FicWad

The ground between them exploded in a mixture of dust and fire, the guard landing flat on his back. Groaning, he lifted himself to the sitting position.

"Is that all you've got?!" Gang yelled. "Is this the best you can each do?! It's a mystery how lord Chin-Hwa has managed to survive this long with such incompetent protection!"

The guard growled, pushing himself towards the old soldier again.

"Is he always this tough?" one of Chin-Hwa's guards whispered.

"Yeah, you get used to it. Comes in handy though, toughens you up," one of Wen Lan's guards answered quietly as Gang's opponent fell to the ground before them.

Where one would expect great animosity between Wen Lan's party and the servants of Chin-Hwa, there was little, perhaps even none. Her guards and servants had pledged their loyalty to Wen Lan, their pride in the Fire Nation was limited at best. (Even more so after learning of her exile.) Chin-Hwa had made the situation perfectly clear to his staff, promising swift reprimand to anyone who showed hostility towards her and her party.

As Gang continued "training" the troops, Wen Lan stood beside Chin-Hwa, observing the scene.

"He's certainly relentless," he old noble chuckled.

"Yes, it's one of his best qualities," she smiled.

"To see him execute such skill, it is no wonder you were all able to arrive here safely," he complimented. A quiet curiosity grew within him; if Gang was able to Firebend so skillfully, just how far had Seung come in his training?

"...Lord Chin-Hwa, there is something I must confess."

"Oh?" he asked as he continued walking along the hall, glancing towards her.

"It is true that the actions of Gang and the guards allowed us to continue on, but on the riverboat...An Earthbender with a hammer and armor of skulls attacked us with a small squad of troops."

"Dak-Ho," the old noble frowned. He had had the misfortune of meeting the man on several occasions.

"This man...I was able to turn away his troops, but he had overwhelmed me. It was due to the actions of another man that I stand before you now."

"Oh?" he continued along, inquiring curiously as they passed the garden.

"Yes...A man in a Hannya mask, covered in scars."

Chin-Hwa stopped suddenly, almost tripping over his own feet. He faced towards the girl, staring at her with stoic eyes. His face and body had tensed.

"...The Demon of War."

"Yes, that is what the Earthbender called him...Lord Chin-Hwa, who is this man?"

He looked towards the garden, sighing. "A wanted criminal; a vigilante whose name has caused great unrest within the ranks of the Earth Kingdom armies. And yet..."

"...And yet...?"

"...Our greatest ally, I suspect." The corner of his mouth lifted as he smiled gently.

"How so?"

"...You and I, we hope to achieve peace through words, through compromise. Yet we are surrounded by those who know only conflict. The Demon, he uses his strength to quell that conflict, to protect the valley."

"I see," she further contemplated the stranger, recalling their debate.

"Why do you ask, Wen Lan?" he looked towards her, expressionless.

She smiled softly. "I intend to seek him out and thank him for allowing us to arrive here safely."

He stared at her, his eyes going wide. The answer indicated that the girl was either incredibly brave or despairingly stupid, their conversations indicating the latter to be false. She interrupted his baffled gaze with a simple question.

"Do you know where I would be able to find this man?"

He blinked, his eyes closing as he faced towards the garden in thought. "Hmm." He opened his eyes as his arms folded, as if he was recalling a distant memory. "There is a woman in the village by the name of Min. I've heard rumors that she has actually visited the Demon on multiple occasions."

"I thank you for the information," she bowed gracefully. "I will go see her immediately." Turning, she began taking her leave, stopping as he called out to her.

"Wen Lan."

"Yes, my lord?" she turned towards him, hoping he would not voice disapproval of her intentions.

"...Please promise me you will be careful. The Demon, he's not known to take kindly to those that seek him out."

"I thank you for your consideration," she bowed again, proceeding towards the mansion's entrance. Her clothes had been washed during the night, the scent of the forest now a memory. That morning she had consulted Chin-Hwa as to whether she should don the clothes of the Earth Kingdom instead of her usual robes, finding him to wholeheartedly disapprove of the idea.

He was of the opinion that no effort should be made to hide the willingness of a Fire Nation noble to compromise and work together with the Earth Kingdom, that it was something to be admired, rather than ashamed of. Agreeing, Wen Lan wore her robes and mantle proudly.

Her presence in the marketplace seemed unimportant, the merchants and citizens focusing more on their business than her allegiance. Realizing she had no description of the woman, she approached a large man standing behind a cart of vegetables.

"Excuse me?" she caught his attention politely, not wanting to interrupt him from his business.

