Ambassadors and Escorts <Wilderness, Earth Kindom>

[wordbender]

A few stray bangs of black hair fell into Hoji's ice-blue eyes, obscuring his vision of the sea before him. Sighing at the wind, the surly teenager brushed his hair out of his eyes, holding his hair back as he surveyed the oncoming land mass. What a pain. Of course he had to be chosen as an ambassador.

Of course.

It was such an honor after all, him mother being one of the strongest healers in the tribe, his deceased father being such a good friend of the chieftains and him. He always did get the special treatment. Stupid job. He really didn't want to do this. He would stand out, he would be noticed, he would be ostracized.

He was different, it was inevitable that he would be shunned.

Sighing, Hoji turned away from the view, striding back to the stern of the fast ship - only the fastest for the newest, and youngest, ambassador - and descended below decks.

He began to pack his clothes, his thick parka, some survival gear - he would actually have to survive, imagine! Hoji put the last of his things in the leather bag and quickly tied the top, making sure the lightweight pack would be easy to carry. It was a shoulder-bag, padded with caribou-elk fur and easily adjustable.

Lastly Hoji belted on his water-pouch, an essential for the traveling bender. It was an intricate thing. Oiled skin, embroidered by his mother with the fantastic colors of shells and bone. It showed the flowing designs of the water tribe and the own symbols for Hoji's name and family.

Taking a deep breath, Hoji walked back out onto the deck of the ship, the hard wood echoing his footsteps. He looked out across the quickly shrinking distance between the boat and the Tachi Dai port. His sharp, aristocratic features tightened as he watched the charred remains of the once-great city loom into view.

If his caravan to the Earth King looked as bad as this once-city did he might have to kill himself. Hoji sighed and resigned himself to a month of hell.

'This will be fun.'

[suki]

The warriors of Kyoshi Island stood at the end of a pier, waving farewell to the boat that had ferried them halfway around the world. They had spent over a month aboard the vessel, stopping only twice during the journey. The half-dozen girls had become well-acquainted with the fisherman who owned the sloop and his two sons who helped on deck, but any one of them would freely admit they were glad to see it sail away for the last time. The living space was small, the food was the same salted meat every day, and one of the young men on board had a habit of getting over-excited and foaming at the mouth. As frightening as the war against the Fire nation could seem, each of the girls on the dock would rather face the flames of a Firebender than spend another night on that boat.

Suki was the first to turn away as the sloop started for the mouth of the harbor and her fellow warriors fell into step behind her. "So," one of the girls said, hefting a pack on her shoulder, "Do we set off right away?" Suki glanced to her side, but was still thinking of an answer. But while she thought of the best response another of her comrades chimed in, "I'd like to rest a day or two. I think I still have my sea-legs after the trip."

The auburn-haired warrior couldn't disagree with that sentiment. They had spent a month traveling to the North Pole in order to aid the besieged Northern Water Tribe, but they had apparently arrived too late. The battle was over and the Avatar had already departed. They stayed for a day to resupply and then spent the last week sailing to Taichi Dai to begin their journey toward Ba Sing Sei. The fisherman who had been providing their transportation had been regrettably unwilling to take them completely around the world, so it appeared this part of their journey would be on foot.

"Suki?" one of her fellow warriors asked, breaking Suki from her recollections. The leader of the Kyoshi Warriors realized they had reached the end of the pier and were standing before a ruined city that was sparsely populated with a somewhat derelict collection of Earth Kingdom citizens. Brushing her hair back from her painted face, Suki exhaled a breath and turned to her companions.

"For the time being," she began, "I'm happy to just stretch my legs. We can split up for a few hours and meet back here no later than sundown. Find out what you can about the state of the war and where we might be able to help. We could also use some kind of transportation if there's any trade caravans heading our way."

The rest of her green-clad warriors nodded or hummed their agreement and began to disperse. Suki stayed behind for several moments, watching her friends and comrades begin to explore the city, before turning her own attention to the docks. She became aware of a Water Tribe vessel a short way's down the row of piers and her curiosity grew slightly. Without knowing exactly what she expected to happen, she started walking towards the ship from the North.

