Fire & Rain: Book 1

The Seige of the North: Part 1

Y/N's POV
When night fell after our arrival at the borders of the Northern Water Tribe, Iroh and I met Zuko in a small room where there was a raft that Zuko had prepared for himself.

Iroh started,

"If you're fishing for an octopus, my nephew, you need a tightly woven net, or he will squeeze through the tiniest hole and escape."

Zuko's raspy voice retuned,

"I don't need your wisdom right now, uncle."

"I'm sorry, I just nag you because... well, ever since I lost my son..."

"Uncle, you don't have to say it."

"I think of you as my own."

Zuko turned back to Iroh, his eyes had softened and bowed,

"I know, uncle. We'll meet again."

Iroh pulled Zuko in for a tight hug but Zuko barely returned true gesture before continuing,

"After I have the avatar."

Iroh nodded, knowingly, before gesturing to me.

"I'm coming with you, Zuko."

"No, you're not. I'm not dragging you into my mess anymore, when this is over, return to the army, I don't need you anymore."

I felt my heart drop.

"But... Zuko, I promised you."

He shook his head,

"And I'm not letting you die trying to fix my mistakes."

"But, Zuko-"

"Y/N, I don't want you here. Go home. I'll see you again one day once I've regained my honour and taken my place on the throne."

I blinked back my tears before stepping backwards and bowing to him before he retreated to his raft and lowered himself into the ocean.

Iroh yelled after him,

"Remember your breath of fire, it could save your life out there!"

"I will."

"And put your hood up! Keep your ears warm!"

"I'll be fine!"

Iroh and I watched as Zuko paddled away, towards the walls surrounding the Northern Water Tribe.

I noticed the worrisome look on Iroh's face before patting his shoulder,

"He'll be fine, Iroh, don't worry."

He looked up at me as I pulled the hood of my cloak over my head and pulled a mask up from my shirt covering my mouth and nose.

His eyes widened,

"You're going to follow him?"

I nodded,

"There's no way I'm letting him run head into a city full of powerful water benders under the light of a full moon. He won't even know I'm there. If he doesn't want me here anymore, then I'll leave; but not until I've made sure he makes it out of here alive."

Iroh replied softly,

"He does want you here, he cares for you deeply, Y/N, but you're always protecting him, always making sure he's fine before worrying about yourself, you act irrationally in the face of danger for the sake of him, he worries for your safety."

"I do not act irrationally!"

"Y/N, you're heading into the great Northern Water Tribe at the beginning of a siege, unarmed, fully aware that if anyone recognises you whilst you water bend- the consequences could be dire, you have no map, no idea where you're supposed to go and no plan."