Chapter One

Zuko knelt beside his dying uncle in the heart of the Earth Kingdom and watched the ghost town burn. He had nothing left save the clothes on his back and his broadswords – his supplies, along with his ostrich horse, were being destroyed along with the town. He had barely managed to drag Iroh out of the crackling ruins with what little strength was left in him. He'd since ceased cursing and crying and now he crouched at Iroh's side and attempted to make him comfortable by pillowing a ripped piece of fabric underneath his head. Iroh was unconscious and breathed shallowly. Zuko's fists clenched as he replayed the scene of Azula striking Iroh over in his mind: the way her mask of innocence had vanished as she brought her arm around and directed a bolt straight at her uncle's heart. Zuko had lashed back out at her with the full force of his bending, but she had vanished as if into the earth itself. I'll kill her, he vowed. If Uncle dies, I'll kill her. I've lost the Avatar, my honor, I've lost my throne – I may as well sever this last tie.

Yet he hesitated at the thought that killing Azula would extinguish the potential for achieving a position of worth in his father's eyes.

"It doesn't matter," Zuko said to the curling flames. "It shouldn't matter." How could he possibly face his father knowing that he was – indirectly, if not directly – responsible for and proud of Azula's trickery. He had hoped, before this day, that it was not true. How could he, even with the Avatar in hand, return to his life as a prince without Iroh? Iroh had been his companion and his mentor in his banished years and saved his life countless times. Moreover, how could he stand having to stare Iroh's murderess straight in the face each day?

Iroh groaned and Zuko's thoughts immediately turned from revenge to his uncle. He knew pitifully little about healing. They were exposed, and extremely vulnerable. Cursing, perhaps for the first time, his pride in not taking assistance from the Avatar's companions, Zuko closed his eyes and tried to focus and find his uncle's pulse. He prayed silently that Azula was more interested in pursuing the Avatar than she was in capturing a couple of wounded and exhausted traitors. He took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on the sensation of Iroh's pulse.

Instead, he felt the ground trembling beneath him.

The tremor was faint, but something or someone was definitely approaching. Something large and animal-drawn, from the feel of it. Zuko leapt to his feet and drew his swords, assuming a fighting stance. He wished desperately that there were someplace to hide his uncle, but the landscape was barren all around them, and all the remains of the town were ablaze. He stood over Iroh and waited. Above the roar of the fire, he caught snatches of shouting:

"It's just shambles! Leave it, we can't – anyway – "

"There's a dead ostrich horse!"

Around the south end of the town, a large wagon drawn by what looked to be a pair of lion-mules appeared. There was a man guiding the unafraid beasts, and two smaller figures seated at the mouth of the wagon. They looked to be harmless traders, and Zuko relaxed a fraction. The man waved at him.

"Yhaao! Do you need assistance?"

Zuko glanced down at Iroh and was startled to find the latter's eyes open and calm. "Prince Zuko," he rasped.

"Don't call me that anymore," Zuko ordered brusquely. Then, more gently, "And don't try to talk." He sheathed his swords and came a few paces forward, favoring his burned leg. The man stopped the wagon and, dismounting, approached slowly but with calm. He was heavy-shouldered and well built, particularly in the arms, and his stance demonstrated to Zuko that he was no simple merchant but a warrior of some kind. Earrings snaked their way up both of his ears, and they glittered in the sun.

"I'm Deukku, of Nanami," the man said, freely. "We were returning home from purchasing supplies when we noticed the lightning, and then the fire. Can I aid you?"

Zuko did not hesitate. "I'm Li, and this is my uncle, Mushi. We are travelers. What you witnessed was caused by a Fire Nation soldier, who fled after he injured my uncle. I believe he is dying. I know nothing of healing, and our supplies burned in the fire." He bowed his head, though it hurt his pride. "Any help you can give us, I will repay."

While he was speaking, the smaller of the two figures on the wagon had leapt down and come to Deukku's side. Zuko watched it approach, and was surprised to find that the figure was – although quite masculine in appearance – a girl, as betrayed by her movements. She looked to be about sixteen, with short hair and fierce facepaint. Now she spoke in a throaty voice, touching the sleeve of Deukku's garment.

