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, the calm seas would continue for their fleet to come together a few moons sooner. Several water tribe ships awaited his return in Chameleon Bay. Their target was simple. A Fire Nation vessel that carried supplies that would be used to bolster the Fire Nation war machine outside of 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.
Tension was thick in the oppressive silence of the boat. The gravitas of the mission weighed heavily upon the warriors. They stalked a long, shadowed iron beast ahead of them. A cruiser-class vessel, it towered over their ship, but that would not stop Hakoda's warriors. The men sunk two similar vessels in the area beforehand, moons apart, but Hakoda feared the firenation would catch on. With their efforts, miniscule as they felt in the face of the long arm of the firenation, Hakoda hoped to stir the Earth King into action and provide hope for the war front. In a letter, the Earth King promised that the Avatar would join the effort, if the southern water tribe's dirty work provided their city enough reprieve from the fire nation. How many more sunken vessels and dead men would that require?
Chief Hakoda looked at the men to his right and left. His trusted brothers. The icy eyes and painted blue armor of the warriors of the Southern Water Tribe were all that could be seen under the starry 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. Hakoda hoped the enemy wouldn't be expecting an attack so far from the shores of the southern earth kingdom - further out than their previous endeavors. Still, Hakoda kept their two attack history in the forefront of his mind. The faint outline of a pointed fire navy helm drifted high above them. Once it vanished, they paddled until their small vessel nearly touched the iron hull of the fire navy cruiser. Hakoda and Bato hurtled two lines up onto the deck fit with pointed hooks and began to climb the ropes, watching for more patrols. 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 silently 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, before securing a third rope to their wooden boat, anchoring their escape. Hakoda and Bato crept around to the open deck and shoved two more soldiers overboard. They shouted as they fell, but their screams were drowned by crashing waves against the ship. Their heavy metal armor took them to meet La.
"Grab only what you can take in one trip. We don't want to get stuck with too much spicy jelly, again." Bato whispered. Hakoda allowed a small smile at Bato and crept below deck, Kota shuffling behind him. The younger man carefully balanced the blasting jelly barrel over his right shoulder as Hakoda checked the corridors ahead and waved Kota forward, finding them empty. The warriors stalked through the ship, encountering only one soldier who nearly caught the men by surprise. A firebender with eyes wide in terror opened his mouth to alert others onboard. The element of surprise allowed the hilt of Hakoda's machete to kiss the man on the chin before he could yell, stunning him. A glint of white snuffed the light from the firebender's eyes as a knife slashed his throat. A red mist coated Hakoda's blue armor and his eyes hardened. Kota and he 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. Disconnecting and 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 place the blasting jelly. Kota, nimble and young, weaved his way around several crates, jars, and sacks to gently set the barrel in the corner. Kota unraveled the fuse, showing his chief a thumbs up. If Bato and Unuk failed to detonate the engine room, they would blow up the supplies, punching a hole in the bottom of the ship. And if both charges failed, well, that would be dumb luck. Hakoda rummaged through the nearest crates, moving some aside to search for supplies to bring back. He grabbed a sack of rice and a small crate of salted, cured pork. After moving the box of pork aside, a small bundle hidden between all the containers around them shifted and uttered a sound. Hakoda blinked and stepped forward to look closer. The lump was a person. He raised his machete and looked to Kota, holding his hand up to his mouth. Kota stopped moving and sharpened his gaze, brandishing his whale-tooth spear. Hakoda threw aside the barrel next to the lump, swinging his machete downward. The blade froze, hovering inches above matted long black hair. A child. A girl no older than Katara lay curled up on the floor asleep. A small, bunched heap of dishrags nestled under her head proved an effective pillow and some torn clothing served as a blanket.
Hakoda assessed her tattered and worn clothes and the dishrag beneath her head. He looked around her, scrutinizing the cargo hold and how she had hidden herself among the barrels. Stowaway, then. Why? 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. Appears to be a stowaway." Hakoda answered.
