If you have followed this story since publishing see chapter 1 and 2! Chapter 1 has a new update and a promise from me. I also updated some of the issues that I perceived in the writing in both and feel happier with the story overall.
The cover of darkness shrouded their ship and the warriors onboard. They had prayed for Tui and La to watch over them in the battle tonight. Tui would not be there to protect them, but La had answered their prayer with perfect seas for their mission. Hopefully, they would bless them so that they could rejoin the fleet soon. Their target was simple. A Fire Nation vessel that carried supplies that would be used to bolster the Fire Nation war machine in Omashu. Even better, if the messenger hawk they intercepted was correct, the ship was carrying Commander Chen, a sharp naval officer whose job was to assist the Fire Nation navy in a blockade near Ba Sing Se. He would not make the journey if the southern water tribe succeeded tonight.
Chief Hakoda looked at the men to his right and left. His trusted brothers. The blue eyes and faint blue clothing of the warriors of the Southern Water Tribe were all that could be seen under the black, twinkling sky in the absence of the moon.
"Chief, we are ready to board," Bato whispered from his right. Their smaller vessel had crept up on the starboard of the fire navy vessel in the dead of night, intercepting them perfectly. A cruiser-class vessel, it towered over their ship, but that would not stop them. Hakoda knew they wouldn't be expecting an attack so far from the shores of the southern earth kingdom. They secured themselves and began to climb with ropes, watching for men patrolling as they climbed. Unuk was the first to board and cracked the blunt end of his bone tooth machete on the temple of the first man he saw, catching him before he hit the deck and tossing him into the sea. Hakoda, Bato, and Kota followed him as the others, Tonlaq and Sangok, hoisted two barrels of blasting jelly onto the ship, which they had tied to the bottom of the ropes. Hakoda and Bato crept around and shoved two more soldiers overboard, they did scream as they fell, but their screams were drowned by crashing waves against the ship. Their heavy metal armor took them to meet La.
"Grab what you can take in one trip. Wouldn't want this to be like the last one with our hands caught in too much spicy jelly." Hakoda allowed a small smile at Bato's joke and crept below deck, Kota shuffling behind him. The younger man carefully carried the blasting jelly barrel over his right shoulder as Hakoda checked the corridors ahead. He waved Kota forward. They crept through the ship, encountering only one man who nearly caught Hakoda by surprise. A firebender who had widened his eyes. The element of surprise allowed the hilt of Hakoda's machete to kiss the man on the chin before he could bend, stunning him, and then Hakoda's knife slashed his throat. A red mist coated his blue armor. Hakoda's eyes hardened. They turned the corner to the cargo hold, one of the lowest places on the ship, which sat near the bow. For all the hate Hakoda felt for the firenation, he did respect their technological prowess. Lowering the bow of your ship down into a loading ramp was utterly genius.
Low lamps lit the hold enough for them to see clearly. Hakoda pointed to the back corner where he wanted Kota to put the blasting jelly. Kota was nimble and weaved his way around several crates, jars, and sacks to put it down gently in the corner and begin setting up the fuse. If Bato and Unuk failed to blow the engine room, they would blow up the supplies and punch a hole in the bottom of the ship. Hakoda began to rummage through the nearest barrels, moving some aside as he searched for supplies to bring back. He grabbed a sack of rice and a small crate of salted, cured pork. When he moved the box of pork aside, he noticed a small bundle hidden between all the containers around them. He blinked and stepped forward to look closer. The lump was moving, he realized. Breathing. He raised his machete and looked to Kota, holding his hand up to his mouth. Kota stopped moving and sharpened his gaze, ready to fight. Hakoda threw aside the barrel next to the lump, began to bring down his machete, and froze instead. A girl no older than Katara lay curled up on the floor asleep. A small dishrag was nestled under her head and some torn clothing served as a blanket.
This child was far too young to be a soldier. Age withstanding, he looked at her tattered and worn clothes and the dishrag beneath her head. He looked around her, scrutinizing hold and how she had hidden herself among the barrels. Why was a child stowaway onboard this ship? A strangled sound escaped Hakoda's throat between an exhale and a shaky laugh.
"What is it?" Kota whispered, still not moving from his position.
"A child. Seems like a stowaway." Hakoda answered.
