That evening was a strange one for the entire group. Zuko avoided everyone for most of the time, returning only when Aang called him for dinner. Still, there was no usual happy banter during the meal; everyone seemed to feel awkward.
Aang noticed that Katara had her necklace back, and although he felt happy for her, he couldn't help feeling a little disappointed that she immediately discarded the one he had given her earlier that day.
Although the Water Tribe siblings were wary of falling asleep next to their former enemy, Zuko had simply laid down by the opposite side of the bonfire. Aang chose his favorite spot next to Appa, but Momo, on the other hand, had positioned himself right on the firebender's stomach and lay down curled up into a ball of fur.
"He must enjoy the firebender's higher body temperature" Zuko assumed, finding the animal's presence oddly pleasant. He petted its head, which made lemur nestle even more.
When the first sun rose, the firebender got up (much to Momo's discontent), and tried to assess his state. He was still in bad shape, but he could easily get up and take a walk without feeling dizzy.
The fire had gone completely out during the night, and he felt the cold chill all over his body. He wondered how far up north they had gotten while he was unconscious.
He added a few logs into a fire pit, and threw a light fire punch at it, except... Nothing happened. He tried it again, with the same result. Another chill ran down his spine, only this time it had nothing to do with a temperature.
"What is going on...? I'm in better shape than yesterday, it's not possible that I'm too week to create a small flame"
He put his hands in front of him and tried to conjure a flame, but he couldn't force one out. He was on the verge of panic when he heard a movement.
Katara woke up and crawled out of her sleeping bag with a yawn, and then their eyes met. She was surprised to see he was already up, and she clearly felt a discomfort at the thought that he had been awake before them.
"Why are you up so early?" she asked him.
His throat felt dry, and he coughed slightly before answering "I got up with the sunrise. All firebenders do that if they can."
His voice was a little shaky and she kept looking at him suspiciously. He looked away to avoid further inspection and added "We don't like to waste any minute of sunshine"
The waterbender eyed him suspiciously for a while more, but decided to accept that answer for now. She got up and and focused on making a breakfast. They didn't have much except for the rice, fruits and some leftover owlhog's meat that Sokka left by the fire for the night to get smoked.
Zuko wandered a little farther away from the group, stopping at the riverbank to wash his face. However, it didn't help to ease his nerves; quite the opposite, as his panic rose even higher when he realized he couldn't even create enough heat in his hands to dry them off.
"What is happening to me?" he asked himself frantically until he heard the waterbending girl announce loudly that breakfast was ready. He decided quickly that no one should find out about his weakness, and he took a few deep calming breaths before standing up to join the others for breakfast.
Katara had just woken the others up, and just as she was about to call the firebender again, she noticed him coming back to the camp. He looked a bit shaken to her, but she wasn't exactly willing to ask him about it after yesterday's events. It could be her imagination too after all. Soon, they all sat down to eat.
"I can't wait to meet that fortune-teller!" Aang wondered, with his mouth full "Are you coming with us, Zuko?"
The prince looked at the Avatar for few seconds, and just shrugged his shoulders indifferently. He assumed that they would want to keep an eye on him anyway.
"He is." Sokka muttered while checking on the meat that had been smoking all night. "Although I still think it's a waste of time." He sighed, glancing at his companions. "Not that anyone would listen to me..."
Katara ignored the last part, sharing Aang's the excitement "There are things in this world that just can't be explained, maybe that's just one of them?"
He grumbled something in response and for a while they were just eating quietly. Then Katara's eyes went back to the Zuko, and suddenly she frowned slightly "You can't go to the village like this."
Zuko looked up in surprise, clearly not understanding what she meant. Seeing this, she added quickly "I mean, your shirt has holes; it looks terrible."
The boys turned to examine it as well. The sight could be drawing attention. There were holes on both sides, and the bandages were clearly visible through them. Although it wasn't the most unsettling of his features.
"Yeah, it looks kinda suspicious. Especially with bruises and the scar standing out even more with that bald head" said Sokka returning to his meal "I agree that the ponytail was horrible, but why did you shave it all off?"
"Well, maybe it looks a little more scary..." the Avatar agreed, quickly adding "But, not that there's anything wrong with the bald head!"
The firebender tried to ignore their comments and looked down at his chest. He was used to wounds, but in this peaceful village, it might draw some unwanted attention.
