Battle of Tachi Dai (Rebels & Co. Vs Fire Nation)

[gengoro]

The wine here was pretty good. The one called Jialing was once more having a fit about something that Gengoro could care less to remember. He became so good at tuning her out, it was almost an art form.

“Yes Jialing,” Gengoro randomly said while still staring at a wall in the pub, “It sounds like a good idea.” He took another sip from the cup and ran it dry. He poured the purple plum wine into the cup and sipped it some more, “Can I please get another bottle? This one’s getting dry.”

Meanwhile, Tseng Wei was in the huddle, listening to Jialing and Tsuya complain to each other. He couldn’t tune out the constant bickering like Gengoro could, so instead, he had a focus. This entire time, all he did was look at Jialing’s neck. He could almost hear her heartbeat. The sweet feel of blood on his fingers as he cut her throat. If only she would stop talking. She would be a great sacrifice to the dark gods if not for the present company. All he could do is grin and bear it.

Breaking from the huddle, he went over to the bar and grabbed his bags and bo stick. Gengoro noticed him walking out of the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Gengoro asked. Tseng Wei turned his head over with a smile.

“I’m going outside. Their arguing is giving me a headache,” Tseng replied.

Not even thinking twice about it, Gengoro just shrugged as he resumed drinking his wine with Tseng Wei going outside, thinking of a dastardly plan.

[Teiú]

"Oh..."

Was what Teiú managed to grumble after the barkeeper turned his back on the rebel. The young man turned back to the so called "friends to be". First thing Teiú laid eyes on was the strange girl with messy hair getting into an argument with the yet stranger painted girl. Looking at her reminded him of the legend of the Painted Lady, and old fairy tail about a spirit back in his loved homeland. Suddenly, a man with a vicious air to him left without paying attention to the firebender. At the table, there was a boy, looking dirtier and messier than the rest of the group, a young man which mess in hair was resembling the girl in the rant, and a tall and strong man that seemed to be not paying attention to his lousy companions.

Teiú's eyes stopped over this last guy for a moment. There was something about him that seemed familiar to Teiú himself.The firebender couldn't get what it was but suspicion rose in his mind that this guy could be from somewhere else, probably the Fire Nation. Though against Ozai's policies Teiú always was a proud citizen of his country. Recognizing individuals of his people wasn't a hard task for him. And was then that he caught sight of the big dog, resting on the floor, near the chair of the strangest girl. The animal was peering directly at him and seemed to be sniffing his scent in the air.

"Friends?" Teiú thought, while sighing. "It feels like taming Komodo-Rhinos back there at base was something easier than... befriending this guys will be."

The firebender caught his breath and, slowly, minding every step, advanced toward the table. His left hand was bringing Setsuko along, behind him. He advanced till the moment the dog rose its ears. Teiú stopped, it wasn't his intention to give the dog reasons to bark. He was some 4 or 5 meters away from the table but judged that his voice would be heard by all present on that peculiar group. He inhaled deep and, clumsily, questioned the persons.

"Well, I... eh... er, Are you guys... mean, ehem... Are you waiting for... for... Zhong... Zhong Tai?"

[jingko]

Absentmindedly and beleagured with impatience, the toe of Jingko's boot tapped against his stolen ostrich-horse. He shifted his postion atop the beast, his sore backside uncomfortable while he rode bareback upon deciding to ditch the animal's saddle, harness and anything else that would likely make the animal identifable to anyone who knew its late original owner. Meandering about town atop the plodding animal he guaged the locals with suspicion as to whether they were or could inadvertantly lead him to an insurgent that would then lead him to a nest full of their ilk. Yet momentarily as he trudged through the town like a tourist he pondered as to why these people were dimwitted enough to rebuild the town... again. In his mind it'd be better to just reduce the rest of the town to rubble. It would look better as such.

"Mmph," almost halting at the sight of a tavern. "Typical," he uttered in disdain and contempt at the tavern's condition compared to its surroundings and some of the rest of the town.

