Chapter Four
It was raining when Iroh went to the river to go fishing. Today was his turn to catch their lunch while Zuko gone off to see if he could find something edible elsewhere.
It had been less than three weeks since he and his nephew had been declared wanted men from the Fire Nation and on the run from them. He didn't know which of the two was worse, the Fire Lord Ozai or Azula, both determined to have them arrest, imprisoned and possibly executed, knowing his brother all too well and his niece following in her father's footsteps.
Never one to spare or show an ounce of mercy on those they saw weak or beneath them, to prove they were superior and dominant over everything and everyone in their path. The Fire Lord was ruthless and hadn't even given second thought to what he done to his son, Zuko, his own flesh and blood three years ago …
But what remains important was that no matter how hard the Fire Nation with a squadron of leading and capable fire soldiers, they manage to elude and slip right from their fingers. Taking to wear disguises and pass themselves off as Earth Kingdom folks, traveling from one village to another without getting caught.
At this rate, we'll have gone all across the country in little time, with only few stops for a couple days then keep running. But that's not the worst of it; we won't have a chance to buy some souvenirs. He sighed glum, hoping the rain would end soon and it actual did as he got to the creek.
"How odd, that such a sudden shower then halts without giving much rain to the earth." And he didn't forget the lightning he heard either. He pulled on his beard, wondering how he hadn't sense this coming at all, as if it was not by its own will. And that last thunder didn't exactly sound like any he ever heard, was more like the howl of a monstrous beast in pain but he never heard any animals he seen in his life to release such a terrifying noise.
"Very peculiar indeed…" Oh well a little rain never hurt anybody. He sat down and cast the line out, waiting for a nibble.
He hummed a quiet tune about a girl from Ba-Sing-Se, tapping his fingers on his knee and looked to see if any fish were biting, becoming bored quickly and then saw something float by, round and red, an apple. And then another and more fruits joined them following after.
It can't be, can it? He rubbed his eyes and realizing he was awake and this was no dream, that food was coming down the river.
"Yes! Thank you Agni!" He cried out as he splash in, sloshing loudly and grabbing as much he could before wondering where all of these came from, surely there hadn't been any trees bearing fruits or such, not that he had seen. He followed up the stream and found at the edge a large sack spilling the contents of food in the water.
And not far from it, a young woman, her dark hair spread out and half her body washed up on the shore and lying facedown in the bed.
He hurried over and turn the woman on her back, not seeing any life, and fearing for the worse, quickly clasped his hands together and placed them on her abdomen and pressed down hard, pumping vigorously and kept checking her face for some sign that she was responding to his urgent ministration.
1-2-3! Nothing. He tried again and on the third try he heard her gag, spewing water from her mouth and nose. She sputtered and coughed and her eyes flickered once, staring at him with half shut eyes and turn her head to one side and fell back asleep.
Iroh saw the bruise on her forehead and the shallow cut that had bled on to the sand. He pulled out a handkerchief and dipped it in the water and pressed the clothe on her temple. He saw her wince but didn't move as she lay there and allowed him to clean it up.
Her breathing seems normal and she appears to be all right except for that bump on her head. If something else had happened, she might have been… No, now was not the time to think that! He would ask later after he saw to it that he got her taken care of. He lifted her up, grunting at the extra weight while lugging her bag in one hand and dragging slowly into the woods back to camp.
Zuko was nowhere to be seen though the fire was still burning and the only one there was the ostrich horse they had recently stolen tied to a tree. The beast looked up to see him with someone not his nephew, staring at the two before clawing the dirt with its feet.
Iroh laid her down and removed her sword and placed it with her pack close by. He untied the belt and took off her kimono, having the modesty to leave the undergarment and hang her clothes on a branch to dry out and that she would see where it was when she awoke. Then bought his blanket over and wrap it around to keep her from catching a cold while lying close to the fire. He thought back on the blood he had seen on the ground and wondered if she was hurt anywhere else.
I think I saw a bush with those leaves that are useful to make strong goo to stop the bleeding and keep from becoming infected. I'll leave her to rest right now and check how she's feeling and maybe later ask about what happened if she isn't traumatized from whatever she experienced.
He saw her shuddered and twitched but didn't stir from her unease slumber, murmuring words, 'Okasan…Otosan…'
He brushed back her hair, not wanting to touch her contusion should she wake up and patted her head, trying to soothe and calm her from her restless fit.
