Water Lily in a Sea of Fire

Chapter 21: The Storm

A few weeks had gone by before they had heard the news that the Avatar was heading north, so a course was set to follow him. After spending the morning training, Zuko stood on the deck with a telescope keeping a lookout while Iroh gazed off into the distance. Chiara, after working in the hold with the komodo rhinos, was taking a break watching the water moving around the boat. She was feeling a bit homesick for waterbending, especially after seeing the waterbending scroll, but she patiently kept her gift hidden practicing techniques late in the evening in the privacy of her quarters when she knew no one would walk in on her.

Iroh took a deep breath. "There is a storm coming," he said. "A big one."

Zuko looked at him incredulously. "You're out of your mind, Uncle," he said walking over to him. "The weather's perfect. There's not a cloud in sight."

"I sense it too," said Chiara hanging over the rail still staring at the water. "It's approaching from the north."

Iroh turned to his nephew. "I suggest we alter our course and head southwest."

Zuko was immediately frustrated with his uncle's suggestion. He pointed in the direction the ship was traveling. "We know the Avatar's traveling northward." Having waited weeks for the Avatar's current whereabouts, he was determined not to get sidetracked. "So we will do the same."

"Prince Zuko, consider the safety of the crew."

His voice was stern, but Zuko ignored it, his mind only on his mission. "The safety of the crew doesn't matter!"

The prince's loud expression of his indifference to the men on board stopped Lieutenant Jee in his tracks.

Chiara knew Zuko was frustrated and suspected he was only venting. "You don't mean that," she called out not taking her eyes from the sea.

The lieutenant suspected differently, and he raised an eyebrow and frowned at the prince, appalled by his lack of concern for others. Zuko walked up and glared at him not intimidated by the tall man who was still scowling down at him.

"Finding the Avatar is far more important than any individual safety," said Zuko.

He turned and left the deck.

Iroh stood next to Jee. "He doesn't mean that. He's just all worked up," he said, though he sounded unsure.

Jee scowled harder.

---------------------------------

After her break, Chiara headed inside to help Ozen in the galley. When she saw Zuko coming down from the bridge, she called him.

"Prince Zuko."

He turned to her as she was walking up to him.

"Please alter course," she begged. "The weight of the storm in the air is heavy."

"I can't," he said firmly. "Not when we're so close to the Avatar."

"That won't mean anything if we're all dead," she said, her voice carrying a rare tone of sternness.

He narrowed his eyes suspecting she was only exaggerating. "How do you even know there's a storm?" His voice was steadily rising. "The sky is clear."

"I can feel the change in the air and the wind just as the General does."

He shook his head. "There's no change in the air. Uncle probably just wants to go to another port to do more shopping."

"Well I'm not interested in shopping," she said. "We can just anchor somewhere southwest of here temporarily."

"You're being paranoid." He refused to slow down his mission for conjecture.