Chapter 61

The refugees continued their trek, with Je-Choi casually leading them into the mountains.

"Oh, there's plenty more entries like these all around the region," he helpfully told Suki. "Sure, every now and then an Earth Kingdom patrol will find one and close it off, but us traders have our own earthbenders too."

"And how do you know a patrol won't show up here?"

The merchant smirked. "I don't bribe them, if that's what you're expecting. I've had my fill of losing money to the Earth Kingdom. No, this little group I'm in have our ways to…ah, read the weather, you can say."

What kind of codespeak is that? And why bother with it when he's practically giving away everything else right now?

By evening, the convoy was led to a rather ominous looking cave at the foot of the mountains, and the merchant had everyone set up camp for the day. "It'll be a bit of a path, so get all the rest you can."

As they usually did, the Kyoshi Warriors kept a rotating watch throughout the night, though like the previous nights it was an uneventful task. The following day, lanterns were lit as they entered the cave, which quickly turned out to be a labyrinthian tunnel network.

Suki scrutinized the merchant as he drove his cart and led the group through forks and junctions without hesitation, but try as she might, she could not figure out how he knew which route to take. There were no discernable carvings or discolorations on the walls and ground that she could see, no subtle objects placed about, and she even tried sensing the air pressure but to no avail.

The merchant noticed her annoyance and chuckled patronizingly. "Don't try too hard, the system's been set up by some very thorough earthbenders. One of them used to be a customs inspector in Ba Sing Se I think."

As Je-Choi warned, traveling through the tunnels was a taxing ordeal. While the walls never closed in too tightly, the path sometimes seemed to spiral up and down, or turn into sudden steep inclines. The only pauses they took were to refill the oil in the lanterns. Suki had no idea how long exactly they were walking, but she was sure that they had at least passed lunch.

The number of refugees taking out rice balls and dried rations to munch on as they marched reinforced her guess.

After spirits know how long, the Suki felt a faint current in the otherwise stale air. The merchant confirmed her guess with a reassuring smile to the refugees. "Don't worry everyone, we'll be out in time for dinner!"

With their morale boosted, the refugee convoy surged. The Kyoshi Warriors too picked up the pace, eager to leave the claustrophobic environment. It felt like mere minutes until they saw sunlight slashing through the darkness, and then they were leaving the tunnels with Omashu's silhouette just off in the distance.

"Welcome to the Fire Nation territories," Je-Choi said rather happily. "Come, the main road's just down there. The ground there makes for a better place to camp."

"Won't that risk Fire Nation patrols?" someone asked, and Suki found herself wondering the same as well.

The cabbage merchant shook his head. "So long as none of you are in a soldier's uniform, they won't stop you. Even then, I heard the princess set up a system to welcome deserters. The Earth Kingdom might be stopping people from leaving, but the Fire Nation's not stopping people like us from coming in."

That…made disturbing sense. The Fire Nation could slowly sap the fighting strength of its enemy simply by draining away its people. In a sense, the Earth Kingdom was suffering attrition on two fronts. Whether or not the Fire Nation treated refugees any better though…

"Don't worry, the Fire Nation road patrols are…well, not exactly friendly, but they'll just ask a few questions and then show you the road to the new towns they need settled."

"What kind of questions?" a woman asked, hugging her child tightly.

The merchant shrugged. "Where are you from, what skills you might have… Supposedly they're on the lookout for specialists, like carpenters, shipwrights, those kinds of things. The princess also made earthbending a profitable profession. Builders and roadlayers are in high demand."

All the talk of jobs got the refugees murmuring to themselves. "What about the deserters?" Suki asked, and once more Je-Choi shrugged.

"Same questions, apparently. I met a couple of them who got resettled as lumberers. They seemed okay enough to be paying customers."

There were implications here that Suki knew she wasn't aware of just yet, but held significant consequences down the line. The Kyoshi Warrior didn't like that she'd have this puzzle rattling about in her head for the foreseeable future.

Slightly reassured, the convoy made their way down the mountain and followed the cabbage merchant to a cleared area by the side of the wide dirt road. A quick glance at the clearing made it clear to Suki that it was made specifically for people to camp. There were shallow holes of blackened earth which had clearly been used as fire pits. Mounds of dirt in a distance away from the site marked what Suki guessed were latrines.

Was this another Fire Nation thing? Their princess must be really invested in the conquered lands…

True to his claim, the refugees were setting up camp when a patrol of Fire Nation soldiers came down the road. Everyone froze in fear at their arrival, and the Kyoshi Warriors kept a wary stance. The bored faces on the patrol turned into frowns, but they did not lower their spears. Instead, they walked up and one of them spoke as he surveyed the fidgeting refugees.

"You bunch new?"

Je-Choi walked up to give a slow nod. "Yes, sir. Refugees, from the Earth Kingdom."

"And who're you?"

"Just their guide, sir."

The armored man nodded to Suki and her warriors with a grunt. "And them?"

"Kyoshi Warriors who've been…employed as guards, sir."

