The Firelord's Honor

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Zuko and Sokka stayed in Bìnàn suǒ for nearly three weeks while Sokka healed from his injuries. Zuko did his best to hide his anxiety from Sokka but he could tell he had picked up on it. He was desperate to get to Ba Sing Se. Not knowing if Katara and the others had made it safely was making him even more jumpy and irritable than normal. They had no way to know until they made it there themselves and it would take them nearly a month to get there once they did set out.

On top of his worries for his family, Zuko still felt lingering guilt for Sokka's brush with death. Despite their earlier discussion about Sokka's priorities, he hardly left his friends' side for the first few days in the village. Eventually though Sokka's blasé attitude about nearly dying and Zuko's anxiety over everything got the better of them. The resulting argument kept them apart for two whole days. One of the local boys, Chao, joked that they reminded him of his parents. He only made the mistake of sharing this observation in Zuko's hearing once.

It was that same boy who, two weeks later, brought them news from the colony town. Chao had gone on an errand for his grandmother when he stopped by the notice boards to eavesdrop on the Fire nation soldiers standing around there. Zuko had asked him to keep an ear out for anything that seemed important so he came straight over when he returned.

"Hey mister Lee! Lee!"

Zuko groggily rolled off his sleeping pallet where he'd been napping and answered the door.

"What do you want, Chao?" The boy was bouncing on the balls of his feet, he was so excited.

"I went into town and I listened around just like you asked! There were lots of soldiers out today and I think this is why." He pulled a rolled up poster from his bag and handed it to Zuko. At first he thought it was his wanted poster and his eyes jumped back to take in the skeptical look on Chao's face. "Just read it, Lee." Turning his attention back to the paper, he let out a shocked gasp and ran back to wake Sokka. Behind him Chao followed and called after him. "That wasn't all!"

Zuko shook Sokka awake and the water tribe man swung an arm in his direction before he opened his eyes. "What do you want? I was having such a good dream!" When he saw the notice Zuko had shoved under his nose he sat up and snatched it from him, wincing at the sudden movement.

"This is perfect! We can go straight to—" he glanced at Chao around Zuko's back, "back home now. The short way and everything."

"Do you think Katara will see this? Would she believe it? What if your father does and lets one of those other idiots marry her!" By the end of his rant Sokka was laughing at him.

"Calm down, Lee. Have some faith in my sister. Besides you know what she'd do if dad tried to pull that." They both turned towards Chao when he cleared his throat. He eyed Zuko before he spoke.

"You know, you're not at all how I imagined a Fire Nation prince would be. I mean, there had to be a reason why your own father would celebrate your death but, a water tribe girl? Really?"

Sokka and Zuko exchanged a nervous look before trying to respond at the same time. Sokka was louder.

"We don't know what you're talking about. I'm Wong and the sulky one is Lee. That he bears any resemblance to the guy on the poster is purely coincidental."

Chao gave them a flat look. "I'm a kid, not stupid. Relax, I won't tell anyone. You don't seem like an evil fire bender and you're obviously glad everyone thinks you're dead. But I said that wasn't the only thing I found out." Another shared glance and they both nodded. "Alright. Apparently the fire lord sent some ships to the south pole and found it abandoned. I guess he was pretty upset. Anyway, he sent new orders that the full force of his navy is now to go north and "Take care of the northerners." Whatever that means. The soldiers in town seemed annoyed to have to go north for winter. I guess you fire benders don't like the cold much huh?"