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Book One: Water

Chapter Five

Prisoners

They docked at another Earth Kingdom port several days later. The village the port boasted was ramshackle and small; Zuko guessed most of the Earth Kingdom civilians that had lived there before had fled once the Fire Nation invaded, leaving behind only a handful of elders to live among the small Fire Nation contingent of soldiers and guards. They'd stopped for another refuel before continuing to the coordinates Captain Rika had given the helmsman, assuring Zuko that she knew of someone who could help them track down the Avatar using the necklace of the Water Tribe girl they had found at the prison rig.

He didn't dare become too optimistic yet. It seemed that every time he came close to catching the Avatar, his plans were thwarted. He didn't like having to rely on Captain Rika, either. He still had half a mind that she was going to throw him overboard and leave him for the sharks, even though her attitude toward him had cooled remarkably since their squabble at Kyoshi Island.

Still, that didn't mean that she had gained his trust. And it didn't mean that he was fine with approaching her to ask for her help, much like he was doing now.

He knocked on the door to the captain's quarters and heard, "Come in." There were no guards posted outside like he and Iroh had, so he let himself in and found the captain sitting cross-legged amidst her plethora of cushions, poring over a map.

She looked up upon his entrance, and her eyebrows rose. "Prince Zuko. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

He crossed his arms and stared at the low table in front of her. "Have you seen my uncle anywhere? He's not on the ship or the docks."

"Oh, yes." She waved her hand. "He said he found some hot springs just outside of the village and wanted to take a dip. I suppose you'll find him there."

Zuko frowned. His uncle had told the captain where he was going but not him?

"You and my uncle are becoming fast friends," he said bitterly.

She glanced up from her map with a small smile. It was odd, seeing her so relaxed among the cushions and so casual, her captain façade dropped for just a brief moment in her comfort.

"I suppose so," she said. "It's an honor to talk with the Dragon of the West and the brother of the Fire Lord whom I serve." She shrugged. "And he's a brilliant tactician at Pai Sho, too."

"Don't you mean player?"

"Semantics." She rustled her map. "Anything else I can help you with?"

"No," he said. "The refuel is almost finished, and I want us to be on our way as soon as possible. I just needed to know where my uncle was to let him know."

He turned for the door but stopped when she said, "Wait, I'll come with you."

He stared at her, suspicious, as she crossed the room. "Why?"

She shrugged. "I'm bored and I want to stretch my legs. Do I need another reason?"

He walked out, perturbed when she followed. "I can find my uncle just fine on my own."

"I never said you couldn't," she said, falling into step beside him as they climbed the stairs to the upper deck. "Unless my company really is that bothersome to you?"

"Fine," he snapped. "I don't care what you do. Stay or come. Whatever."

She didn't reply, but Zuko noticed when she kept pace with him, sticking by his side as they descended the gangplank and walked through the small village.

It didn't even take them ten minutes to find the hot springs she had mentioned. She hung back as Zuko stalked into the clearing, finding a well of hot springs nestled at the base of a rocky hill. A nearby tree fluttered with red robes that Zuko recognized as his uncle's, but Iroh was nowhere to be seen.

"Uncle?" Zuko called. He scanned the area, but there was no sign of him. "Uncle, where are you?"

"Everything all right?" the captain said, pushing aside a low-hanging branch as she entered the clearing.

Zuko's eyes fell on one spring in particular. It was a shallow pool, but three sharp slabs of rock jutted inward with a small space in between them, like they had been holding something there—or someone.

His heart dropped. "Earthbenders were here."

He expected her to disagree, but when he turned, she was on her knee, her fingers hovering over tracks. There were footprints and what looked like deep impressions of ostrich-horses, a favored mount for Earth Kingdom soldiers. She looked up at him, her expression grim.

"They must have been camping nearby, hoping to ambush any Fire Nation soldiers," she said, climbing back to her feet. "I can have the rhinos ready in ten minutes for a search party."

Zuko nodded, shutting his mouth. He had been about to order the same thing.

She marched out of the clearing, and Zuko stared in the direction where the tracks disappeared into the trees. His hands clenched into fists as he tried to stave off the growing sense of unease inside him. He'd find his uncle quickly, he decided, and then he would return to pursue the Avatar. He would hunt him to the ends of the earth if it meant getting his old life back. He couldn't—wouldn't—lose him again.

Not when he'd already lost everything else.

Fortunately, the tracks of the ostrich-horses never disappeared, allowing Rika, Prince Zuko, and the two other men that made up their tracking party to follow the Earth Kingdom soldiers' trail with ease. Unfortunately, since the Earth Kingdom party wasn't taking any precautions to hide the tracks, that meant they were moving at speed and potentially had an outpost nearby, where General Iroh could then be shipped off anywhere in the world escorted by a complete garrison instead of a few foot soldiers.

