Learning Experiences Zukka

Chapter 5: Drunken Warriors

"Yip yip!" Appa launched himself up over the dam and Sokka fell back on his broad furry head in a strange sort of relieved exhilaration. They'd done it. Not saved the village, per se, but the villagers would be safe, and if Zhao didn't destroy their homes in a fit of pique, maybe they'd even eventually be able to go back. He looked back towards the saddle and saw Zuko enthusiastically stripping off the borrowed tunic and using it to scrub the paint off his face.

"Aw, you made a great Water Tribe warrior, too!"

"Blue is not my color, I'm afraid. And this makeup itches, men aren't supposed to paint their faces."

"Bah, real men wear warpaint! And very occasionally, dresses." The prince raised his eyebrow at that, so Sokka quickly changed the subject. "Should I drop you where Appa was waiting before, or closer to your ship?"

"Actually..." Zuko hopped up to Appa's head as well, grabbing one of his horns as he stood and looked out before them. "When does your sister expect you back?"

"Well, I told her not to start worrying till after the noon deadline had passed, because I wasn't sure what my plan was going to be when I left... um, why?"

"Let's land over there by the shore." He pointed to an area of jumbled boulders and patches of sand visible in the moonlight.

"Okay..." Sokka considered asking why but figured it would become apparent. "Down, Appa!" Zuko grabbed the bag he had brought his weapons in and leaped down, flipping Appa another tea apple as he went. Then he wandered over to a good sized log that lay in the sand and held his hands over it for a moment. "What are you doing?"

"Just drying it out," the prince punched towards it and set it alight. "I hate smokey fires. Sit down." He settled against a large rock while gesturing to his side, and pulled a waterskin off of his belt to toss to Sokka.

"Okay..." he wasn't too thirsty but took a sip to be polite - and almost spit it out. "Wha? This isn't water, Zuko!"

"I would hope not, if I'd grabbed the Yu Yan's water supplies in the dark, I'd be very disappointed." He held his hand out for the skin and squirted a gulp into his mouth. "Ah! The rumors are true!" He smirked as handed it back. "Lu Ten always said the Yu Yan were great to camp with because they carried the best rum in the Fire Nation. Some sort of macho thing, they like to see how drunk they can get and still shoot a mosquito off your arm without hurting you."

Sokka took another drink, better prepared this time, and had to admit it was a whole other world from the 'rum' his tribe made from seaprunes. The burn was the same, but it actually tasted good before that. "So this is our victory celebration?"

"Partly." The prince leaned back and rather hopelessly tried to repair his topknot, before settling for just pushing it all back. "And an apology, of sorts. I... I should have spotted the apprentice Yu Yan. It shouldn't have come to that."

Sokka felt the need for another drink. He'd been planning, in the back of his mind, on breaking down once he dropped Zuko off and hoping to be coherent by the time he got back to Aang and Katara, but maybe this was a better plan. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. I totally fell apart."

"No, you didn't." The water tribesman looked up to object, but the other teen spoke again first. "Trust me, I'd know. I totally fell apart the first time. You got sick and then got on with the rest of the plan."