"We can't afford to tarry long. But Deukku, Fire Nation – "

"I know." Deukku appeared lost in thought as he examined the sandy ground. Suddenly he glanced up at Zuko. "We cannot stop. Already, we've wasted valuable traveling time. But consider this. Smellerbee – " he gestured to the sullen-looking figure at his elbow " – is an excellent healer. If you will ride with us, she can tend to your uncle and to your leg. In two days, we will arrive at Nanami. There you will be able to find work and a temporary dwelling while your uncle recovers. If this is not acceptable, we will transport you to the nearest town." The girl named Smellerbee started to protest, but he cut her off. "We will lose time, but we are indebted to those who have suffered at the hands of the Fire Nation. I warn you, however, that there is no guarantee that you will find adequate treatment for your uncle."

Unsure, Zuko glanced at Iroh, who was still breathing shallowly but watched his nephew from under half-closed lids and did not attempt to interfere. He knew from his lessons as a boy that Nanami was an old seaport on the very edge of the Earth Kingdom, and that it was likely that the Avatar was headed for Ba Sing Sae, practically on the other side of the world. In any case, traveling so far away would definitely destroy any attempt to continue tracking the Avatar. But staying would almost certainly mean Iroh's death. Zuko made his decision abruptly in an attempt to banish regret.

"We'll go with you. Thank you." He bowed over a furiously beating heart that sent blood rushing to his head and made him flush. Deukku extended a hand and gripped Zuko's forearm as Smellerbee went to his uncle's side.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They traveled for the rest of the day and throughout the night without stopping. The other figure on the wagon was introduced to Zuko as Longshot, a lean and silent boy with a wicked-looking quiver of arrows on his back. While Smellerbee washed and dressed Iroh's wounds, Longshot slept on a pallet in the cramped cabin of the wagon. Zuko was too worried to sleep, even after Smellerbee tersely reassured him that Iroh was in a herb-induced sleep and out of danger. She offered to tend to Zuko's wound, but assured her that he knew enough to take care of a simple burn. He was surprised, but pleased, when she handed him a jar of awful-smelling poultice and some strips of cloth and left him to clumsily dress it himself.

Finally, around midnight, Deukku stumbled in the cabin and rose Longshot, who went with Smellerbee out to the mouth to guide the lion-mules. The man looked tired and grimy from the dust that rose on the trail, but he wiped his face and offered food and drink to Zuko before sitting down on the pallet with a meat pie and a tall glass of what smelled like rice wine. As he ate, he told Zuko more about himself. Apparently he owned a tavern with his twin brother, and Smellerbee and Longshot, along with another boy, lived with and occasionally worked for them.

"The tavern is a good source of income, but we make our real money on the fights."

Zuko knew that Deukku was only talking in order to be polite and to distract him from Iroh, so he had not been listening very closely. At this remark, however, he shifted his gaze from his uncle and asked, "Fights?"

Deukku grinned. "Would you like to try your hand? No bending, no weapons, only fists and feet. Just for fun, and of course, profit. People pay to watch, and perhaps make a few coins by betting. It's a popular distraction. Occasionally, my brother or I will accept a challenge." He motioned to his earrings as his grin grew wider. "I don't like to brag, but I don't lose."

Zuko was silent.

"Even if you don't want to fight, you will have no trouble finding employment in Nanami. It's true that the market is no more, and the wharf is controlled by soldiers. But the bounties of the sea are still plenty, and many cannot afford or do not wish to move away. And able young people are short in supply with the army demanding recruits."

"All I know of Nanami is that it is a seaport, formerly a great one," Zuko said. "And that there was a peace treaty between it and the Fire Nation."

"Oh? Yes, I suppose it was. The Fire Nation broke the treaty many years ago and attempted to take over the port. Since then, there are few ships that dare to come and trade. We have a small garrison of Earth Kingdom and Water soldiers, but the attacks are rare now – perhaps thrice a year. Nanami has been rebuilt since those times, and we are self-sufficient now, for the most part. For the rest – " Deukku jerked his thumb toward the back of the wagon. "You see why we cannot stop. I don't like to be away for a long time. Captured, Nanami would be a strategic holding for the Fire Nation, especially with their control of Omashu. It's a good port to funnel soldiers and supplies through, and a base could possibly be built nearby." Suddenly Deukku laughed. "I must be getting a bit tipsy. Sorry to be so bleak! What of yourself?"

Zuko finished the bite of meat pie in his mouth and said, "My uncle and I were displaced by the war. We've been traveling ever since, looking for a place to settle down." Deukku's long-winded conversation had provided him with ample time to concoct this simple explanation.

