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Part Two: The Chimeras


Chapter Twelve: Refugees


Lee looked up in surprise as a large number of ostrich-horses rode through the middle of the town, bearing riders. The lead rider wore Earth Kingdom army colors, though she didn't look more than sixteen or so. Her hair was strange color, a dark red shade that Lee nor any other in the town had seen before, but it was her odd coloring that gave a hint as to her identity.

As the party slowed to a stop, Lee ran up to the young woman in the lead. She dismounted and started for the stall selling food and water. Lee trailed after her, asking excitedly, "Are you the one they call 'The Chimera'?"

She glanced down at him, one eyebrow raised. "Why do you ask?"

"Is it true that you're a firebender?" Lee asked, taking her reply as an affirmative. "Even though you're not Fire Nation? And that you took out a whole army by yourself? They say you were even trained by a general!"

"I'd love to meet whoever 'they' are someday," she muttered crossly. "Since 'they' seem to know so much about me." She sighed and looked down at Lee, a rather impatient look on her face. "Yes, it's true I'm a firebender and not Fire Nation. No, I didn't take down an army by myself. I had a lot of help. And yes," she finished, "I was trained by the former General Suoh."

"The Hero of..."

"Hero of Huong Ravine, yes." A smiled played at the edge of her mouth. She turned to the man working the stand. "I need rations and water for twelve." She tossed a bag of pre-counted money on the counter. The man dumped out the coins and counted them quickly.

"This is too much," he told her, pushing a third of the coins towards her. She pushed them right back.

"That's how much I'm allotted to pay for rations," she told him, firmly. "That's how much you get." The man hesitated and then disappeared into the room behind him to get the rations.

"Did you get that sword from a Fire Nation soldier you defeated?" Lee asked, pointing to the sword hanging at Cade's side. She glanced down at it and shook her head.

"General Suoh took up work as a blacksmith after retiring from the army," she told him patiently. "He made this sword himself and gave it to me when I became his student."

"It looks like Fire..."

"He copied their style," she told him.

The man came back and set several bags on the counter. Cade whistled to one of the people who'd come with her. They dismounted and started to load the bags onto a rider-less ostrich-horse. The onlookers couldn't make out what sex the person was, for like the rest of the riders, they wore black clothing, a dark red cloak and hood, and black face mask that covered their mouth and nose. Lee couldn't help but wonder how they stood the heat in those clothes.

The man watched the cloaked rider take the rations with a hesitant smile. "It's good to have visitors who don't bring trouble in their wake," he said casually.

Cade's black eyes flashed. "What do you mean?"

The man shrugged. "Fire Nation."

"Did their army come through here?" Cade questioned further.

"It was just one person," Lee popped up suddenly.

Cade frowned and looked down at him. "Just one? What did he do?"

The man behind the stall answered her. "Attacked the soldiers who're suppose to protect us from the Fire Nation. Nearly killed Captain Gow."

But something in the young boy's face told Cade there was more to the story. Kneeling in front of him, she placed a firm hand on his shoulder and looked directly into his eyes. "What's your name, kid?"

"Lee," he replied quietly.

"My name is Cade," she told him. "Lee, I need you to tell me what happened. It's very important that you not leave anything out. Tell me everything that went on from the moment the stranger arrived to the moment he left."

Lee couldn't lie to those pitch black eyes, nor to the gentle, but steady voice she used. Very softly, he told her of how the stranger had stopped in the town to get food and water and had been pulled into the conflict between the soldiers and townspeople. When he got to the part where the soldiers captured him and tied him to the post, he faltered a little, for Cade's hold on his shoulders had tightened. He took a deep breath and told her what happened when the stranger came to defend him. How the stranger had fallen, then come back fighting with fire. "He said his name was Zuko," Lee told her. "And that he was a prince." Cade's eyes narrowed at that, but she didn't interrupt. "He...he offered the knife again, but I...I told him that I hated him," Lee finished, hanging his head. "He left after that."

