Come nightfall, they made camp just off the road. Aang was helping Piao Li construct a makeshift tent for he and Lian, while Toph took it upon herself to make dinner. With her husband busy, Lian took to following the young earthbender around the campsite like a lost puppy. It was really starting to get on Toph’s nerves too. The other woman would trail so close behind her that if she stopped abruptly, Lian would bump into her and nearly knock her over, after which she would apologize profusely. She would back off for a little bit, but then be right up behind her again. Toph was beginning to wonder if she glued herself to her husband like this as well.

She dropped some vegetables into a boiling pot of broth, stirring them a moment. What I wouldn’t give to eat some meat again. She sighed and stood up, and crashed right into Lian who had been timidly pacing behind her. The impact knocked both of them onto their backsides. The earthbender grimaced and blew at the hair hanging in her face.

“I’m so, so, so terribly sorry, again Miss Bei Fong.” Lian said, bowing to her as she got up on her feet.

“Please, just call me Toph.” Toph decided that it was time to stop the madness before it continued. Standing back up she put her hand on Lian’s shoulder and led her over to the seating area that her husband had delicately set up for her when Aang had announced that they should stop for the night. She had the woman sit down on a large fluffy pillow and smiled softly at her. “Why don’t you wait here until dinner is ready, hm?”

“Oh, but, I would like to help.” The young woman told her, now fiddling with her hands as she sat there.

“Well, it would very helpful to me if you sat here quietly for a bit.” Toph suggested, smiling again as Lian fidgeted more.

“Alone?” Lian queried.

“No, not alone. I’ll be right over there by the fire.” Toph explained. It was becoming blatantly obvious that this young woman didn’t get out much. “And your husband and Aang, the Avatar, are only a few feet away.”

“Okay.” She conceded, sinking into the pillow a bit more and watching as Toph walked away.

A short distance away, Aang was watching the event unfold, highly amused by the whole situation. He had even chuckled a bit loudly that last time that the two women had crashed into each other. Toph rarely was able to be knocked down, but it seemed the flighty young woman managed too. He could also tell that she was starting to get agitated with Lian when she led her away from the activity and made her stay sitting there. He could only wonder what it was they said to one another. Piao Li seemed more or less oblivious to it all. He must be used to it by now, being married to her at all.

Aang chuckled again, and Piao Li looked over at him and smiled. “You seem very amused.”

“Ah,” Aang began. He needed a good excuse for his laughter, one that wouldn’t embarrass or insult the man. “I just remembered something funny is all.”

“I see.” Piao Li said, banging a wooden stake into the ground with the heel of his foot. Then the man turned to his wife and grinned. “My lotus is so beautiful.”

Aang glanced over to where he had last seen the woman and noticed she was no longer there. Briefly scanning the campsite, while trying to get a makeshift support beam to stay up straight, he found her. She was once again tagging along behind Toph, getting in the way and generally causing chaos. He glanced at Piao Li, who was waiting for Aang to confirm his statement. “Yes, she is very pretty.”

“Yes, I am a lucky man.” The man said as he finished staking down corners of the tent, and then put an arm around Aang’s shoulders. “Now, let’s see what there is to eat!”

------­------------------------

“Aaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!” Toph screamed into her pillow, her screams muffled by the walls of her rock tent. “That woman is just…argh!”

She had never come across such a clingy, needy, timid young woman before. Not even the young noble girls that she taught earthbending to clung to her like that. The woman was like a child. Dinner had gone over as well as an Elephant Koi in the Si Wong Desert. Lian had glued herself to Toph until her husband had finally gotten within arms reach, where she then helplessly clung to his waist. And even when she tried to be helpful, Lian only managed to cause a mess. The earthbender doubted that the woman had ever cooked or served a meal by herself in her life.

Toph finally rolled over and lay on her back for a minute, when the awkward pacing that was easily identified as Lian started shuffling around outside her tent. Dropping one wall of her tent, she listened in to the continuing conversation.

“…for ten minutes, at most Lian, my dear.” Piao Li comforted his wife, who had death gripped herself to his arm, a tear rolling down her cheek.

