Tale of a Tea Shop I

It was a quiet, steady day.  The usual customers were showing up, and he knew what they were going to request the moment he spotted them.  Still, he would walk up to where they would seat themselves with his usual smile and respectable bow. He would humor them as they asked about the day's selection, and listened intently as the old shop keep described the new tea he had shipped in from the farthest reaches of the eastern lands of the Earth Nation. And finally, he would bow pleasantly once again as they went with their usual choice, and head to the back to fetch the tea he had already started to prepare when they had stepped in the door.

Only when all of his customers were content, all tables wiped down and all teacups washed and set to dry, did he once more take his seat in the corner of the Jasmine Dragon, watching the door from the corner of his eye in case someone were to enter.  As it was a quiet, steady day, and he had sent his workers home early.  It left little else to do but take up his seat for long spans of time.  The gentle clink of tea cups and hum of quiet conversation lulled his thoughts away from there, to a time much different where he himself, had also been much different.

A hand came to rest on his belly; it had been two years since he had managed to escape from the Fire Nation's prison tower, and the weight he had lost was returning.  He grimaced slightly to himself as his fingers had a harder time finding the lines of his abdominal muscles; sitting in a tea shop all day did not do much to tone the body.  His thoughts went to possibly working to maintain the fitness he had achieved in prison, and then the notions were quickly cast aside.  What was the point?  The once great General Iroh, heir to the Fire Nation and Dragon of the West, was now serving tea to the very city he had once sieged.  His once fierce flame felt like it was dwindling down to a spark.

Not that it was a bad life…he was quite content with an easy existence in his beloved tea shop.  He had a nice home in the good part of Ba Sing Se.  His nephew had gone on to fulfill a destiny that was once his, every father's dream.  But Zuko was very busy these days, and though he would receive letters often, it had been nearly a year since his Uncle had laid eyes upon him.  For the best, no doubt; Zuko had his whole life ahead of him, and Iroh only had the fast approaching sunset. Every dragon's fangs wore down sometime.

From his seat in the back of the shop, the old General watched the busy street outside.  Many passed in front of the windows, yet it was the children that always drew his focus.  Hanging on the edges of their mother' skirts, being carried on the shoulders of their fathers…such things Iroh found himself missing.  Zuko had filled the spot Lu Ten had left empty, but now there was no surrogate.  Iroh had once been asked if he wished to know his fortune, and he had declined quite cheerfully. He was an old man, with no wife or children, in a land that still held a stigma to what he had once been.  Before the end of the war, he had been Mushi, the old man who made the best tea in the city.  Even though Iroh had helped take back the city during the final battle, some still could only see him as the fire nation general.  He could feel it in the eyes of some of the older folk when they looked at him, and it was hard to brush away.  There was little more for him to do with his life than tend to his tea shop.

Iroh suddenly shook himself from his thoughts, and grabbed a cloth to wipe down the tables once again.  He disliked slow days; his mind often wandered much farther than he liked it to.

The end of the day drew to a close faster than usual.  Brewing clouds outside the shop windows had already begun to darken the streets outside, and those left at the tables finished their tea and hurried home before the inevitable storm.  Iroh usually went for a long walk after the shop was closed, but it seemed that he would have to postpone it until the next day.  Humming to himself, he began to sweep the floors, his thoughts once more drifting between the past and the future.  As the wind picked up outside, he glanced at the door and jumped slightly when someone was standing there watching him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I am just closing up," Iroh called to the stranger, smiling as he politely bowed.  This gave him a moment to take in their features; it was a girl, woman, perhaps, not older than her late twenties.  The darkness of her skin hinted at a Water Nation heritage, but was light enough to suggest a mixed family.  Her eyes seemed tired, and her long hair was pulled back in a ponytail even though her bangs were loose and somewhat windswept…no doubt there was quite a storm brewing outside.  Her garb was grey cloth and leather, with a bow tied to her back and a badgerwolf at her side…hunting partner, perhaps?  Maybe she was a tracker…all this the trained eye of the retired general picked up in an instant.  The stranger sighed and smiled in a defeated way, bowing her head in return and urging the badgerwolf back outside with her knee.

"My apologies, old man," Iroh winced at being called that for some reason.  "Guess it just isn't my night."  She stepped back outside, and as she slid the door closed the rain began to pelt down, as if on cue.  Her face instantly fell and the badgerwolf seemed to sigh, hunkering close to the overhang as to try and avoid the downpour.

