It wasn't hard to find a seedy place in Fire Fountain. Most places in Fire Fountain was actually seedy places. Especially down the docks. They settled for a hole-in-the – wall establishment with very dim lights. It was a quiet evening. Most people were probably celebrating the festival and picking pockets in the square-area. No one raised even a eyebrow when Zuko, dressed in his 'robber-outfit' and Wei-Li, barefoot, entered the bar. They bought wine and sat down in the corner. "What happened to your shoes?" Zuko asked. "I accidently burned them during the fight. I got carried away. I wasn't in the best of mood...Brand new and not very cheap so I really regret it." She still had the sandals loosely tied to her belt. She takes a big sip of her wine. "I lost my shoes but at least I could get new wine. That's something..." She can see that he smiles again, a faint smile. A part of her wants to make him smile more, wants to crack more jokes. It's almost hard for her to grasp that he is the Fire Lord, when he sits with her like this. When he dosen't have his formal robes and followers, everything is different. It's just small things that make him stand out. The way he holds his posture – always with a straight back and shoulders. He rarely makes eye contact. Rarely shows emotion – That's a nobility thing.
He don't give out much information either, not like her.
He knows everything there is to know about her. At least what's interesting for him.
She didn't care much for the nobles and the wealthy. Of course, she was raised and taught to serve and care for them and their money – But still, why should there be so many rules and restrictions, some have everything and others nothing? This was like a forbidden tought – Fire Nation citizens was a very strict people with very strict hiearchy.
She hadn't talked about it with anyone, that would be crazy. She watches him drink. He even holds his cup in a certain way.
"What are you looking at? Do I have something in my face?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was staring." She blushes and takes a big sip of the wine, avoids eye contact.
"It's just… To sit with you here..It's very nice. I like talking to you. But still it's also weird that we can't… Talk like this among others. That you are who you are. And I am who I am." She blushes more. When they had training sessions and small talks in private, it felt like their formal relationship shouldn't be mentioned. But now, with the wine and all that had happened during the evening, she felt she could talk more open. It was hard to restrain and compose. Especially, away from home.
He reaches out and holds her hands over the table. Looks her in the eyes. His eyes is a light and burning amber, like a small flame.
"I am your friend. I enjoy your company. I hope you enjoy mine" He almost studders the last part. She can see a small blush on his cheeks. His hands are soft and warm. Her hands are almost burning. It feels like her heart stops in her chest and time freezes. When she looks him in his eyes and holds his hands, he is just a man. A warm tear trickles down her cheek.
"Thank you for tonight. I'm glad Ray found that woman. I will remember this." They sit in silence for a long while.
"We should probably head back soon. It's past midnight I think." Zuko finally says in a hushed tone. She agrees, but it takes a while before any of them move.
On the way back they pass the square again. It's not many people left. But Ray and Maia is still there. Sitting at a small bench, embracing each other. "I feel so disgraced. It's not that he had another, it's how swiftly he turned me away, like I was nothing." She whispers sharply. "Let's just get out of here. I need to meditate and get some sleep. It's not gonna be fun riding with him tomorrow."
She grinds her teeth, the air around her gets warm, she is clearly more upset than she shows.
"You don't have to ride with him. I can figure something out." He says, she looks at him doubtfully.
"But I don't want to make a scene out of it. If I just ride with someone else, maybe the others will talk."
"Don't worry. I know just what to do." She can see the faint smile again. Without thinking about it, she takes his hand and kisses his cheek. He flinches. "I'm sorry" She stutters, feeling embarrassed. She quickly bows formally and very awkwardly and then runs off.
He stands frozen for a while and then touches the cheek where the kiss lingers. It's warm.
She wakes just before sunset. Last night she just went to bed, without even changing her clothes or brushing her hair. Removing the now wrinkly dress she puts on a robe and prepare for a fast bathe. A knock on the door interrupts her.
At the door is a servant girl with a big bundle of clothes. And on top of the bundle is a new pair of shoes.
"The Fire Lord asked this to be delivered to you, for your day with General Iroh. He asks you to be ready in an hour"
Confused, she accepts and bows to the servant. The shoes is probably the most expensive thing she ever have own. They are black and pointy in smooth, light leather. Golden embroderies in a complex pattern goes in a straight line from the point and up to the shaft. These look way to nice for me. She thinks with a small frown. She looks at rest of the bundle. It's a formal robe, just her size, for workers close to the royal family. A short black dress with gold trimmings and long, tight glove-like arms. It comes with a dark red kimono, also with gold trimmings. A thick black belt, and black, thin leggings. She looks at the outfit in awe. She wished her father was there to see it.
And what was that about, that she should meet with the General?
She bathes and brushes her hair. Braids it with the golden strings. After cleaning up she tries the new outfit on. It fits perfectly. Even the new shoes are also her size. How they managed to do that is pretty weird. She looks great in the outfit. Formal in a new way. Of course, she looked formal when she dressed at the inn, but never like this. She puts the golden diadem in her hair to neaten up her hairstyle. It feels like a new person looks back at her in the mirror. A person with power. She straightens her posture. It feels right. But still, she have a uneasy feeling inside, like she was pretending to be someone else. Stolen someones outfit.
