Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks to all the people who have reviewed or added this story to their alerts and favorites lists! While I receive personal enjoyment from writing this story, it makes me happy to see that other people are enjoying it as well. As I've noted earlier, since this is my first fanfic, I'm bound to make mistakes here and there. If I do, or if something isn't clear, let me know! I can never tell if I'm being too vague or beating you all over the head with plot points or if I'm moving too fast or slow. I appreciate feedback of all sorts as it helps me grow. Thank you for your patience with the updates, which I know have come at a glacial pace recently. I will try to do my best to post more frequently, but with the semester beginning again it's anyone's guess about how much time I'll be able to dedicate to writing for fun. Enough of all that though, on with the show, hope you enjoy!

Note: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.

Dearest Zuko,

There are so many things to say, many of which cannot be conveyed in a simple letter. I do not know what your father told you about my absence, if anything. I have longed to see you and tell you the truth, and it seems now that the time may finally be right. After my prolonged absence, I know you may have mixed feelings about seeing me, but I hope that you at least grant me the permission to apologize and explain the events that caused me to leave so abruptly. I will soon travel to the Fire Nation so that we can meet, if you so desire it. Even if you choose not see me, know that I love you and am proud of you.

Your Mother

"What is it, Zuko?"

He did not even realize that he was standing until Katara said his name. His hands shook, and his heart raced. Could this be true? His mother was alive and wanted to see him? He had dreamed about this for years, it seemed almost too good to be true. And perhaps it was. Things didn't have a way of working out easily for Zuko, and his excitement quickly dissolved as he thought of potential difficulties. Zuko's mind raced with the whirlwind of possibilities and implications that this one scroll contained.

"It's my mother. They've found her. And I think she's in trouble."

"What? Your mother? Are you sure?" Katara scrambled out of bed and raced to Zuko's side, peering at the letter in his hands. She read it over and then looked at him. "How can you be sure that it's from her?"

"I remember her meticulous handwriting. She would write stories for us at bedtime when we were kids. I would read the stories she wrote over and over until they practically disintegrated from so much handling," he paused, a smile touching his lips as he remembered, before continuing. "Anyway, I would know that writing anywhere. And then there's this." He flipped the letter over. "This was her seal. She must have taken it with her when she left. I have no doubt that this letter is from my mother."

"But…Zuko that's great news! Your mother is alive and she wants to see you!" She threw an arm around him and smiled. But when Katara searched Zuko's face, she saw concern instead of joy. Her smile faded. "But…wait. You said 'they've found her.' Who are 'they'?"

"I don't know, but for that guy to have it, the message had to be intercepted somewhere. If it was taken after she sent it, she might still be ok. She might not even know that it wasn't delivered and still be on her way. On the other hand, if the people who took this message knew how important she was, they might try to find her. They might hurt her, or kidnap her the same way they tried to kidnap you. I have to help her. I have to figure out if she is ok. I have-"

Noticing the panic creeping into his voice, Katara took him by the shoulders and looked him in the eye. "Zuko. Calm down. We're going to figure this out. But we can't do that until we can think about this in a calm and logical way."

Zuko looked confused. "We?"

"Yes, 'we'. Don't be ridiculous. This is something that's very important to you, and of course I'm going to help you find her." She looked away briefly, as though embarrassed. "That is, of course, if you want me to. I never turn my back on people who need me, right?" She smiled at him, but he stared blankly at her. "Oh, right, you weren't there for that. Never mind. Anyway, before we do anything, I suggest we calm down and develop a plan. Let's talk to Uncle Iroh first, he might have some ideas."

Can't argue with that. He let out a long sigh in an attempt to release some of his anxiety. "Yes, I suppose you're right." He turned to leave, but then stopped, the afternoon's events catching up with him. "Wait. Are you well enough to travel back to the palace so soon?"

"Of course. Hello, waterbending master here! You wouldn't have given me this clinic job if I didn't have any healing talents." This time, she got a small smile out of him. "Let's just get over there. I'm as excited as you are to figure out what all of this means. Come on." She looped an arm around his and led him toward the waiting palanquin. At the doorway, she looked over her shoulder and made eye contact with the head nurse.

"I quit."

When they arrived back at the palace, Zuko informed the nearest servant to locate General Iroh and have him report to Zuko's personal study immediately. Katara politely requested that tea be delivered as well. The two of them wound their way through great halls. Zuko kept getting odd looks from people as he went, likely because he was stalking around the palace in black attire with swords strapped onto his back instead of wearing his traditional robes. Finally, they came upon a gilded door. Zuko gestured for Katara to come inside, and offered her a seat. The room itself was beautiful, containing a fireplace, a seating area for guests, and a large mahogany desk that sat in front of a window overlooking the courtyard. However, unlike many of the rooms in the palace that had a museum-like quality, this room was clearly lived in. Paperwork was piled haphazardly on the desk, and a large map on the wall of the four nations was covered in pins and scribbling. The mantle of the fireplace had a thin coating of dust, suggesting that the servants were either lax in their duties or not allowed to enter this room. Katara supposed it was the latter. She smiled a little at the state of the room, thinking of how fastidious Zuko normally was. He must really be busy if he doesn't have time to organize all of this, she thought.

