Learning Experiences Zukka

Chapter 3: Water Tribe Rescue

  Climbing an anchor chain should be easy. It's a big chain after all, and big chains have big loops, and big loops make for handy grips. In principle, it should be easy to climb one. In reality, anchor chains are coated with seaweed, rust, oil to try to keep off the rust, barnacles and all other manner of things that either shred your hands, or cause you to slip so that your hands run swiftly over the things that shred them. When Sokka got on board, he was going to have a long talk with whoever was supposed to be in charge of anchor chain maintenance.

Or maybe not. "You made it hard for me to sneak onto your ship" probably wouldn't be the most biting criticism.

The water tribesman finally made it to the top of the chain and hung over one of the bars holding the winch for a few minutes getting his strength back. He listened carefully, and heard the sounds of music and laughter continue. He picked out the voice of Zuko's uncle, but not the prince himself. Good. Once he had checked to make sure that the scroll he carried was still dry and intact after his many slips down the chain, he pulled himself onto the deck itself and, avoiding the lights at the front of the ship where most of the crew seemed to be gathered for some sort of music party, found a stairway.

Okay, Sokka didn't know much about Fire Nation ships, but the standard that lower decks were damper and less comfortable probably held true regardless of the kind of vessel, so Zuko's quarters would hopefully be on one of the upper levels. And since the huge noisy smokey engines were to the rear, one would expect the prince to want to be away from them. So, front sections of the upper decks first. A plan had formed.

This small scale plan pleased him to no end, mostly because it was logical, based on sound knowledge and likely to work. His overall plan for the night, on the other hand... Well, to be honest, it was crazy. Crazy, based on vague impressions Katara had spent the last three weeks telling him he was wrong about, and likely to fail spectacularly. But it was the only plan he had. As he crept through the ship, he couldn't help remembering something Zuko had said while they were walking together those weeks ago. "When you only have one option, you do it, even if it's impossible." Something like that, anyway. It had been three weeks, and it's not like he took notes. Then a little over a week ago they had last been attacked by the jerk, and Sokka had sworn ponytail related vengeance. He'd have to set that aside for tonight, though, it probably wouldn't fit into the already impossible plan.

Lots of identical doors to be opened and peeked into. Storage of various sorts, empty sleeping quarters with multiple bunks, one larger room with only a single bed, but from the prominently located teapot, he was guessing that was the uncle's. He must be getting close. This was working. He was sneaking, he was searching, he was following a plan, he-

WHUMP.

He was making rather good friends with a very hard metal wall with an arm pinning him there by the neck and a knee pressed into the back of his own in a way that made him think kicking backwards wasn't really worth it right then. And from the voice that spoke quite close to his ear, the plan was, technically, still on track.

"What are you doing on my ship?"

"Uh, hey there. You're very quiet when you want to be."

"And you aren't. What are you doing on my ship?"

"Hey, I'm quiet, I just- ack!" Okay, making closer friends with the wall, and he thought maybe he and the wall should see other people for a while. "I just came to talk to you, can we go somewhere your crew won't wander by and also, ow!"