Not Too Far from the Yew Tree (an ATLA fanfiction)

It is Quiet

Katara watched the ostrich-horses depart with their riders, selected from the White Lotus and the Kyoshi Warriors, heading towards the distant mountains of Omashu to announce the victory and bring the residents back safely. Rubble lay strewn around from the collapsed wall and battle remnants. She'd spent the night healing the injuries of their allies and suppressed the urge to yawn and rub her eyes. Early in the morning the air still carried the chill built up overnight and she hugged her arms to herself trying not to shiver. When she could no longer clearly see the riders through the dust's haze she turned aside and wandered down the avenue.

Ahead a door slammed open and Jet lumbered out, wiping something from his chin as he paused in the new daylight. When he removed his arm the back of his wrist was smeared with blood. He glanced at her and quickly looked away with an expression of shame.

"The captives are down there, right?" she asked. "Anything yet?"

"They just sell the merchandise, apparently, and don't know the final destination. We need to make another trip to find out where they are."

"Trip to where?"

He closed the door firmly and locked it. "Where their boss—their true boss, not the on-paper-only diversion—lives: Gao Ling. Lao Beifong. There should be a record in his office somewhere, or nearby, kept in case of problems. Most people in the chain would prefer to forget the origin and destination of their victims, but it does need to be noted down and supervised by someone to avoid crossover by sending someone to a place they would be recognized and ruin the business. It'll probably be well hidden, but between me and the Fire brat we'll have jurisdiction," he said, referring to Zuko.

Toph's father. She pressed her lips together and turned aside. "If we have that far to go yet, you should get some rest today."

"I'll try," he replied, then slunk off towards the inn.

He might be used to it, but that doesn't mean interrogating them hasn't been exhausting, especially when the woman he's looking for is still waiting for rescue. She didn't want to see what mess he'd made of the captives and so passed the temporary jail by. It had been a warehouse with a sturdy cellar, and the scene in that basement would be enough to give anyone nightmares. The library complex would probably have a more suitable room available, larger, sturdier, but no one wanted to make such a vulgar request to the owl-spirit. He'd already overlooked much for them—violence was the sport of humans and the spirits viewed it with contempt, even where it was justified.

She followed where Zuko had left towards and found him discussing the cleanup organization with Sokka. Neither of them would be aware of Jet's discovery yet, and she cleared her throat and made the announcement. Sokka rubbed the back of his head with a frown. "Toph isn't going to like this."

Zuko replied, "We don't have a choice anymore. Everyone who went missing is still out there suffering right now, and he is the only one who knows the end destinations. It would be great if such a document exists, but if he catches wind of what happened here and destroys it first, we'll be in a bad place. I know it's been an exhausting ordeal so far, but we need to move quickly. Sokka, you and Suki should stay here and oversee the cleanup and transport of the prisoners. Jet can leave you a badge of his office that the authorities in Omashu will recognize, and they'll lend you however many soldiers you need and equipment."

He had changed out his worn garments for a clean set, though it was again in colors foreign to him, Earth tones sewn as merchandise for travelers to the city to purchase. It was true they'd saved the city, but they had taken liberty to raid their wares for anything they needed. When he noticed her unenergetic demeanor he reached over and pulled her close with an arm around her shoulders. She closed her eyes and sank into his embrace. He felt like home—they'd been away for so long from any place she could call such. She was tired and wanted rest, but she couldn't leave before finishing the rescue—people still needed her. So she ignored another man's blood on Jet's hands and the ache in her own shoulders from nights spent streaming healing water through lacerations. If Zuko was still standing and willing to continue, she would be there with him.