Bai and Trira had managed to flee from Reiku, again. They had reached the forest, and Trira had started to think again of Herik. She wanted to get him out of the claws of the Fire Lord. Slowly she got to the ground and ran to the nearest tree. She wanted to sit down for a second, but then she decided that she wanted to go around a little bit. There were so many things she had to think about. She had to find a way how she could protect Bai from Reiku. She also had to find a way how to free Herik and she wanted to find a way how they could stop the war. It was too much for one person, she she tried to think of the things that were possible for her. So the most important ones were Bai and Herik. "Bai, how are you? Are you tired? If yes, lay down. I will take care that nothing happens.", she said to her friend while she was walking up and down. Trira could not rest, even if she wanted to.

Bai was dizzy from flying. Even though it had been fun, she couldn't glide any longer. The power was drained from her. As they landed, they were in the fire nation woods. Luckily enough to escape the clutches of Reiku once more. Bai watched as Trira was restless and she knew why. Trira was thinking about Herik. It was sad really and Bai didn't know what to say to Trira but Bai knew that she had to repay Trira and help get Herik away from the Fire lord. Trira asked if Bai was tired and she nodded. "I'm going to sleep for a bit, that flying has really worn me out." Bai said with a smile and closed her eyes. Bai went into the dream world. She was dreaming about Trira reunited with Herik and Bai with Akros. They were all skipping through a field of daisies and then, the wonderful dream turned into a nightmare. The face of Reiku entered her dream and scooped Bai up with one hand and she dropped down his throat. Before she entered it, she woke with a start. Bai rubbed her eyes and realised it was sunset. How long had she been asleep for? "Trira, Trira where are you?" Bai asked.

While Bai had been sleeping, Trira had been on the guard. She had also thought of possibilities how she could manage that Bai was save from Reiku. But it was not easy to find something. She would need to make him believe something so that he forgot Bai. But Trira had no idea what it could be. The time passed, and finally the sun was setting. She heared how Bai was restless, but she did not concentrate on that right now. She had heared something else. When Bai woke with a start, Trira walked over to her. But when her friend asked where Trira was, Trira putted a hand over her mouth and showed her to be silent. "I have heared something.", she whispered into the ear of her friend.
Suddenly, she could see something through the trees. It was a shadow, and it was coming closer with every second. Trira stood up, ready to fight against the person who was coming towards them. Finally, he had reached the last trees in front of their camp and some of the last light shone on his face. Triras gaze hardened as she recognized the boy who was standing there. Seven years had passed since she had last seen him, but she still knew him. He had the same brown hair as she had, but his eyes were a little bit more golden. It was her brother, Kerno.
"You.", she said to him. He was looking at his sister, not showing any attemption to attack. "Trira. We haven´t seen us for so many years, and then you want to attack me. We are siblings.", he said to her and came nearer. Trira backed away a little bit. "If I remember right, you had been on the site of our parents, who thought it was good that the fire nation wanted to take over the whole world.", she said to him. Trira was really suspicious why her brother was in the forest. "I have changed. I had been stupid at that time. But now I know that you had been right.", he said to Trira and smiled. The fire bender remembered that smile from her parents. It should show you that somebody says the truth. But in reality they had something completely different in mind. Then Kernos turned to Bai. "And who is this beautiful girl?", he asked and bowed in front of Bai. "My name is Kernos, and as you might have found out I am the brother of Trira.", he said to her.

As Bai asked for Trira, she had placed a hand over Bai's mouth and had told her to stay quiet. Trira exclaimed that she had heard someone in the forest. Bai waited anxiously as the footsteps of whoever it was, were coming ever so close. Bai stood up and got into her fighting position even though she was still tired. Trira had also got into her firebending position and they awaited the stranger. As he drew nearer to their camp, Bai observed him and realised that he looked a little like Trira. Confused she sat back on the floor. She listened in on their conversation and watched the boy's movements. He looked about the same age as her and he had golden eyes which stood out from his face. He turned to her and asked who the beautiful girl was. Bai obviously blushed at the complitment and stood up to bow back to the boy. The boy introduced himself as Kernos and that he was Trira's brother. Bai looked towards Trira confused. "Wait you didn't tell me you had a brother." Bai said and shook her head. "Well anyway Kernos, I'm Bai and a friend of Trira's is a friend of mine." Bai said and laughed. She didn't fully trust him but if Trira did, then so did Bai.

