Some more women's health here. Tried to keep it on the non-technical side. Thanks for sticking with his story. I know my updates take a while, but it's because I want to do this right.

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"And how many clients do you see a day?" Da continued to question the young prostitute.

The harlot was green eyed, dark haired, and entirely too young and fidgety for her current line of work. She was also looking down at the floor entirely too much for Da's tastes.

"My eyes are up here," Da curtly reprimanded, "and answer me honestly. You're not in a morality pageant, darling, you're with a midwife. I need to know how much to give you, and if you're servicing half the Fire Nation Army I should probably give you a lot."

Ursa's heart melted as the girl looked back up at Da. She couldn't be more than 17, and her young eyes were full of shame.

"You should probably give me a lot then," the girl said quietly.

Da grabbed several bags worth of the antibiotics and a year's worth of birth prevention herbs and handed them to the girl. In return, the girl gave her several silver coins and a few copper ones also. "You take ten days' worth of the antibiotics and finish them all. I think you know the symptoms of Chlamydia well enough to self-diagnose by now, Pei Xwei. You need ten days 'worth every time they come on. I should be back through in six months' time if you need anything else."

Pei Xwei bowed and headed out the door.

And so it went, the whole two days that Da and Ursa were there. Da was right, most of the prostitutes paid in cash. The town's most affluent madam was an exception; she provided the midwives with a couple of rooms in which to run their clinic in return for treating several of her employees.

They also saw a few of the fishermen, or fisherwomen rather, though their exams were a lot simpler due to the nature of their work. Mostly, they suffered from back strain and sprain from hauling their nets up out of the water and tinkering with the rigging. Da wasn't especially good at musculoskeletal injuries, though she did have some pain medication that she could give, and she was gifted at setting shoulders that had fallen out of joint.

For one such case Da she guided Ursa's hands onto the right placement. Ursa was nervous; she knew the patient could feel her trembling hands against her skin.

"Now, just push hard and fast, exactly like I showed you."

The patient looked, wide eyed at the woman with her hands on her joints. "You haven't done this before?!" she squeaked.

"No, she's a student," Da answered. Then she yelled "NOW!" before the patient could twist out of Ursa's hold.

And when she pushed, hard and fast, Ursa felt the crack below her hands as Da said she would.

And so the days went. Injuries and STD's mostly, although there were a few pregnancies, which had come about through inappropriately used birth control. By the end of the fourth day, Da was letting Ursa take some women's health patients on her own.

When the older prostitute walked in with her young daughter in tow, Ursa didn't think anything of her or it. She had gotten over the shock of seeing all manner of women in this profession, and gained a healthy empathy, even a respect for them. In a world torn by war, one simply did what one had to do, and many of these women were mothers.

She sat the little girl down in a chair facing away with her doll while she invited the tall Earth Kingdom woman to get on top of one of the whore house beds they used as exam tables. Ursa noted that she smelled a little of Sake.

She took her history, her symptoms and finished what needed to be done with her. She gave her a year's worth of birth prevention herbs and then asked for payment. The woman dropped a large gold Fire Nation coin and a piece of folded paper into her hands.

Ursa looked down expecting to see paper money. Instead she saw an origami lotus lying in her hand below the weight of the gold coin.

Ursa slipped the gold into her pocket then undid the folds of the flower. The paper was blank but the letterhead was embossed with a Red Dragon. It was Iroh's General's letterhead. "Where did you get this?" Ursa asked her.

The prostitute shrugged. "Some crazy old guy gave it to me. He said I should pay you with it." Her green eyes looked evenly at Ursa. "He a friend of yours?"

Ursa's heart beat in her throat. "When did you see him?"

"Little less than a week ago," she hopped off bed, and put her hand out for her daughter who trotted obediently beside her. "He also said there were some troops up north that might bring me some good business, but," the harlot shrugged and motioned at her daughter, "I've got other commitments." The prostitute cocked an eyebrow at her tongue-tied midwife. I'm done here, right?"

Ursa shook herself out of her haze. "Yes, you may go. Da says we'll be back through in six months if you need anything."

"Good luck with your new career," the prostitute said cheerfully, then left with her child.

Ursa took the paper, redid the folds and then tucked it into her bosom. She'd had suspicions when she found the blank origami lotus in the woods, but this one with his own General's letterhead confirmed that Iroh was near. The knowledge brought a rush of emotions. She told her waiting patient she would be back and fled down the wide stairs of the whorehouse to a noodle vendor across the street where she purchased a steaming cup of Jasmine tea. She took a long swig off the cup, attempting to clear her head. She knew they were following the troops and that there was a possibility they could meet again, but it hadn't seemed like a concrete reality to her. For the longest time, she doubted it would be little more than a fantasy that danced through her dreams at night.

Suddenly she felt a tug on her cloak and whirled to see Da standing before her. The midwife's eyes were hard and determined as always, but there was a hit of fear in them. "You need to get back inside and finish with your patients, now."

"Im just taking a tea break…" Ursa chuckled.

Da placed her hand over the cup. "So take it inside," she said lowly and turned back toward the house. "I'll explain on the way."

By the time they reached the porch Ursa was shaking her head with disbelief. "I thought intelligence from the lotus people was never wrong."

Da ushered Ursa inside. Then after a furtive look through the double doors, slammed both of them shut and put her back to them. "I've never had one be wrong yet, but that doesn't mean that it can't happen," she exhaled and slumped to the floor.

Ursa joined her there. "How many soldiers are we talking about? It's probably just a scout regimen sent to do some trading or engage with the prostitutes."

