TOMOKO - burning gold. (atla)

e l e v e n | SAVING UNCLE IROH

now

THE DYNAMIC DUO BRUSHED  their way through the thick bamboo foliage as they made their way to where their Uncle lounged in the hot springs. They had docked once more for supplies, and the old man had opted to explore the the famed springs that drew tourists to these parts. Zuko was less than enthusiastic to have Iroh running off when they had a tight schedule to keep.

"Uncle! It's time to leave!" Zuko shouted. As he moved forward he sent a large branch into Tomoko's face. The girl yelped in surprise when the sharp sting hit her black eye.

 "Watch it, Zuko." She hissed. Zuko rolled his eyes. 

"Where are you?! Uncle Iroh!" Zuko continued as he marched into the clearing. He spotted his Uncle's clothing hung up on some branches but the old man wasn't in sight. 

As Zuko looked around, a relaxed voice called back to him. "Over here."

Tomoko spotted the man who was lounging in the springs, a look of contentment on his face. 

"Uncle?" Tomoko questioned raising her brows.

"We need to move on. We're closing in on the Avatar's trail and I don't want to lose him." The Prince urged his uncle.

Iroh made no effort to move. "You look tired Prince Zuko, Miss Tomoko. Why don't you join me in these hot springs and soak away your troubles?" The older man offered.

Tomoko snorted. "We'd have to be here a while for Zuko to fully marinate his issues away." The girl jabbed. Zuko shot her an irritated look. 

"My troubles cannot be soaked away. It's time to go!" Zuko demanded. 

Unbothered by his nephew's outburst, Iroh merely sighed. "You should take your teacher's advice and relax a little. The temperature is just right, I heated it myself." With the last sentence, Iroh drew his hands closer together and exhaled hot steam from his nose, continuing to heat the springs with his body. 

"Impressive." Tomoko commented. "But I doubt that Zuko is capable of relaxing." 

Zuko glared and punched her shoulder, earning yelp from the girl. He waved away the steam in frustration and yelled at his Uncle once more. "Enough, we need to leave now." Zuko cried, his tone rising. "Get out of the water!"

Iroh shrugged. "Very well." 

Tomoko immediately shied away and covered her eyes in disgust as the naked man rose from the water. "He changed his mind, go back in! Go back in!" She choked out. Zuko was equally as disturbed.

"Yeah, on second thought, why don't you take another few minutes?" The pony tailed boy agreed. "But be back on the ship in half an hour."

"And please be wearing clothes." Tomoko added, still wincing away.

She heard Iroh descend back into the water but didn't dare look back for fear of what she might see. That was an image she was never getting out of her head. 

---

When Iroh had not returned an hour later, Tomoko but her thumbnail and paced on the deck. She addressed Zuko.

"He isn't back yet. He might've fallen asleep, or knowing him, found some rare tea plant that was actually poisonous and he ate it." She muttered.

Zuko nodded. "I'll assemble a team and we'll head out."

They left a few minutes later, by then the sun had set. They trekked through the thick bamboo and forest once again, Zuko and Tomoko riding on a rhino whilst calling out for Iroh.