Dormyr observed the lord magnar as he fired off questions at his wayward master of arms. From what he could tell, the man had been sent to spy on the invaders and didn't return moons ago. He, along with his retinue were presumed dead.

"What happened ta the mad man and the witch!?" Varamyr shouted at the man.

"M’lord… the old witch died of sickness when we were being held and the mad chief refused to return." Dormyr scanned every inch of the man’s face as he answered the questions.

For one kept in captivity, the man seemed remarkably healthy. He wasn't maimed, marked, skinny or pale. In fact, he looked just as healthy and fat as they did.

"M’lord, I saw many things in the lands of the fire men..." Dormyr listened closely as the man recounted his stay at the invader's base and camps.

He heard the man speak of being captured and looked over by strange fire physicians, whom he believed at the time to be fire witches preparing him for sacrifice. The man spoke of how they were kept in strange tents that seemed to lock in heat and fight against the rain and wind.

He spoke of being taken outside and witnessing the strange buildings of the fire men; seeing strange beasts being pulling carts and carrying goods. He claimed to see the red garbed fire men and the stone born population of crab claw point.

"What! Ye mean they were willingly working for the fire men? Walking amongst them!?" varamyr cut the man off.

"Aye m’lord. They cut wood, smashed stone, fetched water an’ tended to the animals of the fire men." The man answered.

"How? Why? Were they under threat of death? Did the fire men use some dark ritual?" The lobster lord asked.

"Not that I know of m’lord. They seemed willing to serve. Not just Stoneborn in Styval lands, even as I was brought out of the fire men's stronghold an’ taken ‘ere, all along the way I saw stone born working with an’ for the fire men. They traded with ‘em an’ some even spoke together." Sweat could be seen on the lord's face even as the time was so chilly and they were not very close to the fire place.

"Is this the same for chief Isegg?" Varamyr asked almost hesitantly. Dormyr focused as well. The Stoneborn who rode with the fire men to kingshouse weren’t just released master of arms and his retinue. There was also the chief Isegg of the Magnul tribe- one of the oldest supporters of the magnar line.

"Aye lord Magnar, the fire men stopped in his tribe and he greeted them and offered shelter to ‘em. Chief Isegg and his retinue traveled together with us." Dormyr knew that the situation was a bit unfavourable.

'These outsiders were somehow wining over the proud stoneborn they met with. If this continued to happen then who knows what would happen!?' He could tell the lord was thinking the same thing as he.

The man was eventually dismissed and the others who went with him were brought in one by one to tell their versions of their experience, the reports matched.

“Damn it! Bring in isegg!" A servant ran out of the room as the lord screamed at him.

The chief just barely stepped into the room before Lord Varamyr was shouting at him. "Isegg! You mingle with outsiders?! You grant ‘em shelter and break bread with ‘em!? Fire Maegi who invade the lands of your lord and travel with them here?! Do plan to rebell?"

To his credit, older man was rather composed in the face of the enraged lord. Chief Isegg possessed a powerful build with stout limbs. It made sense as the Magnuls were said to be part giant. Though the man was too stout in Dormyr’s opinion. It was well into winter… even a well-known and powerful tribe such as the Magnuls should be starved for food. The man’s beard was well kept and twisted into a single braid which was bound with a polished metal band. He was cloaked in well-made furs and with a single look downwards-Dormyr noticed the fine leather boots the man sported.

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‘Gods…’ He was beginning to see the increasing danger of these invaders.

"M’lord I do no such thing. I swear it on my family line. I was wary o’ the fire men at first as yer men stopped by an’ warned us of ‘em, but then my tribe was attacked an’ my daughter was stolen by the White bone mountain men. She was taken as a prize and was ta be eaten. It was the fire men who slayed the White bone men and brought me my daughter." The chief explained.

Dormyr was shocked at the news of the slaughter of the White bone raiders. They were an ancient scourge of the northern region. Many Magnar lords lost their lives and kin to them. No stone lord of house magnar had been able to root them out for ages.

