The Fifth

Kano sighed, leaning on the tree. His entire body was soar. He'd been travelling for days through this brush. He knew he was headed for the coast. He didn't like having to leave Sano and Hotaru after all they'd done, but he needed to get back to the Northern Water Tribe and he couldn't ask them to put themselves at risk for him. He sank down to the foot of the tree, hanging his head as he sat there. He still hadn't fully recovered from the battle at the pirate camp, or the arrow in his shoulder for that matter. Sano's skills with herbal medicines were impressive, but even with that and Kano's own talents in healing, wounds that deep didn't heal overnight.

It didn't help that he'd been pushing himself far too hard to get to Makapu. There was a small makeshift port south of there where supplies were held for the fleet. If he could make it there, there was bound to be a ship or two that could offer him transport back to the tribe, or at least to the blockade fleet off the coast where he could get such transport. He'd gone without food and hadn't given himself time to rest. It was foolish, but he couldn't stand being out here in the middle of nowhere while his brothers and sisters were dying in this war...

Rustle...

Kano's ear perked at the sound. Now that he was looking for it, he had the sense that he wasn't quite alone here. Playing the fool, he slowly reached across and grasped the hilt of his saber. A moment later, he leaped to his feat, drawing his weapon. The blade stopped a centimeter from the throat of a woman of some beauty. She was dressed in light armor and she carried a bow. At the moment, she had an arrow nocked and drawn, aimed right at his face. She was good.

"Hello, there." Kano said slowly.

"I'd surrender if I were you." she replied.

"Oh would you?" Kano smirked. "That's interesting. Well... I like to reserve surrender for when I know I'm defeated. I'm not there yet..."

The sound of half a dozen bows singing as arrows were drawn in them met his ears. He was surrounded.

"Maybe I am." he said after a moment. They stood there in silence for a minute more before he relaxed his stance and offered his weapon to her. She took it and a moment later, his arms were grabbed by the other warriors and were pulled behind him. His wrists were tied. He flinched as they did so. Most of it sent rather unpleasant jolts of pain through him.

"Tst!" the first warrior said, gesturing at one of the ones binding him. She'd been watching him carefully. At her command, they made sure the bindings were secure, but they made them a bit looser. He was grateful for it. It considerably lessened the discomfort in the situation.

"Thanks..." he said quietly as they turned him around and began marching him off to the northwest. She didn't respond.

For several hours, they traveled wordlessly. The woman he'd spoken to led the way. They all wore identical armor and had face-paint in the same pattern. They were rather like the Kyoshi Warriors of Yu's Legion, but their patterns weren't the same, nor was their equipment. Yet they did have the same sort of discipline. They came to a rather strange and very thick stand of massive bushes eventually. Yet despite the seemingly impenetrable brush, the warriors immediately found a small opening in the wall, a walkway that snaked through the stand like a tunnel. It took a few minutes to find their way all the way through, but when they came out on the other side, a rather impressive sight met Kano's eyes -- a powerful fortress hidden beneath a huge canopy of trees.

"Wu Shaya..." he said slowly, looking up at the fortress walls.

"How do you know that?" the first warrior asked sharply, looking around at him.

"I've heard the rumors." he said simply. Of course, by this, he meant he'd received a briefing about the place and its strategic value. The fortress of Wu Shaya dominated the frontier of the Earth Kingdom. No wonder these warriors looked to be relations of the Kyoshis... they were Kyoshis. This was the domain of the 5th Legion...

It took them all of twenty more minutes to make their way into the fort. The place was crawling with Kyoshi Legionnaires. They took him to the most commanding structure in the city-like fortress and to a room rather like the interrogation room he'd been taken to all those months ago in the Breach, back in Ba Sing Se. It seemed an age ago... Once they settled him there, the entire group of warriors retired from the room and left him there alone...

"I don't have good luck with these warriors..." he sighed.

(Continued from: The Wrecked...)

