Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or rights to the Avatar the Last Airbender series. I'm just a really big fan.
Smoke choked the air as Kitsu ran through her village coughing violently. The acrid plumes of destruction stung her eyes as she searched frantically for her parents. Why couldn't she find the market? This was her village, her home, how could it look so fucking unfamiliar? She ran down street after street until she realized her little village had grown into a city with twisting alleys and guts that churned with soot. Everything was burning.
Kitsu shot up from her bedroll, sweat dripping from her brow as she gulped down huge gasps of crisp morning air. Her hands trembled as she gripped hanks of her hair against her temples. When would the dreams stop? The Earth Kingdom girl slid to the edge of her bed and tried to take deep calming breaths. Her bed was nothing more than a shelf of rock she'd bended from the wall of her home and laid a bedroll on top of. She took solace in the feeling of the solid earth beneath her feet. It was cool and quiet; the exact opposite of her dreams. Slowly she looked out of her window at the morning light. One bright green eye, and one golden eye glinted in the ray of sunshine. With a tired sigh she rose from her bed and began to comb her hair.
Three years had passed since she lost her parents in the Fire Nation raid. As her fingers nimbly braided her long black tresses she tried to force her nightmare from her mind. She had much to do around the farm today. She needed to arrange new irrigation for a second garden bed, care for the pig sheep and her ostrich horse. So much to do. Kitsu grabbed her green smock off of its peg by the door and pulled it over her head. Three years passed since she'd fled into the woods and begun to construct her home out of the mountainside.
Kitsu stepped through the door of her home and bolted it shut behind her. She had no possessions of value, not to anyone else anyway, but she had learned the hard way that thieves would rummage for anything they could get their hands on.
She did not bother with shoes as she began to do a walk of her compound. It was her habit to spend a few moments each morning quietly taking stock of her home. Years of solitude had taught her that self reliance was wrought from hard work and long hours. Hours spent without structure or planning were a slow road to a quick death in her opinion. With a determined clap of her hands she set to work.
Every building on the compound was a product of her earthbending. The stable, sheep-pig pen, and her home were all constructed of stone and earth. The fences surrounding her livestock were of the same ilk. Every piece of equipment she made or purchased with her own earnings. The entire compound was a testament to her own resilience.
She set about feeding the sheep-pigs scraps from her evening meal as well as spare produce from her garden. She was renowned for her ability to grow some of the finest food in the region whether it was produce or sheep-pig meat. The sheep-pigs bleated loudly as she began tossing the slop into their trough and snorted happily while they ate.
"That's it little guys. Eat up." She murmured lovingly as she scratched one behind the ears. Then she was on to the stable to care for her ostrich-horse Poki. He was not a fancy creature, but when his brown feathers caught the light just right they looked like mahogany wood. Poki squaked and nickered at her as she grabbed his feed from a barrel and poured it into a bucket. Opening the gate to his stall she stepped in and slipped his harness over his head.
"Hold on just a minute." She chided as the animal nudged her arm expectantly. Kitsu led the Ostrich horse into the stable yard and tied his lead to a ring that hung from the wall. The bucket of feed was slapped into place on a hook nearby and she began to rummage through a trunk full of various brushes. Poki shoved his beak into the bucket and began devouring his food noisily, chirping pleasantly as he did. "Alright, buddy, tomorrow is market day, which means today is forest day. Are you ready for a run?" As Kitsu spoke she began to brush Poki's feathers with a fine brush. Although her produce could bring a decent price at the market in Guong Shi, the herbs she collected from the secret parts of the forest were the meat of her income. The healer there paid her well to collect some of the rarest herbs the Earth Kingdom had to offer. She was the only one who knew where to find them and she preferred to keep it that way.
It wasn't long before Poki was saddled and Kitsu was riding out of her compound. As she rode along she bent a path through a rock wall, shoving slabs aside with forceful, fluid movements. Her work left an arch large enough for her to ride through and once she'd slipped through she snapped her fists together and crushed the passage shut.
The rhythmic thumping of Poki's feet in the soil punctuated her thoughts as she scanned the trees. So many rumors had been flying around the market in the past few weeks. The whispers that floated through were so abundant that she didn't have to speak to a soul to know what was happening around Guong Shi. She couldn't deny that her weekly visits to the market were the only way she entertained herself. Solitude was necessary, but that sure didn't mean it was any fun. Kitsu leaned in the saddle and Poki carried her down a trail that none but her own eyes would distinguish.
