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"Yeeeeaaahahahaha!! Chik-chik-chik!" Fire Lord Zuko laughed aloud as he clucked to his ostrich-horse mount, which he and his uncle were riding, urging it ever more swiftly onward.
"Nooooooo, I am too old for thiiiiiiissss!" came the elder's laugh in reply. He feigned dismay as he clung to the saddle, but was unable to hold back a grin, even when his nephew's Earth-Kingdom pigtail inadvertently swatted his big snub-nose. It always did Iroh's heart good to see Zuko so bright and free again, after so many years of hiding behind anger and fear. The sun had finally come out.
...Of course, it had still not been Iroh's idea to challenge Captain Karou to a race.
The Fire Lord's retinue was currently traveling inconspicuously, in clothes of typical Earth Kingdom tones, and on ostrich-horses lent to them by King Kuei. Once they got closer to the seaport of Sekitan, they'd send the animals back to the Earth king, change into more appropriate Fire Nation wear, and board the ship for home. They were nearing the end of their tour of the Earth Kingdom, but the Fire Lord and his uncle had wanted to linger in this area for at least a few days, fondly remembering their adventures amongst these forests and roads.
These rather bumpy forests and roads, which had prompted Iroh to get out of the carriage (where his Pai-Sho table wouldn't sit still, anyway) and join his nephew for what, he assumed, would be a relaxing breather out on ostrich-horse-back.
...Now all that oolong tea he had had for lunch had almost certainly been jangled to fizz inside him. Iroh clutched his ample (and queasy) stomach almost protectively, as his and Zuko's mount continued to bounce them on its back. The rather heavyset Capt. Karou had even gotten Lieutenant Yumi, a well-built lady of about Zuko's size, to ride with him, so that the two ostrich-horses would be carrying similar loads, evening the match. --How thoughtful.
Pattapattapattapat, skrunch, huph-fwoooooooot! Pieces of landscape whizzed past as the four clawed feet dusted through brush and bracken, brown winter grassblades flying in their wake. Finally, as Karou and Yumi cantered through a natural stone archway, Zuko jerked the reins and chuckled in defeat, from where he and Iroh stood on the hill above.
"Enough, enough! Victory for the captain and lieutenant," the young lord called out to them, before their mount continued to bear the two officers out of sight.
"You're sure, Lord Zuko?" Karou smiled up at the two figures on the ridge, backing his and Yumi's ostrich-horse through the arch again. "You and your uncle were doing quite well, and we've got a lot of life left in the old sport yet!" He patted their animal's feathered side, as it chuffed amiably.
"Iiiiiii think we'll camp here for the rest of the day," Zuko smiled in return almost mischievously. He helped his uncle (whose face had grown nearly the same shade of pale green as his traveling robe) down off their own ostrich-horse. "Recognize this area?" the younger Firebender grinned at the elder.
"Indeed I do--" Iroh's eyes twinkled merrily as he began to recover; "if you hadn't already done so, Nephew, I would have insisted we stop here myself!"
Zuko brushed a springy tree branch out of his way, remembering the path well. "I wonder if that same white jade bush is still up there," he teased his uncle. "I trust you have learned your lesson from last time."
"Indeed I have," Iroh nodded, mock-solemnly. Then he promptly trotted up to another plant on the trail. "Oooooh, but look! If I am not mistaken, this is the summersweet pepperpot shrub--sooooooo very tangy!" the old man grinned. "Or, it's the barracuda smokepuff shrub, which causes your toe- and fingernails to fall off."
"DON'T YOU DARE!" Zuko gasped in exasperation, his fingers promptly clamping down on Iroh's kimono-collar, holding him back.
"I was just kidding!" Iroh gave his usual rolling, rumbling laugh, and followed his nephew without protest. After a few moments, he added, "...We're still in winter, after all. And the summersweet pepperpot doesn't produce its best teamaking leaves until late spring!" Oh, he was in a very jolly mood.
Zuko's fond glare could simultaneously have melted Iroh's heart and cut through glass.
...Of course, they both knew that a settlement also lay a little further down this path--a place where, last year, they had been treated very kindly, and then had done something very shameful. But neither of them felt like talking about that right now.
***
Despite the settlement being nearby, Lord Zuko's retinue had set up their own camp in a field a little ways out from the road. In the larger cities, they had stayed at fancy inns King Kuei had arranged for them ahead of time--but here in the rural wilds, it was best to avoid all the attention their big party would bring to small towns. They weren't strictly undercover, after all, though they were wearing conservative garb to avoid being stopped on the road.
