Well, despite Mei's secret fears, we walked through the forest quite calmly: no one jumped from behind trees, thank god not from trees either, so overall it was a pleasant walk.
"And how did Lu Ten die? Some saboteurs, or how did they get to the prince?" I decided to ask a rather pressing question. How could the country's prince die—they should guard him like the apple of their eye.
"Ha, shows you're not very familiar with the topic. Both Prince Iroh and Prince Lu Ten were on the front line. It's tradition: royal family members must spend time on the front line, no other way. Initiation ritual, you could say."
"Oh, that way the royal family can run into serious problems at some point."
"Can," Mei agreed complaisantly, even nodding for emphasis, making her hair bounce amusingly and hit her open eyes. She didn't even wince. What a creepy habit, damn. "But then she's unworthy of the royal family title."
"Can't argue," I shrugged.
What a wild nation. Somewhere they build factories and create unions, somewhere savagery more fitting tribal structure. Well whatever—don't go to another monastery with your own rules. Works—don't touch.
"And even Princess Azula will be obliged to be somewhere in the thick of things?" for some reason at my question Mei stopped for a second but continued walking as if nothing happened.
Hm-m, something in my memory there's a close friend of the princess named Mei. But can't remember anything more. Interesting situation.
"If she proves herself as a warrior and studies firebending—yes. But if she takes the role of aristocratic woman—no. But then she'll probably be married off to some profitable match, and hardly anyone will take her opinion seriously. I mean among ruling elites, not ordinary servants," the little one lectured.
"And in the first case they can't marry her off?" I logically assumed.
"They can," Mei didn't agree. "Only her wishes will be considered. She can even go against everyone and not marry at all, main thing is to prove her right by force."
"M-da, pure cult of Strength."
"Of course," the girl nodded importantly. "We are the Fire Nation after all. A… what have you heard about Princess Azula?" she clarified in an innocent tone I almost believed.
"Nothing much. Except someone discussing her chances for the throne. But those are too theoretical musings. Ifs and buts. And chances of crossing paths with her are low for me. My family is high but not that close to the throne for me to come to the palace and somehow see the princess. Considering I'll probably go to the army anyway, now some chances appear there, but I don't see much point," I explained.
"Hm," the little one hmph'd somehow playfully. "Why no point? Look at your possible future ruler."
"What's the use," I shrugged again. "I can't influence who becomes Fire Lord, so even look and study—no point."
"Well, maybe you'll marry and you'll be the next Fire Lord!" Mei said laughing, but watching me carefully.
I'd think different things if we were older, but now that look is a bit strange to me.
"Mm-hmm, my chances of any contact with the princess are like suddenly discovering bending in myself," I blurted, then after a slight thought added. "Fire."
Lest I jinx it. Memories about Princess Azula are almost absent—maximum she was a negative character. But can't judge here—after all I'll probably be on the other side too. And likely an enemy for the Avatar.
"You're overdoing it," the little one hmph'd.
"Who knows, maybe you're right," I shrugged.
Considering the adventures ahead, anything is possible of course. At minimum I'm obliged to scout the air temples, which already can lead to various meetings.
By the way I was leading Mei to one cliff I saw on the way back. Beautiful place with views of trees, beach, and even ocean.
While the cliff itself rose a decent distance from the ground—tree tops far below, and the rock rose another five meters above them. In general falling from such height—I don't recommend to anyone.
"Wa-a-au," even Mei let out some bright emotion at the view.
"Mm-hmm. Beautiful view. When I first saw it I also stood ten minutes with mouth open. Only don't approach the edge—might collapse."
"Thanks for the warning," the girl slight-sarcasted, still not tearing away from the view.
Well, understandable—basically for a common person and not only, it's hard to see a view "from above" so to speak. After all technical progress hasn't reached skyscrapers here yet, nor flying machines. So such views are rare.
Changed the rotten log for a rock, and the ocean view… for the ocean, only with the coastal zone too.
"What do you think, will we win this war?" Mei unexpectedly asked.
"Hard question. The war's been going a hundred years and became pure routine, so I have a feeling no one is really striving for an actual end. The front has been almost frozen for twenty years if memory serves: here they capture a couple villages, there they lose some. Seems to me the war more serves as a motivational factor for the whole Fire Nation… caught what I said?" I remembered at the end. Mei is smart but still no need to overdo.
"Yes, I understood," the little one nodded dryly, continuing to look into the distance.
"So basically victory is purely a political decision. The Fire Lord decides—and a massive offensive begins that ends this war. Doesn't decide—everything stays frozen. Main thing no third party intervenes."
"Ha, and who could that be? Water Tribe? Almost nothing left of one tribe, the other locked itself in its world and very successfully doesn't even show its nose."
