The dream had come every night for the past week. She saw her father’s disapproving eyes again and again before he marked her for the imperfect blemish on the royal family that she was.

  Azula was getting tired of being sick and tired.

  It was time for her daily inspection of the ship and its men. She gave herself and her uniform one last once over before reaching for the door of her room. When her fingers touched the handle, someone knocked from the other side.

  “Who is it?”

  “It’s your uncle,” Iroh said. “I have some ginger tea for you.”

  She clenched her jaw. Word must have spread through the ship that she had terrible nausea in the mornings. She had neither need nor want for anyone’s charity.

  She opened the door. “Come in.”

  Her uncle’s short, round body stepped into her room with a silver tray. “I’m particularly proud of this tea. It can do much for the stomach, though I’m afraid it can’t do much for the heart. Friends and family can be a great gift for that, however.”

  She sat down and picked up a silver cup with dragons on the handles. The tea did smell good. “Family’s a gift I’d like to give away.”

  He laughed and sipped his tea. “You are stuck with us. Maybe I will buy you something the next time we stop.”

  “If you want to give me something, teach me how to lightning bend. It’s been hard enough working it out on my own.”

  “Come now,” he said, ignoring her request. “You must want something, a necklace perhaps? You loved that doll I bought you.”

  She snorted. “I set it on fire.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “On purpose?”

  She suddenly felt a little sorry for letting that slip out, but only a little. She wasn't in a particularly good mood today. “You never really understood me.”

  “What do you mean? Little girls love dolls.”

  “As if I would be one of those kinds of girls!” she said. “You gave Zuko a knife with beautiful engravings.”

  He stood, pursing his lips. She’d clearly hurt his feelings. “I apologize for the thoughtless gift. Please, enjoy your tea.”

  He turned to leave, and Azula sighed quietly. She opened her mouth to call him back, though not necessarily to apologize, when a loud commotion came from outside. She ran to see what it was.

  On the deck, a pale, dark-haired woman was riding a large, hairy beast with no eyes, a wrinkled, pink snout, and a long tongue. Was that a shirshu? Azula had only seen them in the zoo. This woman rode it like an ostrich horse.

  Azula’s men had surrounded the woman.

  “What is the meaning of this?” Azula said. She opened her palms, and blue fire erupted from them. “Speak now, or I’ll blast you and your animal off this ship.”

  The woman jumped down from the shirshu. “My name is June, and this beauty is Nyla. He’s the best tracker in the whole Earth Kingdom. He sees through his great sense of smell. He and I've captured our fair share of criminals.” She patted his neck.

  Azula extinguished her firebending. “And who are you hunting?”

  June smiled. “A stowaway—right here on board this very ship.”

  Azula crossed her arms. “No one would dare.”

  “Let me prove it,” June said. She cracked her whip, and the shirshu chomped down on a portion of the deck and ripped it off. It shoved its head in the hole until a small man jumped onto the deck. He didn’t make it far before the shirshu stung him with its tongue. The man crumpled, paralyzed on the ground.

  “Looks like you were wrong,” June said. She picked him up and threw him on the animal’s back. “I always get my man.” With that, the animal leapt over the side, and they were gone in moments.

  Azula tapped her lips with her finger. “I have an idea.”

  Iroh gave a tired sigh. “I suppose this means I won’t be able to finish my tea.”

  ***

  Compared to the perfect order of her ship, the barroom that she and Iroh entered was sheer pandemonium. Men slapped each other on the back one minute, and the next, they were fighting tooth and nail. A man crashed onto the floor in front of her. He leaped back to his feet and slugged a swarthy man in the face. Both squared off against each other.

  “Out of my way, swine,” she said.

  Behind her, Iroh apologized for her every action. She rolled her eyes. What sort of people congregate in a place like this?

  In the center of the room, June was arm wrestling a man. They both grunted and strained with all their might. Finally, she slammed his hand down. “I win! Drinks are on me!” The men sitting around her cheered.

