"Okay, we're in the Earth Kingdom right?" Amaya asked.
"Yeah, why?" Sokka asked. Amaya picked up the strange weapon and held it out for him to examine.
"This looks very Water Tribe to me," she said. Sokka snatched the weapon, turning it over and running a hand along the hilt. "Is that a whale's tooth?"
"Yes," Sokka said, suddenly intense. "Spread out, see if you can find anything else!"
"Aye aye cap'n," Amaya blinked, surprised by the suddenly shift from goofy Sokka to stern Sokka. Actually, she hadn't been sure stern Sokka existed until now.
She did as he asked and combed through some nearby bushes, looking for anything that seemed out of place or militarized.
"Did you lose your boomerang again Sokka?" Katara asked wearily as she walked over.
"No, Amaya found a Water Tribe weapon," Sokka explained, bending down and brushing some leaves away from a broken arrow. "And so did I." He picked it up and turned it over in his hands, feeling the point. His fingers were black when he pulled them away. "Burned," he declared, before sighting some scorch marks on a nearby tree. "There was a fight," he said. "Water Tribe warriors ambushed some Fire Nation soldiers. They pushed them down this hill," he said, before taking off after the thrill. Thrilled by the finding and the tracking, Katara and Amaya followed him down the rocky incline until they reached the beach, where he ran over to the waves.
"What happened next?" Amaya pressed.
"I don't know," Sokka said, shaking his head. "The trail ends here."
"No it doesn't!" Katara shouted, pointing to a cluster of rocks a way off. There was a boat with furled blue sails beached there. "Look!"
They all ran over, tripping a bit in the loose sand. Sokka ran a hand over the stretched animal skins of the boat.
"Is it dad's boat?" Katara asked eagerly.
"No," Sokka said, but he was smiling. "But it's from his fleet. Dad was here!"
"That's great you guys!" Amaya congratulated them.
They camped by the ship that night without a discussion, though Amaya would have preferred something more sheltered. She was wary after the incident with the Fire Nation fortress. She shoved away memories of her conversation with Zuko. Katara seemed to draw comfort from the ship, pushing her sleeping bag as close to it as she dared. Sokka, however, seemed plunged into a whirlwind of bad memories. Amaya knew he was reliving the day his father had left them behind for war, and she also knew that the two were hoping, even though they knew it wouldn't happen, that their dad would come back to the boat.
She was nearly asleep, curled up on Appa's leg, kept warm by his heat and the fire, when it happened.
"Sokka?"
"Bato?"
"Who now?" Amaya mumbled sleepily, sitting up and rubbing her eyes wearily before staring across the campfire to the man standing there.
He had the same dark skin and hard that Katara and Sokka had, declaring him Water Tribe, just in case the blue and white clothes didn't clarify. He only wore one sleeve of his shirt, revealing a heavily-bandaged chest and left arm. Surprise was written in his blue eyes as he looked as the trio and the animals around them.
"Sokka, Katara!" the man smiled as the two teens ran to embrace him. "Oh, you two have gotten so tall!"
"Hi, I'm Amaya," she said cheerfully, walking over, but she was ignored.
"Where's dad?" Katara asked, completely ignoring her.
"Is he here?" Sokka pressed.
Bato laughed. "He and the others should be in the eastern Earth Kingdom by now.'
A chilly wind blew off the sea, only emphasizing the temperature away from the firelight.
"Come on, let's find a cozier place to catch up," Bato said, wrapping an arm around Katara and Sokka each. Amaya stared after them, surprised. Bato turned and gestured to her and she snapped out of it, grabbing Appa's reins and pulling him along after the Water Tribe members, Momo resting on the saddle.
Bato lead them up a thin, well-worn dirt path through the trees to an abbey sitting on a cliff overlooking the sea. He walked inside, easily leading the younger members of his tribe, with Amaya trailing behind.
"When I was injured, the sisters took me in and treated my wounds," Bato explained. "Sister!"
A woman wearing a different headdress than the others turned to face him curiously.
"These are Katara and Sokka, Hakoda's children," he introduced. "I found them down by my boat. They've been travelling with the Avatar."
"Young Avatar, it brings me great joy to see you," Mother Superior said with a kind, motherly smile.
