Author's Note: Got this new chapter done surprisingly quickly. They do still always end up way longer than I expect them too. I thought I could get book one done in under 100k words. I was naïve. I have not much else to say other than, don't expect uploads this frequent in the future.
In any case, I hope you have fun reading this chapter.
The ocean lapped at his ankles, soaking the fabric of his shoes. He watched the sun slowly hide behind the horizon, an orange path stretching over the calm surface, inviting him in. The clouds above him looked like fire. Aang shook his head and took a deep breath. Salty sea air filled his nostrils, creating a refreshing sting.
They had been much further inland than he had thought. A day and a half, they had been traveling north west, away from Zhao and the river he was on with only a short break to let Appa eat. Since they had already been spotted, speed had been more important than subtlety.
Aang stepped out of the cold water and dried his shoes. Katara and Sokka were sitting on a strip of grass that extended beyond the tree line. The woods behind them grew up the slope of a small mountain.
"I think this is a good enough place to rest for the night." Sokka said and let himself flop backwards.
"Well then get up and help me set up the camp. Katara, could you look for some fire wood?"
"On it." Katara nodded.
Sokka pushed himself to his feet with a heavy groan. Aang lifted the saddle from Appa's back, who grunted in appreciation, and Sokka grabbed their sleeping bags. Momo took his own tiny satchel. Aang carried their tents to their camp site and started setting them up.
"Sokka. Come look at this." Katara's voice rang out from the forest. She held out a strange object towards them as they reached her. It was some type of cream-colored blade with a handle of bone. Its edge was broken off and what was still attached was chipped.
Sokka grabbed the sword from Katara and a beaming smile grew on his face. "It's a sword made from leopard shark tooth. That's a water tribe weapon. Were did you find that?"
Something struck Aang's eye. Something white shining from behind the fallen leaves. Aang brushed aside the foliage. Another tooth, filed down into a sharp triangle.
"That's an arrowhead from a tiger seal tooth." Sokka laughed. "This isn't a coincidence. Tribesmen were here." He looked around for a bit before rushing towards a tree. "There are markings where the bark was charred. Seems like they were fighting a group of fire bender."
Sokka rushed ahead through the forest, finding more and more marks and objects. They followed them like bread crumbs through the thicket until they reached a small river flowing out to the sea. A wooden boat was moored there, slightly larger than the riverboats the fire nation used. A single mast held a blue, triangular sail with a brown insignia sown onto it. Momo jumped onto the deck of its small cabin, half sunken into the boats hull, and peered inside.
"This isn't just water tribe. It's southern water tribe. They must have kept it here so fire navy patrols wouldn't spot it."
"Is it dad's ship?"
Sokka shook his head, still grinning. "It's too small. But the insignia is from our tribe. It's part of his fleet." Aang had never seen them smile so much. His own cheeks hurt just looking at them.
Their tribe, their family, had been here. It had been years since they had last seen their father. Of course they'd want to be with him again. He understood that very well. They travelled with him because they wanted to bring the Avatar to the north pole. But what if they could join their father instead.
"Hey Aang." He shook himself out of his thoughts as Katara's bright smile jumped in front of him. "Would it be okay if we took some time tomorrow to look around some more?"
"Yeah. We should have put a good amount of distance between us and Zhao, so it should be fine." An uncomfortable feeling spread through his stomach.
The scent of jasmine hung in the air, filling her nose with its sweet, floral fragrance. An array of flakey and soft pastries, mochi, and other sweets were set up on the table in front of her. Azula grabbed her cup and took a small sip of the warm liquid, letting its warmth coat her throat.
Across from her, her uncle slurped his tea with his eyes closed and a content smile on his face. Azula frowned and put the cup back down. Since she had left the palace, her uncle had made it his mission to bother her with this bonding time, as he called it, where he would serve her tea and prattle at her for a while. In the beginning, she had done her level best to avoid these occasions. After a few weeks, she had learned that indulging him every once in a while meant that he would leave her mostly alone the rest of the time. Azula grabbed her cup again.
"Your friend Mai's father was appointed governor of Omashu."
Azula stopped the cup as it was about to touch her lips. "So I've heard. She sent me a letter." Azula had almost heard the dryness of Mai's voice as she had read about how bored she was. Only her complaints about how busy Zuko was had had a different tone. Her brother had sent letters as well but she had burned the without breaking their seals. Her cheek flared for a moment, as if stung by an ant-bee.
"It seems that Zuko is taking his time to consolidate the region for the winter before moving east." Iroh grabbed a mochi and took a bite. "Zhao has gone quiet too. No calls for information on neither the Avatar, nor that traitor." He said, laboriously chewing the sticky dough. The smile he had had didn't return after he swallowed. "You should be careful, Azula."
Azula set the cup back down without any liquid having touched her lips. A grimace threatened to form on her face as pain flashed through her scar. She opened her mouth when shouts from the deck seeped in through the portholes of the room, followed by a thunderous crack and a snarl of some creature.
