Hello! So much for updating more regularly, heh. Sorry for the long wait. Here's the new chapter!

*NOTE* For the full, spicy version of this chapter, please follow the link on my profile ;)

Some of the dialogue was borrowed from The Siege of the North, Part 1 episode.

AtLA is not mine.

Chapter Twenty

In Which the Princess Learns New Skills

Staring out into the sea, Hakoda frowned deeply, lost in his thoughts, as his men moved across the ship, which was docked in one of the Earth Kingdom ports. A sudden storm had forced them to remain in the small seaside town for three days. However, the storm had finally abated during the night and he had ordered his men to prepare to sail back to the Southern Water Tribe that morning after another unsuccessful search for his missing children.

Where could they be? He had looked everywhere he thought they could have gone, but they were nowhere to be found. He knew they would have sent him word by now of their whereabouts in order not to worry him, so it only increased his fear that something terrible had befallen them. He did not know what he would do if he were to lose them…

"Hakoda," Bato's voice interrupted the chieftain's dark thoughts.

"Yes?" Hakoda responded as he turned to regard his right-hand man. He raised an eyebrow at the expectant look on Bato's face.

"A letter from the Northern Water Tribe just arrived," Bato said as he held out the bound scroll.

Hakoda quickly took it from him and broke the seal. He suddenly stopped, hesitating a moment, as he was hit with sudden anxiety.

Was it good news or bad news?

Swallowing thickly, his hands trembled a little as he slowly unfurled the parchment. His eyes scanned the letter and relief immediately flooded him when he realized the letter was from Katara, letting him know that both she and Sokka had arrived at the Northern Water Tribe. He let out the breath he did not realize he had been holding and he closed his eyes, his shoulders sagging a little in relief.

Thank La, he mentally sighed.

He could feel Bato regarding him questioningly, so he opened his eyes and reread the letter more carefully. Katara didn't mention anything about why it took them so long to contact him, where they had been, and why they had left home in the first place, but he told himself he would ask them when he saw them. For now, he was glad to know that they were safe.

"Tell the men we're heading to the Northern Water Tribe," Hakoda said as he looked up to smile at Bato, "My children are waiting for me there."

"That's great news!" Bato exclaimed as he returned the smile. "I'll let the men know."

Hakoda nodded as he watched him go. Fortunately, the Earth Kingdom port they had stopped at was not too far from the North Pole, so they should arrive at the northern palace in a couple of weeks. Soon he'd be able to bring his children back home where they will be safe.

He looked back at the letter and once again went over the part where Katara mentioned she had some news to give him once she saw him again. He wondered what it could be. His chest tightened in guilt as it had been doing for the past months since she and Sokka had left home. Now that he had more time to think, the more he realized it had been unfair—even cruel—of him to try to force Katara to marry Jet when she had been adamantly against it.

He should have listened to her concerns. He should have believed her accusations against Jet. He should have killed the Earth Prince for daring to hurt his daughter!

He took a deep breath to calm himself down as he placed the scroll inside his parka. He absentmindedly heard Bato giving the men orders as they scrambled around the ship. He turned back to look at the sea, the dawning sun painting the horizon in reds and purples.

He would ask Katara for forgiveness when they saw each other again.

He hoped it was not too late.

"Nice try, Pupil Sangok," Pakku said with a displeased frown. "Would anyone care for a rematch with Princess Katara?"

He looked around at the students sitting by the sidelines, tired and dejected. A few of them would glance up at Katara in both awe and fear as she stood in front of them with a look of determination. With a shake of his head, Pakku unfroze Katara's latest sparring partner from her icy trap. He was unfazed when the young man fell on the floor with a yelp.

Pakku had decided to move Katara to the more advanced class of waterbending students to test out what she had learned so far. Although they hadn't voiced their concerns or displeasure in fighting a woman, a princess no less, he had been able to tell the young men felt superior and were overconfident in their abilities. It looked like Katara knocked them down a peg or two.

