Iroh watched as the youth approached, throwing nervous glances over his shoulder to check on Islena.

He had heard the boy coming a mile away, making no attempt at stealth and oblivious to any danger he might be in. “Arrogance, or ignorance?” he thought.

----------------------------------------

Jack steadily made his way to where the older man - Uncle Iroh, was it? - was sitting, his nerves causing him to stumble occasionally as he wound his way through the trees but with no embarrassing falls.

He snuck the occasional peek over his shoulder at the woman - no, girl - that had accosted him with the knife, but she looked more amused by him than threatened. She had even put the knife away and was nibbling on what appeared to be one of the larger varieties of the local mushroom.

“Sit,” said Iroh, gesturing at a log that bordered a small campfire, currently unlit.

Jack took the offered seat, suddenly very aware of how bedraggled he must look. A quick glance around revealed that the girl had vanished, as suddenly as she had appeared. He sat, not knowing what to say.

“Uncle” Iroh just sat there for what seemed like an eternity, looking him over and whittling away, the wood in his hands taking the shape of a creature unknown to Jack.

“Who are you? What are you doing here? How did you get here?” Iroh eventually stopped whittling and asked Jack.

“My name is Jack,” Jack said, only replying to the first of the questions put to him.

“And?” prompted Iroh with a raised eyebrow when it became clear that Jack wasn’t speaking further.

“Hi, I’m Jack, from Earth. I have no idea where here is, and even if you told me it would mean nothing to me, As to how I got here, I keep dying, coming to in what looks like space but isn’t and then being spat out in random locations.”

At least that’s what Jack thought. “Honestly, I’m lost,” he eventually replied.

Iroh studied him. “You expect me to believe that? Here, of all places?” he asked calmly.

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Jack shrugged. “I woke up yesterday in a pond downstream,” he told a half truth. “I have no idea where here is and I was just following the stream hoping to find civilisation” he continued.

“And before that?” pressed Iroh.

“I was in a desert, in a place called The Bairid Kingdom,” he continued with the half truths.

“You’re going to have to come up with a better story than that. I’ve never heard of such a place as The Bairid Kingdom, but more importantly I know for a fact that there isn’t a single desert on this whole planet” Iron replied, spreading his arms as if to encompass the aforementioned planet. “Try again.”

Jack spread his palms and said “It’s the truth, swear to God”

“So you’re saying that you’re here, on the Countess’ private Island, with no idea of how you got here?” probed Iroh.

“Yes, “ Jack replied. “Don’t suppose you could point me in the direction of the nearest town and let me be on my way?”

Iroh doubled over with sudden laughter, and Jack could swear that he heard accompanying peals from somewhere in the woods. What’s so funny?

Wiping tears from his eyes, “We’re on an Island, boy. You. Me. Islena skulking over there,” Iroh paused to gesture to a point in the woods where Jack couldn’t see anything different, “We’re the only one’s here.” he said.

“And this,” he nodded to the tents set up nearby, “Is the closest you’ll see to civilisation around here.” Iroh grinned at his own wit.

“That’s a no then?” asked Jack. Iroh’s apparent good mood allowed him to relax a little in turn. “No boat or something I could use to get off the island?”

This time Iroh actually fell off the log he was sitting on, he was laughing so hard.

Is this guy high? Maybe it’s the mushrooms? Jack thought as he watched this performance, baffled.

“This isn’t that kind of Island, dummy” came a voice from right behind him.

Jesus, what is it with this girl and sneaking up on people? Jack thought as he nearly jumped out of his skin. Again.

“What - kind - of island is it then?” he asked, turning to direct this question to the girl. Where the hell does she disappear to? He thought, finding her gone again.

“You’ll see!” came a mirth laden reply from somewhere in the woods around him.

“Maybe you will, and maybe you won’t” wheezed Iroh as he picked himself up and dusted a few errant leaves off his shirt.

“What do you mean?” Despite the cheerful demeanor of the man in front of him, Jack felt a chill run down his spine at the words. That had sounded very much like a threat.