The Herbalist Part 2
Zuko looked over to see Toph walking towards him. Rain soaked her hair, dripping off tips and running down her skin. She gave him a smile and then turned in the direction of the herbalist with a thoughtful expression on her face.
“She’s pregnant.”
Zuko looked down at Toph in surprise, suddenly remembering she would not have been able to notice that due to the wooden floor of the shop. He gave a nod of confirmation and began looking around for a place to take shelter.
“You two,” a guard called out, motioning towards Toph and Zuko, “come with us!”
They shared a glance, but followed the tall female guard at a slower pace, attempting to stay out of the way, but close enough they would not be accused of attempting to run. Both continued to stay vigilant, not knowing if one of them might suddenly be recognized by one of the villagers.
They were led out of the rain into the herbalist’s shop and through a back door into what Zuko could only assume was the woman’s house. Initially keeping a hand on Toph to steer her out of danger if necessary (which she shrugged off quickly), Zuko followed the tall guard into what looked like it was normally supposed to be a dining room. At this time there were people lying on cushions with minor burns, cuts and bruises. Some were bandaged and treated already, while another one or two were still waiting to be seen to.
The herbalist walked up to them, rubbing her hands with a cloth before tucking it in the apron she had put on. She looked weary from rushing around, but relieved.
“Thank you for helping us," she directed towards Zuko. “I suppose you’ll need to get back to your friends.”
“Actually,” Toph replied, directing the woman’s attention to her, “we gave the medicine to a friend who’s taking it to them. They’re camped about a day away because we were worried about spreading infection.”
The herbalist nodded at Toph’s answer, seemingly pleased with the turn of events. Suddenly she stopped. “Of course, where are my manners? My name is Oka.” She introduced herself with a polite bow.
“My name is Lee,” Zuko introduced himself, returning the Fire Nation bow before gesturing to Toph. “And this is Mai.”
“It’s an honor to meet both of you,” replied Oka. “It’s a bit late to be travelling. Would you like to stay with me for the night? I have a spare room since my father passed and I’m afraid the inn is the only other place that offers beds for the night.”
Zuko felt a tug on his shoulder and bent down to let Toph whisper in his ear. “I told Haru to come back in a few days.”
Zuko nodded as he stood up straight, “We told our friends to catch up with us when they were well. Would we be able to stay for a few days? We have money," he added, pulling out a pouch of coins.
By now many of the injured were being led out of the house, though one or two of the guards seemed to want to speak with Oka. Oka waved them away slightly, mouthing something that probably meant that she would speak to them in a moment.
“After what you did for our village, I couldn’t ask you to pay.” Though she seemed a bit reluctant to turn it down.
“Look,” Toph said practically, ever the merchant’s daughter, “Lee and I need a place to stay and hot meals would be missed, since he’s a terrible cook. So how about we pay for a room and meals?”
“If it’s not too much trouble,” Zuko added quickly, hoping Toph’s bluntness did not come across as too rude.
Oka gave him a beautiful smile in return and glanced back to the guards. “All right then. If you don’t mind waiting in the kitchen I’ll just be a moment.”
Toph and Zuko nodded and left her to talk privately with the other villagers and found their way into the kitchen. At the other end of the room, the door opened up to a porch at the front with steps leading to a small courtyard with a shed at the back. The rain was still pounding off the rooftops and the drumming made its way indoors even though everything stayed dry.
Zuko removed his soaking cloak as Toph removed hers and handed it to him. Finding a convenient spot to dry, he hung them up out of the way, where a puddle began to form underneath. Toph stood in the middle of the room, seemingly not knowing what to do with herself.
“So what now?” she asked, shrugging her shoulders.
Zuko could not think of any sort of reply, but he was saved from having to think about it when Oka walked past them briskly. “Sorry for all the rushing about,” she called out over her shoulder, “my father was the village doctor, but he died recently. I’ve been swamped with patients without a clear idea of how to help most of them.” Oka stepped back inside with a full bucket of water in her arms. “He taught me a bit, but all of his apprentices have left to serve over in the colonies where the soldiers desperately need them.”
With a long sigh, she set down the bucket on one of the table tops and pulled out some spark rocks. She considered them for a moment before turning towards Zuko. “You don’t mind starting a fire for me do you, Lee?”
Zuko opened up the stove and checked the wood levels before sending a quick burst of flame inside and closing the door again once they had taken to the wood. Oka waited patiently and smiled when she watched how easily it caught and spread. She then shooed the two towards the hallway.
“Dinner should be ready in a few moments. I’m having other guests over, so you should go to meet them first.”
“Do you need any help?” Zuko asked, calling back to her.
“He’s a lousy cook.” Toph’s reminder came before Oka could reply and Zuko shot a look at Toph.
Oka laughed, shaking her head. “I had just finished before those brutes turned up, so I just need to heat it. Dinner will be out soon.”
Just then, an old woman pushed past Zuko and Toph from the dining room. “You two go and sit down like Oka said. I’ll be helping her.”
Zuko sat down quietly next to Toph as he looked around the now almost-empty dining room. The only people remaining were a man seated opposite him who seemed to be in his early thirties and had already taken his chair before they had arrived, and a woman, who seemed to be one of the village guards, seated next to him and opposite Toph.
Everyone turned when Oka finally walked in carrying a large pot, followed by the old woman with a plate of bread. The two women sat opposite each other - the old woman between Toph and the guard, and Oka between Zuko and the other man. The food was set down and the old woman began to speak in a gruff, no-nonsense tone.
“It’s so nice to see so many people around this table. I just wish it was under better circumstances.”
The others murmured their agreement as Oka carefully dished out the food. Zuko took a bite and smiled, glad to have some spicy food rather than the much blander food of the Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom. Next to him, Toph started coughing and Zuko pushed the cup of water into her hand, which she gratefully gulped down. By now, all the people at the table were staring at her strangely and Zuko racked his brains for a plausible excuse.
