Jogging over to the food market, you try to multi-task as best you can. As your brain searches ways to apologize, your eyes scan the area for Iroh. You don't know how you guys will reconcile, but you do know that it has to be done soon.
You pause for a moment as a strong smell wafts over and infects your nostrils. The skin around the bridge of your nose crinkles. Your brain starts to recall facts about the scent, twisting your attention elsewhere and pulling you away from the food market. When you hear a coin purse drop, you're taken out of your stupor as you reach out to grab it while stopping the person who dropped it.
Once your hand grasps the person's arm, they turn to face you and you procure a small smile. "You dropped something."
You can't make out their face, but the air around them feels odd. They don't say much and take the pouch from your hands; you notice that their fingers are bandaged, and the strong smell returns more powerful than before.
Curiosity gets the best of you, and you feel inclined to ask. "Do you work heavily with Nordic trees?"
You can practically hear their surprise as their body flinches. Their red hood begins to lower and you're now faced with an older gentleman. His features appear harsh: stern gaze and rough lips, chiseled jaw with scars that litter his face and neck. He stares down at you in wonder, though he refuses to smile.
"Why do you ask such a question, girl?"
His deep voice sends shivers down your spine, forcing you to answer. "The heavy smell and bandaged fingers. Around this time, Nordic trees produce a rare herb that's hard to procure due to the thorns surrounding it. They also produce a strong smell to ward off predators from eating it."
You feel your explanation to be sufficient and await his response. He appears stunned by your textbook answer, then a smirk begins to form. "Interesting."
"A-Ah well I'll leave you alone," you say as you sense something ominous brewing.
He reaches out to grab hold of your shoulder and you tense up. "How do you know about those herbs?"
You can feel your teeth chatter in your mouth. Dread seeps from your pores as you try your best to answer. As your eyes scan the area for bystanders, you nervously respond. "The encyclopedia of Northern Water Tribe Herbalism... Interesting read in the evening."
"Heh." His amusement frightens you, and your fears worsen when he closes the gap between you two. "You are a knowledgeable girl."
You break out in sweats. "Hahahaha yeah. P-People tell me that a lot."
"You'd be an asset to my group."
"Group?"
He doesn't utter another word and distances himself from you. Stunned, you welcome the change in interest as he glances elsewhere. You follow his gaze until they land on a sign someone has placed upon a pole. There's a sketch of your face accompanied by two hooded figures, causing your heart to drop.
Your mind goes back to the time in the forest, and you mentally berate yourself for not attending with a hood. The man glances back at you, and you send him a sheepish smile.
"You know a little too much, girl." His tone is now threatening, and you shrink under his intense stare.
"Too much reading?--"
"DUCK!" a familiar voice calls out. Although your body is slow to obey, Hammy jumps from your pocket to grab your bangs and pull your head down. A ball of fire almost grazes the top of your head, and the man is pushed far enough to give you room to escape.
You take the chance and run towards Iroh, who continues to chuck fire at him. The man reflects it with minimal effort as if he's mastered the element already. Terror wracks your body when you hear the enemy chase after you; you want to scream but refrain from doing so when you spot Tonraq sprinting over and positioning himself to attack. Haku is not far off with all of your purchases from today.
"Get ready to hit my ice," Tonraq instructs Iroh. The boy nods in response, and Tonraq waterbends out of his pouch. He aims at the man's feet, pushing him further back until there is enough water out in the field. With precise hand movements, he quickly turns the water into ice and whips his head around to shout, "NOW!"
Iroh inhales deeply before exhaling an enormous amount of fire. It billows through and collides against the ice, melting it to create a heavy fog.
"Let's run!" Iroh commands. No one utters a word as you make your way into the forest and out of sight. The man, fortunately for you, does nothing to follow as amusement dances in his eyes.