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Post by xuan on Oct 26, 2008 12:09:55 GMT -5
Ti gave a slight chuckle, Than seemed to be taking a strong offense to what she had said which she had anticipated and she was with him. It was in her nature to see all sides of things, but she was still Earth Kingdom and she would have rather died than just handed over her presious land to those brutes.
"I wish I were young enough to stand up against such bullies, but these days the most I can do is cheer from the side lines," She sighed, though she didn't regret her time with the Yen's she wished she had done more in her youth to stop the Fire Nation.
She sat quietly for awhile, the rythm of her Ostrich horse moving under still upset her old bones, but it wasn't so bad anymore. Ti shifted her weight a bit, trying to make the ride just a bit more comfortable. The sun was nearing noon, but with a look back at the sleeping cart she didn't want to pull over until someone was awake. Though she enjoyed Than's company more than she had expected she was more than ready to be off the road and safe in Tachi Dai.
"I’m pretty confident we’ll.. turn this war around. I mean.. there’re a lot of folks all over the Earth Kingdom who’re very committed to seeing our country restored to its former glory and freedom. I know some of them,” Ti gave a soft, leisurely smile.
"Oh yes, there are many people who would like to see this country the way it once was, but sadly there are only so many people who are brave enough to fight to have it that way," Than continued with new she had not heard, something that had not reached her ears in Ba Sing Se.
Tha Avatar had returned.
The sudden rush of joy was a bit overwhelming, but she was also shocked. She had never dreamed that the Avatar would return to this world, for all she had known he had been long gone when the war had started.
"This can't be, I- I-" Ti was not often found without words, but now she felt completely speechless, "This is possible the most wonderful news my ears have ever heard," It felt as though Ti's world had shifted, as though things really would turn out for the better. True she had the blind hope of every Earth Kingdom citizen, but it was more than that now, with the Avatar this hope could be more than just a faint wish, it could be real and alive.
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Post by than on Oct 26, 2008 21:34:48 GMT -5
Than turned to face the woman, a tired grin crossing his face at her reaction to the news that the Avatar had returned. She seemed a bit shocked, though excited at the same time, he couldn’t blame her. Surely the news would have been kept quiet in Ba Sing Se as anything even remotely relating to the war was quickly silenced. Why, exactly, the Earth King felt the need to keep such a tight lid upon the information, Than did not know.
He felt that, if the people of Ba Sing Se knew what was happening across their country, surely they would rally to the cause and support the Kingdom in an all-out war effort against the invaders. The wall was really a curse as well as a blessing, it kept the Fire Nation out, yes, but it also kept the truth out as well… at least Than had convinced his family back in the city that the war was real, and they had donated a great deal of cloth and the like to the war effort, some of the donation even went to the Rebel and Resistance forces.
A small spark of an idea began to form within the Rebel’s mind and he had to snap himself back to the present as Ti spoke. "This can't be, I- I-", she stammered. Than gave her a reassuring smile and nodded. Though he had never seen the Airbender with his own eyes he had heard all manner of tales and stories about the boy, some true, some completely fictional. Most of what he knew, he had learned from other resistance fighters throughout his travels across the Kingdom, though he had overheard various conversations amongst the general public as well.
The Rebel felt quite pleased when the woman spoke once more, expressing her delight in the news. “It’s all true, every word and whatnot. I’ve heard stories that he wiped out an entire fleet of ships attacking the Northern Water Tribe. Most folks I’ve talked to say he was hiding out somewhere in the south, but no one really knows for sure,” said Than, with a slight shrug of his shoulders, “I mean… I’ve never actually seen him… but he’s real and he’s back, I know that much,” he said, with a quick nod.
“Only a matter of time before he masters his elements and the like, you know? Then he’ll help us folks win the war,” said the Rebel, with a confident nod, “Until then, we have to hold out…” he trailed off. That could be a while, Than knew. Most of the Rebel leadership he’d met did not put much stock in the Avatar, if things were going to change, a fair number felt that it would be up to the resistance fighters and the people of the nation.
