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WTMCO: Conquest Part 27

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Conquest Part 27

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I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender, or any of the names or characters of the show. I merely control them for my own twisted pleasure from this point in my story on.
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Rin walked away from Zuko and into the waiting arms of his little sister, fury running through him. The Fire Lord had gone too far, attacking him in front of the whole village like that. His respect for the title of Fire Lord and the fact that if he’d reacted too badly, the whole village would have gotten involved had been the only things keeping his tempter in check.

That and the brat’s connection to Katara.

As some of the men and women around him asked hurried questions about what had happened, Rin merely smiled innocently at them and stated that it had been a misunderstanding. They seemed to accept it, but his sister knew him too well.

“That was not a misunderstanding, that was just plain rude,” Akemi said coolly, putting her now sleeping son’s head against her neck. Though she was normally a very pleasant and friendly person, Rin imagined her pregnancy was getting to her again. He took a deep breath, looking at his sister as she got more and more upset as they walked: this was his home and not a place he wanted to cause trouble.

“Akemi, don’t worry,” he said in a reassuring voice, putting a gently hand on her tummy, “It’s not a big deal, so please relax? For the baby?”

She narrowed her eyes dangerously before throwing Zuko another look. Then, she sighed and turned back to Rin. “Okay,” his sister said, smiling sadly at him. “Only if you’re alright.”

Rin looked back at Zuko and Katara who were already dancing happily. Then he looked back to this pregnant sister and her son that she’d given his name to. This was more than worth letting the insult go. “Yes,” he said, smiling at her, “I’m fine.”

She gave him a disbelieving look before smiling a little less sadly. “Okay.”

Rin smiled, letting her pay attention to little Rin, who’d just woken up. That’s what he needed, he thought; he needed something to distract him. Suddenly, he smiled, letting his eyes roam freely over to Hanae’s still rigid body.

When Hanae showed up to stop her younger cousin, she’s surprised Rin. Her sudden appearance and, to hell with anyone who called it childish, the fact that she’d seemingly been defending him, made Rin's heart skip a beat.

Looking at her now, he noticed something that hadn’t caught his attention earlier. He felt a sly smile slide onto his face, suddenly determined.

“Rin?” his sister’s curious voice called from beside him, and he gave her a look that caused her eyebrows to lift clear of her face. “What’s that look for?” she asked, and he bent down to nuzzle her nose.

“Akemi my dearest, most beautiful and favorite sister in the world?” he asked charmingly and she gave him a startled look.

“Yes?” his sister asked, trying very much to sound like she wasn’t buying a word of it: it was cute how she made such an effort to not look flattered.

“Do you still have that little medicine bag you used to carry around for the kids when they got scraped and bruised?” he asked, all but batting his eyelashes at her. She knew he was up to something, he could see it in her eyes, but he also knew she had no idea what it was. “You know, before Katara came along and healed them every time they got hurt?”

“Maybe,” Akemi said, shifting her son onto her other hip, “Why?” she asked as her yellow eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Because I wish to borrow it,” Rin finished, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and kissing little Rin on the forehead. The boy opened his eyes groggily and smiled at him for a second before laying his head back down against his mother’s breast.

Akemi stared at Rin for a few seconds longer before sighing and reaching into her side pouch. “Here,” she said, handing him the small deer-goat skin purse.

“Thank you!” Rin called as he hurried back towards where Hanae and Iroh stood, now alone after Katara had pulled Zuko off. The people of the village had begun to talk loudly, their eager voices carrying on all around him. He caught snatches of excited conversations but ignored most of them.

”You’re a mere child,” Hanae said to him coldly. “What do you know of pain?”

“What?” he asked spitefully, glaring at her through the bars of his cell: his life had been ripped out of his chest, and it still burned like it had happened yesterday. “You’re not happy here, on this ship with your crew and your successful life?”

Hanae looked at him sadly, expressing emotion for the first time since he’d met her. “I haven’t been truly happy in a long time, Rin.”


He had only one goal in mind right now: he’d get Hanae to notice him and he’d get her to like him. Then, when the time was right, he’d get to her love him back. He’d make Hanae happy if it was the last thing he did.
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Finally, she was back in Zuko’s arms.

And I’ll never leave them again, Katara thought as she laid her head against her lover’s chest as they danced in a slow circle. Zuko pulled her closer, and she merely reveled in the feel of him.

After a few minutes, she pulled back to smile up at him and he kissed her the second she did. She wanted to be alone with him, for it to be just the two of them, but she also knew that was impossible.

