To Trap An Avatar

[Shadowfang]

Orodreth stared out at the expanse of water around him. The Darkblade had been at sea for nearly three days, and still he had no clear plan to capture or kill this avatar. He spent his days acting friendly and keeping the ship on course, but his nights were disturbed with the nightmares that were becoming more and more frequent in the last few weeks. He would sleep for a few hours before the first one would come, and once he awoke from the first, he refused to sleep again for that night. He tried not to let the fatigue show, and he tried to escape for a few minutes during the day in order to take a quick nap to help hide it.

He watched the sunrise for the third day in a row. It was a practice he had become accustomed to years ago, and for some reason, this tradition helped calm him. Today would be the day. The island lay only a few miles to the south, and they would dock on its eastern side. Today would be the day that his improvised plan would yield either success or failure.

No one waited on the island for this man, as Orodreth had told him. Orodreth had stayed on this deserted island for a few days and knew it well enough that he was confident he could best the avatar.

He leaned on the railings of the ship. The wheel was locked in place and would need little adjustment throughout the day. His thoughts wondered but settled on nothing. He told himself to concentrate, but that accomplished nothing. Instead, it brought the thought of the result of his failure. His life had been one of confusion, and the choices he regretted making were what wondered freely through his mind. He was surrounded by people during the day, yet he was alone. He continued to stare out at the rising sun breathing the sea air in deeply. By the end of this day, his fate would be decided.

[Azrael]

Rasir didn't entirely trust Orodreth. He could hear him pacing in the very early morning, before the sun rises. He couldn't put his finger on it but something was foreboding about his destination.

[Shadowfang]

When the sun finally showed itself completly, Orodreth stepped away from the rails and once again moved back up to the wheel. He checked that they still sailed in the proper direction, and then looked up at the sails. There was nothing to do onboard this ship. He found it ironic that, though he was an earthbender, the majority of these last couple of years were out at sea. He pulled out the stones that he always carried with him, his only connection to his element, and let them sail throughout the air. Precision was the one thing that Orodreth had mastered in earth bending. He didn't possess the ability to split the earth in half for many yards, nor did he have the power to lift the heaviest of boulders. Instead, He relied on using a focus on individuals rather than groups. Three rocks could simultaneosly take out three soldiers. He preferred the discrete rocks to the crushing vibrations of a boulder.

One day Orodreth would master earth bending. When that happened, he didn't know what would come next. It didn't matter at this point anyway. He needed to focus and keep his wondering mind settled on what was coming closer and closer every minute. He looked down at the doorway that led below deck. He wondered how the rest of those onboard would respond to him after this day. He let the rocks continue to move around the entire deck simultaneosly and with an increasing speed. At least while earth bending, Orodreth could keep his mind settled.

[Sa Ra]

Sa Ra came up abouve deck, after a restless night. She had dreamed that the ship had gone down and they all drowned. The sun had just risen, and Orodreth was earthbending. Something about his mission seemed suspicous. She leaned on the railing near him and watched for a bit, then turned her attention onto the water. She watched flow around, mesmerized a bit. A breeze picked up, and Sa Ra wished she had her hair down to let it blow, but knew it would be too uncomfortable for her, since she was almost ashamed of her arrows nowadays. She looked back at Orodreth. "So whats going on?" She asked him. She thought she knew him well enough to know that something might be wrong, but she wasnt sure. How much had he changed since she last saw him?

[Shadowfang]

The rocks dropped to the ground as Sa Ra spoke to him. On the outside he appeared calm, but on the inside he searched for anything to say that wouldn't sound like a total lie. Then he decided to take the question a different way. "Well, I have everything set up for the trip to the island. We'll stop there for a few hours and then," he stopped there. He didn't know what would come next. He expected it wouldn't matter much anyway. The rest of the people onboard would either turn him away or try to kill him.

He started speaking again but this time a hint of nervousness hid in his voice. "and then we'll head toward that air temple that Rasir was talking about." He didn't say anything else. He looked at the deck and pretended to be interested in something down there. He didn't want to meet her eyes. She could not be allowed to know or even suspect anything. She needed to stay out of this. He could do anything to the avatar without regret, but he would not harm a friend. "Only three or so more hours," he said to both himself and to Sa Ra. He didn't say anything else. Let her assume he meant till they reached the island. His real meaning was completly different. He took a deep breath, and the guilt began to fade from his features. He stored it away in his mind. It didn't matter to him, he told himself, but he didn't believe it at all.

[Sa Ra]

Sa Ra noticed how the rocks dropped, as if she had broken his consentration. She was going to ask, and then what? but by the way he had stopped abrubtly, it was obvious he didnt know. Something was going on. But what was it that he didnt want her to know? "Rasir will be excited to see the air temple." Sa Ra said, trying to meet his eyes, but he kept looking away. "Okay, I am going to bed. I didnt sleep so well last night." She walked pass him, but as she did so, she told him without stopping, "You know, you can tell me anything." She went below deck and to her room. Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it and slid to the floor. 'What is going on that he doesnt want me to know?' She thought to herself. She was suddenly dizzy and had a headache. 'Whats wrong?' She thought. Unwinding her braid and letting it fall to the floor, Sa Ra got into bed. Her head felt better without all that weight. She didnt fall asleep, just layed there.

[Shadowfang]

The second that Sa Ra disappeared below deck Orodreth dropped to the ground. She couldn't understand what he was going through. The guilt came back with her last statement. She thought that she could here anything he would say, but he knew that telling her what his life had become would not solve anything. He had to go through this alone even if it meant deceiving everyone. He wanted to tell her, and maybe if he had more time he might, but none of that mattered.