“Don’t leave me all alone Piao Li, please don’t leave me alone.” Lian pleaded, clutching him even tighter, as he tried to wedge himself loose. Aang stood on the sidelines and Toph could sense him shaking his head ever so slightly as he held back a laugh. “I’m so afraid out here!”

“You will be fine. There is nothing out here that will harm you as long as you stay put.” The husband explained, finally wrenching himself free of her grasp and plopping her down onto the plush pillows nearby. “Now, the Avatar and I are going to get some more firewood.”

“Please don’t go!” Lian sobbed, burying her face in her hands. Aang stifled another laugh, and glanced her way, and she swore she could feel the mischievous grin spreading across his face.

“Don’t worry Lian.” Aang said soothingly as he chimed in for the first time. He dropped down to her side and patted her back. Then he motioned at Toph, who was now peeking halfway out of her tent just to hear better. “Toph is right there and she’ll protect you. She is a master earthbender after all. I’ll bet she’ll even let you brush her hair.”

“You did say how envious you were of her long locks, my sweet.” Piao Li added, slowly backing away from her.

“Really?” The woman’s voice trembled as she looked to the earthbender and then to them again.

“Really.” Aang assured her. Seeing as how that appeased her, the two men took their chance to escape the camp, leaving the two women all alone. Toph scowled deeply and made a mental vow to get even with him. Just you wait Twinkletoes! I’ll sneak up on you like a ninja and knock you into your next life! She growled quietly as Lian scuffled over to Toph. Then, with as much sweetness as she could muster, the earthbender smiled.

“Your hair is really so pretty.” Lian told her with a teary smile and petted the end of Toph’s braid. Toph growled again and started thinking of all the ways she could get back at him.

------­------------------------

“How long ago were you and she married?” Aang asked, making small talk as they disappeared into the darkness. He flipped his palm up and coaxed a small flickering fireball to form in his hand to light their path.

“Nearly a month now.” Piao Li answered, grabbing some twigs up off the ground nearby. He sighed and smiled. “We were wed on the cusp of springtime, before the summer heat began. Never has there been such a happy day in my life.”

“You talk about her as though she is the gem of your life.” The Avatar stated, pushing back a large branch that hung in his way. The way Piao Li talked of his wife he would have thought they had been together for years. “You must have been sweethearts for a long time.”

“Not really.” The other man responded.

“So,” Aang began, raising an eyebrow. “How long have you known her then?”

“Nearly a month.” Piao Li replied, casually gathering more tinder and fallen branches. Aang gave him a puzzled look.

“So you met…” he began.

“On our wedding day.” Piao Li finished. “The matchmaker said she would make the perfect bride for me. It was a beneficial union for both my family and hers. I got a beautiful wife whose family status has elevated my own, and they gained a son-in-law whose business ventures keep us all with our heads above water.”

“Um, sure.” Aang was speechless otherwise. He was having a hard time processing what he just heard. Piao Li and Lian were involved with an arranged marriage that was not based on love but on what either would gain from such a union. Never, in a hundred million years would I ever do such a thing. His mind was reeling and he was suddenly filled with a great understanding why his friend so wholeheartedly avoided the arranged suitors her parents sent.

“She is; of course, quite a bit younger than me, but it is that delicateness which I love about her.” Continued the man. “It also causes problems time and again.

“But, if you truly love her, then age shouldn’t matter.” Aang was trying to get some leeway here, and all this talk of marriage made him start thinking more about Katara again. “How much of a difference is there anyway?”

“Twelve years.” Piao Li said, in that casual unconcerned voice. Aang stumbled. Just how old is that girl anyway?

------­------------------------

“You have such lovely hair.” Lian said, pulling a bristly brush down the length of Toph’s dark locks. She sat facing the fire while the young woman slid the brush through her hair over again. “It’s a shame that you don’t do more with it.”

Lian was obviously referring to the impeccable coif that she was sporting. It was done up with so many pins and bobbles that Toph was surprised she didn’t fall over from the weight of it. The brush jerked through a tough tangle and she gritted her teeth. Lian sighed behind her. “Still, I’m so jealous of you.”

