I know, I promised this the day after my last update. problem was, that night we got some more snow that knocked the power out. And when the power came back, the compute didn't come back with it. The desktop I have is an ancient hell-beast that refuses to turn back on if you shut it off. After nearly everyone in the house tried pushing random buttons it finally came back up today. Luckily I'd already written most of this chapter, so all that was left was to finish up and post. Anyway, here it is!
The necklace had been sent back to Lo Shen with a messenger hawk and a report detailing all she knew about its origins, which wasn't much. After that, Asuni had gained her position on Zuko's expedition with the pirates simply by pointing out that, as a Waterbender, she might be useful when tracking a Waterbender. He'd agreed surprisingly easily.
Zuko's smaller draft boat and the pirate's ship sailed side-by-side down the depths of the river, everyone not strictly necessary for running the ship keeping half an eye on the shore as they sailed past, looking for any signs of the Avatar's party.
The captain stood with them on Zuko's boat, a show of faith. His lieutenant, Oh, was left in charge of the pirate ship. Zuko and the captain stood straight-backed, eyes combing the tree line for any sign of movement. Unsurprisingly, Zuko seemed more focused than even the captain, who had apparently been cheated out of 300 gold pieces by the Water Tribe girl, Katara.
Having heard a vague explanation of how the pirates acquired the scroll in the first place, and knowing that these pirates had killed a guard member, Asuni felt Katara was completely justified.
"Shouldn't we stop to search the woods?" the captain asked shortly, foot tapping impatiently.
"We don't need to stop. They stole a Waterbending scroll," Zuko replied pointedly, eyes fixed on the trees as they sailed.
"Right…" the captain confirmed, obviously not following.
"Waterbenders tend to use water in their bending, funnily enough," Asuni replied absently, squinting at the top of the tree line. She doubted they were foolish enough to start a fire, but there was still a chance…
The captain turned and scowled at her. Asuni smiled sweetly in reply to his dark look. The captain sniffed and his iguana parrot let out an angry caw in her direction. Asuni resisted the urge to water whip it over the side of the ship. The thing had been giving her the creeps since it landed on its master's shoulder.
"I don't see why we need some little girl cook to come with us," the captain announced, looking very pointedly at Zuko for an answer.
"Because she knows Waterbenders," Zuko snapped in reply. It was no wonder he was touchy. It wasn't the first time the captain had made a comment like that. The captain's lips curled into a sneer at Asuni and he moved towards the side of the ship. With a deft leap, he was back on the deck of his own ship, his back turned towards them very pointedly.
"Damned pirate," Zuko snarled under his breath. "Questioning me in front of my crew…"
"Questioning you in front of your crew… and showing them how stupid he is," Asuni said, soothingly. "They've all dealt with that Waterbender girl before, or at least seen her fight. They know why we're only searching the river."
It was strange lately, how immediate her urge to comfort the prince was when he expressed even the slightest annoyance with something. Ever more surprising was that she was… pretty good at it. An angry Zuko was an unreasonable Zuko. It was unfortunate that angry seemed to be Zuko's default mood. Asuni supposed that years of exposure had attuned her to him. Not to mention she had years of practice with their late-night conversations in the kitchen.
Asuni wished dearly that she could go out as the woman in black to assist with this little mission, but after the near-slip in the kitchen, she had to be careful. Despite the fact that she'd explained the smudge of ash away, she had the feeling Zuko was still a little suspicious of her. She found him staring at her intently every now and then.
For now, though, Asuni was placing herself fully in his view so he could watch and observe her, hoping to erase that little prickle of doubt in his mind. Of course, should this go wrong, she was limited to Waterbending and the little knife she had stuck up her sleeve, and she could only use that clumsily in an emergency. It was lucky for her that they were sticking close to a river. That meant easy access to water, and lots of it, so her moves would have more force behind them.
That would be true for any other Waterbender too, though. Katara would be stronger than usual as well, particularly with new moves in her arsenal. And there was the Avatar to consider. No doubt he would have picked up a few tricks since they last fought, and he'd be able to use the river to his advantage as well. An Avatar who could Airbend was one thing, but one who could Waterbend as well? That added a new challenge to the playing field, and Asuni felt a little coil of worry knot up her gut.
"My prince?" she said softly. Zuko nodded, giving her permission to speak. "You should know… with the Avatar having a scroll like that, he'll be more dangerous that he usually is."
Zuko's head whipped around and he glared at her. "You think I can't take him? A child?"
