Author's Note: The last chapter was rather unsatisfactory in length. With any luck, this one will make up for it, as I plan on taking my time. So, now we get to the season finale of book one, and the siege of the Northern Water Tribe. Hope you like the chapter!
"This will truly be one for the history books, General Iroh." Zhao spoke to Iroh proudly, his red cape flowing behind him in the salty sea breeze. Solus was standing at his customary position behind the older of the two men, ready to carry out any orders or send a message if the need arose. Kuzon circled around the bridge, looping lazily around the towering black smoke column that followed the massive warship wherever it went.
"Just think." The egotistical Admiral continued. "Centuries from now, people with study the great Admiral Zhao, who destroyed the last of the Water Tribe civilization. You're lucky to be here to see it." The man gazed out over the cold blue waters of the Northern Ocean, sure of a coming victory.
"Be careful what you wish for, Admiral." Iroh said calmly, the light wind ruffling his hair and causing his orange robes to flutter like a giant butterfly. "History is not always kind to its subjects." Solus looked on in silence, not trusting himself to hold his tongue should he begin speaking.
"I suppose you speak from experience." Zhao casually responded, slowly strolling to the railing that stood before him. "But rest assured. This will be nothing like your legendary failure at Ba Sing Se." The Admiral's insolence astounded Solus. This man was convinced that nothing could stop him, and his words reflected it.
"I hope not, for your sake." The older General replied gloomily. Solus had heard the story of the legendary Dragon of the West's defeat at the Earth Kingdom capital city. The siege of that city's fabled walls had lasted 600 days, only ending upon the death of thousands of troops, Iroh's son included. The General's fall from grace in the eyes of the people had come not long after, and had been accompanied by devastating grief.
"Tell the captains to prepare for first strike." Zhao's commanded caused Solus to jump slightly, and he turned to accompany Iroh off of the massive ship's bridge. They walked in silence, moving towards the warship's communications room, pausing only briefly in order to allow Kuzon to perch on Solus' shoulder, as was his custom. When they reached their destination, Iroh spoke only briefly with the man in charge of the ship's resident birds, before he moved on, heading towards the lower boiler room. Stopping before a soldier that Solus recognized as a disguised Zuko, the General spoke quietly.
"We're landing soon. Do you have a plan?"
"I'm working on it Uncle." Came the hurried reply, the Prince stopping only briefly before replacing his face mask and moving on to the next point on his patrol route.
Solus stood, again in his customary position, behind Zhao and Iroh. The two military leaders were surveying the bombardment of the Northern Water Tribe city, which took the form of cluster of buildings nestled behind a tall wall of ice. The fleet had just passed the remains of the single-ship vanguard, which was now thrust into the air as it had been impaled upon ice created by the waterbenders of the city. The repeated thrum of the swinging trebuchets, on board the deck of the Admiral's flagship, was accompanied by the whooshing noises that the flaming projectiles made as they soared towards their targets.
The setting sun streamed through the red tinted windows of the bridge, coloring every surface of the room in an angry red light. As the shadows moved across the floor, Iroh finally broke the silence that had grown in the ship's command center.
"It's almost twilight, Admiral. As your military consultant, I must advise you to halt your attack." The General spoke carefully and calmly, his arms crossed before him. "The waterbenders draw their power from the moon, and it is nearly full tonight. You should wait and resume the attack at daybreak."
"I am well aware of the moon problem, and I am working on a solution." Zhao growled in his usual low voice, gazing sternly over the ocean at the shimmering city as though it had made a personal offence. "But for now, daybreak it is." Turning, the Admiral nodded to one of the soldiers, who bowed and left the room. The clanging sound of anchors could soon be heard, and Solus followed Iroh out of the room. The pair made their way down to one of the small rooms on the side of the ship where smaller boats could be launched. Zuko was waiting there, quietly preparing a small canoe, and Solus shut the door behind him.
"If you're fishing for an octopus, my nephew, you need a tightly woven net, or he'll squeeze through the tiniest hole and escape." Iroh cautioned, his usual metaphorical advice causing Zuko to turn slightly in reply.
"I don't need your wisdom right now, Uncle." The Prince gazed out across the ocean, his tone solemn.
"I'm sorry. I just nag you because…" The General paused, taking a deep breath. "Well, ever since I lost my son…" The pain in the older man's voice was obvious, and Solus felt as though he were intruding upon a conversation that was not his to witness.
"Uncle, you don't have to say it." The scarred boy's reply was short, his back turned to his Uncle.
"I think of you as my own." It seemed as though the older man was close to crying, and his nephew turned slowly.
