98 A.G
The flicker of candlelight danced across the walls of her assigned room in the Royal Palace, but Lin paid it no mind. Her pacing was steady where her heart was not, the sound of her boots on stone a quiet rhythm of mounting frustration.
As she read the report from Zhou she couldn't help her anger from clenching her fists. Colonel Xin had initiated an offensive on Omashu without consulting the strategy her unit had prepared, and the result had been disaster.
Not only had the assault failed, but King Bumi's counterattack had inflicted enough casualties to prevent any siege from being established. They had been forced to retreat, too many wounded to reorganize quickly, too many dead to pretend it was anything less than a complete failure.
Her soldiers had been trained harder than the rest, and the Red Company had proven again and again they were capable under pressure. But numbers alone could not compensate for poor leadership, and Zhou's complaints, careful as they were, made it clear they had been ignored.
Lin could feel the tightness in her jaw as she walked another slow circle past her desk, her eyes flicking toward the parchment beside the sealed scroll. She hated not being there, even if she couldn't influence the colonel, she could have helped rescue her troops.
Winter had finally begun to recede, opening the way for real movement along the mountain routes. Her unit had been prepared and supplies were stable. Morale was high after their streak of success, and everything had aligned for a proper campaign.
Yet the offensive had been thrown away in one move, as if their preparation had never mattered, and there were brothers she wouldn't meet again. Some of her soldiers had died under another man's orders, and her mind couldn't accept that.
Lin paused near the window and let the cooler air meet her face, grounding herself with a slow breath. She had no immediate solution. Her rank was not high enough to counter the Fire Lord's decisions, and she couldn't return to her unit willingly.
The attention she had drawn from the weapons demonstrations, and from Azula's training, had transformed her into something she never wanted to be. Someone the Royal family truly wanted to have around, someone valuable not on the front lines.
She had made herself visible, and now she was trapped in a gilded corner of the war, unable to return to where she was needed most. True, her weapons were being produced now and fitted in Navy ships as well as infantry variants. Some infantry units were already training with guns as well, but those would reach the front lines later on.
The thought of demanding reassignment crossed her mind for the hundredth time, but she discarded it just as quickly. Direct confrontation would only make them suspicious, it might delay her longer.
She needed another option to help her men, and as much as she disliked it, she already knew who could deliver results. She stepped toward the table, pulled a clean sheet of parchment, and began to write.
Raizo,
I know you are in the colonies at the moment so I'll be brief. I need you, dear brother. My unit took unacceptable casualties recently. I know we agreed that we would only call in favors with one another if it is really needed, but my men cannot wait longer.
They are in need of help and are currently located 20 kilometers southwest of Omashu. If you can provide assistance from a distance and engage the enemy that might pursue them, I will be in your debt. And you know I will always honor it.
You will recognize them by our family's sigil on their belt. Please lend me a hand.
With admiration,
Lin
She signed her name cleanly and folded the parchment without delay. She needed the message out as fast as possible. Her brother had the skill, the firepower, and most importantly, the freedom to move without clearance.
She hated owing him anything, but she would not hesitate to call in favors when the lives of her soldiers hung in the balance. True it would be costly, no doubt her brother would need something from her soon, he had mainly requested small gadgets used for bounty hunting in the past. Those were not cheap to make.
She sealed the letter and set it aside for delivery, then returned to the center of the room, eyes unfocused for a moment as she pulled her breath inward and exhaled slowly. Her limbs, tense with unused energy, began to cool, the faint hum of her inner systems settling as she brought her chi back into control.
If she could not return to her post yet, then she would ensure someone else stood in her place. The Red Company would not be abandoned if she could help it.
----0000----
The timing had to be perfect. Azula stood opposite Lin in the center of the training ground, her breathing calm, her posture honed and balanced. The courtyard was empty save for them, as ordered, and the usual background noise of palace routine had faded to a distant murmur.
The sky was clear, the wind soft, and the sun had begun its slow descent behind the walls, casting long shadows across the tiled floor. She had spent the morning finalizing every detail, ensuring her plan would unfold with precision.
Today, she would win. It was one of those rare spars done in the evening instead of focusing on strategy and history lessons, and she had taken advantage of the rare occasion.
Her father had given her permission to request a cannon for personal training inspection. She had used that opportunity to its fullest, sending exact instructions to the handlers. They were to fire the weapon at sunset, and if she timed it right, in the middle of their spar.
The sound, she hoped, would break the older girl's focus, even for a few seconds. That was all she needed. If she could get that opening, that one moment of advantage, she could surely win this time.
Lin's voice brought her back. "You're overextending your lead foot. Correct it."
