Responses to Reviews:
RonaldM40196867: I think the Avatars do all have animal companions. Aang had Appa and Momo, Roku had his dragon, Yangchen had her sky-bison, Kyoshi had a fox and Korra has Naga.
Zigzagsoublezee: Well, we shall see. Our mystery backer protects their identity well.
As Always, Please Review!
Gembul was happy to be in the air again. As Team Avatar flew south, towards the mountains, he swooped through the air, taking pleasure in the freedom of the skies.
On his back, Yue and the rest of her friends were holding on for dear life.
"He's enthusiastic today!" She called to Rinzen.
"He was bored!" Rinzen called back, grinning. "You try sitting around in a forest all day with nothing to do!"
Yue couldn't disagree with that. As a cossetted Princess of the North, she was a world-renowned expert in doing very little and being bored. But that had been a long time ago now, and she did not want for excitement these days.
Eventually, Gembul levelled out, as in the distance a few columns of smoke became visible. But this was not the thick black smoke which heralded the destruction of a city, but the thin whisps of smoke generated by industry.
After this much time travelling through a world at war, Yue had, unfortunately, become adept at telling the difference.
Sure enough, as Gembul began to climb to pass over and into the mountain range, a large town came into view, nestled in a valley surrounded by peaks. Now that they were closer, Yue could see that the smoke was coming from a number of large buildings, with chimneys towering over the town. The green banner of the Earth King fluttered from flagpoles on every street corner. On the outskirts of town, a huge field had been marked out and Yue could see Ostrich-horses grazing on it. A large stable stood at the edge of it.
"I think this is it," Rinzen said, putting Gembul into a dive. The Sky-bison plummeted earthwards, before pulling up at the last second, touching down gently, and grunting in a satisfied manner as Team Avatar scrambled off his back and fought to regain their bearings.
"What have you been feeding him?" Sokka demanded. "He's gone insane!"
"He's having fun!" Rinzen pouted, patting Gembul on the snout and putting on the high-pitched voice he used to talk to the bison. "Aren't you? Aren't you!"
"What did you say this place was called?" Katara asked.
"Gaoling," Yue said. "At least I hope it's Gaoling."
"I followed the directions in your letter," Rinzen told her. "This is Gaoling all right."
"Who did you say we were here to meet?"
"The man who's been giving jet all his weapons and uniforms," Yue said. "Just one problem; we don't know who that is."
"Well, that's helpful then, isn't it?" Suki declared, sarcastically.
"Maybe we can find someone in town who is more helpful," Sokka said. "He's bound to have agents here."
"What if it's a trap?" Rinzen asked, as if the thought had only just occured to him.
"The letter was convincing enough for Jet. I think we'll have to trust him on this."
Rinzen accepted this logic, and followed Yue as she set off into the town.
The large buildings, it turned out, were foundries, blacksmiths and other workshops. Wagons were parked outside, with craftsmen bringing weapons and armour and placing them onto them. Yue presumed these would then be shipped off through the mountains to Jet.
But although she was taking an interest in the town, the town was also taking an interest in her. Curious faces began appearing in windows, whispers followed them down streets.
Finally, someone approached them.
"You're the Avatar," they said. It wasn't a question.
Yue regarded the figure curiously. They were wearing a hood, but the voice was unmistakeably female.
"We're here to see a man," Sokka supplied. "He wrote us a letter..."
"I know," the woman took the letter and read it. "He is expecting you."
"Is he. Good to know," Yue said, as the woman set off down the street, and Team Avatar went to follow her.
"Are you sure we can trust this woman?" Suki hissed. "We don't even know who she is! She could be leading us anywhere!"
"It'll be fine!" Yue hissed back. The woman led them through the winding streets, past all kinds of workshops producing military supplies. Yue watched all of them, impressed at the scale.
"Whoever your man is, he must be very rich to afford all this," she observed.
"Well, it's not all him," the woman shrugged. "Others are pitching in too with their own money."
Eventually, they came to a tall brick wall, with a door set into it. The woman stopped in front of it, and rapped on the door five times so that it formed a little tune.
There was a pause, and then the door swung open. Two soldiers stood on the other side, carrying spears. The woman gestured for Team Avatar to follow her, and then ducked inside. Yue did the same, followed by the others, and then the door clanged shut again.
The corridor they found themselves in was well lit and spacious, and underfoot was an expensive carpet. Yue felt her shoes sink into it a little.
The woman led them down the corridor a little further, and then took her hood down. She turned out to be a middle-aged woman with green eyes and a mass of black hair set into a trendy hairstyle.
"Is he here?" Suki asked.
"About that..." the woman began, "I'm afraid I haven't been entirely honest with you, and for that I can only apologise."
Yue's hand immediately went to the waterskin at her belt.
"We're not about to be jumped by Fire Nation soldiers are we?" She asked, accusingly.
"Oh no," the woman held her hands up. "As if I would work with the Fire Nation."
Her voice conveyed a tone of total contempt.
Yue relaxed.
"Alright," she asked, "How haven't you been honest with us?"
"Jet- and consequently, you- believe that there is a powerful man lurking in the background, assisting him with money and weapons," she said. "There isn't, but it suits my interests to let the Fire Nation look for one who doesn't exist. There is, however, a powerful woman doing it."
"You?" Yue asked. "You're Jet's backer?"
"That's right," the woman bowed. "Avatar, my name is Poppy Beifong. The Fire Nation took my husband, and I want to help you stop them."