More Than Just Friends
Chapter 6: Lost Without Hope
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender. Not even a poster
A/N: OMG! I am so sorry! It's been like six months since I've updated! I'm in my junior year right now in high school. It's so stressful, but first semester was awful I was failing like three classes. Now that I'm back on track with straight A's I have some time to write. It has been so stressful since my cousin moved out here. We have been working on a house since August and just moved into it February 10th. I have literally spent my weekends and break painting a house. If you want me to paint for you I would like to be paid. Anyways here is Chapter 6: Lost Without Hope!
Zuko and Jamie looked through the forest for Iroh. They came through a few trees into a clearing and spotted some springs. "Uncle? It's time to leave! Uncle Iroh! Where are you?" Zuko shouted as they searched.
"Over here," said a calming voice from one of the springs. Zuko and Jamie walked up and saw Iroh.
"Uncle, we need to move on. We're closing in on the Avatar's trail, and I don't want to lose him," Zuko said quite irritated.
"You look tired Prince Zuko. Why don't you join me in these hot springs and soak away your troubles?"
"My troubles cannot be soaked away. It's time to go!" Zuko yelled letting his anger get to him.
"You should take your teacher's advice and relax a little; the temperature is just right. I heated it myself."
"Enough, we need to leave now! Get out of the water!" Iroh shrugs and stands up and Zuko quickly covers his eyes. "On second thought, why don't you take another few minutes, but be back at the ship in half an hour or I'm leaving without you." Zuko turns and takes Jamie's hand and starts walking back, but Jamie stops. "What is it James?" Zuko said looking back at her. Looking at her expression he knew exactly what she wanted. "Let me guess you want to stay too?" Jamie smiles and nods. "Fine, same rules for you." Zuko smiles and kisses Jamie's cheek and leaves her with Iroh.
Jamie strips down to her underclothes and slowly lifts herself into the spring. "This feels amazing!"
Iroh smirks and closes his eyes, "You have Prince Zuko wrapped around your finger you know." Jamie smirked and leaned back and closed her eyes.
"Yes I know, and he would do anything for me." Jamie said as she started to doze off. She heard Iroh snoring and realized he had fallen asleep.
A few moments later some rustling in the bushes nearby had woken the two benders. Iroh looked around frantically. "Who's there?" He said, and then a small mouse like rodent jumped up onto the edge of the spring. "A medowbole," Iroh smiled and held out his hand so the small harmless creature could jump on. "I should have known; you startled me little one." Jamie laughed as she and Iroh relaxed in the water. "It seems we have dozed off and missed my nephew's deadline, but it was a very sweet nap."
Jamie smiled and softly petted the medowbole, "It sure was..." Jamie noticed the rodent jumping up and down after Iroh had set it down and got very confused as she watched the creature. Then she heard the rumbling of the earth as the medowbole scurried away and she sat up and attempted to climb out of the water as rock encased her and Iroh in the spring. "Iroh, what's going on?" Jamie asked panicking.
Just when Iroh was going to answer, six earthebenders ran up and one of them interrupted, "They are Fire Nation Soldiers," he said as he picked up Iroh's clothes.
Another walked over and spoke, "He is no ordinary soldier, this is the Fire Lord's brother, the Dragon of the West. The once great General Iroh, but now he's our prisoner."
"Sir, what about the girl?" The third earthbender said as he lifted Jamie out of the rock and chained her. "She's a pretty one," he said as he licked his lips and looked at her from head to toe, but his eyes lingering over her torso just a tad longer.
"She will be of some use to us. Chain them and drag them to our ostrich horses." The one that spoke about Iroh said. Jamie figured he was their leader and she glared at him as the one that chained her picked her up and set her side saddle on his ostrich horse as he climbed on behind her and pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist to hold the reins. Their leader helped put Iroh on one of his soldier's horse, and they started to ride off.
As it started to get dark Iroh started to ask questions, "Where are you taking us?"
"We're taking you to face justice." The leader spoke.
"Right, but where specifically?" Iroh argued.
"A place you're quite familiar with actually. You once laid siege to it for 600 days. But it would not yield to you."
"Ah, the great city of Ba Sing Se."
"It was greater than you were, apparently." The leader smirked.