Zuko could see her eyeballing the mountain of paper on his desk, and his hands itched to tidy the stacks. Normally, the chaos of his office didn't bother him; he had tried to keep it organized when he first became Fire Lord, but he quickly learned that this was a losing battle. He and Uncle Iroh were really the only people who ever came inside, so he didn't often think about what it would look like to others. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a crimson ribbon peeking out from between some documents. The necklace! Panic started to radiate within him. Zuko remembered finding it on his desk after his conversation with Uncle Iroh. He had been so disgusted by the whole thing that he had just thrown some papers on top of it, obscuring it from sight and causing him to forget about it completely. Zuko also remembered Toph saying something about Katara having a propensity to snoop, so he knew he had to get to it. Trying not to appear obvious, he started inching toward his desk. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Katara smiled.

"That must be the tea. I'll get it, I'm closer."

Jumping at the opportunity, Zuko raced to the desk, shuffling the papers so he could reach the necklace while Katara was distracted. He heard her thank the servant making the delivery, and the clanking of the tea tray as she set it down. He had just gotten his hands on the thing when Katara spoke from behind him.

"Are you looking for something Zuko? I could help-"

"No! I mean no, that's ok, I was just...tidying up some of these papers." He turned around to face her, smiling innocently, hands behind his back. He hoped he wasn't blushing.

She looked at him skeptically. "Right. What kind of tea would you like then?"

Zuko let out a sigh of relief before replying. While she was distracted with pouring the tea, Zuko quickly stuffed the offending necklace into his sleeve. More pesky images of Katara and the Avatar laughing at him popped into his mind as he imagined what would have happened if she had seen it.

Iroh walked in just as Katara handed Zuko his cup of tea. She poured one for the General and for herself, and then they all sat down, ready to discuss the task at hand.

"So, Nephew," Iroh began, "What is the emergency? I will have you know I was in the middle of a very heated game of Pai Sho with the head cook."

Zuko restrained himself from rolling his eyes. "Trust me Uncle, you want to hear this." He quickly recounted the events of the afternoon, and then passed the scroll to Iroh, who unfurled it and read it quickly. He looked back up at Zuko, smiling. "It looks as if Lady Ursa is finally coming home. How wonderful!"

"But Uncle, this scroll was not delivered through the usual routes. It is believed to be one of the belongings that the kidnapper left at the scene. Why would he have had a letter from my mother?"

"Now Zuko, do not jump to conclusions. Remember the last time we talked about making assumptions?"

The necklace in his sleeve felt heavier. But Zuko remained focused and ignored his uncle's cryptic reference to the situation between Katara and the Avatar. "Uncle, I need to make sure that nothing untoward has befallen my mother. The fact that her message was intercepted indicates the possibility that she may be in danger. Katara has agreed to accompany me in investigating her whereabouts."

Iroh frowned. "Zuko, she may be fine. She said in her letter that she is on her way here. Just because her letter was intercepted does not necessarily mean that she was similarly detained. Why don't you remain here and wait for her arrival?"

Zuko was trying to remain calm, and failing miserably. This conversation was not going the way he hoped it would. "Uncle, don't you understand? She could be in trouble! We have to help her!"

Katara spoke up. "All due respect, General Iroh, but I think Zuko's right. That kidnapping might not have been a coincidence. If the two are related somehow, there is the possibility that she could be in danger."

Iroh nodded. "Very astute, Miss Katara. But that is all the more reason to stay here, and wait for any news of her. If this is part of some larger plot, it could be very dangerous. You are the Fire Lord, Zuko. While you have youth and skill on your side, you cannot risk yourself by possibly walking into a trap. Let some of your men investigate and see what they find. Do not act rashly on the basis of one letter."

Zuko kicked a chair. "One letter? One letter? Uncle, this is the first clue I've had of my mother's existence since she disappeared! I absolutely must pursue it, and find out if she is ok!" Smoke plumed from his nostrils. In that moment, they were all reminded of a boy with a ponytail and a small ship scouring the south seas.

With a heavy heart, Iroh gave it one last try. "Zuko, I know how important this is to you. But you have responsibilities here. You cannot just abandon them."