"Ah, what a beautiful customer! Fire Nation robes, you aren't here to cause me trouble, are you?" he laughed as he asked, winking at her.

She smiled, bowing politely. "Certainly not, I was merely wondering if you could help me find someone, a woman named Min."

"That old pain? Everyone knows her; she brews the best tea in the valley! Such a pretty smile, what's your favorite fruit?"

Finding it rude to not answer, she laughed warmly at his kindness. "Plums, sir."

"Sir, sir, so formal! No, that won't do for me, too stuffy! Now, here's a plum! You remember it and come by any time you want a taste of the most delicious fruits and vegetables the Earth Kingdom has to offer!" he boasted with pride as he offered her the plum.

She lifted her hand in polite protest, bowing again at his kindness. "I simply couldn't accept something without paying for it."

"You already paid for it! You think I have such a beautiful girl walk up to me every day? Take it, take it!" he smiled.

Accepting it, she fished through her sleeve and drew out a few copper pieces, offering them. "Only on the condition that you sell me a few more, so that I don't feel as if I've taken advantage of your kindness."

"It's a deal," he winked again as he handed her a few more plums. Taking the coins, he motioned his hand out towards a small shop at the opposite end of the market. "Old pain Min, that's her tea house! Just head on in, it's always busy there."

"My thanks," she smiled as she bowed one last time, making her way towards the shop as the vendor went back to his loud advertising, holding up a radish.

Wen Lan stepped into the shop, brushing aside a short curtain suspended from the top of the door. She stood in wonder, studying the interior.

It was built to serve only a few, yet it was bustling with life. A counter separated the kitchen from the serving area, littered with tables low to the ground. Despite the activity occupying the space, the far corner of the room was completely untouched, devoid of attention.

"Ah, you must be that Fire Nation noble that's visiting Chin-Hwa!" A voice called out from the kitchen. A middle aged woman stepped out from the kitchen, brushing some sweat from her brow as she approached Wen Lan. She bowed a few feet in front of her, smiling broadly. "You must have heard about us! It's no surprise; we serve the best tea you'll ever taste!"

Wen Lan bowed, something she had become well versed in as a noble and stranger to Bai-Jing. "I apologize, but I did not come for tea. I was directed here by lord Chin-Hwa."

"Old man Chin? His servants came by this morning to pick up his daily order. Was there something wrong with it?"

"I'm sure it's fine," Wen Lan worried that her search for the Demon was causing trouble for Chin-Hwa. "I am looking for a woman named Min; he told me I could find her here."

"My mother? Are you sure you want to talk to her?" the woman raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, very much so."

"...Alright, your choice. Follow me, please." She walked towards the kitchen, Wen Lan following close behind.

It was a small kitchen, littered with various herbs and leaves, kettles suspended a few inches from the floor above hot coals. A young girl moved in and out quickly, serving the customers as an old woman half her size remained among the kettles, carefully monitoring each one.

"Mother, someone's here to see you," the woman alerted Min of Wen Lan's presence as she made her way to the kettles, taking charge of them while her mother dried her hands.

"Hmm?" Min looked towards the young noble, smiling kindly. "Ah, such a beautiful girl! You must be the noble staying at old man Chin's!"

Wen Lan nodded, smiling softly at the small woman.

"Now then, what brings you to my tea house?" Her hair was white, her skin wrinkled with age. Her eyes were narrow from years of squinting.

"There's someone I'm searching for. Lord Chin-Hwa said you could perhaps guide me to him?"

"Of course, of course! I know everyone in this valley! Now, you just tell me who it is, I'll get you to 'em by sundown!" she boasted.

"It seems you all know him as 'the Demon'."

It was fortunate that Wen Lan had answered Min's question in the privacy of the kitchen. Had she done it in the serving area of the tea house, the room would have fallen silent. The patrons would stare suspiciously, wondering what a Fire Nation noble would want with their hero.

It was also fortunate for Wen Lan that Min was an accurate judge of character with good nature. Had it been anyone else, they would have regarded Wen Lan with immediate suspicion.

It was unfortunate however, that the only woman in the valley who could possibly direct Wen Lan to the Demon had gained the nickname "old pain Min" from years of matchmaking and intruding on the love lives of all the single males and females of Bai-Jing.

"Eh? You're looking for him? Why?"

"To thank him," she smiled. "My party and I were attacked the other day, and it was thanks to him that we were able to arrive safely in Bai-Jing. I have been hoping to thank him ever since."

"A beautiful girl like you is looking to thank that stubborn fool?"

"...Yes?" Wen Lan could not think of a way to answer the question without adhering to the insult.

