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Iroh, Zuko, and Chiara continued running through the woods eventually stopping to catch their breath. Standing by a small stream, Zuko pulled out his knife and cut off his top knot as Iroh did the same. Chiara gathered her hair to one side and pulled out her knife.
"What are you doing?" Zuko asked her as he grabbed her wrist.
"Cutting my hair..."
"No!" he yelled causing her and Iroh to jump.
He took the knife from her. She was shocked by his reaction.
"I'm just as much in exile," she said softly.
"You're not cutting your hair," he said.
"Zuko...," started Iroh.
"No! She's not cutting it. I just lost everything!" he yelled. "I...I need something to remain normal."
Neither Iroh nor Chiara argued with him. She let go of her hair and slowly reached for her knife and then put it away. She pulled off the diadem from around her head and placed it around her neck wearing it as she did before she traveled to the Northern Water Tribe with Iroh years earlier.
They sat down to rest for a short time. Chiara looked at the scratches on Zuko's face, and then she pulled out her vial.
"Close your eyes," she said.
"What if I don't?" he asked feeling a bit defiant.
"If what I'm about to do gets in your eyes, you may never forgive me."
Iroh chuckled at her explanation. Zuko closed his eyes and Chiara healed his wounds. After drinking some water and resting for a short time, they began walking. Acquiring some Earth Kingdom clothes, they tried to blend in. They followed a path and quietly walked for the rest of the day. Zuko was lost in thought as Azula's words echoed in his mind: He considers you a miserable failure for not finding the Avatar. He was filled with remorse as he realized he should have trusted his uncle and Chiara. He thought about Iroh leaving the Fire Nation to help him during his exile, and now he was a fugitive. He thought back to his childhood how Chiara always defended him against Azula, and now she was willing to give her life to protect him against his sister, making her a fugitive as well. He wondered how much lower his life could descend.
As the sun started setting, they were all tired and hungry.
"I think we should find a place to rest for the evening," said Iroh.
"We should do it off the road," said Zuko. "Somewhere in the woods."
They walked into the forest where Chiara began gathering sticks, and when they found a secluded area, she set up the wood for a campfire. Iroh sat down exhausted and lit the fire. Though Chiara was tired from their journey, she did not feel like sitting still, and she felt like being alone with her thoughts.
"I'm going to look for more wood," she said as she started walking deeper into the forest.
"Don't go too far," said Iroh. "It's getting dark."
Zuko got up and followed her. He lit a fire in his hand to provide her with light.
"Thank you," she said softly though wishing he had stayed with Iroh so she could be alone.
They walked around together searching for twigs.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"For?"
"For believing Azula. For not trusting you and Uncle. For leading you into a trap."
"It's natural for you to want your life back," she said. "And Azula's good. She told you everything you wanted to hear."
She picked up some sticks from the ground.
"Why did you stand between us?" he asked softly as he had been thinking about it.
"To give the General time to attack her," she answered.
"But what if he hadn't made it in time?"
"Then I'd be dead, and you'd be collecting sticks by yourself."
He was stunned by her bluntness. He appreciated how far she was willing to go to protect him and Iroh, but it also worried him because he did not want to lose her.
"Why did you tell Azula you'd defend us with your life?"
"Because you're my family. You're all I have." She stopped and looked at him. "I know that you long for home in the Fire Nation, but I told you before, for me, wherever you guys are, that's home. Whether we're sailing on a ship, stranded on a raft, or wandering as fugitives in a forest, I'd rather be here starving with you than back at home in the Fire Nation by myself with a full stomach worrying about you." He was stunned and did not know what to say. "This should be enough," she said of the sticks in her arms.
His flame went out as he took them from her and dropped them on the ground, and then he wrapped his arms around her. He wanted to tell her he loved her, but he could not seem to get the words out. Chiara was not expecting his embrace, but she relaxed and held him. When he let her go, he collected the sticks with her help. As they started their return to the campsite Zuko worried that Azula would now target Chiara.
