The Best Romances

Deserve Second Chances

Chapter 8

"The Prey"

"Sire, it was just how you said it would be. There they are." and he pointed to Zuko, Sokka, and Toph, who were emerging from the Palace's front gates.

"Patience Robinn. Patience. A hunter must know the precise moment to strike."

"Yes, master." and Robinn bowed to his master.

"Let us follow them and wait to strike."

"As you say master."

Robinn whistled for his hawk when Toph was out of ear shot, and Robinn's master his dog. Robinn's master's dog was a beast of an animal. A pure breed built for hunting and war. Robinn's hawk was no push over, able to fly for weeks without food or roosting. It resembled a Fire Nation messenger hawk in appearance, but it's strength can't be compared to any other bird.

"Stay to the trees my apprentice, I'll stay to the roads."

"Yes, master."

Robinn did as his master said, and Robinn also whistled for his team to follow him. The master began to follow Zuko, and he would have to deviate from his path to confuse Toph.

"So where exactly are we going, Sokka?" Toph asked.

"These clothes are itchy." Zuko went unheard while Toph and Sokka talked.

"Well, Toph we are going to the Royal Forest, where there might be a man looking to 'hire' us."

"Guys, I'm not joking my clothes are really freaking itchy!" and Zuko was wrestling with his vest, and scratching his shoulder blades.

"So which way do we go?" Toph asked.

"Well, we have to go north, and then east northeast."

"SPIDERS! AH SPIDERS!" and Zuko burned off his vest and his pants leaving him bare in his underwear.

"ZUKO! Could you keep your pants on!" Sokka shouted at the Fire Lord. People took notice to the spectacle, and they were putting that there was their Fire Lord, in the middle of the street, half naked.

"Different Zuko from our brave Fire Lord, who would NEVER leave the throne!" Toph blurted out to regain their cover.

The teens ducked inside the closest store, and Zuko went to the front desk.

"Can I help you good sir?" the sales clerk asked.

"Give me every piece of clothing that would fit my size."

"And what size would that be?"

"I don't know, guess! Make my day!"

"Err, yes sir."

The sales clerk shuffled to the back room, and came out with an armful of clothes, and then another with pants. Zuko kept trying on new clothes, until he found a brown, leather vest and some black, cotton pants. Luckily, he packed an extra pair of shoes, his sleeping bag, and his swords were the only thing he packed.

"That's a nice ring you have there sir." the sales clerk pointing to Mai's wedding ring that Zuko had put on before he left.

"It is isn't." Zuko seemed deep in thought.

"I'll throw in some extra clothes in trade for that ring."

"Oh, no. Here we go, Toph we better leave." Sokka said as he motioned for Toph to join him quickly, "Zuko we'll wait for you outside."

Zuko stood up, his nostrils flaring, and head down at the floor.

"What did you say?" he huffed.

"Trade that ring to me, and I'll throw in some extra clothes."

Zuko closed the distance between the clerk in him in milliseconds. Zuko grabbed him by the collar raising the poor, poor man off the floor a good three feet.

"This, ring! Belonged to my dead wife! I would never trade this away for anything! And how you simple, little peasant thinks how some cheap clothes evens compares to the value of a family heirloom is beyond me."

"Sir, I had no idea. I'm so sorry, please forgive me. Have the clothes you picked out free of charge."

Zuko angrily walked out of the store after putting the man back down to solid ground.

"Wow, Zuko. I thought you would have set the place on fire."

"So, which one of us won the bet?"

"Neither of us Toph. He didn't kill the clerk, nor set the building on fire."

"Damn it Zuko, would a little consistency be too much to ask?"

"Shut up the both of you, and let's get to the forest. The sun is starting to set."

"Right, let's go."

The three of them rushed to the edge of the forest, and slowed down to a stiff walk when they roamed through the forest.

"Master, I have spotted them entering the forest."

"Good, Robinn. Keep tracking them."

Robinn and his master met at an open market the overlooked the entrance to the forest where Zuko, Sokka, and Toph just went through.

"Hey Toph."

"Hey Sokka."

Sokka checked to see that Zuko was still leading the group, as Zuko offered to take point, while Toph and Sokka lagged behind.

"You know Suki saved your life."

"How's that, Sokka?"

"I found a note in Hahn's pocket. It had a picture of Suki with a caption, 'She's Sokka's girlfriend.'."

"What?" her yelling caught Zuko's attention and he slowed his pace to be even with the two of them.