"What?" Kota appeared next to him, looking down at the bundle. Her face was contorted in sleep, scrunched up. The girl moved around and shifted, whispering to herself in her sleep. Hakoda swallowed. They had taken the lives of young men before, after the raid that had taken Kya. But no one this young, and only fighting men. Hakoda raised his machete again, imagining what she might be like when she was older and fighting against them. But his arm fell as she twisted and gurgled something in her sleep. Katara would mumble in her sleep. His daughter would look horrified if she saw what he was about to do. A decision had been made. He set his jaw, sheathing his machete. He couldn't kill her. He also wouldn't leave her here to sink and drown either.
"Do you have some extra rope?" Hakoda asked. Kota shook his head, not moving his eyes.
"No. Why?" Hakoda swallowed and looked to Kota, who shook his head.
"Chief. We can't kidnap her. What are we going to-"
"Kota. We are about to send this ship to La. We will not send her with it. She's not a soldier." Kota licked his lips, looking between the two of them quickly.
"I'll look around. Give me a minute." Hakoda nodded, not really hearing him as he stared at this girl. He thought of what would have happened had he not moved those crates. Had they not come here and just planted the jelly, blew up the ship and left. A knot formed in Hakoda's gut. The reasoning that they were fire nation would not work. The Southern Water Tribe would never kill a Fire Nation citizen just because they were in the way. That was the way of the firenation, not his tribe. What if she's a firebender? A voice asked him. What if she joins the Fire Nation army in ten years and burns and kills your men because you didn't have the stomach-. He closed his eyes and rubbed his face, stopping the thoughts there. Whatever became of her after this would be up to the spirits. He was not the judge and executioner, especially over a child. Kota returned with some good rope, and Hakoda pointed to the blasting jelly.
"Set the fuse. I'll carry the girl. You grab the rice, the blood oranges, the potatoes, and the salted pork once you are done."
"We are taking less than we could, bringing her," Kota said. Hakoda looked at him as the leader of the tribe.
"Finish what we came here for. I'll worry about that later." He knelt and unthreaded the rope, careful to slowly and softly thread the needle under her arms and through the crook of her neck to not wake her. Though he knew she would wake eventually. Probably sooner rather than later. He thought with a grimace as he wrapped the second thread under her arms and began to tie a secure knot. Her fitful kicks in her sleep slowed, and he saw her muscles stiffen almost immediately as he finished the knot. Her eyes opened - golden eyes like the sun rising on a clear sky. But the gaze she assessed him with had no warmth and could freeze the South Pole over in the summer. Hakoda raised his hand, ready to cover her mouth should she scream.
"Did my father send you?" What? He almost balked at that. Her girlish voice was mixed with something sharp. He lowered his hand. Then, he gently sat her up against the wall. Her eyes roved over his armor closely and curiously. Her eyes narrowed as her mouth formed a thin line. He could see the gears turning in her head. It reminded him of Sokka when he was thinking or solving a problem.
"You're a savage." She said quietly. Absent of the fear he expected. Instead, there was a note of relief. Then, his eyes darkened.
"Savage?" He asked carefully. She said nothing and turned her eyes downcast into a facade of fear.
"Please don't hurt me." He would have believed it had she not coldly stared him down moments ago. He smelled smoke and burning ... rope. He looked down and saw some of the rope binding her arms to her sides had been burnt. A firebender. Wonderful Hakoda. Everyone is going to love this.
"What's your name?" He tried to be reassuring, but it had come out forcefully, as though he were speaking with a captive prisoner and not a young girl. The firebending had changed things. Her eyes widened, and she blinked. The gears were turning again, he realized.
"Ty Mai. My name is Ty Mai." He nodded, taking out an empty sack, which had been meant to carry food.
"Alright, Ty Mai. I'm going to take you off of this ship with us." He tried using the voice he used with Sokka and Katara when they were children and frightened.
"As prisoner?" She asked, and he frowned. She was too young to be asking these questions.
"No. We're taking you with us for now as a... guest." She laughed and looked like she wanted to say something, but he started again as his voice took on that of Hakoda the Chief, not Hakoda the father, "I'm going to put this on your head incase there's... a fight." She laughed at that, making the hairs on his neck rise, but he continued, "We're going to carry you out. Do not make a sound. If you do, we will leave you behind on this boat."
"We?" She asked quietly. She leaned forward and saw Kota, who watched them warily. Her eyes looked at the fuse in his hands and followed it to the barrel neatly placed in the corner of the room.
