The Fire Prodigy {ATLA}

{5}: ...Spirits?

"Where is he?!" Zuko asked loudly, as he stomped towards me while I was having some breakfast.

"Who?"

"Who else?! My uncle!"

"Oh. I don't know. He went that way, if it helps," I said, pointing to a direction behind me.

"Uncle! It's time to leave! Where are you? Uncle Iroh!" He called him out, and I followed him through a bamboo grove until we reached a steamy hot spring.

I tried not to look as soon as I realized General Iroh was in it, completely naked, enjoying his day normally. I knew Zuko would not be pleased. "Over here!"

"Uncle? We need to move on. We're closing in on the Avatar's trail and I don't want to lose him," Zuko said, as I kept my hand over my eyes.

"You look tired, Prince Zuko. Why don't you join me in these hot springs and soak away your troubles?"

"Please don't," I pleaded, feeling really uncomfortable.

"My troubles cannot be soaked away. It's time to go!"

"You should take your teacher's advice and relax a little. The temperature's just right. I heated it myself!" Iroh said, which honestly, only made it sound a lot more gross.

"Enough! We need to leave now. Get out of the water!"

"Very well!" Iroh said, standing up without a second thought.

"DON'T!" I yelled, as both me and Zuko squirmed at the sight.

"On second thought, why don't you take another few minutes? But be back at the ship in a half-hour or I'm leaving without you!" Zuko said, shielding his own eyes as well before walking away.

"Please, make sure to put some clothes on before coming back," I said, following Zuko back to the ship.

We waited a really long time, but Iroh never came back to the ship. It was not unlike him to run a little late, but it was certainly strange for him to run this late. I couldn't help but worry something might have happened to him.

"Zuko, it's getting late."

"He's probably dozed off or something. He'll be here."

"I know, but I'm worried. I think we should go make sure he's alright."

"You're worried about nothing."

"Maybe, but I can't just sit here and assume that he's fine."

Zuko sighed tiredly, before realizing there was no point in trying to talk me out of it. "Fine. Let's go search for him."

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By the time we got back to the spring where Iroh was, it was really dark. The spring had been emptied of all the hot water, and there was no sign of neither Iroh nor his belongings anywhere around here.

"Uncle! Uncle, where are you?"

"Do you think he thought we left?" I asked Zuko, and he shook his head.

"I think you were right. Something's wrong. See that pile of rocks?" Zuko asked, pointing to them.

I nodded. "Those didn't get there by themselves. Earthbenders."

"My uncle's been captured!" Zuko declared.

"Let's look around. They couldn't have gotten very far."

Zuko simply nodded, and we began to look around for clues. We followed a path that connected to the springs directly, and I noticed some faint footprints leading to somewhere. After around a couple of hours, we stopped as soon as Zuko found something on the ground.