Chapter 13 - The Firelight Hill
Zuko stirred with the sun as it rose in the morning. He groaned, his body full of soreness as he attempted to sit up. Digging those holes and hammering those posts all day yesterday had done quite the number to his already damaged body. It hadn't helped that, together, he and Longshot probably installed more than half of the posts by themselves in order to get the job done on time.
He shook the grogginess from his head as he swung his legs off of the couch that he had slept on last night. Another day. Another day that he was certain that he was not going to be able to start searching for his Uncle.
The Fire Prince winced as his shoulder ached. He thought he had been hurt before arriving at this ranch. But this new soreness from working all day yesterday was a whole new level of incapacitating. Why was he working here again? The sight of an upset waterbender flashed in his mind. Oh right, he put his foot in his mouth. Again.
His mind focusing, Zuko reflected on what Katara had told him the other day. In all likelihood, if the Avatar and that Water Tribe boy had been there when Azula struck his Uncle with lightning, then they probably did stop to help the man. That's what good natured people do, right? They help those that need help. And the Avatar was supposed to be the most good natured of everyone, right? Besides, Katara definitely knew her own Brother far better than he did. If she said that this Sokka wouldn't leave a wounded man to die, then Zuko believed her.
Zuko stared at the ground as that realization washed over him. He believed her. The last time he allowed himself to believe someone, it had been his Sister. And she had been luring him into a trap. He had swore to never believe anyone else other than himself ever again after that. But now, here he was, and without him realizing it before, but he believed in the Water Tribe girl.
More than that, he had believed in her several other times these last couple of weeks. When did that happen? The Fire Prince couldn't put his finger on exactly when that was, but that wasn't important, was it? The point of the matter was, he did believe in her.
Zuko groaned a second time as he put his hand to his head in exasperation with himself. He had definitely been in the wrong. Why couldn't he think these things through sooner? Uncle always told him that his plans were half-baked and that he had a tendency to fly off the handle without looking first.
Knowing that he still needed to do something to demonstrate the sincerity of his apology to Katara, Zuko tormented over the next couple of minutes attempting to brainstorm ideas. A frown grew on his face as every one of his ideas sounded more ridiculous to him than the last. 'Why is this so hard?' he mentally belabored himself.
Attempting to get up so that he could pace around the room and get a new perspective, Zuko managed to take a single step before promptly returning to his seated position on the couch. He was definitely more sore than he realized, if his lightheadedness was any indication. Leaning back on his seat, Zuko decided to change the focus of his thoughts. Maybe if he thought about something else for a moment, then it would clear his mind about what he could do for Katara.
So Zuko shifted his thoughts back to that of his Uncle's plight. 'So the Avatar and his friend took Uncle with them. Okay. Then what? Where would they go? Aang's the Avatar. People want to help the Avatar.' Zuko frowned again. 'At least most people that aren't Fire Nation.' Shaking his head, he got back on track. 'So if the Avatar had an injured person who needed care, then he probably took that person to the closest town or village.'
A phantom pain from his lightning wound shook Zuko again. A local, rural town probably wouldn't have an amazing waterbender healer that could heal life threatening injuries. Zuko paused for a moment to realize how fortunate he had been in that regard.
'Right, okay. A small hospital might be able to help a little, but for more advanced recovery, then they would have to go somewhere bigger, somewhere like... Ba Sing Se.' Zuko's eyes widened in comprehension.
The Earth Kingdom capital city would undoubtedly have better facilities and healers to help someone struck by lightning. Not only that, the Avatar would be welcomed there and would very likely be given any support he required. If the Avatar had taken his Uncle there, then perhaps there was a chance that everything had actually turned out okay.
Zuko stood sharply. He had a new goal. Get to Ba Sing Se and find his Uncle. His head and vision both swam as dizziness swirled. He promptly collapsed back onto the couch. Alright, first he would recover his strength. Then, he would travel to his new destination.
He heard Camila entering the room from over in the kitchen. The elderly lady noticed that Zuko was awake. "I'd ask how you're feeling this morning, but by all accounts you still look terrible. Keep resting. You need more sleep."
"Good morning to you too," Zuko greeted weakly with his arm over his eyes.
"Don't go getting cheeky with me now just because you made yourself bedridden with your own stubbornness," chided Camila. "The others will finish up the cattle pen today, and you can focus on being ready to help them later with the round-up."
Zuko wanted to argue just for the sake of arguing. He wanted to insist that he was strong enough to get up and work right now. However, his sore muscles and the lingering pain from his acute lightning wounds were providing very strong counterarguments to him at the moment.
The Fire Prince sighed as Camila returned to the kitchen. If he was not allowed to get up and move around, then he might as well try and get some more sleep in order to heal up as quickly as possible. Zuko pulled the blanket over his head and turned to face towards the backside of the couch.
A short while later, as he was about to nod off again, Zuko heard Han entering the kitchen with a morning greeting to his wife only to then start rummaging around within one of the cabinets. By the sounds of it, the Han had grabbed a couple of somethings from the kitchen as he disappeared into the rear portions of the ranch house.
Zuko didn't have to wait long to figure out what Han was up to. Especially not after the Fire Prince was greeted to the sounds of the elderly man kicking open the door to the room housing the male Freedom Fighters and striking a metal pot quite loudly with a broom handle.
The flabbergasted and agitated shouts of surprise from Jet and his Freedom Fighters brought a slight smile to Zuko's face. One that he was content to display without reservation since his head was currently covered by a heavy blanket. He continued to listen to the lot of them as they stumbled into the dining room and complain, mostly Jet, about the simple bowl of porridge waiting for them there.