"My hair is none of your business. As for the shirt, I don't have any other to wear right now." said Zuko blankly. "I guess I could put my sheath belt over it to cover it a little."
"Yeah, because wearing an empty sheath is so fancy" Sokka mocked, and the prince had to ignore a burning feeling of emptiness from losing his weapons.
"Good. Since you agree, maybe you could lend him your spare shirt, Sokka...?" his sister asked smirking.
The Water Tribe boy almost choked on his food "What?! Why me?"
"Well, he wouldn't fit into mine or Aang's obviously! And we want to make a good impression on Aunt Wu, right?"
"You're finally awake."
June hauled herself up onto her elbow, wincing as she did so, and checked the back of her head with the other hand. She grimaced slightly as she felt a bit of dried blood in her hair.
"I was wondering, what were you thinking, attacking a group of Fire Nation soldiers with just that beast of yours?"
Zhao spoke with a tint of amusement, knowing he was in control now. It wasn't that way the previous day, when his troop got attacked by an unknown beast, driven by a dangerous-looking woman from Earth Kingdom.
June looked at the man. She wasn't surprised that she was seeing him through the bars. Still, the fact that they were talking, meant there could be a way out of it, she just had to approach this carefully.
"Usually it goes easier." she said nonchalantly.
"You mean, usually your beast doesn't get seared? Well, that's what happens when you attack firebenders." the admiral laughed lightly "What is that creature anyway? I've never seen anything quite like it. Paralysing tongue?"
One corner of her mouth lifted slightly, as she was beginning to see her way out, but she turned her face away to hide it. He would obviously want her to hunt someone down, that's what everyone wanted from her once they learnt who was she and her beast. Now, she just had to let him realize it.
"It's Shirshu. No wonder you've never heard of it; they're almost extinct." The huntress replied kindly, waiting for him to start the real conversation.
Zhao didn't seem to be in rush however. "So, what exactly were you trying to achieve there?"
His mockery was beginning to get on her nerves.
"I'm a bounty hunter. There is a handsome reward for the man that your squad arrested. Quite simple."
"Was it really big enough to try and attack a Fire Nation army unit over him?" Zhao mocked again, but he noticed it didn't seem to have the effect he wanted.
"Enough of this. How did you know he was there? Were you watching us?" He changed his tone to more serious, as he took a few steps toward the cell bars. The huntress was annoying him; why wasn't she scared, being arrested by the Fire Nation army?
"Shirshu can smell a rat a continent away, all it needs is a scent to follow. Very convenient, isn't it?" she said, turning towards him and finally allowing herself a satisfied smile.
This caused Zhao to stop mid-stride. Immediately, a thought formed in his head "Very convenient indeed."
She saw that he caught the bait, so she waited quietly.
"I might have a proposition for you. If you will help me track and capture certain traitor, and a boy he's travelling with, I will let you go."
It was all June needed to hear to know that there was a lot more she could get out of him. She slowly turned her head away, as if in thought.
Zhao was getting impatient, so he decided to sweeten the pot "There's a reward for both of them that we can share. Heck, you can even take this peasant you were after, for all I care. So what do you say?"
It was already more than she expected, and it gave her unpleasant feeling that there was probably something tricky about this job. However, if she refused now, after he layed down such a generous offer, he would take it as insult.
"I say let's hunt. But, I'm going to need my shirshu to it." she reminded smugly, trying not to show her worry about her Nyla.
"That's quite obvious." Zhao smiled with amusement.
"Well then, her nose needs to recover from the burn. Give me 2 days, and we can go."
"Then I think it's a deal."
After the breakfast Sokka went to get his shirt, clearly frustrated to be the only one forced to such gestures. He tossed it to the other teenager, yelling that he wanted it back once they return from the village. Zuko didn't answered that, being uncomfortable with the whole situation. He just put it on without a word, and folded his black shirt together with the dao sheath.
Afterwards, they loaded their belongings onto Appa and headed in the direction the old man had pointed out the previous day. Aang and Katara chatted excitedly about the possibilities for their future readings, while Sokka trudged along them, irritated by both the fortune-telling thing and the earlier situation involving his shirt.
Every few minutes, he would glower at the firebender, who remained a bit behind. Despite his attempts to appear nonchalant, it was clear that he was still tiring easily. Appa, plodding along at the rear of the group, also did not seem particularly fond of their new companion and grumbled whenever he sensed that the teenager was lagging too far behind the group.