"A beautiful girl like you met him and you want to travel to him to show your gratitude, despite whatever obstacle stands between you?!" She was becoming more excited with each question.

"Y...Yes?" she was becoming nervous as the small woman drew closer and closer.

"Perfect, simply perfect! Yes, yes! This will work out quite well!" Min clasped her hands together excitedly as she imagined the possibilities.

"You'll take me to him, then?" Wen Lan smiled excitedly.

"Of course, of course! But not yet dear, first we have to prepare you!" she moved quickly to the back of the kitchen, grasping a spare apron before hurrying back towards Wen Lan.

"Prepare me?"

"Of course!" Min beamed. "If you're going to fight the Demon, we need to give you the finest weapons!"




Li Mei set down the mortar and pestle, exhausted from the day's trials. They had spent the day unpacking and setting up the clinic, their new Earth Kingdom clothes already damp with sweat.

"Good, good! You've gotten much better at this," her father smiled as he examined the pestle. "You can rest now, if you'd like. All that's left is sweeping the entrance and making a sign."

"Thank you father," she smiled. She stood quietly, making her way towards her new room. The activities of the day had given her a brief escape from worrying about Wen Lan and Lord Bo. Yet now, as she slid open the door to her room, she could not help but wonder as to whether or not they were safe. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a stranger's voice.

"Wait, aren't you Bai of the Fire Nation?"

"...You must have me confused with someone else," he answered quietly. All Li Mei could make out was voices.

"No, I'm sure of it! You're Bai! What are you doing here?"

"I don't know who you're talking about."

"What? Oh, it's the outfit, isn't it? Sorry, I forgot. I'm actually a Fire Nation soldier, it's how I was able to recognize you."

Li Mei slid the panel to her room shut, turning towards the noise and listening intently.

"Fire Nation? What are you doing here? And why are you dressed like an Earth Kingdom soldier?"

"It was the only way I could pass safely through the nation," the voice explained. "I cut my leg up a little while back and needed some ointment for it, so I sought out a clinic. I had no idea you'd be out here too."

She crept towards the voices, pressing her back to the wall as she neared the corner, listening.

"Hmm...They're not too deep, so it doesn't need to be stitched," Bai analyzed the leg, stepping towards a jar on the opposite side of the room. "This is going to harden over your leg and sting incredibly when you take it off, but if it stays on; your leg should be back to normal within a couple days."

"And I'll be able to move around on it?"

"Yes, that'll be fine," he spread the glaze out over the cuts, closing the lid to the jar once finished. Setting it back in its place, he wiped his hands clean. "So, what's a lone soldier doing out in the Earth Kingdom?"

"I was sent as a messenger, but got apprehended at an Earth Kingdom camp near the Kun valley."

"Eh? Who would they be sending a message to out there?"

"Lady Wen Lan," the soldier answered nonchalantly.

It was at this point that Li Mei made her entrance, practically falling into the room as she yelled "What?!"

Shui blinked, staring at the strange girl.

Bai looked over his shoulder, then back towards Shui sternly. "Were you apprehended before or after you delivered the message?"

"Before," he sighed at his own failure.

"Father, that means big sister Wen has no idea about her exile!"

"Let me handle this, Li Mei."

"But what if she tries to return to the Fire Nation?! They'll kill her! We have to find her and warn her!"

"Li Mei!" Bai yelled, turning his head towards her. "We can't do anything until we've properly thought this out!"

"We don't have time for that! If she got turned away from Bai-Jing, she'd try to go right back to the capitol! She'll die!"

"Li Mei! You will go wait in your room until I've had time to think about this!"

"There's nothing to think about! Big sister Wen's in danger, someone has to save her!"

"Young lady," her father growled.

She stopped, tears filling her eyes at the thought of Wen Lan's demise. She recognized her father's tone, pushing him any further was far from wise.

"You will go to your room. Tomorrow, we will discuss this."

Shui simply sat there, feeling responsible for the argument.

Li Mei clenched her fists, biting her lip before storming off towards her room.

"...Bai?" he tried to catch his attention.

"...If you failed to deliver your message, Wen Lan will be unaware of her exile," he thought out loud. "If she were to arrive in Bai-Jing, she would most likely remain there until she felt her goals had been fulfilled."

"...I suppose?" Shui had little idea what was going on.

"That would give us a certain measure of time before she made her return to the Fire Nation. The alternative is that discussions failed, and she has already decided to return to her home. If that's the case, then there's a chance Wen Lan is already traveling. It would be difficult to find her."

"...Right?" Shui followed, piecing things together gradually.