Zuko kneeled down in front of Iroh. "Uncle, please, I need to do this. She's my mother. How can I abandon her if I think she might be in trouble? Please, just for a week or two, stay here and look after my responsibilities. If we find nothing, at least I will be able to tell myself I tried. I can't sit by idly if she is in danger. It would be dishonorable." Begging was unbecoming of him, but theurgency of the situation overrode any sense of decorum. He almost felt ashamed doing so in front of Katara, until he remembered she had seen this once before.

There was a long pause. Zuko stared up at his uncle, eyes pleading, holding his breath. Iroh sighed heavily, and closed his eyes. When he reopened them, his eyes lingered for a long time behind Zuko on Katara. Something in his face changed, he seemed to have come to a decision. He shifted his gaze back at Zuko, and smiled a little sadly. "You're right Zuko. This is something you must do. I will remain here at the palace for a while longer and look after your responsibilities for a time. But please remember I have responsibilities of my own back in Ba Sing Se, and I cannot neglect them for long. While you are gone, I will investigate from this end. Please keep me informed of your progress and I will do the same. And above all, please be careful."

Zuko launched himself at his Uncle, trapping the man in a strong embrace and thanking him profusely. Katara stood back smiling, letting them have their moment. When they parted, Iroh cleared his throat, and asked, "So, what do you plan to do?"

Toph had mixed feelings. As she loaded her things onto Appa, there were a few emotions vying for dominance in her mind. She was glad to be leaving the North Pole. The people were pleasant enough, but she was ready to be back with her element so she could see again. And she was excited to be visiting the Fire Nation. She had liked it there, when there weren't, you know, constant threats of death. Seeing Sparky and Pops was always good for a laugh, especially when Pops brought out the suungi horn and the palm wine. And seeing Katara wasn't so bad now that they got along, but….she'd have to see Katara and Aang. Together. A few weeks ago at the party in Ba Sing Se, Toph could "see" what was going on out on that patio. She knew now that Twinkletoes was going to get what he had always wanted. Why Katara wasn't here with Aang at this moment was still a bit of a mystery, but she knew what she saw out there, there could be no mistake. She knew she should be happy for them, and part of her was, but the other part was, well, a little hurt. She thought that maybe she and Aang…no, forget it. That's just stupid. She berated herself for getting so worked up over a boy. She was the world's greatest earthbender, and she did not get sad over dumb boys. Who needed them? She mentally congratulated herself for coming to this conclusion. They would go to the Fire Nation, she would have a good time and torture Zuko a little, and that would be that. With a new sense of resolve, she called to Aang to hurry up so they could be on their way.

Zuko loaded the last of their things into the balloon. He figured that they should travel lightly and inconspicuously. If they wanted to find information, they needed to blend in. Taking the royal procession had been out of the question. No, the balloon would be the fastest way to reach the Western Earth Kingdom, their first stop. From there they would travel on foot or by ostrich horse. As they found clues, they would send Uncle Iroh messages from each stopping point so that he could track their journey and alert him of any news. Yes, Zuko had it all planned out.

Katara walked out to the area where the balloon was docked. There was Zuko, dressed in his old traveling clothes. It was refreshing to see him in them again, so much so that it almost felt like old times. She watched him load the last of their things, and then pull a long sheet of paper out of his robes, examining it. She approached him, and looked over his shoulder to read it. Her face dropped.

"Oh no, is that an itinerary? No, no, no, you just put that away right now. Don't you remember what we went through when Sokka had one of those?" He stared at her blankly. "Oh, I suppose you wouldn't, you weren't with us yet. I keep forgetting. Well let me just tell you these are nothing but trouble. Here, let me relieve you of this."

She proceeded to grab the edge of the paper and try to playfully wrestle it away from him. With a quick tug, he pulled it out of her hand and then held it above his head. She couldn't quite reach as high as he could, so she tried to jump for it. This proved a bad idea, as on her third attempt she tripped and fell full force into the Fire Lord. The momentum propelled them both backward, and Zuko landed on his back with a thump, followed by Katara on top of him. Katara froze in mortification, until she heard Zuko start to chuckle. "Look, if you want it that bad, it's yours." He flung out an arm with the paper in his hand. She reached for it, and he used this opportunity to fling her over and pin her instead. They were both laughing now, and he smiled as he looked down on her. Then he remembered this was the Avatar's girlfriend, and flirting with her would be disgraceful. He quickly rolled off of her, and stood up, trying to compose himself. He glanced at Katara, who was dusting off her clothes. He thought he could detect a blush on her cheeks, but quickly dismissed it.

"Um, shall we, uh, depart soon?" He looked everywhere but at her.

"Yeah, I supposed we should. Do we have everything we need?" Katara asked.