They were still in danger and if they snuck off now, everyone would be worried. She closed her eyes, trying hard not to think about the things Zuko’s arrival had brought with him.

Rin’s father was dead, murdered by the people who’d tried to hurt her. Katara knew it had been cowardly, but she’d run away to the middle of the dance floor so she wouldn’t have to be the one to tell him. She sighed, and immediately Zuko stopped dancing.

“What is it?” he asked, tilting her chin up so she’d look him in the face.

“I just…” Katara stopped and closed her eyes. Now was not the time to think of bad things. Zuko was here now, and she was never going to let him go. “Nothing, it’s nothing.” She forced the smile to her face. “I’m just so happy to see you!” she cried, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him as tightly as she could.

“And what about me?” came a very familiar voice from behind her. “Are you happy to see me too?”

Katara spun very quickly, staring into the grinning face of her father. “Dad!” she yelped, running over to him and hugging his as tightly as she had Zuko.

Hakoda laughed and grunted as she squeezed tighter. “My only little girl,” he murmured lovingly, “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, Dad,” she said, nuzzling her face into his chest. Katara breathed in the scent that held most of her childhood memories. She stared at him, realizing suddenly what he was wearing. “Why are you in your underwear?” she asked, puzzled.  Zuko laughed from behind her and she turned to face him. “What?”

“I offered him some of my clothes,” the firebender stated, shrugging, “but he refused.”

“Dad!” Katara grumbled, turning back to her father.

Hakoda was smiling. “Well, I don’t look good in red.”

“Is that the only reason?” she asked softly, and her father’s grin turned into a warm smile.

“Katara,” Zuko said gently, and her father held up his hand.

“I’m just more comfortable in my own clothing, Katara,” he explained. “Don’t read too much into my declining of their hospitality.”

“Why are you here?” she asked, confused.

“Why?” Hakoda said, in a tone that told her she was about to be teased. “I’m not invited to my own daughter’s wedding, is that it?”

She shook her head. “No,” she moaned, and his smiled widened. “I mean, why are you here, in Lodomi?”

“Because, Lord Iroh sent us a message saying that you’d been kidnapped.” Katara grimaced: why hadn’t she realized that would bring her father running too? “And,” Hakoda continued, making a vague motion at Zuko, “betrothed or not, I wasn’t about to let this boy go after you alone. I’m your father, Katara, and it’s just as much my job to protect you as it this brat’s,” Katara raised her eyebrow, and her father corrected himself, “Or, soon-to-be husband’s.”

“Ouch… sir,” Zuko said quietly, and Katara laughed.

She looked from her lover to her father and then back again. “I take it you two are getting along just fine?” she asked, hopeful.

“Katara,” Hakoda said seriously. “This boy is going to marry you. Of course I’m not fine with him. But,” he said quickly, interrupting her groan, “it’s not really my place to come between you two. Lord Zuko has both proven he’s capable of protecting you, and loving you forever. So, I may never be ‘fine’ with any man taking you from me, but if I could choose one, it would be him.” When he motioned to Zuko, Katara felt happiness fill her.

Her father was okay with it, she thought, and hugged her dad closer. He was really okay with it. Hakoda cleared his throat and she gazed up at him curiously. “You are, however, staying the night with me.” Her father looked like he’d just won a bet, giving Zuko a cheerful smile, “You understand.”

Katara sighed good-naturedly; this day was turning out better then she could have ever wished for. She only hoped nothing would ruin it.

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Iroh watched, bemused as Rin approached Hanae from the side. His daughter had noticed the assassin a while ago, for she was already looking in the younger man’s direction when Iroh noticed him.

Rin halted in front of them and bowed deeply at the waist. “General,” he said politely, then turned his deep eyes on Hanae. “Princess.”

Forcing himself not to smile, Iroh thought it over; though Hanae was legally his daughter, and ‘Princess’ was her technical title, he’d never heard anyone called her that before. He looked up at Hanae, wondering how she’d take the change.

His daughter turned and gave him an obvious look. “Father,” she said calmly while pushing her glasses up her nose.

Taking the hint, the old general smiled at the younger man and leaned closely to him. “It’s ‘Admiral Hanae,’ Rin,” he corrected, and watched curiously as Hanae gave the assassin a look that said, “and that’s all there is to it.”

