Previously…on Salilah's Story…
"The townsfolk call me The Matchmaker. I can see all the relationships and tell you where they will go. And now dear, I don't want you getting mad at me, but you two kids may think you have something for each other, but you, sweetheart, will find love where you least expect it. Sokka's other half doesn't come from a bender such as yourself."
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Sonya was Sonna! My mother!
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Aang paced around the bison frantically.
"Would you sit down?" Sokka asked, agitated. "If we hit a bump, you'll go flying off."
"Aang, sit. Please," I begged him.
"What's bugging you anyway Aang?"
"It's what Avatar Roku said," Aang answered. "I'm supposed to master all the elements before that comet arrives!"
"Aang, Roku told you that yesterday. We have until the summer, which is in another six months mind you, so I think we'll have enough time for you to master all of the elements," I rolled my eyes at him.
"Yeah. She's right. It only took you 112 years to master airbending. I'm sure you can master three other elements by this summer," Sokka teased.
"Hey now. Now you're worrying him."
"I was only kidding."
"I haven't even started waterbending, and we're weeks away from the North Pole! What am I gonna do?!" Aang started ranting.
"First order of business it that you calm down," I grabbed his shoulders and sat him down by me. "Secondly, stop worrying! It's only going to make matters worse, ok?"
"Salilah's right. And if you want, I can teach you guys some of the stuff I know," Katara added.
"You'd do that?" Aang asked.
"We'll need to find a good source of water first."
"Maybe we can find a puddle for you guys to splash in," Sokka grinned devilishly.
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"Nice puddle," Sokka frowned as we stood in front of a rushing waterfall.
"This is going to be epic…" I looked in awe at it.
Appa flopped in the water and made a splash that soaked Momo.
I giggled.
"You're lucky," Sokka told me.
"Why for?"
"You can bend."
"Nah."
"Hey Salilah! It's waterbending time!" Aang called out to me cheerily.
"Great. What am I supposed to do?" Sokka asks sarcastically.
"You could…" Aang looked around and spotted a branch, "clean the gunk out of Appa's toes." He handed the stick to Sokka.
Sokka didn't grab the stick. Instead, he crossed his arms and frowned. "So while you guys are playing in the water, I'm supposed to be hard at work picking mud out of a giant bison's feet?"
"Mud and bugs!"
"Ok." He took the stick.
Aang and I walked over to Katara.
"This first one is a pretty basic move, but it still took me months to perfect," Katara told us before we started our lesson. "So don't get frustrated if you don't get it right away." She moved her hands back and forth, bending the water. "Just push and pull the water like this. The key is getting the wrist movement."
Aang and I both tried it.
"Good Salilah," Katara told me as I slowly started to bend the water.
"Like this?" Aang asked our teacher. He wasn't bending anything yet.
"That's almost right Aang. If you keep practicing I'm sure eventually-"
Aang cut her off. "Hey, I'm bending it already!" His waves were much bigger than Katara and I's.
I frowned and stopped bending. Why is it so easy for an airbender, but it's fairly difficult for a natural-born waterbender?
"Wow, I can't believe you got that so quickly," Katara told Aang, dumbfounded, "It took me two months to learn that move."
Aang shrugged his shoulders. "Well, you had to figure it all on your own. I'm lucky enough to have a great teacher."
Katara smiled. "Thanks."
"So what's next?" I asked Katara, hoping it would be something I was good at.
"This is a more difficult move," she told us, "I call it streaming the water." She moved her hands and raised a stream of the river water into the air and moved it around. "It's harder than it looks, so don't be disappointed if-"
She was cut off once again by Aang who was flawlessly bending the water into perfect streams and cockily winding it back into the river.
"Nice work…" Katara told him in shock.
"But the over-the-head flare was unnecessary…" I scowled and walked away. "Sokka must be lonely. Bye guys. Have fun splashing." I left them there, not even letting them ask anything of me, and headed to Sokka.
"I thought you guys were playing with magic water," Sokka simply said as I sat down next to him on a rock.
Appa groaned happily as Sokka picked the mud and bugs out of Appa's six feet.
"Yeah, don't get too happy," Sokka told the bison, "You've got to do me next." Appa moaned happily once more.
I laughed.
"So are you going to tell me?" Sokka looked at me.
"Oh…well…you see…"
"It's hard for you, isn't it?"
