The Water Bender and the Fire Prince//Zuko Fanfiction

1 ~ The South Pole

"We can't have one normal day on this ship, can we?" Enyo muttered as she ducked to avoid yet another rogue fireball.

She wasn't supposed to be on the deck in the first place but had come out in search of Zuko and Iroh, and had accidentally stumbled upon one of their so-called training sessions. She normally remained inside during these-- the fire made her nervous-- but the news sent her into the danger zone.

"Stop!" Iroh's shout reached Enyo's ears from where she was crouched near the door to the ship's interior. One last blast of roaring fire smashed into the steel wall, and it finally went silent. 

Enyo stood, the sharp Arctic wind cutting across her flushed face. It had been warm inside-- Iroh insisted they kept the temperature hot while they travelled south. The old man got cranky whenever it was cold. It had snowed last night, but had stopped early in the morning, and stepping outside was refreshing. The scent of salt water wrapped around her and a thick white blanket stretched over more of the visible landscape. 

She stepped toward where Iroh and Zuko stood. The former wore thick layers, while the latter had stripped down to just a single layer-- presumably because of the bending. 

"What do you want?" Zuko asked. His eyes were narrowed against the brightness of the landscape, and his chest was heaving from exertion. 

Enyo ducked her head slightly. Since she had arrived on the ship, she had been unable to figure out what level of respect Zuko was afforded. The soldiers and the crew bowed when addressing him and Iroh, but Iroh was also pretending to be her godfather and there were no etiquette rules for addressing your fake godfather's nephew when they were a banished member of the royal family. 

"We are approaching the Southern Water Tribe," She spoke. They had seen the flare only hours before and had located the Avatar's hiding spot. Now it was just a matter of getting there. 

Zuko's eyes narrowed, and he snatched up his coat, piled near the edge of the ship's bow. He vanished inside without a further word, and Enyo stepped forward to meet Iroh, looking off the front of the ship. 

In the distance, if she squinted, she could make out a tiny settlement of igloos and ice structures, surrounded by a short wall of snow. The only sign of life was grey smoke rising out of the chimneys, and the occasional flash of a blue-wearing person running from house to house. Ash had begun to fall as the ship moved closer, meaning they were well aware that the Fire Nation was approaching. 

"Do you really think the Avatar is hiding in the Southern Water Tribe?" Enyo asked, looking at Iroh. He had crossed his arms behind his back, watching the tiny settlement as well.

"Something powerful caused that light source a few nights ago," Iroh responded, his voice calm. "If we are fortunate, we will find the Avatar, and this will all be over,"

Enyo hummed in response. She rarely let hope get involved-- after all, it had been two years since she had joined the hunt for the Avatar, and most of it was spent chasing after the weirdest thing they could find without any real results. Still, if this was finally the end of the hunt, she could finally begin her search for her family. 

~~~

Enyo snatched a helmet, and tucked it under her arm, before picking up her spear-- one of the few relics from her washing ashore-- and jogged towards where the soldiers were waiting. There was a neat line of five or so soldiers, all dressed in their armor, and waiting for the bow of the ship to open so they could capture the Avatar.

She had almost made it. 

Zuko stepped in front of her. "No,"

Enyo frowned, her brows creasing. "What do you mean no?"