Chapter 3: Finders, Keepers

They put ashore near a small Earth Kingdom town. The town didn't have a port large enough for the ship, so Zuko and Iroh were rowed ashore in a smaller boat. The residents skirted them, eying them suspiciously as they moved through the market. Iroh grinned at a young woman. Whatever he said, she laughed and shook her head regretfully. With a roll of his eyes, Zuko stalked away. A young boy scrambled out of his path and Zuko paused, scowling. "You."

The boy flinched, shuffling his feet and darting a quick glance around to see if Zuko might have meant someone else. The firebender folded his arms, his glare intensifying. The boy flinched again and bobbed a quick bow. "Jalay, sir."

Zuko batted the name away, demanding, "Did you see a great shaggy beast fly by?"

Jalay blinked large brown eyes, repeating hesitantly, "Fly?"

"Yes," Zuko snapped impatiently. "You would not have missed it."

The boy bit his lip. "Beasts don't fly, sir."

"This one does," Zuko shouted, losing his temper and Jalay cringed. "The beast is a sky bison and—"

"Like the old airbender stories," Jalay interrupted excitedly, bouncing on his toes and his eyes shining.

"Yes," Zuko said through gritted teeth. "The Avatar is—"

"Avatar!" the boy yelped. "He's alive? He's an airbender? Wait until I tell Anaha!"

Before Zuko could say anything else, the boy — Jalay raced away, shouting for Anaha. Annoyed, Zuko stalked away. The next time he asked about the sky bison, he asked an adult. The merchant gave him an incredulous look. "A sky bison?"

Zuko didn't bother continuing that conversation and moved to the next person.

"Goodness. No one's seen a sky bison in nearly a century."

"Legend," an older man declared with a derisive snort. "Flying cows. Myth."

"Maybe you were imagining it, dear. Too much sun and too much water can do that to a body."

Giving it up for a lost cause, Zuko went in search of his uncle only to discover that the man was gone. He turned on his heel and glared back at the town. It was a miserable place, he decided, full of morons and he wanted to leave as soon as possible. The Avatar and his companions had headed in this direction so someone must've seen them. How could anyone miss a giant, flying, six-legged bison?

Zuko paced the shore. Uncle still wasn't back and the soldiers that rowed them to shore hadn't seen the eccentric man since the village. An hour passed and still no sign of Iroh. Finally fed up, Zuko marched back to the village and stopped the first person he met, asking brusquely, "Have you seen my uncle?"

The girl lifted an eyebrow, pursing her lips in disapproval. She gave him a once over that had him equally flushed and irritated and sniffed, "You certainly didn't get any of your uncle's charm."

An angry flush heated his cheeks and he clenched his fists. "I didn't ask your opinion!"

She rolled her eyes, completely unimpressed, and lifted a hand to wave toward the trees that surrounded the village. "It wouldn't kill you to be more polite. I assume he went to visit the hot springs outside of town. They're very nice." She eyed him over. "It might relax you and cool your temper."

She walked away with a little wave, unfazed when he shouted after her, "I don't have a temper!"

Glaring after the girl didn't make him feel any better, so he turned on his heel and headed toward the forest path. They were on a time schedule and every moment of delay put the Avatar further from his grasp. He grit his teeth, slashing at overhanging branches. Zhao was now aware that the Avatar was still alive and Zuko knew the arrogant admiral had more resources at his disposal, more men at his command, and the greater respect of his father. It was galling.

A swinging branch nearly slapped him in the face and he ducked just in time to avoid it, muttering expletives. He drew up short when he suddenly realized there were no signs to follow and he couldn't see the village. He'd better not have gotten himself lost! Even more annoyed, he shouted, "Uncle! It's time to leave! Where are you?" He waited a moment, listening for some kind of answer. When he heard nothing, he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted louder, "Uncle Iroh!"

"Over here!"

Zuko pushed through the branches, coming to a surprised halt. His uncle was in the hot spring, his eyes close and head back, smiling blissfully. "Uncle? We need to move on. We're closing in on the Avatar's trail and I don't want to lose him."

