He was waiting for a sign, for news of any sort, just as much as he dreaded their arrival. Something restless tightened in his chest, a burst of rage unquenched since many years ago: it was that side of himself that he had been able to bury deep inside, especially after experiencing unparalleled happiness over the last year.
As he sat in the waiting room again, hunched, with his elbows on his knees, Sokka knew he wouldn't find any solace or peace until this matter was dealt with. He worried for more than just the obvious reasons: someone, or something, was targeting sponsors and potentially killing them. If anyone so much as dared lay a hand on his sponsor, he would cut off said hand and quite likely execute that person on the spot if they didn't stop pursuing her.
What bothered him the most, though, was the apparent coincidence of Rhone's presence in the Capital and this sudden incident. Sponsors vanishing, quite likely murdered, just as the Kinslayer was failing to kill gladiators in the ring, according to what he had overheard from Shoji and Azula's conversation. If he was simply making a sport out of killing sponsors, the main one he would like to harm, Sokka knew, was Azula herself. Not only was she the Fire Nation's Crown Princess, but Rhone surely saw her as the reason why Sokka had been ruined, or corrupted, or whatever he seemed to think had happened to him. If he had come up with reasons to kill sponsors, he would no doubt believe he was perfectly justified to try to kill Azula.
Rhone had murdered his family without remorse, from what Sokka knew. He was so morally corrupt by now that he would likely never understand what was wrong with killing others in a mad quest for revenge. It seemed impossible to conciliate the memory of that sweet-mannered, well-behaved young boy of the past with the madman Sokka had met in the Ring of Ash.
So far, he was the only suspect for these crimes. Whatever was happening, whether kidnappings or murders, Rhone's presence seemed to match perfectly with the beginning of this presumed crime spree, and considering his track record, he was worth looking into as a suspect, at the very least.
Sokka's seemingly unstoppable train of thought was interrupted when the door swung open. Relief washed inside him when Azula entered the room, even if he knew she wouldn't have good news, going by the expression on her face. Still, confirming she was safe in the midst of this chaos good enough for now.
"The Domestic Forces have started investigating the previous forfeiting gladiators and sponsors," Azula said, stopping before him as Sokka stood up. He placed a hand on her shoulder, his full attention on her every word. "I know this last case suggests sponsors are the targets of these attacks, since the gladiator got away unharmed, but…"
"It could have been a mistake by the culprit, true," said Sokka, nodding. "I guess the Domestic Forces ought to confirm whether the other gladiators and sponsors are alive, but…"
"But it's not looking good," Azula said, gritting her teeth. Sokka's brow furrowed. "I've asked Shoji if he's seen any of the forfeiting sponsors again, but none have returned so. There was no apparent connection between the forfeiting sponsors that he can think of, at least, one outside of their recent forfeits. And, well, there's no real evidence to link them with Rhone either…"
"Not that we know of," Sokka said, his jaw squared. "But he doesn't need much convincing to kill people, from the looks of it. If he'd been frustrated over failing to kill gladiators lately, too, then…"
"That's a guess, and I admit it seems to suit him, but I don't think we can assume anything yet, Sokka, not even that they're all dead," Azula said, reaching out to caress his forearm. "I know you're worried, and you have every reason to be, but we can't jump to conclusions either. That's how we avoided sending Lo and Li to an unnecessary prison sentence and, while Rhone has committed unforgivable crimes, we can't assume he's the only person who could be responsible for this either."
"Is there anyone else who could be behind it?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do you have any ideas yet?"
"No, of course not," Azula sighed. "The investigations are barely beginning, and until there's more information, we won't have more suspects. I've ordered the Domestic Forces to share all their knowledge about this case with me, and they said they would, but…"
"But we should look into things ourselves, too," said Sokka, frowning. "I know we should trust them, and we will, but… maybe we can make things somewhat easier by figuring out if Rhone has anything to do with this or not."
"Maybe," said Azula, before looking at Sokka apprehensively. "But how would you plan on doing that?"
"By asking him upfront, of course," Sokka said. Azula scoffed. "What? You really think he'll play innocent if he didn't do it? Going by how he acted in the Ring of Ash, he'd be more than proud to own up to this if he's the one behind it. He'll likely have deluded himself into believing he's doing the world a favor…"
"You mean, by killing Fire Nation sponsors and presumably liberating their gladiators and other slaves?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow. "I admit, it's a valid theory, but… we don't even know for sure that all the sponsors are trueborn Fire Nation people, to begin with."
"Then that's one important thing to look into," Sokka said, nodding promptly. "If they're not Fire Nation, Rhone would be less suspicious…"
"And then we'd have to start from scratch. No suspects, and no reasonable motives, let alone a known method to carry out these potential murders," Azula said, raising her eyebrows. "What that gladiator said, about how it happened… I didn't understand any of it. Did it make sense to you?"
"No, I mean, there's a chance he was just too shaken up to talk properly about what went down, but… I don't know," said Sokka, shrugging. "I suppose he should be questioned again within a couple of days, maybe he will have calmed down by then."
"Hopefully," said Azula, breathing deeply and shaking her head. "Why on earth is something like this happening now? I know we've had some downtime here and there, but… we just got home from a long trip. Why can't we just take a break and have a few months of peace…?"
"Because the world is cruel and crazy. And unjust, and much else," Sokka said, shaking his head. "They could've targeted actors, or cooks, or military figures, but no: they targeted sponsors. What on earth could make sponsors someone's target?"
"Maybe they had a lot of money," Azula said, shrugging. "That's a typical motive for kidnapping or murder, but… other people have money, too. I don't know, maybe we should stop pondering this so much until we have more information. Things only look so confusing right now because we're as good as trying to build a massive puzzle with only five pieces at our disposal…"
"True," said Sokka, nodding. "But… the Rhone angle needs to be explored."
"And you want to do the exploring yourself," Azula concluded, looking at him warily. "I'm not sure you should do that. You're stronger than you were in the Ring of Ash, and you're more level-headed right now, so… surely you could fight him evenly, if he turned violent towards you. But…"
"You don't trust me to take care of myself?" Sokka asked, with a small smile.
"Not untrue, but actually, I just don't trust that bastard won't try to hurt you again," Azula said, frowning. "You're bad enough, with your lack of self-preservation instincts, but him… he's a hazard, Sokka. You know he is."
"I won't let my guard down," Sokka reassured her. "I'll be armed, and… well, you could come with me, too, but that would make me uneasy just the same…"
"Oh? Why's that?" Azula asked. Sokka looked at her skeptically.
"Azula, you're strong and amazing in every sense of those words," he said. "But I love you too much to feel comfortable with the idea of having you in the same room as a murderer, regardless of your talents and skills. Just as it is for you, it's not that I don't trust you, it's him who's the problem."