[wordbender]

The boat glided in smoothly, helped along the last leg of its journey by various waterbenders, Hoji included. The wind had died, the tides were against them, it was all he could do to quicken his descent from the ship. Once the wooden marvel touched the pier Hoji jumped off smoothly, ignoring the crewman who bounded down to tie the ship to the dock.

That wasn't his job, after all.

He brushed a few more stray black bangs out of his eyes and looked around the dock. His eyes narrowed as he couldn't pinpoint the persons who were to be escorting him. Earth Kingdom. What a joke. The entire place was overrun with Fire scum and even this town showed hard evidence of a fight. This was pathetic, even a place made of ice had stood it's ground against the Fire Nation.

Hoji looked around again, eyes narrowed and thin lips parted in disgust. Was he expected to make his own way to the capital? Suddenly Hoji caught sight of Suki and his blue eyes narrowed even further. They sent a girl? Growling under his breath, Hoji strode towards Suki in a way that only he could, legs gliding, head held high, back straight and mouth formed into a sneer that would make a fire general flinch.

"Are you to be my escort to the capital?" He asked, almost mockingly, looking the girl up and down. Makeup, dress-like uniform and the headdress did not translate nicely into Hoji's book. "I am Hoji no Jiasu, of the Northern Water Tribe. I require a guide to the Earth King and there are supposedly a group of," a pause as he stared down at Suki. "warriors who are to see me there. Do you know where I might find them?"

[suki]

The first thing that struck Suki about the young Water Tribe man stepping off the boat was his posture. He certainly carried himself well, but it seemed to go beyond simple discipline with him. His chest was puffed too far out, his nose was upturned a bit too much, and his expression wasn't just controlled... it seemed to be fixed into a perpetual sneer. The young man exuded a haughtiness that could only come with wealth or rank. And if that wasn't enough to put Suki off-balance, his first words certainly did.

"Are you to be my escort to the capital?" he asked, his tone hinting that he found the notion amusing. Suki raised an eyebrow at the question, not exactly understanding the confusion in identity. She started to open her mouth to explain that he must have mistaken her, but then he continued. "I am Hoji no Jiasu, of the Northern Water Tribe. I require a guide to the Earth King and there are supposedly a group of warriors who are to see me there. Do you know where I might find them?"

It did not escape Suki's noticed how he paused breiefly to look her over before grudgingly using the title of 'warrior,' and she was glad her face paint was covering her burning cheeks. Before she had been ready to set this man straight and explain that he must have been searching for another group of soldiers. However, Hoji's rather sexist assumptions had damaged her pride and she couldn't stop her next words from coming out.

"For your information," Suki began, her tone hardly containing her annoyance, "I am a warrior on my way to Ba Sing Sei with several other skilled fighters. Right now they're gathering supplies and information for the trip and will be meeting here at dusk. If you need a guide, you can tag along when we leave tomorrow at first light." The Kyoshi Warrior finished he declaration by emphatically crossing her arms over her chest and returning his previous sneer.

[wordbender]

Hoji raised an eyebrow as the girl answered him. The girl was self-confident, completely unintimidated and swiftly getting on his nerves. The arrogance that he might 'tag along'. As if. He would be aided and taken to the capital in a style befitting the youngest war shaman.

This was almost a joke. Hoji's eyes narrowed as he glanced back at the boat. A two-week trip to the earth capital, where all sorts of various pleasures and plans awaited him, or back to the North Pole. And him.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to be polite. Scratch polite, Hoji was just trying to be civil at this point. No need to have his veritable servants for the next couple of weeks mad at him on the first day. Let's wait at least a week.

Pushing his shaggy hair out of his sharply defined face Hoji looked again at Suki, trying with all his self-control to put on a pleasant front. He was shaman! He had to deal with such talentless idiots that high-born tribesmen produced on a daily basis! This girl would be nothing to manipulate.

"Then tomorrow at first light I'll be expecting you at the edge of the-" Another pause as Hoji looked over the charred ruins of Tachi Dai, obviously comparing the blackened buildings to his own beautiful houses back at the Pole. "city."

"I have enough gold to pay for your company, and I wish to buy some supplies as well. Should I pay you for the goods or would you rather I find them myself."

Hoji never deliberatly tried to be vulgar, really, he didn't. But it took a split-second after he had said those words that he winced inwardly. Those few statements could be taken so many different, unintentioned, ways.

This was going to be fun.

