Sorry it took so long, writer's block. Well enjoy. I can't think of anything that needs a warning in this one, except for tempermental Zuko...but ya'll should expect that.
Zuko grabbed the small barkeep by the collar and slammed him up against the wall.
"You told her WHAT!"
"Pince Zuko." Iroh said in a calming voice. Zuko turned back and looked at his uncle for a split second then looked back to the man, letting his grip up a little. HE took a deep breath and glared at the man.
"Did you tell her how or why you recognized it?" The barkeep shook his head as he thought back.
"No actually she was rather mad to begin with and she just flared and stormed out." Zuko's hands burst into flames then died back down.
"Well...do you know where she went from there?" Again the man shook hishead and looked up at the prince with frightened golden eyes.
"I know she can handle herself well, I mean she did fend off the local madam..." Zuko turned and glared at the man. She fended off a madam? Zuko wasn't sure he heard the man right.
"I think you're confused...she would never be propositioned for such a job.." Beris frowned as his bushy eyebrows drew together.
"This girl had a rare beauty we don't see around here much. We have mainly the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation breeds. Y'know the green or yellow eyes.. This girl had eyes the color of the sea and dark skin, not like the light shin of the lost Air Temples.. So I could see where she would be a desireable creature, and any madam would make tons of gold just from the single girl." Iroh covered his eyes. That wasn't exactly what the prince needed to hear at the moment. Zuko's entire body flared up singing the fur lined rug under his feet. He grabbed the older man by the collar after his flames receded and threw him from the house.
"yOu will go find her! I want to know where she went and who she stayed with! I swear if she is hurt I will kill you!" Zuko growled turning and going back into the doctor's house. He growled and looked at his uncle.
"Now I have a waterbender who was ask to be a whore furious with me." Iroh smiled.
"Such is life." Iroh walked over and peeked into the other room but was promptly shooed away by the doctor. He turned back to look at his nephew.
"You are trying to find the girl?" Zuko shook his head.
"No..I set her free. In an Earth Kingdom village no less. The avatar has mastered air and water, he needs to master earth and fire...so she should be able to find him and her brother from here." Iroh cocked an eyebrow and looked at his nephew skeptically.
"But Prince Zuko I thought that you liked her company." Zuko's eyes flashed up to glare at his uncle with a fury of malice.
"I love her uncle. Don't mask it with meaningless phrases." Iroh shook his head.
"This means you want her to find the avatar?" Zuko nodded.
"Yes. She belongs with her friend and family. I know I love her and my son. I know that she loves Riyo, but if she truly loves me, when all this is over she will return to me." Zuko said in a tone that said drop it. Iroh nodded understanding in full what his nephew was trying to say. The doctor cleared her throat from the door way bringing both the prince and the general's attention to her. Zuko rushed over to her nearly grabbing the elder woman's shoulders, stopping just short of touching her.
"Is he okay? What is wrong?" The older doctor laughed at the prince deep apparent consern for his offspring. She took a step back and pushed the small curtain back. Riyo was sleeping soundly on the large bed, his face back to normal color and not a drop of sweat in sight.
"The baby will be fine. He had a little fit of pnemonia. He will be better. I have fed him herbs and will prepare you some to continue to give him." Zuko felt his heart unclench for the first time in almost twelve hours. He now knew the his son would be alright and was in good hands, now what about his woman?
Beris made his way to where the old harlot conducted her 'business' and knocked on the door. The old woman opened the door with a snarl on her face and glared at the barkeep.
"What doyou want Beris? You know I won't tell you if any of you're regulars is here." Beris shook his head and looked around.
"Have you seen the little lady with the blues eyes around?" The madam thought for a moment.
"Oh you mean the one with the royal blood stone? Nah I haven't seen her since she turned me down...Why?" Beris bit his lip thinking as to whether or not he should explain.
"The prince needs to find her...and She was kicked out of the tavern."