"Well, I suppose we can understand each other, at the very least," Azula conceded. "But… you're not going alone either way. I will be with you if you do meet Rhone, and, well, maybe I could bring a few guards along, too…"
"You'd think he was a one-man-army, with all those precautions…" Sokka sighed. Azula huffed.
"He might as well be," she said. "He's a gladiator killer, and he tried to kill you. If it were up to me, I'd sooner have him slain than allow him to so much as breathe anywhere near you. I know you probably don't want to hear that, and I know you'd never forgive me for hurting your old friend but…"
"Oh, no," said Sokka, shaking his head. "You might think it's weird, but I just thought I'd kill him too if he so much as took a step towards you…"
"Oh? You did?" Azula asked, surprised. Sokka shrugged. "I mean… it's a relief, in a sense, but I admit I wouldn't want you to kill anyone else, seeing how much you've suffered over that so far…"
"That's very sweet of you," Sokka said, caressing her cheek gently. "But I'm rotten enough as it is, when it comes to killing people. I've done it before, I could do it again…"
"But he was your friend," Azula said. Sokka shrugged again.
"That sure didn't stop him from trying to kill me, did it?" he said. "I'm not going to hunt him down, no, but… I'm not holding back if he does anything dangerous. That's final."
"And you'll protect me from ending up as allegedly rotten as you are, too," Azula said, raising her eyebrows.
"Your hands are very pretty. It wouldn't be nice for them to be stained with anyone's blood," Sokka said, taking Azula's hands in his own as she looked at him skeptically. "What?"
"It sounds like you've just confessed that you're happy to do my dirty work, even to the point of playing assassin for me," Azula said, raising her eyebrows. "I appreciate the thought, but… we're equals, aren't we? You don't need to protect me from these kinds of things, Sokka…"
"Maybe I don't, but you don't need to protect me from them either and you seem hellbent on doing just that," he said, smiling at her. Azula grimaced. "So… what? We'd kill him together, if he lashes out at either of us?"
"That… would be a way to go evenly at this matter. I suppose," Azula said. Sokka chuckled softly. "We can hope it won't come to that, but if it did…"
"If it did, we'd fight together, as the team we always have been," Sokka nodded promptly. Azula sighed.
"Well… alright. So, we'll be off to question Rhone," she said, squeezing Sokka's fingers. "How are we going to do that, though?"
"Uh… good point," said Sokka, grimacing. "Do we know when his next fight will be?"
"Shoji would know, I'd assume," Azula said. "Then… once we find out, we'll confront him here?"
"Or we could just follow him around, catch him unawares?" Sokka suggested, stroking his chin, deep in thought.
"He might notice we're tailing him, though," said Azula, with a weak grin. "I think confronting him in the Royal Dome would be for the best. There will be enough onlookers to make it complicated for him to attack anyone…"
"Then that's how we'll do it," Sokka said, nodding. He made to move towards the ajar door, but Azula's grip on his hands tightened. She pulled him and made him turn around, and he raised an eyebrow with confusion. "What?"
"Are you alright?" she asked, eyeing him warily. "I know this situation is bad, and if Rhone's involved it's even worse for you, but… I just want to make sure you're not overwhelmed by everything."
"I guess I'm… terrified," Sokka said, with a shrug. Azula grimaced.
"I'm glad you're so open to sharing your genuine feelings, but that's not very reassuring," she said. Sokka smiled weakly and lifted a hand to cup her cheek.
"If sponsors are the real targets of this murderer, kidnapper or whatever it is…" he said. "Then yes, I'm terrified and I admit it openly. I… I guess you're always facing the fear of losing me, whenever you're stuck with watching me fight dangerous battles, but I usually don't have to worry about you that way. You're the strongest fighter I know, and you'd be devastating to most enemies you met on the battlefield, but… if what that gladiator described was true, whatever this enemy is, we're not up against something ordinary here. And I have no idea how to fight it, I'm sure neither do you, so… yes, I'm terrified."
"I understand," said Azula, inching closer to him and placing her free hand on his chest. "But you won't lose me, if that's what's eating away at you. I'm not going to let my guard down, you know, and… I happen to be enjoying my life quite a bit these days to let some obscure threat take it away from me."
"Good to know. Then I guess you'll understand if I decide I'm not leaving your side until this mess is dealt with," Sokka pouted. Azula laughed. "Really!"
"You can't quite do that, not for real, but… it's a sweet sentiment," she said, smiling. "I wouldn't mind if you could stay by my side at all hours…"
"I'm sure your dad wouldn't think it's fishy if I say it's for your protection," Sokka pouted.
"Oh, sure, my father will give you his blessing and say you can absolutely stay overnight in my room to keep me safe. That's going to be absolutely fine by the Fire Lord," Azula smirked. "Come on, be realistic, silly. You can stay with me all day if you wish, but you can't be with me all through the night at home, at least."
"Life is cruel indeed," Sokka groaned, pulling her close to him and hugging her tightly. Azula chuckled as he embraced her. "Fine, then, but I really will spend every day with you, wherever you go. At least, until we've made sure you won't be a potential target of whatever's going on with sponsors."
"Admittedly… that doesn't sound bad," Azula smirked. "Maybe you ought to do that even after we figure out what's going on."
"Sounds like a plan," Sokka smiled, kissing the top of her head softly.
"We have to ask Shoji about Rhone now, though," said Azula, lifting his hand and kissing his fingers softly. "The sooner we know when he'll be here again, the sooner we can plan for the occasion."
"Alright," said Sokka, burying his face in her hair briefly before releasing her from his embrace. "Let's do this."
Azula pushed the door open fully and led Sokka towards the stairs, but she froze when she spotted someone standing not too far down the corridor. Yang was hunched slightly, his shoulder against the wall, hands running through his spikey hair.
"Yang?" Azula called him promptly, her voice commanding and stern. Yang nearly jumped at the sound of it.
"Y-yes, Princess?" he said, turning towards her with a wide but nervous smile.
"What are you doing, standing there for no reason?" Azula asked, frowning. "Don't you have writing to do, or…?"
"I do! I… I do. But, y-you see…" said Yang, scratching his head awkwardly. "I have a very bad idea."
"If you know it's bad, why don't you discard it?" Sokka asked, raising his eyebrows. Yang flinched.
"B-because I… I really want to write this," he said, eyeing them hopefully.
For a sharp, dark moment, Azula's entire world seemed to fall off balance. The way Yang looked at them, the ajar door… even though she hadn't really kissed Sokka just now, what they'd spoken about was compromising enough on its own, wasn't it? Had Yang overheard them? Was he suddenly interested in writing about…?
"I've just never seen a mystery novel that goes quite like this!" Yang exclaimed suddenly, startling Azula. "I… I know, it's beyond tactless, but I finally feel inspired again. It's such a strange situation, these disappeared sponsors… I feel like it's a story that should be on the Chronicles, you know?"
