Chapter 13

The rising sun found the little group huddled around the fire as one by one they'd given up trying to sleep and had come outside. Toph and Zuko were the only ones still sleeping as Katara found when she went to check on them.

Once Katara was satisfied that Zuko was truly resting and that Toph had settled in peacefully as well, she walked back outside in the morning mist to where Aang sat next to Mai at the firepit. She looked around for Jet, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Have you seen Jet this morning?" Katara asked.

"I think he's gone to check on the treegeckos," Aang replied. "He's really ready to get out of here."

"So am I," Katara said with a shiver, rubbing her upper arms and glancing about nervously. "I didn't sleep well at all."

"Neither did I," Mai admitted softly. "I had terrible dreams. I don't really remember what they were about though." She looked up as Jet approached the group, her heart leaping oddly at the sight of him. Had she dreamed about Jet?

He looked back at her, his eyes meeting hers intensely for a second, then glancing away again. "The treegeckos are saddled and ready to go," he announced.

"Where are you going?" Aang asked. "I thought you were just going to check on them." The young airbender stood and walked over to where Jet stood at a little distance from the fire.

"I have a job to do," Jet replied, then he looked over at Mai with a slight bow. "Lady Mai, I am ready to go after your brother if that is what you still want me to do. Otherwise, I am ready to escort you back to Omashu. If you aren't ready to leave yet, I'll return your money to Tiandu as soon as I get back to the city. But I am not staying in this place another night."

He looked over toward Aang and Katara. "If there is someone you want me to inform about your whereabouts, I'll be happy to do so. If there is anything I can do to get help for Prince Zuko and Princess Toph, I'll be happy to do that as well."

"When do you plan to leave?" Mai asked, rising to walk closer to him.

"Before noon," Jet replied. "Bo says if we follow the stream, we'll come to the edge of the swamp before dark. It's not the safest place to exit though. We'll come out in an area known for bandit hideouts."

"And you're willing to risk that just to get out of here?" Aang couldn't help but ask.

"I'd rather take my chances with bandits than spend another night in this place," Jet said seriously. Aang looked at him closely and could see the tiredness in his eyes. "I've waited for Bo as long as I'm willing to wait. Now it's time to make a decision—forward or back—but I won't stay here."

"If you go, I'm going with you," Mai spoke up firmly. "We'll head back to Omashu. If Tom Tom still wants to visit, once things have settled back down in the city maybe Aang will be willing to fly up to get him on Appa. That would make my little brother's entire year." Aang nodded in agreement and the two went to pack up their belongings for the trip.

An hour later, Toph met them outside by the fire to have a bite of breakfast.

"He's sleeping comfortably," she offered immediately as she approached, forestalling the questions about Zuko's condition. "I'm guessing he'll sleep most of the day, considering all he's been through." Her voice sounded tired, but relieved.

They ate in near silence, everyone preoccupied with their own thoughts. Then Toph rose to go back to the healer's hut, Katara following. "I'm just going to look in on him," she said to Aang. "I want to be sure that incision is healing well and that he's as comfortable as we can make him."

A few minutes later, Katara was back at the fire. "He seems much better," she said. "He hasn't woken up yet, but that doesn't surprise me. Maybe he'll wake up sometime around noon. It would be good for him to eat something."

At Katara's assurance that Zuko was out of danger, Jet and Mai loaded their packs and bedrolls onto the two large treegeckos and set off down the stream.

"You ride well," Jet offered as a conversation opener. "I guess this isn't your first time on a gecko."

"I've spent plenty of time on something very similar," Mai replied. "These do handle different types of terrain better though," she added as her gecko easily scaled a leaning tree trunk.

"They'll even go upside down," Jet warned. "Be sure to keep your harness straps tight. I nearly fell out of the saddle thirty feet up a tree my first trip out here."

She laughed at that and they rode on in silence for a good while. Then she asked, "What school of swordplay do you follow?"