"You're going to blow up this ship." Hakoda again was surprised at how fast this girl's mind worked.
"We are. Now, I am going to put this on your head, and I'm going to take this," He picked up the rag below her head, "And use it to gag you." Better to be honest, Hakoda reasoned as the girl's mind worked this out.
"Seems unnecessary." She offered weakly, widening her eyes like a child.
"It's not. If you are not quiet, this mission will be jeopardized, and I could lose men I care about." Men that I care about more than you - Had gone unspoken. She scowled and closed her eyes. Hakoda had expected some horror or fear. She seemed more annoyed at what was taking place than anything. More than anything, that fact made Hakoda wary.
"Fine." She snapped, dropping the act, "Get it over with." Her eyes widened as he moved to use the gag.
"Wait! Grab my bag. It has all that I own." She tilted her head to a small silk sack to her right. Silk. An expensive material. Hakoda tucked that away for later and nodded, shouldering the bag. It was light, but he heard metal fragments jingle and ring inside of it. He hesitated momentarily before quickly putting the gag in and covering her face with the cloth. She was light, and Hakoda lifted her over his shoulder as gently as he could. Kota stood ready with the supplies under his arm.
"Are you sure about this, Chief?" He asked, looking at the lump on his shoulder. The lump, which didn't seem to like being talked about, moved and shifted on him, and he could feel her head peer at Kota, who brushed a lock of longer hair from his eye.
"No. But what choice do we have?" Kota winced and lit the fuse as they ran up to the deck. Fresh blood shimmered on the ground and the stairs. Hakoda tensed and felt the girl, Ty Mai, tighten her stomach on his shoulder in response. They climbed up the stairs slowly, machetes in hand. There had been a fight. Hakoda silently prayed none of his brothers had fallen. Two Fire Nation soldiers lay dead on the deck. Blood pooled around them. Bato and Unuk waited nearby, where they had climbed onto the boat. Hakoda released a long breath before gesturing to the rope.
"Quickly!" Hakoda shouted. They descended slowly. Hakoda's muscles burned from the extra weight. His shoulders twitched and tightened from shifting his body around to balance Ty Mai in their descent. They finally sunk to the boat and began to get some distance from the ship, when the bombs went off, thundering into the night and shooting metal into the sky in a cacophony of violent noise. Hakoda could see the ship begin to take on water and sink. He exhaled and turned around, finally lowering Ty Mai onto the deck. Bato and Uruk's eyes widened to rival the moon. Kota looked sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck and smiling crookedly.
"We um- have a guest." Hakoda began. Bato looked at him with exasperation. Hakoda removed the hood, revealing the angry golden eyes of Ty Mai, who looked around, flickering from person to person on the deck before she began to struggle against the binds.
"Chief Hakoda-" Uruk's eyes said he understood why, but harbored apprehension nonetheless. Hakoda braced himself as he untied the girl, removed the cloth from her mouth, and helped her stand. The awkward silence among the crew was deafening. Bato closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose while Kota shook his head.
"Her name is Ty Mai." Chief Hakoda began, using the tone reserved for leading his men, "I found her onboard that vessel with Kota in the cargo hold. I... couldn't leave her. We couldn't. She is a child who doesn't deserve to die." Hakoda shifted his gaze from his men to the girl watching them with her lip curled in distaste. Hakoda breathed through his nose slowly, calming himself.
"What are we going to do with her? Drop her off at an Earth Kingdom port? All alone? Return her to the fire nation to wherever her family is?" Uruk asked. Hakoda did not miss the wince and the way Ty Mai made herself smaller at that, clutching her silk bag tightly to her chest, "I'm sure that would be a fun trip." Uruk threw his hands up at the absurdity of their situation. Hakoda didn't answer immediately, thinking it over.
"Until we decide what to do with her, She can help the crew with-"
"I'm the avatar." The girl blurted out, interrupting Hakoda. Hakoda faced her in surprise. Her face was red, eyes looking at the ground. Bato snorted. Uruk scoffed and Kota belted out a laugh that could have alerted every fire nation ship in the vicinity. The others were very silent. Hakoda rubbed his face, suddenly very tired.
"I mean it." The girl stomped forward.
"And I'm a big red scary dragon with wings who can breathe fire and eat platypus bears," Kota responded, still amused. Her eyes narrowed, and her mouth peeled back.