"I acknowledge my defeat at Ba Sing Se. After 600 days away from home my men were tired, and I was tired." Iroh yawned and Jamie rolled her eyes. "And I'm still tired." Iroh closed his eyes and fell off the ostrich horse. The man stopped and picked him up and set him back on the horse.
Jamie looked up at Iroh and started to speak in Fire Nation so the soldiers wouldn't understand what they were saying. "Uncle Iroh, if you are able to get away and find Zuko, don't come back for me if these Earth Kingdom soldiers take off with me. I will be able to get away eventually. Don't come looking for me unless Zuko has successfully captured the Avatar."
Iroh sighed and answered truthfully, "You know Zuko won't allow that miss Jasmine. He cares about you too much to let you go so easily. Especially after the little argument you two had last night. He knows you are not weak and helpless, but that doesn't stop him from worrying about you; just like you with him."
"Yes I know Uncle Iroh, but I put all my trust in you to convince him to just let me go. I'm begging you Uncle Iroh. He needs to complete his journey, and I don't want to get in the way of that. I will find you both again somehow. And plus, if Zuko can find the Avatar so can I, and we will be bound to run into each other again." Iroh nodded finally agreeing to Jamie as the sun started to come up for sunrise. She yawned and closed her eyes and leaned against the soldier when she heard Iroh gasp.
"What's the problem?" Their leader asked.
"Nothing. Actually there is a bit of a problem; my old joints are feeling sore and achy, and these shackles are too loose."
"Too loose?" The leader asked slightly confused.
"That's right. The cuffs are loose and they jangle around and bump my wrists. It would help me if you would tighten them so they wouldn't shake around so much."
"Very well, Corporal tighten the prisoner's hand cuffs. Soldier Lee keep moving with the girl in case this one pulls something." All the ostrich-horses stopped except for Jamie's as the soldier got off his horse and walked over to Iroh. She saw him heat his cuffs and the soldier grabbed them and screamed as Iroh kicked fire at the horses making them buck as Iroh rolled down the side of the cliff.
That was the last time she saw Iroh as the ostrich horse she was on took off running into the woods.
-Just a few hours later-
When Zuko found his uncle shackled and kneeling beneath a rock, Zuko knew he had to act fast. He charged and kicked the rock away and brought his heel down on the chains of the shackles releasing his Uncle.
"Excellent form Prince Zuko." Iroh said as he stood getting into a firebending stance.
"You taught me well Uncle," Zuko replied getting into his firebending stance.
"Surrender yourselves, its five against two. You're clearly out numbered." The leader said.
"Ah, that's true, but you are clearly out matched." Iroh said shaking the chains connected to his shackles. After that the fight began. Iroh used his chains to block rocks being thrown at him as Zuko attacked the earthbenders with fire. Iroh and Zuko easily took out the five earthbenders in a matter of minutes. Zuko and Iroh smirked and started walking away.
Zuko put his hand on his Uncle's shoulder. "Now will you please put on some clothes?" Iroh laughed and shrugged, as Zuko remembered Jamie and frantically looked around for her. "Uncle, where is Jamie? Where did they take her?"
Iroh sighed sadly and put his hand on his nephew's shoulder this time, "She told me to tell you to not go looking for her. She wants you to keep searching for the Avatar. She said that she will be able to get away eventually and if you can find the Avatar so can she. We will bound to run into each other again. She can take care of herself Prince Zuko."
"Uncle, you don't understand if something happens to her do you know what that will do to me? I won't be able to capture the Avatar and bring myself honor knowing that something bad could happen to James. Something bad could happen and she won't be able to protect herself, like what if she got raped or sold? I said I will always be there to save her, and now she won't let me." Zuko looked to the ground as they walked back to his komodo rhino.
Iroh sighed again, "I am truly sorry nephew. We will find her again, and if not she will find us." Zuko frowned and nodded when they got to his komodo rhino and hopped on helping his uncle on and they rode back to the ship.
A/N: Again I am so sorry for the delay. No I'm not giving up on this story I was just having a rough semester. Anyways, I had chapter 7 written and then I forgot some things so now I have to go back and fix it so I'm just going to rewrite my whole story. I am going to try and finish this by the end of the year so if you guys have any suggestions for time management then please Review or PM me! Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed!