The Girl No One Knew

Chaptet 25

Zuko was strictly business as he spoke with Jun, having very little patience for her sarcasm. The four of us walked out back, joining her Shirshu under a moth-infested lamp. Zuko held out Katara's necklace — I hadn't even noticed he'd had it on him. "I need you to find someone," he ordered.

"Oh, what happened?" Jun smirked as she petted her beast. "Your girlfriend run off on you?"

Why was everyone so sure that Zuko was dating every girl he spoke to?

"It's not the girl I'm after," he replied dryly, unamused. "It's the bald monk she's traveling with."

"Whatever you say," Jun shrugged.

"If you find them, I'll considered the damage to ship paid for."

Jun scoffed and began mounting her pet. "Forget it!"

Iroh finally cut in. "Plus, we'll pay your weight in gold!"

Jun stopped, then climbed back down. Poking him in his belly, she smirked, "Make it your weight, and we've got a deal." As Iroh laughed loudly and agreed, her gazed upon me, and she nodded towards Zuko. "Keep your boyfriend's temper under control. Got it, Princess?" I felt my cheeks burn, but I nodded anyway. Jun snatched the necklace from Zuko, and instructed us to get onto her beast as she allowed it to catch Katara's scent from the necklace. I was placed between Zuko and Iroh, Zuko's arm coiling around my waist to keep me steady on the Shirshu's back.

"Ya know," Jun said as we bolted into motion, "for someone who's not dating this girl, you seem awfully protective of her."

Zuko's arm tensed, his hand gripping tighter on my side. After only 10 minutes of conversation, this girl already knew how to get under his skin.

By noon, we'd reached an old temple of unkept greenery, where an old woman stood outside collecting the foliage with her fluffy cat by her side. "Out for a bit of fresh air, are we?" She asked.

I tuned out of the conversation quickly, growing more and more tired from the ride. I hadn't exactly slept in a long time, and I'd never missed my bed on the ship more in my entire life. Zuko held me up with ease, as if he were simply holding a doll.

Before I knew it, with the crack of Jun's whip, we were off again, speeding off to who-knows-where. Most of the ride had been silent, as expected, save the few times Jun took to torment Zuko. Iroh had taken quite a liking to her, and if I didn't know better, I'd have assumed that he had a slight crush on her.

Soon enough, after I'd woken up, we were in a village near a docile looking volcano. In front of large red doors stood an old woman, looking absolutely calm as the rest of the villagers ran for cover from the Shirshu that was now running rapidly and jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

"Why are we stopping?" Zuko barked.

Coolly, Jun replied, "Because the girl must've spent a lot of time here."

Frustrated, Zuko grunted, "We have no time for this!" He hopped down from the saddle and held the necklace to the beast's nose once again. In response, the beast whipped its lethal tongue at him, which he'd barely dodged in time. "Hey! Watch it!"

Iroh gave a heartfelt laugh, though I did my best to stifle mine behind my hand.

"Oh, look," our guide mused. "He likes you."

The woman from in front of the gate was now standing beside us on the ground, looking up flirtatiously at General Iroh. "Care to hear your future, handsome?" She asked.

"At my age, there is only one big surprise left," he smiled. "And I'll just as soon leave it a mystery."

Zuko once again climbed onto the saddle, holding me tighter than before as if I was going to fly off of the Shirshu. Once again, we were off, leaping over a building as we continued our voyage.