“Are you alright, Mai?”
Toph coughed a few more times while attempting to nod. “Yeah, sorry about that. We lived on the edge of the colonies, so I didn’t grow up on spicy food.”
“I can try making you something else,” Oka offered kindly.
“Nah, don’t worry about it.” Toph brushed it off. “It just surprised me is all. Though,” she added after a moment’s hesitation, “I wouldn’t say no to more water.”
The old woman gave a bark of laughter. “Now that’s the spirit! A girl after my own heart.”
Oka stood to get a pitcher of water and the others joined in the laughter, allowing Zuko to let out a breath of relief at how easily Toph had covered herself. Hopefully, he thought, they would be able to get through the meal without giving themselves away.
“So,” the man started with a neutral tone, “you’re from the colonies?”
Zuko chewed the last of his food, nodding. “My father is in Capital City, so we’re travelling there to meet him.”
“You kids be careful,” warned the guard, “I’ve heard the Avatar is back and in the Fire Nation.”
Zuko tried not to look nervous. “Has any word reached here from the Capital about his location?”
The three shook their heads. “We’ve only heard about the failed invasion and that the Fire Lord’s son has turned traitor. What else would you expect from a coward?” the old woman spat.
Zuko clenched his fist under the table until his fists shook. A small comforting hand on top of his gave a strong squeeze and he relaxed slightly, squeezing her hand between his thumb and the rest of his hand in thanks.
“Wait, I thought he had recently returned a hero?” Toph asked, seeming genuinely confused and Zuko silently praised her for her acting abilities, since he certainly could not think clearly enough to make conversation.
“That’s what we all thought too. The hero who had killed the Avatar, but in reality he had ridden on his sister’s glory and hadn’t even succeeded in killing the greatest threat to the Fire Nation, instead covering it up and making his father and sister clean up his mess.
“A coward until the end. You know he even refused to fight his own father in an Agni Kai after he had accepted the duel?” The old woman continued. “And now he’s helping the Avatar master firebending to bring down his own father and take the throne for himself.”
“All right, that’s enough Mei Ling.” Oka tried to placate the old woman as she walked in with more water. “We need to concentrate on the threat to our village.”
“A threat to the Fire Nation is a threat to the village.” Mei Ling countered.
Zuko caught the guard rolling her eyes. “While I understand what you mean, Mei Ling, we need to stop the current threat.”
“Who are they anyway?” asked Zuko, feeling somewhat glad he was no longer the topic of conversation.
“A bunch of rich nobles who have too much time on their hands, so they come around villages like ours and make our lives worse than Koh’s captured faces,” the man across from Zuko answered. “I assume you saw the big house on the hill when you arrived?”
Zuko nodded, remembering it from when Appa was flying over. “I think I caught a glimpse.”
The man nodded, “It belongs to one of the Fire Lord’s top generals. Strong military man; but not around much. His son, on the other hand, couldn’t understand hard work if it hit him in the face. He likes to get his own way and if you try to stop him then he’ll make your life miserable.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Zuko watched Oka look away from the table in shame. Suddenly the pieces clicked together.
“He’s the father of your child," he almost whispered, but everyone seemed to hear him except Mei Ling.
Oka put a hand on her swelling belly and looked at him with sad eyes. “Don’t get the wrong idea. There was a time when we were in love with each other and he cared about me, but the way he spends money…” she trailed off, shaking her head. “He would need to marry a wealthy woman to sustain his habits, not a poor herbalist.”
“He’s also the ringleader of that little group that attacked last night, although he wasn’t with them this time,” the man across from Zuko added.
Zuko nodded, accepting the information. “There was something else I was wondering: most of your villagers seem to be very young or very old. Where is the rest of the village?”
“They’re off fighting in the Earth Kingdom,” explained the guard. “I’m normally a teacher at the local school, but I’ll don the guard’s uniform when we’re needed. Then there are a few like Yori here,” she gestured towards the man sitting next to her, “who are retired from the services.”
“We’re an honorable village of loyal Fire Nation citizens. We like to send everyone we can to help in the efforts of civilizing the Earth Kingdom,” Mei Ling continued proudly.
“But it does leave us somewhat vulnerable,” concluded Oka and each looked down in shame.
“So why’d you retire?” asked Toph, and Zuko had to stop himself from smacking his head in humiliation at her bluntness.
Obviously seeing Zuko’s exasperation, Yori laughed off his concern. “I kinda ran into a little trouble,” he explained, lifting up his pant leg and revealing a wooden replacement for his leg, which had been severed just below the knee, “Earth Kingdom soldiers buried it when we clashed in battle. They were an elite squad and we were new recruits.” Zuko’s stomach dropped. “I decided to cut my losses and sever it before they could crush the rest of me.
“Luckily some of my comrades stayed to help me and our division was saved by another more experienced firebending squad, who were able to save what little there was left of us.”
“How many did you lose?” Zuko asked, the white-knuckled grip on the material of his pants hidden under the table. This time he practically smacked away Toph’s comforting hand.
Either Yori did not notice Zuko’s intense stare or he ignored it. “We were a full division, well over three thousand men, but when the dust finally cleared there were only a dozen of us still alive. Another one died of his wounds a few days later. Most of us retired, unable to keep away the nightmares that we witnessed on that battlefield, even those who did come out unscathed physically.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about," he reassured Zuko, not understanding why the boy across from him looked so guilt-stricken. “Commanders obviously had no idea who we were dealing with. We were just lucky that that other division was nearby to come around and punish those dirt eaters for what they did to us.”
“The 41st division suffered such a large number of fatalities. There were several dozen just from our village,” Mei Ling stated. “Only two of our boys actually came back, though Yori’s the only one who speaks of it.”