Guong Shi was a bustling trade town and always had been. The Fire Nation's appointed officials squawked and squealed to their betters about what vast improvement they made in the town's economy, but their arrival had barely ebbed the flow of trade in the old market town. The only thing that changed was the colour of the flags and the citizen's clothes.
Iroh plodded through the market taking stock of their surroundings as Zuko ghosted silently behind him. Iroh lacked his jovial smile as he approached a stall filled with various pieces of travel equipment. The flamboyantly dressed middle aged woman who ran the stall eyed him. The old man looked as though he'd seen better days but even his rags were made of quality silk. There could be a coin or two in his pocket just for her if she played her cards right.
"Good day, Madame. My companion and I are in need of some equipment. We were unfortunately robbed on the roadway and have lost all of our supplies."
"Say no more!" The woman answered with an over eager smile. "I have everything you two could possibly need! I have sleeping bags, rucksacks, bedrolls, tents, cook ware, stoves, carts, traveling clothes, you name it!" She pointed at each item as she vomited her wares. Zuko took careful breaths as he stomached the urge to hurl a slew of cruel words at her. His spirits were shattered ever since their brush with Azula, and he'd felt nothing but fury and hatred for days.
"Two bedrolls and some food. Nothing more." He ground out before his uncle could go starry eyed over the silken bedrolls the woman was waving in their faces. "The cheapest you have." He snapped as she attempted to place the silk rolls in a bag. The saleswoman visibly deflated and bit back some choice words as she grabbed a set of rough woven bedrolls, and some traveler's cakes.
Zuko scanned the crowd of shoppers and merchants as Iroh paid the woman with what little money remained. His sharp eyes never rested in one place for too long.
"We must take you to a healer, Zuko. Those burns will fester if they are not attended to." Iroh stated as he stepped away from the stall. He did not have the heart to chide Zuko for his rudeness. It was not the time.
"We don't have money for a healer." Zuko snapped. His words leapt out of his mouth like sparks from a fire, burning those who came too close. Zuco's injuries tugged at his skin and sent searing pain up his arm with every movement. The constant irritation of the wounds did nothing to help his already sour mood.
"Then we will barter." Iroh answered flippantly. "Coin is not the only currency, Zuko." He continued walking, forcing Zuko to follow him.
"All we have are these bedrolls, Uncle. Last time I checked we needed those." Why was he doing this? Why was Zuko lashing out at his uncle? Even he didn't know the answer. Iroh remained silent as they wove down quaint little streets that were decorated with a mess of Earth Kingdom green and an overbarence of Fire Nation red. The colors looked horrible together as far as Zuko was concerned. The dull green looked muddy and disgusting next to the vibrant red.
When Iroh came to a halt in front of a small shop Zuko nearly ran over him. The shop was marked with a small wooden sign bearing a mortar and pestle hanging over the door. Iroh opened the door and stepped inside, followed by his brooding nephew. The pungent smell of herbs hit them the moment they entered. Clay pots lined the walls, each one filled to the brim with exotic leaves.
"Can I help you?" An older man with placid green eyes shuffled out from behind a desk laden with the tools of his trade, a number of which were knives. Zuko scowled at the short old man as he squinted back. "Oh my those are some nasty burns." The old man said with concern as he reached for Zuko's hands. It was all Zuko could do not to rip his injured hand away. He bristled with annoyance as the old man unceremoniously checked him over for further injury. He hated being treated like a commoner. In the royal courts such brazen touching of his person would be punished severely.
"Yes, you see, my nephew is a foolish boy, and he has yet to master his bending technique. Do you think you will be able to patch him up so we may continue on our journey?" Iroh lied effortlessly. Such injuries would be common on young boys in a Fire Nation colony. It would not raise any suspicions. Even so Zuko resented being called foolish, or having his bending technique insulted. He was too full of raw emotion to ignore even necessary injury to his name. Azula's poisonous smirk flashed into his mind's eye and he quickly stamped her out.
"I wish I could help you but my supply of scorche-soothe has run dry. My herbalist won't be in town until morning with fresh stock. You can come back tomorrow at midday and I will have more than enough to heal these burns.