Probably the first thing these lackwits repaired or rebuilt, Jingko thought. More than once too...

He spat in the general direction, if not the very feet of some random passerby who was just now coming out of the tavern. Jingko rode on with his search.

Many minutes later, with the attempted appearance of a lost Earth Kingdom wander, Jingko continued surveyed a section of the town with the tavern as his starting point. In his head he mapped out the surroundings and tried to observe the townspeople while he explored and navigated up and down the streets and alleys. Eventually, this leg of his scouting expedition brought him back to the tavern as planned.

Dirty and stained, his shin high, mud brown coloured leather stamped onto the packed earth after jerking the ostrich-horse to a sudden stop. By the hairs/feathers along the beast's neck he easily dragged it towards a water trough outside the tavern with ease. The creature being thirsty enough anyway. Jingko rubbed the seat of his olive drab trousers from the bareback riding then straightened the knee length, fading mustard yellow tunic before striding inside the tavern with arrogant abandon. For the moment, no one inside was a concern for him other than being a likely target in his mission. He would look them over in time but for now he walked in with complete disconcern for anyone and everyone in the tavern as they were all automatically and immediately beneath for a variety of reasons.

Though with his behavior came the awkward, wide looping path he took as he strolled in and was momentarily obilvious to where the tavern's counter was located before making his way there.

[jialingjin]

Crap! It's a Trap! Jialing's mind went as she noticed the bartender, the guff man, gestured towards them and her table. She shot a glare at Gengoro as the man seemed oblivious to all she had been talking about and NOW he was ordering another bottle of drink. Just WHO was going to pay for his indulgence? He certainly didn't look like he had any money on him and she was NOT parting with her precious coins. She scowled, and sneered as she folded her arms and leaned on the table, looking up at the tall man with the long hair. Her brown eyes were hardy warm and welcoming, instead they were heavily lidded by thick, dark brows and partially hidden by her crimped hair, heavily colored taupe with slight greyish undertones. Her face was dirty, a smudge of dirt on the side of her nose and her puce-colored lips were turned downward into a aggravated sort of frown.

"Yeah." She confirmed.. not wanting to give much more information than that. Who were these guys and why were they looking for Zhong Tai? She glanced a bit past him to the smaller figure following him, whose hood was up. It looked like a woman, with fine, gentle features and a child-like jaw but given how feminine the man himself looked.. She angled her head at him, a slight glance to Reed who sat beside her before she focused back on the long haired man. Jialing said nothing more, leaving an uncomfortable silence between them as she shifted her feet. She crossed her legs at the ankles, tucking them back. Jin meanwhile continued to lay at her feet, his head raised, but e was silent. He was reaching towards the man's boots, smelling the earth from his travels and just who he was.

It was after this moment of awkwardness, that Jialing's attention was drawn elsewhere, to behind the man and his cloaked lady companion. To the.. short.. scawrny man. Now Jialing was tall. She was taller than average with the average peeking at .. about.. 5'2. She was 5'7 on a good day.. and this pitsqueak.. was short than she! She stiffled a laugh as she watched him enter, his long stringy black hair pulled away from a face of pale skin. The mustard yellow of his tunic, long and one size too big, with wide open holes for the arms, and those olive drab pants Everything was faded, but he looked like he had freshly taken a bath in mud. It was almost comical. She watched as he came in.. his eyes quickly doing a survey as if he was looking for the bar..

Out of towner.. She thought, now distracted by the newcomer and the young rebel pressed her lips together tightly. Again, her table was silent...

[set]

The grip of the delicately small fingers tightened a little around Teiú’s as Setsuko carefully watched her step, not wanting to trip or stumble. She tried to inch a little more behind him, feeling the eyes of the stranger. All she saw were their shoes, the legs of the table, and the dog. She seemed to back away a little as it sniffed at Teiú’s boots. There was an urge to glance up from the shade of her hood, but she fought against it. Her stare didn’t leave the floor. She held herself still, not wanting to attract the attention of whomever they were talking to.

