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CHAPTER ELEVEN
the trio traveled further into the woods, but stayed close to the river. Hana keeps herself busy by weaving hats for them. Iroh is crouched done by a bush. he gasps and stares in awe at a red and white flower.
Zuko emerges from the bushes, "I didn't find anything to eat! I can't live like this! I wasn't meant to be a fugitive. this is impossible! uncle, what are you doing?"
"you're looking at the rare white dragon bush. Its leaves make a tea so delicious, it's heartbreaking. that, or it's the white jade, which is poisonous.
"we need food, not tea. I'm going fishing," Zuko leaves as quick as he came, once again keeping his distance from their female companion.
"hmm... delectable tea? or deadly poison?" Iroh studies the flower suspiciously.
Hana looks up from her work with a sigh, "don't risk it, Iroh. wait for Zuko to come back from fishing. if we start traveling again after i'm sure we'll run into a village"
by the time Hanan is done with the hats, Zuko has arrived from his fishing expedition, though he has only managed to spear a single, tiny fish which flaps about helplessly on the large branch he used for a fishing pole.
"Zuko, remember that plant I thought might be tea?"
Zuko and Hana look at him in shock, "you didn't..."
"I did...and it wasn't" he reveals himself to be swollen and covered in a rash.
Zuko recoils back in surprise and Hana grimaces, "you should have listened to me"
Iroh acts surprisingly calm as he itches his body, "when the rash spreads to my throat, I will stop breathing. but look what I found," he holds out his arm to reveal berries, "these are bacui berries, known to cure the poison of the white jade. that, or maka'ole berries that cause blindness"
Zuko grabs the berries and flings then into the forest, "we're not taking any more chances with these plants! we need to get help"
"where are we going to go?" Hana asks.
"we're enemies of the Earth Kingdom and fugitives from the Fire Nation" Iroh points out.
"If the Earth Kingdom discovers us, they'll have us killed" Zuko gives one option.
"but if the Fire Nation discovers us, we'll be turned over to Azula" Iroh gives another.
the three of them look at each other. Hana doesn't know the Princess as well as Iroh and Zuko, but from what she saw the day before, she isn't ideal company.
"Earth Kingdom it is"
just like Hana predicted, after some time of traveling they managed to find a village with a doctor. while the doctor is treating a man with what appears to be a cupping treatment, she gets a girl, Song, to treat Iroh's allergic reaction. Zuko and Hana sit on a bench across the room in silence.
