The Herbalist Part II – The Village
Appa let out a low groan as they sped towards the Fire Nation islands with Zuko urging the sky bison faster and faster. It seemed as if luck was on their side when they approached their chosen island, as the heavens threatened to unleash a strong storm, dark clouds blocking out the sun and turning the sky almost black. A few spots of rain splashed Toph's skin, but the warmth and humidity kept her from being cold as they descended on a dense tropical forest that Zuko and Haru assured her was near a village.
Sure enough, when Toph jumped down from Appa's side she dug her toes in the ground and felt the distant hum of people walking around; some of the vibrations dampened by what was most-likely wooden flooring. She tried not to make a face at the idea of not being able to see when they walked into shops.
"Are you sure you will be all right?" Haru questioned as he took Appa's reigns from Zuko.
Appa gave a concerned whiffle and Zuko placed a reassuring hand on the sky bison's nose. "Barely anyone this far from the Capitol will recognize me. We'll be quick, but if there is any trouble then take Appa and head towards the Earth Kingdom. Only when you've lost any tails can you head towards the Western Air Temple. The last thing we want is Azula to find them when Aang's not at full strength."
Haru nodded, his grip on Appa's reigns tightening. Toph sighed in boredom and began walking towards the nearest town.
"Stop worrying so much, Moustache Boy." She could feel Zuko turning to walk after her. "We'll be there and back with the medicine before you know it. You can even use the time to practice locating people with earthbending." She casually waved back while Zuko lengthened his stride to quickly catch up with her.
Zuko's cloak swished around him as he slowed and pulled the hood over his head. Toph, who was also wearing a cloak, decided to leave hers down unless it started raining any more than the couple of drops that occasionally leaked through the trees. After all, she was much less likely to be recognized in the same way Zuko was in the Fire Nation… well, except in that one town.
Zuko suddenly took a long, deep breath, meaning he was either about to firebend or he was about to ask something and he was worried about her reaction. Since Toph was unable to feel anyone nearby, she assumed it was the latter. Sure enough, a moment later he let out the breath and Toph felt the urge to roll her eyes (however sighted people did it), choosing to show her annoyance by letting out a short huff.
"Would you just spit it out already?" She asked impatiently.
Zuko jumped slightly, obviously forgetting her awareness of him in his nervousness. He fumbled a bit before speaking awkwardly. "We should probably use more common names just in case people recognize our ones. You can call me Lee."
Toph noted with interest that the name fell from his tongue as if he was familiar with it. Maybe it had been his false name in the Earth Kingdom, after all, there were hundreds of guys called Lee there too. "Fine, as long as I don't have to be Sa Fire."
Zuko paused to turn and look at her, genuine confusion evident in his voice. "Why would you use a name like that?"
"I didn't, but Katara did when she was pretending to be Aang's mom when he enrolled in a school. Blame Sokka."
Zuko let out a snort of amusement and Toph laughed more openly beside him as she pondered some of the girls' names she had heard. "What about Mai? I heard a lot of girls' names containing Mai in them."
Zuko stumbled slightly, his heart speeding up. Just as Toph was going to suggest something else, he replied quietly, "Yeah… that should be fine."
The sudden crunch of leaves beneath her feet distracted Toph from any comment. Kneeling down and placing a hand on the uncovered ground, Toph found what she was looking for. "There's a trap up ahead covered by leaves. Not very smart if you ask me. The leaves haven't even started to drop yet."
"It's not meant for us," Zuko informed her absently, stepping cautiously forward.
Bending down so that one of his hands was also supporting his weight, Zuko took a closer look at it. "Must be something worth catching in this forest, but that doesn't make sense..." he trailed off.
Toph folded her hands over her chest, wondering when Zuko started reminding her of Sokka minus the good humor. "Why do you say that? Are there tracks or something?"
"Huh?" Zuko questioned, turning towards her. He seemed to understand what she was asking a moment later, though. "No, I can only track people… or Appa." He added awkwardly as if he expected her to bury him for that comment. The pause lasted a bit longer than it should have, but Toph waited patiently for him to continue. "What I mean is that this island is one of the best places for farming in the Fire Nation: meat, livestock, vegetables, wheat, herbs… the soil is some of the best of any island. I'm not an expert trapper, but I can tell it was set by someone desperate for food, especially because I don't remember there being very many wild animals here," Zuko concluded, standing up again.