Miyuki walked towards the direction of Wu Shaya, fully dressed in her Kyoshi garb. She didn't mind it, but she preferred her normal clothes to them. As she walks, she makes a mental note of her surroundings, she may need them again. She hears a rustle around her, but makes it seem as if she hadn't heard it, or doesn't care.

Rustle

She hears another noise. Nothing that jumps out of the the forest will scare her. She continues walking, feet away form Wu Shaya, and quickly turns around, shocking the woman behind her. "Got ya." The other woman laughed. "Monu Takahama. It's been a while." Miyu laughed and nodded, making her way to the doors of the fortress. She had just sat down when a handsome man came in. Wait, I've seen him before, haven't I? The Breach, back in Ba Sing Se. They wouldn't let her interrogate him for fear she may use more... unorthodox methods. But she had this time. Miyu made her way to the interrogation room, seeing Kanoei again. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" She asked in a tone a bit suggestive. "Your a naughty boy. You've gotten in trouble before haven't you?"

Kano looked around at the young woman who entered and an eyebrow quirked.

"I know you?" he asked, looking her up and down. She didn't look at all familiar. He had a good memory for voices too, but hers didn't sound familiar. But she seemed to know him somehow...

"Captain Takahama!" said a voice suddenly. Kano looked past the young woman. Standing there was another Kyoshi Warrior. She looked like the sort that had considerable authority. "What are you doing?"

Right... Kano thought, considering her for a moment. This must be General Sai Lu...

Miyuki turned at the sound of General Sai's voice."Captain Takahama!" The general said. "What are you doing?" "Nothing, General Sai Lu! Only interrogating the captured we brought in." Miyu hoped the general thought she was there. "May I continue Mam? It won't happen again." She hoped she said yes, but after the last time...

"You may remain, but I'm going to interrogate this prisoner myself." General Sai Lu said, moving past her. She turned her attention fully upon Kano the moment she was inside the room. He could tell she wasn't one to be crossed...

"So, General." he said politely. "How may I help you today?"

"Don't sweet talk me, boy." the General said sharply. "I despise silver tongues. Explain your presence in this region."

"I wasn't aware my being here was such a problem." Kano said slowly.

"It is since bandits started plaguing the area." General Sai Lu snapped. "And I won't have armed strangers who have obviously seen very recent combat roaming this woods unchallenged. So explain yourself."

Kano sighed.

"My ship was attacked by a group of pirates." he explained. "They wounded me but I got away. I wish I could say the same for the rest of the ships crew. I ended up ashore where some kind souls helped me recover. Now I'm trying to get to the supply port south of Makapu."

"How do you know about that port?" the General asked, her entire tone becoming, if possible, more suspicious. "That facility is classified by order of the Alliance council!"

"Because I'm a member of that council." Kano said with another sigh. "I am Chief Kanoei of the Northern Water Tribe..."

The General just stared at him...

"Because I'm a member of that council." Kano said with another sigh. "I am Chief Kanoei of the Northern Water Tribe..."

Miyuki was shocked as well, mentally, didn't show it. The chief of the water tribe. We could have messed up big time, had he not said anything. "...You could said that before." She didn't want to sound unlike herself. "I mean, it would have saved us and you a lot of time. Unless you came to see on of us..." That's more like it. "Well, I think staying here would be your best bet."She said, starting to smirk. "And who knows? Maybe you'll have some fun..." Her voice had her usual suggestive tone, receiving a cross look form the General.

"I didn't get much of a chance to explain myself." Kano said, looking from the girl to the General. "Your soldiers aren't much for listening to stories. And from the look on your face, neither are you."

"You're right." General Sai Lu said, folding her arms. "I'm not. And I train my rangers not to believe the stories of wayward ruffians."

"Ruffian?" Kano snorted in the sort of wry way that clearly spoke of his distaste for this woman's manner of conducting herself and her troops. "You give me five minutes and a good razor and I won't look so rough, eh? And you're not exactly one to talk. I don't really consider zealous, over-disciplined soldiers to be that much better than thugs!"

