FicWad

Roses of the Valley

Chapter Thirty-Two: Observations


He had journeyed great distances, reviewing with silent focus each and every lesson the Fire Nation had imparted upon him in the art of stealth. It enabled him to maintain his vigilant watch of Li-Mei, his efforts thwarted only by his own sense of duty to disturb the treachery of two criminals.

A potent rage coursed through his every muscle as he stood against the Fire Nation, well aware that the firebending skills possessed by his opponents dwarfed his entirely. Yelling angrily to the smoke filled sky, he cut through them.

Beside his rival and mentor, he had stood against packs of bloodthirsty mercenaries as they tore towards the village of Bai-Jing. Each was met with an intense focus, the young firebender striking with a trained, careful precision.

These accolades did nothing to aid him in his current peril. An expression of chagrin decorated his face, his body coated in a fine film of anxiety.

Being the youngest of his family, Shui knew little on the subject of children. He had started their search standing in front of her, realizing quickly the flaw in this strategy. If Ahnah were to wander away or become lost, he would have no way of knowing without peering back to check on her every other moment. He slowed his pace, moving behind her to ensure that the child was safe during their quest to find her fellow travelers. Moments later a sudden clarity befell him, realizing this tactic to be just as flawed as the first. The little water tribe girl glanced back uneasily at intervals, revealing her fright at not being able to see the teenager she had only just met.

The young firebender stepped beside her, matching his pace in an attempt to compromise. His tense expression remained, maintaining a constant search for whoever she had come to the forest with.

Ahnah gasped softly, hurrying with as much speed as her short legs would allow her to a nearby tree.

Shui watched her, his eyes trailing quickly towards the source of her fear.

In the distance was Bo, sitting rigidly at the center of the clearing as he soaked in the soft warmth of the setting sun. He had cleared his thoughts, his mind and body so still that he could nearly feel the gentle weight of the sunlight touching against his clothing.

"Sifu Bo," his pupil whispered hesitantly, understanding the importance of daily meditation.

The old firebender's eyelids parted, turning his head slowly to meet his student's attention. His gaze stopped on a distant tree, a small girl peering out curiously from behind. Realizing he had seen her, she disappeared behind it quickly.

Recognizing that his mentor had spotted the girl behind her hiding spot, Shui motioned his head towards her. "I found her in the forest; she's been separated from whoever she had been traveling with."

Bo stood slowly, staring towards the tree. It was plain to see that she was a timid creature, likely to shrink away from him should he approach her. His mouth lifted in a tender smile as the gentle fires of his memory birthed a bright spark of idea.

Ahnah shivered behind the tree, the presence of another stranger furthering her fright. She looked up towards the forest, wondering if she should perhaps run away. The thought was interrupted suddenly as something bright passed her, a tiny squeal of surprise escaping her as she ducked back.

The fire butterfly flapped its wings with a soft silence, trailing away from her before crossing to the other side of the tree.

The little girl stared wondrously, having never seen such a creature before. A sudden levity came over her, the tension that fear had littered her tiny frame with disappearing as she focused upon the butterfly. Her hands pressed against the tree softly, gazing out carefully as she watched it fly towards the old stranger.

Bo maintained a careful movement with his right hand, smiling as he lifted his left to the air before him. The fire butterfly perched atop his extended finger, resting there.

His pupil remained near the tree, smiling as he watched the old firebender's technique. He had never been witness to such a precise and gentle display of firebending.

She stepped out from behind the tree, a slight apprehension holding her back as she stared curiously towards the old man and his pet butterfly.

With a gentle smile he brought himself to a knee, his left hand extending slightly to offer the child a better look at the creature.

Ahnah motioned towards him carefully, her attention darting back and forth from the butterfly to its keeper. She stopped a few paces from him, her gaze fixed upon him for fear that he should do any one of the things her older sister had warned her strangers might do to.

"My name is Bo," he started quietly, his hand motioning once more as the butterfly flittered towards her gently.

She watched the wondrous creature as it moved towards her, her eyes moving quickly towards the old man once more. With no other method of gauging the harmlessness of the stranger, she peered back towards Shui.

Caught off guard, the teenager nodded quickly to vouch for his mentor's integrity.

"I...I'm Ahnah..." she whispered nervously.

"That is a beautiful name. Are you from the Water Tribe, Ahnah?" he motioned his hand tenderly as the fire butterfly began moving between them in slow circles.

She nodded, her eyes glancing towards the butterfly as her mind permit her body to ease slightly.