Toph and Zuko each walked opposite ways around the trap, meeting again once they were clear of it. A small amount of drizzle began pattering against the leaves of the trees above them and dripping on the two travelers. Toph scrunched up her face in annoyance before pulling her hood over her head and walking on the dusty ground that was quickly turning to mud as more and more drops made their way down. Mud found its way under her sole-less shoes, squelching between her toes as she walked further.
Time seemed to pass quickly before they reached the edge of the village.
"Now don't forget we're colonials, Lee and Mai, who are travelling to Capitol City. Don't talk to anyone unless they ask you a question."
Toph brushed off his concerns with a shrug of her shoulders and stepped towards what she assumed was the village market. Zuko followed a step behind her, swords at his side concealed in his cloak.
People jostled and fought their ways to the best deals at the fronts of shop stalls. Zuko kept a hand on Toph's arm and Toph discretely alerted him to any pickpockets trying to steal from the Blind Bandit and the Blue Spirit. Fresh meat and fish overwhelmed the smell of the damp air around them, occasionally side-lined by the sporadic stalls selling herbs or perfumes and soaps.
Eventually they found the shop they were looking for – a more permanent wooden building on stilts behind the market stalls. Toph stepped onto wood with unsteady feet and loosely held onto Zuko's hand in order to let him guide her. While she hated having to rely on other people, sometimes playing the part of 'helpless little blind girl' could be a good strategy to get what they wanted.
"Hello?" She called out in a shaky voice as Zuko walked up the last step to move close to her.
"Hello there!" A cheerful and surprisingly young voice answered from the other side of the room.
Toph heard the clinking of glasses and the bang of wood on uncared for metal hinges. Shoes scraped on the ground as the woman walked towards them, stopping in front of them.
"Is there something I can help you with?" She asked in a friendly voice, aimed towards Zuko.
Toph tried not to make a face at being ignored, despite being the first to speak out. Just because she was blind, people automatically assumed her ears must not work either. In fact, Toph knew her hearing was second to none. Toph felt Zuko shift uncomfortably at the woman's attention before he replied.
"We're just travelling through town, but some of our friends are sick. They've got Fire Fever. We were wondering if you had any treatment here?"
As Zuko continued to speak, the woman walked back behind the counter and started to pull out different jars. Toph heard each clink as she shifted jars around, opening some and replacing others. With a small tug on her hand, Zuko pulled Toph towards the back of the small shop. Toph trusted Zuko, but it hardly stopped her from sliding her feet cautiously along the ground and hoping there were not any nails sticking out.
"Ah, here we go," the young woman exclaimed with excitement when she finally found what she was looking for. "We're a bit low on medical supplies, but I should have enough. How many are infected?"
"There are four kids between our ages," Zuko replied.
The girl let out a low whistle. "Right, then." Something crinkled into Zuko's palm. "Boil these with water and make them each drink one. It doesn't taste nice, so you may have to force it down." She paused for a beat. "Or you can try sweetening it with honey, but it doesn't help much."
"Thank you."
Zuko paid the girl and turned away from her. He was about to lead Toph out when she felt the herbalist grab Zuko's shoulder, pulling him away from her and whispering something she couldn't hear. Toph frowned in the girl's general direction and yanked Zuko along behind her. He stumbled, but recovered quickly.
"I don't like her," Toph commented when they were a little further away from the shop, walking back through the market and back on solid ground.
"What was wrong with her?" Zuko asked, genuinely confused.
Toph turned her head away in embarrassment. "She was making moves on you."
"Huh?" was Zuko's only reply for a few paces. "I don't think she was," he said, seeming to know something. "Besides, as soon as she saw my face she would have found an excuse to be busy."
Toph remembered Sokka once describing Zuko's scar and wondered if it was really as bad as people seemed to make it out to be. Toph extended her earthbending towards the various stalls and opened her nostrils to the numerous smells.
"Hey Sunshine." She felt Zuko turn to look at her. "Since you and Meathead didn't get any edible meat on your last 'hunting trip,'" she said the last part with obvious sarcasm, "and Sugar Queen's probably gonna be out for the next few days, how about we bring back some real food?"
"Well…" Zuko hesitated.
"It'll probably get you points with Katara," she sang temptingly.