Asuni held up her hands and glanced worriedly over her shoulder. Zuko hadn't been quiet, and she saw the captain watching in amusement from his own ship. Iroh was also looking up from where he was sitting in the shade of the wheelhouse not far away, calmly sipping on some tea.
"No, no, that's not it," Asuni soothed him. "Just be careful," she stressed. "He's young, yes, but he's also older than both of us combined and he is good at evading us. He also has a new skill set we're not used to seeing from him. Don't underestimate him," she cautioned.
Zuko stared at her, gold eyes boring into her as he looked her up and down. The moment stretched on and on, so long that Asuni shifted uncomfortably under his intense stare. That movement seemed to break Zuko's concentration on her. He turned away to stare at the setting sun.
"Noted," he said softly, and that was it. They went back to watching the shore in silence.
"There!"
Asuni pointed several dozen yards downstream, where a faint coil of smoke could be seen coiling up from the trees, nearly invisible against the inky sky. Inwardly Asuni cursed the Avatar and his friends. They were young, certainly, but they should know not to light a fire unless strictly necessary. The smoke, the light, even the smell could all give you away.
"That's got to be them," Zuko said, leaning forwards and focusing on the smoke trail. Zuko signaled to the pirate ship and pointed to the smoke. The captain looked up and nodded, gesturing that they'd pull to shore now to avoid being seen.
"Ow! Stupid scroll!" Splash.
Heads turned in the direction of the voice. Asuni instantly identified Katara, and she sounded annoyed. Again, foolishly giving away their positions. In a wooded area like this, particularly in the silence of night, sounds carried.
The orders were given and both boats turned towards the bank, grinding into place. Gangplanks were lowered, and everyone filed off. Everyone quickly separated, scouts peeling off. Zuko made his way to the trees, looping around through the foliage and trying to flank the girl. Asuni followed him, keeping low, her dark red cloak blending in with the night fairly well.
The pair of them emerged onto the beach just in time to witness a muscular, shirtless pirate seize Katara around the arms. The girl thrashed violently.
"Let me go!" she cried, and swung her arms clumsily. A stream of water rose out of the river and hosed the man in the face. He let her go, spluttering, and raised his arms to shield him. Katara raced away from him, but she made the mistake of staring back at the pirate to make sure he wasn't following. Her feet shifted uncertainly on the sand and Zuko only had to make a simple step sideways and she smacked into his chest. He grabbed her by the wrists as she looked up at him in horror.
"I'll save you from the pirates," Zuko sneered.
"Let me go! Get off!" Katara shrieked, wriggling desperately to try and get free, but Zuko had a couple inches and several pounds on him, not to mention that with her hands pinned she couldn't bend. Katara was helpless to do anything but protest as she was passed over to a pair of pirates. One was the one she'd sprayed, and his grip was so tight that even Asuni flinched in sympathy. The pirates slammed her back against a tree and wrenched her arms around behind it, tying them tightly with some rope. She watched Iroh's old face wrinkle slightly in sympathy as Katara made a little noise of pain when the ropes were jerked tight.
Both crews gathered there on the beach around Katara. Asuni gave the girl credit, she was glaring hatefully at everyone present, but her hunched shoulders and lowered chin gave away just how afraid and uncertain she was feeling surrounded by soldiers and pirates, all of whom would be willing to kill her if the situation called for it.
Asuni looked around at the two groups. Zuko and Iroh stood in front of Katara, while she had stepped back with the soldiers. Across from them, with a very clear divide, were the pirates. She frowned slightly. This was an alliance waiting for a spark to make it go up in flames. The pirates were untrusting of outsiders in general, and the soldiers very obviously though themselves above the 'high-risk traders.' Both groups would love to take a go at each other, they just needed a reason.
"Tell me where he is, and I won't hurt you or your brother," Zuko bargained, pulling her attention back to the business at hand.
Katara leaned forwards, straining against her bonds, and snarled, "Go jump in the river!"
Zuko paused, head cocking as he looked at her, thinking of another angle. After a moment he stepped forwards, arms spread in a way that was probably supposed to be friendly and open. On him it just came off as menacing as he strode towards her.
"Try to understand," Zuko continued, evidently having decided on trying a softer approach. He circled the tree she was bound to threateningly. "I need to capture him to restore something I've lost – my honor. Perhaps in return," he added, leaning over her left shoulder so that his face was next to her ear, "I can return something you've lost." His arms wrapped around both her and the tree, holding up the necklace they'd found weeks ago on a prison ship so that it aligned with her neck.