"WATCH YOUR TONGUE, BOY!" the General snapped. "Chief or no chief, I do not take to insult lightly! I won't have you besmirching my or my troops' reputations with your slander!"

"What is it with you Kyoshi types, eh?" Kano said slowly, shaking his head almost imperceptibly. "The Tiger's wrathful and you're all ado of pride! Five more and we have a set! Though I don't fancy meeting the gluttonous general. I have a feeling it would wound my hopes for our chances in this war!"

Miyuki stayed a lot calmer than the general at this point. She could tell that he wasn't lying. General, however, did not have such ability and berated the wolf king. She had no choice but to hold her tongue, being sure he was chief would raise a lot of questions.

"What is it with you Kyoshi types, eh?" Kano said slowly, shaking his head almost imperceptibly. "The Tiger's wrathful and you're all ado of pride! Five more and we have a set! Though I don't fancy meeting the gluttonous general. I have a feeling it would wound my hopes for our chances in this war!"

She did tense a bit when Kanoei spoke about General Yu. "I..." She started to say, before coming to her senses. "Chief Kanoei, while it is an honor to have you here in Wu Shaya, we must ask that you not insult us, so that we can get along?" Even though she was of higher authority, Miyu gave her a look that said calm down. "For everyone's sanity? Also, is there way to prove to us that you are the chief? I'm sure you can understand that we have our doubts."

"My sword." Kano said. "It's rather famous by now. If you need more proof than that, then you'll have to send away to Prime Minister Hakano, my grandfather, to send a representative to identify me. As for the insults, I offer nothing I haven't first received. Your general here has a manners problem."

He nodded his head in accusation at General Sai Lu, who scowled. She wasn't nearly as well reserved as General Yu was. He couldn't believe she held the position she did. He'd never known such a high ranking officer to be so... undisciplined.

"Keep him here while I examine the sword." the General ordered Captain Takahama. "If it's really the chief's sword, one of the 10th Unit members will recognize it."

"10th Unit." Kano nodded slowly. "They were at the Battle of the Western Air Temple. Say hello to Sergeant Liao for me."

"We were all at the Battle of the Western Air Temple." General Sai Lu said indignantly.

"I know." Kano said. "But the 10th fought by my side there. They were able warriors."

The General stared at him for a moment and then looked around at Captain Takahama swiftly with a commanding nod, marching out of the room, her adjutants falling in behind her...

"She always like that?" Kano said, looking at the Captain. He didn't expect a response.

"Keep him here while I examine the sword." the General ordered Captain Takahama. "If it's really the chief's sword, one of the 10th Unit members will recognize it."

Miyuki wordlessly nodded. Sai Lu didn't seem to want to be talked to.

Miyu just chuckled. "Not normally, maybe you caught her at a bad time?" Miyuki said. She didn't know General Sai Lu personally, but she usually guesses right about emotions. "So, what do you want to do now? We're all alone... and this room is pretty silent..." She smiled and winked at him.

Kano quirked an eyebrow at her wink. That was... strange. There was something a little unsettling about the way she was saying all this. It was almost as if she were propositioning him, but... Who in their right mind would do that? He may have been important, but he was also a prisoner who'd been in her presence for all of ten minutes. He looked away from her, focusing instead on the movement in the hall outside. The door had been left open... or rather... it was simply absent altogether. The stone frame was undoubtedly simply bent to form a new wall and seal the interrogation room if a door was needed.

"I want to wait for someone to untie me so I can get back where I belong. I have a war to fight."

Miyuki did a pout face when Kano turned away from her. "Aww. You're just going to ignore me?" She said, in a sad voice. "You're too important for the likes of me?" Miyuki walked around him admiring his body. "Mmm..." She said under her breath. She stopped in front of him and bent over to the table. "I can give you the-" She was cut off by the General. \

"Captain! Away from the prisoner! She said, glaring at Miyu. Miyuki quickly got up. "We checked out the sword..."

"And?" Kano said with a raised eyebrow.

