Azula and her uncle hid in a concealed cave, breathing as silently as they could. Fire Nation soldiers clomped on the ground above them, and Azula stilled the jitters in her chest. She stared at the ceiling. Would today be the day the royal fugitives were caught? Her brother had been true to his word; she and Iroh had been harried constantly over the past several days. They'd only escaped each time by the skin of their teeth.

  Eventually, the soldiers left, and Azula closed her eyes and exhaled. "Each time, they come closer to finding us."

  Iroh nodded. "We need to go further into Earth Kingdom territory." His stomach rumbled. "But first, we need to find something to eat."

  "Easier said than done," Azula said, scowling. "We don't even know what we're looking for."

  "Well," Iroh said, "If you do not enter the tigerdillo's den, you will not catch the cub."

  ***

  Azula hated having her hair down all the time, she discovered. She’d thought releasing her hair was an apt way to honor Iroh, but now it seemed to get caught on every twig and branch in the forest. She ducked under another branch and entered the clearing where her uncle was staring at a plant with white flowers.

  “I couldn’t find anything to eat,” she said irritably. She snatched a couple of leaves out of her hair and threw them on the ground.

  Iroh didn’t stop scrutinizing the plant. Instead, he squatted lower to get a better look. “It is a pity that the Royal Fire Academy for Girls didn’t teach some basic foraging skills along with how to kill people.”

  She crossed her arms. “Well, what’s your excuse?” Hair fell into her eyes. “Ugh.”

  He stood up. “Me? I guess I wasn’t a very good student.” He laughed. “There were too many plants that looked alike. For instance, either this is the white dragon bush or the white jade plant.”

  “What’s the difference?” she said.

  “One makes wonderful tea,” he answered dreamily before narrowing his eyes. “The other…poison.”

  She sniffed. “I’m going back out. Try not to kill yourself while I’m gone.”

  ***

  Her next trip was as unfruitful as the others. She knew it was bad when her stomach started to grumble. She brought her hand to her abdomen. She, the great princess of the Fire Nation, had been reduced to scavenging! She resolved to continue her search. There had to be something out there.

  ***

  When she returned, still empty-handed, Iroh was already scratching himself. He moaned as he held his stomach.

  Azula groaned. "You foolish old man! Why?"

  He looked at her sheepishly. “I couldn’t help myself. It didn’t taste half-bad.”

  She fought the urge to grind her teeth. Her mother had told her it was a bad habit. “What do we do now?”

  “I have thought of a few options. First, we can surrender to the Fire Nation. Of course, that also means we’ll get handed over to Prince Zuko.”

  She wanted to spit when she heard her brother’s name. “Next?”

  “We can go further into the Earth Kingdom. Perhaps they can help.”

  She frowned. "Those uncivilized barbarians?" They'd been a thorn in the Fire Nation's side for a hundred years.

  “Or…option number three.“ He held up a branch of berries. “This will either heal me or blind me.”

  Those were not good options. She snatched the branch from his hand. “To the Earth Kingdom it is. It’s ours by divine right, anyway.”

  ***

  They’d traveled only a few hours before running into a small town. The villagers took one look at the rash on Iroh's neck and immediately sent them to the local hospital. It was a single, low-roofed building, but the workers there were friendly. A young woman named Song rubbed ointment on Iroh’s rash and gave him some medicine. She was about Azula's age, with kind brown eyes and a sympathetic smile. In spite of her foul mood, Azula found herself liking Song.

  “Thank you for your help,” Iroh said.

  “That was very foolish,” Song told him.

  “That’s what I said!” Azula said, resting against a window.

  Song continued. “In the future, I don’t recommend using the White Jade for tea.”

  Iroh laughed. “That sounds like an excellent idea. However, it didn't taste too bad. Maybe there's a way to remove the poison...”

  "Don't even think about it!" Azula was about to scold him further when her stomach rumbled even louder than it had before.

  “How very uncivilized,” Iroh said.

  Her face turned red. “I apologize for that.”

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Song chuckled. “If you need a place to get some food, my mother and I would be happy to host you. What are your names?”

  Azula hadn’t thought about the need for a cover story and aliases. Granted, it was the first time she’d even been a fugitive. “I…My name is…Jade.” She waved at her uncle. “And this is my Uncle Lee.” There were a million Lees.

  “Lee,” Iroh said with a smile. "I like it!”

  Azula fixed him with a glare and put her fists on her hips. “My uncle must still be a little loopy from the poison he drank.”

  ***

  For peasants, the meal was surprisingly good. Azula had prepared herself for disgusting noodles and a few paltry pieces of roast duck, but the noodles were well-cooked, and the roast duck was sumptuous. Iroh especially seemed to like them. He attacked the meal with slovenly gusto.

  “Now, who’s being uncivilized!” Azula said as Iroh slurped the noodles.

  Song’s mother grinned. “At least we know he likes it.”

  Iroh grunted and shoveled more into his mouth.

  Song’s mother grew serious. “You two seem like you’re in a difficult place. Refugees from the war?”

  “You could say that,” Azula said.

  “We found refuge here in this beautiful town,” Song’s mother said.

  “Five years ago, my father was taken by Fire Nation raiders,” Song said sadly. “Is your father fighting in the war too?”

  “He is,” Azula said. It was truer than Song and her mother would ever know, but she didn't want to think about him right now. She rarely ever did. She stood up.

  “Azula,” Iroh said. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

  She bowed to them. “Thank you for the meal.”

  She excused herself and walked onto the front porch. Across the courtyard was a small barn. An ostrich horse stood contentedly in a stall. Not knowing what else to do, she paced on the wooden porch. She’d always considered Earth Kingdom peasants as ignorant rubes and uncouth barbarians. She wasn’t prepared for the immense kindness they’d shown her. This evening was beginning to make her uncomfortable.