Azula shot to her feet. The table rattled as her knees hit the edge. She ripped the heavy steel door open as if it was made of paper and rushed down the stairs. A giant beast stood in the middle of the deck, its fur mostly brown with a black back and a star-shaped nose. Its head was stretched high as it sniffed around. A woman sat on the beasts back, with long black hair tied into a top knot and exposed arms covered in tattoo. Her deadpanned expression wasn't dissimilar from Mai's. A long whip hung from her hand. One of Azula's soldiers was lying in front of them, motionless.
Azula stretched out two fingers, shooting blue flame at the woman. With a quick flick of the wrist, the woman cut through the flame. Azula ducked the whip. The loud crack rang in her ears. Azula twisted her hip for a kick but a meaty hand grabs her shoulder. The woman climbed from the beasts back, her back straight and relaxed but her grip on her weapon tighter then before. She was tall, perhaps even as tall as the Avatar.
"Let's not be hasty, princess." Iroh said and moved to block her. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"
The woman's demeanor didn't change but Azula noticed her hand relax around the whip. "I'm just here to collect a fugitive whose stowed away on your ship. Once I get him, I'm out of your hair."
"Nonsense. There are no stowaways on my ship." Azula took a step forward but Iroh held his arm in front of her. "Tell me who you are and who sent you."
Before the woman could answer, the beast behind her stopped sniffing the air and snarled at a spot on the deck. It moved slowly, like a saber tooth moose lion on the prowl. Its paw rose high before it slammed down onto the deck, tearing open the steel. A man jumped out, his frail frame covered in no more than torn rags, filthy with grime and mud. He tried to run, but the shacky bamboo sticks he had for legs didn't carry him far. A long tongue shot from the creatures mouth like its masters whip, hitting the man in the back of his neck. His body froze mid stride and he crumpled to the ground.
"As I said. Simply looking for a fugitive." The woman lifted the sod up with one arm and hoisted him over her shoulder.
Azula pushed Iroh aside. "How did you know he was here?" she demanded.
The woman hoisted the man over the beasts back and tied him to the saddle. "My Shirshu can sniff a rat a continent away. There's nothing that Nyla can't find." She patted the things side before she climbed into the saddle. "And don't worry about your soldier. The poison should wear of in a few hours. Well, time to turn this guy in."
"You better don't think you can run away without compensating me for damaging my ship."
Without looking at Azula the woman cracked her whip in the air and the beast jumped off the side of the ship onto the pier.
They had risen with the sun. Sokka was, surprisingly, the first to wake up and he roused both of them. Aang could barely convince them to eat breakfast before the siblings pushed to head back to the boat. They had spent the entire morning combing the surrounding woodland and searching through the boat.
"I didn't find much else in there. Definitely nothing that would point to where the men might have gone." Sokka said as he stepped out from the boats cabin.
"Are you sure? The boat doesn't look too damaged. Why would they just leave it behind like this?" Katara said. Sokka shrugged.
"It doesn't seem like we'll find anything more though. We shouldn't waste anymore time here and move on."
"You're probably right." Katara let her shoulders slump. A small twinge pulsed through Aang's chest, but he pushed it down. They had to move on. Zhao might still be on their heels and Azula could be close by too. They couldn't stay and comb through the entire forest.
Without a word Sokka jumped down from the deck. He picked up a sack filled with water tribe items they had found in the woods. He opened his mouth to speak but shut it again and pressed his free index finger to his lips. Aang and Katara stiffened. There was a rustle in the bushes, but Momo was on Aang's shoulder. Sokka drew his club and Aang readied his staff.
"Who's there." Sokka yelled.
The rustle grew louder as a man stepped out of the tree line. A blue, sleeveless tunic covered his dark skin and his shoulder was tightly wrapped in bandages. His hands were raised in surrender and a huge grin was plastered on his face. Aang sighed.
"Bato!" Katara and Sokka yelled and rushed towards the man.
"Here I thought I would relax a bit by the boat and see if I could catch some fish. I would have never guessed that I would run into you two here." Bato laughed and pulled the siblings into a hug. "I've missed you kids so much."
"We've missed you too." Katara said as she pulled back. "Why are you here? And how did you get injured?"
"And where are dad and the other men?"
"The moved on to find a new base of operations for our raids. It's getting a bit too crowded here. We got into a bit of a scuffle with some fire nation soldiers who tracked us down. We managed to ambush them and beat them back but I was injured. Fortunately, there is a convent nearby and the sisters have been taking good care of me. Once Hakoda finds a new base he'll send word and I'll join them there." He shook his head. "But this is no place for a reunion. We should head back to my room and I'll regale you with all our exploits. I'm sure you'll have a lot to tell me too. But first…" Bato looked up, finally acknowledging Aang. "Who's the young man with the arrow on his head?"
"Oh right." Katara gasped as if she had forgotten Aang had been there the whole time. "This is Aang. He's the Avatar and we are travelling to the north pole with him." She turned to Aang. "And this is our Uncle, Bato. He's out mom's younger brother."
