A/N: And now for a short, suspenseful chapter! Muhahaha!
Prince Zuko stirred and woke up to a dull pain in his side and a bad headache. He peered around the room, noting it was not his own. The medical room was much different than his quarters. There was a figure reading in a chair nearby, someone with very light colored hair. The person was looking over to him from over their book for a moment. He recognized that stare, it was the one from his dream. He gritted his teeth and sat up, startling the person in the chair.
"You're up! Uh, y-your uncle left to make some tea." Kaida replied, and buried her face in her book again.
Prince Zuko rolled his eyes and glanced at the white bandages covering his right side. The girl must be embarrassed to see him like this. How childish. He sighed in agitation as Iroh stepped in carrying a steaming teacup. His grim expression changed to a brief smile as he hurried over, nearly spilling the hot liquid on the floor, himself, and Prince Zuko.
"Nephew! How are you feeling?" Uncle Iron grinned to Zuko, it was almost scary seeing someone grin that widely.
Zuko glared, "How do you think?"
"Uh, yes. Well, you've been out for a while. You never told anyone you were injured, Prince Zuko. That wasn't a very intelligent decision. Miss Kaida suspects you brushed against the rough edge of one of the bars during your escape yesterday." He motioned to the girl still hiding behind her book.
"I'd like to talk with you, if you don't mind Miss Kaida. Will you be so kind as to wait for me in the hall? I'll only be a moment." Iroh looked over to her hopefully.
"Yes sir. Of course." She stood up, bowed politely to the prince and made her way out to the hallway, the door closing behind her.
Uncle Iroh sighed and turned to his nephew with a grim expression. "Prince Zuko, Zhao knows."
"Knows what? He's an ugly idiot? Good for him." The boy glared in his obvious hatred of the man.
"Zhao knows Kaida isn't the Avatar. He has seemingly captured the real one. He's being held in the fort here. Also, Zhao has been promoted to admiral apparently…"
"He what?" Zuko's face filled with shock. His mind raced through millions of questions. "How do you know?"
"The Lieutenant came back around to inform me during the meeting Zhao held tonight."
Kaida couldn't help but press her ear to the crack in the door and listen after hearing her name mentioned. She hated being so rude, but her curiosity got the best of her.
"Kaida's safety isn't the only problem here. If word gets to your father…" His voice trailed off for a moment. Iroh shook his head and looked his nephew in the eye fearfully, "Zuko, do you know what they do to people who commit treason?"
Kaida's eyes were wide with fright as she leaned against the door. She felt herself trembling, she did know what happened to them.
"The best thing to do right now is avoid Zhao. But, he can't go to your father without the Avatar as proof," Uncle Iroh pointed out, "Let us hope he escapes."
Kaida had made her way to the other side of the hallway before she could hear anymore. She leaned against the metal wall and tried to calm herself down. She wasn't going to die. She was still fine and that man was far away. Even though in reality Zhao was within walking distance, to her, he was still far enough away. She heard the latch click open and Iroh stepped out. He quickly changed his troubled appearance to a more cheerful smile.
"Didn't you mention earlier you wanted to tell me something important," he asked as he walked over.
"Y-yes sir." She swallowed and followed him down the hall. Kaida clutched tightly to the small book she still had in her hands.
"I also have a question. Would you mind further explaining your bending to me? I'm quite interested in learning about it," he smiled and led her to the galley. They had a talk similar to this one in the same spot before. He sat down heavily and propped up his chin with his arm, stroking his beard from habit.
"Of course sir." Kaida sat opposite him, straight backed as usual and her hands folded over the book in her lap.
"So, exactly how did you learn your bending?"
"I picked up my Firebending from watching my father. He tried teaching my brothers, but only one could bend and he was five." Kaida smirked for a moment.
"What about Waterbending? I don't think anyone in your family was a Waterbender." He looked slightly confused.
"No, they weren't. My father had this Waterbending scroll he found from a battle he was in. I only got to look at it for a little while, because he gave it back to a Water Tribesman."
Uncle Iroh thought back to the scroll the band of pirates he and his nephew had encountered a little while ago. Was that the same scroll? He shook his head and continued asking his questions. "What about your Airbending?"
"Truth is I'm not too great at it. I basically use the same form I use when I Waterbend." She looked down at the book again, studying the cover. "My bending has so little balance, that if I'm not careful I hurt myself."
"You don't have the natural balance the Avatar does." Iroh agreed, her statement explained what happened to her a few times before. He noticed the book in her hands and decided to ask before his own interest got the best of him. "What is that book?"
"This? Lieutenant Gi gave it to me. He said one of the troops found it in Commander, I mean, Admiral Zhao's office." She admitted.
"Really? What is it about that's so important Gi gave it to you?" Iroh wondered, his eyes wide with question.
"I recognized the symbol on the cover. You see, in the harbor in Fire Nation, Prince Zuko and I noticed this weird glowing part of the water so we went out to look at it-"
"You and Zuko were at the harbor? When?"
"When you sent me to get him that one night."
"I see, please continue then," he said with an intent ear.
"Well, I noticed the cover of this book had the same symbol we saw on the seafloor. It's a calendar, sir." She pulled up the book to show him. "This book is filled with astrological notes on an event that was supposedly going to happen at the end of this summer."
Iroh looked up to her, immediately understanding the book was about the most serious topic. The famed comet that his brother wished to use in the most violent ways.
"What have you learned from the book?" He asked sternly.
"Well, I'm able to say the comet isn't coming at the end of the summer."
Iroh's expression lightened, "Then perhaps the Avatar has more time to learn his bending and-"
"No sir," she looked up with worried eyes, "The comet isn't coming at the end of the summer because, it is coming much sooner."