Thirty-seven
"So let me get this straight," Joon said. "You want me to help you track down some girl with my shirshu just because I scratched your precious ship?"
"It's not the girl I'm after," Zuko said. "It's the bald monk she's traveling with."
"Whatever you say. She not good enough for you?" Joon nodded in Maya's direction.
"Maya is not my girlfriend."
At the same time, Maya put her hands up in front of her. "Zuko's not my boyfriend."
Joon raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow and looked back and forth between the two of them. Then she looked over at Uncle. "These two don't even know it yet, do they?"
Uncle chuckled. "No."
"Hm. Well, sorry kid," she said, turning back to Zuko. "I can't help ya. Bye!" Joon turned and hopped up onto her shirshu's back.
"Wait," Uncle said. "If you help us, we will pay your weight in gold."
Joon paused, and then looked down at Uncle, pointing at him. "Make it your weight, and you've got yourself a deal."
He threw his head back and laughed. "You got it."
Zuko came forward, necklace in hand, and let the giant animal sniff it. The shirshu looked around for a moment, smelling the air, and then went rigid in one direction.
"Get on," Joon said. "Nyla's got the scent."
Uncle got on first, right behind Joon, then Zuko, then Maya. Maya felt a little embarrassed about having to hold onto Zuko's waist to keep herself from falling off, but he didn't even seem to notice.