"We cannot wait that long." Zuko barked as he yanked his arm out of the healer's hands. "Let's go, Uncle." Zuko turned to walk out the door but Iroh's firm grip on the sleeve of his shirt stopped him. Iroh wore a placid smile as he began to speak.
"Please forgive my nephew's temper. This Herbalist, could we perhaps intercept him or visit him at home? We really do need to continue our journey, you see, we are late to meet with our family as it is. His mother will be very cross with me if I do not deliver him home in good condition." Iroh plied the healer with his good nature as the other man rubbed his chin in contemplation.
"I don't know. She is a very private girl, practically a hermit. No one knows where she lives. I only know that she comes from the forest to the East of here once a week to sell her herbs. Are you sure you can't wait until tomorrow?" The shopkeeper continued to rub his chin. By the way he surveyed the two strangers it was obvious he did not fully trust them.
"Please, Sir. I risk the wrath of a fiery woman if he is not home on time." Iroh's eyes lit up playfully and seemed to crack through the healer's distrust.
"Alright. I can only tell you what I know. Follow the road that leads eastword out of town when you come to the river, follow it north. If she is out she will find you. Tell her that Shuo sent you. I don't know her name but around town they call her Fox."
"That's all you can tell us?" Zuko retorted in aggravation.
"As I said, I can only tell you what I know. The girl is a hermit who keeps her business private." The healer turned from the two visitors and stepped behind his desk once more.
"Thank you very much, Sir. Your kindness is appreciated." Iroh turned and exited the shop with Zuko in tow.
"We have to keep moving, Uncle. We don't have time to chase down little girls frolicking through the forest. Azula could catch up to us if we stay here too long." Zuko was itching to move out. He had to put as much distance between himself and his demon sister as possible. Father wants you to come home, Zuzu. The words ringing through his memory were like a slap in the face.
"Enough, Zuko." Iroh let some of his inner frustration leak into his tone. Zuko's silence was sufficient to let Iroh know that the boy had dropped his argument. Iroh chided himself for losing his composure. He could not imagine what the boy was feeling.
The two companions followed the healer's directions in silence, through the town, out of the town, and along the river.
Kitsu knelt along the bank of the river collecting a rare species of water lily that only bloomed in the early spring. She'd been waiting for weeks for the lilies to bloom. This patch would provide her with enough to dry and store to sell to the healer throughout the year. The lily was good for stomach ulcers and headaches, but most importantly it would help a woman to ripen during childbirth. As she deftly cut the lilies from their stems with a small knife she stowed them in a small burlap pouch she'd fashioned for keeping her herbs separate during transport. A distant sound gave her pause and she sat straight up surveying the underbrush. She scanned the treeline as she slipped her knife into the pocket of her smock. A hand signal commanded Poki to lay down which he did with a bored sigh. The sound came again and in an instant she was on her feet, firmly rooted in a low, sturdy stance. From the underbrush an old man with a long beard, and a tall young man stepped into the clearing by the river. Surprise bloomed on the stranger's faces as they noticed her there. The younger of the two reached for a blade but the older man stopped his hand.
Kitsu lifted her left heel and stomped it into the dirt before sliding her foot abruptly to the left leaving her in a lower stance. Simultaneously various slabs of stone erupted from the earth and encased the two men so that they were pinned to the spot. She wasn't taking any chances.
"I believe there has been a misunderstanding." The old man said with a calm chuckle.
"A hand reaching for a knife is no mistake." Kitsu answered acidly. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't leave you here."
"Please forgive my nephew." The old man continued stoically as the man he identified as his nephew struggled uselessly against the stone. "We spoke to the healer in Guong Shi. He said that you would have a supply of scorche-soothe. You see my nephew and I were recently robbed and he was badly burned. He has been very nervous since the attack." A pang of sympathy startled Kitsu as she held her form. "Shuo told us we would be looking for a girl called Fox."
Kitsu glared at the old man but stomped her foot once more and released them before returning to a normal stance. "Reach for it again and you'll need more than some scorche-soothe." She stood tall, and made every effort to look unafraid. Shuo had never sent travelers into her forest before. She would need to have a stern discussion with the healer about her privacy. The tall young man clutched his wrist as soon as he was free and gave her a fiery glare. It was then that she noticed the angry puckered skin over his left eye, as well as the burns snaking up the boy's arm.
