Edward was stalking a boar. Well, she was trying. She didn't know what their tracks looked like, or how to kill them, but she'd been out in the woods all day, Ein at her heels, and she figured sooner or later she had to come across something. Edward wasn't getting this dirty for nothing.
And so, eventually, she did.
Hiding in the underbrush, she watched the wrinkly man bend to take a drink. Edward didn't recognize him. Edward didn't know him. Who was he?
Something irritated her nose and she sneezed, Ein giving her a whimpered gesundheit.
The sound of the sneeze startled the boar, and Iroh had remained sufficiently still that the creature did not consider him a threat. It decided that the simplest thing to do was simply to run away.
Iroh breathed a sigh of relief after it had left. "That was a close one!"
He turned to the bushes where the sneeze had come from. "Thank you, stranger! Your timing is excellent."
"Timing?" Edward crawled out from under the bush, looking around as Ein headed towards the funny-looking man to sniff at him suspiciously.
Edward hadn't even seen the boar.
"Edward wasn't timing anything. Hey... was that a boar animal?"
Looking back at her Ein barked an affirmative. "Why didn't you tell Edward, Ein?"
The dog, knowing that Edward versus Boar would end in tragedy and had therefore been trying to lead her anywhere but where the boars were, simply gave a non-committal yap and went back to examining the other man.
Iroh was, in turn, examining Ein. He had never seen a creature like that before!
He beamed pleasantly at the young woman - he had seen those before, albeit none with such marvelous red hair. Her language was strange but not unintelligible.
"Intentional or not, it worked out well for me!"
He leaned down, offering his hand to the Ein creature. "Tell me, miss, what is this place? And who is this handsome creature?"
It's always been in the back of Zuko's mind, ever since he showed up here, that one day his uncle might show up too. He usually doesn't let himself hope for it too much, because he doesn't want to waste his days away wishing for something that might not happen
( ... )
When Zuko leaps out, Iroh gives serious reconsideration to the idea that this is just a dream. His nephew can't be here (wherever here is). Zuko is in the Fire Nation, with Ozai and Azula. It was the heat, playing tricks on his mind. He wanted to see his nephew and so his nephew appeared.
The boar snorts and paws the ground, clearly gearing up for a fight. Suddenly Iroh doesn't care whether he is simply imagining his nephew.
"Zuko, no!" He reaches for his firebending...but it's not there. He can't even feel where his chi is blocked; it's as though the ability simply did not exist.
Zuko makes a diagonal slash with one sword through the air, leaning as though he's about to spring forward. The boar doesn't seem like it's backing down, but Zuko doesn't care that his habit of springing into action without bothering first with a plan might end in him getting run down. His uncle's here now, and that's by far the best thing that's happened in months.
"You're not getting past me, boar!" he snarls. "Just try it and see what happens!"
Without his firebending, there's little Iroh can do to help Zuko with the creature. He mentally goes through his forms, trying to find one that he can use, but none of his training had prepared him for a fight with a short creature with long tusks. Zuko, having his twin swords, is much better equipped for a fight.
His nephew is a strong fighter, with more practice than any 16 year old should have. Rationally Iroh has little reason to fear, but he can't help it. If something were to happen to Zuko now, when Iroh hasn't seen him in months... it's unthinkable.
Iroh did not move, though a chill ran down his spine at the sound of his niece's voice. Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place.
Had this all been a game, then? Had they known about his secret training, and let him escape only so they could capture him again? He wouldn't put such a trick past his twisted niece. That was exactly the kind of mind game that Azula thrived on.
But he kept his face and body still. He didn't want to fight a vicious beast and an unknown creature at the same time. If he kept still, perhaps the strange creature with the large teeth would leave, and he could concentrate all his power on defeating Azula.
He was still thinking about what Cable had told him a few months back. How many real friends did he have here, who'd have his back when it came to it. Luke, possibly, but who else? Not that he needed anyone, but well it nagged at him a little.
So he was happy to run into a distraction, drawing his gun-blade with relish as he approached the man and the boar.
The boar started pawing the ground, clearly gearing up to charge. Iroh slowly rose to his feet and adopted a fighting stance, preparing to use his firebending to scare the creature off.
"Don't worry," he told the stranger. "I've got this."
He focused his breath and let loose his Breath of Fire -
But nothing came. Something, somehow, had blocked his chi and all access to his firebending. He felt a moment of bone-chilling fear.
"On second thought, help would be very much appreciated!"
Seifer charged at the same time, sliding in front of Iroh, with his blade raised, to meet the animal head on.
The flat of the blade met the boar's lowered head with enough force to drive the animal to the ground and, as Seifer raised his gunblade for the finishing blow, the boar turned tail and fled.
"Yeah, you better run," Seifer shouted after him triumphantly, Iroh seemingly forgotten for the moment. "Coward."
And then he turned back around to greet the new arrival.
Iroh would have been more impressed if he hadn't been distracted by the blockage of his chi. The only time he had ever been without his firebending was in the spiritworld. He felt...bereft without it. Incomplete. How had it been blocked? Why?
He forced such thoughts to the back of his mind when the stranger turned to him.
"Thank you very much for your help, kind sir," he said. "I was very lucky you happened to come by."