"She'll probably accuse me of poisoning everyone through the food," Zuko mumbled, but loud enough that Toph just caught it. Nevertheless, he relented and they were soon each carrying a full bag of food out of the market.
No sooner had they gotten past the last stall did the town's warning bell start chiming. Zuko grabbed Toph's hand and yanked her into a dark alley, taking out the packets of herbs and pressing them into her hands. "You remember what she told us?" Toph nodded, realizing this was not the time for argument. "Get these to Haru and fly out towards the Earth Kingdom before going back to the rest of the group. The last thing we need is for them to find Aang and the others when we're weak."
"What about you?" Toph asked with a hint of fear, though she would never admit it to him or anyone else.
"I'll cover for you," he said in a tone that left no argument. Zuko placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and turned out of the alley, throwing back his hood as he left.
Tucking the herbs into her shirt pocket, Toph picked up the bags of food and earthbent a tunnel out of the town and towards Appa as fast as she could go.
Zuko threw back his hood, fire ready to call into his right palm as the guards neared. However, Zuko was surprised when they dashed past him as if he did not even exist. Still confused, he turned to look at the stall owners and their families frantically packing their belongings away. No one seemed to recognize the banished prince of the Fire Nation or to consider him a threat.
Pebbles on the ground began to shake and Zuko turned in the direction the guards had run. He tensed, ducking back into the alley as two komodo-rhinos came charging down the street, their riders masked almost completely in red and black. The width of the street was barely enough for them to pass, so they crashed through the market, destroying makeshift stalls in a matter of seconds, not even bothering to inspect the damage done and whooping loudly, firing random blasts of flames into the air and towards houses.
Less than half a dozen guards moved in after the riders, ready to defend the town, but their helmets prevented them from noticing that another rider was coming from behind. Cursing himself for what he was about to do, Zuko pulled over his hood once more and rushed straight at the third rider.
"Move!"
The guards barely had enough time to jump out of the way before Zuko sent a powerful blast of fire at the feet of the komodo-rhino. Despite their military training, even komodo-rhinos did not like strong fire being aimed at their feet, and it reared up in response, almost toppling down onto his rider who rolled out of the way just in time not to be crushed under its weight. Its tail lashed out and struck an already damaged wooden stall, shattering it to pieces. The beast let out a bellow in surprise and panic.
However, the komodo-rhino was quick to recover and Zuko darted over and jumped up from the side, using the now empty reigns and thick skin to swing himself over and into the saddle. Old military training quickly took over and Zuko had the beast under control and charging after the other two bandits. Stampeding past the damaged stalls, Zuko realized the two riders had stopped outside the herbalist's shop.
As they came into view more clearly, he saw one of the riders dragging out the herbalist, who was struggling to pull away. Zuko's rhino let out an intimidating roar and the rider holding the herbalist barely had enough time to push her away and mount his own rhino before Zuko smashed into them. A tail flew out and took off the side of a building and Zuko grit his teeth at the damage caused.
Thinking quickly, Zuko urged his beast past the other two riders and into a more open square in the center of the town. Glancing behind himself to make sure the two were following him, Zuko barely had enough time to direct his ride's tail up to dissipate a fire blast aimed straight for his head. Bringing the komodo-rhino around Zuko stared down his two opponents.
"Who do you think you are," one of the riders shouted in question as guards warily lined up around parts of the square, keeping back curious onlookers.
"I could ask you the same question," Zuko replied defiantly.
The riders shared a look before turning back to face him. Finally, the second one, who was slightly closer to him, spoke. "Some people have been a bit behind on their defense fees and we're here to remind them why they should keep paying."
"You're thugs."
"Call us what you like, kid, but the town's guards can't stop us, so what makes you think that you can?"
The rain began to beat down harder, thundering off tiled roofs and splashing into quickly forming puddles. Zuko tightened his reins and kicked his beast hard enough to send it charging towards them. Fire laced around one arm of each of the masked riders as they separated and urged their beasts into a canter. Zuko drew out both his swords, using the stirrups to direct the komodo-rhino around. He had almost forgotten how slow they were compared to the Earth Kingdom's ostrich-horses.