Some Earth Kingdom citizens might (understandably) still hold grudges against the Fire Nation, and attempt to harass them. Others might actually want to thank or congratulate or just gawk at the new Fire Lord, who had ended the hundred-year war that had plagued them. The latter was much preferable, of course, but either one would ultimately slow them down. Zuko had been away from the throne long enough, and he needed to make his last stop at Sekitan and be onboard the ship for home within the week.
He still wanted to make time, however, for this one special errand. He had planned ahead for it, in fact--and he saw, with relief, that his messenger, a rather stooped young man named Shur, had finally returned to the camp.
"Welcome back, Shur," Zuko extended his arm kindly to the errand-runner, with an eager and mildly anxious look on his handsome face. "How many were you able to get?"
"Eight, my lord," Shur peeped almost apologetically, looking over his hunched shoulder to the line of acquisitions being handled behind him.
Zuko sighed. "I really would have liked for there to be ten, maybe even twelve...." Noticing the wince on his servant's face, though, he smiled reassuringly. "But eight is still a fine purchase. Thank you, Shur," he patted the young man's shoulder again.
"May I ask what you want them for, Lord?" Shur answered Zuko's smile with his own then, curiosity written all over his features. "I know ours are only a loan, after all, but King Kuei gave us so many, and they'll carry us all the way to the port--why did you want to buy some more?"
"Oh, they're not for us," Zuko shook his head and explained, reaching into a nearby basket and producing a scroll. "Listen, I know you've been gone since yesterday--and right after this, I want you to take a long rest at camp, just having supper and doing nothing." Humbling experience had taught the young monarch to be considerate to his servants, as well as to strangers. "But there's a small farm in that settlement back there, and right now, I want you to go deliver these to a certain house, and leave this note with them...."
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Zuko, on the other side of the camp, Iroh was in the middle of a very similar transaction of his own. He indeed would have insisted that Zuko stop in this area, if the boy hadn't thought to do so on his own. The Dragon of the West had plans, and he had been counting out coins from the royal traveling treasury since breakfast.
"Yumi? Come over here, my dear," Iroh motioned to the pretty lieutenant who had raced with him and Zuko earlier. "I have a job for you."
"What is it, General Iroh?" Yumi grinned. Like most of the retinue, she was always pleased to wait on the Fire lord's friendly uncle.
"Former general, Yumi," Iroh reminded her, in an almost lecturing tone. Then his amiable smile returned. "You may just call me 'Iroh,' or 'Sir Iroh,' if you really want to." He showed her the wooden box he held in his voluminous sleeves. "Now, this is a lot of money, so I want it well-guarded, short though its journey may be. That is why I chose such an excellent fighter like yourself!" he winked.
Yumi almost blushed at the compliment. She was indeed one of Zuko's most highly-trained guards. "I'll take good care of it, Sir Iroh," she promised, reaching for the box with her slender but very strong hands.
"Good," Iroh nodded with satisfaction, and then produced a small, elegant scroll from his kimono sleeve as well. "Take this too. Now, I want you to deliver this coin box, with this note on top, to a family that lives a little ways past that wood over there...."
Shur returned an hour later. Yumi returned thirty minutes after that. She was rather breathless, having jogged most of the way. "They want to have you over for dinner, my lord! Both of you," the thirtysomething-year-old guard let her young monarch and his uncle know. She was unsure how the two nobles would take this news, her eyes fluttering with confusion. "They stopped me, saying something about 'not letting the second messenger slip away so sneakily without an invitation.'"
Zuko and Iroh stared almost timidly at each other, then back at Yumi.
"...They insisted," she added, in the same firm but humble tone the family had apparently given her.
***
Zuko was growing into a strong and confident young Fire Lord, but there were still times when he felt like a frightened child. He squeezed his uncle's large hand briefly for support, as the two of them walked through the gate into the Earth family's yard.
Less than a mile away was the town's healing station, where the Earth girl, Song, had given Iroh an antidote for the white jade leaves, and treated his swelling. Standing in view was her house, where her mother, Mi-Sun, had served the two Fire princes dinner, thinking them hungry refugees (which was actually the truth, despite their origin). And this very patch of earth was where the disguised Fire princes had repaid that kindness disgracefully, by stealing the two Earth women's only ostrich-horse.
