True Balance . Prince Zuko

XII

butterfly touch
tweleve
XII

Lelo sat begrudgingly behind Prince Zuko, though her arms didn't feel the familiar feeling of searing when she touched him. Being this close to him didn't make her feel any calmer. In fact, her heart couldn't stop hammering in her chest and she wished or anything to save her.

The prince could feel her heartbeat despite all the armour between them. He had wanted her to walk but didn't need her slowing him down. He also didn't trust her with his guards, even though he thought it pathetic he couldn't even leave her with his guards. Though it wasn't like he could ask for more training or even more guards, these guards were all he had. Zuko believed Iroh had trained him for a reason, even if he had to use that to keep some stupid girl as his prisoner.

Lelo felt her lower half become numb, she felt exhausted. She hadn't slept and for some reason, the Prince could go on through the night until morning. She also hadn't eaten and felt the pain twisting in her stomach. Any energy she had disappeared by the early morning. So when the only thing holding her up stepped off the rhino she nearly fell off.

Zuko sent her a look as she caught herself on the saddle. Her eyes closing in tiredness. The Prince sent her one last glance to make sure she doesn't run off as he reached down to pick up a stray shoe in the middle of the path. Lelo sat up straight stretching her body as she watches him sniff the shoe before recoiling in disgust.

"That's uncle Iroh, alright." He grunted standing up to look in the direction they had been following. They were on the track of his uncle. Somehow as Lelo watched him, she felt a small smile breach onto her mouth. Laughing internally to herself about what she just saw. From Zuko's behaviour which was cold and sometimes cruel, the care he had for his uncle made him look human.

Glancing back at her, he caught her small smile before she looked away embarrassed. A frown replacing it. Without another glance or even a look, Zuko swung himself back into the rhino in front of her slapping the reins and moving forward. Lelo grabbed on to the Prince's armour immediately, his head turning slightly to look behind him. She removed her hands at his notice and tried to sit comfortably on the back of the saddle.

Lelo enjoyed the scenery going by. The green was so new to her and she loved every aspect of smelling the earth and the trees around her. She left Zuko to watching the tracks of whatever creature the earth kingdom guards were riding, his eyes almost never straying from the path while hers roamed the area constantly. From the billowing grass, the silent rocks and the whispering trees until her eyes searched the sky. Loving how the blue sat so lovely above the tree trees.

Prince Zuko clenched his jaw once again as she leans against him looking up at the sky again. He tried to remain focused on the path but every little moment she made caused his heart to lurch and his stomach coil tightly. He turns back to look at her when she drew away from him, her body tense and rigid only to follow her gaze up towards the sky.

Immediately his face turned from thoughtful to full of scorn, his golden eyes glaring up from Lelo towards the flying bison risen high into the clear sky, "The avatar."

Lelo felt her heart leap into her throat, pounding so hard she had to stop herself from choking. Her eyes widen as she watches Appa fly away in the opposite direction. Immediately her hands grab onto Zuko's armour again as he jerks the rhino around to follow after Appa. This was his chance to find the avatar, being so close to him finally but as Lelo closed her eyes ready to face a battle she never wanted to see. Lelo found they hadn't charged off as she thought.