"Well, it wouldn't hurt to inform the public of what's happening," said Sokka, but Azula shook her head.
"It would spread panic all over the place," she said. "Fire Nation people are already quite superstitious and paranoid, they probably have heaps of theories over why so many gladiators have forfeited as of late and alarming them further won't help matters at all."
"B-but it'd sell well…" Yang said. Azula grimaced. "I could write it as fiction, outright fiction! There could be a disclaimer, I could clarify that the story is inspired by real events, but not reflecting them in the least…!"
"That wouldn't help matters much. Your readers would think you're giving them half-truths, and then they'd start misinterpreting your entire story," Azula grumbled, restarting her way towards the stairs. Her worst fears were reassured, at least for now. Yang seemed to genuinely want to write some mystery novel, then, and not one about forbidden romance between a Princess and her gladiator…
"How about if I write multiple versions of this story, then?" Yang asked, pouting as he kept up with Azula and Sokka. "One version to reassure the public that the Domestic Forces will capture whoever's responsible for this mess, and one version for myself, where it reads as a mystery novel?"
Azula frowned, but Sokka seemed to find the idea agreeable. The Princess finally shrugged as a response when she was halfway down the stairs. The vestibule was still crowded now, but no longer by the angry public they'd seen earlier today: soldiers questioned staff members, inspecting the Dome and reading through all sorts of documents in hopes of finding any leads that explained the strange happenings in the Dome from the last weeks.
"Well, if you must write something about this, I suppose that's the least harmful way in which you could do it," she shook her head, moving towards Shoji's counter. "Shoji, we need a small favor."
"Oh, anything!" he said, smiling weakly. "Would you like to send a new challenge? Or…?"
"I'd like to know when the Kinslayer will fight again in the Grand Royal Dome," Azula said, without waiting for Shoji to finish his sentence. The boy's eyes widened.
"Oh… right," he said, nodding weakly and looking through the Royal Dome's schedule. "Well… it's within five days, actually. Are you hoping to challenge him too, or…?"
"Not at all," Azula said. "We just want to come watch, you could say… at any rate, keep us posted if anyone else forfeits or if there were any other news about this mess."
"I will, for sure," said Shoji, nodding promptly.
"Have a good night, Shoji," Azula said, turning around and making to leave before noticing Yang was waving awkwardly at her and Sokka. "And… you have a good night too, I suppose, Yang."
"Thank you," he said, beaming. "You too, Princess! And you, Blue Wolf!"
"Thanks. See you," said Sokka, grinning weakly as he followed Azula towards the doors.
Xin Long waited outside, but he was marvelously camouflaged at nighttime. His natural colors difficulted glimpsing and identifying him in the middle of the city, regardless of the bright lanterns that decorated the streets.
"We've never stayed this late in the Dome, huh?" Sokka said, glancing back at the building with unease.
"Ours was supposed to be the last fight of the day, wasn't it?" Azula said, walking down the steps towards Xin Long. "If the Dome wasn't in such chaos over these forfeits, the place would have closed hours ago."
"No doubt," said Sokka, sighing as he climbed aboard Xin Long's saddle behind Azula. "Don't you think Yang was… strange?"
"He always is, but… yes," Azula said, gritting her teeth. "Stranger than usual. Almost makes me uneasy about having hired his wife now."
"You don't think he figured us out, do you?" Sokka asked, warily. Azula shrugged as Xin Long took off.
"I was stupid enough to leave the door open, I thought everyone was in the vestibule," she hissed. "I didn't even realize Yang hadn't left the building yet…"
"Don't beat yourself up for it. We didn't do anything that dangerous… well, not just now, anyways," Sokka gulped, remembering their wild make-out session from earlier.
"What we said to each other was dangerous enough as it was," Azula huffed. "And the madman is a writer, eager to exploit whatever storylines he may find for his own benefit. I can't just trust he'll keep his mouth shut if he figures out what's going on between us."
"I'd hope he knows better," said Sokka, frowning. "Considering what his own life's story was like…"
"We can't take anything for granted," Azula huffed, shaking her head as Xin Long sped towards Sokka's house. "Especially not right now. The last thing we need is to be paranoid about surviving this potential murder spree just to get caught together by the wrong person."
"True enough," said Sokka, closing his eyes. "You still have to work with Haiyan, though… when are the homeless people moving in? Or, well, when will they stop being homeless?"
"In… ugh, curse it, the same day as Rhone's fight," Azula groaned, shaking her head.
"Yep. Life really is unfair," Sokka sighed, dropping his head on her shoulder.
Xin Long landed carefully on the house's backyard, and Sokka jumped off the saddle just as Song showed up at the backdoor. She seemed happy to see them, although it was apparent she had been worried over Sokka's late return home.
"That was a long fight," she said, smiling weakly. "It's not every day you come back so late from the Arena…"
"Yeah, well, there was no fight in the first place," Sokka said, grimacing. Song's eyes widened. "Things are a little messy lately. I'll explain over dinner, if that's okay…"
"It's fine, of course," said Song, biting her lip before smiling at Azula. "Hope you have a good night, Princess."
"Same to you, Song," said Azula, nodding towards her before leaning towards Sokka. "Feel free to drop by the Palace tomorrow, but keep our last conversation in mind, too…"
"I will," he said, smiling at her. "I'll control myself, it's just… I really do feel like we're better off when we're together, you know? It's not just about being intimate, it's just… threats aren't nearly as dangerous if we face them together."
"Because we're just that good a team, aren't we?" Azula smirked, cupping his cheek and kissing his lips lightly. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"I love you. Take care of yourself," he said, softly. Azula laughed.
"You really are that worried, huh?" she said, smiling warmly at him. "I'll be fine, gladiator. Go get some rest."
He smiled too, but he felt small and helpless as the Princess took off on the back of her dragon again. It was no exaggeration: being with her was the best way to feel stronger. The thought that the menace might be closing in on sponsors, rather than on gladiators… he clenched his fists, the night breeze running through his hair and clothes. He hadn't understood until now just how much he was willing to sacrifice for Azula's sake… but the possibility of being up against Rhone again had put most things into perspective for him. He had protected her many times before, and he would do it again this time, at all costs.
Haiyan and Yang had lived in the house for four days, and they had been peaceful days indeed: by the time they had been ready to receive the new tenants, their new home turned boisterous and chaotic instead. It was to be expected, as the seven new people had just moved into their first proper house in years, and controlling their enthusiasm wasn't at all within their priorities.
"Lee, you share with me!"
"But I was already unpacking in Yuu's room!"
"Unpacking what? Wait, did you bring an empty rice bowl from prison?!"
"I call the top bunk!"
"When's dinner?!"