"It brings me great joy to be here," Amaya beamed. "I'm honored. If there's anything I can-"
"What smells so good Bato?" Sokka broke in, talking over her. Amaya blinked, looking at him in surprise. He'd never done that before. Ah well, he was excited to see Bato, she could understand him wanting to catch up and talk.
"The sisters craft perfumes and ointments," Bato explained, gesturing to some urns against the wall.
"Perfume?" Sokka said, grinning. "Maybe we should dump some on Appa. Cuz he stinks! Am I right, am I right?"
"You have your father's wit," Bato deadpanned. "Come on, I'll take you to my quarters."
He lead them over to room with a sliding screen door. Opening it, Katara and Sokka's eyes went wide and starry.
"Oh Bato, it looks just like home!" Katara praised.
"Everything's here, even the pelts!" Sokka grinned, rubbing a fur spread out on the ground.
Amaya stared and went a bit green. Maybe it was all the 'love everything, respect life' from the Air Temple monks, but she couldn't help but be a bit annoyed that something an animal had relied on to keep it from freezing to death was not a decoration.
"Nothing says home sweet home like dead animal skin," she said, wrinkling her nose distastefully.
Her nose wrinkled further when she was handed a bowl of what Katara had been delighted to discover was stewed sea prunes. She nervously ate a bite, staring at the soggy purple lump balanced on her spoon, and chewed. She swallowed it whole after it hit her tongue and pressed and hand to her stomach.
"I think I'm going to be sick," she mumbled, but no one was interested in her.
"Bato, is it true you and dad lassoed an Arctic hippo?" Katara asked, eyes gleaming as she looked at Bato like he was her hero.
"It was your father's idea, he just dragged me along," Bato said. "Well, technically the hippo did the dragging."
"Hey, that's kind of like at Kyoshi Island when I-"
"Which one of you came up with the great blubber fiasco?" Sokka asked, once again talking over her.
"You knew about that?" Bato asked sheepishly.
"Everyone does!" Katara smiled.
Amaya was… at a loss. Everywhere they had gone, she had been the center of attention because she was the Avatar, and now that she wasn't… well, she resented it. Amaya immediately pinched herself viciously.
What was wrong with her? So Sokka and Katara were more concerned with Bato than with her, big deal! It wasn't like it wasn't expected. They had found someone from their tribe, someone they were obviously close to. She would probably be the same if they happened upon an Air Nomad.
Amaya wondered if maybe that was the problem. Katara and Sokka had just found what she would never had, a part of their people. She would never have that again, and much as she hated herself for doing so, she resented them for it. Some little voice at the back of her head whispered that it wasn't fair, she was the Avatar, shouldn't she at least have someone? Someone who would tell her stories of past hijinks, who
She did have someone. Several someone's in fact. She had Appa and Momo; she had Suki and Shiyu who had defended her even though they didn't really know her. And most of all she had Katara and Sokka, and here she sat begrudging them their little bit of home.
"I'm expecting a missive from your father any day now," Bato said. "He's supposed to send word once they've found a rendezvous site. When it arrives, you could come with me, and see your father again."
"That would be amazing!" Sokka said, waving his arms around jubilantly.
"We haven't seen him in so long!" Katara said softly, smiling.
"It has been far too long hasn't it?" Bato said sympathetically.
Suddenly the fire was too hot, the smell of stewed sea prunes filling her nose and making her stomach turn. The oppressive noise of Katara, Bato, and Sokka chatting echoed in her ears. Her spoon slipped from nerveless fingers and clattered to the floor, loud as an avalanche.
"I'm going outside for some air," Amaya said, placing her bowl on the ground and dashing out the door. She ran out of the abbey, ignoring the worried call of a nun and ended up on the beach, staring out over the sea. The moon cut a silvery trail across the ebbing waves. Amaya stared at the beautiful scene dispassionately, not really registering any of it as her thoughts whirled.
Almost without conscious thought, she slipped off her boots and bent down, rolling up her leggings before wading into the water and letting it lick around her calves.
I can't believe myself. Thinking I deserve what they have because I'm the Avatar. I've heard Avatar's can be prone to big egos, but this? I always thought I was better than that. I don't want to be selfish and think I'm entitled, I used to hate people like that back at the Air Temple. I don't want to be a bad person, but the way my thoughts were going… does that make me a bad person? Or does the fact that I didn't like what I was thinking mean I'm not? When did everything get so confusing?