The patrol leader nodded. "Hnh. Anyway, New Ozai is closed to migrants, so the nearest town is that way," he said as he pointed down the road. Something about his half-bored voice made it sound like he was going through a tedious chore. "Just follow the road and then take a right at the junction. Magistrates will settle you folks in. You're free to hunt for food, but I suggest you stay away from the elephant mandrills.

He gave a pause for a moment. "What else… Oh, keep the roads clean, and if you come across any trouble, try and keep to the roads; easier for patrols like us to find and help you. And…yeah. Don't cause trouble, and there won't be trouble, understood? On behalf of Crown Princess Azula, welcome to the Fire Nation."

And just like that, all the tension anticlimactically bled off the refugees and Kyoshi Warriors, and the patrol resumed their route. Some of the men and women broke down into sobs of relief, while others slumped in silence. They resumed setting up camp, and then the Kyoshi Warriors joined the overjoyed refugees for their first meal in enemy territory.

"What will you do now?" someone asked, and Suki and her Kyoshi Warriors exchanged silent glances before she answered.

"We'll follow you until you reach town. Might as well see this to the end. After that… I suppose we might as well find out more about the Fire Nation lands."

Keeping watch at night felt far less tense than it did back in the Earth Kingdom. The more she thought about it, the more unsettled Suki was by the realization that these refugees had to flee and watch their backs for the very people that were supposed to be protecting them. And that the supposedly perfidious and murderous Fire Nation were deemed as a better option enough to risk an exodus. And now that they were here, these people were more relaxed than she'd ever seen them during the trek in the Earth Kingdom.

What was the Earth Kingdom fighting for, if its own people were so happy to run into the embrace of the enemy?

It'd be one more annoying question for Suki to ponder over. A part of her wished that she and her sisters remained back on Kyoshi Island in blissful ignorance. That way she could easily hate the Scorpion and Prince Zuko, and tell herself that the Fire Nation were clearly the bad guys in everything.

With Je-Choi and his cart trundling along, the refugee convoy began moving again the next morning, with a liveliness fuelled by optimism. People were conversing loudly as they walked and children were no longer hushed to silence. The Kyoshi Warriors kept their positions at the edges of the convoy, but there was no denying that the atmosphere was far more relaxed now.

"They should have been able to be like this back in the Earth Kingdom," Miyu muttered.

Suki nodded. "They shouldn't have had to leave their homes at all."

They reached the junction the soldier had mentioned yesterday and took the turn. Another Fire Nation patrol passed by them without incident, only giving out the same instructions as before.

On the following day, the refugee convoy finally encountered something that made them pause and rekindled their fears again. Even Je-Choi looked nervous as a procession of intimidating Fire Nation soldiers surrounding an ornate litter marched in from another road to overtake the refugees. What made everyone really nervous was when the procession stopped and the soldiers moved aside to create a clear path from the litter towards the refugees.

Suki's hand slowly hovered to the war fan in her belt as she watched the heavy curtains of the litter pushed aside and a noble girl of sorts no older than her step out. At least Suki thought she was a noble, until Je-Choi hurriedly got down to his knees to prostrate himself.

"Your highness."

The crown princess of the Fire Nation carried herself with a confidence born of competence and certainty. Keen dark gold eyes narrowed at Suki's general direction. The refugees practically quailed at her gaze, but the princess' focus was mostly directed at the Kyoshi Warriors. Suki felt a chill run up her spine under the royal's judgemental look, but she kept her hand from her weapons; the Fire Nation soldiers were still at attention, and there were no overt signs of hostility.

Finally, after staring enough, the princess began to walk towards the refugees, raising a lazy hand to keep her entourage in place. Only two other people followed her - both girls about the princess' age. One was clearly a noble, wearing a bored, disinterested expression and dressed in black and red. Her movement was laconic, but Suki's martial instincts noted the slight tenseness in the noble girl's movements. A capable fighter then.

The other was a performer of some kind, wearing the semi-revealing outfit all female acrobats did across the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. She moved with a carefree, feline grace, and despite the bright, lighthearted smile, something told Suki that she'd be in trouble if this girl decided to fight.

"New migrants, I take it?" the princess inquired as she stopped in front of the cabbage merchant. "You can rise."

Je-Choi quickly got up and began bobbing his head. "Yes, your highness. Just a couple of days since we entered your domain."

The princess hummed in thought. "You're their leader?"

"Just their guide, your highness."

She studied the man for a moment, and then eyed his cart. "Is that yours then?" Je-Choi's head bobbed rapidly again, and the princess suddenly smirked. "Cabbage merchant… You don't happen to know Xing, do you?"

This time Je-Choi bowed deeply. "Yes, your highness. The colonel and his people have been my best customers."

