Chapter 18

Zuko's breathing came in painful gasps and salt stung his eyes as he faced down his opponent. He had thought they'd been evenly matched at first. He'd underestimated them. The bald one was a master firebender too. At least better than Zhao had been. He was giving him quite the fight. Sokka had locked blades with the second man and they were both dodging attacks from the third. A wet cry came from his left. Sokka had knocked the sword wielding man to his back and run him through. A snarl and a burst of heat brought him back to his own fight. He dodged another wave of flames and sent several quick bursts towards the bald bender. Suddenly Sokka was shouting at him. The third man had drawn back a barbed whip and aimed right at Zuko. His friend lunged between them. Sokka made to block the whip with his blade but his still weak leg gave out. He let out a pained cry as the whip wound around him.

"Sokka no!"

Barbs tore into his stomach, shoulder and back, dragging him to his knees when it was yanked it back. The copper smell of blood filled Zuko's nose. He aimed his hottest fire at the bald man's face and ran to Sokka. Catching him just before his head hit the ground.

"No, no, no, no, fuck! Sokka why did you do that? Shit."

Blood wept from ragged gashes all over his torso and arms. He gasped hard for breath as Zuko tried to sit him up.

"Leave me..r run Zuko.."

"Like hell I will. Fuck." Zuko tried to stem the bleeding from the largest wounds with his hands as the two remaining men closed in around them. The gashes weren't too deep, he might be ok if they weren't about to be killed anyway. Damn. He couldn't die here. There was too much to live for now. He closed his eyes and pictured his family, he had to live… suddenly there was a deafening roar of wind.

The fire that smoldered in the grass around them from their fight burst into massive walls of flame that engulfed the trees reached towards the sky. He could hear the mercenaries shouting in surprise on the other side. From the screaming and the smell, one of them was burning alive. Shaking himself from his own shock, Zuko stood and hoisted a barely conscious Sokka to his feet. Looking around the flames nearly trapped them in, the heat oppressive even for a firebender. Just in time he caught sight of a path left untouched and drug Sokka along beside him. Sweat and blood covered them both, making it difficult to keep a hold on him as he struggled along. After a few yards he realized it wasn't the men he was running from anymore but the flames. The world was fire around him as though Agni himself had come down from the heavens to rage at their enemies. They had quickly grown out of control in the dry forest and he was too spent to try and keep them back. Beside him Sokka groaned and weighed him down

"Come on you lazy peasant use your legs! Agni we're gonna die here if you don't help me." Another series of unintelligible groans and Sokka was lurching along beside him, only slightly more helpful than dead weight. Thankfully the fire seemed to hit a wall after a few minutes and he managed to drag Sokka far enough away. Stopping to look behind them for a moment, Zuko realized something important. They were extremely lucky to have escaped burning to death. Maybe someone would tell his father that's exactly what happened. Turning away, he drug his limp friend deeper into the forest as fast as he could manage.

After ten minutes of stumbling around in the increasingly dense woods, Zuko found shelter between massive rock formations. Not wanting to risk a fire, he got out a bed roll and made Sokka comfortable. He was unconscious by now and showing signs of fever. Zuko peeled back his shirt to inspect the damage. The shallow wounds wrapped around his torso and still leaked blood. He thought the barbed whip must have been coated in poison because the flesh around the gashes was an ugly shade of green. The big idiot. He had gotten in the way of a blow aimed at Zuko and was now near death for it. Zuko spent too long lamenting Katara's absence and cursing her brother's foolishness as he rinsed and dressed the wounds as best as he could. FInally he dug out Sokka's map and discovered a small town that was only a mile away. It was nearly dark and he was exhausted but if he was right about the poison he couldn't wait.

By the time Zuko reached the tiny village of Bìnàn suǒ, it was dark and the streets were nearly empty. He was starting to panic when he finally spotted an old woman sitting outside of her home smoking a long pipe. She set it aside and watched him with a mistrustful glare as he approached. Likely noting his bloodied clothes.

