Twenty

In short, the let's-ambush-the-Avatar plan had not gone over as well as Zuko had hoped. Soon after arriving, the Avatar and his friends seemed to have vanished. Zuko had refused to go into the village to look for them. He said that it would tip them off that they were being watched. He had stayed on the ship as the other crewmembers had gone in to resupply and get drinks.

That night, though, things changed. Maya watched from the pier as some sort of a fight broke out on one of the Fire Navy ships that had been drifting lazily all around the harbor since before she, Uncle, and Zuko had arrived.

From her vantage point, she could not tell what was going on, but she could hear shouts, and see the fire blasts. And then, after a few minutes, she saw the Avatar's bison fly overhead and hover near the ship. Then, after a moment, she saw it fly away again. Was it the Avatar who had been wreaking so much havoc on the ship? Quickly, she made her way up the gangplank of Zuko's ship.

She didn't find him on deck, otherwise she knew he probably would have already gone sailing away without telling anyone, chasing after the Avatar. She went down below and banged loudly on his door.

No response for a moment, and then a very angry-looking Zuko appeared in the doorway. When he saw her, his angry expression only worsened. "What?"

"I just saw the Avatar fly away," she said quickly, before he could slam the door on her. "There was some sort of a scuttle on one of the Fire Navy ships sailing around the harbor, and then the Avatar's fluff-monster came over, and then waited, and then flew off. I presume that meant the Avatar had been on the ship and called him, and then he got on and they flew away."

"No!" Zuko yelled, pushing past her and out into the corridor. "He escaped from me again?" He looked over his shoulder at her. "Maya, come with me! You have to help me wake Uncle and the crew from the inn, so I can go look at this ship that was attacked. And then you have to tell me what direction they flew off in, so I can follow them."

She hesitated. "You're not just going to sail off and leave Uncle, then?"

He stopped and turned to look at her fully. "Why would I ever do that? Besides, even if I wanted to, I need the crew. I can't run this ship on my own." He turned and walked quickly down the rest of the corridor, and up to the deck.

Maya followed. "What, I don't even get a thank you?" she called after him. "I could have chosen to not tell you!"

He sighed, but continued walking, making his way down the gangplank. "Thanks, Maya. Really appreciate it. Whatever. Let's go."

She smiled. Although his answer had sounded irritated, she knew that somewhere deep down, he really meant it. She picked up the pace and hurried after him.

An hour later, they stood on the deck of the ship that had been attacked. The aftermath was confusing. There were great piles of coal scattered around, some of it smoldering, having been set on fire by the ship's crewmembers. Maya listened as the nearest member explained that one of the Avatar's posse had come aboard that morning, pretending to be an earthbender. This ship, apparently, has been used as a prison for any earthbender in the village who used their bending because the Fire Nation soldiers had deemed it illegal to do so. Maya shook her head at this, but continued listening.

The girl had gotten the earthbenders to start a riot, which the Avatar had helped along by somehow getting the coal from the engine room up to the deck through an air vent. A battle had ensued, which the earthbenders had won, and the Avatar and his friends had escaped.

Zuko, after listening with an eerie calm to the entire story, shouted angrily and shot a fireball from his fist. Then he began pacing up and down the deck. It was then that he stooped down to pick something up. At first Maya assumed it was a piece of coal that he intended to throw into the ocean out of anger, but all he did was stare at it. She peered around his back to see what it was. In his hand, he held a Water Tribe necklace. At least, that's what she assumed it must be, considering the carvings in it, as well as the blue ribbon. Then she remembered the Water Tribe girl from the South Pole, the one who had called the Avatar Aang. That girl had been wearing that exact necklace. She told Zuko so.

"So…" he murmured. "The Avatar is traveling with waterbenders. Maybe I can trade him for this necklace."

She scoffed. "I hardly think that will work."

He spun around and glared at her.

She held her hands in defense. "But you can still try."

Uncle yawned. "Can I go back to sleep now?"