Rescue Me

by hootowl

Summary:

“Because they're going to arrest me for earthbending.” And they did, but things didn't go according to plan. In fact, failure had never even crossed her mind. A capture!fic...of sorts. Chapters edited: 18/32

Notes:

The dialogue you no doubt recognize in this chapter is shamelessly lifted from the episode Imprisoned. With some minor tweaking of course. Why reinvent the wheel? This will most likely be a flufftastic story.

Chapter 1: Twelve Hours

“It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half of the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what might happen.”
– Herodotus

 “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
– Edmund Burke

 

Fire was all around her, walling her in on all sides, pressing close and singeing her hair. She struggled to protect herself from the flames, cruel laughter echoing in her ears. She couldn’t get away. She couldn’t reach enough water. She couldn’t control it. Fingers of flame reached for her and she screamed. Terror gripped her but she held firm. Whatever happened, happened. She would not back down. A voice called to her, pleading desperately, “Stop, Katara, you can’t win this fight!”

No, she would not stop. Freedom beckoned to her. Then time stilled. The figure of Death stood before her — No, not Death, just the warden. His face was pulled into a mocking grin. It hurt. The bitter taste of failure. “Listen to him well, child. You’re one mistake from dying where you stand.”

She lashed out in fear, only to have her attack carelessly brushed aside. The warden sneered. “Foolish girl! You thought a few inspirational words and some coal would change these people? Look at those blank faces. Their spirits were broken long ago. Oh? But you still believe in them? How sweet. They’re a waste of your energy, little girl. You’ve failed.”

Chaos erupted. Shouts of pain and the roar of flames filled the air. Someone tackled the warden, another was shouting to run, but it was too late. They were overpowered and her twelve hours were up. They were trapped.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 The cell was cramped and dirty. Filth from the previous occupants was pushed into the corners though that didn’t help the smell nor improve the cleanliness. There was a leak in the far left corner that made the whole cell dank and cold. No window or grate let in sunlight or fresh air. It felt like a tomb. And it’d become far too familiar.

Katara lay where the Fire Nation guards had dropped her days ago. If she were still capable of tears, she knew she’d cry; but tears had long since dried. Tears hadn’t saved her yet and they only brought more brutal treatment at the hands of her captors. Deadened blue eyes stared into nothing, and not even the rodents that managed to make their way onto the giant steel island drew a rise out of her anymore. Katara’s head dropped back to the floor with a dull thump and she closed her eyes. Death would come soon enough.

She’d been naive to expect a prison break to be simple; to think that a few inspiring words from a relatively sheltered girl from the fringes of the war would be all it took to defeat war-hardened soldiers. Her eyes burned, but still no tears came. So many had died in the initial uprising and she’d been unable to do anything despite being surrounded by her element. She wasn’t strong enough. She didn’t have that much control. She didn’t know how to waterbend.

Her memories mocked her. Her optimistic belief that good always triumphed over evil had gotten the best of her. She should have realized that evil had been winning for nearly one hundred years, one fourteen year old girl wasn’t about to change that. She’d been a fool. She failed and Haru and a dozen others paid the price. Who were they to stand against the strongest nation in the world? It was only a matter of time before they came for her and then she would have nothing.

The rats scattered and a moment later the lock squealed horribly and the door crashed open. A large form filled the door, his face hidden behind a masked helmet which concealed glinting, malevolent gold eyes. Some inner piece of her recoiled, forcing her body to curl protectively around her vital organs. Rough hands seized her matted hair, violently dragging her to her feet. Pain shuddered through her body, escaping in a quiet gasp that was either unheard or ignored. The treatment to bind her arms was rough, as it had always been, and her skin had already been rubbed raw from previous restraints. The soldier gave the ropes a harsh tug, grunting, “Don’t get any ideas. You’re coming with me today; get moving!”

The hands shoved her and she stumbled clumsily over her feet before landing in an inelegant heap in the corridor. The firebender flung a vile curse at her followed by a swift kick. A cry escaped her as a rib snapped, reflexive tears escaped her eyes, the first in probably weeks. With a final kick, the guard seized her arm and dragged her down into the bowels of the steel structure. She heard the sounds of human suffering long before they reached their destination. It was a place she knew all too well from her previous bouts of interrogation. Blood, heat, pain, and despair were all the memories she had of the lower levels.

The hot blast of air caused her eyes to water and the warden turned as they entered. His smile was as cold as his eyes despite his friendly tone when he spoke. “Ah, so our little jeohangja arrives at last. A pity you’re no good to me here, weak as you are; I’m sure we would’ve found some,” he paused as if to find the right word, “use for you. It’s a shame you were so uncooperative. We could’ve made it worth your while; ensured you went to a good master.”

She said nothing, her eyes staring and unseeing. The handle of the whip pushed her chin up and the warden leaned forward, cold gold eyes searching her face. He sharply turned her head to a different angle, eyes sharp and assessing, before he dropped her chin and spoke to the guard who still had a bruising hold on her arm. “She’s untouched?”

“Yes, sir.”

The warden nodded, moving to the nearby table and leafing through several pages and maps, pausing to consider one. “I suppose the markets are still running?”

The soldier answered in the affirmative and the warden turned a critical gaze back to Katara. “Well, Jeonhangja, you’ll fetch a pretty penny at the markets. I’m tempted to try you myself, but I’m more interested in your value unsullied than I am in plucking a savage girl.”