"I know, Uncle. We'll meet again," With that, Zuko bowed towards his uncle, who embraced him. "After I have the Avatar." He extricated himself from the gesture, and stepped towards the waiting canoe. As it lowered, Iroh continued to call advice out to his nephew, while the small vessel continued to lower down to the waiting sea.
"I will follow him." Solus said quietly to the saddened General. "I will try to ensure his safety, and will send Kuzon if we find the Avatar." Iroh nodded, and moved to help Solus prepare a second canoe that was leaned haphazardly against one wall of the chamber. The young firebender was glad that he had kept his sword tied to his sash, it could come in handy later. When the small, hide-covered craft was finally situated in the correct position with ropes and pulleys preventing it from plunging down to the water below, Solus stepped into it, his hawk still on his shoulder.
"If Zhao asks, I will say you were overcome with a bout of seasickness." The old man called as Solus began lowering the tiny boat down the side of the ship. "And Solus?"
"Yes, General Iroh?"
"Do not forget your own well being while trying to ensure the safety of my nephew's. Stay safe."
Solus only nodded in reply, continuing his descent in silence, only pausing to ensure that Kuzon did not cry out. When he reached the water, he sat down in the vessel and lifted the two-sided oar from its resting place at the bottom. Looking ahead, he was just barely able to see Zuko, a small grey speck on a pale white and dark blue horizon. Paddling swiftly, he did his best to catch up without being too loud, his messenger hawk settling onto his shoulder. He wouldn't have minded sending his small companion ahead, but they would then run the risk of detection, something that Solus would not allow to happen. It is going to be a long night, Solus thought wearily. Best he gets his sleep.
When he finally looked up from his oar, Solus was surprised to see the pale wall of the large city looming before him. Taking care to stay out of the sightlines of the patrolling, blue-clad sentries, he was able to see his friend pause before an opening in the ice and dive in, abandoning his canoe to the elements. When Solus reached the ice shelf where he had last seen Zuko, he pulled his own boat up next to the one that already lay on the cold, snowy ice, taking care to cover both up, hiding them away from prying eyes. Turning and whispering to Kuzon, Solus relayed his instructions for the bird.
"Fly up to that ridge, and wait for me to reappear in the city. I will signal for you when I need your help." With that, he tossed the hawk into the air, marvelling at its intelligence and obvious flying skill. Turning away from the red, rapidly shrinking spot that was soaring up to one of the ridges that surrounded the city, Solus breathed in deeply and leapt into the small circle of water, bracing for the cold.
It was not enough. The shock of the near-freezing water caused his downward swimming to become erratic, and the young firebender began to have difficulty continuing down the underwater path. The cold felt as though it were seeping into his bones, dragging him down into the dark depths of the Northern Ocean. Only by remembering to use his firebending to heat up the water around him did Solus manage to keep from drowning, grateful for the teachings of General Iroh.
Focusing his attention back on the goal of following Zuko, he pushed himself further downward, following the contours of the circular tunnel down and then up, finally surfacing after what seemed like hours of swimming, though it could not have been longer than a minute. Gasping for air and pulling himself out of the water and onto the icy floor, Solus was content to lie in the same position for a number of minutes before he became aware of Zuko, standing in shock only a couple of meters away.
"What are you doing here?" The question was brief, and brusque, and it took Solus a while before he could answer.
"You Uncle. He asked me to follow you, and make sure you didn't do anything stupid." The scarred firebender frowned at this, but his friend ignored him, too busy creating fire to warm up and dry his sodden, freezing clothes.
"Well, I am grateful for the assistance. I think I found a way in too, before you went and showed up." Zuko paused before continuing. "But I am grateful. Surprised, but grateful." Noticing that Solus had stood, obviously recovered from his bout of near-hypothermia, he gestured to the other firebender to follow. "This way. I think it leads to the inside of the city."
Nodding, Solus followed, noticing the passage that the Prince had indicated and groaning inwardly. He had thought that they had experienced enough frozen water passages for one day, but apparently Zuko disagreed. Pushing against the flowing current, the dark passage eventually opening up into a wider cave with an air pocket at the top. Pushing to catch up to his companion, Solus was finally able to surface, breathe in, and warm himself. Not bothering to speak, the scarred royal gestured to a larger passage, leading in a direction that would put them directly under the city. As the two swam up rapidly, they eventually saw light coming from a thin spot in the ice. Melting through the frozen water, the pair were finally able to surface, and pulled themselves up into the cold air.
Looking around, they found themselves in a culvert, watching a canal that divided the buildings like a road.
"We can rest here for a time," Zuko said quietly. "The Avatar can't go far. Not while the Fire Navy waits outside the city"
Nodding in agreement, Solus laid his head back against the cold side of the culvert, his body steaming as he attempted to purge the moisture with heat.