Rin looked a little flustered and lifted his eyes to Hanae in an apparent apology. “Oh,” the younger man said hurriedly. “Forgive me…” Rin stopped, and Iroh was amazed to see the playful look flash across the assassin’s face so fast the general was sure Hanae hadn’t seen it coming, “Princess.”

Hanae first looked like she’d swallowed a bug, and then gave Rin a look that could sear flesh from bone. But the younger man didn’t give her a chance to voice her obvious displeasure at being ignored: instead, he reached out to her quickly. Hanae jumped slightly as Rin grabbed her arm and pulled it forward.

Iroh watched with great interest as the unbelievable scene played out in front of his very eyes.

Rin had captured his princess’s arm with a hand and taken another step towards her. She pulled away quickly, just as Iroh had expected her to. Rin pulled back harder and she stared at him in shock.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the admiral demanded, glaring at him. Rin only smiled, and didn’t answer her. Instead, the assassin trailed his fingers down her arm slowly, suggestively.

The two were the same height and Hanae stared at the assassin as if she was afraid to move. They were only about a foot apart now, and Iroh was fascinated with the look on his daughter’s face. She looked scared, but something told him this fear wasn’t a bodily one, but rather something internal.

What really surprised him was that she hadn’t put Rin in the dirt yet. He’d seen many a man try his hand at touching Hanae, only to have her break a nose… or an arm. He’d also heard stories of worse altercations on board her ship during the war. It was obvious that Hanae was not to be taken lightly-- it was often a fatal mistake-- but Rin had taken these steps with full confidence.

The old general found himself taking a step away from them, suddenly feeling like staying were he stood was an invasion of private space. Rin reached down with his other hand, the expression on his face impossible to read. For a split second, Iroh was sure he would run a finger down Hanae’s wrist. Instead, Rin’s fingers moved over Hanae’s closed fist, coaxing the fingers open.

Iroh saw the blood in her palm, and immediately became worried-- when had Hanae hurt herself?-- but even as the thought crossed his mind, he realized that Rin had seen it too, and it was the reason he was doing this. Iroh looked at Hanae’s face once again, and saw the shock present there.

But even as he watched, Rin reached into a small bag at his side, bringing up from it a long white container that looked like a bone with a stopper at the end. The stopper was shortly removed, and the assassin poured a clear liquid into Hanae’s hand that Iroh assumed was water.

She hissed in pain and Rin let her go without hesitation, replacing the top to the container and putting it back inside the bag. His hand reappeared with a small roll of cloth and Hanae narrowed her eyes at him. The assassin merely smiled back, and held out his hand.

Hanae did the second most uncharacteristic thing Iroh had ever see her do when she turned her gaze over to him, a look of pleading on her face. But Iroh was enjoying watching Rin’s slow, but obvious, flirtation with his daughter. Hanae however had no idea what was going on, let alone how to deal with such deliberate actions.

As she stared at Iroh for help, Rin continued on his quest to treat Hanae’s wounds, and soon the younger man was done. Iroh smiled warmly when Hanae looked Rin in the eye, then down at her newly bandaged hand before clearing her throat.

“Thank you,” she said seriously, moving her glasses up her nose with a finger, and Rin smiled at her. “But be assured that I was going to tend to it myself as soon as I got back to the ship,” she continued, obviously uncomfortable.

“You’re welcome anyway, Princess.” Rin bowed, and turned to leave.

Iroh watched Hanae watch the boy leave intently, and felt a small twinge of happiness rise within him. If he could get this ball rolling…

Rin stopped walking a few yards away as an older, but still very attractive Earth Kingdom woman walked up to him. He called out happily and bent down to kiss the older woman on the cheek. “Oh, Kirin! You looked wonderful!” Rin said, smiling at her. “What is that?” he asked, peering closer. “Do you have rouge on your lips? Where’d you even get it?”

The woman laughed pleasantly and batted at his hand. “Oh, one of the shop girls is giving out free samplings of them; I got a whole bunch.” She smiled brightly before looking Rin in worry. “Does it make me look like… like, you know, I’m trying too hard?” she asked, giving Rin a pleading look.

“Ha! Do not speak such nonsense!” he called loudly, causing the woman to laugh. “You looked ten- no, twenty years younger than you did the last time I saw you,” he bent slowly, kissing the woman on the back of the hand. “And you know I would never lie.”

The woman blushed, and rubbed his cheek in a motherly fashion, “Rin, you always know just the right thing to say, don’t you?”

