Yan had lost track of time. It seemed like mere seconds had passed since Kuzou had left them to search the hut, since there he was again, as if he had never left. Why, then, did the previous scene seem to have happened in slow motion?

The only movement the two of them had made since the incident had been to move away from the corpse, nothing else. Being so close to it was unbearable. Not for Kuzou, however. Of course not. The first thing the former agent did was plunder the body.

And now there he was, asking them to get up, so they could continue their journey.

At least he was being gentle with the girl. The firebender looked destroyed. She had been crying non-stop since Rohan had left.

Suddenly, they were already walking through the forest. Yan didn't even remember how he managed to get up, let alone how long it had been since. Considering he no longer saw the clearing, he supposed it had been a while.

Then they were already out of the forest and back on the trail. And there was Rohan, sitting with his back to the group; waiting for them, perhaps.

And just like that it was already night, and they found themselves in a small seaport. Kuzou negotiated with someone, while the giant kept his distance from the group.

Lastly, they were all aboard a simple boat, watching the same port they were in a second ago disappear into the horizon.

The rocking of the boat finally seemed to lift the nomad out of his trance. Probably because he realized he was going to puke soon. Sick, Yan lay on the deck, looking at the stars.

After a time that the nomad still did not know how to quantify, Kuzou appeared standing beside him.

"How are you two feeling?" He asked, showing weariness.

You two? , Managed to reason the airbender. He then realized Ember was close to him, curled up like a ball against the rail of the boat that separated them from the waves. He hadn't noticed her approach. It's not like he had been paying attention, however.

No one answered the former agent. He, in turn, sat down with them when realized neither of them were interested in speaking. Then they stayed silent, just listening to the sound of the sea.

A banana hit the nomad's face.

The airbender sat up, startled, watching the fruit roll to the floor.

"What the..." he started, turning his head around, looking for the culprit.

"Had a good nap?" Kuzou commented, with a slight smile on his face. "I figured you'd be hungry," he continued, pointing to the banana.

Yan was still bewildered, but managed to babble some sort of cursing.

"I… dozed off?" asked. He didn't remember that either, for a change.

"For a few minutes, I believe," replied the wanderer, offering food to Ember.

The girl appeared to be calmer. Her face was no longer hidden between her knees, and the tears were already drying up. She still sobbed, however. She accepted the food.

For a few minutes, all they did was eat, looking at the horizon.

The nomad's nausea soon returned, however.

"You don't handle boats very well, do you?" Asked the former agent, watching his friend lie down again.

"It is not like there was much sailing in the air temples..."

"You fly," said Kuzou.

"Bison fly. We just avoid falling."

"That doesn't change my point."

"Ah, whatever, ask another nomad..." Yan let out, too lazy to think.

"Sure. I'll send a letter to the air temples with that question," joked the friend.

"Stop bothering me... I don't even know where we are..." he complained.

"Well, it looks like a boat..." he teased.

Yan picked up the banana peel beside him and threw it at his friend. The former agent swerved easily, with a chuckle. The slight smile on his face did not last, however.

Ember was staring at them, still in the same position.

Kuzou took a long breath. He was trying to improve their mood, but Ember was not as carefree as the nomad, especially with such a matter.

"Kuzou..." she whispered, surprising them both.

The former agent noticed how much she struggled to speak. He tried to encourage her with his eyes.

"...what happened... Nohro..." managed the girl.

Hearing that name again alerted the nomad. He didn't know anything about that specific name, but it was obvious it had everything to do with what had happened. Yan was not sure he was ready to hear the answers.

"He is dead. I'm sorry, Ember." Said the wanderer, direct.

The firebender's reaction was as expected. Her eyes widened and the tears started flowing again. A slight tremor took over her.

"No... how...?" Sobbed the poor girl.

"I can't say the exact cause, but...," he continued.

"But...?" Insisted Ember.

Another sigh from Kuzou. She wanted to know, there was no use trying to avoid it.