After a number of minutes passed, and Solus was finally feeling the cold leave his body, his friend looked up.
"We move now."
Nodding in agreement, he followed his friend out of the confines of the culvert, taking care not to make an excessive amount of noise. The two journeyed up, past numerous other canals, before arriving at a small wooden door.
"Through here. This is where he is. I can feel it." Zuko made the declaration with a surprising amount of certainty, causing Solus to raise an eyebrow. Surprisingly, when they opened the small door and looking out onto a small, sheltered lagoon. He was surprised to see green grass and trees, but the presence of tropical plants this far north had no apparent effect on Zuko. Standing by a pool on the small island in the center of the lagoon was the Southern Water Tribe girl, and sitting before her was the Avatar.
"Well, aren't you a big girl now?" Zuko sneered in reply to a comment that Solus had missed, causing him to raise his eyebrow again. Seems that I have been doing that a lot lately.
"Been working on your one-liners, eh Zuko?" he muttered, the other firebender ignoring him as they walked their way slowly towards the girl. It seemed that the water surrounding the green island was shallow enough to walk through. Though there is still enough to give a waterbender an advantage. He thought to himself, taking care to step swiftly through the water and onto dry land.
"No!" Gasped the girl, rapidly assuming a fighting stance.
"Yes!" Zuko sneered again, more triumphantly this time. "Hand him over, and I won't have to hurt you!"
"How chivalrous of you, Zuko." muttered Solus, feeling particularly sarcastic after his difficulty in the waters underneath the city. His commentary still ignored, he continued to circle slowly around the girl, his hands out in front of him in his own fighting stance.
Zuko leapt forward, blasts of fire leaping forth from his fists, soaring through the air towards the girl. To Solus' surprise, she was able to adeptly deflect all of the blasts, retaliating with a jet of water that threw the Prince back, off of his feet and into the water.
As Solus responded towards the aggression with attacks of his own, he shouted out to his friend.
"The moon, Zuko. They get their powers from-" His sentence was cut short by a blast of water that sent him tumbling head over heels, though it seemed that Zuko had understood his intention judging by the care he now took in attacking the waterbender, though it did him no good. Just as he began to advance again, she caught him fully in the chest with another jet of water, followed up by swirling the water around him, obviously attempting to create some sort of ice trap around the Prince.
Unluckily enough for the girl, she was interrupted before the process could be completed by a fireball, which knocked her off her feet and caused the streaming waters around Zuko to dissipate. Just as Solus advanced towards the Avatar, the obviously skilled waterbender retaliated in kind, a massive burst of water throwing him back against the wall and freezing around the firebender, pinning his arms to his sides.
From this vantage point, he was in the perfect position to watch the same happen to Zuko.
"We probably should have waited for daybreak." Solus sighed, and peered down at the place where their short battle had taken place. It truly was a curious sight, the bamboo trees framing the lush grass, all surrounding a clear pool with two circling koi fish. The Avatar still sat, cross-legged, his eyes and tattoo glowing, while his Southern Water Tribe friend paced nearby, like a lioness protecting her cub. In the distance, the horizon began to glow, the sky painted a range of colors, from deep purple to vibrant orange.
At first Solus was confused. What was this phenomena occurring where the night sky met the sea? The realization hit him just as the first rays of the sun peaked over the warship-studded ocean.
The sunrise! Solus thought, surprised that the night had passed so quickly. To his left, it seemed that Zuko had noticed as well, already working to melt the ice surrounding him, a wolfish snarl on his face. As the Prince leapt from his icy prison, the other firebender had already begun the same process, watching the cold water stream off of the frozen surface in tiny rivulets, then in pouring streams, until he was finally left standing in the water surrounding the small island.
His friend had already resumed the attack, springing forward as he was finally able to go on the offensive. A few quick bursts were all it took, and the waterbender lay sprawled on the ground, unconscious following the firebenders' rapid resurgence and consecutive ambush as Zuko lifted the Avatar from the grass.
"You rise with the moon," He said coolly, as Solus lifted a small carved whistle to his mouth. "I rise with the sun!"
The whistle made no noise, but the response was almost immediate. The messenger hawk swooped down towards the two firebenders, who were waiting with the Avatar in hand. The bird looked inquisitively at the unconscious airbender, who was held aloft only by Zuko's grip on his collar. Nodding to each other, the two red-clothed young men ran from the clearing, making towards a small path that led out of the bowl-shaped valley that the city was situated in.
