Sokka stood on the deck of Zuko's ship. It had been two weeks since the last sighting of Katara and The Avatar. They had been trailing them on the information of a fisherman. They decided they should keep going in the way the Avatar had been seen going. Sokka told them he would keep watch for a while. He looked out on the horizon and though about the past two and a half weeks since he had got on the ship. Iroh kept his word and helped him with the fire nation katas, as well as incorporating it all into one style. It had been going very well, as had the sparing sessions between the three teenagers. It had been brutal. The first spar between Zuko and Sokka had been agonizing. Zuko made sure to give Sokka as good as he had got when Sokka kicked him in the face. Zuko started out with a sucker punch to Sokka's jaw.

That particular battle been way over the top. With both boy's hobbling away for a soak. The next day it had been Sokka and Kuma against Zuko. Then it had been Zuko and Kuma against Sokka. Finally it had been Sokka and Zuko against Kuma. The next day had been the three of them again Iroh. That had been a disaster. They had all had grievances against each other by this time so they had all failed when it came to teamwork. It had taken Iroh a total of fifteen seconds to completely decimate the teens. It took him considerably longer to get them over their anger at him and each other.

However once they finally calmed down they were easily turned into a cohesive unit. Their individual skills were worked on during morning and their teamwork in the afternoons. Sokka was told of the encounter and subsequent Agni Kai between Zuko and Commander Zhao. Sokka thought that it was hilarious. They all talked about their respective lives. It seemed they all were 'mama's boys' so to speak. None of them mentioned their fathers. Iroh said it would be a good idea to go to land for a while. So they made their way inland. So they all dressed in earth kingdom green and brown, sokka of course was wearing a dress and lipstick. They found a small village were a group of thugs were running through on the back of ostrich-horses. Zuko grabbed the hilt of his dao swords, he had decided since he could fire bend while traveling incognito. The crowd looked at them like they were crazy. Of course they didn't realize that all three boys were easily the match to all of those no training thugs.

Sokka drew his fan and walked forward. "I got the ones in the middle."

"I'll take care of the one's on the right." Kuma said with a smirk.

"I guess that leaves me with the guys on the left." Zuko said sneering at the thugs.

"Listen to these little boys talking like they can take the rabid riders?" The supposed leader said urging his mount forward.

Sokka looked at the man then said. "I'll take care of this idiot. It isn't worth all three of us to fight such a...weakling."

Sokka walked forward and held his fan in a ready stance. "You coming you bastard."

The bandit charged forward and swung a spear at Sokka. Sokka gave a wan smile and ducked to the side. He pushed the spearhead into the air over his shoulder, and as the ostrich-horse got closer Sokka struck out and slapped the end of his fan into the throat of the bandit. The bandit dropped the spear and clutched his throat, only barely staying on his mount. Unfortunately it did him no good. As his mount drew closer to Kuma and Zuko, he took a double spinning jump-kick to the face. The two boys landed and smirked at each other. Sokka smiled smugly at the duo before moving on to the other thugs who were currently working themselves into a frenzy.

Zuko, Kuma, and Sokka charged the mounted thugs and began to destroy them. Sokka was using his fan, Kuma was blasting people with his sand, and Zuko was slashing expertly with his dao swords. It was funny to watch Zuko's victims screech when they fell off their mounts due to saddle straps being severed. It didn't take much time for all the bandits to be taken care of. When it was over they stood over the unconscious bodies and in some cases the corpses of the bandits.

"They saved us!" cheered a little girl.

Sokka smiled at the little girl warmly. He walked over to the girl and grinned down at her. See no problems sweety we don't like bandits. Their like weasel-rats, they are just mean to be mean and have to be taken care of.

"Your pretty." The little girl giggled. Sokka grinned back at her.

"Thank you sweety, I think you're really pretty to." Sokka said happily.

"Get away from my daughter you freak." A large man said rushing forward and pulling the girl into a tight embrace. "I can see what you are." He said this while pointing his free hand at Sokka's unadorned neck. Right at the Adam's apple.