“For what?” Toph asked gruffly. “My hair?”

“Well, yes, I suppose that’s one reason.” Lian answered, giggling softly and scrunching up her nose. “But also because you are with the Avatar. It must be such an honor.”

“It has its moments.” Toph told her, shrugging her shoulders and taking a drink from the cup of sake she had poured herself. It was the only way she knew she would be able to resist strangling the mousy woman.

Lian giggled again. “And here I thought the Avatar was sweet on some waterbender from the south. Glad to see he has better taste than that.”

Toph gagged on her drink and began coughing ferociously as the other woman patted her back. “What now?! You think I’m with him with him?!”

“I just thought, since you were traveling together, and you seem so close…” The woman trailed off.

“No no no no no no no.” Toph said, shaking her head and her hands in objection at the same time. “We’re just friends, and only friends.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I jumped to conclusions.” Lian said, shrinking back in on herself. “It’s just that any one I’ve ever known who was that close. Well, they were together...intimately together.”

“Do you not have many friends, Lian?” Toph queried. “I mean, surely you and Piao Li must have started off as friends at some point?”

“No. Our marriage was arranged.” The young woman answered, sinking to her knees and timidly going back to brushing Toph’s hair. “I was very sheltered as a child.”

“That explains a lot.” The earthbender mumbled under her breath. She cleared her throat and spoke louder this time. “How old are you anyway?”

“I’ll be sixteen next month.” Lian replied. Toph choked again and had another coughing fit. Her poor companion growing even more puzzled with her.

“Egads woman! What would possess you to agree to such a thing?” Toph was getting mad now. This was just so typical. Damn nobles and their outdated traditions!

“What do you mean? It was an honor to marry into Piao Li’s family.” She spoke softly, choosing her words carefully as it seemed they were upsetting her companion. “My parents said it was a good match and a good thing for our family.”

The earthbender relentlessly continued with her interrogation. “But you don’t even love him, do you?”

“I do. I think.” Lian sounded confused. “He is very good to me.”

“Didn’t you ever have any dreams, goals, ambitions?” Toph asked.

“Of course!” Lian had perked up now. “To marry a man of my parents choosing and bring honor to my family. To be a devoted, loving wife and give my husband a home and family. That’s what I want.”

Toph scoffed and crossed her arms, trying to hold her tongue. It’s brainwashing! I’m glad I was smart enough to get away from it before my parents did it to me! She couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Is that it? Is that really the only thing you wanted out of life? To be a pampered housewife who wastes her life confined behind the walls of her husbands estate?” Toph spat bitterly and Lian lost all of her perkiness once more. The earthbender had that effect on people.

“No?” Lian answered cautiously, gauging Toph’s reaction. “I…I, well, it’s silly really.”

Toph, sensing the nervousness of the girl turned around and placed a hand over hers. “Go ahead.”

“I wanted to open a dress shop, and design clothes for people.” Was the timid response from the woman.

“Now, that is a real dream.” Toph said in a nicer voice, her anger ebbing. She even managed to give Lian a nice smile. I might actually start to like this self-assured version of Lian. “Keep a hold of it and try to pursue it. Don’t resign yourself to just being someone’s wife.”

“Okay.” Lian answered, smiling back finally and Toph thought she might have dug through all of the timid sheltered much to the real girl beneath it all. “Say, Miss Bei Fong…um, I mean, Toph?”

“Hm?” The earthbender queried.

The young woman had an even bigger smile on her face now. “Do you think, maybe, you would let me design a dress for you when you get married?”

Then she snuck in, in a whisper. “Maybe to the Avatar?”

Toph heard her and was just about to speak up about that when she heard the crunch of footsteps approaching. Piao Li passed them and dropped his pile of firewood next to them while Aang tilted his head as Toph turned beet red and tried to hide it. “Who’s getting married?”

