The Fire Prodigy {ATLA}

{13}: Kindness

"Two hours of hiking and we couldn't find anything to eat!" Zuko complained as we returned to our temporary campsite, where Iroh wat admiring a random shrub. "I can't live like this! I wasn't meant to be a fugitive. This is impossible!"

"Uh... General Iroh, what are you doing?" I asked raising an eyebrow with confusion.

"You're looking at the rare white dragon bush. Its leaves make a tea so delicious, it's heartbreaking. That, or it's the white jade bush, which is poisonous," Iroh said thoughtfully.

"We need food, not tea. Let's try going fishing," Zuko said, as he began to walk towards the nearby stream.

I gave Iroh a warning look. "Do not eat that bush, Iroh. Understand?"

I didn't get a confirmation that he'd heard me, but I decided to take a risk and follow Zuko to the stream, hoping Iroh would heed my warning.

Zuko tried for several minutes, but as hard as he tried, he was unable to catch even a single fish for lunch. It really was comical, seeing him so focused on a task that was really the most mundane thing for normal people. I guess being a great firebender came at the expense of basic survival skills like fishing or, you know, having the slightest bit of patience.

"STUPID FISH!" He yelled, smoke literally coming out of his nose as the anger rose.

"Hey there, you need to catch the fish before you try to smoke it," I said with a smile, earning a glare from him.

"I don't suppose you could do better?" He frowned bitterly.

"Actually, I think I can," I said, taking his makeshift spear from him and stepping into the stream myself. "The trick is to stand as still as a tree, to make sure the fish don't get scared."

I waited for a few minutes, before I felt something brush up against my ankle. I waited a few more seconds, watching where the water's surface showed some movement, and immediately striking down with all my strength.

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Nice try, but I really don't think you did anything--"

I stopped him by pulling out the spear, revealing the large fish caught at the other end. I smirked at him. "Like I said, the trick is to be patient."

"Beginner's luck."

"Not really."

"Where did you learn how to fish then?"

"Your uncle taught me, about a year ago. Remember that fishing village on the Earth Kingdom where we stopped for a supposed Avatar sighting?" I said, making him nod. "Well, while you were busy terrorizing villagers for information they didn't have, Iroh and I went to the docks and learned the craft from the locals."

"How fortunate," he said, looking away.

I sighed tiredly. "Let's get back to your uncle and make sure he didn't get himself into trouble."

The last thing we needed was for something else to go wrong. We had been surviving in the forests for weeks, long enough for winter's cold weather to slowly disappear and the warmth of spring to begin settling in. I knew our situation wasn't sustainable for very long, and eventually, we would have to decide what our next move was. But for now, it was all I could do to keep the two firebenders from dying to the wilderness, which had proven to be a full-time job.

"Zuko, Hana... Remember that plant I thought might be tea?" Iroh asked, still facing the shrub.

"Please tell me you didn't eat it like I asked you to," I said with a sigh, before he turned around, revealing his swollen face with red markings.