"Yeah… I don't know why I just can't get it already. I'm a waterbender who can't waterbend! Airbending was easier than this shit! And I'm not even a flipping natural airbender!" I put my face in my hands.
I felt Sokka's hand on my shoulder. "Salilah?"
I shook my head.
"Let's talk about it."
"Why?" My voice was muffled.
"Because you aren't you when you're upset."
I spread my fingers apart and looked at him. "I still feel like me," I said, trying to keep from smiling.
He laughed. "And there would be the Salilah I missed."
I laughed too and a huge wave splashed on top of us. I surfaced and glared at Aang as Sokka's popped up above the water too. He looked annoyed as he spit excess water out his mouth.
"Looks like I got the hang of that move! What else do you got?" Aang said to Katara excitedly.
"That's enough practice for today," she snapped at him, anger present on her features.
"Yeah! I'll say!" Sokka agreed with his sister, "You just "practiced" our supplies down the river." He motioned to some of the bags floating down the river.
I looked at the bank and saw that my bag and the bag for the sleeping equipment were still there. We had just lost food and other supplies to survive in the wilderness. We kept our small amount of money in my bag thankfully.
Aang looked guilty as he watched the bags float away. "Uh…sorry. I'm sure we can find somewhere to replace all this stuff…" he smiled half-heartedly.
"My life was hard enough when you were just an airbender…" Sokka sank back under water, dragging me with him before we both resurfaced, laughed, and dried to leave for a hopeful nearby market.
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"We have exactly three copper pieces left of the money that King Bumi gave us. Let's spend it wisely," Sokka told us as we walked around the streets of a city market.
"Agreed. Good food that's low priced and extra supplies if we have enough money," I added.
"Actually guys, make that two copper pieces. I couldn't say no to this whistle!" He pulled out a whistle that looked like a bison and blew into it, but it didn't make a sound.
"Aang? Are you sure that it even works?" I took it from him as Momo screeched and ran on top of Aang's head.
"See?" Sokka said, "Even Momo thinks it's a piece of junk."
"No offense Aang, but I'll hold the money from now on…" Katara held out here hand and Aang put the money in her palm.
"I still don't remember what happened to "the money stays in Salilah's bag…" I said to no one in particular.
We walked by a dock with a weird looking boat and a man out front waving his arms and yelling. We didn't get far before he was yelling at us.
"Oh! You there!" he said to us, "I can see from your clothing that you're world-traveling types. Perhaps I can interest you into some exotic curios?"
Aang stopped immediately and brightly told him, "Sure! What are curios?"
The man furrowed his brows confusingly and thought about it. "I'm not entirely sure. But we got 'em!" He put his hand on Aang's shoulder and led him inside the ship.
"You remember what I said about never getting to the North Pole?" I muttered to Sokka.
"Totally agreeing," he whispered back.
"I've never seen such a fine specimen of lemur," a dark silhouette said. He walked into the light with an iguana parrot on his shoulder, "That beast would fetch me a hefty sum if you'd be interested in bartering."
"Momo's not for sale," Aang tersely stated.
Katara had found a waterbending scroll and beckoned Aang and I over to her.
I inspected the crest on the end of the scroll. "Northern Water Tribe…" I said breathlessly.
"Where did you get a waterbending scroll?" Aang asked the captain (or what I would assume.)
The man yanked the scroll out of Katara's hands and said: "Let's just say I got it up North…at a most reasonable price. Free."
"The Northern Water Tribe doesn't give waterbending scrolls out for free to just anybody. You have to be a true master to get a set…" I stated, confused.
"Wait a minute…" Sokka looked around the boat. "Sea loving traders, with suspiciously acquired merchandise, and a pet reptile bird?" His yelled in the assumed captain's face: "You guys are pirates!"
The first guy slid his arm around Sokka's shoulders. "We prefer to think of ourselves as "high risk traders."
Sokka shrugged out of his hold as Aang and Katara tried to bargain with the captain.
"I don't like this place…" he whispered to me.
"Yeah no kidding. It has the stench of bad-guys and thieves in here…" I leaned into him and said.
He pulled me over to the boomerang collection.
I laughed. "Wow. I was wondering how long it would take for you to notice that this was where they were."
Just as soon as we started browsing, we were told we had to leave.
"What was that all about Katara?" Aang asked her as we walked away from the ship.
"Yeah, we were just starting to browse through their boomerang collection," Sokka added.
"You were Sok; not me…" I playfully punched his arm.
