Chapter 10: Mew-Hoo, Mew-Hoo

Amara POV

Three days had passed since Tu Lan was carried to another ship and taken back to the Fire Nation. Not having him nearby was strange, but I wanted him to get better so I tried my best to not let it depress me. When Iroh had received a messenger hawk telling us that Tu Lan had made it safely into Fire Nation waters the next day, I was so relieved to hear. I had been concerned Zhao might've found out Tu Lan was on another ship and sent someone to kill him while he was still in the Earth Kingdom. I was certain my brother blamed Tu Lan for everything. The bounty hunter had even said Zhao gave him permission to kill Tu Lan. However, Iroh reassured me that Zhao wouldn't dare attack a Fire Nation civilian ship in Fire Nation waters, so the danger had passed.

Tu Lan was safe.

One thing I noticed after Tu Lan's departure was Zuko. He was still acting strange around me. He kept seeming like he wanted to say something to me, but was holding back. When I practiced firebending the other morning, he watched my movements with much more attention than usual. He also kept staring at my necklace a lot. I asked Iroh if he knew what was on Zuko's mind. Iroh just answered jokingly, "If it's not the Avatar, then I am at a loss."

I decided I would ask Zuko later what was wrong if he didn't explain it to me. Because I really wanted to know what was bothering him, and why he kept staring at me with so much curiosity. He was making me... nervous.

The door was thrown open suddenly causing a creak to echo.

"Uncle! Why did you change our course?!"

I was startled by the noise and looked up to see Zuko had barged into the room. Iroh was going over more reading and writing with me. I was finally able to read a few words and was so relieved I could show Iroh that his teaching was paying off. In the last three days, I had stayed busy with firebending, my literary studies, and waterbending. Since Tu Lan had left the ship, I felt like a piece of me was missing. So, I had been working hard to fill the emptiness through studying and training.

My ankle was feeling better as the days passed. There was still a tenderness, but I could finally walk with only slight discomfort. Physician Ju still made me wrap it for support, but he had finally relaxed on his reluctance towards my firebending practice.

"There is a door for a reason, Prince Zuko. Amara doesn't go barging into your room and shouting," Iroh scolded, reviewing the characters I had written out with my quill and ink on the parchment. "What if she were indecent?"

The prince was silenced for a moment. I looked at him and he looked at me. His cheeks seemed to turn a shade red. My heart fluttered.

Zuko looked back at his uncle quickly, trying to go back to his original inquiry. "You… you never answered my question!"

Iroh let out a heavy breath, and I stared at the man with my own curiosity. "If you are that desperate for an answer, then I will tell you. There is a collection of hot springs in the area. These last few weeks have been quite stressful and I need some relaxation. While I soak my worries, you can scout the area with some guards and Amara as your company."

I looked over at Zuko again, who was staring at his uncle with disbelief. "Hot springs? You changed our course for Hot Springs?!"

"Prince Zuko. If you wouldn't shout then maybe you would let me finish. I also received reports that the Avatar has been spotted near this area. This could be an opportunity for you as well."

"Then why on earth would you want Amara to go with me?! A battle could break out!"

Iroh didn't seem concerned. "The Avatar will not hurt Amara. And she hasn't walked on land since the attack a few days ago. I don't want her to be afraid of being off the ship, so this is a chance for her to get comfortable again."

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Fine. I know there's no way to change your mind. But two hours tops! Then we're leaving!"

"Very well. Amara and I are finishing up our morning studies, so why don't you go prepare some men for the scout? We should be stopping in two hours."

Zuko sighed. "Fine." He went to leave, but he stopped. His hand gripped the door as if he were struggling with something. Finally, he snapped, "Urgh! That's it! I've tried, but I can't keep my mouth shut anymore!" He turned and looked at his uncle. "I know you're doing waterbending training in here too! Please don't let her boil a hole through the wall between us!"

He turned and left, slamming the door behind. A silence followed after the sound of the door faded. My mouth was open in shock. What? He knew? How? How did he know? And boil a hole through the wall… what did he mean by that?

Iroh let out a heavy sigh, his face pulled into a frown. "That boy… I tell him one thing…"

"He... knows?"

Iroh pressed a finger to his temple in frustration. "Yes. And I told him not to mention it. But clearly he does not listen to me."

I stared at the shut door. "How… how long has he known?"