More noise sequentially beckoned the arrival of Jin, Katara, and Smellerbee from the female room on the other side of the ranch house. Fortunately, they didn't receive the brunt of the Han's morning wake-up call, but nevertheless, the alarm served to gather them for breakfast as well.
Zuko decided to continue feigning unconsciousness from his spot on the far sitting room couch as more people arrived into the dining room. Jet seemed to take notice. "Hey, if we're up, then what about him?"
"He's still recovering," defended Camila automatically, despite knowing the wounded teenager was already awake. "Now eat your food and get out there. You and your friends have some serious catching up to do on ranch work." As Jet looked like he was about to complain a second time, Camila added, "Or are you fishing for another dock in pay?"
"You're sounding petty Jet. Lee and Longshot worked hard yesterday. It's only fair that you step up too," retorted Jin as she cut up some fruit to put in her porridge.
"I think all the Freedom Fighters realize that they can do better," spoke up Katara from Jin's side.
"Yeah! We'll do better this time, promise!" cheered the Duke as Pipsqueak ruffled the kid's hair and nodded in agreement. Longshot just remained silent as he ate his meal.
"You're being too soft with them Luna," warned Jin.
Smellerbee injected, "We'll be more focused, but that's because we intend to finish up this cattle pen quickly so that we can go into town this afternoon. We have some of our own errands to run."
Jet winked at Katara. "My offer still stands. You're welcome to join us in town later."
Katara seemed to consider it for a moment, but looked at Jin as she instead answered, "Thank you again for the invite Jet, but I think I'll going to stay here with Jin this afternoon. We've been having fun working together." Jin smiled at her new friend's declaration.
Jet shrugged in response. "Some other time then," proposed the rogue.
A short while later, breakfast was done. Only Katara, Jin, and Camila remained in the kitchen washing the dishes and cleaning up while everyone else headed outside to continue working.
Zuko debated getting up now that things were a little quieter. His stomach growled lightly. He certainty could use something to eat.
Just as the Fire Prince was about to stir and make it known that he was actually awake, he heard someone walk into the sitting room. This someone seemed to stop along the far wall. "Did you weave this tapestry yourself Camila? It's very pretty." It was Katara's voice he heard.
The elder lady walked into the sitting room drying her hands on a towel. "Which one are you talking about?" Camila noticed which tapestry that Katara was marveling at. "Oh, that one. I wish I could say I did, but I've never been that skilled with the loom. Most of those tapestries are ones I purchased from my hometown, the Kingdom of Omashu."
Katara's breath caught. She had not been expecting to be reminded of Omashu so abruptly. She recalled revealing that city as the one that helped the Avatar during her time as a prisoner. Nervously, she asked, "Omashu? I've been there once before. Is the kingdom still doing alright?"
Camila frowned sadly. "Again, I wish I had better news. The Fire Nation captured Omashu last month."
"No!" uttered Katara in dismay as she covered her hands to her mouth to cover her gasp. She felt responsible. If only she could have remained stronger while in captivity. If only she could have thought to make up a convincing fake answer. If only she could have just not said anything at all. Then, perhaps, the Fire Nation might not have attacked and defeated a city full of innocent people.
Zuko grimaced from under his blanket. He had been out of the loop of recent Fire Nation conquests. He had not known that Omashu had fallen. Nor did he understand why the Water Tribe girl sounded so distraught over the news. He knew that she wasn't from Omashu. She was from the South Pole. Was this just because she cared for the people there that much? Just because she visited the place once before?
The Fire Prince knew Fire Nation occupations could get a little brutal. Takeovers usually did. The conqueror had to remove all the existing tenets of power who were not willing to submit to the new rule. Things could get messy if there was resistance. Any further information the lady of the ranch had about Omashu's defeat probably was not going to be easy to hear.
Camila seemed to pick up on the Water Tribe girl's distress. "I am sad of course, that my hometown has been taken over. However, it could have been worse. King Bumi surrendered to Fire Nation rule almost immediately, once their forces were at his doorstep. The transition of power was bloodless. I don't know exactly what the old coot was thinking, but he would not hear of any resistance from his people under his watch. His last proclamation to the people was to stand down and wait."
Zuko was having a difficult time understanding what exactly the King of Omashu was thinking. He just surrendered his city without a fight? Was the man a coward? That was the initial impression that Zuko got. However, the more he thought about it, the more that didn't seem quite right. If this King Bumi was a coward, then how had Omashu managed to fend off the Fire Nation for the last hundred years? From the all reports Zuko had read before, King Bumi had been the ruler of Omashu for nearly that entire period of time.
"Wait for what?" asked Katara as she struggled to get a hold of the anxiety that was threatening to take over her.
"I'm not entirely sure," replied Camila with an frustrated expression on her face. "The man's always been a bit of an eccentric, but even this is pushing things. Though, I suppose he did manage to keep his people alive, even it is if under foreign rule. The last I heard, the Fire Nation suspended the king in a metal cage in the middle of town as a reminder to the citizens of what could happen to them if they oppose Fire Nation rule."
Camila started to grumble to herself. "What I don't understand, is that people are saying the king just lazily hangs around in that metal cage day in and day out without a concern in the world. The man is still cracking as many stupid jokes as he always does. That, or he just whistles the day away."
Katara shook her head. "I don't think he's unconcerned. King Bumi's probably thinking about his people each and every day." Her right hand rose to grip the Fire Nation emblem branded on her left shoulder underneath her tunic. "You don't get to think of much else when you are in captivity."