"Attacked by firebenders? What did you do to earn that?" Kitsu asked as the old man approached her with a peaceful smile. The boy with the scars kept his distance. He was obviously of Fire Nation stock. The pale skin and refined features were enough to give it away, even if he was disfigured.
"None of your business!" The boy snapped at her. He couldn't have been much older than she was, so she supposed that made him a man but boy seemed more fitting.
"Unfortunately the colony has been plagued by bandits in recent weeks. We were a pair of unlucky victims." Iroh said with a shrug. "Will you help us?"
Kitsu's mismatching eyes flicked over the boy's injuries. She could see the beginnings of infection starting to pull at the flesh surrounding the wounds. The wounds would putrify if they weren't tended to soon, but the asshole was still glaring at her, and that put a bit of a damper on her desire to be a good samaritan.
"What are your names?" Kitsu asked firmly just before she gave a sharp whistle that caused Poki to spring up out of the bushes and trot to her side. The old man was startled by the sudden appearance of the ostrich-horse and gave a hearty laugh. The boy was flatly unimpressed.
"Where are my manners. I am Mushi, and this is my nephew Lee." Mushi's jovial charm was like a balm to her suspicion, but she could tell they were hiding something. Then again, so was she.
"Are those Mother lilies?" Mushi asked with a sudden fervor. "I hear they make delectable tea." Kitsu put a hand over the pouch at her hip and didn't answer him. The old man rubbed his chin and nodded. "Of course white lotus is the best for tea." A small Pai Sho chip flipped into sight between the man's fingers and was gone in a flash. Kitsu blinked once, then twice before softening slightly.
"The white lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets." Kitsu murmured before holding out her hand in a gesture of peace. "Come with me." Kitsu took Poki's reins and began to lead the ostrich-horse into the underbrush. As she turned she caught Lee's eye. His face was like an open book, and much too volatile. His fiery glare had turned to roiling confusion. Kitsu could practically see the gears turning as he tried to figure out what had happened to make her mood change.
As Iroh and Zuko followed the strange girl, Zuko pulled close to his uncle. "What was that? One second she's turned us into mineral deposits the next we are following her through the woods." Zuko loathed being left out of privy information. Iroh simply chuckled and shook his head.
"You must truly work on your skills of observation, Zuko. As I said, a coin is not the only currency."
Kitsu led the two strangers through a backwards, winding trail that looped around multiple times. White Lotus or not, she didn't feel comfortable with giving strangers knowledge of her whereabouts.
Zuko became more aggravated with every twist and turn. "She's leading us in circles." He grunted. "This is a waste of time." The searing pain in his arm had begun to radiate into his shoulder in burning waves. Each wave reminded him of Azula's betrayal. Even he was beginning to succumb to the fatigue.
"I'm sure it can't be much further, Zuko." Iroh answered loudly enough for the girl to hear. Zuko saw her glance over her shoulder. There was something about her, even dressed in green that reminded him of the girls in the Fire Nation. Maybe it was her pitch black hair or her clean features, or maybe it was the fire he saw in her eyes. He'd never seen anyone with eyes that didn't match in color. It was uncomfortable to look at. As he watched the back of the girl's head he noticed a scar that crept up the back of her neck and peaked out over the collar of her dress. Was it a burn scar? Zuko would know better than anyone what those looked like.
Kitsu stopped as their trail was cut to a dead end by a sheer wall of rock. She dropped Poki's reins and took her stance. Her hands punched through the earth bending movements as her feet stomped her will power into the ground. The secret passage to her compound opened and she turned to the two strangers, looking at them over her shoulder.
"Leave your weapons here. You can have them back when you leave." Kitsu glared at Lee specifically. Zuco drew his dual blades and set them against the cliff face begrudgingly. "Good. Well… Welcome to my home I guess." Kitsu turned and walked into the passage. She'd never allowed anyone through the passage before. The little hairs on her arms stood up as she realized it.
Zuko and Iroh looked around in surprise as they stepped through the passage. They were met by what appeared to be a quaint little farm settled in a natural bowl shaped piece of land. The farm was surrounded on all sides by rock walls, and even had a waterfall spilling over the brim of the cliffs and settling into a large pond. Every building was of traditional Earth Kingdom construction, but sported a more decorative flare that was distinctly Fire Nation in composition. Zuko realized that for some reason the blend of styles here wasn't as appalling as in Guong Shi. The landscaping and organization rivalled even the most lush gardens of the palace where Zuko was raised . The garden lacked ostentation, but had a simplistic beauty that was upheld by the fertility that was evident everywhere. Kitsu tied Piko next to a water trough and patted his neck.
