Too Far Away

Chapter Four: The Last Time We Spoke

Song Lee,

Biting a prince is one way to harm a prince. Harming a prince isn't technically a capital offense, but in the Fire Nation it would be easy to simply set the falcon on fire.

He figured that it would probably be unwise to write that particular part, but he didn't want to start over or scratch it out.

Lucky for you, Tongyi didn't actually bite me, and even if he did, I wouldn't set him on fire. That would be stupid, because he's just a bird, and because I wouldn't get to write to you if that happened, would I?

My sister is definitely that kind of princess, though. I guess it's a pretty good thing you're writing to me instead of her.

Just before Tongyi delivered your second letter, my Uncle and I witnessed a great beam of blue light in the sky. Did you see it, too? I think that my search for the Avatar may be coming to an end. I'm hopeful for the first time in two years, you know. If I do end up actually capturing the Avatar, would you like for me to return to the naval base to arrest the cook? I could claim that he bit me. I wouldn't set him on fire, of course, but I could take him back to a Fire Nation prison so that he wouldn't be able to hurt you again, and you could get a new cook that wouldn't attack you with knives.

Also, if I ever do end up returning home, of course you can still write to me, and of course I would think of you. I've never met anyone like you, so I'm sure you'd probably be pretty hard to forget.

Zuko paused and set his brush down, turning his thoughts towards the stars. It wasn't dark outside, but he closed his eyes, and he was able to picture the night sky, and the way it looked through Song Lee's telescope, and the way the starlight glimmered against the coil of her hair. He didn't know how to talk to her about it, how to recreate that memory anywhere outside of his head. He missed her, too. But he couldn't write that down, so instead, he asked:

What are your theories on celestial lights?

Because, he reasoned, if the blue beacon really was just a strange show of celestial lights like his Uncle had suggested, it would be easy enough to at least find out more about them.

With nothing more to add, he finished the letter.

I eagerly await your reply,

Zuko

A quiet knock sounded from the door. He put the letter aside to dry while he accepted the cake from the cook. While Tongyi helped himself, he rolled the letter up and tucked in into the carrier.

Song Lee's letter, which he had already read three times, remained in his hand as he led Tongyi back outside and launched him into the sky. The ship was already nearing the origin of the beacon, and with the letter at his side, he felt strangely loose and ready to face whatever was on his path. He turned his eye towards Tongyi as he circled and flew North, and he exhaled quietly. He was ready.

The sounds of the crowded square were almost overwhelming, and people kept pressing against Song Lee as they tried to get past her. She found it both irritating and something else, a little bit closer to fear; she knew her heart rate wouldn't be completely calm until well after they'd left the too-large town. She pressed closer to General Iroh. He said nothing of it.

Following Prince Zuko from a distance was getting difficult, but it was a lot easier with Song Lee's ostrich-horse, which had been left in a community stable on the edge of the town. The problem with the town was that they knew Prince Zuko hadn't stopped there to resupply like they were in the process of doing, which Song Lee thought was particularly worrying, even though she remembered how resilient he was. If anyone could make it through the wasteland that stretched from the town to the next village, she knew it was him. She hoped he was doing okay, though at the moment she just focused on stamping down the anxiety caused by the crowded market square. They needed to buy supplies. They'd sold the golden teapot, but their money was quickly dwindling. Neither said anything about the dress that Prince Zuko had bought for Song Lee, though she was prepared to sell it, too, if an emergency occured.