The adrenaline from the night's abscond has completely fled my system and I can feel it sorely in my feet. Prince Zuko and I have been walking in silence for some time before we reach a sandy river bank, nestled among thickets of brambles. My feet are cut and blistered from the uneven ground we'd been trekking through, and every step feels like fire.
Anchored on the shore is a small steam-powered riverboat, and Zuko heads towards it with no hesitation. As I step onto the bank, I wince with every unsteady stride as grains of sand burrow themselves into my lacerated feet. Zuko expertly undoes the fasteners that secure the boat to the shore so it won't drift off if the current rises, then glances at me from over his shoulder.
"Are you gonna help me or just stand there?" he asks.
I know I'm already pushing my luck with him, so I go over to him as fast as my bruised feet can take me.
"Help me push it out," he says. "It's not that heavy, so we can manage."
I place my hands next to his and brace myself as he counts down from three. I push as hard as I can once he hits one. I feel the little boat budge under our strength and nearly fall as it suddenly jerks out from under me and into the slow current of the river. Zuko uses the momentum to swing over and into the boat before holding out a hand toward me. I accept it and he heaves me up with little effort. I'm in awe of his stamina; I know he must train every day to be able to still keep going after everything he did last night.
"Just stay here," he mutters to me before opening a door and ducking inside.
I catch a glimpse of the interior before he shuts it behind him; metal shelves line the walls, filled with various supplies. I also think I saw steps leading further down into the vessel.
Zuko emerges a few minutes later, dressed now in Fire Nation armor. The visual reminder of who I was foolishly following sends a chill through me, but I know it's too late to turn back.
He has a ribbon caught between his teeth as he gathers his hair before tying it up. I wonder if his mostly-shaved head symbolizes something or if it's just part of his culture. In the Water Tribes, young warriors would shave the sides of their heads while leaving the top long enough to pull into a wolftail. Fresh warriors kept the sides short, however with years of dedication, they let it grow longer to showcase their experience and ability as a fighter.
"Stop staring at me," Zuko says, speaking around the ribbon.
"Oh, sorry," I reply quietly, changing my view to the river as we languidly float downstream. "I was wondering what your hairstyle meant."
Zuko finishes gathering his hair up, creating a tall ponytail with the red silk.
"If you don't know then it's none of your business," he says brusquely, then marches over to a panel of controls. The boat jerks and begins to move faster as Zuko does something I can't quite make out.
"Oh," I mumble.
It goes quiet again as we travel downstream. The sun has fully risen by this point, and every so often my eye catches a glimmer in the water before a silver-scaled fish leaps out.
Zuko never looks at me as the boat chugs along. His eyes have a steely glint and his mouth is stuck in a frown. I can see a dark circle on the unblemished skin below his right eye. I imagine the only rest he's had over the past thirty-six hours was when he was knocked unconscious.
"Why—" I let out a cough as my voice cracks. "Why did you do all that last night? You could've easily left; I'm sure I slowed you down."
"You did," he promptly agrees. "And it doesn't matter why. Now be quiet, I'm tired."
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Mercy (Zuko)
FanfictionBook One of Three: Mercy Kohina of the Northern Water Tribe has never had it easy. Captured at a young age from her father's fleet was one thing, but being forced to use her gift of healing at the Pohuai Stronghold was another. Just when she had giv...
