Capítulo 57: Chapter 57
"Perhaps we should signal the withdrawal before night comes."
At Xing's unsubtle hint, Iroh gave a nod and turned to the awestruck commanders to get them into order. Though technically out of the chain of command, being the commanding admiral's military advisor - and a prince at that - gave him enough pull for his orders to be respected.
While the admirals and general promptly obeyed with occasional glances over their shoulder towards Xing, Colonel Hwa took a bit longer and instead spent several seconds staring with unabashed wonder at the younger colonel before she left the sacred cove.
The boy didn't seem much changed from being immersed in the spirits' waterbending, though Iroh did notice Xing seeming a bit more elated now. Perhaps it was a more subtle blessing that was imparted to him?
"If you don't mind," Xing posed to the Avatar, gesturing towards the top of the air bison milling about with uncertainty behind him, "Could I request for the return of Prince Zuko? The news of his death has been exaggerated, it seems."
Whatever spell that held the young group was fully banished with those words, and the Avatar stepped forwards with his staff at the ready. "Katara! Princess Yue! Get behind me and don't look at him!"
That confused Iroh as much as it did Xing, who tilted his head to one side.
The Water Tribe boy with that group came to a realization and also got in front of the girls with arms spread out protectively, as if to ward them from an invisible force. "Cover your ears too. We don't know how his woman-stealing weapon works."
"Woman stea-" Xing looked utterly baffled, until something seemed to click in him, and he let out a loud sigh. Iroh thought he heard the young colonel mutter out two words as he wearily pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fucking Mozi…"
The remaining squad of soldiers with him responded to the muttering with tensed shoulders and awkward coughs. They were holding back laughter, Iroh realized, though he didn't know exactly why.
The Water Tribe adults closed in warily, whalebone spears and water orbs readied. Xing glanced at them, and then raised his open palms at them. "Hey, I'm not here for any more killing or fighting, alright? I just want to talk, and recover the prince. There's no women-stealing whatever on me."
"You think we'll trust you that easily?" the waterbending girl spat. "We know what you do, Scorpion of the Fire Nation."
Xing gave Iroh an exasperated look, and then sighed again, more theatrically again before returning his attention to the Avatar's party. "I just offed the guy who actually came here to kill the moon spirit. And the spirits here kept me alive instead of picking one of many options they had to snuff me out. That gives me some leeway, doesn't it?"
The adult warriors lowered their spears a little at the reminder of Xing's encounter with the ocean and moon spirits, and the Avatar's aggressive stance faltered, but his staff did not lower.
"Fucking stupid…" Iroh heard the colonel mutter again, and decided to step in. The Avatar and his friends were wary of Xing's reputation, so perhaps they might be less hostile towards him.
"Please, Colonel Xing does not mean for any further hostility here. Despite his monikers, he is a man of his word."
The Water Tribe boy interjected with an accusatory finger flying out. "Yeah right, the only word he keeps is to threaten Earth Kingdom villages and towns!"
Iroh winced. Perhaps emphasizing the 11th's more brutal reputation is coming back to haunt young Xing…
The prince tried again, gesturing towards the pond with a hand. "If you cannot take his word, then take the approval of your spirits. They saw it fit to praise him for his deed." That gave the group pause, enough for the adults to reach them and form a protective line while a more ornamented Water Tribe warrior rushed towards the non-bending girl the princess for a tight hug. Father and daughter, Iroh realized upon seeing the concern and relief on both of them.
Xing collected himself and adopted a more formal tone as he ignored the Avatar and looked at the adult warriors instead. "Please, at least allow me to barter for Prince Zuko."
The chief slowly let go of his daughter and gently pushed past the line of spears and ice to step forwards. "You're Xing of the Defiant 11th?" At Xing's nod, the man gave a thoughtful frown. "I've heard of you."
To Iroh's surprise, and the surprise of many of the warriors and the entirety of the Avatar's group, the man gave a bow that passed off decently for a Fire Nation show of respect. "I thank you, for Siku and his group's return."
Surprise flashed through Xing too, but he quickly recovered. "I'm glad they made it back…unharmed, hopefully?"