Seeing as the lord didn't comment, Chief Isegg continued, "m’lord, my tribe was in a bad place this winter, ye know this. I sent riders ‘ere to ye about it. We were stavin’ and dyin’ to the cold, most did in a long winter such as this. When we began trade with the fire men and they gave us wonderous things, food from the seas no elder had seen an’ finely made furs."

"I owe a great debt to the fire men; this is why I am here to speak on their behalf for peac-."

"Out! Get out! Traitorous bastard!" The lord magnar shouted at the chief.

Immediately the man was ceased and dragged out by the lord's presence by the guards.

"Those fire men! They must be wiped from my lands!" The lord roared and paced the room like a trapped lobster in a trap.

Dormyr knew the situation was certainly volatile. If the fire men were allowed to carry on as they did, the land would be turned over to them without them needing to lift a single one of their swords or throwing and single flame.

"My lord... though I do agree with ye that these fire men need ta be handled and if possible, removed... We must act slowly and with as much cunning as they do." He said hesitantly.

The lord spun around to him; his eyes were still enraged but there was calculation in them so he carried on.

"We may better know of their magics and learn ta counter ‘em. If we’re lucky we may even be able ta trade steel swords and armour from them... and in time we may even be able to learn how to make castle forged steel ourselves...." He could see the lord was listening to his words and calming down.

"Aye... that could work.... It is winter an’ the seas are the calmest at this time. Soon the smugglers an’ sailors from the east will come ta trade before winter. We may get their help in rootin' out these invaders before comes...." Dormyr smiled as he watched the lord of house magnar thought up a plan of action, thinking of many ways to fuck over the fire men.

His father once warned him of the lord of Magnar's cunning, he was glad to see it in action.

(-)

He poked the suspicious grey meat in the clay bowl before him. He didn't eat, not because he fretted the lord to poison him- the superstitious natives of the island held certain customs highly. The custom of visitor law was held particularly in esteem.

No, it was the unsavoriness of the food that put him off. The clay bowl held thick mutton stew that had little seasoning. The goat meat of this world was a gamey and pungent meat kind compared to the Pig-goat his was used to. It could be prepared well; however, it required the proper seasonings that would blend well with the taste. Sadly… this island’s climate didn’t allow for much spice plants to thrive.

As a citizen of the Fire nation who grew up on the fire islands before being relocated to the colonies, Zun was used to spicy and flavourful food. Many joked that Fire lord Sozin sought to conquer the world, not to share their prosperity to the rest of the world, but for the unique seasonings the other lands could provide. That saying was picken shit of course. The vision of the supreme leader was greater than mere seasoning and spices.

He turned his eyes from the grey meat to the black bread to the side. It looked awful, though that would be a given, these lands were rough and harsh. The land itself wasn't fit for farming rice or wheat and the natives were too technologically backwards to change it. If that wasn't bad enough, the cold and dreary weather made things so much harsher. With no benders to aid in any way… It was a wonder they even built the fort he sat within now.

The building fortress, just that. It had nothing in the way for comfort or pleasure to the eyes. Just black stone, soot and grime. The fire places weren't maintained correctly damning them to keep the windows open to prevent air poisoning and smoke.

He looked to his companions, who seemed just as miserable as he, though squad leader Fushi looked even more so as he stood guard.

He wanted to sigh as he thought of the man. Zun didn't know what the crown prince was thinking when he assigned the man to his team. This man was haughty and derogatory, even more so than was necessary.

Zun always found such people stupid. He was of the mind that yes, the fire nation and its people were superior to all others, their domination and wealth in the face of disasters were a testament to that. Why did one need to scream it to the world? Why not display such superiority through your own actions?

He just hoped the man would stay out of the coming conversations, it’s hard enough with the language barrier and mistrust of the natives. It would make his job so much easier if the man did his job and stood guard silently. If that didn’t work, then there was a possibility they may die here or be captured… though he was prepared for that outcome.