When no one took up the challenge, Pakku dismissed the young men as he made a mental note to have a talk with their waterbending teacher. Once they were gone, he turned back to his granddaughter.

"You've advanced more quickly than any student I've ever trained," Pakku commented, watching as Katara smiled brightly.

"Do you really think so?" she asked excitedly as she adjusted the new waterskin he had given her for her training on her hip.

Perhaps it was because she had secretly watched the warriors back home train, or perhaps it was the combat training Zuko had given her, or perhaps just her sheer tenacity and observational skills and her waterbending healing arts, but she seemed to be a natural in using waterbending to fight. It just made her more eager to learn everything she could, so that if the day ever came, she would be able to defend herself and everyone she cared about.

Pakku nodded, smiling proudly. "You have proven that with fierce determination, passion and hard work, you can accomplish anything."

"Despite me being a woman?" she teased with a grin.

Pakku smiled wryly. "I've already acknowledged that you proved me wrong as you've proven to Sangok and the others."

Katara laughed. "Compared to sparring with Zuko, they weren't much of a challenge."

She was still learning hand-to-hand combat from Zuko, which Pakku had not been too pleased with at first. She and Zuko had even begun sparring with their bending now that her grandfather was teaching her more about waterbending as a fighting style.

"Hm, I'm still unsure if I should be concerned or not about having him fight with my granddaughter," Pakku mused as he stroked his beard.

"You know Zuko would never intentionally hurt me," Katara replied good-naturedly.

"That I know is true," he said with a nod. His old friend might sometimes have a bit of a temper, but he would never intentionally hurt an innocent or defenseless person. "Even after all these years and all he's been through, Zuko's still the same honorable man I knew in my youth. I sometimes still find it hard to believe that he is alive and well."

"That's understandable," Katara said, "Even he's still adjusting to everything that's happened over the years while he was…cursed."

"I can only imagine," he said with a nod of his head before he narrowed his eyes, "Azula's cruelty knows no bounds. She ripped Zuko from his family, home, and life. He lost everything, his beloved mother and uncle, his rightful place on the throne, even the woman he had been engaged to, although I'm sure he didn't mourn over that too much."

Katara frowned at the reminder of Zuko's previous engagement before mentally shaking her head. She knew she had nothing to worry about, but still, she was curious.

"Zuko mentioned her before…" she slowly said as she tried to pry for more information without being suspicious. "What was she like?"

"Who? Lady Mai?" Pakku asked before furrowing his brow as he thought, "Well, I only met her a few times, but she seemed like a sophisticated woman…although perhaps a little cold. Zuko didn't want to marry her, but he accepted the arranged marriage in order to honor his family's wishes. Perhaps it was for the best that their engagement ended. I'm not sure they would've made each other happy, to be honest."

Katara hummed as she thought over his words, ignoring the little giddy voice in her head.

"I only hope that Zuko can eventually find that special someone one day," Pakku added thoughtfully.

Katara bit her lip before she blurted out that he already had. She cleared her throat as she fidgeted with her braid.

"How would you feel if Zuko, I don't know, happened to fall in love with a water tribe woman?" she asked as innocently as possible, "And he, uh, proposes marriage to her?"

Pakku frowned as he stroked his beard in thought.

"I would be surprised at first and perhaps a little impressed with however manages to make Zuko fall in love with them," he admitted pensively, "But I wouldn't be opposed to it if both are truly happy with each other."

Katara passed a hand over her mouth to hide her happy smile at her grandfather's honest response. Perhaps letting her grandparents know about her relationship with Zuko wouldn't be so bad…

"However, I feel like they might experience some difficulties," Pakku continued, unaware of Katara's thoughts, "What with him being from the Fire Nation and her being a water tribe woman. Not to mention that Zuko might want to go back home to the Fire Nation eventually, and if he does decide to fight to reclaim the throne, the Fire Nation nobility might not welcome a water tribe woman as their queen."

The smile on Katara's face vanished since those were concerns that she had thought about as well. Would Pakku still feel the same if he found out it was his own granddaughter who would have to face those difficulties?

