Blazing Crystal (Revised Version)

Chapter 41: Bad Luck Charm

Chapter 41: Bad Luck Charm

"You're making it wrong!"

Katara's irritation echoed through the kitchen as Zuko continued to boil the tea in front of him over the stone stove. Iroh had left the room to go ensure the customers were happy, and while he did so he tasked us with keeping the kitchen running. As I mixed dough for pastries, I looked over to see Katara was trying to grab the tea leaves from Zuko. He held the clay container out of reach as she tried to grab it from him.

"I've been with my Uncle for three years! I know how to brew some damn tea!"

"And I've been cooking since I was six!" She jumped up to try and grab the container. "You can't just dump the tea leaves like that! You have to be slow, moron!"

Letting out a deep sigh, I dropped the wooden spoon I was using to mix the batter and walked over to Katara and Zuko. Butting between them, I snapped, "You two have been bickering nonstop since Iroh left. It's tea for goodness sake! One little error isn't going to be the end of the world!"

Katara stepped back, placing her hands on her hips. "I'm just trying to protect Iroh from losing customers! If you brew it too strong the taste will be bitter!"

"But we want it strong enough so people taste the tea! With your method we might as well give them water!" Zuko lowered the container. "But fine! If you're such an expert then by all means!" He shoved the tea container towards Katara.

She huffed. "No! I know what you're trying to do! You're trying to hand off the work to me so you can go be a lazy Prince!"

"Well not much work is getting done with you not wanting me to be a lazy Prince! Stop hovering over my shoulder and the tea will get done!"

Grabbing the container, I said, "For goodness sake! Katara, food! Zuko, dishes! I'll handle the tea!"

They were astounded by my demands, but they both did as I requested in defeat. As they went to separate sides of the room, I let out a deep sigh glad to see that boiling water and flames were not soaring through the air.

In silence the three of us worked in the kitchen. I was relieved the yelling had stopped for a brief moment, and hoped we could keep peace a little longer. As we worked, I began to hum a soft tune without thinking about the origin of the song. Katara had calmed down and was surprised by the melody.

"I haven't heard that song in years." She stopped with the bread and looked over at me with surprise. "Mom used to sing it to me. I heard it the night before she died."

I grimaced, stopping my melody and stepping back from the brew. "Oh... Sorry... I didn't even notice it was her song."

She smiled over at me. "No... It's okay. It's good to hear it again." She looked over at Zuko then with a smirk. "What about you? Your mom ever sing to you? Got any songs you want to sing?"

Zuko placed the tea cup he was drying back on the table, and his face twisted in pain as he thought about his mother. "Not really... My mom was more of a story teller. I think she used to sing when she was my age, but she never mentioned her childhood much to me." He paused for a moment, and then continued. "From what I can gather though, she really liked the theater and listening to music. She'd take me to shows and festivals all the time when I was little... I'd even started learning how to play the Tsungi horn a few months before she disappeared because she asked me to."

Katara's smirk fell. "Oh..." She looked over at me briefly, and then back at Zuko who was staring at the washbasin in front of him with deep thought. "Can I ask... I mean, Crystal told me your mom isn't around like ours, but she didn't go into detail... what happened to her?"