"The Avatar, Mei, the Avatar…"
"No one's seen him for almost a hundred years!" the little one emotionally interrupted.
"But sooner or later he'll make himself known. As we know the Avatar can't just disappear, so… remains to hope he appears when we've already finished our campaign. But if earlier… afraid we'll have problems."
"What kind, for example? Even if a strong four-element bender, he's one."
"Well, first don't underestimate what hope he'll give everyone. Morale is an important part of army, and after news of the Avatar spreads many will perk up. Second, it's not just a four-element bender. Read history books from Avatar Roku's time? All experience of previous benders accumulates and the Avatar with light gestures can do what many never even dreamed of. Our army's main offensive force is tanks. No effective counter except very strong benders, of which there aren't many unlike our tanks. Avatar entering his state can sweep tank armies with a few gestures, no matter which element."
"Seems to me you're exaggerating," Mei frowned. "Those same books say to enter full power the Avatar must master all four elements, only then he becomes what you described. And before that even dangerous in his state he can't use the full potential. Even if by miracle he masters waterbending and earthbending, air and fire remain. Air he can't master simply because no more airbenders, and no one will teach him fire."
And what to answer? Without canon knowledge I'd basically agree—such a chain of coincidences is unlikely. But fortunately or maybe unfortunately I exactly remember the Avatar will reach his maximum "condition." And do it quite quickly. Usually Avatar takes at least five-ten years, here less than a year because all memories of him are a bald guy roughly same age.
"Except his previous incarnations," I broke the girl's logical chain. "Not to mention he's most likely an airbender himself, and fire… plenty of defectors? Any deserter can teach basics, then intuitively he'll figure it out."
"The Fire Nation has no defectors!" Mei flared up with some fury, though immediately taking herself in hand and adding. "Living ones."
Not the first time I notice strong devotion to the Fire Nation in her. Already some idée fixe. Many others I noticed such things too but in more passive mode. And less fanatical.
Unlike Mei who was even slightly fanatical about the perfection of the Fire Nation. Of course probably age-related—her critical thinking isn't developed enough yet to touch such a monumental topic in her head. Miracle that thinking exists at all basically.
Many live their whole lives quite calmly without it. And fine, live normally somehow.
"Mm-hmm, you a hundred percent sure? I'm not. On the continent hell breaks a leg what's happening—in every settlement the local commandant considers himself almost Fire Lord. So don't jinx it."
"Where do you know what's happening on the continent?" the girl raised one eyebrow.
"Rumors," I shrugged. "Just rumors from different peo…"
Interrupted by light growling that Mei and I heard simultaneously from behind.
The moment it took us to turn, see the damn wolf, and start backing away simply fell out of my memory. Here we sit cutely chatting, there I, trying to cover Mei with my body, quietly retreat backward.
It wasn't just a wolf—a huge wolf. Enormous, gray, with a mouth of sharp teeth, staring at us unblinkingly and growling, baring its jaws from which saliva already dripped. Size-wise bigger than Mei in full height and shorter than me by about a head, and at least two meters long if not more.
Hearing the sound of small pebbles falling from the cliff I generally felt I'd give my soul to Agni right now even without the wolf attacking.
Behind us was the cliff and we'd backed right to the edge. Feeling with my back how the little one trembled, pressed from behind and peeking over my shoulder, I understood something had to be done.
But what? I can't even blow a breeze—I just don't know how!
My thought was interrupted by the sound of a bigger stone falling from the cliff, then another and another. I realized too late to jump away with Mei—a small tip of the rock started falling, exactly the one the little one was standing on.
All I managed was to fall and grab Mei's hand when she already started falling, probably dislocating my shoulder.
Damn. Damn. Damn.
Mei still hung on my right arm which hurt terribly in shoulder and elbow, but I held her with all my strength.
And the wolf, that bastard, as if mocking, just slowly approached growling, clearly toying with our position. Such scum definitely have enough intelligence to understand the situation.
Looking, bitch, doesn't want me to jump after Mei. The height is big of course but theoretically more chances to survive than meeting the wolf.
"Li, I can grab here!" Mei's voice came. She quickly let go of my hand and grabbed some stone ledge. Bad thing—the wolf apparently understood too, heard the little one. Or guessed, but as soon as the weight left my hand he stopped and prepared to jump.
All I managed was to grab some stone formed from constant local landslides—elongated with a sharp end like a piece broke off.
Yeah, how will it help against such a wolf I didn't have time to think, but better something than nothing, right?
The beast just bared more at my actions when I stood to full height, clutching the stone in my good hand and putting the already slightly crippled right forward. In my head appeared an absolutely wild plan that should never work, but alternative—jump down.
Maybe as an airbender I'd survive, but Mei—definitely not.
