The Commander's Daughter (Zuko X OC)

Chapter 17 ~ Realisation

Zuko gave the small female a glance as she dropped down from the war rhino and stalked into the ships main body. Something was wrong with her, and he wasn't sure what. Iroh rested a hand on his shoulder and turned him to face him.

"Give her time Prince Zuko." Zuko nodded at his uncles supposedly wise words, although he truly had no idea what he meant. Give her time to what?

Karina closed the door to her quarters with a hasty shove and flung herself onto the safety of her bed.

What on earth had she done?

The rock had moved without her touching it. It could have been a coincidence but it didn't feel like that, the power that surged through her, the pure energy unlike anything she had ever felt was too real to be a coincidence.

She, a non bender, had made the earth move.
It had been slight, very minor int he grand scheme of what other benders could do. But, she had moved it all the same.

The rock had gone from the ground and flown into the face of her attacker.

What if they had seen her? She'd told both Iroh and Zuko that she wasn't able to bend, would they think her a liar? Throw her off the ship, as he had threatened so many times before?

A deep sigh in her throat she pushed herself down into a laying position. This new revelation was more than she could handle. Ever since leaving the Dock her life had become increasingly hectic. She'd gone to prison, had a bounty on her head, had fought earth benders and fire nation guards. She frowned as her father crossed her mind. Had he known of her ability to earth bend?

***

Iroh smiled as he swirled the small spoon in the hot liquid, the metal catching the porcelin of the cup and chiming throughout the room. The slight aroma of jasmine filled the air around him and a small sigh of relief left his lips.

He thought briefly about the events of his day, causing his smile to widen. Before taking a long sip of the hot beverage savering the sweet taste.

The image of Karina shifting the rock into the face of the guard flashed in his mind. The fearful and shocked expression on her face confirmed that she was unaware of this power.

Taking another long sip, a thought crossed his mind. A thought that made him smile, and hope he was correct.

** A Week Later **

They had been following the Avatars trail insencently ever since Iroh had been kidnapped. Karina had seen so much of the world in such a brief time, her body was tired and her mind was exhausted from trying to figure out what had happened that day.

It seemed that Zuko did not see her move the rock, meaning her secret was safe. For now.

At present the three of them were trying to find a man that knew where the avatar was last scene. As Zuko raised a fist to knock, the wooden door swung open revealing an older tired looking man, rubbing his forehead completely unaware that he was about to walk into Prince Zuko.

Zuko raised a hand stopping the man from colliding with him.
"Having trouble sleeping?" with a shove he pushes the man back into the doorway of his home "Seen the Avatar lately?".

***

"There! The Avatar!" Karina followed Zuko's line of sight to the flying bison that carried her friends. Her breath hitched in her throat at the grin that covered Zuko's face. "We've got them!"

"Sailing into Fire Nation waters..." Iroh slowly shook his head "of all the foolish things you have done in your 16 years, Prince Zuko, this is the most foolish." Karina looked at Zukos face, she could see the determination written accross it, his utter willingness to do anything it took to get the Avatar. It was a desperation she understood well. 

Zuko raised the spy glass to his eye again observing his target with greedy eyes. He was so close he could touch it. His father would understand, he needed to swim into these waters to get what hiw father desired. He would forgive him this one fault.

Lowering the spy glass from his eye he turned to face Iroh who was now beside him.

"I have no choice uncle."  A rage filled Irohs face at Zukos words, a rage Karina had not seen in him before.
"Have you completely forgotten that the Fire Lord banished you?!" Iroh gave the Prince a long worried look, but Zuko did not see,"What if you're caught?"

Zuko once again turned away from the spy glass "I'm chasing the Avatar. My father will understand why I'm returning home."
Iroh shook his head an anguished look in his face, "You give him too much credit. My brother is not the understanding type."

"Maybe Iroh is right Zuko," Karina watched as the golden orbs filled with hurt and turned away from her. "What if something happens?"

"And how would you know? You haven't ever  truly lived in the firenation!" she recoiled slightly but was determined to ignore the angry words.

"If you get hurt you cannot catch the avatar." she muttered starring up at the flying bison.

Zuko turned away to the spy glass once again locking his sights onto the flying Bison.
"There they are! Helmsman, full steam ahead!"

At the prince's word a catapult is raised from below the deck. It's loaded with some sort of projectile. The stench is horrid, it is reminiscent of sewage only, somehow worse. Iroh fans himself beside karina occasionally fanning her as well.
"Really, Prince Zuko, couldn't you shoot them down with something more fragrant?"

Ignoring his uncles words he shoots a fire ball at the stinking object and it ignites. A smirk graces his face as he raises his arm in the air.

"On my mark." he waits a beat, and then breathes. Finally. "FIRE!"
The rope is cut and the fiery projectile is hurtled into the air, a track of steam following off after it.

Karina gasps as Appa only nearly dodges the fire ball. She only hoped they were okay, and that they didn't hate her for being with him.

"A blockade!" Karina looked forward, a line of firenation ships stood in their way, Iroh stroked his bears thoughtfully behind them both.

Karina placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder, causing him to look at her. "Please Zuko, I don't know what id do if you were hurt."

"Technically you are still in Earth Kingdom waters. Turn back now and they cannot arrest you. " Iroh turned to glare at his uncle, before brushing Karina's hand off of his shoulder and looking head on.

"He's not turning around." Zuko points up at Appa.

Iroh gently tugs on Karina's arm, pulling her back before she can say something else. "Please Prince Zuko," Iroh pleaded with him, "if the Fire Nation captures you, there is nothing I can do. Do not follow the Avatar."

Zuko bowed his head, before looking up at Karina and his uncle.
"I'm sorry."Turning to his helmsman, he points forward" Run the blockade!"