"Apparently... stoning... among other aggressions..."

Yan straightened up.

"Stoni... but what... What, the hell, is going on, Kuzou?" exasperated the nomad.

The airbender could no longer remain silent. Something horrible had happened and he seemed to be the only one out of the loop.

"Everything went wrong with our mission," replied the former agent.

"That, I noticed!" Exclaimed the nomad.

"Sorry," Kuzou apologized, trying to calm him down. "Norkka sold us out, as we imagined, and on top of that, managed to escape. I didn't expect, however, that the two of you would be the ones ambushed. He took advantage of my distraction."

"But what about Rohan?"

"Rohan and I parted ways. He wanted to stop by his old establishment to get supplies... and to find a 'friend'..."

Yan was beginning to understand.

"This Nohro guy...?" He tried.

"Yes."

"And he..."

"…was tied down to wooden stakes in the middle of the street, dead."

Ember gasped for air, horrified.

"Wooden stakes... a public punishment?" Asked the nomad.

"More like an execution, but yes."

"By Gyatso... Do you think they did this because of his relationship with..." started the airbender.

"With the supposed Abomination, Rohan, yes." completed the former agent.

"Heavens... all of this just because they were friends..." Yan was incredulous.

"They weren't just friends," interrupted the wanderer.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't say for certain their exact relationship..." he explained. "But we have someone who can."

"I doubt Rohan is willing..." he fell silent when he saw where his friend was looking at.

"You don't have to say anything, if you don't want to, of course," Kuzou continued, gently.

Ember looked at him with her sad red eyes. Her face was partially hidden between her knees.

"They were... engaged..." she whispered back.

"Thank you, Ember." said the former agent. The girl looked away.

"Engaged... oh no..." understood the airbender.

"Yes..." confirmed the friend.

Yan had been reminded again how little he knew of his colleagues' past. He had never imagined the giant carried such a heavy weight on his heart all this time. All this time... to face such a horrendous outcome. He now understood much of his actions, in retrospect. About the incident, however...

"N-Norkka" speaking the name was difficult. "What is... was... his involvement in all of this?"

"As far as I can tell, a lot," said the wanderer, looking at the firebender, as if asking permission.

She was slow to answer.

"Norkka was responsible... for Rohan's arrest...," she whimpered.

"What?!" Exclaimed the nomad, shocked.

"Indeed," Kuzou corroborated.

He's not surprised, obviously, thought the airbender.

"You… knew...?" Asked Ember, confused.

"Rohan told me about his relationship with Norkka back there in the desert, while you two were away." he clarified.

So I am the only one in the dark here, complained the nomad.

"Enlighten me, please," he said sourly.

"I don't know all the details, but I can count on you to help, right?" Asked the former agent.

The firebender nodded in agreement, shy. The wanderer smiled, thanking her.

"Well..." Kuzou released, looking at the stars, pondering where to start. "Back there in the desert, Rohan and I had a conversation about his past. He hoped to dissuade me from finding Norkka by telling me about what happened before he was arrested. He omitted some facts for personal reasons; which was within his rights. The fact he is a baker, for example" he mentioned, remembering the incident at the hot springs.

"All he told me was that he had an 'establishment' in Gaoling, along with a 'colleague'. I understood the content of his omissions in general, but it was not right for me to demand this kind personal information."

"Ah, it was because of this conversation you had that the modd between you two improved" perceived Yan.

"Yes" confirmed the earthbender. "With everything that happened, I didn't think of mentioning that, sorry."

"No! There is no reason to apologize!" the nomad was exasperated, feeling guilty.

That reaction seemed to amuse the former agent, who gave a slight smile.

"Anyway," he continued. "Rohan and Norkka had known each other for a while way before this whole mess. From what he said, Norkka was the owner of the land they rented for the bakery. As one can imagine, considering who we are dealing with here, disagreements between the two did not take long to happen. As his establishment was at stake, Rohan had to put up with many things, but Norkka eventually went too far.