He made a final check that the ship was heading in the right direction and went bellow decks to the captain's chamber. He shut the door behind him and sat on the floor. He wanted a life like this. He belonged with the people of the Dai Lang. They were his family now and he must obey what they asked of him. Sa Ra had lived life alone as he had but she was alone far longer than he. Perhaps she would understand what his thoughts were. Perhaps she would be able to help him. Perhaps I could grow a third leg, he thought to himself in anger. He wouldn't involve her in this. He continued to sit on the wooden floor of the Darkblade and sank within his mind. The ship would be fine for the next few hours, until then some meditation might help clear his mind.

[Azrael]

Rasir was pearched atop the mast, meditating deeply, swaying with the rocking of the ship perfectly balanced. He was going to act on his suspicion and wait there until morning.

[Malu]

Brown orbs stared out at the sea, an orange hood covering the female's head though stray locks of brown hair still whipped around in the air. A light smile rested over her lips at the ocean breeze and how free the air felt as she sat on top of the ship's railing. Yes, she felt suspicion about the man who took them aboard the ship but she had decided for now to let it go. Malu turned her head to look over her shoulder and up at the mast where she saw Rasir meditating. With a small shrug to herself, the firebender turned forward again and calmly continued watching the island come into view.

[Sa Ra]

Sa Ra gave up trying to sleep. There was too much tension in the air. Going above deck again, she picked up one of the rocks, and started airbending it around. The wind blew through her long hair, and she dropped the rock and lifted her head to feel the wind. The breeze gone for the moment, Sa Ra picked up the rock and studied it before she dropped it back on deck. No sign of Rasir, Malu was sitting on the railing, and Orodreth disapeard somewhere. She remembered the feeling of not being wanted around again, but she pushed it away. Orodreth knew her, wanted her around. Or, maybe not. He was acting strangely lately. The wind came back, and Sa Ra let her thoughts blow away. It didnt matter. She twisted her hair around her head, not used to the feeling of the wind touching her arrows. She saw the island, and a feeling of dread came over her. "Whats going on..." She said softly, her words being swept away too.

[Shadowfang]

Orodreth finally stood back up after nearly two hours passed by. Looking out the window of his quarters, he saw that the sun was nearing the peak of its rising. He took a step out of his door and went down to the supply room. A few minutes later he walked on deck carrying food and drink for the other three people on the ship. He even brought out a seperate bit of food for Mako to eat. They would all need their strength for the next few days. As he reached the deck he yelled out "Got some breakfast here before we reach land." He took a bite of an apple waiting for the rest of them to take there food.

[Azrael]

Rasir turned around, still atop the mast, and looked towards the deck. Malu was there, stransa of hair flailing in the wind as she sat on the railing. Strange how his meditations kept bringing him to her. Sa Ra was on the deck also. SOmetimes he got the feeling that she felt unwanted, but didn't know how that could be, after all, they are both airbenders.

Orodreth came out on deck with supplies.

"Got some breakfast here before we reach land" he announced. Rasir started bending air around the ship, almost as if he was dancing pearched on the mast.

"No thank you," he said bluntly, "I'm fasting today..." and he continued in his intricate medative dance.

[Sa Ra]

Sa Ra had went over to the food, but when she heard Rasir say he was fasting, it made her wonder. Was today some airbender holiday, and she wasnt supposed to eat either? Her stomach growled, and she took an apple, noticing how it was a couple days old. She was used to fruit fresh off the trees, but she took a bite anyway. Mako, who Sa Ra thought was behind on the land mass they had just left, crept up and snatched all that his arms could carry, food trailing behind him as he made a break for beneath the deck. Sa Ra sighed, then went took another bite of her apple. It was confusing, Rairs behavior. 'You just arent used to people and their behavior.' Sa Ra admitted to herself. She quickly finished her apple, but didnt take anything else. She was too nervous about what was to come, although she didnt know what. It might have been just because she had never been there before, or that there was the prospect of being around more people. Sa Ra went off in search of Mako, just to be able to take a quick breather away from everyone else.

[Shadowfang]

Details of the Island began to reveal themselves as the ship came within a mile of it. A few more minutes and they would be docked and ready to set out. Rasir stayed above him doing some airbender thing. Orodreth wasn't sure if it was a good or a bad thing that Rasir didn't eat. Not eating would deny him some much needed strength, but it also meant that he may be suspecting something. It didn't matter though. He finished the apple he was eating and sat the rest of the food down on a table on the deck. He took the wheel and turned it slightly. "A few more minutes Rasir and we'll be on land. If you need anything get it ready now."

Orodreth then went below deck only to emerge a few moments later. He went back to the wooden beam he stood at earlier in the morning and again sent the rocks he had dropped into motion. They flew out toward the sun and he brought them back as he felt his connectiong with them begin to fade. He repeated this process several times letting the stones move slightly further each time. His breathing slowed and it almost surprised him when he saw the island only a few dozen yards away.

[Shadowfang]

The boat met the island with a grinding sound. The ships decks shook as the tip of the boat moved further into land. Orodreth looked at Rasir once again. This is it, he thought as he put the two rocks back into his pocket. "Time to go," he called up. He looked at Malu and then at Sa Ra. "We shouldn't be gone long. I don't know how long this meeting will take but no more than an hour or so." He paused. He couldn't figure out anything else to say. "Just stay on the ship." He said as an afterthought. He attached a rope to the deck and began climbing down from the ship. He looked up to see what Rasir was doing.