Here's Chapter 6! ugh its been too long since i have updated anything anyways please read and enjoy :)
Amaya hummed lightly to herself, her fingertips brushing along the soft textures of the tall plants and flowers growing on either sides of the pathway. Iroh smiled from atop the ostrich-horse enjoying the warm sun and the spirits soft melody.
Zuko walked a few paces ahead of him leading the large animal, his grip on the reins tightened in annoyance.
He glared at the girl humming in front of him, his eyes narrowing at the back of her head. How was she always so cheerful? Doesn't she realize there's a war going on? That people's lives are changing and being lost every day? Does she really not realize that by traveling with them she is now just as much of an enemy of all the nations as they are? His glare hardened as the girl just went on humming and brushing her fingers through the plants when she walked as if she didn't have a care in the world.
He had to look away, her usual cheerfulness turned his stomach.
This went on for a while before Zuko gritted his teeth; he couldn't take it anymore her constant upbeat humming was driving him mad.
"Amaya!" He shouted, annoyance dripping from his voice.
Turning her gaze over her shoulder she blinked at him obviously confused. He narrowed his eyes at her and clenched his teeth together tight "Do you have to do that?"
Quirking an eye brow she turned fully to face him "Do what?" she asked slightly irritated.
He was about to reply when a strange noise reached his ear, he didn't respond back to the girl but rather stayed still listening for the noise to happen again.
Amaya waited for his response, watching him just stand there with the same stupid irritated look he always has on his face. Crossing her arms across her chest she huffed "What did I do to annoy his royal highness now? You know not everything we do has to be subjected to silence or talk of depressing matters there's plenty to-"
Drowning her out Zuko tried listening for the sound once more.
Trying to focus toward the bushes at their right he shot Amaya a stern glare "Amaya, be quite!" he exclaimed balling his hands into fists. She huffed once more and kept ranting about his bad attitude.
He just rolled his eyes at her and suddenly there it was again. The noise had gotten louder, but he couldn't tell what it was or what direction it was coming from with her obsessive talking.
"Shut up, I can't hear anything!" he snarled at her.
Throwing her fists down at her sides oblivious to the noise he was hearing she took a step forward and opened her mouth to retort back to him when a loud crack of a whip broke through the air and a flash of light filled their vision.
Suddenly Amaya fell to the ground hard landing flat on her front, her body unmoving and a familiar rumbling shook the ground.
Before anyone could react Zuko and Iroh found that they were surrounded by a pack of komodo-rhinos, their riders armed with weapons and baring the insignia of the rough rhinos. Finally opening her eyes Amaya tried to gasp for breath, her fall had knocked the air out of her and she felt as if she was suffocating.
She pushed herself up slightly onto her knees with one hand on the ground supporting her and wrapped her other arm around her aching mid-section; attempting desperately to get air back into her lungs. Her whole body ached from her chin to her chest and stomach down to her legs.
She pushed the thoughts of her pain aside and looked around for Zuko and Iroh. She found them a few yards away from where she was hunched over surrounded by a hoard of overly muscled men, some of them atop a huge scary looking three horned beast.
As one of the riders swung the first attack Iroh and Zuko moved into action.
Amaya then realized that the two were greatly outnumbered and with a burst of energy pushed herself up onto her feet. Almost instantly her vision went white for a moment and she found herself back on the ground, her right leg searing and throbbing in pain.
Hearing an approaching noise she tried to dull the pain from her mind and looked up.
Through the dust she could see both Iroh and Zuko fighting skillfully against the other men, the dust however made it hard for her to see who was winning. Suddenly she felt a hand grasp under her upper arm and found herself being wrenched up and her back slammed into the trunk of a nearby tree.
A man held her suspended above the ground with only one arm and the use of the tree.
He was a muscled man, averaged height, middle aged with a wide and hard set face bearing a greying burly beard. His cold ochre eyes glanced her over for a moment "What an interesting find. Two traders and a bonus" he spoke cold and low before his eyes found and locked on the jewel hanging from her neck "Yes, very interesting indeed"
Amaya narrowed her eyes at him and waved her fingers behind the trunk calling the water from one of the bushes when suddenly the man let go of her arm and she fell to the mercy of the earth. It was only a few inches fall but when her feet hit the ground it was as if someone had dropped her from several hundred feet.