Azula and Sokka arrived amid the enthusiastic exclamations, standing at the front door and watching the ecstatic homeless people, for whom said name no longer was suitable. Despite herself, Azula smiled a little at the sight of their excitement.
"Seems like things are finally moving along in the right direction… at least where these guys are concerned," she said. Sokka grinned too.
"To think they're that happy already and they've only been here for a few minutes," he chuckled. "Goes to show what a bit of kindness can do for those who have seen none of it for years, huh?"
"I suppose it does…" Azula said, nonchalantly as she avoided Sokka's gentle grin. She knew she'd smile like an idiot at him if she dared meet his eyes, and that wasn't something she wanted to do in public. Her most embarrassingly silly smiles were something Sokka would have to keep to himself.
"Princess! Blue Wolf!" Yang exclaimed. Azula grimaced, but Sokka smiled and waved as the writer slid out of a room and rushed towards them. "Are there any news about the disappearances so far?"
"Nothing concrete as it is," Azula said, shaking her head, to Yang's disappointment. "There's no known link between the victims so far, but it does seem that…"
"That sponsors are the targets," Sokka finished, trying not to show how affected he was by the knowledge. Azula had told him as much two days earlier. "All the gladiators have been reported alive and well, and very confused ever since their sponsors vanished. No bodies have been found, they're just… gone."
"And there have been no witnesses aside from the Firey Nightmare?" Yang asked, frowning. "Then… he was definitely a mistake. The kidnapper or assassin made a big blunder, they didn't manage to take out the Firey Nightmare's sponsor when he was alone, or maybe the Firey Nightmare walked in at the wrong moment…"
"Sounds like it," said Azula, eyeing Yang carefully. "Are you taking this more seriously now, or are you just pondering how you'll write this into your stories?"
"Uh… the latter, really," he said, smiling and shrugging.
Azula scoffed and looked at him with skepticism. Sokka smiled and shook his head, watching as more of the no-longer-homeless people scrutinized the mostly empty bookshelves in the house with utter amazement. He was happily distracted by watching them when Azula spoke to Yang again.
"I understand, then, that you're just… assuming you'll be safe and sound?" she said. Both Sokka and Yang looked at her in surprise.
"Uh… what?" said Yang. "Am I not supposed to be…?"
"Well, I know you're a writer, first and foremost, but you're a sponsor too. As am I," she said, raising her eyebrows.
The blood seemed to drain from Yang's face at those words. He gulped and stepped back, an awkward grin on his face.
"W-well, that is… yes, I guess I… I guess I am one? I, uh, I'll just go write, then. Maybe… maybe Haiyan and I are too busy to be sponsor and gladiator for a few weeks, right?"
"Say what?" Haiyan said, approaching Yang from behind and startling him enough that he yelped upon hearing her voice. "What's wrong?"
"I-it's nothing! I just… had a great idea!" he said, smiling warmly at her and clasping her hands in his. "You'll be fine, and we'll be fine, and… nothing's wrong, nope. Not a thing. I'll, uh, go write, then…"
"Right…" said Haiyan, raising an eyebrow as she watched her husband slink away, his awkward facial expression giving away that he wasn't comfortable in the least with the harsh truth Azula had just reminded him of.
"You just have to go and do something cruel right after doing something nice, huh?" Sokka asked, looking at Azula disapprovingly. She smirked.
"I know it seemed a little harsh, but… he should take this more seriously," she determined. "It's a grave matter, and if he's going to write about it, I expect him to be more professional than he has been so far."
"Write about what?" Haiyan asked, looking at them with a raised eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"
"Well, somewhat. You shouldn't worry too much about it," said Sokka, smiling weakly. "But, uh… some sponsors have gone missing recently. Yang seemed to think it would make a cool story, though, so…"
"Oh. He's incorrigible," said Haiyan, sighing and shaking her head. "I'm happy he's inspired, but I didn't think it was over something like this. Is there any ransom demand, or…?"
"Nothing," Azula said, shaking her head. "It's still being looked into, nobody knows for sure whether they're kidnapped or dead. It's grim to say so, but it's the truth."
"Goodness…" said Haiyan, gritting her teeth. "Well, I'll make sure to keep Yang busy helping me here. Then I'll know where he is, and he won't be in danger of anything like that."
"A sound plan," said Azula, nodding. "Though we don't know yet if there's any motive for this crime. Caution is advised, but I question that whoever is behind this would single out your husband as a potential victim when there are still a little under five hundred sponsors to choose from."
"Well… that's somewhat reassuring," said Haiyan, with a weak smile. "But what about you? Of all sponsors, you're, well… the most important one."
"That's why I'm not too worried," Azula said, surprising Sokka. "Whoever is doing this was trying to be subtle, even if they failed to keep a low profile after their mishap with their latest victim. Targeting me would be a sure-proof way to gain all the attention they seem to be trying to avoid."
"Heh, I hadn't seen it that way," Sokka said, raising his eyebrows. "And sure, it makes sense… but I'm still not going to take your safety for granted."
"I'm not asking you to," Azula said, smiling a little before looking at Haiyan again. "Either way, we ought to go now. We're off to the Dome, and…"
"Ah, speaking of which, if you don't mind me asking…" said Haiyan, biting her lip. "What will I do when I have fights? Is there anyone I can count on who would look after the group while I head to the Dome?"
"That… I guess we haven't discussed that," said Azula, frowning a little. "I have a few friends who might be able to help, I suppose. Just for those days, I take it?"
"Yeah, I just don't think they should be left without supervision," said Haiyan, smiling nervously. Azula frowned.
"Then you won't stop fighting in the Gladiator League, even with a new job?" she asked. Haiyan breathed deeply.
"I can't say I want to stop, really. I feel like I've come so far as it is…" she said. "Giving up right now would feel cheap, I guess."
"I can understand that," Azula mused, smiling a little. "Well, I suppose that's how we'll handle things. If you need any support, feel free to send a message to the Palace and I'll send whatever help I can offer."
"Thank you so much," said Haiyan, bowing deeply towards Azula. The Princess nodded.
"You're quite welcome. Alright, then, shall we?" Azula said, and Sokka moved to open the front door.
"Wait!" A voice cried out loudly just before they could leave, though.
Azula stopped upon hearing it, turning on her heels warily as five of the seven showed up at the top of the stairs. They had been checking the bedrooms, but it seemed they hadn't wanted to let Azula go without seeing her off.
"Wait, please!" one of them exclaimed again, and soon enough, all of them had climbed down to where Azula stood.
They looked cleaner than before, better rested, not as thin. Some appeared healthier than others, and Azula made a mental note to send a physician to check on them once she had the chance. But the one matching element in all five of the currently present rescued people was the joyful smiles on their faces.
"W-we just wanted to…" started one of them, but the youngest of the group stepped forward.