"Good. It's finally good to meet you. You see, Xing has told me of the cabbage merchant that saved the 11th from starvation." She made a show of snapping her fingers, and then a soldier marched out with a scroll. The princess took it and passed it over to Je-Choi in a semblance of formality. "In recognition of your deeds, as royal patron of the 11th Royal Regiment, I, Crown Princess Azula, hereby award you…"

"Je-Choi, your highness…"

"Award you, Je-Choi the cabbage merchant, with an open access trading license. Unless I give the word, you will be exempt from tariffs and tolls, and any Fire Nation colony that bars you from trading will answer to me." She gave a smug smirk as the refugees broke into muttering and the merchant reverentially accepted the scroll. "I trust you would not abuse this privilege," she remarked with a sniff.

"Y-Your highness is most generous. I will of course not dare to selfishly exploit this gift."

"Good." Suki tensed up again as the princess then turned her attention back to her. "Now, I've never expected to see the Kyoshi Warriors outside of their island."

"We chose to aid these people in their travels," Suki answered simply, and then felt her hackles rise as the princess flashed a grin.

"You'll find that there will be very little in my jurisdiction for any honest person fleeing the Earth Kingdom to worry about. Though, I suppose it's not the Fire Nation that they're worried about…?"

Silence fell for a few seconds as Suki kept herself from responding to the taunt. The princess nodded ever so slightly with a satisfied smile before she raised her voice to address the men and women staring at her. "Anyway, we've settlements to populate, and jobs that need working. So long as you pay your taxes - taxes that I've been told are about half of what you're used to, by the way - and abide by my laws, you can rest assured that you will find a comfortable life in the Fire Nation. And as proof of my hospitality… Captain."

One of the soldiers stepped forwards with a salute. "Your highness."

"We'll be guiding these people to Bahai, and then we'll carry on to Zilang. Form a protective perimeter."

The soldiers fanned out to surround the properly intimidated and awed refugees.

"Oh great, as if traveling with an armed guard wasn't annoying already," the noble girl in dark colors remarked.

The acrobat giggled as she looked at the Kyoshi Warriors. "Well, at least we'll have interesting company, Mai."

"There's nothing interesting about overdressed peacock pigeons. I hope they're not going to be as loud as their faces look."

The Kyoshi Warriors bristled, but the princess waved at her friend. "You can keep to the edges of the procession if you want Mai. As for myself…" She fixed a grin at Suki. "...I have to admit, I'm quite curious about the Kyoshi Warriors. Tell me, have any of you, by chance, met my colonel and my brother?"

The rest of the journey was an ordeal as it was enlightening. Crown Princess Azula turned out to almost be like the tales made her out. She was sharp and courteous, an ideal picture of not-so-humble nobility. Azula knew what authority she carried and wore it with a sense of superiority, but she didn't throw it around to remind everyone that she carried it.

More importantly, Azula actually gave off the air of competence, compared to many of the generals and nobles Suki had encountered in the Earth Kingdom. Oh, she might see the common people as resources, but she also saw them as a source of boasting.

"It's hard to manage people correctly, you know. And how good must I be doing that the villages of my enemies are emptying out and risking their lives to come here?"

Suki reluctantly preferred that outlook than the callous disregard most highly ranked nobility carried.

As uncomfortable as it was for the Kyoshi Warriors, the princess kept up polite conversation with them, mostly inquiring about their training and practices, and never straying into politics. Suki and her fellows obliged the royal as much as they could tolerate, and credit to her, Azula seemed to know just how long her presence was welcomed before returning to join her friends or mingle with the awed refugees.

It was obvious that she exuded an undeniable charisma that Zuko lacked. It was the kind needed to keep a leash on the Scorpion Dragon, but judging from her tone whenever she talked about him, it seemed like they had less of a master-pet relationship and a more of an…intimate bond?

Yeah, Suki didn't want to know just how much of those rumors were true. Her…nightmares of the boy's iron grip around her throat was more than enough.

The Kyoshi Warriors followed the mix of welcomed refugees and royal guard to the town of Bahai, and bid the former all the best in their new life as they met with the magistrates the princess personally summoned over. Je-Choi quickly disappeared to restock his cabbages, while the royal procession moved on.

"Feel free to explore the colonies," Azula said far too smugly before leaving. "See the changes I've brought so far, and compare it to whatever the Earth Kingdom has. I'd prefer it if you can spread the good word, but I'll settle for at least impressing the Kyoshi Warriors and letting you judge for yourselves whether I'm as bad as the Earth Kingdom says I am."

Suki found an opportunity to wipe the smugness of the princess and took it. "They don't say anything about you, at least we've not heard anything pertaining to the Fire Nation's princess in our travels," she laconically replied, glancing at her warriors who quickly took the hint and nodded along. "They only worry about attacks and raids, army movements and the latest news from battles. There's talk about the opportunities the colonies might provide, but nothing about good or evil princesses ruling over the Fire Nation colonies."

There was immense satisfaction at seeing the princess frown at that. "I suppose I've been putting too much work into actually doing something to focus on projecting my image," she rationalized.

And then Suki and her sisters were left to figure out their next move. They decided on taking the princess' bait and exploring the conquered lands a little more since they were already here.

Suki didn't know whether to hope that Azula's claims about the colonies would be true or not.