“We used to have good, professional doctors when my father was still alive, but they’ve all gone to work in the Earth Kingdom and I was never a very good student,” Oka admitted.
“So, you see what kind of situation we’re in,” concluded Yori.
“What can we do to help?” Zuko asked with fiery determination in his eyes.
“You look like you’ve had combat experience,” Mei Ling observed, pointing her chop sticks at him. “Yori and I can only teach so much, but maybe you can train some of the younger ones to defend themselves.”
“Sure,” Toph agreed and all of them looked at her in disbelief. “Lee’s an ok firebender, so he might be able to teach you guys a thing or two.”
“Your faith in me is heartening, Mai.”
Toph cackled maniacally before eating a few more bites of her food and washing the spice down with bread and water. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t screw up.”
Yori laughed, getting the joke almost instantly. “Sounds like a deal.” He raised his glass and turned to Oka. “You gonna be able to handle these two by yourself for one night?”
She smiled to humor him, also raising her glass in a toast. “I think I can manage.”
~~~~~
“I’m sorry I only have one bed. Will you be all right like this?” Oka asked, gesturing to the blankets on the wooden floor.
“This is a lot better than what we’ve been sleeping on for a while.” Toph replied, bouncing on her seat at the edge of the bed and grinning.
Zuko also nodded and Oka gave them a smile. “All right then; breakfast is at sun up so make sure you’re awake by then.”
She gave them a cheerful wave, which Zuko returned more awkwardly before shutting the door softly. He heard Toph sigh followed by a soft thump as she threw herself back onto the bed. “I guess I should’ve said I’ve been sleeping on. After all, you’ve been getting pampered at the Palace all summer while we’ve been roughing it.”
“Don’t pretend that you don’t enjoy sleeping in the dirt,” Zuko shot back, but without any real malice.
Toph grinned, tipping her head towards the sound of his voice. “So, are we gonna arm wrestle for the bed? I’d suggest a bending battle, but I don’t think that would go over too well with the locals.”
“You’re welcome to have it,” Zuko offered turning from her again and rearranging the various blankets they had been given into a semi-comfortable mattress to sleep on. “Like you said, I haven’t been sleeping rough for as long.”
Toph rolled over, resting her chin on her hands and pouting. “You’re no fun.”
There were a few more moments of peace when Zuko laid out his bed on the floor and Toph lay quietly, however, he should have known the silence would not last very long.
“So,” Toph began casually, setting off all sorts of warnings in Zuko’s mind, “who’s Mai?”
Zuko felt his heart plummet and was very glad Toph could not read him with her earthbending at that moment, but he turned to face her nonetheless. “Mai was one of my sister’s friends from school. We started dating when I returned to the Fire Nation…”
“Wait, she was one of the girls chasing us, right? She wasn’t the perky one, was she?” Toph asked, scrunching up her nose in distaste.
“What?” Zuko exclaimed, shuddering at the thought of dating Ty Lee - not that he disliked her, but she flirted with everyone. He was bad enough around Mai’s admirers. “No! That’s Ty Lee. Mai’s the projectile expert.”
“Oh, the projectile specialist. Sorry, I’d forgotten that was her name,” she stated, sounding as far from apologetic as possible.
Zuko could only glare at how blasé she was being with their names, though he guessed she had no reason to ever memorize the names of Azula’s cohorts. Silence continued and Zuko shifted nervously, trying to think of a way of starting casual conversation, but fortunately - or unfortunately - Toph saved him from needing to.
“Huh, so you go for the dark mysterious types then?”
Zuko could not help the snort that escaped. “She’s hardly mysterious. We’ve known each other since we were kids.”
“Childhood sweetheart then?”
Zuko blushed; glad Toph would not notice it. “I think I was hers, but I didn’t have much interest in girls back then.”
“Sure," she drawled, making it sound as if she did not really believe him, but before Zuko could even think about feeling indignant she went brutally on. “So what’s with the guilt?”
All coherent thoughts left Zuko and he looked towards the floor.
“You’re feeling guilty right now, aren’t you?”
Zuko sighed, attempting to gather his thoughts. “When I decided to confront my father and teach Aang firebending I knew I couldn’t take her along. I couldn’t force her to choose between me and her family, so I left her a letter and went after you.”
Toph visibly winced, “You wrote her a letter? Wow, way to rip her heart out.”
Zuko cringed, “I know! I know it was stupid, but I couldn’t risk her stopping me.” The excuse just seemed so feeble now, especially after everything she had done for him at the Boiling Rock.
“Okay so you were a bit of a jerk, but at least she’s safe, right?”
“That’s the problem! When Sokka and I went to the Boiling Rock she was there. We talked a bit and then I locked her in the interrogation room.”
“Ouch. So how’d she find you?”
“Her uncle is the warden to the Boiling Rock. The plan was for Sokka, Hakoda, Suki, Chit Sang and I to get away on the gondola that went over the boiling lake surrounding the prison, but then my sister showed up. The guards had us trapped and were about to cut the line when Mai suddenly burst out of nowhere and which bought enough time for us to get to the other side.”
Zuko walked over and sat down on the bed next to Toph. “She disobeyed my sister and I have no idea why. I did all those horrible things to her and she still fought to protect me.” Zuko’s fists clenched at his sides. “I couldn’t even go back for her! My girlfriend was in danger and I had to walk away. For all I know my last action towards her was locking her in a prison cell.”
“Are you done angsting yet?”
Zuko glared down at her, ready to shout at her for being so callous when he saw her expression of determination.
“You never fought Mai, but I did! She’s pretty tough when it counts and I bet if anyone can give Azula a run for her money it’s her. Besides, I can’t imagine Ty Lee standing by while her friend is killed, so I bet when we defeat the Fire Lord we’ll be able to find your girlfriend too. So stop your moping and let’s concentrate on kicking your dad’s butt!”
