𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙁𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 ⚠ slow updates ⚠ *editing*

Avatar, Shirshu, and Perfumes, Oh my! pt.2

*This chapter probably won't be as long* Also Hestia doesn't really do anything in this chapter except be a side character. Boring, I know. It's pretty quickly paced, sorry about that. Hope you like this chapter and I'll try to have the next chapter out as quickly as I can, but no promises.*

"Easy, girl!" 

The Shirshu drifted to a hard stop. Hestia thought she would've fallen off if she hadn't clung to Zuko. It seemed like forever since they hired June to hunt Aang and the others. Thinking it made her sick to her stomach. She hated that they were hunting them, and she wanted nothing more than to abandon Zuko's quest for redemption, but a tiny sliver of her wanted to see the trio alive. Alive and well. 

"Why are we stopping?" The prince growled out, clearly annoyed.

"Because the girl must have spent a lot of time here", June replied.

"We have no time for this!"

Even more annoyed, Zuko got off the Shirshu and pulled out Katara's necklace as he stomped to the beast's front. With the necklace in hand, he hung the trinket in front of Nyla's face. As if agitated, Nyla snapped his tongue at Zuko, who just barely missed the toxin tongue by an inch.

"Hey! Watch it!" 

"Oh look, he likes you!" June mused while Iroh laughed. 

Okay, maybe Hestia found it slightly funny. However, Zuko's been too impatient the past few days, maybe paralyzing toxins would calm him down a little, as morbid as it was. 

A woman in light green robes approached the Shirshu, though her eyes were solely focused on Iroh. "Care to hear your fortune, handsome?"

The woman shamelessly flirted with the old man, who grinned. "At my age, there's really only one big surprise left, and I'd just as soon leave it a mystery."

She smiled up at Iroh, impressed by his answer. Her eyes flickered toward the teens on the back of the Shirshu, and for a moment, Hestia thought she saw a glint in them. Unfortunately for her, before she was about to express her confusion, the beast they rode on took off. 

Again, she clung to Zuko's midsection in fear of falling off. She tried to focus on her breathing and not the quickened paces of the Shirshu. She'd ridden rhinos before, but they weren't as fast as this beast. And to be honest, her stomach churned and twisted. She could bring up last night's meal if it continued like this. Her head spun from the constant jerking and jumping.

After what seemed like a long time, which probably had been, the running stopped. Hestia had brought her face from Zuko's back barely seeing - strangely enough - nuns hurrying away from fright of the giant creature. They were close to an abbey. She thought of slipping off the animal while they were grounded, but that went into wind. 

"We're getting close," June said. And they were off yet again.

Down the path of the abbey, almost deep in the woods, Nyla quickened its pace. The beast rumbled, leaping a long leap. Hestia jolted on its back, desperately holding onto Zuko. Gravity was fierce as Nyla landed on the pathway.

"Hestia?" 

The teen smiled sheepishly. "Hi, Katara. Hi, Sokka."

The shock shouldn't have been there, she supposed they weren't expecting another encounter for a while. She hadn't expected to see them for...well, quite a while. The surprise ended as Zuko shifted and jumped off Nyla's back.

"So this is your girlfriend," June remarked sardonically. "No wonder she left you, she's way too pretty for you."

Hestia shifted on Nyla's back, watching Zuko face the siblings.