"I don't know you young man. In a village this small you know every stone, who are you?" He gave a shallow bow and hoped desperately she wouldn't have seen any of his wanted posters.

"My name is Lee ma'am. Please, I'm traveling with my friend and he was badly injured. Is there someone in your village who can help me? I think he might… it's really bad." She considered him only a moment before pushing herself to her feet and beckoning him to follow her. One street over, she approached a small residence and called out for a man called Changluo. A middle aged man with round glasses and shoulder length brown hair came out to greet her. She told him what Zuko had said, and he ducked back into his house to return moments later with a pack and a lantern.

"Where is your friend, Lee was it? I assume you have camp somewhere nearby?" Zuko wondered at how trusting this stranger seemed but decided not to question it as they headed back the way he had come.

"Yes. I left him under a rock formation not far from here. He couldn't make it this far." He thought fast for a way to explain his injury. "We had a run in with a few Fire Nation thugs in another village, I think the weapon may have been poisoned."

Changluo made a noncommittal noise and looked at him curiously as they walked but said nothing else. It was only a 10 minute hike to the crude shelter and Zuko hadn't been gone all that long but he could tell Sokka had deteriorated in his absence. He knelt beside him and could tell his sleep was still fevered. Changluo handed his lantern to zuko and undid the rushed bandages to inspect the wound and clicked his tongue at the damage.

"It is well you found me when you did. You were right, there is poison here. This discoloration is not simple infection. Let me see.." He turned to his pack and dug through it for a moment, holding up first one vile than another. Finally he seemed to find what he wanted as he opened a jar and spread a sickly yellow paste onto the grisly wounds. He gestured to Zuko to help him move Sokka to his side so he could get at the gashes along his back. After the paste was applied he wound fresh bandages all around his waist and arm. Pulling out another smaller vile, he moved to pour it down Sokka's throat.

"The paste will help with the healing and this will counteract the poison. None of the gashes are deep at least. Luckily your attackers poison of choice is a common one here in the Earth Kingdom so I have an antidote. Though... I won't lie to you, he may still die. He has lost a lot of blood. I have done all that I can for now anyway. I will return tomorrow to see how he is. For now, all you can do is keep him comfortable. Perhaps draw some water from the stream nearby and keep him cool until his fever brakes."

He stood to leave and Zuko thanked the man for his help. He tried to give him some of the gold they had from King Bumi but Changluo refused any payment until he was sure Sokka would live. After he was gone, Zuko sat back beside Sokka. Pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes, he swore before looking at his friend again. He was still sweating too much and murmuring in his sleep, but he seemed less like he was about to die.

"You better not die on me Sokka. Not when you had to go and be so stupidly heroic like that. Katara won't forgive me. I really wouldn't want to have to face your father either." Sokka only murmured something that sounded like his name before he was quiet again. Zuko sighed and wiped some of the sweat from his brow. "You know you're going to be an uncle. If you die now you won't get the chance to be the terrible influence I know you'll be." Laughing softly he sat back on his own bedroll and got comfortable.

Sokka woke to dim morning light and a pounding headache. His eyes were heavy as he blinked slowly and tried to determine where he was. Looking around, he saw the stone walls and vaguely remembered getting to the cave. How long ago had that been? The pain that seemed to wrap around his whole body made itself known when he tried to roll to his side. Breathing through the throbbing pain, he noticed Zuko slumped asleep beside him. Reaching out a shaky hand he smacked his friends knee until he jerked awake. Zuko blinked several times and sat up, squinting out the cave entrance at the light. Sokka knew he was always up with the sun so he must have been up all night to have overslept like this.

"You're awake. How do you feel?"

Sokka ran a hand down the bandages around his stomach and groaned.

"Like I lost a fight with a canyon crawler. Ugh. How long was I out?"

