FicWad

Roses of the Valley

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Confrontations



The soft silver light poured through the prison entrance, gliding gently over the icy floor. The sun had set, the moon's radiance filling the horizon.

He had always detested guard duty, the prison boring him practically to tears. The bars of ice were too thick to break. Any waterbender who had found his way to the confines of a cell was secured so that they would be unable to release themselves. It was a boring job, each evening a quiet one.

The sudden arrival of Fire Nation soldiers had changed that, however. He now stood poised at the entrance to their row of cells, granting hawk-like attention to the new inmates. He had heard of their cunning, refusing to allow the Fire Nation to escape on his watch.

They made no such attempt, the majority of the crew sleeping quietly. The captain sat at the center of his cell, his eyes closed as he meditated in silence.

The soldiers were grateful that they had evaded their deaths at the hands of frostbite and starvation. Their treatment by of the Water Tribe had been humane, even considerate. They were thankful enough not to cause needless trouble.

"Shift change," the second guard entered, bundled tightly in his parka.

"Right!" the first stood rigid, maintaining his careful scrutiny over the prisoners as he made his way towards the door.

"Take care," the second nodded as he made his way towards the cell.

"Have the door guards been relieved?" he peered over his shoulder as he neared the exit.

"Yeah."

"Alright. Good luck," the guard nodded. He stepped through the door, looking up towards the night sky. A gentle snow fell over the North Pole, a soft sheet of powder coating the ground beneath his feet.

His admiration of the sky above was interrupted by a muffled voice calling out for his attention from behind. He turned quickly, his eyes going wide at the sight.

Ice was draped over their bodies; preventing any movement. It held fast as they struggled, their mouths covered to inhibit sound. The older of the two hinted towards the door with his eyes, signaling that the assailant had entered the prison.

The guard's eyes went wide, hurrying towards the door with an intense worry. He turned the corner, fumbling wildly as water washed over him. He stared in horror towards the second guard as he motioned his body carefully, the water freezing to pin him just as it had done to the door guards.

Staring hatefully, he screamed out at the guard. The sound was dampened by the ice covering his mouth, his body unable to break free of his confinement.

The second guard walked towards the prison, stopping before the captain's cell.

He had heard the footsteps, understanding that they had paused just before him. Opening his eyes slowly, he looked up towards the stranger.

He brought his hand to the mask concealing the lower half of his face, pulling it down to reveal himself as his alternate hand removed the hood of his parka. He hoped silently that the motion would permit the captain to trust him in his intentions.

"C'mon," Yakone instructed. He stepped back carefully, his hands moving quickly as the bars changed to water, washing harmlessly against the captain's feet as he rose.

The soldier stared, unsure as to how to interpret the waterbender's action. He recognized the person standing before him, recalling him to be the one who had discovered them on their ravaged ship. The one they had bowed their heads to in thanks. He remained in his cell, pondering carefully.

"We don't have much time," the teenager glanced towards the first guard, understanding that someone would happen across them soon enough. He hurried to the next cell, waving his hand towards the captain to rouse him.

The soldiers woke their sleeping cohorts as the bars melted before them, the scene confusing them.

"What, none of you get it? We're leaving; let's go!" Yakone stared at the prisoners, their lack of movement agitating him.

"Follow him," the captain instructed the soldiers as he passed each cell, deciding to invest faith in their rescuer's actions.

The teenager hurried out of the prison, the soldiers following quickly as he navigated the back alleys of the city. He moved carefully, peering out from every corner to ensure they had not been detected.

It was not long before they had reached a small clearing in one of the most remote sections. A small tunnel stood a short distance from the edge of the ice, water flowing through it calmly. He had spent the past few days using his waterbending to carve it out of the great wall that guarded the Northern Water Tribe, maintaining vigilant watch to ensure it remained undetected. On the other side of the tunnel was the ocean, churning gently beneath the night sky.

The well-stocked raft Yakone had prepared rested idly in the water, someone standing in front of it.

The teenager slowed to a halt, narrowing his eyes as he looked towards the figure between them and the raft.

"I've been waiting here, hoping I was wrong. That this raft wasn't yours," Miksa glared, gripping his spear tightly.