"I'll just feel a lot better once we get away from here…" she held her arms against her body and I realized that she never really answered our question.
"Hey you!" we turned to see the first pirate running after us. He looked mad. "Get back here!" More pirates, armed and furious, were following.
What the hell did she do?!
"Well, well," Aang said fairly calm, "Look who's come to their senses. Told you the haggling would pay off Katara."
"Aang… I don't think they want to trade with us…" I turned and ran along with my friends.
We ran through the streets of the city market, wreaking havoc wherever we went, just as usual.
Aang opened his glider and grabbed Katara and Sokka as Sokka grabbed me and we swooped toward the pirates.
"Aang! I thought we were running away from the pirates!" Katara yelled.
"Sokka," I said in a strained voice.
He looked at me.
"Don't come back for me. I'll find you guys. And tell Katara good job on stealing the scroll for the people who really deserve it."
I let go of him and into the waiting arms of the temporary enemy.
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I was led back to the ship by the armed pirates.
"We lost the Water Tribe girl and the little bald monk she was traveling with. But somehow we managed to end up with this smart mouth." The first pirate squeezed my small, bony wrists in fury. "Might as well sell her or rent her out as a sex slave."
I widened my eyes in horror.
"I don't think that that would be any way to treat a lady…" I heard a familiar voice say behind me.
I turned to see Zuko and his uncle standing there; the old war general with various artifacts in his arms.
"475 gold pieces if you'll buy me," I locked eyes with the prince.
I need you to save me. I can take you out single-handedly and escape. Just buy me now and I'm practically free.
"There have been a lot of things I've done in my life, but buying another human with never be one of them," Zuko replied.
Shit.
"I don't think I'd let you take her tonight anyway," the captain said.
"Yeah," the pirate holding me captive further commented, "We might have to test her out first." He got so far in my face I could smell his pungent breath. I gagged.
"What exactly did her little group do?" Zuko looked like he was itching for a fight.
"They stole a waterbending scroll from us," the captain answered crossly.
"I'll make you a deal."
"I'm listening…"
"You give me the girl and I'll help you get your scroll back."
The two pirates looked at each other and nodded to the other.
"Deal," the captain said.
"The girl. Now," Zuko snapped sharply at the other one.
He practically threw me to Zuko.
"We leave now," the captain said as Zuko helped me stand straight before I fell on my butt.
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I was led onto Zuko's ship not as a prisoner, but as a guest as Iroh put it. I loved being a girl. It meant special treatment, even if I was the enemy.
I stayed on the upper deck, unsure of where I should go.
Iroh had gone inside to put away his treasures he bought and Zuko had went to tell the helmsman the new orders. I felt relief when I saw him walk out of the ship and onto the deck toward me as the ship started to move.
"We'll be sailing to the river for a few hours before deploying the river boat to search for the scroll and your friends. We would have been there in less than ten minutes if we didn't have to wait for their stupid ship," Zuko told me as he approached.
I nodded. "I have a weird question."
"What is it?" he seemed annoyed that he had to talk to me.
"The whole crew is male, isn't it?"
"Yes. Why?"
"What's the youngest age on this boat other than our own?"
"Twenty-seven. Why?"
"I was wondering. I didn't want to be taken advantage of."
"I was raised in a very good home with a good mother with whom I was close with. I know better than to treat a lady with disrespect."
"Which is why you apologized that one day taking me to that base where you all were building that statue of Fire Lord Ozai."
"I try to be decent to women."
"And you surprisingly do a fairly good job at it even though you try to kill us every day."
"I don't try to kill you every day. I need you and the Avatar alive. But thank you."
I raised my eyebrows in surprise.
He rolled his eyes. "Not only did I have a mother to teach me proper etiquette, but my uncle does almost every day. Are you hungry?"
My stomach rumbled. We didn't eat breakfast and we were going to eat lunch after we had gone shopping for extra supplies. "Yes. Very."
He led me to the dining hall of the ship.
"Cook!" Zuko yelled into the kitchen. "Food needs to be prepared now!"
"So you may treat women with a sufficient amount of civility, but you have some work to do with men," I told him, raising my eyebrow once more and crossing my arms as I sat down. "Except for Zhao of course. He deserves no respect. He isn't honorable enough to be worthy of such treatment."
Zuko looked at me strangely as his uncle walked in.
"What?" I asked as Iroh and his nephew both sat down.
I didn't receive a reply.