Kuzou looked at Ember, as if asking her to complement. It took her a while to understand what he wanted.

"He... threatened Nohro... and offended him...," she finally whispered.

"Thought so," said the earthbender. "Norkka has always been a coward. As he had no balls to face our gigantic colleague, he went after an easier target.

The firebender agreed, shaking her head slightly.

"Nohro avoided... confrontations, wanted to be friend ... with everyone. He is... was..." a sob interrupted the girl. That correction was too much for her, she couldn't go on.

Kuzou took the cue.

"Rohan, obviously, did not let that slide and scared him away. Norkka still owned the land however, so he tried to expel them.

"Tried?" Asked the nomad.

"Yes. Rohan ended up discovering a secret part of the property full of contraband. With that, they denounced Norkka, forcing him to flee the city. They even managed to buy the property after that.

"Did Rohan just trip over that secret part? Out of the blue?" Yan asked, incredulous.

"Well, that's what Rohan tried to convince me of...," replied the former agent, making it clear that he knew more. The girl looked at him through the arms that hugged her knees. "I imagine something made him suspicious. Probably the fight with Nohro where it all started."

Kuzou looked at the firebender, looking for confirmation. The girl barely moved, but he seemed to have seen an affirmative answer, as he soon continued:

"Nohro probably did something that could put his operation at risk, and the vermin ended up losing his cool."

Yan noticed the friend now referred to the deceased man with the same regard as the giant before him. Something had changed, but the nomad did not care to know the exact reason.

"If he had to flee, what is his part in Rohan's arrest?" changed the subject.

"He went back to the city in hiding, probably because of some work. It wasn't like he was going to leave something like that unpunished, either. Unfortunately, it was inevitable that he would seek revenge. We have no way of knowing all the details, since he is dead," Yan shrugged remembering that fact. "but we can extrapolate from the information we do have."

"Rohan said that Norkka just appeared in front of him one day and attacked him. Rohan obviously defended himself; with earthbend, I must mention. Suddenly, in the middle of the confusion, flames hit the man, and a burning Norkka fled, running down the street while shouting 'abomination!'. Before our friend could even understand what was going on, members of the Avatar's guard were on top of him. He was arrested on the spot."

"Avatar's guard? Wait, you mean..." began the nomad, exasperated.

"Yes, the band of glorified mercenaries who live to find the abomination, undoubtedly led by our curator friend. Norkka probably used his contacts to alert them and then came up with some trick to frame Rohan while they were watching. It must not have been difficult for someone like him.

"Cretin..." cursed Yan, absorbing everything that had been said.

"No doubt," agreed Kuzou.

"So why... didn't you listen to Rohan..."

The almost inaudible whisper reached their ears in a subtle but no less acidic way. The target of those words just sighed. Yan swore his friend seemed to have aged at least twenty years since the hot springs.

"If you knew... if you agreed... why you insisted?" the girl seemed to come back to life, moved by anger. "Had you...!

The former agent interrupted her without mercy.

"…It would have been different? What do you think would have changed?"

"Don't know! Maybe everything!" The girl screamed, tears running again.

Yan looked from one to the other, dumbfounded, not knowing what to do.

"I know that's how you would like things to be, but it's not that simple," said the earthbender.

"Because you know everything, don't you? Is always right?" Exclaimed Ember.

"Ember..." Kuzou tried.

"No! Enough of your calculated words! No more plans, no more damn tactics!" Shouted the girl, scaring some of the nearby sailors.

Hearing those words and seeing his friend's reactions, Yan finally realized something. It was the opposite of what she accused him of.

Remembering the times he saw his friend interacting with strangers, his attitude was different. He always knew what to say, he was never unprepared. All his actions were aimed at a specific result, an expected outcome. The person in front him, however, had no goal in mind, no final plan; things were not going as expected. He just wanted to help. The poor guy was lost because he wasn't doing the only thing he had always done.