"Yes, I checked off everything that was on the list. Unless, of course, you have a similar aversion to lists?" He teased.

Katara stuck her tongue out at him.

They were on their way.

Air travel by balloon to the Western Earth Kingdom was to take two days. At the end of the first day, they would make camp on one of the Fire Nation islands to the east, before proceeding to the Earth Kingdom the next day. They had been in the air for a few hours, and little had been said since their departure. There was little to do on the balloon, and Zuko was reminded of the awkward silences he experienced with her brother when they flew to the Boiling Rock. He shot more fire into the engines, and looked over at Katara. She was seated near the edge of the basket, arms pillowed beneath her chin, looking off into the distance. Following her line of sight, he too watched as the Fire Nation gradually fell away as they flew. He was about to make a comment about the scenery, when Katara spoke.

"Do you really think we'll find your mother?"

"I don't know." Zuko sounded unsure of himself.

"You don't know? What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, I hope so. I just don't know if we'll be successful. From her letter, all we know is that she isn't already in the Fire Nation. That's a start, but that still leaves a lot of options open."

"So where do we even begin?"

"I'm not worried about that part. I know exactly where to start this search, even though I have no idea where it will lead us from there. Our first stop is the Western Earth Kingdom. I know someone there who is excellent at finding people, particularly those who do not wish to be found. I believe you remember Jun?"

Katara's mouth dropped open. "Jun? The woman with the whip and giant mole that paralyzes people with its tongue? That Jun?"

"Ah, I see you remember her quite well."

"How could I not! First, there was that time at the abbey, when you had used my mother's necklace to track us. And then the second time when we were looking for Aang..." She trailed off, as though remembering something. Zuko noticed her expression change to one that he could not discern. Did she miss him? Was that it?

"At any rate, yes, we will be employing Jun's services to try to find where my mother was living. From there, we will have to follow the clues that will lead us to her."

Katara quirked an eyebrow at Zuko. "How do you know where to find Jun?"

Zuko shrugged. "The war might be over, but crime persists as always. Sometimes we hire her to track people for us."

Katara was silent for a minute. Then she thought of something.

"Wait, do you have something that belonged to your mother, so her mole-thing can smell it?"

Zuko produced a knapsack, and inside was a small bundle of silk. He carefully unwrapped it to reveal a tarnished crown, but not like any Katara had ever seen. He handed it to Katara for her to inspect.

"This doesn't look like the crown you wear." Katara stated as she turned it over in her hand.

"No, it wouldn't. It has a long history, actually. It was originally Prince Sozin's crown, before he became Fire Lord. At that time, before there was a war between the nations, he and Avatar Roku were friends. Sozin gave this crown to Roku before he left to train as the Avatar. The crown was passed down and ended up with my mother, as Roku was her grandfather. I never saw her wear it, but Uncle Iroh remembers a time before she married Ozai when she wore it frequently. It's the only thing I could think of in the palace that might still have her scent on it."

"Wow. Your great-grandfather was Avatar Roku?" Zuko nodded and Katara was left to digest this new piece of information. She looked back down at the crown, and then turned her attention suddenly at Zuko. "Hey, if you've had this the whole time, why didn't you just hire Jun as soon as you became Fire Lord?"

Zuko's brow furrowed. "I tried. But Jun wouldn't take the job. She said something about not being in the business of finding those who want to remain hidden if they've done no wrong."

Katara smirked. "Who knew Jun had any sense of morality? Or ethics?"

"I think she used the phrase 'honor among thieves,' or something like that." Zuko scoffed.

Katara looked at Zuko skeptically. "So what makes you think she'll help you this time?"

"The situation has changed. My mother wants to be found. Her letter confirms it. Any reasons that Jun had before aren't applicable anymore. It's worth a try at least."

Katara smiled and handed the crown back to Zuko. "Well, I hope she'll be willing to help us this time, despite what you've said."

Zuko gestured toward the lower deck of the air balloon. "Well, even if we can't appeal to her morality, I've got a few bags of gold with her name on it that might change her mind."

Katara laughed while Zuko added more fire to the engines.

"Camping! Just like old times. And just when I thought I'd get to sleep in a real bed for awhile…" Katara said wistfully as she laid out their sleeping bags.

They had arrived on one of the islands in the east, ready to camp for the night before making the final leg of the journey. The sun was setting as she and Zuko set up camp. Not much else needed to be done except build a fire for cooking.

"Oh, come off it, you know you missed this." Zuko teased, setting down the firewood he had found. He began arranging the wood in the fire pit.

"Oh yes, the constant making and breaking of camp, the lack of baths, the rocks poking me through my sleeping bag. I'd have to be crazy not to miss this."

"It wasn't all bad, and you know it. You got to see the world, help people. You got to help Aang. You should be proud of your travelling, despite the discomforts."