Jet looked over at her. "Why do you ask?" he responded curiously.

"Well, you're from the Earth Kingdom, but your sword and dagger are both Fire Nation design," she began.

Jet looked down at the hilts of his weapons in surprise. Then he mentally kicked himself. He should have already guessed that his red and gold dagger had probably once belonged to a Fire Nation officer before he lifted it from the bandit who'd had it before him.

He ran his finger across the golden crystal in the hilt. How ironic that the weapon he'd grown to love and depend on had come from his greatest enemies—the people he'd spent most of his life fighting.

As for his fighting style—he didn't really have anything to say, so he just shrugged.

However, Mai was curious—really curious now. Something nagged at the back of her mind about her line of questioning, but she ignored it and kept pushing. "Not many in the Fire Nation use sword and dagger. A few use twin swords like Zuko, but most use a single blade. I was just wondering where your style came from," she answered.

How could he answer? The truth was, he had no style. All he had was a handful of self-taught maneuvers and bits and pieces of technique gleaned from battle—sometimes learned from a man trying to kill him. Defending himself against a new attack was a good way to learn it, he'd discovered. However, experience was a harsh teacher and he had the scars to prove it.

Jet thought of lying to her—the truth was just a bit demoralizing. Sure he was alive and could handle himself in a fight, but compared to a classically trained swordsman like Zuko, he was a complete amateur.

However, a deeper part of him just wouldn't allow him the pretense. He had to come clean, however uncomfortable it was. Besides, it wasn't like he wanted to impress her or anything. He'd just look like a fool if he tried.

"I just picked things up here and there," he replied at last. "I'm no swordsman. I just try to stay alive."

"That's every swordsman's goal," Mai said with a smile as she swayed back and forth. "So I guess that makes you a swordsman." Then she urged her treegecko ahead of him on the trail, its tail twitching behind it.

Jet followed, deep in thought. He watched her body sway with the gecko's peculiar twisting gait. Her hair was pulled up simply but elegantly leaving only a single tendril of dark hair to swing hypnotically back and forth across her back.

Maybe the ride wouldn't be as boring as he'd feared.

The morning passed in the village as Toph waited and watched for Zuko to show some sign that he was ready to come out of the twilight land of sleep. Noon came and went with only his regular deep breathing to let her know he was still with her.

Though very worried that her touch might trigger the awful pain of the night before, she finally gathered her resolve enough to reach out to brush the hair away from his forehead. When he didn't stir, she reached out to stroke his cheek with the back of her fingers and was alarmed by the heat in his skin.

Just at that moment, Dei Zi came in with a basket full of clean towels and a fresh jug of water.

"He's burning up!" Toph announced. "What's wrong with him?"

Dei Zi went over and unceremoniously raised one of Zuko's eyelids to peer into his eye. Then she looked over the incision and checked his leg for signs of swelling or redness. "We'll get that Katara girl to come check him over again, but I don't think it's infection that's got him. I think its the swamp fever—same as you had."

"Is it contagious?" Toph asked worriedly. "Did I give it to him?"

"Goodness no, child," Dei Zi said with a laugh. "Swamp fever comes over a body when the swamp wants to talk to 'em. Don't worry about it. When the swamp's done with your young man, he'll come out of it." Then Dei Zi picked up a stack of dirty linens from the night before and muttered under her breath, "Now whether he'll be right in the head afterwards is another matter."

Toph was out the door in a flash, calling for Aang. She nearly ran into him in her haste as he walked down the steps of the guest hut. "How can I get into the spirit world?" she asked furiously. "That green witch won't know what hit her!"

"Slow down," Aang said calmly. "What green witch? What are you talking about?"

"Lian Shen," Toph fairly spat the words. "She's got Zuko. I really appreciate her helping him get better and all, but she can't keep him, Aang. Zuko is my husband and I just need a few minutes back in the spirit world with a couple of large rocks to get him out of there again."