"Do you know how to play Pai Sho?" Iroh asked me.
"No Uncle. Not everyone knows how to play. And it's a silly game," Zuko rolled his eyes at the old man.
"Pai Sho is more than just a game Zuko," I gave him a smirk.
"Excellent." Iroh set up the Pai Sho. "The guest has the first move."
I looked closely at the tiles and noticed there was one missing. "You're missing a white lotus tile."
"Good eye. I lost it and noticed this morning. Do you favor it?"
"Yes. Not many still cling to the ancient ways."
"But those who do can always find a friend."
I looked up in shock. Master Pakku had said those words to my father when they played Pai Sho. I had watched them countless times. They didn't even try to beat one another on the rare occasions when they played. They made some sort of pattern, but I could never figure out what it was. I had learned to play from a sentry named Hanno.
I took the leather cord off from around my neck. On it was my prized white lotus gambit Hanno had given me. I placed it where Pakku does when he plays Pai Sho.
Iroh and I moved our select pieces. Zuko's golden eyes followed our moves quickly like a hawk.
I kept placing my pieces in the spots where Pakku would, or where I thought he would.
Finally, we were through with the game as food and tea was served on the table. I looked at the shape we had made. A white lotus. "The White Lotus opens up to those who know her secrets…" I muttered softly under my breath.
I could see Iroh's face through peripheral vision. He looked rather pleased.
I took my necklace off the table and put it back on my neck and started to eat what had been prepared. I took a sip of the tea.
"Mmmmmm… Jasmine… My favorite…" I smiled with pleasure.
Iroh grinned. "She is a tea lover. It makes me like you even more Miss Salilah."
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Only half an hour had passed since we had left. I was on the deck, practicing my failed waterbending. I got yet another form wrong.
"Why. Won't. This. Work?!" With each word, I furiously punched the air and airbent.
"You are just as impatient as my nephew," I heard Iroh say behind me. He was still calmly drinking a cup of tea.
"Well, when you're natural element is difficult to get the hang of, it's kind of hard to actually be patient," I snapped.
I instantly regretted it.
"I am so very sorry General Iroh," I bowed to him Fire Nation-style.
"You must be a child of the Upper Class if you know the cultures of other lands." He bowed back to me, Northern Water Tribe-style.
"I guess…?"
"Are you?"
I shrugged, not really wanting to answer his question.
"All forms of bending require patience. Water is the element of change. I want you to feel yourself change inside and move with the water as you bend it." Iroh gestured to the pot of water I had the servants bring out.
I took a deep breath in and out and relaxed my body. Slowly, I bent the water out around me and tried the water streaming move Katara had taught us. I calmly bent the water back into the pot and did the weird but comforting move Aang does when he's done bending.
Iroh nodded in approval. "Well done. Patience is the key to every element. Once you have mastered the art, you are halfway there to mastering the element."
"You're wise for the enemy," I bluntly blurted out.
Iroh laughed jollily and his belly shook. (Sounds like Santa Clause. Lol)
"And you listen very well from your elders who wish to teach you. It has been my honor to stand in the presence of a future master of the elements." Iroh bowed to me again and I bowed back.
"I don't know what definition of hurry the pirates know, but I don't think that it's my definition of the same word," Zuko said angrily as he stormed out on deck.
"I don't know if I should say sorry or not," I looked at Iroh questioningly.
He shrugged and went back in the ship for another pot of tea.
"I see you made friends with my uncle," Zuko raised his lone eyebrow at me.
"I guess so…" I shrugged. "I don't know what I did."
"If you know how to play Pai Sho and enjoy playing it as well as love drinking tea, he likes just about anyone."
I laughed. "Thank you by the way Zuko. If it weren't for you and your uncle, I would be a slave."
"There is only so much inhumane cruelty I can tolerate at one time."
"You will let me go, right?"
"I haven't decided. I need you and the Avatar to go home. But if Uncle has it his way, you'll "escape" and the hunt will continue."
We sat down at Iroh's table in silence. I felt better knowing Zuko was here with me. It made me feel more comfortable to be here with someone I "knew."
Zuko POV
I didn't mind that it took a long time for Uncle to get back from getting a refill on his tea. But just sitting here with the girl was making me nervous. I felt as if I should say something to her, but I didn't want to make her uncomfortable.
The more time that I spent with her, the more agitated that I became. I had no idea what I should say to her.
How are you? Too stupid.
