Kaida Queen Of Ice <<ATLA; Book two: Earth>>

CHAPTER TEN

   I scoffed at the low lives as they quickly disappeared. I turned back to face the family, they were thinking on what to do next.

"What's going to happen to my brother?" Lee asked his parents.

"I'm going to the front." Gansu said to his wife. "I'm going to find Sensu and bring him back."

They walked inside as Sela cried and Lee ran up to us. "If my dad goes will you two stay?"

"No." Zuko replied. "We need to move on." Then he gave the boy the same knife we used to cut our hair.
"Here, I want you to have this. Read the inscription."

"Made in the Earth Kingdom?" Lee read.

"The other side." Zuko quickly said.

"Never give up without a fight." Lee read and we left.

⇢ ⇢ ⇢

We actually didn't get very far as we stopped at a river. The place also had a green patch of grass.

"So now you want to stop?" I asked as we both got off the bird.

He went and laid down in the grass while I stood in the small river filling up my waterskin. The water soaking through my shoes and sock making my body's temperature cool down.

"Azula, always lies." Zuko muttered as I took the spot next to him.

"Your sister?" I asked and he ignored me. "How come you have never mentioned having a sister?" I asked only to get glared at.

I placed the hat onto his face and leaned back on the pads of my palm, my fingers digging into the glass. I exhaled deeply and closed my eyes, it's been a while since we've seen a big patch of grass and water. It reminded me of the South pole only because it seemed secluded.
The relaxing silence didn't last very long because we soon were interrupted by the sound of an ostrich horse and looked up to see the cart that Sela pulled up in.

"You've got to help, it's Lee, the thugs came back after Gansu left." She ran over to us, worry laced in her voice. "When they ordered us to give them food Lee pulled a knife on them. I don't even know where he got a knife!"
She cried and I glanced at Zuko. "Then they took him away, they told me if he's old enough to fight, he's old enough to join the army."
The moment she started crying I walked over and hugged her as she cried on my shoulder. I felt terrible. "I know we barely know you but-"

"It's okay. We'll get him back." I then turned around to look at Zuko. "Right?"

⇢ ⇢ ⇢

We got on the bird and rode into town. Zuko had full on agreed to getting Lee back and this was the last piece of evidence I needed to convince me that Zuko was genuinely good deep down. Really deep.

"Hey, there he is!" I heard Lee, he was tied to a pole that held up a watch tower. "I told you he'd come." The thugs came from all over, Zuko and I both got off and he took off the hat. We stood face to face with them.

"Let the kid go." Zuko said.

"Who do you think you are?!" Gow laughed. "Telling us what to do?"

I got mad at this guy with the thick skull. He wasn't getting it after two attacks!

"It doesn't matter who I am." Zuko replied. "But I know who you are, you're not soldiers your bullies. Free loaders abusing your power, mainly over women and kids. You don't want Lee in your army, you're sick cowards messing with a family who's already lost one son to the war."