It's been seven months of hell for Lin. Exactly seven months ago Tenzin walked out of her life for that floozy air acolyte. If it wasn't for Toph, Lin would have thrown the timid young girl in jail. Five months after that, Toph had decided to join Aang, her lifelong friend, at last. Lin did not know what her mother was thinking. Leaving her like that, when she needed her the most. The only thing that Lin clearly remembers about the dreadful ceremony was she looking at Toph's peaceful face as she slept while Katara's occasional sobs broke the heavy silence in the atmosphere. Lin did not acknowledge any gesturers of comfort or sympathy from who knew who! She did not remember who came to grieve or who did not. It did not matter. The only person that mattered was there, right in front of her, peacefully asleep. So she just sat there, awaiting her awakening. But sadly, she did not. Avatar's family was extremely worried for her. They were worried that she'd do something stupid or devastating out of grief. But she had surprised them by simply kissing Toph on the forehead and giving her a lingering hug before she left. No tears whatsoever!
The very next day, Lin had shown up in the headquarters and took her place as the chief of police. Ever since then, she had been working restless. No Katara or Kya had succeeded in sharing her grief or getting her to talk about it. Bumi had come to HQ before he left and pulled Lin in to a tight hug. Lin did not return the gesture though she did not protest. So, Bumi has left succeeding only to get a mere nod from Lin to his heartfelt words of sympathy. When it came to Tenzin, she didn't even care to listen to him. Everything felt empty without Toph. It was just Lin and the rest of the world, to which she was bound by duty, only by duty.
A month had passed and Lin was tired. She needed a break from everything, from everyone. She needed not to walk pass Toph's statue every morning, feeling that she was giving her the smug smile Lin so loved. She needed a break from sympathetic looks and hushed conversations that died down when she got closer to the whisperers. She needed a break from Kya, Katara and Bumi's messages that had started to pile on her locker, unopened an untouched. She needed to get away from Tenzin's guilty conscious and his gray eyes that bore holes in to her head at every council meeting, trying to get her attention and to get her to talk about… everything. She needed time out. She needed her wounds healed, though she knew she's scarred for life, first by Tenzin's betrayal, then by Toph.
So, at the next council meeting, it wasn't the chief who represented the police, but the deputy. Tenzin waited patiently till the meeting was over and asked the deputy about the chief's absence.
"Chief has taken leave. Straight for a month." He said giving Tenzin a very displeased look. "Difficult time for her councilman! First you abandoned her. Then the late chief. In such a short time span!" And he walked away, leaving Tenzin to stare at his own feet.
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"Didn't she tell where she was going?" Tenzin asked the maid of Beifong manor.
"No. She But she won't be here for a while Councilman. Lin said she'd be visiting few places." The maid answered with a peculiar expression which Tenzin recognized to be a combination of equal dislike and respect for him.
"OK. Fine. If you hear from her, please let me know." He said giving her a curt bow and standing up from his chair. He noticed a map with several crosses marking it, lying on the stool few feet away. Using his bending he took the map and examined it, only to have his eyes widen in shock. The desert, Serpent's pass, and the Wu-long forest! Could these possibly be Lin's places of visiting? Was this Lin's travel plan?
