DISCLAIMER: I do not own "Avatar: The Last Airbender." I will not make any sort of profit off this story. The only thing I am claiming out of this is rights to the character(s) I have created, and I'll even make a list. They'll show up as the story plays out. Currently, the list consists of Circe (AKA Jord), Nasu, Ronyn, and Zeph.

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"It's been three days. How come we can't find that last Nomad?"

Three days ago, Katara and Toph had managed to dig up a small scrap of information on any remaining Nomads, and Aang had used those days to work with his growing group of Airbenders. Today was a "free day" of sorts, where said Benders were given time for themselves to relax. This gave Aang some personal time, though he was far from relaxing.

"Aang, you need to remember that these Nomads didn't know what they were exactly until the past month or so." Katara had opted to spend the day with her friend. Toph was finally getting her own personal time, and while Sokka had grown quite a bit, sleeping was still a favorite hobby. "Toph was right; he or she is probably still very confused, maybe even scared. The people in this city know we're here, and they know how to protect each other. When this Airbender is ready, they'll come looking for us."

"You're right… you both are." Aang frowned thoughtfully. After a short pause, he continued. "Want to go for a walk? I haven't actually seen the city yet."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

It felt good to be able to walk again. It had taken her a couple more days of rest, but she had been able to regain enough energy to be able to move around for more than a few minutes. The sun on her face felt good as well. The only real problem was that her mother refused to let her go anywhere on her own, even in the house. Jord tried not to let it annoy her, she knew it was because her mother mom was worried.

"Are you sure you're well enough? You don't need to come with me if you aren't feeling up to it."

"I'm fine, really. I'm feeling much better." Jord tightened the saddle on Hoz's back, straining to keep from looking as tired as she really was. It was amazing what several days of nothing but sleep could do to a person. She wasn't used to feeling this weak.

Nasu looked unconvinced. "If you're feeling alright… then I suppose I can't stop you. But I don't want you to overdo it." At that, she took away the bundle that Jord had picked up and secured it to the saddle herself.

"I can handle it. Honest." Trying not to make herself dizzy, she turned and picked up another bundle before Nasu could get to it. She strapped the clothing down as she kept talking. "I just have a bit of a headache, that's all. I can manage to lead Hoz, I just can't take another day of sleep. I'll go crazy."

"I worry about you, Circe. When you were brought home that night…" Nasu bit her lip. "You were in terrible shape. Bruises all over, blood on your face and in your hair…" Unable to help herself, she pulled Jord into a tight hug, causing her daughter's head to swim. "I was so scared we were going to loose you, even the healers said that-"

"Please stop worrying! I'm okay." Jord returned her mother's hug. "I'm up and moving, and eating. I'm better now."

"But the healers-"

"Were wrong. See?" Jord wiggled her fingers, shuffled her feet, even opened her mouth and stuck her tongue out. "Everything's fine. You know what Grandpa used to say; people like me bounce."

Nasu studied Jord's face for a moment before a slight grin showed up and she visibly relaxed. "Alright, you win. But you're only leading Hoz, understand?"

"It's a deal." Jord then made a face when Nasu took away the last roll of clothing. There was just no way to make the woman completely cooperate.

It didn't take the two very long to finish loading up the ostrich-horse's saddle. Before long, Jord and Nasu were on the street, leading a somewhat aggravated Hoz towards the market. The poor animal was carrying more weight than usual, simply because deliveries hadn't been made while Jord was recovering. While they walked, Jord couldn't help but notice that there was an unusual number of people out and about. It was like the whole city was buzzing with massive amounts of activity. "What's going on? I know I've been out of it for a while, but it isn't the anniversary of the war. What've I missed?"

Nasu was quiet for a moment. "The Avatar is in town. Did Ronyn tell you he was here?"

"I'm not sure. I know he told me the Avatar was trying to gather up Air Nomads… is he really finding any?"

"From what I hear, he is." Nasu reached out and took Jord by the hand, almost protectively. "He's been in Iso Han for three or four days now. Do you want to go see him?"

