Four day weekend, four day weekend, four day weekend, four day weekend!
It's a four day weekend, can't ya tell? ;)
Katara and Toph headed towards one of the trinket stores. "I can't believe some loser would try and rob you," Toph said for the zillionth time.
"I know. And that man seemed so familiar, but I just don't know why." Toph picked up a carved pygmy puma.
"Sounded like Scarface, the guy you called an angry freak with a ponytail. Wasn't he the one who yelled at you when you offered to heal the old guy with him?"
"Yeah."
"It's him. I never forget a voice. Can't really remember faces, can I?" Katara giggled softly and looked at a model of a zebra seal.
"Can I help you ladies?" the shopkeeper asked.
"No, we're just browsing," Toph replied. "Though how much is this pygmy puma model?"
"Being made from wood, it's only a few silver pieces."
"What the heck. I'll take it." She pulled out some the silver that was part of the allowance given to each by the city. "Could you box it, please? It's a gift."
"That's right! His birthday is next week! What on Earth do you get the Avatar?" Katara asked.
"He likes animals, correct?" the shopkeeper asked. "I heard about the new zoo he made."
"He likes animals, yeah." The shopkeeper nodded.
"I recently got this in from an art student at the university. It's a flying bison model carved from real jade." He brought out the model. Katara gasped.
"It looks just like Appa. How did the art student carve it? Did he use a model?"
"From what she told me, I think she found it in an old scroll. She might have used a model. You can never tell with her. Give her a general description and she'll draw it perfectly."
"Do you know where the artist can be found?" Toph asked, getting Katara's idea. If the artist had used a live model, then she'd know where Appa was.
"The University. I don't know her real name, just what she signs her work as. Asatu."
It was around three o'clock when everyone returned home. "Any signs of Appa?" Sokka asked.
"Nope."
"Sugar Queen and I didn't see the giant fluffy fuzz ball," Toph said. She and Katara had agreed not to tell Aang until he got his gift. "Do you smell tea?"
The others sniffed the air. "Smells like green tea, I think," Aang said.
"Actually, it's my own special blend of white tea and green tea," came a familiar voice. "Even my nephew likes it."
"I do not," Zuko complained.
Toph, being unable to see, did not see the faces of the others when Iroh and Zuko entered. "Told ya so, Katara. Can I try some of that tea?" She reclined on her small seat, holding a cup.
"What the heck are you doing here?" Sokka ordered. "Do they know who you are?"
"They know my uncle is the best tea maker in the city, according to popular opinion," Zuko spat. "I can't believe this."
"Yeah, well, you ain't the only one, Scarface! I'm serious, though. Could I try some of that tea? I kinda prefer to taste, feel, or smell things, since I can't really see them." Toph waved a hand in front of her made-up eyes.
"Here." Aang took her cup and handed it to Iroh, then handed it back when it was full.
"What are we going to do now?" Sokka asked. "It's not like we can let them stay."
Zuko was ready to snap, but to his surprise, the Waterbender, whom he figured was Katara, beat him to it.
"Why not? If they're here, I'm sure they aren't after Aang anymore, Sokka," she pointed out, taking the cup Iroh offered her.
"I'm just sayin', it wouldn't surprise me if they're spying for the Fire Nation or something," Sokka said casually, trying the tea. "Hmm, this is good."
"Thank you. And if you want my opinion in this matter," Iroh stated, "I can promise you my nephew will not hurt your friend on one condition."
"What?"
"He is Lee and I am Mushi when in public." Aang looked at him.
"When we leave, will you also help me learn F-freestyle?" he asked, correcting himself before saying "Firebending". Iroh nodded.
"Seems perfectly acceptable to me. Nephew?" Iroh turned to Zuko, who merely shrugged.
"I don't care." With that, he left the front room. Toph frowned.
"He always like this?" Iroh sighed.
"Unfortunately, yes."
Katara was up late that night. She had changed into her nightclothes and tried to sleep, but she just couldn't settle down. The thought of Zuko working for her and her friends just blew her mind out of the water. Grabbing her robe, she slipped out of her small bedroom.