Her vision once again went completely white as her weight was forced onto her leg. Letting out a shriek of pain she could feel the hot pricks of tears in the corners of her eyes as she instantly let go of the water whip she had formed and tumbled forward onto the ground at the man's feet. Her right leg tucked underneath her body.
The pain in her leg was unbearable; the edges of her vision still white in color she felt as if she was in a dream somehow, a very painful dream. Bringing her blue eyes up she saw the man's face, he was looking down at something quite frustrated.
It was then that she noticed the pressure of tugging at the back of her neck; he was trying to take the gem off her.
She tried to fight back but the pain shooting all through her body rendered it motionless, she couldn't even feel the water in the plants around her to bend.
Suddenly the man quickly looked to his right and he was wrenched away, Amaya's vision had faded mostly to white for a few seconds but she could hear a tousling of noises nearby. Opening her eyes once more she forced her vision to focus when two hands grabbed her upper arms firmly and she found that two ochre eyes were once again staring back at hers.
These eyes were cold and unwelcoming but at least familiar.
Moving her right leg out from under her she blinked a few times as her vision slowly started coming back. Focusing on the person in front of her she could soon make out Zuko's figure.
His lips turning down into a deep scowl as her eyes found his "What the fuck was that?! You could have been killed!"
His grip on her arms tightened even more "Why the hell didn't you fight back?! Are you just completely useless!?" He snarled at her as he shook her slightly "I have no room on this ship for useless!" he shouted. His golden eyes burning into hers, they were over filled with anger and revulsion; she found herself shrinking back from him. He really was frightening.
Amaya winced when she felt his hands start to heat up, squeezing her eyes shut obviously terrified when Iroh quickly came up from behind and placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder "Nephew I think you need to calm dow-"
Zuko pressed his eyes shut and cut him off with an angry growl, letting go of the girls shoulders he harshly shrugged his uncles hand off and stood up. "Like I said I have no time for useless. She's your problem uncle."
And with that he stormed off down the path, fists clenched in anger and smoke slipping from between his teeth.
Sighing Iroh shook his head and reached for the girl, putting her arm around his shoulder he helped her to a standing position and called for the ostrich-horse. Carefully he put her on the large animal and climbed up behind her.
Amaya breathed a sigh of relief as she rest her back against the older fire bender, leaning her head back onto his shoulder as he steadied the ostrich-horse.
"Don't worry; he is just angry because we were ambushed. I think that he has just become accustomed to being a prince controlling a ship of men that were capable to look after themselves…er..as well as take his harsh comments. That's the way he's been for so long while looking for the avatar that I don't think his mind has fully come around to the idea of not being effusively in control anymore. Or the fact that he is no longer considered a prince to be feared but a reward to be caught"
Taking the rains he kicked the animal into a fast walk as he continued "My nephew is very temperamental and can be very harsh with words that he does not mean, however he will calm down…eventually"
Amaya squeezed her eyes shut and drug her nails into the fabric of her dress. At the moment she didn't care what the hell Zuko did or thought. Or for that matter even if he meant his harsh words or not, right now all she could focus on was the movement of the ostrich-horse.
The animals gait was causing her leg to bob up and down lightly inflicting shooting spasms of pain with each step. Trying to breathe evenly she wasn't sure what exactly was causing the pain in her leg but she did know one thing for sure she needed to find a source of water, and soon.
It was late into the afternoon when they had finally come to a stop, Zuko's angry figure stomping up a steep hill side looking for a flat place to start setting up for the night. Iroh stopped the ostrich-horse by the river shaking his head at his young nephew and helped Amaya off the large animal.
She winced slightly as her weight once more found the ground. Noticing this Iroh nodded toward the river "I think it would be wise that you address your wounds, we will set up for the night. Be careful and be sure to come up when you are finished" he smiled at her, his face showing a slight hint of exhaustion. A result from that mornings adventure no doubt.
