"For what, my dear? You have done nothing wrong. You did what was right to protect your village, and that took a lot of courage." She just bowed her head.
"I had no choice. I'd rather be scrubbing these floors than see my people in danger."
"You have to forgive my nephew, he is ruthless at times. Prince Zuko has a temper that gets the best of him." The girl did not speak. "My name is Commander Iroh, I am Zuko's uncle." The girl nodded and began to scrub the floor again. "What is your name, child?"
"Aiori." She simple replied without looking at him.
"Aiori…it is a beautiful name. What does it mean?" Aiori stopped and looked away.
"It means pretty crystal waters."
"Ah, a water bending name, of course."
"Uncle!" Prince Zuko called from in the distance.
"I must go. It was nice meeting you Aiori." He went to walk away, "Oh, and nice work on the floors, they have never been so spotless." And then he continued to walk down the hallway. Aiori looked down at her lap and smiled. He was a kind and amusing man, at least there was one on the ship that did not degrade her.
"Uncle, why do you talk to that thing?" Zuko asked his uncle on the deck.
"Thing? Oh Prince Zuko, show some heart. You have taken everything away from this poor girl, do not make it worse." Prince Zuko turned his back to his uncle and walked to the railing of the ship.
"It was her decision to come on the ship as my servant."
"But she did it for her people. She is a descent young woman. Please, give her some respect. She's in bad condition."
"That's not my concern."
"She is frightened and scared nephew! She was snatched from her life and taken to a place where she is groveling to you."
"I am the captain of this ship!" Zuko yelled at his uncle. Iroh turned and walked away.
"But I am the eldest, and I say you are wrong. I am going to help her." He stopped, "Pretty crystal waters."
"What?" Zuko turned to look at him.
"It is her name. It means that you know."
Aiori was shivering in the bottom of the ship. She was thrown down there for the night, amongst the crates of supplies and other things. She rubbed her arms and watched as steam danced from her nostrils and mouth. She curled up into a corner and tried to stay warm. She was sure that her life was over, and that there was no point in going on. She'd never see her family again, and she didn't have anything to remind her of them.
The door opened and she saw Iroh walking down to her with some blankets in his arms. He smiled and set them down on a crate. Her teeth chattered as she tried to smile at him. Her frail body was so bitter that every hair on her body was raised. She hugged herself, wrapping her arms around her larger than normal sized breasts and tried to stand up, but the feeling in her legs was gone. Iroh saw this and handed them to her. She quickly wrapped herself up in the blankets and leaned against the crate. All that was visible was her eyes. Iroh smiled at her. "Try and keep warm Aiori, I will see you at dawn." And he left. She tried to sleep, but it took a while for her body to warm up until she was comfortable.