"You're the Avatar?" Bato bowed deeply. "It's an honor to meet you."
Aang simply nodded. "Likewise."
They packed up their camp and then followed Bato. At some point they stepped out of the forest and started traveling along a road along the edge of the wood Bato was flanked on either side by the siblings. Aang kept ten feet behind them, sometimes more. There were talking about something, but he couldn't make out the words. Perhaps they were stories from their journey, perhaps stories from their past together, long before they had ever freed him from the iceberg. Their laughter felt so far away. After about 20 minutes of travel, Aang started to smell faint sweet and spicy fragrances mix in the air. After another minute he spotted the stone structures through the trees. The abbey was nestled in a clearing, against another face of the mountain their own camp had sat next too. A ring of single-story buildings surrounded a courtyard like a wall. The main wooden hall stood separate in the back half of the complex. A single well, covered with a simple wooden roof, stood in front of it and nuns carried various jugs and crates around.
"Wow. Something smells really good here." Sokka said as they stepped through the large set of wooden doors. Intricate designs were carved into them.
"The sisters here are known for producing some of the finest perfumes in the western earth kingdom. Merchants sell it as far south as Omashu."
"I should ask them if I can have some for myself." Katara said, her eyes closed as she enjoyed the smells.
Bato led them further towards the back of the temple grounds, across the cobble stone square and behind the main hall. Most of the nuns acknowledged them, some with a few words to Bato, but many only gave them a simple nod, too busy with their own work. None of them questioned their presence. Katara and Sokka's water tribe clothes probably helped. Perhaps they also just trusted Bato implicitly.
Bato opened one of the doors into the outer ring. "Wow. All these decorations. We haven't seen anything like this since we left the village." Even without seeing her face, Aang could tell that Katara was grinning from ear to ear. "This almost feels like home."
As Aang entered to room he had to fight back a grimace. Skins of dead animals hung from the walls. He could still tell where their heads, limbs, and tails would have been attached to their torsos. More furs were placed on the straw mats, larger ones with short hair as rugs and smaller, fluffier ones as seating. Cushions were stacked up in a corner. A water tribe tent was set up in front of the back wall and a lidded, black cauldron, was hung up over a fire pit, dug out in the center of the room. A small flame danced over the logs, licking the iron.
Sokka opened the pot and a beaming smile formed on his face. "Is that stewed sea prunes?"
Bato nodded with a chuckle. "It is. I put it on the fire in the morning. It should be done in a few hours." He sat down in front of his tent with a grunt. "We can eat later. For now, I'm sure you have a lot of interesting stories from your travels that I would love to hear.
The siblings sat down around the fire and they started talking. Aang grabbed one of the cushions and placed it on a spot of straw mat along the wall not covered by skins, further behind them. The room was larger than it first seemed.
Minutes and hours passed as Katara and Sokka recounted their journey and Bato told them about their raids. Before long they started reminiscing about childhood stories from long before Aang had left his frozen prison. Aang tried to interject and ask for clarification, but they simply told him that it was a long story and that they would tell him some other time.
After a while, Bato opened the lid on the cauldron and stirred the stew with a large, wooden spoon before tasting it. He nodded, satisfied that it was done, poured liquid and chunks into four bowls and handed them out. Aang looked down at the brown chunks floating in the browner liquid and shuddered as the scent of a fish market on a hot afternoon slapped across his face. He knew it was a vegetarian dish but he really wasn't hungry.
"I'm going for a walk." He put the bowl on the ground and rose to his feet. The siblings and Bato laughed about some stories one of them was telling.
The sun was already setting outside. The temple seemed almost deserted. The nuns must have turned in for their communal supper and evening prayer. How long had it been since he had been in the refectory of the southern air temple. After he had been told he was the Avatar he had been far to busy studying and training to eat with the other kids, so he had always eaten in his room. Only Gyatso had sometimes joined him. The last time must have been four years ago then. Aang shook his head. 'No. 104 years ago.'
Aang left the complex and turned towards the beach. The abbey had just become invisible behind the trees when he spotted a small cloud of dust move towards him, a lone rider, dressed in earth kingdom colors, on an ostrich horse at its head.
The man halted his steed in front of Aang and craned his neck as if trying to find something in the distance. Shaking his head, he turned to Aang and looked him up and down. "Do you know Bato of the Water tribe."
"I do."
The man was quiet for a moment and then shrugged as if he made up his mind about something. He opened the saddle bag of his bird and pulled out a scroll. "I have a message for him. Please deliver it for me."
Before Aang could respond, the rider turned around his bird and galloped off from where he came. Aang opened the scroll. Inside was a picture with a collection of dots in it and some text that seemed like gibberish. Some sort of code.