"What?" Kota appeared next to him, looking down at the bundle. Her face was contorted in sleep, scrunching and twisting. 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 gurgled something in her sleep. Katara used to mumble in her sleep. Her big blue eyes flashed in his mind along with a stricken expression. His daughter would be horrified if she saw this. 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's question provoked a surprised noise from Kota. Kota shook his head, not moving his eyes.
"Um, No. Why?" Hakoda swallowed and fully faced Kota, who shook his head faster, now.
"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 the young man as he stared at this girl. He thought of what would have happened if she hadn't been discovered. Had they not come here and just planted the jelly, blew up the ship and left. A knot formed in Hakoda's gut. The Southern Water Tribe would never kill a Fire Nation citizen just because they were in the way. That was the way of the enemy, 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 offered. 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, carefully and softly threading 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 grimaced, wrapping the second thread under her arms and tying a secure knot. The fitful kicks in sleep slowed and her muscles stiffened as soon as he fastened 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. That look could freeze the South Pole 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, processing what that could mean. The girlish voice was blended with something sharp. His hand lowered, slowly. Then, he gently sat her up against the wall. Her eyes roved over his armor closely and curiously, pupils dilating at the blood which soaked his armor. Her eyes narrowed as her mouth formed a thin line. He watched the gears turning in her head. It reminded him of Sokka - when his son was confronted with a difficult problem.
"He didn't. You're a savage." She breathed, absent of the fear he expected. Instead, there was a note of relief. Then, his eyes darkened.
"Savage?" He asked carefully. The girl said nothing, fixing her gaze to the iron deck in a facade of fear.
"Please don't hurt me." He would have believed her whimper, if she hadn't coldly stared him down moments ago. He smelled smoke and burning ... rope. Hakoda checked on the binding and saw singed fragments, drifting to the floor. A firebender. Wonderful Hakoda. Everyone is going to love this.
"What's your name?" Hakoda tried to be reassuring, but his fatherly voice failed him. He'd spat out the words forcefully - like the girl was a prisoner, not a child. He'd tried to imagine Sokka or Katatra in her place. The effort proved futile. The firebending changed things. Golden eyes widened and 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."
"As prisoner?" Ty Mai 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." Hakoda managed to soften his voice, if only a little. The girl rolled her eyes, so he spoke again, switching his tone back to Hakoda the Chief instead of 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?" Ty Mai asked quietly. She leaned forward and saw Kota, who watched them warily. She followed the fuse in his hands to the barrel nestled in the corner of the room.
"Agni. 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.
"It's not. If you make a sound, 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 expected some horror or fear. Yet, she seemed more annoyed at what was taking place. More than anything, that fact made Hakoda wary.
"Fine." Ty Mai snapped, dropping the act, "Get it over with." Suddenly, she jerked her head.
"Wait! Grab my bag. It has all that I own." Her head tilted to a small silk sack on the floor. Silk. An expensive material. Hakoda tucked that away for later and nodded, shouldering the light bag. Metal fragments jingled inside. He hesitated momentarily before quickly using the gag and covering her face with the cloth. Hakoda gently lifted her over his shoulder. 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. 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 iron deck and the stairs. Hakoda tensed and felt the Ty Mai tighten her stomach on his shoulder in response. They ascended 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 their open wounds. Bato and Unuk waited nearby, where they had climbed onto the boat. Hakoda released a long breath before gesturing to the rope.
"We need to go, now!" Hakoda shouted. The band descended quickly. 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 gained some distance from the fire navy's behemoth, when the bombs detonated, thundering into the night and shooting metal into the sky in a cacophony of violent noise. Hakoda could see the iron beast 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 a full 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 man to man on the deck, before she struggled against the binds.
"Chief Hakoda-" Uruk's eyes said he understood why, but his gaze 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, "Kota and I found her onboard that vessel in the cargo hold. I... couldn't leave her. We couldn't. She is a child who doesn't deserve to die." Hakoda's eyes shifted from his men to the girl who watched 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 continued, scoffing and tossing his hands up at the absurdity of their situation. Hakoda didn't answer immediately, thinking it over. Ty Mai's chest rose and fell rapidly.
