The forest was a perfect place for an ambush, Hiro noted. Those who could hid themselves in the trees while those who did not have the acrobatic abilities to hide or fight in tree hid in the underbrush. He felt quite confident in his odds. He had thirty-five men in all, ten of them firebenders, ten of them earthbenders, and fifteen of them non-benders. Each of his men were armed with a weapon of some kind, even the benders in order to augment their bending or to have something to fall back on. Hiro, for his part, stood in the middle of the road, swords sheathed and his arms crossed. Just a half mile away was the Earth Sage's Temple.
Perhaps Hiro was a bit cocky, using himself as bait, but his orders had been to deliver the Bei Fongs' invitation first before he tried to captured the Avatar and he would deliver the message. When the Avatar refused, they would attack. It was a simple plan, but then again, Hiro liked simple plans. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Li, perched in a tree with his bow, scanning not down the road, but around the area where his men were stationed. It was important that the ambushers not become the ambushed, after all.