Book Four: Air

IC: Mercenaries

Chan arrived right on schedule. Maku nodded at his companion.

"Everything is going according to plan, then?"

The former soldier shrugged. "I did not stick around long enough to see how it went down. But you know Kara. She'll get the job done. We just have to be patient."

"Very good," said the mercenary leader. He grinned over at Jing. "Ready to bag us a bender, dear?"

Sokka smiled before kissing Suki. He suddenly pulled back, however, when he felt as though someone shoved ice down his back. He frowned, "Something's wrong."

IC: Suki

She blinked, surprised. Suki did not feel badly or become angry with him for breaking the kiss. She could see the worry, the concern, in his face.

"What? What's wrong?" she asked. She pulled him away from the crowds and into an alley where they could talk easier. "Sokka... You look as if you've seen a spirit!"

"I don't know. It's just this feeling. Something bad happened," Sokka told her worriedly, "Something back at the mansion. I think... Toph's in trouble."
This is strange, he thought to himself, I usually only get these bad feelings when something's happened to Katara.

IC: Suki

"Toph? In trouble?"

Suki could not keep the skepticism out of her voice. It wasn't because she did not believe Sokka. It was just that she had trouble ever thinking of Toph in true trouble. She caused it, but she was almost never in it.

And since when did Sokka have feelings? Or were his instincts acting up again?

"She was holed up in her room, last time I saw," she said, trying to appease him, but now concerned herself. "She wasn't very happy about having to go to the Earth Kingdom." She bit her lip. "We can go check on her..."

***

IC: Toph

She had slid across the earth for nearly five miles. The city was long since gone from her earth-sight. The only thing she sensed were the trees and thick underbrush of the forest. This, too, broke off into a clearing not far ahead of her. Beyond that Toph thought she felt the breaking point.

Deadman's Cove wasn't too far ahead.

She charged forward. There was no telling how much time had passed since Sokka was abducted, or whatever had happened. She couldn't waste what little time she had left.

Toph jolted when she felt someone, or something, standing in the clearing.

Teeth grit, Toph skidded to a halt. She pusehd out with her arms. A wave of earth ripped forward and smashed into the figure. It crumpled to the ground.

She ran forward, mind ablaze and muscles quivering, and grabbed the figure by the collar with a steely hand. "Alright, you, where's--!"

Toph cut off. This wasn't a person at all. No heartbeat pumped throug her hands and there was no breathing. It was... It was just a stuffed dummy!

What the heck's going on?

Sokka nodded at Suki, "Thank you."
With that said, he took her hand and ran towards the mansion.

IC: Suki

She chased after Sokka. He held her hand, but it was hard to keep up with him. He seemed almost frantic and pushed hard for the mansion. His worry began to bleed into Suki herself. She kept wondering what sort of trouble Toph had found herself in.

The manor was quiet that evening. Most people were either at the festival or had retired for the night. They were the only ones, it seemed, up and walking on the second floor.

Toph's room was empty.

***

IC: Toph

"Confused, kid?"

Toph started. The voice came from somewhere close, but above her. She knew whoever it was, he had to be in the trees. She could sense nothing.

But that did not keep her from taking up a battle stance.

"Come down! Where's Sokka!?" she demanded.

The voice laughed. "You don't get it, do you? He's not here. He never was."

IC: Azon

"How easily a mosquito-fly flocks to the flame," said Azon from his place on Toph's bed.

He had appeared as suddenly to them as he appeared to Toph's sight before. He sat cross legged upon the bed, quite content it seemed.

"Especially when the flame burns brightly its desires. I'm afraid you won't find her here, Milord and Lady."

"What are you talking about?! What did you do with her?!" Sokka asked frantically, his hand going for his sword.

IC: Azon

Azon turned his head to look over at Sokka and Suki. He reached up and placed down his hood so his blindfolded eyes started pointlessly at them.

"Ah, yes, the fool. Recovered fully I see, Milord."

IC: Suki

Suki could only stare at the strange man who had seemingly just appeared on Toph's bed. She did not know him, and so followed Sokka's lead. She drew her fans--she always kept her weapons nearby--and stood by Sokka's side.

"You'd better answer Sokka quickly," she said. "Or--"

"Oh dear, oh dear..."

Suki turned and saw a woman hovering near the door. She appeared to be a servant, and she looked worried.

"Please, none of that," said the servant woman. "He's... He's done nothing... My Lady, she said..." She closed her mouth and shook her head. "I promised her I wouldn't say..."

***

IC: Toph

Confusion and then outrage flooded Toph. She realized she must have been tricked. The truth made her face burn.

"Oh, I think she's got it!" said the voice. "It took you long enough, pet. Now... Let's take a nap, shall we?"

"Wha-?"

Something fell to the ground with a ping. The next thing Toph knew, she had a face full of foul-smelling smoke. It clogged her senses and dragged her into nothingness.

