"One day, while the girls and I were patrolling the island borders, we stumbled across a Fire Nation warrior relaxing on the beach with a flute. So naturally, we decided to capture him and drag him back to the village for questioning."
"Not the wisest decision…" the lady of the house said with a shake of her head.
"We realized that too after we got our— ahem, backsides thoroughly kicked and were dragged to the village ourselves for explanations. And then… well, then Chan simply offered us the chance to join him, and we agreed."
That last sentence carried a rather strange tone.
"And what was it like?" Toph leaned forward eagerly.
"It was amazing! Before that, I'd never even left the island. But in just five months of traveling, I've crossed nearly every sea, visited dozens of cities all across the Earth Kingdom, and even seen an Air Temple. And now I'm going to see the Fire Nation Archipelago too."
The prisoner of her own estate suddenly realized she was jealous of this girl. Deeply jealous.
"Though it wasn't all wonderful. We fought pirates, bandits, and raiders constantly. Before all this, I never realized there were so many criminals in the Earth Kingdom. Sometimes we came out of those battles with losses."
"You have my condolences."
"No need. We knew what we were signing up for, and… it was still worth it."
"I see…" In her mother's voice, young Beifong could clearly hear disapproval. "And what exactly brought you to our region, if that isn't a secret, of course?"
"No secret at all. We were traveling through the southern colonies on an inspection assignment. Your town happens to provide the fastest and most convenient route, which is why we ended up here."
The young earthbender sensed that her conversation partner was leaving something unsaid, though there was definitely no outright lie involved.
Her curiosity stirred even more strongly.
What exactly were all of them hiding?
Barely managing to wait until the conversation was over, the girl offered to escort the guests to the exit. Strangely enough, her parents didn't object. Apparently, even their excessive protectiveness agreed with the idea that a guest who had just successfully concluded a business arrangement with the head of the family probably wasn't going to start doing something stupid like kidnapping or harming the heiress in broad daylight.
The moment the group stepped out of sight and earshot of the others, Toph immediately sprang toward Chan.
"What are you doing here?"
"Negotiating for a ship home with the man capable of providing one, oh tiny little menace," the Fire Herald smirked. "Though I won't deny I was also curious to see how the 'Blind Bandit' reached the level of feral insanity you displayed in the arena."
"You knew?!" The girl stomped her foot indignantly.
"That wasn't hard to figure out. How your parents still haven't learned anything is beyond me. Any servant in your household could've gone to the championship and instantly recognize their 'sweet innocent little mistress.'"
The girl scowled.
"And so what if they had?! I'm sick of feeling like some porcelain doll!" the earthbender finally exploded. All the indignation, irritation, and envy she'd been bottling up came pouring out at once. "Everyone treats me like some weak obedient little 'flower' that'll keel over from a single sneeze, and they practically wipe my ass for me because they're terrified I can't handle such a 'difficult' task on my own! At this rate, I'm either gonna go insane here or kill everybody to hell and back!"
"Yep… tiny and vicious," the young man remarked in an oddly affectionate tone. Judging by his body's reactions, it was hard to tell whether he was mocking her or genuinely finding her adorable.
"Grrr…"
"Though I can understand you. I ran away from home myself when I was fifteen," he added quickly. He wasn't lying… but once again, he wasn't telling the whole truth either. "All right, maybe I'll regret saying this later…"
"No, you're not seriously planning to…" Suki protested as she walked beside Chan.
"Why not? The girl's already at the breaking point. Better she travels with us than with some shady suspicious strangers who'll feed her a mountain of lies, exploit her inexperience, and get her into real trouble."
"Hey, am I interrupting something?" the subject of discussion snorted irritably.
"Hm. Well, when you put it that way…"
"At the very least, you'd be able to keep an eye on her…"
"Fine, fine, you convinced me," the warrior grumbled unhappily.
"Hey! Nobody needs to keep an eye on me! And stop ignoring me!"
The girl was both angry and confused. She was used to everyone fussing over her and never taking their eyes off her. In the arena she'd always been the center of attention too, but these two… They irritated her and fascinated her at the same time precisely because they were so unusual.
"Sorry. Anyway, if you're truly sick of staying at home, then I'd like to offer you the chance to join us on our… adventures. An earthbender with your level of talent would be incredibly useful to me."
Chan's words hit her like a ton of bricks.
Just like that? Simply leave and go traveling? Seriously?
The bewildered girl knew only one possible response:
"Pfft. Like I'd want to!"
"Well, suit yourself," he replied completely calmly. "I'm not going to pressure you. It's your life and your decisions."
(End of Chapter)
A new week is here! As always, I'd be grateful for your support!
🙌Bonus chapter for 300 power stones!