'Must be the message from their dad'. This would be goodbye then. They'd probably leave with Bato in the morning. He didn't blame them. They hadn't seen their father in years and they had met him only a few months ago. Being with family was more important than accompanying the Avatar to the north pole. Aang rolled up the message and tucked it inside his tunic and turned back.
Aang entered back into Bato's room and reached into his robe to grab the paper. Katara looked up at him as the door fell shut.
"Oh, hey Aang." She smiled. "Where have you been."
She hadn't noticed him leave? Aang's hand stopped. His fingers brushed against the scroll and he let his hand drop. It was late. They wouldn't be able to prepare for the journey that day anymore. He sat down and grabbed the lukewarm bowl. He filled a spoon with a prune and some liquid and choked it down. "Oh, I just had to go the toilet." He knew his smile didn't reach his eyes but he hoped Katara wouldn't notice in the dim fire light.
"What about you Sokka." Bato said. "You must have your own stories from when Hakoda took you ice dodging for the first time."
Sokka's face fell. "I never got to go. You guys left before we had the chance."
"Right." Bato rubbed his chin. "Well, I do have a boat here and that river has an arm with some strong rapids not too far upstream." He said almost more to himself. He nodded and smiled. "How about tomorrow we all go ice dodging together."
"Of course." Katara and Sokka nodded enthusiastically.
The stench of rotten fish mixed with the salty breeze that came in from the see. Ramshackle buildings lined trampled earth the inhabitants used as roads. As they went, solid structures gave way to tents until even those started to disappear. Considering how prosperous this port town had become through its iron export, it was no wonder that it would also attract vagrants, smugglers, and all other kinds of vermin, trying to syphon some of the wealth into their own pockets.
Azula had gone out to investigate the woman while her crew busied themselves repairing her ship. Iroh had insisted on accompanying her. They had spent hours asking the towns folk about her but most had no idea. It was late afternoon before they found some fishmonger who informed them what direction she had gone and that a seedy tavern just outside of town was likely her goal. He had warned her that the place was filled with criminal lowlifes. She had had half a mind to immolate his fish stand but Iroh had held her back.
It was five minutes after they passed the last tent that they came upon a building far larger and sturdier than anything they had seen in a while. Light streamed through the windows and with it the yelling and cheering of dozens of drunks. The smell of sweat and cheap alcohol slapped her across the face as she threw open the door. Only with effort was she able to resist retching.
The place was overcrowded, filled almost entirely with men, leaving barely enough space to walk. The noise was deafening. Azula only spotted a handful of female guests, most of them openly carrying swords and hammers. The other women were tavern wenches, carrying drinks or dancing on tables.
She could feel the stares as she pushed through the crowd. The hungry eyes, leering at her as if she were a piece of meat, entirely unbothered by both her armor and the crown in her hair. They likely had no idea what it meant in the first place. Azula simply ignored them. She was used to these stares. To being looked at as a tool. They were the stares she had gotten at the palace ever since Zuko solidified his status. As someone an ambitious noble could marry to their son to advance in status. A sharp pane flashed through her cheek.
A large crowd was gathered around a table at one side of the tavern. Azula shoved her way through. In the center was the woman that had damaged her ship. Her hand was locked in an arm-wrestling match with that of some burly man, covered in tattoos and scars. A pile of coins was next to them.
The mans face was the color of Azula's armor and veins bulged from his neck and forehead as he tried to push against the woman's hand. Her expression was almost the same she had had earlier, almost bored, though Azula noticed her clenched jaw. She let the brute struggle for a few more seconds. Then, her knuckles turned white, veins popped out of her forearm as her muscles flexed. The man's hand was slammed into the table top with a loud crack. The cheer was deafening.
Azula walked up to the woman, who was sweeping the large pile of gold into a bag, and grabbed her shoulder. "You aren't going to escape from me so easily. You owe me for the damage you caused to my ship."
The woman turned to her, a grin on her face as she reveled in her victory. "Yeah sorry. I can't do that. I'm strapped for cash at the moment." The last coin disappeared. She stood up and turned to the rest of the tavern and raised the heavy sack into the air. "The next round is on me."
"Don't worry. Money was not what I had in mind. You'll repay me by doing me a bit of a favor."
The woman rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll have to get that money to Nyla for safekeeping. We can talk outside." The woman turned the back of the room, towards the bar. A man was tending it, fatter than even her uncle, polishing a glass with a surprisingly clean rag. The woman placed a handful of coins on the counter as she passed and headed for the door to the back of the building.
"Thank you for your patronage, June." The man smiled and put the money into a small metal box. "And good work out there."
Outside, the Shirshu was lying on a patch of grass, snoring. As they approached, the beasts nose twitched and in raised its head.
"Rest well?" The woman patted her mount on the head and stashed the sack of gold inside of one of her saddlebags before facing Azula and Iroh. "So, you want to ask me for a favor."
"I'm not asking for one. You will do one for me." Azula said as she reached into her pocket and pulled the water tribe peasants neckless out. "I need to track someone down. It seems that thing has a talent for it."