With the silence, Setsuko thought a little. Who is Zhong Tai? Why were they here? Who were these people? She answered one of her own questions right away; they were here because Teiú needed to talk to someone, someone who can help them, he said. The awkwardness hung in the air as time seemed to trudge on slower and slower. Setsuko wanted whatever job Teiú had to do done, but knew she had to find patience if she wanted to find her way back home.

She thought again for a moment. Was she ever going to return home? It was a possibility that it may be a long while before she would even reach the shores of her homeland again, before she could see her family. Then there was another side, the small side of her that wasn’t frightened of being away from home. There was some sense of adventure, a chance to learn about the world a little more. However, there was still one side that outweighed the other; Setsuko knew she wasn’t ready to take on the world yet, but the world was coming at her now.

She snapped back into reality. The rate of her heart felt a little faster, her arms so stiff that she felt a sort of buzzing numbness in them.

[Teiú]

Anxiety and nervousness were making of this experience one of the most astounding situations Teiú ever lived. The girl's antipathy could be felt from meters away of the scene. She was scrolling eyes up and down, trying to figure out who or what the two mysterious figures in front of her were. And she was crept. Her mean behavior was certainly hiding any physical or psichological traits she could have that would call Teiú's attention. Her clothes and hair, as well as the rest of her group, were messy and dirty, way dirtier than Teiú's and his companion. Her constant gaze was inflicting on him a strange feel of awkwardness.

Even then the expectation of finally being able to deliver the message and to, perhaps, get some rest under a roof were making of the young firebender more likely to tag along these guys. Yet, it was another big concern to take care of, the fact that someone could discover the identity Setsuko and him. It wouldn't last long for someone to realize that. Teiú's skin was certainly more pale than anyone else's in the tavern, even if being considered somewhat tan in his homeland, and soon someone would lay eyes in Setsuko that had nothing else but the very bio-type of a Fire Nation citizen. Yet, the young firebender was hoping to find the leader, this Zhong Tai, and thus mention the name of his master and rebel comrade, Kangiro.

The hope for Teiú and Setsuko was certainly the fact that Kangiro was a very close person to the Rebellion's big boss. Until there it would be a top priority to keep things undercover, specially to what would concern firebending. As these things were coming forth and through Teiú's mind the strange girl was still availing him in any way that seemed possible at the moment. As her eyes suddenly shifted from him, though, Teiú both lost the feeling of awkwardness by being peered directly at and acquired the curiosity to look too at what called the girl's attention.

A small man was standing afoot at the entrance of the place. After a quick look at the tavern, he walked toward the bar, right behind Teiú. To this man, though, Teiú felt the same feeling of familiarity he felt about the big soldier sited at table. Recognizing the features of his kin was one of the easiest things for Teiú to do. Not completely sure, though, or with a margin of suspicion big enough to act to this, Teiú chose to not assume things while in there. Besides, something else more important caught his attention. Little Setsuko was tightening her grip around his hand. Sensing that she would not be feeling well in that situation, still taking her by the hand, he walked till a small table near the wall bearing the front door, away from the bar, before letting out a formal excuse-me to the strange gang in front of him.

"Want to sit down, sweet?" He said to the girl, trying to direct the warmer of the voices toward her, while pulling a chair as so she could get sited. Teiú was starting to feel somewhat bad for Setsuko. She seemed frightened and confused, as well as tired from the long trip. Perhaps, would've been better if she would have stayed with Xin back there when the Fire Nation attacked the village they were on. Teiú took out his canteen of water from his belt and offered it to Setsuko. "Have a drink, Sets."Then, lowering his head to her while petting her hooded head, he said in a low voice tone "Don't worry Sets, we will soon be getting some rest, I think. It won't last long now, it seems. You have been an awesomely brave girl."

He would smile to her if she was without the hood and could see him. As it was not the case, Teiú place a chair by her side and sited, while looking at the people he left in the opposite side of the room.