Judging by the current dinner invitation, Song and Mi-Sun were willing to forgive. But it wasn't just the ostrich-horse incident that troubled Zuko. ...What of Song's father? When she had thought him "Lee," an Earth Kingdom citizen like herself, Song had told Zuko openly that her father had been taken by Firebenders, when she was a little girl. Rounded up and imprisoned, as was often the Fire Nation's policy with the benders of other nations, back then under the tyranny of Azulon and Ozai.
Now Ozai's son had been working to return as many Earth and Water prisoners as he could back home. But had Song's father been among them? Or had he been less fortunate? And if he was home now... what would he think of them?
Iroh and Zuko saw that they were about to get that answer very quickly, as a man strode up to meet them, blocking their path to the front porch. He was a little taller and trimmer than Iroh, but still rather squat and burly. And he was a little younger than Mi-Sun, but not by much. Just as the fiftysomething Earth lady's brown hair had been dulled with gray, so now was this Earthbender's receding crown and goatee. And he even sported a pair of spectacles, apparently being slightly shortsighted.
"You are Fire Lord Zuko? And his uncle, Sir Iroh, the Dragon of the West?" the man eyed them curiously, but not unfriendlily. They were dressed in modest green traveling clothes, after all, though the material was slightly softer and more well-tailored than last time. And both the youthful lord and his uncle sported long, braided Earth Kingdom ponytails, in lieu of their traditional Fire Nation topknots.
"Yes, Sir," Zuko answered for them both, he and Iroh both bowing low. His husky young voice held complete sincerity. "We are honored to be here. And we're pleased to see you have returned safely to your family, Mister...?"
"Deok," the man smiled, nodding in return. His green eyes shone strongly behind his glasses, clearly considering Zuko and Iroh his equals--not above him, but not below him either. There was thankfully no grudging malice in his smile--it, too, was sincere.
"What my nephew means to say is, your openheartedness in welcoming us truly means a lot, after all the suffering you and your family went through at the hands of the Fire Nation," Iroh laced his fingers together humbly. "After all that my father Azulon, and my brother Ozai..." the elder noble's voice faltered--"and even I myself, in an earlier time that I regret to remember--inflicted upon the world." His next confession seemed almost light by comparison. "...And of course, after we repaid your wife and daughter's hospitality so poorly last time!"
Deok smiled strongly, quietly, again, as he considered this. "I'll tell you a story, gentlemen," he Earthbent a swirl of dirt up from the path almost casually as they walked. "I actually arrived home a few months before the Avatar's defeat of Fire Lord Ozai. I was one of the lucky few who was sprung from captivity, and shepherded to safety, by defectors from within your own country."
Iroh and Zuko shared another look, thinking silently of the rebels they had heard of, such as Iroh's fellow White Lotus member, Jeong-Jeong.
"One Firebender's flame may have scarred my daughter's leg," Deok continued, almost wonderingly, "but another's lit me to freedom. Two of my fellow prisoners were thinking that our shepherd must have been an Earth man in disguise, like us--but then he shone a light for us in the night, straight from his palm, as we hurried to the escape boat. That is what I always tell the men at the pub, who say that all of those born to your element are naturally evil," he finished. "They are wrong. Our elements do not determine our hearts."
Deok's eyes shot back over to the elder Firebender in afterthought. "The other man, who smashed our locks, said he was once a Fire Nation soldier himself, who had seen the error of his ways, and wanted to do penance. ...Rather like you, General Iroh."
Iroh lowered his head gently again. "I could ask for no more gracious compliment than that," he whispered, mightily humbled.
Deok gave a soft smile, sensing the need to lighten the mood again. "...As for the ostrich-horse!" he declared, much more heartily, "We've got the new ones tied up over there in the field. I've almost finished enlarging their pen!" The Earthbender led them over to where he had been working busily with some clay and rock.
"--You mean you've had time to buy them already?!..." Iroh's fuzzy gray eyebrows cocked in confusion, but Zuko didn't hear him--the young monarch was already busy following Deok to the pen-edge.
Sure enough, eight of the half-avian mounts and work animals were hitched to stakes in the ground. Their tethers would be loosed once the new fence hardened--and in the meantime, at least one of them was tied close enough to the edge that Zuko could reach over and pet its head, clucking happily. "Aaahhh--pretty girl, pretty girl!" he grinned. Then he turned back to Deok, thoughtfully.
"You know..." the young monarch whispered; "what you said about that Firebender helping you to freedom... in a strange way, your wife and daughter did something similar for me." He was still stroking the ostrich-horse's forehead, but his golden eyes, the scarred and the unscarred, were both in the past. "When they told me what happened to you... and when Song showed me her scar, to match my own... it was the first real time I saw how horrible our nation's policies could be. Up close, I mean. My uncle and I, sitting there with Earth people who were every bit as real as us...."