"The clinic needs my wife and I's attention, otherwise it will fail and we'll be forced back to the Fire Nation. But we do not have the money right now to travel, much less hire a tracker or messenger."

"And if I return to the Kun valley, I'll be executed by the Earth Kingdom soldiers that originally captured me."

"...All we can do is hope for a sudden opportunity," Bai muttered.

Hearing these words, Li Mei sobbed. Burying her face in her hands, her heart was wrought with a great despair. Her mind fought valiantly against images of her beloved "big sister" lying dead and burned, yet these overcame her, strengthening the tears.

She fell to her side, her heart heavy with sorrows.




Wen Lan had trained hard in the arts of combat, undergoing grueling training and testing the limits of her physical body often. Yet Min's training regime was grueling, taxing Wen Lan in ways she could not imagine.

From sunrise to sunset they trained for five days, before Min administered the final test.

Staring anxiously, Wen Lan could not prevent the bead of sweat from rolling down the side of her face.

The old woman moved her hand, closing her eyes as she evaluated. Moments later she opened her eyes, her face unaltered.

"You," she whispered. "Pass."

A breathe of relief escaped the young noble's lungs, relieved that she had finally mastered that which she had been failing for five days straight.

Wen Lan was now well armed in the art of making tea.

"You will take me to him, then?" she asked with excitement.

"Yes," the old woman grinned. "So long as you have your secret weapon ready."

"I do," she held up a porcelain kettle, its mysterious contents swirling around within.

"Excellent! Grab the kettle you just poured from and follow me!"

Wen Lan obeyed, standing up as she grasped both kettles. Gracefully, she walked beside the old woman.

They had trained behind the tea house, not wanting to disturb the business. They had soon left the village, walking towards a mountain pass to the east of Bai-Jing.

"Madame Min?"

"Just call me Min, dear!" the old woman laughed at the girl's manners, having to remind her constantly to forget them around her.

"There's something I've been curious about," she looked out towards the roses decorating the valley, still curious about them.

"Hmm? What is it?"

"The roses of this valley...Is there something wrong with them? They look so unhealthy, yet the soil around them is fertile."

"Hmm..." the old woman looked out towards a patch of them, thinking for a moment. "No, dear. They're perfect; it's just that our eyes need adjusting."

"How do you mean?"

"Those roses," she paused as she thought of how to best explain it. "Dear, how long does a rose last, if you take good care of it?"

"I'm not sure...A few weeks, if you take excellent care of them?"

"Right. The roses you're used to, they're beautiful, but they don't last that long before they've lost that beauty and need to be replaced! Those roses though," she pointed towards a patch as they passed by, "those roses look like that when they're at their best."

"How long will these roses last?" Wen Lan examined the patch in passing, looking back towards Min.

"They'll stay at their prime for four months," she beamed.

She was amazed, her eyes going wide as she looked back towards the patch. Astounded, she caught up to Min again.

"See dear, there are some things that are pleasing to the eye, but those things hardly ever last. Then, there are things that won't please the eye, but they'll stand by you forever."

"I see," she smiled. "Thank you for your wisdom, Madame Min."

"Oh, with the 'Madame' again! Fine fine, if you have to call me something, call me "aunt Min," how's that?"

Wen Lan laughed, liking the notion. "Yes, I think that would fit well for you, aunt Min."

"Good! Let's keep movin', then!"

"Aunt Min, may I ask you another question?" Wen Lan was growing more nervous as they entered the mountain pass, Min seemingly unshaken by it. Her mind began searching for the proper greeting to the stranger, what she should do or how to act.

"Hmm? What's that, dear?"

"How is it that you know where he lives?"

"Ah, I'm surprised you didn't ask sooner!" the old woman grinned. "I've lived here a long time. I was here before the war, before the valley got swept up in worry."

"Worry?"

"When the war broke out, some of the people in the valley, they started getting paranoid. Worrying that sooner or later, the war would find us, force us to be involved. Things only got worse when that oaf Dak-Ho arrived. Started telling people the Fire Nation'd invade their homes at night; kill their loved ones in front of 'em."

Wen Lan had assumed that Dak-Ho's death would cease her disdain towards the man. The more she learned of him however, the more she was glad to never have to encounter him again.

"Old man Chin, he tried telling people that we could choose peace, stay out of it entirely. People started listening, calming down a bit. Dak-Ho got rowdier, more belligerent. Then..." she trailed off.

"Then?"

"Then, the Demon appeared. Any time a battle broke out near the valley, he'd show up and put a stop to it, send both sides home with their tail between their legs!" she laughed. "The Earth Kingdom generals, they weren't happy to hear about that, so they started putting up wanted posters."

