Hey guys! I want to give a special thanks to Olivia1120, duckvader23, VeryBerry93 for their review. :)
Consciousness was threatening to bring me back to reality, into the world of living where the pain from losing my parents was so fresh, it pounded through my veins.
Hushed whispers caught my attention forcing me out of my sweet slumber. Flickering my eyelids open sharp and brutal light flashed causing momentary blindness. Attempting to lift myself as the bright light was replaced with blurred shapes as my eyes focused.
A painful gasp escaped my dry lips as pain shot through the back of my head. The whispers stopped as my outburst caught their attention.
To my left slow footsteps made its way towards me until the came to a halt in front of me. The figure lowered to the floor with a grunt.
"Take it easy dear, you have exhausted yourself." Deep, scratchy yet a soothing man's voice explained. Narrowing my eyes I begun to examine the man in front of me.
He was an older man, late fifties or so. With a plump but healthy looking figure, gray hair reaching about an inch above his broad shoulders. His warm and wise brown eyes held concern. A soft smile played on his lips causing a few wrinkles on his face to be more defined.
"You gave us quite a scare," he chuckled, "we never expected a door to be blasted open with such force from such a small girl." He began to brew tea as the aroma of ginseng filled the air soothing my forming migraine.
A sigh escaped his lips as he continued to focus on his brew. "My name is Iroh," he informed. Lifting his dark eyes to meet mine, "and yours is?"
"Sayuri," a coarse whisper sounded surprising even myself with its horrid sound. My throat begged for anything to soothe it.
Iroh chuckled heartily, a sound I decided I liked as his large stomach shook with mirth.
"Water lily," he began, "a very fitting name for a beautiful woman." Handing me a plain clay cup of tea, I quickly drown the contents quickly handing the cup back for more. His aged face broke into a wide grin, "You enjoyed my tea," His stated proudly, "ginseng is delicious, though Jasmine is my favorite. "
Taking the now full cup from his extended hand I began to drink with a bit more grace than before.
"Uncle?" A husky but steady voice sounded from the door way, startled from the unexpected voice a gasped escaped me as I felt the cup slip through my fingers and before I could stop myself, I bended the air around the cup balancing it before it could hit the floor.
Cold fear gripped me as I realized, I had just exposed myself. And before I could react a large hand wrapped itself tightly around my throat lifting me off my feet and slamming me against a wall. Bright golden eyes narrowed at me with anger. Dark hair was cropped short surrounding a pale smooth skin. Only when I focused on those molten gold orbs did I notice a fairly large scar etched around his left eye down to his ear.
"Who are you?" Anger laced in his voice, "And why can you air bend?" His body heat increasing with each word he spoke. I couldn't respond as the heat turned into pain as his hand burned my skin and my lungs demanded for oxygen as I gasped and whimpered.
"Zuko, that is enough." Said Iroh laying his hand on whom I assumed to be Zuko. A growl was emitted from Zuko as he released me and walked a few steps away. His broad shoulders and tight muscles rippled underneath his brown clothing.
"Sayuri," Iroh's voice drew my attention away from Zukos retreating figure, glancing over to the older man he continued, "Where did you come from?"
"Fire nation attacked my village," I explained, deciding to tell them partially the truth, "my mother bended a tunnel under our estate for emergencies."
"Your mothers and earth bender I presume?" Nodding my head softly making sure the movement didn't worsen my migraine. "And your father?"
"Nonbender."
"Ah I see, yet somehow you are an air bender," the old man seemed to be deep in thought. "Where are your parents now?" I was tired of all these questions. I was tired, attacked, and reminder of my parent's sudden death still pained me.
Lifting my gray eyes to meet his dark ones I replied in the most pain stricken whisper as reality finally hit. "Dead."