Coming around he was suddenly surprised to only see one fire ahead of him. Turning to his left, Zuko barely had enough time to register the fire blast coming towards his blind side. Water and mud soaked into his clothes as he fell back into a puddle, but had little time to curse his luck as he barely rolled away, dodging another fire blast. Rolling onto his feet, Zuko used his swords and now-soaked cloak to deflect the blasts coming towards him. The rain continued to pound down and the fire made it difficult to look at anything else, meaning Zuko had no idea what they were planning and was just reacting blindly to the blasts coming towards him.
Thundering clawed feet alerted Zuko just in time to the komodo-rhino approaching quickly. Sending a powerful bloom of fire towards the ground, he hoped to stop the beast in its tracks. However, unlike last time this rider stayed on, directing the beast to land its front feet on Zuko. Unable to move away in time, Zuko pulled his swords up automatically in defense, knowing the komodo-rhino would crush them in seconds before it finished him.
Suddenly, Zuko felt the ground give out from under him like the falling sensation people sometimes get when they are dreaming. There were a few moments of stomach-dropping free-fall before Zuko crashed against a much firmer and dryer layer of earth. Clutching his swords in a white-knuckled grip Zuko attempted to regain his bearings in the darkness. The soft scrape of skin on rock barely reached Zuko's ears, but it was enough to pinpoint the other person. Dropping his swords and lighting one of his fists on fire he was about to a burst of flame when a familiar voice cut him off.
"Woah, watch it! Don't you dare burn my feet again, Sunshine," Toph shouted.
Lowering his fist, but keeping the flame going, Zuko relaxed his stance. "Toph," he breathed in relief. "I thought I told you to find Haru."
Toph glared at him, arms crossed over her chest. "Hey, I'm blind, not deaf. I gave Haru the medicine and instructions and told him to head back to Aang and the others. No way am I leaving you to deal with these guys on your own."
Zuko smiled, comparing this to the time he saved Lee from those corrupt Earth Kingdom guards. It was a nice change having someone he could rely on. As he nodded to her with renewed determination, a plan began to form.
"So much for your savior!" taunted the lead rider, setting fire to one of the opposite buildings.
His companion who had lost his komodo-rhino had run away, but the two remaining slowly circled their beasts around the center, mocking the villagers. Oka stood in the rain watching them gloat with fists clenched at her sides, glaring at them defiantly despite her helplessness.
Finally, the one who had spoken walked his beast over to her, "Now, now Oka don't give me that expression. You're behind on your payments, so anything that happens to you is your own fault," he said matter-of-factly, juggling a ball of fire in his hand lazily.
He pulled his arm back to throw the fire towards a nearby building when suddenly he was swallowed up by a black cloak and the next thing Oka knew, he was on the ground with a sword pressed on his neck and the cloaked stranger from before on top of him.
"Call off your friend and I'll let you go," the stranger threatened, pressing the sword closer to the man's windpipe.
The other rider ignored the warning and urged his beast toward the stranger. Oka gave a cry of warning to the cloaked man, but it was unnecessary. The rider did not get very far, his komodo-rhino appearing to trip on air to come crashing down on its side. Oka glanced around at the villagers who were watching the scene unfold with stunned awe, as if all their prayers had finally been answered. She could not help but feel satisfaction at these brutes finally getting what they deserved.
The hooded stranger stood up gracefully, bringing the threatening sword away from the leader enough that he could move, but not so much that he could attack without hurting himself. The leader moved away and stood up, the sword remaining pointed at his throat.
"Leave." A flash of lightening came out of nowhere, serving to highlight the stranger's threat.
The two remaining masked men stepped away and mounted their beasts, turning them around to ride defiantly out of the village, but a victory was a victory. Oka let out a sigh of relief, sinking against the shop she had been protecting with a hand over her belly.
"Oka, are you alright?" One of the female guards, who appeared to be uninjured, rushed over to her and helped her back inside her shop.
"Bring any of the injured inside and I'll see what I can do," Oka called out behind her.
She sent one more glance at the hooded man before being helped back to her shop.
Zuko looked over to see Toph walking towards him. Rain soaked her hair, dripping off tips and running down her skin. She gave him a smile and then turned in the direction of the herbalist with a thoughtful expression on her face.
"She's pregnant."
Zuko looked down at Toph in surprise, suddenly remembering she would not have been able to notice that earlier due to the wooden floor of the shop. He gave a nod of confirmation and began looking around for a place to take shelter.
"You two," a guard called out, motioning towards Toph and Zuko, "come with us!"
