Eclipse (Avatar the Last Airbender)

Chapter 2: First Contact

The warship creaked and groaned softly as it carried them through the ocean through the rain. Miyuki was unaccustomed to the various metallic sounds associated with a warship traveling through the ocean, and she was almost a little embarrassed to admit that it had taken her until now to begin to accept them as is. 

She sighed as she made her way through the dimly lit halls of the ship's quarters, the red lanterns casting eerie shadows around the dark halls. It was a wonder that the other occupants of the ship could see anything in here. Still, she wasn't about to complain about getting free housing. Not openly anyway. 

The housing had come at the expense of having to yield to someone else's orders, and she couldn't say that she was entirely happy with that either, given how long it had been since she last had to listen to someone else's ill-advised choices. Just this morning, the prince had insisted on continuing north despite his uncle's warning that a big storm was brewing. Not too long after, the weather had taken a turn for the worst, and as warned, a large storm was now underway. 

At the very least, her hard-earned messenger hawks were smart enough to determine the weather on their own, even if their owners shared a similar logic with the exiled prince's. Either way, the storm meant that it would be a while before Miyuki would receive any new intel or updates on the mass of inquiries that she sent out late last night.

Still, she was never one to actively cry over spilt tea, and her newfound free time meant that she could invest it in a different form of intel collection, if she played her cards right. The rest of the crew had been grumbling about the prince's behavior earlier in the day, and while it seemed as though it would be a good time to probe for information there, she readily had access to the areas where the crew took their breaks. No, what she had in mind was something different. This particular opportunity was too good to pass up in exchange for the predictable grumblings of the crew. She could listen in on their complaints another time.

She knocked on the sturdy metal door and waited for the okay before stepping into the exiled prince's spacious quarters. Her own room on the ship was maybe, in a generous estimation, about a third of the size of the prince's and far more minimalistic. Her room housed only a bed fit for a single person, a slim desk, and a small chest. 

He had his back turned towards her while he sat in front of what appeared to be some sort of meditation space against the wall. Four candles flickered in front of a decoration of a dragon head mounted against the wall, and she took a moment to let her gaze drift across the room. She noted the broadswords on the wall across from her and the various Fire Nation Flags that were hung up. It was hardly the first time she had visited to report to the exiled prince, but it was the first time that she could take a moment to truly observe.

"What?" The grouchiness in his voice was warning enough that she had been silent for too long.

Miyuki lowered her head in apology despite the fact that he didn't even turn around to look at her. "Forgive me, but I'm afraid that my report will have to come much later in the day than usual. I haven't been able to receive any messages since this afternoon, and it's unlikely that any will arrive until after the storm passes."

He grunted in acknowledgement, but when she didn't leave immediately after her report, he glanced over his shoulder at her and asked gruffly, "Anything else?"

"Actually, I was wondering if I could borrow some books from you?" She had learned in the last span of days that the prince was not one to play the games like his uncle was, and that the young prince often would not play along when she initiated. No, the way with this short-tempered prince was typically the straightforward route. She preferred the subtle game, of course, but it didn't matter. She prided herself most on her adaptability, after all.