Book Four: Air

Jerrel managed to find Katara and the large man he had seen fighting ealier. "Psst!" Jerrel called from the shadows to Katara, hoping she would hear him. "Psst! don't make a sound just listen to what I have to say." Jerrel continued. "I'm here to help you, don't worry about who I am at the moment. Just do net move after I've cut the ropes, do not let your captors realize you've be freed, so that when they come to your cell you can attack, I shall be here in the shadows until the time comes."

IC: Soldier

"Yes. It does seem likely," said the soldier. "And unfortunate..."

He stood at attention and, in a more friendly tone than a formal one, he thumped his Fire Lord on the back. "But do not worry, sir. We will find your wife, and track down Ozai. The rebellion might be strong, but you have good, loyal men and women ready to serve you. We will not let you down, sir."

***

IC: Toph

She shivered.

Toph was horrified to realize she was fighting back tears. All this had hurt her more than she realized, and she hated it, and felt sorry for herself, all at the same time. She scrubbed furiously at her eyes, and tried to find some sleep.

Jerrel had reached through the bars of Katara's cell and began to cut the ropes tied around her. "By the way, do you the loudmouth known as Sokka?" Jerrel asked quietly, he was curious about Toph's friends, and wished to more about each of them if he was going to stay by Toph's side as her shadow like he was originally supposed to be doing.

Zuko

Zuko stood still for a few moments, before nodding. "Thank you, soldier," he said. "I'm glad to know there are still people in the Fire Nation who will stand by me."

Katara

Katara had remained quiet as some stranger came out of the shadows only because he was freeing her, but he had just somewhat insulted Sokka, though probably hadn't meant it that way. "That's my brother," she hissed, trying to remain quiet. "How is he? Have you seen Toph, or the other man we came with?"

Sokkak opened an eye to see Toph shivering. He took off his coat and offered it to her asking, "Are you cold?"

"He's fine, for someone who held out against a blood bender, as well as Mistress Toph." Jerrel answered. "And I'm sorry, but no, I have not seen anyone else, I've only seen you, your brother, that giant over there, Mistress Toph, and your captors." Jerrel added.

IC: Toph

"I'm fine, Sokka. Just leave me alone," she said, pulling in on herself even further. There was no way she was going to let him see her tear-stained face. Things were already bad enough. "Just go back to sleep."

***

IC: Soldier

"We will always stand by you, sir," said the soldier. "To the death if necessary!"

He led Zuko to the palace. At the side-entrance, for use of the Royal Family only, he stepped to the side and bowed.

"Please, sir, have something to eat. Rest your eyes. If anything happens, I will let you know. You have my word."

Sokka sighed and nodded as he closed his eyes. He knew that it wasn't a good idea to talk to Toph when she was like this. Not unless you knew exactly what to say and, at the moment, he didn't know what to say to himself.

IC: Mercenaries

"He's not here, Maku," said Chan.

Maku growled. "He can't have just up and vanished! We lost him that first time. We won't lose him again!"

Kara shrugged. "It doesn't really matter, does it? We're about to hit land."

"Good. We leave the others behind, and take those two with us. We won't have anymore interruptions." He gestured sharply at Chan. "Keep an eye out for him. Don't stop searching!"

"Yes."

***

IC: Toph

She was both glad, and unhappy, when Sokka did not press the issue. It was difficult to know what she should think. Toph hated how muddled she felt.

Sighing, she tried to make herself comfortable.

Sokka was now thinking about the different girls in his life. It must have been a Spirit's cruel idea of a joke to have him meet Suki, Yue, and Toph in the same year. He had loved Yue, or thought he did anyway. He was able to move on, however. He liked Suki. She was pretty and a good fighter and...
What else was there? There had to be something more to it, some other reason why he'd been dating her for the past six months. She was tough, and he respected that, but the main thing he thought about around her besides on how to charm her was that she was pretty. Something was missing there.
What did he feel about Toph, though? He had mostly thought of her as one of the guys, his best friend. A welcome relief to his sister's mothering and Aang's naivety. Not to mention Zuko's angst when he joined the group. She was funny and fun to be with rather it was exchanging sarcastic remarks or being immature. He could trust her with anything and he knew she could trust him, or so he hoped. He knew more about her than what he knew about Suki or Yue combined. And he felt closer to her...
Did he like her?

IC: General Narrative

As Kara had said, they drew within reach of the docks of the Earth Kingdom within the hour. Maku stood on the deck, piloting the boat himself. He nodded at both Kara and Chan.

"Get our guests up here. We want to show the girl we mean what we said."

"As you wish," said Kara. Chan only nodded.

The two slipped down below. Chan went to drag Katara and Samanya up on deck, while Kara decided to take care of Sokka and Toph.

"Wake up, sleepyheads!" she said, banging on the door. "It's time to get up, you know!"

