Campfire stories <Wilderness, Earth Kingdom>

[jialingjin]

The fire crackled and popped, eating up dry brush and sticks that had been gathered and piled on a bare patch of earth, dry leaves acting as kindle. The stars shimmered through a canopy of broken leaves, ominous clouds lingering in the sky while the smell of burnt forest still lingered despite their best efforts to get as far away from the scene of the day's earlier fight. Still a day away from the nearest village, the one with the small Rebellion outcrop, they had settled for the night. All of them. The original three and their clingons: The kid, the Kyoshi Warrior, and the Stalkers.

Still fuming over being duped, Jialing had hardly said a word all day as the group trekked. It wasn't like having more numbers helped them. It slowed them down, maybe them bigger targets and to be honest, made the stench worst. Spirits what she wouldn't do for a bath. They'd gathered around the fire, roasting bits of a rabbit-ferrret Reed or Tsuya.. or someone had managed to catch on forked twigs. They'd stayed with the dried river bed, finding large sort of puddles and collections of water along the way which, though stagnant, provided water and a bit of relief for the creepy tattoo guy who managed to get his arm burned in all that foolishness earlier.

Thus, the stage was set.

[gengoro]

The smell of cinder and ash invaded Gengoro’s senses. The lightning bolt attack that Azula demonstrated to him was devastating; destroying everything it touched. The crickets could e heard from a distance and the crackle of the bonfire was soothing to hear. He felt more relaxed heating them. He laid back on the backpack and watched the fire eat away at the dry leaves and dead twigs and sticks.

Tseng continued to pour cold water onto his wound. This was the kind of pain that he never experienced before; the lasting kind.

“Take it easy on the water Tseng,” Gengoro said, “That has to last us the trip out.”

Listening to his teacher, he corked the bottle and put it aside.

“Electricity, my favorite element,” Tseng said with a smile.
“Technically, electricity is not a true element,” Gengoro explained.

Gengoro poked at the fire to break up the coals on the log. He looked around to the rest of the group. The girl with the war paint on her face obviously was a warrior. The little boy was just that, a little boy. The other two Gengoro looked quizzical on, the one called Reed and the other girl that looks to be the leader of the group. She had a large guard dog with her that he thinks guards her. As for the girl herself, she doesn’t appear to have any fighting skill at all after watching her handle the bow.

“So,” Gengoro announced, “Might as well get to know all of you during our trip. My name is Gengoro, and this is my partner Tseng Wei.”

“Didn’t you have a family name?” Tseng Wei asked, “It sounded like you shouted your family name when you were fighting the Princess.”

[gandalan]

Hibiki contentedly waited for his meal to get done roasting. There wasn't much else to do. The fire danced slightly in the darkness of the night. As he reflected on it, he realized that the fire here actually had a use- it wasn't just for destruction. Not all fire was bad.

The two men had apparently joined them, and they were now only a day's journey away from this village they were headed to. He was worried about it, because he didn't know if they were going to drop him off like so much extra baggage when they were done. He didn't want that. He wouldn't feel safe.

Yeah, it made no sense, but he felt safe with these people, out here in the wilderness.

The warrior was asking a question- Gengoro, that was his name, and the injured man was Tseng Wei. A strange couple of men they were, but who was he to judge?

When the man asked around the circle, Hibiki gulped. He didn't really want to say his name. He wasn't that important, was he? He looked over at Reed and Jia. He was sure that it didn't matter what his name was. He just hugged his knees and stared into the fire. He'd let them say it if it mattered too much.

[lili]

Silently the young warrior sat, legs folded under her in the manner expected of her at home. Not that her mother’s formalities applied out here, it was just a learned trait. Besides, it wouldn’t do much for the Kyoshi name if the girls simply slouched around. Every once in a while Tsuya would steal a glance at their two new members Gengoro and Tseng. Her nerves weren’t too frayed by their presence and as a deep sigh escaped her lips she accepted the fact that they might not actually be any threat. Maybe.