Iroh dropped his hand and met my eyes. "Since the day you were attacked. When you were in your state of panic, you took control of the tea in your room. You caused the teapot to shatter, and the liquid that spilled started to boil and then freeze over. I did not want to bring it to your attention because you were under a lot of stress. Physician Ju knows as well. But we are the only ones. You have nothing to fear."

I was bewildered by his reveal. I did not recall what he spoke, but I was also a mess at that point. However, this explained so much why Zuko was acting so weird around me. And Physician Ju had been extra cautious as well. They knew I was a waterbender. But clearly, I revealed to them something I didn't even know I could do.

"I… made the tea boil?"

Iroh gave me a reassuring smile. "Yes… now that you know, I would actually like to see if you can do it again. Waterbenders are capable of turning water to ice and fog. I have never known a waterbender to heat water and cause it to steam without holding a flame against it. I believe this is a unique gift… you are able to combine your firebending and waterbending in one movement."

He grabbed the bowl I usually practiced my waterbending with. He moved so he could sit the bowl on the floor between us.

"I know you may not know how you did it, but I want you to see if you can heat the water while bending it again. Focus your thermal energy into the particles."

I stared at the bowl with uncertainty. I still couldn't believe more people knew about my ability in bending two elements. "Zuko… He's okay with me being a waterbender?"

"He was surprised, but once he got over the shock he was intrigued by the discovery. He and physician Ju have not said a word about it to anyone else. I told them it is best for your safety that others believe you are just a firebender for now."

I felt relieved. I was glad Zuko didn't hate me for learning about my hidden ability.

"Don't be nervous, dear. Give it a try. There's no shame if you don't do it. I'm just curious to see if you can."

I nodded. I did want to try. I held my hand out and brought some water up in the air. I concentrated for a moment on the molecules, and felt a surge of energy shoot through me. The stream I controlled in the air suddenly started to boil and steam. My eyes widened as I heated the water without holding a flame beneath it.

Iroh smiled widely. "Amazing. I did not get to see it with my own eyes. Zuko mentioned it to me, and I could only picture what he had seen. You can combine your firebending and waterbending into one element. This will be a useful defense in the future if someone tries to attack you again. Scalding water will definitely slow an attacker down. The steam could also blind them." I stopped heating the water and dropped it back in the bowl. It still had some steam as it cooled down.

"I… didn't know I could do that," I spoke softly. "But, I guess it's because I've had to hide my abilities for so long."

"Yes. Since you have started to overcome your fear, and grown closer to your elements, you're beginning to understand your full strength." He grabbed the parchment off the table and smiled. "And you are becoming a fine scholar."

About two hours later, the ship docked on the coast and I followed Iroh and Zuko off with four guards. Zuko apologized to me when he came to grab me from my room about his outburst.

"I guess, I don't like secrets being kept from me. I want you to trust me…" he muttered. "But I kind of attacked you with that knowledge. That was wrong of me."

I shrugged. "I… actually kind of like that you know now. I was worried you'd hate me for it, so this actually relieves me."

He was surprised. "Hate you? I mean, I was shocked. But I could never hate you. Besides…" He cheeks reddened and he rubbed the back of his neck dropping his gaze. "I think you being a dual bender is pretty cool. It really makes you special…"

My cheeks burned at his comment. My heart raced. "You… think I'm special?"

He kept his gaze from me. "Yeah," he spoke softly. "That, and the fact you're different from other girls I've met. You don't seem to care at all about jewelry or material stuff. You just… are happy to be alive. It's… refreshing."

I gave him a small smile. "I appreciate everything Iroh has bought for me... but to be honest I would've been happy without it. The only thing I want is to never be caged again. And I trust that you and Iroh will protect me from that."

Zuko met my gaze and spoke with determination. "I was foolish leaving you with only one guard the other day. I didn't think there was danger, even after Uncle warned me Zhao might be after you. That won't happen again. From this point on, I'll make sure you are definitely safe."

I fiddled with my necklace charm, dropping my gaze. "Hopefully one day I'll be able to defend myself though… I want to not be weak anymore. Zhao fed off my fear and weakness, and that's how he kept me in control for so long. If I become stronger through my fire and waterbending, then he won't be able to overpower me anymore."

"Until then, I've got your back, Amara," he promised.

My smile widened and I met his gaze again. "Thanks, Zuko."