Amaya buried her head in her hands, shaking with emotion.
It was only three weeks ago that my biggest concern was whether I would be able to do that air scooter trick of Aang's. Now I'm fleeing for my life from the fire Nation, about to go to war, trying to learn all four elements in a matter of months. Gyatso, I've never needed you more than I do now. But I don't have that option, because it wasn't three weeks ago. A century has passed. No one remembers my people's lives, how we were known for our artwork, or how we had so many meditative positions that it took years to master them all. That our children played our own games and studied a history that no one lives to tell.
No one but me.
Amaya's head flashed up, determination hard in her eyes as she stared out over the waves.
I will live, I will do this, because my people are relying on me. If I die, so do they. I am their last chance to be known, and I will not fall.
"Excuse me, miss?" said an impatient voice behind her. Amaya jerked out of her thoughts, whirling to see and Earth Kingdom soldier on an ostrich horse.
"I'm looking for Bato of the Water Tribe," he barked.
"I know him," Amaya said softly.
"See that he gets this," the soldier said, thrusting a scroll at her. Amaya took it hesitantly and the soldier turned his mount around, galloping away across the sand. She looked down at the message in her hand and unrolled it, eyes widening when she saw a map marked with a location. The map Bato had talked about, the one that lead to Hakoda.
Suddenly all her insecurities and doubts were back.
All she wanted to do, all she had to do… She wouldn't be able to handle it on her own, and she knew it. And if Katara and Sokka got this map, they would leave her. She remembered her conversation with Katara in the cave during the storm.
"I need people, Katara. I have to have people, or I think I'd go crazy."
She hadn't realized until now just how true that statement was.
So, hating herself with every movement, Amaya folded up the missive and tucked it securely inside her sash, staring out over the ocean.
"I'm not a bad person," she whispered. "Am I?"
Amaya could barely stand to be around Sokka and Katara the next day. She felt sick with guilt, the map in her sash weighing her down as she trudged around the abbey and worked her way through the day. In an effort to distract herself, she Airbended to feed Appa, but the moves were too simple now, they didn't provide anything for her mind to latch onto and wrestle with. She tried making a batch of perfume with the nun's, but she couldn't focus long enough to make anything more than a small vial of smelling salts. What she needed was a fight, to work of this nervous energy. Something intense to do.
"I think this is the first time I've hoped for Zuko to show up," Amaya mumbled as she followed the Water Tribe members down to the waterfront so that Bato could examine his boat. Katara and Sokka seemed to be glued to his hip, and Amaya trudged along after them tiredly, bags under her eyes from nights tossing and turning with nervousness.
"This boat was built by my father," Bato mused as e ran a hand over the hull.
"Did he take you ice dodging in it?" Sokka asked eagerly.
"Oh yes," Bato nodded, chuckling. "There's a scar to prove it. But I'm sure you've got some exciting stories about ice dodging, eh Sokka?"
"He never got to go," Katara answered softly for him as Sokka's head hung in disappointment. "He was too young when dad left."
"Excuse me, but what's ice dodging?" Amaya asked, hoping for something to sink her teeth into and distract herself with.
"It's a tribe custom. When a boy turns fourteen, he… You know what?" Bato said after a moment of consideration. "You're about to find out!"
And find out she did. It wasn't fifteen minutes later that they were out to see on the deck of Bato's ship, gathered around the older man as he explained.
"Ice dodging is a ceremonial test of wisdom, bravery, and trust. In our tribe it's done by weaving a ship through a field of icebergs."
"How do you ice dodge without ice?" Sokka asked, staring around as if he expected icebergs to suddenly appear out of the ocean."
"You'll be dodging those," Bato said, pointing to a cluster of sharp, pointy rock and chuckling as Sokka and Katara's jaws dropped. "Sokka, you take the rudder and steer us. You call the shots, so lead wisely. Katara. Secure the mainsail. The winds can be brutal, so be brave. Amaya, you take the jib. Without you, we all go down. It's a position of trust."
"Of course it is, yeah, I can do that, you can count on me," Amaya jabbered. "What's a jib?"
Bato pointed before sitting down at the stern. "I can't help you if this is one right. Whether you pass or fail is down to you and you alone."