Katara sighed. "I know. And there were some good times…Hey, wait a minute, you're looking at the bright side of things! Who are you and what have you done with Zuko!" She began looking around wildly in a mock search.

"Oh calm down, you'll just embarrass me, and then I'll never be optimistic again." He smirked. He had gotten the fire started and began to unpack the supplies they would need to make a meal.

After they had finished eating, they lay back in their sleeping bags, looking at the stars. Zuko was reminded of their walks on the beach, and their late night conversations at his mother's turtle duck pond. He was also painfully aware that they were completely alone together. Suddenly the teasing and the easy way he talked to her disappeared, and he felt awkward. His feelings for her had not diminished in the least, even though he knew it wasn't meant to be. As much as he tried, he couldn't figure out how to silence this attraction he had, couldn't figure out a way to just be happy for them. In an attempt to distract himself, he thought of the matter at hand: finding his mother. He rolled over to look at Katara. "Hey, I've been thinking about something."

She rolled over to face him as well.

Zuko sighed, and began. "I…well I think what you said when we were talking to Uncle Iroh was right. I don't think the kidnapping was a coincidence. I mean, if it was just a random kidnapping, why not kidnap any of the clinic workers? But they didn't. They kidnapped you. Sure, you're a war hero, so you are easily recognized, but it's also no secret that we're friends. They must have known I would find out about the incident at least."

"What are you implying, Zuko?"

"Look I don't want to scare you, but I think there were clear reasons why you were targeted. As you noted, he was travelling pretty slowly, like he wanted to be caught. Like he didn't really want to succeed in kidnapping you. Even that guy's attitude was strange. What did he say, "you're not my Fire Lord?" or something like that. And then he just happens to leave this letter behind for us to find. This whole thing reeks of a set-up. It seems clear that whoever these people are they wanted me to know two things: one, that they have some information on my mother, and two that I had better tighten my security because they know how to get to the people I care about. I'm a little worried about what we are going to find when we dig deeper into this. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe we should just go back and send out some men to search like Uncle Iroh suggested." He flopped back down into his sleeping bag covering his face with his right hand.

"No, Zuko, it wasn't a mistake. She's your mother. You know you wouldn't be able to rest until you know she's safe. It's ok to be scared, but we have to find her." She smiled, reaching out to put her hand over his left one. "And we have to find out more about these people involved. If there are people plotting against you, we need to know who they are and how powerful they are. Think of it as a two-for-one: you'll get to find your mom, and take down some bad guys in the process."

Zuko smiled a little and peeked out from between two fingers. "Now who's the optimist?"

She released his hand and smacked his arm playfully. "Unlike you, I rather like being the optimistic one. After all, didn't that stupid play say that I gave flowery speeches about hope all the time?"

"I guess it did say that." Under his breath he grumbled: "Among other things."

"What?"

Zuko rolled over so that he was facing away from her. "Nothing. Good night, Katara."

Katara stared at him for a bit before settling down into her sleeping bag once more.

Ursa hiked the bag she was carrying a little higher on her shoulder as she made her way up the gangplank of the ship. Her possessions were few, her modest pieces of furniture had been left behind, but the bag full of clothing and a few trinkets was awkward to carry.

The vessel she was boarding belonged to one of the residents of the village she was from. He used his vessel to transport various foodstuffs to parts of the Earth Kingdom and occasionally to the Water Tribes. She overheard him talking a few days before in the tavern about heading south along the western coast of the continent, and spoke to him about securing passage on the ship. He was shocked at her request, as she never really spoke to anyone, and that she would have a need to leave the village at all. But he respected her privacy and didn't pry any further. She had constructed beautiful robes for his daughter's wedding, and he felt he owed her the favor. He granted her a cabin on his ship to wherever she needed to go, refusing her money when she offered it. Ursa had thanked him for his kindness.

She was able to locate her cabin on the main deck. It was small and sparse, but well kept. A simple cot occupied one wall, as well as a chair and a basin for washing. She set down her bag and lay down on the bed. Her head ached a little, she thought perhaps she should get some rest. As she rubbed her temples, she discovered a knot on the side of her head that hurt when she applied pressure to it. This was curious, as she had no memory of hitting her head. But then, there were a few things about last night that she couldn't piece together either.

She had been at the tavern, partly out of habit and partly to say a personal goodbye to the place. She had spent many evenings there and had grown to be quite fond of it over time. She listened to the conversations around her, drank her tea as always, and then got up to leave. She woke the next morning in her own bed with no memory of how she had gotten there.

