Ash [Prince Zuko - Book Two]

❃Chapter Three❃

Asake sat next to Iroh on the ground next to their little camp they had set up the other day, plucking more grass from out of the ground in a bored manner. There was nothing for her to do. She wanted to go search for food with Zuko, but he made her stay here with Iroh to "keep watch over their campsite" (his words, not hers). She was capable of hunting for food. However, she didn't need a boy fighting her battles. She was more than capable of fighting for herself.

Glancing around her, Asake realized that Iroh was not sitting next to her anymore. Her heart clenched when she thought that she had lost the man. She didn't, though. Instead of being next to her like he should have been, he was squatting in front of a red and white flower off to the right, looking so very mesmerized by the plant. "Iroh, what are you looking at?" 

Before she could say anything else to him, a bush rustled behind her softly, making her eyes narrow. Asake whirled around just as the person burst through the bushes, lashing out at him. Unfortunately, it was no one she needed to be wary of. No, it was Zuko, and he seemed very surprised that she had punched him on the shoulder.

"It's just me," he said softly, raising his empty hands up slightly. His wide eyes slowly went back to their normal size, except they looked really worried about her. She hated that. "It's me, Asake."

"I got it now."

She lowered her hands before she could hit him again, very much embarrassed that she attacked him like that. There was no need in her being afraid of Zuko because he would never hurt her like Zhao did. Did she trust Zuko with her life or emotional well-being? No, not really, but she trusted him not to hurt her.

Asake followed Zuko toward where Iroh was, marveling at how fast his hair had grown back since all three of them chopped almost everything off the week before. It looked different on him. A good different. She wondered if she looked as good as he did with short hair. She really doubted it because she didn't look pretty in general.

"I didn't find anything to eat!" Zuko looked very frustrated, and Asake snickered to herself. Of course he couldn't find anything; he had no skills of the sort to even track an animal through the woods. She knew how to do all of those things because her father taught her when she was little. "I can't live like this. I wasn't meant to be a fugitive." He kicked the ground in anger, and she really did burst out laughing. He didn't seem to notice; he was probably stuck in his head about how terrible he had it instead of being up in that cushy palace of his. "This is impossible!"

Zuko was acting like a little boy who had everything handed to him. That was mostly true, until his father banished him. And he still had food on the ship, so he was entitled to being out of his league. But it was really funny watching him throw a tantrum. At least she didn't act like a child when things didn't go her way, unlike Zuko. 

"Uncle . . . what are you doing?" Zuko asked, bringing her out of her thoughts. His tantrum was cut short as he stared at Iroh with a frown on his face.

"You're looking at the rare white dragon bush." He gestured to the bush lovingly, a grin on his face. "Its leaves make a tea so delicious it's heartbreaking!" He trailed off and stared at the bush again. Gravely, he said, "That, or it's the white jade bush, which is poisonous."

"We need food, not tea. I'm going fishing," Zuko said before walking away. He rolled his eyes as he turned around, making Asake mad. Did he really not respect Iroh? He should have had the decency to treat him better than that.

Before she could tell herself otherwise, Asake trailed after him. She was a few paces behind him so he didn't know that she was following him just yet. He was too angry to notice her. She wasn't really paying attention, either, which wasn't good for her because she accidentally stepped on a twig. It snapped very loudly, signaling to Zuko that someone was following him.