Eventually we got off the ship and started to head into the woods. I was a bit nervous and on high alert, but Zuko stayed by my side to the point where our arms nearly brushed one another.

Iroh stated the hot springs were near and told the guards to remain with Zuko and I. Guard Fe was horrified. "General Iroh? Who's going to protect you?"

Iroh started to walk away, waving his concern off. "I will be fine. Focus on the kids."

Zuko scowled. "Two hours, tops! I mean it Uncle!"

He kept walking, ignoring Zuko's order.

Once he disappeared beyond the foliage, I heard Zuko mutter under his breath, "And who's he calling kids? I'm a grown man…" He crossed his arms in frustration and started walking in the other direction away from Iroh. I quickly moved to keep up, and the guards with us followed behind.

We walked through the woods for a while. As Zuko kept his eyes open for any sign of the Avatar, I focused on the world again. The climate was a little warmer where we were so there were a lot more plants and green trees. As Zuko looked around for evidence of the Avatar, and his guards did the same, I focused on the life and beauty around me.

After a while of walking, my eyes caught something gray sitting in a tree, and I stopped in my step. I was surprised to see the creature had a head and tail similar to the Pygmy puma's but it's lower body was feathered with wings. I gasped as I saw it. It looked down at me and made a mew-hoo sound twice. Then it jumped down and used its wings to land in front of me. The creature was probably a foot and a half tall, and it hopped over on its furry talons. I had seen a picture of this creature in the book Zuko had given me. From what I could gather it wasn't dangerous.

I held my hand out and it sniffed my fingertips. It moved closer and let me pat it on the head. It purred as I stroked its fur. I sat down cross-legged, giving my tender ankle a break. It continued to purr as I pat it.

I hadn't noticed the others had kept walking until I heard steps hurry back a few moments later. The animal had distracted me.

"Sir," Fe spoke. "She's over here."

The creature noticed we had slightly intimidating company, and flew away from me back to its perch above. Zuko came over to me just as the bird landed. I looked up at him from where I still sat. He looked down at me with disbelief. "I told you to stay with us. We don't know if Zhao's sent more men. And you shouldn't pet wild animals… Most aren't dangerous, but we still need to be careful."

I felt my cheeks burn. I looked back at the creature. "Sorry… it was just… cute." I smiled.

"Cute?" I met Zuko's gaze again. He was pinching the bridge of his nose. "I get that it's… cute… but you can't trust every cute thing you see, Amara."

"Why?"

Zuko met my gaze again. "Because…" He stopped and groaned. "Just because!"

Fe coughed a laugh, and the other three guards did the same. Zuko scowled and snapped at them, "Go search some more. I'll keep an eye on her. Let me know if you find anything."

"Yes, sir. We'll keep an eye out for anything dangerously cute too," Fe joked. He turned and walked off with the other guards who snickered as they followed.

Zuko growled as he glared at their backs.

I was still confused. "Are there animals that are cute and dangerous at the same time?"

Zuko sighed and stepped over to the tree the animal was on, leaning against it. The creature flew off to find another tree to perch on.

"Depends on how you define cute," he muttered. His gold eyes stared at me from where I still sat on the ground. He finally let out a heavy breath. "You... were really trapped in that room for sixteen years, huh?"

I looked down at the grass in dismay as I thought about the past. "Yeah…"

"They really taught you nothing about the outside world?"

I let my finger brush against a blade of grass. "Just basic stuff. I don't remember a lot of what my mom said… those memories have started to fade… but I recall her telling me about the South Pole: snow, ice, glaciers, and pine trees. Creatures called penguins. And Tu Lan would teach me stuff too. He told me stories about his childhood, explained to me what shops were like and told me about different places in the Fire Nation… and when my dad was alive he brought me wooden turtle-ducks and allowed Tu Lan to show me our estates livestock one evening. But, I've had very few encounters with the world outside most of my life, so what I'm seeing now is new… different and exciting."

Zuko was saddened by my past. He frowned deeply and looked at the ground. "It must've been lonely… being locked up like that…?"