"Almost a whole day. I went to a nearby village last night to find someone to help you. The barbed whip you were hit with was coated in poison. I thought you were going to die." Suddenly he was frowning and looming over Sokka. "What were you thinking diving in front of me like that? I didn't ask you along just so you could die for me Sokka!"

The righteous indignation Sokka felt at his words was temporarily stronger than the pain and he tried to sit up to defend himself. The movement brought a searing stab of agony that ruined his furious glare. Falling back to the mat, he said his peace anyway around gritted teeth.

"That's exactly why I came you stupid jerk bender! I came to make sure you survive this trip if I have to drag you back to my sister half dead. She needs you. Your kid needs you. Hell the whole world needs you to become Fire Lord one day and end this war!"

Zuko looked stunned for a moment but he recovered quickly. "That's ridiculous! Do you think your sister will ever forgive me if I get you killed? You have a whole family that loves you you stupid prick, how dare you take that for granted!"

Sokka understood his anger at that and deflated some. "I never said no one would miss me Zuko. I just meant that your life is more important than mine. Sure my sister loves me, but I couldn't take your place for your family and I sure as heck can't be Fire Lord. I'm not trying to get killed, but if it means I can save your annoying self I'll do it. I'll thank you not to dishonor my choice."

He pressed his hands to his face against the ache in his head and took slow calming breaths. Sheesh. Why did he think he had tagged along? To keep him company? Honestly.

His response, when he finally spoke again was resigned. "I don't want you to die for me."

With a sigh and a groan Sokka looked over at his sulking friend. "You want to be the Fire Lord. Better get used to it " Zuko looked at him for a long moment before sighing himself and getting back to his feet..

"Do you think you could eat anything? We don't have much but some jerky and stale bread. The healer said he'd be back sometime today, maybe if you're strong enough we can get to town and find some real food."

His mouth felt like he'd been eating wool and everything hurt. Eating was the last thing he wanted right then but he figured he should try to get something down. He asked for a drink and Zuko reached for a small canteen and brought it to his lips. After he had had a few sips, there was a rustling outside the cave and Zuko sat up and reached for his dao soards before a man dressed in Earth Kingdom colors and carrying a pack came into view. When Zuko relaxed, Sokka guessed this must be the healer.

"Sorry Changluo, I'm a little jumpy."

The healer nodded in acknowledgement and made his way to Sokka's side. Taking hold of Sokka's head, he peered over his glasses and looked into each of his eyes in turn.

"How do you feel this morning young man? Any hallucinations or tremors?" When Sokka answered in the negative, he watched as the stranger pulled out a small knife and started to cut through his wrappings. "These will need to be changed at once. Do you think you could be helped to town? I came with a small cart, it's just through those trees on the road." He inspected the gashes and reached for fresh dressings. "I need to stitch a few of these closed I think. The paste I applied helped with the bleeding but it isn't a long term solution."

After some back and forth, Zuko gathered their things and helped Changluo get him to the cart. He lay back staring at the forest canopy as they made the short trip to town. Cocking his head so he could see Zuko sitting beside him, in a hushed voice he shared a concern he'd been thinking about since they'd started fighting the Fire Nation men before.

"I think we are going to have to fake your death. Even if we all make it to Ba Sing Se, your sister proved how easy it is to infiltrate and your father won't ever stop trying to get to you. If word gets back to him about my sister and the baby? I hardly think a little thing like a wall will make him call off his hunters." Zuko sighed and stared out at the road behind them.

"I was thinking about that. That fire, I don't know what you remember but we barely escaped. I'm a firebender but those flames.. they weren't natural. Anyway what if those men we were fighting didn't make it like we did? What if they did and they assume we're dead?" Thinking about this, Sokka decided that might work.

"Well, we have no way of knowing what happened or what if anything will get back to your father. Who knows how long it will take me to fully recover this time. I say we try to lay low in this village as long as we can and maybe eventually we'll hear something." Zuko nodded and flopped back beside him in the cart. Lying shoulder to shoulder, neither spoke again the rest of the trip.