The Commander's Daughter (Zuko X OC)

Chapter 19 ~ Pirates

A/N: There is a lot of talking in this one, so some of it might seem a bit, line after line but it was difficult to fill in :( Hope you enjoy it anyway!

Karina focused intently on the small wooden tiles Iroh placed infront of her.

"The objective of Pai Sho is to be the first player to create a Harmony Ring," He stated calmly moving the tiles to display a harmony ring on the board. The other crew memebers that Iroh had roped into learning the game sat around them looking just as confused as Karina felt. "A chain of harmonies," He continued happily, not noticing the confusion around him, "A Harmony is created when two of the players Harmoinious flower tiles are on the same line with no other tiles or Gates between them, And both tiles are not gates." The older man finished with a smile looking at the confused crowd around him with expenctant eyes.

"Well," Karina muttered gently running her fingers down her bandaged arm, "Could I try?" the crew around her seemed to collectively release the breaths they had been holding and started to dispate from the board, one or two remaining to watch the game.

As Iroh began to set up the game Karina turned her attention to Zuko, who was on the main deck sparring again. It was something he had done frequently since they had left the sanctuary and escaped Zhao's capture. He was being warmer than usual to her, not that she was complaining, the attention he was giving her was welcomed with open arms. She could feel her cheeks warm up as she thought of him gently wrapping her arm in material on the boat back to the ship, how warm his hands had felt as they lightly touched her skin.

"Oh," Iroh's exclamation interrupted her thoughts, "I appear to have lost my lotus tile, would you excuse me Karina." She nodded as Iroh raised up from his seated position on the floor and made his way over to the helmsman.

***

Zuko felt the heat release from his fists, firing blast after blast at his sparring apponent, he had to get better. Not only had the Avatar escaped his grasp again, but he had been bested by Zhao and Karina had been hurt in the process. He growled as he dodged and violently threw another fire blast. He was going to kill that slimey coward Zhao for ever laying a hand on his Karina.

Before he had time to consider his wording the entire ship tilted knocking him off balance.

"Someone's changing our course!" Running up the bride Zuko made his way over to the side of the Helmsman. "What's the meaning of this mutiny? No one told you to change course!" the man looks startled and a little scared, when the Prince was angry he could be quite fearsome.

"Actually," Zuko turned around to face his uncle who was sat at his Pai Sho board with Karina, " Someone did, I assure you it is a matter of utmost importance, Prince Zuko." Now this has him interested, what had his uncle discovered whilst he had been sparring and trying to improve, maybe it would give him a chance to test his new abilities.

"Is it something to do with the Avatar?"

"Even more urgent," Karina raised a hand to her face trying to cover the smile that had crept up on her face, Iroh was cruel for getting Zuko's hopes up the way he had. "It seems... I've lost my lotus tile." As if to punctuate his sentence Iroh moved his next tile and looked at Karina expectantly.

Zuko inclined his head slightly, seemingly making sure he had heard his uncle correctly.

"Lotus tile?" His voice seemed slightly pained, his face knotted with confusion, Karina supposed he was still trying to link his uncles strangeness to their hunt for the Avatar.

"For my Pai Sho game. Most people think the lotus tile insignificant, but it is essential for the unusual strategy that I employ." Karina's smile had grown so wide that she couldn't hide it behind her hand anymore, Zuko was going to be mad the second he realised.