There was a moment of drifting as they neared the rocks and then Sokka called, "Amaya, ease up, Katara, stay steady." There was a pause and then, "Amaya, more sail, Katara, give her room!"
Amaya let a little bit of the rope ease through her hands and Sokka pulled hard on the rudder, the boat jerking roughly as they spun around the side of a large rock.
"Amaya, helm to lee, helm to lee!" Sokka called.
"I don't speak ship!" Amaya shouted, fingers clenching on the rope in her hands until her knuckles were white. With nothing else in mind, she jerked on the rope. They bobbed wildly, but barely scraped by the rocks just the same.
Katara turned around, smiling, but then she heard Bato rise and turned back to look in front of them. Amaya and Katara's eyes went wide as they saw the impassible reef in front of them.
"There's no way though!" Katara called.
"Sokka, you've proven yourself already, we can stop now," Bato said nervously, holding tightly to the side of the boat.
"No, we can make it!" Sokka said determinedly, a fierce sort of excitement in his eyes. "Amaya, I'm going to need a lot of air in that sail. Katara, bend as much water between those rocks and us and you can. Ready? Now!"
Amaya stuck her arms out and rotated her shoulders, blasts of air sliding along her limbs and jetting into the sail. Katara waved her airs, gradually building up a huge wave beneath them. They came up to the rocks, and Sokka clenched his fist nervously. Katara worked feverishly to get the wave high enough, and it just barely was, skimming them over the top of the rocks and into the peaceful waters beyond. Sokka sagged against the rudder in relief, Katara and Amaya turning to smile at him.
That was exactly what I needed to get my mind off… drat. Amaya smile faded before she quickly fixed it back in place, hoping no one had seen anything. She remained in a faux happy mood until they reached the shore and anchored the boat with strong cords. Then Bato brought out a small bowl of paint and approached them reverently, dipping his thumb inside.
"Let the spirits of water bare witness to these marks," he proclaimed. "For Sokka, the mark of the wise, the same mark your father earned."
On Sokka's forehead he drew a concave line with a small dot under it. Sokka beamed.
"For Katara, the mark of the brave. Your courage inspires us all."
Katara glowed as a crescent moon was smeared onto her forehead.
"And for Amaya, the mark of the trusted. You are now an honorary member of the Water Tribe."
Amaya felt the curved line slicked across her forehead and shuddered. It felt wrong. The paint was cool, she knew, but it seemed to burn into her head, whispering what she had done, was still doing, in her ear.
"No," she said softly.
"Amaya, what's wrong?" Katara asked worriedly.
"Don't honor me, I don't deserve it," Amaya mumbled to the ground.
"Why not?" Sokka chuckled, thinking it all some sort of joke.
"You can't trust me!" Amaya snapped, backing away from the happy, trusting faces that she didn't deserve. She wondered what had ever possessed her to do this, to hide the missive, now that that act was about to ruin all of this.
Slowly, she reached into her sash and pulled out the paper, holding it out shame-facedly. "A messenger gave me this for Bato," she murmured. Katara took it and unfolded the paper. Her eyes flew open and a hand covered her mouth. "Please understand, I was afraid-"
"This is the map to our father!" Sokka roared when he saw it. Amaya winced, turning away. Each word fell like a hammer blow. "You had it the whole time? Well you can forget us going to the North Pole with you, I'm going to find dad."
"Now Sokka, maybe we should-" Bato began soothingly, but Sokka cut him off.
"Are you coming with me Katara?" he demanded.
Amaya stared at her, eyes pleading for what she didn't dare voice aloud because she didn't deserve it. Katara looked at her for a moment before turning her face away. "I'm with you Sokka."
And the Water Tribe members walked away, leaving Amaya, shaking and miserable, standing by the boat and staring after them mournfully.
What have I done?
Amaya sat on Appa, her knees curled up to her chest and her chin resting there, eyes staring ahead and constantly on the edge of tears. She looked down as Katara walked over.
"Good luck," was all she said, but to Amaya it was more a promise not to hold this against her.
"Thanks," she whispered back. "You too."
Katara turned and left with the men. Amaya looked again as Mother Superior walked over to her.
"I suppose I should be going now," Amaya said with a pathetic attempt at a smile.
"That would be best," the nun said, her stern face showing disapproval.