The notion made Rika grim. While she respected General Iroh and enjoyed his camaraderie, the main reason she spurred her Komodo-rhino mount faster was in the hopes to outrun the humiliation that chased after her on silent feet. How could she have been so foolish? The Fire Nation may have conquered the port, but they were still in enemy territory. And having a member of her nation's own royal family be kidnapped under her very nose? The shame tormented her like a thousand needles stuffed under her skin. She was surprised Prince Zuko hadn't ordered her execution as soon as they discovered his uncle had been taken. If her father ever found out…

She shuddered at the thought. No, she was going to get General Iroh back. Her father would never—could never—know about her failure. Forget execution by the prince. Her father would see her drawn and quartered in the streets, and then have her limbs set on fire.

She snapped the reins of her rhino where she rode next to Prince Zuko, her heart in her throat. "Faster!"

They continued tracking until the last of the sun had vanished and the half-moon rose. With not enough light to continue and Prince Zuko wanting to conserve energy for their firebending if they were forced into a fight, they made camp in a small clearing of skinny trees and leafy bushes. Their rhinos were tied up only ten feet away with access to the foliage and a sliver of a stream, and Rika heard them snuffling and snorting as she helped collect kindling and firewood.

Prince Zuko's trackers were on watch, but Rika could sense them in the surrounding trees as she squatted in the middle of their makeshift camp and set up the fire. Prince Zuko himself had gone to collect water at the stream, but he returned within minutes, walking into the clearing as Rika struggled to get the fire started.

She swore when another match blew out too quickly, the nighttime breeze too strong for it, and she threw it on the pile in frustration.

"Let me," Prince Zuko said, coming to kneel beside her.

She bit her tongue, only watching as a small flame conjured in the palm of his hand. He held the fire to the kindling, and it lapped at the wood eagerly, setting it ablaze within seconds. He sat back on his heels as the fire came to life in a burst of heat, the glow washing his face in orange and turning his scar an angrier, darker red than normal.

Rika tossed her box of matches onto her bedroll in disgust. "Thanks."

He said nothing, only handing her waterskin to her wordlessly. She accepted it with a curt nod and drank deeply, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand when she was finished. He'd gotten out their rations of jerky and bread during that time, and he handed her small portions of those, as well. She nodded again, and they both just sat before the fire, eating silently and staring into the flames.

She wondered if she shouldn't say something. The few conversations she had with the prince were prickly at best, but the way he stared into the fire, his golden eyes troubled, had her opening her mouth.

"We'll find your uncle," she said quietly.

"I know," he said. He didn't look at her. "I won't stop until we do."

She shifted off of her knees, brushing crumbs from her lap as she adjusted herself into a better sitting position, crossing her legs. She hesitated. They had had peace all day, a temporary truce working together to track the Earth Kingdom party, and she knew she shouldn't push her luck, but her curiosity eventually won out.

"Has he been with you the last three years?" she asked. "Ever since you were…"

She trailed off, but her question hovered in the air like the smoke in front of them.

"Since I was banished?" Prince Zuko said. She glanced up. He didn't sound angry, simply resigned. "Yes. He's always been there for me."

His words were heavy. She clasped her hands in her lap.

"You are very lucky, Prince Zuko," she said. "It's clear to anyone that he cares about you very much."

"Yeah," he said, so softly that she barely heard him over the crackling of the flames.

They returned to silence. Rika poked at the fire with another stick, aware that she was being watched. Sure enough, he spoke again.

"What about you?" he asked. "You said your father serves in the northern fleet, but what about your mother? Is she a soldier, too?"

"She's a civilian. Or was." Rika frowned. "I'm not sure where she is these days." Now it was her turn to stare into the flames. "I have vague memories of her from when I was younger before I was sent to live with my father in the camps, but I don't know if she's even alive or not. I haven't had any contact with her since I left."

That was one truth she could tell him. Sometimes, if she was alone at night and tried hard to remember, she could recall a house by the sea, the scents of salt and sun and persimmon. Her mother's scent. But she could never picture a face, no matter how long she laid in the dark.

"I know the feeling," he said quietly, startling her; he'd been silent for so long that she'd almost forgotten he was there. Fire flickered to life on his fingertips, and he used it to feed the kindling more. "My mom went away when I was young, too. I never knew what happened to her."