Lian, breaking in her newfound confidence, opened her mouth to reply but Toph caught on a second quicker than she had to start speaking. A hand clamped over the young woman’s mouth before she could even inhale. Toph grinned at him and then dragged her off to have a nice talk about what she shouldn’t just blurt out. Piao Li looked at him, and then the girls who were wandering away. “What’s with them?”

“Who knows?” Aang said with a sigh and he dropped his pile of wood with Piao Li’s and then started rifling through things for the teapot. A nice warm cup of tea was just the solution to soothe his still spiraling brain. He found it, buried at the bottom of a bag of freshly scrubbed pots (his doing, since it seems clean up duty was his new permanent chore). He bent some water out of a flask at his hip and bent it into the pot. He placed it on the fire and waited for it to start boiling as Piao Li went off in search of his wife.

He and Lian wandered by as he was taking his first sips of freshly brewed tea, and disappeared into the tent that he and Aang had set up earlier. Toph appeared a few minutes later, an apathetic expression on her face as she plunked down beside him and flopped back in the dirt, sending dust up around her. He glanced down at her and held a cup out to her. “Tea?”

“Only if by tea, you mean sake.” She commented, sitting up. She rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck, then reached over for her half full cup that she had left sitting there. She filled it up and drank it down in one shot.

“Rough night?” He joked, sipping his tea.

“No more than usual.” She answered, filling the cup again, but drinking from it slowly this time. She shook the jug of alcohol in front of him and smiled. “You game?”

“I don’t drink.” Aang told her, pushing the jug back her direction.

“Is this one of those beliefs of yours like the whole not eating meat thing right?” She said with a smirk, elbowing him hard in the ribs as she set the jug down. “Suit yourself. I just thought you’d actually like to get some sleep tonight, but I guess not.”

“What do you mean?” Aang asked, finishing his cup of tea and pouring another.

“Have you ever been around newlyweds before Twinkletoes?” she asked him.

“Of course.” He replied.

“Who?” She perked up an eyebrow.

“Sokka and Suki. I was there when they were married. So were you.” He told her. “I think you’ve had enough to drink, with all these dumb questions.”

“Yes, we were there when they got married, but then again you didn’t sleep within ten feet of them that night either. I’m just glad I opted to not stay the night after the wedding.” She said, shivering a little at the thought. “There’s a reason why they’ve got the phrase ‘honeymoon baby’ you know.”

She pointed over to the tent where Piao Li and Lian were. “Granted they didn’t just get married, but they’re still newlyweds, and just because we’re here doesn’t mean they’ll be courteous just for us. At least I’ve got a buzz and a wall of rock to block most of it out.”

Aang stared at the tent for a moment and thought about what she had said. Then his eyes went wide with realization as his mouth fell open. “Oooooh.”

“Trying to catch flies?” she asked, reaching over and snapping his mouth shut. She shook the jug of sake in front of him. “Changed your mind?”

He looked down at his half finished cup of tea and poured it out on the ground beside him. He held it out to her and looked away as she chuckled and filled it. He stared down at the new liquid in his cup and sighed. “What the hell.”

And then he downed the cup, coughing once as it went down. Toph patted him on the shoulder and reached over to refill it for him. He drank it, more slowly this time and was glad that it didn’t burn as bad going down this time. Beside him, his friend sighed and rubbed her nose with one hand. “Just be glad you can’t feel them.”

Aang chuckled, but the chuckle soon became a loud obnoxious laugh that she joined in on. And so they sat there, by the fire, slowly drinking the last of the sake they would get until Qian, and laughing jovially. It was late before they both wandered off to their respective beds. Toph returned back to her tent of stone and Aang made himself cozy in Appa’s saddle that he had removed earlier. He stared at the sky, laying there with Momo cuddled against his head, and smiled. Spending time with Toph was fun, adventurous, despite their recent run-ins with pirates and assassins. He wished he could enjoy everyday life like he was enjoying this. If only, he thought, if only.