[zilong]

Waiting was something Zilong had been doing too much of lately. The siege on Ba Sing Se had been continually stalled, so he and the 502nd infantry had been put to use quelling rebellions in the northern Earth Kingdom. Their intelligence had pointed towards Tachi Dai as a major headquarters of one of the larger factions, so a raid had been planned. Yet, when the time came, Zilong again found himself waiting. An advance team had been sent ahead to scout and confirm the rebel presence while the main force waited a short distance away, hidden in the forest.

“This is pointless,” he muttered. “We could just head in there and search for these rebels. Why bother being so coy about it?”

Captain Wenyuan chuckled from beside him. “Because if we’re wrong, then it only helps the rebels. Makes us look bad.”

“Whatever,” Zilong grunted. “I’m just sick of doing nothing. We’re so close to winning the war, but all we do is wait around instead of finishing it. If I don’t have a real battle soon, I may just start dueling people.”

The Captain smiled, but said nothing more. Though Zilong was a veteran, his drive to battle was so great that it could make him impatient. He was aware of it, but it still wasn’t an easy thing to ignore. Deep down, he hoped that this town had rebels, and he hoped that they were foolish enough to resist.

[jingko]

How DARE you?! Jingko wanted to roar at that child.

He imagined himself rushing over there. Knabbing her by the hair if she tried to run. Throwing her across the saloon while still having some of her hair in his hands once she took flight. Then, finally he would strut towards her, walk over her until placing the heel of his boot upon her temple then slowly, gracefully slid a dagger across her neck.

Cracks slowly began to appear across the ceramic beer mug clutched fiercely in Jingko's grip. Hopefully he turned away from the table soon enough as a heatwave of shock followed by a inferno of anger seared its way across his face. Humiliated yet again, he felt! First by having to drag a band of little girls across the continent in chains because they believed themselves warriors. Having those same tots rescued by ambushing Earth Kingdom, both of whom eluded him. Knowing that his failure was to be reported whilst redirected towards this operation in a dingy town. And now finally one of those same little girls was sitting right there!

If only he had brought at least one weapon with him. A throwing knife perhaps. Flick the wrist and the next instant have it lodged between her eyes.

Jingko swiftly drained what cheap, face contorting, rice wine that wasn't leaking from his mug and ordered another round. And another mug. Slowly he began to turn around from the counter back towards the motley crew gathered at the table. Keeping his temper in check he tried to look at directly at the Kyoshi girl in his best, curious "what are you?" facial impression.

Immediately Jingko became disappointed with her. She did nothing that would guarantee trouble. A possible chase. The possibility of strangling her or snapping her neck into a geometric angle. She did not recognize him. Maybe she was a different one? Wait! More of them?

Rocking atop the wooden stool, Jingko sipped the fermented rice then began to gingerly shuffle over towards the table. Inside his head he practiced the sort of voice he would use to introduce himself with by mimicking some of the low class, cattle level intelligence, farm hands that worked for his family.

"Boy howdy hot today, uh-yup!" He nodded stiffly and forcefully at them. "Ya'all folx round here or on the route like me?" Jingko pulled up a corner of his shirt to pat a pouch of coins on him. "Wonderin' where ta find tha fun. Some Pai Sho or dice I mean ladies! Kehkehkehkeh!"

[jialingjin]

The young man who stood in front of them seemed to take a step back from the table. He was tall but much of his body was hidden under that heavy cloak. That made him even more suspicious and she wondered if he knew that. He had pale skin and fine features. Sleepy eyes, they watched her with golden brown irises. He looked round.. he had the round, youthful cheeks of a teenager who had not quiet lost all his baby fat with a sloped nose. He had small lips and a small, round chin. It was his hair that caught her attention the most. Long, and the color of russet wood and oak, it reached down his back, spilling out of that cloak and over the cloak’s hood. There was a smaller figure, a leaner figure next to him. A woman, Jialing had guessed, who kept her hood up. Only her small chin and small lips were visible under the shadows. Jialing didn’t like that. What were they hiding?

