As promised: chapter 5! I hope you guys like it. Also, I hope I'm not going too fast with the storyline. I have a tendency to do so. Inform me when I need to take it slower!
WARNING! Slight hint of sexual abuse. Nothing explicit though.
Chapter 5 – the search for Iroh
Milah called it a night after one of the crewman had accidentally spilt his drink all over her new shirt, making her a little annoyed. He had apologised multiple times and offered to wash it tomorrow, but she said she didn't mind to do it herself and left not long after.
While she was walking down the stairs towards her chamber to change out of her wet outfit and into her sleeping attire, she heard footsteps behind her. When she turned her head to see who was following her, no one was there. Milah frowned but continued her walk anyways. When she neared her chambers, she could hear the footsteps once again. Her heart rate increased significantly when suddenly someone overshadowed her from behind. Before she could scream bloody murder, she was already pulled against a hard chest of someone who reeked of alcohol and sweat.
Milah tried kicking her captor in his crotch, but he was too tall and strong for her. Her breathing came out raggedly and due to a cloth pressed against her face, she couldn't bite his hand.
''Ssh,'' he whispered in her ear. She gagged, his breath smelled of the wine they had been serving. It must be one of the crewmates, went through her head. ''You danced so… inviting, looking at me like that.'' Her eyes became wide and tears filled them. She thrashed against him, but this only made to excite him further, she could feel against her bottom. A strangled cry came out of her mouth, making him hiss at her to shut her up.
''Let's continue this somewhere secluded, shall we?'' he murmured and dragged her down the hallway to a part of the ship where barely anyone came, let alone on a night like this. She started to panic and tried to think of ways to escape, realising she should wait until he would loosen his grip on her.
And then, finally, when he made his move to open a door, he released his grip on her for a split second, but a split second was all she needed. Milah ducked underneath his arm and brought her knee out to finally kick him in the groin, putting all her strength in it. When the kick hit him, he cried out in pain and dropped to his knees. She got a good look at him, not recognising him. She figured that he was one of the Fire Nation townsmen, the one that collected the so-called 'taxes' and terrorised the locals. But before he could get up again to get her, she ran away towards the deck.
Milah panted and turned around several times, frightened to see the man again. Luckily, she didn't, because a split second later she bumped against someone with quick reflexes, grabbing her arm and holding her up, preventing her from falling down on her butt. Afraid that it was the man again, she pushed him off of her and got into a fighting stance, when she suddenly realised that it was Zuko she bumped into.
Milah had never been so relieved and quickly grabbed his arm, tears spilling out of her eyes for the first time since her molestation. ''P-please, Zuko, help me,'' she was able to bring out of her mouth and fell into his arms pressing her face against his chest. She didn't care about the consequences.
Zuko was taken by surprise, but put his arms around her anyway, quite liking the feeling of her warm body pressed up against his. He felt her trembling against him and he wondered what had happened. At that moment, he saw a drunk man, one of the Fire Nation tax collectors from the nearby town, stumble around the corner, an enraged look in his eyes. Zuko narrowed his eyes at him, suddenly realising what happened.
Gently, he pushed Milah off him and instead of seeing if she was okay, he made his way over to the sickening excuse of a Fire Nation citizen, punching him in the face and knocking him out instantly.
Meanwhile, Milah was staring in shock at something in her hands. She had found it in one of Zuko's inner pockets when she had hugged him. It was a necklace, one she could recognise from even a while away. What she didn't understand is why Zuko had it in his pocket, but she was determined to find out and took it with her into her room, putting it underneath her pillow. She didn't glance around to see what he had done with the sickly man and once inside, changed into her sleeping attire and laid down on her bed, grabbing the necklace once more and putting it against her heart, feeling emotional.
Zuko came in shortly after but didn't spare her a single glance, so he hadn't noticed her having something that he had found on the docks. Something he had recognised immediately, something that he absolutely did not want Milah to find out he had. He was calmly changing into his sleeping attire as well behind the partition and when he appeared from behind it again, only then did he notice the object in her hands, one she was staring at intently.
Zuko froze in his step, panic seeping through his body. Fuck. Her eyes went up to his. They reminded him of the calm before the storm. The blue sky that was present just before the sky would darken and winds would blow harder, the beginnings of rain droplets hitting your face.
