After the appointment, the newly minted governor and I set about distributing positions, filling vacancies in the administration, and assigning people to their new posts.
The number of gloomy men with sunken eyes increased from one to two…
Once we finished with the administration, we moved on to the next item on the agenda: gathering gifts for the Fire Lord and allocating accommodations for the women and children who would be "visiting" the homeland. That was a challenge in itself, particularly since the entire lot needed to be fed, watered, and guarded, while being unable to work aboard ship.
What a delight and a blessing they were.
You know, maybe Zhao wanted to kill everyone simply because he didn't want to deal with the paperwork. Honestly, hand on heart, I could no longer condemn the man for that decision. I didn't agree with it, but I could understand it.
Still, the collections of fur garments, bundles of expertly prepared pelts, and finely carved statuettes fashioned from the bones of some enormous sea creatures helped reconcile me somewhat with the harsh realities of life. Hopefully, the Fire Lord would appreciate them as well.
On top of that, a thorough interrogation of the local craftsmen had revealed deposits of coal and crude oil. Which apparently meant that millions of years ago there had been forests here. Unexpected, to say the least. Even more interestingly, the oil wasn't buried deep underground. It seeped to the surface, forming what could only be described as oil lakes.
Now, I have no idea what quality that oil might be, nor do I know much about petroleum in general. Still, the discovery itself was undeniably intriguing.
In addition to natural resources, local handicrafts, and furs, I decided to "gift" the court a few other curiosities as well.
First, several master craftsmen. We had our own furry critters back home as well, but I had never seen anyone produce furwork of the quality found at the North Pole. Fabrics and leather goods were another matter entirely—we certainly had achievements worth boasting about there. A suit of armor crafted from dragon hide was proof enough of that. But fur…
I'll give the northerners their due. In that particular craft, they were simply unmatched.
Second, five girls between seventeen and nineteen years of age, to serve as "maids" to the Fire Lord.
What sort of duties such maids were actually expected to perform was obvious to anyone with half a brain, but... traditions were traditions. One did not return victorious from a conquered land without presenting one's sovereign with a few exotic concubines.
Incidentally, Iroh had enlightened me about this charming custom shortly before his own departure. Which led me to suspect that he hadn't limited himself to presenting Zuko with daggers. Chances were, the rest of the family had received their fair share of gifts as well...
***
"Hm, that should be everything," I said, placing the final period on the document confirming Tandao's authority as my deputy. "Now all that remains is to board the ship, and in a month I'll be home."
"Please convey my best wishes to the admiral, Herald," the officer said with a bow.
"I certainly will, Governor," I replied with a nod.
A few seconds later, however, both of us smirked, shattering the formal atmosphere.
"Be careful, Chan," said the warrior with whom I had fought through more than a few battles. He looked genuinely concerned. "The Capital can be far more dangerous than any battlefield, and neither your armor nor your skills will protect you from court intrigue or poison in a goblet."
"I know, Tandao," I nodded again. "But we both know I can't avoid this visit. Besides, the fact that I'm leaving all of Admiral Chan's 'nannies' here to herd penguins will be interpreted by certain people in exactly the right way. And it opens up some... possibilities."
"And you're sharing that information with the head nanny?" the captain asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course. After all, those possibilities don't open up only for me. They open up for my father as well..." My lips curled into an anticipatory grin all on their own.
"Yeah... Somehow I think it's the court sycophants who should be worried. Still..."
"Don't worry, I'll keep my eyes in the back of my head. Though I do hope Lord Ozai sends me somewhere else afterward."
"I'm not sure how I feel about that. On one hand, I'm proud of the trust you've placed in me and want to prove worthy of it. On the other, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to keep traveling and fighting at your side, Herald."
Yeah... the ceremonial stiffness drilled into my former first officer still hadn't completely left him.
"I'll miss your advice too, my friend. But you're needed here more than with me."
And with that, we exchanged our farewells.
The loading had already been completed. The crews were ready. The ships and equipment had been inspected and reinspected. In truth, everyone had been waiting only for me.
The moment I stepped aboard Zhao's former flagship and gave the order to depart, the engines roared to life, rising to operational output. Slowly, the shoreline began to recede into the distance.
Well then.
Hopefully things would be easier from here on out.
At the very least, there weren't any ill-tempered eldritch monstrosities the size of mountains living in the Fire Nation's capital.
Everything else could be survived...
Probably.
(End of Chapter)
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