  “June…was it?” Azula said.

  June grabbed a mug and took a swig. “And if it isn’t Uncle Tubby and the bratty Princess.”

  Her uncle merely laughed and rubbed his stomach, while Azula glared at her. “I’m not a brat.”

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  “If you say so,” June said. “What can I do for you?”

  “We want to hire you.”

  “For what?”

  “To hunt a bald boy with an arrow on his head. A girl who’s with him had this.” Azula held up Katara’s blue Water Tribe necklace. She knew it would come in handy at some point.

  “What, your boyfriend run off with this girl?” June smirked.

  “He’s not my boyfriend!” Azula snapped. “Anyway, we’ll pay generously.”

  June leaned back. “My services don’t come cheap. You’d have to pay me his weight in gold.” She pointed at Iroh.

  He laughed again.

  “That’s only if we catch him,” Azula said. “But even if you only find him, I’ll pay you my weight in gold.” Added incentive helped.

  ***

  The shirshu took off with June, Azula, and Iroh on its back. Riding the shirshu was more comfortable than it looked. Say what she wanted of June, but the woman knew how to handle the beast. Maybe Azula should have June teach the men how to ride the rhinos.

  They bounded up a hill and came upon an old woman with a cat.

  She smiled at them and spoke very slowly. “Ah, it is a wonderful day, is it not? Would you like a remedy for anything? I have all sorts.” She pointed to the shop behind her. She was clearly too old to be rushed by anyone.

  Iroh leaned over and spoke into Azula’s ear. “Maybe you want something from this herbalist? Something for seasickness?”

  The woman's eyes brightened. "I do have some wonderful medicines for that, don't I, Miyuki?" She scratched her cat behind the ears.

  Azula grimaced. “I don't have seasickness! No time for shopping, Uncle.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  Azula looked at the old lady. "We're looking for a pale, bald boy with an arrow on his head. He might have been with some Water Tribe friends?"

  "Hmm," the old lady said. "Don't remember any Water Tribe friends, but the boy got a prescription for some frogs."

  "Frogs?"

  The old lady opened her mouth to explain, but June scowled and snapped a whip over the shirshu. “The old lady is a waste of time. The Avatar is long gone from here. Let’s go!”

  ***

  The next spot the creature took them was in front of a fortune-teller’s shop. It was run by a middle-aged woman with a streak of white hair on both temples.

  “Have you come to have your fortune read?” the woman said, mysteriously.

  “What do you think, Azula?” Iroh said.

  “I don’t believe in that quackery,” she snapped at him. Honestly, it was like the man was a master at wasting time.

  The woman gave her a sad look. “I knew you would say that.”

  “Of course, you did,” Azula said.

  “I foresee you having a hard time in life if you don’t learn self-control.”

  “See, now I know she’s a true fortune-teller,” Iroh grinned.

  “Ugh,” Azula said.

  ***

  They finally overtook Sokka and Katara on a road past an old abbey. They trapped the two next to an earthen mound.

  June scrutinized the two while her animal sniffed ferociously. “She's a pretty one. Looks like you got some stiff competition, Princess.”

  “Shut up!” Azula said, jumping down. She planted her hands on her hips and glared at the brother and sister. She held up the necklace. “Thanks for this, by the way.”

  Katara reached for it, only for Azula to snatch it back. “Where’s the Avatar?”

  “We split up,” Sokka said.

  “Riiiiight,” Azula answered. “Why do I not believe you two would ever leave him?”

  “Your sensitive and hopeful nature, I guess?” Sokka said sarcastically. “Run!”

  They didn’t make it far before the shirshu lashed them with its tongue. Down they went. It amazed Azula how powerful that creature's venom was. Her mind came alive with possibilities, but she pushed them out of her mind for the time being. She had the Avatar to catch.

  Azula ran over and searched Sokka and Katara. There had to be some sort of trinket or way to track Aang. A map rolled out of Sokka’s pack.