She leaned forward onto her pointy elbows, her arms crossing over eachother as she turned her head up. She continued to stare without a word at the two, narrowing her eyes and keeping her lips in a frown. Yet, when they stepped back, she relinquished the hold she had on them with her mud-colored eyes. It was the other one that had caught her attention. She hardly heard them, the couple, as they slipped away to another table in the uncrowded tavern. There was a man at the bar.. downing mug of beer and ordering another round. He seemed.. to be watching them. Jialing pressed herbody further onto her elbows as she sneered, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Under the table, she uncrossed her ankles and re-crossed them. He turned towards them.. his gaze lingering on Tsuya.. Tsuya and her Kyoshi Makeup.

Jialing knew it. Letting Tsuya wear that was a mistake. It attracted too much attention, but there were at the Rebel base. People here knew and respected the Kyoshis. Instantly, she sat up, using her body language to establish herself as the leader of the group. Not the warrior, Not the bulky, muscular ex-solider, not the creepy cultist with the hood and certainly.. not Reed. No, this thin girl with the wild, bird-nest’s like hair that had not seen a comb in months, lifted her chin as she listened to the man’s.. odd way of speech. He was an idiot. He had to be. One of those retards.. no one talked like that. He was small, but compact in his body. She made a face, blanching at his.. offer of a round, her upper lip rising into a sneer as her brows curved upward.

Her hands gripped the edge of the table, dirty, roughed fingers pressed onto the wood. She looked to the side, to Reed who sat next to her. He looked oblivious. Cautious.. but oblivious. His half-opened eyed watched easily, that hint of a smile on his lips. His strong jaw was not right, but relaxed, strands of his hair falling from his scalp to circle down under his eyes and along his neck; the result of not cutting his hair in months. He glanced towards Jialing and the young woman looked away. She didn’t know what to do.

This certainly was awkward. She wanted to leave, get them all out of there. It didn’t feel right and where was Zhong Tai?! He hadn’t given them a time but c’mon! ..Maybe something was up, something was keeping him from coming out. All these strange people… maybe they had something to do with it. She dropped her eyes to the table, and then lifted them up to the man with the twisted grin and the laughable laugh. Spirits take me now.. “..Yeah Sure..” She muttered, keeping her head down, but her eyes up with those crooked, greasy strands of hair hanging into her dirt smudged face. He was looking for a game of pai sho or some girls, eh? Well.. this was completely the wrong town. Okay, so maybe they had their share of girls walking the streets at night, but this was a rebel town.. every one was careful. She pulled back from the table, leaning to the side as she peeked down at Jin who was still at her feet.

The golden dog’s medium- length coat was raised along his back, the fur pricked. His head was up, not lying on his huge paws. He was thin, but big for his size.. an impressive animal all curled up at their feet. He was focused intently on something… a rumbling in his stomach that she could feel. Suddenly, Jin shot out from under the table. Slinking out and stretching as he loped to the door, right past the Fire Nation soliders in disguise. The wolfhound’s huge claws clicked on the floor, his folded over ears perked despite their weight. All along his side, his fur rose and deep in his chest he barked and growled, though he did not open his mouth. He stood at the door, looking out down the stairs and into the street, into the half-rebuild ruins of the town that stretched until it faded into fields and woods. Running towards the tavern.. was a young man, maybe a boy really.

He was exhausted, breathing heavily as he stumbled up the stairs, his bare feet bringing dried mud flakes with him. His pants were torn at the knee, a sleeves tunic slipping off his shoulders. His hair was ruffled and wild, blow into his face and his face was red with breath. Ignoring Jin, who did not attack, he bounded up the stairs and flung himself against the door frame, leaning on it as he looked in, blinking at the dimmer light. “You!” He pointed across, towards the table of Rebels, towards Jialing, Reed, Gengoro, Tsuya and Tseng Wei. He inhaled shaprly, wincing as he did with a hand clutching his chest. “The mayor’s… gonna be … late. Fire.. in the fields.” He inhaled sharply, his eyes desperately going from the table of known rebels, the ones who he was familiar with (at least Jialing and Reed) to the other occupants. Crap… Had he just.. no. The Fire Nation couldn’t be this far into Tachi Dai. They could but.. not without the rebellion knowing.