[suki]

Lucky enough for the ambassador, Suki didn't quite catch the dual meaning of his words. She was too focused on maintaining the honor of Kyoshi Island's reputation too take advantage of all the possible remarks she could have made on Hoji's ambiguous phrasing. Instead, her mind was working quickly to decide what she should do next. SHe'd already bitten off a bit more than she should have by not telling him that she wasn't the escort that was supposed to meet him, but she'd look even more foolish if she tried to back out now.

"We don't need your money," Suki said after a momentary pause, taking a notice of an ever so slight wince on the expression of the Water Tribesman during the silence, "My friends will find enough food and drink for the trip and we'll make stops for supplies if the need arises." The Kyoshi warrior turned for a moment then, looking back into the city for a few seconds, hoping to catch a fleeting glimpse of one of her comrades. "The only thing you'll need to pay for is your own lodging for the night," she said, looking back toward Hoji with the slightest shadow of a smirk on her features. "We may be your escorts, but don't even entertain the thought of sharing a room with us."

This time it was Suki's turn to mentally berate herself. She was once more saved by her make up, as it his the flush coming to her cheeks, but she did a good job of maintaining an otherwise straight face. She cleared her throat and shifted her gaze toward the ground for a moment before deciding to just leave it at that.

[wordbender]

Hoji's lips twitched ever so slightly. Either she had totally missed the innuendo (Thank the spirits!) or she had caught every word of what Hoji had said and decided to retaliate. Whichever one of the two it was, Hoji choose to ignore whatever small jibe this girl had thrown at him and merely nodded, again wiping his face clean of emotions.

"I have already said that gold is not an issue, I can pay for my own rooms, whether you like it or not." This time Hoji really did add a severe dose of insinuation to his words, his suggestive undertone all but dripping from his slightly upturned mouth.

He rearranged the bag on his shoulders, hitching the strap closer to his collarbone. The material began to dig into his neck and Hoji started to wish he hadn't taken off his parka. The thin fabric that made up his tunic barely provided any support for the stiff skin that the strap of his bag was made of. And it was so hot here!

Hoji stepped around Suki and began to walk down the road of Tachi Dai.

"Where are you staying?" He called over his shoulder, pausing to turn around and glance at Suki. "I doubt any female would want to repose in a hovel, and I would like to be accomodated in a decently kept place."

[suki]

Suki visibly scoffed at Hoji's insinuation that she would be upset if he were to room alone for the night. Her back straightened and her hands planted themselves on her hips as she assumed a posture that was both defiant and alluring. She had opened her mouth to retort, but the ambassador from the North pressed on and asked her where she was staying, leaving her remark to diffuse into nothingness.

"If my campanions can't find a suitable place to stay then we'll have no problem camping on the city's edge," the Kyoshi Warrior answered him. "We'll be roughing it for at least the next week, so enjoy your feather bed as much as you can tonight. I don't want to hear complaining the whole way to Ba Sing Sei."

With Hoji already quickly receding into the streets of the city, Suki didn't wait long after issuing her reply before starting off down a seperate way herself. She had to get a hold of the others before dusk to inform them of this new development.

Apparently, they were going to have company on their trip.

[wordbender]

Hoji turned again away from Suki, nose wrinkling in distaste. Roughing it? That sounded unpleasant. Hoji continued to walk through the streets, observing the once-proud pagodas and buildings of Tachi Dai. One of the larger structures was being rebuilt, the tiling on the roofs scrubbed and polished in an attempt to banish the black ash that seemed to coat the entire city.

Stopping in front of the refurnished building, Hoji looked down the street again. Seeing nothing more promising, he stepped inside the inn and looked around. There were a few short tables, a steaming pot of tea and an attendant standing by a sliding rice-paper door.

"A room for one please." Hoji said, walking over to her, his bright eyes narrowed in an obvious show of intimidation. "It's for a single night."

The wide-eyed girl nodded, obviously slightly scared of the man in front of her. She scurried off through some disguised door and out came the landlord, a chubby man with a nice face and an overused smile. Ikanara led Hoji to a nice room, asked him if he needed anything - "I can take care of myself, thank you." - and left the imposing young man to himself.

Hoji sighed, slipped the heavy pack to the floor, and fell onto the soft futon. Finally, terra firma. He might be Water Tribe, but solid earth did have it's benifits. No retching crewmembers who have yet to gain their sea legs, for one thing.