Trira pushed Kernos away from Bai. "If you touch her, I am going to kill you.", she whispered into his ear. Then she went a little bit back till she was next to Bai. "Can I talk to you under four eyes?", she asked her friend and took her by the arm. Then she dragged her a little bit away from Kernos. As she thought her brother could not listen to them any more, she turned her face to the air bender. "There is a reason why I have never told you anything about my family. They had been big supporters of Ozai during the last war. They had even thrown me out of the family as I decided that the fire nation should not rule the world. My brother sometimes was even worse than my parents. I do not trust him and he is NOT a friend of mine.", she explained to Bai and turned her head towards her brother. He had went a little bit nearer towards them. Her eyes were shining with anger. "Can´t we talk a privetly?", she growled at him. He seemed to be shocked. "Sorry.", he whispered and went back again. "Just be careful what you say to him. I have to find out what he is planning.", she said to Bai, then walked together with her friend back to her brother. "So, how are mom and dad?", Trira asked. Kernos shook his head. "They are still angry with you. They think that you have destroyed the honour of our family.", he answered to her question.

Trira asked if they could talk privately and she took Bai by the hand. Not knowing anything, she was dragged away from Kernos and was alone with Trira. Trira explained why she had not told Bai about her family because they were supporters of Ozai and Bai nodded her head. She could understand that and Bai understood why Trira would have ran away. As Kernos stepped forward, anger flashed in Trira's eyes. Bai hadn't seen her this angry before except in front of Reiku. "Well that's okay. I didn't tell you about my uncle and I haven't told you any of my family. Besides what's your business, doesn't have to be mine." Bai said with a calm tone. "Just calm down. I can see you're getting angry, so just breath." Bai said with a smile. "I know I'm a bit foolish sometimes but I can detect a spy, apart from Chang. He was a good spy." Bai said was a serious tone to her voice. As they went back to Kernos, Bai listened as Trira asked how her mom and dad had been. She didn't listen to his reply but instead signed out. She had to pinch herself to wake up from her daydream. "So, an awkward family reunion I guess." Bai said with a laugh, trying to lighten up the atmosphere in the forest with a firebender, her brother and a nervous airbender.

Trira thought that it was a little bit foolish of Bai to think that she could detect a spy. But Trira had said nothing to that. She had also breathed, like her friend had told her. But she would still do not trust her brother. Trira nodded as Bai said that this was an awkward family reunion. "Yeah, that is true.", Kernos answered and also started to laugh. But Trira did not felt like laughing. "So, Kernos, why are you here?", Trira finally asked. She did not liked it to know nothing about the reasons why her brother was in the forest. She would feel better even if he only lied to her. "I have seen you two fly away and I have recognized you, Trira. I have thought I could help you.", he answered her question and then turned to Bai. She knew that her brother had found out that the air bender was the one who was more likely to trust him. She asked herself if he was planning something. "How does it come that you are traveling with my sister, Bai? And is it not really difficult to be with her very long?", she then asked Bai and smiled at her. It was a really cute smile, and suddenly Trira asked herself how many girls had seen this smile and had done what he wanted of them.

Kernos had laughed with Bai when she had said that it was an awkward family reunion. Half expecting Trira not to laugh because at that moment she was properly thinking of a way to get what she wanted out of her brother. Trira asked Kernos why he was here and he explained it to her. He had said that he saw Bai and Trira flying and had recognized Trira. Bai shrugged her shoulders. How could you not miss one airbender and a firebender flying through the sky. Kernos then turned to Bai and asked why she was travelling with his sister and he finished it with a smile. The smile was cute and she knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to soften her up and get everything out of her, but not this time. "We met in Omashu, met again in The great divide and then Trira asked if I wanted her to travel with me. That's about it." Bai said with no emotion on her face. She wasn't going to be that easy to get information out of. Bai looked towards Trira and noticed how stiff her face was. She must be planning something or trying to figure out the real reason why her brother was here. If he were lying of course.

