fire in your eyes • zuko

xx

Shinu came back two days later.

"The Fire Lord has given me permission to take you out for one hour every week," he said with his hands clasped in front of him. "You'll be shackled at the ankles and there will be armed guards around you at all times, but you're allowed out, and that's better than nothing."

Nava knew she should have been happy, excited even, but she wasn't. She just nodded.

"I'll have to learn how to shoot again," she said flatly. "That could take... forever. I can't shoot right-handed because I'm not right-handed. It just won't feel right."

"Then we'll re-train your eyes – well, eye. You'll just have to get used to the depth perception and trust your instincts. This is a win for you, Nava. If things go well, maybe you'll be able to get out for longer amounts of time," he stepped towards her and took her hands in his. "I told you I'd get you out. And I will, I –"

"You swear it, I know. You say it all the time."

"I'll be back in a few days to take you out."

Nava was silent. She bit the inside of her cheek.

"Thank you, Lao," she said. He wasn't Dad yet. She wasn't sure he would ever be Dad again.

He smiled warmly at her.

"Don't worry about it, my girl."

///

Nava sat quietly in the coach, across from Shinu and beside a Fire Nation soldier. The shackles around her ankles bumped uncomfortably against her joints with every jerk of the wagon, but she couldn't deny that she missed being outside, even if it was only a few days since she'd seen the sun.

The shooting range they took her to was only a thirty-minute cart ride from the prison, within high stone walls and only one way in or out. The single soldier was quickly accompanied by at least a dozen more as she was helped out of her seat and freed from the chains around her wrists. Shinu took her over to a rack of bows.

Nava picked the first one. It was a bit smaller than the rest, with cedar limbs and red designs on them. The arrows were cedar as well, with red fletchings and silver arrowheads. She tested the string by giving it a light pull and looked to Shinu when she was satisfied.

"Show me your ready position," he said, all traces of a father gone. He was General Shinu once again.

Nava did as she was told, standing with her feet shoulder width apart and her right foot pointing towards the target.

"Nock the arrow."

She did.

"Draw the string and use your right eye to mark the target."

Nava hesitated but she did it anyway.

"The target is a little out of the way of your left eye, right?"

"Yes."

"Use your instincts to figure out where to put that arrow. If you miss, adjust yourself accordingly and keep trying."

Nava drew the string back, narrowing her left eye. Without another moment's thought, she released the drawstring and the arrow flew. It hit the right-side of the target. She grabbed another arrow and tried again. Bottom-right.

Again. Upper-right.

Again. Right-centre of the bullseye.

Again. Top right corner.

Nava lowered her bow and looked over to General Shinu, whose mouth was in a thin line.

"You're under-correcting yourself," he said. "You can't seem to grasp the fact that you can't see out of one eye anymore. But you'll get there, your brain will adjust. Try it again."