The Wolf: I am sorry that I have not been able to post anything recently. There have been things in my life that have held up the writing process. Yes I know that this chapter will be a little short but all I can say is get over it. If I had added the next chapter to this one I fear that it would have been too long. Please enjoy this chapter and leave a comment. I am going to be trying to do more chapters soon. I will answer questions if you have it.
PS - Who the witch is should be more clear after this chapter.
Iroh had never realized where the witch had hidden herself after that fateful night. She had created her evil layer within the forest, just outside of the village as to wait for him to leave. The witch had waited twelve years for Iroh to leave the safety of the village. Twelve years so that she could finally get rid of the wizard once and for all. It would be easy for any messenger from the king to go to and from the village but for any villager the witch had made it impossible, not that anyone left the village anyways. On the same day that the witch had cursed the little princess, to a life of pain and misery, she had cursed the town too. Now all who lived there would never be able to escape her and none of them would ever even think about the fact that there is a world outside of the village. When any villager did try to leave three paths would appear before them. On the left was a path that would lead to the witch's layers and torment beyond compare. The center path was round about and would lead a person to the village again. The last path on the right would lead to a beast.
"O dear Uncle, how I have waited for the day you would try and leave that retched little village. Once you come into the forest I can promise Uncle that you won't be coming out," her cruel laughter filled the forest and bird fled from the sound. Her most powerful armadillo wolves walked up to her side. "Go have some fun with dear old uncle. But bring him back alive." Fire erupted around all around her and the wolves ran so they would not be her next victim.
Iroh trusted Shingi would not get him lost. The fire rhino had be a wild beast of the forest before he had come to the village. Zuko had found him on the outskirts of their property injured and alone. It had taken Shingi a month to fully heal and by the time that he had, he never left. Iroh had never found out what had attacked Shingi when he was small, but Iroh had always suspected that it was an armadillo wolf. The creatures seemed to rule the forest and had an unnatural feel about them. When the path split in three Iroh had tried the center but seemed to end up facing the three villages again. "Which way should we go Shingi?"
The question was barely off of his lips when they heard the fear gripping howls of armadillo wolves. Try as he might Iroh could not comfort the beast and could only try and hold on for dear life. Shingi raced down the right passageway running on and off of the path, through the trees and on the rocks. Driven by fear he ran until he reached a cliff only backing off at the last moment. Iroh could not hold on as Shingi backed off the cliff and was thrown the ground. Before he could even react the beast had run off back towards home and he was hopelessly lost. Iroh got up and ran with a little flame in his hand, and no idea where he was going. The forest seemed endless around him and there was little moonlight to guide his path as he searched for some safety. The armadillo wolves were closing in on him when he ran into the gate. "Please let me in! Wolves are coming and I can't protect myself!" For a moment the gate did not seem to budge at all. But right before the wolves were truly upon him and they slide open just enough for him to get in and then slammed shut in the wolves faces.
Looking upon the castle in front of him Iroh had never seen anything like it. It seemed as if the whole place had been made of ice. Dread and hatred seemed to come off the building in waves. Spikes of ice were everywhere and it was hard to walk anywhere except forward. It seemed most likely to be a place where one would not return from but Iroh had no choice. When Iroh had entered the gates he felt all of his magic and fire bending ability slip away. His only hope was that the residents of the castle were kind enough to let him stay and recover.