Zuko glanced nervously at Toph, who continued to stare sightlessly ahead. She gave a small nod and Zuko took that as a signal to follow the tall female guard, though at a slower pace, staying out of the way, but close enough they would not be accused of attempting to run. Both remained vigilant, not knowing if one of them might suddenly be recognized by one of the villagers.
They were led out of the rain into the herbalist's shop and through a back door into what Zuko could only assume was the woman's house. Initially keeping a hand on Toph to steer her out of danger if necessary (which she shrugged off quickly), Zuko followed the tall guard into what looked like it was normally supposed to be a dining room. At this time there were people lying on cushions with minor burns, cuts and bruises. Some were bandaged and treated already, while another one or two were still waiting to be seen to.
The herbalist walked up to them, rubbing her hands with a cloth before tucking it in the apron she had put on. She looked weary from rushing around, but relieved.
"Thank you for helping us," she directed towards Zuko. "I suppose you'll need to get back to your friends."
"Actually," Toph replied, directing the woman's attention to her, "we gave the medicine to a friend who's taking it to them. They're camped about a day away because we were worried about spreading infection."
The herbalist nodded at Toph's answer, seemingly pleased with the turn of events. Suddenly she stopped. "Of course, where are my manners? My name is Oka." She introduced herself with a polite bow.
"My name is Lee," Zuko introduced himself, returning the Fire Nation bow before gesturing to Toph. "And this is Mai."
"It's an honor to meet both of you," replied Oka. "It's a bit late to be travelling. Would you like to stay with me for the night? I have a spare room since my father passed and I'm afraid the inn is the only other place that offers beds for the night."
Zuko felt a tug on his shoulder and bent down to let Toph whisper in his ear. "I told Haru to come back in a few days."
Zuko nodded as he stood up straight, "We told our friends to catch up with us when they were well. Would we be able to stay for a few days? We have money," he added, pulling out a pouch of coins.
By now many of the injured were being led out of the house, though one or two of the guards seemed to want to speak with Oka. Oka waved them away slightly, mouthing something that probably meant that she would speak to them in a moment.
"After what you did for our village, I couldn't ask you to pay." Despite her sincerity, she seemed a bit reluctant to turn it down.
"Look," Toph said practically, ever the merchant's daughter, "Lee and I need a place to stay and hot meals would be missed, since he's a terrible cook. So how about we pay for a room and meals?"
"If it's not too much trouble," Zuko added quickly, hoping Toph's bluntness did not come across as too rude.
Oka gave him a beautiful smile in return and glanced back to the guards. "All right then. If you don't mind waiting in the kitchen I'll just be a moment."
Toph and Zuko nodded and left her to talk privately with the other villagers and found their way into the kitchen. At the other end of the room, the door opened up to a porch at the front with steps leading to a small courtyard with a shed at the back. The rain was still pounding off the rooftops and the drumming made its way indoors even though everything stayed dry.
Zuko removed his soaking cloak as Toph removed hers and handed it to him. Finding a convenient spot to dry, he hung them up out of the way, where a puddle began to form underneath. Toph stood in the middle of the room, seemingly not knowing what to do with herself.
"So what now?" she asked, shrugging her shoulders.
Zuko could not think of any sort of reply, but he was saved from having to think about it when Oka walked past them briskly. "Sorry for all the rushing about," she called out over her shoulder, "my father was the village doctor, but he died recently. I've been swamped with patients without a clear idea of how to help most of them." Oka stepped back inside with a full bucket of water in her arms. "He taught me a bit, but all of his apprentices have left to serve over in the colonies where the soldiers desperately need them."
With a long sigh, she set down the bucket on one of the table tops and pulled out some spark rocks. She considered them for a moment before turning towards Zuko. "You don't mind starting a fire for me do you, Lee?"
Zuko opened up the stove and checked the wood levels before sending a quick burst of flame inside and closing the door again once they had taken to the wood. Oka waited patiently and smiled when she watched how easily it caught and spread. She then shooed the two towards the hallway.
"Dinner should be ready in a few moments. I'm having other guests over, so you should go to meet them first."
"Do you need any help?" Zuko asked, calling back to her.
"He's a lousy cook." Toph's reminder came before Oka could reply and Zuko shot a look at Toph.