Zuko allowed a tentative smile to creep onto his face, feeling slightly better. “Thanks, Toph. I… uh… sorry for…”
Toph pushed him off the bed and pulled off her shoes. “Just let me get some sleep," she said before lying down. “I’ll talk to you in the morning. Wake me up for breakfast if I’m not already up.”
Zuko smiled up at her from his awkward position on the floor, righting himself slowly. “I will.”
~~~~~
Zuko awoke the next morning in partial darkness to Toph’s snores. Lighting a flame in his palm as he stood up, Zuko looked down to see Toph sprawled out across the bed, sheets tangled between her legs. He walked barefooted and silent over to the window and pulled back the curtain to see the glow on the horizon that indicated the sun was just below the horizon.
Deciding to leave Toph to sleep for a while longer, Zuko smothered the flame, put on his boots and walked carefully down the stairs. Upon reaching the bottom, he glanced into the kitchen to see Oka struggling with a particularly large sack. Hastening over, Zuko grabbed it from underneath, giving Oka a shock and causing her to drop the sack completely into Zuko’s arms.
Zuko pulled the sack up to get a better grip on it and looked around at her. “Where would you like this?”
She opened and closed her mouth a few times silently before seeming to finally register his question, “Oh! Umm… this way,” she replied pointing outdoors. “It’s to feed the chicken-pigs in the back.”
Oka stepped outside, followed by Zuko just as the sun was peaking over the horizon, the rays of light caught in the thin remnants of mist that was quickly fading away. Oka paused, lifting her head up to the sun, before continuing again, directing Zuko towards the hut. She pulled back the door, letting the chicken-pigs waddle out into the courtyard, squealing and clucking as they looked around for food. She drew out a pan and gestured for Zuko to put the bag on the ground; then she took a large scoop out with both her hands and put it in the pan, followed by three more to fill it to the top.
“Would you mind taking that back inside? I don’t want them to eat more than they should.”
Zuko complied and came out a little later to find Oka missing. Glancing around in bewilderment, Zuko finally heard a noise from the shed and in the next instant Oka walked out with a basket of eggs under one arm. Upon noticing his return, she gave him a brilliant smile and the two walked back inside.
Oka heaved up the basket onto one of the counters with a sigh before walking over to the stove. “I know I should probably get some help around here, what with looking after the animals and running the shop, but I just don’t have enough money to employ anyone else.”
She paused then and Zuko watched her intently, somewhat knowing what was coming. “Maybe,” she asked, hesitating, “instead of going to your father to work you could stay here.” She turned and offered him a smile that reminded Zuko so much of Jin’s understanding kindness.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t,” he replied with a twinge of regret, more for leaving her alone than any desire to stay.
Once again guilt welled up when Oka mirrored Jin’s brave smile despite her disappointment. However, Zuko tightened his resolve. It would be better to set up clear boundaries now than wait too late and shatter any hopes she might have.
“Would you like any help right now?” Zuko offered awkwardly.
Oka recovered quickly, grinning at him as she walked over to the eggs and picked a couple out. “No that’s all right. By the way, I hope you two like eggs and meat.”
Suddenly there was a crash, almost causing Oka to drop one of the eggs. While she stayed near the stove, Zuko rushed into the hallway to find Toph on the floor, resting her head on one of the stairs with a sour look on her face.
“I really don’t like wood.”
Zuko smiled at her sympathetically, making sure his boots echoed on the floor to let her know where he was. When he was next to her, he grabbed one of her hands and helped her to stand up. Toph used her free hand to rub her back and glare towards the cause of her mishap.
“Are you all right?” came Oka’s anxious call from the kitchen.
“Yeah,” Toph shouted back in response.
Zuko, moving to Toph’s side so that he was able to guide her by one of her elbows, led her into the kitchen, though making sure to keep her well away from the stove. “Toph just missed one of the stairs,” he explained, ignoring the dirty look Toph sent him.
Oka giggled at Toph’s expression. “You’re hungry, right? How many eggs would you like?”
“Starving,” Toph replied. “Got enough for a small army?”
Oka covered her mouth to hide her giggles when Zuko held up two fingers and mouthed each. However, Toph seemed to catch on and elbowed the boy in the gut, causing him to grunt and double over slightly in pain.
“I may be blind, but I’m not stupid, Lee.”
Zuko held up his hands in a placating gesture, that was most-likely lost on Toph. “How about we have breakfast outside? That is, if it’s not too much trouble,” he added, directing the question to Oka.
Toph instantly seemed to brighten at the thought of being able to ‘see’ again and Oka gave a verbal consent, still chuckling at their antics. Letting out a whoop of joy, Toph allowed herself to be led outside by Zuko. However, as soon as they were out of sight of Oka and onto the ground, Toph bent up a rock in front of Zuko’s foot, making him fall flat on his face.
Toph cackled as Zuko gave her a look of annoyance while he stood up. Glancing inside to check Oka was still preoccupied with breakfast he sat down on the wooden porch behind Toph, who was lying happily on the ground.
“So do you think Haru and Appa made it back unhurt?” he whispered.
“Relax, Princess,” Toph replied, refusing to whisper like Zuko. “I told them to come back in a few days when things cooled off.”
Zuko relaxed marginally and stood up to walk back inside the kitchen, aiming his next question towards Oka. “What would you like me to take out?”
“There is some chicken-bacon and eggs,” she said pointing to a covered plate that a small amount of steam was escaping from. “Could you also take the rice out? I’ll bring the plates and other utensils with me,” she added, rummaging through cupboards.
Zuko nodded, carrying each outside and setting them down on the wooden porch. Toph walked over and inhaled deeply. “It smells great!”