"Thank you, Lee," Cade said gently, patting his shoulder. "You've been a great help." She stood and frowned at the man who'd sold her the supplies. "It isn't wise to only tell half a story, especially to the army, sir." The man balked under her stern eyes, never mind that she was half his age. Cade looked at Lee again. "Which direction did he go when he left town?"




The tired old ostrich-horse hobbled along the path, burdened by two riders, who both looked as tired at the ostrich-horse they rode. The older man stiffened and clutched at his left shoulder, stifling a moan of pain. The younger rider holding the reins pulled back on them and looked over his shoulder at the other. "Uncle, do you want to set up camp here?"

"No, no," Iroh replied. "I can ride further. I'm fine," he added when his nephew did not move. Zuko scowled and snapped the reins, urging the ostrich-horse on.

Suddenly, another rider appeared on the path in front of them. Then more at their sides and behind them. Zuko pulled their mount to a halt and rested a hand on the hilt of his duel blades. The riders were cloaked in red and black, which didn't bode well for the prince and his uncle. The strange riders all dismounted and closed in around them. Zuko dismounted as well, drawing the duel blades as he did. He stood in a protective stance in front of his uncle and waited.

Then a familiar voice called out from the group behind them. "You two look a little worse for wear. Life on the mainland not treating you kindly?"

Zuko and Iroh both turned around to see Cade approaching them through the circle of strangers. She looked the same, save for a few changes. Her unusual hair was a little longer and she wore it in a long braid rather than the tight bun she'd kept it in on the island. Her skin was darker from the sun, and there were new muscles in her arms and legs that could have only come from battle experience. There was a slight smile on her face at seeing them, but it disappeared as her eyes fell upon the bandages covering Iroh's shoulder.

"What happened?" she demanded.

"Azula," Zuko replied darkly.

Cade bit off a curse and glared at him and Iroh. "Why didn't you two stay with the safe-house?"

Iroh and Zuko withered under her harsh glare. "We didn't wish to endanger anyone," Iroh said.

Cade looked at him. "Endanger them?" she repeated incredulously, "Iroh, it's a /safe-house/! It's entire purpose is to keep fugitives safe!"

"So was the island," Zuko snapped suddenly.

That stopped Cade completely. The color drained from her face rapidly.. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to reign in her temper. "That's...a surprising good answer," she admitted. "But I still wish you'd stayed with the safe-house."

"Why?" Zuko demanded harshly. "What do we matter to you?"

"You don't!" Cade snapped, temper flaring. Then she cooled again. "But you both mattered a great deal to Mimiko and she means much to me. She wouldn't thank me for letting you two get killed." She reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear and Iroh saw that she still wore Mimiko's bracelet. "You do understand that when you two didn't arrive at the safe-house Ylsa directed you to, we had no idea what happened to you?"

Iroh looked her guiltily, "I am sorry that we left you worried and disregarded the protection you gave us. It was thoughtless of us."

"Forget it," Cade replied. She looked uncomfortable in the face of Iroh's humbleness. She looked over her shoulder and nodded to one of the cloaked figures. The figure nodded, mounted again, and disappeared around a turn in the path. Cade turned to her own ostrich-horse and hopped into the saddle. "Come on then," she said.

"Huh?"

"It's time for you to meet the Shai Li."




"General Iroh."

Iroh winced at the sharp, bitterly cold voice and turned to the white-haired woman still mounted. Her hawk-like face held no expression, but the golden eyes conveyed the ice of her voice. It took only a moment for Iroh to recognize her. "Kosuke?"

"You have a good memory," the woman said, her voice still cold. "One wonders if you'll recall the words the Lady Mimiko and I gave to you thirty years ago?"

"I do," he replied reluctantly.

"Then you remember that we /warned /you that this would happen," Kosuke continued, "and here you stand today, a fugitive of your own nation."

"I know," Iroh said, rather sharply. "Mimiko was kind enough not to say that she 'told me so' when I arrived on the island."

"Well, I am not Mimiko," Kosuke said. "Nor am I kind. And I am telling you: /We told you so/."

Iroh dropped his gaze to the ground.

