Chapter Two: Through the Trees

Zuko moved swiftly toward the Avatar's camp by the light of the full moon. He didn't allow himself to think about anything besides his present task so he wouldn't distract himself and overlook any detail. When he got within a fourth of a mile from the camp, he slowed down his animal, tied its reins to a tree, and continued by foot. When he saw an opening ahead, he stopped for a second. Through the trees, he caught a glimpse of a tent made of stone. 'That's right... They have an earthbender in the group now,' Zuko thought and began walking very slowly and carefully into the camp. He found his passport home asleep on the ground, a sleeping bad behind his head for a pillow. It made sense for him not to be in the sleeping bag - this was a warm area of the world. The boy had a shaved head and blue arrows tattooed on his head and hands. A staff was lying beside him. Zuko quickly took a piece of red cloth from his pocket to use as a gag. Aang woke up when it was stuffed in his mouth and was being tied around the back of his neck. Aang started to get up, but Zuko took the ropes he had on his side and tied Aang's hands together with one so he couldn't Bend. Aang jumped to his feet and tried kicking Zuko, but the exiled prince caught Aang's foot. Aang widened his eyes and a second later Zuko pulled on the foot. Aang's upper back landed hard on the ground.

Toph's eyes snapped open.

Aang moaned in pain through his gag. Zuko tied Aang's feet together with another rope while the airbender was upside down.

"Stop!"

Zuko stopped and turned his head, still holding Aang up by his feet. The blind earthbender was staring in his direction, her ice blue eyes filled with anger. Aang said something, but it was rendered unrecognizable by the gag. Zuko swung Aang over his shoulder and started to run into the woods surrounding the camp. Toph concentrated on the feel of the teen's footprints as they hit the ground - mapping out his path and speed. She lifted one of her hands, causing a wall of rock to rise. Zuko ran into it, not having had enough time to react.

"Toph, what's happening!" Katara asked when she peeked out from her tent. Toph turned around.

"Where's Aang!" Sokka asked her after noticing the young Avatar's pillow and air-bending staff still on the ground. Toph pointed toward the woods, answering both questions at once. Zuko had gone around Toph's wall by this time and the brother and sister watched as the figure moved through the trees. The three of them took off after the kidnapper, but they lost sight of him after a couple minutes.

"I can't feel him anymore. This was the last place I sensed him step," Toph told them, pointing at the ground below their feet. They stood there for a second, trying to figure out what to do next. A slight breeze blew through Katara's hair and the leaves above their heads shuttered.

"The trees..." Katara said. The other two looked toward her questioningly. She looked above her head at the thick canopy of leaves above them. "He went into the trees so we couldn't track him," Katara told them. They looked around the treetops, but couldn't see anyone.

"That makes him impossible to track!" Sokka exclaims, upset. Zuko watched them from a tree several feet away. Aang was laying belly-down on a branch close to the one Zuko was crouching on.

"Toph, did you see-" Katara began when Toph gave her a look, "I mean... Could you tell who it was who took Aang? Can you describe them?" Katara asked.

"No. He didn't say anything, so I can't tell you about his voice, and I didn't really notice much about him, either. Aang was gagged, and probably tied up, since he didn't fight back. I would say his kidnapper has had some experience in a chase, since he had such good footing. - He didn't misstep once. It could have been an earthbender, but I doubt it. I think it was a boy, but I could be wrong. And he weighs somewhere between a hundred and ten and a hundred and forty pounds," Toph told them.

"Was there anyone else around?" Sokka asked.

"Not that I know of," Toph said.

"Well, we wouldn't be able to see whoever it was in the dark. I suggest we head back to camp and search the woods with Appa first thing in the morning. He can't get very far on foot," Katara said. They began to walk back toward camp. Zuko put Aang back over his shoulder and made a u-turn, headed in the same direction Aang's friends were going. He kept a safe distance from the group as he jumped from tree to tree. 'Running off in the opposite direction I came was a good plan... Now the Avatar's friends will be searching in the wrong direction,' Zuko thought as he made his way back to his animal. When finding it, Zuko untied it and laid Aang out on the saddle in front of him before riding through the forest as fast as the animal could go.

---

Katara was lying awake, unable to get back to sleep. As she looked up at the moon and stars with her bright blue eyes, she thought, 'What if we can't find him? How could Aang fulfill his destiny...? What if they're torturing him right now?'

Sokka and Toph were also awake. Sokka kept wondering who could have done it. 'Whoever it was must have been after Aang. We aren't missing any supplies, so they're not robbers, and they didn't seem to be after the rest of us. The question is, 'who would want to kidnap Aang?' The fire nation would be the most likely candidates - either them or someone working for them. First person who comes to mind is Azula, but if it that was who it was, she would have stayed and fought instead of running away - and I think I'd know if she used that weird blue fire. He probably wasn't a Bender, since he didn't even try to fight...' Sokka thought. Then he confidently thought, 'I think it was tree-people. In the morning we'll find tree houses all over these woods.'

Katara sat up. She saw Appa a few feet away and walked over to him, careful not to make any noise, since she thought her companions were asleep.

"I see you can't get to sleep, either," she whispered to the large flying bison. She stroked the side of its head. 'Since we can't get to sleep anyhow, I might as well look around the forest for a few hours...' She thought as she got on top of Appa. She whispered "Yeep, yeep," and they were off.

Toph smiled. She could get some sleep now, knowing they're doing all they can to get Aang back.