Azula adjusted without complaint as the spar resumed. Lin defended with calm efficiency, parrying each motion with minimal movement. She always started with defense first then would switch to offence, almost like clockwork.
Azula attacked with measured aggression, keeping her flames small and compact but powerful. Her strikes came in quick succession, each one flowing into the next. She was faster now, stronger as her chi became more stable. So far though, Lin remained untouchable.
Then Lin called her usual phrase. "Switching to offense now, defend yourself."
A split second later, the cannon fired. The blast shattered the air with a brutal force, louder than she remembered. Even braced for it, Azula felt her chest tighten, her eardrums sting. But her focus never wavered. She stared ahead watching in slow motion how Lin flinched.
'Now!' she thought.
Azula launched a wide arc of flame, fully expecting to catch her instructor in the moment of vulnerability. But before the fire reached its mark, Lin dropped low fully to the ground, her body flowing beneath the wave of heat with unnatural speed. Azula blinked, and Lin was already up and closing the distance, running at full speed.
She didn't see the knife until it was nearly at her throat, Lin had never used weapons in their spars and Azula's eyes widened in surprise. Metal flashed, and Lin's hand swept with precision and murderous intent.
Azula barely tilted her head in time. The blade passed beside her ear, and her instincts kicked in. She jumped back, summoned a wall of fire, and tried to go back into stance, but Lin followed without hesitation. There were no flames coming her way, only cold, relentless motion.
Azula backpedaled, throwing bursts of fire to slow her down, but Lin didn't block with fire. She didn't redirect or even pause to get into a firebending stance. She let her limbs take the brunt, her reinforced arm raised to shield her face, her steps calculated to close every gap Azula created.
The blade came again, this time toward her ribs, and Azula twisted, sparks flying from her boots as she turned and kicked away. Fear tightened in her chest, as it became clear this was no longer a spar. She had never seen Lin move like this.
No words of corrections came her way and in Lin's eyes Azula saw for the first time, that calm and indifferent gaze gone. She was using all of her training and speed to evade her attacks, her heart was pounding hard in her ears but she couldn't stop to even realize it.
Azula quickly switched to her lessons in close combat using flame daggers to try and parry her attacks and match, but in a split second decision she made the right choice to dodge as well as parry. The strength and durability of the knife was greater than her flames and it went right through.
The princess was always retreating back in a circular motion as Lin continued her attacks, knife attacks mixed with punches. Her arms were hurting a bit as she had to parry some of her hits; it was probably going to leave her with a lot of bruises.
Azula was getting tired and it was only a matter of time until she wouldn't be able to match her speed. She quickly pushed all of her power to stop one more knife strike and get some distance but it didn't work as she intended.
Lin struck low and pivoted, her swift movement surprising the princess. Her metal leg caught Azula full in the stomach. The force lifted her off the ground and sent her crashing to the side. Pain bloomed in her back and gut as the air left her lungs, her limbs sluggish as she tried to rise.
When she looked up, Lin had finally stopped advancing. Azula raised a hand, trying to speak, to end the match, to say something that would pull her instructor back to the present, but she barely formed the word before Lin crouched, reached for her leg, then opened it.
The compartment hissed as it slid free, revealing a short-barreled weapon she had never seen before, shaped like a miniature cannon, compact and ugly in its simplicity. Lin drew it without hesitation, holding it in her left hand, blade still in the right.
Azula stared down the barrel, her breath frozen, her limbs refusing to move. This was not part of the lesson, that much was clear. Lin's eyes weren't looking at her. They were looking past her, as if through someone else entirely.
Azula did not understand how things had changed so quickly. As she stared at death, she felt truly frightened for the first time in her life. As Lin looked ready to pull the trigger, she felt a thrilling sensation mixed in that dread.
As her mind tried to come to terms with the excitement she was feeling, she also wondered how it all turned out so wrong.
----0000----
The pistol in her hand felt out of place. A side-hammer pistol; it was old, heavier than it should be, single-shot and slow to load. Lin stared at it without understanding, her breath shallow, her stance off-center.
Her mind started to comprehend slowly that she wasn't in front of a soldier. That this wasn't one of them, dressed in black clothes, shouting something in a dialect that no longer existed within this world.
She lowered the pistol slightly as her breath began to steady, the memory fading slowly at the edges. She blinked a few times as the world corrected itself around her. She was not in Korea anymore, she was not on that ridge. There were no Chinese artillery firing in the background, no smoke in her lungs, no communist in sight. She was in the palace, surrounded by silence now and clean stone.