"What? Did some girl steal your man and now you're out for revenge?" Azula's stomach twisted at the ridiculous suggestion. "Or is it the girl you're into? Though your intentions don't seem too positive so it's probably the former."
"It's not the girl I'm after. For either reason." Azula spat. "It's the bald monk she's traveling with."
"So, you're the obsessive stalker type. You do give off that energy. But you sure have some peculiar tastes." Azula scowled. The woman snorted a laugh. "But I'm sorry. I'm a bounty hunter. I don't hunt people for personal reasons. If it's some stolen or lost item you want to find I could make an exception to help you out of the kindness of my heart, but this, you'll have to deal with on your own."
Azula frowned. "I don't think you understand. You don't have a choice in the matter." A flaming dagger appeared in her hand.
"Of course we will pay you as well." Azula glared at Iroh. "Your weight in gold, in fact."
"Make it your weight and we've got a deal."
Iroh laughed. "Done."
The siblings had kept talking to Bato until late into the night. At some point, Aang tried to find enough space to sleep, but their conversation had kept him up the whole time. He hadn't gotten the chance to hand them the message either.
Aang woke up to something shaking him. Then something soft tickled his nose. He slowly opened his eyes, still too tired to get them more than halfway. As the image slowly focused, he found the fluffy fur on one of the skins right next to his face. Something shook his shoulder again and he turn around.
Sokka's grinning face was above him. "Hey, Aang. Get up. Time for rock dodging." Aang sat up to see Bato and Katara also still getting up as well. Sokka was already fully clothed and packed up for the day. Usually, he was the one to complain about being woken too early. Now he was the first to rise two days in a row.
It took Aang half an hour to get ready, all while Sokka constantly told him to hurry up. When they left Bato's room and started towards the boat, the sun had just barely fully risen above the horizon. Aang yawned and stretched his back.
In spite of the early hour, or perhaps because of it, the forest was as lively as ever. The birds were holding their morning concerts and Aang spotted families of fox-deer and rabbit-boar looking for their breakfast, the young hiding behind or underneath their parents. Aang put his hand in his pocket and reached for the message.
"I can't wait to go ice dodging. This is going to be so much fun." Sokka said, far ahead of everybody else. "Even though we don't have any ice."
Katara nodded. "I'm surprisingly looking forward to this too. It's also high time Sokka got someone to really teach him how to do it correctly. Last time was entirely involuntary and Sokka almost got us stranded in the middle of nowhere."
Bato laughed. "I'm glad you are so excited. But be sure to take it seriously, all right? Ice dodging can be dangerous."
"I can't wait to do this with dad." Sokka's words almost carried a sense of wistfulness. Aang's empty hand left his pocket again.
The boat was still undisturbed, the way it had been the day before. Sokka and Bato rowed them upriver and Aang helped along by blowing wind into the sails. They stopped again, almost three miles upstream next to the entrance of an arm of the river. Bato gave them a rundown of how to operate the boat and avoid ice bergs before sitting down in front of the bow, his legs crossed. They had to get through it on their own. Sokka climbed onto the cabin's roof and took control of the rudder. Katara and Aang took the sails.
Sokka slowly steered them into the side arm. Almost immediately, the boat began to pick up speed in the faster current. Aang could see the water splash against rocks jutting out from the river or churning against some that were just beneath the surface. He should have left the message at the convent.
The moment they hit the rapids, Sokka's face turned stoney and he started barking orders at them. Aang tried to remember Bato's lecture and pull the ropes the right way although they quickly caught on to the fact that he did not understand the nautical terms. Katara seemed to fare a lot better than he did.
"There is a rock under water to our left. I need to you to pull as hard as you can, Aang. When I say now, release and Katara pulls as hard as she can."
Aang gritted his teeth as the roped dug into his hand. The rough texture had rubbed his palms raw, as if he had pulled them over sandpaper. Tears welled up in his eyes from the burning pain.
"Now."
Aang released his strong grip as Katara started to pull, and let the rope slide over the exposed flesh of his palm. His jaw ached as he tried not to scream. Aang watched as they barely swung around another rock, avoiding their hull being torn to shreds.
"Sokka. There is a big one coming." Katara yelled.
Aang craned his neck to take a look. A large boulder split the river in half. More blocked their path on either side, barely leaving enough space for them to thread their vessel through. If there even was enough.
"I think we should slow down?" Katara yelled. There was no immediate answer. Perhaps he hadn't heard over the rush of water.
"Sokka. We need to slow down or we'll sink." Aang yelled louder, pushing the air.
"No." A wolfish smile spread across Sokka's face. "I saw this area while exploring yesterday. This is the last one. We can make it." His knuckles turned white as he tightened his grip on the rudder. "Katara, pull as much water under the boat as you can. Aang, I want you to push air up into those sails. We are going over it."
Aang let go of the rope and jumped underneath the sail. He bit back the burning pain and started to whirl his arms like a windmill. Air pushed up into the cloth, stretching it out as far as the material could hold. They had to clear the rock or the message in his pocket would be destroyed.