“Hopefully it tastes just as good,” Oka laughed. “And don’t worry I haven’t put any spices on yours,” she said as she set down a separate plate in front of Toph.
Soon laughter and animated conversations between the two females filled the courtyard along with the sounds of chicken-pigs poking around and clucking. Zuko just sat back in contentment and listened to them talk, enjoying the sun and the warm weather.
The happy chatter was cut short when there was a bang from the shop, followed by a loud call for Oka. Zuko glanced out of the corner of his eye at Oka, whose eyes had widened with obvious fear. The young woman’s utensils fell into her dish with a loud clatter and she attempted to rush forward into the shop, however, she was stopped by a tall, well-muscled man standing in the doorway.
Zuko stood up and Toph fell into a subtle earthbending stance, despite the fact that the man was still standing on the wood. Zuko’s hands tightened into fists at his sides as the taller man’s gaze swept lazily from him towards Toph before finishing on Oka, a superior smirk never leaving his face. He was a good head or so taller than Zuko and wore a shirt that was sleeveless and open enough that it left little to the imagination - showing off well-toned abs. Zuko suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, knowing that the man’s physic was mostly show and probably made him slow.
Boots echoed on wood as the man walked up to Zuko, standing inches from his chest and forcing Zuko to look up in order to keep eye contact. After a few tense moments of staring each other down, the man sneered and turned his head to look at Oka.
“Going for little boys now, are we Oka?” His eyes travelled down to her swollen belly. “I guess you’re quite a catch for someone like him.”
“Get out, Shan,” Oka ordered, attempting to sound intimidating, but failing miserably.
Shan laughed, sauntering over to Oka and placing a hand either side of her head. “Come on, Oka. When it’s born, I can take that child off your hands and you can go off with Scarface over here and continue your whoring as if nothing ever happened.”
Oka was on the verge of tears, a furious expression on her face while Shan laughed. Suddenly a prick across his throat made him stop and a glance towards the garden, confirming a pearl dagger poised at his throat, threatening to cut through his windpipe.
“I think she told you to leave,” Zuko grit out, his expression stony except for the intense fire burning in his eyes.
“Do you know who I am?” Shan recovered with a smug look on his face after a few moments of shocked silence, obviously thinking Zuko had no idea how to use the tiny weapon. “I’m the son of one of Fire Lord Ozai’s most trusted generals.”
Shan turned his gaze back to Oka, ignoring the blade at his throat. “If you don’t give me that kid when it’s born I’ll come for it myself, got it?”
With that said he stepped away from the three and moved back through the house. Oka collapsed into tears while Zuko and Toph rushed out to the front of the shop. When they reached the dirt road Shan was sauntering down, but upon noticing Oka’s two new guests, he turned around with a sneer.
“You don’t know when to quit, kid.”
“And you know nothing about respect,” Zuko riposted, moving into a classic firebending pose.
However, rather than being intimidated, Shan just openly laughed. “You don’t stand a chance against a real man. I bet Oka is only taking you in as a charity case.”
People from around the village who had heard the commotion watched like hyena-vultures around a dying elephant-deer. Hearing no comeback, Shan turned away with a laugh and took one step before promptly falling flat on his face.
The tension that had existed moments ago suddenly shattered into laughter from the crowd surrounding them. Shan turned to look back at the two strangers with a look of fury, but Zuko merely smirked back, standing up straight and crossing his arms over his chest, knowing the fight was over and making Shan aware of it. Face burning; Shan picked himself up from the ground and walked away briskly, attempting to save face by looking like he could care less.
“That was needlessly reckless, Toph,” Zuko admonished the younger girl in a low voice, keeping his eyes on Shan’s retreating figure.
“Quit worrying, Princess, no one saw. Besides, they were all too busy laughing at him to care if a rock suddenly popped up and tripped him,” she added with a wicked grin.
Zuko turned away from the crowds and walked back inside the shop. “He’ll definitely be attacking the village tonight.”
Toph shrugged, “Yeah, but to be honest, considering what we did to his pals last night, I think they were going to attack anyway.”
They found Oka on the back porch, staring at nothing or something too far away for Zuko to see. Toph found the wooden door frame tentatively and checked its position before leaning back against it, arms crossed over her chest.
“He seems like a real piece of work.”
Oka wiped away the lingering tears and looked up towards the two of them. “What am I going to do?”
Zuko thought back to Aang, Katara and Sokka, who were hopefully now recovering at the Western Air Temple. Aang was supposed to save the world, but this was his nation. How could he even dream of fixing things if he could not even help one small village?
Zuko looked towards where he knew the Fire Nation Capital and his father were with renewed determination. “We’ll stop them.”
He looked down to see her mouth drop open slightly in surprise. “If they attack tonight then we just have to make sure we’re ready for them.”
~~~~~
Toph plodded behind Zuko, arms hanging in front of her in exhaustion. “I don’t get it. It rained yesterday; how can it be this hot?”
Zuko, who was completely at ease, slowed down so that he was walking next to her, watching her with concern. “Summers in the Fire Nation are normally warm. Actually it’s a bit cooler than what I remember as a kid.”
“Oh great! I’ll keep that in mind while I slowly cook here. You people could at least wear cooler clothes!” she complained, pulling at the dark red fabric.
Zuko was about to comment that she was starting to sound like Sokka, but she seemed to anticipate this and was doing a very good job of fixing him with a poisonous glare. Feeling slightly more nervous, Zuko was glad when they finally reached the center of the town where several townsfolk, including Yori and Mei Ling, milled around.
Everyone turned to face the two newcomers when Zuko and Toph entered the town square. Zuko stepped into the center and Toph hung back, whispering good luck to him, and then moving to sit on the ground, legs crossed before her and one of her palms flat on the ground, ready to feel for anything that might turn into a danger. Zuko looked at the faces of the very young and the very old, looking to him - a stranger in their eyes - to protect them. Is this what his nation had become? A nation more concerned with foreign conquest than looking after its own people?
