FicWad

Roses of the Valley

Chapter Thirty-Three: Paths to Bai-Jing


"Lieutenant," he grinned as he approached his subordinate, his hand tightly gripping a scroll.

"Admiral Kano!" Norio stood at nervous attention.

Kano's psychotic and destructive manner made him a man to be feared, especially to those working below him. Yet in knowing the admiral longer than most, Norio had been given the uncommon opportunity to understand his superior's typical mannerisms. Since he had received word of Kazuki's defeat in Bai-Jing, he had become withdrawn and quiet.

It was terrifying.

"I have a special task for you!" he smiled, lifting the scroll. "You must enlist your fastest messenger, and see to it that this parchment is delivered safely to Bai-Jing!"

"B...Bai-Jing, sir?" the sudden change in demeanor had taken Norio off guard, the intended destination of the document astounding him.

"Of course! I awoke this morning to discover a glorious day, one that I felt I should utilize as best I could! And so, I have prepared this message for the dear general Seung!" There was an unsettling levity in his tone.

"Are you sure this won't be breaching your orders to avoid the Kun valley, sir...?" Norio's voice shrunk as he reached the end of the inquiry, realizing it could potentially incite the admiral's notorious rage.

"Ah, and how would it do such? I'm merely sending a letter to a dear friend; and I hardly think that such communication would relate to warfare. Besides," he grinned as he drew closer to his subordinate, leaning in.

Norio's body tensed worriedly.

"The only way the Fire Lord would frown on it, is if he were to know of the scroll's existence. But that has no chance of happening, does it lieutenant?" his grin spread wider, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Of course not, sir," he stammered.

"Wonderful!" Kano stood upright, turning as he made his way back from whence he came. "Please be sure it's handled with the most delicate care! I would not want to give the dear general the impression that the Fire Nation cannot properly and safely deliver a message!"

"Yes sir," his lieutenant watched him leave; looking down at the scroll only after the admiral had turned the corner. In impressive, careful handwriting, a single line was written.

Norio stared curiously at the line, confused. It listed a date, yet not the current one. His suspicion that it was the presumed date of delivery was soon dismissed, the line written far beyond the amount of time it would take even the slowest messenger.

The soldier's eyes went wide as he realized the true nature of the writing.

The date that Kano would lead his assault.



By the banks of the river nearest the Kun valley rested a tree, its delicate branches moved only by traces of gentle wind flowing between the numerous trees of the forest.

On the smallest branch of the tree a leaf had blossomed, so tiny and sickly that by all appearance it seemed to live in shame of the thicker, suppler leaves of the tree. The warm sun of the spring had offered nourishment to the leaf, the offer thwarted by the lush branches directly above it.

The fleeting sunlight touched tenderly against the leaf for the first time, the leaves that had once stood as an obstacle cleared away. The bark above the small branch had been stripped away, floating swiftly down the river as the current grasped it.

The culprit, the bowsprit of a ravaged vessel, rest heavily on the shore near the tree.

Shui brushed aside a low hanging tree limb, drawing to a halt so as to hold it out of Ahnah and Bo's path.

The old man nodded gratefully, the child next to him lowering her head instinctively as they passed beneath the branch.

The three had walked in silence, each maintaining careful watch for any hint as to where the child's family or traveling companions may be. The orange light that had washed over the forest had faded into soft twilight, the nearly inaudible call of harmless nocturnal animals in the distance passing between the trees. The far off sound of flowing water signaled that they had neared the river.

The old firebender's eyes narrowed slightly as he recognized a large shape near the water's edge. A ship had landed, its origin indiscernible from such a distance.

Ahnah observed the very same, scampering towards the wreck with as much speed as she could muster.

"Wait!" Shui lifted his hand, the girl startling him as she hurried away. His legs moved quickly, carrying him forward a few paces before drawing to a halt. The teenager stepped slowly towards the boat, squinting slightly as he studied the scene before them.

Even without the massive damage it had sustained, the ship carried its age and wear obviously. Scorch marks stained its side, sections of it smashed in from what could only be catapult fire. Its sails were beyond repair, sections of the mass bearing slash marks as the cloth smoldered.