Sleep came easy to the young water bender.

Waking up took more effort than normal, it was only habit that got Hoji out of bed and splashed ice-cold water in his face. Awake after his morning drenching, Hoji slipped into comfortable traveling clothes; loose slate-grey pants, light blue tunic, tight blue-black sash and tough boots that would stand up to most any terrain that these silly caravans would push him through.

He quickly decended through the in, dropping off a few coins at the front table that would do more than cover his expenses. Walking out into the street, Hoji noticed that light was just begining to break over the horizon. Shrugging, Hoji walked towards the edge of the city, pushing his still-wet hair out of his face.

He only hoped that these warriors were as able as the girl made them out to be. Hoji had just assumed she was a representitive, or an attendant. He didn't want to be stuck with a bunch of girls for the entire trip.

[suki]

"Tell me again, why are taking this guy along?" Aoi remarked as she ran a brush through her hair. Suki pulled the drawstring tight on the pack she'd just inspected and turned toward her fellow warrior who'd asked the question. A few other warriors looked her way as well, as though they still weren't entirely sure about the hurried explanation they'd gotten earlier.

"He's a Water Tribe ambassador," Suki said, trying her best to sound convincing. "He needs to get to Ba Sing Sei and the warriors who were supposed to escort him didn't show up. We were looking for a way to help the war effort, and this seemed like a good chance to do it." She knelt down and began checking another pack that was filled with bread, jerky, and a few dried fruits.

"Still," Aoi went on, putting down her brush as she sat on the edge of the bed and observing her handiwork in a small mirror, "Why don't we just let this guy wait here for his real escort?"

"His real escort might not get here for days if something held them up along the way," another of the warriors answered, providing a bit of relief to Suki who had not really thought of a better excuse than Hoji's attitude.

"Yeah," added another warrior who was running a whet stone over her sword's edge, "What if they were attacked by the Fire Nation on the way here?"

"That's all the more reason we should see him safely to the capital," Suki continued, building on the momentum of their suggestions. "In any case, the Water Tribe is our ally and we need to look after their ambassador." That seemed to appease most of the girls' worries, and just for fun she added, "And if nothing else, it'll be fun to torture him the whole way there. You can try putting some make-up on him."

The other Kyoshi warriors gave a laugh and the matter was settled. They continued on their preparations for another hour or so before finally getting some rest.

********************************************************************

By the time it was light enough to see, the six Kyoshi warriors were on their way to the docks. They left their pay with the owner of the tavern where they'd stayed in one of its spare rooms on the second floor and began their march before the first rays of sunlight were visible in the East. Fresh coats of make-up adorned their faces and their packs bristled with supplies. There hadn't been an ostrich-horse to spare in the whole city, so it seemed they'd have to make the journey on foot.

[wordbender]

As Hoji walked over the small hill that separated the city from the long road to the capital, he noticed that there weren't any animals along the way. No large caravan, no pack animals, no servants lining the way.

This was not going to be a pleasant journey.

Hoji adjusted his pack around his shoulders so that the strap sat across his chest and the bag thumped gently against his left thigh. He caught sight of a few figures on the outskirts of the forest that bordered the edge of the city. As he got closer Hoji's mood darkened with every step he took.

No male figures. No hulking bodies. No. There were slim, curvy shaped women with long hair and enough makeup on to coat a dojo. Ice-blue eyes narrowed, attractive face emotionless and static, Hoji walked up to the outskirts of the group and took a deep breath.

Be civil. They might be as good as they boast. They certainitly act like they are as good as they boast. Hoji almost smiled. But they weren't as good as him. Taking a deep breath, several, Hoji stepped into the circle and bowed, a small smile gracing his tanned features.

"Hello ladies." He said, raising from his bow, disguising his utter contempt of these females. "I am happy to be accompanying you to the capital." Hoji declaimed, the words rolling off his tongue like honey.

"I'm assuming that you know the way? I am very new to this nation, after all." The perfect image of an ambassador. Smart, polite, pretty and oh so deadly. He would undoubtedly cause problems on the way to Ba Sing Se.

[suki]

When they reached the meeting place where Hoji was already waiting, the several of the Kyoshi warriors exchanged a few whispered observations.

