Water Lily in a Sea of Fire

Chapter 5: Devastating Loss

One afternoon a letter arrived at Iroh's residence. As Ezih read it, he was filled with grief.

Amiku saw the blood drain from his face. "What is it?" she asked anxiously. "Nothing...nothing's happened to Prince Iroh, has it?"

He held the letter out to her and she also grew pale as tears began falling down her cheeks, and Ezih quickly grabbed a chair and pushed it under her just in time to catch her.

"No...," she cried. "...no, no..."

Chiara, hearing her crying, entered the room, and seeing their expressions, she wondered what was wrong.

"What is it?" she asked.

Amiku looked at Ezih. They did not want to tell her, but they knew they could not keep it from her.

"Did something happen to the General?" she asked worriedly.

Amiku held out the letter to her. Taking it, tears flowed down her cheeks as she quickly read it.

"Not my Lu Ten," she said softly.

"Lady Chiara...," started Amiku.

"And the poor General," she said as she thought about Iroh's loss.

Amiku took her in her arms and held her. Chiara cried on her shoulder as Amiku tenderly caressed her head.

Standing up straight, she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I need to go to him. I need to be with the General."

"Lady Chiara, he's outside Ba Sing Se...," said Ezih.

"I need to go," she insisted. "He shouldn't be alone now."

"It's impossible for you to go to him," said Amiku.

"It's not. I'll get there if I have to do it on my own," she said adamantly. She turned and went to her room where she knelt on the floor next to the bed and cried.

At that same time, a letter had been delivered to Ursa who was in the garden where Zuko and Azula were playing. After reading it, she stood up as tears fell down her cheeks. Zuko and Azula stood before her wondering why their mother was crying.

"Iroh has lost his son," she said sadly. "Your cousin Lu Ten did not survive the battle."

Zuko was heartbroken by the news. "Poor Uncle," he said. "And poor Chiara."

A few moments later, a servant of Iroh's appeared before Ursa.

"What is it?" asked Ursa.

"It's Lady Chiara," he said softly. "She's insisting on going to Ba Sing Se to be with General Iroh."

Ursa looked down at Zuko who was looking up and listening with a worried expression on his face.

"I'll speak to her," said Ursa.

A short time later, there was a knock on Chiara's door. She opened it to see Ursa.

"Chiara, I'm so sorry..." She knelt down and hugged her.

"I hate this war," cried Chiara.

"I know," said Ursa as she comforted her. Ursa released her and tenderly wiped her tears from her cheek. "They told me you want to go to Iroh," she said as they sat down on her bed next to a small bag she had started packing.

"Yes. I have to be with him."

"But he's at the front lines, Sweetheart."

"I don't want to lose him too," she cried.

Ursa held her again. "You can't go on your own."

Chiara pulled back and looked at her. "But he's alone right now. I need to be with him. He shouldn't be alone. Not now."