“I’ve been practicing for when the right woman comes along,” was Rin’s mysterious answer. Iroh watched, his interest peaking when Rin turned halfway back in Hanae’s direction, his eyes darting to his princess before moving back to the woman he spoke to now. “Because flattery… no, true compliments make all women feel loved.”
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Hanae hadn’t joined her men when they went back to the ship to change. She didn’t join them when those not on duty arrived at the festival about a half an hour later, either.

She merely watched as her men talked to the people of Lodomi. She observed them as they took dance partners, made friends, drank and ate the food that was offered to them by the residents of a town that seemed to have opened up to them like a mother to a lost child.

Hanae watched because on the outside, she was stoic and still considered herself on duty. She watched and didn’t participate because on the inside, she was reeling.

When had Rin changed? Not only was the bastard as tall as she was now, but he seemed to have gotten three times as attractive since the last time she saw him. Granted, that meeting two months ago hadn’t lasted long, and he had been across the room in low light for the duration of their talk, but seeing him now, in the lights from the lamps around them, talking to the people of his hometown, she longed for him to look at her again.

And that’s how she knew she was a fool.

“Why do you not just go and talk to him?”

Her father’s voice cut through her ridiculous thoughts like a hot knife through butter. She pushed her glasses up her nose and looked up at him as he stood over her. She was seated on a wooden bench that some poor soul had dragged here from the village, not too far away from where the wine and water was being passed out to those who needed a rest from the festivities.

“What…” Hanae stopped the automatic relay of “What are you talking about?” a split second after it hit her lips. Her father would see through that in the blink of an eye. In fact, she was sure he already had.

Iroh sat on the bench beside her, and put his steaming cup of what she assumed was tea on the table part of the bench, though where he got the tea was beyond her scope of thought right now.

“There is nothing to talk to him about,” she said after thinking on it for a second. It was the truth, after all. It wasn’t like she wanted Rin to know she was suddenly lusting after him… because now she refused to believe it was anything other than lust. She’d dealt with lust before, and she could do it now just as easily.

Her father smiled at her, and she glared at him. “Hanae, you said so yourself you didn’t understand what was wrong. Maybe if you talk to the boy, you’ll be able to—“

“That’s precisely the problem!” she said, her voice rising in anger and embarrassment. It earned her the looks of a few men who had been standing nearby. She lowered her voice before continuing. “The ‘boy’, Iroh. Rin is younger than me by ten years. What kind of an old maid do you think I am, hm?” she demanded, her cheeks burning.

Her father brushed off her self-insult with the simple wave of a hand, just as she knew he would. “I doubt he’s ten years--” he began skeptically, but Hanae cut him off.

“Nine,” she said firmly. “He’s nine years younger than me. Maybe, if I was the man, it would be possible, but Iroh, there is no chance at all that boy could have feelings for me,” she said, her mood saddening. No matter what kind of looks he was giving her.

“A man would have to be blind or a fool to go through life and not notice beauty,” Iroh stated, and Hanae felt herself blush through the shock of hearing such words from her father’s mouth. For one small moment she was a child again, and she let herself be surrounded in the light of fatherly praise.

But the feeling was, regrettably, fleeting. “You’re only saying that because you’re my father,” she grumbled, and a proven smooth-talker in his own right, she reminded herself.

She looked at him when he put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m only saying it because it’s true.” She wasn’t able to respond, and after a seconds pause he groaned to his feet. “It’s getting dark. I think I‘ll head back to the ship.”

Hanae was on her feet within the second. “You will not leave me alone here with that man,” she hissed, grabbing her father’s arm tightly.

“Oh?” Iroh said, a very mischievous twinkle in his eye, “And here I thought he was a boy.”

Before Hanae could snap a response to her father’s blatant mockery, she heard someone approach her from behind and she turned slowly, praying to the Spirits above that it was not Rin.

Her commander stared back at her solemnly, the mayor of Lodomi and his son not far behind. “Yes?” Hanae asked, jerking her finger up to push at her glasses that had slipped down her nose again.

The mayor answered her. “Your commander here has just informed me that you have reason to believe our town may be in danger,” the man stated, narrowing his eyes.

“Yes,” Hanae replied, realizing this was official business between the leader of the men and the leader of the town. “As I instructed him to do.”

“I do not mean to sound rude,” the graying man spoke softly, his eyes boring into hers, “But I would like you to leave as soon as possible.”