Camila frowned at the waterbender's discomfort. "Bah, I know that the old dodger's got a plan, even if he doesn't seem to want to let anyone else know what it is. We'll just have to take him at his word for now. We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"
Camila glanced back at the tapestry that Katara had been looking at earlier. Changing the subject to something lighter, the elderly lady noted, "You were asking about this tapestry, right? It's one of my favorites. It depicts the origins of the Kingdom of Omashu."
Jin had been listening in the doorframe of the kitchen with a sad face at the current fate of her grandmother's hometown. Recentering herself and putting a smile on, she walked into the room as well and took a seat near her Grandmother. "I love this story too."
Katara took a seat on the other side of the tapestry as she observed both the tapestry and the older woman with anticipation. Zuko struggled to recall which tapestry they were likely looking at on the wall. He hadn't really taken the interest in doing much more than sparing a passing glance at all the wall art yesterday. And now, he wished that he had taken a closer look. Instead, he just strained his ears under the blanket as he listened too.
"Use the tapestry to follow along with the story as I go. Start from the top left corner." Camila cleared her throat for a moment as she settled into a story telling voice. "They met on top of the mountain that divided their two villages."
Katara observed a man dressed in red and a woman in blue facing one another atop a summit within the first illustration. The two people were positioned in fighting stances.
Camila continued, "Their villages were in conflict with one another and the two met each other as enemies. Upon their first encounter, they fought, but soon found themselves evenly matched. This stalemate led to an exchanging of words. And as they paused to converse, this quickly grew into something more, until eventually the conflict between their two villages appeared trivial and meaningless. And yet, their villages were enemies, so they could not be together..."
The next tapestry illustration showed the man in red and the woman in blue on the separate hills of their respective villages staring longing at one another.
"But their love was strong and they found a way. The two lovers learned earthbending from the badgermoles. They became the first earthbenders," narrated Camila.
Katara observed a badgermole figure appear next to the two lovers as both characters were drawn in earthbending stances.
"They built elaborate tunnels, so they could meet in secret. Anyone who tried to follow them would be forever lost within the labyrinth." The next picture showed the two lovers kissing within a maze of tunnels. "But, one day, the man didn't come." An image of a lonely woman staring at an empty tunnel entrance. "He had died in the war between the two villages, struck by an arrow."
The waterbender gasped at the fate of the man. Jin looked downcast. She never liked this part of the story. Zuko remained silent and unmoving under his blanket as he continued to feign sleep, but inwardly fidgeted as well at the man's fate.
The next illustration depicted a grieving woman kneeling at the side of a grave marker. "Devastated, the woman unleashed a terrible display of her earthbending power. She could have destroyed them all, but instead, she declared the war over." The image of a single woman looming multiple large earthen stalactites above people from both villages transformed into another picture with the villagers laying down their weapons.
Camila paused to let that sink in for a moment. "Both villages helped her build a new city where they would live together in peace. The woman's name was Oma and the man's name was Shu. The great city was named Omashu as a monument to their love." The final image displayed the majestic city of Omashu.
Katara felt a tear trickle down her cheek and brushed her hand against her face lightly to realize that she was crying. "That's such a sad story," she whispered.
Jin took the waterbender's hands in her own. The Earth Kingdom girl's eyes were also misty. "It is, but it's beautiful too. Their love found a way to end the conflict between their two villages. The two lovers looked pass all the hate and the fighting and they found each other. It was brief, but it was true love."
Katara walked closer to the tapestry as she noticed an inscription stitched near the bottom. "Love is brightest... in the dark," she read aloud. "What does that mean?"
Camila looked thoughtful. "Well there's a cavern near Omashu known as the Cave of Two Lovers. It is said that is the labyrinth that Oma and Shu created so many years ago. Perhaps it has something to do with that."
Jin shook her head in disagreement. "I've always read that line as sometimes, you just need to take a leap of faith."
Camila chuckled softly to herself. "My Granddaughter has always been quite the romantic."
The Earth Kingdom girl pouted a little. "I'm serious. How can you know that you truly love someone unless you're willing to put your trust in them? Even if that sometimes means not knowing what is going to happen? Isn't that what Oma and Shu did in the story? It took trust in one another to start talking instead of fighting and that blossomed into so much more."
"An insightful comment Granddaughter," reasoned Camila. Then, the older woman appeared to grin at something that amused her as she rephrased Jin's conclusion. "Two people from opposing villages that are in conflict with one another. Each deciding to work together and understand one another. Who's to say what could happen?"
Katara felt her cheeks beginning to heat up. Was Camila implying what the waterbender thought she was implying? No, that couldn't have been it. Camila had no way of knowing her and Zuko's actual backgrounds. The Water Tribe girl stole a glance to where the Fire Prince still lay unmoving under a blanket on the couch.
'He's asleep, right?' she thought to herself. 'Did he hear any of that story?'
Zuko held himself together as he contemplated that tale. 'It's just a legend,' he thought to himself. Plenty of people found themselves on opposite sides of a conflict all the time. It wasn't until Camila's last comment that he had to bite his tongue to keep himself from giving a reaction that might had let anyone know that he was awake the whole time.
"Thank you for listening to the origins of my hometown," stated Camila. She walked over to a shelf near the tapestries on the wall and pulled out a wooden board and a small bag before returning to Katara and Jin. "Now, if you two could both indulge an old woman one more time, I would very much like to teach the both of you how to play a favorite game of mine." Pulling a wooden tile with some kind of flower design on it out of the bag, Camila grinned again. "Have either of you ever played Pai Sho?"
