Importantish note at the end of the chapter.

Chapter 2

The days seemed to blur together, the sun rising or not dependent upon the weather, and Zhu looking for some way to control his bending issues. He's taken to experimenting with his camp fire at night, but more often than not, burns himself instead of getting the flames to obey him. It hurts, and he's soaked his hands almost every night in the stream he's following. Its better to have the water on hand, than not and wish he did if he's playing with fire.

Still, the fire obeys him so little that he's almost certain that the jets of flame from his hands were a fluke at the camp.

For ease of carrying, he's taken to wearing the blue spirit mask on his head, though not covering most of his face, the long white wig trailing half down his back as he moves, and unaccustomed but not unpleasant weight. His own hair is a bit wild anyways, covering his scar fairly well.

Zhu sighs, looking at the sun and wiping a bit of moisture from his face with his sleeve as he looks around. The small pack of food that Xing gave him is nearly empty, and though he supplements by foraging for things the other camp kids have taught him were safe to eat, he's still gone hungry more often than not in an attempt to save food since he still has quite a journey ahead of him. He doesn't know much about the Fire Nation Colonies, except that the Fire Nation sent many troops there, and many families to expand their meager farming land and to accustom the native earth kingdom people to Fire Nation civilians among them. After all, the war is just the Fire Nations way of spreading their culture to the rest of the world so that they could enjoy the perks of being civilized.

Zhu snorts as he thinks about it, knowing from far to many nights listening to the adults talk that none of the earth kingdom wants to live by Fire Nation standards of civilization.

Still, the boy is headed north, glad he can follow this river for now as he makes his way towards where he might finally get a teacher. Lady Ursa had been kind, but time watching his little sister train meant that Zuko knew that the first thing new fire benders were taught wasn't supposed to be putting fires out, which had always confused him. And now, it was the only thing he knew about his bending at all.

As Zuko topped the next small rise, he sighted a road, and he frowned, wondering if there was a village nearby where he could barter work for food and supplies to continue traveling. Biting his lip, the youth looks both ways, wondering which one led to the closer village or town. It didn't take him long though to choose a direction, since he had nowhere in particular to be at the moment, he chose the western branch, crossing the wide bridge over the streams placid water.

It was sooner than Zhu expected when he encountered someone though, a group of men had set something up in the middle of the road. They were unkempt, a crate holding what seemed to Zhu to be a pai sho game, and the boy frowned as all four of them seemed to turn to look at him at the same time. "Well well… not the caravan we're expecting…" The largest said, rising from where he sat on a short barrel next to the crate their game was on. "But we can take that pretty mask if nothing else."

"Hope you've got some cash on you, pretty boy." One of the others snickered, and Zhu felt his gut tighten as he realized they were bandits.

"I'm broke." He stated, knowing he was too outnumbered to do anything outrageous, but also angry. How dare they even insinuate that they would take the mask. It was the last gift that Xing had given him, along with the Dao to defend himself with, and these bandits would find it nigh impossible to take them from the youth.

"Don't try to pull that kid. I won't hesitate to slit your throat if you have nothing to pay toll with." The big one said, the others laughing at his words even as Zhu's eyes narrowed and he glared at the men, not that they could see very well. His eyes were shaded by the bottom edge of his mask.

"Toll? I was under the impression that the roads were free to travel." He growled, his temper taking hold as he stood, not certain he could take out four of them, but also not afraid that they would take him.

"Then you were under the wrong impression, kid." The man who has been speaking says, a dark grin on his features as reached down and picked up a large hammer, made for destroying armor rather than building anything. "Give us everything you have, and we might let your impertinence go."

Zhu's hand went to his Dao, Tightening around the handle as he pulled the blade while all four men laughed. Even when he had first come to the theater troup, when he was injured and scared, and before he was willing to help with camp chores, no one had ever spoken to him like that. Meiran had always been there, a gentle embodiment of the patience of earth, guiding him and keeping him calm, accepting him without demanding explanation and making him want to help out by simply being herself.

But she had turned her back on him after finding out he could fire bend, and Xing had told him to leave. These men where horrible, and imagining what they would likely do to anyone truly defenseless made Zhu see red. They reminded him of his grandfather, haughty, and cruel because they chose to be. "No one… has ever spoken to me that way." He growled, pulling his Dao and feeling them settle comfortably in his hand as he settled into his stance. He probably couldn't take all four at once, he had been trained partially for defense as part of the troupe, and partially to look good on the stage.

"Well there's a first time for everything, kid." The men all chuckled, two of the others standing up now as the second one to speak spoke. "Trust me, would have been better to drop your shit and leave." Of all of them, he wasn't armed. Two of the others held hammers, and one a short curved sword, but considering everything, Zhu was still confident. He hadn't practiced against hammers, but as long as he didn't let them hit him he would be fine.

"I'll make you eat your words." Zhu promised, curling his lip and charging forward, angry and tired. He was a prince, even if everyone thought he was dead, and he had honor.

He didn't have a very good handle on fighting more than one armed man though. The second hammer stayed out of it, but the first med him head on while the short sword tried to come around his side. Unarmed simply sat at the pai sho 'table' watching, somewhat amused, and somewhat angry from what Zhu could tell. The fact that the boy had fended off their first attacks, dodging over the hammer and around the curved sword to score a strike on Hammer's arm seemed to have infuriated him. The others were amused though, laughing at their friend for letting a 'kid' score on him. Zhu was paying no attention to their words anyways, it was all noise in the wind and he was so angry.