The cargo of the ship had been stacked cautiously on the riverbank, supplies from a fractured barrel littering a small section of the ground. A pile of clothing had been set against a stack of crates. No crew member was within sight, the area devoid of all life save the three.

The child hurried towards the clothing, her every step communicating a great worry.

Shui's eyes went wide, realizing the pile of clothing to be more than he had anticipated.

"Papa!" Ahnah cried out, sobbing with a mix of worry and relief at having found him. Her arms wrapped around his chest, body trembling slightly as a pained grunt escaped him.

His hand rose slowly, shivering as he pressed it to her back to return the affection.

Finally recognizing the features of the ship, Bo began peering to either side. Silently he searched the trees for any sound or sign of activity.

The young firebender started forward, realizing from the hastily applied bandages and slurred movements that the man had sustained injuries. His pace slowed as he neared Ahnah, a nearly intangible pain echoing through him as he watched her cry and grasp at the man. Lifting his hand, he motioned towards her in an attempt to draw her away from him for fear of disturbing any of the wounds.

"Get away from them!" a voice shrieked from above.

Bo's body tensed, the sound of disturbed brush ringing out behind him.

Shui's eyes went wide as he stared skyward, the figure staring down hatefully as it perched atop the deck rail. It leapt towards him, a glimmer of twilight washing off of the assailant's sword as it slid quickly from it's sheathe. The movement was rapid, leaving the teenager no opportunity to discern any of his attacker's features.

The old firebender turned, crouching as he stepped in to greet an opponent. His leg swept forward, his arm lashing out over the enemy's head before pulling back. In one swift movement, the assailant fumbled towards the ground.

Cursing his luck, he darted back quickly to avoid the fierce movement of the sword. He knew well enough to avoid revealing his capacity for firebending needlessly within the Earth Kingdom, the fact limiting considerably his potential to properly counter his opponent.

The figure landed directly between Ahnah and Shui, tearing towards him with a powerful series of strikes.

A second condemnation of his own luck passed through his mind, realizing his axe to still be in the village. Evading each strike barely, he clenched his teeth as the edge of the blade riddled his clothing with small cuts.

Bo turned his upper body, his right hand grasping the wrist of another attacker. His right foot kicked against the enemy's ankle, his right arm swinging up as the assailant fell to the ground. Dodging another strike, his body moved with a fluid grace.

Shui's attacker lashed out once more, crying out as the sword faltered, the tip falling against the ground.

The young firebender slowed to a halt, taking the opportunity to study his enemy.

Her Water Tribe heritage was made obvious by her complexion, darkened slightly by so much time at sea. Her hair stopped at her shoulders, unkempt and stringy, hardened slightly by the salt of the ocean water. The clothing she wore was simple yet displayed a remarkable durability, each demonstrating an obvious wear to them. A pair of simple cropped pants covered her legs, an open dark vest resting over her chest, concealed in thick bandages. A dark bracer covered each of her wrists, two silver studs piercing her left ear. Her eyes were dark, staring angrily towards the intruder.

A small spot of blood penetrated through a hastily applied bandage just above her cloth belt, revealing the cause of the pause in her attack.

The old firebender continued to meet each attack, consciously concealing his firebending as he brought each opponent to the ground. Bringing the last enemy in sight off of his feet, he looked up towards his pupil and the assailant.

The girl glared, her grasp on the sword tightening.

Shui stepped back cautiously into a stance, finally understanding the scenario before him.

"Pirates," he muttered grimly.



"...Route is longer, yet it allows you to cross through sergeant Teng's territory. You will be able to restock your supplies there and perhaps enlist further aid in your coming battle with the admiral," Chul traced his finger over the map as he explained.

"I see. Thank you for consideration, general Chul." Seung offered a deep bow, any traces of disappointment in the prior day's meeting washed away by the touch of Xiu's lips against his.

Soldiers shuffled around them, tying the supplies carefully to the ostrich horses, Kyo shifting nervously as strangers secured packs and bundles to his sides.

Yakone lifted a hand to the beast's neck, his touch reassuring the creature that no harm would come to it.