One of his men from the other side of the deck, Tonaq, a young, lean man with a wolftail that resembled his son's, spoke, "I say we drop her off in the next port, someone would take her-"
"Oh come on Tonaq-" Kota snapped.
"What do you know, Kota? She could be a firebender!"
"She is." Hakoda admitted.
"See!" Tonaq shouted. "We should send her back to wherever she came from!" Kota groaned.
"That's stupid. How-"
"Please don't." Ty Mai stepped forward, turning pale. Hakoda raised a hand, shushing the crew, acutely recalling a moment from the ship. He faced Ty Mai, squaring his shoulders to hers.
"Earlier onboard that ship, you asked if your father sent me. Why?" Her lips wobbled and her golden eyes finally flickered with fear.
"It doesn't matter."
"I think it does. There's a lot to unpack in that. Do you want me to start?" Ty Mai swallowed, backing away into a corner. Hakoda watched her hands for signs of firebending. The men also had their hackles raised.
"He's... a powerful man." An important concession. Hakoda looked back to Bato meaningfully.
"Is your father in the military? Is he a politician?" The girl narrowed her eyes, setting her jaw.
"Why do you want to know?" Hakoda switched tactics.
"Why did you leave?" There was a long moment of silence.
"If her dad's powerful, we could ransom-" Before that sentence could be finished, Ty Mai's shouted.
"No! No! You can't! I'm the avatar." The girl blurted out, interrupting Uruk. "I left, because... of that." 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 silent. Hakoda rubbed his face, suddenly very tired.
"I mean it. You can't take me back! You can't let them know where I am!" The girl stomped forward. Hakoda saw Uruk tighten his grip on his spear.
"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. I'll show you. Bring me some water, savage." All of 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 Infront, pushing Uruk back.
"I know." He squeezed Uruk's shoulder, understanding the anger, "Give her 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 watching as Ty Mai tentatively moved around the water. The lines of frustration and anger slowly faded as she sunk into her own world. Her arms didn't quite flow. Not the way Hakoda remembered 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 rose from the deck through sheer will, shaping into an orb, hovering 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. So, Ba-Sing-Se and the Earth king lied. Their avatar died more than a decade ago. Yet, the Earth King urgently requested their fleet harry and strike at the Fire Navy to prepare for the Avatar to eventually join the war front. A neat trick. Hakoda's jaw tightened. He did not like being used. Kota interrupted him.
"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. He let the meaning of that marinate for a few moments.
We have the Avatar. The realization bared down on Hakoda, dangerously full of hope.
"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." The Avatar 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, staring her down. He'd dealt with angry, bender children before. Katara could throw a mean tantrum.
"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. Ty Mai looked up at Kota imperiously. As imperiously as a girl her age could.
"Take me down then. I'm sure I've slept in worse conditions." Our bunks are 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 problem," Tonaq mumbled.
"She is 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 experienced and wise, but Hakoda disagreed with his suggestion. He 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 as well. 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 twisted his hands around his spear. Hakoda looked up at the empty night sky, taking a deep breath. He needed rest. He would not celebrate with the men for long after this discussion. An ache pervaded his bones and a heaviness in his eyelids.
"What do you think, chief?" Tonaq asked quietly.
"I think she will stay with us 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 one of the last raids of their tribe to 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? You're supposed to suggest a plan." Tonaq teased with a smirk. The burly cook crossed his arms.
"I was agreein' with one!" 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, "A wide selection 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. 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 spear 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. The silence allowed the gloom of their recent mission settled in their souls. Before anyone could add anything, Bato stepped forward, arm raised to the sky, lifting their spirits.