Trira was glad that Bai had not been so stupid like some other girls would have been and told everything that could be interesting for her brother. She wanted to get Kernos again away from Bai. It was not really good that he concentrated on her friend. Trira had somehow the feeling like that would get her into big trouble. "And why do you want to help me right now? Why not at a time when I have needed your help really much?", she asked him. As Kernos answered, it was a little bit too fast for her. She somehow had the feeling like he had learned how to say the next thing. "I have found out that you had been right not long ago. And I have never known where you are, so I could not go to help you.", he said to Trira and turned again to Bai. She was getting angry, because it was really obvious that he wanted to talk with Bai. "What are mom and dad saying about that?", she fast asked him. Then there was silence. He seemed to think what he should answer. "They do not know.", he then said, his face away from her. But she could see that he expression changed. But she could not see it, and she hoped that Bai would somehow manage to tell her what could be seen on her brothers face.

As Kernos and Trira transferred a conversation, Bai could tell that their history of arguing went way back. Seeing as Bai was the only child, she had no brothers or sisters to argue with. Which was a good thing. But the bad thing was, she would have had someone to talk toa and share her troubles with. It didn't matter now, Trira was like a sister to Bai. Kernos kept turning to Bai and smiling. She could tell that he wanted to talk to her and she looked towards Trira. Trira's eyes flashed anger and Bai stepped back a bit. As Trira asked a question, there was silence in the air. It took Kernos a long time to answer a simple question but he had turned his face. Bai could see his emotions on his face and she read it. It was guilt, as if he regretted letting his sister being banished out of her own house. Bai would tell Trira about this later and it assured her that Trira would love to hear it. Bai turned and faced Kernos. "So, why do you keep looking at me everytime Trira asks you a question?" Bai asked. She thought it was a bit stupid after she had said it but wasn't the best thing to do is to just ask?

Kernos really seemed a little bit shocked when Bai asked him something. He did not have expected that she would talk to him. He would have expected that his sister would have stopped her. Ok, that is what he showed Bai and Trira, but he had known that Bai would talk to him sooner or later. "Because I have thought that you would be much more nicely to me than my sister. I have thought you can see that I am not here to do any harm to you.", he said to Bai.
Trira was shaking her head. This was a really stupid answer. But somehow she also had the feeling like her friend would trust Kernos. She knew that he was lying. When her parents thought that she had dishounered their family and they had told her brother that for seven years, then he would not suddenly go to her and say that she had been right. Normally he should get angry. That is the normal reaction of an fire bender. But she did not wanted to say that to Bai. She feareed that her friend would think that she feared herself. "Have you trained your fire bending while I had been away?", she asked her brother. She wanted to show Bai that she would try to be nice to Kernos if the air bender thought that he was not dangerous. But she only wanted to know how strong he was by now. Kernos turned his head and nodded. "Yeah, I have. But I am not a master. But I have heared that you are.", he said to Trira, and his eyes were shining. Trira had no idea what that really should ment. She thought that she could see something behind that shining eyes, but she was not sure.

Kernos tried to sweet talk her again when he answered her question. He said that it was because Bai would properly be nicer to him than his sister. Which was properly true but Bai still knew deep down, something about Trira's brother seemed wrong. Bai looked toward Trira as she spoke, trying not to make eye contact with her brother. Trira had asked about how his firebending was going and he turned to face her, replying with the answer, that he wasn't a master but had heard that Trira was. Somehow Bai knew that he was after something, it was that secret tone he had with hs voice and how he was saying things. Sometimes he would answer questions as if he had practiced them and then he would take forever to answer some. In a way, Bai felt that he had planned this out, meeting Bai and Trira again and then practicing what he was going to say. Somehow, Bai would have to get Trira away from Kernos and talk to her privately. How she was going to do that, she didn't know."Well another firebender, interesting." Bai said out loud. She wasn't meant to but that's how it came out. "Well Kernos, It's good to meet another Firebender. Not as evil as Reiku though." Bai said seriously.

Kernos smiled at Bai. "Yeah, Reiku is really stupid.", he said to her. Suddenly the eyes of Trira widened. She suddenly had the feeling like her brother had ment something completely different. She went next to Bai, so that she could see his face during the whole time. "Kernos, I would like to see how good your fire bending is. Go a little bit into the woods. There are some traps. Try to avoid them with the help of your fire bending. And take care, there can be a surprise for you.", she said to him. Everything of that was a lie, except that there could be a surprise. But she needed to talk with Bai. She had a really bad feeling right now. Kernos looked at Bai if she would also like him to go on this test. You could see on his face that he suspected that Trira was lying. "How far do I have to go?", he then asked. Trira looked into an direction. "After the third tree there has to be the first trap.", she said to her brother.