It took about an hour and a half before they saw a village uphill. Before they could get any closer, Zuko suddenly sped up to catch up with them.
"Hey, listen," he said, stopping them. "It'd be better if you called me 'Lee' from now on. These people might recognize my real name, and it won't do any good for either of us. Not to mention, I'll probably be wanted soon."
They looked at him, surprised, but only shrugged and muttered a few quick words in agreement. It wouldn't hurt to be cautious.
Finally, they entered the village, only to find it strangely deserted. After wandering through it for a while, they spotted a small group gathered in the center and decided to approach to investigate further.
They made their way through the crowd and luckily recognized one of the villagers as the old man they had met yesterday. They quickly asked him about the gathering.
"Ah, we're waiting for Aunt Wu." he explained with a smile. "She is going to read the clouds to predict the fate of our entire village."
"She will tell us if Mount Makapu will remain dormant for another year or if it's going to erupt." woman standing next to him added with a smile almost as wide as his. Hearing this sent shivers down Zuko's back.
"It's not possible to tell if the volcano will erupt! Those predictions are surely just a wishful thinking." he peeked at the Avatar's group and noticed Sokka clearly having the same thoughts on the matter.
"We used to climb up to the top of the mountain to check ourselves, but since Aunt Wu moved to our village 20 years ago, we don't have to do that anymore." the villagers continued, still very pleased with themselves.
"The... clouds?! You're entrusting your lives to some crazy woman's superstitions?!" Sokka finally voiced aloud what they were both thinking.
Katara quickly shushed her brother as the woman they were talking about was already approaching. Aunt Wu positioned herself in the small alcove in the middle of the crowd and began her readings, starting with less relevant topics, such as the quality of crops for next year.
Zuko didn't quite listen to her as the mountain behind her caught his eye. The thought of the volcano not having been checked in 20 years made him feel very uncomfortable.
"In the Fire Nation, every volcano considered active is checked at least twice a year to ensure there is enough time to react if it nears eruption. With the village being so close, practically on the mountainside and directly in the potential path of any lava flow... If it were to erupt right now, they wouldn't stand a chance."
He was suddenly broken out of his thoughts.
"The village will not be destroyed by the volcano this year!" the fortune-teller announced proudly, and soon the air was filled with applause from grateful villagers.
Katara also seemed very impressed with the woman, as she was already rushing to her house. Aang followed her quickly with Momo on his head, leaving Sokka and Zuko behind. It gave the firebender an idea. Out of all these people, the Water Tribe warrior seemed to be the only one here thinking logically. Maybe he could convince him to talk some sense into these people.
Sokka watched as the place gradually cleared and sighed. He was about to follow his sister and Aang, when he remembered about their additional companion. He turned around quickly and startled seeing the firebender right next to him, staring at him intently. "What the heck, dude?"
"I... Uhh" Zuko stammered, abashed, before going back on the right track "This fortune-teller doesn't know what she's talking about. I know that no one will trust me over her, and you don't trust me at all. But you know as well that she has no way of knowing volcano's state."
He took a deep breath, seeing that he had the other teen's attention. "Volcanoes, active ones especially, need to be checked. These villagers may be foolish, but they don't deserve to die. If that volcano was about to erupt, they might not even have enough time to escape. We have to make them understand that-"
Sokka interrupted him abruptly "Wait, I think I misheard. We? And since when do you care about other people?"
To Zuko, it felt like a slap in the face.
"I never said I don't."
"Right. Like when you set multiple houses on fire on Kyoshi Island?"
"That was different!" the prince shouted back. He knew the other boy was right, and he still felt guilty for his actions. But he had been chasing the Avatar, so it was partially justifiable.
"Different, how?"
For a moment they looked at each other, but when there was no response, Sokka turned to follow the others into the fortune-teller's house. Zuko watched him leave before finally turning to join the rest of the group.
The house inside looked pretty normal. Katara was already inside the fortune-teller's room, listening about her future. Aang was next in line, and he was sitting quietly on the big cushion, trying to avoid looking at the young girl who kept smiling at him. She introduced herself as Meng, Aunt Wu's assistant. Sokka sat down on the other cushion next to Aang, and began eating some bean curd puffs that the girl had brought for them.