For a brief moment, blue eyes flashed with anger and the warden laughed. “Take her away and clean her up. I’m sure the traders will want a medical script for her, see that it’s done.”

The warden waved a hand in dismissal and Katara was propelled from the room. Once again, she tripped over her own feet, this time crashing into a wall. It had been weeks since she’d used her legs for longer than a few minutes and she could feel her muscles crying under the strain. Her vision swam and darkened as her stomach rolled. When was the last time she ate? A sharp prod in her broken ribs had her shying away with a hiss.

“Get moving, girl.”

When she didn’t move fast enough, another shop prod forced her to stumble away if only to avoid the pain. It was several faltering steps later that the fog around her brain lifted and the scent of illness and sterilization fluid tickled her nose. A new kind of terror gripped her as the realization of her fate sunk in. She’d prefer death to dishonor any day. Without warning, she ran. Her ribs protested violently, shortening her gasps for air, and her legs felt like she was running through mud.

She must have caught her guard unawares, it was the only explanation she had for how far she’d gotten before he gave a shout of alarm and chased after her. It was a futile attempt, but perhaps they would kill her in the process. Black encroached on her vision as her lungs couldn’t pull in enough air and then she was tackled from behind, her breath rushing from her in a pained scream. She wasn’t going down without a fight. She kicked. She screamed. She bit. The corridor reverberated with the sound of her fighting and the shouts and orders of several firebenders who’d come at the noise.

A new, younger voice joined the fray, this one yelling protests, “Stop! You’re hurting her!”

She sank her teeth into her captor’s hand, prompting a pained yell. “Good riddance! She’s a demon.” She locked her jaw, drawing the coppery taste of blood. “Agni! You have to sedate her!”

“I’m trying! Hold her still.”

Fingers pressed beneath her jaw and she could feel her grip loosening against her will. More fingers forced her teeth apart and her captive snatched his hand back with a flurry of curses. A cloth slipped over her nose and mouth and with a few last, weak struggles, she drifted into unconsciousness.

She hovered on the edge of wakefulness, her limbs feeling like lead and her eyes refusing to open. The voices around her sounded like they came from a long way off, echoing hollowing in her head.

“That’s going to leave a scar,” the younger voice said.

“Great.” That was the guard.

There was a speculative hum and the clink of something metallic being moved. “You don’t sound too happy about that.”

“There’s nothing to brag about a half-starved girl nearly taking off a chunk of my flesh with her teeth,” the guard snarled.

“How old do you suppose she is?”

“Hell if I know. The bitch has strong jaws. Perhaps you should write a warning on that medical transcript of yours.”

“She’s so young—”

“Good. She’ll fetch a higher price. I don’t care what happens after that.”

The healer — she decided that’s who the young voice was — made a sound of disgust. “That’s cruel and sick.”

“That’s orders,” the guard said dismissively. “It’s a shame about the hair. Most men are partial to long hair.”

“It’ll grow back. You better take a lye bath before you return to your quarters. Just as a precaution.”

“Great. One more thing to worry about. Sometimes I really hate my job.”

Footsteps moved away and Katara felt herself sinking back into oblivion. A whispered sigh reached her ears. “I always hate mine.”

Notes:

Recognizable quotes from “Imprisoned”

I’m pretty sure “jeohangja” means pretty girl.

Chapter 2: A Good Return

“There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread, but there are many more dying for a little love.”
– Mother Teresa

“If everyone howled at every injustice, every act of barbarism, every act of unkindness, then we would be taking the first step towards a real humanity.”
– Nelson DeMille

 

The days were steadily growing warmer which allowed Zuko to shed his heavy cloak during the late afternoon hours. It was nice not to have the restriction of armor and cloak. He felt free. He felt — his stomach rumbled — he felt hungry. He rubbed at his stomach as if that would rub the ache of hunger away. Life was never easy for him. Sometimes he wished — He shook his head. Azula was crazy. Never again, he swore to himself, never again would he fall for her manipulations. The past was gone. There was no regaining what he’d lost.

He tugged on the reins of his ostrich horse in agitation. Azula always lies. Thoughts of Azula brought his uncle to mind. Maybe he shouldn’t have left Uncle. His jaw tensed. He would not think about that. He was alone. It was more dangerous to travel together anyway. He was too recognizable and just brought trouble to Uncle.

Zuko sighed, pausing at the top of a hill to look down at the port below. He needed supplies, but port towns were bad places to go. He was bound to be recognized, with his face plastered on every wanted poster from here to the Fire Nation and probably in the Water Tribes as well. And not only his face, but the Blue Spirit too. All because he couldn’t let Zhao win. His fists clenched. There was no choice. It could be days before he came across another town and a less populated town meant other risks increased. No, the port would have to do.

He took shelter in the trees off the road, swinging out of the saddle and  digging through his one bag and pulling out the last of the bandages. They looked filthy, a result of massive amounts of rain and a surly ostrich horse. It took several minutes to wind the bandages around his head, covering his most distinctive feature. Perhaps that would diminish the chances of him being recognized and allow him the opportunity to slip in and out of town quickly. Ports were used to seeing the wounded come and go after all and one more would leave no lasting impression. After a quick debate on whether to leave the ostrich horse or not, he gathered the reins and started down into the town.