Katara's face was crunched up and her muscles tensed from the strain. He had never seen her bend this much water before. Slowly the boat rose inch by inch as the sail pulled it over the wave that was forming underneath it. Aang squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth against the pain in his hands and the strain on his shoulders.
As the boat passed the obstacle, he and Katara let their arms fall to the side. The boat fell back down onto the river with a loud splash. Sokka cheered in the back, slowly steering the boat over the now calm river and Bato had a satisfied, even proud smile on his face. Aang had lost all feeling in his hands.
After a few more minutes, they reached the river bank where the boat had been moored earlier. They stepped off and Katara immediately healed their hands, which had been bloody by the end.
"You all did well." Bato said after he had them line up in front of him. He held a small clay cup in his hand, filled with an ashy gray paste. A brilliant smile was on his face. "And I am happy to say, that you have passed with flying insignias." He dipped his index finger into the paste and pained a symbol onto Sokka's forehead. "The spirits of water bear witness to these marks. For Sokka, the mark of the Wise. The mark your father earned. Your wisdom guides us." He painted a symbol on Katara. "For Katara, the mark of the Brave. Your courage inspires us to stay strong." He dipped his finger into the paste once more. His finger touched Aang's forehead, drawing an arch. "For Avatar Aang, the mark of the Trusted. You are now an honorary member of the Water Tribe."
Aang's heart sank. "I'm sorry." He was barely able to croak out the words.
"Is something wrong, Aang?" The beaming smile that had been on Katara's face turned to concern.
Aang swallowed hard and pulled the message out from his pocket. "A messenger gave it to me yesterday evening. I should have given it to you right then."
Sokka ripped the paper from his hands and looked at it. "It's a message from dad. You were holding our dad's location the entire time?"
"I'm sorry." Aang took a step back. "I wanted to give it to you. I just didn't know how too…" He was the tallest person present yet he felt so small. "I didn't mean to keep it from you."
"First, you burn my sister and now you keep dad's message from us." Sokka packed the message away, as if to guard it. "You can get the rest of the way to the north pole by yourself. I'm going to join dad."
Bato put a hand on his shoulder. "Sokka. I think you should take a…"
Sokka shrugged off Bato's hand before he could finish. "Katara. Are you going to come with me or will you stay with Aang."
She kept silent for a few seconds. Aang could not read the emotions that were twisting across her face, but anger was absent. After a while she closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry, Aang."
"It's okay. I understand."
The next morning, Azula had let the Shirshu sniff the necklace. It had caught a scent almost immediately and June had instructed them to mount the thing. The distances its nose could detect a target from was impressive. Even at its remarkable speed, they had still been travelling for over an hour and it never lost track.
Sitting on the back of the beast was a novel experience. Being shaken about as is galloped took some getting used to but the wind in her hair provided an exhilarating experience. Azula had never traveled quite so fast. If this was the feeling the Avatar got while on his glider, she could understand why he enjoyed it so much.
They had travelled along the coast for a while, whirling up a cloud of sand. The beast jumped across a river before following the foot of a hill along a dirt road. After a while, they reached some sort of religious building complex. The Shirshu bust down the set of large, wooden double doors and paused. A gaggle of nuns stopped their work to stared at them, fear in their eyes.
"They don't seem to be here." Azula said, a frown on her face. "This thing of yours must have led us to the wrong place."
"Nyla is not just some thing, and she wouldn't make a mistake either. That girl and the bald guy you are looking for must have been here recently." June said over her shoulder. She pulled on the rains and the beast started to sniff around the air before suddenly leaping over the ring of buildings and into the forest.
After a few minutes of galloping along a forest path, they could see three figures walking in front of them. The Shirshu passed around them and cut them off. Two of them were the peasant siblings. With them was an older man with sharp features, also wearing water tribe clothing. His eyes were similar to the girls.
"It's good to see you again." Azula said with a grin as the boy pulled out his club and the girl popped the cork of her water skin. "I see you are quick to reach for your weapons but we all know that any such effort is a waste of time. Tell me where he is and you can leave in peace. Did go he scout ahead?"
"Aang isn't here. We split up." The girl yelled. "He's probably left on Appa a long time ago."
Azula stared into her eyes. There was no lie in her words, only a little bit of regret. "June. Have your beast search their belongings. They must have something with the his scent on them."
"Run." The boy yelled and grabbed his sister by the wrist. Before they could move very far, the Shirshu lashed out it's tongue and all three dropped to the ground, stiff as steel.
"Well, good for you. Seems like your man left his new girlfriend. You may even have a chance to win him back." June laughed and dismounted as the beast let its nose scan along the ground.
It opened the bag the girl was carrying and rummaged around inside. Slowly it pulled out another necklace, this one woven from a piece of string and ornamented with a pendant made of a pressed flower. The beast sniffed it before raising its head.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing," The girl yelled but was ignored.
