Chapter 4 - training
Submitted April 18, 2007 Updated May 27, 2007 Status Incomplete | The upper aristocracy of the Fire Nation isn't something you live with, it’s something you survive. It soon becomes necessary to learn what you can with out letting any one know what you know, and occasionally, tiptoe around those who wish to rule.
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Chapter 4 - training
Chapter 4 - training
Lunch was uneventful. Mother asked what we had been doing with ourselves that morning and Azula told her, in a voice that quite plainly stated that she had had every right to entertain herself with our belongings. Mother frowned slightly, but as Tao had predicted, dolled out praise for our saving her the trouble of sorting through those boxes herself.
After lunch we were all escorted out back to Tao’s practice ring. He was quite thorough in making sure he knew exactly where Zuko and Azula’s training stood. He questioned each of them closely and I had to sit quietly for several minutes before the training could begin. It was determined that Azula was at a level with me while Zuko was several lessons behind. Now I understood why Zuko had been unhappy with the idea of continuing the lessons at my house. He had no wish to have his sister make him look like a fool in front of our hosts. That however was exactly what Azula did.
She was as her father had called her a protégé, and she picked up the technique Tao was trying to teach us in only a few tries. I couldn’t even come close. Tao set her to practice with me, but Azula spent more time showing off and shooting pointed looks at her brother than helping me, and so I was forced to figure out the trick of the lesson on my own. Zuko looked a little bit heartened by the fact that I too had to practice, but he was so distracted by his sister’s showing off, that he failed again and again to do as Tao asked. Tao was patient though and in his wisdom moved so he blocked Azula from her brother’s view and continued to work with him taking Zuko step by step through the process.
We practiced for several hours. I got the trick after about a half hour of trial and error. Zuko took longer. And when he did finally have the lesson he was thoroughly disheartened. Tao saw it and some how knew the solution. Some one must have told Tao about Zuko’s interest in blades because he ordered us to stay where we were and disappeared into the house. After a few moments he reappeared with a set of broad swords.
“There’s something else I thought you might like to learn.” Zuko’s smile stretched across his face. Tao had done the right thing. He immediately began showing Zuko the proper stance and how to hold the swords. Azula made no point in trying not to show her lack of interest.
“What a waist of time!” she mumbled but not so quietly no one heard her.
“Oh I don’t know.” Tao replied calmly, “These blades have saved my life countless times.”
“Really?” Now she was interested. I loved Tao’s stories. And even more I loved to watch him practice. It always seemed like a sort of dance to me, beautiful. It would have been even more so if it wasn’t so deadly.
Disappearing into the house I found a couple of cushions we could sit on and brought them out to the practice ring. Tao waited only for me to return before he began the story, teaching Zuko about the broad swords as he went.
“I was traveling through Earth kingdom territory with some pals of mine on our way to the new base camp when suddenly we were ambushed. How the Earth benders had found our position I don’t know, but it was suddenly our three to their twenty. And all of them were Earth benders.” I knew Tao was exaggerating slightly. Last time he’d told this story the number had been fifteen. Tao positioned Zuko’s hand on the swords and taught him how to thrust before continuing.
“I very quickly realized that I couldn’t bend fast enough. Maybe if I had the talent for bending lightning . . . but I don’t. I remembered my broad swords and pulled them out of the scabbard just in time. I dogged left and rolled sweeping on of the bender’s feet out from under them . . .” Azula laughed in delight as Tao demonstrated. “. . . and Lei flipped off my back to land on top of two others. I spun right and two more hit each other instead of me. We were now down to five. Two of them took one look at their felled comrades and fled. The other three charged us. I side stepped, and the man charging me went flying in to the ground. We took the prisoners back to base camp and the general congratulated us in person. The prisoners provided valuable information that we were able to use to strengthen out forces.” Azula and I clapped but Zuko looked puzzled.
“What happened afterwards.” He asked Tao handing back the broad swords. “What happened to the prisoners after they gave you the information?”
Tao shrugged.” I honestly don’t know. . . . I suppose they were put in jail.” ZUko looked slightly troubled.
After lunch we were all escorted out back to Tao’s practice ring. He was quite thorough in making sure he knew exactly where Zuko and Azula’s training stood. He questioned each of them closely and I had to sit quietly for several minutes before the training could begin. It was determined that Azula was at a level with me while Zuko was several lessons behind. Now I understood why Zuko had been unhappy with the idea of continuing the lessons at my house. He had no wish to have his sister make him look like a fool in front of our hosts. That however was exactly what Azula did.
She was as her father had called her a protégé, and she picked up the technique Tao was trying to teach us in only a few tries. I couldn’t even come close. Tao set her to practice with me, but Azula spent more time showing off and shooting pointed looks at her brother than helping me, and so I was forced to figure out the trick of the lesson on my own. Zuko looked a little bit heartened by the fact that I too had to practice, but he was so distracted by his sister’s showing off, that he failed again and again to do as Tao asked. Tao was patient though and in his wisdom moved so he blocked Azula from her brother’s view and continued to work with him taking Zuko step by step through the process.
We practiced for several hours. I got the trick after about a half hour of trial and error. Zuko took longer. And when he did finally have the lesson he was thoroughly disheartened. Tao saw it and some how knew the solution. Some one must have told Tao about Zuko’s interest in blades because he ordered us to stay where we were and disappeared into the house. After a few moments he reappeared with a set of broad swords.
“There’s something else I thought you might like to learn.” Zuko’s smile stretched across his face. Tao had done the right thing. He immediately began showing Zuko the proper stance and how to hold the swords. Azula made no point in trying not to show her lack of interest.
“What a waist of time!” she mumbled but not so quietly no one heard her.
“Oh I don’t know.” Tao replied calmly, “These blades have saved my life countless times.”
“Really?” Now she was interested. I loved Tao’s stories. And even more I loved to watch him practice. It always seemed like a sort of dance to me, beautiful. It would have been even more so if it wasn’t so deadly.
Disappearing into the house I found a couple of cushions we could sit on and brought them out to the practice ring. Tao waited only for me to return before he began the story, teaching Zuko about the broad swords as he went.
“I was traveling through Earth kingdom territory with some pals of mine on our way to the new base camp when suddenly we were ambushed. How the Earth benders had found our position I don’t know, but it was suddenly our three to their twenty. And all of them were Earth benders.” I knew Tao was exaggerating slightly. Last time he’d told this story the number had been fifteen. Tao positioned Zuko’s hand on the swords and taught him how to thrust before continuing.
“I very quickly realized that I couldn’t bend fast enough. Maybe if I had the talent for bending lightning . . . but I don’t. I remembered my broad swords and pulled them out of the scabbard just in time. I dogged left and rolled sweeping on of the bender’s feet out from under them . . .” Azula laughed in delight as Tao demonstrated. “. . . and Lei flipped off my back to land on top of two others. I spun right and two more hit each other instead of me. We were now down to five. Two of them took one look at their felled comrades and fled. The other three charged us. I side stepped, and the man charging me went flying in to the ground. We took the prisoners back to base camp and the general congratulated us in person. The prisoners provided valuable information that we were able to use to strengthen out forces.” Azula and I clapped but Zuko looked puzzled.
“What happened afterwards.” He asked Tao handing back the broad swords. “What happened to the prisoners after they gave you the information?”
Tao shrugged.” I honestly don’t know. . . . I suppose they were put in jail.” ZUko looked slightly troubled.
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