Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender

Chapter 8

Iroh walked over to Lenetta who had collapsed on her knees crying her eyes out over Zuko leaving. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and the latter reached up to grip the former's shirt and pulled him down to his knees, she hugged him tightly as he hugged her back. She had her face buried in his shoulder as she sobbed brokenly tears dampening the shirt but he didn't mind, he was having a small moment himself crying into her hair.

They held each other for a moment longer as they both calmed down. They pulled away as Lenetta wiped her tears away and sniffled a little bit.

After they collected themselves they each grabbed their bags and started walking. Lenetta noticed they were walking in the direction Zuko had gone in.

" Where are we going?" Lenetta asked curiosity laced in her voice.

" We are going to follow him, just in case he needs us cause you never know." Iroh looked over at her as she nodded in understanding.

oOoOo

After they spent a few hours walking behind Zuko and the ostrich horse they reached a desert which was quite hot. They both took a swig out of their water pouches thankful that they had plenty.

Zuko was a mile ahead of them so he wasn't able to hear them as they trailed behind them. He was nodding off every once in a while, Lenetta watched him worriedly as the ostrich horse almost fell through a hole in the bridge. Luckily Zuko managed to right the animal and they kept moving forward.

Lenetta and Iroh reached the bridge themselves, while Lenetta only leaped over the hole she kinda had to give Iroh a hand considering he's not as young as he used to be. He thanked her and they both kept going.

Eventually they watched as Iroh entered a small Earth Kingdom town. They watched a little bit aways from the town so no one would see them.

They saw Zuko try to buy some feed as some soldiers walked toward him. Lenetta noticed that they didn't seem friendly, she wanted to leap out of their hiding place and help him out. Iroh however, laid a hand on her shoulder, she looked down at him as he shook his head.

" No Lenetta, remember we only help when he needs it and he doesn't seem to need us right now." Iroh reminded her in a whisper. Lenetta nodded at him and resumed her hiding.

They looked up and saw Zuko talking to a young boy. Zuko leaped onto the ostrich horse and the boy took the reins as he led the animal somewhere.

Iroh and Lenetta stood up and they strolled through the town trying not to draw attention to themselves. They kept their eyes on Zuko as they walked. Lenetta noticed in her peripheral vision that the soldiers were watching them but they kept on walking.

Eventually and after Zuko had gotten off the saddle to walk alongside the boy they found themselves at a farm and hid in some bushes to watch.

Zuko was talking to the boy's family, they heard his name was Lee. Uh oh, sounds like Zuko will have to come up with a new cover name, Lenetta thought to herself. They heard what sounded like Zuko struggling to come up with a cover name. But they didn't push him. They seem friendly enough.

oOoOo

Later after they found a better place to hide in, which was the woods, they watched as Zuko and Lee's father worked on the roof. While they were working Lee climbed up the ladder and since they were far away they couldn't hear what they were talking about but something obviously bothered Zuko cause he hit his thumb with the hammer.

After they finished working they went inside to eat as Iroh and Lenetta did the same thing. Iroh had bought some corn and bread from the previous town they were in. As they ate, they watched the sun go down.

" How are you doing?" Lenetta looked over at Iroh surprised by the sudden question, he was watching with concern written on his features. " I'm fine, why?" Lenetta looked away as she answered as she stared down at her lap. " You've been quiet for most of the afternoon, you wanna tell me why?" Lenetta looked at him and noticed he was studying her, her hands were shaking, which is something she didn't notice till now.

" Is it my fault?" Lenetta suddenly asked after a second. Iroh looked surprised now. Why would she think this is her fault? Iroh shook his head " No this isn't your fault, why would you think that?" Iroh asked gently, watching her carefully. The sun was down by now and he had to strain to see her whole body was trembling now from what he didn't know.

" I was the one who told him Avatar Roku is his grandfather, he wouldn't have left if I hadn't told him that." she was on her feet now trembling as she walked back and forth hands wringing together.

