Rest is not idleness.
(John Lubbock.)
***
For the next couple of days, I ate like a starving man, caught up on sleep, and made up for lost ti with Suki while we waited for the ship to be prepared. Mister Beifong had approached the matter thoroughly — apparently inspired by the Great Spirit of Hamster— and decided to send sothing akin to a galleon to the Fire Nation. Not particularly fast, but absurdly spacious, and he'd stuffed it so full of cargo it was practically bursting at the seams.
"Yeah… with a draft like that, it'll take us fifteen days to reach Ember Island, maybe even twenty," Mao remarked, skeptically eyeing the wooden ship. "What did he load onto that thing, his entire estate complete with fruit trees?"
"Wouldn't surprise . You know as well as I do, commander, there's a huge demand for Earth Kingdom fruit back ho."
"That's true, Commodore," the firebender agreed. "But those travel tis are still brutal."
"We can shorten it," I replied, recalling the map. "We'll sail to the Southern base, transfer to a patrol raider there, and be at our destination by the next day. Or three days by steamship if we can't get a raider."
"And who exactly is going to hand us a raider just like that, or send a steamship off schedule?" I raised an eyebrow in response. "Ah. My apologies, Herald. I montarily forgot the circumstances."
"It happens. One shouldn't abuse one's authority… but every now and then, just a little…" I waved the matter aside. "All right, oversee the loading."
"Yes, sir." The officer snapped a salute and went off to bark orders.
A few hours later, we sailed out of the harbor, leaving Gaoling behind our stern. Our route would take us past Kyoshi, around Whaletail Island, through neutral waters to the Navy Blockade, and from there onward to the Southern base, where we'd transfer to sothing fasterI should probably rember to arrange a ti and eting point with the captain for when they made the return trip, too.
Another two hours later, with the port long since out of sight, an unaccounted-for passenger was discovered aboard the ship.
Well then... Everything had gone according to plan.
"So then, young lady," I said, studying the slightly grimy Toph after she was found hiding inside one of the cargo bundles, "would you care to explain what exactly you're doing here?"
"After so consideration, I've decided to accept your offer," the little creature declared brazenly, still having absolutely no idea what she was getting herself into. Thank the spirits she couldn't see my grin, or she might already have started suspecting sothing.
"Oh? And naturally, you inford your parents?"
"Of course!" She knew that I knew she was lying, yet both of us continued pretending everything was perfectly fine.
"All right, I'll pretend I believe you. Still, take one of my hawks and send your father a ssage. He's probably beside himself with worry right now."
"That might be difficult," she replied, demonstratively waving a hand in front of her eyes.
"You can dictate it. Soone from my crew will write it down. And since you've agreed to travel with us, I should explain a few of the rules we follow aboard ship."
The girl imdiately pulled a sour face.
"Don't make that expression. Those rules weren't made up for no reason — they were written in the blood of both our enemies and our friends. Now then, let's start with a few questions so I can get to know you better."
I sat down on the nearest crate — this conversation-interrogation was going to be lo-o-o-ng.
"Can you swim?"
"N-no," the bewildered girl replied sowhat uncertainly.
"We'll teach you. Aboard ship, there's no getting by without it. And what about…""
And so the conversation began. At first, young Miss Beifong was rather overwheld by the sheer intensity of it all and thrown completely off balance, but she adapted quickly, and before long every trace of uncertainty and confusion had vanished.
***
About an hour later.
"Well, I think I've covered all the important points."
"Um…" Toph blew at her bangs with a loud pfft. "Yeah… I didn't expect an ordinary adventure to involve this many details. What's all this even for?"
"Different situations co up," I replied with a tired sigh. For all her iron will, sharp mind, and impressive knowledge, she was still painfully inexperienced, and things that seed obvious and self-evident to could easily strike her as strange or stupid. I needed to explain, not get irritated.
"It's better to settle everything clearly from the start than sort things out later. The timing might end up being extrely inconvenient."
"But why does everyone have kitchen duty outfits except you?" ca her heartfelt complaint.
"Well, shouldn't the commander have at least a few privileges? Besides, while I cook reasonably well, believe , compared to Ju, my efforts can only be described as… edible, and that's their only redeeming quality. And anyway, who was it not long ago complaining that she was sick of people practically wiping her ass for her?"
(End of Chapter)
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