Katara came up to stand beside her, healing water at the ready. Toph was truly beside herself with fury. "Let's head back to Dei Zi's hut and see what's going on, okay?" she suggested softly, taking Toph carefully by the arm.

"Don't you try to guide me, Katara!" Toph snapped, jerking her arm out of Katara's light grasp. Then she took a deep breath. She knew her friend was just trying to help, so she led them back toward the hut and tried to explain more calmly.

"I know exactly what's going on," Toph began as they entered the hut. Zuko hadn't moved a muscle. "I spent several hours in the spirit world yesterday, and I had a nice long talk with that oversexed hussy. She brought Zuko to her as well and I saw how she looked at him. Now she's got him back there and she probably plans to keep him."

"Toph, how do you know you didn't dream all that? Dei Zi said you were pretty sick yourself," Katara asked solicitously.

"All right, Sugar Queen," Toph replied in annoyance, "Lian Shen said I was pregnant. Am I?"

Katara gave her a long look, then pulled the water from her waterskin and formed a globe over Toph's belly. She concentrated very hard for several seconds, then flashed Toph a huge smile. "Yes, you're pregnant!" Then she frowned a little. "But its so early I almost couldn't see the changes. There's no way you could know this already."

"I told you, Katara," Toph replied with impatience. "Lian Shen told me. She's the spirit of the swamp. She told me I had to be queen of Omashu, but I said I already had plans, then she wanted to meet Zuko and she brought him to her, then she felt him up a little and told him he could come see her anytime and she sent him back to say hi to Iroh and then she sent me back to find a new king," Toph paused in her summary long enough to take a breath, then looked at Aang.

"Aang, you're the avatar and Zuko's friend and my friend," she said, reaching out to take him by the arms. "Go get my husband," she finished firmly, then added a soft, "Please?"

Aang glanced at Katara who added, "The fever's not doing him any good. He needs to wake up and get some water and food into his system."

Aang nodded, then slipped into that higher state of being called the avatar state. Toph and Katara watched as his eyes and tattoos began to glow an unreal blue. Then he stepped forward, placed his hand on Zuko's shoulder, and closed his eyes.

Out on the trail, Jet and Mai had stopped long enough for a quick bite to eat and to refill their waterskins from the cool, clear stream they followed. As Mai repacked the provisions, Jet walked down the trail several steps to scout their direction. What he saw ahead filled him with dismay.

Ahead of them lay distinct signs of a hidden camp—he'd lived in hidden camps most of his life. He knew what they looked like.

He listened carefully for several seconds and became aware of unusual calls in the woods—calls of birds that didn't belong in the swamp. Signals were being passed, most likely ambush signals.

He walked back to the geckos, quickly formulating a plan. If they knew who she was, they'd kill him and take her for ransom. Tell-tale signs at the camp pointed toward maybe ten in the gang. They must be pretty desperate to actually brave the edge of the swamp for a hideout. That wasn't good.

Jet put a swagger in his step, confident they were already being watched. "Ready to go, hot stuff?" he asked loudly as he stepped up behind Mai and planted a big kiss on her neck—using her moment of stunned surprise to murmur, "We're in danger. Play along."

"Yeah," she gamely replied. Then she turned to him, a hint of question in her eyes. "But we don't have to rush," she offered seductively, then pulled him close to her, close enough to whisper, "What's going on?"

He kissed her throat again as he answered, "Bandits. Ambush in the trees. Maybe ten."

Mai threw her head back, her eyes half shut in apparent ecstasy as he worked his way down her neck and across her shoulder. Then she pulled his head close and nibbled at his ear while replying, "I count twelve. Archers."

He pulled away from her again, partially to try to get a look for himself, partially because her touch was driving him crazy. "Let me handle it, okay?" he said quietly as he planted one more kiss on her cheek.

"Sugar, I think we've got company!" he called merrily to the trees. "Hey, Gan buddy, is that you up there?" He shaded his eyes with one hand as he peered up into the trees. Gan Zhuang was the leader of a particularly notorious gang in those parts. The last he heard, Gan had been arrested just before he left Omashu. Jet sure hoped Gan was still in jail, otherwise his bluff was going to be called fast.