Lin turned her head slowly, toward the princess. Azula was lying on her side, propped up slightly on one arm, her other hand bracing against the floor, her eyes locked on the pistol with fear in her eyes. Lin could see the rapid breaths and the tension in her limbs.
Lin's mind was trying to recall the previous moments, and she was having trouble remembering what led to this mistake. Her mind caught up with her body in fragments, each piece snapping into place like a misaligned clock realigning. Finally Lin lowered her weapon, the princess' relief was evident on her face.
She quickly holstered the pistol, sliding it back into its compartment and sealing it in her leg with a hiss. Her hand, still holding the knife, hesitated before slipping it into her belt. Her legs moved, carrying her forward as she dropped to one knee beside the girl.
"My princess. Are you hurt?" she asked, her voice low and even, but it didn't betray her fear of almost killing a Royal.
Azula didn't answer but her eyes never left Lin's face.
"I didn't mean to…" Lin stopped herself. No excuse would be enough. She didn't finish the sentence.
She checked Azula's shoulder first, then her arms, her ribs, brushing carefully over fabric and armor, looking for signs of bleeding or deeper injury. There was bruising forming at the midsection where her kick had landed, but nothing critical. Luckily her ribs were not broken.
Lin reached a hand out to help her up. Azula didn't take it. She sat up on her own, slowly. She was evidently in pain as her face winced, but still she remained silent.
"I'm glad you managed to avoid severe injury." she said.
Azula stood, brushing dust from her robes. Her movements were stiff, but she showed no outward signs of panic at least. Still, she hadn't spoken a word and that slightly worried the captain.
Lin remained kneeling, watching her closely. The girl's breathing had slowed, but her expression had not changed. She still looked in pain a bit, but most of all she had a look of disbelief all across her face.
"I lost control, I'm sorry, my princess. It won't happen again." Lin said finally.
Azula blinked then simply nodded. She turned and walked away without a word.
Lin didn't follow. She stayed there in the courtyard, letting the heat of the moment drain from her limbs. She would need to train her responses again, this was unacceptable. Whatever fragments of her past had remained buried so far were no longer safely beneath the surface.
She had almost killed the one person she was assigned to look after. Spilling royal blood in this world would have been punished by her death and that of her family. She would find a way to correct this.
Lin also hoped the princess wouldn't report what happened. Although if she did and she was deemed unfit to keep training the girl, maybe now, with any luck, she would finally be sent back to the front.
----0000----
The memory would not leave her. Azula sat alone in her chamber, her back straight, and her arms folded across her lap. Although outwards she never showed any sign of weakness, her mind still lingered in what happened.
She had been a breath away from death. Her instructor, the one she had studied under with such fascination and ambition, had nearly killed her. She had seen the murderous intent behind her eyes and it wouldn't have been an accident if she did.
It was scary and puzzling how Lin's behavior had changed in a blink of an eye. It was almost as if she were possessed by a spirit, and in that moment, someone totally different had taken its place, ready to kill her.
Looking back, maybe she should have reported it. She had considered it after all. Azula even had thought of writing a message, of approaching her father with concern. The problem was the consequences of doing that. On one hand she didn't want to show weakness to her father, on the other she also didn't want her instructor replaced.
Lin would have been removed, and the palace would decide what punishment a near-fatal outburst demanded. But her father would only be disappointed in her for failing to take her down, so it was not a simple decision. The young princess had waited, and then waited longer, until a day passed, then another.
She understood something now that she had not before. She should have investigated what exactly happened was Lin's weakness to the sound of firing cannons. She should have tested it carefully before trying to take advantage of it.
Azula had seen how dangerous Lin could be, even when she seemed lost and not fully there she had almost killed her, without even using bending. The young captain was truly dangerous. The princess knew that in a real fight against her, she would lose.
She had watched the way Lin moved with a blade, each motion chained between each other without hesitation or doubt. Her defense while she was making full use of her body as a shield was difficult to overcome and her speed and strength easily overpowered Azula.
She accepted that it was a thrilling experience as well, she had this small desire in her mind to feel that dance with death again. Still this was not what troubled her the most, she was frustrated by an undeniable truth that she was having trouble coming to terms with. It had been terrifying, yes, but also it made Azula realize that Lin had been holding back on her sake. It made her realize that Lin had a lot more to teach her.
If she really wanted to be the strongest bender, then she still needed her help. She wanted to be unshakable, the way Lin had become when the world narrowed to a single threat. She wanted the strength to never hesitate or falter, to be strong enough to overcome the fear she had felt. It wasn't going to stop her, even if reaching that point meant training until she touched the edge of madness.