The next morning they started walking again.
"I know we're all pretty burnt out on seafood, but if we find a river I can catch something for breakfast," she said.
"I think I'd rather starve than eat another fish," said Zuko.
"I'm sorry," she said sadly. "If I had a bow, I could hunt game."
"That sounds really good," said Iroh. "But right now I will be happy with fish."
They walked on until they finally came to a river. Chiara found a long branch and she began sharpening the end while Iroh set up a small campfire. When she finished making her spear, she stood in the river and waited for a fish. While secretly waterbending, she was able to trap one long enough to spear it. After scaling and gutting it, she left it with Iroh and Zuko who prepared it over a fire. While they were waiting for the fish to cook, Chiara walked off into the woods, and she was still gone when the fish was done cooking.
"Where'd Chiara go?" asked Zuko as he looked around.
"I don't know," said Iroh as he broke off part of the fish and began eating.
"Chiara!" called Zuko softly not wanting to yell.
There was no answer.
"She'll return when she's ready," said Iroh.
Zuko stood up. "She shouldn't be off on her own—not with Azula after us."
Iroh stopped eating and looked up at Zuko. "Find her."
Zuko walked off in the direction he remembered her going.
"Chiara!" he called, though not too loudly.
He still did not find her. He was beginning to get worried as he walked on in search of her.
"Chiara!"
"Hey," she said.
He stopped and turned towards her. She was holding a bow and some unfinished arrows. He took in why she had been gone.
"Where'd you learn to do that?" he asked her.
"Pohuai Stronghold," she answered.
He thought about his last adventure there as the Blue Spirit. "When were you...?" As he was asking the question, he remembered her telling him about their stay there years ago. "Oh." He took the bow from her to look at it more closely. "Where'd you get the twine?"
"The last village. It's kind of crude, but it should work."
He was impressed, and he appreciated her foresight.
"The fish is done. You should eat," he said.
She nodded, and they returned to camp where she and Zuko ate the fish Iroh left for them.
"We'll continue heading south," said Iroh as they ate.
"We'll have to go through the mountains," she said.
"We can't go around them?" asked Zuko.
"Only if you want to be spotted by Yuyan archers," said Iroh.
"Are we that close?"
"Yes," said Iroh. "On one side of the mountains is the stronghold, and on the other side lies steep cliffs that lead straight into the river."
"Before we reach the mountains, we should stock up on food," said Chiara.
"And more tea," said Iroh.
They continued traveling through the forest, and one afternoon as they stopped to make camp, Chiara disappeared with her bow. When she returned to them, she was carrying a small animal that had been gutted and skinned.
"Where'd you get that?" asked Zuko.
"From the woods," she said as she began cutting thin strips of meat and setting them off to the side.
"Did you find it like that?" he asked.
"No. I shot it."
"And you skinned it?"
"Yes. Gutted and skinned."
Both Iroh and Zuko were amazed.
"I didn't want the innards to attract unwanted animals, so I did it down at the river," she said as she prepared the rest of the animal over the fire.
The guys watched her intently as she prepared dinner.
"You are amazing, Chiara," said Iroh.
"Where'd you learn to do that?" asked Zuko.
"Tai taught me."
"Oh, Tai," said Iroh dreamily. "He was a great cook."
They continued watching her work.
"What are those for?" asked Zuko speaking of the extra strips of meat.
"We can dry those with the salt I got at the last village. They'll be perfect for traveling over the mountains."
She finished setting up the spit. "This needs to be turned every now and then so it cooks evenly." She began salting the extra pieces which she placed on a stick where the smoke was blowing, and when she finished, she stood up. "Don't let these get near the fire. As long as the smoke surrounds them the bugs won't get on them."
"Tai did all that?" asked Zuko.
"No. I learned it when we stayed at Master Jeong Jeong's camp years ago."
"What would we do without you, Chiara?" asked Iroh.