------­------------------------

Aang groaned and rolled over, holding his head, which ached something fierce. Popping one eye open, he was able to see that it was still fairly early, but the sunlight coming up over the horizon seemed much brighter than he was used to. He shut his eyes and rolled back onto his back, covering his face with one arm. He didn’t even want to move, and began to vow never to drink again. Or at the very least, never drink with Toph again.

A few moments later he felt someone jabbing him in the rib with one finger. He lifted his arm and glared to his right. His eyes met pale green ones that didn’t look at him. “What do you want, you awful evil woman?”

“Awe, love you too Twinkletoes.” She said in a childish voice, pinching his cheek. He grumbled and batted her hand away. She pulled it away, but instead shoved a cup in his face. He looked at it and sniffed it, cringing at the smell.

“I am not drinking any more sake with you now or ever again.” He said sternly. She continued to push the cup at him. Beside him Momo yawned and sniffed at the cup, then licked out of it and shuddered. He chittered and leapt over onto her shoulder and down her back.

“Hair of the polar bear dog, as they say.” She pushed the cup at him until he took it from her. “Just drink it. And if you don’t feel a little better after that, I did make you some tea.”

He did as he was told, and the headache ebbed a bit as the alcohol made its way through his system. It was enough to get him to get up out of bed. He looked around, as the sunrise painted the campsite with a golden hue. Most of it was already cleaned up and organized, save for the fire, which had the teapot sitting over the flames, keeping the tea inside warm. Toph walked up beside him, a bag in each hand, and dropped them into the saddle. He watched, as he served himself some tea, as she dumped the other bags into the saddle as well then kicked up a pedestal of rock to sit on. She could feel him watching her and turned to look at him, even though she couldn’t actually see his face. “What?”

“You.” He trailed off.

“I, what, spit it out Twinkletoes.” She asked, scratching behind her ear.

“You actually packed up.” He told her. “I’m just surprised. It’s kind of out of character for you.”

“Aren’t I just full of wonderful surprises.” She said in a sarcastic, but joking tone. “I’m going to go rouse the newlyweds. You might want to saddle up your buddy while I’m at it.”

He simply nodded and used his airbending to lift the saddle onto Appa’s back, where he secured it down and then nuzzled his furry friend. Piao Li and Lian wandered out of their tent, neither looking thrilled to be awake so early. He offered them what was left of the tea Toph had made, while the earthbender took down the makeshift tent and tossed it into the bison’s saddle. She then waited for them to get done and tossed the teapot up as well. Then they were off like a herd of turtle ducks, down the road to Qian.

------­------------------------

“So, what was all that talk about you getting married last night?” Aang asked mischievously, about midday after scouting from the sky for how far they were from the city. She scowled and punched him in the shoulder. He rubbed it and looked to see if it was bruised. “That hurt you know.”

“I know. It was supposed to hurt.” Toph told him, cracking the knuckles on both hands.

“All I did was ask a question.” He stated, a teasing smile on his face that she couldn’t see, but could still feel. “I’m just wondering if you found yourself a boyfriend while I wasn’t paying attention. And I hope it’s not Sokka, because he’s taken you know.”

“Shut up Aang!” she growled, punching at him again, but he was too fast for her this time, and leapt over to her other side with some airbending to get him out of her reach. Playing games, huh? Well, it takes two to tango bucko. He walked on beside her, grinning immensely and thinking he had the upper hand on her for once. She laughed and tripped him up by making part of the road sink where he was walking. He fell face down and the only thing that saved him was his airbending.

“Come on. I’m curious.” He nagged, and stepped in front of her. Behind them, Lian giggled and buried her face in Piao Li’s tunic. Toph rolled her eyes. Aang looked back at the other woman, grumpy that they had a secret that he wanted to know and wasn’t being told.

“Curiosity killed the cat owl.” Toph remarked, stepping around him and continued down the road.

“Yea, well, I’m not a cat owl, now am I?” He said, walking backwards in front of her.

“Not as far as I know, but then I’ve never seen your face, have I?” She teased. “For all I know you could be uglier than a cat owl.”

“Hey!” Aang whined. He scoffed and adjusted his robe, walking with his nose in the air like a snub. “I happen to be devilishly handsome, just so you know.”