Immediately Amaya felt a pang of guilt in her stomach as she looked toward her feet and nodded. Iroh laid a weathered hand on her shoulder making her look up at him and smiled once more "we will just be above that hill when you're done" and with that he reached for the ostrich-horses reins and started up the hill.
Amaya cocked her head at the sight 'why didn't he just ride the thing up the hill?' she wondered to herself momentarily.
When his figure had disappeared over the crest she shrugged the thought off and turned toward the water.
When she was at the edge of the river she carefully lowered herself down onto the ground, feeling the hot pricks of tears forming she cautiously lifted the hem of her dress and called the water with her fingertips.
After all was set up Iroh glanced out at the near setting sun "I am starting to get worried, she should have come up by now"
Walking past his uncle with an armful of fire wood Zuko kept his gaze straight and didn't respond. Stretching out his back and taking a seat on the ground Iroh pressed on "Maybe someone should go check on her?"
Setting down the pile of wood Zuko growled knowing well what his uncle was getting at "Why? She's a big girl she can handle herself" Iroh was about to respond when the prince gave an amused snort and stood fully upright, dusting his hands of dirt "Oh wait… no she can't... Useless. "
Iroh frowned as his nephew strode past him in an angry huff to add to the growing pile of wood.
When he reappeared with more wood Iroh folded his hands in his lap and spoke firmly "Nephew, I think you are too hard on her. I don't think you fully understand; it would be wise of you to talk to her and recognize her side before jumping to conclusions"
At this the scarred teen dropped the wood on the pile and rolled his golden eyes "Uncle! There isn't anything to understand! She let herself get caught and didn't even try to fight back!" stepping toward his uncle he angrily continued "If I hadn't of saved her ass she probably would have let that bastard have his way and kill her! And I don't have time to be babysitting someone-who is constantly off in dreamland- in the middle of a war, I am going after my destiny and useless people are only obstacles in the way" he growled as he narrowed his eyes at his uncle.
Turning away Iroh closed his eyes as he shook his head wearily, he was going to have to do this a different way.
One way or another someone needed to go check on the girl and there was no doubt some air needed to be cleared between the two teenagers. Iroh shuddered at the thought of traveling with the two bickering at each other on a constant level; it wouldn't make the journey enjoyable for anyone.
Opening his eyes he spotted a medium sized jug tied to his pack, a corner of his lip etching upwards. Maybe he could still hit two possum-birds with one stone.
He reached for it and opened the lid turning back to his moody nephew. "Oh my, it seems as if I forgot to fill the water jug when I was at the river earlier" he said as he started getting to his feet.
"Fine, then go fill it now" The prince stated as he crossed his arms.
Suddenly the older fire benders hand went to his lower back as he let out a number overly dramatized moans of pain, to which Zuko just quirked an eyebrow at the display; obviously not believing his uncle's act.
Looking up Iroh pretended to be in pain once more and Zuko rolled his eyes as his mind wondered to the task of stacking the wood to start the fire "Are you going to complain or get water?" he asked voice low. To this Iroh's eyes widened as he dramatically put a hand to his heart "You want me, a man of my age in my condition to hike up and down that hill with a heavy object that I can fall and hurt myself with?! To think that my own nephew who I consider as my own son would wish such-"
Zuko tried to drown out the overly dramatized act his uncle was putting on, however he was unsuccessful.
Squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose he growled angrily and snatched the jar away from his overplaying uncle.
As he stomped off down the hill Iroh sat on the ground and started stacking the wood, a triumphant smile set in his wise features. As he approached the riverside Zuko stopped his mindless irate mumbling and scanned the sand bank.
His mouth pressed to a straight line when his golden gaze finally found her sitting at the very edge of the water, he looked to the ground as he made his way toward her; right now even just looking at her irritated him. He stopped at the river's edge only a few feet away from where she was sitting, neither teenager speaking or seeming to want to notice each others presence.
