Another update, same day, ;D I think I will be simply posting all of the chapters that Rikki and I have done so far. Technically, we have two chapters done and one in the process of being so, each one getting progressively longer. I mentioned before; I'm splitting them up to make then FanFiction size-appropriate. This chapter is pretty short, but the next few will make up for it. It was hard at some points, trying to figure out where best to break off the chapters was, so I hope I did ok!

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Chapter Four

Company

Asharion looked up someone knocked on her door. A soft, kind, familiar voice came, asking if it was all right to enter. The girl couldn't help but smile a bit at the thoughtful courtesy; she gave a nod, though the man couldn't see that. "Sure, doors open if you have a key," she replied, turning to face the doorway. She was sitting beside the bed on the blanket which she had laid down as a sort of mat; her legs were criss-crossed. Iroh pulled open the door, grinning.

"I was wondering if you would be interested, Asharion, in learning a game called Pai Sho." Two men stood behind him, one hand holding a kettle of steaming tea, the other a small platter with three cups on it. Three? That was odd, but she didn't question. The other man carried a round table with four short legs.

"Um... sure, is it hard to play?" she asked, eyes brightening with curiosity. Iroh smiled, moving aside to let the other two men in. The girl wondered if one of them was staying, which would make sense of the extra cup. Instead, the two guards merely set the board and tea stuff down on the floor, giving bows before turning and walking out. The door closed with a soft click and rushing of air, before footsteps echoed down the hall. They weren't locking the door? Thoroughly confused now, the captive woman sat in wait, her eyes flicking curiously to the faded red board for Pai Sho and then back to Iroh, who was looking at her with a thoughtful expression.

"...um... is something wrong?" she asked, fidgeting under his gaze. Iroh shook his head, and gestured for her to stand.

"In the Fire Nation, where I come from, when one receives a guest they would stand and give a bow to them, like so." he instructed, showing her how. Asharion nodded, standing up, and copying what she had seen him do. "Like this?" She asked, glancing down at her hands. At Iroh's nod, she grinned, a small flicker of excitement rising inside her at the newly learned etiquette.

"So how do we play?" she asked, walking over to peer at the board. After a moment, she reached out with a hesitant hand towards it. Iroh walked over to the opposite side, taking his seat down in a cross-legged position. Hearing no objection, Asharion brushed her fingertips across its smooth, almost soft, worn surface. Iroh pulled from his tunic two cloth bags, handing one across the table to her. She accepted it, the things inside of it making soft clicking noises as the objects moved around.

"Game pieces?" she asked, peeking down into the bag.

"You have a mind as sharp as your beauty. There are four different types of tiles; red flowers, white flowers, non-flowers, and special tiles. The two special tiles are known as the White Lotus and the White Dragon. This game is about strategy; placing and moving or removing your's or your opponents Pai Sho pieces to create 'harmonies'. Harmonies are lines of flower tiles that harmonize with each other. You can create a disharmony by having tiles that do not go with each other next to one another." As he spoke, Iroh was removing tiles from his bag and placing them on the board, giving examples of the harmonies and disharmonies. He also placed out the White Dragon and the Lotus flower pieces. This done, Iroh began to explain the names and properties of each tile. For example, all pieces that are next to knotweed orthogonally, or at a right angle to, are dead.

"Alright, so i can either place one of the pieces, rotate the board clockwise with a wheel tile, move one of the tiles, or pass my turn?" At Iroh's nod, she beamed.

"Ok, i think i've got this."

"Are you a fan of tea?" the older man asked as he reached for the pot and a cup, pouring a glass of the dark, steaming liquid. Asharion shrugged-if she wasn't or was, she couldn't remember.

"I don't know, but i'm willing to try just about anything at least once."

"That is a good mind-set to have. Jasmine tea is one of my favorites," he began, passing her the cup. She accepted it, looking down into the murky liquid with interest, breathing in its potent smell. It wasn't half bad. Asharion waited until Iroh had poured his own cup, before taking a tentative sip. The hot drink singed her lips and tongue, but the flavor was delicious; her eyes widened a touch and glimmered excitedly, a happy blush crossing her cheeks as she drank down a careful swallow of the tea.

"It's delicious!" she stated, grinning. Iroh beamed with an easy, pleased expression as he set his cup down on the floor beside him. He shifted, lifting his head and glancing back to the door, a knowing smirk-like cast to the corners of his mouth. Iroh lifted a hand, stroking his beard in thought.

"Mmm... I think we will have some company, soon." Asharion gave him a confused look, before turning her gaze to the metal door, wondering who the old man was expecting for company.

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End of Chapter Four