Someone knocks the door. It's the servant again. The girl looks at her with big eyes and bows, deeper this time.
"General Iroh is ready. I was told to escort you." Wei-Li nods and follows the girl.
Iroh waits in the big hallway. Two of the bender-guards are with him. Ray is not among them, which is a big relief.
She bows to Iroh. "The clothes fits you well. Today we are going on a special mission, you and I."
He smiles. She looks at him, confused. "We are going shopping! We need some nice new things for the royal kitchen."
He puts his hand together, excited. "The markets here are perfect for the task. Fire Fountain may lack in some aspects, but it has some of the best stores for kitchen equipment in the Fire Nation, due to it's good location."
She smiles broadly. "It will be a honor and a pleasure to join you General"
"Please, call me Iroh." He puts a hand on her back. "It's just proper I get to know you and your.. cooking better now when you will serve me several meals a day. We need to buy better equipment for cooking when traveling also, as the personal chef you will be expected to acompany us on our travels, and the equipment we have now, don't really meet your own high standard."
She is baffled and silent. She just bows. Maybe she does it several times. It's hard to hide the excitement.
The stores in Fire Fountain was really good. And she discovers that they actually have special carving tools for the small flower- garnish. Iroh is a wonderful companion. She is soon relaxed and happy that someone seem really interested in her cooking.
He talks about different kinds of tea, and how he used to run a teashop when he and Zuko lived as refugees in Ba-sing se.
This she didn't know about at all, so they actually had more in common than she tought. Her respect grows – that Iroh and Zuko had lived so humbly. She notices that people treat her very differently, in stores and the streets, wearing the formal and expensive outfit and with Iroh and the guards by her side.
The way people are treating her are a strange experience. Like she was important. Maybe she was now.
She hadn't really reflected on it, there hadn't been much choice. First, she felt like she was imprisoned. Then, she started to feel excitement over the task of the job. She had started to really enjoy being Zukos sifu, and friend. She had enjoyed being away from Yu Dao and all the memories it held – most of them bad. Now in the new clothes and company, she felt that she was growing in the part.
Iroh cracks jokes and makes her laugh. Soon he feels like someone she knows well, and are comfortable with.
When they get back to the hotel, she can feel the stress about riding with Ray emerge once again. Zuko said he would figure something out, but he might have forgotten about it. She hadn't seen or talked to him since yesterday when she disappeared from the square. She packs her things and sit down on the bed. Her eyes meets her reflection in the mirror again. She sees a different person. She feels different. She is different. It's just the outfit she thinks. But no, there is something else. Her eyes are a bright amber, almost the same color as her golden diadem. Determined. Thats the look, that's whats different. She is going to the Capital, and nothing or no one have the power to stop her.
It's the feeling, the look just before a fight. Whatever happens, she have the power of change within her.
She stands up, takes her small bag of her belongings and walks out the door.
The guards loads the khomodorhinos. Rustling and orders. She walks out the main entrance and stands, calm and composed. Trying to find the river inside. She straightens her posture and waits for any orders.
Ray dosen't spot her immediately. He had been trough a long night of drinks and kissing. A part of him had forgotten about Wei-Li almost instantly, when he met his old flame Maia. In the corner of his eyes, he can see a strange girl standing in the entrance. She is wearing a formal, royal uniform of a worker in high rank. When he looks again, he recognizes her. She dosen't even spare him a look. Her posture is different and proud, the face calm and smooth. The sun is high over the city and she closes her eyes, carefree, and let her face bask in the light. A small smile lies on her full lips. He shifts awkwardly.
Iroh approaches her and lays a hand on her shoulder. He gestures for her to follow him. They had added a carriage to the party to carry all of the merchandise from Fire Fountain. The Fire Lord and General had decided it would be easier to travel in that one. And apparently, also Wei-Li. Wei-Li and Iroh steps in to the carriage. Last, comes the Fire Lord. He signals the leader of the guards to start moving, but before he climbs in, Ray meet his gaze. He'd never spoken directly to him. He dosen't do it this time either.
But he holds his eyes for a long time, long enough to give Ray a cold shiver down his spine, until he casually breaks the eye contact and climbs into the carriage. The other guards looks at Ray. He feel embarassed.
The carriage is very nice. This is the first time she traveled in a carriage like this. It's roomy and has two nice seats, windows on one side. Everything is in dark red and gold. Iroh sits with his hands in his sleeves, contemplating.
Zuko gives the wiev outside the window a quick look, then closes it. He looks at Wei-Li. She can sense a smile in his eyes, even tough the rest of his face is without expression. "We have about two days, maybe one and a half before we reach the capital. We will travel like this for the rest of today, and by evening we will do the rest of the trip by boat. This gives us enough time to talk."