''What are you doing with my mother's necklace?'' she asked him emotionally, still shaken up from the night's events. ''How long have you been keeping it from me?'' Her voice was raising and her knuckles turned white.
''I…'' he began, not knowing what to say. ''I just found it this afternoon.'' Her eyes narrowed, not believing him.
''How could my mother's necklace be here?'' she asked with a slightly sarcastic undertone. ''Here, of all places.'' He sighed.
''Because it is Katara's,'' he whispered. Her mouth opened in a small 'O' and stood up from her bed. Her legs were bare and the oversized shirt she was wearing fell to mid-thigh, exposing most of her legs. His body grew hot and he shifted in his position.
''Did you know they were here?'' she asked him loudly and walked over to him hurriedly, stopping in front of him. Their faces were close to each other and he could see the hurt flashing across her face. ''They were here and you didn't even tell me?''
''No, I didn't know,'' he answered grimly. ''If I had known, wouldn't I have tried to capture the Avatar?'' She thought about that, deciding that made sense.
''Yes, you're right,'' she whispered and turned back around again. He stared after her, his eyes noting the way her hips moved once again and liking her long and lean legs. They were the same colour as her face, pleasing him.
Milah did not notice the way the Prince was looking at her yet again and sat down on her bed again, wrapping the necklace around her fingers, bringing it close to her heart. Zuko followed her, crouching down beside her mattress, and gently lifted his fingers to touch her arm. His rough, callused skin touched her soft, warm right arm. Goosebumps formed all over her body, making her shiver somehow. His touch was warm and inviting, but the nagging feeling in her stomach told her not to give in.
Milah realised she had become attached to him, trusted him even, for a little bit, seeing that she felt like he betrayed her by not telling her about his finding. He retracted his hand, leaving her behind, cold.
''Are you okay?'' he asked her in a soft, rough voice. ''You know after he…'' he didn't want to say the words. He felt guilty most of all and was slightly angry at his uncle who had invited the townsmen.
''I'm fine,'' she hoarsely whispered back and turned around with her back to him, laying her head down on the pillow and squeezing her eyes shut, wanting to erase her memories of that night, and most of all, trying to subdue the overwhelming feeling of homesickness. She missed her siblings with a crushing weight on her stomach, making her feel nauseous.
Zuko looked at her for another moment, wanting to do something about her misery, but decided against it. She probably wouldn't want him to comfort her anyway, he reckoned. Silently, he stood up and walked over to his own bed, laying down on his back and letting the candle on his bedside burn out.
Eyes closed, he could still hear the soft hum of her voice in the back of his head, telling him not to worry, everything would be all right.
The next few days, Milah spent most of her time on the deck, gazing over the railing towards the great, vast, blue sea, enjoying the salty and warm breeze that caressed her cheeks and billowed her hair. She didn't get to practice her bending much, but sometimes she would secretly bend the droplets of water on the side of the ship anyway. It ignited a peaceful feeling within her soul, noticing that it helped her clear her mind and heart of worries. Iroh would join her on most occasions, silently standing beside her and offering his companionship to her. She was grateful for it. It made her feel less lonely on most occasions, the feeling pressing down on her sometimes in a depressing way.
The blue-eyed girl took a deep breath, closing her eyes. They were nearing a piece of land to refill their supplies, a small harbour noticeable from a distance. Most of the crew members were preparing for anchoring, but she didn't bother to help. Zuko had barely said a word to her, making her question what was wrong with him. He looked agitated and annoyed most of the times, calling out his men for wrongdoings and ignoring her when she would wish him goodnight. Milah touched her mother's necklace that she had put on this morning, feeling emotional, thinking about other times. Better times.
''Are you going onshore?'' Iroh startled her. He chuckled at her. ''I think I'll visit one of the hot springs in the area. I just so happen to know where to find one.'' Milah chuckled as well and shook her head. He could be so strange, in a good way.
''No,'' she laughed, his eyes twinkling at her, ''I was thinking about making a small walk in the forest. I quite like the scenery here.'' He nodded at her.
''Then it's probably a good idea to let Amim go with you,'' he answered her with a serious undertone, remembering the events after music night for her, ''if you don't mind, of course. It came to my attention that you… liked him, so to say.'' He gave her a little wink. Milah laughed at that, her heart swelling for the old man's care for her.