She shook it from her mind. No matter. She didn't have to worry about anyone from that village anymore. She was on her way to the Fire Nation to be reunited with her son, who she had longed to see for so many years. The ship she was on would stop at multiple ports along the western coast, and from one of those she could surely secure passage on a vessel heading to the Fire Nation. She wasn't sure how long it would take, but she knew that with patience she would arrive at her destination.

The ships engines began to rumble, and she knew they were ready to depart. Her headache abating, she curled up on the cot and went to sleep.

Zuko and Katara arrived in a town in the Western Earth Kingdom by the next evening. Jun wasn't difficult to find. As the locals were quite familiar with the raven-haired bounty hunter and her Shirshu, Katara and Zuko only had to ask a few residents before being directed to a location at the edge of town. Travelling up a dirt path, they saw a tavern that was surrounded by burly and raucous men. Lively music along with shouting and the sound of breaking glass could be heard from inside. Glancing at one another, they knew instinctively that this had to be the place. A sense of déjà vu passed through them as they entered. Sitting at a table surrounded by empty mugs and towers of coins was Jun. She tossed back the rest of what was in one of the mugs and spotted them.

"Hey! If it isn't the spoiled prince." She looked over the two of them with whiskey-glazed eyes as they approached. "And his girlfriend has come along with him again. Ain't that just sweet."

"She is not my girlfriend!" Zuko yelled.

The entire bar went silent for a beat and heads turned their way.

Jun threw back her head and laughed. It was then that Zuko realized that he had yelled the statement alone. Unlike the last time they were in this position, Katara did not join in with a vehement denial. Feeling the blood rush to his face, he turned to Katara. "I mean, I thought, I – "

"Oh save it Prince Charming," Jun said as she composed herself. "I was only kidding with you anyway. Will you ever learn to take a joke?" She turned for a minute to order another drink. "I imagine this isn't a social call, so what is it you want from me this time?"

Zuko got back to the task at hand, hoping the previous scene would be forgotten. "I need you to find my mother."

Jun rolled her eyes, her next words spoken slowly as though she were talking to a child. "Princey, we've been over this a thousand times. When she wants to be found, she will be. She's not breaking any laws. I won't take the job."

Zuko pulled the letter from his mother out of his robes. "But that's just it. She does want to be found. And I need to make sure that I find her first."

Jun scanned the letter and handed it back. She sighed, and began to play with one of the stacks of coins on the table disinterestedly. "Well, if that's what she wants, then I suppose I could take the bounty." She shot a glance at Zuko. "And what type of bounty will you be providing, Lord Zuko?"

"None at all if you don't stop referring to me by my titles!" Zuko said through clenched teeth, noticing the attention they were attracting. "But I do have money, and if you deem that it is sufficient, then we would like to be on our way by morning."

"Fair enough. You got something for Nyla to smell?" Zuko nodded. "Well, then, meet me at sunrise with it and we'll be on our way. In the meantime, you better find a place to stay for the night. I would recommend that one across the street."

Katara and Zuko exited the tavern and looked at the inn across the street. Katara made a face, and Zuko made a noise of contempt. Questionable looking people were milling about outside the inn, with a few passed out drunk on the porch. Zuko turned around to ask Jun if there was another option, but she had vanished. He turned back to Katara. "What do you think? I mean, we could try to find somewhere else…"

"Yeah, we could, but we may as well stay here. The rates have to be cheap enough, right?" Katara asked, hugging her arms.

Zuko shrugged. "Ok, I'll go talk to the owner about a room. I'll be right back."

Katara waited outside, watching the tavern across the street as a few inebriated men came out and stumbled toward home. She couldn't imagine living like Jun and wondered what the appeal was for her. Katara wasn't comfortable in places like that for more than five minutes, but to Jun they were a second home. Katara then began to wonder where home was for Jun, or if she even had one at this point. Perhaps she was nomadic, and just went wherever there was work, whiskey, and gambling. Just thinking of it reminded Katara how much she wanted to abandon the rootless lifestyle at least for a little while. That's what she thought would happen when she came to the Fire Nation. She figured that she would stay for a few months, get to sleep in a nice warm bed, and do some good for some people while spending some time with Zuko. This trip was turning into something she didn't anticipate, but she didn't begrudge Zuko the need to find his mother, and was in fact excited to be going on this journey with him. He was there for her when they tracked down Yan Rha, it seemed fitting that they go look for Lady Ursa together. Together, I like how that sounds, she mused.

A tap on her shoulder brought her out of her musings, and when she turned around there stood Zuko. "I've gotten a place for us to stay." He had his own bag slung over one shoulder, and reached down to take hers as well.

"Zuko, I can carry my own bag." Katara protested.

"I know. But trust me, when you see the room you'll realize that this is the least that I could do."