The smell of roasting rabbit-ferret wafted through the evening air yet she wasn’t hungry. If anything Tsuya just wanted to curl up and sleep, late into the afternoon as she had done on a few occasions back home, but there was too much to think about to simply drift off in the hazy cover of rest. And if she wanted to keep up her strength she needed some nutriment. If only she or Reed had been able to catch more meat; these little meals wouldn’t sustain all of them very well. Not to mention Tseng’s wound. It really did need to be kept clean though there wasn’t much water to spare.

One of the older males spoke up, suggesting they all needed to get to know one another and giving his and his partners name. The warrior girl turned her watch from the hiss and crackle of the flames to the strangers. ‘Get to know’ was what someone did with a new girl in the group who might be a friend; something that suggested you might actually learn something, no matter how insignificant, about who you were with. But Tsuya understood she really didn’t know anyone in this little party and probably never would. In all likelihood, once they reached the town she wouldn’t even see them again. So for some reason his little announcement amused her, and a small smile spread across her lips. “I’m Tsuya,” she answered, looking back at the others to see if they would freely give their identities away.

[jialingjin]

Jialing said nothing as she glanced up, across the fire and through it's dancing flames. She was thankful that their gradients of tangerine and yellow were not shades of Persian blue. She sat on a dried out stump that she had drug over on it's side, her forked stick in one hand as she poked and prodded at the fire with the meat chunk on the end. Her lips were curled into a frown as she listened to the large man try to make nice. Her nose wrinkled as she sneered, trying not to hard to hide the disapproving snort. The others could share information if they wanted.. she wasn't.

The woman dropped her eyes to the fire again, trying to ignore everyone around her. She was not in a good mood... what had started out as just a small party of three.. had grown to a group of six. Too big. Too noticeable.. it was riskier to travel in this big of a group than a smaller group, no matter what that man.. Gengoro.. had said earlier. What kinda name was Gengoro anyway? Her upper lip twitched.. Her brother was named Goro.. Daichi and Goro. How were they doing..? In her mind, she drew up Reed's map. ..They weren't that far from Lochan. Spirits.. it was just south of Tachi Dai..

No, a visit would be out of the question. Not to mention that Jialing really did not want to see her overbearing, commanding, dictator of a mother again. She'd rather gargle flaming fire flakes with a glass of gin. Ouch.

[tsengwei]

The sting of the damaged still burned within his arm. He had no choice but to wait it out until they get to a nearby village. For the ease of tension, Tseng Wei wanted to start conversation.

“So anyways Gengoro,” Tseng chimed, “We have enough money from that act that we did back at the town we last came. I think we should probably stay at the inn once we got to town. In fact, we should have plenty leftover, so we should probably buy their rooms as well, as a reward for helping us.”

Gengoro let off a little smirk, “You know, this is probably the only good idea you’ve mentioned all this time I’ve been with you.”

Tseng let out a smile, “Of course. It’s the least we can do.”

“It’s been so long since I last slept inside of a building. The last time I did it, it was at a restaurant in Ba Seng Sei. This old man owed this gang some money. I couldn’t let that happen, so I decided to ‘negotiate’ with their leader. A guy named Yao I think. Anyways, I had this guy named Xun with me at the time. He’s was alright. The rice at the restaurant was probably the best meal I’ve had in a long time.”

Gengoro’s stomach started to grumble at the mere thought of the food in his head.

“If only it were to happen again. Now I perform for people in the middle of market squares with this bald idiot.”
“Hey, it was voluntary that I shave my head all the time,” Tseng chimed with a smile, “It was monastery rules.”
“You never told me you lived in a monastery.”
“There are many great things you don’t know about me.”

[gandalan]

Hibiki was glad that they apparently thought nothing of skipping him. He certainly didn't want to speak. He didn't want to have to tell his story again. So he just hugged his knees.