"We wanted to thank you!" he exclaimed. "We've never lived like this! It's amazing! You've helped us so much: we owe you our lives!"
With that, all of them performed some rather unskilled reverences towards Azula, but she didn't point out their mistakes. If anything, she seemed more touched by these bows than she'd been by any of them in years.
"I… I only want you to find a better future for yourselves," she said, lowering her gaze. "If you can do that, I'll be satisfied. Until then…"
"You've already gotten us halfway to a better future, that's for sure!" exclaimed the first person again. "We will do our best not to let you down!"
With those words, the whole group bowed again. Azula smiled and nodded, but she shook her head soon enough, hoping to mask that she had indeed been touched by their words and enthusiasm.
"That had better be the case," she said, urging Sokka to open the door again. "I will drop by again, eventually. Farewell."
"Yes! Have a great day, Princess!" exclaimed another member of the group.
Sokka smirked at the sight of such pride in Azula's features. Whatever the day held for them now, he was glad she felt satisfied after doing the right thing with these people. He remembered vividly the days when helping others had seemed utterly pointless to the Princess, especially when she doubted they would return the favor. By now, she seemed to have found value in using her power and influence to give others a chance at a better life just for the sake of it, and Sokka couldn't be happier for it.
"What?" Azula said, surprising him as she reached Xin Long. The dragon prodded at Sokka with his snout, poking his elbow lightly.
"What, what?" Sokka said, smiling awkwardly. Azula smirked.
"You were staring at me with the silliest smile on your face," she said, sliding her leg over her dragon's saddle and sitting carefully on it. "It wouldn't bother me, if we weren't in the middle of a frequented street, but…"
"Ah, you don't want me being silly in public, I forgot," said Sokka, smiling as he climbed on the saddle too, right behind her. "Excuse me for being a rebel, then, but I'd think you'd be used to it by now…"
"To your tendency of doing whatever you please, whenever you please? Why, of course I am," said Azula, rolling her eyes and smirking at him from over her shoulder. "If you'd learned any better, what would we ever argue about anymore?"
"Oh, about nothing important, to be sure," said Sokka, chuckling as Xin Long took off. It would be a short trip, as the Grand Royal Dome stood only a few streets away, but Xin Long was hellbent on traveling with them whenever he had the chance to. "I'm just proud of you, is all."
"Hmm," said Azula, biting her lip and biting down the urge to caress his thigh or drop against his chest in appreciation. "I could get used to hearing that."
"You'd better," Sokka chuckled. Azula's smile was so heartfelt she knew she'd look far sillier than Sokka had earlier. "I told you you'd do wonders for these people, and there you go, I was right. It's a small victory, but a victory either way, and your dad will have to acknowledge it. You can figure out what needs to be done to improve the Fire Nation, and you're better at turning those improvements into a reality than your dad could ever hope to be."
"Well, now, you bottomless pit of flattery," Azula huffed, shaking her head as they neared the Grand Royal Dome. "If you keep saying those sorts of things, I'll be blushing for the rest of the week."
"That'd be a sight to behold," Sokka chuckled, barely containing the urge to embrace her. "But whether you blush or not, I'm still happy over how this has turned out so far. And I guess that's bound to be the highlight of the day, too…"
"Yeah, things are just about to get complicated," Azula said, sighing as Xin Long landed on the street. She patted his neck gratefully. "We'll be back shortly, I hope, Xin."
The dragon nodded enthusiastically as Azula and Sokka climbed off the saddle. The Princess ran her hand through Xin Long's mane one more time before leading the way up the steps of the Dome. Sokka waved at the creature, watching him set into the sky again, before rushing to keep up with Azula.
"Have you thought of the best way to handle this?" Azula asked Sokka. He shrugged. "Really? You haven't planned anything? Well, granted, I shouldn't be too surprised, but…"
"I'm not sure what to expect with Rhone, Azula. I don't know if a plan would be any good in these circumstances," Sokka sighed, as they walked towards Shoji's counter. As bad as the situation was, they would still try to challenge another opponent today: it was the perfect excuse to stage an encounter between themselves and the Kinslayer.
But the Grand Royal Dome was unexpectedly quiet today, uncomfortably so. Staff members, public, and most of all sponsors and gladiators, were tense and anxious. No children were in sight, and the usually long lines for bets were smaller than they had ever seen them before. Sokka clenched his fists at the sight of such an empty vestibule, and Azula shook her head.
"Rumors and gossip spread faster than wildfire in this city," she said. "Whoever is behind this is giving the Gladiator League a dreadful blow."
"Another possible motive to explore, then," said Sokka, biting his lip. "And another possible motive that would suit Rhone just fine…"
"It would. It really would," said Azula, glancing up at the board.
Many fights had been cancelled, according to what was written on it. Azula guessed most of them had been called off because of the widespread paranoia that had taken the Gladiator Business by storm, but it was also possible that a few of those cancelled fights featured gladiators whose sponsors had been targeted…
"Princess! Blue Wolf!" Shoji exclaimed, smiling widely. "I'm so glad to see you again!"
"I suppose those words are truer than ever in these circumstances," Azula said, her lips pressing into a tight line. Sokka gestured at the board.
"Were all of them forfeits?" he asked. Shoji shook his head.
"Most were officially cancelled fights. Both sponsors agreed not to go through with the battle…" he said. Sokka grimaced.
"They don't know if they'll be safe by coming here, I guess," said Sokka, sighing. "Anyways, we'll send a new challenge, right?"
"Right," Azula said, extending a hand towards Shoji, who offered her the ranking's scroll without a second thought. "I'd already given some thought to who our next rivals should be, so…"
Sokka smiled a little, trying to show some enthusiasm, but the Kinslayer's name, written on the board, hung over him like a load of bricks. He would have taken a more active role in choosing his upcoming fight, if only his eyes hadn't been set on that particular fight, the one taking place right now…
"You know, you could still go to the stands and watch," said Shoji, shrugging. Sokka raised his eyebrows. "I mean, there's nowhere near as many people as there usually are, so…"
"It's okay, I can't say I particularly want to watch this," Sokka confessed, sighing again. "It's fine, we'll catch up with him afterwards. Hopefully he won't have butchered the opposite gladiator by then."
"He hasn't killed as many gladiators these days…" Shoji mused, but he hung his head before long. "Then again, that's not something to be proud of, considering what his track record was…"
"Certainly not," Azula said, stopping on her progress across the Ranking's list as she came across the gladiator she wanted to fight this time around. "I think we'll challenge this Ember Bear, then. Unless, of course, their sponsor has forfeited in recent times?"
"Oh, not the Ember Bear's, no" said Shoji, shaking his head "All victims have been people who lived in the Capital, Ember Bear is from the Southern Coliseum… anyways, I'll send the challenge as soon as it's filled!"