The two trudged slowly through the snow, pausing every couple hundred steps to shift the Avatar from one to the other. A blizzard had formed around them, a myriad of tiny snowflakes whirling in the frosty air. Their clothes did little to keep the cold from seeping into their weary limbs, a feeling that reminded Solus of his short venture into the submerged ice tunnels beneath the Northern Water Tribe capital.
The ice below them had cracked and caved in multiple times, and yet they still journeyed, across leagues upon leagues of snow-clad terrain. Kuzon had long since taken shelter inside Solus' coat, the extra layers providing some insulation for both man and hawk against the raging elements. A blustery gale roared in the background at all times, like an enraged beast bellowing in fury at a hunter's attempts at subduing it.
"Zuko!" Solus shouted over the raging winds. "We need to find shelter soon, or none of us will make is out of this storm alive!"
His friend paused, obviously seeing the truth in the statement. His eyes scanned the horizon, searching for something, anything, that could protect them from nature's savagery.
"There!" He shouted back, pointing towards a small ice cave that looked out from a nearby bluff.
When they finally reached their destination, Zuko laid the Avatar against the wall of the cave and tied the bald child's hands and feet. Both firebenders used their bending to start a fire and warm the chamber, thawing their near-frozen hands and causing tiny droplets to drip from the ceiling. There was silence in the cold, hard shelter for some time before the Prince spoke again.
"I finally have you." Zuko began, obviously addressing the Avatar. "But I can't get you home because of this blizzard." The scarred boy stood, and began pacing at the mouth of the cave. "There's always something." Solus said nothing. He was not part of this conversation, only an observer. He wondered if his friend had finally lost his mind.
"Not that you would understand. You're like my sister. Everything always came easy to her. She's a firebending prodigy, and everyone adores her." Solus snorted at this. He had never liked Princess Azula, finding her to be an amplification of every singly bad quality that his friend possessed. Zuko said nothing to this, only continuing his one-sided conversation with the comatose Avatar.
"My father says she was born lucky. He says I was lucky to be born." The solitary figure standing at the entrance to the cave took a deep breath, and then continued, as if he were reassuring himself. "I don't need luck though. I don't want it. I have always had to struggle and fight, and that has made me strong, and it has made me who I am."
"Zuko." Solus' voice came quietly from his position, leaning against the icy wall. "You should probably get some rest. I will take first watch." the Prince sighed, nodding.
"Tell me if he wakes up."
With that, the other firebender walked to the rear of the cave and lay down, showing no trepidation towards sleeping on the frozen, icy floor. Solus began his vigil, allowing Kuzon to exit his coat. He smiled at the bird, feeding it the lasts scraps of dried meat in his pocket. He saw the Avatar shift, shuddering in his sleep. Looking out the entrance, and at the swirling patterns made by the snow and the wind, Solus sighed.
"I guess we will be here for a while. Better get comfortable." With that, he sat back, and resumed his watch. Soon, the blizzard will be over. Then we can all be free of this madness.
It was a number of hours later, and on Zuko's watch, that the Avatar woke. Solus was brought out of his slumber soon after by Kuzon, who pecked at his forehead to wake him up.
"Welcome back." The Prince was addressing the Avatar calmly, watching as the airbender realized where he was.
"Good to be back." Solus was surprised to hear none of the boy's usual cheerful tone, before the young monk exhaled a powerful stream of air, propelling him from the cave and launching Zuko back several meters.
Solus was on his feet in seconds, and in pursuit of the Avatar before his friend surpassed him, sprinting up behind him with a speed that surprised both the Avatar and the other firebender.
"That won't be enough to escape." Zuko snarled, grasping the bald child by the collar and lifting him into the air.
"Appa!" Was the only response the Avatar gave, and Solus was just barely able to jump out the way of the massive flying bison as it landed with a thud.
"Here for a rematch?" Came Zuko's call towards the dismounting waterbender, this time accompanied by her brother and a third girl, one that was unfamiliar to the two firebenders.
"Trust me Zuko, it's not gonna be much of a match!" Came the reply, as the skilled waterbender responded to the query with both a word and a column of ice, sending Zuko up into the air before collapsing the frozen monolith beneath him, knocking the Prince unconscious.
"I hate my luck." Muttered Solus as he punched three fireballs in quick succession towards the blue-clad bender. The gesture was futile, as there was a full moon peeking out through the gaps between the clouds, giving the waterbender a surprising amount of power. She responded with a wave of ice, moving up from the ground and trapping Solus, leaving all but his shoulders and head encased in ice.
"This can't be good for my health." He frowned, watching as the Avatar and his friends leapt on top of their bison. The boy paused, just as they were about to leave, and looked down at first Zuko, and then Solus.
"Wait. We can't just leave them here."
