The Traitor Princess

Chapter 41 - An Unexpected Reunion

The Gaang had been in the city for a few days and all enjoyed exploring the city. That is, when Joo Dee actually left them alone. After the incident at the palace, everyone was trying to enjoy the peaceful sense of normalcy within the walls. Sure, they all knew the war was raging outside, but this was the first time in a long time that they could actually somewhat relax.

Today they had decided to take a break from looking for Appa. Everyone was getting exhausted and Aang was clearly on edge after being separated from his furry friend for so long.

Like most days, Eziri was the first one awake. She wanted to go explore the Lower Ring. Although the place looked a bit seedy, Eziri knew she could handle herself. She thought about waking her friends to join her but decided she'd rather have some alone time. She loved her friends and boyfriend, but they spent every second together. One day apart might be nice.

She got ready for the day and dressed in casual, plain clothes. She didn't want to stick out in the Lower Ring and make herself a target for thieves. Once she was ready to go, she wrote a little note:

Team Avatar,

I went out exploring. I'll be back by tonight.

-Eziri

She kept it short and sweet, not wanting Sokka to worry about her traveling to the Lower Ring alone. She left the note on their small coffee table and made her way to the train station.

—

When she arrived in the Lower Ring, Eziri was astonished at how many people were packed into one place. The streets were bustling with merchants and refugees.

She started perusing the market stands, looking for something to eat. She found a couple apples that looked fresh-ish and went on her way.

Eziri saw a stall filled with books and started to make a beeline towards the vendor. In her book-induced focus, she didn't see the woman walking towards her and ran smack into the woman's side. The pair both fell to the ground and Eziri's apples dropped into the dirt.

"Shit, I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." Eziri said as she quickly got up and dusted herself off. She extended a hand to help the other woman when she was met with a familiar face. "Ying?"

Ying's eyes widened as she recognized Eziri. She took the firebender's hand and used it to pull herself up. "Eziri!" She pulled the younger girl into a hug. "It's so good to see you again."

"You too! How's your family? How's little Hope doing?" Eziri asked.

"They're all well. We're settling into the city quite nicely. Than is thinking about studying at the university."

"That's great! I'm so glad to hear it. Sorry again for knocking you down. I wasn't watching where I was going." Eziri then noticed that Ying had landed on her apples. The fruits were smushed into the dirt. Ying followed Eziri's gaze and frowned.

"I'm sorry I crushed your apples." Ying said with a sheepish smile.

Eziri just waved her off. "Oh, please. You don't need to apologize. To be honest, I wasn't too excited to eat them anyways." Ying chuckled.

"Some of the stands here aren't the best. It's also the end of the week so the produce isn't fresh. Most of the merchants get their shipments tomorrow." Ying explained.

"Oh, I see. Well, I guess I'll just have to find breakfast somewhere else."

Ying perked up. "I can recommend a place if you'd like?" Eziri nodded eagerly. "There's a little tea shop a few blocks away called The Pao Family Tea House. It doesn't look like much but they have great tea and the pastries are always fresh in the mornings."