"And it appears authentic." General Sai Lu said, brandishing the weapon. "But as you said... the ship of the Chief was taken by pirates. And there's no telling whether this blade truly belongs to you... or if you took it from his corpse."

"What?" Kano said sharply, his brow furrowing.

"Captain Takahama." the General said. "Take his highness to a cell. And make sure he doesn't have any other... trinkets."

"Captain Takahama." the General said. "Take his highness to a cell. And make sure he doesn't have any other... trinkets."

"I'm so sorry Chief Kanoei." She said under her breath. She started to walk him to his cell, his new home for quite a while. Wait, I get to search him? She grinned deviously despite the circumstance. "Alright, I'm going to have to search you, and I don't leave a stone upturned." She wanted the explore more, but the general was watching her. She patted him down gracefully, putting more attention in some places than others. She noticed his flute and dagger, but let him keep it. "Here's your cell. I trust you won't do anything stupid, like create a riot with a dagger or something."

"I wasn't planning on it." Kano said under his breath, bristling slightly at the rather... excessive pat down. She seemed to let herself linger on places she shouldn't have...

This wasn't right. He needed to find Sergeant Liao, get her to identify him in person. The general was acting strangely. He had never met her before, but he knew General Yu well enough to know that she didn't entrust any position of power without good reason. Whatever he thought of her personally, he knew she was good at her job. She wouldn't give such important commands to paranoid, undisciplined zealots any more than he himself would. There was something very fishy about all this...

"That's enough, Captain!" General Sai Lu said finally. "Put him in his cell!"

"No need to rush." Kano chuckled wryly. "It's not like I'm going anywhere..."

"Quite right." the General said. "And when we find out the truth in this, your neck is going to get a once-in-a-lifetime introduction to the chopping block, boy!"

When? Kano though briefly at her words. She's pretty determined to kill me... Maybe a riot is my best course of action...

He ducked into the cell and heard the door close behind him. With a sigh, he turned and watched the General walk out, a smirk on her face.

Definitely not the Tiger's type... he thought, watching her go. His eyes drifted over to Takahama and his gaze narrowed slightly. He couldn't figure her out. Why had she let him keep his dagger? And for that matter... how had the General not spotted it...? What the hell is her deal?

Miyuki watched as the General as she walked away. Well, she always watched the the general as she walked away, but this time, I was with good reason. This isn't the general... Miyuki thought. The general didn't have as nice an ass. That was a different person. To most of the other warriors, and almost to Miyuki, the general looked the same in any other way. Also, the general would have noticed the dagger the chief had. This was Kanoei, and that wasn't General Sai Lu.

"Listen, I know you're the Chief of the water tribe, and I also have reason to believe that the woman you just saw wasn't the General. She didn't notice your dagger, and she didn't even check to see if I was staring again."

"I don't know her, but I had the same though." Kano said, massaging his wrists now that he was unbound. "She doesn't seem the sort the Tiger would trust."

There was something strange here. As much as Kano was frustrated with yet another delay, he could have faith in the ability of those in charge in the North to make do without him. But if this general was an impostor, it would cause havoc in the future. It could potentially spell catastrophe. They needed to find out who this woman was... and what she wanted. But more than anything, they needed the real Sai Lu.

"Where is the 10th Company's barracks?" he asked finally, having considered the situation briefly.

"Where is the 10th Company's barracks?" he asked finally, having considered the situation briefly.

"This way." Miyuki said, pointing down a hall. "But I think we're going to need more prof before I just walk you over there... Maybe I could get her for yo-"

"CAPTIAN! What are you still doing here??" The 'General' asked. Miyu gave a nod to Kano, she had a plan.

"Don't you remember? We put on a 'show' for the prisoners. Now get over here..." Miyuki said. She was trying to get the fake general to leave, so she could buy them some time. Of course, it wasn't real, but maybe she'd ask the real general about that later...

"Uhh... Yes, well, not today. I have to go. I just came to see this hooligan." She said. She quickly walked off.

"That bought us some time." Miyu said smiling. Now I'll just go get general Liao."

(Should she be there?)