Zuko bent to quickly fill the jug with water and get back to camp when a splashing noise made him glance toward her. Looking over he saw that she was sitting on the end of the bank swirling a leg submerged knee-deep in the water, the water glowing on and off as she moved the limb around in it.
Placing the lid on the jug he quirked an eyebrow at her "What are you doing?" he asked suddenly.
When her blue eyes looked up at him he mentally kicked himself for his curiosity and averted his eyes to the grass next to them. He didn't have to pretend to be interested in the ground for long, there was something lying in the grass next to her that caught his eye.
He studied it for a moment and suddenly felt a hot blush burn at the back of his neck when he realized what the object was, her tights.
He swallowed hard, slightly uncomfortable and was about to leave when something else caught his eye. The right legging of the tights was seared off just above the knee, black burn marks around the cuffing of it.
Turning his gaze toward her he pondered a way to ask about the state of her clothing. When she noticed he had looked up at her she immediately shoved her momentarily un-submerged leg back into the depths of the water. A streak of red caught his attention before she had time to completely hide it in the water.
Placing the jug to the side he sighed making a mental note to rip his uncle a new one as he inched his way closer to her, his curiosity completely taking him over.
When she saw him coming closer he couldn't help but notice her skin jump slightly as her eyes scanned him over nervously. He sighed once more and kept his eyes down as he sat next to her "I am not going to hurt you"
Looking up at her he watched as she blinked her blue eyes at him and nodded, giving off an obvious look of uncertainty.
"What's on your leg?" he asked firmly.
Amaya's skin froze "nothing" she responded curtly with more confidence than she felt.
She watched as the prince narrowed his eyes at her "Lift your leg from the water" he ordered.
She just stared back at him for a while before sighing "you know that look you have on your face all the time is really unnerving" He just quirked en eyebrow at her impatiently as she let out a deep breath and slowly lifted her leg.
He watched as her pale skinned leg slid from the water, his eyes widening slightly at the sight the water reveled to him. Fully uncovered he could see a long, angry burn mark wrapped several times around the width of her lower leg. He moved closer to her and unconsciously reached out toward it.
He felt her jump as his fingertips found her skin, the spaces in-between the rings of the burn was cold but the closer he got to the injury the temperature of her skin increased dramatically. He knew this feeling all too well.
Looking closer at it he noticed that this was no ordinary burn, the burn itself creating deep grooves of marred skin where it wrapped around her leg. Suddenly it all made sense the loud crack, the bright light, her burned tights, and the deep groves of the burn.
He looked up to meet her gaze and kept his voice low "The whip was on fire when the bandit attacked you" being more of a statement than a question she only nodded back at him.
A few minutes of silence had past, the only audible sounds coming from the river before them. Zuko set his eyes hard on the rippling of the water "Is that why you didn't fight back?" he asked as he nodded his head toward her leg.
Amaya pushed her white hair over one shoulder and placed her hands in her lap, delicately twiddling with her fingertips. "Well that's part of it"
At this the prince looked up at her noticeably interested "part of what?"
Amaya dipped her leg back into the water and shrugged "I don't really know how to 'fight'. I can do things like trip someone, freeze them or clumsily knock them away but that is the extent of my fighting skills. And even then those skills are very basic"
She watched as his mouth opened slightly unsure of what to say.
Turning her eyes back to the running water below her she continued "You see as a spirit there never really was a need for me to learn how to fight. With an immortal existence in the spirit world it wasn't really something I ever considered that I would have to do and never did have to do until just recently"
Zuko turned his eyes to the setting sun keeping his usual stern demeanor upon his face "I thought spirits were supposed to be very powerful"
Amaya turned her gaze on him as her eyes narrowed at his snide remark "Having a vast amount of power doesn't always mean that it is used for violence" she stated firmly.
He didn't look at her, letting his eyes linger on the last bit of sunlight as he replied dryly "That's not what I was taught"
Blinking her eyes up at his still figure she watched as his face took on its usual scowl, narrowing his eyes at the sunset before him as if it were a long lost enemy. "I am sorry" she whispered as she took her leg once more from the river and swiftly bent the water from her skin.
