𝑺𝑬𝑬𝑫 𝑶𝑭 𝑰𝑪𝑯𝑶𝑹 •𝒃𝒙𝒃•

16 ~ The Black Rogue

AN: This took a while, whoopsie.
Reposted the chapter because Wattpad decided to mess things up.
Added pictures at the end.

They all ended up back at the Beifong estate after the fight.

It didn't end as well as they wanted it to. Despite Toph's genuine words, her father did not understand her. No matter what she said, he pushed her words aside and did as he wanted.

Yet another reminder of Guren's childhood.

_

Aang stood at the edge that overlooked the Beifong estate.

Katara offered her support and comfort, telling him they would find him another Earthbending teacher. But the way Toph fought could not be replicated. Guren knew that from the moment he first saw her fight. She was...special. She fought differently from any other Earthbender, and that was exactly what Aang needed in a teacher.

But, just as they got atop Appa, Toph appeared.

"Toph, what are you doing here?" Aang called out to her.

She came to a stop beside Appa. "My dad changed his mind. He said I was free to travel the world."

That...didn't sound really convincing. Guren exchanged a glance with Sokka and Katara, but neither of them said anything.

"Well, we'd better get out of here before your dad changes his mind again." Came Sokka's response.

Without further ado, they went on their way.

_

At dawn, Guren noticed something rather strange. Perhaps it was just a trick of sunlight, or he was too sleep deprived to see properly, but he was sure they were being...

"Hey, Sokka?" He leaned against the edge of Appa's saddle, staring down at the thick forest below.

The other boy shifted, turning to look at him. "Yeah?"

Guren pointed down. "Do you see something down there?" He continued staring down, at the infinite green, and saw short flashes of black. The colour would flicker for less than a second and get lost in the lush leaves.

Sokka furrowed his brows and moved closer to Guren. Once he looked down, he stayed silent for a few seconds, and then his answer came. "Um. Aang?" He called out.

"Yeah?"

Sokka moved back and turned to look at Guren. "We seem to be having a problem."

Great.
.
.
.
In less than two minutes, four of them were sitting on the edges of Appa's saddle, all looking down at the forest below.

"Are you saying...there's something down there?" Katara asked.

Guren nodded, feeling rather unwilling to do even that. "I thought I was seeing things, but...we are being followed."

"By what?" Toph asked, casually laying down with her arms behind her back.

"I'm not sure. It looks like an animal of some sorts, but..."

"But...?" Sokka urged him to continue.

Guren gripped onto the saddle. "It seems there isn't only one."

As far as he saw, those black flickers were spread around, all of them quickly following after Appa. The worst part was that they all constantly held the same position, as if they had a designated spot.

"So...like a pack?"

Yeah, that seemed to be the word Guren was looking for. A pack. They were being followed by a pack of...something. It...looked familiar, somehow, but he couldn't quite remember. He had a blank image in mind, but he was sure he knew what this pack was.