Armies of dusk

All throughout the day, Hal had stuck close to the entrance of the mine so that he could keep an eye on the time – and on the Fire Nation guards that were posted outside of the mine. In bright daylight, that was all he could do: watch, wait, and learn. So far, the guards had been dreadfully boring and hadn’t yielded much information; they’d done nothing but stand around all day, keeping a glaring eye on the miners coming and going. They hadn’t spoken a word all day except to inform their partner they were taking their lunch break. Halfway through the afternoon, Hal had given up and had instead kept an eye on the light outside.

The reason he was so attentive that day was very simple. After months and months of talk and fruitless planning, the resistance had finally stumbled upon something – or rather, someone – who might actually be able to help them take the fight to the Fire Nation. The woman (or so Hal thought, though their contact had been very secretive and hadn’t even given them the maybe-woman’s name) was due to arrive in Gaoling later that evening, just before curfew so that the Fire Nation soldiers patrolling the streets wouldn’t ask any burning questions. Upon hearing this, Hal had volunteered to wait for her near the edge of town. Of course, this meant that he had to be quick in leaving the mine that evening, if he meant to get the woman into town and get her inside before curfew. Hence his strategic position at the entrance of the mine.

When the overseer finally called it a day, Hal was the first person out of the mine, though he took great care not to appear like he was in a hurry. The Fire Nation soldiers were a suspicious bunch and they’d be sure to pull him aside and press him for answers. Hal continued on a brisk but unhurried pace until the mine had faded from view, then he sped off, winding between buildings and ducking into alleyways that were as familiar to him as the back of his hand. From his pocket he pulled a scrap of fabric – red and black – that he tied around one wrist. Their contact had told the woman what to look for; she would recognise the fabric, which would tell her she had found her contact in the resistance.

Because of the Fire Nation guards near the walls, Hal was forced to come to a skidding halt well before he arrived at the edge of town. Feeling out of breath, he walked the rest of the way, heart pounding both from exertion and excitement. It had been months of little to no progress and Hal was relieved beyond belief that things finally seemed to be moving forward, even if it was just a little. Every step forward was one step towards bringing his father home.

Hal stopped just out of sight from the Fire Nation guards, sticking close to the wall of one of the houses. He fidgeted with the fabric around his wrist and only barely resisted the urge to hop from one foot to the other. He’d never been very patient. He kept a close eye on the road into Gaoling until, finally, after what felt like an eternity, a lone traveller appeared at the end of the road and made her way, slowly but steadily, over to the gates, where she was subjected to the customary questioning and search of the Fire Nation guards. Hal watched and waited with bated breath, but, to his relief, she was allowed to pass into the city. Once again, Hal had to resist the urge to move. They were still within view of the guards; he couldn’t be seen with her so soon. He would have to wait. She would spot him, surely.