Title: Stay in the Shade
Rating: K
Character/Pairing: The Earth King, Ursa
Summary: They meet on the coast.
A/N: Written for 31days, theme: I appeal to your scratches and your tattered fur. Blatant speculation, inspired by a Tegaki.

They met because Bosco had wandered away from him in some little port off the coast. After a frantic search, he found his pet nuzzling up to an older woman in the alleys that ran behind the shops in the middle stretch of town.

"I like your bear," she said easily, scratching Bosco behind the ears.

"He likes you too," the former Earth King responded, his heart pounding with relief. "He knows who the good people are. I couldn't travel without him."

"It'll be safer to travel now," she responded, finally looking up from the bear to make eye contact with him. Her amber eyes had wrinkles that turned up when she smiled. The Earth King shuddered; there was something strikingly familiar about them, though there was a sense of kindness that he did not recall.

"Have you heard?" she asked, clearly relieved. "The war is over."

He bit his tongue, because his first instinct whenever someone mentioned the war was still to respond, "What war?" Instead, he sighed and suddenly remembered his empty throne back in Ba Sing Se. "I guess I could go home."

Bosco was practically purring in her arms. She laughed like she knew exactly what he was talking about. "Most people want to go home."

"I didn't leave by choice," he explained, not sure why he was suddenly telling a total stranger this. Nobody but Bosco had been privy to his story before. "And now I'm wondering if I'm not better off."

"And here I thought I was the only one," she responded cheerfully, standing up from her crouch and patting Bosco's fur off of her skirt. "Come in," she said, "and I'll make you some tea. I learned how from one of the best tea makers in the world."

"Why not," he agreed, following her through the back door mostly so he could try to resolve this nagging familiarity.

"So where's home for you?" she called over her shoulder, readying the water and spark rocks.

"Ba Sing Se," he answered, his eyes following the pattern in the orange rug on the ground. "Have you been there?"

She dropped her kettle. "My family has had poor luck in your city," she replied, almost apologetically.

Bosco snorted happily as he settled next to the former king. He petted the bear absently before responding. "So did I."

Originally posted 12/03/08