Asuni shivered slightly, and it wasn't from the cool night breeze coming off the river. No, it was from a warm sort of zing that raced down her spine as she watched Zuko circle predatorily, speaking, for once, without a trace of a growl or a snarl in his voice. His words were velvety smooth and sensual, every bit of his royal upbringing shining through. For a dizzying moment, Asuni wished she was in Katara's place.
Asuni visibly jerked at the trail her thoughts had taken. Damn it, no! Bad Lieutenant! Think about different things… Iroh naked, Lo Shen in a dress! Think about your mission!
"My mother's necklace!" Katara exclaimed, her shrillness providing a welcome distraction. "How did you get that?" she demanded as Zuko's arms dropped and he walked away from him, the necklace still raised and swaying tauntingly.
"I didn't steal it, if that's what you're wondering," Zuko retorted. "Tell me where he is!"
"No!"
"Enough of this necklace garbage!" the captain snarled, stepping forwards. "You promised us the scroll!"
From behind his back, Zuko produced the scroll that he'd snatched from Katara in the skirmish of her capture. He held it tauntingly over a flaming palm. "I wonder how much this is worth?" he said sarcastically.
The pirates leaned forwards in horror, crying out in protest.
"A lot, apparently. You help me get what I want, you'll get this back, and everyone goes home happy. Search the woods for the boy and meet back here," Zuko ordered, the scroll still hovering over the flames in a silent threat of what would happen if they didn't cooperate. The captain snarled, but he had no choice. He couldn't take Zuko down faster than the scroll would be consumed, and he knew it.
"Fine," he submitted, and turned to give his men the order. The pirates moved off into the trees, grumbling and shooting dark looks at the - admittedly smug - Fire Nation soldiers as they readied their weapons. Zuko tucked the scroll behind his back again, the necklace still tight around his wrist, a pointed reminder to Katara that he hadn't and she didn't.
With the pirates gone, Asuni spoke up to correct their captain on that subject. "It's not garbage. This is an engagement necklace," Asuni said, stepping forwards and prodding the pendant. It swayed, catching the moonlight and glimmering. "It's important."
Katara gaped at her in surprise, recognition flooding her face. "You!" Katara shouted, her face shifting into anger. "You! Traitor! You should be helping us take down the Fire Nation and stop this war, not working with them! Traitor! You a trai-"
Asuni spun, arms sweeping a wide circle. Water rose up from the river and smashed against the tree, cutting Katara off as she was violently hosed. The water fell away and slunk back to the river at Asuni's command, leaving Katara spluttering and shivering in the cool night air.
"Get off your self-righteous high-horse," Asuni said sharply, striding towards the bound girl, eyes blazing. "You don't know me well enough to pass judgment."
"You turned against your Tribe, what else is there?"
"My mother left the Northern Water Tribe willingly after her family rejected her. She came to the Fire Nation and found the acceptance she'd been denied there. So yes, ethnically, I am Water Tribe. But I was born, raised, and I will die in the Fire Nation. My loyalty belongs unquestioningly to the Fire Nation… and to him." Asuni pointed to Zuko, who blinked and flinched slightly in surprise.
"Call me traitor all you want," Asuni finished, her voice dark as she looked down her nose at the stunned Katara. "If it makes you feel better, by all means, run your mouth. But you couldn't be more wrong."
That said, Asuni turned on her heel and headed into the trees. No so far that she couldn't get to Zuko quickly if something happened – although he had Iroh with him, so there wasn't much concern there – but far enough away that she had some privacy. She ground her teeth together in annoyance. In a rare display of temper, she spun in a circle arms trailing around her. Water was sucked from the grass, leaving brittle black stalks, and the liquid gouged into the tree. It shook wildly, shedding buckets of leaves, but didn't fall.
That damned Water Tribe girl! Who was Katara to question her loyalty? She had no idea what Asuni was trying to do! In many ways they were on the same side, and yet Katara still thought she had the right to hurl insults at Asuni. Asuni, who could crush her in a fight, bending or no. The girl was a novice, fresh off the boat. She had no idea what she was facing.
But she'd learn, Asuni thought bitterly.
War wasn't pretty. She knew that better than most girls her age. She'd been raised in combat and espionage. Asuni was many unpleasant things. She was a spy, she was an eavesdropper, she was a thief. She was cocky and she had a short temper when it came to disrespect. She was a killer, and, despite how she tried not to lie, she was a deceiver. But never was she a traitor, and never would she be.
"That was unexpected."
