Yin & Yang

Chapter 20.

Toph stumbled as the ship docked. Catching herself on the railing, she listened to the sounds around her. Crickets and cat-owls sang, indicating that it was night time. Unsteadily, she walked down the steps to the wooden planks that made the extended docks. Slowly, she made her way to the opposite end of the area. She knew the stranger that she'd encountered earlier had been watching her. Toph prayed that he hadn't seen her in the small crowd of people exiting off the boat. Her feet came into contact with the dirt and she sighed in relief as the world around her came to life, her unseeing eyes looking around as people hustled from one place to the next carrying items or coaxing their pack-animals with them. She giggled to herself as she watched a platypus-bear destroy a cart full of cabbages, then proceded to eat the contents. An elderly man just stood by, his head hung and she could feel his feelings of rejection.

She looked deeper and further into the ground as Momo chattered into her ear softly. Her hand patted him on the head as she found the road for her destination and she set off. Even with people being everywhere, she still noticed she was being followed. The group of three wasn't hard to miss. Unfortunately, Toph couldn't Earth Bend in the area as it was jam packed with fire nation patrons. They could easily get hurt. She would have to wait it out until she could get to a more open area.

Jet, Smellerbee and Longshot followed. They acted as though they were tourists and looked around, noting some of the shops and what the places had for sale. All the while, keeping an eye on Toph. She was their ticket into the palace. Though if the three needed, breaking into it wouldn't be a problem or hard.

Toph finally broke through the throngs of people and houses. She would be free to earth bend herself up the road if she wanted to. The crisping air stirred slightly from a breeze, bringing to her nose the faint smell of the fire lilies and lavender strewn about the island. Roasting turtle-duck on spits with shishcabob sides of various vegetables tantalized Toph's senses and her stomach growled. Momo chirped in response. "It's okay Momo. We'll get something to eat after we meet up with Katara." Her feet padded against the surface of the hard-packed ground as she slowly walked the road toward the Fire Palace.

She didn't get far before noticing her followers had disappeared. Perhaps she was wrong in thinking that she knew them. I must have been wrong about them. Her mind trailed off in thought as she walked. Momo circled around her shoulder a moment and then lept from her to fly off, his chattering echoing on the trees. Moving aside, Toph let a passing by cart take the lead up the road. Her sight told her it was being pulled by a smaller rhino. But the contents of the cart hid the three mercenaries. Jet smirked as they passed by her.