What do you do for fun? Really stupid.
How about this weather we're having? Really, really stupid.
I was glad that Uncle came back.
Salilah POV
This is weird. Like, extremely weird.
What do you say to the guy who's tried to kill you in the past? What do you say to the guy who prevented you from becoming a slave? What do you say to the guy who might spare your life?
I wasn't lying when I had said that it made me feel better that he was here with me instead of me being alone, but I was very thankful when Iroh came back from getting more tea.
He looked at each one of us and let out a small sigh. "Prince Zuko," Zuko's head snapped in his uncle's direction, "Why don't you practice your forms?" He asked it as a question, but it was more of a demand than anything.
Zuko groaned but got up anyway.
I watched Zuko bend intently, picking up on the way he stood before he did something.
"You step before you punch," I blurted once again.
"What?" he raised his eyebrow and gave me a confused look.
I stood up and walked over to him. "Before you punch you always step." I demonstrated for him. "It makes it obvious. If you jazz it up a bit and somewhat fake out your opponents, then you can win every time."
"Do you realize that you're helping your greatest enemy?"
"You, my dear prince, are not my greatest enemy."
He looked at me in a slightly angry manner.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like, all mean like."
"I'm not."
"Yes you are."
"No I'm not!"
"Yes. You. Are." I stressed each word.
"I still don't know what you're talking about!"
"Go look in a mirror!"
"Uncle!" he whined.
"You are staring at the poor girl enough to make anyone uncomfortable with your dreadful antagonism," Iroh sipped his tea.
"See?" I smirked at him.
He rolled his eyes and went back to bending.
"Your form is sloppy." You've got to be kidding me. My face fell in my hand.
He groaned again. "Why don't you show me, oh wise firebender?"
"Get into the first form and I will, oh wise smart ass."
He rolled his eyes again and did what I had told him to anyway. I circled his body, inspecting for any flaws in his form.
"There," I said, pointing to his lower back. "You're slumping."
He straightened his back.
"Now bend."
He did.
"Good Prince Zuko," Iroh complimented him.
"Thank you Uncle," Zuko bowed to him.
I mimicked the form Zuko was in. "It's important for all forms of bending to have a perfect posture. If your stance is lazy, then your bending will also inevitably be sloppy as well."
"You speak like you've been bending for a thousand years."
"I know that you know that I haven't been, but I've just grown up watching the masters in the Northern Water Tribe teach waterbending, so I picked up on technique. And it also helps having the Avatar as one of your best friends." I shrugged.
"What's it like in the Northern Water Tribe?"
"Cold. Very very cold."
"Other than the climate," he rolled his eyes and gave me a pointed look.
"Traditional, and immensely cultured."
"It sounds like the Fire Nation."
"In all honesty, I don't think that the four nations are all that different. They just have different forms of bending and different climates of course. But they all have one thing in common: culture and tradition."
"But aren't they different traditions though?"
"Do people in the Fire Nation gather around the table as a family at holidays and other various occasions to get together and be thankful that they have one another?"
"I wouldn't know."
"Oh. I'm sorry."
He shrugged and went back to working on his forms.
"It's ok," I said after a few beats. "I wasn't exactly the kind of person you always wanted around at the Northern Water Tribe. I've never told anyone this, well, one person, but I always felt like I never belonged when I was there. It wasn't just because I looked different, it was because I also acted differently than they did too. I didn't think the way they did. I didn't want to stay there the rest of my life and get engaged at fifteen to be married at sixteen. I wanted to see the world. I guess you could say that I had a rebellious streak to me, and that I was a trouble maker, but to be honest, I usually kept to myself. I've never had an actual friend before Katara, Sokka, and Aang. I never had a reason to before. Things were always hard for me. Not only because of who I was in the north, but because of what I was too. They don't believe that women should bend for fighting. They think that it should be used for healing only. And I didn't like that…"
"Is that why you left?" Zuko asked me. I turned my head to him to see him already looking at me. I was so lost in my reminiscing that I had completely forgotten to whom I was talking to.
"Partially," I admitted.
"What other reason was there that made you leave?"
"I…don't want to talk about it…" I turned away from both of the Fire Nation natives' eyesight as I felt fresh tears sting my eyes. "Where's your powder room?" I asked in a strained voice. I hung my head as Zuko took me there.