***

IC: Mercenaries

Maku looked down from his perch on the tree. Toph lay crumpled on the ground, out cold. He grinned over at his companions, Chan and Jing.

"That's how you deal with the greatest earthbender in the world," he said, obviously pleased with himself.

"Then where is she?!" Sokka asked in panic, "What happened to her?"

IC: General Narrative

"I...I promised..." said the servant. "And servants, they... They are supposed to do as the noblewoman says, yes?"

Suki shook her head. "Not when there might be trouble. We are Toph's friends. Please, tell us. If it comes down to it, we won't tell her you gave her away."

The woman shivered but nodded.

"I... I caught her packing. Leaving, really. I asked her where she was going. She wouldn't say... But she did say... That she was tired of being thought of as a tool, and being pushed around, that she wanted her own life. That she was tired of you..."

Her eyes looked down.

"I am sorry. She's been gone for... for a few hours now."

***

IC: Mercenaries

They waited until the gas was gone, and then climbed to the forest floor. Maku moved without caution towards the unconscious girl. He knew she would be out cold for at least a couple of hours. They had plenty of time.

"Keep an eye out, would ya?" he asked Chan and Jing. "We don't need anybody getting in the way."

He set his bag on the ground and pulled out a length of silvery-chain.

"Won't she be able to bend that?" said Chan.

Maku chuckled. "Nope. Not this. This is mithril. It's what I went to buy, see. There's no impurities in here, so there's nothing for her to bed with. It'll keep her under control."

He began to tie the girl with the length of chain.

"Then we have to follow her," Sokka said firmly, "This just doesn't feel right."

IC: General Narrative

"But I'm telling the truth!" said the servant woman.

"We're not saying you lied," said Suki, shaking her head. "We are just concerned. It's not like Toph to just... just run off like this."

She wasn't sure about that herself. Toph often ran off to be by herself when she was upset, and she always came back. What if this was just another one of those times?

But with the way Sokka was acting...

"Do you know where she went?" Sokka asked the servant, trying to sound calm.

IC: General Narrative

The woman shook her head, shivering. "I couldn't say, Master Sokka..." she said. "I don't know for sure..."

"If she's trying to leave, she'll use the docks. Ships go out all day and most of the night," said Suki. "But if she's got a head-start, Sokka, I don't think..." She hated telling him this. He looked so out of his mind with worry. "Toph, if she took a ship, she's probably not here anymore, Sokka."

***

IC: Mercenaries

Maku finished tying the girl. He did not give any slack. He wouldn't take a chance of her slipping out of her bonds. Stories suggested she was as cunning as she was strong. The mercenary leader also made sure to gag her. They didn't need the little rat screaming for help once she came to.

He lugged her over his shoulder. Maku nodded at Chan and Jing.

"The ship's out in the cove," he said. "Let's get going, you two."

"We should try. This doesn't feel right. Toph just wouldn't run away without telling us."

IC: General Narrative

They thanked the servant woman and left the manor. The docks were at the very edge of the city. Suki pushed as hard as she could to reach there as soon as possible. She was out of breath and flushed by the time she reached the wharf and ocean.

Ships lined the docks as far as she could see. Suki approached a building at the entrance. The Dock-Master would be here, and if anyone would know if Toph had come through, he would.

The Dock-Master looked them up and down. He shrugged.

"Can't say that I've seen your bender. But I've been busy all day. The last passenger ship for the day left just a few minutes ago, though."

He pointed out the window, where the faint outline of a ship could be seen.

***

IC: Kara

She smiled, once she was out and away from the manor. It had been frightfully easy posing as a scared servant-girl. The children would never suspect.

And, more than that, it would keep them from realizing that their friend hadn't run away but been taken. Why search for someone who wanted nothing to do with you, after all?

It was now time to catch up with the others.

Sokka sighed, "My instincts are never wrong and they are screaming that something is wrong. I just."
He watched the ship leave with a frown.

IC: Suki

Suki hated seeing Sokka like this. She smoothed a hand up and down his back.

"I don't doubt your instincts, but... What more can we do? We have to leave for the Earth Kingdom tomorrow."

Sokka nodded with a frown, "We could have her reported as missing. People are going to notice one of the world's heroes." He smiled at his girlfriend gratefully.

She looked away from his smile. With what she was about to say to him, Suki did not feel as if she deserved it.

"But we don't know if she is really missing or not. The servant lady said Toph left on her own accord. And we both saw how unhappy she was at having to go to the Earth Kingdom. What if she really did just up and leave, Sokka? Do we really need to go chasing after her, or give her space until she's ready to come back?"

Sokka frowned in thought, "I suppose that does make sense, but my instincts are telling me that we should be looking for her. What the servant said just didn't seem right."

Suki frowned. "How so? I mean, I don't doubt you, Sokka. You know Toph better than anyone. So... explain this to me. Maybe you saw something I missed, or..."

She shrugged.

"Instincts again."