Than took a quick look around, scanning for any nearby danger, fortunately, he found nothing that immediately stood out as questionable… though… those trees to the left could conceal archers or.. The Rebel took a few deep breaths, trying to remain calm. Than did notice, however, that the sun was nearly directly overhead and he began to wonder if Ti planned to pull off the road at some point and have lunch. If she didn’t at all, that would be alright with Than, he’d become used to not eating, simply staying on the road until it was time to let Burcu rest.
Though, a stop was beginning to sound rather nice, it would give him a chance to rest at least a little bit. Burcu could use a drink of water too, Than thought. Though she gave no indication of thirst, the Rebel knew how long his animal companion could go without water and it had been sometime since she had had the chance. A rain gutter barrel in a small town to the west had provided her with her last drink. The Rebel gave the Ostrich Horse a loving pat upon the head as the idea he’d had before began to work back to the forefront of his mind.
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Post by xuan on Oct 27, 2008 12:25:38 GMT -5
Ti nodded her agreement, but she spoke no more once she heard movement from the cart. She turned to look at it's occupants, though still weary of anything unwanted in the surrounding area.
"Oh, Ti how long have we been asleep?" Xuan asked, her grogginess very pronounced as she tried to supress of yawn while she spoke. She stretched, her movements waking her children as well, the little ones rubbing their eyes.
"It's about noon now, ma'am," she set her sights ahead of her now, past the next bend in the road she wassure she saw the glittering ribbon of a stream and spoke once more, "it looks as if there's a suitable place to stop just ahead if you're hungry,"
"That sounds wonderful, if you want you can ride in the cart for the rest of the day, I don't mind riding," Xuan was sure Ti would protest, that she was in no position to be riding, but it was worth a try.
The last few minutes of the trip to the small rivers side was spent in silence, TI only having giving Xuan a skeptical look at her offer and continuing on. At the bank the kids hoped out of the cart followed by there mother while Ti removed the reins of the ostrich horse, leading them to the river to drink.
"Has the ride gone well?" Xuan asked Than as she unloaded some food. Nothing to be cooked, a simple meal of some bread and jerky, "Bo, dear, please fill this," she handed a small clay pitcher to her son who wentto the water side.
Immediatly Jiang was at Than's side, once more staring at the stranger, intrigued by his ever move. Xuan was sure a lot of it hafd to do with her lack of father figure. She gave Tsuki the same look of wonder whenever he was home, but he wasn't home very often and she was at an age where things were only starting to make sense.
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Post by than on Oct 28, 2008 18:28:18 GMT -5
Than caught the nod from his travel companion and silence fell upon the group, leaving the Rebel to his thoughts. A slight impulsive urge had emerged in his mind; he’d briefly considered mentioning the Rebels, though, in an off handed way that wouldn't immediately suggest anything to the older woman. The idea that had struck was relatively simple; convince Miss Yen to lend some her family’s wealth to the efforts of the Rebellion.
A fierce debate began to rage within the Rebel’s mind, on one hand, he felt he shouldn’t try it at all, it was too risky and he couldn’t just ask, it could been seen as extremely rude to do so. On the other, he felt that, perhaps if he explained things Xuan might understand and be willing to help, though he doubted the Rebel leadership would be particularly pleased with him going around telling folks, even those who seemed trustworthy.
Additionally, he felt it may not be the wisest thing to rope the woman and her family into helping the group, being in league with the resistance forces could bring considerable trouble from both the Fire Nation and perhaps even the Dai Li back in Ba Sing Se as well. He could not lead the family into danger; he would not have that upon his conscious. Xuan Yen, Ti and the children deserved to live without fear and suspicion creeping into their lives.