"No wonder you wanted us to escort this guy," Aoi said quietly to Suki as they approached, throwing the leader a smirk.

"He is something," another of the warriors added, more to tease the Suki than anything else.

Suki turned a stern glance their way to wipe the smiles from their faces before mumbling, "Something is right... Though I think that you're opinions of him will change the moment he opens his mouth."

The half dozen warriors reached the Water Tribe ambassador a few moments later. His greeting was well spoken and had a certain flourish to it that was both a refreshing change from his obvious distaste from the day before, as well as slightly upsetting to Suki. Her first meeting had shown her the kind of views held by the ambassador, and yet her comrades were being blinded by his ettiquette from the true colors that lay beneath.

"We have maps," Suki replied to the Hoji when he asked if they knew where they were going. "We'll head South along the main road and then East at the first turn. We'll head that direction for the next several days, and there will be chances to gain more accurate directions along the way if need be." She hefted the pack on her shoulder and stepped back with one foot, turning toward the road. "Are you ready?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

[wordbender]

Taken from the first glance. Hoji smiled to himself. Years of girls following his every move had made him a veritable expert on the female psyche. At least, he thought it made him an expert. Hoji tilted his head towards Suki, acknowledging her as the leader. That was what he hoped to indicate by the action anyway.

Inside, however, Hoji was just annoyed. Not angry, really, just skeptical that a group of females, all or most younger than himself, were being allowed out of their fathers or husbands sight. These Earth Kingdom men must really have no control over their women at all.

"Are you ready?"

As if he wasn’t. Hoji raised his head, shaking a few stray strands of his black hair away from his face. He adjusted his bag and flashed Suki a smile that would seem to melt glass.

“Of course.” Hoji said, eyes half-closing as he replied. “But you realize I haven’t even been properly introduced to yourself and to all these girls.” He replied, still almost-smiling.

“I’m Hoji. Nice to meet all of you.” He said, inclining his head slightly again, looking swiftly at each of the girl in turn, being sure to accentuate his startlingly blue eyes with his long lashes.

Like taking beads from a baby. Hoji thought, almost feeling their defenses and reservations drip away.

[suki]

Suki chanced a side-long glance at the rest of her party and saw a mixed reaction. On her right, Aoi and the youngest girl Kopa were smiling a bit too warmly. They seemed to be enamored by the handsome Water Tribe ambassador and his refined manner of speech. It was a bit aggrivating, really.

However, the somewhat older girls on her left seemed to react a bit more favorably. The warrior closest to Suki didn't seem to react at all. Her face was devoid of emotion; a shining example of the training of the Kyoshi warriors. The other two seemed to be smirking slightly, but Suki read that for what it truly was, and that was amusement. They found the boy's charm entertaining and nothing more. At least for the moment...

"Well met, Hoji," Suki replied after she'd taken stock of her companion's reactions, "My name is Suki. There will be plenty of time to learn everyone's name along the way, but we should begin the journey now. If we walk from now til dusk we can cover at least 20 miles." And at that, Suki shifted her pack and started off, gesturing for her fellow warriors to fall into formation behind her. They started marching in rows of two with Suki and the second-ranking warrior at her side in the front. Another pair of warriors stayed a few steps back to flank Hoji on the sides, while Aoi and Kopa brought up the rear.

[wordbender]

Hoji was impressed despite himself. These women obviously knew what they were doing. It was apparent that Suki and her team had been together long enough to know exactly what was expected of them and how to properly escort an important subject. Their formation was almost perfect for traveling and they seemed well prepared and trained. Hoji frowned slightly. Why couldn't his new recruits be as well-educated as these girls?

Pushing his resentment to the back of him mind, Hoji began the march. Twenty miles was a long way to go, even with an entire day to do it. He began to let his mind drift as he kept the pace, glad that these girls didn't push the road harder.

After an hour, Hoji began to get bored. With his recruits he would be able to yell and rant with them, but these girls seemed dead-bent on keeping watch. Hoji turned to the girl on his right and tried to initiate a conversation.

"If bandits attack, how do you plan on protecting yourself?" He asked, trying to be friendly, yet unintentionally adding a bit of amusement into his voice. "All I see you girls carrying are some fans." Hoji said smiling. "Will you try to blow them away with your looks?"