The Pawn |Katara

THREE

His footsteps echoed in the long, dark corridor passing by the prison cells. Moisture clung to the walls, the night breeze not reaching the deep parts of the Fire Nation prison. It was colder here than it was outside, the lack of light making this place even more unhospitable than before. Akira wasn't fazed. He walked on, his long, dark tunic just above the floor following his every movement, hiding his form, his hood over his head although a strand of dark hair still escaped and was visible, resting on his collarbone. He passed by a guard, met his gaze, and when it was clear he wasn't going to be met with any resistence, he moved on, opened the door to a cell and got inside, being quick to close the door behind him. He turned to face the prisoner he had come to visit.

"General Iroh, I brought what you requested."

Iroh turned in his cell to look his way and walked over, near the bars. From inside his tunic Akira took out two different kinds of ink, a regular one and one only visible if fire was used, and a piece of parchment. Those items had been requested by Iroh the last time he had visited the prison, and after the trip to Ember Island, he finally had the chance to deliver them in person.

"Thank you, Akira," Iroh told him the moment he had his hands on the items and offered the boy a gentle smile he returned. He sat back down and instantly got to writing. Akira attempted to see what was being written but at once, Iroh ensured what he wrote wasn't visible. He frowned.

"What are you telling him?"

"Prince Zuko is confused," he slowly spoke, "he needs to look for answers in the right direction."

Akira leaned forward, "Which are?"

Iroh looked his way with a slight smile. "All in good time."

He slumped back, "Fine."

"Your assistance has been precious, Akira," Iroh told him as he finished writing the letter and rolled it up. "I wouldn't have been able to do this without you."

"I only did what I should, sir," he nodded his head, received the letter as Iroh handed it over, then took back the ink. 

"So you think duty is what brought you here," he mused. "Your ambitions seem unclear. Although I believe you still want the best for Prince Zuko."

"Of course," he nodded, "did you ever think otherwise?"

"Many years have passed since I last saw you. You've grown to be a man, you're no longer a boy. Perhaps that's not your only reason for coming here."

"I am here, though," Akira pointed out as he stood up, knowing his time with the general was thinning. "And risking being caught any second I spend in your presence. The Princess wouldn't have been pleased if she knew."

"The Princess, yes," Iroh nodded, his gaze now calculated. "You must be close."

"It doesn't matter what we are," he set his jaw, "what does, is that this letter gets to the hands of the one you want safely. I promised I would do what you asked me to and I plan to deliver."

Slowly, Iroh turned away. "Very well."

Not another word was exchanged and Akira didn't waste a moment to leave the room. 

The walk from the prisons to the Fire Nation palace wasn't long and he didn't encounter a single person on his way. The cover of night aided him as he stealthily approached the palace and got into the familiar corridors, followed the route to where he knew Zuko's bedroom was. He hadn't been there many times but he still knew his way around the place. 

He found no guard or servant on his way. The door to Zuko's room was closed, and he stopped in front of it for a moment, debating on whether he should open it and place the letter inside or leave it by the door. After a while, he decided getting inside was way too risky so he leaned down, placed the letter on the floor and moved back, took off the way he had come from. He had barely reached the middle of the corridor when the door behind him opened. Akira ran off and didn't look back.