The Traitor - Chapter 2

[deleonjh]

Interlude - Two Years Earlier (Six Months After Zuko’s Banishment)

The Fire Nation messenger walked unknowingly beneath Zuko’s hiding place in the branches of the tree. The man tramped noisily through a pile of dead leaves before catching himself and trying to move more quietly. It really was too easy. What kind of soldier was so inattentive in the midst of potentially hostile territory? And what commander would use someone so inexperienced as a messenger? The man was so clumsy in the forest that it was quite possible he’d slip and break his neck before ever delivering his message. Well, Zuko certainly wasn’t complaining. The spirits grant that all of his enemies were so stupid – fighting fair was for suckers.

And speaking of suckers, the messenger had just fallen into the tiger pit Zuko had prepared and hidden beforehand. Throw a blanket over the hole and some dead leaves over the blanket and suddenly you have just another boring piece of dirt. To think that the messenger had looked so happy when he’d discovered the path through the woods. Too bad that Zuko had also discovered the path days ago and had determined that it was mostly used by Fire Nation people.

The messenger’s screams made it clear how painful it was to be impaled by the punji sticks inside the pit. The man had been gored through the stomach and had broken his left arm; by some trick of physics (perhaps he had twisted around as he fell?) the soldier had landed face up. Now that his helmet had been knocked off, Zuko realized that the soldier was only a year or so older than him. Practically the same age, really.

Zuko stood over the edge of the pit and looked down at the young soldier. The rookie’s eyes were wide open but it was obvious that he was in too much pain to focus on anything in front of him, not even the face of the man who had killed him. After long and presumably agonizing moments where the soldier moaned pitifully, the dying boy slowly realized that Zuko was standing over him.

“Who’s there?” croaked the boy. “Please, help me. Get help.” Zuko said nothing and continued to watch the soldier. Looking down into the pit, he realized that the soldier was probably the same age that his cousin Lu Ten had been when he’d died. How strange it was to think that he’d almost caught up to the cousin he’d always looked up to.

And just like Lu Ten, this soldier was dying as a loyal son of the Fire Nation. What a ridiculous notion. One might as well die for the sake of a coal pit. In both cases, the death would be equally as useless. A pity that Lu Ten had believed in such tripe.

Zuko, catch up to Lu Ten? Ridiculous. He had already surpassed his cousin. Zuko had made his last sacrifice for the sake of his country. Now it was time to take a little back for himself.

“Water,” moaned the soldier. “Please.” Zuko blinked in surprise. He’d been lost in thought. Pulling himself out of his mental fog, he stared into the young soldier’s eyes. Perhaps the soldier saw something in Zuko’s face, for he quickly changed his pleas.

“Death,” begged the soldier. “Please.” Zuko watched him for a long moment, then turned around and walked away.

“I like your style,” said a voice from the trees. Zuko didn’t see the speaker for he’d already rolled behind a boulder and pulled his swords out. “Nice reflexes,” added the voice. “I’m coming down, okay?”

Zuko had already pinpointed which tree the other person was hiding in. Warily, he watched a figure in mismatched armour jump down and brush itself off. The voice apparently belonged to another teenage boy, one with two hooked swords strapped to his back.

“You hate them, don’t you?” asked the stranger. Zuko glanced at the tiger pit, then returned his gaze to the other person. “Hah, guess that was a stupid question.” The strange boy leaned back against the tree and crossed his arms in feigned casualness. It was obvious that the stranger was only acting since his eyes stared unblinking at Zuko. “I hate them too.”

The stranger’s voice had turned cold and hard. If it were possible to be cut by a voice, then that single sentence from the other boy would have torn every member of the Fire Nation to shreds. Then he smiled, and quick as lightning the other boy was now pleasant as a sunny meadow. “It’s good to meet another freedom fighter. I’ve got some friends who wouldn’t mind meeting you.”

Zuko continued to watch him warily. “I swear we’re on the up and up,” said the stranger. “Look, why don’t I show you our camp? You can at least take a look, can’t you?” The stranger noticed that Zuko was still holding his swords tightly in his fists. “Okay, how about you at least put away your swords while we talk? Notice how I haven’t touched mine?” Zuko ignored the stranger’s suggestion.

The other boy sighed in exasperation. “Fine, I can respect your position. I don’t blame you for not trusting some guy you met in the middle of the woods. That’s just smart.” Zuko said nothing as he regarded the stranger with obvious distrust.

“Man, you’re really paranoid, aren’t you? We’re on the same side here, guy.” The other boy sighed again and straightened up. “Look, my friends and I have a hideout less than a day west of here. If you’re ever in trouble, if you ever need a place to lie low for a while, feel free to stop by, okay?” Zuko said nothing in reply. “I’ll take your silence as a ‘maybe’.”

Zuko silently watched the other boy walk away. He was about to turn around and walk away himself when the other boy suddenly stopped in his tracks. “By the way, my name’s Jet,” said the other boy over his shoulder.

“Lee.”

“Nice to meet you, Lee.”

The two went on their separate ways. Behind them, the Fire Nation soldier had already bled to death.