He was right. She opened the door to the room, and immediately a foul smell hit her full force. The cramped room contained a single bed big enough for two, a tiny dirty window, and a washbasin. The bed sheets looked threadbare and had unidentifiable stains. A quick look around, and Katara knew she had a fair bit of waterbending to do in order to make this room even partially habitable. She started by opening a small window to let in some fresh air. She uncorked her waterskins and got to work weaving the water through the sheets on the bed. When finished, her bending water had turned a murky gray color, but at least she might feel comfortable sleeping on the bed now. She sighed and sat down on the bed, realizing for the first time that there was only one bed in this room. She looked at Zuko, who was arranging their things in one corner of the room.

"Uh, so, is this our room – I mean, did you get one for me and one for you or - there's only one bed, so-" Katara sputtered.

Zuko looked up from what he was doing. "I'm sorry. The innkeeper said that they only had one room available. The rates were cheap though, like you thought they might be."

The fact that he seemed unfazed by the single bed only managed to increase her anxiety for some reason. She took a deep breath, trying to focus her thoughts so that she could explain the problem to him more clearly, when he spoke up.

"Don't worry, you can have the bed. I'll just use one of our sleeping rolls and sleep on the floor."

She felt guilty for a moment, and something else. Disappointment? No, that couldn't be it, right? She tried to hedge with him. "That's ok, I mean, you can have the bed if you want—"

"No, don't worry about it. You did all the work cleaning the sheets, you should be the one to enjoy it." He proceeded to unroll one of the sleeping bags in the space he had cleared.

"But I didn't do that just for me! We could share it!" Katara blurted. She immediately flushed a deep red. Where had that come from? That's not what I meant at all!

To his credit, Zuko looked appropriately horrified at the idea, mostly because he was imaging the Avatar's wrath if he were ever to discover that Zuko had shared a bed with his girlfriend. "No, no! That's ok! You can have it, I'm perfectly fine on the floor here!" He quickly jumped into his sleeping roll and turned to face away from her.

Already embarrassed by her awkward suggestion, she now felt even more ridiculous at his rejection of the idea. Feeling indignant, she said, "Oh, so you're too good to share a bed with a Water Tribe peasant, is that it?"

"Katara, I didn't say that!" He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I just don't think that it would be…appropriate. Look, just go to sleep, I'm fine here. Please. Just go to sleep."

She made a hrumph noise and fell back into the bed. Appropriate? What was that supposed to mean? She had half a mind to ask him, but when she looked to the floor where he was, he appeared to already be asleep. Well, she'd just have to scold him about it in the morning. She rolled over, still feeling a little rejected, and finally fell asleep.

Zuko rose with the sun as usual. He sat up slowly and stretched, listening to the small bones in his back pop from sleeping on the wooden floor. After sleeping in his soft bed in the palace, his body was unused to spending nights on the ground, despite his previous years travelling. Part of him regretted turning down Katara's offer to share the bed with him, even though he knew it was a bad idea. He was sure she meant it in the most innocent way, but the Avatar might not see it that way if he were ever to catch wind of such a thing. Standing up, he glanced over at the still sleeping Katara. Though the bed was made to fit two people, she had taken over the entire space. Her body was angled diagonally across the bed, limbs splayed, hair trailing the floor where her head hung off the bed a bit. Zuko cringed, thinking of the dust and grime that her hair would attract, but knew that fixing it might wake her, and he knew better than to wake a sleeping waterbender. As he watched, she snorted in her sleep and rolled over into a tight ball. He laughed to himself, thinking that it was a good thing that he had declined her offer after all; it appears he would have ended up on the floor either way.

Knowing there were a few things they would need for the subsequent trip, he left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. There was little activity on the streets this early in the morning, and Zuko enjoyed the peace this brought. His first stop was to the local aviary to send a message to his Uncle alerting them of their current position and progress. He purchased a few mangoes from a street vendor so they would have breakfast, and then went in search of a stable. While they had most of the supplies they would need, they had no form of transportation. They couldn't follow Jun in the balloon; that would remain docked here in the village while they conducted their search. He had no desire to ride Nyla again, and didn't think that Jun would allow it anyway. Luckily, he found a merchant with two healthy ostrich horses for sale at a reasonable price. He walked them back to the inn and tied them to a post out front. His last stop was to the docks to gather a few more supplies from the balloon, which he brought back and arranged in the ostrich horses' saddlebags. By the time he completed these tasks it was almost midmorning and he figured he should wake Katara so they could be on their way.

He opened the door to the room and at first didn't see Katara anywhere. Stepping across the threshold into the room, he was greeted with a loud cry coming from his right before his feet were yanked out from under him.