"Would you like for us to help you find them?" in studying her clothes he had guessed her family to be travelers, assuming them to be at least somewhat close and most likely in search of her.

Ahnah nodded once more, quietly adding the word her sister had taught her to always say when requesting something. "...Please."

Bo nodded, his hands slowing as the butterfly disappeared, a faint wisp of smoke fading into the air between them. Rising to his feet, he stepped to her side.

She stared up towards him, the old man's tender smile permitting her body to relax a bit further.

"Please, lead on. I'm sure we will find them very soon," he insisted to the little girl.

The little girl nodded once more, stepping forward as Bo remained at her side.

The old firebender looked up towards his student, nodding slowly. The movement conveyed an approval of Shui's actions, happy that the teenager had demonstrated kindness enough to offer help to one who needed it.

Time and interaction had enabled him to comprehend the things Bo communicated, ignorant only to the more subtle innuendos. Understanding his master's message, he smiled with quiet pride.

The three pressed on, the orange glow of the sunset flooding the forest around them.



Yakone remained poised at the telescope, his frame rigid with concentration as he maintained his watch.

The Earth Kingdom soldiers that had escorted Seung from the Kun Valley crowded around him.

"Oh c'mon!" the waterbender growled slightly, his eyes narrowing.

"What?" One of the soldiers asked, attempting to nudge between two others for a look into the telescope.

"What happened?" another questioned quickly.

"They kissed," the teenager sneered.

A collective howl of pride erupted among the soldiers, some laughing joyfully as others shoved excitedly towards the telescope in an attempt to see.

"Finally!" one called out, having been with the general the first time he had met Xiu.

"Yeah, geez. Figured they were gonna spend the rest of their lives bein' all blushy-blushy with each other," another laughed.

"Ha ha, maybe they'll still be that way," one of the others noted while glancing into the telescope.

"Who had tonight?" Yakone maintained his grimace as he fished through his pouch, the soldiers debating the topic merrily.

"I did," Aiguo grinned triumphantly, his palm open before the other takers. The others tossed their coins to him happily, happy for their superior. He laughed as the waterbender grudgingly parted with the amount they had agreed upon.

"You got lucky," the teenager growled, making his way towards the edge of the wall.

"A drink to general Seung!" one called out, the others cheering the motion.

"Wait, aren't we supposed to be on patrol?" Aiguo's eyebrow rose up.

"Hey, hey. This is more important," another reassured him, patting his shoulder.

The soldiers laughed heartily, toasting to the general and Xiu.

Leaning over the side, Yakone looked out towards Seung and Xiu in the distance. The two were nothing more than ants without the telescope to aid him, yet the teenager could not help but smile at the expression of content he had seen on their faces moments prior.



"Cancel all work pertaining to the koi pond. There is already one near the entrance and another in the garden, I don't see the point in adding a third," Chin-Hwa instructed carefully, stroking his beard as he contemplated the fate of what had been his cousin's mansion.

"And the statue, sir?" the foreman asked calmly. Rou's vanity had brought him a heavy profit recently, one tainted by blood and greed. He was more than happy to drop these projects, each reminding him of the suffering of his fellow villagers.

"What is it a statue of?" the old noble asked curiously.

"Rou," sir.

"Of course," he sighed. "How far is it from completion?"

"Haven't started on it yet, sir."

"And I ask that you never do," Chin-Hwa nodded.

"Would you like a refund on it, s..."

"No," his head motioned solemnly from side to side as he refused the offer. "I suspect that there will be some level of construction necessary to render this establishment suitable for whatever purpose it is assigned. Seeing the work you have done here thus far, I would like very much to enlist your services for said projects. Please draw whatever money is necessary for such from the payment made on the construction of the statue. If there is any difference, I will gladly pay it."

"Yes sir," he nodded, bowing respectfully. The deal was a fair one, offering him the opportunity to transform the former home of "Greedy Rou," as she had come to be known, into something that would redeem the work he had invested into it.

The old noble returned the bow, glancing over his shoulder as a voice called his attention.

"Lord Chin-Hwa," Wen Lan greeted him, holding several sheets of paper. Each was decorated with careful calculations.

"Wen Lan," he smiled towards his protégé, nodding his head in greeting. "Have you made progress?"

"I believe I have finished," she bowed respectfully, politely offering the papers. She had been asked to review how much debt Rou had accumulated in her thriftless spending, and how much could be dealt with by using the profits she had gained in her personal trade.