The sounds of wooden tiles clicking and scraping against an oaken board echoed throughout the farmhouse as Camila explained the placements and movements of each piece. Zuko found himself starting to nod off once more from across the room under his blanket on the couch as the lady of the ranch started to delve into possible strategies and play styles. His Uncle would drone on and on for hours without end about Pai Sho and the Fire Prince had heard most of this several times before.
Although the firebender wouldn't consider himself a great player of the game by any means, he did know how to play better than an average individual. Originally, he had primarily learned the moves and strategies his Uncle had taught him to amuse the man and to get his Uncle to stop bothering him constantly. But right now he actually felt a twinge of pain in his chest that he suspected had nothing to do with his lightning wound. He wasn't entirely sure if he would get the opportunity to hear his Uncle ask him to play a round of Pai Sho again.
As Camila prattled on with her explanations to Katara and Jin, Zuko's eyes grew heavier and heavier until he was unable to fight off the veil of slumber anymore. He dreamed of large Pai Sho pieces raining down upon him from every side, pinning him within a labyrinth of enlarged wooden tiles. Try as he might, even in his dreams, his firebending would not answer his call and he was unable to burn his way through the walls of the maze.
After several twists and turns attempting to navigate through the winding passageways, the Fire Prince came across a door. When he opened it, he saw nothing but darkness looming within. Standing there, making an effort to find something through the blackness, he heard a loud thump behind him and spun around in alarm to witness another large Pai Sho tile rolling through the labyrinth corridor directly at him. With no room to jump to either side, Zuko was forced to leap into the darkness as the rolling tile crashed into the door frame behind him.
He tumbled through the emptiness for a while. Falling without end as cold air rushed up to meet him. Suddenly, the ground materialized beneath him as he crashed into a large snow dune that exploded into a flurry of powdered snow. Pulling himself back up out of the embankment, he noticed a single penguin otter standing nearby, staring at him. The otter was wearing a recognizable looking necklace with a blue ribbon. He heard a familiar, jovial female laugh behind him, but when he looked back, there was no one there. The penguin otter had disappeared in front of him too when his head looked forward again.
There was a stab of loneliness, like he had just missed something very important. He ran in the direction in which he had last seen the penguin otter, but could not find the creature anywhere. In fact, he could find nothing in any direction save for an endless sea of snow dunes. Snow dunes that were accumulating in size at a steady rate until he found himself buried in the slush once again.
Zuko awoke with a start as he sprang up into a sitting position on the couch, gripping the edges of his blanket in a steely grip. He had a cold sweat dripping from his forehead. He found himself alone in the room.
Finding the strength to stand, he tried to remember his rapidly fading dream to little avail. He took a couple of unsteady steps as he both rediscovered his balance and fully shook himself awake.
Alright, he had done enough sleeping for the day. The Fire Prince still felt sore and a tad tired, but he was also restless and he needed to move around. His feet carried him over to the wall of tapestries as he took a moment to examine the illustrations of the story he recalled listening too just prior to his morning nap.
'A man in red and a woman in blue,' the firebender noted as he studied the characters. 'Those aren't even traditional Earth Kingdom colors. What was the artist thinking with those choices?' Zuko tore himself away from the tapestry as he seemed to shake off a strange feeling of awkwardness. 'It's just a coincidence. Just a coincidence,' he attempted to reassure himself.
Stumbling into the kitchen, he found a bowl of grits and a small loaf of bread on the table waiting for him. His stomach rumbled loudly. He still had yet to eat today. He made short work of the simple meal.
As he finished, Han walked into the farmhouse. "Oh, you're awake? Excellent. I thought you were going to sleep the entire day away."
"Is the cattle pen complete?" asked Zuko, trying to get caught up on what he had missed this morning.
"Yes, it's ready to go. We finished it not too long ago actually. Jet and his friends headed straight into town afterwards. Probably to cause more trouble, but better there than on my ranch, I guess." Han sighed as he shook his head. "I gave Ralin the rest of the day off too. We're going to have a big day tomorrow rounding up the herd," continued the old rancher.
Then, Han paused, as if considering something. "Actually, if you're feeling up to it, I would like to spend some time with you this afternoon showing you how to use a lasso. It wouldn't hurt to have another person out there who can handle a rope correctly."
Zuko didn't exactly have a plan for what to do this afternoon. If left to his own devices, then he would probably just end up training with his swords by himself near the barn. Otherwise, he would probably just consume himself with worrisome thoughts about things that he had no control over. The Fire Prince rose from the dinning room table. "I'm ready now."
Together, the two headed outside and proceeded towards the barn. Zuko noticed Jin and Katara sitting under the shade of a small tree with a Pai Sho gameboard between them.
Jin looked up as the two men walked by and gave Zuko a smile and a small wave. Zuko raised his hand in recognition as his gaze shifted to the waterbender, who glanced up as well. Their eyes met for a moment before the Water Tribe girl quickly looked back down at the gameboard. Zuko frowned inwardly a little bit. He figured that she was probably still upset with him. His underestimation of the extent of his injury likely didn't help matters yesterday.
Han led the firebender to front of the barn and told him to wait outside for a moment. The old rancher ducked inside and quickly returned with two coils of rope in either hand. "Alright. I'll show ya how to tie a proper bowstring knot first if you don't already know how. This part is important for getting the lasso to work right."
When Zuko took one of the coils of rope and looked back at the man expectantly, Han took that as confirmation that Zuko needed the whole lesson. "Okay, so step one. Take one end of your rope and pinch off a small loose loop. Pass that end through the rope loop. Repeat that step with the end of the rope again. Then tighten and pass the end through the first loop."