The port was teaming with activity. Merchants lined the streets, hawking their wares and offering deals. Firebenders moved through the crowd, the Earth Kingdom people clearing a wide path around them and covertly watching their progress. Zuko kept a close eye on the firebenders’ movements, keeping well out of their direct line of sight. First he would find food for himself, then he’d see what was available for the ostrich horse. If all else failed, the horse could find its own food.

Closer to the docks, both the streets and the people got rougher. As a result, the Fire Nation soldiers kept a more watchful eye on any who looked like trouble. Zuko could feel their eyes linger on him, narrowing suspiciously, and he stepped up to a booth, absently looking over the over-ripened produce. The moon peaches were on the far side of ripe and the alligator pears had large soft spots in their peels. He’d probably find better looking food in the rubbish heaps behind the taverns. A scornful scoff on his blind side drew his attention.

“There they are again. Bringing their barbaric practices here. No good Earth Kingdom man would do such a thing.”

Curious, Zuko turned, following the gazes of the two men next to him. A ship’s crew was unloading its cargo onto the pier while what could only be the captain and first mate herded a group of bedraggled, dispirited people to a small staging area. Several others had stopped to watch, leaning close and whispering to each other. Beside him, the conversation resumed.

“They must get a market—”

The first man laughed darkly. “Oh, they have a market all right. I have half a mind to go over there and—”

He started toward the docks, but his friend pulled him back, looking around anxiously. “Sh! That smacks of rebellion.”

“Good!” the man exclaimed, not caring that he was beginning to draw attention. He drew himself up, pointing an accusing finger at them. “You should be ashamed!”

His friend gasped, grabbing at his arm. “I’m sorry! He’s drunk. Quiet! You’re going to get us in trouble.”

“No! I won’t be quiet. How many of our own have been taken? How many are now whores for those fire bastards? And you call yourselves civilized.”

Zuko drew away from them, melting into the gathering crowd just as several Fire Nation soldiers approached the enraged man. “Sir, we’re going to have to ask you to quiet down. You’re disrupting the peace.”

“Disrupting the peace? You guys are destroying it! What peace is there in this spirit-forsaken world? You invade our land, murder our sons, rape our women and you dare talk to me about peace?”

Grumbles spread through the crowd and tension rose. The last place Zuko wanted to be was in the middle of a riot. Even in the Fire Nation, the end results of putting down a riot weren’t pretty. He finally made it to the back of the crowd when he heard a shout and the onlookers surged forward. He stumbled as people pushed past him and the ostrich horse jerked on his reins, protesting loudly at the commotion. From up the street he could see more soldiers approaching so Zuko had no choice but to retreat to the pier until things quieted down.

His eyes drifted to the ragged group now lined up evenly spaced in front of a crudely erected platform. He took in their appearance with a scowl, scanning the line. Slaves. The word left a sour taste in his mouth and it was worse knowing that the Fire Lord was fully aware of it and chose to ignore it. On the end was a girl. She was tan-skinned and half-starved and younger than the rest. His scowl deepened as he tried to remember why she looked so familiar. Whatever. He had better things to do and by the sound of it, the riot was in full swing. The soldiers would probably be occupied for a while. Perfect. He’d already spent too long in town.

His eye caught sight of the girl again and a memory surfaced. He’d seen her twice before and then she was simply gone. He’d always assumed she’d gone home, but the non-bending water brat had demanded to know where she was and even the Avatar had asked that one time he’d managed to capture the elusive airbender. Before he realized what he was doing, he was standing in front of her, his good eye narrowed on her.

“What are you doing here?”

It was a demand, not a question. He wanted answers for the violent fights he had to go through with the Avatar. Sometimes it felt more like the young airbender was hunting him than the reverse. Now he just wanted to be left alone. The Avatar had caused him nothing but trouble. Blue eyes flicked up, dull and flat, but he thought he detected something stir in the depths and then it was gone. She was small, too thin, an unhealthy look about her, and her hair… His scowl deepened. Her head had been shaved at some point. Probably because of lice. The girl didn’t answer, but flinched as the ship’s master scurried forward, bowing briskly in greeting and grinning up at Zuko, exclaiming, “Excellent choice, my lord!”

He started at the title, but casting a quick look at the man revealed nothing alarming. He frowned but the man didn’t seem perturbed, continuing to expound upon Zuko’s apparent selection. “She’s young and unsullied, my lord—”

The man gripped the neck of the girl’s threadbare tunic and ripped it open, exposing far more feminine flesh than he’d ever seen. Zuko felt his face heat.

“—perfectly healthy. She’s from the Northern Water Tribe—”

“Southern Water Tribe,” Zuko interrupted before he could stop himself. He cringed internally. He should’ve learned by now to keep his mouth shut.

The man grinned roguishly. “If you wish, my lord. You can even believe she’s the last waterbender if you like.”

The wink that followed the statement made his skin crawl. He grunted in disgust. The man was without honor. Besides, the Avatar and his friends were no longer his concern. He sneered and turned away, barely hearing the quiet, gasping sob that escaped the water girl. It tugged uncomfortably at something in his chest. He hesitated, Uncle’s voice pricking at him like his conscience, “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.”*

Annoyance welled up in him. Even away from Uncle, he couldn’t escape. Uncle and his stupid proverbs. What did that even mean?

