Avatar - Loud Silence Series: Avatar: The Last Airbender Characters: Longshot, Smellerbee, Iroh, Jet Type: what-ifs, gen Warnings: mentions of war, violence, death, other unpleasant stuff Spoilers: Season 2 finale Word Count: 600 Etc: 2 drabbles centered on Longshot about what might've happened to make him so silent, and what happened after Lake Laogai. Not sure about the ending.
Longshot didn’t like words much. They were heavy, dangerous, hurtful. He knew from experience.
He was born in a medium-sized Earth Kingdom village called Dohi. It had a big market and real soldiers to defend the walls, once. Then one day, when he was ten years old and playing outside the safety of the walls, they came. Fire Nation soldiers wanted to know where the soldiers slept, where their families were, where the guards were posted. Longshot, then called Jing, knew he wasn’t supposed to tell strangers such things. He refused to answer.
They made him talk with fire. Words tumbled out of his mouth, a never-ending stream of betrayal as he told them everything he knew. His back still carries the shameful marks of their fire whip.
His hometown fell the next day and burned to the ground. The soldiers let him live in thanks for his contribution to the war effort.
For the next four years, he never spoke. In time, he found Smellerbee, who understood his silence, and she led him to Jet, who learned to do the same. The Freedom Fighters never asked why he didn’t speak, they didn’t need to—they were his new family. Smellerbee was his voice to those who couldn’t listen, and in return, he listened and gave his back, each word weighed before he spoke, for they could never be taken back.
Jet’s last words were “Get the hell out of here and don’t make the same mistakes I did.” Longshot knew Smellerbee wouldn’t listen, because she’d picked up Jet’s hook swords. She’d start up the Freedom Fighters again to get revenge on the Dai Li. There was nothing wrong with this plan. When it became obvious they both couldn’t escape, his decision was simple. “I’ll stay behind.” She cried more tears and protested, but he stood firm. “Those who can’t talk make good servants. They think those who don’t talk don’t listen.” He watched her follow that line of thought to its end, and she nodded grimly. “We’ll meet up by that tea shop where Jet was caught in a week, if you can.” It was easy after that, for Long Feng knew the value of a mute servant in a city of secrets. The brainwashing didn’t take much to resist…he only had to remember Jet’s face and the words meant nothing. Since he never had to speak, it wasn’t hard to pretend. He cooked, cleaned, and occasionally fed the prisoners. They wouldn’t let him have his bow and arrow back. Overall, they barely noticed him. He learned of a coup led by a Fire Nation princess and the Dai Li. He heard of the Avatar’s fight and two firebenders taking sides. He learned Jet had been right about Mushi and Lee—traitor Iroh and Prince Zuko. He watched as Ba Sing Se fell in silence.
Smellerbee didn’t take any of that very well, but she resolved to rescue the old man. They had a city of fools to save with no other allies. If the Dragon of the West was a prisoner of the Fire Nation, then he was friend enough.
Longshot, now called Yano, gave Iroh jasmine tea with his meal. He said nothing when the old man looked up and recognition crossed his face. There was no need to speak, because the firebender could already hear.
“I appreciate the offer,” whispered Iroh on the third day, “But I must stay here…my nephew will realize his mistake.” His smile was glass and his eyes broken.
“We won’t let you die.” Saying the words made it a promise.