At dawn, there was a loud banging on the door. Aiori climbed out of her ball of blankets and opened the door and saw Iroh standing there. She smiled and he told her to follow him. She followed him into another room where the fire pit was burning. She ran over to her and made herself comfy in front of it. It warmed her body and she sighed in relief. Iroh handed her a hot cup of tea. "It is green tea, it rejuvenates the body."
"I remember it by the smell. My parents used to drink it when they were just waking up in the morning." She spoke her longest sentence since she had joined the crew. Iroh smiled warmly at her and took a seat in a chair in front of her.
"Careful, you will burn your tongue." He warned her as she began to gulp it down. It felt so good sliding down her throat, warming her body from the inside.
"My tongue is frozen, it can't burn." She said and he chuckled. She sighed and Iroh ripped off a piece of bread and handed it to her. She snatched it and wolfed it down! Not even trying to taste it, she swallowed every bite. It was her first meal in such a long time! She had been starving!
"I apologize for my nephew again. He is heartless." Iroh explained.
"There must be some good in him." She spoke up. Iroh stroked his beard and looked at her surprised.
"The fact that you can still say that after all you have been through it very astute of you. Tell me, what was your culture like?"
"Well, we were one with nature. We believed that all people had a good side and a bad side to them. It was up to them to decide which one to use. We believed in equality among everyone. But we were very keen with our fighting. We only fought to protect, and even if we hated the person, we would still defend them. It was how we were all raised."
"So everyone in Irashimu was a warrior?"
"Yes. But we spent most of our time raising the younger ones. I remember before I left, my friend's mother had just had her fourth baby." Iroh listened intently, "I wanted so bad to watch that babe grow; now I will never get the chance. I remember the baby's name, it was Nakia. It meant clever girl. The baby was so beautiful."
"Were there many children in your village?"
"No, not at all. I always loved watching them play, and even playing with them. After training I would always watch them."
"Who trained you?"
"My father and my mother. I had a little sister, her name was Chumani. The name was perfect for her."
"What does it mean?"
"It means dew drop. I looked after her every single day. I wanted to teach her everything I knew. How to water bend and how to speak with the wolves."
"I'm guessing your mother taught you how to water bend." And Aiori nodded.
"She did. We would do it together for fun. Then we would howl with the wolves. It took me years to understand what they were saying, but I discovered that they didn't speak…they sang. Once I realized that they spoke in songs, it was easier to know what they were saying."
"What did they sing about?"
"The night lights that always danced over the mountain tops and ocean for as long as the eye could see. My people believed that the lights were magic sent from the heavens to guide us. If you wished for something, a personal spirit would come down from the stars and help you." There was a moment of silence.
"How old are you, Aiori?"
"I am 15, but I'll be 16 soon, when the moon is full and the lights cover the whole sky in the spring time." There was more silence as the fire cracked behind her. The door flew open and Prince Zuko was standing in the doorway.
"Water Bender, there are fish bones left on the front deck from last night's meal. Go clean them up, now." He commanded. Aiori handed Iroh the cup of tea, bowed her head to him and walked out to the deck. "Uncle, why are you befriended her?"
"She is lost, Prince Zuko." He explained. "She comes from a land of peaceful people, and strong morals and traditions. Now she has nothing to remind her of her family."
"The wreck won't even show her own face. She has that scarf on all the time!"
"Prince Zuko, I want you to get to know her. And, I want you to make a pact with her. If she fulfills a deed that defines a purpose, saving your life for example, she will no longer be under your command."
"That will never happen!"
"Having a water bender out at sea with a ship is fortunate." And he walked off, leaving Zuko to think to himself. When the coast was clear, Zuko reached into a pocket and pulled out the hair band that Aiori had been wearing when he captured her. He didn't know why he kept it, but he felt it would solve a purpose of persuasion if things got tricky. He rubbed the beads and other objects in between his forefinger and thumb and gazed upon it. It was a mysterious piece of jewelry, just like the girl, mysterious and misplaced. He glanced out of the window to watch as she cleaned up the mess, still hiding her face from the world, and for a single minute…he wondered…what was she like under that mask.