Passing Through (Open ^-^)

[Jin]

Jin was traveling through the Earth Kingdom, again. She had been through the many small villages several times. It had basically become her very, very boring life. Travel through small towns. Cause trouble for the Fire Nation by lighting everything on fire whenever possible. Rinse. Repeat.

Not that it couldn't be fun... on a very rare occasion that she actually got in a fight. Were the Fire Nation soldiers even being trained anymore? Honestly, her Father had trained he much more effeciently then they even dreamed about. Currently though Jin was inbetween villages, more or less relaxing. She had curled up by her fire for the day and hadn't moved except to get a scope of the general area. Forrest for miles. Grand. She was begining to think that maybe, just maybe she was a little bit...well... lost.

A few hours passed and Jin had begun meditating on her course of travel when she heard an odd sound in the nearby brush, to big to be anything small and harmless and to small to be anything but human.

"Show yourself," She said opening her eyes slowly reaching for her weapon," I already heard you." A few seconds passed and a small animal she didn't recognize scurried out of the brush and back into the woods once it got an eye full of her. Jin heaved a sigh, looking more bored than ever before she continued to think on her course of travel.

[Zuko]

Zuko was walking through the woods on his way to Ba Sing Se. He smelled the smoke from a nearby campfire. He clutched his swords as he made his way to the smell. He saw a girl, about his age at a camp fire, probably meditating. She was armed. That puzzled him. I guess you never know about anything. People are always looking for ways to get money. They wouldn't mind stealing from a lone girl in a forest now would they. He saw a rustling bush opposite the clearing the girl was in. Zuko ducked, she could spot him. After she discovered it was only an animal, she sighed. Zuko examined her more closely. She looked more like a Fire Nation Noble, than a wandering Earth Kingdom Peasant. The face structure, the hair, She had to be Fire Nation. He decided to make himself known. He was wearing a green and golden-brown outfit with yellow trim. Not denoting a noble as in gold trim but a middle class. Probably resembling a merchant's son. He had a green bandanna that covered his scarred eye. He stepped out of the brush.

"Its dangerous to travel alone." Zuko said as he put his arms to his chest with his hands outstretched to symbolize that he meant no harm.

[Jin]

Jin jolted when she heard the boys voice, she reached for her weapon rolling her feet into an easy crouch. She analysed the boy, his green, brown and yellow outfit gave him away as Earth Kingdom, while her black outfit gave her away as a homeless wanderer. Her eyes fell on the bandana around his eyes, instantly arousing curiosity. Slowly she relaxed her hold on her sword seeing his less than hostile position, showing that she wasn't going to hurt him if he was no real threat. She sighed softly watching him still, her golden eyes still mistrusting and calculating, she had had to many random men try to steal from her because of a weak appearance. Obviously they never bothered to think on how her scarred arm became that way. If more knew it would have sent them to running in a hurry.

"I believe I can take care of myself," she said slowly a slight smirk forming on her lips," Who exactly are you...?

[Zuko]

Zuko was thankful she didn't attack. He really did no want to confront anyone that was fire nation right now.

"I'm Lee... I uh was passing through here and noticed your fire. I was heading to Ba Sing Se. Are you heading that way too?"

Zuko gave a nervous grin. Most of it was true, he knew the avatar and his group would head to Ba Sing Se after... after the Battle of Gao Ling. He needed to give back Katara's amulet. He needed to do a lot of things... his head was kind of in a blur right now. He cleared his thoughts.

"You mind if I join you?"

[Jin]

"Ba Sing Se? I am headed in that direction, and I wouldn't mind the company. My name is Jin by the way," A slight smile came to her lips, looking almost genuine.

'Lee' gave her a nervous grin, he wasn't telling the whole story, or the whole truth, that much was apparent. At the same time though Jin really didn't care. As long as he didn't try to steal from her or cause her trouble he could travel as far as he wanted with her. Being alone was a very tiresome thing after all.

Jin analysed 'Lee's' features again, her eyes falling to his, the golden brown could easily have been Earth Kingdom not Fire Nation but... something bothered her about it. She just wasn't going to ask about it. It was his business, not hers.

Quietly she rose her hands falling to her bag and sword," Unless you need to rest it wouldn't be a bad idea to get in a better area before night fall, you never know what kind of bad guys might be lurking around."

She gave a slight smirk and slung her pack over her shoulder. She then slid her sword into the space between her sash and pants, tying it so it wouldn't slip. Finally she took a small ribbon from around her wrist and tied her hair into a high ponytail to help her vision a little, no need to block her side view after all. She watched him and then looked at her smoldering fire quietly she took her cantine and emptied about a quarter of it onto the dying flames until their was nothing left to burn.

