The Tale of Zuko and Liena

Chapter 3: Charcoal

"Are you alright, Liena? You look a little pale. Did something happen?" Liena's mother asked, cupping her face.

Liena wriggled out of her grip, "I'm fine, Mother. I just didn't expect to see you back so soon."

Huan looked up and down the street then to Orum and back to Liena, "We were worried about you. They could be looking for—"

"Mother, not everything is out to get us," Liena grumbled, sighing and looking to her father for help. Orum shrugged his shoulders at her. Huan grabbed the duck from Liena's hands and began ushering her back towards their home.

"Is it true what I overheard? Was there someone in the village?"

"No one's sure. They haven't found anyone, they've probably moved on."

Huan tightened her grip on Liena's arm, "Or they're hiding in the village. Did they search all the houses? Did you make sure to lock the doors?"

"Father..." Liena groaned, looking over her shoulder to her stoic father. Her father barely made an expression towards Liena but shifted his gaze to Huan.

"Huan, we talked about this. Liena is eighteen, she's not a child—I'm sure our daughter is smart enough to be wary of any strangers that might appear in the night."

Liena choked back on her scoff.

Huan gazed over the top of Liena's head to Orum, "Liena doesn't know what or who is out there. It is our job to protect her."

"Liena is right here!" Liena cried out, halting in her tracks and pulling her mother to a stop. They were only a few meters from their home, and Liena needed to somehow get into the house first to get Daruk into hiding. If her parents found him...

Her mother would probably keel over and her father would internally combust.

Liena wrenched her arm out of her mother's grip and faced her, a storm in her eyes, "Stop talking about me like I'm not even here!"

"Don't yell at your mother," Orum grumbled.

"Then don't talk about me like I'm ten years old. You can't understand what it's like for me!"

"I think we know," Huan sent a pointed look at Liena, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Do you?" Liena barked back. "You don't have parents like you two." Liena spun on her heel, listening to her parents calling her back to them. She didn't care. It was only a matter of time before she snapped at them. It was like Ming-Wei said. She needed to stand on her own two legs for once and stop letting her parents control her so much.

Liena marched into her home, slamming the door behind her. Daruk jumped up, bewildered by her sudden presence. Liena ushered him to grab his things as she ran and collected the bowls and medical supplies that were still lying around.

"Liena!" Her mother called from outside, almost to the door.

"Hurry!" Liena hissed at Daruk. Daruk seemed to take the hint as they both rushed into the back rooms. Daruk had no idea where to go as he went right but Liena grabbed his arm to pull him left.

"Ah!" Daruk hissed, wincing from the wound that Liena had accidentally grabbed.

Liena didn't have time to apologise as she heard the front door open. She shoved Daruk into her room roughly and followed after him, shutting the door behind her and falling back against it. Her chest was heaving, her hands shaking from the adrenaline.

"Liena!" Her mother called from outside, "What is going on with you?"

Liena pressed her palms flat against the aged door, mentally praying that her mother wouldn't barge into her room to see the stranger standing in her bedroom.