"I'll prove it. Bring me some water, savage." The men suddenly tensed. Either from the insult or the challenge. Probably both. Bato clucked his tongue.
"Disrespectful-" Uruk started to raise his hand, but Hakoda stepped forward, pushing Uruk back.
"I know." He squeezed Uruk's shoulder, understanding the anger, "Get me some water. We will deal with that later."
"You don't believe this, do you?" Uruk asked, looking as incredulous as Hakoda felt.
"Only one way to find out," Hakoda answered, staring down the furious child. Kota shrugged and handed Hakoda his waterskin.
"Not much left in it, but it'll do." Hakoda handed it to Ty Mai, who dumped it onto the deck haphazardly. Kota mumbled something hateful under his breath. Hakoda didn't say a word. Only watched as the girl danced around the water tentatively. She sunk into her own world as she closed her eyes. The lines of frustration and anger slowly faded. She didn't quite flow. Not the way Hakoda had seen other waterbenders in his youth dance when they handled water or even ice. She was rigid and forceful, trying to wrangle a prickle snake into submission. Sure enough, the water slowly came from the deck through sheer will and turned into an orb that hovered between the girl's palms.
"Tui and La." Kota whispered from behind him, "Wait till everyone sees this." Hakoda did not move until she dropped the orb of water, letting it splash again to the deck.
"You couldn't have, oh, I don't know, put it back into the water skin?" Kota's annoyed voice was matched by another cold glare from Ty Mai.
"No. I don't have enough training for something that complicated." She said sweetly. Sickly sweet. Hakoda ground his teeth. This child was the Avatar. This... fearless, cold, rude, and angry fire nation girl.
"Kota, take her to the bunks, make some room for her, for now. She'll sleep there." She looked betrayed.
"I'm not going anywhere." She crossed her arms petulantly.
"Oh dear," Bato mumbled as he rubbed his head.
"You think you can force me down below quietly while you talk about me behind my back? That's what you are going to do? Am I wrong?" Hakoda didn't deny it, but he did stare her down. He'd dealt with angry, bender children before as he remembered Katara and her legendary tantrums.
"I think you are." He said sternly, "We will include you in the discussion tomorrow, but certain things have to be spoken about now without you." Her mouth opened a little. Then, she realized that he was not backing down and deflated.
"So, I'm your prisoner now? I thought you would want to help me." Hakoda's eyes softened. Ty Mai's didn't.
"We do, and you aren't our prisoner." He didn't know what she was. She looked at Kota imperiously. As imperiously as a girl her age could.
"Take me down then. I'm sure I've slept in worse conditions." Their bunks were better than the floor of a cargo hold. Hakoda thought wryly. As Kota led her off, Hakoda noticed everyone else onboard had stopped what they were doing to watch them, some mouths hanging open like Pohu, their healer, and Sangok, the cook, others faintly amused like Bato, Uruk, and Tonaq. Hakoda massaged his head once more, something he realized he might be doing a lot of in the future.
"She's a handful," Tonaq said, holding back laughter.
"She seems dangerous," Uruk added, shaking his head.
"She seems scared," Bato said thoughtfully, looking at the sky.
"I think she is all three," Hakoda said, sighing. And some more.
"Well, I don't like not having a plan. So, what do we do?" Sangok asked.
"We drop her off at the next town. Avatar or no Avatar, she is fire nation." Pohu asserted. Uruk and Sangok nodded, lowering their eyes. Their healer was older and wiser, but Hakoda disagreed with his suggestion. Hakoda and Bato exchanged a glance, communicating silently.
"Even if she is fire nation, her status as the Avatar comes first." Bato said firmly, preparing to make a point, "I'm wary, just like all of you as are. But, The Avatar is the last hope in our world to win this war."
"She could be a fire nation weapon," Uruk said frankly, stroking his beard. "She was onboard that ship, which was full of soldiers and supplies for the war front in the Earth Kingdom before we sunk it."
"I don't think that is what is happening here, Uruk. She was hiding in the cargo hold behind some crates. Kota and I found her there asleep." Uruk nodded, but he still wrung his hands around his spear. Hakoda looked up at the empty night sky, taking a deep breath. He wanted to rest. He would not celebrate with the men for long after this discussion finished. He felt a sluggishness in his bones and a heaviness in his eyelids.
"What do you think, chief?" Tonaq asked quietly.