"I'm sure you'd manage," she said as she started walking away.
"Where are you going?" asked Zuko.
"To the river to clean up."
"She has been a treasure," said Iroh after she was gone.
Zuko was thinking the same thing.
After traveling another day they arrived at the base of the mountains. Chiara had gone hunting again, and this time Zuko watched as she prepared to gut and skin the animal near a river.
"Do you want to do this?" she asked him.
"No."
"You should learn. It's a good skill to have."
"I shouldn't have to learn it," he said angrily. "I should be living in the palace letting other people do it for me."
"If something happens to me, I want you to be able to take care of the General," she said softly. "And yourself."
"What's going to happen to you?" he asked, puzzled.
"Who knows when our time is up here," she said. "I'm sure the dead soldiers at the North Pole had no idea they would never see their families again. You and the General should be able to do this."
He hated the thought of losing her especially to death, and that she brought it up upset him. "Now I'm definitely not learning how to do it," he said stubbornly. "You're just going to have to stay alive."
She knew the strain of exile was getting to him, so she did not argue.
She made some more jerky that evening, and they stocked up on water before beginning the trek through the mountains. It took them a week to travel through them as they stopped every evening to sleep.
Towards the end of the week their food supplies were running low, and food seemed to be scarce where they were. Zuko had long grown frustrated with their exile, and the constant walking and lack of shelter from the elements was taking its toll on him; and though they were not completely starving, their stomachs ached with hunger more often than not.
When they finally cleared the mountains, they entered a forest rich with game. One afternoon, after stopping to make camp, Chiara disappeared and returned later dragging a hog. When Zuko saw her through the trees straining to drag it, he ran up to her.
"Whoa!" he said. "This is the biggest thing you've ever caught!"
"And heaviest," she said rubbing her lower back.
He took over for her by picking it up and carrying it.
"Take it to the river," she said.
Zuko watched her as she gutted the animal. He was curious about her technique, but he obstinately refused to learn it because he considered it to be a task that was beneath him, and he felt that if he did learn it, he would be admitting defeat. In his mind he believed that by lowering himself to such a base skill, however important it might be, he would be giving up his destiny and accepting his failure to capture the Avatar and reclaim his place in the Fire Nation.
When she finished, Zuko carried the much lighter carcass back to the camp. Iroh's eyes grew wide when he saw them return with such a large meal.
"I can't wait to sink my teeth into that," said Iroh. "We can eat for days."
"We should probably dry as much as we can," she said. "It's pretty huge."
That evening after extremely full stomachs, they slept soundly for the first time in weeks.
They continued traveling through the forest until they came to a drier region with the river to the east and small mountains to the west. Iroh and Zuko appreciated the dried meat Chiara had made prior to entering such a dry land as they found little to eat in the area. After days of walking they came to an enormous canyon.
"We must've reached the Great Divide," said Iroh.
"Great," said Zuko cynically. "Like the mountains weren't bad enough, now we have a giant hole in the earth to deal with."
"Going around it will take too long," said Iroh.
"Then we'll have to go through it," said Zuko who started looking for an area where they could descend into the canyon.
"What about the canyon crawlers?" asked Chiara.
Zuko stopped and looked back at her. "What?"
"The canyon crawlers."
"Yes, I remember the villagers speaking of them," said Iroh.
"What are you two talking about?" asked Zuko.
"Years ago, we were in a village near the coast," started Iroh, "and they spoke of the Great Divide and the canyon crawlers that inhabit it."
Zuko's shoulders slumped. "Then what do we do?"
"Let's continue walking south."
They walked south along the edge of the canyon, and after a few hours they came to building. A man stepped out and approached them.
"Looking to go across the canyon?" he asked.
"If you can direct us which way to go, it would be most appreciated," said Iroh pleasantly.
"You can't go without a guide," said the man.
"I think we'll be fine," said Zuko.
"So you're an earthbender then?" said the man.
Zuko glared at him. "No."
