First Bounty (Part 3)

Feng watched June and her friends gather their equipment behind the Beifong lodge. The sun had barely begun to rise but there was enough sunlight to get things done. He saw the children's eagerness to prove themselves to their elders but he hoped and prayed that things would go smoothly. It was one thing to kill a wild animal, it was another thing to kill a human. He promised himself that he would do everything in his power to make sure the kids wouldn't have to make that decision; at least not today.

"Gather round." Everyone moved swiftly and formed a semi circle in front of him.

"We will split into three groups with two members each. Taru will go with Ling, Zoraya will take Shen and June will be with me. Zoraya, Taru and I already know which locations to scout out first, so kids, stay close and don't let your excitement get the better of you. First group to find him must wait for the others if they can. Try by all means to avoid fighting him alone."

"Dad, even a mountain goat would put up a fight."

He looked his daughter in the eye before turning to her friends. "We need him alive. If we fight with him, we will be at a disadvantage. He might do whatever it takes to get away, even if it means killing one of you. So wait for the others. Do not engage unless you really have to."

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June had never known her father to be so serious. Even though she walked behind him she could tell that his senses were heightened and his strides were quick but noiseless. They moved through the busy streets without attracting any attention and when they got near the port her dad switched from moving in the open to moving in the shadows and taking his time. She found herself naturally following suite, as if she was a child who was playing her father's footsteps. He led her through a dark alley that came close to the loading area.

In a low whisper, June asked, "are we going to talk to anyone?"

"At this point we just need to trust our eyes. We will wait and see if we can spot him."

"And if not?"

"Then we move to our next location."

"What made you pick the port?"

He grinned at her and gave a reply while keep his eyes on the docks. "I did my own research. I wasn't going to rely solely on some amateurs."

"Wow. My own dear father didn't believe I could get the job done," she said as she faked a sniffle.

"Not only me but Zoraya and Taru too."

"I think I need to find new instructors."

"You really think your Aunty Zoraya is going to let you go?"

"It's not like am going to ask for her blessing. All I have to do is run away."

"There is no where you can go that I won't be able to find you, kid."

"There is a first time for everything old man," she shot back.

Just then, father and daughter laid eyes on their target as he walked by the docks.

"Let's get him."

"No need to rush little one. We have the element of surprise and it would be nice to have the others block the exits in case something goes wrong."

"How are they going to find us in this big port?"

"When you work for a long time with people you trust, they tend to gain the ability to read you like a book." Immediately he finished speaking, both teams appeared at the far end of the alley. "Right on time."

"Am glad you didn't start without us," said Taru.

"So what's the plan?" Ling asked.

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June walked right up to the man, beaming with excitement. Her father's plan had been thrown aside by her aunty, claiming that the kids needed the experience. Her father agreed but sternly warned them to be careful. She didn't understand why. As she got closer and closer to him, she prayed in her heart that the man would at the very least try to run away, so as to make "the hunt" more interesting.

Shen carried a staff while Ling opted to carry her two knives. June went only with a whip. She figured they would need something to tie him up with. When she reached her target she tapped him on the back and when he turned around she showed him a copy of a wanted poster with his face on it.

"Would you like to come quietly or screaming," she asked.

"Neither," was the man's reply. Suddenly he hit the ground with his fist and three stone pillars shot up and hit them. The kids flew back and landed heavily on the ground. None of them was expecting that but at this point it didn't matter. They had to figure out how they were going to to arrest an Earth Bender.