"I think she will stay with us for now until we find somewhere to bring her," His crew needed to be assured that he felt comfortable in this situation. As difficult as that would be with a Fire Nation citizen onboard their vessel, child or not. His men had lost people to the Fire Nation. Tonaq had lost his Uncle on the last raid of their tribe by the hand of a firebender. Hakoda himself had lost Kya, his love. Her welcoming blue eyes and a kind, tender smile flashed painfully in his mind. This would be difficult for everyone.
"We can bring her to the Northern Tribe. They have the resources to take care of her and teach her. This ship ... we can't do that." Pohu offered, still set on removing the girl as soon as possible.
"You all do eat quite a lot. I don't think we can manage another mouth to feed, even if it's small." Sangok added.
"I thought you liked having a plan? Mr. Plan guy? That's not a plan. You're supposed to suggest a plan." Tonaq teased with a smirk. The burly cook crossed his arms.
"I was agreein' with a plan!" His voice boomed.
"I've changed my mind. I say we bring the Avatar with us! Let's see if we can find her some masters. All they've got up north are waterbenders anyway! As the Avatar, she needs to learn Air and Earth too!" Tonaq added, stamping the butt of his bloodied whale tooth spear into the deck.
"That sounds like a bad idea," Uruk mumbled.
"They are just options." Hakoda counseled, "Having more options doesn't hurt us. We can only choose one, anyway."
"Don't the northerners not teach women?" Tonaq asked, "I swear by Tui that I've heard that about our sister tribe." Hakoda nodded. Kanna knew that all too well.
"The north has more traditional views of women." He answered as diplomatically as possible. Bato chuckled.
"That's the chiefly way of saying it." Hakoda rolled his eyes.
"I know I have a lot of smart men on this ship," Hakoda started, "So let's hear some more suggestions. The more we hear, the quicker we can celebrate our victory."
"Or the less we hear, the faster we can drink," Bato added, shrugging. Hakoda shook his head, laughing loudly.
"We could take her south?" Tonaq did not seem to believe his own words, but he kept speaking, "The fire nation thinks that there's nothing there anymore. They-" His eyes hardened, "They kidnapped our waterbenders. Our people. So- there's no reason to come back. We're a small fish to them."
"It would be easy for them to come back, though," Bato added quietly, and Tonaq bowed his head. Hakoda clasped the younger boy's shoulder.
"It's an option." He added, "I'm not counting anything out right now." Tonaq smiled and puffed up a little at that.
"What else?" Bato asked the circle of men as their first mate.
"We could bring her to Ba Sing Se." Uruk tapped his machete on one of the crates Kota had set down, "That might be the safest place for her. Not even the Dragon of the West could bring down Ba Sing Se."
"But he did," Bato's smile had vanished, replaced by a grim line. "He brought the outer wall down only three years ago. Ba Sing Se is not as impenetrable as we would like to think." Hakoda cleared his throat, placing a comforting hand on Bato's shoulder.
"I think those are enough suggestions for tonight. We will discuss them tomorrow." Everyone shifted uncomfortably, knowing the girl downstairs might have different ideas. Before anyone could add anything, Bato stepped forward, arm raised to the sky, lifting their spirits.
"Now, we celebrate our victory!" Smiles spread from man to man as they cheered. "To a successful mission!" Tonaq had begun to pour some drinks, the last from the stache they had stolen from the previous raid. They would need to resupply soon. It would be better for that to not be a raid. Hakoda didn't want the enemy to begin to consider their vessel a real threat. Not yet. For now, he allowed himself to relax and smile, pulling up a barrel to sit on while the men laughed and sang together around the fire. Bato sat next to him.
"A doubly successful mission. You might be the luckiest man I've ever known. First, we sink the ship, then you find the Avatar." His friend laughed. Hakoda accepted the cup in Bato's hand, drinking deeply. It would no doubt help him sleep.
"You know luck has nothing to do with it. It's all up here." He pointed to his head, and Bato roared with laughter.
"I don't know. That old thing has come up with some strange ideas." Bato shook his head, watching as Tonaq and Sangok began to arm wrestle as the ship tossed and turned.
"I seem to remember you playing a large part in those. Especially the Polar Bear dog incident!" Hakoda added for good measure, smiling before drinking again.