His story- it wasn't over, but it had certainly stagnated. He wasn't getting anywhere. Jialing and Reed and Tsuya could not take the village back from the firebenders, even with these two additions, and even if they really wanted to- and all indications seemed to point to another point, which was that they didn't care about it. At least not compared to their own motives.

However, Hibiki had no real way to disentangle himself from them, and even if he did, no clear pathway once he had. Jialing had rescued him from the Firebenders because he was too weak to do it himself. How could he survive out there alone? He had to stay with them, for protection. And apparently, he was to play witness to the 'crimes' that had taken place, and give testimony to some other rebels about it. It really wasn't his idea of justice, because even then, he had no idea whether or not the other rebels would act on his information. It really hurt him that they were not ready to help him, but he could do nothing about it.

So all he could do was what he always did, which was tag along and wait. He sighed to himself, quietly, and closed his eyes. With any luck, they'd quiet down soon, and he could go to bed.

[jialingjin]

She scowled as they continued to talk between them, seemingly .. oblivious to the hostile death rays that were shooting from her eyes across the fire from them. She began to peel the strips of meat from her chunk with her fingers, using her dirty fingertips. She had hunkered down, bent over her knees as she watched them.

Staring. Spirits.. She did not like them. The one dude was creepy... covered in tattoos.. it was nothing she recognized and he just gave off an.. aura... of something unearthly. Something.. strange. Tseng was his name she had learned. The other man.. Gengoro. He wasn't military.. he didn't look like it. Unclean, with ragged, dirty stringy hair.. but he was defiantly a fighter.. if not a warrior. She had seen both of them fighting and they knew their stuff.

Grrr... Again, Jialing plucked more meat, munching on it and tearing it as she kept studying them. ...Now who was being the creepy one?

[reed]

A violent rush of wind howled through the trees made Reed twitch. He didn't eat, he didn't sleep and he didn't speak. Thoughts grew heavy and dense through out his mind. This was not something he could get used to. The more people that were 'tagging' along with them, the more every one was in danger.

Reed grabbed his nap-sack and started to pull out some small bags and a few jars that were wrapped heavily in clothe. He grabbed a bowl, that was for his dinner, and instead began to add the horrid smelling ingredients. Reed wasn't bothered by the smell, though he was sure he'd get their new 'friends' to make some amusing faces. The stone faced man took out his pocket knife and ground the items together. Way before Reed had met Jialing, and traveled on his own, he'd been in numerous fights and quarrels. Knowing he would most likely get his ass kicked, he needed to know how to heal himself even a little bit.

Reed poured in some water and stirred it with a twig. The fusion of various ingredients turned into a nasty, earth-toned, gooey, paste-like medium. Reed set it on the ground and slid it roughly over to Tseng, though not being able to spill the contents all over the stranger like he intended to. Following up by throwing a roll of clothe wrapping at him. He glared annoyed, "Dress your wound with that and wrap it tightly." Reed began to get lost in thought again before remembering an important bit of information, " Oh, and that'll probably sting like a mother.." He said with boredom in Tseng's direction.

[gengoro]

The clatter of a small bowl could be heard as Reed slid the small bowl over toward Tseng Wei’s direction. He looked quizzical upon the thick gooey contents inside and dabbed it over his wounds. The burning sensation was pretty intense even with the warning he got. Still, he managed only to grind his teeth with the pain as he continued to dab and spread the gooey ointment contents on his wounds. After spreading the ointment, he took the wrappings tossed over and wrapped his wounds. The burning sensation was still present, but at least it died down a little from the medicine.

Gengoro picked up the bowl and examined the medicine. It turns out Reed used some herbs that could only be found in the eastern regions of the Earth Kingdom. Interesting, this is why Gengoro couldn’t find any as he traveled. He slid back the bowl toward Reed and gave him a slight nod of approval for the medicine.