"Seems like Nyla found something new. Help me get these guys on." June said.
Why would his scent be on her necklace? Did he make it for her? June and Iroh hoisted the three peasants over the Shirshu's back before the doubled back towards the convent.
Sokka, Katara and Bato had started packing immediately once they had returned to the convent, though Bato left some of his furs as a gift to the nuns. Katara had reassured him that they would meet again soon but he could tell she didn't really believe it herself. The earth kingdom was very big after all. Sokka had barely said a word to him.
He watched as they left down a forest path out of the back of the complex before leaving himself.
"I want to go on foot for a while." He said to Appa and Momo. He needed to clear his head. He had hesitated too long, though he also couldn't fault Sokka for wanting to see his father. It had been years. It had only been a few months since Aang had last seen Gyatso, at least from his perspective, and he already missed his mentor dearly.
How did Azula feel about her self-imposed separation from her family? Did she miss them? Their relationship seemed strained and not very healthy, so probably not. At least her uncle seemed like a good man who had her best interest at heart.
They walked north along the main road leading away from the temple. Momo was sitting on his shoulder the entire time, periodically nuzzling his face with Appa so close behind that Aang could feel the tremors whenever one of his massive feet made contact with the ground.
After half an hour of travel, Momo's ears perked up and he looked around frantically.
"Is every thing okay, buddy?" Aang stopped. Momo paid him no mind and instead stared back the way they had come. Aang turned to see what the Lemur had noticed. A small black dot was on the horizon. It grew quickly, coming closer, until Aang could make out that it was an ostrich horse, mounted by one of the nuns.
The bird stopped in front of him. The nun, one of the younger women at the convent, was breathing heavily from the hard ride. "Avatar," she said after catching her breath. "You need to leave quickly. Some people crashed through the abbey. Two women, one in fire nation armor, and an old man, riding on some strange blind beast. They were using a necklace to track you."
"Azula." Aang muttered. "Wait. A necklace?" Katara's necklace. They were tracking Katara, not him.
"Thank you for the warning, but I have to go back. Give yourself and your mount a rest and take it slow on the way back." Aang opened his glider and jumped into the air.
Aang flew back as fast as possible, Appa and Momo lagging behind. In the center of the convent, Azula, Iroh and some woman he had never seen were riding on some dog-mole animal. Katara, Sokka and Bato were slumped over it's back as well. The animal's head was raised as if looking around though it did not seem to notice him. As Aang circled in the sky, it too started walking in circles.
Aang let himself drop, falling straight towards them like a tiger-hawk. Azula looked up as the animal stopped moving. Blue flame shot towards him. Aang turned his body around it. He passed over them, pushing a wall of air against the animal, forcing it back, before gaining altitude again.
He dropped a second time. Azula prepared another attack. The dog-mole raised its head. It opened its mouth and a long, froglike tongue shot out as Aang passed over it. He twisted to the side. Air pushed it back onto its hind legs and it fell backwards.
Azula, the other woman and even Iroh jumped from the animal. Katara, Sokka and Bato dropped to the ground but didn't get up again.
Another ball of blue from Azula. Aang landed and pushed it away with his gliders stabilizers. "Well princess. It has been quite a while since the last time we met." Aang twirled his glider and retracted the wings. "Did you miss me?"
"In your dreams." Azula shot an arc towards him which Aang ducked under. A confident smile was on her face.
"Oh, don't be like that. I know you like our little dancing sessions." Aang dodged another attack. "You know, I was actually a bit sad when you told me to … wow." Aang jumped back as the animal's tongue flicked right past his face.
"Careful Aang. That thing can paralyze you." Sokka yelled.
"Thanks for the info." Aang ducked the tongue again. "Argh." Fire his side, burning his shirt and pushing him back and knocking the staff from his grip.
Azula charged. The thing's tongue shot out again. Appa crashed down from the sky, and rammed into the dog-mole, throwing it back.
Aang bent back. Fire from Azula's fingers shot over him. He fell backwards, Azula's burning fist coming towards him, put his palms against the ground and push off. Azula was thrown back by a wave of force. Aang flipped and landed behind the well.
Another fireball flew between the support beams of the wells roof. Aang dispersed it. "Just give up, Avatar. You won't be able to escape me forever."
"Getting caught by you does sound tempting, I have to admit." Aang said with a smirk, holding the spot where she'd hit him before. "But I sadly have to refuse." A torrent shot from Azula's fingers. Aang dodged to the side. "But hey. If you want to join me instead, I'd be more than happy to have you and your uncles company." Aang winked.
"I don't think so." Azula vaulted the well, her burning fist connecting with his chest. Aang grunted in pain and jumped over the well's roof. "Why don't you fight back. Do you think you will be able to avoid me forever?"
"I'm not interested in fighting you. I prefer to keep our little dance going." He glanced down to her belt. The small blue band and pendant of Katara's necklace were tied to it. "By the way. Would you mind giving that back. It's really important to Katara."