"Please general Seung, your gratitude is unnecessary. I only wish that I could offer more to you in Bai-Jing's time of need." An underlying disappointment weighed at his words. Chul genuinely admired the young general, consistently impressed by his hard work and dedication. It had made his inability to aid the valley harder to tolerate.

"There is nothing to apologize for, general. I understand that the decision has been made in the interest of the Earth Kingdom. I will work hard to develop a proper strategy utilizing what forces I have."

Xiu stood a few paces from Yakone and Kyo, grinning as she exchanged the hats she had crafted on their journey for a considerable profit. The base had afforded her a considerable opportunity: Living entirely within its walls, the soldiers had little to spend their money on. With minimal civilian contact, a woman selling potential souvenirs for loved ones proved to be a rare opportunity worth investing in.

"I wish you the best of luck in whatever may lie ahead of you," the elder general bowed, grateful for the understanding manner in which Seung had greeted the matter.

"I wish to you the very same," Seung returned with a bow of equal depth. "May our cross paths again."

"I am certain they shall," he nodded encouragingly.

With that the young general stepped back, turning towards his party.

"Finally," Yakone muttered as the earthbender approached. He could never quite understand how a goodbye could possibly take so long. "Hey, you almost done?!" he called out to Xiu.

"Yeah yeah, I'm coming," she muttered dismissively to the impatient waterbender, stuffing the last of her profits into her pouch. She hurried past a pair of armored ostrich horses, gripping the strap of her bag as she drew closer.

The general stood beside Kyo, smiling gently as she drew closer. He placed his left hand upon the creature's neck, offering his right to Xiu to help her onto the mount..

Subtle warmth grew in her cheeks as she took his hand, the two still fairly timid in the presence of one another. The kiss had done little to dismiss such, instead filling each with a tender confidence in the knowledge that their feelings for one another were mutual.

The corner of Yakone's mouth lifted in a smirk, his arms folding as he quietly regarded the two as being ridiculous.

The soldiers grinned.

"Where to, then?" the teenager glanced towards the earthbender.

"East," Seung answered, breaking into a steady pace as he led the group towards the entrance of the great base.

The group pressed forward, the sunlight raining down warmly upon them as the grand stone gate before them split, dividing as squads of earthbenders to either side stood with powerful stances, guiding the earthen slabs to a position that would allow the general passage.

As they left the fortress the horizon welcomed them, the distant mountains reaching like fingers towards the thin clouds painting the sky.



"Like this?" Gang's eyebrows furrowed with an expression of puzzled uncertainty.

"No no, don't just hold him with one hand!" Li Mei scolded, lifting her hands to correct his form.

The infant hog monkey in the old bodyguard's hand kicked its tiny legs in the air, the firebender leaning forward to allow the young girl to show him the proper method.

"You have to hold him like a baby, and give him the berries one by one." Smiling, she moved the tiny creature into the proper position.

The clearing Gousaru had led them to a few nights earlier was now bustling with life, villagers gathered in an effort to help revitalize the hog monkeys that had suffered Rou's greed. Baskets of the precious berries lined the edge, citizens taking handfuls to feed the small creatures.

Bolin held the creature carefully, smiling as his grandfather offered it berries. All his wounds seemed to have been healing properly, save a barely noticeable scar lining the bridge of his nose.

"How's he supposed to get strong eating one at a time? He needs a healthy appetite!" Gang grinned as he placed a berry near the creature's mouth.

It brought its hands up excitedly, resting them softly on the firebender's hands as it tried to clutch the tiny fruit. Juices dripped messily upon its snout as it devoured the berry.

"Just one!" she narrowed her eyes, lifting a finger to warn him. "And don't you give any of them alcohol or something weird!"

"Yeah, yeah," he grunted, offering the creature to Li Mei to prevent her from needlessly fretting.

Taking the infant hog monkey in her arms, she turned towards Bolin and Zian. She blushed softly as she approached the two.

Noticing the corners of his elder's mouth lifting into a smile, the teenager turned. His body froze, his eyes widening slightly as he watched the girl approach.

