and Xin Long can't come for us if the fight at the Stronghold continues…"

"Maybe if it ends you ought to tell him to go there and see for himself if the city is in any danger," said Sokka.

"They probably will have synchronized their attacks, though," said Azula. "It would be ridiculous to have decoys distracting the forces in the Stronghold only to attack Yu Dao a few days later, if that was their goal at all. If they're going to attack Yu Dao, it's happening now."

"I guess you're right…" said Sokka, sighing. Azula glanced at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You probably shouldn't hold the hand of your master's wife, by the way," she said, teasingly. Sokka grimaced and looked at her in disbelief as she laughed softly.

"How could that be the first thing she assumed?" he asked. "Why couldn't she think that he's your, I don't know, your brother? Or maybe he's the servant and I'm the husband?"

"Sokka, you can't pass as Fire Nation regardless of how hard you may try. Granted, Fire Nation clothes look just fine on you, but you can't pretend to be one of us," she said, smiling. Sokka pouted. "And, like we said…"

"Mixed marriages and whatnot aren't all that common, even now," he finished, sighing. "So naturally, she assumed if one of us was with you, it was him, but… dang it, I can't help myself. I wish they'd mistake me for your husband instead."

Azula snorted. Sokka pouted, a light blush tinging his cheeks as she smiled at him.

"I would have thought you'd rather be my husband, instead of being mistaken for it, but I suppose we're talking about things that are truly possible in this day and age, right…?" she said, looking at him somewhat regretfully. Sokka opened his mouth, but it took him a moment to finally say something.

"Well… yes, I'd rather be your husband for real, but I'd settle for being mistaken for it for now. Maybe that way I'd get to kiss you in public without fearing someone will hack my head off for it…"

"Heh, Rui Shi might still hack your head off if you kiss me in front of him," Azula smirked, placing her head on his shoulder. Sokka gulped. "Don't worry, I highly doubt anyone will suspect anything. This alleged marriage is a good cover story, and it might serve to mislead people who don't recognize us, which is bound to be most people, truth be told. The giveaways of my identity are my hairpiece and armor…"

"Though having a firebender and a Water Tribe slave following you around might still raise some red flags for anyone who's observant and has heard about your exploits as a sponsor," said Sokka, frowning and glancing at her sideways. "In fact… if you don't want people to notice who you are, you'll have to act like a peasant!"

Azula's eyebrow twitched and she looked at him in disbelief. Sokka smiled broadly before she shoved him away with her elbow, to his amusement.

"I have no idea how to do that, and I'm not about to start trying to figure it out," she said. Sokka chuckled.

"It's not that hard, it's just… lose the perfect posture, eat a little less neatly, don't be too authoritarian, that kind of thing," he said, smiling. Azula raised a doubtful eyebrow.

"Not happening. Let them think I'm some noble girl if they want, but I'm not about to be undignified just to pretend I'm on your level," she said, stubbornly. Sokka chuckled.

"Well, if we do get caught because you stuck out your pinky while drinking tea, you can't blame it on me," he said, smirking. Azula rolled her eyes and looked at him skeptically.

"You're beyond ridiculous," she said. Sokka chuckled before feeling something brushing against his leg again. "Huh, Miyuki's back. She really seems fond of you. Maybe the Blue Wolf was a cat in his past life."

"Miyuki just knows who's going to pet her, doesn't she?" said Sokka, beaming and reaching down to stroke the hairs between her ears. The cat raised her head into his hand, basking in his touch. Azula smiled while watching him.

"Or maybe she just came to let us know dinner is ready?" Azula said, glancing at the pavilion once more.

Her idea didn't seem farfetched, so they returned to the pavilion, with Miyuki walking happily next to Sokka. The herbalist was saying something to Rui Shi, who was blushing as she laughed, quite possibly at his expenses.

"Ah, thank you, Miyuki!" she said, as Sokka and Azula stopped at the table, where bowls of salad awaited them. "Now we can all have dinner – no, no, not you, Miyuki, you already ate, don't be so gluttonous! –, and you three can rest and relax after your long voyage."

Azula smirked, knowing Sokka wouldn't be thrilled at eating a vegetarian meal, but they were lucky they were being offered any food at all. He couldn't let it go to waste.

"I sure hope you enjoy the food!" said the old woman, beaming as she dug in as well.

Azula started eating, her mind drifting towards Xin Long's again as soon as she wasn't distracted by Sokka or the herbalist anymore. The battle continued, and her dragon had been dodging projectiles in midair: the earthbenders were targeting him, trying to nullify him as a factor in this confrontation. But the harder they tried to knock him off the skies, the more opportunities the Yu-Yan archers had to shoot the earthbenders. The fight remained as one-sided as it had been. Azula only hoped it would stay that way.