"In here." Kitsu opened the door to her home and stepped inside. It was a small utilitarian home, with sparse furnishings, leaving little choice but to have the old man take her only stool by the table and beckon for the young man to sit next to her on her bed.
As soon as Lee sat stiffly on the very edge of her bed she took his right arm in her hands, deftly turning it this way and that. "You are going to need more than scorche-soothe." She announced as she waived her hand and cubbies appeared in the wall next to her bed. She rummaged through various bundles and clay pots that had all been secreted away within the wall. "What really happened to you, Brother Mushi? A Pai Sho tile is a valuable thing to flash at a stranger. And these burns didn't come from a second rate commoner."
Iroh raised an eyebrow, impressed by her perceptiveness, but said nothing.
"It's none of your business." Zuko snapped impatiently. "Just fix my arm." A sharp slap across his good cheek stunned Zuko into silence. She'd barely moved, hardly paused in her actions, hadn't even said a word. Did she just fucking slap him? Iroh covered his mouth with his sleeve as he attempted to stifle a belly laugh.
"You are going to shut your mouth and stay still. I'm doing this for him." Kitsu jabbed a thumb at Mushi as she stood and poured water from a pitcher into a bowl where she had placed several dried herbs. "I don't know why he's wasting a favor on your tempramental ass, but that isn't any of my business." Kitsu grabbed three stone spheres from her table and dropped them into the bowl before sending them spinning. The motion of the stones ground the herbs into a paste, and once it was perfectly smooth Kitsu plucked out the stones and set them back on the table.
"We are extremely grateful for your charity." Iroh watched as Zuko rubbed his cheek and glared at the earthbender. Kitsu, despite her harsh words and forceful temper, was handling his arm as gently as a mother turtle-duck.
"You will be lucky if this doesn't scar." Kitsu murmured as she began to rub the cool salve onto Lee's arm. The wound looked uncannily like a tree from root to stem.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Zuko's brow was twitching with rage as he fought to control his temper. Even furious he had to admit the salve was an enormous and immediate relief. Kitsu looked up at him and he saw her unusual eyes flash.
Kitsu saw a familiar anger in Lee's eyes that hit much too close to home. Her mother would know how to respond to that. She'd know exactly what to say to soothe the pained fury behind those golden eyes, but Kitsu was not so skilled at healing emotions as she was the flesh. Solitude had taken its toll on her skills. What would her mother say?
"I hope your luck improves?" Kitsu screwed her mouth shut the moment the words left her lips. THAT was not the right thing to say. She swore Lee turned five shades of red as he flushed with rage. "I have not had visitors from the White Lotus since my parents were alive three years ago. I didn't think any of you would find me." Kitsu, although composed on the surface, was frantically grasping for a change of subject. This had already been the longest conversation she'd had with a human in three years and it was not going well. Her statement seemed to temper Lee's impending tantrum with curiosity
"Did you think we would forget the only child of Ogodei and Meilin, Kitsune?" Iroh's answer made Kitsu pause and glance at him. Her eyes lingered on him for a moment before returning to her work. Zuko didn't know those names, but he could parse out that the girl's parents had an unorthodox union. Ogodei was a proud Fire Nation name. It even appeared more than once on his royal family tree, but Meilin was a name primarily given to Earth Kingdom girls.
"You did a fine job forgetting about me until you needed my help." Once she covered the last of the burn with salve she released his arm. "Are you able to perform your bending formations?" She asked Lee.
"How did you know I can bend?" Zuko snapped suspiciously. Kitsu rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"If you think I don't know who you are, you must really think I'm stupid, Prince Zuko." Kitsu answered. Her tone was as forceful as an avalanche, but as soft as a patch of moss. Zuko and Iroh shared pointed glances as they reassessed the girl before them. "I won't hold the alias against you because you are obviously in some dire trouble, but I won't have you acting like I'm an idiot. Now answer my question." Kitsu took Zuko's arm and maneuvered it through multiple bends that made him cry out in pain. "Apparently the answer is no." Kitsu reached into another cubbie in her wall and withdrew a large bundle of dark green, oblong leaves.
"That hurt!" Zuko grumbled as he cradled his injured arm.
