𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒔

Chapter 13

Katara woke up to an empty barrack. She didn't know how long she'd been asleep since stumbling back to her bed, but the light was only just beginning to dim outside. Stumbling from bed, she blearily rubbed her eyes as she entered the bathroom, shutting it behind her. There was a deep scratch on one cheek—light bruising on her jaw and her shoulder ached. Nothing unexpected from a fistfight. If she was lucky, Borr's nose would never be straight again.

Footsteps out in the room made her open the bathroom door a crack to check to see who it was. The deadpan eyes of Lt. Ensei met hers, and she sighed before opening the door the rest of the way and stepping out.

"Have fun?" he said drily, noting the dried brown blood from the cut on her cheek.

"Yes," she said, completely truthful. It felt strange, this new liberated feeling in her chest. She'd punched Borr's face in; wasn't she supposed to feel guilty?

"Sakai's out for your blood," Lt. Ensei said, leaning against a bunk. "And if not yours, then mine."

"What's he getting involved for?" Katara sniped, moving towards her shelve to pull out a small bag of healing cream. "It was an equal fight between two equally matched opponents."

"Sakai's putting out that it was unfair; a two against one situation."

"What, Borr's imaginary friend joined in?"

"The Emperor."

"Oh."

"People on the outside aren't supposed to interfere, even if they're royalty," Lt. Ensei said, as if reminding her. She grimaced and nodded. She knew.

"So what's Sakai going to do? Spank his Majesty?"

Ensei shrugged. "Obviously not. So he's going for second-best."

"Me." Katara put on a nonchalant face and turned to rummage around in her bag.

"His whole patrol wants you thrown from the Elites for getting dishonorable help in what was supposed to be a fair fight."

Katara whirled around, eyes narrowed. "I didn't ask for his help—"

"You think I don't know that?" Ensei said, cutting her off.

"Alright," Katara snapped, folding her arms across her chest. Inside, she began to feel the first stirrings of trepidation. She was confident, but what if Sakai really picked up steam and managed to get her kicked out from the Elites? It was possible. And then everything she'd done for the past six months would go straight down the drain. "What do you suggest I do, then?"

Ensei shrugged again. "Wait for it to blow over, is my best idea. After a few weeks, Sakai might loose support and he'll eventually forget about it, or think it's not important enough for him to deal with."

"So what do I do, hide in the barracks all day and all night until Sakai wakes up one morning and forgets who I am?"

The lieutenant slipped a piece of paper out of his pocket and held it out to Katara. "We could leave. The Emperor just sent us a new assignment; rebel movement in the south. It's sufficiently far away enough from the capital for us to be gone for, say, a month. Maybe a bit more."

Katara took the paper from him and read silently. Rebel attacks, lead by a leader who'd replaced Warrior Yuhao since his death three months ago. Raids, civilian deaths, border patrol not enough to hold them off. The usual thing.

"Sounds good to me," she said.

The usual preparations were made before they left Kotzut. Food supplies gathered, personal items packed and stowed in the saddlebags of the sturdy horses they would take to the southern part of the Fire Nation.
"Emperor's not coming this time," Lt. Ensei informed them as they performed last minute check-ups on equipment and supplies. "Business has come up and he needs to stay in the capital to deal with it personally."