He lifted the paper towards him, taking a moment to understand what each number represented.

"I nearly forgot to include the half payments given by her buyers," she noted with slight embarrassment. "I believe she intended to use the payments made to begin construction of the aviary she had mentioned. If I am correct, we will only owe a small amount on her behalf, before adding the cost of delivering the money to her formers clients."

"It is still a small amount," he exhaled with gentle relief, grateful that she had spent money that she actually had, rather than accumulate debt. Handing the papers back to his successor, he resumed his study of the estate.

"Have you given any further thought to what will become of it?" she watched him study the room, looking out towards the lavish curtains that had once concealed her lord's cousin.

"I have. Yet every idea I have for it is dismissed by its physical appearance. It is simply too lavish," his eyes narrowed with a slight frustration, hoping to find some use for that which Rou had wasted money on, rather than spend even more to have it removed.

Wen Lan nodded, surveying the room once more. She had always admired her lord's disdain for flagrant displays of ones own personal wealth. Out of curiosity, she traced her memories to the last time she had seen an establishment so ornately decorated. Her eyes went wide as a memory surfaced.

"My lord?" her gaze locked on him, her face a mix of shock and wonder that the idea had not occurred to either of them sooner.

"Yes?"

"...An inn?" she asked curiously, worrying that he had already come across and dismissed the notion.

The old noble froze, staring at her. He looked to his right, his body turning as he scanned the room. His attention turned towards the entrance, his eyes piercing through the air as he reviewed the layout of the building in his head.

"...An inn," he stated softly, his head nodding up and down as his mouth lifted into a smile.

She stared, unsure as to what was passing through her lord's head.

"Wen Lan," he looked towards her, beaming. "It is perfect. If we were to make this any other sort of establishment, the villagers would avoid it for the memories it holds..."

"...But a tourist has no knowledge of such, and would pay to rest in such luxury," she smiled as she finished the thought, relieved that her idea had met with approval.

"Precisely, my dear!" he took her hands carefully so as not to disturb the papers resting in them. "However," he glanced up as he contemplated another issue. "We would have to find someone to operate and maintain such a place."

"Yes," the young noble nodded. "Yet you know many in this village, I am sure there is at least one among them who would be glad for such an opportunity.

"Yes," he nodded softly as he peered out the door.

Two workers sat at the edge of the koi pond, catching their breath as the sweat birthed by a hard day's work coated their bodies. In the distance stood a familiar figure, still toiling to complete the task that lie before him.

Liang watched his work with an intense focus, his shirt drenched in sweat. Undaunted, he pressed on in his task.

"Yes," Chin-Hwa smiled tenderly as he nodded once more. "But there is one in particular that I have in mind."



"There y'go! Feelin' better already!" Gang laughed as Boots licked his hand clean of a papaya he had been holding only moments earlier.

"Such a powerful creature," Zian nodded merrily, standing near the wall to what had been Rou's estate. Sections of the wall and the building opposite still displayed scars from the fight with Gousaru.

"It's 'cause he's got such a thick skull!" the old firebender boasted, petting the komodo rhino.

"Just like his owner," Li Mei joked lightly, smiling as she continued treating Bolin's wounds.

The teenager smiled, making every effort not to wince or release any hint of pain in front of the girl. The fight with Gousaru had left him hurt, but not nearly so much so that his condition was critical. Specks of blood decorated the wall where his face had hit it.

"Hey, Li Mei!" Gang called out to her, feeding the beast another papaya.

"Whoops," she glanced towards him, assuming he had heard her comment.

"Can you give a rhino sake?" The events of Wei Min had delayed his bet with Chin-Hwa, the peace surrounding them permitting him to finally settle the matter.

"...What?" she furrowed her brow, her hand slowing as she traced a cloth gently over a bit of blood protruding from a cut near Bolin's eye.

"Rhinos. Can you give 'em sake? That's fine, right?" he fished a jug of the liquid out from his pouch.

"What? No! You can't give animals alcohol!" she protested.

"Sure you can!" he argued, disliking the fact that her decision would allow Chin-Hwa to come out the victor.

"No, it's terrible for them, what are you...!?" Li Mei's eyes went wide as she watched the old bodyguard pop off the top of the jug.

"Settlin' this once and for all!" he offered the sake to Boots, who sniffed at it curiously.

"You can't!"

"It's for science!" he argued.