“Surely you would not leave a young woman in distress, Zuko?”

He could almost feel his inner-Iroh’s disappointment. The ship master, seeing he was losing a customer, quickly changed tactics. “I see you are a noble soldier recovering from a brave battle. No doubt you would like some company as you recover. I will give you a discount on any of my…goods in honor of your service to our great nation.”

Zuko leveled him with a flat stare. He glanced at the girl again only to meet blue eyes. He forcibly looked away. His jaw clenched. He was going soft. “How much?”

“Three thousand.”

Zuko grit his teeth, resisting the urge to snarl. It’d be so much easier to just sneak in after dark and snatch her like he did the Avatar. He quickly abandoned that idea, no matter how tempting it was. The last thing he needed was the local law enforcement after him. Apparently there were many things on his list of ‘last things he needed.’ He really didn’t need a half-starved water girl either. Damn his conscience. “You’re kidding. It looks like she’ll fall over and die any moment. One thousand.”

“Twenty-five hundred and I’ll throw in a new set of clothes for the lady.”

Said clothes didn’t look much better than what she had on. “Keep your rags. Fifteen hundred.”

“Two thousand and I’ll go no lower.”

Zuko had been hoping to haggle it down a little more. Movement on board the ship caught his attention. The dealer cleared his throat and Zuko turned back, folding his arms across his chest, and bluffed, “Sixteen-fifty says I won’t report your actions to the authorities.”

He laughed. “The ‘authorities’ have given me their blessings, boy. Two thousand and that’s final.”

Zuko raised his single eyebrow. “Perhaps on the slaves, but what about the drugs?” He paused, letting that sink in, before allowing a small smirk. “And the weapons? I know those aren’t going back for Fire Nation use. I’m sure the Admiral would appreciate the tip.”

A dark scowl fell over the ship master’s face. “Fine. Sixteen-fifty.”

Money exchanged hands, the girl was cut from the rope, and the lead was handed to Zuko. He was now the proud owner of a waif of a slave girl. Zuko grimaced. Uncle would be so proud. The ship master bowed. “Pleasure doing business with you, sir. Enjoy your purchase.”

Zuko glared. First thing he was going to do when he became Fire Lord was destroy the man. He swore he could almost hear mocking laughter. It sounded an awful lot like Azula. Right. If he became Fire Lord. The thought did nothing to lighten his mood. With a final scowl at the man, Zuko turned and stalked off, dragging the girl and his ostrich horse behind him. Why was his life so difficult? It wasn’t fair.

“Um…Zuko—”

He barely heard her, but his name made his back stiffen and he immediately whirled, snarling, “Don’t call me that!”

She recoiled as if he’d struck her, eyes wide and fearful. Great. Now he felt like he had just kicked a saber-tooth moose-lion cub. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and passing a hand through his hair — he was still surprised that he had hair — before attempting to soften his words. “Call me Lee.” She nodded, her lips still clamped closed. He rolled his eyes. “What’s your name, girl?”

She blinked, swallowing nervously. “Katara.”

A wolf-whistle nearby brought Zuko’s attention to the crowd of teen boys at the corner, openly leering at the girl’s ripped clothing. They drew back under his fierce scowl and biting demand, “What are you looking at?”

They quickly hurried on, several casting assessing glances over their shoulders at them. With a final glare at their retreating back, Zuko turned and stalked into the market. He was rapidly coming to several conclusions: One, the girl was drawing too much attention; two, he had no more money; three, he was beginning to believe he’d made a very stupid decision; four, he still had no food. He glanced at the girl — Katara — and saw her clutching her tunic closed. She needed clothes.

He pulled her to the side, cutting her bindings before turning to pull out his cloak and throw it at her. Startled eyes looked up at him, but he ignored her, strapping his dao swords across his back and taking one of the saddle bags. When he turned back to her, she was wrapped tightly in the cloak. “Here — wait here with the ostrich horse. If you decide to run off, leave the horse. If you steal it, I’ll hunt you down and kill you myself.”

She nodded, taking the reins and eyeing the ostrich horse warily. He briefly wondered if she’d ever seen the animal before, but he pushed the thought away. What did he care? She’d probably be gone by the time he got back anyway. He just hoped she’d leave the ostrich horse behind. He wasn’t looking forward to walking across the Earth Kingdom.

Notes:

*Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Chapter 3: The Awkward Part

 “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope...and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
– Robert F. Kennedy 

“People never forget that helping hand, especially when times are tough.”
– Catherine Pulsifer

With the city on the brink of uprising, food and supplies were surprisingly easy to acquire. Most of the merchants were distracted by the crowds rushing by — or simply caught up in the fever pitch of rebellion — to pay attention to one masked man slipping down from an awning to grab a bag of feed or swiping produce from various stalls across the market. It was a shameful act, stealing someone’s livelihood, and he could still see Uncle’s look of resigned disappointment, but it couldn’t be helped. Especially now that he had used up all his money purchasing a slave he didn’t want. Perhaps that good deed would counteract all his bad ones. Somehow he doubted it would be that easy.

