After the vibrant Avatar festival, the group, now refreshed and with a clearer sense of purpose, prepared to continue their journey. The morning after the festivities, the village was still buzzing with a gentle energy, a lingering warmth from the celebration.
Zuko, Alec, and Iroh had spent a quiet morning, enjoying the last sips of the local tea and the simple, peaceful atmosphere. Their goal remained the Northern Air Temple, a place of ancient secrets and, hopefully, the Avatar himself.
But this time, their journey would be different. Iroh, with his usual foresight, had made arrangements. He had spoken with the village elders, who, after much convincing and a generous exchange of Fire Nation coin, had agreed to provide them with mounts for the next leg of their journey: eel hounds.
These creatures were legendary, known for their incredible speed and endurance over both land and water. They were a cross between a greyhound and an eel, with long, powerful legs, a deep chest, and a sleek, dark green body that could stretch up to thirty feet long. Their wild nature made them hard to train, but once tamed, they were the fastest known animals for travel.
Four of these magnificent beasts stood waiting at the edge of the village, their powerful bodies rippling with contained energy. Their dark green scales shimmered in the morning light, and their large, intelligent eyes seemed to hold a deep understanding.
Zuko looked at them with a mix of awe and apprehension. He had heard tales of eel hounds, but had never seen them up close. They looked wild, untamed, a force of nature.
"They are magnificent creatures, aren't they, Prince Zuko?" Iroh said, a fond smile on his face as he patted the head of the nearest eel hound. The beast, surprisingly, leaned into his touch, a low rumble coming from its chest. "A bit stubborn, perhaps, but loyal once they accept you."
Alec, standing beside Zuko, felt a strange connection to the creatures. He reached out a hand, and one of the eel hounds, a particularly large one with a scar over its left eye, nudged its head into his palm.
Alec, maintaining his blind act, gently stroked its scales, a faint smile touching his lips. He could feel the warmth of its skin, the subtle vibrations of its powerful muscles.
Zuko watched this interaction with a familiar mix of suspicion and fascination. How could Alec, a blind man, connect so easily with a wild beast? It was another puzzle piece in the growing mystery that was Alec.
He still didn't fully trust him, but the incidents on Ember Island, the strange warmth he felt when Alec was near, and now this easy connection with the eel hound, were slowly chipping away at his doubts. He found himself wanting to understand Alec, to unravel the enigma.
Mounting the eel hounds was an experience in itself. They were tall, at least eight feet at the shoulder, and their movements were fluid, almost like water. Zuko, with his firebending balance, quickly found his footing.
Alec, guided by Iroh's quiet instructions and his own internal senses, mounted his eel hound with surprising ease, his blindfold not hindering him in the slightest. The guards, less accustomed to such mounts, struggled a bit more, but soon everyone was settled.
"Hold on tight, nephew!" Iroh chuckled, as his own eel hound, with a powerful surge, began to move. "They are quite fast!"
And fast they were. The eel hounds moved with incredible speed, their long legs devouring the ground. The wind whipped past their faces, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth. The mountains, which had seemed so imposing on foot, now blurred past them.
They covered ground at an astonishing pace, leaving the village far behind in a matter of hours. The journey was exhilarating, a thrilling ride that filled Zuko with a sense of freedom he rarely experienced.
Alec, despite the speed, tried to remain calm but the smile of his face betrayed him. His mission, the words of Avatar Yangchen, echoed in his mind. He need to fulfill them fast.
They traveled for half a day, the sun climbing higher in the sky, casting long shadows across the rugged landscape. The mountains grew taller, their peaks sharp and imposing. The terrain became more challenging, the paths narrower, winding through deep ravines and along treacherous cliffs. The air grew colder, thinner, a clear sign of their increasing altitude. The eel hounds, however, seemed unfazed, their powerful bodies effortlessly navigating the difficult terrain.
As the afternoon wore on, they found themselves entering a particularly narrow valley. The mountains on either side rose steeply, their rocky faces scarred by ancient winds and time. The valley floor was uneven, strewn with boulders and patches of thorny bushes.
The path, barely wide enough for two eel hounds side-by-side, snaked its way through the confined space. It felt like the mountains were closing in on them, a natural trap.
Zuko, ever vigilant, felt a prickle of unease. The air here was still, unnaturally quiet. The usual sounds of the wilderness – the chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves – were absent. Only the rhythmic thud of the eel hounds' hooves broke the silence. He instinctively reached for the hilt of his broadswords, his eyes scanning the rocky slopes above them. "This doesn't feel right," he muttered, his voice low.
Iroh, riding beside him, nodded slowly, his expression serious. "Indeed, nephew. A place like this… it is perfect for an ambush." His gaze swept over the cliffs, his senses, honed by years of experience, picking up on the subtle irregularities, the faint signs of disturbance.
Alec, his internal warnings blaring, had already detected the hidden presences. His thermal sensors picked up the faint heat signatures of multiple individuals concealed among the rocks.
Earthbenders. And they were waiting. He tightened his grip on the eel hound's reins, his body tensing, preparing for the inevitable.
He knew this was a trap, a carefully laid plan to ensnare them. He also knew that his blind act would be a hindrance in a direct confrontation. He had to be careful, had to find a way to use his true abilities without revealing them.
Suddenly, a shower of rocks rained down from the cliffs above, blocking their path forward and behind them. The ground beneath them rumbled, and large boulders, seemingly appearing from nowhere, rose from the earth, forming a solid wall.
They were trapped.