"Then you'll never make it," he said. "To cross the canyon requires an earthbender."
Zuko sighed. Chiara reached in her pocket and pulled out the last two coins she had earned at the resort.
"This is all we have," she said as she held them out.
The guide looked at the two coins, and then looked at them. He hesitated.
"You look pretty down on your luck," he said noticing how weary they appeared. "I'll do it."
Chiara gave him the coins.
"It will take a day to cross the canyon," he said. "And you must get rid of any food you're carrying."
"Why do we have to get rid of our food?" asked Zuko.
"The canyon crawlers," said the guide. "They have an extremely sensitive sense of smell and can detect the smallest bit of food you're carrying."
"We can handle some crawlers," he said.
"One or two maybe, but a swarm of them will pick your bones clean."
"What about tea?" asked Iroh.
"Tea is fine."
Iroh let out a sigh of relief before pulling out some of their leftover jerky and other meat and began eating it. Zuko grumbled, but he and Chiara followed.
When their food was gone, they followed the guide into the canyon. It was clear to them why they needed an earthbender to travel through it as he moved rock to create bridges and walkways.
"So you're probably wondering how the canyon was formed," started the guide.
Zuko looked at Chiara. "Isn't this something you already know from your travels?" he asked with a slightly bitter tone.
She just shrugged and shook her head.
The guide continued. "Experts tell us the canyon was most likely carved into the ground by earth spirits who were angry at local farmers for not offering them a proper sacrifice." His words were spoken as if they were memorized from a script. He made a movement and created a bridge of rock which they could cross, and after walking over it, he removed it. Iroh studied the man carefully and he began talking to him, and as they conversed, Zuko and Chiara walked behind them.
"Does it bother you when I mention something I know?" she asked him.
He thought about it. He was often amazed at her knowledge over the years, but he was also a bit jealous that she had learned so much about the world while he had been stuck in the Fire Nation with no mother, an uncaring father, and a cruel sister.
"No," he said softly, feeling guilty for his bitter feelings towards her. "I think it's cool that you know everything."
"I don't know everything."
"You know more than I do about the Earth Kingdom."
"Only because I lived in it for a while."
"I wish I had been with you and Uncle then. Maybe I wouldn't be here now."
"But you are here with us now. Take advantage of the knowledge you're gaining."
He realized she was right. He began thinking that he should just accept his fate that he would forever be on the run from his own Nation. Suddenly, he heard the guide speak a word that caught his attention.
"...he and his friends traveled across the Great Divide with the two groups," said the guide. "That was quite a trip. It turns out both groups had food that had an entire swarm of crawlers after them. I don't know what happened to those two tribes, but the poor tour guide quit after that."
"So the Avatar went through here?" asked Zuko.
"Oh, yes."
"When?"
"Months ago."
Zuko felt disappointed.
It was late at night when they reached the far side of the canyon.
"Thank you for your services," said Iroh. "It was quite an interesting tour."
"Thank you," said Chiara as she bowed to him.
"You're quite welcome," he said. "And since it's just the three of you, you're welcome to spend the night in the shack over here. It's pretty dark out and the town's not easy to find this late."
"Thank you for your hospitality," said Iroh.
Being tired and hungry, they accepted his offer. The guide led them to a small building and invited them inside where he started a fire in the fire pit. Iroh proceeded to make some tea, and the guide disappeared for a minute and returned with a small bit of food.
"I know it's not much," he said, "but it's kept here for the guides after leading a tour."
"We can't thank you enough for your generosity," said Iroh.
"It's okay. I've escorted quite a few refugees who've lost everything. They're heading towards Ba Sing Se to flee the Fire Nation."
Zuko looked at Iroh who remained impassive as he held his teacup.
After finishing their small meal and tea, they settled down and slept for the night.