Like a mongoose cobra slithering into a bird’s nest, a less than honorable thought slipped into the Rebel’s mind. He could always lie to Miss Yen, make up a story and a cause and try to convince her to donate in some form or another, that way, the Rebellion would remain secret and the Noblewoman and her family would be kept outside of the group and safe from accusations of collaboration. No… thought Than, shaking his head. He would try to tell no more lies to the family, they seemed to trust him and it wasn’t fair to deceive them anymore that he had to.
Than’s mind was brought back to the here and now when the noblewoman, who had sleeping in the cart, stirred and asked how long she’d been out. The Rebel turned and gave her a nod and a tired smile, agreeing with Ti’s words, “Good Morning, or Good Noon, I suppose it ought to be,” he said, thinking over his words, yes, that had made sense. As he turned back to face up the road, Than caught sight of a fine looking stream up ahead, perfect for Burcu to satisfy her thirst. He remained silent as the group drew nearer, though he listened to the conversation between the two women as they went.
A small break was quite a nice idea and as the little group reached the stream, Than lifted himself from the saddle and slipped down to the ground. He turned and took Burcu’s reigns to lead her to the water, but was addressed before he could get his tired feet moving. Turning back to face Miss Yen, he nodded, “Quite well, yes. Ti and I had an interesting conversation,” he said, trying to seem more alert and awake then he was actually feeling, “How was your nap?” he asked, before leading Burcu to the water where she happily dipped her head down and took a long drink.
It seemed that Miss Yen was busy preparing the meal and the like, so Than kneeled at the side of the river and cupped his hands before dipping them into the water. He splashed the water onto his face in hopes that the cold would wake him up some, it seemed to help a bit and he rubbed his eyes and face cleaning away a light layer of road dust that had settled upon his face over the course of his travels and the like.
Sitting back upon his bottom, the Rebel turned his head, tilting it to the side slightly as the little girl approached. He gave her a pleasant smile, “Jiang, have you ever gone fishing before?” he asked, gesturing toward the stream.
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Post by xuan on Nov 2, 2008 8:44:43 GMT -5
Jiang looked up at Than with her wide green eyes, a look of absolute seriousness on her tiny face as she shook her head. Xuan decided to answer for her, seeing that the little girl wouldn't speak for herself.
"Thay haven't had much time outside, living in the city and all," She thanked Bo as he brought he back the pitcher, now full of clear stream water.
Xuan continued setting up the small picnic with Ti's help. They set out three plates with a few pieces of jerky each and a couple slices of bread.
"Our guest has told me the most wonderful news," Ti said as they poured cups of water for everyone, "The Avatar has rerturned,"
Xuan looked at Ti with such a face of shock and disbeliefe it was almost humurous. Though after a moment she got over the worst of the shock and was simply starring at her little girl, "Is that so?" Though this was great news all she could think of was how Jiang had drawn the symbol of the Nomads. There was no way that the girl could have known that the Avatar had returned and even if she had she had never seen the insignia of the Air Nomades.
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Post by than on Nov 3, 2008 3:34:09 GMT -5
“Oh?” the Rebel asked, giving the young girl a curious look. It seemed she never had, and this was quickly confirmed when Miss Yen spoke up. Than turned his head and gave her a nod of acknowledgement. It was understandable, that the children hadn’t been fishing before. They were nobility after all and, could one blame Xuan Yen for keeping her children around the city? Certainly not, they were safe there. This trip to Tachi Dai must have been very important and Than began to feel curious, though he would leave questions and the like for later.
“Would you like to see if we can catch any here?” he asked little Jiang while rising to his feet. Taking only a few steps over, he was beside Buru. Quickly searching through one of her saddle bags, he retrieved a tightly bound clump of finely woven mesh material. After fiddling with the cloth strip that bound the mesh ball for a time, Than was finally able to unfurl the object, revealing several small circular stones attached around the perimeter of the material.
When fully unfurled, the object, that was now revealed to be a small fishing net, was rectangular in shape, about four feet wide and five feet in length. “A net that I made myself,” said Than, proudly, “never had the patience for traditional rod and reel fishing,” he said with a grin. Looking over the net for a moment, he frowned.