Rika had nothing to say to that. The absence of Lady Ursa had been a hot topic for gossip several years earlier, but it had quickly been swapped out for the rumors that had swirled in the wake of Prince Zuko's sudden banishment from the Fire Nation. Lady Ursa was forgotten about entirely.

Rika shifted, chancing a glance at the stoic prince. He sat still, that same solemn look on his face that he'd been wearing ever since they had discovered General Iroh's kidnapping. It made him look even harsher than usual, like a lone cliff out at sea, unmoving despite the waves that kept pounding into it.

"Prince Zuko," she said before her courage could abandon her. "May I ask why you were banished?"

He said nothing. Seconds dragged into minutes, and she began to regret asking before he spoke again.

"I disobeyed my father," he said finally. "I lost my honor, but I'm trying to regain it. That's all you need to know." He stood abruptly, and she leaned back on reflex as he stalked past her to where their bedrolls lay. "Try to get some sleep before our watch. We have a long day ahead of us."

For once, she didn't contradict him. Instead, she slumped onto her own bedroll across the campfire from his. His back was to her, but the rigid set to his shoulders betrayed the fact that he wasn't even thinking about taking his own advice.

She peeled off her shoes and laid on her back, bringing the thin blanket up to her chin. She drifted into sleep not long after that, the smells of ash and persimmon chasing her into her dreams.

They were back on their mounts before dawn broke, their camp dismantled, and all evidence of their stay swept into the brush. Although Rika had been awake for the latter half of the night keeping watch with Prince Zuko, she felt more energized than ever, itching to return to their pursuit. Prince Zuko kept to himself after their conversation by the fire, but the determined glint in his golden eyes was all Rika needed to confirm that he was just as anxious and alert as her.

The tracks did not stray from their previous course, so Rika ordered their party to maintain a strict speed as their Komodo-rhinos thundered through trees and steep, rocky ravines. At mid-morning, one of the trackers signaled for a halt, and Rika drew her rhino even with his, Prince Zuko not far behind.

"What is it?" she said, nudging her rhino to slow.

The tracker pointed just off the path they'd been following, where a pile of ostrich-horse droppings lay collecting flies. "They're fresh. We're close—very close. We should catch up to them by sundown."

"If they haven't made it to an outpost by then," Prince Zuko said, exchanging a dark look with Rika. He snapped his reins. "Let's go! We don't stop until we get my uncle back!"

His rhino plunged into the foliage, and after a brief hand signal, Rika and the trackers followed him.

The late summer sun beat down on them relentlessly, and despite the scarce trees, sweat collected on the back of Rika's neck and pooled under her armor. Still, they did not stop, not even to eat; they simply passed out rations atop their mounts and ate in their saddles, only drinking from their skins when the thirst became too unbearable. When the sun started to sink behind the cliffs, Rika's rhino snorted and began to drag his horns against the ground, and she motioned for their party to stop.

"They're near," she said, indicating the fresh tracks in the dirt that her rhino pawed at. "Dismount. We go on foot and take them by surprise."

She glanced at Prince Zuko, but for once, he didn't object. He slid off his rhino and landed lightly on his feet, giving her a nod as she copied him. The trackers fell into step behind them, their fists raised in an identical stance to Prince Zuko, ready to unleash their fire at a moment's notice. Rika slid her spear out of its holster and flicked it open, unveiling its serrated blade. They crept closer to a mound of sandstone that jutted from the earth like a blemish, concealing a group of people behind its rough exterior, their voices echoing through the valley along with the lowing of several ostrich-horses.

"We should crush his hands and feet," one man's voice was saying. "See if he can use his firebending then."

Prince Zuko stiffened, his eyes narrowing. Rika put a hand on his elbow, shaking her head, fearful that the prince would charge in recklessly. But he stayed put, even if he glared pointedly at his arm. She removed her hand hastily, and they crept forward again.

When they reached the base of the rocks, Prince Zuko motioned for his men to flank the other side, leaving him and Rika alone. Rika crouched beside him.

"So?" she said. "What's our plan?"

He glanced sidelong at her. "I assumed you were the one coming up with the plan."

She shrugged. "I've had one since yesterday. I just figured I'd be polite and ask you first." She glared at the unburned side of his face next to her. "Let's try and work together this time, okay?"

"Well, hurry up and tell me your plan before my uncle gets his limbs crushed," he hissed.

She stared at the rocks they'd have to climb first, her lips pursed. A seven-foot vertical was her guess. A small dent in her plan, but an easy one to overcome all the same. She looked back at the prince. "How high can you jump?"

He gave her a deadpan look. "High."

She nodded to the rocks. "They'll sense us coming if we try and climb. If we jump and clear the tops, we can drop down and truly take them by surprise." She hefted her spear. "Stay away from the ground as much as possible, so they can't trap you with their earthbending."