"Don't worry, it's all right. Just rest little one you're safe now, no one is going to harm you…" He brought another blanket, his nephew's and covered her as she settle back and snuggled in them, now in a more comfortable position and sigh content, a small grin on her face. Iroh smiled, feeling that she was now in relax and went off, certain she would still be sleeping by the time he got back.
Zuko was having no better luck after searching throughout the entire forest and found nothing but leaves and twigs, his mood darkening and becoming frustrated with each passing second.
"AAGH!" He shouted and stomp, throwing fireballs against a tree and running his fingers through his semi-grown hair on his scalp, ready to tear them at the roots.
"This is insane, this is not the life I was suppose to lead. I'm a prince dammit and I shouldn't be doing any of this sort!" He didn't exactly forget that he was in exiled and now a wanted fugitive on the run from the Fire Nation, Azula and especially his own father.
Father…after three years, everything he done to regain his honor, his own sire would never welcome him back, never. Not as long as he walk this world. He would never be seen as his son but someone who brought disgrace, shame and dishonor upon everyone and doesn't deserve to be alive. He said he had been lucky to been born, the worst scorn he ever received from him, next to the scar on his face where everyone could see and know of Prince Zuko, the dishonorable, the banished heir, the shame of his Nation...
He had told him right before he was banished he had been fortunate to been alive at all. Even in his sleep, those words kept repeating over along with everything else from his childhood to that day in the war room all leading to where he was now and wished that he could make them go away.
He sighed, thinking that if he was going to survive this new life as an outlaw, he might as well try and see how his uncle was doing and hoped he had fared better at catching their food. With luck, he might have caught a small fish and they could try and use it as bait to hook a bigger one. It might be worth a shot at least… He again was not so sure how long they would last out here without food until maybe reaching the next town to buy little provisions they could.
He walked back to the camp, seeing the ostrich horse ruffling its feathers, the fire still ablaze and someone lying underneath the blankets and believed it to be his uncle. He looked around to see if there was any fish but saw none where he could see.
"Uncle, you were suppose to bring some lunch and now I see you lazing off while we're both hungry. Wake up now!" No respond. His right eyebrow twitched in annoyance, seeing he ignored him. "Are you even listening, we'll starve if we don't find anything to eat! Uncle!"
He walked over and went to pull the sheets off, ready to give him a good piece of his mind to yell inside his ear.
"Uncle I swear I'll—" He stopped when he saw himself peering at someone that wasn't his uncle but a girl around his age.
Her tan skin had a light gold sheen that radiant and gleamed as if slicked in oil. Her long hair framed around her face and down her back like dark silk. He saw how she could easily draw anyone's attention on her curves that hugged her slender form. Her face was flushed with her lips parted as she sighed deeply in her sleep and made his heart beat faster inside his chest just watching her.
He saw her move slightly, her hands reaching out and searching for the blankets that had covered her recently and finding them gone. Her fingers groping down and ebbing along her barely clothed figure and past her underwear to where her thighs and her legs splayed open before him.
Oh Agni, please tell me this isn't happening, there's no naked girl lying there, feeling herself and making silent moans that make you want to… ARGH! This can't be real! This has to be a hallucination from being deprived of no food for almost a few days and just ready to go crazy. Yeah that's right it's a dream. A very wonderful looking dream…
No! He couldn't believe what he had been thinking! This was not like him and was frighten to a degree that he should feel drawn to this woman, this exotic beauty that he didn't have the slightest idea why or how she got here.
I don't even know who are. He had to get rid of these thoughts and tell himself that it wasn't real and was now time to wake up. Or close his eyes and count to ten and find his uncle or no one there.
But he was unable of doing what his conscious was shouting and couldn't bring himself to. He was so caught up by this small interaction between him and this sleeping beauty, unaware that his uncle had return to find them like this. Iroh had to keep quiet from announcing his presence and smiled at the sight he saw.
Well it looks like Zuko is quite taken with this girl, even if he might deny it for now but I can always tease him later after. He wanting to see how long it would be for his nephew to notice he was there, walked over and crouch down beside him and whispered in his ear, "I don't think she'll appreciate you ogling her like that, not that any of your yelling did the trick to wake her up."
Zuko, surprised when he saw his uncle standing by, stumble back and flushed with embarrassment, wondering how long he had been here and saw the smug grin and teasing look in his eyes.
Great, uncle's back and I bet he's going to be pestering me with this for the rest of my life like he always does, but a thought came to him while he tried to fight back the blush that was still burning on his cheeks.