Zuko managed a smile, half of shame, half of joy, as he looked around the little farm and its house. The porch was still lit with the same lanterns, and even though the fireflies were not out yet like last time, it all seemed so cozy. "This place..." his whisper grew even more reverent--"this place is where I hatched."
Deok smiled too, humbled for the first time himself. Sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest changes in the world....
Iroh, meanwhile, was still standing out on the dirt path to the house, arms folded in his sleeves. His face lit up in a grin as Mi-Sun and Song suddenly ran down from the porch to greet him, their colorful hanboks fluttering.
"Mushi!" Song waved happily, much as Jin had earlier that month in Ba-Sing-Se.
"Well, if it isn't the beautiful young lady who saved my life," Iroh's warm eyes twinkled, "and her charming mother, who served me a feast my stomach still fondly remembers!" The old Firebender rubbed his belly in big circles, winking.
Ever the pleased cook, Mi-Sun beamed. "There is a similar one waiting inside right now, Sir Iroh!" her own eyes' twinkles matched his.
"There IS??!" Iroh clasped his hands together, feigning delighted surprise (the surprise being the feigned part--the gluttonous delight, of course, was 100% genuine!). He had almost followed the ladies inside, carried forward by the delicious smells wafting through the door, when he realized he had forgotten Zuko.
Remembering the names he and his nephew had bestowed on each other while in disguise, Iroh decided to have a little fun. "Junior!!" he cupped a hand to his mouth, bellowing out to the young Fire Lord. "Hurry up now, or you'll miss supper!!"
Zuko's head snapped up from where he had been petting the ostrich-horses with Deok. Despite the transformation the past year had wrought in him, there were times when a tiny hint of the old, peevish Prince Zuko flickered through. None of the prideful, violent, anger-driven parts--those had been doused for good. Just a harmless, mostly-teasing bit of the previous short-tempered spitfire, who had once grumbled at his old uncle on the deck of their ship.
"'Lee' is fine!!" Zuko cupped his own hands and bellowed back at Iroh, golden eyes narrowing grouchily. "'Junior' is not!!" He stomped towards the porch, the three figures waiting for him there all sharing a giggle.
***
"Deok, for goodness sake, wash your hands! You can't come to the table with them all covered in clay!" Mi-Sun scolded her husband. Zuko and Iroh tried not to grin from their own seats, rather glad that they were already in the habit of washing before every meal.
"I'd love to hear about your adventures with the Avatar, Lord Zuko," Song smiled, passing the young monarch a bowl of steamed leeks and mushrooms. "What is he like?"
"Yes, tell us all about him!" Mi-Sun beamed, now taking her own seat. "But first, there is something we should probably tell you."
"What is it?" Zuko asked friendlily.
"I must confess, gentlemen, that we had two motives in inviting you here tonight." The matron's brown eyes twinkled towards them, and then towards her daughter. "The first was curiosity."
Song gave a hesitant but friendly half-chuckle, taking up her mother's narrative. She cocked her head at the former Fire princes. "Did you two... realize that you both sent letters and gifts to us?"
Zuko and Iroh stared, vegetable bites half-raised in their chopsticks. They turned to each other, then burst into confused but tickled chuckles themselves.
"No," Iroh confirmed, shoulders shaking as his chuckle grew into more of a belly laugh; "no, we didn't!"
Mi-Sun grinned, producing two scrolls from where they lay on a smaller table nearby. "Take a look at these." She pushed the official-looking gold and burgundy one to Iroh, and the pretty little jasmine-scented one to Zuko.
Iroh unrolled the parchment and viewed his nephew's calligraphy. Rather like Zuko himself, the swashed lines were bold and purposeful, but still a bit shaky in places.
Dear Song, the note read,
The world might call me "Fire Lord Zuko" now, but you will probably remember me as "Lee."
I am very sorry for stealing your ostrich-horse. I want you to know that it was entirely my doing, not my uncle's. He tried to stop me, reminding me of you and your mother's great kindness to us, when we were in need.
I should have listened to him. I didn't know it then, but I know it now.
I imagine you will probably not want to see us again, but I hope you will accept the gift of these new ostrich-horses. May they serve your family well.
Rest assured that I will spend the rest of my life working to heal the wounds my country has caused. One of the first things I did upon assuming the throne was to release former Earth and Water prisoners of war, and try to get them back home. I pray your father was among them.