"Bolin," she smiled excitedly as she lifted the creature slightly, her words taking form without her mind's consent. "Did you know that even though the hog monkeys like these berries, it's not their favorite food?"

The teenager stared. Regardless of what subject the girl had approached him with, the result would have been entirely the same.

"Their favorite food is actually bananas, but not many grow in this area of the Earth Kingdom. I also heard that they like mangos, but I don't think that those grow in this area either." Li Mei had spent the prior day asking the older women of the village about the hog monkeys, hoping to gain knowledge of something pertinent to the region as to perhaps impress the teenager with. Each of the subjects found themselves in a continuous chain of facts and hearsay as the girl attempted to make conversation.

Bolin stood overwhelmed, entirely unaware of how to handle the situation. He had been certain that she wanted nothing to do with him after he had stared so foolishly at her as she addressed his wounds, her conversation with him now leaving him utterly speechless, unable to fathom a proper response.

His silence inspired further unease in her, the nervousness leading her to speak with a greater speed and wider variety of topics, some deviating considerably from relevance.

Gang smirked, fully recognizing the situation before him as another hog monkey trotted towards him, seeing the berries in his palm. Tossing them towards the creature he started towards the young girl.

"...And I'm sure that a cat owl doesn't always have to land on its feet, it might not if it suddenly couldn't fly and was really surprised when it fell, but I've never seen it happen. What do you think, Bolin...?" Unable to grasp any other subjects of discussion, she resorted to a different tactic: Posing a question to Bolin in order to get some form of response.

Taken completely off guard, the boy stammered.

"...I...Have to...Go. Now...?" He stared slightly, nodding his head softly as his mind clamored as to why his mouth would choose such a foolish sentence, when it was entirely untrue. Turning, he awkwardly stepped away.

"Ah, sure..." Li Mei nodded as he walked away, sighing when he had moved just out of earshot. She looked towards the ground, scolding herself silently for letting her words wander without some form of guidance from her mind. She looked up, startled slightly as a hand rested upon her shoulder.

"Hey," Gang whispered, looking towards the tree the hog monkeys had previously been hidden under. "I think lady Wen Lan needs help with that thing. She might be holding it wrong."

Li Mei looked curiously up towards the old firebender. Her attention turned towards her friend, a hog monkey sitting awkwardly on her arm. She smiled, the disappointment lifting temporarily as she made her way towards the young noble.

"Heh," Gang smirked as he watched her walk further into the clearing, stepping towards the elder of the village.

"My grandson is not used to girls talking to him," Zian chuckled as he stepped towards the old firebender, his cane pressing firm against the ground.

"Yeah. If she really likes him, he'll come around. She doesn't give up on things." He grinned as he recalled Yakone complaining about the very same trait weeks earlier.

"I think that is an admirable quality," the elder nodded his head.

Gang nodded as a quiet passed between the two, the sound of the hog monkeys and villagers sifting through the air.

"Have they been friends long?" the elder asked, watching as Wen Lan mimicked Li Mei's movements to better hold the little beast.

"Since she could walk," he nodded towards the younger. "Lady Wen Lan's watched out for that family as best she can," he smirked, always happy to list off any example of his lady's kindness.

"I think she will make a very good mother," Zian observed suddenly with a smile.

The old bodyguard stared at the elder, taken off guard by the sudden comment. His mouth opened to respond, his eyes peering back towards his lady.

In the distance Wen Lan smiled, laughing lightly as she cradled the tiny creature in her arms while Li Mei offered it berries.

Before he could offer the answer his mouth closed, spreading into a gentle smile as he watched her hold the hog monkey. His heart knew better than to deny the observation.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Probably."

The two men stood there, smiling as the villagers continued caring merrily for the creatures that had suffered Rou's greed. The leaves of the surrounding trees swayed softly as the wind touches against them.

The placid moment was interrupted suddenly as a mature hog monkey leapt from a nearby tree onto Gang's shoulder.

The bodyguard's eyes went wide in surprise, shaking his shoulder quickly to jostle the little beast off as he cursed loudly at it.

It howled, treating the sudden movement as a game. Remaining on his shoulder, it screeched and held on as he attempted to shake it off.

