"Me?" Iroh asked.

"Yes, you," Arlei replied firmly, taking a drink out of her cup with her eyes gazing towards a wall. "Sho isn't a piece of cattle. He's a cheetah wolf. He was bred and born on a mountain, not some stable. And thus he's not going to spend his life drinking out of a trough."

"But why do you want me to take him to the river?" Iroh persisted. He wasn't trying to protest; he just wanted to hear Arlei tell him that she trusted him enough.

The response she gave wasn't quite what he wanted to hear. Arlei uncrossed her leg, stamping her foot onto the ground, and leaned towards him. "Because I'm tired, and since you're here, you might as well make yourself useful."

Well, it was worth a shot. To be honest, Iroh thought he had made himself plenty useful since he got here, but Arlei seemed to think otherwise. At least the children enjoyed his presence. Standing up, he said, "Very well. Is there anything else I can do while we're out there?"

"Watch out for stinging nettles," Arlei answered, swilling her cup around. "But if you find yourself foolishly wading through them, don't expect me to be the one rubbing ointment on you."

What did stinging nettles look like? Iroh's ability to determine plant species wasn't exactly his best ability. As he walked out the door, he heard Koru hurry up behind him. "I'll go with him!" the boy called back to Arlei as he excitedly pushed Iroh outside. "Someone has to show him where the river is."

"Fine. Be safe," Arlei replied.

As the door closed behind him, Iroh looked down at Koru. "Can you tell me more about the Fire Nation?" the child asked.

"Of course," Iroh said warmly. "What would you like to know?"

Koru let out a brief, shrill whistle. From around the corner of the cottage, Sho appeared. He trotted happily over to the two and gave Koru's face a broad lick. Koru patted Sho's nose and began leading him away from the cottage. "Tell me about firebending! Are you a firebender?"

"I am," Iroh said as they walked side-by-side through the tall grass.

"Are you good? Like a master?"

"One's true measure of skill is determined by others, not oneself," Iroh replied thoughtfully. "Thought I suppose the army thought I was good enough to be a general." He decided not to include the fact that being a prince also helped.

"A general?" Koru's eyes widened. "I bet you know all kinds of moves!" He sighed wistfully. Sho rested his muzzle affectionately on the boy's shoulder. "I hope I'm a firebender too."

"You're not sure yet?" Iroh looked curiously down at Koru. He certainly looked like a little firebender with his black hair and golden eyes, but looks certainly weren't indicators of bending.

"No," Koru said sadly. "But I know Mama is a firebender, so there's a chance." That's right; Seiya could firebend. But while she was at the palace, she had never been allowed to learn. And from what Iroh could tell, it seemed as though Seiya was a little afraid of her own firebending. "Do you think it's too late for me?"

"Usually a firebender starts being able to bend around six or seven years old," Iroh assured. "So there's still time. All though there are some who can bend earlier, or later. Why, I knew a man who couldn't firebend until his first child was born!"

Koru made a face. "I don't want to have to wait until then!" he gasped. "I'd be so old!"

"If that age is old, then what am I?" Iroh chuckled.

"Super old," Koru answered happily. They laughed.

After their laughter faded, Iroh began hearing the quiet, bubbling sounds of rushing water. Sho perked his ears and hurried forward. He disappeared between the trees, his flickering tail the last of him they saw. Then they heard a loud splash and an energized yelp.

"Sho loves this river!" Koru said as they stepped through shrubbery and emerged on the banks of a rapidly flowing river. "The water comes from up there." He pointed up to a looming, snow-capped mountain. "It's still really cold by the time it reaches this point. Arlei says Sho was born on a mountain like that, so he likes the cold water." The cheetah wolf was dancing around in the water, trying to lap up the water in between his steps. "It probably reminds him of home."

Every so often, Arlei would take Sho here to enjoy the water and remind him of the place he originated from. It reminded Iroh much of the little boy standing next to him, though Arlei couldn't take him to his "river."

But Koru didn't seem to mind. It seemed he was still engrossed in their previous topic. "Can you show me some firebending?" he asked.

"Of course. Stand back a little." Iroh beckoned Koru back. When he was a safe distance away, Iroh raised his arms. He decided to start simple. Just a little punch. A large flare of fire erupted from his knuckles and quickly evaporated into the air. Koru jumped up and down, unable to contain his excitement.

"Cool!" he shouted. "I want to do that too!" He turned towards a nearby bushed and imitated Iroh's punch. "Ha!" Pointing at the bush, he yelled, "You're on fire now!"

"Before you learn firebending, you must understand that there is more to it than simply setting things on fire," Iroh warned. "In the hands of the inexperienced, fire brings nothing but destruction. In the hands of a truly capable firebender, fire brings light, heat, art, and most importantly, life." He had learned that a long time ago from one of the best.

"But fire is just fire!" Koru argued. "It's that hot stuff that we use to heat water or cook food! It just burns things!"

"In time, you'll understand," Iroh said. "Fire comes in many forms. It is as adaptable and diverse as life itself." He was suddenly reminded of another form of firebending: the ability to strip the very life from the flames and shoot it out in its purest form. Lightning. Should he show Koru? He was a little reluctant to do such a dangerous act around the little boy, but perhaps it would be a good way to show Koru the diversity of fire. One thing he knew for sure was that if Arlei knew what he planned on doing, she'd probably skin him and feed him to Sho.

