Making a Pass (Open)

[shadnicth]

It had been a couple of days now, since Dartan had in fact left for Ba Sing Se from his home town. The villagers had all gathered to wish the young Earthbender on his way. It was the first time in about 20 years someone was going to leave the village and set off on a big adventure of sorts. Although the trip would probably take a couple of months by foot, Dartan knew he wouldn't be returning for a long time. Earthbending took years to master, and at his rate, he wasn't going to be a master any time soon.

So it was then that he had reached Chameleon Bay, on his way to the great City of Ba Sing Se. He knew from here, there might have to be a ferry to take the boy to Ba Sing Se directly, or that if worse came to worse, the dreaded Serpents Pass and desert would have to be the way. While Dartan didn't know much about those place, he knew Sandbenders ran the desert, while the Serpent's Pass didn't get that name because Elephant Koi lived in the waters.

While thinking about these trivial things, he was not paying attention and bumped into someone in front of him. He looked at the person he had bumped into and quickly bowed to the person.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't pay attention to what was in front of me..." Dartan said, looking up at the person with a sheepish smile.

[Yukiko]

Yukiko was wandering the village on the coast of Chameleon Bay, her trademark staff thudding lightly against the packed earth. Hotaka was off doing something else some distance away from the town itself. And so long as he stayed out of trouble she was fine with that. She had come here looking for a particular kind of water plant that only grew in the Bay. It had peculiar qualities by itself, but was an extremely effective disinfectant when combined with other herbs. She’d been to this town many times before for this very reason. It was known for harvesting the plant she sought.

She was quite glad she had forgone her usual fitted pants for her blue fitted shorts instead. It was a warm day and the shorts, combined with her normal sleeveless, backless shirt, allowed her to be moderately cool. She would, however, need to put her hair up soon. It was beginning to bother her, having it swinging freely down her back.

The trip had been frustrating thus far because harvest season had not yet arrived and it was difficult to find the necessary amount for a reasonable price. But she eventually came across a small stall that sold the plant in large enough quantities to make the trip worthwhile. As she haggled with the stall owner, she was bumped into by someone and nearly fell over. She staggered a bit, dropping her staff. It clattered into the street. "I'm so sorry! I didn't pay attention to what was in front of me..."

Yukiko turned to see a teen boy looking up at her with a sheepish smile. She raised a delicate eyebrow at him before retrieving her staff. Fortunately, the top hadn’t fallen off to reveal the sword nestled within. It had been doing that a lot lately; she needed to make a new top or staff, one of the two. She straightened up, staff in hand, and turned to the boy. She tossed her hair back behind her, as it had fallen across her shoulder when she had bent down. “It’s all right. No harm caused, I suppose. Are you lost? Perhaps I could help you find what it is you’re looking for.”

[shadnicth]

It was when Dartan finally noticed that it was a young woman he had bumped into, instantly a million things started to flow through his mind. First of all, the woman was attractive. That was the first thing that entered his head. Secondly was the outfit she was wearing that seemed to enhance her looks even more. Thirdly was the staff she had been holding. The only people he know that held staffs were Airbenders. Was it possible this woman was an Airbender? He almost didn't hear what she was saying as he was too busy observing her, just being able to get what she was saying, or rather asking.

"Um... Actually I do require some assistance if you don't mind?" Dartan replied to the woman, straightening himself off as he looked at her with a smile.
"I'm in need to get to Ba Sing Se. See, I need to find a master to teach me about Earthbending. I know there's a ferry here that will take me there, but I'm not so sure where it is, as well as how much it would cost." He asked the woman, looking down at the floor momentarily before looking back up to her.

He didn't meant to make his story sound like a sad one, but it was just the way he was around girls. The girls in his village he had grown up, so they were more like sisters than potential partners. He had no idea about this girl, or even what nation she was from.

[Yukiko]

"I'm in need to get to Ba Sing Se. See, I need to find a master to teach me about Earthbending. I know there's a ferry here that will take me there, but I'm not so sure where it is, as well as how much it would cost."

Yukiko smiled slightly at the boy’s reaction to her. He seemed to find her attractive and intriguing, if the look on his face was anything to go by. It was a look she had become accustomed to during her teen years, when her body had begun to mature. While she never considered herself to be a beauty, many others had insisted otherwise. She leaned on her staff and eyed him closely. He was probably too young for her, no older than mid- to late teens. Cute, especially with that uniquely dusty gray hair. And a nice smile, too.