He stored the goods on a rooftop at the edge of the city then doubled back to find a tunic for the girl…if she was still around. He’d just have to make sure it’d fit him as well in case she decided to make a run for it. Zuko half-hoped she would. He was supposed to strike out on his own. The idea was to figure out who he was supposed to be. He was a loyal son of the Fire Nation, but every firebender he came across tried to kill him. Maybe it was just Azula trying to take the throne from him. It seemed like one of her plans. Still, not even a week had passed and here he was with another mouth to feed and considerably poorer. The Spirits just loved mocking him.

The tunic took longer to acquire than any of the other supplies he’d collected. Who knew people would be so protective of a scrap of cloth? In the end, he managed to snag one that looked like it would fit off a clothesline and he got several streets before he realized that it was rather small and feminine. Well, the girl had better not complain because he was not getting another one. Bunching the clothing into a compact ball, Zuko ducked into a darkened alley, quickly stripping off the blue mask and peeling off the dark clothing. Once everything was safely secured in his pack, he stepped onto the streets and started back to where he’d left the ostrich horse. The streets had emptied for the most part, those that didn’t want to be caught up in the riots hiding indoors and others out seeking adventure in some other part of the city a safe distance from annoyed firebenders. It was the perfect time to leave without much notice.

The girl was where he’d left her, anxiously twisting the reins of the ostrich horse and staring off in the direction he’d gone. He was approaching from the opposite direction and startled a gasp from her when she turned her head and caught sight of him. He barely spared the girl a glance, gathering the reins of the ostrich horse and securing his pack behind the saddle.

“I thought you’d be long gone by now.”

The girl said nothing, retreating a safe distance from him. Zuko scowled. He could remember not long ago when she had given him a tongue lashing, or at least showed more of a spine. She’d been loud. With a jerk of the reins, he started down the street before his inner-Iroh could chastise him for being insensitive and offer an uncharacteristic apology. He paused long enough to retrieve the supplies he’d hidden and then continued out the city gates. The girl dragged a few paces behind, her steps faltering on the uneven dirt streets. A bruise was beginning to form around her left eye. The sight stopped him short and his eyes narrowed. That bruise hadn’t been there before.

“Who hit you?”

Zuko never approved of violence against women and Katara was hardly more than a girl. She flinched, immediately ducking her head and turning her face so he couldn’t see it. “It’s nothing.”

His scowl deepened and part of him was tempted to march back into that Spirit-forsaken city and torch it. Maybe he’d even manage to set that ship ablaze. As satisfying as that thought was, it would achieve nothing except unwanted attention and waste time. Not that he was on any kind of schedule. A stiff wind blew and he caught her sway as it tugged at her clothing. He was right. She was going to fall over and die in a gust of wind.

“You are determined to follow me?”

She blushed, her eyes dropping to the dirt at her feet. “I don’t know where I am.”

He grunted, just catching her peering up at him through thick lashes before she hurriedly looked away. “Well, that’s not my problem. Go away.”

He swung himself up into the saddle, gathering the reins and calming the ostrich horse as it danced beneath him. She looked startled, reaching for the ostrich horse. “You’re just going to leave me?”

Zuko looked down at her, trying to ignore the fear that showed in her eyes. “Yes.”

She looked down the road, then back toward the port city. “But…”

Zuko pulled sharply on the reins, causing the ostrich horse to throw its head and squawk in protest. Her hand fell back to her side and she hugged herself, taking a step away from the agitated animal.

“It is a kingly act to assist the fallen.”

Zuko sat rigidly in the saddle, scowling. His inner-Iroh was back. Laughter echoed in his mind. A deep, belly chuckle. Much like Uncle. This was getting to be more trouble than he anticipated. It seemed like everything he did only compounded his problems.

“A trouble shared is a trouble halved.”

So, Uncle would not leave well enough alone. There was nothing for it. With a put upon huff, he focused on the girl. She was chewing on her lip, watery blue eyes watching him mournfully. When she caught sight of him looking at her, she straightened, sniffing back tears. Grudgingly, he asked, “Can you at least cook?”

Relief flooded her face and she nodded eagerly. “Yes. A little. I would help Gran-Gran—”

“Fine,” he interrupted. “Don’t slow me down.”

“Hey! What are you two doing out at this time?”

Zuko jerked around, cursing under his breath when he saw the two Fire Nation soldiers briskly approaching them. Zuko’s hands tightened on the reins, digging his knees into the sides of the bird when it protested. A few more steps and they’d recognize him. Maybe he was overreacting. Maybe—

“It’s the Fire Prince!”

Maybe he was right to avoid the Fire Nation and everyone connected to it. They dropped into bending positions. “By decree of Fire Lord Ozai, you’re under arrest! Dismount and keep your hands where we can see them!”

Zuko seized a fistful of Katara’s tunic, ignoring her surprised gasp when the tunic fell open as he yanked her up onto the ostrich horse. The bird stumbled, braying loudly. Fire erupted from the soldiers and Zuko deflected, urging the ostrich horse into a gallop toward the trees that lined the road.

“Stop, traitor!”

A quick glance over his shoulder revealed soldiers spilling onto the road from the city before his view was obstructed by the trees. Azula wasted no time sending out his wanted poster. For a brief moment he wondered what it said, but pushed the thought away. He had a pretty good idea based on what just happened anyway. Part of him felt betrayed. A sharp tug on his shirt brought him out of his thoughts, making him realize he’d been pushing the ostrich horse too hard. He could no longer hear the soldiers pursuing them so he halted, suddenly aware that the girl was pressed against his chest. He dumped her off his lap, pushing down the guilt when she hit the ground with a pained grunt.