Zuko paused by the door, casting a nervous glance at the Avatar and his friend, uncertain of how to approach them about the potential danger. The previous conversation with the teen hadn't gone well, but the Avatar was supposed to help people, wasn't he? He seemed to trust Zuko for some reason, so perhaps he was the one he should turn to.
Meanwhile Aang's mind was completely somewhere else. He kept nervously fidgeting in place, eventually he turned to Sokka "So... What do you think they're talking about back there?"
"Some boring stuff, I'm sure," Sokka answered absentmindedly, taking a sip of his tea. "Like who she's going to marry, how many babies she's going to have... You know, dumb things that are impossible to verify immediately."
"Yeah, dumb stuff like that..." the Avatar didn't even hear the last part, already insecure with the thought that someone else could be destined for his crush. Finally he got up "I gotta go find bathroom!"
When the airbender left to eavesdrop on Katara's conversation, Sokka was left alone with Zuko, who was still standing silently by the door. Well, not completely alone, as Meng was still in the room, looking nervously at the scarred boy. The absence of hair on his head made the scar stand out even more, giving him a rather threatening appearance. A bruise on his forehead only added to this intimidating effect.
Sokka tried to relax while waiting for this whole future-telling nonsense to end, but those angry jerk's words kept bugging him. Obviously, he could have a hidden motive, but... what could his motive possibly be? There was no good reason for him to want them to keep these villagers safe. They weren't in any particular hurry, and his sister and Aang were already wasting their time here. But if he was telling the truth, this whole village could be in danger. Assuming that the firebender was right, Sokka needed to come up with a plan.
He looked up, trying to think of a question that wouldn't alarm her since she was within earshot, and finally he asked, "So, how urgent is it...? You know, what you said outside."
Zuko looked at him, surprised and a little curious. He assumed that the warrior had already refused to help on the matter, but maybe it wasn't lost. He caught the subtle tone and glanced at Meng.
"It may not be," he said. "I hope everything is fine for now. But..."
He noticed that she was just about to leave, so he waited a little longer before continuing. "If the volcano was about to erupt, they wouldn't know until it was too late. When there are obvious signs, that means it has already begun. It's crucial to always know what state it's in."
Sokka didn't have time to respond; at that moment, Aang returned, visibly pleased about something. Unsure if the kid had overheard the end of their conversation, Sokka quickly asked, "Looks like someone had a pretty good bathroom break, huh?"
"Well, when I was in there-"
"I don't even want to know!" The warrior interrupted Aang, glad that he hadn't been caught talking to their former enemy. However, he was also aware that they would likely need his help eventually, so he tried to think of a way to share the information that Zuko had given him.
"Aang, I think we should-" Sokka started, but in that moment Aunt Wu entered the room along with his clearly delighted sister.
"So, who's next?" the woman asked, and suddenly Sokka considered asking her about the volcano. Getting up from the cushion with a sigh, he replied, "Actually, fine, let's get this over with."
He didn't even take a step forward before she stopped him "Your future is full of struggle and anguish. Most of it self-inflicted."
"But you didn't even read my palm or anything!" the warrior exclaimed in disbelief. "Aren't you going to even talk to me?"
"I don't need to, it's written all over your face. You, come with me" she said turning to the Avatar. Before they left the room, she paused and gave Zuko a look that made him freeze in place. There was something about her...
The moment passed quickly, leaving the Water Tribe siblings alone with Zuko. Katara sat next to her brother, smiling to herself. The prince, meanwhile, paid her no mind, his thoughts occupied with the fortune teller.
"She couldn't possibly know who I am, right? She would have already raised an alarm... Unless she wants something. Still, manipulating the whole village for 20 years... She could be dangerous."
In the same time Sokka tried asking his sister about the fortune-teller, but she seemed delighted with the future Aunt Wu predicted for her and refused to share anything with him.
"You wouldn't believe it anyway, would you?" she teased him
"I just think she might not actually know all these things, so it could be dangerous if-"
"Oh, stop it, Sokka. You're just saying that because you're gonna make yourself unhappy your whole life."
"It isn't about me!" Sokka protested. "I just-" He stopped as he saw the Avatar coming back. "Oh, Aang! That was fast! Come here, we need to talk."
Aunt Wu followed him closely and looked directly at Zuko this time "You, come with me."
He wasn't surprised, but a direct confrontation wasn't exactly what he needed right now "I think I'll pass. I just came here for the company"
"Come on, Zu-" Aang started, but caught himself quickly, turning it into another word. "YOU should give it a shot, Lee! Maybe you'll be surprised!"
