𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟 | zuko

13: BATTLE PRACTICE

I was drawn to the garden that morning.  Of course, I knew why.  I immediately got dressed when I woke up and went outside, where small animals scurried and flower petals fell from blossoming trees.  There was a small pond in the middle of it, where turtle ducks swam.  I smiled at the sight of them and hurried a servant to get me a roll of bread.  He came back with two.

A baby turtle duck waddled onto the grass where I was sitting.  I tore off a piece of bread and let it lay in my hand.  It tickled when the baby picked it up, but they seemed content with it and took it back into the lake.

"I see you found the turtle ducks," said a voice from the bridge.  It was Zuko.

"I did," I said.  "They're the sweetest."

Zuko smiled, then came and sat next to me.  I handed him one of the rolls, and he and I both broke off a piece and threw it into the water, where the mother turtleduck and the baby turtleducks swam to fetch it. 

"So," I said, turning to face him.

"So..." he continued, waiting for me.  I think he knew what this was about, though.

"Well -- why were you awkward last night?  I mean, it was weird, the way you left."

"It wasn't weird," he said, looking down.  "It was just... awkward."  He threw another piece of bread to the ducks.

"Well, I guess."

"Okay then."

It was awkwardly quiet for a while longer until one of the servants called for breakfast.

"Coming," called Zuko, standing up.  He politely took my hands and helped me off the grass, as well.

We ate that morning, then Kyra went into town to see Hakan, and Suki and Sokka decided they'd continue training me.

"Well, see, Ty Lee hasn't been with us for long, so I really only know the basics.  I can do arms, that's it," Suki said when I asked her about chi-blocking.  "And we can't block bending yet.  She's still in Kyoshi training with the other warriors."

"Why aren't you there, too?" I asked.

"I'm going soon," she said.  "It's only one day's trip from here.  But I still don't know when, that's all."

"Oh."

"Anyways," she continued, handing me a fan.  But as she and I took her stance, a fourth person came into the yard, someone I hadn't met yet.  Sokka and Suki seemed to know her, though.  She had dark hair, tied in two small buns, and bangs that hung over her forehead, and she was wearing a red dress.

"What are we doing?" she asked Suki.

"Well, we're training."

"Well, it's not Sokka that's becoming a Kyoshi Warrior."

"No one's becoming a Kyoshi Warrior, we're just filling some time.  This is Jin." She stepped aside so the girl could see me.  "Jin, this is Mai," said Suki.  

"Nice to meet you," said Mai.  She had a bored tone to her voice.  "But you're doing it wrong."

"You too," I said.  "And, um, what?"

"You're doing it wrong.  That sword can be easily blocked.  I could wear a metal sleeve and easily beat you.  You'll need something smaller, like these," she explained, revealing a small, red, double-bladed knife in between her fingers.  "Demonstration, Suki?" she said, and pulled a long stance, while Suki took both fans and readied herself.

Sokka counted to three, and on the number, Mai threw three of the double-ended knives.  Two were blocked by Suki's fan, while she ducked under the other.  But when Mai threw again, this time, four small, fast-moving stilettos, Suki's left sleeve was pinned to a tree behind her.

"There," said Mai, as she turned to see my surprised face.

"That was amazing," I said, still in awe.  Suki pulled out the stilettos from the tree and her sleeve with her right hand, releasing herself.

Mai looked proud of herself. "I know," she said.

"Can you teach me that?"

"What've you got, like, a bazillion different styles of fighting in your resume now?" asked Sokka.  I'm teaching you, Suki's teaching you, you want Mai to teach you, you want to learn chi-blocking... are you sure you can handle all that?"

"I'm trying to find something I'm good at.  Kyra's an earthbender, and I never felt able to defend myself. "

"I'm sure you'll find that something," said Mai.  "Cmon, there's targets that the Yuyan Archers used in a closet somewhere, I'm sure I can find them."

"Okay, then, we'll hold off our training for a while!" called Sokka, as I followed Mai into the castle.

"So who are you, anyway?" she asked.  "Like, you're Jin, but, who's Jin?"

"I'm from Ba Sing Se, actually," I said.

"Ba Sing Se?" she asked, peering inside a door that just led to another hallway.  She continued walking.  "Why'd you come all the way here?"

"To see Zuko," I said.  "I knew him, actually.  A long time ago, and I wanted to see him again."

A long time ago.  At least, that's what it felt like.  Everything was different now.  

"I see," she said, opening a door.   It led to a closet, full of brooms and the targets Mai was looking for.  She pulled out two of them and handed one to me to bring back to the yard.  There was only one dent in the both of them -- one at dead center, in the red bullseye.

"Yuyan archers must be good," I said, walking back down the hall to the yard. 

"They're extremely good," she said.  We set up the targets in the yard by unfolding the wooden legs.  She pulled out two double-sided blades and gave them to me.

"Now watch.  This is extremely precise."  I watched closely as Mai closed one eye and took the same long stance as before.  She threw the two knives, one after the other, and they both landed one ring out of the bullseye.  

She looked back at it.  I was particularly amazed by her precision, and I was sure I wouldn't get it anywhere near where she did.  "I'm not a Yuyan," she said, "but that's not so bad.  You try."

"I'm not sure," I said.

"Oh, please," she said.  "Just copy what I did.  Come on, surely you've played darts before."

"Well, yeah, but that's different."

"Just a different pointy thing," she came back.

I focused on the bullseye, still unsure.  But I continued, and took the stance, best I could, as Mai did, mixed with one I was more comfortable with.  I closed one eye, and the bullseye came easily into view, and the tip of the knife lined with the center.  I threw, and it shot through the air, hitting only three rings outside of the bullseye.

"Not bad for a first try," said Mai.

"I've had target practice before," I said.  "How'd you say you knew Zuko?" I wondered out loud.

"I've known him since we were little," said Mai.  "But I'm his girlfriend."