Iroh looked at the broom in his hands, and then exhaled a quiet laugh as he walked to the door and opened it.  

"I suppose I can stay open just a little longer for such a pretty lady on such an ugly evening," he snickered, offering her a hand and waving towards a table.  With a thankful smile the stranger took it and stepped inside, letting her backpack slip from her shoulder and onto the ground beside the table as she sat down.  The badgerwolf curled at his mistress's side, its wide head resting on broad, sickle-clawed paws as its eyes settled on Iroh, watching him with a peaceful suspicion.  As if on cue, Iroh parroted the long list of teas he had available, as well as the day's specials.  Like other customers, she listened intently until he was finished.  However, the stranger paused for a long moment to decide.

"Well, ginseng is definitely my favorite-"

"Mine too!" Iroh interrupted merrily, smiling at her as she chuckled.

"…However I think I will have to try that black tea you mentioned…the one from the east?  It sounds quite nice."  The old man smiled broadly and bowed.

"Oh, it is, though I think you are the first to request it," he mentioned as he walked back to prepare her order.

Iroh grabbed a teapot from the shelf and filled it with water before setting it on the counter and measuring out the tea.  He glanced at his customer from time to time; she was quite lovely if a bit rough, trail hardened.  He mused to himself that in his day he would have swept her off her feet, made her giggle and blush like the young ladies that often passed by his shop.  But as she gazed off into the pouring rain outside, Iroh could tell she wasn't the sort.  She seemed troubled, yet oddly content with her place in the world, whatever it was.  The old general could empathize with that distant look in her eyes, since only a short time prior he was looking out the windows with that same quiet stare.  With a grunt to himself, he pulled down two teacups.

It only took a moment for him to heat the water; holding the teapot in his palm and evoking fire at his will was much more economical than tending a stove, though he had one for looks.  Placing the teapot and the cups on a tray, Iroh made his way over and was greeted with a tired smile from the girl.

"I hope you don't mind if I share this pot of tea with you?  It's on the house, of course."  He smiled and bowed his head as she chuckled low.

"Well, far be it from me to turn down a free cup of tea and some handsome company," she murmured, grinning in a surprisingly dashing manner.  Iroh felt that he may be the one who would end up blushing, and laughed.

"You honor me!" he chuckled, setting the tray down and serving the stranger first.  "I am Iroh.  May I have you name, miss?"  He could hear the hesitation in her voice before she answered, but was careful to not betray his curiosity.

"Honshu.  It is a pleasure," she lifted her cup and bowed her head with a smile.  Iroh lifted his own, placing his free hand underneath it.

"To good company and bad storms!" he toasted, and she raised her own cup a bit higher in agreement before they both took a sip of the hot liquid.  Iroh watched Honshu's expression as she tasted the brew, lips pursing to roll the tea over her tongue for a moment before she swallowed.  Looking to the cup, she smiled slightly.  

"This is very good.  I am no expert…but I would guess the tea leaves were grown in the mountains," she stated, swirling her drink gently before taking another taste.  Iroh lofted a brow at her with interest.

"What makes you say that?" he asked, and she gestured to the pot steaming on the table between them.

"Well, the flavor is somewhat muted...not weak, but almost creamy.  It still maintains a very distinct scent."  She shrugged.  "Generally, teas that are exposed to colder climates and direct sunlight have such features, and more often than not they find such conditions at higher elevations."  Honshu chuckled and shook her head.  "Oh, but what do I know?  Here I am, telling you your specialty."  With a slight smile to the old general, she looked back out towards the rain and sighed.  Iroh could merely blink at her in surprise, and felt himself much more interested in the traveler.

"Actually, you are right," he exclaimed quietly, shooting a grin her way.  "I am quite impressed, how do you know such things?"  The femme waved a hand dismissively.

"It really is nothing impressive.  Kisho and I," she paused to pat the badger-wolf on its wide head, inciting a grumble of approval from the beast, "well, we travel all over.  And I suppose I am good at paying attention to detail."  She shrugged again.  "It comes with being a hunter.  Details are important when your livelihood depends on successfully tracking your quarry."

