Chapter 7: Take Leave

Ezani heard the swoosh of the tent flap as it was tugged open. She was promptly filled with joy. Azula had stuck to her side like glue for a while before abruptly disappearing on her. Well, not disappearing. She'd seen her in the palace garden wandering about appearing lost. Most days she'd seen Zuko trailing behind her, eyes red and face smeared with wiped tears.

She'd heard of course, about Ursa's vanishing act. She wasn't surprised Zuko was so broken up from how Azula had described their relationship. Though she was terrible to Azula, Ezani could give credit where it's due - Ursa was a wonderful mother to Zuko and the poor boy was likely crushed by her leave.

Not that she or anyone else was surprised. Though commoners like her were careful to hide it, anyone with eyes and context could've seen that Ursa was a prisoner of the Firelord. For all her faults, Ezani could freely admit that the woman was less of a person and more of a trophy the way Firelord Ozai strutted her about every few months or so before locking her back in the palace. She wasn't surprised the kids hadn't noticed - it cropped up in Azula and Zuko's stories alike, subtle hints and clues that the way the queen had been treated was even worse than assumed. That the kids were used to it, grew up with it.

As far as Zuko and Azula knew, their mother was happy and spoiled in life wanting for nothing and then one day; vanished without a word.

So much as it made her sad, Ezani knew Azula wanted to be there for her older brother and kept her distance letting them heal and give them time to grieve and bond.

It was a full month before Azula came back.

So Ezani looked up with a smile, sourdough in hand prepared to listen to her talk for a while. Maybe she'd be able to help the young girl handle her grief by pulling on experience from her own complicated parental relationships. Instead she was greeted with red eyes, choked sobs and the most heartbroken expression she'd ever seen on a child's face. She opened her arms immediately and Azula stumbled over falling into them sobbing, clutching her clothes like a tether to reality. Ezani felt her heart crumpling in her chest. Azula had been crying a lot lately.

"Zuzie-"

"He tried to kill him," Azula whimpered.

"Who's killing people Azula?" Ezani asked.

"Father. Zuko- he- his face- the healer said he'll die," she sobbed into her chest.

Ezani froze.

She'd heard that something had happened to the prince while she was away. It hadn't been for very long. A couple of days at the most. But everyone had been solemn and unwilling to explain to her. It'd been fearful and soft whispers- children being herded away from the palace anytime any of the Firelord's family was outside.

"Azula what happened?"

And as Azula told her about her brave big brother standing up for the new recruits, Ezani would later reflect she'd never felt so much rage before.

Blinded the healer has said. Zuko would never see clearly from that eye again and his hearing was forever impaired by the burn that collided with him. Ezani caught herself looking at his face as if she could see the individual finger shapes in the burns from the Firelord's fist.

The Firelord.

Ezani grit her teeth.

Over the years she'd known the kids, Ezani found herself hating him more and more with every story and tale about him. Every time Azula brought him up she found herself tense, preparing for another story where her little girl was neglected or abused and didn't know (she was never wrong to tense, the Firelord didn't have a daughter- he had a puppet) and told the stories fondly.

When he could walk without falling, Zuko chose to follow his sister's example. He stayed with Ezani in her tent nibbling on bread and staring blankly ahead. It broke her heart that this polite little boy had become so vacant and hurt. Azula would spend their time together helping her make Zuko feel comfortable. They all avoided the source of the scar, Ezani only bringing it up when she helps him change the cloth wraps around that part of his face. He'd wince when the light hit his injured eye- even with it closed and let her dap it with cleaner and rewrap it. Azula shared all of her bread with him and insisted he hold Ducky (whose name she's now old enough to be slightly embarrassed by).

She watched with her heart clenching as his attitude and habits changed nearly overnight. The way he stands keeping his scarred side away from people she doesn't know. The way he whips his head around, bristling when people walk into range of his injured eye. He's jumpy now and though still quiet and polite, refuses to say much if he can avoid it. He'd grown so suspicious of everyone.

Ezani had caught him sniffing her bread and feeding to stray animals and Ducky, watching them closely before trying any himself. She did her best to keep the hurt she felt herself that he'd ever believe she'd poison him. His trust had been shaken, no one had stopped the Firelord when he attacked his own son and even if the Firelord had never showed him kindness, that had still been his father.

She watched her little Azula become fiercely protective overnight and not just of her brother.

Azula and Zuko weren't the only ones that found themselves at her stand every day. Mai and Ty Lee now never left their sides if at all possible. Mai sat on Zuko's injured side - making up for his still adjusting senses with her own body, tensing and falling into defensive stances whenever someone passed by Zuko always ready to fight at the drop of a hat. Ty Lee becomes Azula's charge- or a small bodyguard of her own? The already nervous girl eyed the world with even more distrust and agitation, still quick to shrink away and quicker still to lash out in defense now.

Azula become a proper guard.

She stood between just about every adult and Zuko, blocking him with her body. She watched any kids who approached like a hawk and tested anything her friends received on herself first.

Ezani wasn't exempt from Azula's new fire of protection. She'd been dealing with certain men- and some high standing women- who'd approached her with a slick or coy demeanor, leaning on her stand while trying to leverage discounts or even simply strong arming her into a free order. From certain people, she just had to give in- they were too high in the ranks for her to fight it.

But Azula put a hard stop to all that nonsense. Her little firebender used her reputation as a violent or sadistic child to her advantage, charging out at those harassing Ezani and landing flaming fists in their legs. Other times she'd simply stare them down, her mere presence forcing them to behave.

Ezani was torn between heartbreak at the children's new conviction that every adult is just an evil and demonic person hiding behind masks of kindness and being honored that their trust in her remained so strong.

She glanced over at her kids (and they were indeed her kids now) where most of them are curled up together on her blankets, cuddled together with Zuko in the center, his scarred side down. Most of her kids.

Azula was struggling to stay awake while she guarded her brother and her friends. Her head drooped and jolted up blinking hard once more surveying the area.

Ezani smiled sadly, "Azula?"

Her girl looked up at her with heavy eyes.

"Go to sleep, I'll watch you."

Azula watched her cautiously before nodding slowly and stumbling over to the pile children. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, seeming to have passed out the second her head touched the ground.

Ezani smiled lovingly as her thoughts returned to a budding idea that had been boiling in the back of her mind. She'd been feeling less and less safe in the Fire Nation as time went on. Now, she knew she wasn't safe and neither were her kids. Zuko had already been scheduled to leave tomorrow at sunset on a pointless quest to find The Avatar.

She and everyone knew it was just a reason to kick him out. She wrapped one of her slices of bread coming to a decision. She would need to prepare for the extra travellers in the form of three little girls before she brought it up but she would get her girls the hell out of this place. She glanced up when she heard the chime she attached to the flap of her tent ring out. She straightened up at the sight of a very recognizable gray bearded man.

"Sorry to bother you miss- I just wanted to speak with you for a moment."

Ezani placed herself between him and her kids, "General Iroh - to what do I owe the pleasure?"