Han watched Zuko mimic his demonstrations as he showed the firebender what to do. "No, no. That's the second loop. You need to pass the end through the first loop." Zuko managed to undo the error and correctly string the rope. "Good job. Now, hold the loops and pull the end to tighten. If you did it right, the first loop should shrink and tighten with the pull."
Watching Zuko follow along correctly, Han continued, "Serviceable. Next, pass the long end of the rope through the remaining loop. This may take a minute to pull the entire rope through, but once you do, the knot is complete and you have your lasso. Leave enough slack so that you can throw the lasso part at your target and pull the knot closed later."
Zuko held up a somewhat serviceable lasso. "No bad kid. Practice that bowstring knot a couple more times until you get it down better and then we'll practice throwing the lasso." Zuko undid his knot and reworked the project a couple of times. Han watched him work, pointing out corrections and giving him advice.
After about another thirty minutes, Zuko felt comfortable with his ability to manage this particular knot on his own. He cringed inwardly at how he had spent over three years of his life on a boat, but this was the first time he had bothered to learn how to tie a rope knot correctly.
Walking the Fire Prince over to a nearby hitching post, Han took his own lasso in his hands and continued the lesson. "Keep the extra rope coiled up there. Just give yourself enough slack to spin the lasso portion over your head. Make sure for the lasso portion you leave enough rope there to create a ring about the length from your hip to the ground." His lifted up his hand to show his grip on the bowstring knot. "You're going to want to keep your thumb pointed forward while holding the knot down to keep the rope from slipping shut too early." He grinned. "Now comes the fun part."
Han began twirling the rope over his head with big exaggerated motions. "Swing the lasso a couple of times to build up some speed. Keep your hand straight and firm; otherwise, the lasso loop is going to get twisted. Pick your target in the distance. Then..." The expert rancher chucked the lasso directly over the wooden hitching post and pulled the rope taut with a single graceful motion. "Just like that, see? Pretty simple, right?"
Zuko seemed uncertain. Simple techniques never seemed to exist for him. Everything usually ended up being a bit of a struggle. As Han recovered his rope, Zuko moved into position in front of the hitching post. Gripping his hand as he was shown, he began twirling the lasso over his head. A couple of swings in and the line was hopelessly tangled together as it fell back down. He grumbled to himself as he paused to unravel the line.
"You didn't keep your hand straight and firm. That's what happens. The line gets tangled and twisted. Don't worry. Just try again," encouraged Han.
A few minutes later, the Fire Prince had his lasso ready to go again. He positioned himself and began to swing the line once more. Another couple of swings around his head and the lasso pulled itself shut as he found himself spinning a flat piece of rope with a small knot at the end.
Han shook his head. "And that's what happens when you don't hold onto the bowstring knot while you spin. Those are common mistakes. Best you learn about them now and keep yourself from developing any bad habits. Pull the line loose and try again."
Grumbling more than just a little now, Zuko fixed his lasso once more and took a third attempt. This time he managed to keep his lasso spinning open and level. Eyeing the hitching post, he let the rope fly only to reach about half way to the wooden beam.
Han gave a nod of approval. "Good cast."
"But I didn't even come close to the target," objected Zuko with a discouraged frown as he reeled the lasso back in.
Han slapped the firebender on the back heartily. "Bah, that's just a matter of learning how much power to put in your throw. Some practice and you'll get the distance down. The good thing about that throw was that it was a solid and clean cast."
The old rancher's supportive words were oddly motivating. They reminded Zuko of how his Uncle would highlight the things he did right instead of dwelling on the areas where he messed up. His own Father, his Sister, and the Fire Sages back home always focused on his failures.
Readying the lasso once more, Zuko let it fly. He winced as the pain in his side acted up, resulting in another throw that wasn't even close. The range was short and the angle was completely off. Growling, Zuko tightened his grip on the loose rope. "Stupid injury," he muttered in frustration. "This is a waste of time trying to learn this." The firebender felt a comforting hand rest onto his shoulder, calming him down before he could lash out further or curse his luck more.
"Let me tell you something you already know," began Han sagely. "The world ain't all bacui berries and applesauce. It's a very mean and nasty place." He tapped Zuko's injury lightly as the Fire Prince winced a second time. "And it doesn't matter how tough you think you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it."
"You've been fighting some kind of internal conflict ever since you arrived to this ranch. Now, I don't know what you've been stubbornly trying to face head-on, but whatever it is, it's going to hit you hard. But it ain't about how hard you hit back. It's about how hard you can get hit, how much you can take, and keep moving forward. At first, I thought you might be as unreliable as that prideful Jet character. But you put in the work, put in the time. You're as bull-headed as a mule and as resilient as a ox. Your work ethic getting all those fence posts in place despite all the others abandoning the job showed me that," continued Han.
The old rancher pointed to the rope in Zuko's hands. "So take a breath, sort yourself out, and try again. If you know what you're worth, then go out there and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits, take the failures and the set-backs. You can't be pointing fingers and saying you ain't where you wanna be because of this or that or because of him or her, or anybody. Cowards and losers do that. That ain't you. You're better than that. I've seen it. Now, you need to see it in yourself," finished Han as he waited for Zuko to tie the bowstring knot once more.
Zuko listened to the old ranch's encouragement as he felt dissatisfaction in himself for almost giving up on something yet again. Han sounded a bit like his Uncle, a little more blunt in his speeches mind you, but the similarities were there. Zuko looked down at the loose rope in his hands. Han was definitely hinting at more than just learning this new skill, but figuring this out right now was a necessary step to moving forward. Zuko wouldn't let a stupid piece of rope get the better of him. He was a prince! He could master this. He would master this.
