Dragon At Heart

Chapter 11

A/N

I got so many lovely reviews asking for a quick update that, well, here it comes.

()()()

11. Mother's Love

Zuko couldn't move. He couldn't speak and he couldn't hear anything. The only thing he knew for sure was that Uncle's hand was suddenly on his shoulder, holding him steady. Zuko felt grateful for the support.

After what felt like an eternity, the door behind the counter opened and a tall, beautiful woman in her forties walked in. She was wearing modest yet fitting Earth Kingdom green clothes and her long, black hair was on a customary braid.

She didn't yet see the two men standing in the shop. Her attention was on two little girls hanging on the hem of her dress. The girls looked at the strangers, especially at the scarred teenager, with fear in their eyes, and tried to hide behind their... mother?

This cannot be happening.

Ursa had time to say: "How can I help...?"

Then she lifted her gaze and the rest of the words got stuck in her throat. Instead she gasped and lifted her hand in front of her mouth. For a moment, the room was perfectly silent.

Ursa's gaze moved from Uncle to Zuko and back to Uncle. Eventually her eyes moved back to Zuko and stayed there.

Iroh was the first to break the silence: "Lady Ursa. I'm glad to see you are in health. It's been many years."

Before Ursa had time to say anything, the older and apparently braver of the two girls looked up to her and asked: "Mom, who are these people?"

Mom. I have... more baby sisters.

Zuko would've guessed the girls were three and four years old, which implied a lot of things Zuko couldn't quite comprehend right now.

Both girls were wearing clean if a bit worn green dresses. They had their mother's strong black hair, but their eyes were green.

All in all, they didn't look very firenationy, but Zuko still couldn't help being reminded of what Azula looked like at that age.

"Iroh", Ursa acknowledged Uncle with a small nod and turned her preserved eyes on the teenager standing next to the old man: "Zuko."

"Mom", was all Zuko managed to get out.

"Zuko, I'm glad to see you are alright. I know you have many questions and I promise to answer them soon, but let me first take the girls back to the house."

Before Zuko could find his voice, Uncle cut in: "Oh, yes. Lovely little girls you have there."

Uncle smiled at the girls with his most friendly, silly Uncle smile, but they still looked frightened.

"I wonder what their names are?" Iroh inquired not so subtly from Ursa.

Ursa hesitated only for a blink of an eye before answering.

"This is my youngest daughter, Aamu" Ursa said and pointed at the smaller girl still hiding behind her hem, "and this is my oldest, Alina."

Oldest...? What about me and Azula? Isn't she happy to see me?

"Girls, these are mother's old friends, Iroh and Zuko. Be nice to them."

Zuko's cheeks paled even further.This is bad on so many levels.

Ursa knelt to talk to her daughters: "Everything is alright, but I think your father would be disappointed not to be here to greet our guests. Alina, why don't you take your little sister back to the house and then run over to the smithy to get your father?"