I quickly entered as soon as we got there and shut the door almost instantly. Just about immediately, I started bawling my eyes out as I slid my back down the cold metal door and sank to the floor. I sat there for a few minutes, crying, and slowly stood back up. I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like I'd gone through hell and back. I sniffled and tried to make my face look presentable by splashing water on it. The last thing I wanted was questions. After my mother died, all anyone ever did was try to pry things out of me about how she died, and what exactly I had to do with it…
I used my ribbon to pull my hair away from my face and into a ponytail. It was a bad ponytail, and it didn't do a very good job of concealing my face, but I didn't want to have to mess with it. And if the rest of me already looked bad, my hair could too.
I walked out and headed back on deck, slowly going into a handstand as Zuko practiced more. It pained the muscles in my arms to do this, but I have a slight infatuation with pain. I know that sounds bad, but at least I don't have suicidal thoughts.
I did a front walk-over out of it and took a deep breath, settling down on the floor and started to meditate.
"I realize that it's rude to interrupt someone whilst they are meditating, but is everything alright Miss Salilah?" Iroh asked me.
I sighed in relief because I had finally calmed myself down enough to actually speak. "Yeah… I think so…"
He nodded in silent understanding that although everything was ok for now, it wasn't totally ok in the long run when you looked at the big picture.
OoOoOoOoOo
We still had a long way to go before we got to the mouth of the river. So Zuko let me use one of the extra rooms that was onboard.
The knock on the metal door echoed slightly in my room.
"Come in," I said as I sat at the mirror and inspected my appearance.
Zuko opened the door. "I just wanted to check on you. To see how you were doing." He came inside and shut the door behind him.
I shrugged. "I guess I'm doing alright."
He was silent as he watched me check myself out in the mirror. I met his gaze.
"What?" I asked him.
"I think you're beautiful," he casually stated.
I gaped. "Did I just hear you right?" I turned around and looked at him.
He stood and walked over to me, grabbing my hands and pulling me to my feet. "Yes."
"But-"
He cut me off. "Salilah, I've never felt this way about any girl in my entire life." He cupped my face with one hand.
I jerked myself away from his grasp. "Don't do this to me Zuko. Don't make me feel special just so you can trick me and capture me so your stupid dad can "restore" your honor."
Though his eyes said otherwise, his voice said: "I can't get anything passed you and your wise little brain in that pretty little head of yours, can I?" His voice was slightly snippy as he said this.
"No," I said. "No you can't. I think you should go Zuko. Before you hurt me and I kick your ass because of it."
He solemnly nodded and left the room, closing the metal door behind him.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
We finally made it to the edge by the river. The sun was already setting. I was extremely late for dinner, and I knew my friends were worried about me.
The ship's crew unloaded the river boat that had once been concealed in the stern of the ship's hull. One by one, Iroh, Zuko, I, and a handful of Zuko's soldiers loaded the river boat.
The pirate captain joined us.
Nightfall was fast approaching.
"Shouldn't we stop to search in the woods?" the pirate asked.
I rolled my eyes. "We stole a waterbending scroll. They'll be near water. Especially since waterbending gets stronger at night."
"I otta tear you to smithereens you smart mouth." He gave me a dirty look and looked like he would advance on me, but Zuko stepped in his way.
"Don't you dare touch her."
I widened my eyes in fear at his sudden ferocity.
The pirate stepped away from us.
I could hear Katara talking to herself as the boat stopped.
The pirates quickly progressed on her and took her. I tried to save her, but Zuko's soldiers held me back, covering my mouth with their hands.
Katara turned instantly into Zuko's awaiting arms. "I'll save you from the pirates…" he sneered to her.
I ripped my face from the soldiers' grasps. "You double-crossed me! Just like I knew you would!"
"I never told you that I wouldn't Salilah," he said coolly as he tied Katara and me to a tree. "Tell me where he is and I won't hurt the two of you. Or that other Water Tribe scum."
"He isn't scum," I glared at Zuko in defense for my best friend.
"Go jump in the river!" Katara furiously told him.
"Try to understand. I need to capture him and your little friend here to restore something I've lost, my honor," Zuko said, face-to-face with Katara. She jerked her head away as he continued. "Perhaps in exchange I can restore something you've lost." He held Katara's necklace up to her neck.
"My mother's necklace!" Katara said breathlessly. It quickly turned into anger. "How did you get that?"
"I didn't steal it if that's what you're wondering."
"How else would you have gotten it?" I asked sarcastically. "It's not like she gave it to you on purpose or anything Zuko."