“Oh.. shoot..” he muttered, holding up the net with one hand and sticking his fingers through several fairly large sized holes in the net mesh, “Looks like I’ll need to fix this before we can fish,” he said, frowning at the net, “Next river we stop at we’ll catch some if your mother would like,” said the Rebel, giving the little girl a reassuring nod.
Quickly bundling the net back up, Than resolved to get his needle and thread out the next time the group made camp and attempt a repair. As he tucked the handmade net back into Burcu’s saddle bag, he listened idly as the two women conversed, bringing up the Avatar. "Is that so?" Xuan asked, seeming quite shocked. Than looked up from Burcu’s saddle bag, securing the leather flap that sealed it, “It is most certainly so,” he said with a grin, “The Avatar has already begun helping our people; he’s probably off doing some good as we speak.”
The Rebel took hold of Burcu’s reigns and, seeing as she had finished drinking from the stream, led her over and sat down upon the ground next to the wagon. The Ostrich Horse sat down beside her rider and received a gentle scratch behind the ears, “I’ve never actually seen him, but he’s real,” Than said, nodding to Miss Yen. As he sat, he pondered asking the noblewoman several questions, namely what her husband was up to in Tachi Dai, as well as some veiled questions regarding the idea he’d had of securing some form of sponsorship for the Rebellion through the woman and her family.
When he spoke, however, the question he’d chosen pertained to neither of these, “So, like I was saying earlier, would you find use for a few freshwater fish for dinner, or the like, next we stop by a river?” he asked, looking up at the noblewoman. Than had always liked fish.
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Post by xuan on Nov 6, 2008 9:24:03 GMT -5
Xuan slowly recovered from her shock and answered Than, "Fish would be wonderful, Bo and Jiang have never had fresh fish, what do you say Ti, do you think you could cook it up?" she turned to the older woman who scoffed as if insulted.
"What kind of nanny would I be if I couldn't cook a good fish?" Though she sounded offended she had a slight smile on her wrinkled lips.
Jiang tailed Than back over to the fire, looking only the slightest bit upset about not fishing.
"Who's the avatar?" Bo asked as he sat next to his mother, a lazy Tson enjoying the boys absentminded scratching at her belly.
Xuan opened her mouth to explain, but before she could find her words she heard Jiangs little voice, "He's the balance between all things," the little girl stumbled over a few of the words and her sentence weas a bit choppy, but Xuan hardly noticed an neither did Ti. The woman were staring at the girl with a look of shock and surprise.
"How did you know that, Jiang?" her mother asked, but the little girl just shrugged her shoulders and started combing her fingers through the loose earth before her.
"Silliness," Ti shook her head, "One of the other nannies must have told her a story," Though Ti went about he business handing out the plates and cups she didn't look as though she entirely believed what she was saying.
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Post by than on Nov 8, 2008 16:21:32 GMT -5
An amused grin spread across Than’s lips at Ti’s response. Thinking ahead somewhat, the Rebel considered the types of fish in the area, with some luck, he might be able to coax a small catfish or two into the net, but nothing too large or the mesh material might break and he could loose a catch. Perhaps he could catch a few small fish first, then use them as bait to lure a few bigger ones into the net… that could work. There were five to the group, and, surely, Tson would appreciate a little meal of fish as well, four or five mid-sized fish, perhaps trout or bass may do well enough, he thought, nodding to himself.
"Who's the avatar?" little Bo asked. Than blinked, pushing his thoughts aside and made to answer the boy, “Ahh, they say he’s an Airbe..” the Rebel stopped abruptly as Jiang spoke up, slowly turning to face her. A bit startled, he peered over at her with an uncertain and, perhaps, slightly skeptical look, then shrugged his shoulders. Than remained silent, uncertain of what to say, simply watching the two women as they questioned little Jiang then conversed amongst themselves.