Her smile widened and she chuckled, a small bell-like laugh. “I think I can help you with that. I know the area around here pretty well. A ferry leaves this village every few days, bound for Ba Sing Se. In fact, it should be setting sail either later today or tomorrow. If you’d like, I could take you to the docks. We could ask around about prices. I’ve never taken the ferry myself, you see.” Her eyes seemed to dance merrily as she looked kindly at the boy. “But first, introductions! I’m Yukiko. And you are?”

[shadnicth]

Dartan couldn't resist a smile when he found out the woman in front of him was capable of helping him. She had said that she knew of a ferry that did, in fact, leave for Ba Sing Se, and that the ferry would be leaving either today or tomorrow. Dartan bowed respectably to the woman as she offered to take him to the docks and inquire about the prices.
"Thank you very much." He said, straightening himself up as she introduced herself as Yukiko.

Yukiko... That was a nice name. It was certainly one Dartan hadn't heard of in these regions. He just smiled at her and nodded his head at her respectively.
"I'm Dartan." He said, smiling as he looked at the woman.
"So... Where about are you from? Are you from the Earth Kingdom as well?" He asked her, curious about her origins. While he did have her pegged as an Airbender, it seemed that she could possibly be from somewhere else.

[Yukiko]

She didn’t immediately respond to his questions about her origins. She never told people that she was originally from the Fire Nation. She had learned early on that mentioning it made things awkward, particularly after the Execution Squad had taken over. “Dartan, huh? Interesting name.” Yukiko had turned back to the stall owner. She pointed at the bunches being sold. “I’ll be back shortly for those.” With a jerk of her head to indicate their direction, Yukiko headed down the street.

Her staff thudded as she strode towards the docks. “As for where I’m from, I live in a small village on the border between the Earth Kingdom and the Allied Earth States. I did a lot of traveling before that, though. Kind of nomadic,” she explained casually. She looked back to make sure he was following. Briefly, she wondered what he thought of the tattoo on her back before realizing her hair covered it. But there was always the one on her shoulder—her first tattoo of Tui and La, the Moon and Ocean Spirits. She grinned at him. “I was restless as a teen, so I took to wandering around my home and the Earth Kingdom.” She turned around and walked backwards so she could face Dartan. It wasn’t a particularly busy street, so she ran little risk of running into someone. Resting her staff against her shoulder, she said, “So you’re an Earthbender, huh? Does that mean you’re as stubborn as the earth?” Her tone was light and a little teasing.

[shadnicth]

Dartan couldn't help as Yukiko commented on his name. He never did quite understand why his parents had named him that, until he was told it was the name of his father's best friend. He had died when a Firebender had tried to steal from his father's home. Dartan's father and his friend fought the firebender, and with that, he was defeated. At the cost of his father's friend. So in honour of him, Dartan was named after him. Dartan snapped out of his thoughts as Yukiko gestured the direction and they began to walk together.

She explained she was from a small village on the border of the Earth Kingdom and Allied States. She also had been around a lot, and thought of herself as a nomad. So she was a traveller. She must've met many a people from different nations for sure. However it was the tattoo on her shoulder that made Dartan seem to rethink his theories about her being an Airbender. She had a tattoo of the Ocean and Moon spirits. Dartan had learned about them from his grandfather, who had travelled to the Northern Water Tribe when he was a boy.

Was it possible that she was a Waterbender? As he thought about these things, she commented on him being an Earthbender, and asked if he was as stubborn as the Earth. Dartan looked at her and just smiled.
"Well, I can be at times... Just like the earth, I can be soft and hard in an instant." He said with a small chuckle.
"However, I'm not that good at it. I'm only trained in the basics, so I'm trying to find a master." He said, looking to the side for a moment at a store before looking back to Yukiko.

"Say... Are you a bender by any chance?" He asked her, thinking if he just got that question off his chest, he'd be more relieved, as opposed to thinking about it constantly.

[Yukiko]

Yukiko laughed as Dartan described himself. Soft and hard in an instant? She wondered if he realized what he had just said. ‘Probably not. He’s young, after all.’ As she thought this, she realized she was being very casual with the boy. That wasn’t quite like her, especially with strangers. But nothing about him struck her as wrong—and she prided herself on her judge of character. She almost missed his question as she mused on her behavior with him. "Say... Are you a bender by any chance?"

She suddenly grew serious. It was a perfectly reasonable question to ask. She had asked him about his bending. Why wouldn’t he ask if she was? But she was reluctant to tell him the truth. People never responded well to the fact she was a Firebender, even though she didn’t use it much and certainly didn’t associate with the Burning Legion. She sighed and looked Dartan in the eyes. She had no reason to lie to the boy, in all honesty. The odds were good that she’d never see him again anyway. “As a matter of fact, I’m a Firebender,” she said quietly. “I rarely use it, but I can. I prefer working with swords, to be perfectly honest.” She scratched her neck a bit sheepishly as she continued walking.