As he was pressing his attack, he turned, the left hand Dao coming up to block a strike from Sword, and leaving a trail of fire behind the blade and his fist, startling the man into falling backwards. Weeks of frustration over not being able to bend, coupled with anger at these men which riled the anger he felt at being cast out of the troupe, piled on top of old, buried anger from being seared by the Fire Lord and given to vagabonds to murder… it all bubbled out of him as he fought, and he felt hotter and hotter. He barely even noticed as the flames solidified around his fists, wrapping the blade and heating it without hurting his hands.

He pressed his attack on the others, growling and yelling even as he managed to get sword to back off, scoring again but this time on the other hammer holder. The man screamed out, and backed up, screaming something though Zhu still couldn't understand what they were saying. Unarmed finally got up, and Zhu snarled at him even as the others were backing away. He was saying something too, and looked angry about whatever it was.

Then there was fire flying at Zhu, and the boy flinched back instinctively, growling as he dropped down, watching the mans stance as he moved. Firebenders he was used to fighting, to observing considering the bandits who often tried to attack his friends in the troupe, and before that, watching his sister. He found his hate rising as he moved, dancing and dodging around the flames. It was odd, but right now, in this time and place, with the wild emotions flooding him he could practically feel the flames moving.

He stepped forward, pushing down in the one move he knew, the one his mother had given him. To extinguish flames, the flames of his enemy as the came towards him. To him, it was such a simple move, step forward and push down with the anger he felt, but it seemed to startle the fire bender. Zhu didn't know why, only that the man was saying something else… and was turning to run. They were all turning away to run, and Zhu almost charged after them, but the anger was dying down now.

He didn't even notice he was shaking until they were out of sight, and he looked around him, lost for a moment. The barrels and crate were on fire, a tongue of flames rising from the forgotten pai sho pieces. It was enough to make Zhu flinch, and he pulled away, before reaching out to push the flames down. Everything was seared still, and he felt tired, so very tired. The men had disappeared somewhere in the trees, gone from the young exiles sight, and Zhu knew he needed to get out of here. Sheathing his sword with aching fingers, he picked up his small bag, dropped about the same time he had grabbed his Dao. He glanced around, simple curiosity coopted by the need for something to live on. If these were bandits, and they had been gambling, perhaps they had left money on the table, like some of the men did when they played Mahjong and other games.

He grinned as he scored a handful of coins, picking them up and putting them in his bag. It wasn't much, but it would be a start as he continued to make his way north. Perhaps there would be other ways to make money after all, though he was beginning to rethink going to the colonies. It seemed like every fire bender he met was a bandit, preying on the earth kingdom villages and merchants this close to the coast.

If that was what fire was… he didn't want it.

XXXXXX

The iron ship rocked in the gentle sway of the sea, and Iroh sighed in peace, looking over the calm sunset, a picture of perfect peace despite being an exile. For three years, since his failure at Ba Sing Se, he had been wandering, searching for the Avatar and a way back into his fathers grace. His brother was all but acting Fire Lord with Azulon stepping back and relaxing more in his old age. It hurt that his father had chosen his little brother as heir right after his son had died at the siege, and his nephew had been kidnapped by dissenters and murdered. Still, if he could find the Avatar, perhaps they would be able to talk some sense into his father, and finally put an end to this stupid war. He had been many places in his search, idle though it seemed, learned many things about the world.

And acquired quite a taste and talent for Pai Sho. "I believe this game is mine captain." He said cheerfully, and Jee shook his head, a fond grin on the younger mans face as he looked at the pieces.

"Yes. I'm not particularly fond of this game, you know." The man said, standing up and stretching, though it was in well enough humor as he spoke to the exiled prince.

"Perhaps, but it seems that no one else will play me." Iroh's eyes twinkled as he looked towards the ships captain. They had gotten along fairly well since the prince had requisitioned his ship, but being with him was a punishment detail to the men, this captain included.

"We simply don't have the patience, your Highness." Jee said, shaking his head. "Now.. if you'll excuse me, I should go tell the men our next heading." Iroh nodded, smiling at the other man.

"Yes. I believe I shall wait out here a bit longer before I retire for the night." He stated, turning his eyes once more to the sunset. He sighed, remembering better times, when his wife first, then his son when she passed in childbirth. He had been thrilled to hear from his sister in law that his nephew had finally thrown sparks, she had been so certain he would, and Lu Ten had been pleased as well, looking forward to showing his cousin so many fun things when they came back from Ba Sing Se. The old man shook his head, trying to dislodge the wistful, and somewhat depressing thoughts that had taken root as he stood up.

There was still hope that he could make his father see reason, that the man would finally put an end to this war if he could bring the Avatar back. His brother on the other hand was far too interested in the war, far too eager to conquer more of the rest of the world. Once more, Iroh shook his head, determined to make his way to the Galley and see what he could scrounge up for tea.

XXXXX

I changed the name to "Fiery Spirit" since someone pointed out that I spelled Firey wrong… I should look for a beta reader to help me get past things like that. I'm also not sure I'm doing very well with the characterization. I have a reason for writing it the way I am though. I didn't mean to imply that Zuko was a weak bender, he's just a late bender. I have a reason for it, and Lady Ursa knows why he bent late and that it never meant he was weak. I doodled a picture of Zuko as he will be later on, please let me know what you think of it.

http :/ i1042 . photobucket . com /albums /b421 /TheIllustriousTaco /067 . jpg remove the spaces and please let me know what you think :3

also, I thrive on comments. *puppy eyes*