May the elements be kind to you always.
Sincerely,
Fire Lord Zuko ("Lee")
Zuko, meanwhile, examined the second scroll, more daintily-made but a bit longer in length. His uncle's easy, elegant hand was unmistakable.
To the honorable Mrs. Mi-Sun, and her daughter Song:
I hope that my messenger did not alarm you. She probably announced me as "The Dragon of the West" or some such title, but you will know me as "Mushi," and my nephew, the young Fire Lord, as "Lee."
I shall get right to the point--you showered us with hospitality, and the way in which we repaid you was disgraceful! But my nephew was a very troubled boy then, and I beg of you, please do not place the blame for our crime on his head. It was I who should have stopped him. I was the only guiding figure he had in his life, his mother gone and his father cruel and dismissive--and while I would endure almost anything for Zuko's sake, I should have put my foot down then, for yours.
The character "I" had been circled for emphasis, in the line "It was I who should have stopped him."
I am deeply thankful to say that Zuko has grown into a kind and honorable man now, and that he is working to undo the pain our country has inflicted on the world--whatever of it he can. When I advise him, and others around me, I always hope that I can help them avoid the mistakes I made, in my earlier days.
Yet I am afraid I failed you ladies utterly, and still inflicted some pain myself, when we took your ostrich-horse. Mrs. Mi-Sun, your roast duck was the most delicious I had ever tasted in my long life! And I must confess, while it used to be my favorite dish, I have not been able to enjoy another roast duck without feeling guilty ever since.
(The characters for "delicious" had also been heavily circled for emphasis.)
I am sending this box of gold to assist your family now. There should be 2,000 pieces inside, if I have counted correctly. 1,200 or so should get you a small, fine herd to replace the ostrich-horse we took--but I realize that sometimes animals can become a part of the family, and it has always grieved me doubly to think that we may not only have taken your valuable property, but also your cherished pet!
I do not know if you had a name for your ostrich-horse, but my nephew and I began calling her "Hayai," an old Fire Nation name that means "swift." Her agility literally saved our lives on a few occasions! And she was a loyal and affectionate animal.
I insisted that we sell her to a safe-looking home, when our path and Hayai's had to part. We left her at a farm just south of the Misty Palms Oasis, in the Si-Wong desert. We knew that our next stop would be Full Moon Bay, where we would have to take the ferry.
The man who owned the farm was named Peizhi, and he and his family appeared to be very kind people. You can rest knowing that "Hayai" is probably living comfortably, and in good hands. But if you wish to purchase her back from them, I hope that 600 of the remaining gold pieces will be enough for you to make the trip there. The final 200 pieces are my personal apology to you--use them to buy anything that makes your heart happy.
I hope that the coming years bring you nothing but blessings and comfort, and that every visitor to your door enjoys your cooking as much as I did.
Faithfully yours,
"Mushi" (Iroh, uncle of Fire Lord Zuko)
By the time they had finished reading, both Firebenders' eyes were moist from the way they had tried to defend each other. They were giggling a bit, too, and Iroh could not help but put a hand on his nephew's shoulder, nearly reaching over the table to embrace him.
"I'm so proud of you, Zuko," he rumbled affectionately, his old face almost like a sunbeam. Zuko would have flinched with embarrassment a few years ago, but now, he just flushed happily and lowered his eyes, humble in his father figure's praise.
"We should probably return the box of gold, since Lord Zuko's gift is more than enough," Song admitted, almost shyly.
"Absolutely not!" Zuko shook his head firmly.
"We wouldn't hear of it!" Iroh agreed.
As if to close the subject, Zuko turned and called curiously to Mi-Sun, who had risen to take something from the oven. "What was the second reason you invited us?"
"The second reason," Song's mother announced, her smile widening sweetly, "was to reassure Sir Iroh that he can enjoy his roast duck again." She placed the meal's main course on the table, browned and resplendent with fine herbs and a sweet glaze.
"Aaaahhh...!" Iroh rubbed his hands together in anticipation. His face was such a picture of bliss, it tickled Mi-Sun's heart. She leaned forward and planted a kiss on his balding forehead.
"You old smoothie," Zuko teased, elbowing his uncle from his seat. "How come you're the one who always gets all the kisses?"
The four of them (and Deok too, who had finally come back from washing up) all laughed. Song leaned over from her own seat then, and pecked Zuko on the cheek, just to make things even.
Then they all filled their plates high with Mi-Sun's splendid dinner, and feasted for a good hour. It was, every bite of it, delicious.