"Where did you get these?" Iroh asked when Zuko dropped two barrels of food at his feet.

"What does it matter where they came from?" Zuko growled before he turned on his heels to walk straight out of the cave again.

Elyrie wanted to ask him where he was going, but she knew better by now. She pulled her legs closer to her chest and placed her chin on her knees. Zuko had been in a particular foul mood the last few days. She didn't blame him though. She herself had trouble keeping up her spirits with the hardships they faced.

Her gaze went to the barrel filled with pastries at the opening of the cavern. She wasn't gullible enough to think Zuko had paid for them. Uncle saw her look and offered her one of the sweet treats, but she simply shook her head as she chewed on her lip.

"Having principles is important, dear" Iroh said while licking the cream from the pastry from the corner of his mouth, "But they don't fill your stomach."

"I know" she sighed as she picked up the jam-and-cream filled treat. The sweet smell reached her nostrils. She took a small bite and chewed it slowly. It was delicious and rich and decadent. The vanilla cream was velvety and smooth, as well as the raspberry jam. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten something so delicious.

And it made her nauseous.

She couldn't shake the feeling they might have been taken from people who needed it more than they did. True, it were luxury items and probably only the richest could afford to pay for them but that didn't made her feel better. She kept thinking about Song and her mother, who had shown them so much kindness even though they had lost everything they had when they fled.

It was a feeling she was unable to shake. Without saying another word, she stood up and straightened her tunic. She pushed her short curls in a bit of a model, for as best she could, and put on her cap and worn off shoes. Her feet were healed completely, but she did need new shoes.

"Where are you going?" Iroh asked while chewing on his third pastry as she walked out of the cave. His mouth was completely covered with the cream and sugar, which made Elyrie chuckle.

"I'm going to see if someone needs a hand and is willing to pay for it." She answered while standing on her toes. She was eager to leave the damp cave. "It is a market day in the town, so I might be able to find a job?"

"Be careful!" Iroh warned her as she walked off into the direction of the village, "Make sure you're back before sunset!"

"I will!" she shouted over her shoulder.

The two ostrich-horses were waiting by the entrance of the cave and she saw that Zuko had brought food for them as well. Well, I can't say he doesn't think about others, she mused while pondering whether to take the ostrich-horse with her to the village. She decided against it, since it was a short walk to the nearest village.

Like every other town in the Earth Kingdom, this village had a market day on which the entire town seemed to gather around the travelling merchants. Uncle, Zuko and she had travelled further into Earth Kingdom territory and everywhere they went, there was a stark contrast between the rich and the poor. For every job, there were at least six pair of hands willing to take it. Most of them were refugees, just like she was.

After two hours of walking around town, Elyrie hadn't found any sort of job. She got the same response over and over again: Sorry, no need. She shouldn't have been surprised: this town was a well-known place for passing travellers and thus as well for refugees. It seemed like everybody needed the money.

After a while, she sat down on the steps of a large stone building which dominated the square, probably the town hall. Sitting cross-legged, she looked at the different stalls on the square. The smells of freshly baked bread and roasted meat drifted her way. Her mouth began to water again, but she bit on her fist to repress the growling sounds of her stomach. A quick look around assured her that there were more people like herself sitting down, begging for scraps.

While observing the passing people, she fiddled with her ring on her right hand. The sapphire caught the sunlight and glittered like waves of the ocean. How much was it worth? Probably enough to feed them for at least a couple weeks. She could sell it to make sure they wouldn't starve. To make sure Zuko wouldn't need to steal to feed them.

She sighed as her chest constricted at the thought of parting with it. She knew she couldn't. So she decided she couldn't give up looking for another way to make money just yet. She lowered her hand again and looked at the people from the market. There had to be a way to make money, right?

You could sing, a little voice said from inside her. The little voice she had tried to repress the entire day since she considered singing her last option. Well, second-last option since she just decided that selling her ring was her last option.

The last time singing had managed to provide them with some money, but she had done it merely to distract one particular rude man. She'd never intended to make a display of herself, but it had happened just the same.

But was making a spectacle of herself worse than starving and stealing? Did she dare to sing? She had never sung for so many unknown people, but it was worth a shot, right? She had observed several musicians on their way here and everyone seemed to be willing to pay for a few moments of amusement.

But she didn't have an instrument, so could she sing? You didn't need one last time, the voice persisted as she tried to talk herself out of it.