"Well, perhaps Nanami will be your place. Do you like the sea?"

Grimly, Zuko replied, "I've had some experience with it."

"Good!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They traveled through the night and into the heat of the next day. At first, Zuko was reluctant to leave his uncle's side, but Iroh remained in a drug-induced stupor. At length, he offered to take a turn at the reins. Deukku accepted, beaming, and after giving Zuko a brief demonstration, left him alone in the midday sun. The girl, Smellerbee, joined him after a few minutes. There was an uncomfortable silence until Zuko attempted to thank her.

"I'm indebted to you…" he began awkwardly, and then trailed off as she waved a dismissive hand.

"Don't worry about it." She arranged herself more comfortably on the seat and brought out a knife and a whetstone. "It was my pleasure after I'd figured out who you were."

Zuko tensed, recalling the faces of the villagers. You're no prince. Mouths that had been cheering minutes before, now curled up with scorn. And a childish, but heartfelt I hate you! "Oh?" he asked, trying to appear calm.

Smellerbee finished sharpening the first knife and moved on to another, rubbing smudged paint over the bridge of her nose as she wiped away sweat. "Your uncle was in excellent condition for a man his age."

"Yes." The lion-mules were feeling his tension. He forced himself to relax his grip on the reins.

"You're carrying broadswords – heavy weaponry for a simple traveler. And," Smellerbee paused briefly, "you knew that I was a girl. Only a warrior would know something like that. The commoners all think I'm a boy."

Genuinely confused, Zuko said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're among friends," Smellerbee reassured him in her hoarse voice. "I know that a Fire Nation soldier wouldn't burn a ghost town and injure an old man like that unless he had good cause. Well, if the Fire Nation has cause to do that to you, then I'm pleased to know you and assisted you and your uncle."

There seemed to be nothing else to say. Zuko was silent as Smellerbee sharpened a third knife and cleaned her face. Without her paint, she looked like an innocent girl-child. Finally she rose and went into the cabin of the wagon.

The midday sun blurred the road before them. Zuko wiped a thin layer of sweat and dust from his face. He could taste the dust in the back of his throat, mingled with the bitter tang of fear. Swallowing, he tried to fix his eyes on the horizon ahead, but he soon drifted off to sleep, lulled by the sound of the lion-mules' hooves.

When he woke, the sun was setting, and it was much colder. The vegetation had changed, too, and the lion-mules galloped along as if something were chasing them. Listening carefully, Zuko could make out the distant roar of the sea. He rose, careful to balance his weight evenly, and stretched out his sore muscles. The air was clean and tasted of salt. He remained standing for a moment, staring at the first few stars in the sky. Something like a cry rose up in his throat, but instead he exhaled forcefully. Turning, he ducked down and went into the cabin.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sokka opened his mouth and took a deep breath as they strolled through the marketplace. "Meat," he said contentedly.

The four travelers had stopped in a backwater Earth Kingdom town to buy supplies before settling down so that Toph could instruct Aang in earthbending. Surprisingly, the marketplace had a decent variety of food and other tools, and after eating a large meal, the four had set out to peruse the wares available. Already the people of the town were whispering and pointing as Aang happily went from stall to stall, pointing at curios and occasionally snatching up a piece of bread or fruit to munch.

"Don't spend too much," Sokka cautioned Katara after she'd purchased Aang his third treat, a bag of litchi nuts. "We need money for supplies."

"I know," she said. "Don't buy too much meat. Aang doesn't eat it, and you can always hunt."

Sokka sighed. "I know," he replied, and reached out to touch a shaded table holding pounds of some bright red fillet. "But these don't live in the wild."

"Hm?"

"The ones without hair or feathers or bone."

Katara rolled her eyes. "Just be useful for once and get something the three of us can enjoy."

Stung, Sokka wandered away, though he kept an eye on Aang, expecting if not trouble, then some kind of commotion.

Gradually yet predictably, the townspeople began to approach Aang. One gave him a wreath of flowers; another, a hand-bound book. Soon he was laden with gifts and grinning with embarrassment as the babble of the marketplace rose to a crescendo around him.

"Please," said Toph, suddenly at Sokka's elbow. He paused in his examination of a

slaughtered turtle hen, hung upside down by its feet, and looked down at her. Her face was blank, but her arms were folded in a gesture of annoyance. "Can we hurry up and get out of here? I don't want to be recognised by anyone, and that's kind of hard when you're traveling with him."

