Only you- Rangi & Kyoshi

Chapter 52

Before they knew it they had been searching for months following the trail Chin had scattered behind him. Some of the towns were in worse condition than others. Villages that had shown more rest and had inevitably suffered more than the others.

Jinpa had headed out a few weeks ago to take care of some other matters as the two of them continued on the search. It didn't feel worth it to drag them all around the earth kingdom.

"Do you think he's actually real at this point?" Kyoshi asked one night as she stared intensity at the campfire one night.

"Of course he's real, he's just a fucking coward" Rangi's replied wrapping a blanket tighter around herself.

"I bet he's short, like a rat." Kyoshi replied. "Only a rat would scurry around this much."

"You're comparing the uprising dictator of the earth kingdom to a rat?" Rangi laughed as she leaned onto Kyoshi's shoulder.

"It's easier to think about that way"

Rangi took hold of Kyoshi's hand, before lifting it to tug off her glove, now holding it once again. "Then we'll continue the rat hunt tomorrow."

They had continued to settle into the evening as a hawk landed beside them, wearing a fire nation seal. 

Kyoshi let out a sigh as she went to grab it. "Should we make a bet on who it's from?" She asked.

"My bets on the fire lord I bet he thought up another chore he could persuade you to do for him" Rangi suggested.

"Spirits I hope not" She laughed.

As Kyoshi went to untie the scroll, her face changed, a look that Rangi couldn't quite comprehend. "So who's it from? It's not actually the fire lord is it?"

But she shook her head. "It's for you actually." Kyoshi replied as she handed the scroll over.

Rangi raised an eyebrow, she hardly ever got mail, unless it was from Kyoshi or her mother.

As she unraveled it the contents of it brought an odd assortment of emotions to her chest.

"Rangi what is it?"

"It's- it's from the fire nation's army. The Fire lord is on this new kick about strengthening his army. They're calling me back to help train a new bunch of upper level recruits." She explained.

Kyoshis' face had gone blank at the statement, but said nothing.

"I'm not going." Rangi declared as she went to crumple the paper.

Kyoshi frowned, "You can just do that?"

"It's doesn't matter really"

Kyoshi didn't really know for herself where Rangi stood in terms of the fire nation's army, she had known Rangi had made lieutenant, but on paper Rangi technically worked as Kyoshi's bodyguard, so was she still a part of the army?

"Will anything happen if you don't go?" She pressed further.

An odd look crossed Rangi's face. "I'd probably lose my ranking, but that doesn't matter"

Kyoshi scoffed, actually scoffed at her statement. "Rangi you worked your whole life for that title, how long is this anyways?"

"A month, maybe two," Rangi admitted.

"I can manage the chase for a little while longer plus, a month? This isn't worth all that work you put in, and you know it"

"So you want me, your wife to leave?" Rangi asked dramatically.