Recently, Zhuge was finding that the only activity on the island which began to even closely approximate what he did back in China was hunting. A green thumb he had never really been, and weapon design only went so far when the majority of the island was peaceful, only rudimentary tools necessary for catching food. The only area of true unpredictability and need was actually heading out on a hunt, learning the habits and tendencies of an animal before finally catching it with the least amount of effort possible
( ... )
There had clearly been some gaps in his prison training; Iroh had absolutely no sense of another person nearby until his bowed savior had leaped between him and the creature. The man spoke with a familiar accent. Wherever Iroh was, he was clearly still in the Fire Nation.
The creature - the boar, the man had called it - pawed the ground, clearly gearing up for a fight. Iroh could no doubt dispatch it easily with his bending, but perhaps for now it would be best for him to keep that a secret. His bending abilities would only give him away as the Fire Nation's second-most-wanted prisoner.
He clutched his hands to his heart melodramatically. "THANK GOODNESS YOU'RE HERE!" he cried.
Pulling a crossboar from where it was previously tied against his back, Zhuge aimed one of his arrows toward the boar, hoping that an accurate shot would either take the beast down, or at the very least send him running in the opposite direction. His eyes narrowed as he raised the weapon, one that was already loaded with five arrows that it could shoot in quick succession, Zhuge stiffened when a cry sounded from behind him. Bemused, he peered over at the elderly man.
One who didn't seem quite as nervous or unprepared as his words were meant to sound.
He raised a finger to his lips, and the boar pawed its hooves some distance away. "You will scare it," he warned.
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And so, eventually, she did.
Hiding in the underbrush, she watched the wrinkly man bend to take a drink. Edward didn't recognize him. Edward didn't know him. Who was he?
Something irritated her nose and she sneezed, Ein giving her a whimpered gesundheit.
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Iroh breathed a sigh of relief after it had left. "That was a close one!"
He turned to the bushes where the sneeze had come from. "Thank you, stranger! Your timing is excellent."
Reply
Edward hadn't even seen the boar.
"Edward wasn't timing anything. Hey... was that a boar animal?"
Looking back at her Ein barked an affirmative. "Why didn't you tell Edward, Ein?"
The dog, knowing that Edward versus Boar would end in tragedy and had therefore been trying to lead her anywhere but where the boars were, simply gave a non-committal yap and went back to examining the other man.
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He beamed pleasantly at the young woman - he had seen those before, albeit none with such marvelous red hair. Her language was strange but not unintelligible.
"Intentional or not, it worked out well for me!"
He leaned down, offering his hand to the Ein creature. "Tell me, miss, what is this place? And who is this handsome creature?"
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The boar snorts and paws the ground, clearly gearing up for a fight. Suddenly Iroh doesn't care whether he is simply imagining his nephew.
"Zuko, no!" He reaches for his firebending...but it's not there. He can't even feel where his chi is blocked; it's as though the ability simply did not exist.
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"You're not getting past me, boar!" he snarls. "Just try it and see what happens!"
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His nephew is a strong fighter, with more practice than any 16 year old should have. Rationally Iroh has little reason to fear, but he can't help it. If something were to happen to Zuko now, when Iroh hasn't seen him in months... it's unthinkable.
The boar charges.
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Had this all been a game, then? Had they known about his secret training, and let him escape only so they could capture him again? He wouldn't put such a trick past his twisted niece. That was exactly the kind of mind game that Azula thrived on.
But he kept his face and body still. He didn't want to fight a vicious beast and an unknown creature at the same time. If he kept still, perhaps the strange creature with the large teeth would leave, and he could concentrate all his power on defeating Azula.
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The unknown creature, with the innate wisdom of wild animals, finally turned and vanished into the trees.
That was one worry off his mind. He rose slowly to his feet and turned to face his niece.
"Azula," he said placidly. "What a pleasant surprise."
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He was still thinking about what Cable had told him a few months back. How many real friends did he have here, who'd have his back when it came to it. Luke, possibly, but who else? Not that he needed anyone, but well it nagged at him a little.
So he was happy to run into a distraction, drawing his gun-blade with relish as he approached the man and the boar.
"Need a hand there?"
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"Don't worry," he told the stranger. "I've got this."
He focused his breath and let loose his Breath of Fire -
But nothing came. Something, somehow, had blocked his chi and all access to his firebending. He felt a moment of bone-chilling fear.
"On second thought, help would be very much appreciated!"
The boar charged.
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The flat of the blade met the boar's lowered head with enough force to drive the animal to the ground and, as Seifer raised his gunblade for the finishing blow, the boar turned tail and fled.
"Yeah, you better run," Seifer shouted after him triumphantly, Iroh seemingly forgotten for the moment. "Coward."
And then he turned back around to greet the new arrival.
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He forced such thoughts to the back of his mind when the stranger turned to him.
"Thank you very much for your help, kind sir," he said. "I was very lucky you happened to come by."
Reply
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The creature - the boar, the man had called it - pawed the ground, clearly gearing up for a fight. Iroh could no doubt dispatch it easily with his bending, but perhaps for now it would be best for him to keep that a secret. His bending abilities would only give him away as the Fire Nation's second-most-wanted prisoner.
He clutched his hands to his heart melodramatically. "THANK GOODNESS YOU'RE HERE!" he cried.
Reply
One who didn't seem quite as nervous or unprepared as his words were meant to sound.
He raised a finger to his lips, and the boar pawed its hooves some distance away. "You will scare it," he warned.
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