Early the next morning they began their trek south. Still in an arid region, there was little food available, and it was late in the evening when they finally reached a forest. Since it was too dark to hunt, they went to sleep for the evening. The next morning, Chiara got up early to go hunting, and she returned to camp after dressing the small game she managed to kill. Iroh fixed it over a fire and began to cook it while she lay down with her back to them feeling famished.
"Are you okay?" Zuko asked her.
"I'm just a little tired," she said.
He knew it was more than that. It did not escape his notice that she often sacrificed food so he and Iroh could eat more. She also expended more energy on her hunting trips by trekking through the woods and dressing her kill.
After the food was cooked, Zuko took some to her. He leaned over her and tenderly caressed her head.
"Chiara, it's done. You need to eat."
She sat up, and he handed her a large piece of meat.
"This is too much," she said.
"What? You've hardly eaten anything in days."
"It wasn't a very big animal. You and the General need to eat too."
"There's more meat left. Just eat this."
"Not until you guys have your fill."
"Uncle," he called, "make her eat something."
"Zuko is right, Chiara," said Iroh also noticing her famished look. "Eat what he's given you."
She reluctantly ate what he held out to her. It was energy her body definitely needed, and she felt better after eating. They continued their journey south through the forest, and that evening, they were happy to enjoy a hog for dinner. A couple days later, they came to a river where they discovered what looked like the remains of a village poking up through the water.
"I wonder what happened here?" asked Zuko.
"I hope nobody was hurt," said Chiara.
After crossing the river they traveled through another large forest foraging and hunting as they journeyed.
"We're not far from the Cave of Two Lovers," said Iroh.
"That means Omashu's on the other side," said Chiara.
"The Cave of Two Lovers?" asked Zuko wondering what that was.
"The story we were told," started Chiara, "was that there were lovers, Oma and Shu, who came from two villages that were at war. They were forbidden to be together, so they learned how to earthbend and they created a labyrinth inside the mountain where they would meet secretly."
Zuko thought about it. "That sounds familiar," he said as he took Chiara's hand and smirked at her.
"But then Shu died in the war," said Iroh as he glared at Zuko.
"You're just saying that, Uncle," said Zuko.
"Actually, he's not," said Chiara. "Shu was killed in the war."
"That's...that's pretty tragic," said Zuko.
"Oma showed both villages how powerful an earthbender she was, though, and demanded peace between them, and they joined together and created a new city."
"Omashu," said Zuko as it hit him.
Chiara nodded.
"Maybe King Bumi will help us," she said to Iroh.
He looked thoughtful. "That's a possibility."
"Why would the king of Omashu help us?" asked Zuko.
"Because he's a nice guy," she said.
"How do you know?" he asked. "No, no...," he said before she could answer. "You met him?"
"I told you we met him," she said.
Zuko remembered her telling him about the unusual king of Omashu. "He's the one that put you in prison?"
"Yes."
"He's quite a good Pai Sho player," said Iroh.
Zuko rolled his eyes.
The next morning Iroh was going through their bags.
"We're out of tea," he said disappointedly.
"I'm going fishing," said Chiara. "Why don't you guys find some berries or fruit," she suggested as she felt like fishing alone.
She left to go down to the stream leaving the other two to forage. Eventually, Iroh and Zuko began walking around the forest looking for anything edible, and it seemed like they had been searching forever. Iroh finally came across a flower and began staring intently at it. As he was studying the plant, Zuko stumbled through the brush behind him.
"I didn't find anything to eat," he said frustrated. "I can't live like this. I wasn't meant to be a fugitive. This is impossible!" He turned and looked at Iroh. "Uncle, what are you doing?"
"You're looking at the rare white dragon bush," he said of the plant in front of him. "It's leaves make a tea so delicious it's heartbreaking. That or it's the white jade bush which is poisonous."
"We need food not tea. I'm going fishing with Chiara."
"Hmm...delectable tea or deadly poison?" Iroh said to himself as Zuko walked off.
Zuko approached Chiara at the stream.
"Any luck?" he asked.
"No, not really," she said wishing she had more time to herself. "A river would offer more promising fish."
