7- The Dagger
Zuko walked the girl all the way down the ship to the cells where her companions were already being held. He posted several guards around their cells, not caring much who they were as long as it wasn't Jee Lee. All his men knew how important these prisoners were and were not the type of men, except for Jee Lee, to harm their prisoners for sport. Before he left he told the guard closest to him to strip them of their weapons while they were still unconscious. The guard nodded his acknowledgment of the orders.
Zuko strut the whole way to his room. Although he still didn't have a smile on his face, he was sporting the closest to a smile he'd ever had in the last few years. The whole crew was celebrating their success as well. From what Zuko had overheard they were going to do music night early. Music nights were his uncle's idea to boost ship morale. Zuko had never attended one and no matter how happy capturing the avatar made him feel, he would not be attending this one either.
He got to his room and dressed himself for bed. They were still very far south and it was extremely cold. He had on thick cotton sleepwear and two wool blankets on the bed and still the cold soaked through during the nights. He couldn't wait to get home. Back to the fire nation heat where he could sleep over the covers in just thin sleep pants and be completely comfortable.
He was interrupted from his musing by a knock on his door. It was one of the soldiers he had posted to guard the prisoners. "The prisoners weapons, as you requested, Prince Zuko, "Zuko motioned for the soldier to come in and put his load down on a small table he had in his room. "They didn't have much," the soldier told him. "Two weapons of water tribe design and one dagger that looks like it was made in the earth kingdom."
"They probably relied on their bending more then anything else," responded Zuko.
"Well, good night, Prince Zuko," the soldier said bowing slightly before departing.
"Good night," Zuko responded. "Give our new prisoners some blankets," he added as an after thought. "Its going to be cold and we don't want the avatar dying before we reach the Fire Nation."
The next morning Zuko woke at his usual hour to change into his training uniform. Before he left he turned his attention to the weapons that had been brought to him. He'd go through them and see if there was anything useful for himself or his men. The soldier had mentioned a dagger and there were many on the ship who knew how to use one. But, just as he reached for the table there was a knock on his door. He opened his door to find Iroh standing on the other side. "How about I join you for training this morning Zuko?" asked Iroh.
"You want to train with me uncle?" Zuko asked surprised. "You haven't been there during my training since I was twelve."
"Well, it never hurts to have a more experience person's opinion. Come on," said Iroh.
"Alright," relented Zuko with a smile. He looked back a the table he'd just been at. He could always do it later he thought.
Uncle was a hard critic. Not as hard as his father of course and a lot more helpful. By the end of that mornings training Zuko had seen a great deal of improvement in himself.
It was the moment they stepped out of the training room that they heard it. His prisoners were apparently awake. One in particular seemed to be intent on letting the whole ship know his anger. From what his soldiers told him the water tribe boy had been ranting and raving since the moment he woke up. The other two would sometimes talk but it was usually a "Sokka, shut up!"
Zuko sighed deeply on his way back to his room. This was going to be a very long trip if that boy didn't tire out soon. When he got back to his room he stopped at the table that held the weapons.
The first one was water tribe design and was some type of club. Zuko didn't think any of his men would want it. The second was a sharpened boomerang also of water tribe origin. Zuko smirked as he studied it remembering in the water boys ramblings there was quite a few "Where is my boomerang? They took my boomerang."
It was obviously important to him. Perhaps I should just give these back to him when he and the girl are released thought Zuko.
He reached for the last item, a dagger and his hand stopped mid air. Zuko just starred at the dagger, the only part of his body moving was his heart which was threatening to jump out of his chest. "No," Zuko finally said laughing at himself. The earth kingdom probably made many of similar design. There was no reason to believe that this was the same dagger he had given Katara all those years ago.
Just to further prove it to himself he picked it up and started to unsheath it. He nearly dropped it when he saw the starts of an engraving on the blade.
Instead he just quickly sheathed it again. "So its engraved. That doesn't mean its engraved with the same thing," he reasoned with himself. With that in mind he began to unsheath the dagger again. Zuko thought he'd pass out at any moment from panic at the words written on the blade. In clear lettering it read "Never Give Up Without a Fight." There was also that little nick on the tip of the blade. He had done that himself while playing with it all those years ago.
There was no question in his mind as to weather this was the same dagger he had given Katara. What he needed to know now was how it came into the possession of the avatar and his companions. With great effort he calmed himself down. He then stepped outside his door and asked the nearest soldier to tell the guard that had brought him the weapons, Zuko wished to see him.