The young Waterbender crept out to the main room, careful not bump into anything. That didn't mean she was careful not to run into anyone.
"Watch where you're going!" she muttered, rubbing her shin.
"It's dark and I can't see! I can't watch where I'm going," Zuko muttered in response. "And what are you doing up?"
"Couldn't sleep. You?" Zuko laughed humorlessly.
"The night I sleep more that an hour or two is the day I'm on my way to being Fire Lord. Where were you going this late?"
"The kitchen. I always drink something warm when I can't sleep. Or some sort of milk. That also works when I'm tired and can't sleep. Where were you heading?" She felt around for the wall or a table, hitting Zuko's knee."
"Ow. I was…going out into the gardens. I need to think," Zuko replied. Katara nodded, then remembered what had happened that morning.
"Can I talk to you in the kitchen?"
"I'd rather not."
"Well tough. As long as you are working for me and my friends, you'll do what I ask. Besides, there are a few things I want to ask you."
Zuko sighed. She probably wanted to know why he and his uncle were in the Earth Kingdom Capital, what had happened after the village incident, why he had shorter hair; in short, Katara's versions of Jin's questions. He followed the girl, his new employer.
"You were the guy who chased down that thief when my bag was stolen, weren't you?" was the first question. Zuko looked at her.
"You're that young lady?" Impossible. That woman was too refined and elegant for it to be her.
"I'll take that as a yes, you are the guy." Katara stopped looking for a clean cup for a moment. "Thanks. It has my allowance for this week in it, and I'll need it to buy Aang's birthday gift next week."
"What were you doing with a white silk handbag anyway?" Zuko asked. Katara rolled her eyes and went back to her search.
"I bought it. The only ones who know about it are you, me, and Toph, and I'd like to keep it that way. I have absolutely nothing to hide my stuff in and for a fourteen-, almost fifteen-year-old girl, that's not good."
"That small bag isn't going to hide much," Zuko pointed out, not bothering to tell her that his uncle had completely reorganized the kitchen to be in harmony with the feng shui of the place. Katara looked at Zuko.
"I don't need it to hold everything but the water bucket! I just want to be able to hide things away from Sokka and Aang if I want to. Have you seen the cups?" She turned fully around, hands on her hips.
"My uncle organized it so everything is in balance with nature," Zuko explained. "If you know anything about feng shui, then go look for the cups. I have no clue." Katara sighed and looked in a lower cabinet.
"Some people…" she muttered inaudibly. She pulled out a cup and looked for something. Hmm…gorilla-goat milk, cow-pig milk, or hot lemon water? With Zuko, it would be easier to make the lemon water now, but she also liked the many varieties of milk. Back in the South Pole, there was one type of milk. Frozen whale milk, which tasted worse than Sokka's cooking.
I can have milk any day. I haven't had hot lemon water in a while, she decided. "Zuko, heat up some water, would you?"
Zuko wanted nothing more than to say "no", but the girl (still had to learn her name) could tell the Dai Li that he was being violent or something. Reluctantly, Zuko did as he was asked.
"Thanks." Katara poured some water into her cup and added enough fresh lemon juice to have come from two lemons. Zuko sniffed, then frowned.
"Why so much lemon?" Katara shrugged.
"I like lemons. They're still pretty exotic for me, since the only thing we had by way of fruit back home was these rock-hard frost apples. They're nasty." She took a sip of the lemon water, hissing at the temperature Zuko had made the water. "Hot." Zuko smirked.
"Of course. You asked for me to heat the water up, so I did," he replied. Katara rolled her eyes. She hurriedly drank the rest of the lemon water then set the cup on the shelf of dirty dishes.
"Well, good night," she said, tightening her robe around her as she exited the kitchen. Something fell from her robe pocket.
Zuko bent down. It was that necklace that he had used to bribe her into telling him where the Avatar was. He looked up to call her back, but decided to return it in the morning. She probably doesn't even realize it fell out. He only hoped her brother didn't accuse him of stealing.