Avatar Katara

The Desert

"How could you let them take Sang? Why didn't you stop them?"

"I couldn't!" Toph protested. "I was trying to stop the library from sinking, and you guys were still inside-"

"You could have come and gotten us!" Rina yelled, tears falling from her eyes. "I could have saved him!"

"There wasn't time! I can hardly feel any vibrations out here, and the sandbenders snuck up on me-"

"You don't care! You never liked Sang, and you wanted him gone!"

Toph recoiled at the accusation.

Katara put a hand on Rina's shoulder. "Rina, stop it. You know Toph did all she could. She saved our lives."

Sokka kicked the ground. "Who's going to save our lives now? We're stuck out here!" He motioned to the endless desert.

"That's all any of you guys care about," Rina spat. "Yourselves. You don't care whether Sang is ok or not!"

Katara tried again. "Rina, we're all concerned, but we can't afford to fight among ourselves-"

Rina knocked Katara's hand off her shoulder. "I'm going to find Sang." She opened her glider and flew away.

"Wait, Rina!" Katara shook her head. "We better start walking. We're the only people that know about the solar eclipse. We've got to get to Ba Sing Se."

Sokka glanced back at where Wan Shi Tong's library had once been. "If we dig out that giant owl, do you think he'd give us a ride?"

---

Iroh groaned in pain, his wound from the lightning still raw. Zuko pulled the ostrich horse to a stop. "Maybe we should make camp here," he suggested.

"No, please, don't stop for me!" Iroh groaned again.

The ostrich horse perked up, detecting something. Or someone.

The Rough Rhinos charged out of the woods. "Colonel Mongke," Iroh said to the leader. "What a pleasant surprise!"

Mongke scowled. "If you're surprised we're here, then the Dragon of the West has lost a few steps."

"You know these guys?" Zuko whispered.

"Sure! Colonel Mongke and the Rough Rhinos are legendary. Each one is a different kind of weapons specialist. They're also a very capable singing group."

"We're not here to give a concert! We're here to apprehend fugitives!"

"Would you like some tea first? I know I would! How about you, Kahchi? I take you as a jasmine man. Am I right?"

"Enough stalling!" Mongke yelled. "Round them up!"

One rider swung his flail at Iroh, but he kicked the ball away, and it wrapped itself around one of the rhino's feet.

The archer aimed an arrow at Zuko's back. Zuko caught the arrow and snapped it, then fired a blast of flame that burned through the archer's bow and snapped the string.

Mongke fired blast after blast of fire at Iroh. While he was distracted, Zuko kicked him off the rhino. Iroh leapt onto the ostrich horse and rode it up to Zuko, who jumped off the rhino and onto the ostrich horse.

Iroh sighed as they rode away. "It was nice to see some old friends."

"Too bad you don't have any old friends that don't want to attack you," Zuko grumbled.

Iroh started. "Old friends..."

---

Katara led the way as the trio made their way through the desert. Toph stumbled and bumped into Sokka.