[shadnicth]

Dartan listened anxiously as Yukiko was about to answer his question about her being a bender. Water? Air? Maybe Earth? Not for one second had it crossed his mind that she was in fact in a Firebender. That was until she said it. His heart sank as his facial expression changed from one that was happy to a serious one. She was a Firebender. While all Firebenders weren't bad, Dartan was not going to make the mistake of trusting her so easily.

He just casually took a step away from Yukiko. Not a big step, but not a small one either. He tried to make it look natural. Which meant it didn't look like that at all.
"Oh... I see..." He said to her as a reply, simply walking with her and looking away for a moment. He was alone in the world with one of the people the world didn't really seem to like. Rumours were that the Earth Kingdom were hiding the Firebenders, but they were only rumours. Surely the Allied States or the Burning Legion would have caught wind of the old Fire Nation if they were out there.

Dartan just looked to Yukiko and smiled weakly.
"I'm sorry... It's just... I haven't had a lot of good experiences with Firebenders... and this is the first time I'm actually going out on my own... I'm sorry if I seem rude..." He said to her, as some sort of apology. She may be a Firebender, but that didn't excuse him for being rude to her. If she provoked him, that was when he would strike back. His father had always taught him that about Earthbending. Wait before you strike. Listen and watch. The moment will come. The same applied here. She wanted to attack? He'd attack back.

[Yukiko]

Yukiko didn’t miss Dartan’s attempt to distance himself from her. Just as she had expected, he was now wary of her. She mentally cursed the Execution Squad and every Firebender that had ever caused trouble to others. She sighed angrily and turned around, falling into step beside Dartan rather than just ahead of him. It shouldn’t bother her so much, of course. He was young; he’d had bad experiences; they were unlikely to cross paths again. But he had still judged her and deemed her less than trustworthy. She hated when people did that. “I'm sorry if I seem rude...”

Yukiko looked over at him. Her gaze was steely, though she had no intention of attacking him. After a moment, she faced forward again. His smile was weak and was just aggravating her. “It’s understandable. You’re in completely unfamiliar territory, probably far from home, and are being escorted by someone you probably have justifiable reason to fear.” Her hand clenched around her staff as she fought to calm herself. It always hurt, no matter how many times she went through it. It was like settling into Hayato’s village all over again—the distrust, the sideways glances, the whispers.

Faintly, she heard the soft rushing sound of the tide. The docks were nearing now. Her instinct screamed that she pick up the pace, the sooner to leave Dartan to his business and return to her own. But that would be cruel. She had offered to help him find the ferry and figure out pricing, after all. Might as well see it through to the end. “So...why so wary of Firebenders? Besides the obvious reason, the Burning Legion.”

[shadnicth]

Dartan's expression changed from being apologetic to surprise. This Firebender had just spoken to him in a manner that seemed almost civilized. She understood how he felt, as well as the fear he had of being escorted by someone he had a right to fear. He just began to smile at her softly as he looked down at the ground.
"Wow... If I were in your position, I would've been upset greatly by that... Not that you're not, I imagine you are upset... But it's just... wow..." Dartan simply replied to her, smiling weakly and feeling even more like an asshole than he had before.

She then asked why he was wary of Firebenders, apart from the Burning Legion. He just smiled at her weakly.
"You mentioned how interesting my name was before... My father's friend was named Dartan... He died protecting my father's home from a Firebender when my mother was pregnant with me..." Dartan said with a weak smile as he looked down.
"That, and we've had the odd Burning Legion force come through our village every now and again... They were searching for hints of the old Fire Nation. Anyone they suspected was taken away... We never saw the ones taken again..." Dartan said, looking at the ground as every step he took, the ground began to crack a little as he took a step. he quickly gathered his emotions, the cracking stopping after a couple of steps.

"I don't know about you, or where you're from. That's why I'm going to be civilized and not look at you as a Burning Legion member... I'm going to look at you as someone like me. Just a normal human being." He said with a weak smile. It was hard to do, but he had to learn that not everyone was evil at first glance.

[Yukiko]

Yukiko quietly listened to Dartan’s tale and felt disgust well up inside her. As if she didn’t have reason enough to loath the Burning Legion...now this. She huffed slightly in irritation, a small jet of flame rushing out of her lips before quickly dissipating. “The Burning Legion is a disgrace to what it means to be a Firebender.” Her words were quiet, almost inaudible. She didn’t much care if he heard her comment or not. It was more for her benefit anyway; if she voiced her displeasure, she would feel calmer.