Asuni whipped around, bringing the water to bear. It dropped immediately when she saw who was behind her. Zuko was leaning on a tree watching her intently. She flushed, suddenly embarrassed by her display. She just got so mad when she heard that word…
"Did you mean it?"
Asuni blinked. Mean… what? That wasn't the question she'd been expecting. She'd been anticipating something more along the lines of 'are you crazy?' or 'way to be an idiot.'
"Yes?" she replied uncertainly. "That's what happened. My grandparents rejected my mom so she-"
"Not that," Zuko said, sounding frustrated that she wasn't following him. "The… other thing."
"What other thing?" To be honest she didn't really remember the specifics of what she'd yelled, just that it was biting and that it felt good to let out.
"About your loyalty," Zuko clarified, pushing himself off the tree and stepping closer.
Asuni mentally rewound her breakdown to recall exactly what she'd said. "…I was born, raised, and I will die in the Fire Nation. My loyalty belongs unquestioningly to the Fire Nation… and to him."
She'd pointed to Zuko. Oh.
She smiled. "Yes, I did. You have my loyalty forever, my prince." Asuni bowed politely, her hands folded in front of her thighs. She stayed that way for a moment, just enough to solidify the gesture, and then straightened.
Asuni blinked. Was that… was it just the pink and orange of the rising sun, or was Zuko actually blushing?
"Good," he said gruffly. "It'd be annoying to have to hire another cook."
Asuni smiled. He made her laugh with that gruff front of his. "Oh course, my prince."
It was morning by the time the pirates came back with the Avatar and the Water Tribe boy, Sokka. They were both bound at the wrist and upper arms with rope. Asuni mentally congratulated them on not giving the Avatar much movement in his arms.
"Good work," Zuko congratulated the pirates - somewhat disingenuously. He stepped forwards with the coveted scroll in his hands.
"I'm sorry Aang!" Katara called apologetically as her brother tugged at his bonds. Aang blinked back at her. "This is all my fault."
"No Katara," he replied soothingly.
"Actually, it kind of is," Iroh disagreed, and Asuni had to go with Iroh. They got to the Avatar because Katara stole the scroll, because Katara was out practicing, and because Katara was making so much noise. Really, it couldn't be anyone but her.
"Give me the boy!" Zuko called over to the pirates.
"You give us the scroll!" the captain countered.
Sokka looked up at the captain incredulously. "You're really going to hand over the Avatar for a stupid scroll?"
"Don't listen to him, he's trying to turn us against each other!" Zuko called, but he alliance was already slipping out of his reach. The captain had the ultimate score tied and bound within arm's reach. The scroll meant nothing in the face of that.
This was the spark that Asuni had been waiting for, the one that would make the alliance dissolve. From her spot to Zuko's left and slightly behind, she flexed her finger. Water began to snake subtly across the shore and up towards her hands concealed under her cloak.
"Your friend is the Avatar?" the captain asked, staring at Aang. His expression was not convinced, but definitely curious.
"Sure is!" Sokka announced brightly. "I bet he's worth a lot more on the black market than some scroll!"
"Shut your mouth, you Water Tribe peasant!" Zuko snarled.
"Yeah Sokka," Aang agreed, muttering under his breath. "You really should shut your mouth."
But no, he shouldn't, Asuni understood. Sokka knew precisely what he was doing. Right now, they had a beach full of enemies allied against them. If he broke that up, then they wouldn't have everyone there against them. Fractures would make squabbles break out between the two groups. A house divided could not stand.
"I'm just saying," Sokka continued, strolling over to a group of pirates and talking to them in a friendly way. "It's bad business." He even went so far as to nudge one in the side with an elbow companionably. "Think about how much the Fire Lord would pay for the Avatar. You guys would be set for life."
"Keep the scroll," the captain sneered, utterly sold on the idea of taking his captives and going. "We can buy a hundred with the money we'll get for the Avatar!"
That was too much for Zuko. The mention of his father, the one to whom he was supposed to return the Avatar to reclaim his honor, the sight of the Avatar being led away in chains by someone else… seeing a group of pirates turn their back on him.
"You'll regret breaking a deal with me!" he threatened. He raised a foot and kicked along with two of his soldiers. Fire streamed from their feet and shot towards the pirates. They leapt away from the attack. The man in green streaked forwards, crouching under the flames and firing off smoke pellets. They burst in the midst of the Fire Nation soldiers just as a group of polearm-wielders charged.
Smoke filled the air around them. This was both good and bad. It blocked Asuni's vision, but her other senses were good enough to make up the slack. She hoped. On the other hand, the smoke allowed her to move a bit more freely than she might otherwise have been able to among the soldiers.
