Chapter 5: Perch

"Mom!"

Ezani grinned and turned to face her girl.

"Hey Fir- Azula are you okay?!"

She rushed over to cup her face and looked her over in worry. Despite Ezani's impending heart attack, the nine-year-old beamed up at her as if she didn't have a black eye and a busted lip.

"I'm fine," Azula dismissed. She squirmed a bit but allowed Ezani to poke and prod to ease her worry at the various bruises and burn marks marring her skin - she had a particularly vicious looking burn on her wrist. Ezani looked closer at the wound and Azula did her best to shrug without yanking her wrist from her.

"I got turned around and tried to catch a fist on fire by reflex. Won't do that again."

"Why didn't your father bandage you up?"

"I said I wanted to do it," Azula informed her. She hesitated and pulled her hand gently from Ezani's grasp to rub her arm and avoided Ezani's eyes. A light blush coated her face as she added, "I just wanted you to do it."

The older woman smiled trying to prevent herself from tearing up and embarrassing Azula more than she already was.

"Of course Zuzie," she said warmly.

"Mom," Azula whined, but there was no heat or true annoyance behind it. "I'm too old for Zuzie."

"Fire Lily it is then," Ezani teased earning another good-natured complaint about being too grown up for silly nicknames. Ezani elected to kiss Azula's temple and led her back into the tent attached to the stall. Azula raised an eyebrow at a few maps that had been folded up and stuffed messily back into their bag, pens and papers strewn across the ground several pots tipped over and shot a look at Ezani.

"I know, I know," Ezani chuckled. "I'll clean up later."

She moved back to the water basin where Ducky swam in lazy circles, fluffy yellow feathers having darkened to their adult shiny brown. Azula stretched out a hand and Ducky let her scratch her head, quacking softly when Azula retreated.

"Love you Ducky," Azula said chuckling at her younger self's naming skills. Ducky quacked at her.

"Give me your hand," Ezani said and Azula obliged watching with eager eyes as Ezani held her hands in the pool and gripped them gently. Discovering that her Ezani was a waterbender had been shocking - and she was a good one too! She wasn't entirely sure why the bread maker seemed to be so uncomfortable about speaking of it, usually glancing over her shoulder to ensure no one was watching before she did anything but Azula respected it. The dark-eyed woman kept secrets for Azula after all - even secrets that probably seemed silly since she wasn't noble so Azula could do the same for her.

Her palms glowed and Azula sighed feeling the low ache in her arms and the sting of the burn fading rapidly. When the glow stopped, Azula pulled her hands back out observing the markless skin. This done, Ezani rifled through a stray box and Azula rolled her eyes watching her scatter more things before she pulled out bandages and proceeded to carefully wrap her hands.

Azula was pretty sure she hadn't done it entirely right but Ezani seemed pleased with her handiwork and it was just to hide the healed burn on her palms anyway.

"I can't heal the other burns," Ezani said her lips pulling down, eying the wound with distaste. "Everyone has already seen that eye. It'd be suspicious if it suddenly disappeared."

"That's okay," Azula reassured.

"How did this happen anyway?"

"Training. My father has encouraged our tutors to keep teaching us but has deemed me ready for the advanced stuff. I've been training super hard."

She really had been. Ezani had been very lonely these last few days Azula hadn't joined her in making bread. She'd grown used to listening to the girl chatter on and on about her brother and the adventures she went on with him or got in trouble for with Ty Lee. Her little stand had started to feel eerily quiet and she found herself glancing towards the palace, looking up hopefully every time she heard a laughing child pass by. She felt a bit selfish in being glad that Azula finally had time to spend with her again - especially as that was because she was injured.

"I can't believe I have empty nest syndrome," Ezani mused to herself.

"You've been looking at maps a lot lately - are you going somewhere? Azula asked her and her eyes glimmered with something Ezani couldn't place. All the same, she answered.

"Not presently, but the guards are starting to spend too much time hovering around my stand," she informed. "I'm just looking for places right now. Making plans. I might go with a fishing boat."

"Mm," Azula said, eyes roving over the various maps scattered everywhere.

Ezani wrapped her in a tight hug.

"If that day ever comes, I'll send you letters and come to visit. I won't leave you all alone, okay Fire Lily?"

"Okay mommy. I love you."

"I love you too Azula."