"Ah, well, who knows what the future holds," the chieftain continued with a shake of his head, "All I know is that Zuko is a good man, and if he ever does decide to marry someone, I know he would treat them right."

Some hope returned to Katara with those words. Her family might have some reservations about her marrying Zuko, and she would understand if they did, but she knew that what Zuko and she shared was unbreakable, their love for each other burned strongly, and she was positive that they would be able to weather any storm that came their way…

"How is teaching coming along?" Pakku asked, changing the subject, as a couple of warriors began to set up for their training sessions.

A few days ago, Yagoda had asked Katara if she would like to train a new class of young children to heal with waterbending. Katara had happily accepted and took on her role as teacher enthusiastically. Teaching and training took up most of her time, but she enjoyed it immensely. The only downside was that she couldn't see Zuko as often as she liked, which wouldn't be a problem if she had confessed their relationship to her grandparents since the beginning…She mentally shook her head.

"So far, it's been great," Katara replied happily, "We even have one boy in the class, so far."

She looked at her grandfather to gauge his reaction. His brow was pinched slightly, but he did not seem overly upset. She had received some protests from Yugoda and a couple of older healers when she had brought up her decision to include boys in her waterbending healing classes, but she had been adamant and they eventually relented when their chieftain had quietly supported her. When she asked him if women could start being included in warrior training, he had told her he would think about it. He had not refused immediately, so she took that as a good sign. She knew it would take some time for things to change when the tribes had been set in their ways for so many centuries.

"Your mother would be proud," Pakku suddenly said, his tone wistful.

Katara felt her eyes prick with tears at the sentiment, but hastily blinked them away as she smiled at him.

"Thank you, Gran Pakku," she said softly as she touched the pendant of the necklace, "I really miss her."

"So do I," he replied just as softly.

"Chief Pakku, Princess Katara," they heard someone call out, interrupting the moment.

Frowning, they turned to watch one of the warriors approach them, a spear held casually with one hand and a suave smile on his face.

Katara suppressed the urge to roll her eyes as Hahn, one of the Northern Water Tribe's rising warriors, threw her a flirtatious look as he bowed his head respectfully at Pakku. Her grandfather had introduced them a couple of days ago during a banquet since Hahn was the grandson of one of Pakku's close friends. Hahn had immediately begun to try to charm her whenever he had a chance. She had not been impressed or amused by his attempts to flirt with her, but at least he had not been as unctuous like Jet. Still, she had made sure to avoid him as best as she could by staying by Zuko or her friends' sides. When she had a moment alone with Pakku again, she had firmly told him that she was not interested in another arranged marriage. Her father's attempt had been a disaster and she would not go through the same thing again, so it would be best for him to forget the idea. He had told her he had no intentions of forcing anything on her, but asked her to at least think about the possibility of finding a suitable husband during her stay. She had to press her lips tightly together to keep from shouting out that she was already engaged before vaguely saying she would keep that in mind.

"Ah, it's good to see you, Hahn," Pakku said as he regarded the young man and his granddaughter. "How are your grandparents?"

Hahn opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by Katara clearing her throat.

"I'm sorry, Gran Pakku, but I should get ready for dinner," she said with a polite smile before looking at Hahn, "Have a good training session."

"Oh, ah, t-thank you, Princess Katara," Hahn stuttered, bowing rapidly as she began to walk away.

She could feel her grandfather's exasperated expression, but she was not worried. She had made it clear to him that she was not interested in Hahn or any other person. The only man she was interested in was Zuko, but she could not reveal that yet. She bit her lip. She had not seen Zuko much the last few days since they had been busy with one thing or another. She missed being alone with him, just enjoying each other's company.

The urge to see him made her quicken her pace to the royal baths to wash up and change. Perhaps if they were lucky they could sneak in a moment alone together before dinner…

Zuko hummed pensively as he closed the book he had been reading and jotted down some notes on the sheets of paper he had been able to procure from Pakku. Several, large tomes and scrolls were piled on top of each other at his feet with a neat stack of his extensive notes next to him. He was in the palace's library, once again reading through several recent history books the kind, elderly librarian had helped him find.