He decided to do it. It was for the sake of learning, after all. "Let me show you a very complicated firebending move," he explained to Koru, whose eyes lit up. "Very few individuals can do it. Why, even my nephew was never able to grasp it. Could you call Sho back to shore? I'd prefer it if he was out of the water." Koru whistled. The cheetah wolf leapt out onto the riverbank and lay down, panting. Evidently, fighting with the current had tired him out.

Iroh put a little more distance between himself and the two others. Then he faced an open area that had fewer trees. He took a deep breath and began to move his hands in a circle. He felt the surges of energy sticking to his fingertips as sparks of electricity buzzed up from the air. He let the energy build up a little more to the point where it felt as though his arms were about to burst from the pressure. With a swift motion, he pointed it towards the sky. He felt the energy spill out from his fingertips, emerging into the air as streams of zigzagging lightning. A second later, a boom of thunder cracked the air.

Koru's eyes couldn't have gotten any bigger. He held his fists up to his face. "That was the best!" he shouted. Next to him, Sho was hiding his face under his paws, shaking.

"I didn't realize he was afraid of lightning," Iroh apologized. He crouched next to the cheetah wolf and patted his head. "My apologies, Sho." Looking over at Koru, he said, "Lightning is often referred to as the 'cold-blooded fire.' It is fire in its purest, simplest form."

"Can you do it again?" Koru pleaded. Sho let out a whimper. "Then again, maybe not."

"Grandpa was telling me about Mama," Kani said as she broke apart the biscuit in her hands and nibbled on the little pieces. "He said that while she lived in the Fire Nation, Mama was really good friends with his nephew and his son."

Arlei was leaning back in her chair, her legs crossed and her arm resting over her stomach. She was gazing out the window. "Seiya and Lu Ten were friends?" she muttered incredulously under her breath.

"If she had so many friends, why did she leave?" Kani wondered out loud. Arlei pressed her lips together. "We're almost out of milk," Kani continued. "But you know how Koru says he can't sleep without a cup of warm milk? I think he's lying."

"I'll go out and get more tomorrow," Arlei said, her eyes still glued absently to the window.

There was a sigh. "Arlei, what are you looking at?" Arlei glanced back at Kani. "Hmm?"

"You always stare out the window," Kani said. "It's like you're waiting to see something. What are you looking for?"

Did she really stare out the window that much? Arlei hadn't even noticed. "I don't know," she admitted. "I guess I just like looking outside." Deep inside, she knew what she was looking for. And she knew she was never going to see it. Not unless there was a way to bring back the departed.

"I told Grandpa about your window thing," Kani confessed sheepishly. "He seemed to look sad when I said it. I think he understands. I feel like he really knows you for some reason, even more than Mama knows you. If he's not your husband, who is he?"

"Someone I met a long, long time ago. It wasn't exactly the best of meetings," Arlei said, not planning to go into any more detail than that.

"Oh…" Kani's eyes became clouded, like she was in deep thought. "Oh! Was it a forbidden love? A Fire Nation boy and an Earth Kingdom girl who wanted to be together but were forced to fall apart!" She clasped her hands together. "That would make such a good story!"

Why did this girl have to force romance into everything? "No."

"Oh." Kani resumed picking apart her biscuit, this time with a little less enthusiasm. "Anyway, he's nice. I like him. I wish you would like him too." Arlei glanced back at Kani, her brow furrowed as she tried to digest Kani's last sentence.

Something brilliant shot out from the corner of her eye. Arlei whipped her gaze to the window and saw it. A streak of lightning, followed by booming thunder.

Kani jumped at the noise. "Ah!" she yipped as she looked out the window. "I didn't think it was going to rain today!"

The lightning had shot out from underneath the treetops. Arlei narrowed her eyes as she leaned forward, resting a fist against the table. She knew exactly where that lightning had come from.

"He did not," she growled. "I can't believe that man! When I see his face again, I'm going to skin him and feed him to Sho!"

Kani watched her with concerned eyes. "Arlei, I just want you to be nicer to him," she insisted. "And I think that he likes y—." She was cut off by a knock at the door. Both of them looked towards it. Arlei slowly rose to her feet.

That lightning had shot out less than a minute ago. There was no way they could have gotten back in that time. Who was that at the door? "Kani, go to your room," Arlei instructed quietly. "Close the door."

Kani shot a frightened glance at Arlei. "Kani, love, it's okay. Just listen to me." The little girl quickly scrambled away. Arlei walked towards the door. As she reached out for the doorknob, she rested her hand against the old bladed staff that leaned next to the door.

She opened the door. There was no one there.

Then she heard Kani screaming from her room.

So when I'm ready to be bolder

And my cuts have healed with time

Comfort will rest on my shoulder

And I'll bury my future behind

I'll always keep you with me

You'll be always on my mind

But there's a shining in the shadows

I'll never know unless I try

"Home" by Gabrielle Aplin

Addendum: Not only is our dog also afraid of thunder, she's also afraid of the sound of construction. I remember having to wake up at like 8 in the morning (and that's early, considering I don't usually have to wake up for classes until 10) and rocking her like a baby until the construction stopped. Then I went back to sleep.

I love that dog.