That rare moment of epiphany seemed to restore the nomad's ability to act.

"Ember!" He exclaimed, drawing her attention. "He's doing his best."

The girl did not seem to know how to respond to such an unusual situation. She was still angry, but was at a loss for words. The time to think seemed to calm her down, however. Her reasoning was visible, as she gradually noticed what she was doing. Soon she returned to her starting position.

Kuzou looked at him, also surprised, but clearly grateful.

You're welcome, friend, thought the airbender. Then he realized another detail. They were friends. He couldn't tell the exact moment when they started to consider themselves friends, but he had no doubt everyone in the group cared for each other. That realization seemed to relax Yan.

"Ember, I understand your distress" the former agent took advantage of the silence. "Just as I explained to Rohan, there is a reason why I insisted."

That seemed to get the girl's attention.

"You... already explained it to Rohan... and he accepted it...?" She asked, a little lost.

"Yes."

"Which was obvious, hot head" said the nomad.

The mockery took the firebender by surprise, leaving her even more unresponsive. She stared at the nomad with a somewhat ridiculous expression.

A laugh cut through the night. They both looked at Kuzou, who smiled at them. Ember looked away, embarrassed. Not a hint of anger remained in her eyes.

"Where were we, again?" Asked the earthbender, still smiling. "Ah yes. In the end, there was no opportunity to explain myself with everything that was happening, but I insisted because Norkka's work made it possible for me to be here with you today."

That caught their attention.

"Do you think one can just leave a resignation letter on the table of the chief of Dai Li and that's it?"

An embarrassed silence answered him.

Yan wouldn't admit that he hadn't even thought about that, and apparently, the firebender followed suit.

Kuzou chuckled again.

"I did the unthinkable and left the Dai Li and I'm only here with you today because Norkka's work was solid, despite everything. Believing in him was a calculated risk; the benefits outweighed the evils."

Now the nomad understood why his friend seemed to have adapted so quickly to their situation back in the Small Desert. He was already a wanted man; little had changed for him. His admiration for his companion kept increasing. Just like the pity he felt.

"S... sorry..." muttered the firebender, shy.

The former agent smiled warmly at her.

"Relax, everything is fine between us now."

For a while, they let the sound of the sea take over.

"Kuzou," called the nomad, looking at the dark horizon. "Sorry if asking this is insensitive... but... how..." he didn't know how to say it.

The earthbender, as always, understood exactly what he was trying to ask.

"There's not much one can do, sorry," he replied, also looking at the horizon. "Each person deals with their first death in their own way."

Ember sobbed.

The waves again took over the environment.

"Does it... does it get easier?" the thoughts did not cease to haunt him.

"Pray that it doesn't." Replied the former agent, somber.

Yan felt a chill go through his body.

"If it's been difficult for you, imagine for Rohan. He's the one who needs the most help right now" commented Kuzou.

"Where is he, anyway?" Asked the nomad, who had been too lost in his trance to notice where his friend had gone.

"Probably in his cabin," supposed the earthbender.

"We have cabins?" the nomad was surprised, pondering why they were lying in the middle of the deck if that was the case.

"Yes, I made a good deal" the former agent laughed in reply. "Anyway, our colleague must be suffering a lot."

"He locked himself in there as soon as he arrived... he won't let anyone in... he won't even answer..." Ember said, the turmoil visible on her face.

It was clear she had tried. A brave attitude, considering the giant seemed bothered with her at back at the hut.

Wait...

"Ember, how do you know so much, again?" Asked the airbender, having finally realized.

The girl seemed to shrink again and looked away. Kuzou, however, encouraged her. She seemed to give in.

Wait, am I the only one on the dark, again ?!

"Calm down, Yan, I don't know that much, and what I do know, I noticed myself," said the earthbender, reading his mind.

The nomad snorted, but let him continue.

"I think it was obvious even to you that she knew Rohan beforehand, right?"

