Zuko's Betrothed

Invading a Sad "Triumph"

I watched as Zuko placed his helmet on his head as if it would be needed. Most of the time going into small villages like this they were defenseless and we barely needed our rendering to defend us. My lips tugged threatening to turn into a frown, over our banishment I've seen so much fear and hate for us, our nationality, and our nation as a whole. I stare at Zuko and wonder if the kid I knew back at the palace still existed. He wasn't ever angry like this during those times, he was a kid, and he smiled and got into mischief all over the palace. 

I can't help but let my lips curl finally giving in to the feeling in my heart. I close my eyes trying not to let my eyes water from the painful sad thoughts running through my brain. I pull myself together as the ship docks on the icy harbor. The ship opens and Zuko and I begin the descend down the walkway. I try not to let my appearance falter, but I feel the tug of heartstrings when I see only women and children cowarding. This was wrong and I knew it, but my honor hinged on too much for me to stop this. 

I boy not far from our age attempts to attack us but Zuko easily kicked the young warrior out of our way, and he fell face first in the pile of snow. Zuko steps out closer to the crowd of the scared villagers surveying them looking for the Avatar. I let my eyes linger on a girl close to our age too long and have her angry sad eyes burned into me. "Where are you hiding him?" Zuko asks eyes flickering from face to face waiting for a response.

After a moment without an answer, he reaches out grabbing an older woman by the collar pulling her to the front of the crowd. I flinch and worry for a split second what he may do, but remember Zuko never attacks without being provoked. "He'd be about this age? Master of all the elements?" he asks before pushing the woman back into the arms of the girl I'd locked eyes with a moment before. After receiving no reply again he showed a sign of force by bending a burst of flame in front of the crowd. 

I nearly stuck my nose up at the act. It was undignified, those were women and children, unarmed women and children at that. Only a weak man would threaten a crowd like this, they were no threat to us and he should treat them as such. "I know you're hiding him!" Zuko shouts at the group obviously losing his temper. I could then hear the boy from earlier attacking again, someone really should teach him that screaming that while attacking ruins the attack. 

I boy lunged at Zuko but was evaded easily by a slick duck. After he hit the ground Zuko sent a blast towards him that the boy scurried away from quickly. He threw a boomerang at Zuko that was avoided just barely. A child handed the boy a spear and that was when I was shocked by the boy's willingness to fight.

He was slick first going for Zuko but changing last minute and going for me. He was intelligent but misled. He figured by going for me emotions would be thrown into the battle but Zuko and I didn't have feelings like that.  The spear chipped against my armor never even touching my skin, but I could see the blood rising in Zuko's face was angrier than before. He grabbed the other end of the now broken spear and ripped it from the boy's hands. 

He hit the boy on the head with it causing him to fall back "don't ever touch my princess!" he told the boy. Right when I thought the boy's goose was cooked, the boomerang from earlier came and hit him in the back of his head. I quietly thanked the spirits that he insisted on wearing that stupid helmet. I saw flame daggers spark from his hands and prepared for the worse. I had a feeling that boy was about to have a scar-like ours. 

Then I felt my feet get knocked out from under me and so were Zuko's.