Fire in the fields. Code. There was no fire in the fields.. but smoke had been released, and a field set flame as a signal. Code. Zhong Tai knew.. or at least suspected the Fire nation was close. Jialing quirked a brow, having straightened up and once again put her elbows on the table. Reed snapped too, looking more attentive than ever as he too recognized the simple code words.. simple. The fields weren’t dry enough to catch fire on their own though.. anyone with basic farming knowledge knew that. Jialing pressed her lips together in a tight line. What to do… there were these strangers around and they couldn’t know about the rebellion? Could they? Maybe they did and Jialing just didn’t know them? New recruits? Maybe.. she kept quiet and shut her trap.

[jingko]

"Wot? Why?" For a brief instance Jingko had suddenly lost his assumed accent, falling back into his own voice momentarily.

By trained instinct, Jingko's right hand immediately clutched the left side of his belt and immediately turned to the patrons at the table. While trying to subdue the emotions that sprung upon his face he grappled nothing but air itself.

Dammit! Cursing to himself. I did not bring any weapons with me! Frowning furiously.

Swiftly he turned from them and walked towards the threshold of the door, his footsteps a bit too stern for the gait of a mere traveler. Jingko's hands squeezed upon the doorframe as he attempted to peer across the town's poor accuse of a skyline towards a column of smoke rising into the air.

No, he thought to himself. They couldn't be attacking so soon, could they? The fools, shaking his head. It obviously should not be any of mine... unless they found the insurgents headquarters. But it couldn't be out there, nowhere. It has to be somewhere here! Inside the town proper, he concluded.

Jingko wiped a hand over his face and attempted to change his expression and demeanor before turning back to the patrons at the table he was speaking with just a moment ago and made eye contact to the barkeep as well.

"Wull gorsh," he began. "Jus way way out thur, won't come this way righ?"

[jialingjin]

Whatever. Jialing scowled, lifting up her upper lip in a sneer as she weighed mentally what choices they had. As part of the rebellion, they needed to go… but.. For spirit’s sake why are you being so suspicious?! part of her mind screamed at her. This was an Earth Kingdom City. Sure it was occasionally crawling with Fire Nation, it was technically in Fire Nation Territory but seriously.. it’s not like any of the strangers in the Tavern were Fire Nation in disguise. Just wandering travelers like themselves.
Like a cork off a bottle of ale, Jialing popped up, practically banging her knees against the table as she pressed her hands down against it. Her arms locked, her crimped and tangled hair bouncing around her eyes as she blissfully ignored the uneducated hick infront of them. “Let’s go, guys!” She commanded in her usually stern, lack luster voice; this time though it was brimming with excitement under the surface.

The others were caught off guard. Or maybe a little bit. Reed practically kicked his chair back, rocking back on two out of four legs for a moment before he planted his feet back. He glanced up at her, pulling his hands back and reaching for the sack that was slung across the back of his chair.. all while staring up at Jialing with a delicate sort of fear. His dark brown hair curled over his eyes, the cowlick he had for years was finally beginning to fail under the weight of his longer hair. It was still buoyant, strands tucked behind his ears, while others fell in a mess down along his neck. Jin, standing at the door, turned to look back at the commotion, closing his long snouted-mouth as his ears perked. So they were going out? The goldened dog, with his ratty fur filled with mats and bristles bounded out of the open doors, down the stairs and onto the dirt road, tail wagging behind him.