"At my age, one tends to have plenty of time to spend on details.  It is refreshing to see a young lady such as yourself take the time to appreciate the finer things in life…and the finer teas!"  He guffawed in his good-natured way, and then quieted as he saw her smile but not share in his laughter.  Clearing his throat, he poured himself another cup of tea.  "Yes, well.  I am sure you are a very good huntress, and possibly a good judge of people.  Such a skill is important if you spend much time on the road.  Not to insult your ability to keep yourself safe, but it must be dangerous travelling alone."
"I am not completely alone," Honshu nodded towards the badger-wolf with a smirk, "But you are right.  It is often in my best interest to read people that I may meet along the way.  We move about so much, there generally isn't time to learn about the people I deal with."  Iroh gave a nod of agreement as he sat back comfortably, tucking his hands into the sleeves of his tunic.

"May I be so bold to ask what you can read in this old man?" he murmured.  Honshu laughed softly, shaking her head, then paused, giving him an appraising glance before placing her tea cup down and crossing her arms.

"Alright," the femme mumbled, looking Iroh up and down, clicking her tongue quietly as her eyes scanned his drab green and yellow clothing, his beard, and finally his eyes.  After a moment to get her summary organized in her head, she nodded then cleared her throat.  "You weren't born into a merchant family…Nobility, perhaps?  No…military."  She gave a slight nod and Iroh felt himself shift uncomfortably.

"Why do you say that?" he asked, curious.  She waved a finger at his back and shoulders.

"Your posture;  I have found that even out of retirement, a military man will still keep certain poise; head held high, back straight, shoulders back."  Without waiting for a reply, she squinted at his face.  "You are wearing the attire of the Earth Nation…even wearing your hair in a fashion common to this place, but your eyes."  She made a sweeping motion under her own eye.  "Amber in color, and they slant upward at the outside.  Quite pretty, really, but it is a common trait of those born into the Fire Nation."  Iroh coughed and rubbed the back of his neck as she smirked, picking up her cup for another sip.  "And if I wasn't sure before, your comfort with the subject of the Fire Nation now and the suggestion of a military past from just a moment ago confirm it."  The old man began to reply, but Honshu held up a finger for him to wait, and he paused, almost nervous of what else she may reveal.  "You are also a fire bender, are you not?" she asked, and Iroh jumped, but a smile came to his lips when he heard the unbiased tone of her voice.

"Why yes…how did you know that?"

"Well, you were ready to close shop when I came in, yet you had hot water ready for tea almost as soon as I sat down.  Not to mention the tea was fairly scalding when you served it, and you managed to finish your cup quite quickly.  Fire benders tend to like their tea almost unbearably hot, isn't that right?"  Iroh was thrown, and had not expected to be.  Still, he laughed easily and shot her a look of admiration.

"You are…very good!" he exclaimed, bowing his head to Honshu, who beamed at him as she let her fingers scratch the thick scruff of the badger-wolf.  The general turned his gaze towards the doorway of the tea shop, and noticed that the rain had stopped, the sound of falling water coming from where it was still running off the corners of the roof.  "Ah, it seems that the storm is passing," he mentioned.  Hearing movement from his guest, he looked back to see Honshu shouldering her pack and getting to her feet.  Her hands met and she bowed to Iroh respectfully.

"Aye, and I will take the opportunity to get out of your way, sir," she murmured in her quiet voice.  "Thank you very much for the tea."  Iroh frowned and got to his feet as well.

"Aww, you do not have to rush off so soon, I was enjoying our conversation very much!"  He walked to the door ahead of her and held it open, returning the bow.  He felt her hand touch his shoulder and looked up to see the huntress smiling at him.  Iroh noticed that her eyes also curved upwards at the corners, much like his own, but chose not to comment on it.  She seemed adamant about getting on her way, after all.  "Are you moving on tonight, Miss Honshu?" he asked.  With a deep breath, she looked out at the town and adjusted the strap of her pack upon her shoulder.

"Can't say for sure, old man.  But if I do stay a bit longer, be sure that I will stop in for another cup of tea.  During business hours this time, eh?"  With a final grin and a bow of her head, she and the badger-wolf headed out into the rain-soaked streets of Ba Sing Se.

Iroh waved after her and closed the door, intent on clearing their cups and heading home for the night.  He found himself a bit disappointed that she hadn't stayed longer, and once more his thoughts wandered to a time where he had been more than an old shop keep.