" There was no way you could have known he would do this, you only did what you thought was right, you didn't know he didn't know." Iroh took her by the shoulders which stopped her pacing although she was still trembling under his grip and wringing her hands it wasn't as bad. " All you knew was that you were telling him his ancestry and he only ran off because this is shocking news and he needed to sort himself out, not because of you." Iroh told her in a firm yet calm voice.

She relaxed completely and she smiled at him. " Thank you Iroh." Lenetta bowed to him and he let her go as she laid down. Iroh sighed and took a spot next to her. He leaned over and brushed her hair out of her face and laid a blanket over her. She smiled, " Goodnight." she fell asleep after that as he whispered goodnight to her and he laid down on the ground and fell asleep too.

oOoOo

The next morning they were watching as Lee's mother was handing Zuko some food in a box, but as he reached out to take it the soldiers from yesterday came galloping into town. Lenetta growled as she and Iroh stood up.

" It's those soldiers from yesterday!" Lenetta said, anger in her voice. She had a really bad feeling about those guys, Iroh almost had to hold her back to keep from charging at them but she held herself back.

They watched uneasy as the scene below did not look friendly. Zuko then put himself and the ostrich horse in between Lee's family and the soldiers, more words were said and the soldiers galloped off.

Lee's parents walked off while the mother sobbed and the father led her off and Lee stayed behind to talk to Zuko. Zuko gave Lee his knife and Iroh's breath kind of hitched. " I gave him that knife when he was a young boy." Lenetta looked over at Iroh and placed a hand on his shoulder. " Are you ok?" Iroh put a hand over her's and patted it. " I will be." he gave her a small smile and they went back to watching.

They saw that Zuko was now galloping away on the ostrich horse and Lee chased after him a little bit before he stopped. They took off following him.

oOoOo

Zuko was laying out on the grass in a field and once again so he wouldn't hear them, Iroh and Lenetta were hiding in the trees. Lee's mother suddenly came rushing over and she seemed frantic as she talked to Zuko. Zuko eventually stood up while the mother was sobbing and she looked up with a surprised look and they stared at each other for a second and they rode off and the respective rides.

Lenetta and Iroh got up and made it to the town just in time to see a fight brewing. Zuko was now fighting an earthbender with a hammer using only his swords which only kept him on the defense.

Eventually the earthbender sent rocks shooting out of the earth and striking him in the stomach he flew back as he cried out in pain and slammed into the ground. He was unconscious.

Lenetta nearly lost it as she Iroh began rushing towards the town. The soldier was walking towards Zuko with an evil grin on his face as he prepared to deal the killing blow. Suddenly Zuko started firebending, twirling his legs sending waves of fire toward the soldier. Lenetta and Iroh stopped and watched in shock as Zuko used his swords and his firebending to send the soldier flying back into a building.

As the dust cleared Lenetta and Iroh watched as Zuko announced his status as Prince of the Fire Nation. Everyone started recoiling from him which Lenetta was surprised about considering he just helped them out.

Zuko however, did not respond to the response he got and took the knife from the soldier and tried to give it to Lee. Lee's mother stood in front of her son protectively and told him not to come closer. He knelt in front of the boy and tried to give him the knife but Lee did not accept it. "No, I hate you!" Lee spat him, Lenetta watched in shock as the boy and his mother walked away from the still kneeling prince.

Eventually Zuko got his ostrich horse and began walking out of town while everyone had weapons ready to use against him if he tried anything.

Lenetta was outraged as she and Iroh walked out of town after the people dispersed. Nobody took notice of them since they were all still reeling from what happened.

As soon as they were out of earshot Lenetta exclaimed, " Why would they all do that, he just did him a big fat favor and that's how they repay him!? Ridiculous!" Lenetta huffed a small breath of flame in anger for her friend. " I know, but I understand why they did it." Iroh looked sad too. " What do you mean?" Lenetta asked him, confusion on her face. " They are mistrustful of the Fire Nation, and they have every right to be, we have caused them 100 years of misery after all." Iroh looked distant and sad as he remembered Ba Sing Se. " Oh yeah, that's true." Lenetta looked down at the ground as they both walked in silence.