Meanwhile, Jialing swooped down to grab her harness, heaving the heavy straps of leather that supported her quiver and her bow up onto her shoulder as she pushed out her chair and stepped away from the table. Her lean arms lifted it up, over her head as she slipped the shoulders over her pine-green, faded tunic with it’s short sleeves, the cream-colored linen undershirt poking out. Her hands went to her waist, adjusting the straps over her chest where faded frog-buttons of gold kept her tunic closed, then to waist where she tightened the belt, the former girth and slipped the belt loop closed. The jingle jangle of the metal brackets, snaps and belt buckles of the old harness filled the air. The arrows in her quiver, some handmade, some bought rustled together, and her bow, currently stringless swayed back and forth a bit in its suspension. Kicking her chair out a bit, she stepped out from the table, followed soon by a Kyoshi Warrior, a Merchant, a Fire Nation Traitor and a Shaman.. An odd collection; this was true. “Sorry, pal.. Can’t talk.” Was all she said, oblivious to the fact that the hick-like man.. was truly a Fire Nation Soldier in disguise. Either she was stupid, or.. well stupid. She slipped passed him positioned at the door, elbowing her way after her dog.. with her posse following.

[set]

Nervousness came to mind as she heard the commotion go about. Setsuko took a small sip from the canteen, closing her eyelids somewhat so that when her head tilted back, her lifted hood didn’t reveal the golden hue of her irises. She carefully brought the container back down to her lap, wiping her lip a little before handing it back to the man sitting beside her. A small, delicate hand shyly reached up to her own face, tugging at the rim of the hood to ensure that it at least touched the tip of her nose before letting it go and placing both hands in her lap.

All she saw were shifting feet. She recognized the four paws of the canine move about as the footwear of the strangers at the table shifted. Over the noise of the tavern, she barely understood the words that were exchanged, and barely comprehended any of the small talk or conversation. The commanding voice of a woman caught her attention, making her stiffen a bit. She shrunk and felt herself tighten next to Teiú as those strangers passed them through the front door, her hidden eyes watching their feet walk by.

[Teiú]

The small man, whom presence have shifted the glares away from Teiú a few minutes ago, started to go into a scene. Too much of a scene. Something going on was terribly wrong over there. His accent and his manners were all too artificial, and Teiú could tell it because Teiú himself was trying to perform similar behavior since he first laid a foot into Earth Kingdom's territory.

At the time, who appeared to be the leader among Teiú's new "friends" ordered everybody of her gang out. Uncertain if the group would accept him and Setsuko among them at such an hour and given happenings he decided to wait for them to go and follow them for what he would consider a safe distance.

"Time to be brave, Sets. Hang on me and don't let go of the grip, ok?" He whispered to Setsuko, while taking the little girl in his arms, his right arm serving as a sit for her and his left hand on her back, to prevent her from falling on her back. Given the status of his stamina after hours of walking and night after night of sleeping onto rough earth, the young rebel felt as if his companion was weighting way more than she actually should.

"Wull gorsh, jus way way out thur, won't come this way righ?"

And Teiú started realizing what of wrong around this guy could be. The city was devastated and the firebender received instructions to proceed with care when in Tachi Dai, considering the city would eventually be occupied by Fire Nation troops. Even if he was really a mere traveler and, as so, somewhat out of his turf, he didn't even care about the situation of the place he was going to visit? Added to that, "Fire in the fields" seemed like a very explicit code to let everybody know the Fire Nation was near. A raid would most certainly follow, it was clear for Teiú. There was no reason, at least an obvious reason for the people at the inn, to believe the red troops would just occupy the neighboring areas of a town such as Tachi Dai. Assaulting the somewhat defenseless city wasn't hard at all and Teiú was sure the city would hold way more interesting things than the fields circling it.

The gang left the place. Not much seconds after that Teiú took his way out, always caring to be at angle where the man he just arouse suspicion for couldn't see the golden eyes of Setsuko. On the road, Teiú looked both ways, the Ostrich-horse he had taken from a battle, earlier, was at the opposite side that the group he was bound to follow were taking. Mentally apologizing to the animal for having to abandon it, Teiú just stood a few moment looking at the door frame and to the strange and small man in front of him. Before following the ones meant to take him to his goal, Teiú decided to certify himself of the identity of that man.