Zuko found a long stick and he began carving the end in order to make a spear. When he finished, he stood some distance away from Chiara and looked for fish. Nearly an hour had passed, and neither spotted anything worth catching.
"Let's just go find Uncle," he said.
They walked through the woods until they found Iroh who was still sitting before the bush.
"Zuko, remember that plant I thought might be tea?"
"You didn't," said Zuko.
"I did," said Iroh as he turned around to show his red, swollen face. "And it wasn't."
Zuko gasped as he jumped back, but Chiara ran to him.
"Oh, no," she said as she knelt down and looked closer at the rash.
"When the rash spreads to my throat, I will stop breathing," said Iroh nonchalantly as he was scratching.
She began pulling out her vial of water intending to use it regardless of Zuko finding out, but Iroh stopped her.
"Look what I found," he said holding out a branch. "These are bacui berries known to cure the poison of the white jade plant. That or maka'ole berries that cause blindness."
He was scratching everywhere.
Zuko grabbed the branch and threw it to the ground. "We're not taking any more chances with these plants! We need to get help."
"But where are we going to go?" asked Iroh as he scratched all over. "We're enemies of the Earth Kingdom and fugitives from the Fire Nation."
"If the Earth Kingdom discovers us, they'll have us killed," said Zuko.
"But if the Fire Nation discovers us, we'll be turned over to Azula."
They looked at each other and nodded.
"Earth Kingdom it is," said Zuko.
Chiara had one hand around Iroh's back as they walked on a road towards a village, and with her other hand she was trying to keep him from scratching. When they finally arrived at the village, they took him to the hospital.
"Oh, my," exclaimed the young woman who saw them as they walked up. "What happened?"
"Oh, funny thing," said Iroh. "I discovered white jade in the forest and made some tea."
"Come over here," she said as she led him to a bed.
Zuko and Chiara sat nearby as the woman began treating Iroh's rash.
"You must not be from around here," said the young woman. "We know better than to touch the white jade, much less make it into tea and drink it."
Iroh laughed. "Oops."
"So where are you traveling from?" she asked.
Zuko stood up. "Yes, we're travelers," he said awkwardly.
"Do you have names?"
"Names?" said Zuko. "Of course we have names. I'm...Lee, and..." He pulled Chiara up and put his arm around her back. "...this is my wife...L-Lin."
Iroh and Chiara were both stunned. Iroh looked around at Zuko and frowned.
"And that's my wife's father...uh...Mushi," he continued.
"Yes, my son-in-law was named after his father, so we just call him Junior," said Iroh.
Iroh smiled at Zuko who frowned and drew his finger across his throat.
"Mushi, Junior, and Lin, huh?" she said unconvinced. "My name is Song. You three look like you could use a good meal. Why don't you stay for dinner?"
"Sorry, but we need to be moving on," said Zuko.
"That's too bad," said Song. "My mom always makes too much roast duck."
"Where do you live exactly?" asked Iroh.
"Meet me here at sunset and I'll take you there."
"Is there any place around that could use help?" asked Chiara.
"There's a manor near the center of the village. They can always use help."
"You shouldn't go alone, Chi...Lin," said Iroh. "Junior, take her there. I do not want her alone in the village."
Zuko walked Chiara to the residence Song had told her about.
"You shouldn't be doing this peasant work," said Zuko. "I don't care what Azula says, you are royalty."
"I'll do whatever it takes to feed you guys."
"I hate this," he said deeply.
"I know. But it'll beat foraging in the woods every day."
Chiara spent the rest of the day working at the manor where she earned some coins. When she finished she walked outside where Iroh and Zuko were waiting for her.
"You look so much better," she said when she saw that Iroh's swelling had gone down.
"I feel better too."
"Did you hear about Omashu?" she asked them as they started walking to meet with Song.
"What about it?" asked Iroh.
"The Fire Nation conquered it. It's now called New Ozai."
