Azula's Journey

Confrontation

Ro stroked Hira's head before sending her off into the woods.

"What are you doing?" Azula asked. "You just let our transportation walk away."

Ro rolled his eyes. "Relax, Hira will come back when I call. Besides, walking into town as ourselves will draw less attention than if we walk in there with an eel hound trailing behind us."

Azula sighed, walking off towards the town. "I suppose you have a point. Let's just go and see if we can find a place to stay the night."

Ro nodded, trailing behind her. "Good idea."

The two of them made their way into the busy little town. People hustled and bustled about, making their way from stall to stall. The sound of chatter filled the streets and children ran about, laughing and playing.

"Its nice here." Ro complimented. "So full of life."

"Its just an old mining town." Azula huffed. "All it's good for is making us choke on dust."

Ro shook his head. "That's not true. Towns like this are important. They provide important resources to all the nations. Where do you think the fire nation got all the materials to create their war machines? How do you think the water tribes built their boats? All the ores, gems, wood, it comes mostly from trade with Earth Kingdom towns like this."

Azula stared at him in confusion. "Why are you getting so defensive over a nation that isn't even yours?"

Ro stopped in his tracks. He turned to face her, eyes narrowed. "You think because I'm a firebender I shouldn't care? This nation has felt more like home than the fire nation ever did. These people are strong and work hard. They welcomed me when I was alone. I'm sorry, but the nation I was born into has nothing to do with my feelings about them."

Azula was stunned. She didn't know much about Ro's past, but the revelation that he was disconnected from their homeland and had found refuge in the Earth Kingdom was a good piece of information. Now she was even more intrigued about what his story truly was.

"I didn't realize you felt that way." Azula admitted, choosing her words carefully. "You never told me how you ended up in that village."

Ro took a deep breath. "Its a story for another time. Why don't you look around, see if theres anything we may need. I'll go ask around and find us somewhere to sleep for the night."

Ro disappeared into the crowd before she even had a chance to reply. Azula sighed, turning her attention to the stalls nearby and browsing their selections. Her travelling companion was not being very forth coming. This put Azula on edge. Of course she wasn't being truthful either, but her freedom was at stake. Besides, she barely knew this boy. Fang may have pushed her in his direction, but that didn't mean she had to trust him. Trust no one, she had learned that lesson well.

A set of throwing stars sitting on a shelf in front of the blacksmith's shop caught her eye. Mai. Memories of times spent with her childhood friend flooded her mind, but Azula shook them away. Mai had betrayed her. As had Ty Lee. She may have chosen the traitor's name as her alias, but it no longer had any meaning. It was just a means to an end, nothing more.

Azula continued on her way. The town wasn't that big, surely she'd find Ro eventually. She made her way through the crowds, glancing at shops as she went but not stopping to linger for too long.

"He walked away from you. He left you just as your so called friends did."

Azula froze at the voice, slowly turning to face the building she had been walking past. She found herself staring into a window, but instead of her own reflection, she found her father's cold gaze staring back at her.