"Thank you," Azula said, leaning on the desk so she could fill the new challenge form quickly.
The sounds of footsteps, climbing down the stairs that led to the stands, gave away that the current fight was over. Sokka tensed up, focusing instead on the empty staircase that led down to the stand-by rooms. Chances were he'd see Rhone himself, or maybe he'd see whoever Rhone had been fighting, carried up to the waiting rooms for treatment on a stretcher.
Both his hypothesis turned out to be true. It wasn't long before a blood-stained woman was taken upstairs in a rush, and barely a minute later he spotted the dark-skinned warrior, wiping his metal boomerang with a filthy rag, his clear blue eyes as unfeeling as ever.
Poorly contained rage surged within Sokka upon the sight of his former friend. He truly hoped whoever he'd been fighting had good odds for survival, but he still felt compelled to fight Rhone again just to avenge all the lives he'd taken on his mindless, violent quest.
Rhone hadn't survived alone for all those years without an acute awareness of his surroundings, though. He frowned more heavily than he always did upon sensing a searing glare fixed on himself, and he raised his eyes to meet Sokka's. Surprise colored his features, even if just for the briefest instant.
"Blue Wolf," said Rhone, his cold eyes dismissive.
"Kinslayer. And non-kin slayer, too, from what I know," Sokka said, raising his eyebrows as he stepped towards Rhone and away from Shoji's counter. "Sounds like you've been trying to kill more than just Water Tribe people these days."
"I don't seek to kill Water Tribe…"
"I have a pretty large scar on my back that says otherwise," Sokka snapped. Rhone raised an eyebrow.
"It's hard to think of a blood traitor as Water Tribe."
"Then I have no idea why you'd take up that name. Nothing says blood traitor louder than killing your own parents, so I guess, if I'm not Water Tribe for my crimes, neither are you," Sokka said, shrugging. Rhone huffed.
"Looks like you're sharper today than you were last year," he said. "I suppose that's good. She didn't syphon away your wit entirely, even if she must have taken away everything else about you…"
"Oh, not everything. Even if she tried, she can't make me forsake my resentment towards you. Not that she'd want to, but still…" said Sokka, shrugging. "Did you kill your opponent?"
"I don't know. Maybe," said Rhone. Sokka raised an eyebrow.
"Were you trying to kill her?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest. Rhone frowned. "If you were, sounds like you didn't finish the job. Getting sloppy lately?"
"Since when do you speak of murder so casually?" Rhone said. Sokka shook his head.
"I speak of failed murder casually. The idea of you trying to kill someone and failing, and then being frustrated about it, somehow brings a smile to my face…" said Sokka, sighing dramatically. "That is, until I consider you're getting your kicks out of murdering other people outside the Arena, when they're powerless against you…"
"A lot of people are powerless against me within the Arena as it is," Rhone said, but he looked at Sokka in confusion. "But I don't know what you mean."
"Really?" Sokka asked. "So, you haven't heard of the forfeits spree? Never had a fighter cancel on you, all of sudden?"
"No," Rhone said, bluntly. Sokka hummed.
"Well, that's lucky, or unlucky, however you may see it," he said, tapping his forearm with a finger. "My last opponent forfeited less than a week ago. There's been over nine forfeits over the last couple of weeks. And it seems sponsors are vanishing, whether murdered or kidnapped…"
"What would I ever achieve by kidnapping any Fire Nation nobles who do nothing but whine about jewelry and high cuisine?" Rhone said, rolling his eyes.
"Goes to show you'd sooner kill them, then," said Sokka. "Is that what you did?"
"Am I your only suspect?" Rhone asked. "What evidence do you have against me?"
"Circumstantial evidence, only," said Sokka, shrugging. "Somehow, this strange forfeit spree only began when you arrived in town. Seems like an odd coincidence."
"Maybe I'm being framed," said Rhone. Sokka snorted.
"With your track record, you seriously expect me to believe that?"
"Why would this matter so much to you?" Rhone huffed, stepping towards Sokka, his eyes growing colder. "Why are you trying to defend the hand that restrains you and holds you in a position of submission? Why would you want to find whoever might be killing sponsors? Do you want to bring them to justice, according to Fire Nation laws?"
"I want to stop people from dying unnecessarily," snarled Sokka. "That's what I want."
"Perhaps someone out there wants to stop people from being mercilessly enslaved," Rhone said, his voice low. "Perhaps someone wants to liberate the slaves who, unlike you, don't want to be submissive fools for the rest of their miserable exist-…"
"Sounds like you've cooked up the fanciest theory you could, and in quite a short timespan, too," said a voice behind Sokka, interrupting the conversation boldly.
Sokka felt cold chills in his body: he didn't want Azula to speak to Rhone. He didn't want her anywhere near the man. He had only brought his weapons today in case Rhone grew violent towards Azula, and the look of indignation in the Water Tribesman's face implied he might just do that, right now.
"But alas, there are no known connections between the victims of these disappearances," Azula finished, raising her eyebrows as she stood a few steps behind Sokka. "And that means that they're all from different nations, all different kinds of sponsors. Some of the gladiators were slaves, some weren't. A fair share of them didn't need any liberation, since they were involved in the Gladiator Business for the spoils, not because they were forced. Therefore, this heroic narrative you cooked up so quickly has no bearing on reality."
"Doesn't it?" Rhone said, viciously. Sokka's jaw was squared, and he moved carefully, as to shield Azula from Rhone with his own body. "Then pardon me, oh, Princess of the Ashmakers, for assuming your lot was getting what was coming. If anything, now I'm disappointed."
"I have no doubts you are," said Azula, raising her eyebrows before looking at Sokka. "Considering that, though… I know he was your only idea for a suspect, but if it were him, he would likely prefer killing Fire Nation sponsors specifically. It hardly makes him an innocent, but at least it would seem this crime spree isn't his doing…"
"You might be right, but he could be playing dumb," said Sokka, glancing at Azula over his shoulder. "Even if he's not the executioner, he could have some knowledge he's trying to withhold…"
"Why would I? I'd gladly share whatever I know with you," said Rhone, folding his arms over his chest. "It sounds like you're running in circles trying to figure out what's happening, and failing embarrassingly. Rubbing your failures in your face would be very satisfactory if I knew more about this than you do."
"Maybe, but if you gave away any information you had, you might just help us figure out what's happening and then we'd stop failing so badly," said Sokka. Rhone raised an eyebrow.
"Truly? Even after nine murders?" he asked.
"We don't know for sure that they're murders," said Azula, glaring at Rhone. He glared right back.
"I, for one hope they are. Should be fun to watch this city falling into chaos," he said.
"Ah, well, if that means you're about to start bringing chaos to the city indeed, all the better for us," said Azula, with a smirk. "I have no charges I can use against you so far, but it would be wonderful to have a good reason to lock you behind bars for the rest of your life."