He send a questioning stare from him to the girl then back, putting the pieces together and knew his uncle had some part in this, no doubt about it.
Iroh brought out some leaves and squeezed them into his hands and Zuko stood back up behind him. "Uncle I demand to know who that is and why she is in our camp immediately! Did you bring her here, well I'm waiting?"
Iroh didn't answer as he spread the green sap on her gash and examine the bruise, noticing it was smaller than he remembered and went to check if there were any others on her with the wet blankets tossed aside, "Oh great now we have wet covers to sleep in, hope you're happy about that." Zuko mutter before they notice she was stirring and groaned.
"Oh she's waking up…" They back away and watched her sit up, rubbing her head and feeling where her cut was, hissed and pulled it back and noticing the sticky gunk on her hand. She took a glance around to see she was not in the river anymore but some clearing and that she felt bared and look down and found her clothes missing.
She gape at the sight of her almost nude form and sensing that she might not be alone, pulled the blanket that pool at her feet and held it against her and turned to see two people by her side. An old man with long gray hair and beard, wearing a dark green shirt and trousers and standing beside him was a young man dressed in the same attire and had a scowl on his face.
Iroh could see she was confused and question were running in her mind and not wanting to get her anymore frighten which she was starting to, putting herself, two men and her barely clothed, having no idea how she got here or what happened and possible fearing the worst for her situation. He thought he better do the talking as Zuko wouldn't be much help anyway but didn't say this out loud in fear that he might terrify the girl further.
"Hello there, good to see you're awake and all right. You know this may seem strange to you, well with how you must be thinking but you see we, well that's to say I—" He didn't get the chance to explain as Ryoko did the first thing that came to her instinct. She screamed, "HENTAI!"
Her shriek send all the birds within the forest out of the trees and fly off, the animals that were close by lift their heads and wondering what made that loud sound. Zuko and his uncle had to hold their hands over their ears and lower them slightly, still hearing them ringing from the aftereffect of her shrill screech.
She leapt to her feet, feeling the slight wave of dizziness but ignore it when she stood. Still gripping on to the blanket and picked up her sword and drawing from the sheath in one smooth movement and held it in front of her, forcing them to stay where they were and make no sudden movement.
"Anata wa dara desuka!" Zuko and Iroh blink and looked to each other perplex, what did she just say? They turn back and saw that her gaze remained focus on them and she, wanting to know how she ended up here, winced as pain shot through her body from her head all the way down to her injured side.
Hadn't been wise to fall from that height after getting struck by that attack. Should have maybe consider that I'd be putting myself at far more risk than I first believed.
She was starting to remember from when she had the made her escape to the river below and hit her head against the rocks she hadn't seen on impact and was unconscious and upswept by the current.
And now here she was with two total strangers she didn't know but not wanting to take anymore chances after having gone through enough hell for one day and not giving a damn if she had to fight her way through even in the state she was currently in.
Her legs were unsteady as she stood and grit her teeth and braced herself, fighting to keep in control and not let her body yield as she asked once again, "Anata wa dara desuka! Watakushi tada ima shiru de wataskushi Seiryu chikau ishi…!"
This time she couldn't handle the throbbing intensity of the pain; her wounds were shrieking in agony, a sensation that made her want to cry out in anguish. She released the blanket from her clenched fist, a dark crimson stain on its sheet and clutched her side, feeling hot blood seeping through her fingers onto the ground.
Iroh watched her vain attempt to stay conscious while being alert and on her guard, trying not to show her struggling battle with herself but saw the telltale signs of her will weakening. The grip on her sword was shaking in her trembling grasp, ropes of wet hair hung over her eyes. Sweat and blood mingling together from her forehead and dripping down her jaw and the injury she had had begun to bleed again.
When he first removed her kimono, he noticed that the fabric had the jagged edge marks on the side and were singed and smelling of faint smoke but didn't seem to been caused by fire. No, a straight through cut, something far worse that he assumed certain could've only be done by one possible person capable of such and dread the worse if she had dared face her.
Now having barely even begun to recover and might have lost a lot of blood and become critical if they didn't try and help before the damage became much severe.
He hoped she would be capable of understanding what he was about to say, staying in position and kept his hands to the side where she could see, letting her know he wasn't going to do anything, let alone attack her.
"Please miss listen I'll explain what happened: I found you by the river barely alive and brought you here after I saw you were hurt. You must believe me that my nephew and I are honorable men and have no intention to harm you. We would never take advantage towards someone such as yourself who seem to look very capable but with what you must have dealt with and those injuries are in need of tending to."