"How was I supposed to know it was that mother's cub! He was as big as you!" Bato exclaimed, exasperated, then he chuckled, "Kanna was so angry with you. I've never heard her speak to you like that." Hakoda laughed. Kanna. Sokka. Katara. Nights like this one made his thoughts wander. He often thought of his family, wishing everyone were together around the fire, laughing, singing, dancing. The war had taken that from them. Bato clapped him on the back, disturbing his thoughts.
"I have to say, when that girl bent Kota's water, I thought you were going to faint overboard." Hakoda raised an eyebrow.
"Really? You looked pretty surprised yourself." Hakoda replied, a wry smile tugging at his lips.
"I'm sure I did, but you looked positively iced!" Bato said, trying to use the strange expression that Tonaq had been saying. It did not sound as good out of an older man like Bato or himself. His unimpressed gaze must have said as much as Bato had the decency to look chagrined.
"I really thought it would sound great. I guess our days as young men are behind us." Bato's melodramatic sigh made the others laugh.
"I was thinking she looked like Katara in that moment when she was bending. Even when she was asleep on that ship, all I could think of were my children when I raised my weapon. I was going to kill her. Those thoughts were the only reason I stopped," Hakoda admitted, quietly, so that his men couldn't hear. Bato nodded, understanding, gripping Hakoda's shoulder tightly, bracing him from his thoughts. Hakoda felt the weight of the day on his shoulders and eyelids.
"I think that will be all for me, my friend. I will see you tomorrow." Bato raised his drink.
"One last toast to our success." They raised their drinks with another hearty shout, and then Hakoda stepped under the deck, walking toward his quarters. He stopped in front of one of the hammocks. Ty Mai had laid down but was still very much awake. Her golden eyes were catlike, sizing him up in the dim lanternlight.
He broke the silence, telling her, "You should get some sleep."
"I've already told her that. She doesn't listen." Kota's agitated voice came from the hammock behind him.
"That's not your responsibility, Kota. Go to the deck and enjoy the celebration with everyone else." Kota's fur boots thumped on the ground next to him.
"You don't need to tell me twice." Kota didn't look back as he ascended to the deck. Ty Mai still didn't say anything.
"Goodnight, Ty Mai," Hakoda said, unbothered by her glare. His cabin door closed behind him, and he hesitated, considering bolting the door. The door remained unlocked, as he sighed, laying down on his cot. Exhaustion slowly overcame him and pushed him into a deep sleep.
Azula could hear them talking about her. Some of them had the decorum to introduce themselves after they woke, before attending to their duties on the ship, while she had watched. Not this idiot. After complaining to the other younger one on the boat - Tonraq.. No.. Tonaq.. It didn't matter - that she didn't have to do any work, he seemed to think his job had become to pull on the ear of whoever would listen and talk loudly about her.
"I'm telling you, she did not sleep at all." The young annoying one, Kato or Koa or something, grumbled to the other savages. Her brain tried to remember his name. He had introduced himself after bothering her for most of the night. Kota.
"I'm sure she did sleep, but you didn't see her." The burly one responded, rolling his eyes as he stirred some horrid concoction in a large pot. The boy was correct, though. She hadn't slept. Not a wink.
"Sangok, I kept waking up and seeing those creepy golden eyes in the dark. It freaked me out!" Good.
"Quiet. Chief is coming." Footsteps coming up the stairs preceded the Chief's entrance. Azula watched him warily. He looked nothing like what she expected a chief among savages to look like. Truthfully, none of them looked like what she'd been told in the Fire Nation Academy. She expected piercings, lots of unkept hairs, growls, and grunts to communicate, but not... this. Azula assessed that Hakoda was a shrewd man, quiet but self-assured and confident in his capability.
"Sangok. Have you cooked breakfast? Or have you been chatting?" The smile surprised Azula. The Firelord would not smile if his cook had not made breakfast.
"I figured we could have some of that salted pork. I boiled some of the rice we hauled in as well. Gotta use what we've been given." What you've taken. Azula corrected in her head.
"Excellent. Let's eat." One man, older than the other barbarians, came from below deck, and two others from where they had been steering and adjusting the masts. The long-haired man stayed at the wheel. They served themselves from the pot their cook had set out and sat together. Hakoda had brought the man at the helm a bowl before he sat. Azula watched, unsure of what to do.
"Aren't you hungry?" The young one with cropped hair and a short ponytail asked her. Tonaq, she reminded herself again. When she nodded, his hand pointed to the bowls and the food, gesturing for Azula to serve herself. When was the last time she had to do that? The pork was pleasant, she thought as she chewed on it, knowing the men watched her eat.