He let out a surprised yelp, dropping the bag of fruit he was carrying and landing hard on his tail bone. Looking toward the source of the cry, he saw Katara in the corner of the room coming out of a bending stance. With a quick motion she returned the water she had used to trip him with to her waterskin and moved to help him up off of the floor.

"Zuko! I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you!"

Irritation replaced his initial shock as he stood up, collecting their breakfast off the floor. "Who else could it have been?" he shouted.

Her embarrassment at accidentally attacking him faded with his raised voice and she shouted back. "I don't know! You're the one who chose this creepy place to stay. When I heard noises outside the door I thought maybe someone was going to rob us! You could have at least knocked or something."

"I didn't choose to stay here! I suggested we look elsewhere, but you said we should stay here because it would be cheap! I—"

"Lover's quarrel? So early in the morning?" said a voice behind them.

Katara and Zuko both swung their attention toward the door, which had been left wide open. Leaning against the doorframe was a smirking Jun. She sauntered in a few steps while Zuko and Katara stared at her, speechless.

"Sorry to interrupt. I asked the inn keeper which room you were staying in. I figured you guys would be anxious to get on the road. You can find me outside when you finish with your little spat." She smiled and turned on her heel, heading down the hall toward the front of the building.

Katara looked after her and then turned to Zuko, shooting him a look that indicated this was clearly all his fault, although he couldn't be sure how or what he was even being blamed for. She quickly gathered her things and swept past him out of the room. Pinching his nose in frustration, he let out a sigh and then followed suit.

Once outside, he motioned Katara toward the ostrich horses he had obtained, and she chose one without comment. He rummaged through one of his bags before finding his mother's crown. Unwrapping it, he handed it to Jun.

"Will this do?" he asked.

"We'll see." Jun cautiously held the object in front of Nyla's nose, letting the creature lock onto the scent. Nyla sniffed wildly at the air, shifting this way and that as she differentiated the scent from all others, following an invisible trail. She finally settled down facing one direction. Jun seemed to pick up on some clue that Nyla was finished, and she stroked the animal's neck while providing praise. Jun turned to Zuko and Katara.

"We ride north."

Shadows danced on the walls of Ozai's cell, cast by torches hung on the walls outside the bars. He sat motionless on the floor, staring unwaveringly at the flames. To the guards assigned to his post, it was unnerving how much time he spent in this activity. He had developed an eerie calm about him after the news of his daughter's death months ago. He rarely spoke, he complied with all requests, and he no longer tried to break free of his cell or the chains that bound him. By all accounts, he was a model prisoner, albeit a silent one. Stripped of his firebending and now seemingly lacking his previous rage, there was little to be intimidated by. If asked, his guards would say that they followed all designated protocols, but the unspoken truth was that many felt the precautions unnecessary; this man was harmless. Some took secret pleasure in his current state, and some felt shame at their previous alliance with him. Others wished for his return to the throne, despite his pathetic appearance. Regardless of their differing feelings toward him, all the guards could agree that this post was an easy one.

A lack of windows in this part of the prison made it impossible to tell the time of day. Instead, the rhythm of the days was set by the arrival and departure of three shifts of guards. The day shift could be seen coming up the halls, meaning it must be lunchtime. Two guards approached to relieve the previous shift, one carrying a tray with soup and a cup of tea. After greeting one another, the previous shift left for the day, leaving the two alone with Ozai. The guard without the tray fumbled in his pocket before producing the keys to the prisoner's cell in order to deliver his food. Before he could get the key in the lock, however, the other spoke up.

"Wait."

"What is it?"

"The cook must have made a mistake. There's no bread on that tray."

"I guess there isn't. So what?"

"All prisoners are to receive bread at every meal. It's part of the code."

The man with the keys rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, he won't notice just this one time. Isn't that right Ozai?"

Ozai made no indication that he had heard. He continued to stare at the torches as he had done all morning.

"See? He won't care. Let's just let it slide." He made to unlock the cell once again.

"No! Go back upstairs and get the bread. To deny a prisoner basic rights of nutrition would be dishonorable."

He threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "But I can't just leave you here alone with him! You know the protocol, no fewer than two men must be in place to guard him at all times. How would I explain leaving my post to a superior officer if asked?"

"I am your superior officer, and I'm telling you to go upstairs and get the damn bread! Stop being ridiculous, nothing will happen in the five minutes that you are gone. Go. Quickly."

The guard made a face and hesitated, but in the end he pocketed his keys and took off at a sprint down the hallway. As soon as he was out of sight, the remaining guard turned to Ozai.

"Sir. News from the Leader. Things are falling into place quite nicely. You may be interested to know that your wife has been located, and her sudden appearance will aid greatly in moving the plan forward. More reports are forthcoming." With that, the guard turned around to wait for the other to return.

Inside his cell, Ozai smiled.