<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/0a/Iroh-Dragon-of-the-West-avatar-the-last-airbender-8933996-900-990.jpg)</div>Many years before the prince had even been born, Iroh had learned the hardest part of being a parent.  It was those times when he could sense, or worse when he<em>knew</em>something was wrong... but also knew that it was something the boy needed to work through himself.  What had been true for Lu Ten was also true for Zuko.<br/><br/>Iroh had never insulted Zuko by saying the Prince reminded him of his lost son.  Zuko was his own man, and any flickers of similarity between the two boys could just as easily be lost in the inferno of differences between them.  There was an important light that both of them had, but Iroh didn't think of it as something they shared... it was something all good men shared.  Integrity.  Nobility.  Honor.  There were probably a thousand names for it.  Lu Ten had it, and Zuko had it.  But so did Suki and Sokka and Sokka's sister.  It was not something Iroh believed was exclusive to his family.<br/><br/>He didn't protect Zuko because Zuko was like Lu Ten.  He didn't love Zuko because Zuko was like Lu Ten.  He did those things because he was Zuko.  And maybe, because it pained him to see how Ozai hadn't been able to see that for himself.<br/><br/>Now was one of those difficult times.  He could feel the heat of Zuko's rage through the bulkheads.  The Prince was having another crisis, but going in too soon or for the wrong reasons would teach him the wrong lessons.  When they restored the balance to the world, Zuko would be Fire Lord... and even if Iroh were still around to see that corronation, he was not foolish enough to believe he'd be around forever.  Zuko would need to learn to stand not just on his own... but taller and prouder than any other man.<br/><br/>The tea was getting cold as he waited, but that could be remedied at will.  Thankfully.  He could not imagine a world where tea could go to waste...<br/><br/>"General..." a female firebender approached and bowed to him, "Messenger hawk from Shiu Dao..."<br/><br/>Shiu Dao a fishing village on the coast of the Fire Nation.  For many years they'd been the primary hub for naval travel coming and going from the Fire Nation, but when the colonies had been established in the Earth Kingdom its importance had started to die out.  They were still known for their "world famous" snack that they called "hot cakes".  Iroh had done much travelling in his years.<br/><br/>"The Prince can not be disturbed right now, I am afraid..." Iroh said with a reassuring smile.  Anybody else could go ahead and believe the Prince was deep in meditation or working on his Firebending or going over strategies... they could believe he was having anal sex with Suki while the entire Kyoshi entourage watched.  Those things were all Zuko's right and privilege, but Iroh would not have it spread throughout the ship that his nephew was having a tantrum.  The prince had already proven himself a warrior and a great leader who inspired the loyalty of great people.  But it could be as simple as one rumor to remind everybody in the resistance that he'd once been known as a dishonored and spoiled child.<br/><br/>"It's for you, General." She extended a note with a familiar mark on it.<br/><br/>Iroh took it with a simple, "Thank you," and dismissed the girl before he opened the note.  If the White Lotus were contacting him then it had to be important news.<br/><br/>His face turned grim as he read over it.  A sky bison spotted for the first time in over a hundred years.  They believed that meant it was a sign of the Avatar, the last airbender.  But the note said it was heading at a furious pace towards the Fire Nation Capital.<br/><br/>He did the math in his head.  A Hawk from Shiu Dan would have taken at least a day and a half to get to their ship.  But something flying from Shiu Dan would easily have been in the Capital by now.  This could have been the best news in the world or the worst, and they would have to wait until another messenger hawk to find out.  If the Avatar were as powerful as the legends said, it was possible he could raze the Fire Nation capital and its Phoenix Queen to the ground, leaving nothing but the Crater and the ashes of another fallen city.  But Iroh had already learned his lesson about underestimating Azula.  And the Avatar restoring balance by reducing all the nations to the state of the Air Nomads wasn't exactly the kind of restoration that Iroh and Zuko had in mind...<br/><br/>The General called two guards over and gave them explicit instructions to deliever to Commander Sokka the Leviathan.  Then he sighed.  Whether Zuko was ready for company or not, he would have to disturb his nephew...<br/><br/>He knocked as he pushed open the door, his expression serious in a way that only Zuko had ever really seen before.  The fact that the tray of tea lay crashed carelessly behind him in a spill was sign enough of his urgency.  "We will not find what we're looking for in this direction, Prince Zuko..." for once such a string of words wasn't a cryptic riddle for Zuko to take a life-lesson from.  He handed Zuko the note he'd recieved from the White Lotus.  "I've ordered the ship be turned around..." he frowned, "It would appear we are going back into the storm..."