"Sorry t'disappoint," he shrugged with a slight grin.

"This isn't funny, Yakone. You're going too far this time."

"These soldiers are no threat to us, you know that."

"No, I don't know that!" he hollered, unable to remain patient with his subordinate any longer. "And neither do you! It's just a matter of luck that one of them hasn't tried to kill you, yet!"

The captain lifted his arm, motioning his palm towards the soldiers to remain still. He watched the situation attentively, hoping that the waterbender's motivation for releasing them would be revealed.

"So we should just lock them up because of what they might do?!"

"No! We hold them to ensure the safety of our people! The same people that you insult and ignore by acting on your own like this!" His grip on the spear tightened.

"No, I'm showing them that there's a greater strength in trust and humanity than in fearful security!"

"Enough!" Miksa yelled, his voice ringing through the dark sky. "This isn't a debate anymore, this isn't a matter of me trying to convince you of what's just. You've broken Chief Arnook's orders, Yakone! You've committed a crime!" He stepped back into a stance, brandishing the spear.

The waterbender knew what was to follow. He stepped back into his stance, feeling the ice and water around him.

The captain stared, still sorting through the words that had passed between the two. Understanding that any contribution on his part would only escalate the conflict, he remained silent.

"I have to stop you," his superior said quietly, his tone hinting at a sorrow.

"No. You're choosing to stop me," he glared.

Miksa launched forward with impressive speed, readying the spear as he drew closer.

The waterbender twisted his body, launching his hands up as the ice before the warrior lifted, altering quickly into a strong wave of water.

He dodged skillfully, understanding that any contact with the water would result in Yakone's victory. He stabbed the spear forward, aiming for the teenager's arm. He wanted to inflict as little hurt as possible.

He stepped back rapidly, his hands motioning up as he did. Spikes of ice launched up between them, intercepting each of Miksa's attacks.

The warrior spun with tremendous force, yelling as he lashed the spear out horizontally. It tore through the spike, nearing his subordinate's torso.

The waterbender leapt back, the tip of the weapon cutting through the very edge of his parka. He spread his legs as he landed, his palms passing one another directly in front of him.

Miksa recognized the technique, stabbing his spear into the ground. He launched himself up as the ground beneath the weapon softened, changing to water. Gripping the end of the instrument, he slammed it down towards Yakone as he fell.

He waved both hands up, water lifting directly in front of him before freezing. It cracked as his superior's attack fell against it, nearly shattering beneath the force of the blow. Motioning both hands back, he pressed them forward as the shield of ice changed back to water, launching towards the warrior's gut.

He spun once again, launching his elbow towards the waterbender's face as his opponent's attack missed.

Yakone fell back, the attack connecting directly with the side of his head. He pushed himself off of the ground, glaring.

Miksa approached slowly, still gripping the spear as he gazed upon his opponent.

The distant hope of his subordinate's surrender grew fainter as the teenager turned, ice and snow tearing off of the ground as they shot towards his opponent, altering to powerful streams of water.

Yakone growled, his arms swinging out rapidly as he launched stream after stream at the warrior. Before long, his motions had dug two deep trenches into the ice from either side.

He stepped back, dodging what waves he could while slamming his spear against others to divert them. His stand was admirable, defying nearly all of the waterbender's attacks. A stream had taken him off guard, the final launching him back to the ground.

Miksa pushed against the ground, glaring as he felt the water soaking him grow colder, stiffer. In almost an instant he was frozen, his gaze following his subordinate as he passed.

"C'mon," Yakone commanded flatly as he passed the frozen warrior, motioning his hand towards the Fire Nation soldiers.

They passed cautiously, some glancing down towards the frozen Miksa. Without question they followed their captain's orders, stepping onto the raft.

The waterbender's hands moved fluidly, motioning towards the tunnel. The water beneath them began shifting, bringing them towards their destination as Yakone manipulated it.

"There're enough supplies to last you about a month. I've packed Water Tribe parkas; wear those 'til you get to Fire Nation territory," he instructed calmly as he continued bending the water, his voice echoing gently throughout the tunnel. .

