Water Lily in a Sea of Fire

Chapter 1: The Orphan

"This is something you should not see," he said as he knelt down next to her.

She looked up at him with beautiful green eyes the color of the sea. Tears had left streaks down her face as her skin had been blackened by the ash of the burning buildings. He wondered if her long curls were naturally black, or if they, too, were darkened by the soot. Her wrists and arms were covered in the blood of her mother whose wound she was trying to clean. There was a chain diadem embedded with precious gemstones around her mother's head. Iroh removed it and placed it around the girl's neck, and then he stood up and looked around. He stepped over a bow and empty quiver to move a broken beam from the smoldering remains, and then he picked up a partially burnt blanket nearby using it to cover her mother's body. He continued looking around until he found a large canvas bag, and after emptying out the contents he walked back over to the little girl still kneeling next to her mother, her little hand resting on top of the lifeless, burnt hand that was all that could be seen now.

"You must be very quiet," whispered Iroh. "Do you understand?"

The little girl nodded her head almost imperceptibly.

"I'm going to make sure no one hurts you."

He picked her up and carried her to his rhino where he held open the bag.

"Climb inside," he said, "and do not make any sound and do not move."

She did as he ordered crouching down in the bag. He tied it to the side of his rhino making sure there was an opening through which she could receive air. Suddenly, several of his soldiers appeared.

"General Iroh, we were looking for you."

He turned towards them. "I was looking around for survivors," he said in a low, unemotional voice.

"This village is a dump," said the soldier. "They had nothing of value."

"Considering the fight they put up, you'd think they'd have something valuable," said another soldier.

"Some consider their freedom most valuable," said General Iroh sadly as he regretted the massacre.

"At least it's one less Water Tribe," said the soldier.

"Is that how the Fire Nation is going to share its greatness with the world?" asked Iroh. "By killing everyone who is not of our Nation?"

The soldier did not respond.

"It looks like you may have found some things worth taking," said the first soldier looking curiously at the bag.

"It's worth nothing to you," said the general.

"Let's see what you got," said the soldier as he pulled out his knife and went to stick it in the bag.

Iroh grabbed the man's wrist but not before the knife pierced the bag.

"It's not your business what is in the bag," said Iroh deeply. He turned to another soldier. "Omu, take the company to Pohuai as per their original orders. Do not engage any civilians."

The Fire Nation company obeyed his command and left the Water village.

Iroh rode back to his Imperial Firebenders. "I want you and the others to return to the ship. Have Captain Maza set course for the northwestern campsite."

"Sir, what about you?" he asked.

"I'll meet you at the camp in about a week; I have business I need to take care of first."

"It would not be wise to leave you on your own, General Iroh, especially for so long. If anyone escaped here, they may go after you."

"I can take care of myself. I'll meet you at the camp. That's an order."