Zuko's jaw clenched, he couldn't stand it when people pitied him.
The sound of the water pulled his gaze back to her, the moon was now out and her tattoos glowed lightly, all but the one that is usually wrapped around the bottom part of her right leg.
"Why isn't it glowing?" he asked curiously.
Amaya chewed on her bottom lip and touched the burn "Well my tattoos usually only glow as bright as the moon does, tonight there isn't much of it but I do see what you mean, this part doesn't seem to be lighting up at all. I am guessing it's because of the wound, it's deep and might have severed the connection"
Zuko knitted his brows together "And if that is what happened?"
Resting her chin on her knee she looked up at him through her lashes "Then this part of my leg would turn back to earth. Like a tea kettle, it would be nothing but fragile china and therefore…useless."
Zuko swallowed hard at that last word, a small spasm of guilt running down his spine as he lowered his eyes to his hands in his lap.
Suddenly he felt the pressure of fingertips lightly shove his shoulder "Hey, don't feel bad" came her disembodied voice from her seat next to him "If anything I should be the one who feels bad. This is all my fault, I should probably be apologizing to you actually" He looked up at her in time to watch as her eyes slid closed, in the light of the moon he could make out a glistening in the corners of her eyes.
When she got no reply from him she opened her eyes to find him watching her, his face had softened into confusion and guilt.
This was a strange look for him and she decided not to linger on it too long, turning her attention back to the running water "You told me to be quite and I kept talking. If I wasn't so busy ranting maybe I would have heard the bandit coming and…things might have turned out differently. I may not know how to fight worth beans but I can usually at least get out of the way"
She shrugged sighing deeply and turned to him her hands posed gracefully together as she leaned her upper torso forward in a light bow "If anything I should thank you, my wound now is bad but if I concentrate on healing it for a while I think I might at least get the connection back. It would have been much worse if you hadn't have saved me."
Zuko only nodded once as a response, her gratitude taking him off guard.
He watched her rub her palms against her arms and looked up to the sky it was now completely dark and getting cold. Standing abruptly he lifted the water jug and glanced down at the girl who was looking back at him from the ground.
He nodded his head in the direction of the hill "It's late. We should get back" he stated as he stepped back to give her room to stand.
Amaya sighed and nodded, this was the part she had been dreading the most; walking. She winced slightly as she slowly stood to her feet, Zuko quirked an eyebrow at her questioningly. Rolling her eyes at him she took a deep breath and waved him off "I got it"
15 minutes had passed and they had barely gotten 5 yards up the steep hill, Zuko clenched his fists at how slow they were moving.
Hearing her wince again behind him he gritted his jaw tightly, he of all people knew the pain that came with a major burn but he couldn't begin to fathom at trying to walk on it, he suddenly felt guilty all over again.
Sighing roughly he turned to the girl behind him "Look were never going to get back to camp at this rate"
Amaya huffed a long stray bang from her face "Zuko I can't move any faster right now, I don't know what you want me to do"
A breeze blew through her sleeves and brushed the skin of her arms, Amaya shivered and rubbed her arms once more. Zuko thought for a moment, he had an idea but was sure neither of them would like it. Looking up the long distance of the hill he sighed and quickly moved toward her before he changed his mind.
Shoving the jar in her arms he stated "I want you to hold this"
Amaya's face twisted in confusion as he stepped behind her and swiftly pushed her legs from under her making her fall backwards. She let out a small yelp as he instantly caught her, one arm under her shoulder supporting her back and the other just under the bend of her knees (A/N: bridal style)
"And I am going to hold you" he stated firmly.
As he started up the hill Amaya tried to protest "Zuko, I can wal-" she started but his glare and harsh tone stopped her mid-sentence "Just don't talk. I am tired and at the rate we were going we wouldn't reach the top until sunrise, I am not enjoying this anymore than you are so just be quite"
If the water jug wasn't taking up the space in her arms she would have huffed and crossed them. But she too was tired and longed for the soft embrace of sleep that awaited her at camp.
YAY for chapter 6! lol Hope you guys are having fun reading :)