Sokka had obviously been pacing for a long time, probably since Toph had left. Katara leapt to her feet with a small cry, and Aang leapt, always light-footed, to her side as the slight girl entered the clearing, old fire bender in tow. Iroh looked around, blinked owlishly, and stated forlornly "I can't find my son."

†††

The alarm was raised two hours after Iroh followed Toph down underground. They were somewhere under the parade grounds at the time, the rhythmic drumming of feet drowning out not only the sound of their own motion, but also anything above ground as they moved through their earthy night. The message reached the main complex twenty minutes later, and traveled up the chain of command until, three and one-half hours after Iroh disappeared underground the message was intercepted by Princess Azula, who thanked the messenger icily, and told them she would deliver the news to her father the Fire Lord personally. The messenger, still reeling from the acid malevolence in the viper-like woman's voice, was only too grateful to escape the immediate vicinity. iAnd, oh,/i the poisonous voice called out. iNo one else must hear about this. We don't want any…undue rumors flying about. The old man will be brought in within the day and put quietly…elsewhere./i The man shuddered and quickened his pace down the long halls of the palace.

Azula turned away from the doors leading to the throne room, and went to 'find' her brother. Her little spiders, the Dai Li agents she had brought with her from the pathetic city of Ba Sing Se, kept a close and unseen eye on all the…important inhabitants, which unfortunately included her idiot brother, the young and oh so malleable Prince Zuko. He was getting brighter- he had caught her little barbed gift in the details of their fight with the avatar much too quickly. He would have to be dealt with eventually. She signaled one of her ever-present agents, her little black spiders, with a flick of her hand, and quickly found her fool brother. He was not in any of the usual places, rather, he was staring pensively down at the capitol city from a high tower at the south end of the city, near the river. Another thing to take care of- that river. There was little chance any water benders would seriously make it this far, but there had to be something she could do to make it harder to access…

"Ah, my dear brother. Why the long face? You have everything you wanted now. You are home, and Father has accepted you back! You should be happy." She purred this out, and waited for him to turn and face her with those dully expectant eyes. He did not. "My goodness, Zuko, Mai must really be getting to you! Perhaps you should take a day away from her."

"What do you want?" he asked tiredly. Dull.

"The traitor, Iroh, has been executed for his crimes. I just thought you'd like to know. Now there is nothing holding you back, no second thoughts to tie you down as you prepare to take the throne. Be happy, brother. All you ever wanted is now yours for the taking." She didn't wait for his reaction, but turned and almost bounced away. Hm…this is too much fun. I might have to keep him around a little longer…but then her attention was drawn elsewhere as one of her little spiders signaled to her from a palace rooftop.

iAzula always lies./i Zuko sighed. He had been unable to think of much else since they left Ba Sing Se behind them. He had been unable to rid his mind of the hopeless faces that had watched them leave the city, the broken, dull look on his uncle's face. He could not forget the stench of singed flesh, the cry of anguish as his sister's deadly lightning took its heavy toll in the caves below the once impenetrable city. He had not been able to shake the feeling of something severely wrong since he had chosen his sister, betraying his uncle, betraying …the fury, the near hatred in those blue eyes had scared him. Had… hurt him. He couldn't shake the feeling of them always on his back, ever just out of sight, the accumulation of all the wrongs he had ever committed, all the anger and pain of those he had hurt, all of it glaring through those blue eyes, all of it, iwatching/i him. And now this. iAzula always lies./i He had chosen wrong after all. He had heard the alarm bells as he rode through the city. Had seen the search parties sent out. Had heard the whispered message. iIroh has escaped. He escaped, without a sign. Not a single guard injured. The door to his cell was still locked!/i Zuko sighed again. iAzula always lies./i

He would have to leave, somehow. He had to find his uncle. The Fire Nation was beyond his help years ago. He would need help now, to rid the throne of the poison that had set there for the past hundred years.

"Your son?" Katara looked quizzically at the old man. Something was wrong. Something was missing in his eyes…

Momo chose that moment to make an appearance. With a loud screech he threw himself through the air and landed heavily on the old man's head. Katara took a step forward to intervene, only to burst out laughing when the eccentric lemur merely leaned over to peer into Iroh's face upside-down, and started tugging at his bushy beard.
At that gesture the emptiness seemed to pass. There was a whole mind there again, and the quick old eyes darted around the clearing, assessing the situation, before he gently extracted the lemur from his beard and set Momo firmly on his shoulder, patting his head.

"I apologize. I have not eaten in quite a long time" said the fire bender, the old Dragon, sitting on an old log at the edge of the clearing. "I was…lost in a memory…" He almost faded again, that something slipping quietly out of sight, but Momo gave his beard another firm yank and Iroh looked up. "I know your faces." he said to Sokka and Katara. "And the young Avatar. It looks like I have you four to thank for my rescue."

Katara nodded slightly towards Toph "You ought to thank iher/i. Toph is the one that found you, and the one that took all the risks to get you out."