"I can handle a few earthbenders," he snapped.

"Good." She stepped back several paces and analyzed the rocks, weighing her spear. She'd trained for harder obstacles than this. She tipped the prince a small salute. "Our plan starts now."

Before he could reply, she ran toward the rocks. Just before colliding with them, she planted the butt of her spear firmly in the ground and kicked off, twisting her body in midair as she vaulted over the lip of the rocks. She caught a glimpse of Prince Zuko's stunned face before he leaped, using his fire to blast him over the edge of the rocks, and then they descended upon the Earth Kingdom soldiers.

Rika flipped her spear as she landed, rolling across the ground before propelling herself into a flip with her legs, avoiding the sinkhole an earthbender summoned where she'd been seconds ago. Prince Zuko's trackers leaped down from the rocks, and there was a split second where each side sized up their opponent.

Rika quickly counted four Earth Kingdom soldiers spread defensively before a chained General Iroh in the center of their protective circle. Her lips curled in a smile. Four on four. She liked those odds.

With a yell, Prince Zuko kicked an arc of fire toward one of the earthbenders, and the clearing erupted. The sounds of grating stone and spitting flames consumed the air, and Rika blinked through the dirt and smoke as she rushed at one of the soldiers, twirling her spear.

She dodged a stone the size of her head and used the flat of her spear's tip to smash another away from her torso, her arms vibrating from the force of the blow. She kept running, jumping the rest of the distance when she felt the ground under her feet shift. She brought down her spear with a grunt, but the earthbender rolled away, only to faceplant in the dirt when Rika used the end of her spear to sweep the earthbender's feet out from under them. Rika was on them in an instant.

"Wait, wait!" the earthbender cried when Rika brought down the tip of her spear. It stopped inches from their heart when Rika realized that the earthbender was a girl, not much older than herself and terrified. "Wait, please!"

Rika stared down at the girl, her chest heaving. "I wasn't going to kill you."

The girl sniffed. Rika's grip wavered, and that was when she knew she had already lost.

The earthbender girl kicked out, and the ground beneath Rika's feet bucked. She reeled back, and the girl pounced. She brought her hands together in a resounding clap, and a piece of stone peeled off from the rock wall behind her and shot toward Rika. All she could do was brace herself for the impact as the stone slammed into her chest and launched her backward, where she connected with the opposite rock wall encircling the clearing. Her head and back cracked against the stone, and she heard several distinct pops before she slid to the ground, her spear lost somewhere in the dirt.

She groaned and picked herself up. Blood dribbled from her mouth; she'd bitten her tongue when she'd hit the rock. Her ribs screamed in agony. She looked up, pushing herself to her feet, only to stop once she realized that the earthbender girl was laying in a heap across the clearing, unconscious.

Prince Zuko stalked toward Rika, his uncle, now unchained, right behind him. Rika hadn't even noticed that the firebenders had already dealt with the Earth Kingdom soldiers, but the bodies strewn around the clearing indicated that they had won.

"Are you stupid?" Prince Zuko demanded. "What made you think you could go up against an earthbender with just a spear?"

Rika winced as she stood fully, clutching at a sharp pain in her right side. "I've dealt with plenty of benders before." She forced herself to shrug through the pain. "I can't be perfect all the time."

"Captain, are you all right?" Iroh asked, taking a step forward. "You're bleeding."

Rika wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand. "I'm fine. Where's my spear?"

One of the trackers held it out for her. It was unharmed, thankfully, and she clicked it closed and holstered it again.

"Well," she said, "we got General Iroh back. Let's return to the ship."

Prince Zuko's eyes narrowed. "You can't possibly ride back in that condition."

"Believe me, I've had worse injuries than this," she said, indicating her throbbing middle. "Let's just go. If we ride through the night, we can make it back to the ship by dawn, and then we can leave this wretched place behind us."

"Captain," Iroh said, his golden eyes filled with concern. "If you insist on returning without rest, then I must insist that you don't push yourself. Prince Zuko says you followed me here on rhinos; let me take one while you ride with him."

At this, both Rika and the prince balked. Iroh noticed their expressions and frowned. "Between all of us, he is the smallest. He can spare the most room in his saddle."

Rika swallowed back her protests, conceding this point. When Iroh gave the prince a significant look, he threw his hands up. "Fine! Can we just go now?" He gave his uncle's undergarments a disgusted glance. "And will you please put on some clothes?"

