Flirting With the Wind (Aiden and Zephyr)

[Varoen]

Urial, Zephyr to most, sat quietly in a tea shop in Gaoling obviously sipping tea and taking a small pause of contemplation from her life after completion of her last assignment. Some upstart general who wanted to attack to the Earth Kingdom while they were distracted with the Bulwark or something; the Northern Air Empire wasn’t ready for the Earth Kingdom to fall yet if it were going to anytime soon. So she sat, taking a break before the trip back to her homeland where she would, hopefully, have some down time. The slight sour tang of lemon mixed with the bitter yet quenching flavor of the tea were brought together with the sweet tingle of a spoonful of sugar and she could not help but sigh and feel her troubles melt away while she relaxed into her chair. It was amazing how something so simple could make everything so much better.

Closing her eyes only briefly in her comfort she took a deep breath of contentment and immediately opened them again and sat again in her chair with the posture she had been raised towards. Though she sat a back table, her back to a corner, and her eyes and ears open to be able to survey everyone in the shop, she could not help but feel paranoid in a city where she had not long ago murdered an unsuspecting victim. Though she had worn one of her kimonos over her alternate persona rather than a pack this time so that she would better fit in, she could not help but feel a small amount of paranoia. Of course she traveled openly with her crossbow, for what woman would travel alone and unarmed in these troubled times? A hand dropped absentmindedly down to touch the jet black weapon again just be sure it was within reach should it be needed. ‘We helpless women must be protected after all’ She smirked at the thought of herself helpless. In some alternate world perhaps, but here? Not likely.

A family sat in front of her. Mother, father, older brother of perhaps nine, and a younger sister of five at most. The children drank their tea impatiently and waited to leave while the parents chatted, much to their ire. The smirk softened and she could not help but be drawn into the younger ones conversations, a simpler world it seemed, and she too became lost in it. After several minutes passed, her hands mechanically working to continue sipping her tea, her head positioned so as to seem that she were staring off passed the family into the crowd outside, and her mind wandering with a small smile on her face.

After a while she grew tired of putting on the social face and threw some money on the table as she stood, grabbing her crossbow and returning its strap to her shoulder in the same movement. She smiled at the children and who had been in front of her and walked out into the sun, where she was momentarily blinded before she found her way towards the market. Making her way passed the food vendors and the trinkets from ‘far off lands’, Zephyr found what she was looking for. Purchasing rolls of the finest red, black, and silver silk, she planned on making some new clothes for her journey back to the air kingdom. ‘Hmm… maybe a new kimono with all three? Or I could always use another robe, as well as a pair of breeches and a shirt. Then again I could always make a nice light dress for the long journey back up to the Empire… Oh I hate choices.’ She smirked to herself and placed the rolls in her pack before shouldering it again and moving down the row. Urial finally found a side street that looked like it could be a short cut out of town and took it. She saw the occasional guard running by looking distressed over something, ‘Ha! Probably was made a fool of by some child at the market and now he’s looking for someone to blame it on.’

Zephyr laughed and threw her head back with a smile, as she soaked in the sun. It was a nice day to be alive. Well unless you were the man she had been ordered to kill last night anyways. Then it was a good day to be discovered hanging dead outside your bedroom window with slit wrists. Nothing like an apparent suicide to make a job look good, she thought as she began humming to herself.

[~Aiden~]

Aiden and Zek had just split ways after making short work of the Earth Kingdom guards who had made Aiden’s day even worse. Of course now this made their mission a million times difficult, there was no way that they were going to find their informant with all the guards on high alert. He quickly made his way for an alley that was completely shadowed by the surrounding building. Dodging and weaving his way through the families, shoppers and venders he finally reached the safety of the shadows. Pulling his hood over his head he leaned against the wall sighing as he looked up into the bright blue sky ‘well that was smart…’[/color] he thought to himself.

Taking another deep breath to calm his nerves, as his pulse returned to normal he tried to think of why he was acting this way, he was never this anxious. Always had control over his nerves. Thinking back it became obvious this was the anniversary of his fathers death, no matter how hard he tried this day was always hard for him to keep himself in check, shaking his head to clear his thoughts he looked around checking to see if anyone had seen him enter this haven.

Once he was sure that he was in the clear he launched himself into the air using his bending to soar high above the tops of the buildings, closing his eyes as the sun washed over him. Landing silently on the rooftop and sprinting forward and jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Using the skills that had helped him so much when he was younger, trying to get some ground between him and his small fuck up. Once certain he had gained enough ground he dropped down behind a merchant’s shop who was selling furs.

Making his way into the street something caught his eye, a woman with strawberry blonde hair walked right past him. Something about the way she carried herself caught his interest, he watched as she made her way down the crowded streets with an ease that should be envied. He noticed the crossbow that she had at her shoulder, his curiosity getting the better of him once again he slowly followed her as she stopped at a merchants stand.

Silently closing the distance he had just reached her side when he noticed the guards that were running their way, he stopped suddenly and turned quickly towards the merchant stand accidentally bumping into the mystery woman. Smiling slightly and lightly scratching the back of his head “Oh I’m sorry miss, I didn’t mean to bump into you.. I should really watch where I’m going” he spoke smoothly, as he listened to the guards thudding footsteps pound down the street.