Fourteen
"And, the FireLord was okay with this?" Zuko questioned with an eyebrow lift as Sokka, Peng among other soldiers had dropped off belonging in the front of the old home.
Iroh looked around as he remembered the home, "I control this selection, so it doesn't matter," He explained as he talked to Peng about the rooms.
"As your personal guard, this sure sucks," Sokka complained looking around as the prince rolled his eyes.
The prince walked into his summer home with the WaterTribe boy behind him, "Hey, at least, you'll be able to spend time with your sister," Zuko explained as he still hasn't told him that Suki was apart of the selection. "For now, we are going to see the girls,"
Sokka nodded as he walked behind the prince. He didn't mind being a guard since all he had to do was make sure Zuko wasn't in danger or attacked. There will be moments when he had to run some errands, but Zuko would help him out.
"We will be staying here for the next two weeks, and during these two weeks we will return with only four girls," Iroh explained as the seven girls looked at each other.
Sokka looked at the seven girls, and saw that they were all pretty expect for his sister. He noticed one girl with short brown hair, "Come on, to your rooms," The general explained as each girl was assigned to a soldier.
Sokka turned as he was ready to head inside with the prince but was stopped when the Firebender talked to a man. "Actually, Officer Kim I will have my guard escort this girl in his room," He explained as the soldier nodded and left with the maids that had come to the island aswell. "Sokka please escort to her room," The prince explained as he sent a wink towards the girl.
Sokka nodded as he walked next to the girl, "Geez, you don't recognize me," The girl whispered as the two were currently walking into the guest halls.
"I'm sorry, have I met you before?" Sokka asked as he opened the door to her room. She entered as she faced him, and he looked into her eyes, "Wait a minute..."
Suki giggled as she wrapped her arms around him, "Sokka," She whispered as it hit him.
It was the Kyoshi warrior that he meant way back during the beginning of his journey, "Suki!" He exclaimed as he closed the door and carried her.
He spung her around her room as he couldn't believe she was infront of him, "Took you long enough," She remarked as Sokka sat her down on her feet.
He scratched the back of his neck, "It's the first time I see you without makeup," He explained as she nodded in understanding, "Wait...you are apart of this?" He asked.
She took a seat on her bed, "I joined to get inside information," She explained as he already would of assume that, "The prince and I made a deal,"
Sokka lifted a brow, interested, "What kind of deal," He asked.
"I'll help him win Katara over, if I stay here til the end," She explained. Sokka looked at the girl confused, "I been talking to Zuko a lot, and its obvious that he doesn't like this war and the FireLord,"
"Isn't that his father?"
Suki nodded, "I honestly do think that we can have him on our side. These past nights, I been snooping around General Iroh, and it seems he is planning something against the FireLord."
Suki continued to explain the past nights where she spotted the old man lingering the halls with a box in his arms. She spotted him entering a room, which she assumed, once belong to the FireLady.
Sokka was surprised on everything he was hearing, and looked concerned about the prince, "Zuko told me that the General wanted to speak to him in private in a few hours,"
"So, what exactly are we supposed to be doing here?" Katara heard Jin questioned as she eyed the room they were currently in.
A cough was heard as it was the general itself. He motioned his way as he gestured each girl to take a seat. "I wanted us to bond over tea," He explained as a few servants waltzed in the rooms as they set up the cups, and desserts.
"Well, what do you want to know?" Katara questioned as the general shrugged his shoulders.
"Anything would be fine," He explained.
Varo cleared her throat, "Well, I'm from Fire Fo-" The elderly man interrupted the short-haired girl as he shook his head.
He lifted his brow, "I already know that kind of stuff, I want to know your personality, inspiration and goals," He clarified as the girl nodded her head.
Mai rolled her eyes not enjoying a single moment of being in here with the general, "I don't have any goals," Marri admitted as Jin agreed with her.
Mai remained silent as Varo took her chance to speak, "I don't really know what a goal could be, but I do want a secure future with kids," She answered honestly while Iroh looked over at Suki and Katara.
"I already achieved my goal--a warrior--" Suki answered as she eyed the water tribe madien to answer.
All attention were on her, "Well my goal is to bring peace," She admitted as the general looked interested in her answer.
"What do you mean by peace?" Iroh asked for clarification.
The girl was quiet. There's so much about peace that she doesn't know where to start, "I just want to go back in time when everything was peaceful,"
The general shook his head, "The last time there was peace was back before the hundred year war. The peaceful you want is when you were a small child and weren't awared on what exactly is happening outside," He explained as she knew that he was right.
She missed playing with her brother back at her village, "Either way, I want to stop all this conflict among the nations, which probably seem impossible for someone like me, but I do have a lot of determination," She remarked as the general nodded.
He knew that she was against the FireNation, and he saw her as a perfect right hand for his nephew, "If the FireLord ever finds out about what you said, you can be in big trouble," Mai stated as she shook her head.
Suki crossed her arms, "I doubt the general will say anything though. No offense but you seem rather on your own then following the Firelord's order," The warrior admitted as the old man chuckled.
"Since the lost of my son, I have changed into a different person. I began to realize how meaningless this war was," Iroh admitted as the girls were surprised.
Katara raised her arm out as she placed it on top of the general, "We all lost someone during war," She stated as he looked into her blue eyes. He saw that she too, have lost someone.
Jun cleared her throat, "I don't like talking about this, let's change the subject," She insisted as she looked over at Varo to speak.
"So, what else do you want to know about?" Varo asked the general as he looked at the girls with a smile.
"Well, what do you think about my Zuko? I know he doesn't have the best attitude around," He chuckled to himself as a few of the girls recalled his short tempers at time.
Mai rolled her eyes, "Still the same as ever," She answered.
Marri looked confused, "He hasn't actually gotten mad when I'm with him, but its probably because I mostly talk," She slightly giggled.
"He usually rants a lot," Suki pointed out as Iroh agreed.
"I say hes witty," Katara stated as she remembered the countless times he would throw his comments around.
Suki giggled, "I'm not suprised with your sassy attitude," She pointed out as the maiden scrunched her eyebrows.
"Speaking about the Prince, is he going to be busy during this trip?" Jin questioned redirecting all attention to the general.
Iroh raised his brow, "Well just like you girls are currently being tested through this— so is he. I assigned Zuko a few tasks he has to do while we are here. Some might involve you girls but for the most part this is about him.
The girls eyed one another feeling the tension of the room return, "I actually like that," Suki announced receiving a nod from Katara, "It can do him some good,"
The rest of the evening consisted a few more conversations with the girls learning more about one another. It seem now that the group was smaller it was easier to remember things and talk more about their backgrounds.
Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top