As he tied a bowstring knot once more, Zuko focused his mind on the task at hand with his regular single-minded determination. Han was right. So what if he was injured? So what if he didn't get the first hundred throws correct? So what if Azula wanted him dead? He would keep getting back up, over and over again. A moment later, the lasso was ready to go again in his hands.
It took numerous attempts and more than just a few errant throws to either side of the hitching post, but even Zuko couldn't help himself from grinning from ear to ear when he heard Han excitedly exclaim, "Nice shot kid!" as the firebender finally pulled his lasso taut as it flew over and looped around the wooden beam.
Katara fumbled with the Pai Sho tile she was placing when Jin suddenly started clapping ecstatically and shouted happily, "He did it!" The Earth Kingdom girl had only been absent-mindedly moving pieces for the better part of the last half hour, so her unexpected jubilation startled the waterbender as she picked back up the wooden tile.
Looking up from the gameboard, Katara turned in the direction that her friend was focused on. She saw the normally stoic Zuko actually whooping in delight with his fist held high in the air as Han was congratulating the firebender by slapping him on the back and encouraging him on. Zuko's other hand held onto a piece of rope that appeared to be connected to a wooden post a good distance away. She smiled at the Fire Prince's zeal. It wasn't everyday she got to see him this joyful.
"I knew he would get it sooner or later," cheered Jin in delight as she settled down. "He looked so determined. Have you ever seen such fighting spirit? Every time I watch him, it's like I feel inspired. It's comforting, you know?"
"I know," answered Katara lightly. Then louder, "Lee's always been like that, ever since I met him."
"How can you be around him then and not be drawn to him?" asked Jin earnestly. "It's only been two days, and I can tell that Lee is not like the normal guys you find around here. He's so much more mature."
Katara turned back to look at Zuko as the firebender was coiling his rope back up in order to keep practicing his throw. "We're just friends Jin," the Water Tribe girl claimed for the fourth time today. Each time the conversation topic between the two girls turned to Zuko, Jin would inevitably ask if the two of them were together. The waterbender wasn't sure what she was feeling right now to be honest. Katara felt she needed some time to sort that all out. However, it was like Jin was constantly trying to check on something today.
Jin stood up resolutely with a courageous look in her eyes as she set her gaze forward. "Alright then." Before Katara could ask what the Earth Kingdom was doing, Jin strode towards the barn and directly right up to Zuko.
The Water Tribe girl watched uneasily as Jin asked Zuko a question and waited for his reply with expectant eyes. Zuko seemed to look back at Han, who was pointedly attempting to ignore the situation. Eventually, Zuko nodded and Jin threw her arms around Zuko in a quick hug that caught the boy off guard.
Katara's heart filled with dread as Jin practically floated back towards their shaded position under the small tree. Nervously, the waterbender asked, "What did you do?"
Jin smiled back at her. "I just asked Lee out on a date, and he accepted!"
"W-What?!" stuttered Katara as she stared back at Zuko in disbelief. Han seemed to lecturing the lad about something. 'He did what?!'
"I told him to meet me at my favorite spot on the ranch later this evening. It's the large, old oak tree not too far behind the barn." Before Katara could regather her wits, Jin was already moving again back towards the farmhouse. "I have to go get everything ready!"
Katara's head was spinning as she watched Jin practically skip away. She turned back to Zuko who was resuming his lasso practice. She observed him for a little while longer as he focused on improving. Suddenly, her 'just friends' argument didn't sound nearly as strong to her as it had just a moment ago.
Evening came quickly. As Katara walked into the dining room, only Han and Camila were waiting there. "Jet and his friends still haven't returned from town yet, if you're wondering," commented Han as he noticed her enter.
Katara stared at the empty seats at the table for a moment. She wasn't feeling particularly hungry to be honest. "I think I'm just going to turn in early tonight," she stated flatly.
"I'll leave something wrapped up on the counter in case you get hungry later this evening," replied Camila as she watched the Water Tribe girl trudge back towards the girl's sleeping quarters. The lady of the ranch sighed. "Nothing's more tricky than young love."
Han nodded in agreement with his wife as he started in on his meal.
Katara lay on her bed, staring up at the white ceiling. There was a singular thought in her head that she just couldn't get out. Why did Zuko agree to go on a date with Jin? He never seemed interested in romance before.
The waterbender turned onto her side. Why did she even care? Zuko was free to go out with whomever he wanted. They were just friends, nothing more.
The Water Tribe girl blinked. Were they even friends? Enemies when they first met down in the South Pole to be sure, but after meeting again in that port town, they weren't enemies anymore, were they?
Katara sighed as she turned over to her other side restlessly. Traveling companions then. He had helped her to learn more about her waterbending, how to swim, and how to move forward when her grief had nearly consumed her. So she was what, indebted to him?
She shook her head. That didn't sound right either. She had helped Zuko as well. Lifted him back up when he was in despair and was there for him when he was sick and injured. Then what? Were they just caught up in a series of owing debts and paying them back?
That at least made them friends, right? Friends helped each other and looked out for one another. Katara nodded at her analysis as she turned back over to her original side and laid there for a couple of minutes.
Suddenly, she threw off the blanket and sat up in bed. Then why was this bugging her so much?!
Donning her sandals, Katara made her way to the window and slipped out into the evening. She was halfway to the barn before she realized what she was doing, or at least what she thought she was doing.