''Thank you, Iroh,'' she said to him, and gently touched his arm in an affectionate gesture. ''And you're right, I do like him,'' she told him, but quickly adding, ''as a friend, of course.'' Her cheeks became a soft shade of pink. Iroh gave her a knowing grin.
''Of course, Milah,'' he said teasingly, ''of course.'' And with that, he left to disembark the ship that had anchored in the small harbour. She watched him leave and from the corner of her eye, she saw the Prince coming out of the door that led to the lower parts of the ship, followed by Amim and Lieutenant Lee. He was giving them orders for something, his eyes gazing over the ship, making eye contact with her at last. And after saying one last thing to the two men, he made his way over to her.
She didn't break the stare once, not even blinking, studying his face for a moment. His scar didn't bother her anymore, not scaring her like it used to. It had crumbled up his ear in an awful way, but it suited him. It suited the roughness and anger he was fuelled with. His personality.
''What are your plans for today,'' he asked in a demanding tone. She scoffed at him, not liking the way he spoke at her.
''That's none of your business, Prince Zuko,'' she told him stubbornly, narrowing her eyes at him. He let out an annoyed breath of air and harshly grabbed her arm.
''I'm letting Amim guard you today,'' he declared and squeezed her arm harder to make his point. ''Don't do anything stupid.'' And with that, he let go of her arm. She caressed the spot, it would leave a bruise for sure. He looked at the spot and something flashed in his eyes, but it was gone before she figured out what it was. He quickly turned around after that and left his ship, Lieutenant Lee following him and Amim staying in place. Milah was still glaring after him when Amim made his way over to her, greeting her.
''So, what are we going to do today?'' he asked her and gave her a little smile. She gave him one in return.
''Nothing, really,'' she said with a shrug. ''I'm sorry you're on guard duty because of me.'' She gave him an apologetic look, but he didn't seem to mind his task.
''It's okay,'' he told her kindly. ''I quite like hanging out with you, anyway.'' She grinned.
''Well, in that case, why don't we take a stroll around the forest and talk about our past?'' she asked him and put her arm through his, matching her pace with his. For what seemed like an hour, they made a mindless walk and talked about their families and the silly things they did in their youth. He had had an easy childhood, growing up in a middle-class family and never having to worry if they would have food that evening. Both his parents still lived in the same spot, his father working as a tailor and his mother staying home to watch his nephew. He told her he had an older brother of 26, who had married the girl next door, his childhood best friend. They had a son of 2 years and because his brother and sister-in-law both had to work every day, his mother would watch the little boy for them.
It sounded like a fairy-tale, Milah thought. Like the perfect life. A simple life. She loved watching him talk and he, in turn, loved to talk. He made life sound easy and she understood why. He was Fire Nation, she was Water Tribe. They were at war and she was on the losing side; life would never be simple or perfect or a fairy-tale as long as the war continued. This made the content smile on her face vanish and a feeling of emptiness settled in her stomach. A feeling of envy and a little of loathe filled her chest, making her grimace, not liking the course of her thoughts.
When the sun was setting, they made their way back, their conversation fell silent. She was done talking and listening to him telling tales of his nice life back home. But when they saw the first glimpse of the Fire Nation ship from afar,
''Amim!'' a voice shouted out. They turned around quickly, wondering what was wrong. ''Quickly! Iroh is missing.'' Milah ran towards the group of people that had assembled near the ship as fast as possible, noticing that Zuko was preparing his rhino for the search for his uncle. She went over for him quickly while wearing a worried look on her face. He didn't give her a spare glance and continued to fill the pouches on the rhino.
''Let me come,'' she panted, her oversized trousers slipping off her hips slowly. ''I want to help. Besides, you might need a sufficient healer.'' He finally gave her a look, sizing her up. She quickly pulled up her pants, blushing when she noticed.
''Fine,'' he sighed. She beamed, glad she was able to help him find the old man. She was quite attached to him, even thinking she had grown to care for the General.
Suddenly, Zuko grabbed Milah by the hips and mounted her on the rhino. She squealed in surprise and had to recollect herself after being manhandled. He mounted on after, seating himself behind her. She could feel parts of his body pressing up against her, making her blush.
After ordering his crew to continue the refill of the supplies, Zuko bid them goodbye and flapped the reins of his rise and together with Milah, they took off into the woods. Due to the movements of the rhino, they slid towards each other every other second. Milah tried to shuffle forward every time, feeling a little awkward being pressed up against his front, but it was to no use. After several times she gave up, letting out a sigh.
