Courting a Prince: Book 1 (Complete)

ch. 26: Shimmering Jewels pt. 3

We reached the spring where we left our uncle earlier just to find that a landslide had hit, well.... "Landslide".

"Earth benders... They must've captured him." Zu said, examining the jagged rock.

I looked around the area and spot several foot prints a little ways away. "There, they may have went through the forest to the main road... Must be going to Ba Sing Se."

"May, you're with me guards, back to the ship." He commanded and started following the tracks I pointed out. I went with him, leading the giant fire lizard through the forest to the main road.

We followed the pints until they changed again. "They're on mounts... birds. about three of them and five guards, that's a little over kill."

"It's our uncle, he's was a general in the fire nation's army, there's no way this is over kill."

I chuckled a bit, smiling. "Yeah, you're right. Let's get on the trail so we can head back." I got on the back of the large fire lizard, just before Zu got on in front of me. I hold him by the waist, as I did earlier.

It's not out of affection or anything, I just don't wanna fall off. These lizards move fast an I've never ridden one on my own. I still don't even know the proper name for one, not like I'm trying to learn it either.

After a bit of travel, I spot something in the road. The ruler of this world has blessed me with glorious visual prowess, so it's common that I would notice things before anyone else, unless I'm sleepy, cause, ya'know, sleepy vision. "Zu, there's a shoe on the path, think it's uncle's?"

We get off the lizard and I scan the area for any more clues, while Zu examined the sandle.

"Uck.... Yeah. It's uncle's alright. Find anything else?"

"Other than more tracks, no. They really are trying to head to Ba Sing Se.... But Uncle will probably annoy them into halting.. let's keep moving, Zu."

He nodded, boarding the lizard again while I walked bedside him.

"You can get back on, you know."

I smiled. "Yeah, but you're taller than me, it's hard to see around you, so I'll just walk."

Zu clicked his tongue and scooted back in the saddle. He grabbed my arm and pulled me into the spot in front of him. His arms were at my sides, and I felt his chest against my back. I can only imagine how red my face had gotten as I was just surrounded by my best friend.

I couldn't find anything to say as we went along the path, at one point, I heard the familiar grunt of a boson and Zu and I stopped to look back.

"Opa.... " I muttered to myself, watching the beast fly off.

"The Avatar is here...." Zu muttered.

I looked at him, rather curious. "I say we go after Uncle and worry about the Avatar later.... What about you?"

Zuko looked down at me, straight in the eye and,  for a moment, I though there was a hint of pink growing on his cheeks.

"You know, your eyes glow in the sunlight and the light of fires, it's distracting."

I tilted my head. "I didn't know that, I'm sorry...."

"No it-... It's not a bad thing... Kind of like... Jewels... " he shook his head. "Anyway, let's go after our Uncle."

I nodded, not exactly hearing what he said, but I know I felt super shy for some reason.

Geeeeeeze.

____

We found our uncle on the verge of losing his hands to the Earth kingdom soldiers, luckily, like we expected, Uncle didn't get taken to Ba Sing Se and annoyed the soldiers so much they had to stop.

I flipped myself ove Zuko's shoulders and kicked away the bolder that was about to crush his hands. Zuko freed Unlce from the shackles that was placed on him.

"Excellent form, Zuko. " uncle commented.

Zu smiled a bit. "I learned from the best.

"Hey!  What about me!?" I pouted, pointing to myself.

"Amazing as usual, May." Iroh chuckled.

I smiled as we put our backs together to faice the five earth kingdom soldiers.

"You're out numbered." One of the soldiers said.

I giggled a bit unsheathing my katana. "And you're out matched."

"May, Zuko!"

"Got it!" Zu and I said together as the three of us worked together to take down the five guards.

The walk back to the ship after that was a plesent one, very pleasant. And our fingers brushed each other a few times as I finally remeber what Zu was trying to say.

"Your eyes are like shining jewels."