𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘵𝘩

Close Encounter with the Truth

I haven't been able to raise my shoulder high enough to tie my hair as of recent, but now doing better I can. But to make Iroh's antics more believable, I have to leave the annoying mess that reaches my waist down.

I make grunting noises of various pitches in various ranges of pain. Of course it's acting and I really hate it but oh well. Not my best work but I'm getting paid for it.

"Maybe we should make camp," Zuko suggests.

"Oh, not just for me," I whine, and make more grunts and groans. Even grabbing onto a piece of Zuko's clothes tightly, as if I'm in unbearable trauma.

Zuko pulls the ostrich horse to a stop, jumping off and to add to the effect, Iroh helps me off and sits me down on a rock.

"I'm not doing your dirty work again," I whisper to him as he slips me a small bag of coins that I shove into my pouch. The ostrich-horse makes a warning noise and I stand on alert. "Four... nah, five people on rhinos."

Just as I said, five people on rhinos surround us.

"Colonel Mongke, what a pleasant surprise!" Iroh says.

"I don't think you can call this pleasant surprise Iroh. They're all armed and ready. They're Rough Rhinos without their instruments, so it's more likely they're here for the price on your head and not to entertain," I say, getting into a fighting stance.

"As the little lady says. So let's cut to the chase. Round 'em up!" Mongke says.

There's a dark skinned man swinging chains around with a heavy ball attached to the end. He aims it at us and Iroh fends it off while my eyes are still fixed on Mongke.

"I am not little! I'm still growing! I drink my milk everyday I get the chance!" I run at him as he punches fire at me, which I evade or fend off and send a whip of fire at him, making his rhino crazy and knocking him into a tree.

"Oh, c'mon." Zuko picks me up while I'm still fuming and drops me on the back of the ostrich horse. Guess they took care of everyone else already.

Not.

There is one still active, who trails behind us with dynamite in his hand. He lights it on fire and chucks it at us. At the same time, I manage to pull out a knife with a long wire in the loop hole, swinging it around and launching it at the dynamite. I manage to slice off the small top chunk plus the wick, and when the flame goes out it doesn't detonate. I pull the knife back, dropping it back in my pouch, sticking my tongue out at the Rough Rhino. He doesn't pursue.

Soon enough, we reach a small town out near the desert. Misty Palms or something. Whatever. There was a... not very impressive clump of ice in the middle of town and random people wandering around. There is smoothie shack just offside the clump of ice, that's it for sights. We head there, finding a table. Unrequired to hide my face, I order us drinks. Water, cause that's always free.

"These people aren't gonna help us. They just look like filthy wanderers," Zuko says.

"So do we," Iroh says.

Not that I recall ever making the decision to steal rags, of all the clothes we stole. It's partially their fault for looking so dirty, I've come to find they're much above fashion sense. I look like a decent kid, growing out of these pants.

Iroh looks distracted as he stares over at an old man with a Pai sho board. "I think I found our friend."

Zuko's about to say something but I shush him. "Trust your old man." I'd recognize those setups anywhere by now.

"May I have this game?" Iroh walks up to the man with the board.

The old man looks up, stoic. "The guest has the first move."

Iroh sat down, picking up the white lotus tile and puts it in the middle of the board.

"I see you favor the white lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the old ways." He held his hands open, a humbling look falling over his face.

"Those who do can always find a friend." A smile paired with the same open palm comes from Iroh.

"Then let us play."

They play several rounds until, each piece put down until they all resemble a flower. A lotus.

"Welcome, brother. The white lotus is open to all those who knows it's secrets," the old man says.

"What are you old gasbags talking about?" Zuko demands impatiently.

"Haven't I told you Pai sho is more than just a game?" Iroh replies.

"That's it! You fugitives are coming with us." A muscly half-shirtless man walks up to us with a man with greying hair and a long beard behind him.

"I knew it! You guys are fugitives with a big bounty! You have a lot of gold on your heads!" The old man stood up, pointing at us.

"I thought–" Zuko began angrily but I put my fingers to his lips and pat him on his cheek. Pap Pap.

All around, wanderers begin to stand with their interests perked at the sound of gold. Time to run.

We run outside into the night air, not turning to look back until we reach a house long ways aways from that smoothie shack. Within the sandstone walls are cacti and flowers, resembling a florist shop in the middle of nowhere.

The old man turns to Iroh. "It is an honor to welcome such a high ranking member of the White Lotus." He bows, and begins to walk. "Being a grandmaster you must have so many secrets."

He looks at me and blinks for a few seconds, and a look of realization comes over his face. I put a finger over my lips and he bows again before heading off.

"Now that you finished your Pai Sho game, are you going to arrange some flowers with this club? Or are we gonna get some real help?" Zuko demands.

"Excuse my nephew. He's not an initiate and has little appreciation for the cryptic arts," Iroh says. To me, it's a mouthful of unnecessary big words— the kind you'd use to bore your nephew so he'd leave you alone.

There's another door they knock on, and a slot for looking out opens. "Who knocks at the guarding gate?" a man asks from behind.

"One who has eaten the fruit and tasted it's memories." The door opens. Just for Iroh and the old man. Iroh opens the slot on the other side. "I'm afraid it's members only. Wait here."

Zuko leans against a crate grumpily, sniffing a plant. I eventually watch him fall asleep. The only time his face is ever peaceful.

I sniff a cacti. They don't really smell.

~

It was morning when they finally come out. "Is the meeting over?" Zuko jumps at the creak of the door, pushing me abruptly off his chest. I had been tucked up on my own chair and managed to drop my neck so far as to use him as a pillow But now I'm face first into the ground.

"Yes. Everything is taken care of," Iroh replies, "We're heading to Ba Sing Se."

I snap my head up from my uncomfortable newfound spot on the ground. "Ba Sing Se?!"

"There are many refugees. We can hide in plain sight there," Iroh explains.

"Maybe you two can." I point at him and Zuko. "But I—" Remembering I haven't told Zuko, I shut my mouth and say no more and make awkward eye-contact with Iroh.

Zuko turns on me. "I haven't asked many questions because you never questioned me about anything I didn't want to talk about. Now you're saying you can't go to Ba Sing Se. They don't know your face any better than ours. They shouldn't. Unless you lied about being from the colonies."

"No! I—" It takes me a few moments to work up the guts. I cut the panic from my voice, taking a deep breath, prepared to explain. "I'm not from the colonies. I'm from—"

"There are two men out there looking for you," the old man of the White Lotus says, ushering is out, "Come quickly."

And into some flower pots on a cart we go.