It was perhaps the nun's reactions that hurt most. These were women who had devoted their entire lives to being the best people they could be, had invited her into their home, and she had done something so utterly selfish in exchange. They knew it, and she knew it. They showed their opinion, and she recoiled.
Amaya flicked Appa's reins and the giant bison lowed softly, moving through the front gate.
"I was a fool Momo," Amaya murmured to the lemur as she looked at Katara and sokka's retreating backs. "And I did this to myself."
She turned her face away and steered Appa down the opposite road, focusing all her efforts on not crying. It was perhaps the worst part of this, that this was something she had brought on herself. If she had mastered her emotions as the monks had always preached, she could have shoved it all down and done what she knew was right, then maybe none of this would have happened. Sokka and Katara might have chosen to come with her.
"Who am I kidding, why would they pick me over their father?" Amaya said aloud mournfully. "I wouldn't pick me."
Amaya made it all the way to the beach before Appa's reins came loose, the growled, annoyed, and stopped him, bracing her foot against the horn and yanking with all her might, trying to tighten the toughened leather.
"Avatar! Avatar!"
Amaya looked up in surprise. Mother Superior was waddling across the sand, a look of panic fixed on her face.
"What is it?" she asked, fearful something had happened at the abbey.
"You must go now!" Mother Superior said, waving her hand. "Hurry!"
Annoyance flashed across Amaya's face. "Okay, I understand, no one wants me around!"
"No, it isn't that!" the nun said. "Just after you left, people came for you. It was a woman riding a terrible beast, and an angry boy with a scar!"
"Zuko," Amaya said, but the sound didn't hold quite the venom it once had.
"The beast was using a necklace to track you," the nun continued.
"A necklace?" Amaya repeated, touching her throat that was one chain too little. But no, it couldn't be hers. There was no way the old woman could have beaten Zuko down here if it was that scent they were following. But then Katara had also lost a necklace, and…
"Katara!" she shouted. If it was tracking by scent, maybe she could lead it somewhere. But it would have to be somewhere fairly contained, a rampaging animal could do a lot of damage, she knew that from Appa's bath days. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I'm about to turn your abbey into a war zone," she apologized. "Appa, yip yip!"
Appa took to the air and within seconds they were over the abbey.
"Stay here unless I need you, okay buddy?" Amaya said, rubbing his head. She seized her glider and jumped, opening it and latching on. She needed to lay a thick layer of her scent to get the beast here. She circled over the courtyard, hoping it would work from this height.
It did. Not a minute later a huge brown beast broke down the hastily-patched doors of the abbey. She recognized it from her studies as a shirshu. Hyper-sensitive nose, whip-like tongue with paralytic toxins, she recited mentally.
She spotted five figures on the creature's back. There was a woman holding a hip, presumably the animal's owner, Zuko, and his uncle. Two limp blue bundles were draped over the rear of the saddle. Sokka and Katara. Amaya frowned.
The shirshu reared up, following her scent higher. It stretched too high however and threw its riders, losing its balance and crashing to the ground. The woman snapped her whip and the animal was on its feet again. She mounted and charged, coming straight for Amaya. She grinned as Appa barreled into the shirshu's side, slamming it into a wall of the abbey.
"Thanks buddy," she murmured, before turning her eyes to her opponent. Zuko, that's what he was, an opponent. Amaya grinned feeling adrenaline flood her veins. Here was the fight she'd been craving a day ago.
Zuko attacked first, gathering his fire before blasting it towards her. She twirled her staff and diffused it before shaping her hand precisely and sending a blast towards him in retaliation. He dodged and fired again, and Amaya danced out of the way, smiling as she sent a burst of wind along her staff. She ducked under it and swept his leg around, sending a wave of fire that she jumped over.
Then he was in close quarters and she jumped over his next attack before sliding under his kicking leg and reply with a burst of wind. He kicked the glider out of her hands and she was left to bob and weave around him, hands up and ready to attack. She ducked under his swiping fist and fired a jet up, redirecting his fire into the sky.
They both back away and swayed forwards, gathering their elements and turning to attack at the exact same moment. The blast blew them both up and back. Amaya landed hard on the roof, sharps of green clay tiles spraying around her and grunted in pain as the air hissed out of her lungs. From the slam across from her, she imagined that the same had happened to Zuko.