Just before the smoke pellets connected, she'd seen one pirate sling a bolas towards Zuko. She suspected they were trying to take him down and make their escape with the Avatar and the scroll. Regardless of why, she moved, flicking the water she'd collected around her hands out. She stepped in front of Zuko and raised her arms. The rope connecting the two weights was split as it connected with the razor-edge of ice. The two weights thudded to the ground harmlessly on either side of them.
Something warm grabbed her wrist. In surprise, her ice turned back to water. The hand that had a hold on her wrist dragged her backwards. She burst out of the smoke, coughing slightly, and turned around. She realized it was Zuko who'd dragged her out.
"Stay out of this, it's too dangerous!" Zuko snapped at her as he tucked the scroll behind his back. "Get back to the shi-"
He froze, eyes wide, as Asuni swept an arm up, water lashing up under his arm. A grunt of frustration was heard and he whipped around to see the captain with his sword raised to strike, the tip frozen in ice. He glanced back at Asuni, who grinned.
"Be careful, my prince," she replied saccharinely. Zuko opened his mouth to retort, but at that moment the captain twisted his sword, the ice around it cracking away and freeing him. He drew back his sword, ready to stab at the small of Zuko's back, a place where his armor was thin. Zuko took a stance, ready to bend, but he never got the chance.
Rage filling her, Asuni moved, spinning around in front of him and sweeping her arms up and to the left. The river rose up from its bed in a wave and crashed down over the captain, the force of it bringing him to his knees. The water stayed there in a bubble over him. A tendril of water separated from the rest and coiled around the sword, wrenching it from his hand. The captain moved sluggishly through the water, trying to reclaim his weapon. With a flick of her hands, the water became ice, the sword sliding free. Asuni seized the pommel and plucked it up, staring down at the glaring pirate captain. The only think he could move were his eyes, but she got the feeling that if he could move his jaw he'd be spewing every curse word in the book at her.
A hot hand closed on his wrist for the second time and Asuni was whipped around to face a furiously scowling prince.
"What are you doing?"
Asuni's brows shot up and her eyes widened. "What does it look like?" she demanded sharply, before hastily adding, "my prince."
"I don't need you to fight for me!" Zuko snapped. "You're just the cook, you're not a soldier! That's not your place!"
"Not my place?" Asuni repeated incredulously. "That's not-"
A set of arms reached between them and spread, pushing the two apart. It was only then that Asuni realized just how close she was leaning to Zuko, and how far he was leaning as well. They both turned to Iroh, expressions clearing wondering why he'd interrupted them.
"Are you so busy fighting that you can't see your ship has set sail?" Iroh demanded incredulously. Zuko whipped around to see that, sure enough, the Avatar and friends had set out on the pirate's ship, with the pirates trailing after them in his ship.
"My ship!" he shouted, abandoning their fight and rushing down the shore after his ship. Asuni stood where she was, hands in fists, her right palm still tight around the hilt of the captain's sword. She glared after the prince angrily. Iroh placed a hand on her shoulder soothingly.
"He doesn't know," he reminded her calmingly.
Asuni's eyes narrowed. "That's no excuse," she grunted, and took off running after the prince.
How dare he? How dare he berate her for stepping in to protect him? For doing her duty? For keeping him safe? Iroh was right, he didn't know that it was her duty to protect him, but even so. It didn't matter if the person who stepped up was a soldier or a cook or a king or a vagrant. If someone stood up against an enemy on your behalf you didn't shout at them for doing so, you thanked them. And yet she'd been treated as if she'd just tried to steal extra rations.
Asuni had never been this mad at Zuko before, but she definitely was now.
She arrived just in time to see their ship topple over a waterfall, followed shortly by the pirate's as the Avatar and company leapt to the safety of his air bison's saddle.
Iroh puffed up next to them, hands folded in his sleeves. He let out a small chuckle, which made Zuko whip around and glare incredulously.
"You're not going to believe this," Iroh chuckled, seeing the look. "The lotus tile was in my sleeve the whole time!" He plucked the piece from his sleeve and held it up triumphantly. Zuko stared at the tile, his expression frozen somewhere between helpless incredulity and absolute fury. He snatched the tile from his uncle and hurled it over the waterfall with a snarl.
Something clanked to the ground next to him and Zuko glanced down and saw that it was the captain's sword. Asuni stood over it, arms crossed and expression unamused.
"For you, my prince," she said formally, and then turned and started walking back down the shore.