"Now, we celebrate our victory!" Small smiles spread from man to man as they cheered. "To a successful mission!" Tonaq had begun to pour some drinks, the last from the cache 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 the filthy savages 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 he complained to the other young one - Tonraq? It didn't matter - about her, he seemed to think his job involved pulling on the ear of whoever would listen and blabbering to them.
"I'm telling you, she did not sleep at all." The young annoying one, Kato or Koa or something, grumbled to the other peasants. 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 strange piercings, lots of unkept hairs, growls, and grunts to communicate, but not... this. Azula assessed that Hakoda was a shrewd man. He was 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 stolen. Azula corrected only to herself.
"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 into wooden bowls 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 long, braided bangs asked her. Kota, 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? She snatched a bow from the pile and served herself.
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 resumed 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? No, that wasn't right either.
"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. Tonaq balked, and his mouth opened, face turning red. Pohu glared.
"You shouldn't interrupt your elder!" The boy squawked, but Hakoda calmed him with a hand onto his 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 remembered how Zuko's lesson about respect was taught. She knew it was better to be condescended upon by a savage than to have her eye nearly burnt off. So, she swallowed her anger. "Now, explain why the Northern Water Tribe will not do." Hakoda surprised her again.
"I need to learn air first. There is an order to these things, you know." She explained, mimicking the tone he used. Hakoda raised a brow, but 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. Firenation should know that."
"That kind of ruins our other ideas." Kota 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 that way. Occasionally, some coastal townsfolk have spoken of flying bison. I bet they visit their temples every now and then." 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 stubbornly. 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! That cannot happen to the Avatar!" 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. She forced hot air from her nose. A few moons with the filth, then.
"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 to ash. 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 called her fake name. However, as much as she hated it; she was Ty Mai now. Princess Azula may as well have died in the fire nation. Ty Mai, the runaway Fire Nation avatar needed to survive, and she was not a princess. 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. Ty Mai wanted something to burn.
Fire exploded from his nephew in bursts as the young man kicked the air on the ship. Beads of sweat dripped from Zuko's newly shaven head. Iroh assessed the breathing first, which had become labored and erratic. A knowing frown etched onto Iroh's face as his nephew's fire spurted with less power than before. Though, Iroh knew that would not stop Zuko, who doggedly continued, switching to a komodo rhino stance, and punching more aggressive fires forward. It was too soon for strenuous activities. He was reminded of Lu Ten, training until exhaustion to prove himself a worthy soldier of the Royal Family, since he could not bend. Iroh had knelt before his son, and reminded him that he needed to demonstrate nothing and that his love would always be there. If only he hammered that point in further. Perhaps, Lu Ten would not have joined him on the road to Ba-Sing-Se. His thoughts dangerously treaded to Azula. You had not shown her the same love, until she proved herself the Avatar. Only then did she worm her way into your heart. His hand shook and he grasped the teacup on his Pai Sho board, bringing it to his mouth. Azula could be anywhere by now, hiding away on ember island, disguised in a colony, or worse. He drank more tea, toying with a White Dragon tile in his other hand.
"You surprise me, Uncle." Azula drummed her fingers on the Pai Sho board, watching Iroh's pieces intently. Her calculating strategy had nearly cornered him in this game. Azula was improving more rapidly than he expected. In hindsight, he should have foreseen this. Azula undoubtedly possessed a frightening amount of intelligence and cunning for a ten-year-old girl.
"You are the one who surprises me, Niece." He chuckled, moving his white lotus tile, preparing to cut off Azula's pieces. Iroh knew her tiles were spread thin. Her rampant capture, trying to disrupt his harmonies, was practical but provided only fleeting success. Now, he had the upper hand.
"How so?" The question was more in passing than anything, as her gold eyes darted from piece to piece, trying to muster a winning stroke.
"Only three moons ago, you had scorned my offer for a game of Pai Sho. Now, you are on the cusp of victory after challenging me." Azula harumphed.