Perhaps news of the Avatar’s return had reached Ba Sing Se after all, thought Than, though, from what he knew of the Dai Li and the strict limits on information distribution within the city, it didn’t seem likely. If they were going through all of this trouble to keep the war a secret, they would likely do the same with any information regarding the Avatar as well, as he was sort of tied in with the whole war story and the like. Considering the shock and surprise the news had brought to Ti and Miss Yen, it was unlikely that the information was widely known there.
Considering the recent influx of refugees to the city, however, Than felt it was possible the little girl could have picked up her information through one of the newcomers, that sounded reasonable. Satisfied, the Rebel gave the issue no more thought and reached over to rummage through one of Burcu’s saddle bags. He soon retrieved his unmarked traveler’s map and unfolded it in his lap, peering at the various rivers in an attempt to locate the little group’s position.
Carefully going over the map, he spotted a crook in a small stream near a fair sized grouping of pine trees, looking up from the map and over, Than was able to located the grouping, or, at least, what he thought was the grouping. The trees looked right, so… thick and.. dense… like they could easily conceal a force of malevolent thugs or the like. Eyes slowly growing wide, Than stared at the trees for a few moments, his imagination and paranoia running wild. Shaking his head, as if to clear away such thoughts, the Rebel managed to get ahold of himself. Though, he would still keep a close eye on those trees… just incase.
Turning his attention back to the ladies, he tapped the map with his finger, “So, it looks like we’re making good time,” he said, with a seemingly confident nod.
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Post by xuan on Nov 13, 2008 8:59:28 GMT -5
"Good, I'm glad to hear that," Xuan said with a small and seemingly forced smile on her tiny plump lips. She was still very unsettled by her duaghters knowledge of the Avatar and the Air Nomades, two things she would have never heard about in Ba Sing Se, especially as a nobles duaghter and she was only four and a half! Inside a small part of Xuan was panicing, what was this thing that was her duaghter and the rest of her was scolding that part for thinking of her child as a thing.
"Our little Jiang is exceptionally astute, who would have guessed since she was such a late learner," Ti chimmed in, it was true that Jiang hadn't learned to walk or talk until she was three, though she had well making up for it being fairly fluent in her speech and rather steady on her feet.
Jiang got to her tiny feet to go to her mother, almost reluctant to leave Than's side, but knowing her meal was with her mother like it had been the night before. When she sat down her tiny eyes brightened as she remebered something, "Mama, look what I learned to do," With a wide toothy grin she drew her favorite symbol, the one of the Air Nomades into the soft dirt in front of her then she did something wholly unexpected. She twitched her hand over the earth and the symbol raised an inch from the ground and solidified.
Xuan couldn't help her jaw from dropping, her little Jiang was an Earthbender and a young on at that, she had been expecting Bo to come upon the talent, not her little girl, Earthbending was hardly a lady like thing.
Ti on the other hand seemed completely pleased, "Oh, Jiang-Jiang! Who knew you would be the little bender?!" The older woman nearly squealed like a school girl as she knelled to give Jiang a hug.
Bo was smiling to, though he seemed sad, "Now I can teach her all the things Master Wang tuaght me," Bo had been undergoing training in Earthbending style since he could walk, though he wasn't a bender yet his family had been preparing him for the day when he would be.
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Post by than on Nov 16, 2008 19:24:04 GMT -5
“Yep,” replied Than, looking up at Miss Yen and forcing a bit of a smile, hopefully giving the woman some sort of reassurance. The noblewoman didn’t seem to be particularly at ease since her daughter had spoken up about the Avatar and whatnot. Than had to admit it was a bit peculiar, though he would not question such things or speak out on the subject – that could be seen as extremely rude – it was not his place to comment. He thought highly of little Jiang, she reminded him a lot of his younger sister Minu back home, and he wouldn’t feel right questioning the source of her knowledge.
"Our little Jiang is exceptionally astute, who would have guessed since she was such a late learner," Ti added. Than nodded to the nanny and then turned his head to the little girl, “She seems like quite the smart little one,” he replied, giving a more honest smile.