"Ah, Zuko, can I have a private conversation with Toph?"

"Oh, right, because the Fire Lord has no business in knowing in the conspiracy against his life. Yeah, your right Sokka, sorry."

"Okay, Fire Lord you can listen in." Toph said, going against Sokka's word.

"Good, so what were you saying Sokka?" Zuko asked.

"I was saying that the picture in Hahn's pocket was a picture of Suki with a caption of, 'She's Sokka's girlfriend.'."

"Okay." Zuko agreed.

"What I'm trying to say is that Harley's information isn't up-to-date. Her information is about a month old. If Suki had never been my girlfriend, Toph, you would be dead."

Toph stopped walking. The shock of realization of Suki's sacrifice was just dawning on her. Suki indirectly saved her life, and now Toph was wanting to make up Suki's sacrifice by getting her revenge on this Harley. Sokka finally noticed that Toph was walking with him or Zuko, so he went back to her and pulled her into a hug.

"Sokka, I feel so bad for her."

"Toph, don't worry about it."

"How can you say that! I would be dead! I should be dead!"

"Toph don't start blaming yourself. That's the wrong thing to do."

"This isn't fair." and she started to tear into Sokka's shoulder.

"Hey! You two done grab assing?" Zuko blurted out ruining the moment.

They let go of each other, both sharing a smile. The clasped hands, and they walked up with Zuko continuing their journey. Zuko saw that the sun was falling behind the horizon, and at any moment they would have to stop for the night.

"We should get supplies to make camp before night breaks." Sokka said.

Zuko grabbed fire wood, Toph flattened out a camp site, and Sokka set up the tents. Zuko got the fire going just as the sun fell below the horizon and darkness flooded the forest. Toph and Sokka kept to themselves, while Zuko was left alone to his thoughts. He pondered about telling Sokka about Ozai's escape, but that idea was quickly put down. He thought Azula, his younger sister.

"Azula and Ozai... Ozai and Azula...The puppet and the puppeteer. Azula is basically powerless without Ozai, but Ozai can still function with his puppet. Worst case scenario, they are working with this Harley person, and as long as Harley is still around, no one can be trusted. I'm like their prey, and they are the hunters. But how does a prey escape the predator? Wit? Cunning? Strength? Stealth? Deceit? I guess I could use all of these. What does the predator use to catch their prey? Speed? Weapons? Brute force? Stealth? Traps? How does the prey negate what the predator has? … I don't know. Well, I'm blending in to avoid being caught as the Fire Lord, so camouflage? Blending in? Hiding? But hiding doesn't accomplish anything. I need to strike! I need to put down these flames, and stop the spread of the fire. But Azula and Ozai can't kill me, not yet. If they do, they won't have someone to chase around or play with. I mean Aang could always come and save the day, but he has other things to worry about. I'll tell Aang that Ozai had escaped, but not Toph and Sokka."

Zuko saw from his zoned out state, that Sokka and Toph were going to bed. Zuko thought this was a good idea, and he died down the fire, and crept into his sleeping bag to drift into sleep.

"Master they have fallen asleep."

"Will, you quit pointing out the obvious? "Master, they have left the Palace. Master they have entered the forest. Master they have fallen asleep." I can fucking see you flaming idiot."

"Sorry, Master."

"Set the trap for tomorrow morning."

"As you wish Master."

Robinn scaled down from his perch set high in the trees. His band of brothers followed in turn, and set the trap that will trigger in the morning.

Zuko was the first to wake up. He went to the nearby stream to wash up and wake himself. Toph was the second to wake, closely followed by Sokka. They ate a cold breakfast as they had to head out on the trail. They started down the trail, and walked down it until the late afternoon, they were stopped.

"Excuse me!"

"Yes?" Sokka said.

"I'm lost. It's my first time out here hunting. Mind helping me out?"

"Yeah sure we'll help." Zuko said.

Sokka and Zuko went up to the man to discuss trails and hunting paths. Toph stayed behind, she could tell the man was lying, and that he was holding something back. She felt foot steps shuffle from behind nearby trees, and she heard the man say,

"NOW!" and he grabbed Sokka by the throat with a knife.

Tokka week is over :( but that means returning to my other stories :) This chapter has been in the works for a while, and a big action scene is coming up next chapter, and that's why I left it off here. As always I try to incorporate mystery and humor. SPIDERS SPIDERS! haha. A little consistency! HAHA. I sleigh myself sometimes :D Thank you for reading!

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