She listened, her eyes still holding doubt and uncertainty but continue to hear out the old man and Zuko stood there motionless watching what was going on from the sideline.
He had been lost from the start when he heard her speak first time and didn't understand much of what she said, spoken in a different tongue though he looked to his uncle, keeping his eyes retain on her at all times.
He saw his attempt to communicate with her, talking slowly for her to grasp what he was trying to say. He thought that if she were to take her eyes off him for one second, he could probably be able to move forward and disarm her, seeing she might not have enough strength left to handle against him.
Yet like his uncle said, he would never do something against a woman, maybe to Azula and a couple others he knew, those were different and his sister the dangerous one of all. But never would he attack someone like her in her condition who must have gone through her own hell from what he could see, keeping her hand over her side but still grasp onto her sword with determination written on her face.
To him, he could see she was some kind of warrior, fighting to the end but knew that this was one battle she would not be able to win.
There was still his belief of honor that he greatly upheld above all in his former life and had left even having a woman who injuries could become fatal if they didn't help her.
He saw her head turn and looking his way and found himself staring deeply into them, memorized by her gaze.
Her eyes, since when were they so beautiful, so captivating? They held a fire of their own that burned and match his very fiery element within those blue depths. Blue flames that flare fiercely into his amber orbs.
They kept their eyes lock on each other, feeling he couldn't tear his from her before she spoke in words that he understood clearly when she uttered, "It's you, you're the one…from my…"
He didn't hear the rest as she fell backwards and Zuko rushing at the last moment to catch her before she hit the ground.
Ryoko was finding it hard to keep her hold on both her sword and the world that was spinning around her. She was seeing obscure blurs but could still hear the old man when she felt someone else staring and her eyes landed on the other standing there quiet the whole time.
She had to narrow them to make out from the ivory complexion of his skin, his forest green garments, the very short dark hair he had and those gold eyes that glowed from the depths of his face, taking in the enormous burnt scar marring over the left side.
There was something about that scar and she tried to imagine in her mind his face without it, and with his hair longer and pulled back into a ponytail and wearing a different set of clothes. Once she envisioned this and had the face she was looking for, her eyes went wide, staring with disbelief at him, the image still there. The memory of her dream came back and she could hear that horrid voice, "Pain and suffering will be your teacher…" the faint scream as flesh was being burn away by the fist that struck out with flames in his grasp.
No it can't be but it is! She dropped her sword, hearing it clang to the ground but couldn't take her eyes from him.
"It's you, you're the one…from my …" She couldn't say anymore, her vision lost all focus, darkness ebbing away her sight and the heaviness in her leg became too unbearable and gave in. She hadn't felt herself touch the earth as she was held by something hard and firm yet secure in a way, being in someone's embrace and didn't get the chance to see who it was, her mind going numb and allowed herself to lay her head on him.
Not knowing why he did and feeling slightly awkward having to hold a woman with almost no clothes in his arm and pressed against his chest, Zuko turn to Iroh behind him, "Uh a little help here would be nice don't you think?"
Iroh would have been amused at his nephew's sudden action but concern and worry overpowered it and he gave him a hand lying her back down, trying to avoid touching her open wounds and he pulled another leaf and mash the goop to stop the bleeding.
Zuko let him do that and walk towards the small fire, setting another branch to keep the flames burning, observing the blazes kindle and flare and he mused in silence.
That girl, there was something about her that he couldn't put his finger on exactly. What made her seem distinctively familiar to him? It was almost as if he met her once but hadn't in matter of saying since he never before in his life yet something was gnawing in his head.
Again the words he heard her say before she fainted came back and tried to understand the meaning behind it, what it was suggesting.
"What does that mean?" He heard a grunt and looked behind to see Iroh fetching the other blanket to cover her, having finished tending to her injuries.
He then came over and put his hand on Zuko's shoulder, "I think we better let her rest now and go talk somewhere else for the moment. Hopefully she will be all right but we won't walk too far just in case."
Zuko couldn't help agreeing as he had a few questions that he would like to ask and most of these on her. Iroh seem to have the same thought on his mind, though there was some concern on his face as he took one last look behind to see her calm expression and then followed after his nephew.
"Did you understand what she meant by 'you're the one' because I didn't get what she was trying to say, do you?" They were walking in the forest, not too far from their camp. Iroh was lost in his own world and hadn't listen to what his nephew had been talking about and Zuko turn to him, annoyed, "Uncle did you not even heard a word I just said?"