The Water Tribe chieftain gave a grateful nod. "It seems that we owe you for your mercy as well as what you've done today."
"Mercy?" the waterbending girl echoed, as if unable to comprehend associating the word with Xing. "But he's the Scorpion Dragon! He killed hundreds, if not thousands!"
The annoyance in Xing's voice was palpable. "The venerable King Bumi still has a higher body count than me, I'm sure."
"Who's Siku?" the boy Sokka asked as the Avatar and the waterbender girl bristled, to which another warrior, an older waterbender, replied.
"A renowned warrior. He's out at the walls right now. Quite some years ago he led one of the larger groups of volunteers to aid the Earth Kingdom against the Fire Nation. We thought them lost after receiving news of a great defeat. But then years later, Siku and most of his group returned on a Fire Nation boat."
The waterbender paused, and then nodded at Xing. "Cunningly donated by the soldiers of the 11th. A deception to mask their execution demanded by another Fire Nation commander, supposedly."
"General Yishu," Xing helpfully provided. "Didn't like how big our prison caravan was getting, so he asked us to cull the…worthless ones. Water Tribe fighters made for poor ransom and couldn't heal, so…" he trailed off with a shrug.
"They spoke of their time under the 11th's care," the chief continued. "They spoke of unexpected and generous courtesies. Of your brutal, yet honorable ways." He stared at the colonel for a second. "Since you've ascended to the rank, I take it your superior…"
Xing stiffened, but his words were neither defensive nor heated. "He passed in his sleep, the diseases of growing old in the battlefield catching up to him."
"My condolences," the warrior offered.
"It was a peaceful thing, thankfully."
Iroh heard the truth in the young colonel's voice, and he felt relieved that his old friend did not suffer in his final moments.
Mutual respect was exchanged through silent looks, and then the warrior turned to the Avatar. "Avatar Aang, I can vouch for the young man's character. That he intervened here is a testament that the 11th has not strayed from their honorable conduct."
"But…but he's responsible for the deaths of thousands," young Aang argued.
The old waterbender snorted. "All soldiers who want to survive a battlefield will have blood on their hands. And their leaders would be wading through it, if they wanted to win or keep their own men alive. Our waterbenders last night have taken hundreds of lives, and our warriors have their own tallies throughout this long war. It'll be no different for the warriors of the Earth Kingdom."
The waterbending girl was not convinced. "He's a monster who's happy to starve Earth Kingdom armies to death, or slowly kill them by poisoning their food!"
The grim looks she received from the Water Tribe adults stopped the girl from damning Xing any further. "Unfortunately, those are effective tactics in war, Katara," the waterbender said. "Tactics we've carried out ourselves in the past, and will do so again if we have to."
"But-"
"Enough," Avatar Aang interrupted, his mind seemingly made up as he glared at Xing. "You're not a friend, but you saved the moon and ocean spirits. Sokka, go get Zuko."
"I thank you for your consideration," Xing replied with a formal bow, and Iroh and the squad joined along just to show that the gesture was earnest.
Zuko was only starting to wake as he was carried off the air bison and brought towards the Fire Nation party. Thankfully, he didn't seem to be harmed too badly. Iroh held back the urge to immediately see to his nephew; formalities were what was keeping the Avatar and the Water Tribe talking right now.
"The invasion force will be turned back," Xing said with certainty. "Blame will be distributed and bartered about, investigations will be conducted. If things go well, the Northern Water Tribe will not suffer another invasion for a long, long time."
The girl Katara remained bellicosely unimpressed. "You sound so sure of it."
Iroh caught the soft sigh leaving the boy. "Considering the material and human losses sustained in just two days, Fire Nation sailors and soldiers, and whole ships that cannot be retrieved from the depths of the sea… It'd be politically and strategically unsound to push for another futile invasion while people still remember this one."
"If that's what you think, then why are you here?"
Xing gave a thin smirk as he glanced at Iroh. "Who'd believe me if I killed Zhao before he tried what he did here?"