"We have been keeping an eye on you. You have proven more than capable of taking care of yourself, Kitsune. You also took great measures to maintain anonymity in Guong Shi. We wished to honour your desire for privacy." Iroh answered her diplomatically as he tucked his hands into his opposite sleeves. Kitsu quickly wrapped Zuko's arm in the leaves and tied them in place with a piece of cloth she repurposed as a bandage. Zuko listened carefully to the little sparks of information that were drifting over his head. Each piece just raised more questions. How did his uncle know this girl? Why were her parents so important?
"So much for that then, huh?" She snipped. Iroh gave her a look of contrition that would be hard to beat. "You're on the run aren't you?" Her question fell onto the room like a boulder. Zuko and Iroh shared yet another glance. Kitsu wished she knew what silent topics they were discussing so cryptically.
"Yes." Zuko was the first to answer her, leaving Iroh to watch cautiously as his nephew took the lead. "And we need to get moving. The people who are chasing us could catch up any minute and your little run around through the woods wasted valuable time. We need to be moving on. Now." Zuko stood from the bed and began to leave.
"You can't travel like that." Kitsu announced firmly. "The burn is deep, and you need time to recover. Push yourself too hard and you could lose finer movement in the arm." She watched as Zuko's golden eyes flashed at her. She couldn't tell if the emotion she saw flicker across his face was dismay or anger, although a moment's consideration made her realize it was probably both.
"WHAT!?" The plumes of steam that followed his breath as he yelled startled her.
"Lower your voice." Kitsu barked in surprise. "This compound is known to no one but the three people standing in this room. You can stay here and I will see to your wound. There is no way in or out unless I make it, so I suggest you get comfortable." Her fervent response left Zuko momentarily stunned. Who the hell did this rude girl think she was talking to?
"She is right Zuko. There are few locations more secluded than this. Even I was not sure of her location until we happened upon her in the forest. We were never able to pinpoint her hideout." Iroh stroked his beard as he considered their options strategically. Zuko clenched his fists in frustration.
"If we found her then Azula will too." Zuko retorted. Why was his uncle making things so difficult. They needed to get on the move, get ahead, put distance between themselves and danger, but Iroh seemed rooted to his spot.
"You found me because I was on the move, and Shuo guided you to me. He knows better than to send Fire Nation officials into my forest." Kitsu spoke with an unfathomable authority that sounded almost militarily honed. "I have enough supplies to last us months before we would need to resupply. You can stay as long as you need to. She won't find you here."
"Who are you?" Zuko demanded. "Why are you helping us? Are you trying to stall us so you can collect our bounty?" Kitsu's face recoiled into a look of outrage as Zuko stared her down where she sat. She stood up, flung her hand towards the wall and withdrew a small wooden box that appeared from behind a small slab of rock. It left Zuko wondering just how many things she had hidden away in the walls of her home. Kitsu slapped the box onto the table with a crack and flipped the lid open. Inside lay a Fire Nation imperial hair pin and a large golden disc exclusively given to Earth Kingdom aristocracy.
"I'm Kitsune, only daughter of Meilin Baifong of the Earth Kingdom and Ogodei of the Fire Nation. My parents knew your uncle because my father knew him during his time in the Fire Nation Army. Later they joined the order of the white lotus when your uncle took them in as fugitives from their families. I'm helping you because I owe your family a debt that is impossible to repay and because I would rather pay my dues to a banished prince, than pay them to the soulless monster you call Father." Once again, fire was dancing in Kitsu's eyes as she lashed Zuko with the facts he had been craving since they'd arrived.
It was so obvious now why she reminded Zuko of a Fire Nation girl. It was because the fire in her attitude came from the same source as his own. As familiar as her temper felt to him it was punctuated with brutal assessments that only the stone cold honesty of an earth bender could supply. She was a confusing dichotomy that kept him on his toes whether he liked it or not.
"Fine." Zuko grit out through clenched teeth. "We leave as soon as I am able to travel." Without another word he stormed out of her home and into the courtyard.
Kitsu glared out the door after him. "I don't know why you waste your favors on that spoiled brat." Her gaze remained fixed on the lean boy throwing a temper tantrum in her front yard.
Iroh observed Kitsune for several moments before he spoke again. "You are not the only person who has been damaged by the Fire Nation." His grim words did little to soften Kitsu's opinion of the young prince.