I felt my heart clench. My finger traced the charm on my neck. "When my mom was around I remember being okay in such a small space. Mom and I made our own little world, even if we didn't have a ton of stuff. She would tell me stories about the South Pole, sing Water Tribe tunes, and tell me about her family. Mom would help me forget we were in a dusty attic… but after they killed her it was... lonely. Tu Lan would see me every day unless he was visiting his family, so he helped the solitude. And some of the staff at the estate snuck me gifts every now and then. But… nothing was ever the same after my mom was taken from me. She had protected me so much. After she died, I had to fend for myself… I had to learn to survive on my own… I was scared..."

Zuko listened to my story. Then he said softly, "I know the feeling… not to the extremity you went through, but... my mom disappeared one night and never came back. She protected me from my dad and sister, so after she left I had to learn how to be strong on my own."

His words made me curious. I moved from my life and focused on his. "Is… your dad the one that hurt you? I heard you were banished by him and forced to chase after the Avatar?"

Zuko grimaced. He went stiff.

"Sorry," I whispered. "You don't have to tell me. I understand..."

He shut his eyes. His hand moved to his scar around his left eye, his fingertips brushing the edge of the discolored flesh. "I did wrong. It was a punishment. I dishonored my father and he wanted to teach me a lesson. But I will redeem my honor and father's favor once I capture the Avatar."

His words caused me sorrow. Zuko had been hurt by his father. He had lost his mother. I could tell talking about his scar upset him though, so I asked about something else.

"What about your sister… I heard Iroh mention her before… did she care you were being sent away?"

He sighed, crossing his arms. "Azula and I have never gotten along. Even as the older sibling, I was never favored the way Azula was. She was a prodigy at a young age. She learned she was a firebender before I even did, and we're two years apart. My father always treated Azula with love, and saw me as a failure and mistake. Azula used this fact against me… she constantly belittled me…" He stopped talking, and his golden eyes looked into my own. "I… I don't know why it's so easy talking about this with you… I've only discussed these things with my uncle."

I gave a small smile. "Maybe… you think of me as a friend? Tu Lan was my friend growing up and I felt comfortable telling him things. I don't mind listening. I like learning about you."

He was surprised. Then he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah… i guess so… having a friend is nice..."

We fell quiet for a moment. Finally, I asked, "What was it called?"

Zuko had been lost in his thoughts. He looked over at me. "What?"

"That creature just now…? It made a sound like this: Mew-hoo. Mew-hoo."

Zuko blinked for a moment. I stared at him waiting for his answer. However, he covered his mouth abruptly and turned away from me. I was surprised by his reaction to my question. His shoulders shook and I heard what sounded like a muffled laugh. My ears burned. Was he laughing at me?

"Did… did I do it wrong?"

He couldn't hold it in anymore. His laugh broke through his attempt to contain it. "No," he choked out. "You just… make an amazing cat-owl sound."

I frowned. "But… that was the sound…"

He calmed his laughter and looked back at me with amusement. "If you start mimicking every animal you come across, I'm going to start believing you are some woodland spirit. Unless talking to animals is another ability you're hiding? You seem to draw them in."

I was stunned. "People can talk to animals?!"

He shook his head, and turned away again. "My life has gotten so strange..."

Third Person POV

Zuko couldn't help it. As soon as Amara made that sound, he couldn't take her seriously. When she mimicked the cat-owl, and he saw her face was in such deep concentration as she did, he couldn't help but think it was the funniest thing he had seen in years. He wouldn't have been surprised if she had flapped her arms while she did it.

As Zuko walked off, and Amara followed him, he tried so hard not to look at her. He feared if he did his firm expression would break again. He wanted his guards to take him seriously, and if he broke character and laughed in front of them he would be ruined.

However, he replayed Amara's actions and his heart warmed. Even though Amara was his age, she was so different from other sixteen year olds. She looked at the world with fresh eyes. She had already faced so much terror growing up, her thoughts weren't even on the war. She was just focused on life. She was so innocent, and so… cute.

"Sir," Fe spoke, causing the prince to jump a little from his distracted mind. Fe and the other three guards stepped through the foliage towards the teens. "We spread out, but there's no sign of the Avatar. I'm sorry, Prince Zuko."

Zuko sighed. "No. It's fine. I had a feeling my uncle was just making that rumor up. Let's head back and retrieve him." He was still trying all he could not to look at Amara.

After a few minutes, they arrived back at the area Iroh indicated the hot springs were. Zuko told the guards to wait with Amara. He didn't need her seeing something he didn't want to see either. Once he got through the brush, he found the heated springs where his Uncle was relaxing in one.