The captain nodded quietly, the situation still shocking him to some degree. He considered that which was happening carefully in attempt to fully comprehend it.

Silence passed as they neared the end, an icy door separating them from the vast ocean. Yakone lifted his hands towards it, breathing deeply as he closed his eyes. He lowered his arms slowly.

The door plunged down into the water before them, the vibrant waves of the ocean disturbing the calm of the water beneath the raft.

"I loaded enough paddles for each of you, and one or two spares. I got you this far." The teenager turned towards the tunnel, motioning his hands carefully as a small block of ice formed from the water.

"You will remain here?" the captain's eyebrow rose, understanding the waterbender's actions to be traitorous to his fellow Tribesmen.

"Yeah," he shrugged, setting foot onto the ice chunk cautiously. Turning back towards the raft, he gave a gentle smirk. "I don't regret what I did. I'll stick around to tell them that."

The captain nodded. Though he could not understand the source of the teenager's kindness, he was able to recognize that a great compassion had been demonstrated.

Yakone moved his arms, the ice rotating as he faced back towards the North Pole.

"Waterbender!" the captain shouted out.

"Hmm?" he peered over his shoulder.

"I am captain Shigeo, of the Fire Nation! I thank you for the aid you have given my men and I, and hope that someday, I will be permitted to reciprocate such!" He bowed as he said the words, his soldiers standing to do the same.

"...Hmm," he smirked slightly as he turned back towards the North Pole, bending the water beneath him to hasten his speed.

"Grab the oars, men. We're going home," Shigeo nodded towards the soldiers as he turned towards the horizon. He felt the gentle touch of snow falling against him, looking up towards the distant moon. He smiled, the thought of his family's reaction to his return warming his body.

The raft cut quickly through the water, disappearing into the distance. The wall of ice separating the tunnel from the ocean rose once more, Yakone bringing it back into place. He balanced carefully atop the ice chunk, motioning his hands constantly to patch the tunnel he had carved. The work exhausted him, needing to catch his breath after freezing over the innermost layer. His makeshift raft floated calmly towards the clearing they had departed from.

He stepped onto the ice, a soft layer of snow coating the ground. Feeling the gentle buckled of snow beneath his boots, he approached before his frozen superior. His hands moved slowly, the ice coating Miksa weakening as it changed back to water.

The moment the ice had lost its hold over him, the warrior sprang forward. He gripped Yakone by the throat, slamming him against the ground. His fist rose towards the sky, poised to strike. His expression grew sterner as he noticed the sight beneath him.

The waterbender smiled softly, confident that he had done what was right.

Miksa glared, wanting more than anything to strike his former subordinate.

A horn cut through the air, interrupting the silence that had passed between the two.

"Ah," Yakone glanced in its direction as the snow fell over them. "They found the guards."

The warrior's grip on the traitor's throat remained tight, the snow falling softly over them.

Before long other warriors had arrived, making no effort to be gentle as they grabbed Yakone. They carried him away quickly, the satisfied grin never leaving his face.

Miksa stood, watching as he disappeared behind a corner with the warriors escorting him. He sighed slowly, looking up towards the moon.

The snow fell tenderly against his face, bringing him to squint slightly. Silence fell between each flake.



"General Seung! A pleasure to see you once again! I trust your journey went well?" the general stood at the center of the hall, soldiers standing at attention on either side of him.

"General Chul," Seung offered a polite bow, having not seen his commrade in many years. "I am pleased to report our journey to be a calm one." His soldiers stood behind him, Yakone standing off to the side beside Xiu with folded arms.

"Excellent; I suspect that you were entitled to such, after reading through your reports." He took a step back, bowing his head slightly as he motioned for the general to follow.

Seung nodded, grateful for Chul's notorious hospitality. He walked beside him, the soldiers following carefully as they ensured the safety of the two. "Have the other generals arrived?"

"A few, yes," he trailed off as he stared back towards his guest's party. With an amused smile he looked back towards his comrade, laughing heartily. "Such interesting company you keep, Seung!"

"Ah," he smiled as he peered back towards the group. "Yes, I suppose. I am very grateful for lady Xiu and Yakone's company, though."

