A Match of Ice and Fire

Chapter 19: Zuko

Everything tingles like a thousand tiny stars or pins... The pain is still there, i can still feel it... but it's distant, like my whole body is underwater... including my head. My thoughts are sluggish... When I stare up at the huts dome ceiling it swims in lazy circles. Looking at it makes me dizzy... but at the same time calm? Like if I reached my hand up through the water, I could touch the surface and make the ceiling ripple. But i don't. Instead I lay still.
The tingling sensation flares every time I move. I think... I've been sleeping but it's hard to tell, whenever I drift off, I roll over and tingling sensation is too noticable to igorn. So I've fallen into this sort of trance. One of the healers, Yugoda? I think that was her name... gave me some tea to help manage the pain and i was starting to suspect their was more in it than just calming herbs... She'd insisted i drink it. Intially, It tasted awful, but the taste got better after my tongue went numb. Anything was better than the agony that had burned across my chest, driving me out of my mind, to the edge of insanity. It had been like Azula struck me all over agian. Uncle iroh had stayed with me while the healers worked. I can't remember what he'd said, after the Angi Kai there'd been  too many purple blotches in my memory. I'd thought Iroh would lecture me for being so reckless today. Fighting from dawn till dusk, whilst still recovering from my injury, What was I thinking? But Iroh said nothing like that. He'd just kept reassuring me the pain would stop. Mopping the streaming sweat off my brow with a cool cloth was about as much as he could do in that aspect. After the the healers left and the tea took over, Iroh told me not to worry abou the travel arrangements for tomorrow. He'd finalise the trade deals on my behalf. The alliance was still in place and he would clear up the wrecked engagement to Princess Kaya tonight with Chieftian Arnook.  Uncle Iroh told me not to worry about my any of my royal duties. That was how I knew I must've been really bad shape..

The tea's wearing off agian. I can feel the pain creeping back in. I reach for pot on the stool beside the work bench I'm currently lying on. My shoulder twinges as the tingling sensation digs deeper. I knock the tea pot and it smashes. I wince. Great... I groan groggily, collapsing back down onto the bench I lose my face in the fur blankets. Everything hurts, even with the coppious amount of herbal drugs I'm on.

That's when I hear the foot steps.  Expecting my uncle, coming to check on me for the millionth time, I don't look up until-

"-Wow. You look terrible."

I turn my face to one side and squint up at Princess Kaya Arnook of the Northern Watertribe, standing in the doorway. But she can't be real... can she? This is either some sort of Tea induced hallation or I've finally managed to fall asleep and now I'm dreaming, because there is no way the real Kaya Arnook would ever willing choose to seek me out.

Kaya laughs and it's a sound I've never heard before. Now I know I must be dreaming, but she's says; "No... I'm pretty sure I'm real..."

I start up and immedately wince, nearly falling back off the bench. "How did you...?"

"Read your mind?"

I try to speak but all the words slurr together in my head and I can't tell whether I'm saying them or just thinking them. It's a very unsettling effect.

"I know," Kaya winks, "one of the more entertaining side effects of Yoguda's Special Brew -for me at least."

Yoguda Special brew... I can't help chuckling to myself, the name fits, I find it funny for some reason. Kaya is funny.
She crosses the room carrying a new pot of tea, stepping over the shattered one to replace it on the side table. Kaya leans over me. Dark umber hair unbound, as she pulls back i catch her scent. I can't believe i've never notice before. Its strong and sharp but also sweet, like peppermint. I like it. It's good smells. Kaya smells good.