"Just a few more minutes," Sokka replied. "If you'd like to help me carry supplies back to Appa, then – "

"Hey! I've got something for you!" A man on a skittery ostrich horse approached them, dismounting with some difficulty. Sokka released the turtle hen and it swung away, to the dismay of the shopkeeper. He faced the man with a marked disinterest.

"If you're looking for the Avatar, that's him," Sokka said, motioning over his back to where Aang was scarfing down a basket of pastries with a few of the town's children.

"No, I'm looking for his companion…" the man pulled a tattered parchment from his belt and read with difficulty, "Takka."

"Sokka?"

"Maybe. Anyway, I'm supposed to give it to a Water Tribe boy traveling with the Avatar. That's you." The man rummaged in a parcel slung over the ostrich horse's back and extracted a scroll, which he handed to Sokka, who was silently bristling at the word 'boy'. Sokka accepted it, and his breath caught when he saw the markings etched on its end.

"What is it?" Toph asked, sounding mildly interested.

"It's from Bato, a family friend." Sokka started to open the scroll, pausing only when the man cleared his throat loudly. He produced a coin and flipped it absent-mindedly at the man, not noticing the latter's scowl at the amount, and continued to unroll the message. He stood motionless, reading, as the commotion surrounding Aang slowly died down and Katara made her way over to them, grinning.

Toph ground her foot into the dust, noting Sokka's rising heartbeat. "Well? What's going on?"

"Sokka?" Katara called. "I'm done buying supplies. We can leave now." As she and Aang drew closer, she noticed that Sokka had blanched and was licking his lips over and over. Other than that, not a single muscle of his body moved. She gently touched him on the shoulder, and he jumped.

"He got a message from some guy named Bato," Toph announced in a monotone. "Now can we please leave before someone comes up with the bright idea of giving Aang all the firstborn children in town?"

"Is Dad okay?" Katara asked, fear clouding her voice. Wordlessly, Sokka handed her the scroll. She read it, frowning, while Sokka knelt and started stuffing his satchel with supplies that she had just bought. "I don't understand. Why didn't he ask me to come with you?"

"Dad wouldn't want that," Sokka replied as he tucked food into the satchel. "He doesn't want you to get hurt."

Aang toyed with his wreath, concerned but recognising that it would be unwise to come between the siblings. "Go where? Why?"

"Bato has just found our father at a port on the west coast of the Earth Kingdom. When Bato told him that we were traveling with the Avatar, he asked that Sokka join them immediately. Bato says here that he's worried about our father's mental health – that he knows what we're doing with Aang is important, but that he thinks it's best if Sokka does come, and right away. I don't understand," Katara said, her voice rising slightly out of control. "What do you mean, he doesn't want me to get hurt? I can fight just as well as you. Better than you!"

"Katara," Aang said in alarm.

Sokka rose to his feet quickly, and Katara could see in his eyes that she had hurt him. Nevertheless, his voice, when he spoke, was deadpan.

"Our father doesn't know that, remember?" He forced a laugh that fell dead into the dusty air. "The last time he saw you, you were only waterbending to pull pranks. And it's better if you stay with Aang anyway. It'll take him awhile to master earthbending, won't it? You guys don't need me during that time. Besides, you know where I'm going. We'll be back together again in no time, whether you come to me or I come to you." This was all addressed in the direction of Aang, though it was clear from the tone of the words that Sokka meant them for Katara.

"You're leaving?" Aang asked, sounding helpless.

"He's not leaving! I won't let him leave," Katara ground out, though she felt close to screaming, and wanted to finish with without me. Instead she saw the hurt and confusion in Aang's eyes, and something inside her seemed to break, scattering ice throughout her body. She took Aang's hand, and forced a smile that would not quite come. "…without a goodbye." With her other hand, she grabbed the bag of supplies, then leaned forward and kissed Sokka's cheek. "Bye, Sokka." The kiss was shorter and more stunning than a slap.

He pressed his fingers to his cheek, and in his mind, he could see blood on the tundra of his home.

Toph felt her move off with Aang, and then turned to Sokka. "You're really leaving?"

Sokka watched his sister disappear with the Avatar at her side. He wanted to run after her and explain, plead his case, force her into understanding, beg her forgiveness, embrace her. He wanted to say a million things, but the desire to bite his tongue won over and filled his mouth with a metallic silence.

"Yeah," Sokka said, and turned his back on Toph as well. "I'm leaving."