Chul's pace slowed as an expression of cautious familiarity filled his face. He glanced back towards the waterbender, turning back towards the hall ahead of them. He whispered carefully, his body rigid for fear of being overheard.

"...I'm sorry, his name again...?"

"Yakone," Seung's eyebrow rose slightly as he studied the general's face.

"Don't glance back, general Seung." His tone had taken an edge of harsh command, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Please pay careful attention to what I say here."

The earthbender said nothing, his expression serious as he stared forward.

"Nearly a month ago, I hosted a small group of Water Tribesmen who had been traveling nearby. They were in need of supplies, and I was more than willing to provide them with such."

The statement was accurate, reinforcing the general's hospitality towards all those he considered allies. His critics often interpreted it as a demonstration of weakness.

"One of them....A strong warrior named 'Miksa,' he asked if I had ever received a waterbender named 'Yakone.' I told him I hadn't. Of course, I inquired as to the identity of this 'Yakone'."

"Of course," Seung fought the temptation to look back towards the teenager.

"One of the tribesmen grew angry, and then yelled that this 'Yakone' was a murderer."

The earthbender froze, his pace stopping entirely.

"The one named Miksa fell silent. I dropped the topic entirely, feeling it to be a sore point." Chul drew to a halt, turning to face his fellow general.

"You will pardon me general Chul, for a few moments? There is a matter I wish to discuss with my traveling companion." His eyes were narrow, his voice low.

"...Of course," he nodded before taking a final glance back towards the person in question.

Yakone's eyebrow rose, wondering why their host had suddenly looked towards him.

"I will wait for you in the main hall," he informed quietly before turning to the others, resuming his broad welcoming smile. "Now then, if you would all be so kind as to follow me as my distinguished guests!" With a quick motion to his soldiers he made his way to the far end of the hall, the group following after.

Seung remained still, his arm rising up slightly to prevent Yakone from passing.

The waterbender looked curiously towards the general, unsure as to his motive for stopping him.

"Please remain here." His gaze remained fixed on Chul and the other soldiers as they passed through the door, his eyes hinting at a slight agitation.

Xiu glanced towards them, wondering why they had paused. A faint worry crept over her as she caught sight of Seung's face. The sensation of a soldier placing his hand on her shoulder awoke her from her stare, peering nervously over her shoulder as she continued towards the door.

"Somethin' wrong?" Yakone squinted slightly as he studied the general.

"A few nights ago," he began, "I asked you about your origins; what brought you to encounter Bo. It was forward of me, and I apologize."

The waterbender stared, unable to perceive the slightest hint of the general's motivation for the statement.

"However, something has occurred that requires me to ask you once again about your background." He turned slightly, his expression serious as he looked towards the teenager.

Yakone sneered, his eyes narrowing in aggravation at the repeated inquiry.

"None of your business," he muttered, turning to leave. He stopped as a large sheet of stone tore forth from the wall, obstructing his path.

"This isn't a request," Seung glared. Every instance of the waterbender evading the question hinted at the possible accuracy of Chul's report.

He peered over his shoulder with irritation, staring towards the general. "You really want to do this?"

"No. I would prefer that you trust me enough to answer my question."

"Too bad," he turned his head aside, spitting towards the ground before facing towards the earthbender. "Looks like we're doin' this, then."

"You would prefer fighting to peaceful discussion?" his tone grew harsh, unable to understand the waterbender's reasoning.

"No, I just prefer it to telling some high-and-mighty general all about me," he glared.

"You're in an Earth Kingdom base. You can't possibly think this is the best course of action." He offered basic reason, hoping to avoid unnecessary conflict.

"Then I'll just have to get a head start," he stepped back into his stance as he neared the end of the sentence, moving forward as liquid tore out of his water skin.

Seung noticed the movement of Yakone's foot, countering early enough to meet the attack. He cupped his hands, lifting his palms as his foot tapped against the ground.

A column of stone shot up quickly between them, intercepting the water whip. The general leaned his body back, thrusting his fists forward as his foot stomped against the ground.