“Don’t hang on me.”

An incredulous look crossed her face and for a moment he thought she would actually respond, but then she dropped her eyes and gingerly picked herself up. He dismounted the weary bird, calming it with a tender stroke on its beak before removing the saddle and packs.

“Zuko—”

The glare he leveled her made her mouth snap shut with an audible click. “What?”

She ducked, shaking her head. With a roll of his eyes, he dropped the packs at his feet, holding the reins out to her. “Go get water.”

She took the reins on reflex, glancing at the sagging animal. “Um…”

“That direction. Make sure you water the horse.”

He motioned absently toward the thick trees that surrounded the camp, then marched in the opposite direction. Surely the girl could sense her own element. He didn’t have to do everything for her now. He spent several minutes gathering dry wood and twigs before he returned to the clearing. The girl was gone. So was the ostrich horse. The saddle and packs remained. At least she’d left the supplies behind. Quickly setting up the logs, he took a deep breath, focusing his energy and then, with a deft flick of his wrist, created a spark. The wood was dry and caught quickly and soon the fire was burning steadily. Zuko watched the flames rise and fall with his breathing, content to watch his element. It was soothing.

A startled shriek echoed through the trees from the direction he’d pointed for water and he shot to his feet, the fire snuffing out in a cloud of smoke. He was through the trees before he could really analyze what he was doing, skidding to a halt several feet from where the girl knelt by a narrow stream. She looked surprised to see him, his hand already on the hilt of his broadswords and gold eyes sweeping the area for danger, anticipating the presence of the soldiers. Seeing none, he finally looked at her, taking in the damp clothes and water dripping from her hand. He scowled, demanding, “What?”

She blinked, looking down at her hand, then at the stream. She seemed unsure of what he was asking before finally saying, “It glowed.”

Still tense, body humming with adrenaline, he growled, “What glowed?”

Another glance at the stream and then her hand still cupping a small puddle of water, she gave him a sheepish shrug, her voice unsure as she offered, “The water?”

His hand fell from the broadswords, a look of incredulous disbelief coming to his face. “That’s it? That’s — you know what, never mind.”

He turned to stalk off, only vaguely aware that she scrambled after him until she touched his arm. He recoiled instantly, snarling, “Don’t touch me, peasant!”

She too flinched away as if he was going to strike her, face paling. There was that feeling again. Hadn’t they done this same thing earlier? Stupid girl. Stupid ship master. Stupid Earth Kingdom. This wasn’t fair. Zuko would have continued to sulk if the girl hadn’t shifted slightly and cleared her throat. He glared. She pretended to ignore it.

“I just wanted to show you.”

“I don’t want to see your stupid waterbending tricks.”

Hurt flashed across her face before she ducked her head, hiding her features. She moved back to the stream, kneeling at the edge. “You can watch from there…if you want.”

Hours later he still wouldn’t know why he stayed, but he did, watching her dip her hand into the water, her face scrunched in concentration as she slowly pulled it out again, her hand coated in a thin bubble of water. To his surprise, she turned toward him and started tugging at the rags that clothed her with her free hand. Before his alarm could amount to panic, she stopped, exposing a large burn on her shoulder that had been hidden beneath the ragged tunic. Zuko felt his stomach turn. Even from a distance he could see it red and festering. She moved, placing her water-coated hand over the burn, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. The water glowed a pale blue color, faintly lighting her features in the growing dusk. A final gasp and the water flowed freely, soaking into her tunic and dripping to the ground. Her head turned to examine her shoulder and unconsciously Zuko crept closer. Unable to resist, his hand reached out to trace smooth, unblemished skin. Suddenly realizing that he was touching her, he retreated several steps, brushing his hand against his pants.

“Whatever. You smell.”

The words were curt and rough. His attempt to maintain distance. Surprise colored her features, but he was avoiding looking at her. He quickly gathered the ostrich horse’s reins and started back to camp. Waterbenders were weird, he decided. Weird and — and — and just weird. She had looked at him with so much trust, even knowing he was a firebender.

By the time the girl returned from the stream, her hair clinging damply to her cheeks, Zuko had the fire going again and was digging through the packs in an attempt to put together something to eat. Without a word, he held out the tunic he’d snatched for her. She took it in some surprise before whispering a quiet “thank you” and vanished into the trees. When she returned, she had her clothes wrapped in a tight bundle in one hand and his cloak folded neatly in the other.

Without realizing it, Zuko sat on his heels, silently observing Katara’s appearance. The tunic hung loosely on her and she’d belted it around her middle, letting it fall to mid-thigh in a short dress. So it wasn’t too small after all, Zuko mused, his gaze lingering on her legs. A bizarre thought struck him making his face heat. Was all her skin as tan? She flushed under his eyes and he forced his gaze away, mechanically taking his cloak from her. Smoothing a hand nervously at her clothing, she marched to the fire, gleefully dumping her old clothes on the flames and nodding with satisfaction before moving around the fire and settling down. It was difficult not to stare at her. One would think he’d never seen a girl’s legs before. The flush in his cheeks deepened and he fell back against the ostrich horse saddle, pressing the palms of his hands against his eyes and trying to push his thoughts away.

