The Girl No One Knew

Chapter 20

By sunrise, Zuko was hard at work. By work, I mean training aggressively on deck. I, however, needed a more relaxing atmosphere, especially after yesterday's events. I chose to spend my morning in the Captain's Tower with Iroh and a few a couple other crew members. I sat quietly as I watched their Pai Sho match.

"Captain," Iroh grimaced. "Could you please

"What's the reason for this mutiny?" Zuko growled as he stormed in. "No one told you to change course!"

"Actually, someone did," Iroh responded calmly. "I assure you, it is a matter of utmost importance, Prince Zuko."

With his typical snarl, Zuko turned and approached his uncle, not even giving me so much as a side glance. "Is it something to do with the Avatar?"

"Even more urgent," Iroh pointed out. "It seems I....I've lost my Lotus tile." The old man slid a tile across the board, awaiting for his opponents' next move.

"Lotus tile?"

"For my Pai Sho game. Most people think the Lotus tile insignificant, but it is essential to the unusual strategy that I enjoy."

Zuko was fuming, short-tempered as always. "You've changed our course for a stupid Lotus tile?"

Iroh leaned over the board, eyes fixed on his nephew. "See, you, like most people, underestimate its value. Just give me ten minutes to check the merchants. Hopefully, they'll have the Lotus tile so I can get on with my life."

Zuko let out a surly grunt, blowing out pillars of smoke.

Iroh fanned the smoke away, smiling sheepishly. "I'm lucky to have such an understanding nephew." Fanning away the smoke as well, I laughed quietly at this remark. The prince stormed out, slamming the hatch behind him. "My nephew has such a short fuse sometimes. Don't you agree, Saki?"

"That's the understatement of the year," I smirked.

We arrived to the market pier just before sunset. "Stay on the ship," Zuko told me. "This place isn't safe. It's full of hoodlums and street rats. I can't risk you getting hurt." Did I listen? Of course not. I followed Zuko and and his uncle throughout the market. As much as he hated it, there was nothing that could be done to stop me. Zuko kept his grip on my bicep, keeping me close in case.....well, I really don't know why, to be quite honest. Of all people, he knew I could handle myself. I didn't fight him though. I remained by his side as we searched every part of the market to find Iroh's Lotus tile.

As Zuko and Iroh spoke with a merchant, who was searching through his sea of tiles for their particular one, I was led astray by the sound of a group of men auctioning off whatever was in the bag held by the man standing over the rest. I may not have been to many markets in my lifetime, but it seemed to me that this was just an ordinary market. Zuko was just over exaggerating again. At least, I thought that until....

"That's a nifty little necklace you're wearing there, little girl," a man said from beside me.

My hand instinctively went to feel the silky fabric around my neck, my fingertips brushing against the ruby that dangled from the point of the necklace. Every time I touched the necklace, I felt the faint presence of Queen Ursa. "Oh," I said, smiling shyly. "Thank you."

"So finely made. I could get a hefty price for it, if you're willing to trade for something," he grinned. He was an odd looking guy: extremely pink lips, earrings, and a golden tooth. It was unsettling, to say the least.

"No," I shook my head, my hand protectively over my necklace. "It's not for sale."

The stranger glared at me, clearly not used to a decline. He reached for my necklace in an ill attempt to snatch it from me. There was no water close enough for me to bend at him. Without my permission, my fist had made contact with his nose. I'd never actually punched anyone before — not for real; I wish someone had told me that it'd hurt me too.

The man recoiled, holding his face with his hands, and yelled at me for hitting him. It was his own fault. Meanwhile, I was shaking my hand in hopes of being rid of the pain, and making an exasperated Ahh! noise. This was enough to catch Zuko's attention. Just in time to see the man try to take my necklace again.

"Hey!" Zuko shouted, his fist pushing a blast of fire forward at the man. Not enough to harm him, but enough to scare him away from me. "Leave her alone!"

Pretty soon, Zuko and Iroh were by my side. Being stared down by the banished Fire Nation Prince with a short-fuse reputation was enough to scare the man away.

"Are you okay?" Zuko asked me, inspecting my reddened knuckles. When I nodded and said that I was fine, he frowned at me. "I told you this place wasn't safe."

From that point on, I'd clung onto Zuko like my life depended on it. We returned to where we started — near the docks. "I've checked all the shops on this pier," Iroh frowned. "Not a single Lotus tile in the entire marketplace."

"It's good to know that this trip was a complete waste of time for everyone!" Zuko snapped.

"Quite the contrary," Iroh spoke calmly as always. "I always say: The only thing better than finding the thing you're looking for is finding something you weren't looking for at a great bargain!" Just then, as if on cue, three soldiers passed by carrying the many things that Iroh deemed worthy of his money, including a Sungi horn. We had begun to walk back to the ship, until Iroh's eye landed on another ship on the pier. "This place looks promising!" He pointed excitedly.

The ship was filled with strange trinkets. From a monkey with ruby eyes to weapons from other Nations — all of which I could safely assume were stolen.

"This place gives me the creeps," I said quietly, still latched onto Zuko.

"We won't be here long," he whispered to me as we watched Iroh explore through the most-likely-stolen goods.

"We lost the Water Tribe girl," we overheard a man say, "and the little monk she was traveling with."

This sparked Zuko's interest. "This monk," he butted in. "Did he have an arrow on his head?"

The man (or, pirate, I should say. He was obviously a pirate) from behind the counter looked Zuko up and down. "Who wants to know?"

"Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation," Zuko responded. "And I'm willing to make a deal."