He could see their suspicion and felt the nervousness that he had felt when he had first tried to join Aang’s group. He took a deep breath and gathered his courage.
“My name is Lee, from the colonies in the Earth Kingdom, and we were travelling through your village when it was attacked. Since the attack last night was unsuccessful, they’ll probably be back tonight. We should be able to stop them with a combination of traps and firepower…” Zuko began hesitantly.
“What would a colonial,” the word was spat out by one of the older men, bent over a cane, eyes narrowed towards the outsider, “know about our village?”
Zuko turned to him, but did not feel the usual indignant anger at the man’s comments. He was the Prince of the Fire Nation, no matter what anyone else called him, and he would do everything in his power to make his country a better place. Living in the Earth Kingdom and coming back to the Fire Nation had only strengthened his resolve and loyalty to his country, not his father.
“I know that Fire Lord Ozai put his generals in charge of overseeing not only the war, but their home islands as well,” Zuko responded, voice loud enough to carry to the whole crowd. “I also know that you deserve better than to be ransacked by a group of nobles who have no concept of money or hard work.”
Murmurs rushed through the crowd like a burst dam and Zuko glanced around himself to see whether he had spoken out of turn. However, instead of unease he saw a few nods of approval and people standing in agreement, ready to do something.
Zuko attempted to contain his shock at the scene before him. He was used to ordering people around, but that had always been as Prince Zuko. Yet here he stood as Lee, a colonial just passing through, and they seemed to be willing to listen.
“But what can we do?” a middle-aged woman asked, holding a small child in her arms. “Our best warriors are fighting in the Earth Kingdom.”
“They’re a bunch of nobles,” Toph spoke up, but everyone seemed to be caught up in something that meant they would even listen to a little blind girl. “I bet if we give them a tough time they’ll back off.”
Zuko nodded towards her, agreeing. “They may be trained, but not for real combat. If we start to attack them in a way they haven’t been taught they won’t know what to do.”
“Right,” the home guard leader from before, who had introduced herself as Kiza, stood, looking around her fellow villagers, “we just need to send them a message that they can’t just come and raid our town or any others.”
Cheers and shouts filled the square and Zuko could not help but try to keep the awe off his face. He had figured that convincing them was going to be the difficult part and yet here they were ready to work together. He felt a nudge to his side and smiled down at Toph.
“Nice job there, Sunshine.”
“Now we just have to figure out how to defend the town,” Zuko murmured to her before letting out a tired sigh. “I wish Sokka was here.”
“Yeah, me too, but I bet we can still do a pretty good job." She waved off his concerns and turned towards a large group, interlinking her fingers and pushing the palms away from her. “I’m gonna go and help dig holes.”
“Just don’t get caught.”
“Relax. I’ve got this.”
Zuko shot her a disapproving look he knew she would never see and turned back towards the group that was forming around Kiza and Yori. Yori sat on the steps of one of the houses, both his legs spread before him, and gave a friendly wave towards Zuko, who returned it nervously.
There were six people, four who looked no older than Zuko, while the other two appeared to be other guards under Kiza. Noticing Yori’s attention drawn elsewhere, it was not much longer before all eight firebenders were staring at Zuko in anticipation. Zuko swallowed nervously and looked towards Kiza who sent a reassuring nod back, prompting him to begin
“Alright, so," he began haltingly, “what you need to know about firebending is that the breath is the most important thing…”
“We already know that! We’re not beginners,” one of the firebenders about Zuko’s age piped up. He was followed by nods of agreement.
Zuko glanced nervously away, forgetting everything he was originally going to say.
“So when are you going to teach us how to make a giant fireball or the five-point tiger-dillo roar?” one of the other younger kids asked impatiently.
Those words reminded Zuko of everything he had wanted to teach them. Gathering his courage in a long breath in, he met each of their expectant eyes with his own determination.
“Firebending is power, but it’s also life and passion.” Zuko looked down to his palm where he lit a fire, remembering the dragons that had made him understand so much about himself. “Kiza, if you would honor me by attacking with your strongest set?”
She raised a questioning brow, but took in a long breath and sent two punches of fire directly towards Zuko that combined as they shot towards him. He automatically crouched down into a defensive stance he had learned in battles with Katara and Aang. As the fireball neared he pushed himself to the side, taking in the fireball around him and condensing it, subtly adding his own fire and sending it back, though towards the ground so as not to hurt anyone. The impact produced a massive bang, causing most of Zuko’s students to jump back in shock. Now he had their attention.
“By redirecting an opponent’s energy and adding your own power to it you can produce a much stronger attack than anything you might have been able to produce alone.” He spoke confidently to the stunned silence around him.
“But our teachers said other bending styles were weak.”
“Your teachers don’t know everything,” Yori replied, but his eyes remained firmly locked with Zuko’s as if he was trying to pick Zuko apart.
Zuko had a feeling Yori was figuring something out, but it was more important that they knew how to defend themselves properly than it was for him to keep his identity a secret. Zuko went through the motions of redirecting the fire and everyone reluctantly copied him at first, but when they started to see the power they could achieve with the techniques, they became much more eager students. Zuko tried to keep his attention on them at all times, but Yori’s constant stare from his seat on the steps became more and more unnerving as the day progressed.
When lessons finally wound down Zuko walked over to Yori, who offered him a smile and a flask of water in what would have normally been interpreted as a friendly manner; however, Zuko remained wary even as he sat down beside the retired soldier. It was only when the others were finally out of earshot did Yori start to speak.
“You had formal military training, didn’t you?” the tone was friendly enough, but Zuko knew his response would be closely scrutinized.
He took a long gulp of water, drawing it out to give himself time to think. “My uncle was in the army. He taught me a few things.”