"You're a fool if you expect me not to break out from your excuses for jail…" said Rhone. Azula shrugged.
"Perhaps you can set the record of first escaped prisoner from the Boiling Rock, then," she said. "I'm certainly curious as to how you'd ever break free from a place like that, but if you'd like to prove your might, by all means…"
Rhone scowled. Azula's defiant stare bore into his own, but the non-bender shook his head before long.
"What foolishness…" he growled. His attempts to ascertain himself over the Princess had led him to a pointless debate that, had it carried any longer, might have caught him outright accepting her challenge to be imprisoned just to prove her wrong. He wasn't usually that easily caught in a verbal trap, but the Princess had been agile enough to make him feel like an idiot now.
"Either way, I suppose this isn't going to lead us anywhere," said Azula, glancing up at Sokka again. "Well, unless you're certain that he must have something to do with it, but I can't say I'm convinced…"
"I'd rather know for sure that he had nothing to do with it," said Sokka, sighing. "And it's hard to say so far. We don't know if he has any associates, or if he's playing dumb…"
"I guess the question is whether he's really just playing…" Azula said. Rhone grunted and Sokka tensed up again.
"Azula…" he muttered as a warning. She looked at him defiantly too. "P-point is, we don't have much else to do today. I'd rather keep an eye on him to make sure he's not hiding anything important from us."
"Such a nice sentiment, I guess…" said Azula, grimacing. She didn't want to spend much time around Rhone, if any at all.
"Sounds like he's bored of you, Ashmaker," said Rhone, the corner of his mouth curling up slightly. "Maybe he's finally ready to remember his roots."
"Yeah, kinslaying was never in my roots, but nice try," said Sokka, giving Rhone an ironic thumbs-up. Rhone scoffed at him, probably aware of how that simple hand gesture had somehow become a symbol for Sokka's gladiator persona. "I'm merely worried you're so tired of failing to kill gladiators in the ring these days that you've decided to kill other people for sport when you're bored. It's that simple."
"Perhaps I ought to…" said Rhone, and Sokka's eyebrow twitched.
"And if he just got it in his head to do that because I suggested the idea, all the more reason to keep him under observation" said Sokka, glancing at Azula. She sighed.
"You just can't do things delicately, can you? Baiting a known murderer into striking again sounds like a brilliant idea," Azula huffed, shaking her head and returning to Shoji's counter suddenly. Sokka watched her with uncertainty until he heard her say. "Can I ask you for a favor? I need to send a bird to the Palace."
"I worry you that much, Sokka, really?" said Rhone. "Do you truly believe I have no self-restraint?"
"Do you expect me to think you do, after what you did in the north, and after our last encounter?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow. Rhone sighed.
"If I wanted to execute sponsors for fun, I would have started with yours," he said, bluntly.
It was bait, Sokka knew as much, just as Rhone had identified it when Azula had set up a trap for him. But it was bait he couldn't help but rise up to. His fists clenched, and his eyes gained the same deadly quality that was permanently found in Rhone's own blue gaze.
"I'll run you through before you can so much as touch her," he said, coldly. Rhone raised his eyebrows.
"And who's the kinslayer now?" Rhone asked, and now his smirk was much bolder. "And all in the defense of an ashmaker. You've certainly stooped low."
"And just like you, I find no shame in it," Sokka declared. Rhone's smile weakened. "If defending her makes me a blood traitor, I have no trouble embracing that title."
"Just as I have none when it comes to being a kinslayer," said Rhone, closing his eyes. "Disturbing to think we're more similar than I thought."
The words gave Sokka pause, but they didn't diminish his resolve. One of his hands hovered close to his whalebone knife, and he was ready to unsheathe it if Rhone made any moves towards his sponsor…
But it was Rhone's sponsor who intervened next: the man approached his gladiator after climbing down the stairs, but he stopped cold as soon as he noticed there was a battle of wills and glares being waged between his gladiator and his archenemy.
"R-Rhone?" said the man, swallowing hard. "Are you okay?"
"When haven't I been?" Rhone said, scowling. "Stop asking superfluous questions."
"We should go, then," said the sponsor, urging Rhone to move. "C-come, we shouldn't bother others…"
"I wasn't bothering anyone," said Rhone, raising his eyebrows defiantly at Sokka. "I was just having a little chat."
"That's…" said the sponsor, eyeing Sokka warily. "I don't think you should have a chat with the Blue Wolf, Rhone. Excuse us…"
"Since when do you tell me what to do?" Rhone hissed, glaring at his sponsor. The man froze.
"I-I didn't mean…"
"If I want to stay and chat with Sokka, I'll stay and chat," Rhone declared, stepping towards Sokka and closing the distance in an attempt to intimidate him. Sokka wasn't impressed in the least.
"Well, that'll be helpful," he said. "That way I can figure out for sure whether you're involved in this mess or not."
"What mess? What do you mean?" the sponsor asked Sokka. Sokka glanced at the man before answering.
"There's been a sponsors' disappearance spree in the Capital. I think your gladiator could have something to do with it. Does he?"
It bothered Sokka to realize the man sponsoring Rhone looked Earth Kingdom. Had he been a Fire Nation noble, perhaps his disdain and mistreatment of the man would be reasonable enough, within Rhone's apparent logic. But this man wasn't even one of his ideological enemies, and yet he treated him poorly all the same…
"What? No!" exclaimed the sponsor. "That's absurd! Rhone may have killed firebending gladiators sometimes, but he doesn't just kill people at random!"
"Right. He just kills them when he has good reason to, I wager," said Sokka, sarcastically. The sponsor seemed to shrink, somewhat.
"T-that's not what I meant…"
"Well, then…" Azula's voice came back, startling the three men. "A group of Imperial Guards will be here soon. If you're hellbent on keeping an eye on the Kinslayer, they can do it for you."
"That's… not the best idea," Sokka said, turning to look at Azula warily. "We just established Rhone kills firebenders, remember?"
"I'd hope my guards aren't as incompetent as to lose on a five-to-one combat with a man who's a considerable threat to our safety," said Azula, huffing. "If they were, I'd have them fired."
"I'd hope firing them doesn't take much paperwork. Must be terribly dull," Rhone said. "I'd advise you to get all those forms ready, though… oh, then again, why bother? I'll just kill them, spare you the annoyance…"
"And then you'd go straight to the Boiling Rock. Perfect," said Azula, beaming. "See? The ideal course of action."
"This is getting us nowhere," said Sokka, sighing and looking at Azula hopelessly. She glared at him skeptically.
"Mind you, you're the one hellbent on believing he represents a threat," she said. "And no doubt he does, but he's not bound to be the one behind this mess. And that worries me a bit more than he does."