"No." Kano said, shaking his head slightly. "Too risky. I'll find my own way to the 10th's barracks. You can follow along at a distance if you want. But I need to talk to Sergeant Liao. If I know her half as well as I think I do, she'll know exactly what's going on here... or at least have a theory."

He had to hand it to her. She knew how to play this woman. Still, the false general wasn't very good at thinking these things through. Who in their right mind would believe a general of the Kyoshi legion would fraternize with a subordinate officer in front of prisoners on a regular basis?

"In any case," Kano continued, grasping the wooden bars. "It has to look like I broke out alone. We don't know how many people in the fortress would be willing to believe us and we can't have the general thinking we're onto her. So..."

He raised his voice so that he could clearly be heard throughout the cell block. No one here knew he was a waterbender.

"Oh, Captain!" he said aloud. "Before you go... I've been walking for days... I could use a cup of water. Please."

"Oh, Captain!" he said aloud. "Before you go... I've been walking for days... I could use a cup of water. Please." Kanoei said. Miyuki caught on almost instantly.

"Of course prisoner. It will be your last cup after all." She brought him a cup of water. "Here, it's your last drink."

Oh, captain? If make out alive, I'll have to remind you of this. She inwardly giggled and sat down, waiting for Kano to do it.

Kano watched her sit down with a look of utter disbelief in his eyes.

"What are you doing?!" he hissed at her. "Get out of here! If the general finds out that you were here when I made my getaway and you didn't try to stop me, it'll kill this entire plan. Follow at a distance means don't be anywhere near me, just meet at the Sergeant's barracks. Now, go!"

His eyes scanned the room as he spoke, looking for anyone who might have been listening. He had spoken in a voice quiet enough to keep any but the Captain from hearing, but one could never be too careful. If so much as a whisper of this got back to the General, they were in for a tough time and stopping her would be almost impossible...

She noticed Kano's reaction to her sitting. "What are you doing?!" he hissed at her. "Get out of here! If the general finds out that you were here when I made my getaway and you didn't try to stop me, it'll kill this entire plan. Follow at a distance means don't be anywhere near me, just meet at the Sergeant's barracks. Now, go!"


Miyuki just shrugged. "I had a dramatic dive planed out and everything." She said. "Plus, the General knew I was in here, and the prisoners know that I just gave you some water, so I couldn't have been very far from here, but, you are the chief." She used the same level of voice as Kano, almost mimicking his speech pattern. Miyu walked out the room, waiting for Kano to make a move as she walked.

Kano watched her go with a raised eyebrow. He had no idea what her deal was, but he was happy he didn't have many women like that in his life. He seriously doubted he had the fortitude for such oddities in volume. Still, she meant well enough and she at least appeared to be an ally, so that counted for something...

In any case, he had other things to worry about. He needed to get out of this place and quick. The cup of water he'd been given was a huge help, but he couldn't exactly cut through the bars and just walk on out. He needed another way out of this place other than the front door. He sat down on the rickety bed at the rear of the cell and placed the cup down next to him, looking around for any exploitable weakness. He was just starting to think that fighting his way out the front was his only option when he heard a faint noise that made him very hopeful indeed -- running water.

He stood up, following the sound of the noise until he found its source -- a small hole in the floor, barely big enough for the tip of his pinkie. He lowered himself onto his stomach and looked through the hole. He could definitely see water flowing through a large channel beneath.

"Lucky cell." he said, looking up at the number hanging over the door.

7 He thought, shaking his head at it, standing up. What are the odds?

Kano swam to the edge of the run-off pool, pulling himself out of the water silently. He'd been lucky. It was a drainage pipe, not a sewer main. He could just as easily have had to swim through crap to get out of there... Small favors. He'd managed to cut through the floor with the water he'd been given with relative silence and once he was down in the drain, he'd restored the stone, using water to freeze the chunks into a surface that would be hard to make heads or tails of unless very closely inspected. Of course, it'd probably give out in an hour or two when that ice gave out... or if anyone stepped on it.

