Wild At Heart (Zuko)

Chapter Twelve

Later, in the village, Iroh and Zuko are sitting on straw mats, their ostrich horses behind them with Kali who sits curled up with them, hiding herself as best as she can. Iroh holds his hat in his hand, outstretching it towards the street and the people that pass them by. Zuko's entire body is stiff and on edge, he hates this. Hates everything about this. Well...almost everything. He glances back at Kali as she hums away to herself, a lap full of flowers that she weaves together into some form of a chain. As a cart passes, another pedestrian walks in front of Iroh. Iroh holds his hat out to the pedestrian and speaks to him.

"Spare coins for weary travellers?" Iroh asks. The man throws a few copper coins into Iroh's hat, joining perhaps a dozen already there. Zuko clenches his jaw, his anger rising.

"This is humiliating" He admits. "We're royalty. These people should be giving us whatever we want"

"They will - if you ask nicely" Several more pedestrians pass them, ignoring them. Iroh next solicits a well dressed young woman. "Spare change for a hungry old man?"

"Aww" She produces a coin from her sleeve and puts it in his hat. "Here you go"

"The coin is appreciated, but not as much as your smile," Iroh tells the girl. Zuko turns to look at Kali, can make out the twitch of an amused smile. At least she finds his uncle behaviour entertaining. The girl giggles and walks away. A man carrying a pair of broadswords on his back wanders by in the opposite direction as the girl. He stops and addresses the beggars.

"How about some entertainment in exchange for..." The Broadsword Man holds out a gold coin to the two men. "A gold piece"

"We're not performers" Zuko grumbles.

"Not for you" The man argues, Zuko looks up to find that he's not looking at them, he's looking at Kali behind them. "An hour with your...friend" Zuko clenches his jaw, curling his fingers into his palm. But before he or Iroh can say anything, Kali speaks up behind them.

"Okay," Zuko snaps his head around to her.

"Kali" He goes to stop her as she stands, setting the flower chain, now very much a crown onto the head of the female ostrich horse. Zuko stands as she steps between him and Iroh. She turns to face him.

"It's okay," She tells Zuko who shakes his head. "Trust me," She tells him as he touches the gold collar around her neck. He doesn't like this. The idea of her...doing anything with them, just for a few coins. It's not worth it. It's not worth treating her like that. Her eyes plead with him to just trust her with this. Zuko looks away instead, dropping his hand from her neck. He swallows a little and she sighs, clearly knowing she didn't get him to believe that she knows what she's doing. The Broadsword Man grabs her wrist, tightening his fingers around them before he walks away, dragging her along with him. Zuko keeps his head down as he grinds his teeth together.

"How can you let that happen?" Zuko asks Iroh.

"She is free to accept whatever proposition she may receive" Iroh argues. Zuko paces as Iroh watches him. He's just as concerned about Kali but he trusts her, she's probably been in these situations far more than she'd ever tell them, not that they'd ask. She's used to being treated this way. And it's heartbreaking that that's a thing. But if she chose to go which she is free to do.

......

Kali stands with a coin purse, humming to herself as she counts through it. Against the wall in front of her is the man that bought her company, tied up in vines and gagged with moss and plant life. His eyes are wide as he stares at her, now capable of seeing her face, her hood around her neck. She sets the coin purse in her bag and then she crouches in front of him and cocks her head. Men have had the right to touch her for as long as she can remember. Whether a punch, a kick, a slap....and worse later. They don't have the right anymore. Iroh freed her. He freed her and she doesn't have to let it stand anymore. This felt good. Getting to tie him up. To steal from him. Even if he didn't get to touch her in any way, he thought to, he thought to pay for it. She's not that person anymore. She has friends. She has freedom. Never again. She glares at him before she walks away, hearing him grunting and struggling as she goes. She will release him, just once she's far enough away that he can't get to her.

.........

Zuko has his head in his hands as he tries not to think about what Kali and that man are doing. It makes him feel sick. To think of some man putting hands on her. Touching her. He shoots to his feet before that thought can progress. He takes to pacing again. He can't think about it. Doesn't want to think about it.

"Perhaps we should find somewhere and have some tea" Iroh offers from behind him.

"I don't want tea, Uncle" Zuko argues. Iroh sighs a little. He's just as worried about her. But him reacting and 'flipping' out as Zuko is, won't help either of them. His eyes move past Zuko and land on Kali.

"Ah, there will be no time anyway" Zuko frowns at him. Iroh nods behind Zuko who turns to find Kali heading back towards them, not even half an hour after she left with him. Zuko's eyes scan over her, to check she's okay but there is not a thread out of place on her. She rummages in her bag as she moves closer to them, then holds out the coin purse and drops it into Iroh's hand, he frowns and peers into it. Zuko looks over his uncle's shoulder to see how much there is. A lot more than promised for an hour. Zuko's heart drops into his stomach, his mind trying to fathom what she could have done to earn that.

"And what did you have to do for that much coin?" He snaps a little, she looks at him.

"Nothing" She answers. "But we should leave town, like, right now" She adds, Zuko frowns and gives her a look.

"What did you do?" He asks softer this time, pride flooding through him, he catches her eyes, sees mischief and self-pride in them and he knows. She stood up for herself. The two of them share a look and she shrugs.

"I'm not a slave anymore" She points out, believing it this time. He nods softly, agreeing with her.

"No, you're not" Iroh agrees. "And you are right, we should leave, right now" Iroh adds seeing the Broadsword Man leaving a back alley, pulling the vine ropes from him. Kali gasps a little.

"He got out of that faster than I thought he would" She complains watching as Broadsword Man spits out the moss and glares at the trio. Zuko whistles and the two ostrich horses are instantly on their feet for him. Iroh and Zuko are quick to climb up, Zuko reaching down to pull Kali up into his lap this time, setting her in front and across him, tucking her into his chest as the ostrich horses move, fleeing the man that yells down the street at them.