"It doesn't feel like I'm winning anymore. I still don't understand this game." Her hand shifted the White Dragon tile - her favorite piece, Iroh had noted - forward, encroaching further on his defensive position and completing a second harmony. However, her game was beyond saving. Her overextension would unfold in a few short moves. Iroh decided to wait on his move.
"Pai Sho requires a balanced approach. You cannot attack and attack and attack and expect to win."
"That is not how I played this game."
"You are correct, Azula. You played an exceptional defense at the start. However, you neglected your pieces and sacrificed too many to reach your position. Each piece needs to be treated carefully and only sacrificed when necessary. These are the fundamentals of the game. You will not consistently succeed until you master the basics. Without them, you will burn up all your energy in a single success and fall apart afterward."
"My fundamentals are fine. Look at the board. The pieces did their job, capturing yours and letting me finish my second harmony. Taking them out of the equation allowed my dragon to end your game."
"You also favor the white dragon too much."
"It's the most powerful piece."
"In a way, I suppose that is true. However, it has weaknesses of its own, and a dragon's game does need the other pieces to complete a harmony." Her eyes flashed, and she assessed the board once again. Iroh allowed her clever mind to work for a few moments.
"It seems I have miscalculated the position of my dragon." Iroh bowed his head, revealing the hidden strike of his white lotus tile. Azula growled. The defeated shake of her head told Iroh that Azula understood her position would crumble in a few turns.
"Do you remember what I said about you attempting to teach Zuko?" Iroh willed his lips from quirking into a half smile. "I do."
"Then you should stop what you are doing now." She lifted a rose tile half-heartedly, looking for a way to regain her position, before bowing her head.
"I concede." Iroh smiled fully at her.
"I never knew you would take to Pai Sho this way." She undid her hair, letting it fall past her shoulders. Her bangs obscured her eyes.
"I wouldn't expect you to. You seemed only to have eyes for Zuko after all." Iroh's brows shot up to his forehead. Was his niece jealous?
"Azula... I..."
"Didn't know I was the Avatar? We both know that is the only reason you speak to me now. Without that, I would be father's golden child, and you would think I'm a monster." The bitterness of her tone surprised him. Further, the words "just like mother" were mouthed between black curtains of hair. Iroh sensed a history behind those words that he lacked knowledge of.
"Thats not true," The response was only half-hearted and Azula pounced.
"That lacked conviction. I shouldn't be surprised though, coming from the man who sent me a doll from the warfront that he ran away from. If you had any spine, you would have burned Ba Sing Se to the ground for what they did to Lu Ten." Iroh looked up, through the skylight above them at the half-moon, hoping to find worthy words - and patience - there. Iroh expected Azula to get up and leave, as she often did after biting and cruel remarks which meant to cut him down. To his surprise she remained, slumping lower.
"Azula, I am sorry." He said, finally. Behind the veil of black hair, Azula's gold eyes brightened like a rising sun.
"What?"
"I'm sorry for how I treated you, and ignored you. No matter what I thought of you, I should have given you more consideration. Regardless of being the Avatar, you are... a unique, driven and spirited girl. Not a monster, not at all, and if you were... that would have been Ozai's doing. I misunderstood you, I admit. I hope you can forgive me, and see me not as a mentor, but as your Uncle." It was only right. Iroh suspected those words needed to be said. He wasn't sure how different she would have turned out without the Avatar spirit splitting her from Ozai. He suspected the apology would not have been as easy to say. Perhaps, it would never have been said. Azula's golden eyes peered from behind her long bangs. She blinked and stared into his eyes for what felt like an eternity.
"I shouldn't have said what I said." Her voice cracked "It was dishonorable and not respectful to Lu Ten's memory." There was a thickness in her voice that Iroh hadn't heard before.
"Thank you for the game." She rose and her feet pattered away on the wooden floor. When the door slid shut behind her Iroh breathed out, releasing long held tension.