Peering back down at his map, Than traced a finger along an unmarked portion of the map, moving up along the very edge of the Great Lakes, in front of the Serpent’s Pass and then emerging from a small range of mountains, then due west into Tachi Dai. A secret high road marked only on his specially modified Rebel-made maps, Than had memorized the route and knew that, with the right detour, the group could reach the high road in only a day’s time. The secret high road or “Rebel Route One” had been constructed some hundreds of years ago by some long dead Earth King to facilitate trade along the lakeside communities to make up for the lack off boats and the like at that time.
Now, the high road sat unused and forgotten in the dense forests and mountains along the edge of the lakes. Cobbled and built to last, however, the road remained easily passable and, due to its more direct nature, would have been a far faster route to reach Tachi Dai then the main road the group now traveled upon. Not only faster, but far safer as well, the Rebel knew that it would be virtually impossible to run into Fire Nation troops or bandits or the like on the high road as so few knew of its existence. As much as he wished to reveal the knowledge to Miss Yen and her little family, he felt apprehensive and reluctantly kept the information to himself.
A slice of bread and a bit of jerky was starting to sound good to the Rebel and he looked up from his map to see Jiang stroll over to her mother. Than made up his mind to wait his turn and carefully folded up the map, waiting for the little girl to receive her food before he went for his. Watching curiously as Jiang called for her mother’s attention, the Rebel observed the little act of Earthbending and sprang up to his feel, peering over her shoulder at the sight. “Hey! That is darn sharp!” he said, peering down at the solidified chunk of earth. The symbol meant little to him as he knew no more about Airbenders then the fact that they’d been wiped out and that they could bend Air.
Taking a step back, he placed his hands upon his boney hips, “Never heard of folks discovering their bending at such a young age,” Than said, grinning. As the little group mobbed around to inspect the girl’s work and whatnot, the Rebel watched from the edge. Little Bo seemed a bit disappointed, perhaps jealous? Than felt there was always a good chance that he would discover the ability in time too, if it ran in the family it wouldn’t be unlikely. Though he truly had a limited knowledge base on such things, no one in his immediate family could bend after all.
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Post by xuan on Nov 23, 2008 15:57:37 GMT -5
Xuan's strange look of wonderment and puzzlement fade into a warm smile. She tossed her arms about the small girl, "My little bender," She hugged her for only a moment than moved away, patting the girls head before standing.
"We should be moving," Ti sayed, picking up the dishes and bruching off the bread crumbs before putting them back in the cart.
"I'll ride, nanny, you need some rest," Xuan had already picked up Jiang and placed her in the back of the cart, Bo climbing up beside her.
"Are you sure?" Ti looked exhuasted, but Xuan knew if she asked the old woman would keep riding.
"Of course," and Xuan helped the older woman into the back with the children, "Anytime you need to rest, Mr. Kim-Pyun, feel free to say, you may rest in the cart as well and we can lead your mare,"
The man was very twitchy, she was sure he wouldn't take her up on such an offer, but it would have been impolite not to suggest it. She tightened the saddle and the bit on her two ostrich horses and mounted her own animal. She hadn't riden anything but side saddle since she was little and it felt strange and uncomfortable to have her legs stretched like some rangler, but she would suffer in silence since side saddle would be terrible impractical of her.
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Post by than on Dec 1, 2008 3:56:38 GMT -5
After a quick meal of the bread and jerky, Than was left feeling quite thirsty. He moved over and took a pair of canteens off of Burcu’s saddlebags, both of different designs. Of the two canteens, one with trained eyes might recognize the first as a repainted Fire Nation military issue canteen. He turned toward the stream, but noticed Ti was on the move, gathering up the plates they’d used for their meal. The Rebel took both canteen straps in his left hand and knelt, picking up the plate he’d used, giving it a shake to knock some crumbs loose, then offered it to the older woman, “Don’t want you to have to bend down after that, there,” he said, giving the nanny a rather sleepy smile.