Iroh sighed, shifting forward and examining his nephew. "You look tired, Prince Zuko. Why don't you join me in these hot springs and soak away your troubles?"

What was with everyone insisting he had problems? He scowled. All right. So he had problems, he didn't appreciate everyone pointing them out! "My troubles cannot be soaked away. It's time to go!"

Iroh sighed, sinking deeper into the water with a delighted groan. "You should take your teacher's advice and relax a little. The temperature's just right. I heated it myself," he told Zuko proudly, breathing steam.

Zuko's face twisted and he nearly stomped his foot with frustration. He was too old to throw a temper tantrum so he most certainly was not having one. "Enough! We need to leave now. Get out of the water!"

The older firebender's brow furrowed as he regarded Zuko's irate expression. The young firebender was too busy being angry to notice his uncle's sly smile. Iroh sat up, heaving a put-upon sigh. "Very well!"

The former general levered himself to his feet, stretching hugely. Zuko's eyes widened and he stumbled back a step, clapping a hand over his eyes. He was going to be scarred for life! He was never going to be able to scrub that image from his mind. Ever. Extending the hand that wasn't shielding his eyes, Zuko hastily said, "On second thought, why don't you take another few minutes?" He turned away adding more firmly, "But be back at the ship in a half-hour or I'm leaving without you!"

A quiet laugh followed him as he fled — retreated — chose to return to the shore and make sure the ship was ready to sail.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Uncle was late and Zuko's temper was growing ever shorter. He'd sworn he would leave his uncle if the older man wasn't back on the ship within the hour, but the day was growing short and Zuko couldn't bring himself to carry out his threat no matter how much he wanted to find the Avatar. The man frustrated him to no end, but he was still the only family member left that cared for him. Zuko paced his cramped quarters. He didn't believe in love. Love of any sort, whether it was parental or otherwise. Such an emotion was weak and weaknesses didn't exist among Fire Nation royalty or nobility.

Not since—

He clenched his fists and jerked away from that thought. He was not going to dwell on the past. It was too painful. And the future didn't exist. He only had the present. He breathed out a sharp breath, glaring at the Fire Nation flag that hung on his wall without really seeing it. And his present was being wasted! All because Uncle decided to soak in a hot spring!

They were going to lose the tide if they waited much longer. Turning sharply on his heel, he stalked to the deck and shouted for his men to follow him. He continued down the deck without waiting for them. He wasn't under any illusions that the men on his ship were loyal to him. They followed out of loyalty to his uncle and that was it. He was partially relieved when he heard the sharp steps of military issued boots follow him.

The trip by rowboat to the dock was blessedly brief and the dock workers ignored them as they passed. The soldiers followed him across the pier and up the winding path out of town before one of them braved a question. "Forgive me for asking, Prince Zuko, but where are we going?"

The title stung knowing it was a courtesy and nothing else. His father had taken even that from him. He scowled, muttering sullenly, "To find my uncle."

"Very good, sir."

The trip back to the hot spring took longer than Zuko thought it should, but eventually he spotted something familiar. He was ashamed to admit, even to himself, that he'd missed the signs marking the path earlier. They finally rounded a slight bend and stepped out of the tree line. At first, he thought he was in the wrong place. It looked…different. He turned in the clearing, frowning. The trees looked the same, but the hot spring was gone. And so was his uncle.

"Uncle!" he called, hardly expecting an answer. "Uncle, where are you?"

The soldiers that accompanied him walked around the area, kicking at stones and poking at trees, before one returned to his side with a vague shrug of his shoulders. "Sir, maybe he thought you left without him."

Zuko grunted in return, but dismissed the supposition. It was true that he'd threatened to leave him behind, but Uncle Iroh knew the threat was empty. Spirits, Zuko knew the threat was empty when he'd made it.

"Something's not right here," Zuko insisted, taking in the area again. All that time at sea and he knew nothing about finding someone on land. Where was that hot spring? His eyes landed on a portion of the landscape that felt out of place. "That pile of rocks…"

He trailed off, taking a step closer to examine it. The two soldiers joined him at his side and, after a moment of silent contemplation, one of them offered, "It looks like there's been a landslide, sir."