Zuko stepped into the area, eager to get moving. "Uncle? We need to move on, we're closing in on the Avatar's trail and I don't want to lose him! He's not in this area so we need to go."

Iroh kept his eyes shut as steam surrounded him. "Where is Amara?"

"Back with the guards… I wasn't sure if you were… decent?"

Iroh nodded. "Good call. Why don't you have the guards take her back to the ship? Then join me in these hot springs and soak away your troubles. "

Zuko scowled. "My troubles cannot be soaked away. It's time to go!"

Iroh opened his eyes and smiled. "You should take your teacher's advice and relax a little. The temperature's just right. I heated it myself."

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose. "Enough! We need to leave now! Get out of the water!" He held his hands up in frustration.

Iroh shrugged. "Very well."

He stood and Zuko quickly blocked the view with his hand. He was so glad he made the others stay back. "On second thought, why don't you take another few minutes, but be back at the ship in half an hour or I'm leaving without you."

Iroh nodded and sunk back into the water. "How is Amara doing? This is her first time off the ship since the attack."

Zuko had turned to leave. Upon his uncle's question though, he couldn't help but secretly smile. "Let's just say, she really likes animals." He walked off.

Iroh smirked. He heard the amusement in his nephew's voice. He was relieved to see Amara was bringing back the Zuko he remembered before Ursa left. Amara would help Zuko heal too…

Amara POV

Zuko and the guards had walked me back to the ship after Zuko found he could not get Iroh to come. Once we got to the large vessel, we waited by the ramp for Iroh to arrive. As we did I watched in the distance as a pod of flying dolphin fish jumped out of the water, glided, and dived a moment later.

After almost an hour of small talk and waiting, Zuko lost his patience. "Where is he?!

"Maybe he just lost track of time, sir," Fe spoke. "General Iroh does that sometimes."

Zuko sighed. "Guess I'm going to have to make him come back." He looked over at me. "Wait here. I'll be back." He pointed at two of the guards, "You both come with me." He looked at Fe and the last guard then. "Stay with her."

The guards he ordered followed him into the woods back in the direction Iroh had gone. I decided while he was gone to give my ankle a break again. Sitting back on the sand by the ocean water, I traced my finger through the earth and drew some lines to practice my writing again. Guard Fe and the other guard, who I briefly saw on the ship and forgot the name of, were chatting about how hungry they were.

After ten minutes of sitting and enjoying the sound of the waves and the feel of the sand, I finally let my curiosity get to me. I stood and turned to the guard I knew the best with honest curiosity.

"Hey, Fe," I started. "What does a cat-owl sound like?"

Fe looked at me with confusion. "Why do you ask, Miss Amara?"

I crossed my arms with a frown. I moved my foot in the sand feeling embarrassed. "I tried to make the sound earlier and Zuko laughed at me. I think I did it wrong."

Silence fell between both of the guards. Finally, Fe cleared his throat. "I don't think he was laughing because you did it wrong kid. But just curious… how do you think a cat-owl sounds?"

Staring at the sand more intently, I shrugged. "The one I heard went mew-hoo, mew-hoo."

I looked back at Fe to see his reaction once I was done. He had turned away from me also. The other guard was covering his face and walked off a bit. They were both laughing.

"Amara! Stop talking like a cat-owl!" Zuko stated. I jumped at his voice and looked over at him with surprise. He seemed anxious as he and the other two guards returned. I did not see Iroh.

Fe went into attention quickly. "Sir? What's wrong?"

"We have a problem," Zuko stated. "My uncle's been captured by earthbenders. I need my Komodo Rhino now and some back up."

Fe nodded and rushed back up the ship to round up some men.

"Earthbenders?"

Zuko nodded. "I want you to stay on the ship. It will be dangerous."

I felt my heart clench in worry. "Do you think Iroh's okay?"

He nodded. "Yes. They won't kill him. They probably plan to use him as leverage." He placed a hand on my shoulder to calm me. He could see I was anxious. "Don't worry, Amara… we'll get him back. Go back on the ship and rest. We'll probably be gone for a while."

I frowned. "Okay…" I felt great concern for my guardian and my friend. "Bring him back… and be careful..."