This was not going to happen.

Chapter 4: Annoyances

“The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted.”
– Mother Teresa

“Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something and has lost something.”
– H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Zuko, Prince of the Fire Nation and heir-apparent to the throne, was not brooding, despite evidence to the contrary. It had been three days since he’d acquired the water girl. Three days of her stumbling behind him slowing him down. Three days of having to frequently stop so she wouldn’t die of exhaustion. Three days of her flinching if he so much as looked in her direction and each flinch making him feel like some kind of monster. Two nights of interrupted sleep as she screamed herself awake due to night terrors. Two mornings of her stammering apologies and cringing as if expecting a blow. He hated it.

Across the low burning campfire, Zuko heard a quiet whimper. Gold eyes narrowed. It appeared like it was about to be a third night of interrupted sleep. He should just pack up camp right now and leave. He didn’t need her. He didn’t want her. He didn’t want the guilt she epitomized. But he stayed. The girl kicked, a wordless cry escaping her lips, and he could see her features twisting in fear. He scowled. He was too soft. Zuko rolled out of his blankets and pushed himself to his feet with an annoyed grunt. It was only going to get worse.

The ostrich horse looked up as Zuko made his way around the campfire. Zuko gave the animal a passing pat then knelt beside the girl. He studied her shivering form for a moment, considering his options. He could leave her to wake on her own, but he was beginning to believe that the cycle of night terrors would never end. He could vaguely remember Uncle waking him during the night after his banishment. Foggy memories returned of Uncle explaining dreams and nightmares and the psychology behind it, but at the time he had just wanted to sleep and by the next morning he could hardly recall waking during the night.

The girl’s hand shot out, nearly connecting with his jaw, and Zuko jerked back. He’d almost forgotten that he’d burned up his bedding during one of his night terrors. That could’ve ended tragically for him if Uncle hadn’t been wandering the ship’s corridors for a midnight snack.

Fortunately it wasn’t possible for the girl to set fire to the forest. He grasped her shoulder none too gently and gave it a rough shake.

“Wake up, peasant!”

The girl woke with a startled gasp, struggling away from him only to land face first in the dirt not a foot from him, panting heavily. Neither moved for several minutes until she turned her head, blue eyes squinting in the dark. Her voice shook when she spoke, “Zuko?”

He grunted, standing and wiping his hands off on his pants. His good deed was done. He stepped around her and back to his side of the fire without saying a word and settled back in his spot, turning his back to her and focusing on his breathing. He could feel her eyes on him, but he was determined to ignore her. She was an annoyance. That was all. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The days passed much the same since Zuko gained Katara’s company. They traveled together, hardly speaking — Zuko maintaining a determined silence while Katara peppered him with questions. She’d apparently determined that he wasn’t going to strike her. He almost wished she’d return to the cowed creature she was those first days. Then he felt ashamed of himself for the thought.

The nights were calmer, Katara seemed to wake herself before her nightmares got too intense and would stare into the glowing embers of their campfire until morning…or she fell back to sleep. More often than not, she’d watch the sky lighten with the dawn and see Zuko stir as the forest around them brightened. He’d ignore her. As he did every morning.

The seventh night, Katara woke with a startled gasp. The campfire was a few warm embers that cast just enough light for Katara to make out Zuko’s form on the far side of the fire. The firebender seemed adamant about maintaining a safe distance from her, spreading his bedroll on the other side of the fire and making a show of settling down with a pointed glare in her direction. She hugged her knees, shivering as the remains of a nightmare gradually slipped away. If she were back home, she’d crawl into bed with Gran-Gran or Sokka. Gran-Gran would scold her, telling her she was far too old to hide from her nightmares. Sokka would hardly wake, grumbling about protecting her from evil firebenders before dropping off with a snore.

The thought made her smile. What would Sokka think if he found out it was the evil firebender that rescued her? A sudden twitch from said firebender drew her attention. He was curled on his side and she could just see his unblemished cheek in the dim light. Now that he wasn’t scowling at her, he looked younger than she thought. His brow furrowed and he frowned in his sleep. It made her wonder if he had nightmares too. It seemed so human. So unlike the monstrous stories the elders of her tribe told about the invasions.

A cool breeze picked up and she shivered again. Despite the open air and trees surrounding her, she still felt trapped and alone. Her nightmares weren’t going to let her sleep. She bit her lip, considering Zuko’s form for a moment before coming to a decision. Gathering her blankets, she quietly made her way around the campfire. At Zuko’s side, she hesitated. It was one thing to crawl into bed with her grandmother or brother, but it was entirely different when it was a strange, firebending man. Her usual place across the fire looked uninviting and, ignoring the mental tsking of her Gran-Gran, she spread her blankets out and snuggled into the small space on Zuko’s bedroll, covering the both of them with the edge of her blanket. It was the comfort of another human being she wanted, it didn’t matter if that other human being was a firebender and currently hated her or not.

