Book Four: Air

"I'd settle for somebody just letting me out of here..." muttered Toph. She was hot and the chains were too tight. "And I'm glad to hear getting thrown into a tiny room hasn't ruined your sarcasm. I was really worried there for a second."

"Good to see that someone besides me likes it," commented before leaning against the wall with a sigh, "This is going to be boring, waiting for someone to rescue us."

"Not if we try and rescue ourselves," said Toph. "We've gotten out of worse scrapes before, Snoozles."

Her brow furrowed.

"These guys..." she continued. "They want me for something. If I help them, I don't think they'll hurt you guys. Maybe they'll let you go."

Sokka shook his head, "Whatever it is, it can't be good. Who knows what men like these are up to? Any ideas how to get out of here?"

Toph huffed, struggling a little, but as before coming up empty-handed.

"No," she said, tired. "There's nothing for me to bend in here. Right now, we'll just have to be patient, and wait for a better moment. That, or do what I just said. I agree to help them if they let you guys go."

"I'm not leaving without you, though," Sokka argued.

"You might have to," said Toph, in a very firm voice. "You know that. I won't let them hurt you, and you shouldn't do anything stupid that'll put you in danger. If you've got a chance to run, you'll run. Got it? I'll do what I have to, whatever they want, if it means you and the others don't get hurt."

"No way. I came here to rescue you and I'm not leaving without you," Sokka argued stubbornly, "I can't leave you with them!"

Now she felt a little irritated not with her predicament, but with him. Toph would have punched him in the arm if he were there and she wasn't tied up.

"Look," she said. "You'll leave me if you have the chance. You have to look out for the others. They're depending on you. Besides, these guys need me. They're not gonna hurt me. But they might hurt you. I. Won't. Let. That. Happen."

Jerrel stood to his feet and shook his head, he could heard voices coming from his left. The loudest of the two was a male's voice, the other was softer, more distant, but he recognized it within an instant. "Mistress Toph!" Jerrel cried running to the wall. He braced himself and began using Iron palm against the wooden wall between his and Sokka's cell. "Mistress Toph, it is I, Jerrel!" He called out, soon there was a hole large enough for his arm to fit through. Jerrel peered through the hole, dissappointed to see only Sokka.

Sokka sighed. There was no use arguing with Toph. She was like a brick wall when she made up her mind. He raised an eyebrow at someone else's voice and asked, "Who are you?"

Jerrel continued to attack the hole until he could squeeze through into Sokka's cell. "I am a shadow of the Bei Fong family." Jerrel walking over to Sokka. "I am here to take Toph back to the Bei Fong house." Jerrel added as he turned from him and faced the wall he saw Sokka talking to earlier. "Mistress Toph, can you hear me?"

"Wow... No wonder you enjoy running away, what with your family hiring stalkers," Sokka commented to Toph.

"She was never alone on her adventures, before the Avatar showed up, although I would be blamed for her 'outings' when we returned." Jerrel glared at Sokka out of the corner of his eye. "I am not a stalker. It was my duty to watch over Mistress Toph, and she disappeared I was severely punished, yet I was happy for her to have found something she, herself wanted to do." Jerrel looked back at the wall. "Mistress, I was told to bring you back, but knowing that this loudmouth may be one of your friends I shall help him, and anyone else that you wish me to." Jerrel walked around behind Sokka and used the metal claws on his gloves to cut the rope.

(What rope?)
"You're a professional stalker," Sokka commented, "And who are you calling loudmouth?"

OOC: Sokka was tied up and thrown into the cell, so he should have some rope still on him.

***

IC: Toph

"Both of you, if you don't shut up!" said Toph. "You'll give us away!"

She recognized the sound of the voice. He was supposed to be her shadow, but once she had learned to "see" the world through her bending, Toph had always been aware of Jerrel's presence. He had not stopped her from doing what she wanted, so she had ignored him for the most part, but that did not mean the protection had not annoyed her.

"Even if we get out of this mess, I'm not going home," she informed the voice. "You can't make me."

Jerrel had stopped cutting the ropes holding Sokka a terrified look on his face. "Oh please, Mistress Toph!" Jerrel thought quickly, but it all ended him getting punished. "You could go home for a day, and leave again in the middle of the night.........I would be willing to help you if neccessary." He added.

IC: Toph

"You honestly think my parents would make it that easy a second time? You'll just come after me again, too!" she said. Grumbling to herself, Toph added, "Look, just help us out of here, and I'll think about it."

"Of course I'd come after you, if you leave I'll follow." Jerrel said as he turned and swiftly cut the rest of Sokka's ropes. "I am your shadow, and I also heard that there might be assassins from other families after you, so in all honesty I'd have to stay with you so your dad doesn't kill me." Jerrel turned toward the wall Toph's voice was coming from and braced himself as he began to hit the wall with Iron Palm.

Toph yelped when she both heard and felt the thump right by her head.

"What the freakin' hell!" she shouted. "Not that way, you idiot! This cupboard's too small! You're going to hit me too! Come around to where I am, and let me out there!"

Sokka nodded in thanks before turning to Toph and muttering, "Where'd he learn to do that?"

"I don't know!" said Toph. "And I really don't care! Just get me out of here already! Please?"

She knew she should probably help them out, since the compartment she had been shoved into was a hidden one. Toph squirmed and kicked. It was hard, with the chains, but she managed to make some noise.

"Just follow that noise..."

Sokka nodded and pressed his ear against the wall,, searching for the place Toph was. He pointed at a point on the wall, "Make a hole here."

"Nobody has to smash anything," said Toph, not liking the idea. At all. The space was too small for that, and she wouldn't be able to protect herself. "Just look for a way to open this. It's a hidden compartment. There has to be a way to open it like normal."

Jerrel had swung at the wall, but pulled back in time, but jammed his finger. "&#%$! Well, guess we should get out of the cell area and find the opening. Owwie......"