"You debase how the spirits created you by trying to suggest you know better than they?" The man chastised. The rest of the village was glaring angrily at them.

"I think we should go." Zuko said flatly.

"Yeah I feel that I have had enough of saving bigots." Kuma said angrily.

Sokka had a look of pain on his face. He turned away from the villagers, and made his way towards the other two boys.

"Wait don't go pretty lady daddy's sorry for being mean to you!" The little girl cried from her father's arms. Sokka turned to the little girl and said.

"Its ok sweety your safe now your daddy can keep you safe." then he turned around and left the village with the other two boys hot on his heels.

Iroh watched the boys as they came back to camp leading a group of ostrich-horses. He noted that while they held an air of confidence they all had the downcast look of rejections about them.

"Boys what is wrong?" Iroh asked standing up. "you look like you've all fought a battle only to be told you weren't welcome." He joked, only to see them flinch at the remark. "Ah, yes that does happen sometimes. Did they see you firebending nephew?"

"No some self important ass saw that Sokka wasn't a girl and began calling down the wrath of the spirits on us." Zuko roared angrily.

"I'm afraid I'll need more than that to understand the whole situation." Iroh said slowly with a contemplative look. So the boys took turns telling the whole misadventure, when it was done Iroh nodded and turned a scrutinizing look upon Sokka and then nodded again. "We will get you a choker the next time we come to a town to hide that."

"Sokka looked up at them. "Your not made?" He asked in confusion. "I don't understand. Why aren't you mad? Because of me we can't go back there and get supplies of information or.."

"Ah you mistake where the blame should be laid." Iroh said patiently. "You aren't trying to hurt anyone with how you dress. You are trying to be yourself. They were in the wrong as they weren't treating you with the respect and honor you deserved after winning a fight for their village."

Sokka looked up at the small man before him, only to look away when he felt tears welling in his eyes. "I'm going back to the ship to get some sleep." He said leaving the camp area.

"That is a good idea all around." Iroh said with some finality in his voice. "We will sell the extra mounts at the next port."

The other two boys nodded distractedly, and made their way back to the ship leading the ostrich-horses behind them.

Sokka awoke to a siren ringing. He jumped out of bed and began to get dressed in a calm slow manner. He was soon decked out in his full blacked Kyoshi fashion. He grabbed his bow and fan and left the room while slinging the quiver of blackened arrows across his back. His long ponytail hung down over the quiver's blackened leather, which in the night gave Sokka the ability to move unseen to everyone and most creatures if he was careful. Sokka left his room moving silently like a shadow. It helped that the alarm was still blaring and men were running every which way. Everyone was in full battle gear. Which he thought was probably s.o.p. For when the sirens began blaring. Sokka noted Iroh and Zuko standing together looking at a large metal rig in the distance. It seemed to be being evacuated, or at least it would seem that way if it wasn't a prison.

"Sokka you are rather adept at the art of stealth." Iroh stated as a way of greeting. Zuko spun around to see the faint outline of Sokka from the lamps closer to the quarters.

"Very adept indeed."Zuko complemented. "If uncle hadn't have mentioned your skill I would have never noticed you."

"Kyoshi didn't do anything with night training because their gear is natural camouflage for the region. I however grew up in a land were it is night half of the year." Sokka said as a way of explanation.

About that time Kuma showed up looking every bit like the bear he was named for. "Why the alarm?" He asked grumpily. "That rig is leagues away. We won't get there till the morning, so why the alarm?"

"Good point."Zuko said with a frown. He waved down a soldier and said. "Cut the alarms."

"Yessir." The soldier said before running away to do just that. The four stayed ready for any fighting they may encounter and took turns watching the rig billow smoke from all the wrong places as they drew closer. Soon they arrived at the rig to find it mostly destroyed, due to what appeared to be an earthbending coup. They searched around and Zuko found Katara's necklace.

"The Avatar was here." He said offering the necklace to Sokka. "We're on his trail."