The soldier arrived at Zuko's door within minutes," Who did you find the dagger on," asked Zuko abruptly with no greeting beforehand.
Despite his surprise the soldier didn't show it at his commanders questions. "It was found on the young girl," was his quick response.
"The young water bending girl?" Zuko asked in disbelief.
"Yes sir," the soldier confirmed.
"Bring her to me straight away," commanded Zuko.
The soldier showed his surprise for the first time during the whole conversation and hesitated. "To your room?" he asked.
Zuko instantly knew what the soldiers concern was and his eyes blazed in anger. "Do you think so low of me. Stop questioning my orders and bring her to me."
"Yes sir," responded the soldier.
After ten minutes of waiting and no sign of the soldier returning Zuko became irritated enough to investigate why he was being defied. The moment he opened the door he easily discovered what the problem was. The same voice that had been yelling out through the whole day was louder then ever before. "Don't you even think about touching my sister. No, your not taking her."
Zuko rolled his eyes. This had gone on long enough. He grabbed the few items that he needed and headed down to the cells. When he came down he noticed that the two siblings (it was obvious that they were siblings do to how loud the boy was screaming for his sister) had been placed in the same cell. When the soldier walked in the grab the girl, her brother had attacked. Zuko grabbed the first item he would need, snuck up behind the young man and tied his hands together before he noticed Zuko was there. He then grabbed the second very necessary item. "No," the boy screamed. "Ka..." But, he was cut off when Zuko tied the gag around his mouth. For the first time that day, there was finally silence. Zuko turned the boy around and looked him in the eye.
"Now, I don't want to leave you like this for the whole trip. So, I suggest you learn to shut up. I'm taking your sister away to ask a few questions. I will not harm her and then I will bring her right back to you," he told him.
He then turned to the young girl and gestured to the last bit of rope in his hand. "I'm sorry," he said. "Its only while we're on deck. To prevent any waves from sweeping my men out to sea." She didn't say anything as Zuko tied her hands together. But, she did have a slight smile on her face as if the thought amused her.
He turned to the guards when he was done. "I'll take her myself. Stay back here and watch these two," he told them. They nodded to Zuko before he walked off holding the young girl's arm. Neither of them spoke the whole way to Zuko's room.
They walked in and Zuko locked the door and pocketed the key before uniting her hands. He looked up to see her anxiously glancing around the room, noticing where she was at, and starting to make assumptions.
He broke her out of her obvious panic attack. "Would you like to have a seat?" he asked her pointing at an empty chair hoping she would relax and realize no harm was coming to her. She took a seat, but was still definitely not relaxed. "The only reason you're here is to answer a few questions about something that was found on your person."
Zuko took the dagger out of his pocket and placed it on the table in front of her. She then spoke the first words Zuko had ever heard her speak and they were furious. "Where did you find that? Give it back!"
Zuko ignored her demand."Where did you get this?" he asked.
"Why do you want to know?" she responded.
Zuko grit his teeth starting to get very irritated with this girl.
"None of your business now answer my question," he commanded.
"If its none of my business why you need to know, then why is it yours where I got it from?" she bite back.
"Because this is how it works," Zuko yelled at her. "I capture you, and you answer my questions."
She rolled her eyes in response but finally answered his question. "A friend gave it to me," she told him.
Zuko for a moment felt slightly hurt that Katara would give this other girl the dagger he had given her. But, quickly realized that just like he had held on to the necklace, Katara would never have given up the dagger. It must have been taken off her when she died. Either this girl was telling the truth and her friend took it off Katara or she's lying and she did herself.
"I know for a fact that the owner of this dagger would never give it to anyone," he informed her.
"Well, he did," she responded.
He? How many times was the dagger passed along? Before he could ask another question he heard a loud bang come from outside. "I'll be right back," he told the girl. "We're not finished."
The deck was in chaos the moment he walked on it. Two things had happened at once. Somehow his two other prisoners had escaped. Their flying beast had also broken loose and tracked its masters all the way here.
He attacked the boys alongside his men, but he had arrived too late. They were already onboard their bison and starting to escape. At least he still had their female companion. Considering how much they were protective of her he knew they would have to come to him.
It was while he was thinking this that he saw a blur of blue run past him. Now the girl was escaping! In his haste to see what the fuss was about, Zuko must have forgotten to lock the door. He quickly began his pursuit of her. He may have already lost the two boys, but he wasn't too late to stop her from escaping. He was about two seconds away from grabbing her when he heard three words that stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Come on, Katara!"