Iroh blinked, hearing he was being asked something, turned and shook his head, "Sorry just that I was thinking to myself, what was the question again?" Zuko had to resist slapping his forehead in frustration and instead took a deep breath and tried to speak as calmly he could, "All right forget it but here's one. Why did she exactly freaked out and what was she trying to say in the first place, I couldn't even understand or make senses of it, heads or tails, let alone what she was speaking in. Sounded pretty much gibberish."
Iroh stroke his beard, remembering earlier what she had been speaking, a lot of it hard to understand or pronounce for his case. Iroh shrugged uncertain himself, "Not so sure but it could possibly mean she's not from around here, a foreigner perhaps. As for your other question, it might have been due to the lost of blood and how she obtain those injuries made her go into a state of shock and well sometimes the severity of the wound takes their toll…"
He stopped, thinking back about what he had noticed when he had use the goop to close the cut and stared at her face to see how she was breathing and noticed the faint glow under her choker. Curious, he unclasps and removed it and saw the mark on her throat.
A long serpent dragon, the markings well elaborate and designed, the celestial beast making its way around the base, circling twice with its scaly body and its head resting above the bandaged binding on her left breast.
He seem surprised to find a tattoo there, one he hadn't seen in the first place and that he could not find words to figure which kind it, having read so many legendary but now was not the time to admire such markings and turn his attention back to what matter.
He pressed two fingers on the side of her neck, searching for her pulse and held it there for ten second and then jerked his hand away and held it to find his digits were somehow scorched but that hadn't been why he pulled back.
When he had touched the mark, it felt nothing like fire, more like as if he had drenched his whole hand in ice water, freezing to a degree and creeping up, pulsing with a strange vibe. He failed to also see that the eyes of the dragon glowing as he removed his hand and headed straight for his nephew, keeping his burnt fingers from sight.
"Uncle what is it, what's the matter?" Zuko said seeing Iroh was staring down at his hand, holding faded marks that slowly disappeared like they never been burnt, just rough callous before turning to his nephew, wondering if he should tell him or not.
"Zuko did you notice by any chance that she has a tattoo around her neck? A dragon circling around her throat and ending right above her left breast?" He pointed to his own to indicate where and Zuko raised an eyebrow, not remembering seeing anything like what he said. "A tattoo, no I didn't see one why? What's the big deal over a mark?"
Iroh sighed, "Never mind." He looked in the direction to where the camp lay and Zuko turn too, also his attention situating on their new problem.
Ok so they had some unknown unconscious stranger with them, now what? He rubbed his temple and look to his uncle for advice on what they were going to have to do.
"So what do we do now, any ideas uncle?" Iroh stroked his beard again, musing on what they should do indeed. For some reason he had only one idea and knew his nephew might not like what he was going to suggest.
Agni just try and let him listen to me for reason's sake…Definition Japanese/English Meanings:
Hebi-Snake
Yokai-Demon (In a dictionary it's akurei but I used the one from the InuYasha series, but if you like this too let me know)
Yuki-onna-Snow woman (I'll give description of her if anyone wants)
Shijin-Four Guardian Beast (I'll give information on those too.)
Seiryu-Blue Dragon Guardian of the East
Hai-Yes
Okasan-Mother
Otosan-Father
Ryoko-Huntress
Kami-God
Yukatas-informal summer wear
Sensei(s)-teacher/instructor
Bokusen'on- grandfather wizard nettle tree
-San-Mr.; Mrs.; Ms.
Katachi-Shifter
Hanyo-half demon/half human
Asagao-Morning Glory
-Chan-used as a pet name for kids
Futon-bedding
Yogensha-fortuneteller
Obi-belt
Byakko-White Tiger guardian of the West
Suzaku-Red Bird (Phoneix) guardian of the South
Genbu-Black Warrior (Turtle with A Snake ((weird I know but these were the guardians) guardian of the North
Dai-Lord
Yōba-yokai horse
Hime-princess
Akuma kagebara-Devil's shadow rose
Otogibanshi-fairytales
Ningen-humans
Baka-idiot
abazuren'na-bitch
Hentai-Pervert
Anata wa dara desuka-Who are you?
Anata wa dara desuka, watakushi tada ima shiru de wataskushi Seiryu chikau ishi- Who are you! I demand to know right now or I swear by Seiryu will
Blue Kitsune: If anyone wants to do a fanart for this story, by all means. I would like to see how some would see Katara/Ryoko or any other characters. Please Read and Review!