Bai listened as Trira fooled her brother by telling him there were traps to test his firebending. Bai thought this was a pretty intelligent way of getting rid of her brother. She knew why Trira had done that, to talk to Bai. Kernos turned ot Bai as if to see if Trira was lying. He then asked how far he had to go and Trira told him it was the third tree. As he exited the clearing, Bai turned to Trira. "There's something about Kernos that I can't quite put my finger on." Bai said as she went into thought. "But when he looked away, his face seemed guilty, as if remembering that you had been banished." Bai said. She wasn't sticking up for him, he really did look guilty. "But the way he kept answering the questions and the tones in his voice, he seems to be up to something." Bai said as she saw Kernos looking for the first trap in the distance. "What do you think Trira? Should we trust him?"

Trira listened carefully to what Bai said to her. She nodded. "I had the same feeling about him. And I do not trust him. Bai, we will never let him out of our eyes. I will look after him during the night, and you during the day. He should have no chance to do anything.", she said to her friend. Trira was not sure if Bai would say that this is ok, but she hoped that her friend would think that his would be good. Then she smiled a little bit. "Now lets try how good Kernos really is. Lets make the `surprise´ I have spoken about. You attack from one side, and I from the other.", she said to Bai and rushed through the woods without any noise. Then she found her brother. He was standing there, being not prepared of what will happen soon. She stood on his right side and shot a wall of fire towards him. He saw it at the corner of his eye and blocked. "Was that all?", he asked and laughed. But Trira had already moved a little bit further, shooting several fire balls after each other, each getting smaller.

Trira said that she had the same feeling that Bai had. She had figured out a little timetable so that Kernos could not plan or do anything to the benders. Bai would watch him in the day, and Trira at the evening. Bai nodded at this plan. "It seems a pretty good idea to me." She said with a smile. Then Trira said that they should give Kernos the little 'suprise' that Trira had mentioned. Bai would attack from one side and Trira the other. Bai nodded and walked the opposite side to Trira. She sat down in the bushes and watched as Trira sent a fire wall straight to Kernos. He easily dodged it but Trira sent several fire balls toward him. Bai stood and swiped her staff along the floor. It was a quiet move and as Trira distracted him with fire balls, a curve of air was sent toward his feet. It was a good plan and it would work if he was distracted enough. When they had a visit to the Northern air temples, Bai had seen some scrolls and drawings on the wall that showed airbending moves. Bai learnt them in the time they were there, so if Kernos did attack her in this battle, she could defend with many new moves. That no one had seen since the Avatar.

Kernos was distracted by the fire balls of Trira. He did not suspected that Bai would also attack him. He also did not knew that she was a bender. But then he felt something at his feet and fell down. Trira came out of her hiding and laughed a little bit. "As it seems, you really have to learn a little bit more, not only about fire bending, but about fighting in general.", she said to him. Kernos blushed a little bit, because his sister was laughing so much. Then he turned into the direction where Bai was. "That was not fair.", he said to the air bender. Trira helped her brother stand up. "Wars and fightings are not always fair. And as a master you have to know that.", she said to her brother. Then she led him back to the clearing and waited for Bai. "Maybe you two should rest a little bit more. We have a long journey, and even if I still do not like you, Kernos, we will not send you back to our parents.", she said to her brother. If he was really saying the truth, what she did not believed, it would not be save for him to be at home again. Then she sat down on a stone and her brother laid down next to her. "When are you going to sleep? I could also take watch.", he said to her sister. She shook her head.