Oka laughed, shaking her head. "I had just finished before those brutes turned up, so I just need to heat it. Dinner will be out soon."
Just then, an old woman pushed past Zuko and Toph from the dining room. "You two go and sit down like Oka said. I'll be helping her."
Zuko sat down quietly next to Toph as he looked around the now almost-empty dining room. The only people remaining were a man seated opposite him who seemed to be in his early thirties and had already taken his chair before they had arrived, and a woman, who seemed to be one of the village guards, seated next to him and opposite Toph.
Everyone turned when Oka finally walked in carrying a large pot, followed by the old woman with a plate of bread. The two women sat opposite each other – the old woman between Toph and the guard, and Oka between Zuko and the other man. The food was set down and the old woman began to speak in a gruff, no-nonsense tone.
"It's so nice to see so many people around this table. I just wish it was under better circumstances."
The others murmured their agreement as Oka carefully dished out the food. Zuko took a bite and smiled, glad to have some spicy food rather than the much blander food of the Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom. Next to him, Toph started coughing and Zuko pushed the cup of water into her hand, which she gratefully gulped down. By now, all the people at the table were staring at her strangely and Zuko racked his brains for a plausible excuse.
"Are you alright, Mai?"
Toph coughed a few more times while attempting to nod. "Yeah, sorry about that. We lived on the edge of the colonies, so I didn't grow up on spicy food."
"I can try making you something else," Oka offered kindly.
"Nah, don't worry about it." Toph brushed it off. "It just surprised me is all. Though," she added after a moment's hesitation, "I wouldn't say no to more water."
The old woman gave a bark of laughter. "Now that's the spirit! A girl after my own heart."
Oka stood to get a pitcher of water and the others joined in the laughter, allowing Zuko to let out a breath of relief at how easily Toph had covered herself. Hopefully, he thought, they would be able to get through the meal without giving themselves away.
"So," the man started with a neutral tone, "you're from the colonies?"
Zuko chewed the last of his food, nodding. "My father is in Capitol City, so we're travelling there to meet him."
"You kids be careful," warned the guard, "I've heard the Avatar is back and in the Fire Nation."
Zuko tried not to look nervous. "Has any word reached here from the Capitol about his location?"
The three shook their heads. "We've only heard about the failed invasion and that the Fire Lord's son has turned traitor. What else would you expect from a coward?" the old woman spat.
Zuko clenched his fist under the table until his fists shook. A small comforting hand on top of his gave a strong squeeze and he relaxed slightly, squeezing her hand between his thumb and the rest of his hand in thanks.
"Wait, I thought he had recently returned a hero?" Toph asked, seeming genuinely confused and Zuko silently praised her for her acting abilities, since he certainly could not think clearly enough to make conversation.
"That's what we all thought too. The hero who had killed the Avatar, but in reality he had ridden on his sister's glory and hadn't even succeeded in killing the greatest threat to the Fire Nation, instead covering it up and making his father and sister clean up his mess.
"A coward until the end. You know he even refused to fight his own father in an Agni Kai after he had accepted the duel?" The old woman continued. "And now he's helping the Avatar master firebending to bring down his own father and take the throne for himself."
"All right, that's enough Mei Ling." Oka tried to placate the old woman as she walked in with more water. "We need to concentrate on the threat to our village."
"A threat to the Fire Nation is a threat to the village." Mei Ling countered.
Zuko caught the guard rolling her eyes. "While I understand what you mean, Mei Ling, we need to stop the current threat."
"Who are they anyway?" asked Zuko, feeling somewhat glad he was no longer the topic of conversation.
"A bunch of rich nobles who have too much time on their hands, so they come around villages like ours and make our lives worse than Koh's captured faces," the man across from Zuko answered. "I assume you saw the big house on the hill when you arrived?"
Zuko nodded, remembering it from when Appa was flying over. "I think I caught a glimpse."
The man nodded, "It belongs to one of the Fire Lord's top generals. Strong military man; but not around much. His son, on the other hand, couldn't understand hard work if it hit him in the face. He likes to get his own way and if you try to stop him then he'll make your life miserable."
Out of the corner of his eye, Zuko watched Oka look away from the table in shame. Suddenly the pieces clicked together.
"He's the father of your child," he almost whispered, but everyone seemed to hear him except Mei Ling.
