Heimat | Aang

TEN

The storm passed and with its departure, a few days later, they finally caught sight of land. Preparations were made at once, the crew working without pause as they readied the ship to get tied down for a few minutes in the port of the city in the coast of the Earth Kingdom.

Tapeesa had gotten ready from the moment she had woken up. She was dressed in pale green clothes, a colour she had never worn before but she found it suited her quite a bit—for a while she entertained the thought she really had a father from the Earth Kingdom—then she left her room, had a quick breakfast alone and headed on the deck. She watched as the land got closer and closer as the time passed. As the sun reached its peak, she sensed a presence beside her. She only needed to briefly glance to the side and catch sight of the scarlet tone of his robes to realise who it was.

"Fire Lord Zuko," she bowed her head as he came to a stop next to her.

"Tapeesa," he nodded.

They stood side by side, their postures different. Tapeesa was leaning against the railing, her hair for once let loose, moving with the gentle breeze of the wind. Zuko, on the other hand, was standing straight, his hands behind his back, the picture of royalty, hair carefully combed and set in the regular Fire Nation hairdo. They didn't look at each other. Their eyes were trained on the horizon and for a while, she truly thought he wasn't planning on speaking. Until, a while later, he finally did.

"The mission I've entrusted in you is crucial."

"I'm aware, sir," she replied at once, still looking ahead. "I don't plan on allowing any harm to come to the Avatar during this mission."

"I wouldn't have gotten anyone to accompany Aang in this mission if you hadn't volunteered," he told her as he turned to face her. "From the moment you suggested you joined him, though, I've realised your help could be needed. I know I have a member of my fleet to come to his aid should he need anything and the realisation almost puts me at ease."

"It's rather unexpected you still consider me one of your own, Fire Lord Zuko," she met his gaze, her expression never changing from the calm façade she had come to perfect during the years. "I volunteered because I thought the Avatar could use the help. The people in the colonies don't support his decision to force them to live elsewhere."

"The Earth King has expressed his decision to move the Fire Nation soldiers from the land many times after Sozin's commet. Aang agrees they should move."

Tapeesa slowly looked away. Of all people, Aang should have been understanding of the people's wish to not leave their home. They had a life there. He had been robbed of his people in a young age, no longer having a home. Once the war was over, word around the world was the Avatar had retired to the different Air Temples in an attempt to stay close to home and make sure the relics of his people—or as many of them that were left—weren't taken away or destroyed. He shouldn't have even considered uprooting the people living in the colonies, not after all the turmoil he had been through and his travels around the Air Temples as he searched for any trace of his home.

Tapeesa didn't understand the reason he was against it. She didn't speak up, however. She kept her lips sealed shut, her eyes glued on the land that was coming closer. In a few minutes, she suspected they would reach port. Zuko beside her straightened up even more than before if that was possible at the realisation they were nearing the coast. He slowly turned to face her.

"We should probably get down. They'll be waiting to greet you and Aang."

Tapeesa nodded briefly and Zuko didn't wait to make sure she was following before he got down the stairs leading to the lower part of the ship. She kept some distance as she followed his lead. A few ways away, she caught sight of Aang, Katara and Sokka getting out in the open. The Avatar was holding two bags, and at once, she realised one of those bags was her own, filled with the supplies they would need while they were in the mission. She walked more quickly, coming to a stop in front of the company a short while after Zuko did. She briefly nodded at Sokka and Katara before she turned to Aang and reached forward at the same time he did to take her bag.