She felt a hand on her knee, under the table. She contained her reaction, but she glanced at Sokka all the same, somewhat gratefully. His nonverbal support, and his very presence, ensured she wouldn't lose her mind to the most stressful situation she had been thrown into recently.

---

"So, they took off to fight some Deserter guy?" Sneers asked, frowning. Kori shrugged, sitting by his bedside.

"That's what I heard, it seems to have happened in a whirlwind," she said. "But they did it to keep our city safe, at least. Hopefully it will pay off."

"How strong is that guy? Do you know?" Sneers asked. Kori shook her head.

"I don't know much about him, no. But he must be dangerous if the Princess thought she had to go deal with him personally," she said.

"Maybe they'll be back before we know it," said Sneers, after a short pause. "And it'll have turned out to be nothing important."

"I hope so," said Kori, before smiling at him. "In other regards, I'm thinking about that challenge we'll send to the Red-Striped Hornet. I know it's not the best way to meet your friend again, but I don't know how else to do it, so…"

"Yeah, don't worry," said Sneers, with a weak smile. "I'm grateful you're letting me meet her at all."

"You can also choose not to fight, just so you know," said Kori. "I don't care if your perfect record gets marred. Sokka has lost around ten times, and it hasn't destroyed his career, so I'm sure a loss over a forfeit or something is fine. As long as you get to see your friend again…"

"Are you sure, though?" said Sneers, surprised. "You're already willing to do this much for me? You don't mind if our record gets damaged?"

"I'm still relieved and glad you didn't choose to leave," said Kori, smiling and shrugging. "So I can't act like such a brat, can I? I understand this is important to you, and you have every right to…"

A creaking sound made Sneers flinch. His small eyes narrowed towards where he heard the sound: when it sounded for a second time, Kori noticed her gladiator's unusually alarmed state. She froze.

"What is…?" she asked, staring at the window.

There was a shape there. A dark shape, almost impossible to discern in the middle of the night.

She didn't stop to think twice about bending a large chunk of the floor at the window, slamming it into the lurker's stomach just as they realized they'd been caught. But the trespasser wasn't alone: a second man in all black jumped inside the room just as Kori was lowering her guard, not suspecting that there would be another intruder.

"Kori!" Sneers shouted, reaching and clasping one of his axes with his uninjured hand.

He tossed the weapon with as much power as he could muster, and it would have lodged into the enemy's skull if only he hadn't dodged just in time. The first intruder used earthbending against Kori too, stopping a portion of the floor that the girl had bent at him. He threw it right back, making her lose balance as she evaded the attack, and in that small window, while Sneers reached for his other axe and failed to clasp it on time, and while Kori stumbled and readied herself to attack again, the dark shape took in everything the room had to offer. Two young adults of Earth Kingdom descent, two beds, one blue pack lying next to the empty mattress, no weapons in sight other than those axes…

Kori roared and threw a slice of the wall at the enemy now. His analysis was cut short, but it didn't matter. He had done his duty.

The intruder rushed out the window again, bringing up some earth to soften his fall. Kori wasn't far behind him though, to her gladiator's chagrin.

"Kori, no!" Sneers roared, reaching out with his uninjured hand, in a hopeless attempt to stop her.

But Kori didn't listen. She meant to capture this trespasser, whoever it was. They would not escape if she could help it.

The few people who were still out in the streets at this hour were taken aback by the sight of the Mayor's daughter chasing someone in all black. But what Kori kept hoping for was backup, and fortunately, a group of soldiers appeared eventually, to help her catch the fugitive.

"Get him! Get him!" Kori shouted, but the earthbender was fast, and unbeknownst to her, he wasn't alone either.

By the time they reached the borders of the city, a group of others in the same black apparel were waiting. Fire Nation soldiers lay nearby, either knocked-out or dead. Kori's eyes widened as she slowed to a halt, fear taking over her as the possible lethality of these intruders crossed her mind. The soldiers kept rushing in regardless, but the earthbenders in black crafted a tall wall between themselves and their foes. Once Kori managed to break the wall open with her own bending, the enemies were gone.

The soldiers rushed to take care of their fallen comrades, and Kori stood in place, glaring through the hole in the wall, shivering violently in fear, rage and impotence. Who were those people? Why did they try to sneak inside her house…?

Her mind supplied her an instinctive answer that made her stomach sink in dread: had they come for the Princess?