The waterbender turned slightly, his hands moving with speed and fluidity as he formed the water splashing against the stone into a whip once again. His eyes went wide as the ground rose out in front of him, pillars of stone stabbing at him. He dodged back, evading the attack with grace. He glanced back, startled as he felt the sheet of rock the general had obstructed his path with earlier prevent him from moving any further. Looking forward, he stared as the pillars continued towards him.

They slammed into the sheet, a pillar above and beneath each arm. The column nearing his face had stopped just over his chest.

He was pinned.

"There," Seung announced the end of the match quietly, lowering his hands.

"Lucky," the teenager muttered in protest, glaring towards the earthbender.

"I'll ask you again..."

"And I'll tell you it's none of your business. Again." He glared, his emphasis on "again" hinting at the futility of further inquiry into the matter.

"I'm grateful for the aid you provided to us in protecting Ba-Jing; it is for that reason that I chose to ask you about this privately. That privilege was withdrawn when you chose to attack me, rather than speak about it."

"Why is this so important to you?" his frustration was growing quickly, anger filling every feature of his face.

"General Chul informed me of a group of Water Tribe members who passed through the area," he began. He hoped that in being forthcoming with information, it would persuade the teenager to do the same.

His eyes went wide upon hearing the news, staring intently towards the earthbender.

"One of them inquired about you, whether you had passed through the area. General Chul answered that he hadn't, and proceeded to ask about your identity. One of the Tribesmen referred to you as a murderer."

The anger and wonder had fallen from his face in an instant, as if the word had stabbed directly through his chest. His gaze fell towards the ground, clenching his teeth.

"I would prefer not to trust that report," he followed. "Personal experience and interaction with you tells me it's false."

"It is false!" he yelled angrily, his fists clenching.

Seung watched silently, slightly surprised by the sudden outburst.

"...I didn't kill anyone." His tone was low, practically a whisper. "I did the opposite."

The distant sound of a blue jay cut through the silence, its call easing the discomfort.

"It's just easier for them to call me that," Yakone continued quietly as he told his story.



The old guard attacked first.

Gousaru turned quickly, his staff slapping hard into Gang's side, launching him towards a nearby wall. He back flipped high into the air, Bolin's attack missing as his three section staff cut horizontally against the space Gousaru had occupied a moment earlier.

Boots growled loudly as the spirit landed on his face, balancing carefully as he stabbed the butt of his staff towards the young teenager.

Bolin dodged barely, feeling the staff brush against his hair as he ducked. Scrambling forward, he gripped his weapon tightly.

Wen Lan passed him quickly, leaping up to engage the violent spirit directly. Her feet planted themselves firmly on the protesting rhinos' snout, her hands stabbing forward in a series of intense strikes.

Gousaru stepped back gracefully, maintaining his balance atop the thrashing beast as he dodged each of her advances. He jumped behind the komodo rhino, his tail swinging out to sweep the young noble's feet from under her.

She landed awkwardly atop Boots, falling beside him before hurrying back to her feet.

The spirit landed just beside the beast, taken off guard by the sudden swinging of its tail. Launched towards the ground, he screeched as he landed on his hands.

Bolin moved without pause, entering into the pattern of attack he had practiced during each training session.

He brought his staff up to meet each of the youth's techniques, his terrifying grin enough to counter any soldier's assault. Screeching slightly in surprise, he stepped back a few paces as the two other humans jumped to aid the teenager.

Wen Lan maintained the intensity of her barrage, hoping to occupy the spirit enough to grant Gang or Bolin an opportunity for attack.

The gruff bodyguard growled as he thrust his fist forward, a wave of fire bursting forth.

Bolin's eyes went wide as he stared at the fire, instantly recognizing the old guard's nation of origin. His body stopped, the realization having taken him off guard.

Boots tore forward, lifting his head in another attempt to gore the antagonist.

Gousaru grasped the foremost horn of the beast, flipping himself onto its back. Leaping off of it, he raised the staff, his gaze locking onto the motionless youth.

Zian's grandson stared up, collecting himself enough to realize the impending attack. Fear gripped him as he tightened his hold over his weapon.

Gang yelled as he jumped, turning his body so as to swing his leg towards the spirit's throat, flames tearing off of it.