He nodded. "We'll get him back. He may have already escaped though. My uncle knows tons about fighting. Just try not to stress over it too much." He looked at the other guard who had originally stayed with me and Fe. "Take her back to her room. Let the cook know to bring her some dinner."

The guard gestured for me to follow. I stared at the woods behind Zuko in great angst. Zuko noticed and stepped into my view. He put a hand on both of my shoulders so I was forced to meet his gold eyes.

"Trust me," he spoke reassuringly. "I'm getting my uncle back. Don't worry about us. If we're not there when you wake up in the morning eat breakfast and work on your studies. We'll be back. I promise."

I nodded slowly. My heart was still tight. Over the time I had known Iroh and Zuko, especially after Tu Lan left, I had started to really trust and care about them. With this trust came worry for them. They were starting to feel like… family…

"I just… don't want to lose you and Iroh…"

He was surprised by my sincerity. Then he sighed and gave a small smile. "My uncle may look old, but he knows how to fight. And you've seen me firebend. We can take down earthbenders no problem."

I nodded. Then I threw my arms around Zuko to hug him. He was frozen for a moment, but then relaxed and hugged me back.

"Be careful…" I whispered. "I'll be waiting…"

He hugged me closer. "You better be. Because I don't have time to search for you too. We're already behind schedule." The last part was a joke. I gave a small smile.

The next few hours were miserable. Zuko and a group of guards left on the Komodo Rhinos to try and catch up to Iroh and his captors. I was in my room pacing.

When Jing brought me dinner, he saw my angst. To try and calm me he invited me to join him and the crew for dinner in the chow hall instead. His invite worked. I followed Jing through the ship, up some stairs, and then down some more. Finally, we stepped through a door and arrived in a wide room. Men from all parts of the ship sat and ate their meals. Ju was there also, and sat with Lieutenant Jee and Captain Shang. Jing gestured for me to follow him towards them. I did so, and saw they all had their own trays of food as well.

"You all don't mind, right? Poor thing needs a distraction with General Iroh and Prince Zuko being away," Jing said. He placed my plate in the awkward shaped circle.

Lieutenant Jee kept serious but gave a nod. "Sure. I don't mind."

Ju smiled kindly at me. "Have a seat, Amara."

I gave a small thanks, and sat with the men. Jing disappeared for a moment and was back a few minutes later with his own food.

Sitting with the men was much nicer than being alone in my room. They told me stories about their time on the ship and before. At one point Lieutenant Jee left and came back a few minutes later with a stringed instrument he called a pipa. I was amazed as he started playing some tunes he learned over the years. He let me try and I smiled widely as I strummed a few keys.

"Hard to believe you're related to Commander Zhao and his father," Lieutenant Jee muttered. "You're just nothing like what I've heard about them."

I lowered the instrument from my shoulder and handed it back to him. "I didn't know my dad well. I saw him only a few times before he died. I was with my mom more, so I guess I took on her personality."

The men seemed saddened to hear.

"Your mom must've been shocked to find out she had a firebender instead of a waterbender," Captain Shang stated.

I gave a small smile. "She was…" I met Physician Ju's gaze. He smiled and put a finger to his lip to let me know my waterbending secret was safe with him.

That night, after Physician Ju walked me back to my room and examined my ankle again, I laid down alone thinking about Zuko and Iroh once more. They had been gone for hours. I really hoped Iroh was okay.

The next day they still hadn't returned. I was even more anxious. I feared the worst. All morning I couldn't do anything but pace my room or up on deck. I tried to practice some firebending moves on deck, and some waterbending moves in my room, but it felt weird doing it without Zuko and Iroh. I had just finished helping Jing with dinner, who could tell I needed a distraction again, when we heard a guard shout at the doorway, "General Iroh and Prince Zuko have returned. Prepare some tea and food immediately."

Jing smirked as the guard took off. My heart jumped. "See, Amara. I told you there was no need to stress."

I sighed with relief as I placed the spoon down on the stove top.

"Go on and greet them. You know how to get to the ship ramp, right?"

I gave a nod to Jing. I quickly rushed off and headed in the direction where the hall to the ramp was. After a few minutes of heading through the halls and upstairs, I made it to the hall where Iroh and Zuko were standing. They both appeared a little dusty and tired. Iroh was in his Fire Nation robe, although he was missing his sandals.

"I'm going to eat something and then head to the village," Zuko said. "I saw the Avatar's bison headed that way."