"No." Jord growled, suddenly feeling a bit angry. "I don't care about what people say, I've got nothing to do with this. I just picked the wrong fight, that's all." Her hand tightened subconsciously before she forced it to relax. "I'm just someone who had a very humbling experience. Nothing more."

"I know your father gave you that box." Nasu said quietly. "I just want you to know that no matter what choice you make, you're our daughter."

"Oh, for the love of-"

They were interrupted by excited shouts and shrill laughter. Jord noticed a group of children in the alleyway they were just passing, playing some sort of game using Earthbending. From where she was standing, it looked like they were trying to see who could invent the best move. She envied them for their talent, much like she had envied her parents as a child. "Not bad, for children." Nasu said off-handedly. Even Hoz was watching. "They'll be good when they grow up."

Jord just grunted.

As they turned to walk away, Nasu noticed someone approaching the kids. She stopped instinctively, almost causing Jord to run into her. "I wonder who that is." Nasu said to herself, watching the new arrival. She was shorter than Jord by a few inches, with black hair that hung down her back in a loose braid. Because her eyes were clouded over, it was difficult to tell what color they were. Possibly blue, maybe even green. The children immediately gathered around her, buzzing with talk and energy. At first, the woman looked confused, but after a few seconds a small grin crawled across her face.

"Hey, I thought you wanted to go to the market." Jord grumbled as she adjusted her hold on Hoz's reigns.

"I do, but I want to watch this. That woman seems familiar." Nasu was almost completely focused on the group in the alley. Feeling a bit resigned, Jord simply leaned back against the ostrich-horse.

The young woman talked with the small crowd around her, apparently asking questions and answering them in turn. At one point, several of the kids pointed in a direction south of them, towards the market and the near-deserted slums beyond. The woman said something, and the children clapped and bounced around. Whatever she said, they apparently liked it quite a bit, and every single one of them stepped back as if to give her room.

Taking a steady horse stance, she gestured calmly with her hands. Small chunks of earth pulled themselves out of the ground, and she Bent them around her body, spinning them through the air. She pulled up more rocks and covered herself with them, forming some for of armored suit. Peeling the rocks off in flakes, she shoved them back into the ground before gesturing again. Pulling her hands apart as if trying to pry something open, she ripped open the ground and dropped into the hole. The moment she disappeared into the earth, the ground swirled together and smoothed over. A split second later, she emerged from the dirt without a hair out of place. Even as the crowd of children clapped and cheered for more tricks, she kicked at the ground and sent small waves across its surface.

"She's good." Nasu sounded impressed. "She's young, too. Can't be older than twenty, I'd say."

"She's a show-off." Jord scoffed.

"Pot, I'd like you to meet kettle."

"Very funny. Where are you going?" Jord started after her mother. "I thought you just wanted to watch!"

"I'm curious. I think I know who that is."

Jord just groaned, tying Hoz's reigns to a post before following Nasu. "I doubt we've met."

"I never said we did." Nasu kept walking, catching the attention of a few of the children. "I just said I think I've heard of her. Excuse me!" She called out to the young woman, who stopped in the middle of another Bending move.

The Bender turned and stared in their direction with sightless eyes. "What? I'm busy?

"I was wondering if I could get your name."

"Who wants to know?"

"I would. I'm Nasu, and that is my daughter Circe." Nasu motioned towards Jord, who had apparently decided to linger closer to Hoz.

"Nice name." The woman smirked.

"Let's hear yours, then." Jord snapped back, ignoring Nasu's warning look.

The woman was quiet for a moment, as if in deep thought. "My name is Toph."

"Toph…" Nasu murmured thoughtfully. "Toph Bei Fong? The Avatar's Earthbending Teacher?"

Jord felt like she swallowed lead.

Toph appeared to look at them curiously, despite the fact she was blind. "Yeah, that's me."

"If I may. What is a Bending Master like yourself doing in a backwater town like Iso Han?"

"The Avatar's here on business, I just tagged along."