The wolf, as if tensing its whole body, sharply straightened jumping at me with a powerful leap. In my head I only noted that the weak hope the beast wouldn't calculate and I just need to dodge so it falls off the cliff—didn't justify itself.
The bitch calculated everything and jumped exactly so as not to fall and bite me. Aimed of course somewhere at the neck but clamped my arm in its jaws, knocking me to the ground.
I don't know why it couldn't just bite it off—maybe judging by the saliva it was very hungry and tired so didn't have strength to sever my arm, but clamped—mommy don't grieve.
Blood sprayed, flowing down the arm and staining the monster's mouth. I didn't pass out from pain—salvage or not, look at it how you will—only because the arm had already gone quite numb before.
The creature's eyes were right opposite mine—I could say I saw its soul and it saw mine. Probably neither of us could correctly estimate the time we stared into each other's eyes, but I saw in him the same he saw in mine—neither of us was going to surrender or back down.
The second point of my plan was executed better than expected. The stone went into the wolf's eye even easier than I thought—with an unpleasant squelching sound. From pain it even slightly released my arm and I… here came the third point of my on-the-fly plan.
Adrenaline really helps in such cases: from the side seconds may pass but in your head you manage to think over what's happening and even make decisions. Most often instinctive that you don't fully understand, extremely rarely—something conscious.
But now it was the latter because from the very beginning I decided the only chance to get out alive was to throw the animal off the cliff. With both legs I kicked the carcass with all my might and managed to push it over me. The wolf realized too late from pain what was happening, even snapped its jaws trying to grab me. Didn't work. Probably I even used airbending in the process, otherwise I doubt I'd lift it. Or it was adrenaline.
With a strong but short howl the beast flew down, thank god not hitting Mei who was already almost climbing up. We didn't hear the fall sound but no wonder—it's not stone on stone but soft body on soft ground.
"That's some forest—twenty minutes in and out," all I could say to pale Mei who looked at my arm in horror.
I myself tried not to look at the arm while starting to get up with difficulty. Nothing critical but scars will definitely remain. Whole forearm with clear tooth marks, good thing somehow missed major veins. Or so much blood already flowed that it stopped streaming, but afraid I'd already be out cold then.
"Li…" all Mei said to my attempts to stand.
"Come on, little one, don't go pale—help me up and somehow bandage," saying that the little one stopped trying to rush and helped me stand and move a bit from the cliff, sitting me on the same stone where we recently chatted.
Used my t-shirt for rags and quite deftly Mei started bandaging the arm. Don't know if she's doing it right but bandaged well, even attached to the body. Well—as well as possible with just a t-shirt not proper bandages.
"Let's hurry to the beach or more creatures will come to the blood smell," I said, trying not to lean too hard on the little one. My legs are whole after all! Don't hold much truth be told but whole.
"If I hadn't fallen I could've helped with firebending," Mei said, trying not to show how hard it was for her. Didn't manage not to lean on her.
Maybe she's a good firebender but no warrior yet—needed reflexes weren't there. Basically she could've immediately blasted a fire jet and who knows, maybe the doggy would've reconsidered trying to kill fire-spitting bald monkeys. But she didn't orient. And I'll never mention it. A six-year-old girl shouldn't orient in such situations, period.
Though I won't save her from self-blame with that—she's not stupid, understands.
"I don't doubt it. Though if you'd blasted him with fire he'd probably act for sure and fast, so consider everything worked out luckily," I tried to cheer her up.
Something tells me the wolf was already acting for sure—just wasn't in top condition so to speak. But again I'll never tell her that.
But my words didn't calm Mei. On the contrary she just pressed her lips and gathering thoughts continued:
"Sorry that I…"
"Hey, hey! What's this? I'm the hero here! Saved a beautiful maiden-warrior in distress! I need honors not apologies!" I said exaggeratedly pompously so Mei definitely understood it was a joke.
Well, at least she smiled.
"Come on, Mei, chin up. Got out of such a mess alive! And almost whole. Something to tell friends by the campfire."
"Mm-hmm. You saved me," still added soap to the carefree atmosphere Mei.
"No problem, little one. Anyone in my place would've done the same," oh fuck this will be the second most embarrassing moment in my new life. First was when I decided to check if my new body matches familiar sizes in all places. Young so to speak, to know what to start from, and at that moment right with a ruler father caught me. And second—this one, when I said a stupid phrase of some stupid superhero. But Mei was impressed by my stupidity of course but impressed, immediately reporting:
"With that approach you'll die before you grow up and understand the stupidity of your words," the little one sarcasted. Of course probably immediately regretted—she clearly wanted to thank and hug me for saving her, not sarcasm and call me stupid, but…
Tsundere.
Such a tsundere.