The library had two floors. Neat cubicles had been carved on the walls which were filled with numerous books and scrolls of different topics as well as water tribe artifacts. In the middle of the first floor was the librarian's desk. Along the walls were several tables and comfortable chairs while various furs and cushions were spread throughout the space for leisure reading. The second floor, which could be accessed by a winding staircase, held multiple rows of bookcases with more books and scrolls. Crystal lamps attached to the walls provided ample light for the library patrons.

On his first visit, Zuko had found a little nook with a fur covered bench toward the back of the first floor with two glass lamps attached to the walls on either side. It provided a quiet, private spot for him to read. At the moment, he was the only one in the room since the librarian had gone out to eat after he assured her he was fine being alone.

Picking up another book, Zuko turned to the first page as he dipped his brush in an inkpot. The more he read, the more fascinated he was with the things that had happened in the last forty years. He had been amazed to know that King Bumi was still ruling Omashu. He must be a little over 100 years old!

Yet, the more he learned about what had happened in the Fire Nation or what Azula had done while he was gone, the angrier he became. It made him more determined to bring her down. If he was right and she was planning to use Sozin's Comet to her advantage, then they only had a couple of months before the Fire Nation military became too powerful.

Letting out a sigh, Zuko leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. About two weeks had passed since they had arrived at the Northern Water Tribe. Most of the tribespeople did not know who he really was, but had gradually accepted him and the dragons. He and Druk continued their firebending and flying lessons. They would fly miles away from the capital to observe the wintry land before returning when the cold became too much. Druk and Tanik would hunt near the sea, far from the city so as to not cause the hunters and fisherman trouble, although Druk had confessed to him that they missed the meatier prey they were used to in the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom— not to mention the warmer weather.

Zuko would train with his firebending and broadswords whenever the training arena was empty after the tribe warriors had finished their own training. He had noticed, however, that some of them would stay to watch him, which had at first unnerved him. Then Sokka began to join him, good-naturedly taunting him, which would make the spectating warriors and servants begin to make wagers as to who would win their sparring matches. Zuko was proud to say that he had made Sokka eat his words several times, much to the amusement of the onlookers, although that was not to say that he had never lost. He had come to appreciate Sokka's friendship. Although Sokka was completely different from Pakku, Zuko could see himself having a solid friendship with Katara's brother, especially since they were technically the same age. Having lived the experiences of a normal adult, Pakku definitely had the mentally of a sixty year old man. Zuko could not relate.

Sometimes Pakku would join him in the training arena and other times Zuko would continue his hand-to-hand combat lessons with Katara or they would spar using their bending. It had only been a few weeks, but Katara was already so good. She had even knocked him down several times, much to Katara's pride and Pakku's amusement. Katara was a natural and he was sure she would be a force to reckon with once she was a true master waterbender.

"Zuko?" he heard Katara call out to his name from the library's entrance as if his thoughts had conjured her up. He mentally told her where he was as he set his brush aside, closed the inkpot, and made some space next to him where she could sit.

A moment later, she appeared in front of him with a smile on her face, which he returned as he watched her sit next to him. Her sweet scent floated to his nose and he noticed that she was wearing different clothes from the ones she was wearing that morning, so he knew she had just bathed after another training session with Pakku. They did not have much time alone together, so he cherished the moments when he was able to spend time with her away from everyone else.

"How's the reading coming along?" Katara asked, unaware of his thoughts, as she glanced at the pile of books at his feet.

"I'm learning a lot," Zuko responded as he looked down at his notes, "I don't feel as lost as before, but…I think I still have a lot more to go."

The waterbender nodded at his words as she reached out her hand to gently grasp his, smiling when he intertwined their fingers together.

"You shouldn't be too hard on yourself," she told him softly, "You're trying to cram everything that has happened in the last forty years. It's going to take some time."

