𝙄𝙉 𝙀𝙓𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙉𝙂𝙀 ⤁ prince zuko

eleven | the blind girl

"Here is your tea." Iroh said pouring tea for a young girl they had met in the forest. "You seem a little too young to be traveling alone."

"You seem a little to old." She said taking the cup.

Iroh laughed at her joke, but Mari stayed silent. She hadn't spoke much since Zuko left. She didn't have much to say. The only reason she stayed with Iroh is because she didn't want to feel alone again. She had grown used to the feeling of other people having her back.

"I know what you're thinking. I look like I can't handle being by myself."

"I wasn't thinking that." Iroh said.

"You wouldn't even let me pour my own cup of tea."

"I poured your tea because I wanted to, and for no other reason." Iroh responded.

"People see me, and they think I'm weak. They want to take care of me. But I can take care of myself."

"You sound like my nephew, always thinking you need to do things on your own, without any support." Iroh said. Mari scoffed lightly at this.

"There is nothing wrong with letting the people who love you help you. Not that I love you well, I just met you." Iroh said making the girl laugh.

"So is that your nephew?" The girl said pointing to Mari. Mari shot her head up.

"Do I look like a-"

"No. This is Mari, she is usually very talkative but she's not in the best mood." Iroh butted in.

"I've been tracking him actually." Iroh said. Mari's eyes widened, for she did not know this.

"Is he lost?"

"I'd say so." Mari said to herself, still angry at Zuko for breaking the deal.

"Yes. A little bit. But his life has recently changed, and he's going through very difficult times. He's trying to figure out who he is, and he went away."

"So you're following him?" The girl asked.

"I know he doesn't want me around right now, but if he needs me, I'll be there."

"Your nephew is very lucky, even if he doesn't know it."

Mari felt absolutely invisible in the conversation so she picked up two pebbles and bent them around the hard earth floor for entertainment.

The girl looked in Mari's direction immediately. "You're an earthbender." She said.

Mari furrowed her eyebrows. "Uh..yeah."

"So am I!" She smiled as the two earthbenders made eye contact.

"Your eyes..." Mari trailed off as she noticed her pale eyes.

"I'm blind." She grinned waving her hand in front of her face.

"Oh." Mari said shifting her weight awkwardly. A blind earthbender. That's something