She leaned forward and placed her elbows on her knees when she inspected the town square. It was crowded with a wide range of colourful people who went shopping. She saw multiple purses, full of money, passing by. She played with her cap and as she was turning it around in her hands, she decided it was perfect to place in front of her if she were to sing.

What was she about to sing? Her mother's lullaby? No, that is too personal, she immediately decided. It had to be a song she could sing without an instrument accompanying her. And no song from the Fire Nation, because that would only make people suspicious.

The last song she had sung with Zuko on the beach? That one was perfect; short enough to be over as soon as possible and easy to listen to.

Did she really dare to sing on het own? I must be losing my mind, she thought as she inhaled deeply and straightened her back. Standing up and stepping forward, she placed herself strategically on the side of the square. Well, here goes nothing, she thought when she closed her eyes and began the first verse.

There are times I think that no one seems to listen
There are times I think they listen but don't hear
There are times I think they hear but something's missing
The thoughts behind the words aren't clear

Elyrie opened her eyes and looked around her. Nobody stared at her in horror, which was a good start. She chuckled, since the lyrics matched her situation unironically. With new confidence, she continued the verse.

So they're saying something they're not saying
They think I mean something I don't mean at all
Do we raise our voices, miscommunicating?
Or simply say nothing at all?

Is there another way to say it
In a way that can be heard?
Let me see if I can put it into words

People had stopped in their tracks when she began to increase her volume, so she could be heard over the rattling of carriages and the voices of the merchants. A small crowd gathered around her, but now she was completely aware of it. She smiled broadly when she started the refrain.

I can hear you
You can hear me
When we listen with our hearts

I understand you
You understand me
That's a place where we can start

Words of kindness and forgiveness
Bring us closer, not apart
When we speak our minds
And listen with our hearts

She sang that afternoon until her voice gave out.

"She still hasn't returned?" Zuko asked his Uncle when twilight approached. Iroh shook his head and looked worriedly at the darkening sky. It would soon be completely dark.

"I'll go look for her." Zuko said as he walked out of the cave, "You stay here in case she comes back."

Without waiting for a response from his Uncle, Zuko walked straight to the hollow tree where his new Blue Spirit mask was hidden. He had stolen it from the carriage in one of the first villages they visited. His Blue Spirit disguise allowed him to stalk in the night and remain hidden in the shadows. Letting the mask glide in his bag, he took it with him just in case.

He practically ran over the main road to the city gate, praying she would have gone to the nearest village. On his way, he saw a lot of merchants leaving the town and the street lights were already lit. Where the hell is she? He thought as he looked around the town square. The last merchants were still packing their belongings, so he walked over to them.

"Have you seen a young girl?" Zuko asked the first merchant he saw, "Auburn curls and about this tall?" he added as he raised his hand to the level of his chin.

The merchant looked puzzled, but his wife seemed to have a better memory. "Oh, you mean the singer?" she asked from behind the chart, "That was a sweet girl." She nodded to her husband as she lifted a heavy basket, filled with apples. "We have just sold her some fruit."

Singer? Zuko thought in disbelief, but it did fit Elyrie's description so he nodded. "She was in a hurry to leave when she saw that it was about to get dark," the merchant added as he tapped is finger against his chin, "She went into that direction, maybe ten minutes ago." With his index finger, he pointed to the direction of the city gate.

Zuko thanked the couple and quickened his pace. She couldn't have come over the main road, otherwise he would have seen her. She could have gotten lost in the dark, he mused as his eyes scanned the surroundings. Her sense of direction wasn't particulary good, so it was plausible she could have taken a wrong turn.

The streets were emptying now that everyone returned to their homes. Only a couple of sleezy looking types were out, which didn't raise Zuko's hopes.

"Hey handsome," he heard a female voice yell from across the street. He looked up and saw an older women in a low cut top motioning to him to come to her, "You looking for a good time?" Zuko almost choked when the woman raised her skirt to just below her tigh. Quickly averting his eyes, he walked away. He didn't like this one bit.

It would probably be best if he didn't attract any more unwanted attention. Disappearing in the shadows, he put on his mask and swiftly climbed on the roof of the nearest building. He could search much faster when he had a look from above.

Jumping from roof to roof, he kept his eyes and ears open for any sign of her. The brawling of drunken men in the streets became louder and louder. Lily, he mentally called her, where are you? The fear that something had happened to her became greater and greater when he heard the comments of the men in the streets. A beautiful girl like her was bound to attract attention.