"Yes, I saw a few as I entered Bai-Jing."

"Bah, bunch of fools! The people found out about the Demon, what it was he was doing. Stopping battles, easing their fear that war would drown the valley. He's their hero, but everyone's afraid of him. He's never much for words and has no problem busting someone in two, so they avoid him."

"I see," she smiled softly.

"But me, I'm old! I've raised a girl with a strong heart, and she's raising her daughter to be the same! I've lived my life, so I've got no fear! So I found the Demon after he broke up a battle, and you know what I did?"

Wen Lan admired the small woman becoming so fired up in mere recollection of the tale. She nodded curiously.

"I gave him tea! I thought he wasn't gonna drink it, but he did, turned around so I would see his face, tipped his mask, drank it right there! Then, you know what he did?"

"What did he do?"

"He bowed! He bowed right to me, even said 'thank you!' That's when I knew, I knew right there he had a good heart! So I followed him back to the mountains, found out where he lived! Now every week, I bring the stubborn fool some tea! And he always drinks it, right in front of me! Turns around, tips the mask, drinks, sets the cup down. Except for one week, though."

"Hmm?" Wen Lan had become curious about this last part.

"One week, one week I couldn't make it. I was out delivering some tea to a noble a few villages over, gone for days! So the Demon...He came to the tea house! He walked right in!"

"That must have worried the customers," Wen Lan's eyes lit up a bit, trying to imagine the scene.

"You bet it did, entire place went silent! Sun tried telling him I wasn't there, that I was out making a delivery! So you know what he did?"

"Did he go back to the mountain?"

"Not by a long shot! He sat right in the tea house, right in the corner! Waited for me!"

Wen Lan needed no validation for the story, recalling the barren corner of the tea house that the other patrons had seemed to avoid. She understood that this was the stranger's spot, which no one would dare sit in it for fear of him coming in.

"Ah, here we are!" Min whispered excitedly.

The story had caused time to pass rapidly, Wen Lan only now noticing that they were far up the mountain. The path had leveled out into a rocky shelf, the mountain growing taller at least a hundred paces from the edge. Carved out from the face of it was a cave.

"You go on in, good luck! I want you to come back and tell me how it goes!" Min started hurrying away.

"You're not going to introduce us?" Wen Lan whispered nervously. She had assumed Min would enable her to properly enter into conversation with the stranger.

"You're a beautiful girl, you don't need introduction!" the old woman laughed as she continued down the path.

Wen Lan looked nervously towards the cave, approaching it slowly. The sun had given the inside a soft illumination. As she stood at the entrance she could see the interior, a bed of hay in the corner, small trinkets and scrolls scattered throughout. To the side were candles, not yet lit. The Demon sat directly ahead of her, facing the far wall.

He was as large as she had remembered him, his scarred muscular back motionless.

She took another step forward, stopping as he glanced back towards her through the cold, intimidating eyes of the Hannya mask.

Silent and motionless, the two simply stared at one another.




Hurrying out to a nearby stable, Li Mei secured the cloak around her. She brought out the ostrich horse, rubbing his neck to calm him as he squawked.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry...I know you just traveled far, but big sister Wen needs our help." Quietly, she saddled the creature, hoisting herself up. Glancing around, she poked her feet into the ostrich horse's sides, commanding it forward.

As she made her way into the night, the front door of the clinic slid open. Bai leaned out, watching as his daughter hurried away.

"I knew it," he grunted. "She's too much like her mother."

The second figure hurried back to the stable, drawing out another ostrich horse. Jumping onto it, he commanded it to stop just as they reached Bai.

"Trail her, make sure she's alright."

"Yes sir," he nodded.

"Hey."

"Yes sir?"

Bai looked up sternly, his worry for his daughter filling his eyes. "Whether she finds Wen Lan or not, you bring my daughter back to me safely, got it?"

"Absolutely."

"By the time you get back, I'll have enough money to pay you."

"Right."

"Good luck," Bai patted the ostrich horse, stepping back into the clinic. As he slid the door shut, he wondered if he had made the right choice.

He anticipated that Li Mei would try to go after Wen Lan, though his hope had been that he was wrong. To stop her though, that wouldn't calm her heart, and therefore would do nothing to prevent her from trying again. He sighed, walking down the hall towards his bedroom.

The ostrich horse raced along, its rider making sure to stay far enough behind that Li Mei would have no idea she was being followed.

Shui was no great soldier, but his failure in Bai-Jing had hardened his resolve. He would not fail in an assignment again; he had made this vow to Bai.