Zuko nodded in agreement, knowing what she said was true. He would always appreciate her encouragement.

"How was training with Pakku today?" he asked.

The firebender watched as Katara's blue eyes shone with excitement as she told him everything she had learned that day. He listened silently as she talked, admiring her enthusiasm, offering suggestions when she asked for it, and chuckling when she smugly narrated how she had defeated the advanced class of students.

"Oh, I also wanted to let you know that there's going to be a spring festival in two weeks," Katara told him, "I know you're probably wondering why since it still feels like winter, but you may have noticed that the nights are getting shorter and there is more sunlight."

"Now that you mentioned it, I have noticed that," Zuko replied with a smile.

"Good," she said as she smiled excitedly up at him, "Well, everyone is excited for the festival. There's going to be great food, music, and dancing!"

"Dancing?" Zuko repeated with a small frown.

"Yes, dancing," Katara said before she teasingly added, "Don't tell me you can't dance. I thought they would've given the Crown Prince dance lessons."

"I do and they did," Zuko huffed before he grumbled half-heartedly, "That doesn't mean I like to dance."

"But I wanted to dance with you," the waterbender playfully pouted at him as she leaned close to him.

Zuko knew she was teasing him, but the thought of dancing with Katara, of having an excuse to have her close to him, did not seem like a bad idea. He would endure it for her.

"Very well," he relented easily.

He chuckled when she laughed happily as she wrapped her arms around his neck while he wrapped his arms around her. When she pulled back slightly, his eyes met hers and the air between them immediately became charged with a sudden heat. She swiped her tongue over her lips and his attention was quickly drawn to her plump lips and the wet trail her tongue had left behind. He blinked when she pulled away slightly with a small frown.

"Nothing's wrong," she replied as her fingers played along his chest, "I just hope my dad arrives soon so we can tell everyone about our relationship."

"I do, too," he said as he leaned down to kiss her gently.

He gasped in surprise when she grabbed both sides of his head, her fingers threading into his hair, as she deepened the kiss hungrily. Taking advantage of his parted lips, she delved her tongue inside his mouth to brush against his roughly before pulling back to suck on his lower lip. A deep groan reverberated from Zuko's throat as his hands became tangled in her long hair as he slanted his mouth against hers just as hungrily. Suddenly, she pulled away and he opened his eyes to see her staring wantonly at him.

"It's been hard being away from you," Katara moaned softly, feeling her skin flush with arousal as she watched Zuko's golden eyes darken with desire.

Her eyes moved to the neat strands of his dark hair. She thought he looked even more handsome now that he had had a proper haircut and clothes that fit his strong frame properly. She was not blind to the lustful looks some of the tribeswomen threw his way and it only made her want to let everyone know he was hers. The thought made her move forward again so she could capture his lips.

"I feel the same way," Zuko groaned against her mouth as he returned her ardent kisses.

A loud, surprised grunt escaped him when she moved to straddle his lap, eliciting a long moan from him and a wanton mew from her.

"We…shouldn't…" Zuko groaned weakly between panting breaths, "What if…we get caught?"

At his words, Katara paused in her movements as some coherent thought came back to her, but the sound of his disappointed groan only made her lust flare back to life. She wanted him— desperately. There was no way she would be able to stop now. They just needed to be careful and it would be fine…

"Come with me," she said softly as she moved away from his lap.

She took his hand and Zuko quickly stood up from the bench, eagerly following her. Aroused by her ardor, he could not deny her. He was curious to see where Katara was taking them as they passed the librarian's empty desk. He thought she was leading him out of the library, but instead, she made her way up the stairs. She looked over her shoulder to smile coquettishly at him as they began to ascend to the second floor and he felt his groin tighten in anticipation as he followed her.

Once they reached the top, Katara quickened her pace, pulling him eagerly after her as they passed the rows of books and walked to the far north side of the floor until they came upon a large, thick woolen tapestry hanging from the wall. Zuko barely had enough time to glance at the different Water Tribe animals embroidered in the tapestry before Katara pushed one side away and stepped through, tugging him after her. The tapestry fell back in place behind them.