The violent spirit twisted his body, his staff meeting with Gang's foot to deflect the attack. He jumped back as he landed, screeching as he slapped his staff against the ground wildly. His wild outburst stopped as Wen Lan stepped in for another attack, moving quickly to dodge her.

"You alright?" the old firebender grunted quickly, his gaze fixed on Gousaru.

"Y...Yeah," he nodded, realizing that a firebender had just saved his life.

"Good! Be more careful!" he scolded as he tore forward.

Bolin watched him move, nodding obediently. Firebender or not, the old guard was risking his own life to protect the village. That made him an ally, one to be depended upon. The teenager focused as he launched himself towards the spirit.

Gousaru screeched loudly, aggravated by the interference of so many opponents at once. He devoted his left side to fending off the young noble's attacks, his right rising to meet the gruff bodyguard head on.

Gang glared, growling lowly as his attacks became more heated. His eyes went wide as he felt a hand wrap around his palm, realizing the opponent had utilized the hand at the end of his tail once again.

The hand slapped the firebender's attack aside before shooting up towards his face. The guard's hands rose up to grasp the tail, feeling the ground disappear beneath him.

Wen Lan and Bolin stared in horror as Gousaru leapt up to the roof of a nearby building, his tail hoisting Gang up with him.

The spirit howled loudly as it twisted its body, launching the bodyguard towards Rou's estate with incredible force. He screeched, flipping back down to deal with the others.

She silently reminded herself of Gang's supreme constitution, understanding that worrying about his safety would only stunt her attacks. She instead launched herself forward once again, stabbing her hands out towards the spirit in an intense flurry.

Gang crashed into the room, rolling along the floor until he collided with something soft gathered towards the center. The door had broken his fall for the most part, rendering the pain negligible. Storming towards the now broken entrance, he lifted his hands to dust his armor off. He froze as his fingers brushed over a liquid.

His eyebrow rose, staring down towards his fingers to examine the substance in what little light the broken door provided. He could feel no pain, suggesting it to be something other than blood.

The old guard sniffed at his fingers before taking a quick taste, glancing around the room curiously. Peering back towards what he had collided with, he noticed a large fractured basket, its contents bleeding out over the floor.

The walls of the large room had been lined and stacked with the baskets, a pile of them grouped together in the center. He whispered quietly as he studied the contents further, recognizing the taste.

"Berries...?"

The distant sound of Boots' cry broke him from his focus, his feet slamming against the floor as he hurried out of the room.



"Thank you for granting us passage," Jung bowed towards the fisherman and his apprentice, standing on the same dock they had departed from a day earlier.

"It's...It's no problem! Our honor, really!" the fisherman beamed as he bowed anxiously. He and his apprentice had waited at Kyoshi Island since dawn for the chance to escort the Demon of War back to the village, thus securing further bragging rights over the others.

"I wish you well," the warrior withdrew a few coins from his pouch, handing them to the fisherman before turning to leave.

"Is it...Is it Earth Kingdom money?" the apprentice whispered as he tried to study the coins.

"Of course it's Earth Kingdom money, nitwit! What else would it be?!"

"I don't know! Demon money? I was just curious!" he sneered.

"Demon money, feh! Go get the nets ready, we've still got fishin' t'do," he grunted as he folded his arms.

Grumbling, the apprentice made his way towards the other end of the small boat.

The fisherman peered down into his hand, studying the coins carefully to determine if they were in fact, Demon money.

"I saw that," the boy muttered.

"Shut up, get to work."

"You done?" Ryoko withdrew her pipe from her mouth, snorting out two quick bursts of smoke from her nostrils.

"Yes," he answered calmly as he arrived next to her.

"You still always stop to thank people," she chuckled. She stepped forward, glancing out over the village to give it a quick study. "So, where to? Bai-Jing?"

"Yes," he nodded, walking towards the main street.

"Hey, where're you going?" her eyebrow rose as she watched him walk away, his actions contradicting the answer he had just given.

"This is the way to Bai-Jing," Jung turned towards her.

"Yeah, if you want to go the long way. Here, I know a shortcut." She nodded her head towards the mountains, visible in the distance.

He nodded obediently, walking beside her as they made their way down the path.

The Howling Wind Pass drew closer with each step.