Too Far Away

Chapter One: Hey, How Have You Been?

The First Letter

The first letter arrived the day after Zuko and Iroh had left the naval base.

As the battleship entered the South Pole, it was a rare moment in which Zuko left the main deck. He didn't care about the frigid air or the endless sky or the countless glaciers and cliffs of ice. His Uncle often joined him, usually with a pot of tea that Zuko refused to have some of.

Truthfully, he didn't expect to find the Avatar in the South Pole. He had been there before, on almost the exact same passage through, and there had been nothing then. Despite knowing this, he felt like every moment was slipping away from him, that he would always look in the wrong place and it would always be the wrong time. For all he knew, the Avatar had already returned. The thought made him want to blast a hole in the side of one of the glaciers they were meticulously working around.

It was as Zuko was standing on the deck, his knuckles white from his grip of the side of the ship and his fingers numb from the freezing metal, that Tongyi found him.

Zuko looked up as Tongyi circled the ship, and squared his shoulders as the falcon dove down and landed on his left shoulder. It was obviously Tongyi; between the size, scar, and coloring, Song Lee's falcon was very distinctive.

He brought Tongyi inside, noticing but ignoring his Uncle's smile. His cheeks flushed as the warmth of the inside of the ship washed over him. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to spend all of his time in the cold, he reasoned as he made his way to his room. Once he made it there, he murmured a "Hello," to Tongyi while he slipped the letter out of his carrier and unfurled it with fingers that were still stiff but weren't completely numb anymore.

Prince Zuko, it started.

A full day has passed since you left the naval base as I write this letter. When Tongyi delivers it, it will have been a little longer. I am aware that it has not been much time, and that you may find my lack of patience irritating. If that is the case, I hope you will excuse my apology now.

My father is pleased that I'm finally writing to someone other than my aunt and my teacher, especially because you are my age. I do not care what he thinks, but I am pleased that you allowed me to remain in contact with you. I am also pleased about Tongyi's change in behavior. I think he is pleased that he doesn't have to sulk in my room or fly the long distance to the Fire Nation. However, I cannot really be sure what he is feeling, as I cannot speak Falcon. If I could, I would certainly ask him what he wishes to do.

Zuko smiled at that. It felt odd on his face.

This is not a long letter. My father thinks that sending a long first letter is a bad idea, and though I do not care what he thinks, I am sure that he knows a great deal more about people than I do, and I do not wish to risk scaring you off. If you want to reply, you can send it back with Tongyi. The naval base is not too far away from your current position, as it has only been a day.

As my teacher has taught me to end any letter I write, even if it is a lie:

I eagerly await your reply.

Song Lee

Zuko read the letter through a couple times more. The characters she'd written in were simple and almost as distinctive as the falcon that had carried them; her handwriting was small and cramped and slanted across the paper.

He reached out and tried to scratch the top of Tongyi's hand, though he recoiled when he tried to bit his finger. He let himself take a moment to scowl at the bird, and then he readied a fresh piece of parchment, an inkwell, and a brush.