"Land doesn't slide uphill," Zuko snapped in annoyance. Even he knew that much. Really, if these two were an example of the Fire Nation's finest, it was a wonder they were even winning the war. He quickly silenced the treasonous thought. He was a loyal son of the Fire Nation. "These rocks didn't move naturally."

The soldiers shifted sheepishly, but Zuko was too busy examining the scuff marks around the unusual rock formations to notice. The shift in the surrounding rock had cut off the hot spring and drained the pool so all that was left was a domed enclosure just large enough to fit the body of a man. A faint scorch mark just inside the dome caught Zuko's attention and he bent to get a closer look. The crude outline of the earthbending symbol and Iroh's name were scorched onto the rock. He stared. It was a terrible depiction and he hardly recognized it. Zuko straightened with a jerk, eyes darting around the area, searching for a threat. Seeing no immediate danger, he announced, "My uncle's been captured by earthbenders."

The soldiers were suddenly a lot more alert. "What would you like to do, sir?"

Zuko barely heard the question. Now that he knew what to look for, he could see the trail that lead away from the ruined hot spring. The earthbenders had ostrich horses and had a head start. He would have to follow on foot. It had been over an hour since he'd last seen his uncle so he had to assume they had that much of a lead.

"Sir?"

He turned. He'd nearly forgotten the soldiers were there. "Return to the ship."

They hesitated, making it clear they were uncertain about leaving him. "What about—"

"I'm going after my uncle."

Hopefully Uncle Iroh would make the trail easy for him.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The trail Uncle left was almost child's play and Zuko was grateful for it. Though he had no idea where he was now, at least Iroh would hopefully be able to find the path back to the harbor.

Trees gave way to rocky cliffs and scraggly shrubbery. Zuko shaded his eyes, peering up the dusty trail with the hope that he'd spot his uncle and those who took him. The trail was empty and he released a sigh. That would be too easy, of course, and life was never easy for Zuko. He should just give up the hope that things would go his way for a change.

The sun advanced across the sky. The heat was becoming oppressive and Zuko wished he'd left his armor behind on the ship. Sweat trickled down his back and his tunic was rubbing against him uncomfortably. It's nearly winter in the rest of the world, but not here, he lamented. Here it's hot as— He swallowed, wetting his lips and grimacing. Dust and sweat coated his tongue. If he didn't find water soon, things would go downhill quickly.

He nearly tripped over the sandal and for a moment he could only stare at it in astonishment. He glanced around as if expecting to find the owner nearby before he bent to pick it up. A rancid smell hit him as he straightened and he immediately held the sandal as far away from him as he could, groaning quietly, "Yeah, that's Uncle Iroh."

There was a moment of internal debate as he decided whether to keep the sandal or toss it away. With a sigh of resignation, he tucked the footwear away. Iroh would need it back once he found the man…Zuko would also have to burn his knapsack. At least he now knew he was on the right path and hopefully he was closing the distance between them.

The sun moved across the sky, approaching the horizon, and Zuko decided he needed to rest. His feet ached and he wished he'd had an ostrich horse or something. His boots might look flashy, but they were murder on his feet. There was definitely a blister forming on his heel. He leaned against the cliff face, trying to find the small bit of shade that it offered, and desolately studied the tracks that led on as far as he could see. Uphill. He groaned, tilting his head back to rest against the cliff at his back and stared at the deepening blue of the sky. Just rest a few minutes, he told himself, and then move on. Not much farther.

He'd been telling himself that for the last hour, at least.

A pained shriek rent the air and Zuko bolted upright, falling into a bending stance and looking for any sign of danger. Shouting followed the scream and the ground under his feet trembled. Not far ahead, it sounded like a rockslide had happened. Earthbenders!

