Tranquility [ ATLA: Book One]

03; how to make tea

" Again! Show me your roar."

Since this early morning, Iroh has been trying to teach me the most basic firebending move for me, a child move that early children-benders did. The roar, for a fire bender, fire escaping my lips as I roared, that's what I was told at least. My fire was barely there, small flames always came out my mouth.

I turn around, facing away from Iroh and roared loudly, from my stomach and chest, the noise came out but the flames weren't there. A few inches of fire but nothing more or less. I stared at the direction we were going, feeling my cheeks burn a bit in embarrassment. I've never officially trained my fire, I could light things up or scare off wild animals away with a simple flick but never actually used it. I always had my whip as a weapon.

You're pathetic my mind snarled, Can't even perform a simple roar. If you can't do that, how can you protect Katara and Sokka or spirits forbid, the Avatar?

I almost jumped out of my skin when I felt a hand on my shoulder, looking beside me, I see Iroh, smiling lightly. " Don't worry, with a few exercises and training, you'll be fire bending in no time." He said assuring, I almost believed him. " Maybe we should calm down and have a nice up of jasmine tea." A guard who heard him left the deck and inside, assumingly to get the tea. 

" I'm sorry for wasting your time Iroh." I said as I looked over to him, " This is..just so big to me. Being able to use fire without thinking the village might kick me out or murder me." It had to be, the fear of being kicked out and alone, stopped me. The fear of burning one of my friends. The fear of the fire turning on me. 

" You're not wasting my time." He assured me with a fatherly smile on his face. " Is it because of what it stands for or is it the reason for your peeper?" He asked, gesturing to my eye which I looked away, " I see...sit down.." I looked to him to see the guard coming back with two cups, a steaming teapot and a bowl of sugar for the teas if needed be. There was also some red pastries next two it, which made my stomach growl a bit. With the small table, I sat down across from Iroh who sits behind it, and inhales deeply as the guard set the tray down. " Take a pastry, strawberry cream cu-" I didn't listen to him as I picked one and bite into it, humming at the sweet and sugary taste making me sigh happily.

" A sweet tooth huh? So was Zuko when he was younger, always heading for the sweets. Sweet Ursa would always scold him for eating them too much..but never stopped him." Iroh recalled, though, I perked up a bit, Ursa? Who was she? an older sister or grandmother? mother perhaps? " Ursa was his mother." Iroh said and I looked to him, eyebrow raised, " I saw that curious look on your face and I had to answer. Ursa is Prince Zuko's mother, Fire Lady of the Fire Nation."