"So... er... do you think them, eh... them fireheads are gonna leave this town here after they get what they want?" Teiú's speech, directed to the man thought to be a tourist.

[seru]

The sun was hot. Quietly cursing his homelands predisposition to dark colours, Soshi was laying in the shade, his great beast of a mount, a wide, squat, Lizard-frog, curled around him. It was about fifteen feet across, thanks to it’s wide legs, and body. Soshi had to sit cross legged, and have the proper posture to guide the creature. He just needed something like it to bring what he was carrying. He looked over at the chest, and closed his eyes.

He could hear the war still. It had plagued him far worse at home, surrounded by his memories. Here, it was only if he thought about what was in the bottom of that chest. “My hands make only one thing.” He shook his head, standing up, and opening his eyes. It was beautifully warm, and he stroked the back of his mount. It was only about ten feet long, a strange creature he was surprised to know existed. He kept it well fed, liking it’s gentle nature.

It moved at a pace slightly fast than a slug, but it suited him. It was smart, and he had woken up more than once on it’s back to find himself in a grove of trees, safe from the elements. He crawled onto it, and propped himself against the chest. The beast, sensing his weariness, began moving slowly in the direction it had been going for the past while.

Soshi had heard rumours of a bar that had been rebuilt multiple times. It was a healthy place, and from what he heard, served the strongest ale in the Earth Kingdom. Soshi really wanted to have it, to see if it could drive the memories away.

Asleep, he murmered quietly. “Jaya…” His clothing, unchanged since he was in his home, was warm, and he shifted in his sleep. He looked as if he could sleep for a week or more, and need more. Finally, there was a small creek, and his mount slowly made it’s way into it, drinking from the creek, before laying down itself, a few hours travel made.

The mount knew the way, having been to and from Tachi Dai with it’s previous owner. It missed the slim woman, but respected this new man, whose petting was often and prolonged, and whom slept so soundly that it could take it’s time. It would like to see this man and it’s owner be friends…

It fell asleep in the creek, with Soshi asleep astride it’s back. Tachi Dai was less than fifteen minutes upstream.

[jingko]

It could have been difficult but Jingko managed to keep down growl and more so a confrontational expression as this girl practically shoved him aside along with her mangy, lice-flea and tick-worm ridden wolfhound nearly scrambling between his legs. He turned away in hopes of not revealing any discourteous emotions swelling. Following was her little band that made up her motley crew, along with a possibly escaped Kyoshi Warrior that somehow failed to recognize him.

“Uh, uh,” trying to recraft his face into something with a more placid expression. “Wot you all be doing for now?” Trying to halt their departure.

"So... er... do you think them, eh... them fireheads are gonna leave this town here after they get what they want?" The only other patron in the room spoke to him now. This man’s features were beginning to strike him as suspicious upon looking him over but on what grounds were being divided between ethnic and age due to the child held in his arms. The latter gained more attention as to whether she was his daughter—but he seemed quite to young to have a child that age unless, y’know—or maybe just a much younger sibling or just uncle. The line of thought was failing Jingko’s at pointing out that this man’s features were strongly Fire Nation.

“Nao whut could them dar fi-urheads be gonna whutin?” Continuing his impersonation. “Ain’t like no ruhbellion be in this here place now is thur?”

While withholding a contemptuous sneer, Jingko partly turned towards the mangy woman and her mangy dog with her mangy band of mangy friends. “And you all be like crazy go out far yonder. Letem burn that farm,” a candle began to flicker on in Jingko’s head. “Gut nokinda business fightin Fi-ur Nation,” and that candle began to illuminate his mind. “Nut be like you people…,” His voice began to change from mangled artificial to, “are miscreants belonging to,” something more naturally and true. “The Rebellion.”

Jingko’s brow slid forward. His body took a halting half-step back. A sneering glare though regretting not having a real weapon upon him was still defiant and threatening in spite of their number.