"I don't know about you, or where you're from. That's why I'm going to be civilized and not look at you as a Burning Legion member... I'm going to look at you as someone like me. Just a normal human being." She glanced over at Dartan, that same smile still in place. Yukiko knew he meant well and that he was simply trying to make the best of the strange situation he was in. She sighed and turned a corner, seeing the dock warehouses in the distance. “I appreciate that...But like I said, your first reaction was understandable and natural. We only know what experience teaches us and those lessons are always difficult to set aside.” That was the end of that, as far as she was concerned. She gestured towards the distant warehouses. “The docks will be just beyond those large warehouses. And hopefully we’ll be able to quickly find out about the ferry. I’m sure you must be eager to reach Ba Sing Se. What do you know about the city?” Hopefully this would help put that awkward little exchange behind them.

[shadnicth]

Dartan couldn't help but smile as Yukiko whispered under her breath about the Burning Legion being a disgrace to Firebenders. It seemed that not all Firebenders tended to think the same as the Legion did, and that made Dartan smile. She was growing on him slowly. However they soon turned a corner towards the docks as Yukiko replied to Dartan's comment about seeing her as a regular person. Dartan just smiled at her.

Yukiko then mentioned the docks were straight ahead and the ferry to Ba Sing Se would most likely be there. She commented on how excited he must have been to get to the city, as well as asked when he knew about it. Dartan just shrugged.
"No idea about Ba Sing Se. None at all. All I know is that the Earth King lives there, The Inner Circle is reserved for the rich people and Outer Circle is for the rest." Dartan said as the pair walked towards the docks.

"Have you been to Ba Sing Se before?" He asked Yukiko, curious if the nomadic Firebender had been to those parts.

[Yukiko]

Yukiko ran her fingers through her hair, thinking about how to answer that. Of course she’d been to Ba Sing Se—on numerous occasions, mostly on assignment. Only the first visit had been even remotely enjoyable, if only because she’d been there for her own benefit. She sighed.

“Yeah. I’ve visited the Impenetrable City many times. Some pleasant, some not.” She kept her eyes on the sky as she spoke. She smiled as she remembered her first trip to the city. “While you’re right about the social divisions in the city, it’s still so much more than that. Ba Sing Se is...massive. Hundreds of millions of people live within its walls fairly comfortably. The Lower Ring can be depressing, since it’s all the ghettos and the impoverished.” She laughed a little sheepishly at that. “But the Middle Ring helps a bit with that. Shops and theaters and just about anything you could possible want.”

She grinned, remembering the Little Jasmine Dragon teashop in the Middle Ring, an offshoot of Iroh’s famous Jasmine Dragon shop. It had been the best oolong tea she’d ever had! She chuckled. “And if you’re looking for a Master, the Middle Ring is the place to look. Though most of the Earthbending Masters live in the Upper Ring, they frequent the Middle Ring in search of pupils. Or have recruiters out looking. There’s also a school there for Earthbenders, if you’d be okay with taking classes instead of one-on-one training with a Master.”

Yukiko looked over at Dartan before leaning in to whisper conspiratorially. “But personally, I liked the Agrarian Zone outside the Lower Ring. Nothing but farmland, some mountains and Lake Laogai. But the best part is Avatar Aang’s Zoo. If you have time, I suggest you visit it.” She grinned again.

[shadnicth]

Dartan could not help but wonder about Yukiko's experiences in Ba Sing Se, especially after she had mentioned that some of her visits were not under ideal circumstances. He wondered why the Firebender was in fact such a nomad, in terms of traveling from place to place, rather than just sticking to one. However he was not going to press the matter, and Yukiko began to speak about the lifestyle in Ba Sing Se, Dartan listened intently.

He may as well stay out of the Lower Ring, from what Yukiko was saying, as it was mainly a ghetto looking sort of place. His village may not have been much, but from how she described the Lower Ring, the village seemed better. However the Middle Ring seemed to be the place Dartan needed to go. Everything you needed was there, as well as Masters from the Upper Ring that looked for pupils to teach.

However Yukiko leaned in and spoke about the farmlands, that held mountains, a lake named Lake Laogai, and a zoo made by the most well known Avatar, Avatar Aang. Dartan nodded at her as she suggested he visit the place.
"Yeah, I'll make sure to stop by... If I can find it, that is..." Dartan said with a smile.

It was then a thought occurred to the young Earthbender. How was he going to navigate his way around the city. He looked at Yukiko for a moment, before looking ahead at the docks. No... She wouldn't possibly want to lead him around...