Zuko blinked when he realized they had stepped into a small alcove. He had seen the tapestry a few times before as he roamed the bookshelves, but he would never have realized it was hiding something behind it. A frosted window provided a low light in the otherwise darkened nook and the window bench beneath it was covered with small pillows and fur blankets.

"I discovered this alcove several years ago," Katara said as a way of explanation when he glanced at her, "Not many people know it's here."

Before Zuko could say anything, she maneuvered him in front of her before she pushed against his chest, causing him to sit down heavily on the cushioned bench. He looked up at her and he watched as a slow, sensual smile spread across her face, her eyes dark with desire.

A moment later, they collapsed into each other's arms. Their panting breaths were the only sounds heard in the enclosed alcove as they basked in the afterglow of their lovemaking.

Once coherent thought finally returned to him, Zuko tense slightly as he carefully listened to any noise coming from outside their secret spot. When he didn't hear anything and was sure there was no one waiting outside, he relaxed as he ran his hands soothingly down Katara's smooth back. He realized they had been lucky they had not been caught. They had not exactly been successful in keeping completely quiet…

"You're going to be the death of me," he said hoarsely as his heart continued to pound in his chest, " Literally. Pakku and Sokka will kill me if they ever catch us."

Katara let out a small giggle at his words as she pressed her face against his neck before she let out a sigh as she grasped his hand.

"You're right," she said more seriously, "We need to be careful and wait until my dad arrives."

Zuko bit back his protest, but agreed, knowing it was for the best. He knew Pakku and Kanna were traditional people and Hakoda sounded like an overprotective father, so they could easily banish him from Katara's life if they thought he was using her. Best to make a good impression before he asked for their blessing to marry Katara.

"Dinner will be served soon," Katara added as she sat up on his lap. She shivered when the cold air hit her skin after losing Zuko's body heat. "We shouldn't be late."

Zuko nodded silently as he helped her get up from his lap.

They took a few minutes to put on their discarded clothes and fix each other's hair. Once they deemed each other presentable, Zuko pulled back one side of the tapestry and peeked out. He didn't see or hear anyone, so he pulled the tapestry further aside to let Katara through before following her and letting the heavy cloth fall back behind him. They didn't walk forward, but instead turned to look at one another. As if a magnet was pulling them together, they embraced each other and kissed, lingering for a moment before finally moving away.

As they made their way back to the staircase, Katara wondered when her father would arrive. She could not wait for Zuko and her to be together without any worries of being caught. She could not wait for them to spend the rest of their lives together.

"Well? Did you find them?" Jet asked impatiently as he watched his men approach him. He ignored the hunters' leader standing next to him with an annoyed expression.

Jet and his men, along with a large group of Earth Kingdom hunters, had finally arrived at the mountain where he had last seen Katara. Although spring had arrived, there were still patches of snow everywhere this far north. They had all been prepared to attack the dragons when they saw them, but the beasts never appeared. The men had been searching the area for hours and there had not been any signs of Katara and the dragons. Fruitless in their search, the hunters' leader had wanted to call off the expedition, but Jet had insisted that they had to be hiding somewhere.

"There are no signs of them anywhere, Your Highness," one of the Dai Li agents said as he stood by the Earth Prince's side.

Jet frowned darkly, inwardly seething at the news he had not expected to hear. Where had Katara run off to?

"This has all been a waste of time," the broad-chested hunter growled out as he glared at Jet. "Were there even dragons here?"

"They were here," Jet gritted out as his eyes scanned the line of trees and the sky.

"Well, if they were, they're long gone," the man groused as he crossed his arms over his chest while the rest of the hunters gathered around them. "Pay us what you promised and we'll head back to the village."

Jet suppressed a scoff at the man's audacity. They still expected payment for services they didn't provide? When he didn't immediately reply the men began to demand him to "cough up the money", causing Jet to sneer at them. Did they take him for a fool? They will regret their disrespect.

