CRAKOOM! Zuko manfully did not flinch or duck as he was tempted to. Iroh was chuckling from his bed of pine boughs in the corner. "Sounds like your Mother's musical talents out there." His Uncle said with a grin. Zuko was miserable and soggy from running through the thunderstorm to reach shelter and was now huddled in a grumpy pile of unhappiness, but he still smiled at the memory of his mother's attempt to learn an instrument, any instrument. She gone through the lot of them when he was eight and her attempts were infamous. He'd learned early on that he shared that lack of talent. Iroh would never get him to a music night. Ever.
An unexpected pang hit him then. His men. He missed his men. The lot of strange and annoying beasts his uncle had recruited for his exile were gone now, dispersed among the Fire Navy by Zhao. He felt strange, thinking of the ragtag bunch that had supported him in his single-minded quest for the Avatar. He wondered if they were okay. He wondered if their new commanders let them have music night.
"Uncle?" Iroh looked at him questioningly. Zuko ducked himself more fully under his ragged blanket so he wouldn't have to look at his Uncle as he spoke. "If we win….if we stop Father…I would like to find the crew again, and thank them." He said quietly. Iroh didn't laugh, fortunately. He nodded.
"I will help you find them." He said simply. Zuko nodded and shivered as the motion sent icy drips down his spine. A thought heightened the flames in the fire-pit in the middle of the room. He warmed himself at it while his eyes roved the boathouse. His repairs were holding so far. Nothing tilted inappropriately and the only leak was from the smoke hole he'd opened above the fire-pit that allowed a drop now and then to fall to a sizzling death.
THUMP! This time he did duck, but then jumped to his feet. "That wasn't thunder." He hissed as his Uncle stood warily. He silently crossed to the dock-side of the structure and peered out at the rain. It was pitch dark, but he thought he saw movement down on the beach.
"ZUKOOOO!" A yelled came then and the desperation in the male voice spurred him out into the rain. He leaped off the side of the dock to the beach and ran the twenty yards to the figure he now recognized as the Avatar's bison. It was lying on its side in the wet sand, wheezing painfully. It's rump was blackened and once he got close enough he gagged when the smell of burnt flesh hit him. Charred fur and skin and sulphur combined in a heavy stench that made his skin break into gooseflesh. He rushed around the poor beast and saw that its bulk sheltered two huddled humans. The Avatar lie sprawled over Sokka's knees, looking bruised and broken, his eyebrows were gone, his skin singed and burnt in places, his clothing mostly worn away. The boy that held him looked little better if conscious. Sokka looked like someone had beaten him with chains. He recognized the work from personal experience. Mei? Azula brought Mei into it? If his sister had brought her friends into the fight, then they were pretty well screwed. Which won't matter anyhow if the avatar dies before defeating father. He dropped to his knees beside Sokka.
"Were you followed?" He asked urgently. The boy shook his head. Zuko had no choice but to believe him. "Let's get him inside. Uncle?" He turned to see Iroh at the bison's head. He turned back to the Avatar and his friend and watched the boy try to lift his unconscious companion. He staggered and would have fallen again if Zuko hadn't caught Aang's slight form in his own grip. "Let me." Zuko said when Sokka didn't release his hold. The teen's blue eyes stared hard at Zuko for a moment before he let go of his fear and put his trust on Zuko. He promptly passed out and Zuko found himself frantically trying to hold up both injured boys with arms slippery from the pouring rain.
"Uncle!"
