𝐆𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 [ᴢᴜᴋᴏ]

Chapter 9

Episode 7, Winter Solstice: The Spirit World

This morning I decided to stay in bed longer because I didn't want to see anybody. My birthday was a disaster. I could have easily escaped if it wasn't for me and my stupid brain which got distracted.

It was nearly noon when I finally got up and made myself ready. I wandered through the ship in search for a library because I really need a book right now. Every time I'm stressed I read a book. It lets me forget everything. And in the last days nothing interesting happened, beside Zuko finding Katara's necklace.

As I was walking around, I came across Kano, "Hey," I greeted him with a little wave smiling. He waved back before I stopped beside him following him wherever he was going.

"Do you have a library or any books here?" I asked the young guard. He glanced at me, "No, why do ask," he replied. I sighed, great now there's nothing to do here beside sitting around. "curiosity" I shrugged my shoulders and we were back on deck again.

I looked around confused because the ship was on the shore and I didn't even notice. I was too busy with being angry at myself that I didn't notice we stopped. I cursed myself mentally and looked up when Zuko was coming towards us.

"Have you seen my uncle?" he practically yelled at Kano. "The last time I saw him was when he left the ship," Kano quickly replied. I haven't really talked to the prince since I tried to escape but when I saw that he was about to go find his uncle himself I decided that it would be good to go on land too for some time.

"Hey, wait!" I yelled jogging after him. He abruptly stopped and I noticed too late and ran straight into him. I stumbled and would have fallen if it wasn't for Zuko grabbing my arm. "What?" he spat out. "I am coming with you," I said looking him in the eyes.

He didn't even say anything he just let go of my arm and got of the ship. I stumbled a bit but quickly balanced myself and ran after him again. We walked in silence through a forest looking everywhere for Iroh. The poor guy, I hope nothing bad happened.

"Maybe we should separate, so we could cover more area to look for him," I suggested but his head whipped in my direction so fast that I already knew that's not gonna happen. "No, you stay here with me," he said grabbing my arm dragging me through the forest.

I really meant it, I wouldn't have escaped. Iroh was nothing but kind to me so I really want to find him. We looked for a few more minutes and I could see that it was really getting to Zuko.

I stopped when I heard someone hum a song I knew. It was the song my mother would sing us to sleep to. Zuko stopped and looked back to me with an annoyed expression.

"Do you hear that?" I asked him in a whisper trying to figure out where the noise is coming from. It was silent for a moment before I could hear 'Yes' coming from Zuko.

"It's coming from there," I exclaimed pointing to the right side. We hurried in this direction and the humming got louder. "Uncle it's time to leave, where are you?" he shouted walking towards the noise. We went through bushed only to come to a more sandy area.

"Uncle Iroh" he called again. I was following him when we heard Iroh answering, "Over here". "Uncle?" Zuko asked full of disbelief. I jogged up to him and came to a halt beside him. An 'oh' escaped my mouth when I saw Iroh sitting in a small pool made out of earth and relaxing in steaming hot water.

Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, I shifted my weight on one feet and looked everywhere but at Iroh. "We need to move on. We're closing on the Avatar's trail, and I don't want to lose him," Zuko told his uncle.

I rolled my eyes, what is it with his obsession with the Avatar. Iroh couldn't care less about the Avatar at the moment because he completely ignored his nephew's statement. "You look tired, Prince Zuko," the old man stated, "Why don't you join me in these hot springs and soak away your troubles?" he suggested.

I giggled at this suggestion and Zuko shot me a glare, "My troubles can't be soaked away. It's time to go." Zuko addressed his uncle angrily. But Iroh didn't give up so easily, "You should take your teacher's advice and relax a little. The temperature is just right, I heated it myself," he said in a calm voice and made the water even warmer by breathing out hot steam out of his nose.

The hot steam reached us too and I waved my hand in front of my face to get it away, "Enough! We need to leave now! Get out of the water!" I jumped as Zuko suddenly shouted. I am still not used to his outbursts.

"Very well" Iroh replied standing up. I gasped and was about to cover my eyes with my hand but everything already went dark. Zuko had covered my eyes with his hand and for the first time I was thankful for his actions.

"On second thoughts, why don't you take another few minutes," Zuko said, "But be back at the ship in half an hour or I'm leaving without you," he warned his uncle and I shut my eyes not wanting to open them.

I didn't notice that Zuko had pulled his hand away and kept my eyes tightly shut. I flinched when I felt two hands on my shoulders which turned me around and led me back to the forest.

"You can open your eyes now," Zuko said and I opened my eyes slowly to see trees and released a breath of relief. Zuko glanced at me and made his way back to the ship almost immediately. Ugh, again back to the ship. I can't stand to see this stupid ship anymore.

"Hey, we could stay here and wait for your uncle," I suggested since I wanted to be a bit more in nature than on the ship. "No," ponytail spat out grabbing my upper arm and going back towards the ship.

"You know what? You're right, it's better to be locked up in my room alone than being out here with you," I nearly yelled shaking my arm free from his grip and stomping away towards the ship.

Back on deck, I went directly to my room and entered it passing the two guards standing in front of it and slamming the door shut. I was furious. It really got to me; being held hostage, being on this ship for a long time and the price with his stupid temper problems.

I couldn't really do anything right now, so I sat down on my bed deep in thoughts. I hope Katara and the others are doing fine. I tried to get the necklace from Zuko but he wouldn't give it to me. Katara got the necklace from our mother. I haven't got anything from her beside the book, which is still in the south pole, but I found that by myself. Katara was always mother's favourite one of us.

I guess, that was because I was nothing like the rest of us. I simply stood out with my fire bender looks and Katara was a water bender and looked like someone from the south pole. There was also this 'secret' about my mother's side of the family. I mean, they told us that she argued with her family because of her marriage with our father and that's the reason that they don't talk anymore. I don't believe that. There's something about this story that smells fishy.

And then I find out that Iroh knew someone from ourtribe and he also knows the song our mother sang us to sleep to. How weird is that. I mean, since I can think there is that hatred forthe Fire Nation and their citizens. I can't think of one person from our tribethat would knew or have friends from the Fire Nation. And we never heard of sucha person from Gran-gran's old stories either. I have to get behind my mom's andIroh's story.