If she had been stronger, it wouldn't have ended that way. So she trained alone for a few days, not wanting to face Lin yet. She reviewed every stance, repeated every kata. She spent her mornings drilling herself until her muscles failed, and her evenings using a royal guard to help her train her reaction speeds.
She did not speak of the incident and she did not tell her father. But also she didn't confront Lin about it either and before she knew it a week had passed, finally deciding that she needed to train with her instructor.
She returned to the training grounds at the usual hour. Lin was already there, standing in silence, arms folded behind her back as if nothing had changed. Azula stepped into the ring with a determined look on her face.
If Lin was surprised she was back, she didn't show it. She bowed slightly, then moved to begin the session.
"You are not forgiven until you teach me how to beat you at full strength. I don't want you holding back anymore."
Lin bowed at her without asking any questions.
"As you command, princess."
She liked it better that way, she didn't want to discuss what happened. She now knew that if she wasn't ready, she would be staring at death again. And the answer to overcome it, was learning from the one who made her see that in the first place.
----0000----
The princess had returned to her lessons in the end. Lin had half-expected reassignment or a summon from the Fire Lord. Maybe a formal reprimand or even exile from the palace was within the realm of consequence.
Instead, Azula had arrived at the training grounds one week later, composed and with fire in her eyes. She had not spoken of the incident or questioned her demanding explanations, which would have been fair if she did. But instead, she demanded harsher training and more time for lessons.
The restraint was unexpected, but Lin rolled with it. They were better consequences than what she was expecting. What she voiced as a complaint was Lin holding back. The princess threatened with frustration and anger if she pulled her punches.
Without a real reason to deny the request, she relented, even if she did hold back a little bit, she didn't want to harm the princess after all. Their relationship had regressed though, she could see it clearly.
Where they had grown closer these last few months, eating together and sharing silent, content moments, now those were gone. She hoped that didn't stay that way, Lin had slowly learned to enjoy the princess' presence.
The palace, meanwhile, had shifted into motion with the arrival of Azula's thirteenth birthday. Everywhere Lin walked, the corridors bustled with servants adjusting banners and setting ornate Fire Nation arrangements. So many voices would squabble with each other through the palace. Decorators and officials argued over several details, and the Royal Palace buzzed with barely-contained energy.
Lin noted it only as necessary context, as her presence at the celebration had not been requested. Her role remained unchanged luckily, keep training the young princess and remain useful to the Fire Nation's war effort.
Still, she had prepared a gift for the princess. Azula had always been attentive during her technical lectures and demonstrations, especially when new weapons were introduced or when she explained how they could be used in combat.
The girl's interest shone when she explained how they could be used to kill or injure; Lin had seen how she liked them more than knives or close combat weapons in general. That attention had not gone unnoticed by the captain.
The gift was simple in form but precise in design: a pair of single-shot side hammer pistols, low-caliber and compact, concealed easily beneath sleeves or inside vambraces. They were not intended for prolonged use, more like a one-time use for a swift surprise attack.
Reloading was very slow, as they were not easy to pull off once attached, and their power was modest which made them not suitable for long-range; but they were fully functional and the mechanism to pull them up took a very long time to get right. She had crafted them at one of her family's smaller forges using components already set aside for weapons testing. With a small hit to your sleeve with your other hand, you could have them ready at your hand.
Hugh Reeves in her world had designed a similar mechanism for British Spies in the previous war, but recreating that in this world had been a tall challenge. Still, she had more success than in recreating a semi-automatic weapon even if it wasn't very useful.
She was working on designing the system that would introduce bullets instead of pellets but it was taking its time. She knew how casing and bullets worked but not the internal design of a rifle, even if she did know how it fundamentally worked. Once that was developed, she would be able to give her better gifts in the future.
She enclosed a set of illustrated instructions and a brief note written by hand. She didn't want the princess to hurt herself and she was sure she would appreciate instructions.
The box was placed discreetly among the formal offerings submitted by the palace staff. Lin only included her family crest and ensured it would reach Azula without attracting attention. Lin had meant the gift as an apology and hoped the princess would acknowledge it.
While the celebration carried on in the upper halls and public courtyards, Lin withdrew to the lower yard and resumed her routines. She planned future lessons and went over the movements she had learned a few years back to refresh her memory.
Her thoughts lingered occasionally on Azula. Lin wanted those comfortable moments together to come back, but now she was so focused on getting stronger and she assumed she wasn't as comfortable anymore around her.
She would have to be patient and slowly gain her trust again. She was certain that things would return to normal, the fact that she hadn't reported the incident or had her replaced gave her hope.