Dazedly, she opened her eyes and sat up, wincing as she placed a hand to her head. A snarl caught her attention and she looked up to see Zuko racing across the apex of the roof towards herm fire trailing from his pointed hands. She jumped up instinctively, arching up and over him in a roll until she landed on the top of the roof. She thanked any god that was listening for the fact that Airbenders had naturally good balance as she landed on one leg, arms positioned to aid her balance.
Zuko came at her again and she jumped up, swirling air around her to redirect any fire that might come her way. Zuko jumped as well, higher, and came down at her, forcing her onto her back curled on the roof, air swirling above her and diffusing the flames. She propelled herself to her feet with her hands and brought the heels of her pals together, fingers curled I a powerful two-handed attack. The concussive wave of air slammed Zuko back into a tower of the abbey. Amaya raced towards him with air trailing, just like her had come at her, but he slipped to the side, skidding down the sloped roof and onto the ground. Amaya jumped back as the shirshu leapt onto the roof, tongue lashing at her. She raced away along the building. She saw Appa firing blasts from his tail, a skill not many people knew air bison had, and thanked him as she leapt from the roof into a pit of dirty water, sliding under a small bridge and shooting out the other side, quickly Waterbending the filth away from her.
She dove behind a covered well as a fire blast came towards her, weaving around the sides as more and more blasts came from Zuko. She smiled slightly, again recalling her misadventures with the spinning gates as she put her lessons into action. She paused as she saw two charms dangle from Zuko's wrist, a blue carved circle and a heavy gold coin.
"You have some things that don't belong to you," she taunted.
"Come and take them then!" Zuko snarled, and she obliged, lunging across the well and supporting herself over it, curling into all sorts of positions in an effort to keep herself above the well and out of the path of his attacks.
Zuko blinked as he watched the Avatar contort around his attacks, gracefully arching against the posts. He remembered her delicate circles from earlier, the smooth movements as she slipped under and around him. With a growl he both mentally and physically brush her away, a leg shattering the wooden support struts holding up the roof of the well and depriving her of her supports. Since when did her admire the Avatar's fighting?
Since she fought for you, not against you, said an insidious little voice in the back of his head that remembered her ingenuity, her determination to get the both out of Zhao's clutches.
Amaya shot into the air the moment the roof of the well was gone, over Zuko's predicted attack, and landed gracefully on the edge of the well, glad that it was reasonably wide as she stretched a leg across the hole and around Zuko's leg, sliding around him and under his punch and leaving them back to back. She quick stepped twice along the ledge and braced her shoulder against his for a moment. He shoved her away roughly and she was forced to spin on one leg, turning to face his back and planting her foot firmly on the stone. Zuko turned with his arm out to catch her in the face, but Amaya raised a blocking arm, wincing as the armored limb collided with hers. She looked up and found wide golden eyes inches from her hers.
Suddenly they were both stepping around and a around the edge of the well in a tangle of limbs, stretching around each other. Amaya spun, catching Zuko in the face with the end of her braid and distracting him long enough for her to get a firm footing again, gripping his arms to steady herself.
"Now we're dancing," she said with a wolfish grin as he yanked his arms furiously, trying to get free. But Amaya clung tight, spinning and twirling, curling up tight against his chest at one point to keep her grip. She gave ground just a little on the hand with the necklaces wrapped around it. Zuko instinctively yanked his hand back, leaving them in Amaya's grip. She grinned and pulled her feet together, dropping into the water of the well with a blast of fire skimming the top of her head. She raised her hands and water exploded out of the top, shoving Zuko back. Amaya shot back up, pulling her necklace on as she went, and flipped once before landing on the ground. Fire shot over her head and she instinctively ducked, rotating to see Zuko on his feet and attacking. She leapt over his next attack. He moved forwards, seeking closer quarters, but Appa was suddenly in front of her and was backing Zuko away from his mistress.