"Well, then it seems like you'll have no choice but to come and take it from me." Azula twisted around and kicked out her leg. An arc of fire shot from her heel. The support pillars burst and the roof collapsed. Aang launched himself onto the ring of buildings surrounding the complex. Azula jumped. Fire burst from her hands and feet, propelling her up.
"That was so cool." Aang couldn't help but smile wide eyed. "You will have to teach me that sometime." Fire burst from her heel again. Her foot shot towards his head. Aang jumped backward. "For now, I guess I have no choice though."
Aang closed in. Less than a foot away from her. Too close for her to wind up properly. He grabbed for her waist. Azula turned. Her elbow flew towards his face. Aang grabbed it with one hand and pushed it up. His other reached for her belt again.
"Getting handsy, aren't you, Avatar?" Azula smirked. Her fire enhanced punch knocked him in the stomach.
Aang coughed. "Just doing as you requested, dear princess." Aang twisted around another punch. He ducked another burning kick and shot his arm out. His hand found her waist and he grabbed.
Azula's fist hit his chin. Aang fell backwards off the roof. His face closed in on the ground. Aang pushed his hand out. A pocket of air broke his fall. He landed on his back; breath being knocked from his lungs. Slowly he pushed himself to sit up.
Azula jumped down, standing over him. "Seems that you are finally mine." She said, readying to knock him out. Aang was coughing too much to quip back.
Intense sweetness and spice filled his nostrils. Aang looked up. Sokka and some of the nuns smashed carafes of perfumes on the ground. The dog-mole thing started to thrash wildly next to Appa, whose legs had buckled.
"Nyla, stop." The long-haired woman cracked her whip at the animal. It bucked, its tongue shooting from its mouth and the woman went stiff and collapsed.
Azula's foot shot towards his face. The animal, Nyla, bucked again. Its tongue flicked out. Azula's foot passed his face as she fell forwards. Aang jumped to his feet and caught her.
"Well, aren't you a gentleman?" Azula spat as he slowly lowered her to the ground.
"It's the Avatar's duty to protect." Aang's laugh turned into a groan as he felt the pain in his ribs flare up again. "Well then. I have to go for now but I'm sure well see each other again soon."
"Aang get on." Sokka yelled from Appa's back as the bison slowly lumbered towards them, his steps still unsure.
Aang's eyes widened and a smile crept onto his face. He gently placed Azula onto the ground and jumped onto his oldest friend's head. With a flick of the reigns and a quick 'yip, yip' they were in the air.
Aang turned around and climbed into the saddle. "Why are you … Weren't you going to find your dad."
Sokka scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "While it would have been nice, I think that this part of our family is where we are needed the most right now. Besides, who knows what kind of trouble you'd get yourself into if we didn't look out for you, buddy. And, well, I might have overreacted a bit yesterday. I know you didn't mean to keep it from us."
"Knowing that dad is out there and healthy is all we need to know. We'll get the chance to meet him soon anyway, I'm sure." Katara smiled, but it still seemed somewhat sad.
Aang bit his lip, a tear almost welling up in his eye. "Thanks guys. I appreciated it." He reached into his pocket. "If only there was some way to bring you closer to your family right now." He pulled the necklace out and held the ribbon with his fingers, letting it dangle.
A beaming smile spread across Katara's face. "You got it back?"
"Azula said you could have it back. It wasn't really her style." Aang laughed.
Katara's armes wrapped around him and Aang was almost pushed onto his back. Katara's lips made contact with his cheek and she took the necklace from him. "Can you help me put it on?" She turned her back towards him.
"Sure." Aang said, his voice perfectly calm.
The deck had been repaired by the time they returned to the ship. The perfume had shortened the time they had been paralyzed and they had made it back, on the beast, before the sun had fully set. But the day's blue had been pushed away by vibrant reds and yellows.
Azula climbed the stairs of the command tower until she reached the level below the bridged. She stepped into her room and slammed the door shut with a loud crash. Orange light fell in through the porthole onto her small desk. A crumpled piece of paper laid there. Azula sneered. With a snip of her fingers, she finally burnt the letter of her brother's triumph, the first one he had sent and the only one she hadn't incinerated immediately, before she fell into her bed.
Azula sighed. He had slipped between her fingers again. She had had him in her grasp and yet she wasn't able to hold on, all because of that damned beast. And he had even had the audacity to treat her as if she was fragile, once she had been paralyzed. To lay her down with so much care, as if she would shatter. Azula's hand fell on her waist, where the necklace had been.
Author's note: Thank you for reading. Please share your thoughts with me in the comments. Also, I much prefer writing Azula scenes or Azula and Aang scenes but I hope the writing quality between those and Gaang scenes isn't too noticeable. Also, I would like to get some opinions about my prose. What parts are good. What could I improve. I feel that action scenes really are not my forte.
In terms of plot, from now on, would it be better to explain some of the choices I made for the story in this Author's Notes? Let me know.