Wei- Li gives him a confused look. He looks at Iroh, and then back to her. "I've told Iroh. He knows about your bending and my intentions of making you my teacher and sparring partner". Iroh nods and looks at her, calmly. She looks at them both. They are waiting for her response. "I have put myself in the hands of fate. I don't know what is happening next. I don't know if I am the person you want me to be. I don't know, if I can teach you more than I and others already have. I am the daughter of an innkeeper, I am a good chef and that's what I intend to do. Be a chef. I will help you and teach you in all I know, but when the lesson ends – this is where I doubt. Will I be able to aid and teach you the way you think I will?" She looks Zuko in his eyes, closely. He looks away.
"There is something else I should tell you." Iroh says. "It's about your mother."
The carriage rustles. There is noices from outside. It's just normal sounds – but for her, the world is suddenly still and silent.
"She joined the Fire Sages after she left you in Yu Dao. Then – The sages was mostly for the royal family. But they had several temples. Maybe it was about ten years ago. I got a letter from the White Lotus, that told me about her."
Wei-Li looks at Iroh, confused. Zuko also looks at his uncle with the same expression. He didn't know about this either.
"She was a child from the Sun Warriors tribe. She found herself a home in Yu Dao. A husband and a child. But when your bending came to the surface, everything was different."
Wei-Li remembered to well the tales about her childhood. How she sat everything around her on fire. Her bedding, her clothes, the garden and the house. The crying and confusion.
"She taught you everything she knew. But it wasn't enough, and it still isn't. And when she realized, she couldn't help you – she looked for help elsewhere. In the spirit world."
How did Iroh know all of this? She didn't recognize this part.
"She went to the old spirit ponds in the Forgetful Walley. And begged the spirits to help you. She said the old Sun warriors prayers, and they listened."
"Let the fire be a stream inside me that seeks the lake
Let the fire roam inside me like the raging sea
Let it be a river that seeks
Waves in the darkness
Light in your heart"
She whispers the words of the prayer her mother used to pray with her. With a hand on her stomach where the fire has it's root, and a hand on her heart where the power is. She closes her eyes. Her face is stern.
"The spirits listened to your mothers prayers, and made you one with the water. Without another element in you, you would have been only destruction. When you have the chi of the water inside you – Like a waterbender, your force will run in a different way. So you will rise with the sun, but also with the moon. Your bending flows in ancient ways, bound in the spirit world. Forged by dragons and born by dragons – But hard to comprehend and control in this world. Your mother left you to help you. With the sages, she sought a way to find a place for you in this world. She wanted to keep you hidden. But now is the time for you, to find your fate."
She don't know what to say. She wants to scream, to cry, to burn. But still, here she is. Composed with a hard frown.
"I don't understand. What am I? What do I do? What is my fate?" She can feel tears welling up. She tries to wipe them away.
"I don't know what it means, but the White Lotus belived, that you have a special role to play in the peace among the nations. If you would to surface, and be a part of the new world."
Iroh is calm. He reaches out and holds her hand. Her hands are scalding hot. He can feel the fire inside her.
"I know this is much to take in for you right now. Maybe we can have some tea." He unpacks a small teapot. "Please, Iroh, let me do that for you." She says. She prepares the tea in silence. She hands out a cup to Iroh and Zuko and bows.
"If you don't mind, I would like to have my tea and then meditate. I must find some peace."
She bows again and sips the tea in silence. No one feel the need to talk. Iroh bows and closes his eyes. Zuko looks away. This was a lot of information for him too. What could all of this mean? Who is she? He had asked the question to himself many times by now – but still, when they talked and trained, she felt just like him. Maybe that's what made her feel so different. She was just like him.
She closes her eyes and positions herself. The rest of the trip to the boat, is a trip in silence.
She can hear the water crashing down on the cliffs around her. She can feel the sand on her feet.
When she looks up, it's a beautiful night sky. The sea is dark. The moon is bright.
There is a little girl by the water. She is dark, but she glows like a flame.
When Wei-Li approaches, the girl looks up. Her eyes is dark with a streak of green.
"The sea has it's own darkness. Don't let it master you." The girl says and runs away.
There is a storm in the horizon. Lightning and fire. She looks at it for a long while.
"Wei, wake up, we have arrived."
Zuko shakes her shoulder. She looks around confused. It's dark outside. She's still in the carriage. Disoriented, she grabs her bag and gets out. Everyone is boarding the ship. She's never seen a ship this big. I'ts like a black mountain, protruding from the ocean. Somehow, it reminds her a lot about her dream. She looks at the ship for a long while, confused.
A big part of her feel numb. Someone grabs her hand. It's Zuko. "I don't know what happens next. But you are a warrior and you will find a way." He whispers. He leads her onboard and then lets her go. "The Wei- Li I know, would hate gossip around us. So i'll let you go for now." He walks away. She stands alone on deck and watches the ocean. Yes, she can feel it. The darkness. A river of tears from self doubt and longing. The moon makes everything around her brighter. She don't care if someone watches. In the moonlight on the shipdeck she slowly does the Dance of the Dragons for the first time since she left Yu Dao. She whispers the prayer over and over. Her chi is a river of tears and it flows as a dark blue fire – just at the top of her fingertips.