Behind the barn, she saw the large, old oak tree. There was a small stream running alongside the treetop hillside. Directly underneath the oak, sat Jin on top of a picnic blanket with a basket and a small lantern next to her. Katara could see Zuko slowly approaching the tree. The waterbender crept closer to the stream and circled behind the treetop hillside until she was within hearing distance.
Zuko was in over his head and he knew it. The Earth Kingdom girl had asked him to meet her underneath the large oak tree behind the barn for a evening picnic and he didn't know what to do. When she had asked him out this afternoon, the initial reaction that had instantly snapped into his mind was to reject her immediately. But he didn't act on that. How could he? The girl's Grandfather was standing right next to him at the time. What was he supposed to do? Han had just taught him a particularly useful skill. Was he going to dishonor the man by sequentially rejecting his Granddaughter for a date?
A date... he blanched at the notion. He had never been on a date before. He did not know what he was supposed to do. How he was supposed to act. What he was supposed to say. Those kind of things never came naturally to him.
Not that it mattered. Being exiled and focused on a single minded pursuit of a legendary figure hadn't exactly left much room for dating. And most girls usually couldn't stand to look at him a second time after the first glance. Nor could he blame them for that. A horrible burn scar across the left side of his face couldn't have been a pleasant sight to look at more than once.
So why did this Jin girl ask him out on a date then? She did not seem put off by his scar. And she always seemed to have a kind or encouraging word for him. Zuko frowned. Maybe it was all part of some long elaborate plan to humiliate him later. That's something his Sister Azula probably would pull. Something she had pulled in the past, back when she asked him to play with her and her friends near a water fountain.
Zuko shook his head. Katara seemed to like Jin, and that put some points in the girl's favor. Zuko's brow furrowed in thought. 'Wait, why does Katara's opinion matter to me?' The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Katara never seemed to fear him either. At least not after she regained her personality and normal temperament following her time in captivity. Plus, the waterbender never seemed to be appalled by his facial scar either. And she always seemed to support him too.
The Fire Prince was approaching the large oak tree up on the hillside now. He set his turbulent thoughts to the side. He could think more later. First, he needed to survive the night without making a total fool of himself.
The first thing he noticed was that her hair wasn't in her normal long, twin pigtails running down the front of her shoulders. Her hair was now done up nicely in a fancy looking updo. Zuko's immediate inward reaction was panic. Was he supposed to have combed his hair for this? He awkwardly ran his hand through his hair a couple of times, which probably had no real effect.
Jin patted a cushion on the picnic blanket next to her to indicate that he should come sit down. "Hey! Well, look at you. I'm really happy that you came," she smiled at him as he sat down.
"Of course. I gave you my word," he replied rigidly.
Jin noticed how stiff he looked sitting there with his back as straight as a board, his hands gripping his cross-legged knees, and a nervous frown on his face. Her smile deepened. He looked so cute with his innocent anxiety. "You can loosen up if you want, we're just going to have a nice dinner together."
Zuko didn't seem to adjust his posture, but he at least attempted to smile back in return. Jin took that as a cue to open the picnic basket and take out the contents. "I've got some beef sandwiches with all the fixin's, some fruit and veggies, dinner rolls, some tea, and for dessert, a small paopu fruit tart we can share."
"That's... a lot of food," commented Zuko.
The Earth Kingdom girl nodded as she spread out the food on the blanket. Then, a little nervously herself, "I made the sandwiches the way I like them since I wasn't sure what you normally put in your sandwiches. And I also wasn't sure what kind of side items you might like so I grabbed a bunch of stuff. I made the dessert special for tonight thought."
"I'm sure the sandwiches are fine," replied Zuko as he picked up his and examined it for a minute. "The ones you made the other day were good." He noticed Jin staring at him expectantly. 'This... probably won't kill me, right?' he thought to himself. Then he took a bite as an explosion of flavor burst into his mouth as the juices from the beef mixed with the fresh crisp tomatoes and lettuce as well as the tanginess the slightly spicy sauce that Jin had added. "It's... a little spicy," he noted as he took a second bite. Chewing some more, he added, "I like the heat actually."
The breath that Jin was holding rushed out in relief as she grinned. The first obstacle was cleared. He liked the meal that she had prepared for him. All those lessons in the kitchen with her Grandmother were paying off. Hoping to strike up some more conversation, she asked, "So, how do like the ranch so far?"
Zuko supplied a simple response. "It's okay."
Undeterred, she probed further, "What about the ranch do you like the most?"
The Fire Prince was unsure why she was asking him that. He had spent most of the first day working on a fence and the second day laying convalescent on the couch. He hadn't exactly had the time to explore or see much around here. "Umm... The food has been filling," he answered lamely after a moment.
That response appeared to make the girl smile again. Zuko went to take another bite of his sandwich when the Earth Kingdom girl asked another question. "What do you normally do for fun?"
Fun. Now that was a word that he had not heard in years. There had been no need or room for fun since he received his scar and his mission to capture the Avatar. And there was little fun to be had while he was on the run from his home nation. "Nothing," he replied with a frown.
"Nothing? There's nothing at all?" echoed Jin sorrowfully.
She seemed to want an answer, so Zuko thought again. "Training?" he supplied with more of a questioning tone than he liked.
"You really are quite serious," Jin replied with a smile as she took a sip of her tea. At his frown, she added, "It's a good thing. You always seem to be looking forward with a mature attitude. Though, if you want, I can help show you some fun things to do."
Zuko did not know what to make of that last statement as Jin batted her eyelashes at him. Before he could ask what she meant, he thought he heard a muffled squawk from behind the large oak tree. Looking around, he asked, "Did you hear something just now?"