"Prince Zuko," Iroh spoke. "It's important to take time to rest. The Avatar isn't going anywhere in the next few hours."

Zuko scowled. "You don't know that!" He then let out a heavy sigh. "Fine… I'll head back out tonight after I sleep for a little bit. Just have someone wake me up."

The two men turned to come further into the ship. They finally saw me.

Iroh smiled widely, "Amara! Good to see you're okay." I rushed forward and hugged him with relief. He chuckled and hugged me back. "I see I was missed."

"I was so worried," I whispered.

Iroh pat me on the back. "It's all over. Prince Zuko arrived just in time to help me escape."

Zuko stepped over. "See. Told you we'd be fine."

I pulled from Iroh and moved to hug Zuko. He hugged me back, placing a hand in my hair which I had left down. "I just… don't want to lose anyone else…"

He sighed. "I know…" He pulled away slightly and looked at my necklace. He then looked away and said, "I'm going to rest for a little bit. Glad you're okay Uncle. Let the cook know to bring my food and tea to my room. I'll be leaving again in a few hours."

Iroh nodded. Zuko squeezed my shoulder to comfort me again, and then walked off. Once he was gone, Iroh asked me what I had been up to. As we headed back through the ship to go to the private dining room, I told Iroh about my discovery of the cat-owl. I made the sound for him and he was the first person not to laugh at me. He told me I mimicked the creature perfectly. Then I told him about eating in the chow hall last night. He was glad to hear the crew was looking out for me. After I told him about my training and practice, I finally asked what happened to him.

Iroh explained that a group of Earth Kingdom soldiers found him at the hot springs and used earthbending to apprehend him. They planned to take him to Ba Sing Se to be imprisoned. However, he left his sandal behind so that Zuko could find their path and he was saved by early morning. Zuko caught sight of the Avatar on his way to find Iroh, and was planning to go question the village near the spotting.

"So… are earthbenders all brutal like that?"

I shivered as I recalled Iroh telling me they were going to drop a boulder on his hands because he used firebending.

Iroh sipped his tea as we sat across from one another in the dining room. "Amara… Something you must understand is that this war has been raging for over a hundred years between the nations. The Fire Nation has caused a lot of suffering to not just the Water Nation but also the Earth Nation. You will find journeying with Zuko and I that many Earth Kingdom citizens are not fans of our people. However, the earthbenders who captured me were just doing their job much like the guards on this ship do theirs. You grew up facing so much pain and suffering from your family, you never had time to learn about the pain and suffering occurring outside. But that is why the Avatar has returned… to end the war and restore balance. So I pray you are able to see a time of peace soon."

I nodded. I stared down at my tea. "Iroh… do you think my Water Tribe family would see me as an enemy if I did find them?"

Iroh grabbed my hand with sincerity. "What did your mother say?"

I was surprised. My heart clenched. "She… said that they would love me…"

"She knows her family best," Iroh whispered. "Trust your mother." He smiled. "And speaking of your Water Tribe family, I did finally receive a letter yesterday from my connection. I had planned to tell you at dinner but things got very… messy…" He sighed. "My source tells me that a woman named Kanna moved from the North Pole to the South Pole many years ago and had two daughters. The report states the woman's youngest daughter had two children. If Kanna is your grandmother, then you have a chance to meet your family. I did not hear word about her youngest daughter, but my connection says that Kanna is alive and well."

My eyes widened. "Did… they say the names of her daughters?"

He sipped his tea. His lips pulled up more. "Kala and Kya."

My hand moved up to my necklace. My heart pounded hard. Tears filled my eyes. My grandma… she was alive… and she had two other grandchildren? I had cousins…

"Once we head south again and get back to the region, I will take you there and see if we can find your family. For now, I ask you to be patient. I must help Prince Zuko at the moment, so I can't change course. But as soon as we get the opportunity, we will take you to the Southern Water Tribe where hopefully you will find them."

Tears fell. I shut my eyes as relief filled inside me. Iroh had kept his promise. He had tried to help me find my family. I finally had a name for my grandma. Kanna…

And I had cousins…? Were they my age? Younger? Boys? Girls? A boy and a girl?

There was so much I wanted to know. But I knew Iroh was right. I would be patient. But I felt hope…

My family was alive… and one day soon I would meet them… just like my mom had always wanted...