  Song exited the house and sat down on the porch. “If you don’t mind me asking, you seem a little bit unhappy."

  "More than a bit," Azula said.

  "Has the Fire Nation hurt you?”

  Azula stopped and stared at her. “Why would you say that?”

  Song pointed to Azula’s scar.

  Azula touched the right side of her face. Sometimes she forgot it was there; other times she looked at it like some sort of alien, deformed creature. She didn't know which scared her more.

  “Don’t worry,” Song said. “We’ve all been there.” She raised her pant leg, revealing a horrible burn scar. It wrapped around her leg like a misshapen serpent.

  Azula recoiled slightly. "Was that an accident?"

  Song shook her head. "The soldier laughed when he did it."

  Azula bit her lip, but said nothing.

  Song continued. “But all that should change. The Avatar is back! Did you know?”

  Azula snorted and threw her hands in the air. “Oh yes, the Avatar is going to save the world!”

  Song let her pant leg drop. “He’s going to stop this war, stop them.”

  “We...The Fire Nation says they’re bringing the light of civilization to the rest of the world,” Azula said.

  “The Fire Nation has brought nothing but pain and destruction,” Song replied.

  Azula rubbed her chin. They’d taught her at the Academy that the lesser nations wouldn’t understand the Fire Nation's superior culture and philosophy. She decided to change the subject. “Your mother seems nice.”

  Song nodded. “She does my hair sometimes. Did your mother do yours? You have such beautiful hair.”

  “It was the only thing she ever liked about me,” Azula said bitterly. She looked at the girl. “I’ve had enough talking for tonight.”

  Song gave her a look of pity. “Of course. Sleep well.”

  She got up and returned to the house while Azula started pacing again. The compassion Song had shown Azula made her feel dirty. She felt trapped, like she was back in that cave and only able to see faint shapes on the wall. Her mind raced to capture them, but found only empty shadows. She heard Song and her mother prepare for bed, and still she kept pacing. Eventually, she found herself out in the yard.

  Iroh stepped onto the porch. “You ate well.”

  “Not as well as you,” Azula growled back.

  He rubbed his belly. “I’ve not been shown that much hospitality in ages. What’s wrong?”

  What could she say? Azula’s hand began to shake once more. She stared at it, watched it tremble. She’d thought she’d finally beaten this horrible sign of weakness. She had to get away from this house.

  The ground began to rumble.

  "What's that?" Azula said, before realization dawned on her. "Oh no! Not again!"

  Iroh's eyes grew wide. "We need to hide. Now!"

  ***

  Song and her mother stuffed them into a small nook in the barn, next to the ostrich horse, and dumped a bunch of hay over them. The creature was almost on top of them, but thankfully, the gentle beast didn't seem to mind. It chewed on straw as if they weren't even there. Azula and her uncle watched the Fire Nation soldiers ride up through small cracks in the wooden walls.

  "The Rough Rhinos!" Iroh whispered.

  Five formidable-looking warriors rode up on komodo rhinos. The leader, a tall man with a long, dark, thin mustache, glared at the mother and daughter. His head was shaved except for a small topknot, which was tied into a long ponytail.

  "I am Colonel Mongke," he said, "And I am looking for some criminals."

  Song's mother stepped forward. "We are the only ones who live here. Though we did eat supper with an older man and a young lady."

  Colonel Mongke's eyes narrowed. "Are they still here?"

  Song shook her head. "They left after they ate." She pointed toward some woods a mile or so away.

  "Yeh-lu, Vachir, search the house!" he said. He turned to the other two. "Ogodei, Kahchi, the barn!"

  Azula once more held her breath. She was growing tired of this! She prepared herself to fight if they were discovered.

  Ogodei, a broad, muscled man, and Kahchi, a grim-faced, bald man with a full beard and a bladed spear, darkened the doorway of the barn. Azula's heart raced. Would this finally be the time when they were found? They started their search, kicking the hay. Kahchi jabbed his spear into the haystack twenty feet away from them. It was only a matter of time before they reached the fugitives. Azula resolved to go down fighting.

  "Can we get you anything while you wait?" Song said. "Tea, perhaps?"

  The colonel smiled, which looked wrong on such a fierce face. "That sounds good. For my men as well!"

  "Of course." Song ran into the house and exited with the tea just as Kahchi had nearly found them. His spear was poised, ready to descend.

  "Here it is!" Song said. "I'm told we have some of the best tea in town."

  At the mention of delicious tea, Ogodei and Kahchi stopped and turned back to the courtyard.

  "There's nothing in the barn," Ogodei called out.

  The two other soldiers left the house and affirmed the same, clearly eager for tea.

  After drinking the tea, Colonel Mongke bellowed. "We ride!"

  The Rough Rhinos rumbled away. Azula breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "Thank Agni for tea."

  Uncle Iroh looked at her in astonishment before laughing. "It does have its uses."

  ***

  After they'd left, Song and her mother gave Azula and Iroh some food for the road. Azula was more surprised when Song brought out the ostrich horse.

  "Here!" she said.

  Azula was unused to such kindness. "W-why are you doing this?"

  Song smiled. "You look like you could use some help."

  "You don't know anything about us!" Azula said. "What if we were thieves...or worse?"

  "We prefer to trust people," Song replied.

  "If you get a chance, have someone send it back," Song's mother said.

  This wasn't how she'd been raised. "I...thank you."

  "For everything," Iroh added.

  Song and her mother smiled. "You're welcome."

  Azula pondered their words as she and her uncle rode away.