Boots took the jug in his mouth, chewing at it. Bits of ceramic fell to the ground, sake raining from the jaws of the beast. The rhino snorted roughly as the flavor set in, prodding his front horn gently against Gang in the hopes of getting more.

"Ha ha, see?!" he grinned triumphantly. "He likes it!"

"Old fool!" Li Mei scolded him, frowning as she turned her attention back towards Bolin.

Zian laughed lightly, glad to have the company of such lively spirits. He made his way slowly towards his grandson, his cane tapping against the ground softly with each careful step.

"You are very lucky," the elder nodded towards the teenager with tender pride.

"Thank you, grandfather." There was some degree of relief in this, grateful that he was wrong in the assumption that his grandfather would be ashamed of such bold and reckless actions.

The young girl smiled as she continued treating Bolin's face, spots of red staining the cloth. She was impressed that he hadn't sustained further wounds at the hands of the spirit.

"And now you have a beautiful young girl treating your wounds," he nodded happily towards Li Mei.

The girl laughed, blushing at his compliment. "No no, I've already finished treating everyone else; I feel so guilty that it took me so long to begin treat..." she turned her attention back towards Bolin to offer a proper apology, her sentence disrupted by the teenager's gaze.

He glanced aside, blushing deeper at the realization that his face had become flushed.

She nervously lifted the cloth back to his face, treating the remaining injuries. She had been so focused on each cut that she had not noticed until that moment the handsome quality of his face.

Zian smiled softly, the sort of smile that is gained through years of increasing one's perception of the subtle actions others engage in. A smile of understanding.

Gang was oblivious to the matter, laughing wildly at Boot's sudden fascination with sake.



"Go, go, go, go!" the bandits chanted, forming a tight knit circle around the fire. The yelling broke into a sudden roar, some impressed by the outcome.

Ryoko slammed the cup down in front of her, grinning as she looked up towards her opponent.

The bandit threw the cup against a nearby rock, the remaining liquid splashing against the soft earth near the campfire. Tossing a few coins down he stormed off, infuriated.

"Who's next?" the warrior smirked as she drew a thin stick from the fire, using it to light her pipe. With a quick movement of the wrist she tossed the twig back from whence it came.

"Me!" one of the older bandits laughed, sitting across from her. He watched her with a careful smile, monitoring her for any form of treachery in their contest.

She stared back, grinning as she moved her eyebrows up and down to throw her opponent off.

The boisterous laughter of the circle rose back up, their cries filling the mountain air. Ryoko had taken careful measures to avoid animosity between the bandits and the woman who thrashed them. The careful method was one she had practiced on many adventures prior; she found a merchant carrying food and drink through the pass and grabbed some of it.

Jung sat a distance from the fire, his gaze fixed on the stars above. It had been a long time since he had ventured away from Bai-Jing, the night giving him the opportunity to see the sky from another perspective. He noted the familiar stars, finding them to be far from where he had grown accustomed to seeing them. The cool air brushed against his skin, the distant light of the fire giving subtle warmth to his right side as stars he hadn't seen in a long time reintroduced themselves.

"Hmph," a gruff voice sounded behind him, powerful footsteps moving closer.

He peered over his shoulder, recognizing the leader of the bandits.

Koro grimaced disapprovingly towards the fire, annoyed not only at the fact that his subordinates had taken to the enemy had had reached a stalemate with, but also that her peace offering to them forced patrol duty upon him. He knew all too well that he couldn't trust one of his men to keep a keen eye on things if they knew that food and drinks were waiting for him back at the camp.

"That partner of yours, she's infuriating." Koro glared towards the fire.

The Demon said nothing, smiling beneath the mask.

"Why aren't you over there?" the veteran bandit peered towards him, deeming quiet enemies the most dangerous sort.

"I don't drink."

"...Hmm," he turned his attention back towards the fire, surprised by the answer. "Me either."

The space between the two fell quiet, the crackling of the campfire and roar of the bandits carrying over the mountains.

"Listen," Koro cut through the silence as if he plunged his katar into it. "The only reason I'm not gutting you right now is because of the deal we made. Sleep with one eye open," he warned roughly. "If I find either of you here at dawn, I'm claiming the price on your heads."

"Understood." He simply stared forward, well aware of the terms of their agreement.

"Good," Koro muttered, making his way towards his tent.

Jung looked back towards the sky, recalling the nights that followed each of Wen Lan's visits when he lived in the mountains near the Kun Valley. In the wake of her company, the stars held a unique brightness. His thoughts drifted to her with tender affection, smiling beneath the mask as he recalled her touch, her voice, her smile.