"No Gans up here, buddy," a voice called back sarcastically. "Drop your swordbelt."

"Very funny, Gan," Jet called, one arm casually draped around Mai's shoulder. "Come on down here and let's talk business. I've got our way in."

"I told you to drop your swordbelt," the voice said menacingly. Jet could hear the tell-tale creak of a bow being drawn.

"I guess it's not Gan after all, sugar," Jet addressed Mai with a little nervous laugh as he unbuckled his swordbelt and placed his sword and dagger about four feet on the ground in front of him.

Then he went back to stand next to Mai. He wasn't sure how well she'd handle it should things get out of hand. He hoped he'd be able to toss her onto the nearest gecko and send it scampering if need be.

But she didn't seem at all nervous. He was glad of that as twelve men—she'd counted well, he thought—slipped down out of the trees to surround them, arrows nocked at the ready.

"Listen, buddy," Jet began, holding out his hands as if to reassure the men. "I'm supposed to met Gan Zhuang's bunch on the edge of the swamp. He'll be pretty hot if I don't show up."

"Gan Zhuang's in prison," a tall rough-looking man replied. Jet recognized the voice. This must be the leader. He took in the man's worn clothing and short sword, the perfect weapon for close quarters fighting. He was powerfully built with a cleanshaven head and a long jagged scar running down the side of his face.

"In prison?" Jet wailed in disappointment, turning to Mai. "We're screwed then. There's no way to pull the job without Gan!"

"What job?" the leader asked.

"We've got it all set up to pull a job in Omashu," Jet began. "Hot stuff here is our ticket in. But it's going to take manpower—manpower we don't have since Gan is in jail!" he finished, his voice whiny with frustration.

Mai listened in awe. She had no idea Jet was such an actor. She also had no idea what angle he was working, but she was highly amused and ready to play it his way. At least his way was interesting.

"Sugar," Jet turned to her, "how long before they get suspicious?"

"Not long," she answered, hoping that was the right thing to say.

Apparently it was because he gave her a little grin. "So we've got a couple of days at the most, huh?" She nodded.

"Listen, guys," Jet began to work a sales pitch like she'd never heard before. "We're clearly in the same line of work, right? So, let's not fight amongst ourselves. I mean, you guys are clearly professionals or there's no way you'd have stung me—I've been around, you know."

Then he walked toward the leader, his hand outstretched harmlessly before him. "The name's Jing. This here is Meimei," he jerked a thumb back at Mai.

The leader sneered at his outstretched hand like it was a ratweasel. So Jet pulled it back with a show of self-consciousness and continued, "Meimei here is our ticket in—into the Fire Nation representative's private apartments. Her sister is the rep's maid—what's her name again, sugar?" he asked innocently.

"Jun," she answered evenly, slowly becoming aware of where he was going with this.

"Meimei here goes right in, bold as brass, and opens the back door for us while everyone's asleep. We subdue the guard and clean the place out," Jet finished with a proud laugh. "You won't believe the stuff that woman has piled up in there—treasures galore! Isn't that right, sugar?"

Mai nodded, but could immediately see a massive flaw in Jet's strategy. There was no way to get to the residential complex without passing through a private gate, watched by an armed guard twenty-four hours a day. She hoped the bandit crew didn't know about this.

"Getting in the apartment isn't a big deal at all," the leader scoffed. "How are you going to get a group of fourteen through the main gate in the first place?" Mai's heart sank. They knew.

With a grin, Jet pulled out an elaborate red and gold seal from his inside vest pocket. "I've got a ticket in, my friends," he said slyly.

Mai looked at the seal, her eyes wide. Silently, she readied a knife in the holster hidden up her sleeves. If Jet didn't put that thing away fast, it would be the last thing those bandits would ever see.