Jord knew exactly where this was going. "I'll be at the tavern." She scowled, stalking back to Hoz to untie his reigns. Without even looking back, she disappeared out into the street.

"She's a bit of a grouch." Toph said off-handedly.

"It's been a rough week for us." Nasu frowned. "What business does the Avatar have here? Rumors are he's been finding Airbenders all over the place."

"We've got a little flock." It was obvious to Toph that Nasu was suddenly uncomfortable, or even worried. "Is there something wrong?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Nasu and her daughter managed to make nearly every single one of their deliveries that afternoon. It wasn't quite evening by the time they got home when Jord realized her mother's overall attitude had suddenly changed. Something was going on, and it was starting to irritate her. Finally, she gave into her growing curiosity and confronted Nasu about it. "Alright, what's going on? You're acting awfully… secretive." Jord squinted at her mother suspiciously. "What are you trying to hide?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Nasu said innocently as she bustled about the small kitchen area. She was brewing tea and making dinner, but in larger amounts than normal. In fact, she was using the pricey tea. That usually meant they were having company.

She might as well have polished their non-existent silver.

"You're brewing expensive tea. The house is tidier than normal. Dad is trimming his beard! Who's coming over?"

"No one. Now go change your clothes. And for goodness sake, comb your hair!"

"I thought it was well known that my hair does what it wants."

"Circe…" Nasu's tone sounded dangerous.

"But I'll see what I can do."

"Fair enough. Now hurry, your father moves faster."

"You keep me out of this!" Ronyn could be heard yelling from the other room. He wasn't happy about being told to trim his beard, company or no.

Jord just shook her head and wandered back to her room. She knew something was up, she just couldn't quite put her finger on it. Zin watched her carefully as she hunted down some clean clothes and a pair of sandals. She was feeling a little lightheaded, but she ignored it, thinking it was because she had been moving around all day. As she stripped, she paused to inspect herself for bruises. Most of them had finally begun to fade, although the one in the middle of her chest was still a nasty black and green color. It was a painful reminder of her late-night encounter with spirits knew what, and at the thought she looked at the guilty hammer disdainfully. At least the other large bruise was fading, though it was still smeared across the right side of her back. She mentally cringed at the memory of falling through a roof. It still hurt to lay on her right side. Jord felt lucky to have avoided broken bones.

Pulling a clean shirt over her head, then a pair of pants, Jord turned around and faced Zin. The cat-owl hadn't even moved. "How's this?" Zin just blinked at her, then started to preen his feathers. Jord reached up and ran her fingers through her hair, only to have it stick up defiantly. "I don't think I can do anything about that." The animal sneezed at her and turned away. "Same to you, crab-fish." She stuck her tongue out at him while she slipped on the sandals. As she turned towards the door, Jord continued to think about who it was that was coming over. The worst it could possibly be was that damn Xahn, in which case she'd just push him around a second time.

She hadn't even heard of him in nearly a month. Of course, if she were him, she wouldn't talk about being beaten up by a girl, either.

Jord knocked on her wooden bedside table as she passed it.

Just as she reached the door, she heard a knock from the front door. Jord paused and listened as one of her parents answered it. "Oh, thank you for coming, it's an honor to have you here with us. Please, come in." She could hear her mother talking, but no verbal response from their mystery guest. Footsteps approached her door, and Jord stepped back as it slid open to reveal her mother's somewhat impatient face. "Come on, dinner's ready. What about your hair?" Jord shrugged, and the older woman sighed in response. "Well, come on then. And no attitudes, understand?" Nasu disappeared, likely for the kitchen again. Jord lingered a second longer in her room, an apprehensive feeling gnawing on her mind, before shaking it off and stepping out of her room.

She was barely inside the main room when she saw who their guest was, and Jord stopped so hard she almost knocked herself over. A strange, alien feeling of resentment came over her, only to be replaced with a malicious sense of betrayal. It hurt in a way, to feel as though one or both of her parents had gone behind her back this way. It wasn't because their company was occupying her chair, either.

It was Toph Bei Fong.