"Sure we can!" Came a reply from someone that Solus could not see from his unmoving position.
"No, we can't!" The Avatar leapt from his mount and moved towards the unconscious Zuko. Solus was suddenly aware of a small creature gripping his shoulder tightly, and he smiled. It seemed that, even though he might have been going into captivity, Kuzon was coming with him.
"What should we do with this one?" Asked the Southern Water Tribe boy who now stood in front of him.
"You could tie me up with those ropes that you got off your friend there." Solus said amicably. "Anything is better than freezing to death in the snow."
"Katara!" Called the boy. "Unfreeze him so I can put this rope to good use."
Solus felt the water melting around him and stretched, sighing as he watched the rope-wielding warrior advance towards him. The firebender allowed his hands to be bound, and watched as the Avatar lifted him up onto the back of the massive bison.
As the creature flew, Solus sat back in the saddle and surveyed those around him while Kuzon sat on his shoulder. It seemed that the messenger hawk was equally interested in the new people around it, asthe bird peered around the saddle, it's bright yellow eyes flashing in the moonlight.
"Right, so I know him" Solus broke the silence, gesturing with his head towards the Avatar. "Aang, right? You two are…" He paused, thinking of the names of the Southern Water Tribe members in front of him. "Katara and… Sokka, right?" Remembering the names of his captors earned Solus nothing but glares, but he still persisted.
"Right, that is established. But who are you?" He gestured towards the second girl, who seemed to be separate from the other people on the back of the flying bison, in both clothes and mannerisms.
"Princess Yue." Came the sharp, angry reply from the Southern Water Tribe warrior.
"You brought a Princess to hunt down Zuko and I?" Solus' reply was incredulous, seemingly oblivious to the looks his captors were giving him.
"Well, I'm flattered, but don't you think that is a bit… unsafe?" The firebender forged on. He would later reflect that this was likely out of an odd need to communicate with those he had helped to chase for so long, however illogical it might have been at the time.
"Well, whatever the case may be, my name is Solus." At this point, the others were staring at him as though he had gone completely insane.
"You will have to excuse my ramblings, I haven't slept for more than two hours in the past two days, I am a little exhausted." Still his companions said nothing, though Zuko was beginning to stir, though he was held by his bonds.
Suddenly, as the city finally came into sight, the full moon above him was doused in an angry shade of red. Solus gazed around in wonder, surprised at this new development, while both the Princess and the Avatar held their heads, as though they had suddenly developed headaches. He was vaguely aware of a conversation in the background, but the dazed firebender could do nothing but gaze around himself in wonder, curious as to what the cause was of this sudden shift in color.
When they eventually landed, the Avatar and his friends dismounted, allowing Solus to see Zhao standing with a group of soldiers by the pond where he and Zuko had captured the the airbender before. The Avatar was confronting the angry Admiral, likely warning the man against his current course when suddenly, an angry voice rang out. Iroh! Solus thought, glad to hear the old man. He could hear sounds of fighting then, of anger and firebending. He noticed Zuko, finally waking up, and cutting his bonds with the sword that Solus had brought on the expedition with him. It seemed that the Avatar had carelessly forgotten to hide it, and the two were now able to escape the flying bison even as the moon began to disappear, leaving the sky a bleak shade of grey.
They dashed down streets and byways, Solus' exhaustion forgotten as a rush of adrenaline filled his veins. He did not know what their quarry was, he only knew that this was something that Zuko must have seen as important, more so than even the Avatar.
"You tried to have me killed!" His friend shouted at a figure in front of them, sending blasts of fire towards a figure standing before them. Zhao. Solus realized. The one grudge more important to him than capturing the Avatar. Understanding that this was a fight for the Prince and the Prince alone, Solus hung back, standing in the background even as the two initiated combat.
It was faster and more intense than any fight he had witnessed in his life. The two moved around each other like dancers, though they were far more passionate than any dance he had ever seen, fighting until a massive blue fist reached out of the water, pulling Zhao into the depths.
Solus, not believing his eyes, sat down. I must have fallen asleep on the bison, He reasoned. There is no way that could be real.
After Note: So ends book one (of the show, not of the story I am writing). I now understand why it was divided up into two episodes. This was a lot of material to cover in just one chapter, though I think it came out nicely. About twice as long as the usual, and with more dialogue, fight scenes, and POV. It also took far longer than usual to write (three days to write out, a total of four if you include editing). At this point, I plan to follow along with the show for a little while longer, and maintain the lighter tone, as I think it fits the story better. I hope you liked this chapter, and if you did, consider leaving a review, favoriting, or subscribing to me or the fanfic! Thanks for reading!