Once the plate had been passed off, Than returned to the stream’s bank and knelt down upon one knee before unscrewing the lids of his canteens. He was about to dip the first into the water, but stopped just before doing so, giving the water an uncertain look. It looked clean.. but that didn’t mean that is was clean. He’d had himself a bad experience in the past, having filled his canteen at a stagnant pool, unknowing of the diseases that could be present there. After suffering through a week and a half of fatigue and fever, he’d eventually recovered. He’d missed out on several raids with the Rebel group he’d been with at the time, though and slowed them down some. There were truly few things Than hated more than being ill.
The stream seemed to be moving along at a steady pace and Than eventually convinced himself that it was safe enough, though, part of him still wished he could have boiled the water. That, he knew, would make it guaranteed safe to drink. He filled his first canteen then held it to his lips, taking a long swig. “Ahhh…” he muttered, it was certainly refreshing. After a few more good sips, he refilled the first canteen, recapped it and went about filling the other. When the second canteen was about halfway full, he was addressed by Miss Yen and quickly turned to face her.
“Anytime you need to rest, Mr. Kim-Pyun, feel free to say, you may rest in the cart as well and we can lead your mare, the noblewoman offered. The little group seemed just about ready to head out, Than noticed that the children and Ti had already boarded the small cat, “Oh, thank you, but I should be alright,” he said, making an effort to seem alert, “Four would be a crowd back there, anyhow,” the Rebel added. Truthfully, he was still feeling quite tired, but there just wasn’t enough room in the cart for him and the others. On top of that, he would have felt rather strange sleeping so close to Ti or Jiang and Bo and, taking up space, he likely would have made them uncomfortable as well.
After quickly filling his second canteen, Than returned the two to Burcu’s saddlebags. The Ostrich Horse seemed to understand what was going on and, without any commands from her master; she rose and turned, striding over beside Miss Yen’s mount.
Than moved over with Burcu and took a hold of her saddle’s edge, looped his left foot into the left stirrup and pulled himself up. Back in the saddle, all the sore spots made themselves known once again and the Rebel shifted around some, trying to find a better position. Once properly seated, he turned to the Noblewoman, “All set?” he asked, noting that she didn’t seem all that comfortable in her own saddle, “I figure we ought to head west, up this stream until we reach the river,” Than added, gesturing up the small stream with his right hand.
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Post by xuan on Dec 1, 2008 8:50:07 GMT -5
"Lead the way," Xuan said, though she wouldn't let him get to far ahead she figured it would be best for the man with the map to make the first move.
The day was slowly crawling by, the noon sun creeping toward the horizon and beginning to stretch the shadows of the tall trees that spotted the area around them. Xuan hadn't seen so much greenary since she was a littl girl, they didn't have trees and fields in the city, and now she wondered what her life would have been like if she had never left her grandparents, had never met Tsuki.
She found she couldn't really imagine it, though she would have loved to live in the country she also loved her life with Tsuki and her children. She hoped deeply that Tsuki would find her before his father, she hated to think what would happen if he didn't, but she was a noble by blood and marriage and she wouldn't hide from the general if he arrived, not without her husbands permission. She had already commited a terrible crime by fleeing from her home in the first place and a part of her regreted what she had done.
"So, how is the war going?" it had been a long time since she had heard anything about the war, news of it didn't really pass through Ba Sing Se, though she didn't think there would be a threat talking to Than about it since he seemed pretty open about news of the Avatar. It had been very difficult for Xuan to say nothing about the war in Ba Sing Se since her grandparens had raised her to stand up for what was right and with a general detest for the war. She had always wanted dearly to help, but she didn't know how. She wasn't a fight and she had a family to think of, she didn't want to be putting herself or her children in dangerous positions, of course she had already done that by leaving Ba Sing Se.