Jin shook her head. "Probably just one of the ranch animals."
The Fire Prince wasn't so sure, but he didn't hear anything again after a minute or two of listening. He looked back at the Earth Kingdom girl and noticed that she had taken several large bites of her own sandwich. He stared at her in surprise for a moment. "You have... quite an appetite for a girl." He fumbled with his sandwich in his hands awkwardly for a moment at his own words.
Jin shifted a little uncomfortably. She had been asking so many questions that she hadn't really eaten much of her own sandwich yet. She had been trying to catch up quickly while he seemed distracted. "Umm... thanks?"
Zuko's ears burned as he backpedaled, trying to reword his previous remark. "That's a good thing too! You need to eat a lot to have the energy for training and work. Guys and girls. People that don't eat a lot usually tend to be skinny and weak. Besides, food is hard to came by on the road, so you should eat when you can. There are times when I'm traveling when I don't know when my next meal is coming."
The Earth Kingdom girl blinked as Zuko continued to ramble on. The slight embarrassment that she had felt was quickly transforming into amusement. So, he was quite talkative when he was flustered. She could work with that. "So, Lee, you're doing a lot of traveling. Any particular destination in mind? A place you're looking to go?"
He had been thinking about this all day actually, ever since he deduced the idea this morning. Zuko inwardly debated with himself whether or not to give the girl an honest answer. But ultimately, he couldn't really think of another answer. "I think my Uncle is in Ba Sing Se. We were separated and I heard he was badly injured. I think the people he was with would have taken him there to get better. That's where I need to go once I get well enough to travel again myself." Speaking the words actually made his logic seem more real to himself.
Jin appeared genuinely concerned. "Oh no! I hope your Uncle is alright. Ever since my family had to flee our village, I've been realizing just how important they are to me." She reached over and placed her hand on top of Zuko's. "We can go together, you know. When you head to Ba Sing Se." At his curious gaze, Jin elaborated, "I've been visiting my Grandparents on this ranch for a while now. It's about time I travel to the city to be with my parents again. They arrived in the city some time ago to start a new home. I'd feel much safer traveling if you're by my side. And I can help you find your Uncle when we get there!"
Now it was Zuko's turn to blink in surprise. He actually did not know what to say. Someone was offering to help him find his Uncle. Faintly, he thought he heard some rustling of the grass behind the large oak tree, but he ignored it. "I... if you... I'd be alright with that," he managed after a minute.
The sky was darkening around them as night settled in overhead. There were few stars in the cloudless sky. Jin looked around. "Oh! This is the other reason why I wanted to show you this tree and why it's my favorite spot on the ranch."
The Earth Kingdom girl excitedly pulled the Fire Prince to his feet as Zuko stumbled out, "Hey, what are you...?"
Jin put her finger to his lips to shush him. "Just watch," she grinned.
The firebender waited a little while longer as the dark of night continued to spread around them. Then, faintly, he thought he saw a light near the tree. Then another. And another. Soon a glow of soft lights flew across the quiet hillside as Zuko found the area sprinkled in tiny luminance. "What...?" he started.
Jin spun around excitedly with her arms stretched out wide. "I call this place Firelight Hill! They're fireflies! This is my favorite place in the spring and summer because it's so beautiful! Doesn't the tree just look magnificent all lit up at night!"
Zuko found himself staring up at the large oak tree in awe. It truly looked more stunning than the landscape pictures hanging on the walls back in the Fire Palace. "Yeah, it's really quite something," he whispered appreciatively. He barely noticed the Earth Kingdom girl sliding up next to his side.
Tentatively, Jin ran her hand through her hair and moved a stray strand out of her face. Her fingers brushed against Zuko's lightly as he turned to face her. She smiled and took his hand gently.
The world seemed to slow down around the pair as Jin locked eyes with Zuko and slowly started to lean in closer. The Fire Prince felt himself start to move similarly, almost as if mesmerized by the moment.
As the distance between them faded away rapidly and their lips almost touched, a loud splash erupted from over in the nearby stream. The crashing of water seemed to snap Zuko out of his daze as the pair halted, both noticing a good-sized fish jumping out of the water with another splash.
Time seemed to resume for the Fire Prince as he realized what he had almost done and backed away a small step. "I should go." He turned to leave as Jin caught his hand.
"What's wrong?" she asked sincerely.
Zuko stopped for a moment as Jin held him back. "It's... complicated. I have to go." He pulled away and made his way back towards the barn with a hastened step.
Jin watched him leave with a disappointed look on her face. She had been so close to getting him to open up, and then he unexpectedly closed himself off again. Her look of disappointment shifted to one of determination. She wasn't done just yet. Gathering the picnic items back into the basket, she walked back towards the ranch house.
Katara lay against the grassy hillside behind the large oak tree with wide eyes. 'Jin and Zuko almost kissed! They would have kissed!' the Water Tribe girl mentally shouted at herself within her own mind. She suddenly felt a pang of guilt at waterbending a pillar of water in the nearby stream to interrupt them. She didn't know why she did that. Her body just moved on its own when she saw them leaning in closer to each other. She didn't dislike Jin, but she certainly didn't want her kissing Zuko. Zuko was special to the waterbender. She didn't want to lose him.
The fish jumping up after her waterbending was fortuitous; otherwise, they might have suspected something else was amiss. Katara looked back over the hillside to ensure that both Jin and Zuko had left. Then, she hurried back to the ranch house to enter through the window of their shared room and jump back into her bed. The Water Tribe girl barely managed to throw a blanket over herself before Jin opened the door to the room.