The airbender agreed, annoyed. The girl, however, seemed shocked by that fact. The former agent shrugged, as if to say "I'm sorry, you're too obvious". Ember looked away, once again embarrassed.

"It is clear that she was present in the events that we have just mentioned as well. We just don't know the details" continued Kuzou. "Do you mind telling us?"

He wasn't demanding, it was just a request. His look made it clear: everything was fine.

That seemed to make the girl yield.

Since when do they get along so well? Wondered the nomad.

"I..." The firebender took a deep breath. "I lived in Gaoling as well. From time to time, I would do services for their bakery.

"What?" Interrupted the airbender.

Kuzou's gaze scolded him for cutting her short, and he decided he would be quiet from there on.

"I... had no job and needed money. Even though they were unable to hire me initially, they called me whenever possible to help. Thanks to them I didn't starve. They even found me a place to stay. I owe... a lot to them."

Yan had many questions, but he did not have the courage to ask them. Luckily, Kuzou knew what he was doing. Without intruding, he encouraged her with just a glance.

"I... came to try my luck in the Earth Kingdom after leaving the Fire Nation, and Gaoling seemed to be the best option..."

Poor innocent child

"...things didn't go very well. I was alone, with no money and homeless in the most snobbish city in the kingdom. Luckily, I ended up meeting Nohro and they both were like... the parents I wish I had instead..." the tears came again, along with the sobs. "After Rohan was arrested... I swore to Nohro that I would rescue him. I would do anything for them. Had I just stayed..."

Ember was unable to continue. She shrank back into a ball while the sobs took over her.

They both let her release all the pain she felt.

"I don't understand..." Yan said, just to Kuzou, trying not to disturb the poor girl. "With all this... how, then, did the giant not recognize her?"

"Well, for starters, her hair was blue."

The voice caught everyone's attention, even interrupting the firebender's crying.

Behind the former agent, Rohan appeared, his huge shadow covering them. His eyes were red.

"R-Ro... Rohan..." sobbed the girl, with equally swollen eyes.

The giant walked over and crouched in front of her.

The hug took everyone but Kuzou by surprise.

After a few seconds of shock, the girl collapsed. Clinging to the colossus, any self-control she possessed was gone. Every anguish in her heart was being released by her uncontrolled crying. Rohan hugged her tightly, tears also streaming down his face.

Such was the suffering of that scene that Yan had to look away. He could barely control his own tears in the face of so much pain. He tried to distract his mind with random thoughts, like how he was no longer sick, or what the sailors would think of them after that night. Anything.

They continued like this for a time that seemed endless. Nothing nor anyone dared to interrupt them.

When they calmed down, at last, Rohan sat down with them, as if he had never been absent.

"Banana?" said Kuzou, offering the fruit to his friend.

Suddenly, they were all laughing. The laughter seemed to wash the souls of those involved.

"I accept, thank you, Mr. Kuzou," replied the giant, wiping away his tears.

Soon, everyone was eating, restoring their energy.

"So… Ember's hair was blue, was it?" provoked the former agent.

The girl looked away, a move characteristic by then.

"Wait, really?" Asked the nomad.

"Yeah. Her hair was blue as embers, and it was longer too" commented the colossus.

The fire bender seemed to want to disappear.

"I can't imagine that..." Yan said, shocked.

"It looked great on her, I must say," Rohan said, making the girl red as a pepper. "I do think I prefer them short, however," he continued warmly.

"But... how did they get black, then?" Asked the nomad, confused.

"It's not like I had many opportunities to dye my hair these days," she retorted acidly.

The answer was so obvious that the airbender stayed quiet, he deserved that one.

"I'll make a point of buying dye for your hair if I find it around," scoffed Kuzou.

"Shut up..." Ember blurted out. "But I wouldn't mind..." she went on softly, causing others to laugh.

"I admit I am curious to see that," granted the airbender. "To confuse our huge friend so much it must be a dreadful sight," he added.