"Tell me where he is!" he jabbed his finger into my chest.
"I'm not one to betray…" I narrowed my eyes at him.
"I never betrayed you. I did nothing to make you safe or comfortable around me."
"You did everything you said you didn't do Zuko. You and your uncle showed me hospitality."
"I think you're the single most naïve person I've ever met in my entire life," he said gently, taking hold of my chin gingerly. "And I pity you for that."
I jerked my face away. "Don't touch me…"
"Enough of this garbage! You promised me a scroll!" the pirate captain yelled.
Zuko took the scroll he had stolen from Katara and held it over his palm as his hand contained a single flame. "I wonder how much this is worth…"
All of the pirates as well as Katara and I gasped.
"A lot apparently. Salilah!" he snapped. "How much do these sell for in the Northern Water Tribe?" he tossed it gently in his hands.
"They aren't for sale… You earn them by becoming a master waterbender…" I replied quietly, still hurt from his sudden hostility.
"That's sweet," he sneered once more, then he turned back to the pirates, "Now you help me find what I want, you'll get this back, and everyone goes home happy. Search the woods and meet me back here."
"Not everyone will go home…" Katara said as everyone but Zuko left.
"And not everyone will be happy either…" I added.
"You never know when to stop, do you?" Zuko gave me a fake look of pity.
"I don't want your mock sympathy." I glared at him.
"Salilah, Salilah, Salilah… I could have just left you there you know… Imagine it… You wouldn't be here right now. You would be-"
"Stop it!" I cut him off. My yell was filled more with horror than with anger, and tears filled my eyes. "You are exactly like Zhao. Heartless. And a monster…"
He turned sharply to me. "Don't you ever compare me to that bastard ever again, do you understand Salilah?" (I didn't exactly had anything else to call Zhao. Mostly because Zuko doesn't cuss like Salilah does.)
"You can't tell me what to do!"
"Maybe not. But I can burn you…" his tone was sinister.
"You wouldn't!"
"Leave her alone!" I heard Aang say as the pirates came back with him and Sokka.
"Sokka! Aang!" I said with relief. Tears of joy pricking my eyes.
"Aang, this is all my fault," Katara told the airbender.
"No Katara, it isn't," Aang tried to make her feel better.
"Yeah, it kind of is," Iroh agreed with Katara.
Katara and I frowned at him.
"Give me the boy," Zuko snapped at the captain.
"Give us the scroll," he retorted.
"You're really going to hand over the Avatar for a stupid piece of parchment?" Sokka asked, rolling his eyes.
I knew exactly what he was doing, so I helped him out.
"Not to mention you gave up the Humanbender as your slave," I chuckled at their idiocy.
"Don't listen to them," Zuko tried to distract them, "they're trying to turn us against each other!"
"Your friends are the Avatar and the Humanbender?" the pirate captain asked Sokka.
"Sure are. And I'll bet they'll fetch a lot more on the black market than that fancy scroll," he answered.
"Shut your mouth you Water Tribe peasant," Zuko snapped.
"Yeah Sokka. You really should shut your mouth…" Aang tried to get us to stop, but I knew this would work so I added on.
"We're just saying that it's bad business sense. Think how much the stupid Fire Lord would pay for us. You all would probably be set for life. Maybe up to even your children's children!"
The pirate captain turned to Zuko. "Keep the scroll. We can buy a hundred with the reward we'll get for them." He nodded his head in our direction.
"Actually Mr. Captain Sir, you can't buy those anywhere. It's earned. Remember?" I spoke up.
Both Zuko and the Captain rolled their eyes and ignored me.
"You'll regret breaking a deal with me," he told the captain. He then blasted fire at the pirates; along with two of his crewmembers. The pirates all jump and one of them threw smoke bombs as the fight intensified. I couldn't see a thing that was going on.
Suddenly, Momo freed Katara and me.
"Thanks Momo," Katara told him great fully, rubbing her wrists, "I owe you a bushel of apples."
She ran off to join the boys in fighting.
I found Zuko within the smoke and punched him in his back. He furiously turned around.
"What are you doing?" he angrily asked me.
"What do you mean what am I doing? I'm fighting. Just like you are. I'm fighting against you." I hiked my leg up to kick his scar, but he grabbed my ankle before it made contact. I grunted in pain and twisted my body to the right, swinging my other leg with me. This one hit Zuko square in his unscathed eye.