“You must have been a good student,” Yori commented, holding out his hand for the flask.
Zuko’s face twisted into a grimace before handing it back. “Actually I was an awful student. He just didn’t give up on me.”
“Still, some of those techniques weren’t military, were they?” Yori asked before taking a gulp himself.
“No.”
~~~~~
“How deep is it?” Toph asked innocently, legs swinging as she sat on the edge of their first pit, already knowing the answer.
“About waist height,” one of the women digging called back to her.
Toph made it to look as if she was thinking hard and making calculations in her head for a few moments before she spoke. “Ok, that should be enough. The traps Lee saw in the Earth Kingdom weren’t that deep.”
She stood up and let them cover it in wooden planks that would break under the weight of a komodo-rhino, but not under a few people walking on it. When they finished by covering it in dirt Toph made a subtle gesture with her feet, sinking the hole down to the average height of a man with earthbending. Smirking to herself, Toph let someone lead her to the next strategic point.
~~~~~
Evening came faster than any of them had expected, but everything was finished in time, and various villagers that had volunteered to help (mostly over-exuberant kids between Toph and Zuko’s ages) were eagerly anticipating the fight to come. The older members of the village watched with more wariness, wondering what would come of standing up to the nobles’ sons and daughters.
Zuko sat on the steps of the herbalist's store, sharpening his dao swords more out of a nervous habit than for an actual purpose while the sun set behind the houses, casting longer and longer shadows. Toph sat on the dirt below him seemingly relaxed, but in reality she was feeling for the vibrations signaling their expected intruders.
Oka stepped out behind them, rubbing her hands nervously on an apron she was wearing. “Do you really think you can stop them?” she asked Zuko uncertainly.
“I’ve dealt with thugs like these before." And this time he would not have to worry about holding back his firebending, he thought silently, remembering a young boy’s hurtful words. “I know we can stop them.”
Oka was silent and when Zuko turned his head to look at her she had her arms wrapped around her swollen belly, obviously wanting to protect the unborn child. His mother’s words came back to him clearly as he looked at the seemingly feeble-looking woman standing on the porch. Shaking his head in an attempt to get rid of the unsettling thoughts of his mother, he turned back towards the street.
“Hey, calm down Sunshine, we’ll beat these guys.”
“You really think they’re going to come?” he whispered uncertainly, beginning to second-guess himself after he had reassured her for most of the day.
Toph gave him a look askance. “If nothing else Shan will want a piece of you for going after his girl.”
Zuko blinked in confusion, his face swinging towards Toph. “Wait, what?”
Toph sighed, puffing the hair out of her face for a moment and letting it fall back in place. “Honestly, between you and Aang I don’t know which one’s more oblivious.”
Zuko frowned at her, though he was not completely sure whether it was from annoyance or confusion. Toph, however, took the opportunity to play ‘little blind girl’ and ignore it completely, causing him to finally relent and look away. Only a few moments later, Toph quickly crouched on the ground, drawing Zuko’s attention, with one of her palms flat against the dirt and eyes narrowed in concentration. Toph faced towards Zuko and Oka sucked in a breath in anticipation.
“Got ‘em.”
~~~~~
The thundering of heavy clawed feet was the villagers’ first signal that the army of vandals had arrived. Young children were quickly ushered indoors, while the older children either rushed around rallying adults together or got themselves into strategic positions where they would be out of the crossfire but still able to help defend their homes.
Zuko stood with his swords drawn at his sides and hood over his face. He tapped his foot against the ground in a subtle signal and Toph, who was somewhere in the middle of the village, ready to run the whole show from a safe spot. Zuko knew they would need to show the strength and resolve of the village openly, but he also wanted Toph to make sure there were no casualties on either side.
The sun began to set below the horizon and the sky became darker and darker, losing its pink tint with each breath Zuko took. Although his night vision was far from perfect, he was confident that his opponents would have difficulty picking him out from the shadows that were creeping out from the houses. A bright flare in the corner of his eye caused Zuko to look to the left where shouts and a roar of a panicked komodo-rhino made him want to rush over and help, but he quickly reminded himself that Toph would step in if anyone was in real danger.
A snort from another komodo-rhino caught Zuko’s attention and he did his best to stay pressed into the shadows as two riders urged their steeds forward in a slow, confident walk. It seemed as if his luck was still as terrible as ever when a stray fireball arched over one of the houses towards him. Thinking quickly, Zuko spun round and dissipated the flames with a sweeping kick, but he had been discovered and the two riders spurred their beasts forward in a charge, giving intimidating cries. Just as they were almost upon him, the riders let out shouts of surprise that were almost drowned out by the roars of their komodo-rhinos when the ground suddenly collapsed, wood splintering and cracking beneath them. Zuko hardly bothered to contain the smug grin from his face as the pit Toph and the rest of the village had dug earlier worked like a charm.
However, his victory was short-lived when both dismounted and slowly climbed out. They began stomping towards him with fists raised in a classic firebending pose. Zuko met them with swords still lazily held at his sides, the smile dropping from his face as he concentrated on the upcoming fight. Seeing his stance, the firebenders thought they would use it to their advantage and each sent a powerful, but surprisingly slow fire blast towards him.
Zuko waited for the blasts to get very close before ducking out of the way and with sudden, lightning fast speed, he twisted around, taking the fire blasts around him and redirecting them straight back at one of the firebenders. The other watched stunned as his friend was sent skidding into the dirt, finally stopping a few paces away. Seeing his partner struggling to get her breath back, the one closer to Zuko rushed towards him, shooting off fireballs from his fists in desperation to land at least one hit. Zuko quickly noticed the periodic timing of his attacks and dodged each one, moving closer to his opponent with each blast he avoided; his opponent too terrified to notice.
