Book 1: Water

I can't even try to beg forgiveness. I am the worst updater I know and I'm not going to make promises I can't keep anymore. I'll update when I can.

Sorry, guys. :(

Still not mine.

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Book 1: Chapter 12

It didn't take too long to find the ship. Iroh had kept them heading north like Zuko had said, but he hadn't moved too quickly. They hadn't even left Fire Nation waters before Zuko and Rhian caught them. Like Iroh would have really left them behind.

Rhian shared her theory on Aang's movements with them, though Zuko scoffed, they didn't have any other leads, so they kept heading north. Whatever Aang had been hoping to achieve at Crescent Island, they had to assume he'd done it and was moving on. Probably better prepared then he had been.

A few days went by and Zuko wasn't getting any less obsessed, he just trained his bending, constantly, only interested in talking about the Avatar. Rhian got sick enough of it that she just avoided him from time to time.

Sitting in the control room, she played her pipa softly as Iroh played Pai Sho and hummed along to the tune.

Suddenly, Iroh stiffened, searching about him and in his tile bag. "Oh no." He muttered.

"Iroh?" Rhian said, looking up from her chords. "What's wrong?"

"I can't find my lotus tile. Have you seen it?"

"Your Lotus Tile?" Rhian said, confused. That was the one with the white flower picture, wasn't it? She was never sure. She and Pi Sho had never really clicked. But she could have sworn he'd had that tile not long ago. "Didn't you just have it?"

"No. Perhaps I dropped it off ship. With those Earth Benders or during the run to Crescent Island."

"Oh…" Rhian said. But, he'd been playing for the last few days. Wouldn't he have noticed sooner? "Well, I'm sure it'll turn up, or we can find another one when we make port…"

"An excellent idea, Rhian." Iroh grinned. 'We'll make port and find a replacement. Why didn't I think of that? Helmsmen!"

Rhian watched, mouth gaping as Iroh changed their course. She hadn't meant right now! Zuko wouldn't like this at all. And Iroh seemed weirdly intent about this tile.

"Is the tile really that important?" She asked, baffled.

"In my strategy, the Lotus Tile is possibly the most important piece on the board, Rhian. Though its importance may not seem apparent at first, its usefulness cannot be denied in the long run."

She had an odd feeling she was missing something here. "Are we still talking about Pi Sho?"

Iroh smiled mysteriously, and turned back to the board.

She was going to ask again, but as Zuko stormed into the room, she thought she'd let it go for now.

"What's the meaning of this mutiny?! No one told you to change course!"

"'Mutiny's seems a bit harsh, Zuko." Rhian calmly strummed at her pipa.

"And, actually, someone did." Iroh said, looking up from the Pi Sho table. Zuko turned to him. "I assure you it is a matter of upmost importance, Prince Zuko."

"Is it something to do with the Avatar?"

"Even more urgent. It seems I – I've lost my Lotus Tile." Rhian snorted. Trying to tell Zuko a Pi Sho tile was more important then the Avatar hunt was just ridiculous.

"Lotus Tile?" Zuko said.

"For My Pi Sho game." Iroh explained. "Most people think the Lotus Tile insignificant, but it is essential for the unusual strategy that I employ."

"You've changed our course for a stupid Lotus Tile?" He honestly sounded perplexed, leaning towards anger though. Rhian kept her eyes down to hide her smile.

"See, you, like most people, underestimate its value. Just give me ten minutes to check the merchants at this port of call. Hopefully, they'll have the Lotus Tile in stock and I can get on with my life."

Zuko was simmering, so Rhian piped up. "Can we see if they've got some musical supplies too? I think my pipa needs a new string." She examined her instrument, hiding her grin as Zuko blew fire towards the ceiling.

"I'm lucky to have such an understanding nephew." Iroh smiled as smoke curled around the room.

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The port market was bustling with people. Or at least, it was, for the first few hours. Iroh was an unstoppable shopping machine once he got going. The only thing he couldn't seem to find was a Lotus Tile. Rhian followed him around for most of the day, not really enjoying shopping herself, until she noticed a musical stall and excused herself. And if she happened to glance around and see Iroh ducking into one of the huts, she didn't think anything of it.

She managed to find replacement strings and wood polish for her pipa, and a sharpening stone for her dual swords. So by the time to sun started to set, and she went to join Iroh and Zuko, she was reasonably content with how the day had gone. Something caught her eye as she passed a stall. Nothing special, or truly eye catching. Just, something. She stopped and examined it. It was a piece of shiny black volcanic rock. Polished and carved into the shape of a flame, hanging off a long, dark red, woven cord. The rock reflected the setting sunlight as she picked it up, making the light dance like black fire, trapped in stone.

"Pretty, isn't it?" A voice said. Rhian jumped, startled by how absorbed she'd been in the stone. Though she'd never admit it, of course. Zuko'd never let her live it down.

"It's Obsidian from the Fire Nation Capital." The store keeper said. "Delivered here and carved on site. Each carving is completely unique."

"It's…very pretty." Rhian said. She measured the length of the cord, estimating it would probably hang the pendant far enough down to be hidden and protected by armour.

"How much?"

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When Rhian joined Zuko and Iroh, the latter seemed reasonably happy. Zuko, naturally, was not.

He stood, arms crossed, bored and furious, while Iroh talked.

"I've checked all the shops on this pier. Not a Lotus Tile in the entire market place."

"It's good to know this trip was a complete waste of time for everyone!" Zuko snapped.

"Hey, not everyone!" Rhian protested, holding her purchases close. Maybe she'd wait until later…

"Quite the contrary," Iroh said to his nephew. "I always say, the only thing better then finding something you were looking for, is finding something you weren't looking for at a great bargain!" Rhian grinned at Iroh's enthusiasm, watching some crew members carry overfilled baskets of stuff to the ship. Iroh was a shopping maniac.

"You bought a tsungi horn?" Zuko asked and Rhian's eyes lit up, delighted.

"For music night on the ship. I thought Rhian might like a new sound to work with, with her pipa. Now if we only had some woodwinds…" He mused, walking away. Zuko and Rhian followed around the dock until they came to an odd looking ship.

"Ooh, this place looks promising!" Iroh pointed excitedly.

Both teenagers sighed, Zuko with exasperation, Rhian with fondness. They went inside, looking over the collection of oddities from all over the world. Something was off about this ship though, Rhian couldn't put her finger on it. There was a bit too much variety…

"Oh, that is handsome!" Iroh exclaimed over a jeweled monkey statue. "Wouldn't it look magnificent in the galley?"

"Umm, Iroh." Rhian thought it looked creepy and wondered if she could talk him out of that particular one. It had red eyes.

Someone, shop keepers or crew members or someone, was talking in the background.

"We lost the water tribe girl and the little bald monk she was traveling with."

Rhian froze. What were the chances…?

"This monk. Did he have an arrow on his head?" Zuko asked.

Rhian leant against a counter with a sigh, grimacing at Iroh who was imitating the creepy face of the monkey statue.

Here we go…

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