“Really?” She asked coyly, a big broad smile splayed across her face. Lian snickered behind them and Aang flashed her a dirty look. But it was too late. Toph had heard her and now smiled even larger.

“I hope you know that you’re a horrible liar.” She chuckled, punching him in the arm again, but not so hard this time. Then she pointed down at the ground. “My feet told me so. By the way, a good piece of advice, never play cards against me.”

It was quiet for a bit, save for the quiet whispering of sweet nothings behind them, and they continued onward. However, Aang had not given up. He was dead set on knowing what it was his friend and Lian had been talking about, and why they had stopped talking about it when he approached. And also why it was that Lian thought it to be so hilarious she giggled at every mention of it.

Aang took a deep breath, and moseyed up to Toph, who had taken the lead. “So, are you going to tell me?”

“Do you really want to know?” Toph asked, taking a deep breath and letting out a long sigh.

“Yep.” He told her, grinning.

“Really?” She asked in a sing-song voice putting her arm over his shoulder and leaning in closely so her face was right next to his. “Really really?”

Aang sighed. “Yes.”

Lian giggled again, and somehow he had a horrible sinking feeling that he was walking into a trap, or at least going to be regretting asking later. Toph smirked and pulled away; mimicking the walk he had taken earlier, of walking backwards in front of him. She casually stuck her hands in her pockets and shrugged. “Okay then, I’ll tell you.”

Still walking, she leaned forward and put her mouth next to his ear, whispering softly in a seductive voice she was sure would give him the heebie-jeebies for the rest of the day. “Apparently, I should be marrying you. We’re very suitable for one another from what I hear.”

Aang paled as she backed away, and she could feel him stopping dead in his tracks. His jaw went slack as she turned on her heels and snuck away. Then, with a shake of his head, he looked up at her. “Wait, what?!”

Suddenly, everyone but he burst out into loud raucous laughter. He stared dumbfounded at her as a shiver went up his spine. Toph chuckled. He jogged to catch up with her, but she kept him at a distance. “Did you really say what I think you just said?”

“I dunno,” She called back over her shoulder. “What am I supposed to think that you’re thinking of when you’re thinking of what I just said?”

“That’s not funny Toph!” He shouted at her.

Toph shrugged. “Really, because I thought it was hi-lar-i-ous!”

“Stop it!” He whined.

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to bite off more than you can chew?” She teased. Aang tried to catch up with her again, but she was too fast and got ahead of him.

“But, if you really must know,” She cupped her hands and shouted as loud as she could back at him. “Lian thinks we’re lovers and should go and get hitched!”

And then like a flash she disappeared over a hill in the distance, leaving Aang turning a bright red color. Behind him, both Lian and Piao Li were stifling their laughter. And then he wished he could kick himself in the ass. Eventually his blush faded, and they caught up with Toph, who waited just over the crest of the hill. As they came upon her she splayed her arms out to gesture in front of them.

“Ladies…and Piao Li,” She began. “I give you the Earth Kingdom city of Qian!”

------­------------------------

“Thank you so much Avatar Aang for guiding us back to the city.” Piao Li said, bowing deeply to him. They had made it safely into the city, and had guided the newlyweds to their home. Now they stood outside the gate of the estate, exchanging farewells.

Beside him, Lian moved over and pecked him innocently on the cheek. “We are very grateful.”

“It was an honor.” Aang said, bowing to them. “Good luck and many blessings on your marriage.”

“Thank you!” They replied, waving as he and Toph walked away. Momo hopped between Aang’s shoulder and hers, and back again, deciding which was better to perch on.

“Nice how you always get the thanks.” Toph joked, not really caring one way or another.

“What can I say, I’m the great Avatar Aang.” He puffed up his chest and spoke in a deep voice. “Champion of justice and truth, ender of wars, master of the elements!”

“Yea, well you’re still a Twinkletoes.” She replied.