Iroh exhaled as Zuko turned and kicked, shooting fire near Iroh by mistake, which he batted aside with a wave of the hand. Zuko's fire had dwindled quickly, but briefly the flames rekindled into spouts of flames that matched Zuko's energy at the start of the session. Iroh hadn't been counting his breaths, but this began less than one-hundred ago. This was too ambitious and Iroh knew Zuko's body would not comply with his will much longer. Zuko needed to experience his body giving in to believe it, however. Iroh discovered that his nephew's stubbornness matched that of an earthbender, watching as Zuko's footwork wavered from a near slip on the deck. Yes, Zuko was willful and headstrong. Too much for his own good. However, obstinance of the mind only lasted so long as the body was willing, and Iroh knew it was only a matter of time before that would falter in this session also. Breathing had gone to the wayside, footwork had begun to walk off the deck, eventually Zuko's posture would droop and his fire would fail him. Iroh wondered what in Agni's name Zuko's teachers taught him at the palace. He lacked the fundamentals in such a noticeable way, forcing flames through muscle and aggression. He would need to be shown the proper way to firebend from the basics. Iroh clicked his tongue quietly as Zuko fell, but smiled behind his tea at Zuko's resilience, watching him get back up.
The frustrated growl and yell dropped his smile. Iroh set his tea down.
"Nephew?" He asked calmly.
"I'm not strong enough! The avatar has been training behind the walls of Ba-Sing-Se for almost fifty years!" His chest heaved with each syllable. Iroh bit his tongue, wincing. He'd vowed not to lie to Zuko about the Avatar - his own sister. Zuko suspected nothing, of course, so Iroh would never directly lie. However, experience dictated that lies of omission might prove just as damning, if - no, when - Zuko discovered the truth about Azula. When Zuko had demanded the crew sail for the walled city, Iroh had said nothing. When Zuko demanded to resume his training immediately in order to be powerful enough to face and defeat the Avatar, Iroh had said nothing. When would that change? His nephew was just as stubborn - Bullpig-headed in Lieutenant Jee's words - if not more so than his niece. Iroh decided it would not be any time soon with an internal sigh.
"He will be a fully trained master in the elements, protected by the best Earthbenders in the world, and I still can't even see straight!" Zuko continued, stomping over to the edge of the ship. Smoke billowed from his palms.
"Your eye and your body are not finished healing." Iroh stared at the bandages that wrapped his nephew's fresh wound. "Perhaps then, we should sail somewhere to train and spend some time building your strength first." Iroh cautioned. His stomach turned at his own words. He should tell Zuko, but his nephew was not ready and his wounds too fresh.
"No!" Zuko rounded on him, with all the fury of an enraged thirteen year old. "I knew you wouldn't understand! Your honor doesn't depend on this! Mine does!" The corner of his unscarred eye had turned wet. Iroh held his gaze steady.
"I know that you feel-"
"You don't know anything!" Zuko hissed, stomping off angrily downstairs, slamming the iron door shut. Iroh sighed heavily. Lieutenant Jee frowned from his place at the bow of the ship, but said nothing as he followed Zuko's footsteps.
"I'll assess our course and report back, General Iroh." He said neutrally.
"Thank you, Lieutenant." The door closed more softly this time. Iroh looked down at the Pai Sho board at his knees and twirled the White Dragon tile. He didn't have a complete set anymore. He would ensure that they stopped sometime soon to find a new tile. White Lotus tiles were difficult to find, Iroh wasn't sure how long it would take to find one. They had time. He clasped the white dragon tile tightly. He hoped they had plenty of time.
AN: Hello all! I think everyone should go back and reread the first two chapters if they have time, or want to! I rewrote some significant portions to improve the writing further as I will likely do with this chapter sometime this week. I have run out of the chapters that were finished, though I have two chapters nearly done that will be released weekly from now on. (To give me some time to proofread, trim, etc) I struggled with releasing this chapter because I've always been torn about what should happen to Azula after she departs from the fire nation. However, I think that I have some fun plots and arcs lined up. Our primary antagonist will be revealed next chapter! As always please review and feed my writing spirit!