Zuko glared at him, but then Katara smiled. "Yeah, you could give it a try."
Knowing that it would be suspicious to deny it further, he reluctantly followed the fortune-teller.
When they entered her chamber, he was fully alert, expecting anything, even an ambush, but she said simply, "Sit down and pick a bone from this stash. Bone reading is one of the most reliable ways of telling one's future."
He looked at her suspiciously, but eventually complied and sat down, handing her a bone from the top of the stash "Sure it is."
She ignored his sarcastic tone and threw it into the fire. Suddenly the flames burst high into the air, coming only inches away from the firebender's face. He barely fought the urge to dispel them on reflex, but his breathing quickened rapidly. Their proximity reminded him of that one time when the fire had come much too close. He didn't notice how the fortune-teller watched him, her arms raised just enough to cover her face, feigning interest in reading the flames.
Finally, she turned back to the fire and spoke. "So much confusion, denial... anger. I've never seen anything like it before. It would take just any excuse to lash out, wouldn't it?"
Her voice carried a bitter tone, and he couldn't help but feel offended. He decided to skip beating around the bush. "We're not here to talk about my future, are we?"
This time when she looked at him, it was as if she had daggers in her eyes. "Oh, but we are. So let me tell you what it's going to be. I don't know why you're traveling with the Avatar, Lee. But you will stay away from him. Your nation has caused the Air Nomads enough suffering."
His eyes opened wider. Was it that obvious? His pale skin, or more likely his eyes...? But, she wasn't attacking (could she even fight? ) so maybe it was just a warning.
"I did not intend to travel with him, and I am leaving soon. I have no interest in him, so you can be assured that he is safe from any harm on my part."
He spoke carefully, but he still wasn't sure if she believed him. Her gaze never left his face as she answered slowly "Then maybe you will have a future."
She looked in the fire again, but he knew there was nothing for her to see. When she started talking again, her voice was again a one of an old tired woman "The Avatar is currently the only hope for the world to survive as it is. Balance between the Elements must be restored for everyone's sake, otherwise the Spirits will turn against the people"
He was confused by the sudden change of attitude, and her words weren't making any sense to him either. "What do you mean? The Air element was wiped out 100 years ago, so there's no balance to restore anymore. If any spirits were about to attack, they would have already done it by now."
The woman hesitated before answering carefully "Still, the war has to stop. It has already lasted for too long. Haven't enough innocent people died to satisfy one man's ambition?"
There was no need to clarify what man was she talking about, and there was nothing for Zuko to say about it. He knew all too well that this war cost many people their lives.
"How many lives in those hundred years...? Soldiers or not? Countless, probably. But it's not about ambition. She doesn't understand, it's for... for their own good. It's, uh-" He was getting frustrated; this conversation needed to end. He remembered that there were more pressing matters waiting, and a bitter smile crept onto his lips.
"Well, fancy hearing all that from you" he said as he stood up from the ground. "You're the one who's been lying to the whole village for years to keep your position. If you really care about the people so much, you better tell these villagers to go back to checking their volcano, because one day your lies could cost them all their lives."
He left the room, not noticing how his words had left the woman stunned. The others were already waiting for him by the door, so he joined them without saying a word.
A single knock on the door, and a man entered a cabin.
"It is done, sir." Lieutenant announced silently "The message will be spread amongst other members of the White Lotus."
Iroh nodded, silently acknowledging Jee's report. He didn't take his eyes off of the parchment he was writing on. His subordinate was watching him with concern.
"A- are you sure about it, sir...?"
"Difficult times call for tough decisions, I'm afraid." Iroh responded with a grim face. "And while it won't be pleasant, I think it's the best possible solution."
As the ink dried up, he slowly rolled the parchment and packed it for hawk's holder. He stood up, handing prepared message to Jee. "The word was sent, but I can't just sit here and wait with my arms crossed. And unfortunately, Admiral has the highest chance of finding the Avatar, with all the resources he has now."
"But is he really gonna fall for it...?" Jee asked doubtedly, as he gazed at the sealed scroll in his hands.
"Zhao is arrogant. He may not trust me with all the information, but he won't be able to resist having me in his command. And being closer to him will give me more intel, than we would be able to gather by ourselves."
"I see. You can count on us, General." Lieutenant saluted, and left the cabin to send a message.