"Appa," Amaya said worriedly as she watched him take two consecutive hits from the shirshu's tongue. Appa was a big animal; he could take a few hits, but not many. She winced as he hit the ground, the stone quaking under her, but soon realized she had bigger problems. She was pinned against a wall with Zuko on one side and the shirshu on the other. Zuko attacked and she spun along the wall, stopping inches from the paralytic tongue as it shot out. She dropped to the ground only to be forced to jump over a jet of flame. She had to dive to the side to avoid a lash from the tongue, and was forced to surround herself in a swirling orb of air to keep from flying directly into more fire. She couldn't keep this up for long…
Perfume washed over the shirshu and Zuko, the scents mixing and forming an altogether unpleasant odor. Amaya wrinkled her nose, but realized the genius of the plan as the shirshu began twitching and jerking its head. They saw with their noses. It was a sensory overload, the animal's mind wouldn't be able to cope and it would lash out wildly.
Amaya winced as the tongue began flying, but it never came near her as the shirshu bucked in a circle, throwing off his rider and accidently tagging her with a lick before managing to accidently strike one of the few areas not covered by Zuko's armor. He dropped to the floor with a cry of pain. Amaya went cautiously to his side. She felt like she owed him something after his rescue. It had been unprompted as far as she knew, and she wanted him to know he had done the right thing.
She knelt by his side, golden eyes watching her with anger and caution.
"Consider this a thanks for the rescue, Mr. Blue Spirit," she said with a smile. She reached into her sash and pulled out the vial of smelling salts she had made and slipped it into his hand. "Now we're even." Amaya hesitated. She'd never have a better chance…
Acting solely on instinct and some sort of mad urge, she leaned down and pecked him on the cheek, right where she had kissed the mask. Her lips brushed smooth scar tissue and she shivered. It felt strange, but not horrible.
She pulled away and looked at him. He could barely move his face it seemed, but he managed to get out, "Why?"
"The mask was in the way last time," she said with a wide grin. "I'll see you soon, I expect."
Amaya rose and jumped, landing by her glider. She jumped again and ended up seated on Appa's head, Katara and Sokka already situated in the saddle behind her. She gave the prince a jaunty wave and grinned.
"Yip yip!"
They took off, soaring away into the setting sun. They travelled silently for a while, before Amaya left the steering to Appa and turned around to talk to Katara and Sokka.
"So, do I need to drop you guys anywhere?" she asked, not quite sure where she stood with them.
"Yeah, the North Pole," Sokka grinned. "It would be great to see dad again."
"But you need a more. We're with you, Amaya," Katara smiled.
"Still, I'm sorry you had to give up that for me," Amaya said, hiding a smile.
"It's not a problem," Sokka said, waving her concerns away.
"Still, I wish I could give you a little trinket from your home. But I don't suppose you'd want this, would you?" Amaya giggled, holding out her hand and dangling Katara's lost necklace.
"Amaya, how did you get that?" Katara squealed, seizing it and clasping it around her neck.
"Zuko wanted to make sure you got it," Amaya grinned.
"Oh, that's sweet of him," Katara said with faux thankfulness, pressing a hand to her heart. "Give him a kiss for me next time you see him, will you?"
Amaya full on beamed. "Oh, I think I could definitely manage that."
She laughed wildly as Katara and Sokka stared at her in confusion, turning around and taking up the reins once more.
"I saw that."
"Saw what?" Zuko demanded, his back to his uncle who was lounging against the door to his room. The older man had a sly smile on his face.
"She kissed you," Iroh said bluntly. "And I heard her say something about thanks for a rescue."
"You must have been imagining things," Zuko said, clenching his fists as he turned to face the Fire Nation tapestry on his wall.
"Oh no, I don't think I was," Iroh chuckled. "Come Zuko, don't lie to me. I can see through it and you know it."
"Fine," Zuko snapped, whirling to face Iroh. "She's distracting me! Are you happy now?"
"She's distracting you from catching her?" Iroh said. "Hmm, and how is she managing that?"
"I don't know," Zuko muttered, running an agitated hand through what remained of his hair. "When I'm around her, I start to focus more on how she's fighting and the things she's said to me than capturing her."
Iroh looked genuinely. "Zuko, liking the girl isn't a crime. It'd be easier if you just came out and said it."
"I don't like her!" Zuko shouted. "She's nothing more than a thing, the key to my honor. I'll take her to my father and that will be the end."
"Oh, I doubt that," Iroh said. "This girl is a fighter, resourceful and cunning. You'll be chasing her for a long while before you actually catch her. Can you handle this for much longer?"
"Of course," Zuko said firmly. "I have to. For my honor."
