The proceeding journey was long and somewhat quiet. I slept as soundly as a girl could while locked inside of a crate. Azula's arms never left my waist and no part of me would dare protest that.

I did hear an interesting tale, however. Azula met Saturo in prison, apparently. On the seldom occasions that Azula was required to leave her cell, she often spoke with him. As it turns out, Saturo's gate keeper was very inclined to taking bribes, and Azula was very wealthy. It didn't take long for an exchange to occur. The few that still stood by Azula, would supply Saturo with the currency he needed to get out, and in turn, he would aid in her escape. I had to commend him, he was a man of his word.

Many hours passed, and finally our crate began to heave back and forth. I held my breath as the crate was carried, quite carelessly, to it's destination. The warmth of Azula's hands covered my mouth, I listened carefully as conversation began outside the wooden confinement.

"Evening, ma'am. Quite a package this'n is…" A man undoubtedly. He pat the crate a few times and I buried my face into Azula's shoulder.

"Yes, well, thank you for the delivery. This should cover the cost…" This voice was much more delicate. She spoke so lightly it was almost hard to hear her.

"What's in this old thing, anyway? In fact, what're you doing way out here?"

I could hear the woman sigh in frusteration, now.

"It's for my father, he's studying the wild life a few miles out. It's just a bunch of his junk."

Azula then whispered faintly in my ear "Did she just call us junk?"

It was the man's turn again, his final one, thankfully. "Well, try'n stay dry, rainy season's on its way, I hear. Much obliged for the patronage."

His large footsteps shuffled into the distance, and our crate shook lightly now.

We were being dragged.

"Azula…" I spoke lightly, with a little more anxiety than called for.

"Shh…it's almost over. I promise."

Soon the dragging stopped and the woman spoke again;

"You guys are way too heavy for this! 'Oh, it's just too little women!' they told me, 'You can handle that, can't you?' they said! Hogwash! There is no way in Agni that I am not getting paid for this! I'm all for helping out the cause, but damn it this is just laziness! Sending a woman like me to do the job of a lion-bear!" her voice was no longer as delicate.

With that, however, planks of the crate began to crack and fall, and light barreled into our dark prison. I had to shield my eyes in my hands from the blinding sunshine, but it was heavenly to once again feel its warmth.

When I was able to orient myself once more, I looked at the woman before me, who was still on edge and discussing the "injustices of the workplace" to herself. She was really quite dashing, however. Her hair was a mixture of cocoa and black coffee and hung down to her hips. Which were also full and rounded, I could tell just by her hourglass figure that she was most defiantly water-tribe. She had the thickness of someone that spent generations in the cold. An attractive thickness.

She looked at me and smiled somewhat, then. Her glasses fell to the rim of her nose as she nodded at me. "Hey there…It's nice to finally see the faces of the refugee's I was told to lug all the way back to camp."

Azula laughed somewhat heartily. "You were doing fine for a while there."

"I suppose you're going to ask me to carry you up the mountain?"

"If it's not out of your way."

I'd never seen Azula do banter quite like this. It was stunning almost, Saturo, this woman, it was becoming apparent that perhaps Azula found her people. She found a place to fit in while she was away.

Then she looked my way again, still chuckling. "My name is Kachina, but I prefer Kaya. I'm going to be your guide to camp. I hope you like long walks up steep inclines. I also hope you're not allergic to poison sumac, there's a lot of that for a portion of the journey."

My eyes widened at Azula, this wasn't was I was expecting...she just grinned at me.

"She's just kidding about the sumac, Ty lee, but it is a pretty steep walk…but we'll only ever have to do it once…"

"I guess so. The sooner we get there, the better….My name is Ty lee by the way, it's nice to meet you, Kaya, and thank you for the trouble you had to go through to get us here, I really do appreciate it."

Kaya beamed at that, her hazel eyes glimmered with pride. "Well it's about time someone acknowledged my handiness! Alright ladies, the sun's going to set soon, but I'm confident that if we're fast, we can make it by nightfall."

"Easy, Kachina, we're still a little shaken. We'll walk at a comfortable pace." Azula took the lead with her bag flung behind her shoulder. Kaya seemed somewhat miffed at being called her real name, however she followed reluctantly and ran up ahead of Azula.

"Hey, I'm the guide here, at least let me do my job." Her voice wasn't angry, more so as it was teasing.

I looked around at the scenery as we walked. It was a mass array of thick flora and mud. We didn't seem to follow any definite trail, occasionally we walked along a river. However, through the clearing of the tree's I could see that in the distance a mountain range was rapidly approaching. That was obviously our target.

Inwardly I groaned, my body was sore from little to no nourishment and inconsistent sleep. The burn on my face still stung and I kept my arms flat to my sides because, frankly, I was starting to smell.

Azula looked back at me once.

"Are you doing okay?"

"I've been better, but it's nothing I can't handle…"

"I know. This isn't exactly pleasant, but it's worth it in the end. You can sleep and eat until your heart's content. I need to wash up too, you know. We're both a mess. I realize it…"

"I'm not complaining! I was just…being honest."

"I know…sometimes blowing off steam helps. Hey…I'll walk next to you if it makes you feel better."

"Well…I wouldn't mind." Yes, please.

"It would make me feel better anyway." She slowed her pace slightly to walk beside me, Kaya walked ahead, in her own mindset.

"We're almost at the mountain base!" Kachina jeered enthusiastically.

Azula stopped and grabbed my shoulders abruptly. Our eyes stared back into one another and her hands tensed, keeping me in place.

"Are you sure you're ready, Ty lee? To start this new life?" Her eyes told a story of their own. She almost seemed frightened. For once in her life she seemed…uncertain.

I placed my hand on her arm, in my own attempt to be just as serious. "Will you stay alongside me through it all?"

And then simply, effortlessly, her uncertainties seemed to drip down her body and onto the forest floor. Expression softened and grip less intense.

"If it makes you feel better." She managed a toothy smirk and walked on ahead.

Kaya looked back at Azula wryly, to which Azula seemed to respond;

"…It would make me feel better, anyway."