"You mean that girl was the prince's wife! I always knew him to be of the picky sorts but he found him a real gem." The woman laughed crossing her arms over her large chest. She stopped her musings and looked at him hard.
"You said your woman kicked her out? Didn't she know who the girl was?" Beris shook his head. The woman sighed and hung her head.
"If you aren't flogged by the prince himself it'll be a wonder. I'll have my girls on the look out." Beris thanked her and turned aorund. The village was small, but it still might take him the entire day to find out anything. He walked over to where the vender who sold exotic perfumes was polishing bottle after bottle.The man turned around and looked at the frantic barkeep.
"Beris, hon what are you doing away from the tavern?" The feminine man ask with a curl in his voice. The barkeep shook his head and looked around desperatly.
"Please tell me that you have seen a girl around here.?'
"I've seen many girls..care to elaborate?
"She's not from around here, she has blue eyes, dark skin and is dressed in a green garb." The man set down his bottle and thought for a moment before shaking his head.
"I don't think so. Sorry suga." Beris was starting to get agrivated. He then got a thought. If the girl was mad enough, would she leave the village? The guards wouldn't let her! Beris quickly made his away across the village to where the gate keepers stood, about to be relieved of their late night early morning duty.
"Beris you old fool, what is such the hurry?"
"A girl...A strange looking girl? Royal blood stone!" Beris said heaving through his straing breathing. The guards looked at each other then back to Beris.
"Yeah we seen her. Quite a little snake that one. She yelled at us for not letting her leave." Beris sighed and smiled.
"Then she is still in the village."
"No, as soon as she showed us the stone we let her pass. We didn't want to be on the business end of a fire ball." Beris felt like he was going to cry, throw up, and go into convulsions all at the same time.
Katara was walking along side her brother, listening to him talk all about the last few months and how they nearly 'starved' to death. He had told her of the misery binge that Aang had crashed in and how the young monk seemed dark and almost a walking corpse, very little life in him at all. Katara felt bad. But she couldn't help what had happened. It wasn't her fault that she had been captured, well maybe it was since she went out alone, but that didn't mean that she meant for it to happen.
"Well at least he's better now." Sokka said and looked back at the monk who was trying to catch a bug of some sorts. Katara smiled.
"He's Aang again." She felt her heart warm a little being back with her friends. But still she longed for that touch. The caressing. The love that burned as deadly for her as hers did for him. She wanted to be back in Zuko's arms, and have Riyo in hers. But this yearning this desire that burned inside of her would tear her brother to pieces, she didn't know what affect it would have on Aang. Even though she knew it was wrong, it felt right to her. She took a deep breath and brought her hand up to touch the stone, but it wasn't there.
Her eyes grew wide as she placed her palm flat against her neck. She was about to get frantic but she remembered that she had place it in her pocket. She reached down but it wasn't there either. She stopped and turned around looking at the ground they had just passed over. Did she drop it out of her pocket?
"What are you doing?" Sokka ask stopping and looking back at his sister. She looked up at him for a second then back to the gorund retracing her steps.
"I lost my necklace." Aang looked up at Katara and let the bug go he had finally caught. He stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out the necklace.
"Oh I found it a while ago." Aang said holding up the necklace for everyone and thier dog to see. She snatched the necklace away from him making sure to grab the necklace by the stone.
"I wanted to ask you about it, why is the stone red?" Aang ask innocently. Katara blushed madly and stuffed the necklace down in her pocket. Sokka stopped and looked at her.
"Katara what did you do to mother's necklace?" Katara frowned.
"Nothing. It just...got berry juice spilled on it and changed the color..." Katara said and hurridly got in front of them now leading them to the village. Aang took a deep breath and watched Katara walk away. She was lying. She was hinding somethign from them and he didn't like it. What would be so bad that she couldn't tell them? And why would she hide something?
Okay now that that is done, I'll have the next one up pretty soon, Oh in the next on a re-meeting. ; )