Zuko ran up the path, rounding the bend just in time to see the boulders roll to a halt at the base of the cliff and the flash of green and brown disappear into the trees. The tracks ended here and a quick survey of the area showed scorch marks and disturbed dirt. Of course Uncle would make it even more strenuous to follow. Climbing these cursed hills wasn't enough. Gritting his teeth, he slid down the rocky incline and followed the signs of obvious earthbending.

He was closing the distance between them and he quickened his pace, ducking behind a boulder when he finally caught sight of green tunics. It appeared the earthbenders were arguing. Zuko shifted to get a better idea of the situation. There were five and it appeared they were all benders. Well that's just perfect, the thought flashed through his mind with a derisive mental snort. Iroh was kneeling in the center, his hands cuffed to the large, flat stone in front of him. Iroh's eyes were narrowed as he watched the earthbenders argue. Zuko studied his opponents again, trying to plan an angle of attack that would afford him the best advantage and greatest surprise.

A sharp motion from the captain and the others fell silent. He turned to a silent Iroh, announcing, "These dangerous hands must be crushed."

Iroh's hands fisted, but other than that he didn't flinch. The captain lifted a boulder, holding it over Iroh's hands and prepared to drop it. Zuko sprang into action, leaping into the midst of the earthbenders and kicking the boulder away. Using his momentum and the earthbenders' surprise, he spun on his left heel and brought the heel of his right boot down on Iroh's chains. His blisters screamed fire. The links snapped and Iroh rose to his feet, commenting, "Excellent form, Prince Zuko."

Zuko sent him a sideways glance, keeping most of his attention on the regrouping earthbenders. The man didn't seem the slightest bit concerned they'd nearly maimed him. "You taught me well," he allowed.

Iroh beamed at him. The earthbender captain stepped forward, commanding, "Surrender yourselves. It's two against five. You're clearly outnumbered."

"Yeah, that's true," Iroh agreed, rubbing his wrists, "but you are clearly outmatched."

Another sharp motion, and the surrounding earthbenders fired rocks. Rock shards exploded around them as Iroh shattered them with his chains. Zuko dodged the fragments, blasting two soldiers off their feet. He turned when he heard his uncle grunt and saw him throw a large boulder back at their attackers. Seeing that Iroh had well enough in hand, Zuko turned to face the captain, dodging three rocks that were fired at him. The ground rumbled beneath his feet as the captain pulled up a large boulder. Chains whipped out, wrapping around the captain's legs and then yanked. The captain went down with a shout of surprise and lost his hold on the boulder. For a moment, the boulder seemed suspended in the air and then it fell, trapping the captain underneath.

Zuko stood panting, waiting to see if any of the benders would rise again and then turned to his uncle when it appeared no one would. He immediately turned away again, covering his eyes and groaning, "Now would you please put some clothes on?"

Iroh laughed. "I am afraid I do not have any clothes, nephew. Perhaps you thought to bring some when you came after me?"

"No," Zuko muttered. "I'm going to check the ostrich horse."

It turned out that the earthbenders had decided to take Iroh's clothes when they'd captured him, though why they didn't allow him to dress, he did not know. Perhaps they thought nudity would deter any acts of rebellion. Clearly they didn't know his uncle. The earthbenders were beginning to stir by the time Iroh finished dressing and Zuko handed back the sandal he'd found along the path.

"Do you think we should tie them up?" Zuko asked.

Iroh eyed the still dazed soldiers. "No. Leave them to return to their base on their own. We will be long gone by the time they are ready to pursue us."

The trip back to the path was exhausting and Zuko hoped his uncle didn't hear his wheezing breaths. Iroh stood, observing the rockslide with a look of satisfaction and Zuko resisted the urge to clutch at the stitch in his side. "I hope you know the way back."

Iroh laughed. "One day we will have to teach you how to navigate on land, Prince Zuko."

Recognizable quotes "The Winter Solstice, Part 1: The Spirit World"

AN: Fair warning, I'm super lazy. I kind of wanted to skip this since it feels too much like I'm rehashing episodes, but whatever. It's written. Funny enough, part of this was written 7 years ago. lol, I'm so old. The next chapter is written (I think), but I scribbled it during NaNoWriMo so it needs some heavy editing.