Lee spent the next few days working the bloom, shaping it and refining the steel into something workable.

It was eventually ready and he placed it into the heart of the forge to heat to temperature. Little Lee was at school, so the smith cranked the bellows himself, building the heat up higher and higher.

"Need some help?" A voice said from behind him.

Sokka, his client, stood there, grinning. Lee smiled politely but shook his head.

"No. Thank you. I know you helped your master to forge your previous blade, but I prefer to work by myself, or with my own apprentice."

Sokka's face fell a little. Lee sighed and said, "Do you know how to work bellows?"

Sokka perked up. He shook his head but said, "No, but I'm a fast learner."


Lee discovered that this was an understatement. Sokka quickly learned how to work the bellows, as well as the right time to do so, almost without any prompting from Lee.

Eventually, the forge was up to temperature and Lee said, "Okay, that's enough. It's hot enough."

Sokka stopped, breathing a little heavier.

Lee picked up the steel with the tongs and shoved it into the heart of the flame, burying it under the coals.

"Now what?" Sokka asked.

Lee shrugged. "We wait."

"Ugh." Sokka said. "This would be so much quicker with a Firebender."

Lee frowned. "Aren't Firebenders the enemy?"

Sokka frowned as well. "The War's over now. I get being angry at them, but there's no real point anymore. Besides, I've met plenty of Fire Nation people that are good guys. My Swordmaster, for one. Master Piandao. He trained me even though he knew I was Water Tribe. He didn't care. Same goes for Aang's Firebending teacher, Iroh."

Lee froze. Iroh? It can't be, he thought. And Master Piandao too?

Lee asked tentatively, "Would that be… That is, are you referring to General Iroh? The Prince of the Fire Nation?"

"Former Prince. And General." Sokka corrected. "He signed over all rights to the throne, helped make the Fire Republic into something workable. He's a good guy. Makes great tea."

He did make good tea, Lee thought. The very best.

Sokka continued, "And I know Iroh did some bad stuff, especially here, but that was a long time ago. He's changed, and the Earth King pardoned him, and—"

Lee cut him off. "It's fine, Sokka. I'm not—I'm not prejudiced or anything. Just… I was just curious, that's all."

Sokka nodded. "Yeah, I'm sorry for going off a little. We've met a lot of people that have had a problem with Iroh once they find out who he is. He doesn't deserve it."

No, Lee thought, he doesn't.

Lee's eyes fell on the forge. He could feel the steel reaching the correct temperature.

He said, "The steel's ready. You should go. I can't exactly charge you for the blade if you do all the work on it."

Sokka laughed and said, "Fair enough. Can I come back again or…?"

Lee nodded absently, grabbing his tongs once more. "If you want to. Your sword is the only thing I'm working on at the moment. I've got a lot of stuff in storage to sell to the public, so I'm giving this my priority."

Sokka blinked. "Oh. Thanks, man. That's really cool of you."

Lee smiled. "It's going to be a cool piece. One of my finest."

Sokka smiled widely. "I cannot wait to use it."


Lee's actions had been mostly unconscious after Sokka left. He drew the steel out of the coals and took it over to the anvil. He hammered it and cut it, folding it over, and then repeating the process, put it back in the forge to seal the folds.

Uncle was… alive. And in the city. The Upper Ring. No way Lee would be able to get up there. And what would he say to Uncle even if he could?

'Hey, Zuko here. Yeah, I'm not dead, I've just been in hiding for the past half decade.'

Yeah, like that would end well for anyone.

Lee pulled the steel out of the forge once more and noticed that it hadn't set fully. He then coated it in a mix he had prepared; straw, and ash that he'd taken from the furnace. He coated the glowing steel in it, before reaching for a nearby bucket.

He pulled it closer, and took the large spoon out of it, ladling clay slurry over the straw and ash and steel, coating it. Then he put it back in the forge to bake.

"That should do." Lee muttered to himself. He'd probably have to do it again, especially when he added ready-made steel into the mix in the next few days.

The sword was already proving to be a lot of work, and he hadn't even started drawing it out yet. It was going to be worth it, though. Lee hadn't been lying to Sokka when he said it would be his finest work.

One of the things Lee had found himself enjoying about smithing was the way that he could get lost in it; the hard work, the repetition, the sheer focus that it required. It was meditation. Master Shila had taught him that; she taught him to devote himself utterly to each blow of the hammer, to focus entirely on the forge.

"Hey, Lee!" A voice called and he turned to see Little Lee running towards him, a bag over his shoulder.

He pointed a finger at the boy. "That's 'master' to you, and you should be in school."

Little Lee laughed. "We're done for the day, master. It's after three."

Lee squinted up at the sun and saw that the boy was right. He shook his head. "Lost track of time. Drop your stuff inside and then get to work sweeping up in there."

Little Lee saluted him and walked inside the shop.

Lee watched him walked inside, and then turned his attention to the billet of steel atop his forge.

"Tomorrow, perhaps." He muttered. Tomorrow, or the next day, he would begin the sword for real.