  “Thanks,” she said before hurrying over to June. “Is there a new scent on this?”

  The creature sniffed it and growled.

  "I think that's a yes," June said. "Get on."

  They grabbed the two siblings and placed them on the shirshu’s back. Then, they were off once more.

  ***

  The Avatar was back at the abbey they'd passed. Azula should’ve suspected. Vats of perfumes lined the sides, which must have been the chief source of income for the nuns who lived here.

  “How about some perfume?” Iroh asked.

  “Like I told you this morning, Uncle,” she said, “I’m not that kind of girl.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with smelling nice,” Iroh said.

  When the shirshu arrived in the middle of the courtyard, he began to run in circles.

  She ignored her uncle and turned to June. “Why is he circling like this?”

  “I don’t know. He—”

  The Avatar swooped from the sky on his glider and blasted them with air, knocking them all off the shirshu. Azula flipped away and landed on her feet.

  “Hello, Aang,” she smirked before her eyes grew hard. “Surrender!”

  He tried to fly away once more, but she made a powerful stream of fire and swatted him to the ground. He landed on his back and pushed the fire away with airbending. He groaned from the pain, but got back to his feet.

  "I have to hand it to you," Azula said. "You know how to take a hit."

  He returned his glider into a staff and spun it, sending a blast of air at her. She sidestepped and roundhouse kicked a stream of fire at him. He spun his staff, and wind blew the fire away. Azula frowned. She punched and kicked several fireballs at him, all the while dodging his own air attacks.

  One of his attacks finally hit her, and she flew back into a wall. Dull pain pounded into her back. She fell onto her hands and knees, the wind knocked out of her. She wanted to stay down for a moment, but she forced herself to stand. She couldn't let Aang be tougher than her.

  “Why don’t you just give up?” Aang asked. “I can just block all your attacks.”

  She fought her way back to her feet and grinned. “Block this.” She swirled her hands around one another. She hoped this would work. She’d only done it once.

  She smiled when electricity began to charge from both her hands. She brought them together, and lightning leapt forward. The strike went a bit wide, hitting some of the vats of perfume. They exploded. Fragments of pottery and sweet perfume showered them all.

  “I’ll never get this off,” she said.

  “It's an improvement,” Aang said.

  Her cheeks burned. “It’s time for more lightning.”

  She started swirling her hands together, but a torrent of perfume dumped all over her. She glanced over at Sokka and Katara, who’d waterbended the sweet-smelling concoction all over her and June and the shirshu. The animal raged, suddenly unable to see. Its tongue lashed out, striking Azula, June, and Iroh with its venom. They fell in a helpless heap. The giant animal ran over the wall of the abbey and scampered away.

  Aang ran up to her and grabbed the necklace. “This belongs to a friend of mine.” He stood up. “That really is a good scent for you.” He ran over and gave the necklace to Katara. She kissed him on the cheek.

  "I told you she was stiff competition," June said.

  The only thing Azula could do was glare at her.

  ***

  Once she and Iroh got back to the ship, Azula tried to scrub the perfume off as best she could. It refused to leave her. She’d have to wait for it to wear off eventually. She grit her teeth in irritation.

  There was a knock at her door. “Azula,” her uncle called.

  She got out of the bath and wrapped a robe around herself. She walked back over to the door and opened it. He, too, looked freshly washed. He raised a small bottle in his hand. “I bought this for you at the abbey. A gift.”

  “Honestly, Uncle,” she said. “I have enough of this stuff on me. You didn’t need to get me more of it.”

  "I can always take it back..."

  "No! That's all right," Azula said, clutching it tightly. "It's not the worst perfume in the world."

  He smiled at her. “Think of it as something to help you stay fresh while I teach you to bend lightning.”

  Her eyes brightened. “Really?”

  He nodded. “You’ve done most of the work yourself already. What you need is some help with accuracy.”

  "Why the sudden change of heart?”

  “If I’m going to be hanging around you, I don’t want to be hit by accident.”