She wished the full moon still gave her power. She had had fun messing with these two. She would have liked to teach the older girl a thing or two, also.

Toph barely stirred.

"Five more minutes," Sokka groaned sleepily as he leaned against the wall, forgetting that he was captured for a moment.

Kara growled. She unlocked the door and burst through. Grabbing a hand-full of Sokka's wolf-tail, she dragged him towards the exit.

"That was an order, not a suggestion, you little ass-wipe," she snarled, shaking him for good measure. "Now get a move on!"

She kicked Toph for good measure.

***

IC: Chan

The former soldier rapped his knuckles on the door. "Time to get moving," he said, to Katara and Samanya inside, as he opened the door. "Maku wants you up on deck."

Sokka grunted as he stood up and looked towards Toph. He said sarcastically, "It looks like our hosts want us to get up." He glared at Kara, "Stop kicking her."

Katara

Katara struggled to get up, pretending that her hands were still tied behind her back. Up on deck there would be water to bend, but if she got caught before then she'd have a tougher time of it. She could draw some water from the air, but it probably wouldn't be enough to bring Chan down. Of course, if Samanya could help her, then together they could probably handle him, assuming the other mercenaries didn't get involved.

Zuko

There was no rest for Zuko, and he didn't eat, he was too busy thinking. There wasn't anything he could do right now except wait, for information or Ty Lee. The stress of being Fire Lord was getting to him, and he was sure he'd snap soon.

OOC: Ty Lee is played by KTW, but until she comes back, and takes up the position, I will handle her.

***

IC: Ty Lee

"Zuko!"

Ty Lee came out of seemingly nowhere. She hugged Zuko from behind and then stepped around the look him in the face. Her smile was not nearly as radiant or silly as it usually was.

"They said you wanted to see me..." she said. "But first, Zuko, how are you holding up?"

***

IC: Chan

He grunted and motioned for them to follow. Tied as they were, he doubted they could or would try anything. He and the others would handle them rather easily. Chan led the girl and the large barbarian up to the deck.

Maku smiled at them all.

"I told your earthbender that if she helped us, I'd let you go," he said.

***

IC: Toph and Kara

Kara smirked beautifully at Sokka. "Why don't you make me, little boy?" she said. "You haven't made a move yet..."

She reared back for another kick. But when she kicked Toph this time, the girl reacted. She turned, grabbed Kara by the leg and pulled. Kara, shocked, was knocked off balance. She slammed into the far wall.

"I'm guessing we're escaping now?" Sooka asked Toph with a grin. He had to remind himself not to make the blind earthbender angry.

"Nice observation, genius," said Toph.

For all that had happened between them, he was still the person she considered her closest friend. It was so easy to fall back into that banter they shared.

"Come on, we gotta move!" she added.

But Kara was having none of that. She had recovered by now, and dragged out a whip of water from one of her ever-present pouches. The water-whip slapped Toph back into the far wall.

"You aren't going anywhere!" snarled the waterbender.

Sokka frowned, rather angrier than he should be when he saw her hurt Toph. He turned ot the waterbender and charged at her, aiming a fist at her face."

Kara saw the attack coming far too late, since she had been much too focused on Toph. Sokka's punch caught her right in the cheek. Yowling, the woman stumbled back and fell into the hallway outside the cell.

She wasn't down for the count yet, however. Kara waved a hand, while still lying on the floor, and controlled a new whip of water. It wrapped around Sokka's arm and dragged him forward, and, as she was hoping it would, right for the wall.

Sokka grunted as he felt his head collide with the wall. He could see stars. He stumbled a little and turned to Kara, and asked, "That all you got?" With that said, he aimed another couple of punches at the waterbender.

Kara was ready for Sokka this time. She back-stepped, anticipating each and every one of his punches. Again, she lashed out with the water-whip. It smacked him across the face, and then a second followed through to knock him in the gut.

"Is that all you got?" she mocked. "Spirits, you are so pathetic! You can't do anything right! Face it, kid, without your earthbending muscle, you're a little nobody!"

And that was when Toph returned. She slammed into Kara from behind, knocking her into the wall. Kara growled, forgetting Sokka for the moment, and pushed herself back. The motion slammed Toph, hard, into the wall.

It knocked her out.

The waterbender smirked. "Nothing for you to bend, so you can't do squat, either!"

Sokka growled under his breath. He hated arrogant benders. They always underestimated others. He charged at her from behind and aimed a punch at the back of her head.

Kara yelped, and then stumbling forward, dazed, she gurgled. The blow to the back of her head had done its work. She was more than dazed. She was hurt.

Thoughts spinning, darkness blanketing her vision, Kara groaned. The waterbender crumpled to the floor and did not move again.

Sokka blinked. He hadn't expected that it would be that easy. He walked over to Toph and knelt by her. He shook her and asked, "Toph, are you awake?"