Iroh sighed sadly, and Hanae nodded in understanding. She’d seen that coming: “We planned on leaving in the morning, at first light.” She looked up at the darkened sky before returning her gaze to the older man and his son. “Steering a ship the size of the Red Rain in the dark is not only dangerous but stupid. You understand?”

Dilou nodded in returned and gave her a sad smile. “Yes. I do not wish harm on you or your crew, so please, enjoy the party, and spend the night, but please leave in the morning. This town has been through so much in the past; I’d do anything to keep our hard-won peace.”

“As would I.” Hanae looked for Rin out among the men in the crowds, but didn’t find him. “I would still like to discuss security with you in the morning, before we leave. Would that be possible?”

Dilou’s eyebrows furrowed, but he nodded after a few seconds. “Yes, definitely possible. We shall meet early, dawn if that’s sufficient.” The man turned to his son.

Midori nodded slowly. “We’ll need to meet someplace other than the house,” he looked back towards the crowd, and Hanae saw him smile slightly. “I can’t chance one of the kids waking up too early.”

“Agreed,” Iroh said quickly, and Hanae gave him a surprised look before nodding again. “Please be sure to bring Master Rin with you,” her father said with a bright smile on his face. Suddenly, she wanted to hit him… hard. “I have many things of my own to discuss with him in the morning.”

Hanae glared at her father as Dilou nodded in agreement. “So, we shall see you in the morning.” The two men from Lodomi bowed politely before walking back towards the party.

She wanted to talk to Rin herself, but had no idea what to say to him. How did one tell someone their father was murdered? Deep inside she knew holding it back would only bite her in the backside later, but she just couldn’t bring herself to talk to Rin again. Not yet. Not right now.

She needed some time alone.

Hanae gave her commander a quick look. “Huin?” she asked softly, calling the man by his first name because it was not business that she wished to discuss with him. “Would you keep an eye on my father? I have some personal dealings to attend to.”

“Of course, ma’am,” her commander replied quickly.

Iroh called out as she walked away. “Oh, so I’m the boy now, am I?”

“Shut up,” she growled under her breath.
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Rin awoke the next morning to the sound of knocking on his front door.

The cabin he’d built for himself and Kala so many years ago was far off from town, but still close enough to where he could see the docks if he looked out the front windows. It had four rooms: three bedrooms and an everyday living room that held the kitchen and sitting room. It wasn’t fancy, but it had been perfect for their small family.

He shook the sad memories out of his head, along with the tiredness from last night’s partying, and got out of bed.

When he opened the door a few minutes later, Rin found Dilou standing on the other side. The old man was properly dressed for the cool pre-dawn air, and had a sober look on his face.

“What’s up?” Rin asked quickly, looking out towards the village.

“The Fire Lord’s uncle said he wanted to speak to you today, so I came here to wake you up. I hope you got enough rest after last night.” The older man smiled knowingly. “The girls will most likely be down all day at this rate.”

Rin chuckled lightly and rubbed his eyes. “Yeah. I envy them that.”

“Midori’s got hot tea ready at the house,” the mayor said affectionately, “if you’d like to join us?”

“Of course,” the assassin smiled back at him.

Rin had just taken a step out into cold air when... something pulled at his internal radar. He took stock of the trees around them quickly, wondering what was wrong when a sound he’d never heard before reverberated in his ears.

There was a small fwoosh, followed by the slightest twang of a bowstring, and he noticed too late that the feeling was the same one he got when he practiced with his daggers… daggers he didn’t have on him.

Dilou cried out in pain the same moment an arrow buried itself in Rin’s left shoulder. He dropped to the ground quickly, spinning around to grab Dilou and drag the older man inside.

“Kill the old one,” came a soft command from somewhere in the treetops. Rin barely got his working arm up to try and stop the arrows when two more sprouted from Dilou’s chest. Panic filled him before the cold precision his years of being a mercenary had honed took control and he focused his eyes on the trees.

They hadn’t said to kill him yet, so he was safe for now. He refused to think of the dying man in his arms… couldn’t think of the danger to the people in town. To Hanae.

His rage-hazed eyes focused on the man who appeared from the trees, and horror chilled his blood.

“Ah, so the weakling remembers me?” the one-eyed giant inquired cruelly as he approached. “Let’s see if he can escape this time.”
Not much to say for this except I LOVE THIS FREAKING CHAPTER!!!

^^

Though, my favorite part comes next ~

Enjoy!


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Part Zero
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Part 26
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Part 28
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© 2007 - 2024 Lady-Rai-Frost
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shivani660's avatar
uh oh trouble starts again