Heimat | Aang

TWENTY-TWO

The ship cut the waves as if it were a blade cutting through wood in an effort to shape it the way the handler wanted it to. The crew moved from side to side, the whole vessel bustling with energy as it moved parallel to the shore, the treetops and sharp cuts of earth leading to the abyss of the ocean barely visible by those on the ship.

On the highest part of the ship, a man stood, dressed in black, scarlet and gold, his long dark hair falling to his back, moving with the wind to the side. His eyes were glued to the sky, one eye wide, the other narrowed, the marred skin around it preventing it from opening fully. His grip on the railing in front of him was one of steel, his hands even more pale than they usually were.

A few ways behind him, stood a woman, dressed in comfortable, green attire, her own dark hair set in a bun even though various strands were falling in front of her eyes. She was leaning against the walls of the ship, her hands folded in front of her chest. She seemed to stare at the floor, unblinking. Other than the occassional tapping of her foot, she was as still as a small, pale boulder.

"Zuko," she drawled, and at once, the man standing by the railing turned his head to the side, his shoulders stiffening, growing impossibly tense. There was a beat of silence before she spoke up. "They aren't going to come quicker if you keep on staring at the sky."

"And what am I supposed to do?" he burst as he whirled around, both eyes narrowed as he glared at her. "I can't just sit back and wait like you do!"

She snorted, "How you govern a kingdom with such a temper is beyond me-"

"Toph I swear-"

"Oh, I'm so scared."

It was almost as if Zuko was about to breathe fire as Toph's lips curled into a smirk, but before the situation could get out of hand, he let out a deep breath, inhaled and then exhaled once more, his shoulders dropping in the process. He closed his eyes for a moment in an effort to calm himself down completely before he spoke up, his voice level.

"They must be getting close by now, that's all. I am anticipating their arrival."

"That's sweet of you," her smirk remained, "although Appa isn't going to fly faster because you are anxious."

Zuko shook his head, turned his attention on the horizon. "I wish he would."

Toph let out a scoff at his reply as she pushed herself off of the wall and moved over to him. She came to a stop only when she was beside him, not turning her face in his direction, instead resting her weight on the railing. Zuko turned around and mirrored her stance, just in time for her to speak up.

"I worry about them too, you know. But there's nothing we can do from here."

"I know," he breathed, "that doesn't prevent me from wondering what they are going through, though."

"They are tough, you know," she assured him, "and they won't hurt a baby. Sokka, Suki and Katara won't let them hurt her."

Zuko let out a deep sigh, his attention shifting back on the horizon. "I don't even want to think about it."

Toph frowned slightly and without a warning, she slammed her shoulder against his. If it were anywhere else, they would have screamed, yelled. Zuko, however, had gotten used to her random displays of 'affection' and wasn't quite surprised enough to call out at her assault. He only lost his footing for a while before he stabilised himself once more with a brief shake of his head. Without missing a beat, he reached over to lightly punch Toph's arm. She smiled.

"They have come."

Zuko's eyes widened as he leaned over to look up at the sky. It was clear, no sign of a sky bison around. He was about to question her, claim he wasn't seeing anything, when he heard Appa moan. The next moment, he had flown over his head and come to land on the deck. He rushed to reach them.