Too Far Away

Chapter Eleven: A Few Days Ago

The Sixth Letter

The wind tugged at Zuko's scalp as the cutter-craft made its way through the water alongside the pirate ship. The day faded as he waited for some sign of the Avatar. He wondered why the Water Tribe girl had bothered taking a rare waterbending scroll. He had known she was stupid, considering that she was traveling with the Avatar, but he hadn't thought she was that stupid.

Of course, Zuko knew that the pirates he had formed a loose alliance with were probably going to double-cross him. Unlike the Water Tribe girl, he wasn't stupid. He intended to be prepared, so he kept a close watch on the captain of the pirate ship.

It was then, as the sun slid completely from view, that Tongyi landed on Zuko's shoulder.

Zuko didn't smile, didn't react, though he did flinch when the falcon first touched him. He didn't think the pirates noticed. He couldn't show weakness around them. So he brought Tongyi inside the cabin of the cutter-craft. He didn't intend to reply right away, but he couldn't keep himself from quickly pulling the letter out of the carrier and reading over it, itching to know how she had reacted to bare-boned letter he had sent her last.

Prince Zuko,

I hope that you are all right. I also hope that your uncle is all right. I hope you can reply soon; I am excited to hear about what has happened. Are you okay? What happened to the earthbenders? Where were you when they captured your uncle? Was the Avatar involved in any way?

I am very eagerly awaiting your reply.

Song Lee

"Stay here," Zuko told Tongyi, pretending that his shoulders had relaxed for some other reason than relief. Tongyi stood motionless on the chair Zuko was no longer sitting in. He wasn't sure whether the falcon could actually understand him or he simply wouldn't leave without a reply, but it didn't matter at that moment.

"What was that about?" Iroh asked Zuko after he left the cabin.

"Song Lee," he said, careful to keep his tone neutral, even though that knotting in his stomach returned at the sight of Iroh's smile. "The Avatar is close. Come on."

Zuko placed down the tray of cups and made his way towards the back table, where Iroh was pouring tea for Song Lee. He was very careful not to look behind him—he didn't want to raise the girl's suspicions even further.

"Uncle, we have a problem," Zuko said to Iroh. Song Lee looked up from her book—he'd noticed that this was her third time reading it that week, but it was hard to afford new books—as Zuko continued: "One of the customers is on to us. Don't look now, but there is a girl over there at the corner table. She knows we're Fire Nation."

Of course, Iroh and Song Lee ignored him and glanced around him, towards the corner table. Zuko hastily turned them both back around, yanking Song Lee to her feet as he did so. "Didn't I say don't look?"

"You're right, Zuko," said Iroh. "I've seen that girl in here quite a lot. Seems to me she has quite a little crush on you."

"What?" asked Zuko and Song Lee in unison, though while Zuko reeled back in horror, and Song Lee said it in her usual toneless way.

"Thank you for the tea," Zuko heard from behind him, and he spun around to face the very girl they were talking about. Everything was happening too fast, and Zuko found it hard to focus around the pounding of his heart in his ears. As far as he could remember, he had never been so stressed.

She handed him the coins for the tea, and he took them and hastily turned away. What was he supposed to do now? How was he supposed to act? He looked to Song Lee for any possible help, but she was muttering something to Iroh.