“Yea, and you’re short.” He told her, resting his elbow on her head. She got mad and shoved him away. He nearly bumped into a lady with a basket of groceries in one arm, and a baby in another, but managed to avoid knocking her over. Still, he ended up tripping and falling over. Trying to catch himself, he grabbed at her and pulled her down with him. They both landed with a hard thud on the flagstone roadway, Momo sandwiched between them. The lemur screeched angrily and ran off; most likely to the stable where they’d left Appa. At least there, he had less of a chance of being crushed.

“Nice. Maybe I should start calling you klutz instead.” She told him as he pushed her up off of him, and then turned around to give him a hand up.

“You were the one who shoved me.” He replied, crossing his arms indignantly. Before she could counter with another witty remark, a woman screamed behind them. Aang jumped up onto a wooden barrel to see over the crowd that was clearing the away. Back where they had just left Piao Li and Lian, the crowd was making a circle away from the gate. He looked down at Toph, who looked as though she already could sense what was happening. “Looks like trouble.”

“I think those two just attract it.” She said, before darting off and shoving her way through the crowd. Aang chased after her, and grabbed her by the shoulder, pulling her back.

“What are you doing?” He asked.

“What’s it look like? I’m helping.” Toph answered, shoving he way through the throngs of people again.

“Can’t you just let the guards take care of it?” He shouted, trying to catch up with her. As he pushed through to the front of the crowd, he could see what all the commotion was about. Lian was being held at knifepoint by a masked thief. Tears streamed down the young woman’s face and she whimpered for her husband.

“Back away now or I kill the pretty little noble lady.” Spoke a female voice from behind the mask, laying the blade against the skin of Lian’s neck, then at Toph, who stood defensively, rock fists already formed. The thief turned to Piao Li, who was backed up against the wooden doors of the gate, a look of fear on his face that matched his wife’s. “Now, give me all of your money and valuables! Quickly!”

Toph backed away a bit, noticing him at the front of the crowd. She placed herself in front of him, defenses ready, and whispered over her shoulder to him. “She hasn’t seen you yet.”

That was all he needed to know as he slipped back into the crowd and around the corner where there was no crowd. He leapt up onto the wall of the estate and carefully approached overhead. Piao Li fumbled with the coin purse on his belt and removed his jewelry, dropping it into the coin purse as well and noticed Aang up on the wall as he handed it to her. The thief noticed his gesture and snatched the coin purse as she swiftly turned to face him. Using the distraction Toph leapt forward. The thief backed up against the wall, the knife still at Lian’s throat.

Surrounded, she made a quick decision and shoved the young woman at Toph and darted away down the road. Aang snapped open his glider and made chase as she weaved down roads and alleyways. Toph caught Lian, and then passed her to her husband, forcing her way through the crowd to follow after Aang. The city guards who were unsure of what to do with a life at risk followed after, trying to block off the thief’s escape. Aang caught up with her first, landing in front of her and stopping her from moving forward. She turned to double back, but the guards had caught up as well and blocked escape from behind. Pausing as he and the guards slowly moved in on her, she tried to dart down a nearby alley, and ran straight into Toph, who whipped her arm out and caught the girl in the throat, taking her down.

The guards swooped in and arrested her. She struggled to get free and it was then that Aang noticed the black band around her arm and suddenly remembered the pirates that attacked Sokka’s ship. Were there any women aboard that ship? No, there were only men, and they were Fire Nation. This girl’s eyes are green. And suddenly he remembered the assassins back on Kyoshi, and how he thought something was not quite right about what they wore. Thinking back, he realized that they too wore plain black bands around their arms as well. She can’t be one of the assassins; Suki said they don’t trouble this city. Aang decided that he should interrogate this woman as soon as possible.

“You’re thinking about something, aren’t you Twinkletoes?” Toph asked, making her way up to him.

“Yea, and it involves talking with that girl.” He responded, following after the guards who were dragging her away. “Care for a little interrogation?”

“Sounds like fun.” She told him, keeping in pace with him.

