5 - The Island

The whole ship immediately scrambled into action. It wasn't just Zuko that had been waiting for this sighting of the avatar. Everyone was anxious to get back home and on tract of their mutual goal.

The first fireball that was shot just barely missed the giant beast, the bison clearly not expecting it. As Zuko readied his crew, he could hear shouts from above. Most likely the passengers aboard the animal now aware they were in danger. Zuko had lost his element of surprise. When the next fire ball came the animal easily dodged it. The avatar's group started to speed up and was slowly starting to get out of range. Frustrated that he was loosing his chance, Zuko ordered his crew to speed up the ship.

"We're at max, Prince Zuko. Can't go any faster," was the response.

Zuko watched as the strange flying creature with his very important passenger disappear into the clouds. "Err!" he yelled shooting fir at nowhere in particular.

"What do we do now?" asked one of the crew.

"They were heading North. So, we will head North as well," responded Zuko.

"Do you really think that was the Avatar?" asked another.

"When you capture him, you can ask for yourself," Zuko shouted in his face. The soldiers took the hint that their Prince was giving them and all went back to their post. The ship had a new sense of urgency now with an actual person to chase.

"Perhaps you should be more patient with the crew," said Iroh in a calm voice. "They have stuck by you through a lot.

Zuko wanted to yell a reply at his Uncle. But, inside he knew he was right. "Just follow them. Right now priority is finding out if the boy truly is the Avatar and their plan," he said.

"We'll get right on that Prince Zuko. Off to training again?" he asked.

"Don't I always train at this time?" asked Zuko knowing his Uncle already knew the answer.

"Your always training," Iroh responded after Zuko was well out of earshot.

They traveled on through the rest of the day chasing the young group. It was difficult to know for sure if they were heading in the right direction. But, they would get a few clues every now and again, usually by a clump of white hair. They seem to he heading North for the most part. So Zuko order they stay that direction when no clues were found. A little while after night had fallen they found themselves by a small island. "The avatar probably stopped here for the night ," Zuko mused to his Uncle. "Prepare a strike force. We'll attack while their sleeping and not expecting it. We will have the advantage on land."

They put together a large group of both benders and non- benders, not planning on underestimating the much smaller group. Zuko of course came with the group to lead them. His uncle decided to stay behind and catch some sleep. Zuko, although angry at his Uncle's relaxed response, said nothing.

The soldiers stalked into the forest in search of the avatar's clumps of white fur,. Now on land, the trail was much easier to follow.

They soon came upon the temporary camp. The fire had long sense gone out and the young occupants were all asleep. The two blue figures that Zuko had noticed before he could see a lot clearer now. They were in thick blue sleeping bags with only their heads poking out and were both obviously water tribe. They both had the normal dark colored skin and hair that all water tribesman possessed. The only difference that Zuko could see was the gender. There was a young man about his own age and a slightly younger women.

Zuko signaled to his men to grab the two in blue and he would go for the bigger prize. The possible avatar looked exactly as he was described in rumors and was soundly sleeping on the giant beast that had unknowingly led them straight to his master.

His men moved silently around the camp. Two of them on each of the water kinsmen and himself by the young Avatar. They grabbed for them at the same time, giving their victims no time to react. He had done it. Zuko could finally return home. He held the Avatar in such a way that he could not move, let alone bend. It was easy., the boy was much younger and weaker then himself. There would be no help from his friends who were currently struggling with his men.

What Zuko hadn't accounted for in his ambush were the animals with the young Avatar. The struggle had awoken the giant flying beast and he did not like them attacking his masters. With a loud roar he swept his tail and hit Zuko in his back. Zuko fell down on his stomach removing his arms from around the young boy. As he quickly recovered himself he saw the Avatar blow a gust of wind at the two men holding the young girl, easily releasing her. She then went to work on releasing the water tribe boy with a water whip. Zuko was so stunned at the girls clear display of water bending and the fact that the boy was an air bender. There was no question in his mind as to weather the boy was the avatar or not. He almost didn't see the young boy attack him, he was so lost in his thoughts. Zuko blocked just in time. But, the three enemies were able to defend themselves long enough to escape on the flying buffalo.

Zuko let out a scream of anger before ordering his men back to the ship, "What do we do now, Prince Zuko?" one of them asked.

"Continue following then," responded Zuko.

"So how did it go?" asked Iroh when Zuko walked up the plank onto the ship.

"How does it look like it went?" asked Zuko.

"You didn't find the Avatar?" guessed Iroh.

"I thought you were going to sleep," Zuko yelled back ignoring his Uncle's question.

Iroh tried again saying, "It didn't go well I take it."

"What do you think!" yelled Zuko. "I'm going to bed."

"Your tired, I understand. We'll talk in the morning, Prince Zuko," Iroh responded. Zuko stalked off to his room and slammed the door shut. Anyone he passed along the way knew to quickly get out of the way. He threw off his armor, not bothering to wash his face of the mud or change out of his pants and tunic. He just went straight to bed.

After he was ready for the day that next morning, he went straight for the training arena and spent more time there then usual letting off steam. When he finally showed himself on deck, Iroh was waiting for him.

"So, it seems we have found the real avatar," Iroh started. Zuko rolled his eyes. Of course the crew would have told Iroh what had happened.

"Yes, its him and twice now he's slipped through my fingers," responded Zuko.

"You'll get him next time," assured Iroh. "So, what went wrong this time?"

"The beast he travels with. We didn't think of grabbing it. He freed the avatar, who then feed the water bender and then the two of them were able to fight us back enough to escape,"

Iroh raised an eyebrow at his nephew's words. "The Southern Water Tribe has another water bender?" he asked.

Zuko's head snapped to his Uncle. "No!" he yelled. "She must be from the North."

"But, they were heading from the South, Zuko," reasoned Iroh.

Maybe they were sent from the North to pick up the Avatar from the South, where he was hiding. Now their returning to the North Pole," Zuko explained to his Uncle. "You know as well as I do that there are no water benders in the South" he added in a softer tone.

"You know, she is around the right age," mused Iroh. "What if that young bender really is Ka..."

Zuko stood up so fat his chair flew away from him. "Don't you dare finish that thought. Don't you dare think that ever again. That girl is from the North." With that said Zuko stalked off again.