Gengoro noticed something about the one called Jialing. He noticed that even though she hides her motives well, he did see behind her façade that she had much disdain and resentment for them both. He was curious why she kept staring at them. From what he gathered, she didn’t like strangers, she didn’t even like people she knew, from all he gathered from her.

“So, I take it you aren’t fond of us here,” Gengoro grunted, focusing his question at Jialing, “What is it that we have done that caused you much disdain, and to a point, hatred?”

[jialingjin]

The young woman watched as Reed, sitting on the ground next to her, dug through his supplies and pulled out his first aid kit. Another reason why Jialing kept him around.. his knowledge of herbs and their mixs to make various salves to use with various wounds. He had already helped her various scrapes and burns, mostly small and nothing as severe as what the tattooed stranger, Tseng, had endured. She felt for him a little bit.. burns weren't fun even if they were just the tip of your finger. Much of his skin had peeled over and what was left was blistering. The arm would probably be useless if he made it...

She inhaled and sighed deeply through her nose as her fingers picked the meat, staring more at the fire now than anything else. What were they going to do? When it was just her and Reed.. they could move around they pleased.. they could do whatever they wanted. Now.. with four new additions! Spirits, what were they going to do now?!

Her head bopped up at the voice directed towards her. Eyebrows raised, her eyes were wide with a moment of confusion, a look of "huh?" crossing her long face. As quick as it appeared she sneered, crinkling her nose as her eyes narrowed. "You followed us and we're not suppose to be suspicious?! What hole did you crawl out of? There's a war going on! Everyone's an possible enemy." She snapped across the fire, her dirty fingers gripping the stick which she tapped against her kneecap.

[lili]

Well, at least somebody was making an effort to be helpful to the new additions. Tsuya watched the exchange of medicine out of the corner of her eye, hoping Reeds small action would mean they could all get along somewhat civilly for the last leg of the trip. As good as could be expected of relative strangers who didn’t much care about one another, anyway. The temperature of the evening air was falling and the change sent a slight shiver down the warrior’s neck. Inching just an inch or so closer to the fire and slipping the thick gloves off her pale hands Tsuya picked at a chunk of meat, debating whether she should try to take it slowly or just wolf it down and be done with it. The crusty exterior looked nothing short of a greasy mess now and the young girl wasn’t sure she liked either option.

While Jialing gave her terse reply to Gengoro, Tsuya’s eyes grew. She wasn’t quite sure what answer he was expecting. After all neither had given any sort of hint that they had been following the rebel group. Were they just going to overlook that discerning fact? “I guess that pretty much sums it up.” she stated, nodding slowly. “It was unnerving to have you two come out of nowhere then just trail us for however many miles. You wouldn’t happen to have some story all fixed and ready to go to put our minds at ease, would ya?” With that Tsuya stuffed the whole morsel of meat into her awaiting mouth and quickly chewed once, twice, before swallowing and scraping her tongue on her teeth. Not that she was a picky eater, but oh how she missed the flavor of fresh fish…An expectant gaze rested on Gengoro as she assumed he would do most of the explaining, hoping he would have some satisfactory response.

[gengoro]

Gengoro’s heart started to feel an inner rage from her remark. He couldn’t believe the reply he received from this girl in front of him. For someone who he helped sure was being ungrateful.

“You know, maybe my reasons are my own!” Gengoro spoke as his voice grew agitated, “Perhaps paranoia grew inside of you. You think everybody is out to get you? I don’t even know you, but it seems that the beloved ‘princess’ has some interest in you. You are a complete stranger to me, but I helped you anyways, and you‘re letting paranoia get to you?”
His voice continued to rise as he spoke, “Sure, I could’ve left you to die. Sure, I could’ve left you as prisoners for that sow, but the fact that I helped you against one of the most powerful people of the Fire Nation should be enough that I am NOT with her or her army and it should be a good indication that I am NOT here to harm you! So go ahead and assume whatever assumptions you have for me and my friend, but the fact remains that until we get to the next town, we are in danger, so going by ourselves will only get us killed, and I sure didn’t want that to happen to you kind people.”