Zuko scoffed at the new name as he rolled his eyes.
"And something about a pentapox outbreak," she continued, "...whatever that is."
"I guess we won't be going there," said Iroh. "We'll just continue south."
"I hope King Bumi's okay," she said.
"He's a master earthbender," said Iroh. "I trust he will retake his city when the time is right."
"I wonder how Nisha and her kids are doing?" said Chiara thoughtfully.
"Hopefully, they weren't there when it was taken over," said Iroh.
At sunset they met with Song who took them to her house for dinner.
"My daughter tells me you're refugees," said Song's mother. "We were once refugees ourselves."
"When I was a little girl, the Fire Nation raided our farming village," said Song. "All the men were taken away. That was the last time I saw my father."
"I haven't seen my father in many years," said Zuko sadly.
"Oh," said Song. "Is he fighting in the war?"
"Yeah," said Zuko.
"That's a beautiful necklace," said Song's mother to Chiara. "Where did you get it?"
"It's all I have left of my mother," said Chiara.
"I'm so sorry. So you lost your wife," she said to Iroh.
"I did. But...Lin is just as beautiful as her mother. She reminds me of her everyday."
Song's mother smiled.
"You two seem so young to be married," she said to Zuko and Chiara.
"Yes, well, crazy kids don't always listen to their parents' advice," said Iroh. "They can be so impulsive."
"Do you have any children?" she asked them.
"N-no," said Zuko. "Not yet. But...but we've been working on it," he said as he placed his arm around Chiara while looking at Iroh whose eyes got wide. "We want to have as many as we can." He gently pulled on her, shaking her a bit playfully.
She stuffed some pieces of roast duck in her mouth to keep from saying anything. Iroh, however, looked a bit ruffled by Zuko's words.
"It's not a good idea to consider children right now, Junior," he said through gritted teeth.
"That's between me and my wife," said Zuko as he tenderly ran his fingers down her arm. He lifted her hand and kissed it.
"You are much too young for that now," said Iroh.
"But you know how much Lin loves kids."
"Yes, too bad about that injury that will prevent you from having children," said Iroh to Zuko's surprise.
"You were...injured?" asked Song's mother.
"Oh, yes," said Iroh. "He was mauled by a...a goat gorilla. It caused some...uh...damage. So having children may not be possible."
Zuko was stunned and embarrassed. "We'll just keep trying," he said, now through gritted teeth.
Chiara just sat quietly as she continued eating and laughing to herself listening to Zuko and Iroh try to outshock one another.
After dinner, Chiara helped clean the table and dishes as Zuko sat outside by himself.
"Can I join you?" asked Song. "I know what you've been through. We've all been through it. The Fire Nation has hurt you," she said as she looked at his scar. "It's okay." She showed her leg. "They've hurt me too."
Zuko was stunned to see the burn on her leg.
"I'm sorry about the goat gorilla," she said.
Zuko sighed to himself. "Yeah, it's...it's not as bad as he says."
Later, they prepared to leave.
"Thank you for the duck," said Iroh.
"Yes, thank you very much," said Chiara.
"It was excellent," said Iroh.
"Your welcome," said Song's mother. "It brings me joy to see someone eat my cooking with so much...gusto."
"Much practice," said Iroh touching his belly.
Iroh and Chiara bowed to the women as they bowed back, but Zuko turned away.
"Junior," called Iroh. "Where are your manners? You need to thank these nice people."
Zuko bowed. "Thank you."
"I know you don't think there's any hope left in the world," said Song, "but there is hope. The Avatar has returned."
Chiara held her breath.
Zuko looked up. "I know," he said deeply.
Iroh and Chiara followed him out of the gate, and they left.
A/N: This chapter was based on a map I saw online that shows the journey Iroh and Zuko took after they left the Fire Nation resort and traveled south through the Earth Kingdom. They go through the mountains near Pohuai, down by Gaipan (the village flooded by Jet), and near the Cave of Two Lovers.