we all want love/we all want honor
Part 4: this side of the sun
"South of the ocean, high off a moment."
- SVRCINA, "Runaway W. You"
The shopping trip, while unplanned, had been a nice break from Sparky's constant raging. Plus, Toph got to stock up on more knives. (It had started out as a matter of availability, but at this point she mostly just did it to get a rise out of Zuko.) She could always use more bending material, and Zuko still had first dibs on all scrap metal. (She wondered which spirit-tale he was recording this time. She already had four or five novels sitting in her bedroom, and those things were heavy.)
Of course, everything went south when Zuko overheard a couple of pirates talking about a bald monk and a Water Tribe girl. Jeez, couldn't Sparky take one day off from this whole Avatar-hunting business?
"Why can't I come?" Toph whined. She knew she was acting like a child, but she really wanted to come along. How often would she get a chance to hang out with actual pirates?
But noooo. For once, Zuko and Uncle had decided to team up against her.
"Lady Toph, these are pirates," Zuko said.
"I'm afraid it's not safe to bring a lady along," Iroh said.
Did they even know her?
"I can take care of myself!" She stomped her foot (careful not to bend the ship in the process). "I'm not some helpless little blind girl!"
"I never thought you were," Uncle said, trying to act like he was the reasonable one. "I'm more worried about them than I am you."
"I can tell you're ly-ing," she said in a sing-song voice.
"Toph," Uncle Iroh said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "This is not about you. I wouldn't trust those men around any woman."
"Even Azula?"
Zuko snorted.
"Yes, even Azula," Uncle said, nodding. "Although in her case, I really would be more worried about what would happen to them if they tried anything with her."
"We're wasting time," Zuko said, crossing his arms. "Come on, Uncle."
"Alright, fine, go without me," Toph said, stepping back.
"Thank you, Toph," Uncle said, and the two of them climbed aboard the smaller boat and sailed away.
She smirked. They didn't really think they were getting off that easily, did they?
Contrary to popular belief, Toph did know how to travel inconspicuously. Zuko and the pirates were following the river, so she did the same, staying behind the tree line. She used her bending to move faster, but kept the sound muffled and the dust down so it wasn't obvious from afar.
She stayed in hiding, observing as Zuko and his new 'buddies' captured the Water Tribe girl.
'I'll save you from the pirates'? What does he think this is, some high seas adventure story?
...And now he was monologuing. Just wonderful. (Oma and Shu, did he rehearse this?) Toph held back her laughter- if he realized she was there, he'd send her back, and this was way too interesting to pass up.
From what she could tell, the sun was rising (or had risen fairly recently). She did feel a little tired, but she'd taken a quick power nap while Zuko and the pirates were searching for the Avatar and his friends, so she should be fine for another few hours. She'd probably crash as soon as they got back to the ship.
She overheard the Water Tribe boy trying to persuade the pirates to break their deal with Zuko. Smart move, Wise Guy.
Zuko, of course, did not find this nearly as amusing.
He and his soldiers started fighting with the pirates. She stayed out of the way, knowing they could handle themselves. But then something hit the ground, and everyone started running around oddly. She concentrated, focusing on the dust in the air.
Did someone just... drop a smoke bomb? It didn't bother her, of course, but for seeing people, it was a big problem. Guess I'd better make sure Sparky and Uncle don't get themselves killed. But what could she do that didn't involve running into the fray and trapping everybody in a bunch of rocks?
That was when she remembered she still had a bag on her. A bag containing lots of knives.
Carefully, she threw a couple of the knives, manipulating them to knock any hands that got too close to Zuko or his men. One of them grazed through the Avatars's ropes, cutting him loose. Oops.
Eventually, the Avatar and his friends managed to escape the melee and sailed off in the pirates' boat. Nice one.
She didn't want to interfere in Zuko's fight with the captain, knowing another blade in their midst would be the opposite of helpful.
Luckily, Uncle was there with another one of his proverbs. Or not.
...And then the pirates sailed off on Zuko's boat. Fantastic.
"My boat!" Toph heard Zuko yell in horror as the boat fell over the waterfall.
Whoa, Sparky, I know you're annoyed, but don't take it out on the poor pai sho tile.
"What are we going to do now?" Zuko gestured towards the river. "Without a boat, it'll take us forever to get back to the ship!"
That sounds like my cue.
"Did I hear someone say they needed a lift?" Toph stepped out from behind the trees. In a couple of swift motions, she'd raised a crude boat from the dirt.
"Lady Toph, wh-"
"It is good to see you, Toph," Uncle Iroh said, interrupting his nephew.
"I guess you dunderheads really are useless without me, huh?" Toph smirked.
"I suppose so," Uncle agreed.
"Mind of a drifter, never been safer."
- SVRCINA, "Runaway W. You"