When the distance finally closed enough, Zuko briefly dropped his swords into the dirt and caught the man’s two fists with each of his own hands, snuffing out the flames. The man, who looked only a few years older than Zuko, attempted to step back in surprise, but could only move so far due to Zuko’s firm hold. Using the man’s hesitation against him, Zuko twisted and, letting go of the man’s hands, sent a weak fire blast kicking out with his foot aimed at the vandal’s chest. Due to their close proximity, Zuko’s opponent was sent flying back towards his companion. Zuko calmly knelt down and picked up his swords, twirling them in each hand before sheathing them in a flourish. He gave the vandals a hard look and the two started retreating a few paces back before turning around completely and rushing away as fast as they could run.
Zuko watched them disappear before letting out a breath of relief and sheathing his swords behind his back. Hearing the bellows of the komodo-rhinos becoming more panicked, Zuko walked over to the side of the pit leading out of the village and bent down to grab the reigns of the first beast, who was attempting to charge his way out. Redirecting the beast upwards, it and its companion soon understood to climb up the side with Zuko guiding them up. When they were finally out the first brushed its nose against Zuko, causing him to place his hands on the beast’s muzzle and brace himself from being pushed to the ground.
“Lee!”
Zuko looked up to see one of the younger boys standing at the end of the road. Zuko gave him a nod of acknowledgement and once he was sure the komodo-rhinos would wander back home on their own, Zuko walked over. Raising his eyebrow in question, Zuko listened with rapt attention as the story poured from the boy’s lips.
“Shan came with some of his men and took Oka. He’s taking her from the village, but we can’t stop him!”
Zuko sent an acknowledging nod and rushed in the direction the boy had pointed to, hoping that the villagers and Toph would be able to stop the other intruders together. The moon shone high over him as he ran past alleyways and houses, glancing each way in an attempt to find Oka.
“Let me go!”
Zuko skidded around a corner and crouched into the shadows, watching the leader of the vandals drag the herbalist away from the village. Zuko took a breath to center himself, stepped out under the moonlight and sent a large fireball around the two. The fireball exploded on a tree just in front of them. Oka screamed and in the confusion Shan let her go, allowing her to push herself away from him. Shan tried to grab at her again, but Zuko sent a wave of fire between the two, forcing Shan to back away from her or get burned.
Shan turned his face towards Zuko with a nasty smile that looked as if he was trying to remain calm and cool-looking despite his obvious rage. “So, who do we have here?” he glanced at Oka who was sat back against one of the near-by buildings. “Looks like your boyfriend’s come to save you.”
Zuko’s expression darkened considerably such that Shan’s attention moved back to him. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”
Shan sneered before giving Oka one last glance and ran towards Zuko, his right fist back and covered in bright red flames. Zuko stood deceptively still at first, only spinning out of the way at the last moment, allowing Shan’s own momentum to overbalance him, causing him to throw his arms out in order to rebalance himself. Shan let out a frustrated kick of fire backwards, which Zuko calmly dissipated with splayed out hands.
“Why don’t you fight me, you coward?” Shan screamed, sending another punch of fire towards Zuko, each strike fuelled more and more by his anger.
Zuko almost felt sorry for Shan as he dodged another blast, remembering the rage he had felt when trying to fight Aang. However, Zuko had already learnt his lesson in patience and was not going to be baited into attacking until he was ready.
Shan let out a cry of frustration and looked like he was about to make another wild strike, when his eyes shifted to another target and he let out a ferocious and precise kick. Oka screamed as the fire shot towards her and Zuko barely had enough time to shoot out his own blast to divert the flames away from her. Fortunately for both of them, the fire skidded across the ground rather than hitting one of the houses.
Zuko barely had enough time to register what had happened when Shan sent a volley of fireballs towards him. Zuko’s eyes narrowed at the display and he kicked out a concentrated blast of fire straight through the weaker flames to smack Shan in the chest, all the while cursing himself for letting Shan take advantage like that. Using the techniques he had learned fighting Katara, Zuko made a sweeping motion around him and gathered up all the stray flames into his palms, before calmly bringing his hands together and suffocating the remaining sparks out.
Shan was lying down panting heavily with his palms propping him up and a look of disbelief on his face. Zuko glanced back then at Oka standing behind him and motioned for her to go ahead. She gave Zuko a silent nod before quickly walking back towards the village, sparing a couple of glances back towards Shan. Zuko followed for a few paces so that he was once again between Shan and Oka and then stopped.
Zuko then glanced back over his right shoulder, his scarred eye narrowing dangerously. “Take your friends out of the village and go home. I never want to see you attacking here again.”
As gracefully as possible, Shan pulled himself onto his feet and laughed, “Stick around, kid. Your threats mean nothing against my family. Just you wait; I’ll bring an army to raze this town to the ground for defying me.”
Still laughing, Shan turned and walked away. Zuko tried to ease the sinking feeling in his stomach. Nevertheless, there was still work to be done and Zuko turned back towards the village to find Toph, which turned out to be much easier than he had anticipated as she stomped towards him when he entered the main square.
“I hate this! Hiding my bending sucks. I want some of the glory too!” she whispered furiously to Zuko, her arms crossed over her chest, pouting at him.
Zuko took a look around the village and, noting that nothing seemed to be on fire, attempted to offer her a comforting pat on the shoulder that she probably took to be patronizing. He glanced down one of the alleyways where someone was approaching one of the deepened holes.
“Speaking of which,” he bent down, whispering in her ear, “you might want to bend the pits back to their original size before someone takes the time to really notice that they’ve miraculously deepened.”
Toph stuck her tongue out at him childishly before unwrapping her arms and letting out a sigh. The gesture was so slight Zuko almost missed it, but he contained his relief when he watched people examining the pits without any suspicion in their gazes. It looked as if they had won the battle for now.
~~~~~