Wen Lan's hand rose to her mouth, stifling a laugh as she watched her old friend wrestle with a beast a sixth of his own size.

Li Mei sighed, Zian laughing with great amusement at the spectacle.

The sound of the villager's laughter mixed with the call of the hog monkey, carrying gently through the air in a celebration of life and recovery from the suffering that had occupied Wei Min.



A gentle gust of wind washed over the trail, a lone dried leaf scraping softly against the stone pathway.

A thin stream of water fell from the bamboo reed of a fountain, the sound of water splashing carrying an echo throughout the Sarugaran temple.

The statue of Gousaru sat heavily, the stone used to craft each feature contradicting the inhuman speed at which the creature had moved.

Chin-Hwa stood before it, his body still as he gazed up towards the statue he had known since his childhood.

He had looked upon it for nearly an hour, its every feature just as he had remembered it. Every experience within the temple walls echoed through him, his memories giving them form and substance as he stood before the statue.

"Spirit of mischief and levity," a familiar voice beckoned softly.

Turning slowly, his mouth lifted into a soft smile as he looked towards the empty center of the temple.

"...Gousaru," the voice said with an affectionate and gentle tone.

His memories gave the voice a body, existing only in the realm of his recollection. He had been too young to remember the experience, yet had heard about it often in his youth.

"War has waged across this nation for years...I ask you, Gousaru..." her voice was as beautiful as he remembered it, her features never aging in his eyes. With fair skin and long hair, she held her child delicately.

"Please, let my child's heart never be so heavy with the weight of this world that he cannot rise once more to smile...To love." She looked lovingly towards the child in her arms.

His eyes strained slightly, a tightness clinging to them to signal the proximity of tears.

"I ask you...In times of sorrow, lift the heart of my darling child..." With a gentle smile, she traced a finger along the infant's cheek.

"My little Chin-Hwa," she tilted her head to the side, the memory fleeting with the wind, the old noble staring towards the spot with warm regard.

"...And when you fret over losing something, only to find it in the sleeve of your robe, or very top of your pack, that is Gousaru playing a game with you to help you to laugh!"

He turned his head towards the corner of the temple as another memory played, a man sitting with a joyous smile as he shared tales of the village spirit.

"That's stupid," a little girl in fancy clothing sneered at the tale.

Chin-Hwa could not help but chuckle at the memory of his cousin, even if her attitude had been the precursor to a manner as vile as he had witnessed in her present self.

"Maybe, but it is important to laugh at the silly things in life," the man's joy remained undaunted.

"Please tell another, mister Zian!" A child in noble clothing sat excitedly beside the young Rou.

"Ah, no need to be so formal, just call me 'Zian'," he insisted with a smirk. "Hmm...How would you like to hear the tale of my father, who once helped Gousaru pull off a magnificent trick?"

"Yes, please!" the young Chin-Hwa beamed, excited by the tales of the spirit. Bai-Jing had no spirits to speak of, Wei Min's intriguing him greatly.

With the sound of Zian's chuckle, the memory slipped away. Another took form as the same dark haired noble bowed before the statue, making an offering to the spirit just as he had been taught.

Within a moment the memory had aged by years, the noble taking careful records of each and every detail of the Sarugaran temple for posterity.

His past self turned, nodding with a gentle smile towards Zian as he offered him a hot cup of tea.

The final memory passed, Chin-Hwa standing alone once again before the great statue of the spirit he had soothed a day earlier.

"...It has been too long, Gousaru," he scolded himself softly for allowing so much time to pass.

Turning his body to face the statue he looked upon it with the same expression of wonder he had viewed it with upon every visit.

"Spirit...Where you do not age...I have grown old. So old, that I have selected a successor I share no blood with. A strong woman of the Fire Nation, one I invest limitless confidence in. I ask you, spirit of mischief and levity..."

The stillness of temple grounds passed, grains of dust moving gently as the faintest of winds touched upon them.

"...Gousaru...War has waged across this nation...This world, for generations..." his face tightened, his eyes narrowing as he looked towards the earthen shape of the spirit. "I ask you, Gousaru..."

