Fateful Rendezvous

Iroh's stomach grumbled, empty. He felt hunger scratch the inside of his belly.

"How big is this blasted country?" After a few days of walking, which to Iroh felt like weeks, the beautiful landscape of the Earth Kingdom had become irritatingly dull. And Iroh was well-known for his intolerance towards hunger.

Not knowing who else to blame, he looked up at the heavens and yelled.

"You saved me from the tidal wave! Do you plan to do anything now?" Iroh didn't expect the spirits to actually help him; he just needed to vent.

But no sooner had he begun to complain about his appetite did he a messenger hawk fly over his head. The bird flew low, so Iroh knew that it would be landing soon.

"Thank you spirits!" Iroh yelled as he ran after it, eager to either find the town it was headed for or to catch to bird and cook it himself.

Luckily, for Iroh and the bird, the nearest town was only over the next few hills.

"Oh, yes! Thank you again Spirits!" The husky man shouted to the heavens when he saw the hamlet and smelled roasting meat over a fire. Iroh walked mindlessly towards the scent, barely paying attention to where he was going. He didn't even notice the flag of the Fire Nation hanging over the town's entrance.

"Hey!" He heard someone yelled at him immediately as he entered the town. "You there!" Iroh turned around and a Fire Nation solider confronted him. "Who are you and what are…" The solider froze when he saw Iroh's face. "General Iroh! Sir, I'm so sorry!"

"Do not worry about…" Iroh paused. "…I mean, you have dishonored yourself by speaking to me so rashly!"

"Forgive me sir!" The solider bowed twice.

"Well…I will give you a chance to atone. I am in the mood for some roast duck."

"As you wish! Immediately sir!" The solider ran to the shop nearest to them and purchased the fattest duck the shop had to sell. "Here sir!"

"And something to drink. Jasmine tea please." Iroh said, being picky.

"Tea? I'm sorry sir…but we don't have any tea left in this town."

Iroh looked back at the heavens and shouted. "That's not funny!"

Iroh was escorted back to the Fire Nation fortress in the middle of town. That, unfortunately, meant that he had to wait to eat his duck until they arrived there. But the moment he was able to, Iroh devoured the poor animal like he hadn't eaten in months. In a matter of minutes, the bird was bone clean and Iroh's composure rejuvenated itself as he redressed himself in his Fire Nation uniform. Strangely, the dirty brown clothing he had found on the boat had grown on him and Iroh decided to hold on them. Just in case.

"So…" He spoke to the private after finishing his lunch, hoping to have a good conversation. "…this town is controlled by the Fire Nation as well. How long have you been here?"

"Almost a year sir. This town was originally conquered to act as a supply depot for our secret attacks on the eastern territories."

"Oh yes! I heard about those. My father had planned to flank Ba Sing Se by sailing around the world."

"Yes, well…the plan wasn't very successful. Most ships that sailed that way sunk before reaching the half way point."

"What a shame." Iroh didn't know what else to say.

"But we have a new function now. We are going to be a depot for the men attacking Ba Sing Se. We send shipments to our bases around the wall every week."

"About Ba Sing Se…" Iroh began, but was interrupted by the private.

"Aren't you supposed to be leading the siege sir?"

"I still am. But I was separated from my men during a storm. I am trying to find a way to wall. I think fate has led me to this town for a reason. What do you say solider? Can you help me?"

"Absolutely sir. The next shipment to the Ba Sing Se outposts leaves in six days. You can jump aboard one of the supply carriages and, if you leave in the morning, will be at the wall before the sun sets."

"Magnificent!" Iroh clapped his hands in enthusiasm. He smiled at his seemingly unending luck.

Then the private said something that bothered Iroh. Something that the prince didn't expect to hear.

"Your Lieutenant will be surprised to see you. He told us you were dead." The Private said plainly.

"Excuse me?" Iroh looked at the private strangely, not understanding what he had meant.

"Lieutenant Zhao." He repeated.

"Lieutenant Zhao? Of the 212th Naval?"

"Yes. He was in the storm too. We found him two days ago and he jumped on one of the supply carts before you got here. He should be at the wall by now."

Iroh paused. "…really?"

Iroh looked puzzled, not sure of what to make of the situation. Iroh could not quite put his finger on it, but he sensed…something. A voice in the back of his head told him that something was not right.

"Sir?" The private noticed Iroh's confused expression.

"Young man…" Iroh said, still worried. "…I want you to send a messenger hawk to Ba Sing Se immediately. Send a few. Oh, and send another one to the Fire Nation Palace. Tell them that I was separated from my platoon and will be arriving at the wall within a week. And make sure that you mention that I am alive and well."

"Um…yes sir." The Private bowed and left Iroh.

Iroh rapped his fingers on his knee, thinking again. He should have been grateful for Lieutenant Zhao's survival, but there was something strange about it. He guessed that the Lieutenant did not survive the attack. If he did, he would still be on the ship with Lu Ten. If he fell over the side of the boat, he would have drowned. And if he had by some means managed to get to shoreline, what were the odds of reaching the same town that Iroh did…two days in advance.

Iroh felt uneasy. "Perhaps fate did send me to this town for a reason." He said.