Just as he was about to search another part of town, he heard a familiar voice say: "I really, really, don't."

And he knew that voice well enough to know something was very wrong.

Damn it, Elyrie mentally scolded herself for not paying attention to the time.

She had purchased most of her things immediately after she decided she had earned enough money for that day. The first thing she bought were new shoes for herself to prevent another disaster with blisters and injuries. And just in case they got themselves injured, she had also bought enough bandages and ointment to last at least a year. Finally, she had spend the last money on groceries to feed them for the next week. Healthy food, she thought amused when she filled up her basket.

Humming contently to herself, she had made her way back to the city gate and the forest. The street merchants were clearing out their charts and most people disappeared into the safety of their homes. He will be moody for sure, she grinned to herself when she pictured Zuko's reaction to all the healthy food. He was not necessarily a picky eater, but he did have a secret sweet tooth.

Lost in her thoughts, she had missed the last turn in the dark and ended up in an alley with a dead end. "Oops." she said sheepishly but as she started to turn around, she saw a silhouette approaching. In a reflex, she stepped behind a pile of wooden boxes that were conveniently dumped there. She was in no mood to get robbed, especially since she could not use her bending here. She wasn't afraid, but merely cautious.

"Who's there?" the silhouette said while he drew the swords from his back. Dual broadswords. Damn it, she cursed when she recognised the man. It was the same man who had tried to attack Uncle a few days ago and who had tried to humiliate him for money. Uncle might have been so humble not to take offense, but she was less forgiving. Moreover, she had no intention of another encounter with that sleezy excuse of a man.

"Show yourself!" the man yelled as he let his swords swing again and his voice came closer. It was inevitable that he would discover her and she didn't particularly like the idea of meeting the end of a sword. With a sigh, Elyrie stepped from behind the boxes with gritted teeth.

"I took a wrong turn," she said in a calm voice, hoping he would let her pass without issue, "Pardon me."

"Ahh" he said, lowering his swords as soon as he recognised her, "The little sparrowkeet. I am glad to see you again."

"Thank you." was her short reply. "Have you followed me here?" the man asked while casually walking closer to her. Elyrie flexed her hand in an effort to calm herself, but her voice came out annoyed when she answered: "No."

"My name is Elai." the man continued, not in the least bothered by her short replies. She didn't respond, so he swiftly moved in front of her and forced her to stop.

Elyrie leaned as if to go around him, but Elai quickly lunged to the side. She made a move in the opposite direction, but he did the same. Finally, she rolled her eyes and exhaled. "What?" she snarled, not even trying to be polite anymore.

"You know," he said while standing in front of her, "A girl as pretty as you should not be begging in the streets. If you want, I can-"

"I don't." She interrupted him without bothering to look at him.

"Come on, be a sweet girl" he said while taking another step closer to her, "I didn't do anything to you, now did I? Don't you want to get to know me better?"

"I really, really, don't." she said through her clenched teeth while trying to step aside. Please, she mentally pleaded as her eyes searched for the main road, I really don't want to be forced to firebend.

What neither of them realised was that they were being watched by a figure in the shadows. The mask concealed his face, but his hands were clenched into fists.

"Do you think you are better then me?" Elai said in a low voice as he came even closer. He had to admit that he had liked her spirit, but enough was enough. He was not about to be put down repeatedly by such a tiny girl. She didn't look the least bit intimidated again. He licked his lips as his eyes went over her.

"Yes." Elyrie lifted her chin arrogantly in response. A little voice inside her told her she'd better not provoke him, but her pride refused her to back down.

Suddenly, he pushed her roughly against the wall. In a reflex, she placed her hands on his chest to keep him from coming any closer to her. She dropped the basket and the groceries rolled over the stones.

Elai grabbed her right hand and studied it. "Ah," he said while clicking his tongue, "Such a pretty ring for a beggar." He had been right: this girl was no ordinary beggar. That arrogant pride was something you only saw the richest, most privileged people express. A diabolical grin crossed his lips. Oh, he was going to enjoy making this one squirm beneath him and beg him for mercy.

Elyrie pulled her hand from his grip, but he forced her into a corner. "Sing for me." the man commanded as he pushed her back against the wall and placed his hands next to her face, "Or you can kiss me." His eyes looked at her as if she was a prey and he was about to pounce on her.