The last part of his sentence was out of pure sarcasm. He snorted in frustration as he watched the fire cooked the rest of the meat, “Besides, I figured I could use some friends in the Earth Kingdom.”

He started to breathe deeply but steadily to calm down from his explosion of tempers. He watched the fire closely with each streak of flame dancing with it’s own pattern and beat.

“If you must know, I use to be one of their soldiers,” Gengoro spoke once more.

Tseng Wei, amused from his change of attitude of Gengoro, watched on as he munched on some of the hard jerky from his backpack that he packed for his travels.

[jialingjin]

Oh ho ho! The minute his voice rose, the earth kingdom girl was on her bare feet, toes digging into the dried dirt. Her nose crinkled in a sneer, the smudges of dirt on her face running with a streak of sweat from her forehead. Those muddy eyes narrowed as she tilted her head to the side, taupe colors strands of hair sticking to her forehead and to her flushed cheeks. Holding her breath, her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunks, she dropped her chin into her neck as her hands clenched in fists at her side.

Her upper lip twitched, rising into a sneer with each word. So.. he was Fire Nation? Well she certainly hadn't assumed that on first go.. really only when they began stalking them. She opened her mouth after breathing through her nose, a curl of smoke that dared come near her wafting away with the rush of air. Jialing opened her mouth taking a step forward when he paused, remaining seated. Then he looked away towards the fire. His voice dropped, loosing some of it's edge. So he had been a soldier? She closed her mouth and turned her head to the side arching an eyebrow high as she looked at him out of the side of her eyes. Pursing her lips, she rolled her eyes skyward as if in comical thought. Well... She had very little to say when it was put that way..

Again, she was at a loss of what to say. She was ready to go head to head with the man in a full out shouting match, but what gives! He totally didn't reciprocate how she expected. Frustrated, she threw her hands into the air, dropping down back on to her log with an annoyed, agonized sigh of frustration, one that was meant to be heard. They were eating with Fire Nation Soldiers.. Rebels! Eating with Fire Nation Soldiers.. or at least one. .. Greaaaaat. She shook her head as she reached forward, grabbing another stick with a chunk of possum chicken on it, pulling it back to her.

"..I'm still not talking to you." Jialing declared.. as if THAT was a great punishment.

[gandalan]

Hibiki had seen that the meat was done, and he went and got 3 pieces of it. It was a tough sort of meat, and his teeth were not accustomed to it. Then again, it was, well, MEAT, and he liked that quite a bit- he still wasn't used to having REAL meat after the mines, but he had come to appreciate it so much. And he was quite thankful to Reed and Jia for providing it for him.

He was happily munching away while the older people had their talks. He was largely unconcerned with these, because it didn't matter to him at all... at least, until the bigger one starting yelling. Hibiki didn't like yelling- it scared him. A lot. He jumped up and ran behind Reed, at least a little to the side. He didn't want to be near the man, and he had been sitting near him when the outburst started. He could understand parts of what the man said- Jia, at least, did not trust him. And he used to be a Fire Nation Soldier! Hibiki's mouth hung open for a moment. He looked down at the last piece of meat in his hand. He suddenly wasn't hungry- something unheard of for him. He put the meat down on a small stone. He might be hungry later. Or maybe an animal would take care of it in the night. He didn't know yet.

The chill of night had begun to set in, and he scooted closer to the fire, as the man's outburst had ended. He shivered a little- though he lived in the mountains, he did not have his warmer clothes with him, so he had no real way to warm up except the fire or a sleeping bag. He sighed, and hugged his knees, staring into the fire. It was so beautiful when contained like this... and warm. So far away from the blazing inferno he remembered... He felt sleepy. His eyelids started to droop.