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“Do you belong to some kind of gang?” Aang asked sternly. The guards had no problems letting him interrogate this thief. He had helped capture her, and, of course, he was the Avatar. Now he stood in a walled, windowless room with only one door out, pacing around in front of a girl who was not much older than thirteen. She scowled at him and stuck out her tongue defiantly. He sighed. They’d been there a while and she refused to give any answers.

Toph was leaned into the far left corner of the room behind her, which was starting to intimidate the girl, but not enough to get an answer. Finally, she pushed off the wall and walked around the chair to face the girl. She put each hand on an arm of the chair and leaned in close to her until their noses almost touched. The girl shirked back as Toph stared at her with her glassy green eyes. “Well, if she won’t talk through intimidation, I suppose there are other alternative methods.”

Aang watched her curiously and wondered what exactly she had in mind when she said ‘alternative’ methods.’

“Now, I know you’re scared and afraid, but we won’t hurt you. We just want to find out some things from you. Some things only you can answer for us, okay?” The girl slowly nodded, as Toph turned to face her again. She spoke very sweetly and smiled at the girl. “You’ll actually have to speak to me sweetheart. I’m blind and can’t see you nodding your head.”

“Y…yes’m.” The girls spoke, a tremor in her voice. She had lost all the daring she had displayed earlier, but then again, his earthbender friend had that effect on people. Toph bent down by her, and brushed away a stray tear that rolled down her cheek. Aang stood back, watching his friend comfort the girl.

“Now, can you answer the question that my friend asked earlier?” Toph questioned softly.

“About the gang?” The girl queried as Toph gently nodded. “Yes, I am. They told me I had to rob that lady if I want to be a member. Now that they know I was caught, I can’t go back.”

“It’s okay. Gangs are bad. They’re trouble.” Toph told her, smiling. “What you want to do is grow up good and follow your dreams.”

“I will. I promise.” She agreed. “Just don’t lock me away. My mom’s heart will break.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll do our best to keep that from happening.” Aang finally spoke up again. He knelt down in front of her and smiled softly. She smiled back at him, wiping away another stray tear. “Can you tell me your name?”

“My name is Tamae.” She answered.

“Hi Tamae. I’m Aang.” He told her. “I have another question for you. You know the band you have around your arm, the black one? What does it mean?”

Tamae sniffled, and put a hand over the band, pulling it off and holding it in her hands. “It’s how the gang got its name, The Black Band Bandits. There’s lots of them out there. I heard a rumor that they are in every nation.”

“Who was your boss, or who told you to rob that lady earlier?” Toph questioned.

“He was just an average member, I think. But theys looking for lots of new people.” Tamae replied. “I heard that a bunch of ‘em was caught not long ago and were locked up in Omashu.”

“Do you know who that member’s boss is?” Aang queried.

“I listened in when I shouldn’t of, and I know they answer to the biggest boss who lives up north somewheres, but around here, they listen to somebody called the Dragon Line.” She answered, frowning and throwing the black band to the floor. “Mostly they just call him Dragon.”

“Thank you for helping us Tamae.” Toph told her, taking the girl by the hand. “Why don’t we get out of here and take you home, hm?”

“I really, really want to go home.” Tamae said. Aang rapped on the door, and the guards opened it and let them through. At first they objected to letting them take the girl with them, but Aang finagled them into believing that the girl would not repeat her actions, and with the promise that she’d simply do community service instead of jail time. She was only a kid after all.

They made their way out, Aang leading the way with the girls close behind him. As they followed the long corridor to the front entrance of the jail, they were met halfway by a statuesque man with an entourage of guards behind him. He smile and approached Aang, bowing deeply to him. “Avatar Aang! What an honor it is to have you visit humble Qian. And to even go as far as catching a thief for us. I assure you though; the streets of my city are clean of troublemakers. The city guards see to that, but sometimes one or two just slip through their fingertips.”

The man glanced at Tamae, who slid herself in behind Toph and watched him cautiously from around him. Aang bowed back to the man, watching him uncertainly as he spoke. “And who might you be?”

“I am Ling Dao Ren, a humble delegate to the Nations Council and mayor of the city of Qian.” The man announced with a flourish, bowing to Aang again and smiling at him.