"Let me pass." she said, trying to push him away from her. He was so close now that she could smell the alcohol on his breath. He didn't bother to move and when she finally looked into his eyes, her heart started to pound in panic. The predatory gaze was a look that reminded her of Zhao. Adrenaline rushed throughout her body as she tried to push him away, but he wouldn't move. He had her cornered and Elyrie knew it.

And in the shadows, Zuko knew it too.

Sparks came from the corners of his mouth as he exhaled in anger. He jumped off the roof to pull him away from her, but before he could grab the man by his shoulders he heard a loud cry echoe through the night.

Zuko froze for a second. Had that man hurt Elyrie? His heart went cold at the thought. The cry was one of pain, but it didn't sound like her.

Instead, Zuko saw that the man lowered his head and slumped forward as if he wanted to throw up. Then, he heard a rather sickening sound of a smack, obviously one of flesh against bone. It was followed by a duller thud as the man staggered and fell on his back on the stones.

Elyrie shook her hand, stretched her fingers and inspected her knuckles. The skin was broken, but it was worth it. When Elai had bent forward to kiss her, her knee had found a very obvious place. And when he had bent forward in pain, she had given him the hardest punch in the face she had ever given anyone.

"What the…?" she heard a familiar voice. Elyrie looked up and saw a masked figure looking at the unconscious man lying on the floor.

"Fancy seeing you here." Elyrie said as she stepped over the man, not bothering to pay attention to his state. She picked up the bread and fruit from the floor and inspected them for bruises or dirt. They had managed to survive the ordeal, so she quickly assembled them in the basket. "Here to help me?" she asked in a conversational tone, as if she had not just knocked out a grown man twice her size.

"As if you needed it," Zuko replied, not even bothering to hide how impressed he was as he took off his mask to take a better look at the unconscious figure on the ground, "You knocked him out flat." He squatted next to man to check on him. Not that he particularly cared for his wellbeing, but he was curious to see the damage Elyrie had managed to bring to him.

His bleeding nose was somewhat off-centre and a dark bruise covered his cheekbone. When he looked closer, Zuko saw that his cheekbone bled as well. He looked back up and saw that Elyrie shook her right hand. The hand that had hit him was conveniently the one on which she wore her ring. And if something was hard, it was gold and stone.

"He was asking for it," Elyrie said while she rubbed her knuckles, "No, wait. That is not true. He was asking for a kiss." Her lips twisted in a devilish grin and she looked rather pleased with herself. "But my fist kissed his face, does that count?"

A faint whimper came from the figure on the floor as he rolled onto his stomach. He was regaining consciousness as he rolled onto his stomach to push himself back up, clutching his obviously broken nose. Blood ran over his hand as he tried to stop the bleeding. His gaze was foggy and he saw stars. When he sat back on his knees to clear his head, he looked up at Zuko and his eyes widened in horror.

"Do you mind?" Zuko asked Elyrie as he motioned to the man. "Not at all." Elyrie answered while studying her right hand again.

With a swift kick, Elai was knocked out for the second time and landed on his stomach on the ground. His swords, which he had put back in the scabbard, were still attached to his back. Without saying a word, Zuko took them from him. And for once, Elyrie didn't object to him stealing from others.

"Let's go back," Zuko said while pointing one sword in the direction of the forest, "Uncle was worried about you." Although there was truly no need, he thought as he looked at the pathetic figure on the floor. The bleeding had stopped, but even in the dark he saw that his bruise was starting to turn a blackish-blue colour.

Zuko tied the leather scabbard on his back and placed the swords in it. It gave him a safe feeling knowing he had the weapons with him, especially now that they had to walk back in the dark.

"Thank you," Elyrie suddenly said, turning around so fast that her short curls flew in her face, "For coming to find me."

"You didn't need my help." Zuko answered as he shrugged. He meant it, but he couldn't help imagining what might have happened had the situation been different and had he not been there to help her. His jaw clenched and he resisted the urge to knock the unconcious man for the second time, just to make sure he would have a splitting headache tomorrow. Serves him just right.

"No," Elyrie admitted with a lopsided grin. She was proud of herself, he could see that. "But it is a comforting thought to know that you are there when I need you."

This is actually the first part of a larger chapter I had in mind, but it became longer than I intended so I decided to split it into two parts. The second part will be added soon!

Lots of love and stay safe! :)