The girl just gave him the finger.

"You exaggerating. It suits her well. So much so that I ended up missing it," said the giant.

The firebender showed her tongue to Yan in defiance after hearing the compliment. It took a while for her to notice.

"Wait..." it was possible to see the information processing on her face.

"Do you really think I didn't recognize you eventually?" commented Rohan.

The girl was in pure disbelief.

"Yeah, I was about to ask that" mentioned the nomad. "But then why did you never mention anything?"

"She seemed so intent on keeping it a secret, I didn't want to ruin her plans," said the giant.

Now he sounds like a father, indeed, thought the airbender, while trying, and failing, to hold his laughter at the ridiculous expression the girl made. Even Kuzou laughed.

"You already knew all of this, didn't you?" Yan spat at his friend.

The former agent shrugged.

"I had my suspicions," he replied, with the biggest smile.

Ember tossed the banana peel at him, which he promptly dodged, without even looking at it.

"Son of a...!" Exclaimed the girl, frustrated.

Laughter filled the night again.

"I think that after this rollercoaster of emotions, we need a good rest" declared Kuzou, adjusting himself to get up.

Everyone agreed in silence.

"What's... the plan, now?" Asked the firebender, unsure.

The question seemed to bring the tension back.

"Basically the same," replied the former agent, rising. "We will discuss more about this tomorrow" finished, preventing any further addition to the subject.

Everyone got up and then left for their cabins.

Except Kuzou.

"Aren't you going?" Yan asked, after seeing his colleagues leave.

"You can go ahead, I still have to work out some details with the captain" he replied.

"I don't need to be a super secret agent to realize this is a lie," said the nomad.

Kuzou laughed.

"I'm glad you aren't, because you're wrong," he said with a smile. "Just because I used something as an excuse, it doesn't necessarily means it's a lie."

Smart-ass

"Don't make me drag you to your cabin."

"You didn't even know we had cabins, how are you going to drag me to them?" Scoffed the former agent.

Why do I even bother, again?

"Relax, I'm going," he laughed, reading the nomad's expression. "But since you seem so determined, why don't you take the opportunity and say what's actually on your mind?"

Of course he noticed

Yan didn't want to bring that issue back then, especially around Rohan and Ember. But he couldn't control his restlessness, even if he tried to distract himself or make jokes.

"Kuzou..."

Sensing the weight of the question, the former agent's stance became serious.

"How long had Rohan's fiancé been... dead... when you found him?" the nomad's effort to speak was clear.

The friend did not respond. The silence seemed to be the answer to what he feared.

"It was recent, wasn't it? His death," he insisted.

Again only silence came to meet him.

"While we were bathing in the hot springs, enjoying paradise, Nohro was..."

"Yan" tried the earthbender.

The nomad, however, ignored him this time.

"If we hadn't stopped there..." the nomad felt his hands tremble.

"Yan..."

"If I hadn't insisted we go there..."

"Yan!"

The raised voice managed to reach the airbender.

"Calm down. Do you realize that you are literally blaming yourself for not being able to predict the future?"

The nomad didn't know what to say to that.

"There is no point letting what has passed and it is immutable consume you. Focus on changing the future."

"B-but..."

"Let's go to sleep. We are all in need of a good rest," cut off Kuzou, escorting him to the cabins.

"I don't know if that's possible..."

"You'd be surprised."

And with those last words, they remained silent until they reached their destination. With a short "good night", the former agent left him alone with his thoughts in front of his cabin door. Yan did not enter immediately, trying to calm his mind with the words he had just heard.

Another thing came to mind, however.

What was going on in Kuzou's head? The colleague looked more tired than usual. Did he even believe the things he said? Could it be he blamed himself for not being able to predict the future?

The nomad looked down the hall, but his friend had long since disappeared.

End of chapter.

Author's note: No chapter next week. Enjoy the break, 'cause the characters won't be so lucky.