A small grin appeared on his face as he looked at the Dai Li agents.

"You heard the men," he told them with a nonchalant wave of his hand, "Give them what they deserve."

Jet saw the greed in the hunters' eyes as they looked at the Dai Li agents expectantly before he turned around and began walking back to the spot he had left his ostrich-horse. He had only taken a few steps when the sound of surprised shouts and pained cries resounded in the otherwise silent clearing. He ignored the massacre behind him as he pulled out his map to study it, once again wondering what had happened to Katara and the dragons. Where could she have gone? Was she even alive or had the dragons killed her?

Jet frowned at that thought. He refused to think she was dead after wanting her for so long. What a waste that would be. He thought back to his encounter with Katara and the dragons and how they had protected her, the red dragon in particular. It had fiercely attacked him and his men, but had been almost gentle with Katara. Hell, it had even risked its life to save hers. That had to mean something. He couldn't believe the dragons would have killed her after they showed how protective they were of her. They hadn't found any dragon remains, so that meant the red dragon must have somehow survived. How? He had no idea and he really didn't care what had happened to the beast. All he wanted to know was Katara's current whereabouts.

He was tired of traveling and wanted to return with Katara to his extravagant life at home.

Home…

He hummed as he studied the map more closely, analyzing the path he had followed Katara and her group since they had left the Southern Water Tribe.

Ah, but of course!

Now that he thought about it, Katara and her group had been heading north, not stopping anywhere in particular for too long. They must have been heading to the Northern Water Tribe all this time! It was the only other place Katara would feel safe since that was where her grandparents lived.

Smiling in satisfaction, he rolled up the map and turned back around to see the Dai Li walking away from the hunters' lifeless bodies. Silence had once again settled in the area.

"What do we do now, Prince Jet?" one of them asked as they stopped before him.

A smirk curled Jet's lips.

"Now we go to the Northern Water Tribe."

Yong contentedly watched as Tepi flew overhead, her black feathers shining under the afternoon sun, as he half-listened to the merchant sitting next to him as he urged the single ostrich-horse to move forward, pulling a cart full of cabbages behind them. The mage had been walking toward the next port to find a ship when the cabbage merchant had passed by and asked if he needed a ride. Luckily, the friendly merchant had been on his way to the same seaside town to sell his wares so Yong had hopped on and settled next to the man.

Immediately after, a heavy downpour caught them by surprise, causing the merchant to let out a dismayed yell of "my cabbages!" as the rain pelted them. However, with a whispered incantation from Yong, the storm had quickly dispelled, much to the merchant's wonder and delight. Since then, it had been a relatively uneventful journey.

Pulling his map from within his robes, Yong unfurled it to study it once more, carefully making sure to keep it at an angle so the merchant couldn't see. The small, purple smoke ring was still hovering in a spot at the Northern Water Tribe (mostly likely the capital city, according to the map) as it had been for the last couple of weeks. He wondered, not for the first time, why Prince Zuko was there.

The sensation of Tepi settling on his shoulder with a squawk interrupted his thoughts. He realized the man had stopped talking, which caused him to look up from the map.

"Everything all right?" the cabbage merchant asked. "You weren't replying."

"Ah, yes, sorry," Yong responded as he quickly rolled up the map and tucked it back into his robe. "I got distracted."

"That happens to me all the time," the man laughed as he tugged on the reins to guide the ostrich-horse around a fallen log.

Yong let out a chuckle as he scratched Tepi's chin, causing her to let out a low purr. He hoped it didn't take them too long to arrive in the sea town and that he was able to find a ship that would take him and Tepi to the Northern Water Tribe. He hoped that when Prince Zuko and he finally met that he would be able to convince him to return to the Fire Nation. Although he would understand if Prince Zuko refused after everything that had happened to him, he hoped Zuko agreed to retake the throne and stop Azula.

Before it was too late…

A/N: The cabbage merchant makes an appearance!

This chapter was more of a filler to move the plot along. Thanks for reading!

~alwaysZutarian