Life Happens Wherever You Are (Zuko x OC)

Chapter 1

"Mara, did you put those new baskets away like I asked you to?" Rahin asked from the front of the shop.

"Yes Rahin, I did," I called from the back.

I heard the sounds of a distressed animal coming from outside. The village's normal sounds fell quiet. I walked to the front of the store and looked out the window to see a man riding an exhausted ostrich horse slowly passing by. The man is wearing a brown long-sleeved shirt and brown pants. He has a sedge hat tied around his chin that covers most of his face, especially since he is looking down. I can still see what looked like a scar on his face though, but I'm not sure what kind or what from. He slightly turned his face to look at me as he passed the window, made eye contact for a second, and then looked away. He stopped at a shop across and to the left of us, talking to the shop owner.

Rahin walked over to the window, "You seem very interested in the traveler."

"Who is he?" I asked him, not taking my gaze away from the man.

"I don't know. But it's probably best not to try to socialize with him much."

I nodded to Rahin. When I looked back at the man, the earth kingdom soldiers had taken interest in him. He turned around to face them, and I saw on his waist a sheathed sword. I watched as the soldiers stole the animal feed that he had just bought, the soldier I knew to be Chaone laughed about it being a contribution to the war. Chaone was the lead soldier, the one that told the other three what to do. The other soldiers I knew to be Luoto, the second in command, Fan Fe, and lastly Bo Ge. Bo Ge was the dumbest one in the group, I was surprised that he was even able to become an earth kingdom soldier. Once the soldiers left, a boy I knew to be Lee started talking to him, and loudly offered to feed his ostrich horse at their family farm. When they had gotten out of my view, I sighed.

"Why do those Earth kingdom soldiers have to be so mean to everyone?" I asked myself.

"Are you going to continue working or are you going to stare out that window for the rest of the day?" Rahin asked from behind me, making me jump.

"I'm sorry Rahin," I bowed my head to him, "It's just that nothing interesting ever happens here, so when someone that we don't know stumbles into our village..." I trail off.

Rahin gave me a knowing look, and then turned away further into the shop. I followed him, still thinking about the man.

* * *

"Those are beautiful flowers," I hear a husky voice behind me.

"Thank you, I work hard on them. These are the only source of flowers in this village," I respond, smiling.

I hear the man sit down next to me. I looked over at him and recognized him as the man who had come into our village this morning. Instantly the smell of sandalwood swirled around me and filled my nose. It was so intoxicating that it made me lose my focus for a moment.

"How are you able to grow them in this environment?" he asked, motioning to the sand and dust surrounding us, bringing me out of my haze.

"I make my own soil; I sieve the sand multiple times until I get all of the rocks and stones out of it, and then I mix it with some secret ingredients and water. It took me a few months to completely figure it out, but it's been working for a few years now." I brought water out of my flask, swirled it into a sphere, and then flattened it an inch above the flower bed. I then slowly brought it down evenly onto the soil.

"You're a water bender," the man said in surprise.

I chuckled, "Guilty."