Lu Ten was already gone. On his way to rain fire on those Earth Bender infested mountains. And with any look, when they were done, we could send our own men through to Zahckrael's camp and finally figure out how to get this siege started. It's been over a year of waiting and not a dent has been made in that wall. My cheery personality and Lu Ten's inspiring persona could only do so much for morale. Our men were tired. They wanted to go home, and this situation was seeming to be more and more hopeless by the day.
I was apprehensive at first, but Lu Ten had the right idea. A direct confrontation with the enemy. My own fear for his life got in the way of my seeing that. The men need a victory. A sign that this is a very real fight that we have to win. They need the boost. When Lu Ten got back, and his scouts made it through the mountains, I would give him permission to attack the listening post. We would have cleared both sides of the cities and we would distribute our men to fully surround it. At least the southern side. I wasn't so foolish as to try to occupy the northern edge. The Northern Water Tribe would only harass us until we were broken or dead.
Then, once this siege was under control, and I knew how to proceed, it would be to deal with this cursed letter. I had received 27 messenger hawks from Citadel all with the same message.
There is a suspected Air Nation terrorist within the new arrivals of the 15th Armored Division. Unknown if possessing air bending. He is brown of hair and gray of eye. Approximately 12 years old. Restrain him and deliver him to me for interrogation and delivery to Fire Lord Azulon. For the Fire Lord, for the Fire Nation.
He wanted me to fix his mistakes and then send the air bender, air nomad, whatever he was, back to him to take the credit. I didn't care for the credit of capturing an Air Nomad. The public already believed I ended one species. I saw no reason to be known for ending another, but if this was true, if this was an Air Nomad, it could be what we've been searching for during the last 96 years: The Avatar. The only true threat to the Fire Nation.
I would order my men to be ready when we did eventually march to join with the 5th Corps. I would have to navigate carefully. Judging by the number of hawks I received, I had reason to believe he sent them to me and me only. So, Warden Zar'un didn't want Zahckrael knowing about his prize. I sighed. I was getting tired of the politics and the deceit that came with power. You wouldn't recognize it by looking at me in my advanced age, but I wasn't alive before the Fire Nation began its conquest, but I knew of what life was like. We were content, satisfied with our islands and our wealth, feeling no need to spread it to others by force. It was a noble idea, yes, to share our fortune with the rest of the world, but there was a stark contrast between peaceful charity, and aggressive imperialism. Unfortunately, few of us managed to see the difference anymore.
There as progress being made to help, as slow as it was. This war would have to end, of course, and it wouldn't come through a mutual understanding of peace and serenity, no. All sides of this war were too far gone to acknowledge the possibility of such. This war would have to be won, and a Fire Nation victory would mean less death and suffering for all. Then, work could be made to change the Fire Nation. Make it better than it ever was. Those who agreed with me were few, but we were present. The White Lotus could make a difference.
For now, however, there was a war to be won. When it was, then, we could work towards a better future. But for now, it was on to the battlefield. It was dawn and my son would be getting to the mountains soon. And when he did, the first step would be taken to ending this long and fruitless war.