Oka put a hand on her swelling belly and looked at him with sad eyes. "Don't get the wrong idea. There was a time when we were in love with each other and he cared about me, but the way he spends money…" she trailed off, shaking her head. "He would need to marry a wealthy woman to sustain his habits, not a poor herbalist."
"He's also the ringleader of that little group that attacked tonight, although he wasn't with them this time," the man across from Zuko added.
Zuko nodded, accepting the information. "There was something else I was wondering: most of your villagers seem to be very young or very old. Where is the rest of the village?"
"They're off fighting in the Earth Kingdom," explained the guard. "I'm normally a teacher at the local school, but I'll don the guard's uniform when we're needed. Then there are a few like Yori here," she gestured towards the man sitting next to her, "who are retired from the services."
"We're an honorable village of loyal Fire Nation citizens. We like to send everyone we can to help in the efforts of civilizing the Earth Kingdom," Mei Ling continued proudly.
"But it does leave us somewhat vulnerable," concluded Oka and each looked down in shame.
"So why'd you retire?" asked Toph, and Zuko had to stop himself from smacking his head in humiliation at her bluntness.
Obviously seeing Zuko's exasperation, Yori laughed off his concern. "I kinda ran into a little trouble," he explained, lifting up his pant leg and revealing a wooden replacement for his leg, which had been severed just below the knee, "Earth Kingdom soldiers buried it when we clashed in battle. They were an elite squad and we were new recruits." Zuko's stomach dropped. "I decided to cut my losses and sever it before they could crush the rest of me.
"Luckily some of my comrades stayed to help me and our division was saved by another more experienced firebending squad, who were able to save what little there was left of us."
"How many did you lose?" Zuko asked, the white-knuckled grip on the material of his pants hidden under the table. This time he practically smacked away Toph's comforting hand.
Either Yori did not notice Zuko's intense stare or he ignored it. "We were a full division, well over three thousand men, but when the dust finally cleared there were only a dozen of us still alive. Another one died of his wounds a few days later. Most of us retired, unable to keep away the nightmares that we witnessed on that battlefield, even those who did come out unscathed physically."
"I'm sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry about," he reassured Zuko, obviously not understanding why the boy across from him looked so guilt-stricken. "Commanders obviously had no idea who we were dealing with. We were just lucky that that other division was nearby to come around and punish those dirt eaters for what they did to us."
"The 41st division suffered such a large number of fatalities. There were several dozen just from our village," Mei Ling stated. "Only two of our boys actually came back, though Yori's the only one who speaks of it."
"We used to have good, professional doctors when my father was still alive, but they've all gone to work in the Earth Kingdom and I was never a very good student," Oka admitted.
"So, you see what kind of situation we're in," concluded Yori.
"What can we do to help?" Zuko asked with fiery determination in his eyes.
"You look like you've had combat experience," Mei Ling observed, placing her chopsticks on her bowl and giving him a hard stare. "Yori and I can only teach so much, but maybe you can train some of the younger ones to defend themselves."
"Sure," Toph agreed and all of them looked at her in disbelief. "Lee's an ok firebender, so he might be able to teach you guys a thing or two."
"Your faith in me is heartening, Mai."
Toph cackled maniacally before eating a few more bites of her food and washing the spice down with rice and water. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't screw up."
Yori laughed, getting the joke almost instantly. "Sounds like a deal." He raised his glass and turned to Oka. "You gonna be able to handle these two by yourself for one night?"
She smiled to humor him, also raising her glass in a toast. "I think I can manage."
"I'm sorry I only have one bed. Will you be all right like this?" Oka asked, gesturing to the blankets on the wooden floor.
"This is a lot better than what we've been sleeping on for a while." Toph replied, bouncing on her seat at the edge of the bed and grinning.
Zuko also nodded and Oka gave them a smile. "All right then; breakfast is at sun up so make sure you're awake by then."
She gave them a cheerful wave, which Zuko returned more awkwardly before shutting the door softly. He heard Toph sigh followed by a soft thump as she threw herself back onto the bed. "I guess I should've said I've been sleeping on. After all, you've been getting pampered at the Palace all summer while we've been roughing it."
"Don't pretend that you don't enjoy sleeping in the dirt," Zuko shot back, but without any real malice.
Toph grinned, tipping her head towards the sound of his voice. "So, are we gonna arm wrestle for the bed? I'd suggest a bending battle, but I don't think that would go over too well with the locals."