"What?" She asked sharply - too sharply. The older man, their healer, Pohu frowned, but Hakoda spoke.
"We have some ideas about your future on this ship." Her arms tensed. She stopped chewing. She chewed after a breath, finishing her food as was appropriate before speaking.
"What ideas are those?" Calm as she could, Azula nibbled on more rice, waiting for an answer.
"Ty Mai," Azula winced at her made-up name, "We think it would be best to drop you off somewhere where you can learn to master the elements." Azula widened her eyes. That was not the worst answer.
"Such as?" Her prodding was rewarded by the ponytail's answer. Tonlaq?
"We can do a few things." He began, more excited than Azula expected. "Pohu, that's our healer, he'll tell you!" he pointed at the older man, who had some grey in his beard.
"I think we should bring you to the Northern Water Tribe-"
"No." Azula cut him off. Tonlaq balked, and his mouth opened, face turning red. Pohu glared.
"You shouldn't interrupt your elder!" The boy squalked, but Hakoda calmed him with a hand ont he shoulder, surprising Azula.
"She's not from the Tribes. She doesn't know our customs. Though I would think in the fire nation, respecting your elders is still highly valued?" Azula's mouth dried a little, and she nodded.
"Then you will have that same respect here," Azula struggled to not roll her eyes. She would not be lectured to like a child, "Now, explain why the Northern Water Tribe will not do." Hakoda had surprised her again.
"I need to learn air first. There is an order to these things, you know." Hakoda nodded, explaining that her goal would be tough to achieve.
The one with the beard, who had a stern look, Uruk, added, "Air nomads are tough to come by these days."
"That kind of ruins our other ideas." Kota, she finally remembered, grumbled, setting down his empty bowl.
"Not Tonaq's plan!" Sangok said with a troublesome grin. Azula suddenly felt full.
"What is... Tongue-ack's idea?" The young man, who clearly did not like having his name butchered, frowned.
"I was half-joking when I suggested it. But, I mentioned we could sail around to the air temples and try and find you an airbending teacher." Azula coughed on the bite of rice she had swallowed, nearly choking. No, no, no, that would not do. She would not sit with these savages for Agni knows how long until they stumbled upon an airbending teacher. What other choice do you have? A voice that strangely sounded like Iroh's echoed in her head.
"I think both parties would benefit if we parted ways at the nearest town." She said, finally. The older men slackened, but the younger ones looked at her like she'd grown a second head.
"You think we're gonna let you roam the Earth Kingdom alone? You could get captured, you know. Or you could die. Or worse!" Kota threw his arms up.
"I'm not sure what is worse than death or imprisonment, but I'll take my chances." Azula looked at her lap and ate her last piece of salted pork.
"I don't think that will be the fastest way to find a teacher." The healer told her with a straight face. Azula scowled at him. She did not understand these people. Her assumption was that they wanted her gone. Yet they wouldn't cut her loose? Azula drummed her nails on her thigh, thinking.
"When I do find a teacher. That will mean the end of my time here?" Azula asked, looking at each one.
"Yes," Hakoda responded, gaze steady.
"Fine. You help me find an airbending teacher. Then, I'm no longer your responsibility." She put the bowl down and walked away when Hakoda called after her.
"Ty Mai. Since you are staying with us for an unforeseen length of time, you will pitch in and do your part on this ship. That means cleaning your bowl." Azula's back went ramrod straight. Excuse me? The princess in her wanted to turn around and torch the bowl. However, she doubted that would earn their favor. Besides, she essentially vacated the title of princess by running away, hadn't she? Now, she was lowered to the level of a common savage eating rice and salted pork on a shoddy wooden vessel in the middle of the ocean. Disgraceful. Her father's voice flashed in her mind. Her face colored as tears prickled at the corner of her eyes.
"Ty Mai?" The voice was hesitant. She didn't know which peasant had called her fake name. As much as she hated it, she was Ty Mai now. Ty Mai, the runaway Fire Nation avatar. She was not Azula, the princess, here. So, with great effort, she swallowed her pride and walked back to her bowl, cleaning it in silence before stomping below deck to scream into her makeshift pillows. She needed something to burn, and soon.
Up next: Azula finally cracks and someone does burn. Hakoda wonders if blue fire is a good or bad omen. Zuko heads to Ba Sing Se dragging Iroh along.