Meanwhile, Zuko was trying to focus on finding a trail of his uncle. But it was hard. Every single cell of his body was distracted by the way Milah was moving against him. He realised it was a mistake letting her sit in front of him, her backside moving against his front, making his pants tighten every few seconds. He cleared his throat, rolled his shoulders, and furrowed his brows, concentrating on the pathway in front of them.
He had a little luck by his side, he thought, when he noticed a sandal laying in front of them. He pulled on the reins, stopping the rhino, and mounted off the beast. He was glad to have a little freedom away from the Water girl and felt his body relax ever so slightly.
''What's that?'' she asked him, standing behind him all of a sudden. His body tensed up again, noting the heat off her body. ''Is that Iroh's?'' Her voice dripped with hope. Zuko brought it to its nose, smelling it carefully. A disgusted look took over his face.
''Yeah, that's uncle Iroh's,'' he told her, still grimacing. Milah quickly mounted the rhino by herself, afraid he would help her again, and let Zuko mount behind her. Together, they walked ahead, following the trail of footsteps Zuko had found near the sandal.
In, out, in, out, Zuko kept repeating to himself, breathing through his nose. It was getting harder for him to keep his focus. It felt like she was teasing him on purpose, pressing all of herself against all of him. His crotch had hardened without his consent and he wondered if she noticed. Probably not, he reckoned, or else she would surely kill him on the spot, with good reason. He was aggravated with himself because he couldn't keep his emotions under control. Sure, it had been some time since he had been with a woman, let alone a woman as beautiful and pure as her.
Suddenly, Zuko heard a grunt, coming from the sky. He turned around, confused, and couldn't believe what he saw. The Avatar, he thought, and almost wanted to point it out to Milah, when he reconsidered.
Surely, she would want to follow the Avatar's trail except for his uncle's, and Zuko decided something unbelievably selfish. He didn't tell her about his discovery and went on with their search for Iroh like before. I'll tell her later, he thought but knew it was a loose promise. He didn't know if he had the guts for it. He already knew how she would react and didn't want to see her disappointed and hurt look in her eyes again like the last time she thought he had betrayed her. No, anything but that, he promised himself, disregarding his last one.
After a while, Milah thought she heard something a little further on, and she gripped Zuko's hand that was holding the rein to stop the rhino. She turned around to press a finger against her lips, silencing him.
Zuko could hear it too now. There were voices behind the treeline that blocked their view, but they were so loud that they could be heard clearly. They both quickly mounted off the rhino and sneaked towards a couple of bushes. They could see a couple of Earth Kingdom soldiers arguing, a very nude Iroh in their midst. Milah almost snorted at the sight of him but held it in at the last moment.
''These dangerous hands must be crushed,'' one of them said, holding up a rock to Iroh's outstretched hands. Milah's eyes widened at the sight and went up to do something – what, she didn't yet know. But Zuko already jumped up and kicked the rock away, breaking Iroh's chains in the process. Milah followed quickly after, bending water from a nearby puddle to whip a soldier in the face, knocking him out.
''Excellent form, Prince Zuko,'' Iroh told him and nodded to Milah who gave him a smile in return.
''You taught me well,'' Zuko answered and took on a fighting stance next to Milah. The three of them formed a circle, facing the five Earth Kingdom soldiers.
''Surrender yourselves,'' the soldier who had wanted to crush Iroh's old hands said to them. Milah glared at him for wanting to hurt an old man. ''It's five against three. You're clearly outnumbered.''
Iroh smiled sinisterly. ''Yeah, that's true, but you are clearly outmatched,'' he told them and with that, the fight began. The Earthbenders threw rocks at them and Milah could only just in time deflect them with a wave of her hand. Zuko took out two soldiers by punching his fire fists at them and Iroh tried to deflect the incoming of rocks as best as he could. Milah shifted her weight to the back and pulled her arms with her, accumulating the water that was around them in the air, and she had enough, she put all her weight and strength into the move she was making and whipped out all remaining three soldiers.
Iroh gave her an impressed look. Zuko didn't even spare her a single glance, walking past her to fetch the rhino instead. He turned around last minute, opening his mouth.
''Now would you please put on some clothes?'' he asked his uncle, who gave Milah a small wink and grin. She chuckled at his silliness, worry seeping off her shoulders.