Bai giggled a bit when Kernos fell over and so did Trira. Kernos shouted that it wasn't fair and from what Bai could hear, Trira told him that war and fighting was never fair. And it was true. Bai and Trira had learnt from experiance that because you're a kid doesn't mean that warriors won't take it easy on you. Bai followed the siblings to the clearing and sat down. Trira suggested that they rest a little. Bai shook her head. "I'm not tired yet, but when I do, I'll let you take watch." Bai said as she sat down next to her friend. Kernos suggested that he could take watch and she expected Trira to shake her head. If they were sleeping and Kernos was keeping watch, if he was lying, then he could have a perfect chance to attack them. And according to Trira, that could not happen. Bai was bored so she twisted some air through her fingers and remembered about Taeo. "Trira, we forgot about Taeo and Zing." Bai said as she took out her bison whistle and blew it really hard. After about fifteen minutes, Bai heard a groan from above and it was Taeo, with Zing on his back. She was expecting Akros to be there but he wasnt. When Taeo landed, she ran over to him. "Taeo, Zing. Sorry I've been away so long." She said as she overwhelmed him with a huge hug. "Kernos this is Taeo."

Trira nodded and smiled at her friend. She would need the rest and she knew that Bai would wake her before she fall asleep. When she closed her eyes, she still could hear as Taeo and Zing came to them. Trira smiled, because now they did not have to go by foot. But then she was already sleeping. But it was not a good sleep, because she had some nightmares.
Kernos stood up to look at Taeo and Zing. "Wow. I had thought the Avatar is the only one who has such animals.", he said to Bai and walked closer to the bison. But he did not knew if this huge animal would feel that he was planning something really bad. So he did not dared to touch it. "Are we going to travel by this?", he asked Bai and suddenly knew that it was not the best question to ask. So he laid down and closed his eyes. He was doing like he was really tired and ready to fall asleep. But in reality he waited if Bai would fall asleep while doing her watching duty.

Trira fell asleep soon after Bai told her to. Soon it was just Kernos and herself. It was pretty uncomfortable sitting with someone who you didn't trust but it can't be helped. Bai jumped lightly onto Taeo's back and stroked his smooth white fur. Kernos seemed astounded when he saw Taeo and Zong. "No he's not. I grew up with Zing and I found Taeo a few weeks back." She said as she stroked him longer and Zing came and landed on her shoulder. "But I've rown rather attactched to them." Bai said with a smile. He then asked if they would be travelling on Taeo. Bai looked at him confused. "Well if you're travelling with us then yes. But if not then no." Bai simply said. She laid her head on Taeo's back but she made sure that she wouldn't sleep. Kernos was up to something and somehow, Bai would find out what it was, or Trira would. "you don't have to stand there, you can climb up to." He said.

Kernos shook his head. "No, thank you. I am glad when I only have to get on the back of the bison to travel.", he said to Bai. He would travel with his sister, that is what he planned if he could not end his mission in this night. And he would end his mission, or his honour would be gone forever. He looked at the sleeping body of his sister and smiled a little bit. He knew that she was suspecting something, but as long as she had no idea what would really happen everything was ok. He had not liked the fact that Bai was with his sister. The air bender was somehow sweet, but he would find something so that no harm would happen to her and she could do nothing against him. Then he layed down, closing his eyes, starting to breath much slower. Everything should seem like he was sleeping. Suddenly he asked himself why he had never prepared that. He should have known that he would need to do like he was sleeping. So he waited what would happen.
Trira had nightmares. She was rolling from one site to the other, but was not able to weak up. She was breathing much faster and it also seemed like she was in pain.
She was standing with Bai at the edge of a cliff. Bai had lost her staff, even if Trira had no idea why. In front of her were Reiku and Kernos. Both laughed at her. Trira knew that they had no chance to fight against the two. There was only the way over the cliff so that they would be save. Fast Reiku grabbed Bai and hold her tight. Trira screamed and wanted to ran towards her friend, but Kernos was in her way. With a fire whip he forced her to go back to the edge again. Trira was breathing hard, and she nearly had no energy left. She looked at her brother, and suddenly everything was clear for her. But at exactly that moment he pushed her from the cliff with fire bending. Trira was falling, not able to use her fire jets. She could hear Bai scream while she was getting nearer to the ground. Trira closed her eyes...
...and fast sat up. She was out of the nightmare. Then she looked up to the sky. She asked herself how long she had been sleeping. But she knew that it could not have been really long.

