Episode Title:
The Desert.
Episode Description:
The gang is stranded in the desert, without sufficient provisions to make the trek out again now that they no longer have Appa. Elsewhere, Iroh reveals a mysterious association with a secret society when he uses a White Lotus tile as an opening in a match of Pai Sho, his favorite game. The move functions as a message to his opponent, who then helps protect Iroh and Zuko from a Fire Nation search. However, in the process, they are seen and recognized by the same mercenaries who are searching for Toph, and the bounty hunters plan to capture Iroh and Zuko, who are valuable prisoners in both the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation. After a long trek and much hardship in the desert, Aang tracks down the sandbenders who stole Appa, and learns that Appa was traded to a merchant and is likely in Ba Sing Se, the capital city of the Earth Kingdom. Upon hearing that Appa was muzzled, Aang becomes so angry and upset that he enters the Avatar State, almost wiping out the sandbenders, but is eventually calmed by Katara.