"You're welcome to have it," Zuko offered turning from her again and rearranging the various blankets they had been given into a semi-comfortable mattress to sleep on. "Like you said, I haven't been sleeping rough for as long."
Toph rolled over, resting her chin on her hands and pouting. "You're no fun."
There were a few more moments of peace when Zuko laid out his bed on the floor and Toph lay quietly, however, he should have known the silence would not last very long.
"So," Toph began casually, setting off all sorts of warnings in Zuko's mind, "who's Mai?"
Zuko felt his heart plummet and was very glad Toph could not read him with her earthbending at that moment, but he turned to face her nonetheless. "Mai was one of my sister's friends from school. We started dating when I returned to the Fire Nation…"
"Wait, she was one of the girls chasing us, right? She wasn't the perky one, was she?" Toph asked, scrunching up her nose in distaste.
"What?" Zuko exclaimed, shuddering at the thought of dating Ty Lee – not that he disliked her, but she flirted with everyone. He was bad enough around Mai's admirers. "No! That's Ty Lee. Mai's the projectile expert."
"Oh, her. Sorry, I'd forgotten that was her name," she stated, sounding as far from apologetic as possible.
Zuko could only glare at how blasé she was being with their names, though he guessed she had no reason to ever memorize the names of Azula's cohorts. Silence continued and Zuko shifted nervously, trying to think of a way of starting casual conversation, but fortunately – or unfortunately – Toph saved him from needing to.
"Huh, so you go for the dark mysterious types then?"
Zuko could not help the snort that escaped. "She's hardly mysterious. We've known each other since we were kids."
"Childhood sweetheart then?"
Zuko blushed; glad Toph would not notice it. "I think I was hers, but I didn't have much interest in girls back then."
"Sure," she drawled, making it sound as if she did not really believe him, but before Zuko could even think about feeling indignant she went brutally on. "So what's with the guilt?"
All coherent thoughts left Zuko and he looked towards the floor.
"You're feeling guilty right now, aren't you?"
Zuko sighed, attempting to gather his thoughts. "When I decided to confront my father and teach Aang firebending I knew I couldn't take her along. I couldn't force her to choose between me and her family, so I left her a letter and went after you."
Toph visibly winced, "You wrote her a letter? Wow, way to rip her heart out."
Zuko cringed, "I know! I know it was stupid, but I couldn't risk her stopping me." The excuse just seemed so feeble now, especially after everything she had done for him at the Boiling Rock.
"Okay so you were a bit of a jerk, but at least she's safe, right?"
"That's the problem! When Sokka and I went to the Boiling Rock she was there. We talked a bit and then I locked her in the interrogation room."
"Ouch. So how'd she find you?"
"Her uncle is the warden to the Boiling Rock. The plan was for Sokka, Hakoda, Suki, Chit Sang and I to get away on the gondola that went over the boiling lake surrounding the prison, but then my sister showed up. The guards had us trapped and were about to cut the line when Mai suddenly burst out of nowhere and which bought enough time for us to get to the other side."
Zuko walked over and sat down on the bed next to Toph. "She disobeyed my sister and I have no idea why. I did all those horrible things to her and she still fought to protect me." Zuko's fists clenched at his sides. "I couldn't even go back for her! My girlfriend was in danger and I had to walk away. For all I know my last action towards her was locking her in a prison cell."
"Are you done angsting yet?"
Zuko glared down at her, ready to shout at her for being so callous when he saw her expression of determination.
"Maybe you never fought against Mai, but I did! She's pretty tough when it counts and I bet if anyone can give Azula a run for her money it's her. Besides, I can't imagine the twisty girl standing by while her friend is killed, so I bet when we defeat the Fire Lord we'll be able to find your girlfriend too. So stop your moping and let's concentrate on kicking your dad's butt!"
Zuko allowed a tentative smile to creep onto his face, feeling slightly better. "Thanks, Toph. I… uh… sorry for…"
Toph pushed him off the bed and pulled off her shoes. "Just let me get some sleep," she said before lying down. "I'll talk to you in the morning. Wake me up for breakfast if I'm not already up."
Zuko smiled up at her from his awkward position on the floor, righting himself slowly. "I will."
Please review. I would love to hear about which parts you liked best or least and anything that stood out - good or bad.