Iroh turned to the young earth bender at his side. "Thank you then, young miss. I am eternally grateful." He bowed slightly…as much as his large stomach would allow him to, sitting. At that moment said stomach made itself heard, announcing its long fast. Iroh looked around, apologetic. "We should move on. The alarm will have been raised, and search parties will be sent out, if not already, then soon enough. We do not want Princess Azula on our trail."

Sokka started at this, and took charge once more, directing everyone to pick up their meager camp before leading the way through the sparse forest to the cave they had hidden Appa in. Soon they were airborne, skimming low over trees and then over water to a small island they had discovered near enough to be of use. There they settled, setting up a real camp and preparing a meal of dried meats, drier bread, and some aging fruit.

Iroh sat at the edge of the fire's light, staring thoughtfully into the flames for hours before rolling into his blankets and slipping into sleep.

"I have decided that I need to familiarize myself with the terrain. I wish to request that I be allowed to take a small number of men with me to inspect the perimeter reinforcements." Zuko held his tongue against the many things he iwished/i he could say, knowing many of them could have him killed on the spot. He waited, instead, bowed submissively to the floor in front of his father's throne. No, not his father. By blood, perhaps, but his true father had escaped the palace prison today, and was likely well on his way out of the Fire Nation. Zuko waited to hear what the man on the throne would say.

"That is a wise request, my son. You have been away from your homeland for far too long. You must reacquaint yourself with our lands before taking command of the army. Have you chosen your men?"

"I have, father."

"Good. Go well, my son. Be strong and swift, and your flame, merciless."

Zuko stood, pacing backwards respectfully until he reached the tenth column, before he turned and strode quickly out of the throne room.

Azula waited for him, somehow leaning without relaxing against a pillar by the door. She always seemed coiled, like a snake- deadly, treacherous, and always ready to strike.

"You are leaving so soon, brother? Though father did seem happy with your idea."

Zuko nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"Then I wish you luck, brother. Don't take too long. We wouldn't want to make any final moves without you." She let a light, satisfied lilt creep into her voice, and realized it was too much as Zuko glanced at her sharply. He really was getting faster. It was good to have him out of the way for a while, though he wouldn't be out of sight. One of her little black-clad spiders was already preparing for the journey ahead.

"Thank you" Zuko said shortly, nodded a slight bow between equals, and left. Azula waited a moment before entering the throne room herself.

Iroh seemed to drift in and out of himself over the next few days. He was lucid enough whenever they needed him to be, answering what questions he could, and helping with whatever needed his attention. He seemed quite willing to help, even after they outlined the entire plan to him. He just nodded sagely and complemented them on their strategic decision.

Other than that, however…whenever he was alone, whenever no one paid attention to him, Katara would watch him slip away. Physically, he was still there, but mentally…only a shadow remained in his eyes, sometimes. He would be lost in memories, and sometimes it would take him a long time to come back out of them. Katara worried for the kind old man, and had checked to make sure he was not injured in any way. All she found were new bruises and old scars. And she knew she couldn't heal his mind, or his heart.

Zuko set out the next morning, his heart lifting slightly for the first time since Ba Sing Se. He rode one of the quick giant salamanders his sister so preferred, and was followed by as many of his old, loyal crew as he had been able to find. Uncle would be happy- he had even managed to find the cook. There were a few others, but they were there just for that reason- they were others. Zuko couldn't have Azula thinking him itoo/i nostalgic, and so he couldn't completely reassemble the crew that had traveled so long with him and his uncle.

At the end of a long day's swift journey, Zuko managed to get most of his loyal men together. He told them briefly why they were truly on this journey, and was happy to see any doubts he may have had relieved by the renewed loyalty burning in their eyes.

"Also, Azula is having us followed. Of that I am certain. We need a plan to throw her off our trail…"

"Sir,..." one man began hesitantly "I might be able to help..."

As the man laid out his plan, Zuko found himself reluctantly impressed. He had never given his men enough credit in the past.

If all went according to plan, he would be able to disappear within the week, and then he would be able to find his uncle, and perhaps to begin repairing the damage he had done.

They received word from Hakoda the third day after Iroh's rescue. He thanked them for the information they had sent him so far. He also told them he was building up more help than they had expected. He'd been able to dispatch messengers to outlying islands and the news was spreading- quietly, secretly, behind hands and closed doors, by mouth only, and only to the most trusted people. Things would accelerate, yes, but they would only let that happen when they wanted it to. By the Day, they would have all the support they needed. Now they just needed to know what to do with it.

The group continued their surveillance- more carefully, since the guard had been raised after Iroh's escape. It was odd that that is all that happened, an increase in the guard, but it appeared the fire nation had little use for the senile old man, and was simply covering it up. Word in the palace had it that the old man had been executed. It also said that the returned Prince had left on another trip, this time to see the borders and to ready for future battles.

the forest to the clearing where the others waited.