..."Do you blame me for her death?" he asked.

"I should," she snapped. "Because of your arrival on Hakuhatsu Island, you led your brother's daughter there. Now our beloved Mimiko is dead, along with poor Noshi and young Heshain, Suoh has been captured, and the Shai Li's haven has been burned to the ground. I should hate you, Iroh!"

Several tense breaths passed. Iroh's face was twisted with grief and shame. Zuko was also torn inside between wanting to turn and run or rip this woman's face off for causing his uncle more pain. Cade looked completely impassive, but she couldn't look at Iroh or his nephew. Finally, Kosuke spoke again.

"I should hate you," she said again, both fire and ice gone from her voice, leaving only signs of her own pain. "But I don't. You couldn't have predicted how far your brother and niece would take this. They are to blame for Mimi's death. Not you. Not your nephew." She dismounted stiffly and walked towards Iroh, hand outstretched. Iroh took the offered hand and held it for a moment. "Let there be peace between us, Dragon of the West," Kosuke said softly.

Iroh nodded. "Let there be peace." Glancing down at their clasped hands, he noticed something that raised an eyebrow. Turning their hands just slightly, he exposed her wrist. Then he chuckled. "I should have known."

Zuko looked at Cade, wondering if she knew what his uncle was talking about. Cade, however, simply smiled.

Kosuke smirked and released Iroh's hand. "Well, let's have a look at this nephew of yours," she said, looking over Iroh's shoulder. Iroh moved aside so that the formidable lady could approach Zuko. The prince did his best not to falter under her sharp eyes.

"So," she said, standing before him. "You're the banished prince I've heard so much about." Zuko couldn't think of an answer that wasn't rude. Now that she was closer, Zuko saw that she was barely taller than his uncle and a little shorter than him. Her height didn't diminish her strength or stance, however. "Do you know who I am, boy?"

How am I supposed to know that? Zuko started to shake his head, but recalled his uncle's reaction to her wrist. "You're...the Matriarch of the Shai Li."

"Very good," Kosuke said. Very suddenly, she reached out to firmly grasp his chin. Too surprised to properly react, he felt her turn his head to the right. Though she said nothing, Zuko knew she was examining his scar. He pulled himself free of her hold and glared at her. She just looked at him contemplatively. "Hmph. You just might do, little prince."

"What are you talking about?" Zuko demanded.
But Kosuke didn't answer him. Instead she turned to Cade. "Are we going to get my apprentice or not?"

"No," Cade said, turning her ostrich-horse slightly on the path. "I am going to get your apprentice. You and the rest will head to the rendezvous point to instruct the new recruits."

"Hmph. I thought you had left that task to Jakome."

"I did," Cade replied, smiling ironically. "But he doesn't have much of a commanding air. And Ki won't be much help in that department either. They're both far too /nice/." Her teasing grin took the sting from the defeating words. Zuko got the feeling that the two people mentioned were people that Cade actually /liked/.

"So explain to me again why you're going to Jin Guo alone."

"Because Jin Guo is completely overrun with Fire Nation soldiers. Entering the city with a large entourage of Shai Li wouldn't be entirely /sane/. Besides," she said, raising an eyebrow, "who said I was going alone?"

Kosuke raised an eyebrow of her own. "Are you sure that's wise?" she asked after a moment.

"Oh, absolutely," Cade replied archly. "She'll want to meet him too, after all."

"But I doubt the boy's been to Jin Guo before," Kosuke argued, looking to Iroh for confirmation. It was then that Zuko realized they were talking about /him/.

"It'll be good for him, then" Cade said after Iroh shook his head. "It'll at least not do him any harm."

"Will someone explain what the Hell is going on here?" Zuko cut in. He was very sick of everyone talking about him as though he wasn't there.

Cade turned to him, "I'm going to fetch Kosuke's apprentice from the city of Jin Guo and you're coming with me."

Zuko stared at her. "The city of what?"

"Jin Guo," Cade repeated, smiling darkly, "The city of the Forbidden Fruit."