Chapter 3 – Return of the Runaway
"So, what's the first thing I get to learn?" Sokka asked as he rode beside the Master Swordsman. "Secret handshake? Clubhouse password?" Paiandao chuckled. "We'll get to that in time. First we'll work on your Pai Sho skills."
Sokka looked at the older man incredulously. "What does Pai Sho have to do with ancient, arcane knowledge and world balance? Wait a minute…you mentioned playing with Madame Ling last night. Is she a member?"
"5th Level Master," Piandao confirmed.
"But, she's just a tavern keeper!" Sokka gaped.
"As a member of the White Lotus, you'll discover friends everywhere, from the highest councils of government to the lowliest taverns. As to your first question, mastering the game of Pai Sho opens your mind to a certain way of thinking, which will allow you to accept certain truths you will learn along your journey."
"Is that why we're going to Omashu, so I can learn from a Pai Sho master?"
"Something more urgent. I need your skills to find another order candidate. We've had our eye on her for a while. We weren't going to approach her for another year or so but circumstances have forced our hand."
"What sort of circumstances?" Sokka asked.
"She's the only daughter of an Earth Kingdom noble house. Her family contracted her into an arranged marriage with an up and coming merchant in Ba Sing Se. She objected and ran away. We'd lost contact with her until one of our agents spotted her in Omashu. Her parents have placed a large reward for her safe return. The Grand Lotus charged me to find her and bring her in before one of your colleagues does."
"Hold on," Sokka sputtered. "There's no way I'm gonna help force a girl into a marriage she doesn't want. Especially if it's nothing more than some kind of business deal for her old man."
Piandao held up his hand. "Sokka, you misunderstand. We're not going to return her to her parents. This marriage is not her path. Intuitively, she knows this. That's why she ran away. We're going to help her find her path."
"Well, let's get to Omashu…we have a princess to rescue!"
…..
The pair made their way to an upscale gambling house on one of the highest levels in the city.
"Why are going to a gambling hall?" Sokka asked.
"Our agent spotted her here three days ago, cheating at the dice table." Piandao stated. "She's very smart. She didn't stay too long or draw attention to herself. She won just enough to support herself for a few days. That's why I think she'll be back soon."
"No disrespect, Master, but it sounds like you already have this figured out. What do you need me for?"
"Patience, Sokka. Watch the crowd. Your role in this will become apparent soon enough."
That's when Sokka saw her.
The petite, raven haired beauty was moving her way purposely through the crowd toward the dice table. Her long, black hair was fixed in a braid plaited over her right shoulder. She wore a sleeveless, mint green dress that reached to the top of her dirty, bare feet. A White Lotus tile rested on her chest, supported by slim gold chain. On her upper left arm she wore a band of black, exotic metal that contrasted her creamy white skin. Sightless, milky jade eyes stared ahead to the dice table.
His heart jumped. It had been years since he'd seen her. She was taller of course, and she now had a woman's curves. There was no mistaking it. That was Toph Bei Fong.
"Master, why didn't you tell me we were after Toph?" Sokka asked with the confusion apparent in his voice.
"A necessary omission, to help you gain some insight into yourself," Piandao offered cryptically. "But you understand now why you're here. You and the Grand Lotus are the only members she'll trust enough to approach, and Iroh would draw too much attention."
"You sure she'll approach us?" Sokka asked skeptically.
"Without doubt. She's already felt your presence. As a matter of fact, she's coming now."
"Snoozles, what the hell are doing here? I heard you were a bounty hunter now. Did my father send you?"
"What? No!" Sokka stuttered. "I'm not, not anymore anyway, I'm…I mean we're here to help!"
"Well…you're not lying…hard to tell though with your heart about beat out of its chest. Who's the geezer? He seems familiar." Toph said flatly.
"Toph, you remember my sword master, Piandao," Sokka introduced.
"Oh, yeah…you're one of the White Lotus guys!" Toph said as the memory came to her.
Piandao interjected, "I'm afraid the formal introductions will have to wait. It seems we have drawn some unwanted attention."
There was a commotion across the room as a large, bald, rough looking man shoved his way through the crowd toward their table.
"Toph, what's the quickest way out of here?" Sokka asked.
"Through the kitchen, grab my hand and follow me, Meathead. You better keep up Swordmaster." Toph ordered.
As they made their way to the kitchen, their pursuer screamed "That's my bounty, Wolf!" and bent a rock wall in front of them to block their path. Toph smirked and effortlessly blew a hole through the wall and bent a chunk back at the chasing bender.
As they turned a corner to the kitchen Toph asked, almost casually, "So, 'Wolf', friend of yours?"
"Not really, I know him by reputation. Calls himself 'Snake'. Earthbender. Nasty dude. Rumored to be former Dai Li."
"Hmmph," Toph snorted. "Call me unimpressed. I eat Dai Li for breakfast."
The kitchen floor erupted in front of them. Snake sprang up out the ground and landed in a three point stance in front of the group, kitchen staff scrambled out of the way of the destruction. Somewhere among the commotion a man wailed "My Cabbages!"
"This ain't your style, Wolf," Snake snarled. "You only take heads. Mommy and Daddy want Precious here alive and unhurRRR…."
At that moment Toph bent a rock column under Snake that sent him three stories through the ceiling.
"Nobody calls me 'Precious'." Toph deadpanned.
…
Outside the gaming hall, Piandao stated. "If this Snake fellow found you, other bounty hunters can't be far behind. We need to leave the city quickly."
Sokka eyed the nearby mail chute, and a cheeky grin slowly spread across his face. "Master, I have an idea."
….
Very few things truly frightened Toph Bei Fong. Sokka saying that he had an idea was one of them. At this moment she remembered why. Holding on to his middle for dear life as they careened down the chute she screamed into his ear, "Meathead, so help me if I live through this I'm gonna bend a rock so far up your butt you'll be picking pebbles out your ears!"
Piandao, for his part had an almost evil grin across his normally placid face.
Sokka yelled back, "Yeah, that's great Toph but we're getting close to the bottom. I need you bend us an off-ramp off to the right in 3….2…Now!"
Toph pumped her right fist and the cart veered off the chute and came skidding to a halt at the feet of a ancient, slightly crazy looking man.
"Heh, heh…SNORT", the Mad King of Omashu cackled, "Piandao, I'm disappointed. First I hear you're causing trouble in my favorite gaming house and then you go chute riding without so much as a howdy-do."
Sokka blinked in disbelief. How is it possible that Bumi could still be alive, he thought.
Piandao stood and took a low bow. "My apologies, old friend. I'm here on a priority mission from the Grand Lotus and there was no time to observe the usual formalities."
"Ah, yes, the Runaway," Bumi turned his functional eye toward Toph. "Not real smart, using earthbending to cheat dice in the presence of the World's Greatest Earthbender, Missy. I invented that cheat when your granddaddy was still in diapers!"
"I'm the World's Greatest Earthbender, Old Man!" Toph declared. "I can prove it right now if you wanna throw down."
Bumi seemed to consider the challenge for a moment and said "Sadly, no time to school you right now young miss. I have a city to run, you know, King stuff. And you still have an escape to make."
Bumi then raised his powerful leg and stomped down. A hole opened up between him and the rest. A perfect staircase spiraled to the darkness below.
"That'll take you to the catacombs under the city. Follow the green light crystals to the exit. There's three ostrich horses and supplies waiting for you," Bumi instructed. As they entered the passage, he called after Toph, "When all this blows over, you need to come back young miss…I have a few tricks I want to pass on to the next World's Greatest Eartbender before I take my permanent dirt nap."
Toph smiled, "You're on, Old Man," as the top closed in above them.