A/N: Aorry! My computer crashed so I had to get a new one. So enjoy the new chapter! Sorry for the wait!
Prince Zuko slowly opened his eyes, looking into the folds of his red blanket, which he was currently tangled up in. His head gave him a swift wake up call, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut again. He gripped the gathered fabric in his hands tighter, then relaxed as the headache slowly let up. He opened his eyes again, scanning the room. It was still the same quiet red room with the banner of Fire Nation hanging proudly on the wall. He attempted to push himself up.
Silently cursing he let his body stay on the mattress. He saw stains of a darker red spotting his blanket, they felt wet. He looked at his arms by the patches of unusual color and noticed deep, open cuts streaked with blood. He hissed in anger and pain as he shifted his weight to his right side. A sharp pain raced up the length of his side and torso. He decided staying right where he was would be best, but he wouldn't be able to remain in his damp clothes.
Zuko sat up, inhaling to keep from uttering any pained sounds. He stood uneasily and moved to search for new attire. His anger and discomfort only escaladed as he pulled on the new clothes, not bothering to notice what was ailing his side. He tied on his armor, flinching as the metal scrapped against an unseen bruise. Zuko decided to lie down, removing the blood sodden blanket, and take a few minutes of a break before leaving his room.
Uncle Iroh skillfully moved another piece to his victory in his ever famous Pi Sho game. The other players groaned in defeat at the old general's tactics. The older man merely grinned widely and slid the winnings toward him. "I take the pot! Again! But you are all getting so much better! Shall we play again?"
The other men reluctantly nodded and began resetting the board. Uncle Iroh grinned widely, then noticed a small drip of water beginning to splash on the board. The roof above them was still wet from the previous rain and soaking their game. He turned to the girl watching the game beside him.
"Miss Kaida? Do you think you could give us a hand?" He motioned to the drip.
"Hm? Oh! Of course sir." She raised her hand and made a series of small movements, sending the water over the side into the ocean. She looked up where the sun was grazing the land nearby. Nestled within the mountains was their destination, the nearby fort where Zhao spent some of his docked time. Kaida shivered at the thought of seeing the man again.
"We're getting pretty close, eh? Perhaps we should wake up my nephew, he's sleeping in today." Uncle Iroh shook his head with a smile, "That is an all too rare event," he joked. He looked around the table, "Who wishes to volunteer to wake up my nephew?"
There was dead silence. Even the sea gulls stopped their chattering. Uncle Iroh sighed, "Alright. I'll have to go. Miss Kaida! Why don't you join me?"
"What?" She didn't have time to argue as he yanked her along behind him.
"The trick is to make as much noise as possible. Otherwise, he just ignores it." Uncle Iroh grinned and walked up to the prince's door. He then began pounding upon the metal in such a fury of loud resonating bangs, Kaida jumped back a few feet as the sound echoed in the hallway. There was no answer, which surprised Kaida how anyone could ignore that. Iroh sighed and stroked his beard, stepping back.
"Perhaps you should try." His voice was filled with confusion at his usual wake up call that had seemingly failed for the first time. When she hesitated, he gave her a little nudge with a strong arm.
"Um…alright, sir." She raised her hand to knock just as the heavy door was flung open revealing a most infuriated Fire Nation prince. Her eyes were wide with slight shock, her hand still raised. Kaida noticed this and quickly dropped it behind her back with a sheepish grin.
"Good morning Prince Zuko!" Uncle Iroh's call averted the glare Zuko was giving the girl, much to her relief. She slid back to the other side of the hall before he could start up again.
"We are nearing the fort, where do you wish to dock?" Iroh asked the steaming teenager.
"Not in the harbor. In the bay on the opposite end. I don't want anybody near my ship." His bitter tone was the same as usual. He strode past the two rudely to make his way to the bridge.
There were many visible ships already docked in the harbor, including Zhao's own vessel. Zuko was glad when the ship turned away from them and headed along the shoreline to the opposite side of the area, where not many docked their ships. Meaning, privacy and safety for everyone on board.
Prince Zuko could hear the familiar noises of the komodo rhinos being ready to ride to the fort. The ship's anchor was dropped and the door was unlatched to let the crew, and the rhinos, out on the dry land. The creatures roared their approval at the grassy area around them.
Uncle Iroh chuckled at the thought of himself on one of the beasts like he had done many years ago. Kaida meekly looked around at the rhinos, now chomping on grass.
"We're riding…on those?" She looked over with a bit of an alarmed look to Uncle Iroh.
"Of course! Then again, my back isn't like it used to be. I might just have to walk." Iroh grinned.
Prince Zuko leaned against a doorway on his way out. He felt so tired all of a sudden, and felt it was hard to breathe. He put on another grimace and strode down to a smaller komodo rhino for himself. The creature grunted and stomped its foot as other rhinos passed by. Uncle Iroh smiled to his nephew and walked among the marching ranks, to save the discomfort of riding. Kaida was sitting on a small rhino, gripping the reins tightly with a look that said "Good rhino, nice rhino, don't kill me rhino!" which was rather amusing to watch.
Prince Zuko continued to feel faint, concentrating only on the movements of the rhino and the turns of the path to the fort. There was another sharp sting along his side again as he shifted his weight. He stubbornly shut his mouth and glared at the trees around him. The pain was increasing with every step the rhino took.
Kaida was sitting uneasily atop her own rhino, hoping she knew how to eventually stop the beast. It seemed to listen, in some way. She looked up at the people trailing ahead of her.
Zuko felt the sting grow into an unbearable pain that failed to calm down. His vision was becoming blurry and unfocused, despite how many times he blinked or rubbed his eyes with an agitated hand. He took several deep breaths through gritted teeth before feeling lightheaded and eventually passed out. He slid unconsciously from his saddle and hit the ground silently. Blood oozed from the fabric of his shirt and spilled onto the dirt as his uncle and several other worried soldiers dismounted, left their ranks, and made their way over.
He could remember watching the land sink away in the distance, watching his home slip away from him. He fingered the bandages on his face impatiently, unable to turn away from the side of the ship. The image of his friend's face still grazed freshly in his mind. Her disappointed, hurt look staring at him from the shore. She sat alone watching him leave with a small wave. He had waved back, until he couldn't see the shore. He'd never forget the way she looked at him. Because, he felt the same way, he felt the same hurting, the same longing to remain in his home.