Ignoring the conversation between uncle and nephew, Rika chose to shuffle back to where they had left their mounts, trying not to breathe too deeply, or else the sharp pain from before would lance through her torso, making her feel as if she was swallowing lightning. Fortunately, there was a gap in the rocks, so she didn't have to climb back over them, but by the time she reached Prince Zuko's mount, her face dripped with sweat, and she collapsed against the grazing rhino with an exhausted sigh.

"You probably broke a rib or two," the prince said, and Rika's head jerked up; she hadn't realized he'd followed her, but beyond him, his uncle (now clothed with an extra robe) and the trackers were mounting their own rhinos. Her eyes shifted back to Prince Zuko, and he nodded to the saddle. "You might need help getting up there."

"I got it," she said, placing her foot in the saddle. "You don't need to do anything except get us back to the ship in one piece."

She hauled herself up, pushing with her leg and using her grip on the saddle's horn to pull herself onto the rhino. It wasn't graceful and took longer than normal, but she still managed it. Prince Zuko swung himself in front of her, and she leaned back as far as possible without physically falling out of the saddle as he snapped the reins and their party plunged into the trees again, falling their own path.

Every step of the rhino had Rika gritting her teeth, her tongue throbbing; the bleeding had stopped, but it was still sore and heavy in her mouth, and it made swallowing difficult. With her adrenaline wearing off, she began to suspect that Prince Zuko was right and that she had a broken rib. Each breath was agony, and holding herself upright in the saddle was akin to burning at a stake with the way the pain lapped at her. But she kept her mouth shut and her head high, refusing to succumb to the pain as the evening melted into night and the moon rose above them.

Prince Zuko and the others had lit small lanterns tied to the rhinos' horns with their firebending, allowing them decent light to see by as they continued riding. Prince Zuko's mount had taken the lead, moving at a brisk pace, not even slowing for the steep ravine they crossed—unfortunately for Rika, as the rhino's lurching jumps had caused her enormous discomfort, and she couldn't hold back the small grunt that escaped her lips as they cleared the ravine.

She'd hoped it would go unnoticed, but she scowled when Prince Zuko half-turned in his saddle to glance back at her.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Perfectly fine," she ground out. "Eyes on the path."

He ignored her. "We can stop if it's too much for you to handle."

"Stop and I will stab you," she said sweetly. "Just keep going. I'll see the ship's healer upon our return. Deal?"

He scoffed and faced forward again. "Have it your way."

They rode in silence for several minutes before he opened his mouth again, and Rika rolled her eyes.

"You probably wouldn't be so uncomfortable if you relaxed," he said. "You've been as stiff as a corpse this whole time."

She snorted. "Sorry for being considerate and trying not to invade your space."

"We're sharing a saddle," he pointed out. "You're already invading my space."

"Whatever."

He sighed. "Look, I'm not poisonous or anything. If you're in too much pain, you can hold onto me."

"I told you I'm fine," she muttered, staring into the dark trees.

"I'm just trying to be nice," he snapped. He shook his head and flicked the reins. "Forget it. Never mind."

"I didn't know nice was something you could do," Rika said, though the edge of her words was softened just a bit when she forced herself to relax. She eased into the prince's back, exhausted and aching from keeping her spine straight the whole time. His warmth seeped through her armor, and her muscles involuntarily loosened further, until she was completely slumped against him, her cheek pressed against his padded shoulder. "Oh. This feels a lot better, actually. Okay."

"Just don't fall off," he said stiffly.

Since she was already a limp-limbed fool, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his waist, ignoring the burning in her face as she did. Thank the spirits he couldn't see her right now. "There. Now I won't. Happy?"

"I'm never happy."

And I'm never doing this again, Rika thought.

Several moments passed before Rika was compelled to speak again.

"You know," she said, her voice muffled slightly against his back, "we make a good team when we actually stay out of each other's way."

He scoffed, the sound rattling against her cheek. "You got kicked around by an earthbender because you went off on your own. How does that make us a good team?"

She frowned. "It was better than last time."

"You obviously think much differently than I do."

She sighed and nestled further into him, her eyes drooping. "Just attempting to be optimistic. You should try it sometime, Prince 'I'm-never-happy' Zuko."

"Maybe, Captain," he said, sounding slightly amused. He hesitated. "Captain Rika."

Rika hummed. She wanted to ponder on this new development, but she never got the chance. Her eyes had finally closed, and she was lost to sleep within seconds.

Please review! I'd love to know your thoughts!

I wasn't originally going to include Iroh's kidnapping, but then I thought about Rika and Zuko being forced to team up and bond, and suddenly I was all for it ;)

And I couldn't resist including Zuko's iconic line. My little Angst Lord aww.

Back to Avatar hunting next chapter! Until then!