Hon Yan sat away from the fire, his body turned slightly towards it at an angle that would enable him to monitor both the Demon and Ryoko. In his hands rested a scroll he had liberated from a small unit of scholars, one of many. He reviewed its contents carefully between glances, taking the opportunity to further his knowledge. Knowledge that could be used to his advantage later on.

"Ha!" Ryoko laughed, walking away from the campfire with an impressive handful of coins. She tossed the cup over her shoulder, paying no mind to where it landed as she approached the lieutenant, sliding the coins into a small pouch. "I'm takin' a break!" she grinned as she sat down beside him, inhaling gently from the tip of her pipe.

His eyes narrowed, suspicious of her sudden approach. His hands grew tight on the ends of the scroll as he peered to the side, watching her carefully while attempting to conceal such.

A perplexed look weighed at her face, tilting her head to the side as she read over the teenager's shoulder.

Annoyed by the motion, Hon Yan turned his body slightly away from her while maintaining a steady vigilance.

"Pfft. Not very social, are you?" she glanced sidelong at him, her right hand resting beneath her pipe as she leaned back, her left hand pressing against the ground behind her to support her weight.

Seeing no need to respond, he remained motionless. His hands moved carefully to adjust the scroll, hoping to give the illusion that he was ignoring her. If she were plotting any sort of move against him, such an opportunity would tempt her into it.

Ryoko drew the pipe from her mouth, blowing a thin stream of smoke skyward. Grinning, she blew the last remaining wisp of smoke towards his ear.

"Don't try being sly with me, kid." She warned smugly.

Hon Yan silently acknowledged the soundness of his decision not to engage her when the smoke hit his face. Where he had attempted to bait her into trying something, she had countered by setting a trap of her own. Any unwarranted move against her would infringe upon the deal she had struck with the old man. If such were the case, he would have to face Koro. Something he wasn't prepared for.

Yet.

"See, this is why I don't like cities," she nodded her head towards the skyline before them. "Lanterns all over the place. Makes it hard t'see the stars. Plus, buildings get in the way. You have to move around if you want to see everything"

Unable to fathom her sudden change of topic, he continued monitoring her out of the corner of his eye. His hands maintained their steady movement, now hoping to give the illusion of ignoring her so that she may leave him be.

"I always liked the stars," she smiled. "I get annoyed at night if I can't see 'em while I'm resting."

The teenager analyzed her words, trying to find some point to them.

"Still, cities're nice. I mean, great food, good people. Plus, you can check in and see what your bounty's up to," she grinned, treating the matter as if it were a little game. "But no stars."

His eyes glanced towards the scroll, irritated that he had invested any attention into the prattle of some woman.

"It'd be great, though. If you could have a city and the stars." She trailed off, staring forward. Grinning, she leaned her upper body forward, her arms folding over her knees as she looked towards him. "I'd give up both these shields for that," she laughed. Ryoko understood all too well that her shields would fetch high prices in particular circles.

He glanced towards the Demon to ensure that she wasn't merely distracting him in the interest of some greater scheme. Seeing no motion on his part, he glanced suspiciously towards her.

"How about you, punk? What would you give up, if someone offered you somethin' wonderful?"

Hon Yan had remained silent as she rambled on; an expression of disdain filling his face as he stared towards her.

"...They say this world is a place of give and take," he began. "I have never seen the benefit, or felt the pleasure of giving..." he stood slowly, staring down towards her with a mix of contempt and confidence.

Ryoko's eyebrow rose as she watched him stand.

"So I take." He glared down at her. "Everything."

She inhaled slowly from her pipe, unsure as to whether to treat his statement with pity or sorrow.

He glared over his shoulder as he walked away from her. Finding another spot to monitor the two from he sat back down, facing towards her to convey that his only reason for moving had been to escape her useless banter.

The warrior breathed out sharply through her nose, smoke escaping in thin streams from her nostrils before dissipating in the night. Standing slowly, she glanced over her shoulder towards the fire, still raging as the bandits laughed and cried out. Motionless, she peered back towards the lieutenant.

"People who deal in 'everythings' have only that t'lose." With that she turned, making her way back towards the fire. Her smile returned to her as she felt its intensity grow, elbowing her way back into the contest she had left a short while ago.

Hon Yan stared carefully towards the fire, maintaining his vigilant watch of the two.



Hon Yan is copyright Booter Freak. Thank you very much for granting me permission to use him!