For some strange reason, Kernos turned down the offer to sit on Taeo. Bai sighed when Kernos closed his eyes and fell asleep. She could have a conversation with Zing or Taeo. Yep, it was completely normal to talk to animals. "These something up with that kid, Taeo." Bai said as the giatn bison groaned in agreement. Animals were said to have a sixth sense of evil beings and if Taeo was right about Kernos, Bai and Trira were in trouble. Bai laid on her back and looked up at the sky. Bai then thought she hadn't practiced her airbending moves in a while. If she was going to be on the run all the time she would have to know more advanced moves. She tried to remember the drawings and the scrolls she had seen in the Northern air temple. One move she could remember was an airbender made some sort of dome around them. She concerntrated and swung her arms in circles in the air. Soon she created the dome around herself. She kept that in mind for defending herself or Trira. She remembered another one which look pretty easy. She crouched down low and swung her arms around next to her. She created a circle of air around her. She was about to practice some more when she saw Trira sit up. She must've had a nightmare or something. "Trira, are you alright?"

Trira looked at Bai and could see worry in her eyes. She did not wanted to tell her friend what she had dreamed. It was too cruel. "Yeah, everything is all right. I had just laid bad and had a little nightmare because of that. I just search another place to sleep.", she said to her friend and stood up. She walked over to Taeo, because she had the feeling the bison could help her keeping away the bad dreams. She laid down next to Taeo, but did not close her eyes. She thought that she had to find a way that Bai is save really soon. She had to teach her friend everything she knew about the war and fighting if that what happened in the dream would really happen. If there was a time when Trira was not with Bai any longer. Trira was really worried. She could not sleep and so she watched what Bai was doing. In front of herself, she let some fire figures dance. But at some point is looked like it had in her nightmare. Fast she destroyed the figures. Then she looked to Kernos. Do you really want to kill me or was that part of my dream not true?, she asked in her mind.

Trira told Bai that everything was alright. She wasn't sure though, Trira was keeping something from her; something bad. "Okay then, why don't you sleep up on Taeo. He's nice and soft, he'll help you get to sleep in no time." Bai laughed and watched Trira move from under the tree to sitting next to Taeo. She soon made little fire figures and made them dance. To Bai it looked pretty and was a little disappointed when Trira made them disappear. Bai didn't know what to do now. Maybe she could meditate for a bit. Maybe she could earn her mastery tattoos. She had read somewhere that to be an airbending master, she would have to master 36 basic tiers or master 35 and create a new move. Bai could already master 35 moves but she needed to make one up in order to achieve her mastery tattoos. But if she did pass, who would paint them on? Trira, a Guru? A descendent of a surviving monk maybe? She had heard of a Guru that lived in the Eastern Air Temple, maybe she could go there and see if he could watch her pass her mastery and paint on her tattoos. She didn't know but for now, she wanted to make up a new move. She stood up and swung one foot in the air. A solid air current formed a cresent where her foot had been. She then did the same to the other foot and created another cresent. But this time the cresent crossed over in the middle. She kicked the middle and sent it flying through a tree. Surely no one had thought of that before. "Trira, do you think I could earn my mastery tattoos? You know, the ones Aang has. I know how to get them but do you think that move I just did, do you think someone has done that before?"

Trira had watched the move of Bai. It really looked impressive, and she thought of the question her friend asked her right after. "Hm, I do not think that somebody had thought of it before. And even if somebody had, this move is now forgotten.", she said to Bai. She knew that the only person who really knew very much air bending moves except Bai was the Avatar. "I think that from your technique you would be ready to gain them. But I am wondering if you do not have also a mental test to gain your tatroos. But if you know that you can manage to get your tattoos, we will try to get them.", she said to her friend and smiled. But then her smile vanished again and she looked at the floor. "But first I have to do something else. I have to get Herik out of the prison.", she said to her friend. She was sure that Bai would understand that, but that she would not understand the `I´. Trira did not wanted that Bai got in danger again, and that was the reason why she wanted to go alone.
As Kernos listened to their conversation, he did like he woke up because the girls have talked so much. Then he heared that Trira talked about Herik. He had heared the name once before, it was just before he followed Bai and Trira. He smiled, because he could think that his sister liked Herik. "You have mentioned Herik? I have heared that he should be executed soon. So you should hurry if you want to save him.", he said to his sister. Inside of him, he really laughed. He loved to see his sister in pain. And this one was better than what he had planned for her.
Trira looked in horror to Bai and back to Kernos. "When that is true, I have to go imediatly to the capitol again.", she said and stood up. She was a little bit weak from the lack of sleep, but she got stronger because of her fear for Herik.