"Nobody," the prince replied aloud with a shake of his head. "You'd be severely punished for turning on an admiral, if you were caught." Iroh paused for a second as the implications slowly streamed into his head. "You'd give Zhao's faction more legitimacy by making a martyr out of him… The resolve of the invasion leaders would be far more dogged, which would make the fighting worse; The need to win would drive the commanders into taking more brutal tactics… The conquest might turn into a razing instead."
And by making a show of Zhao's true intentions, even to a small group of witnesses, all that legitimacy would fall apart. The traditionalists would have to scramble to regain lost prestige and honor after this…giving Azula more space to spread or solidify her influence.
As expected of the terrifying prodigy, Xing seems to have calculated his moves rather well. While the Avatar's young group were skeptical, the Water Tribe warriors took in the words with grim understanding.
"No. You could have found a different way. Nobody had to die."
Xing fixed the Avatar with a harsh glare. "When you've dealt with more in the world of politics and warfare, come back and say that again with all this naive honesty."
Predictably, Katara came to the Avatar's defense. "Your world is nothing but murder and destruction. We want no part of it."
"Neither do I," Xing replied wearily. He shook it off and returned his attention to the Water Tribe warriors. "I hope you can allow the consideration of not damaging the ship me and the princes will embark on as you chase the Fire Nation off your waters. Beyond political needs, Prince Zuko's sister would be glad to see him alive."
The warrior nodded. "We will consolidate on our breached defenses. Your fleet will be allowed to leave unmolested."
Once more Xing bowed, and once more Iroh joined in. The prince also caught the look the colonel threw at the Avatar. "I'll do what I can to dissuade Prince Zuko from continuing his hunt for you."
"We can handle him," the airbender replied curtly.
"If you say so." Xing faced the Water Tribe warriors, but his eyes occasionally glanced at Sokka, and his voice became laced with hidden meaning. "By the by, it should be obvious, but I'm told that the attempt to assassinate Zhao failed horribly when the leader of the group broke his cover. Dumb fool announced himself before getting into effective range to take Zhao out."
Iroh remembered the amateur attempt by a Water Tribe warrior in a Fire Nation soldier's outfit. Barely old enough to be a man, he recklessly charged at Zhao and promptly fell off the bridge's deck when the former admiral casually sidestepped out of the way. He might have survived the landing on the main deck, but not the spears of the guards around him who heard his loud proclamation.
Why would he- Oh.
Iroh saw guilty relief flash across Sokka's face, and saw something in the eyes of the young princess by his side. Then the prince reflexively began to wonder how this matchmaking played into Xing's (or the spirits') plans.
As they left, with Zuko supported by Xing's soldiers, Iroh traded whispers with the colonel. "I am grateful for your arrival, Xing, but how did you know of Zhao's plan?"
The boy shrugged. "Clues and hints. I wasn't really sure, to be frank."
"Then I'm glad that you took the risk to follow the spirits' guidance."
Xing made a noncommittal noise and then unsubtly changed topics. "So, would you mind telling me how Prince Zuko's supposed death had him winding up as the Avatar's prisoner?"
Ah, yes. Iroh gave what information he knew, along with those gleaned from Zuko's hazy memory of the ship's destruction. "We have our suspicions, so Zuko decided it best to use the news of his death as a cover to continue his quest."
"He should've returned to Zilang," Xing muttered as he glanced back at the awake but still incapacitated Zuko. "We could've helped protect him."
"Zuko regards you highly," the older prince said. "He does not wish to dishonor himself by being a burden to you and your regiment."
Xing's disbelieving look was reassuring, as was his derisive snort. "I should've briefed him on being more loose with honor…"
"Yet that is all he relies on to drive him," Iroh bluntly said, uncaring if his nephew heard him or not.
"Understandable, considering the…considering the circumstances of his exile. But still, he should have known by now that he has friends in the 11th Regiment, and he could come to us for aid."
"I'm sure we'll have the time to impress that lesson on him."
"Yeah, I'm having Admiral Daeyang drop us off at Zilang. I'll have our healers look over you and Prince Zuko."
"Me?" Iroh asked, puzzled at being included.
"It's been a while since you dropped by, Prince Iroh; better to get you a checkup while we can." Xing chuckled. "Plus, you've been stuck with Zhao for so long, I have to be safe and see if any of his idiocy has infected you."
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