Earth Kingdom

She watched him leave before picking up the frame and removing the slightly crumpled parchment from it. The delicate ink strokes on the back were unfamiliar to her, and seemed to read something in an entirely different language. Perhaps it was her parents' native tongue, she mused. Kari held it to her chest for a few moments before shutting the chest and locking it with her earthbending.

Kali was awoken by a light flickering through her window blinds. Her house was on the outskirts of town near the forest, which had disadvantages. Namely, whichever wacko decided to use the forest as a shelter for the night could usually be seen or heard through the top floor window. Tonight, there was a dim light wavering on the sides of the trees, projected through the trees from somewhere out in the woods. It's either firebenders or a really bright lantern. Either way, whoever's out there needs to can it so I can sleep! She got up, wrapping a blanket around herself for warmth, slipped on her shoes, and paraded down the stairs and out the door, muttering to herself.

The flame Kali had been hunting was getting closer. By the way it was moving, she could definitely tell it was fire. "Geez, what are firebenders doing out in the middle of the forest in the Earth kingdom?" She grumbled, ducking under low hanging branches and brushing aside brambles.

Kari settled down in front of the fireplace in her room, leaving the door slightly ajar. She never shut it when her mother was away, for reasons she was unsure of. The earthbender unwrapped her bindings carefully before slipping into a shift and reaching for a salve positioned by the fireplace. Tucking her wild hair behind her ears, she shifted the sleeve of her shift to access the skin covering her chest. Large bruises of byzantium stained it, reaching up over her right shoulder. She winced, trailing her hands away from her front and around to her back, where she could trace more of the coloured marks. Eyes downcast, she spread a copious amount of the pale ointment over the bruises, gritting her teeth at the pressure on the sensitive skin.

He blinked in surprise, not exactly expecting someone to appear straight away. "Well," Jian began after quickly composing himself, "If the clothes weren't of any indication, I'm sure that the streak of fire comfortably looping around my arm is a dead giveaway. Anyway, I was just finding my way to Ba Sing Se after getting hopelessly lost in the forest but it's really none of your business as to why I'm here."

"It's fire." He stated simply, gesturing towards the flames with his free hand. "Do you want me to produce less light which would ultimately leave me to trip over something in this goddamn forest and set the entire thing ablaze?" Jian pulled a face before he change tone. "Look, can you deal with it for a few more minutes? Unless you know of a faster way out other than continuing to walk in this general direction."

He smiled at her words, expressing softening. "That's great, but," Jian paused for a moment, thinking. "But I'm okay with just directions. Didn't you say that you had bending school tomorrow? That has to be tough, possibly as grueling as Basic Train- I mean, don't you need to get some rest? Just tell me where to go and I'll be on my way."

"Oh okay." He glanced from his bag to his hand before his gaze finally settled on the girl in front of him. "If it's no trouble, then lead on. I go by the name of Jian, by the way, I'm from the Fire Nation on... 'holiday'."

"My higher ups said it's a holiday so it's a holiday." He shrugged, keeping one hand raised above his head whilst the other helped part the way. "But I'm also looking for an old army general who disappeared over here a while back. You don't happen to know a certain General Chow, do you?"