He headed for the southwestern branch of the compound. The 10th's Barracks were there...

(Oh my god I have nothing to write)
Miyuki was already close by, close enough to see Kano barely, but not close enough for her to be picked out of the crowd. "Isn't that the man we just brought in?" She heard someone ask. "Of coarse not." Miyuki said, she sounded one hundred percent truthful, or at least she thought she did . "He'd still be in the interrogation room by now, unless he was easy to break and they let him go because he wasn't a threat." Kano just need to get to the barracks before someone that caught him before sees him and recognizes him.

Kano didn't bother sneaking around. When you sneak, you look like you're sneaking. And no one would believe that he broke out of his prison cell in five minutes flat. He'd taken a uniform from a store house near the hold. At least his tattered blue clothing wasn't obvious. He caught a few looks. Not many people in the Legion had blue eyes and dark skin. But the Earth Kingdom was diverse. He was able to pass for a new transfer. Well... to most.

"Hey, you're new!" said a voice, making him look around. A young woman was standing there, adorned in full armor. She was looking him up and down.

"I am." he said with a smile. "Just... looking for my barracks."

He looked around to illustrate this lie, as though to spot the building he was looking for.

"That so?" she said with a smile of her own. "Well, I could help you find the building you're looking for. What unit have you been assigned to?"

"Ah, let's see." Kano said, pretending he didn't know off hand. "I think it's the 10th Unit? I'm pretty sure."

"You have your papers?" she asked.

"I'm afraid not. The general kept them for some reason, told me to go and settle myself. But I'm fairly certain they said the 10th. Er... Forgive me. This is my third transfer this year. What with the war, they need healers all over the place. I'm just the unlucky one who gets asked first, heh."

"Ugh. That's terrible! How do they expect you to become a part of the team if they keep transferring you? Well, anyway. I know where the 10th Unit's barracks is. If you'll just follow me?"

"Thanks!" Kano beamed, flapping his arms slightly. Sometimes he scared himself with how easily he lied...

He followed the warrior through the fortress. Any odd looks he'd pulled before had dissipated. Now that he had an escort, it was enough for most people he crossed paths with to evidence his trustworthiness. Before long, they came to a building with a large seal carved next to the door, marking the structure with the number 10.

"This is it." the warrior said, smiling and indicating the door.

"Thanks again." Kano nodded appreciatively. She returned the nod with a smile and turned to leave. He stopped her, though. "Say," he said. "What's your name, anyway?"

"My name?" she said. He thought he heard her giggle slightly. "It's Fu. And you?"

"Wong Fei-Hung." Kano said without missing a beat, smiling.

"Heh. You don't look like a Wong... or a Fei-Hung..." she said playfully.

"I don't?" Kano said, raising an eyebrow in mock surprise. "It's the eyes, isn't it?"

"I would say it's a little of everything."

"Fair enough." Kano chuckled. "Well, it's all my father's fault in any case."

"Cya later, Wong Fei-Hung." she said, turning and walking away. He maintained his smile until she turned a corner and then all emotion melted from his face instantly. Now that he didn't need to put on the air of a man who was just trying to fit into a new environment, he was back to his mission with all the seriousness he'd had before. He climbed the steps and entered the barracks. He found himself standing in a room filled with familiar faces, all relaxing after the morning's drills. Directly opposite the door sat Sergeant Liao at her desk.

"Hao!" he said, making them all look up in surprise. Half of them jumped up at the sight of him, the other half just stayed as they were. Both halves watched him intently. He could tell by the look in their eyes that he wasn't an unwelcome sight, merely a surprising one. Kano fixed his attention on Sergeant Liao who stood up from her desk and walked around to stand face to face with him. She stared at him with a stony expression for a few long moments and then he mouth split into a wide smile.

"It's good to see you again, Chief Kanoei!" she said, clapping her hands onto his shoulders. "It really is you... Why are you dressed that way?"

Despite how glad he was to see them, the situation was too grim for pleasantries. He decided to answer simply...

"We have a problem."