ATLA: Book One: Water |Makki|

Chapter Four

Chapter Four: Tracking Iroh

Makki |~|

A little over a week has passed since our last encounter with Aang on Kyoshi Island. I've continued to practice water bending when no is around on the deck, and occasionally, Iroh will come out and comment on my technique and help with learning new tricks that I can develop into actual bending that can help me in the future. Prince Zuko has been as angry and Avatar-hungry as ever. Although, I'm happy that it's rarely targeted towards me. 'Rarely', I emphasize, because it still happens. But after all the times that it has, I've learned how to counter his anger with sarcastic remarks or even friendly comments, just to make him angrier and eventually have him storm off.

I guess I really am my brother's twin, huh?

Nonetheless, things have gotten easier on the Fire Nation ship. I can even call Iroh a true friend since I can tell he cares for me and he protects me from Prince Zuko's rage. And whenever we leave the ship for repairs or errands and such, which is rarely, Prince Zuko doesn't feel the need to cuff my wrists unless he believes the Avatar is in the same location.

Currently, Prince Zuko and I are waiting for Iroh to come back from a little 'vacation' he took from the ship when we stopped to get some supplies. We have been waiting for almost an hour and I can tell that Prince Zuko is getting restless.

"Where could he possibly be in the middle of nowhere, like this?" Prince Zuko growled as the two of us traveled through tall grass and reads.

I simply shrugged my shoulder as I followed Prince Zuko, careful not to get lost in an unknown land.

"Iroh!" I called through the thick reads.

"Uncle! It's time to leave!" Prince Zuko yelled after we escaped the reads. "Where are you? Uncle Iroh!"

"...Over here," Iroh calmly answered from his natural hot spring.

Iroh was relaxing in a hot spring that was at the bottom of a hill. His clothes hung on a low hanging branch on a tree just in front of the spring.

"Uncle?" Prince Zuko questioned before we both walked up to the hot spring. "We need to move on. We're closing in on the Avatar's trail and I don't want to lose him."

"You look tried, Prince Zuko," Iroh smiled. "Why don't you join me in these hot springs and soak away your troubles."

"Hmm. You could use a good soak, huh, Prince Zuko?" I teased, knowing that his patience was thinning.

"My trouble cannot be soaked away," Prince Zuko growled. "It's time to go!"

"You should take your teacher's advice and relax a little. The temperature's just right. I heated it myself," Iroh explained before putting his hands together and blowing steam through his nostrils.

"Enough! We need to leave, now," Prince Zuko commanded. "Get out of the water!"

"Very well..."

Just as Iroh began to stand up, Prince Zuko turned his head while at the same time placing a hand over my eyes, protecting me from Iroh's nakedness. I would usually get slightly mad at the sudden contact from Prince Zuko since it's never in a polite manner, but this is something I certainly won't complain about.

"On second thought, why don't you take a few more minutes," Prince Zuko suggested. "But be back at the ship in half an hour or I'm leaving without you..!"

Prince Zuko slowly took his hand away from my eyes as Iroh entered back into the hot spring. Prince Zuko began to walk away, with me trailing behind, as we walked back through the tall reads to get back to the ship.