The dry dust of the parched terrain kicked up in puffs behind the toes of Zuko's ostrich horse. Though his wide-brim hat shaded his eyes from the sun, it didn't stop it from beating mercilessly on his shoulders. Though he knew the temperature would drop when the sun went down, he found himself wishing for the lighter silks and cottons of his homeland, though not as much as he wished for enough water. Or food. Or a place to stay for the night. His stomach twisted into a painful growl, and he gritted his teeth, ignoring it, and flicked the reigns to propel his mount onwards.
He was disciplined enough to make his meager food supply last as long as he needed it to; he hoped. He had come across a few Earth Kingdom villages as he traveled, but he was short on coin, and many barely had enough food to spare for paying visitors. Not that it mattered; he hadn't seen a town for two days.
Hours later, after the disappeared below the horizon, Zuko spent the night alone, stretched out on his riding blanket, ostrich-horse tied to a nearby tree. Not for the first time, he wished for a warm cup of tea, and the company that would certainly come with it.
Despite feeling as if he hardly shut his eyes for more than five minutes, Zuko still rose with the sun. He stretched, feeling his back pop, he saddled his mount and treated them both to a little breakfast before heading out. Unlike the day before, Zuko passed a few solitary farmers, earthbending their fields into neat rows. The sound of rapidly shifting earth followed him as he rode late into the day. Zuko felt his energy lift as the sun rose higher into the sky, and he was actually starting to feel at peace, shifting more easily with the stride of the ostrich-horse.
He was moving downwards along a cliff-side path when he spotted it: an abandoned wagon with a broken wheel sitting crookedly on the side of the road. If he hadn't been so hungry, he might have balked at the idea of scavenging for food. As it were, he put his pride aside and moved down the hillside towards the hobbled cart.
As he approached, he quickly realized he had misjudged the situation. As soon as he was level with the road, his hand went to his sword, the familiar smell of blood reaching his nose. Now on the alert, Zuko prepared for an ambush, cursing himself for being stupid enough to fall for the 'abandoned wagon' trick. He waited for the expected bandits to appear. He could see it in his mind's eye; two men behind that outcropping of rock, one above, and of course, one hiding in the wagon itself. A good trap if anyone was foolish enough to take the bait.
Minutes passed and nothing happened. Cautiously, Zuko dismounted and moved closer to the wagon. Hopefully he could take them by surprise instead by attacking the man inside before he would have a chance to strike; hopefully he wasn't an earthbender.
It wasn't until his quiet steps led him to the side of the wagon when he heard a crash as contents inside the covered wagon shifted. In a single motion, Zuko drew his sword and leapt back, prepared to face the threat head on.