Despite the fact that it had been some years since his nephew felt safe enough to express the emotions that truly marked him as Ursa's son, the aged firebender could nevertheless feel the concern Zuko felt for him as he did his best to help him heal from his niece's latest bout of cruelty.

While he was more than certain that Azula was fully capable of killing a family member if it would advance her goals, something which he suspected her father fully endorsed, the former General could tell from experience that his niece hadn't intended to kill him that day.

Grievously wound him? Yes.

And had he died soon after he was certain that she would be less than unhappy at his passing.

No. Her attack had the dual purpose of not only allowing her a chance to escape, but also to cripple the efforts of her quarry to get away once she felt confident to return.

And considering the likely identity of the other enemy combatant in that abandoned town, he was certain that the danger now facing him and his battered nephew was greater than ever before.

"I think we have rested here long enough Prince Zuko. Like a ravenous armadillo wolf, our enemies will waste no time in pursuing us once they have regrouped".

Though he could tell his nephew agreed with his words, the aging fire bender was both proud and exasperated by the teenagers reply.

"Yes I know Uncle. But we have to ensure you are well enough to travel before we start running for our lives again. And if that means waiting another couple of hours for you to regain some of your strength, then so be it".

Gently smiling at the concern Zuko was trying to keep hidden behind his gruff manner, the former crown prince sighed in acceptance.

"I suppose it will be good to let these old bones rest a little while longer before we are forced to leave this charming surroundings. And even Azula will need to take the time to recover from our latest encounter. Facing 5 benders is quite the tall order even for her".

Having meant to uplift the scarred prince's spirits with his words, Iroh found his earlier fears confirmed as Zuko proceeded to recount the standoff in the abandoned town.

"It's not just Azula that I'm worried about. It might have been a bit of a one sided battle, especially since neither I or the Avatar and his allies were any real state to fight, but my sister would have still had some difficulty taking us all on. But with that guy Ketsueki on her side, I don't know how we're even still alive".

Offering a heavy sigh in agreement with his nephew's gloomy, yet truthful outlook, Iroh had to fight to keep his calm composure as he expressed his own opinion regarding their current fortune.

"I know that you don't place much confidence in the course of fate Prince Zuko, but since we are currently still alive, and free from the clutches of the Fire Nation, it is clear that the spirits were with us that day. For I know how dangerous an opponent young Ketsueki is, and it is only through some higher power's intervention that we survived that battle".

Though he had meant his words to help encourage his usually despondent nephew, the response he received was far less cheery than he hoped for.

"The only reason I'm still alive was that he didn't see me as a legitimate threat. Even Azula goes for the kill strike, but he didn't. He just toyed with me, and mocked my failures and those closest to me. He's just as evil as my sister".

Knowing there was little he could say to refute that last statement, for he fully agreed that his niece was beyond redemption, a fact that greatly saddened him since she too was family, Iroh tried his best to put a positive spin on Zuko's experience.

"Then it is a good thing that he didn't view you as a threat Prince Zuko. For I am familiar with the mindset he possesses. And I assure you that if he viewed you as a threat, like countless others you would not be sitting before me now".

Seeing his nephew accept his words, grudging though they may be, Iroh braced himself for Zuko to ask him the question that he had hoped he would never have to answer.

And he was not disappointed.

"Uncle, during the course of the battle, he…said some things that made me realize that he knew about us. Not like rumors he could have heard from gossiping soldiers in the colonies, but like he was high up in father's court. He even said that his mother had enormous respect for you before….".

Though his nephew silenced himself before he could finish, Iroh nevertheless knew full well who he was referring to. But despite the pain it caused him, the aged firebender nevertheless finished the banished prince's words.

"Before I allowed the grief of Lu Ten's passing to convince me to abandon the Siege of Ba Sing Se? You will find Prince Zuko that many people of our nation chose to look upon my actions with shame. Though I believe, and was greatly relieved when I discovered it was true, that you were not one of them".

Earning a brief smile from the boy he had come to see as a second son, Iroh sighed as he proceeded to inform his nephew of perhaps the darker aspects of his family.

"To answer your earlier question Prince Zuko, you are correct in your assumptions. Kuro Ketsueki, along with his mother and the preceding generations of his family, have shared a dark history with the Fire Nation for many years. It is a secret that is normally shared when the heir to the throne has come of age, which makes me wonder what circumstances could have happened to make my brother share this information with Azula".

Suspecting that Ozai had probably seen no need to carry on the tradition after his decision to follow the banished prince in his seemingly hopeless mission, and knowing that Zuko was not quite ready to accept the darker aspects of their family, let alone his father, Iroh proceeded to give his nephew an abridged version of the origins of the deadly assassin.

...

Apologises for shortness of the chapter, but once again am suffering from writers block soooo…deal with it XD