With the passing of his name, the wind gained a slight strength, the small dried leaf escaping the stone pathway before resting gently upon the ground, twitching as grains of dust pushed against it.

"Please...Never let her heart be so heavy..." Chin-Hwa's words faltered for a moment, understanding for a brief moment the love with which his mother had looked upon him as an infant. "...So heavy with the weight of this world...That she cannot rise once more to smile...To love, to treat others with kindness as I have so often seen her do."

The thin shadow of the clouds above painted the ground in barely visible strips of shadow, the longest crawling over the statue's chest.

"I ask you...In times of sorrow, lift the heart of Wen Lan...Of all born of her line..."

All at once the wind died away, stillness reigning over the temple grounds.

"I thank you, Gousaru...And swear to you that I will return to this place, to never allow so much time to pass that such tragedy will befall you and yours again." With that the noble turned, walking slowly with graceful poise.

The sound of a twig breaking in the distance caught his attention, bringing him to turn quickly towards the statue he had faced a moment earlier.

His eyes looked towards the branch; so old that it could easily have fallen from its own weight. As his eyes settled back towards the ground, something caught his eye.

Chin-Hwa approached it slowly, lowering to his knees just before the statue as his hand reached cautiously towards it.

On the ground lay a golden armlet, a glimmer of sunlight coating it as the shadow of a cloud passed. Taking it in his hand the old noble stood, studying Gousaru's stone counterpart once more.

Where each arm had been decorated with a stone armlet, one was bare.

The corners of his mouth lifted into a smile, bowing once more to the spirit of mischief and levity. He turned again, walking calmly beneath the large gate of the Sarugaran temple.



"So what's her name?" Ryoko grinned, posing the inquiry as soon as she felt they were out of earshot of the bandit camp.

Taken off guard, Jung offered no answer. He glanced towards the ground, the path finally leveling out as they reached the main trail of the pass.

"Hey hey," she scolded, knocking her knuckle lightly against the side of his mask. "Don't ignore me; what's 'er name?"

"...Wen Lan," he answered calmly.

"Pretty name. Can she fight?" Where most women would inquire as to a girl's purity and beauty, the woman warrior was more concerned with how well they could hold their own in combat.

"Yes," he offered without hesitation.

"Good! You know you have to name one of your kids after me, right?" Ryoko had little regard for etiquette, moving directly to the point she regarded as most important to establish.

A strong warmth grew beneath the mask, the question nearly knocking him back.

"What'd I say about ignoring me?" she narrowed her eyes, flicking the back of his head with a finger. "Look, just name a kid after me, got it?"

"Hmm." Jung could offer no other words, the notion inspiring fantastic warmth in his face.

"That's a 'yes'," she smirked.

Silence passed between the two as they pressed on through the pass, the distant chirp of blue jays signaling that they had drawn closer to the patch of woods just beyond the mountains.

"Hey, remember when we rode the armadillo lions through the city of Chin?" Ryoko smirked, having not recalled the memory in quite some time.

"Yes," he answered simply, slowing to a halt as he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

"You think they ever got over that?" Her pace slowed, realizing her student to be behind her. "Eh? What is it?" Her eyes followed his, looking up towards the mountain.

Atop one of the cliffs stood two familiar figures, gazing down upon them with bitter scorn.

"...Hmm." Jung turned his attention back to the path before them, paying little heed to the bandits.

"Let's get goin', I'm hungry," Ryoko noted impartially as she patted her stomach, walking alongside him.

The two left the pass, the next village lying in the distance. As they walked Ryoko recalled the old adventures the two had experienced, Jung greeting each with warm remembrance.

"...Hmph. C'mon" Koro glared, turning back in the direction they had come. They had left too early for him to strike, two worthwhile bounties slipping between his fingers.

Hon Yan stared after them, his eyes narrowing slightly as he recalled the senseless prattle of the woman the night before.

"I said let's go," the veteran bandit growled, peering back over his shoulder.

Glaring, he dismissed her words. Leaving them to the wind, his mind turned back to that which he had already invested so much time contemplating; how he would go about stripping Koro of his power. How he would assume leadership of the group.

He grinned coldly as he turned, walking behind the old fool yet never following.



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