[Zuko]

The smoke from the distinguished fire sent up a quite visible signal. Zuko gulped. Can't believe she did that. Your not supposed to use water to distinguish a fire when traveling. Bad people liked to follow the smoke trail to the traveler and steal stuff. He hoped no one saw the billowing smoke. Do be safe he kicked some dirt on it and checked his belongings. His swords were sharp but his pack was lighter than before.

"I could use some company, Jin." Zuko said as he stretched one of his arms. His left eye was itching from the bandanna. He had to wait to take it off and let his skin breathe. Good thing she had yet to ask about it.

[Jin]

Lee seemed to get nervous from the way she extinguished her fire, covering it with dirt to stifle the smoke. Jin couldn't help but laugh a little," You know, I highly doubt anyone is going to bother us, I haven't seen anyone for days besides you." She studied him again smiling a little her eyes fell on his bandana, it seemed to be bothering him a little. She had already noticed it but she had refrained from asking any details.

She smiled at him," Glad I'm not the only lonely person if you also want company," she inclined her head toward his bandana," You can remove that if you like, I asure you any injury or scars you have wont bother me in the least," she said sliding the left sleeve of her shirt up so the scarred flesh of her arm was visible. She offered him another kind smile," So, shall we go?"

[Zuko]

Zuko smiled. He saw that this girl had been through a lot.

"I'd prefer to keep it on, all the same." Zuko said as he smiled. He looked around.

"So... shall we leave?" Zuko said as he looked around the old campground. He felt a cool breeze pick up through the rustling trees. He inhaled and exhaled as the wind swept over him. He had never known such peace. Who would have known that he would find it in this country that was his enemy. Was it his enemy any longer he wondered as he thought of the revelations he experienced at Gao Ling.

[Jin]

Jin smiled at him," Very well," she said starting off into the general direction of Ba Sing Se. "Thank you for traveling with me Lee," she said looking back at him quietly, her eyes falling again to his bandana. Her curiosity was aroused immensly now that he refused to remove it. She was also begining to wonder if it was wise to give him her real name, after all, if he knew her past and he turned out not to be who he said she could be in a lot of trouble. Like thrown in a dungeon and rotting for a very long time trouble. This could wind up very bad, she realized, for everyone.

The path she had choosen wasn't exactly marked either. This was going to be fun.

[Zuko]

Zuko walked behind Jin. He saw she was curious about him and knew the he was curious about her.

"So uh... Where are you traveling from?" Zuko said as he scratched his head. His finger caught on the bandanna. He quickly made sure his scar wasn't showing. He knew that this wouldn't be a stress free trip. He didn't want to end up being despised by every Earth Nation Citizen. He looked at Jin and the woods around her. It looked as if she was born a traveler. She fit in so well. Which made him wonder more.

[Jin]

"Me? From nowhere you could say. I don't stay in one place too long. That would be a bad idea..." She said glancing at him," What about you?"

She looked at him making her own guesses. He wasn't as comfortable as she was. That was very very apparent. Her cool yellow eyes watched the way he walked. He had a certain stride that didn't quite fit for and Middle Class of the Earth Kingdom. She smiled a little looking around at the shady forest," If it gets to dark you wont mind if I provide a little light, will you?"

[Zuko]

"Oh," Zuko said as he walked. He tried to calm himself. When she asked about light he thought nothing of it, "Yeah sure go ahead." Zuko saw that he was more calm. He decided to pry a little more.

"So um... How long have you been traveling like this?" Zuko asked. Then he thought for a minute. He was being a little too nosy, and offering little in return. "You can ask me a question too if you want."

[Jin]

Jin lit up a small flame in her hand. "I've been at it a few years," she thought about it for a second," You said your name was Tai right? " She asked nonchalantly," Why are you headed to Ba Sing Se?"

She let her eyes trail back to him watching the plant life near her lit hand with her peripheral vision. He seemed to be calming down a little.

[Zuko]

"No my name's Zuk- uh... Lee" Zuko said as he was shocked at the girls ability to firebend. He had just realized he had blown his cover. She obviously knew of the banished prince of the Fire Nation if she was a fire bender. If not, she knew he was lying to him. He was nervous again.

[Jin]

Jin's flame went out in a split second of non concentration, then it flickered to life again," Right...Lee." Fear ran through her. Prince Zuko. Her non-devout relationship with the Fire Nation made her even more nervous. Did he honestly not recognize her name? She hoped not now. If he were to ask her her surname he would know her, and more than likely know of her running away from the Fire Nation.

She smiled at him nervously, now they both had something to fear from one another. He was in the woods with a Fire Nation runaway, and she? She was in the woods with the banished prince. He wasn't one she wanted to get in a fight with. She had enough scars.