"OW!" He screamed. His hold on my foot was released as he staggered backward, holding his eye.
"Maybe that will teach you to not play games with my heart!"
He gave me a dirty look as I blasted him with air, knocking him off of his feet. I ran to my friends. Katara was pushing the pirate's boat into the river again.
"Help me get this boat back in the water so we can get out of here," she told the boys and I. We all helped her push the boat into the water.
"We'll need a team of rhinos to get this ship back in the water," Sokka strained beside as he pushed the ship.
"A team of rhinos, or three waterbenders?" Aang questioned with a smirk and a raise of an eyebrow.
We all stepped back from the ship and the three of us benders pushed and pulled the water, trying hard to get the ship in the water. Sokka coached us from the sidelines on how hard or how fast to push or pull.
Once it was in the water Katara ordered us to get on the boat.
The sails were opened soon and then we were on our way downstream.
"Sokka, can't you make this thing go any faster?" Aang asked Sokka, who was at the wheel and steering the ship.
"I don't know how. This thing wasn't made by the Water Tribe!" Sokka replied in half-shock of not being able to work the operation.
Just then, a few pirates that had hijacked Zuko's boat jumped aboard our ship. Looking determined, Katara did a perfect water whip, knocking a pirate from the ship.
"Hey! You did the water whip!" Aang grinned broadly at the girl.
She returned the gesture. "I couldn't have done it without your help."
Just then, two pirates seized Sokka. "Would you two quit congratulating each other and help me out here?"
"Hang on to something Sokka!" I shouted to him as I bent a wave of water across the ship, wiping the pirates from the boat and to the waiting river water below.
"Aang look!" I snapped my head in Katara's direction to see what she was looking at. She pointed to an approaching waterfall.
"Oh no…" Aang trailed.
"Shit!" I muttered as Sokka pushed another pirate off the ship and Aang called Appa on his bison whistle.
"Have you lost your mind?" Sokka exasperated. "This is no time for flute practice!"
We all watched in horror as the waterfall came closer, and closer, and closer…
"We can stop the boat! Aang, Salilah, push and pull the water!" Katara told us.
We all bent the water in front of us, turning the ship so it was parallel with the falls and stopping it before it went over the edge.
"We did it!" I smiled, proud of myself.
"But we have another problem…" Sokka said, turning his head in the direction of Zuko's ship, as it hit into ours.
"Jump!" I said, grabbing Aang and Katara's hands. I closed my eyes as I did what I told everyone to do.
I opened my eyes as we landed on something hard and smelling strongly of leather. Appa!
"I knew a bison whistle would come in handy!" Aang held up the calling tool. "Thanks Appa!"
"Yeah, we owe you one," Sokka replied, putting him in a brotherly headlock and giving him a noogie.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
"Aang, I still owe you an apology," Katara said meaningfully. "You were just so good at waterbending without really trying. I got so competitive that I put us all in danger. I'm sorry…"
"That's ok Katara," Aang smiled at her. His cheeks turned slightly pink.
"Besides," Katara scoffed, "who needs that stupid scroll anyway?"
Sokka pulled the scroll out and sarcastically asked her: "Is that how you really feel?"
"The scroll!" Katara and I exclaimed.
"How did you…?" I started to ask.
"I took it back," he replied.
Katara started to grab for it.
"Uh uh uh," Sokka blocked her. "First, what did you learn?"
Katara hung her head. "Stealing is wrong." She smirked and snatched the scroll. "Unless it's from pirates."
"Good one Katara." Aang laughed.
"So, Salilah." Sokka said.
Yeeeeeessssssssssssss…?" I raised an eyebrow, looking over at Aang and Katara, who were sitting on at the reigns.
"What happened to you after you let go?"
"The pirates got me."
"Tell me everything. Please Sal. I need to know." He grabbed my hand that was closest to him.
I looked over at him and told him everything that occurred.
"Wow… I can't believe him…" Sokka let go of my hand.
"I'm sorry Sokka…" I turned my face away from him.
"No…hey…Salilah… I didn't mean to…" he told both of my hands in his and made me look at him.
Tears welled in my eyes.
"I just don't want him to hurt you Salilah."
"He won't Sokka."
"But you can't promise me that Salilah. You can't promise me that he won't try. And you definitely can't promise me that he won't somehow fool you in any way. He can't be trusted."
"I know that Sokka."
"Good."