You walk with Zuko across the deck of the small navy ship towards the control room. When you get there Iroh is looking over the control panel.
"will we be able to handle it without a crew?" Zuko questions.
"oh yes." Iroh nods. "the ship is smaller than a normal fleet sized ship and though it is meant to be manned by a crew we should be just fine without one."
You look around the control room. "what is the purpose of a ship that only holds about ten people?"
"well its purpose for the fleet is that it's a messenger/scouter ship." Iroh replies. "they tend to move a bit faster than the bigger ships so often they reach land first and the men aboard take the opportunity to check for dangers. They relay the messages back to the main ships via communication com." He points at the destroyed communicator. "Zuko broke this one though."
"well I didn't what Zhao to use it to find us." Zuko frowns. "but the main reason was I didn't want to hear his stupid voice once he realized we took his ship."
Zuko sits in a chair and looks into a broken mirror. "I can't believe that we're fugitives now on top of being exiled... why did my father change his mind?"
"I'm not sure nephew." Iroh shrugs. "things in the fire nation must have taken a terrible turn for him to want you imprisoned instead."
"Zhao said he was going to kill me though?" Zuko questions. "because crossing the border without the avatar means I failed my mission."
"Some people will lie if they believe it benefits them in some way. In this instance I believe Zhao might be trying to secure rule of the fire nation. One way to do that would be to eliminate the heirs of the throne. Your simply too easy a target since your banishment." Iroh sighs. "the length that some people will go to..."
Zuko stands up and walks out onto the deck leaving you with Iroh.
"it's horrible." You mumble. "I understand me being a target... I ran away... but Zuko didn't chose this..."
"sometimes life has more than its share of dangers. Even if you believe you've done nothing to deserve it." Iroh replies. "your actions might be justified but all the same you did commit treason." He glances at the door. "my nephew faces these same charges but for a different reason. His father blamed him for the loss of Zuko's mother."
"did she die?" you question.
"no she ran away." Iroh replies. "she could no long handle the way he ruled the kingdom and the way he treated his family... leaving her children behind... I imagine... still haunts her to this day."
"it's really too bad... he was such a kind soul before he was banished..." you frown.
"the Zuko on the surface is a mask of pain." Iroh says glancing at you. "the betrayal left him this way... but he is still the same as he was in his youth if given the right kind of push. I've been trying to show him that he isn't as broken as he believes but he is deeply scared by the memory of the betrayal. Though he won't admit it."
"I'm sorry that happened to him." you frown. "I was there when it happened and I didn't do anything to help."
"no one did child..." Iroh frowns. "not even me... the best for Zuko now is the continued support of his friends but we recently departed from our crew so it's just been me and Zuko for about two months. I guess that might be why he likes to have you around. I have not properly thanked you for helping my nephew even though you knew if he found out about you that you might be arrested."
"any decent person would have done what I did." You reply. "just because I don't like his father doesn't give me the right to decide whether his life has more value than my own. Even though I am afraid of what might happen I refuse to blame others for my own short comings... no one's life is more or less valuable than any other person."
"wise words." Iroh nods.
Zuko pops back in and smiles a little. "are you ready to start training?"
"oh yeah I forgot!" you bow to Iroh and then follow Zuko.
Iroh smirks. "those two are good for each other." he chuckles to himself.
(Hey its Zuko! i drew this myself pretty good right :3)
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