Chapter 1: Release Part 1

him back.

********************

Toph and Isis were, as Quynan thought earth bending. Isis went into an horse stance, turned to a L stance and earth bended a boulder and moved into the cliff. He did the same again, but brought little rocks out of the ground and kicked them also into the cliff. He brought little pebbles and sand and made a wave of earth and hit the cliff again, an avalanch headed down toward them, but he waved and the boulders all fell to the ground about a yard of where they stood. Toph nodded aprrovingly, "you've become a very skilled earth bender." Toph praised. Isis bowed to her praise, which was very rarely given. "I'll never be as good as you!" he exclaimed coming up from his bow. "Yeah, I know." Toph said with her usual attitude, the moment gone.

*******************

She walked out to Apricot. She told her of her plan to save Iroh. She didn't want to tell the others, it would be more dangerous to bring more into the prison. "I think it's good idea. I mean, you need to master fire bending, need to continue your training. It's not like Azula or Zuko is going to teach you!" Apricot chuckled at the last part and so did Quynan, but she became serious again. "We leave tonight." she declared. Even Apricot agreed that taking Toph and Isis would be dangerous.

***********************

"Let's head back, I'm getting a bit tired." Isis nodded with Toph and they left. The group ate silently and Toph stretched nosily. Quynan and Apricot had kept quiet about their plans, if they told Toph and Isis would surely want to come. "Well time to hit the rocks." Toph announced and turned away from the group.

***********************

"Good night," said Quynan to Toph and Isis as they headed to their dens in the very, very large cave. Quynan waited until she could hear the shuffling stop, then walked out of the cave. She scooted a boulder over the entrance to make sure no Fire Nation got in. They'd be back by morning if they didn't run into trouble. Apricot and Quynan mounted Mara and they were off into the night.........

The Di Le agent howled, then all went silent. Quynan swiped the keys and smirked. "That's for betraying your king!" she growled and both her Apricot ran down the hall ways of the prison. That had been the sixth Di Le agent they had ran into. Quynan stared at the cells, one by one she passed until she came to a screeching stop. She saw Iroh sitting on the floor, in shackles. Quynan unlocked the cell door and as Iroh looked up she put a finger to her mouth.

Apricot kneeled down in front of Iroh and blew an icey breath on the shackles that bounded him to the wall and his limbs. The locks and shackles froze over and she then hit them with a rock and they shattered, like glass. "Come on, we've got to move!" Quynan barked lowly. "I agree, someone might of heard that commotion." Iroh said rubbing his wrists. "Not without our affects." Apricot said helping him up.

They ran down the hall only encountering about 4 more Di Le agents. They all walked out of the prison and Apricot helped Iroh mount Mara and shifted her wings because of Iroh being Fire Nation. Quynan patted her ruffled feathers and looked to the distance where about a dozen of Di Le were coming. She mounted and Mara flew off. A feather fell to the ground where they once were. The Di Le looked up at the vanishing eagle and the escaped Fire Nation general. They parted as a brown anthro came up and sank to his knees to where he bent over an eagle feather.

He picked it up and ran it over his nose. The scents still fresh. He stood and looked to where the eagle had vanished. "I know where they are going." said Zuko and smirked.......

********************

Mara landed and her wings flopped on the ground tiredly. The sun rise twilight was peeking in the sky. Iroh, Quynan and Apricot all dismounted and headed into the cave. Iroh went to sleep on the couch, Apricot and Quynan heading into their rooms. "Your room is on the other side of mine." she called back to Iroh tiredly. Iroh ran to his room and he fell asleep on the pelt pile and fell asleep. Apricot and Quynan the same. The sun rose and peeked into the front room as a new day started.........