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Post by than on Dec 2, 2008 2:19:21 GMT -5
With a nod to the noblewoman, Than gave Burcu a gentle nudge with his right leg. Familiar with the silent command, the Ostrich Horse began to move forward at an even pace, lingering a bit to allow Miss Yen, seated upon her own mount, to match speeds. With Burcu only a bit ahead of the noblewoman and her family-filled cart, Than led the little group along. Honestly, he was quite pleased with leading, he felt in control and took satisfaction in knowing right where he was going… well, he had a pretty good idea about it, at least. Even the highly detailed maps the other resistance fighters had provided him with could be wrong at times.
Taking a quick glance up at the sun, Than determined that they would likely make it to the large river, into which the small stream flowed, before the sun set, perhaps even to the bridge over the river that would lead them farther west. The bridge… that could be troublesome, if they arrived there near to nightfall, however. It was a high-traffic area, which meant the nearer they were to it, the higher the chance that they might run into some less-than-pleasant folks. If Miss Yen and Ti wished to set up camp near to it, Than would be sure to urge them to keep moving, or, perhaps, camp off in the woods, away from the bridge and the main road to minimize their chances of being discovered. One could never be too careful, the Rebel knew.
Though he still felt dog-tired, Than remained alert, scanning the road ahead, the trees and stream at his sides, respectively, and the road behind as well, with regular looks back over his shoulder, just incase. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, the Rebel shifted in his saddle once again, trying to find a more comfortable position. A new saddle would certainly be something to look into; the one he currently used had been removed from the body of a slain mount at the site of an abandoned battlefield. It had clearly seen better days, and, at times, Than worried that it might be just as uncomfortable for Burcu to wear as it was for him to sit upon.
"So, how is the war going?" the noblewoman asked, catching the Rebel somewhat off guard. He’d considered saying something, having spent the better part of the morning speaking with Ti, it would be pleasant to get to know Miss Yen better as well, at the very least, it would help Than to feel more secure and the like. “The War.. hmm,” the Rebel would have to give the question a bit of thought, he had to decide upon how much he ought to reveal. He did know a fair amount pertaining to recent military movements, then Rebellion stayed fairly up to date on such things, but revealing too much might seem suspicious.
“Well, for the Earth Kingdom, it… isn’t going too well. See,” Than paused for a moment, thinking, “the Fire Nation’s forces have sort of cut across the country along the Great Lakes River. Last I heard, they occupy the western Great Lake and hold its eastern shore.. that’s only some twenty or thirty kilometers from Ba Sing Se.” he said, turning to face Miss Yen. “I’ve heard rumors they’re gearing up for another Siege; I wouldn’t put it past them.” Than rubbed his eyes with his left hand for a moment, “Fortunately, they’ve bypassed Tachi Dai on their way east so, it ought to be safe there, you were headed there to meet up with family, yeah?” he asked, still rather curious about the woman’s destination and motives.
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Post by xuan on Dec 2, 2008 7:48:14 GMT -5
'Sounds like we left just in time then,' Xuan thought, though on the other hand she was sure no one in the inner ring of the city would even hear about it unless the Fire Nation managed to actually get in.
"In a way, We'll be arriving before my husband, though I'm sure he will only be a few days behind us," She wished her husband was their now, she would feel so much safer with a trained captain of the Earth Kingdom army by her side, "Has there been any noticable change in our favor since the Avatar has returned?" She hoped the answer would be yes, but if her calculations were correct the last airbender would be over a hundred years old and she fuaght a slight chuckle to imagine an old wrinkly man fighting like a youth. Luckly she managed to not actually laugh, though a small smile twitched on the corners of her mouth.
Looking around she noticed how strange everything looked, she hadn't been out in the open land for so long she had forgotten just how green everything was. The world seemed entirely bathed in it, the lush boughs of the trees the moss that grew on their trunks, now she knew why so many citizens prefered the color, it was what they knew. If anything belonged specifically to the Earth Kingdom Xuan was sure it was the color green.
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