"Underestimating me much?" Rhone asked. "Maybe I ought to cook up worse trouble than whoever's behind this disappearance streak could…"
"Desperate for attention, are we?" said Azula, raising her eyebrows. Rhone glared at her fiercely, taking the insult poorly. "For someone who likes to act so cold and aloof, it looks like you really do enjoy causing scandals… I guess you killed people just so you could stand out amongst your peers in whatever way you could?"
"Don't you dare speak of what you don't understand," Rhone hissed, his voice cold again. Sokka's fingers neared his knife again.
"Then stop this tough man charade, stop playing at being the bigger problem we ought to deal with and admit, for once and for all, that you have nothing to do with this and that you won't cause more trouble than you're worth," Azula hissed. "I find no amusement in wasting my resources on you."
Rhone didn't answer. Azula rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, turning to watch the building's front door. She knew she could trust Sokka to watch her back as she waited for her men to arrive: Rhone was definitely dangerous, but she would hardly be as easy for him to cut down as the gladiators he had killed in the past. And with Sokka ready to jump to her defense, she knew for certain that the Kinslayer wouldn't touch her.
The awkward silence held for around twenty minutes, when five of Azula's former guards showed up at the door… or four, rather. She scowled, recognizing Renkai's figure: she had requested half her assigned guards to provide support in a small mission, and she had hoped her traditional guards would be the ones to do so. Renkai was about as unwelcome as Rhone himself.
"Princess, we're here," said Rui Shi, who had taken up the leadership of the group instinctively. Azula nodded towards him. "What do you need?"
"This man here has been implying that he'd like to commit the kind of crimes that would earn him a one-way ticket to the Boiling Rock," Azula said. "I want you lot to make sure he doesn't succeed at that, so…"
"You want us to… guard him?" said Rui Shi.
"Rather, I want you to guard the rest of the world from him," said Azula, with a sarcastic smile. "As far as I can tell, he's looking for just about any excuse to…"
"Princess! Princess! Is the Princess here? We need to speak with her!"
The loud, desperate voice came from the vestibule's front gates, yet again. All eyes in their group turned towards the doors, and they found another group of soldiers standing before them: they bore the uniform of the Domestic Forces.
Azula froze immediately, forgetting what she was commanding her men to do. She stepped forward just in time for the soldier at the doors to rush towards her, followed by a few others. The panic in their eyes gave away that they weren't bearers of good news.
"What happened?" she asked, "Did you find something? Or…"
"Another," said the leader of the group, a soldier not much older than Azula herself. "There's been another disappearance, just now. There are witnesses, though, and they're being questioned, but you wanted us to inform you if anything happened and…"
"I did indeed. You did well," said Azula, frowning as she pondered her options.
The fact that another person had vanished just now meant that Rhone indeed wasn't directly connected to these disappearances. He couldn't have been, not if he was standing right here, bitterly arguing with Sokka and herself. But if Sokka's theories that he had other allies were true, maybe he could have something to do with it… maybe. It seemed more unlikely than before, but Azula figured she'd give Sokka's theory at least a little credit.
But she couldn't simply play nanny to Rhone when another disappearance had just happened. She glanced back at Sokka with uncertainty, finding the same apprehension in his eyes. She had to go, and he wanted to stay, to figure out why Rhone was in the Capital, to know if he was truly going to commit any new crimes outside the Arena… and the only way they could do both things was to split up. Even if it was just for a short time, the idea of leaving Sokka to deal with Rhone on his own sent shivers of the bad kind down Azula's spine.
Sokka knew as much, of course he did. But that didn't stop him from nodding in her direction after holding her gaze for longer than he should have. Long enough for Rhone to glare at them begrudgingly, muttering something unintelligible to his sponsor, who jumped in response to his gladiator's words.
"Go. I'll be fine," Sokka finally said. Azula frowned.
"If I go, they're staying with you," she said, gesturing at her guards. The five men tensed up too. "You're not dealing with him by yourself."
"Well, as long as they don't mind…" said Sokka. Rui Shi groaned softly.
"Are you sure about this, Princess?" he said. "Whatever you're off to do sounds dangerous, too."
"There will be other soldiers there. I'll be in good enough company, if that's what concerns you," said Azula, eyeing Rui Shi sternly. "Keep Sokka safe and don't let the Kinslayer do any slaying, alright?"
"Very well…" said Rui Shi, acquiescing easier than Azula expected him to. He bowed his head towards her, as did the rest of the guards.
Azula's eyes met Sokka's again and lingered there for a short while. They couldn't speak out loud, couldn't make any significant gestures other than holding each other's gazes for a moment. And just that sufficed for her to convey to him that he needed to be careful, that he needed to come back to her, that he couldn't let Rhone do any harm, not just to Sokka but to her guards, too. Perhaps she wouldn't suffer too much over Renkai's loss, but she didn't want to have his death on her conscience either way.
Sokka's lingering gaze told her she had to be careful too, because whatever was behind these disappearances seemed murkier and more suspicious by the minute. The fact that the culprit hadn't been daunted at all after leaving witnesses; that, in fact, upon being investigated they had become more prominent, sloppier, as if eager to catch the public eye… it scared him. It especially scared him for Azula's sake. She was a sponsor, and if that made her a target for whatever this was…
But they couldn't express their innermost fears and concerns right now. All they could do was pursue their respective leads, separating just for one afternoon, while hoping things wouldn't take a turn for the worse tonight.
Azula finally nodded at him and turned around to join the other soldiers. Sokka watched her leave, uneasy, wary, his fists clenched at the thought of whatever Azula might discover. Hopefully, whatever had happened was long over, and Azula would be safe… but he couldn't be certain of it. He couldn't be.
"What now?"
Rhone's voice startled him. Sokka frowned at him, as Rhone raised his eyebrows questioningly.
"Will you make us stay in this vestibule forever?" Rhone asked Sokka. The Blue Wolf sighed.
"I guess not," he said. "I'd say you ought to take us to wherever you're staying at. We'll all be much more comfortable keeping an eye on you and questioning you if we're at an inn, or wherever…"
"And of course, you want comfort," Rhone said, rolling his eyes. "Perhaps you ought to take me to the Palace, then. Must be much more comfortable than my filthy, low-rate inn…"
"I actually kind of miss filthy and low-rate," Sokka said, with an ironic smirk. "So… lead the way, Rhone."
The Kinslayer knew Sokka wanted to figure out where to look for him, in case he ever needed to track him down. He needed to pin down Rhone's frequent locations, to determine if there was any connection between them and the locations of this apparent crime spree that he was so concerned about. Sokka knew Rhone wasn't likely to be the culprit, and yet he pressed on and on, either looking for evidence to condemn Rhone, or for enough absence of it to finally accept that Rhone had nothing to do with it…
And, knowing all this, Rhone complied.