Da put her head in her hands. "No. Jing, a trader I know came through earlier from that way. I was going to take my lunch with him before he told me of the news. He said that he came down on a road that winded through the hillside where he was able to see about 200 troops, 20 of which are mounted on rhinos. He said we have an hour at most. I don't know of a scout or trading unit who travels with that many armed rhinos." Da groaned. "It's like they are ready for battle not reconnaissance, and they were supposed to be going North, not South!"

"What should we do?"

Da didn't answer her. Instead she turned back to the crack in the door and opened it ever so slightly. Word about the incoming troops had spread very quickly. The noodle vendor Ursa had just patronized was closing up her cart, and the houses across the street were shuttering their windows. The only ones who seemed ambivalent or even excited about the incoming guests were the prostitutes, who rushed to the steps in front of Ursa and Da and started to loiter in the streets.

Da let out a sigh of frustration. "We're supposed to follow behind them, not be in the same place. Being in the same place is not good."

Ursa smiled at her. "Da, I often wonder what goes through your mind. What mess could two midwives possibly get themselves into with an army that is almost all male? If they were going to take anyone, it would be a surgeon or an orthopedist or at the very least a regular doctor…"

Da 's sharp eyes locked on Ursa's and she held a finger aloft for emphasis. "One would think." Then, out of the corner of her eye, Da caught a flash of white from Ursa's bosom. Before Ursa could protest or counter her quick grasp, the folded letterhead was in Da's hands.

She peeled away the white to reveal the embossed red Dragon. Her amber eyes took on a faraway look, as though she were lost in a memory. "Where did you get this?"

Ursa swallowed. "From my last patient."

BANG! BANG! BANG! Before Da could interrogate her further, a young soldier was at the door and demanding entry.

"We're all full of syphilis!" Da shouted at him. "All the clean whores are down at the steps! Take your pick from them and come back when we've finished our medicine."

"We're not here for that," the soldier grumbled in reply, and shoved a note through the door.

It was a summons. It read:

Greetings Earth Kingdom residents of the Fire Nation

The Fire Nation requires you to atttend a summons in the town square at 1400 hours today whereupon the representatives of the new Firelord Ozai will explain the tax laws and other expectations for his rule. The officers of the Fire Nation Army and Navy will also be present to discuss career opportunities available for those unable to pay the tax or who are interested in seeking a better life.

Those not at the summons will be considered in violation of the law and punished appropriately.

Most Sincerely,

The Commanding Officers of the Fire Nation Forces

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Zuko clung to Iroh as he heard his sister deliver the speech that started their two hour march to the south. She did it so perfectly that it was chilling. Really, everything about his sister chilled him. Azula had an unnatural and icy quality about her that Zuko couldn't put his finger on, a quality that compelled her to do things that went far beyond the normal sibling rivalry.

And her exact delivery only reminded Zuko all the more of her chilling declaration that Uncle had almost been murdered.

He dared not utter it to anyone, not any of the men, not the other commanders and certainly not to Uncle. He worried that he might pick the wrong officer; even Azula couldn't name who it was for sure.

Thus, friendly faces became menacing, and Zuko became a little paranoid. This compelled him to hang out by Iroh's side all the more. If he was a fixture in Iroh's life, he was a fungus now.

One night, Zuko had fallen asleep inside of his Uncle's tent after they had played Pai Sho for hours and found him gone. He looked around, wondering where Iroh had gone, and when he didn't return Zuko feared the worst.

Toward the end of the night, when the first rays of sunlight were beginning to creep up over the horizon, Zuko had worked himself into a frenzy he had fully convinced himself that Iroh was dead. Zuko had crept onto his uncle's chair where he had laid his robe, clung to it, and wept bitterly.

When Iroh returned less than an hour later, he found the boy like that, sobbing uncontrollably.

Iroh had walked in on the weeping boy. "Zuko, what is wrong?"

Zuko's head bolted upright and he ran into Iroh's arms. "I thought something had happened to you, Uncle!"

Iroh laughed. "Why would it? I'm fine I'm right here!"

Zuko only squeezed his Uncle all the more. "But everyone I love leaves me."

Iroh pressed Zuko into his chest to keep him from seeing his own tears. There were many times he felt the same way. Long ago, his wife, then Lu Ten, and now Ursa. For the longest time Iroh just hugged him back, choking on his own tears.

Therefore over the next few days Iroh decided not to leave the boy's sight. There was also another reason for this, though Iroh didn't want to admit it to him. Zuko provided him with comfort from his own fears; Iroh was afraid of many things going into this mission.

Iroh was afraid of how his men may be directed to handle the inhabitants of that town. He was afraid these teachings would undo everything he had ever taught them about honor in battle.

Iroh was afraid he may not be able to control Zhao. The commander had a vision for the inhabitants of that town, and if they didn't follow it they would pay heavily. Iroh wanted to make sure that the form of payment stayed cash. His temper had the worst of reputations, though all of his missions had been executed with brilliance until that point.

Iroh was afraid that he would have to guard Zuko's eyes during the mission if all of his previous fears came to fruition.

Still, if given the choice between Zuko seeing his realized fears and his nephew missing out on the march, he much preferred the former. Zuko was young, but it was never too early to try to understand a war as complicated as this one. Even with all of his years and experience, Iroh didn't understand it. Zuko would certainly need a head start and even bad behavior could be used as good reference material.

The march took quite some time, much longer than Iroh's solo trek to the village had the other night. Thankfully Iroh and Zuko had a rhino to help them across the land. When they arrived at long last in the village, most of the residents were already gathered.

Iroh stood off to the side with Zuko, dutifully scanning the crowd. He knew Ursa was there. She had to be.

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