Zuko woke slowly the next morning, stretching kinks out of cramped muscles and brushing against the still slumbering waterbender next to him. He rolled away with a muttered curse, tripping over his tangled blanket and scrambling to his feet, eyes darting around the fire, desperately hoping he had not crawled into bed with the girl. If Uncle or — Spirits forbid — Azula found out, he’d never live it down. A quick scan of the small camp proved he hadn’t moved from his bedroll. Relief was quickly followed by anger and embarrassment. Hauling the slumbering waterbender up by her tunic, he roared, “What were you thinking?”

The girl cringed, her hands flying to cover her face, a wordless cry of fear escaping her before she went limp. Zuko stared at her, suddenly realizing how rough he’d been. He released her, stepping back as she crumpled to the ground and curled into a ball. His heart leapt in his chest, lungs heaving. He struggled to gather his thoughts again, sneering, “I don’t share my bed with peasants.”

“I had a nightmare.”

“So you just crawl into a man’s bed? Did you expect me to comfort you?”

Blue eyes peeked up at him. “No. I—”

“Don’t do it again.”

He stalked off, swiping up his broadswords as he passed them, and disappeared into the trees. Some time alone would do them both good and maybe he could forget that he was the one with his arm around her waist. 

When he returned to camp, Katara had already packed what few belongings they had and was waiting by the ostrich horse. Zuko passed her in stoney silence, barely giving her a passing glance. She followed quietly behind him, watching as he kept vigilant watch of the trees around him.

That night, when Katara woke with a start from her nightmares, Zuko feigned sleep, watching as she sat shivering in silence before she gathered her blanket and crept quietly to his side. He shifted, raising himself on an elbow and frowning at her.

“What?”

She hesitated, bitting her lip in thought. “I miss my brother.”

The statement wasn’t what he was expecting and caused him to pause. Her words reminded him of his own sister — back when his family was happy, back before she knew she could bend — crawling into his bed in the middle of the night, teary-eyed and trembling from a nightmare. The Fire Palace hadn’t exactly been a pleasant, enriching environment for children. With a defeated sigh, he turned away, making no protest when he felt Katara settle down next to him. Eventually her nightmares would vanish and she’d stay on her own bedroll, in the meantime he would try to ignore the comfort that there were, perhaps, two people in the world who weren’t trying to kill him.

After years of naval life, the transition from sleep to consciousness was almost instantaneous for Zuko. He sat up, eyes immediately sweeping the campsite for the cause of his sudden awakening. To his surprise, it was well past dawn and Katara was already awake, kneeling next to a cheerfully crackling campfire and turning two fish on a spit. Her wide, blue eyes were watching him in surprise, startled by his sudden movements. Zuko scowled, easing his grip on his broadswords and slumping, running a hand over his face as his mind adjusted to his abrupt waking. She seemed to take his relaxed posture as assurance that he wasn't going to attack her because she smiled. Almost a week of good sleep and semi-regular meals was bringing back a healthy glow to her skin. “Good morning!”

He dropped his hand to his lap, glaring at her and ignoring her chipper greeting. “Where did you get the fish?”

Her head tilted curiously and she looked from him to the fish over the fire and shrugged. “Caught them. Sokka’s actually better than I am at the whole hunting thing, but—”

Zuko stood with a grunt, cutting her off, “I don’t care about your peasant life.”

Fire sparked in her eyes and Zuko felt some kind of satisfaction when he saw it. It made her look not quite so…dead. Her cheeks puffed out as she huffed with annoyance. “You’re not exactly living in the lap of luxury yourself!”

His eyes narrowed. “I haven’t lowered myself enough to crawl around in the mud like a peasant.”

Her fists balled on her knees and her back straightened with indignation. “At least my people have honor!”

Anger rose hotly in his face and his teeth clenched in a snarl. Direct hit. She suddenly looked contrite, biting her lips nervously and he tried to school his expression, a smirk rising to his lips. “A slave should not speak back to her master.”

She looked stunned at his casual reminder, her mouth working soundlessly. Feeling rather smug that he had reduced her to speechlessness, Zuko turned away from her and started for the stream nearby. “Don’t burn my breakfast, peasant.”

He suppressed a snicker when her wordless shout of anger followed him into the trees. Yes, she was gaining more of a personality each day. It was amusing to get a rise out of her. It was far more entertaining than the nearly lifeless doll she’d been when he’d first picked her up. He shook the thoughts from his head, once again grumbling about getting soft.

Zuko finished his morning ablutions quickly, quietly returning to camp. A frustrated groan reached him and he paused at the edge of the trees to watch the scene at the campfire. The girl was scowling at the tin cup she’d set on the ground in front of her, her hands tense as she performed a few halting waves over the cup. A quivering stream of water rose from the cup and her scowl deepened with concentration as she tried to keep it together. Her mouth twisted into a snarl as her control over the water weakened the farther she drew it from its source. Suddenly, the control snapped and the water splashed back to the cup, spilling over the sides and soaking into the dirt. Her posture slumped and she pressed a hand to her forehead, a defeated sigh escaping her lips. Zuko frowned, unpleasant memories stirring. In an attempt to push them away, he stalked into the camp, demanding, “Where’s breakfast?”

She started in surprise, upsetting the tin cup and frowning at him, but motioned to the two fish that were keeping warm on a flat stone near the fire. “Take your pick.”

Zuko stared down at the two fish, irritation shooting through him. His previous attempts at fishing had resulted in failure, with the one fish successfully caught hardly even qualifying as bait. His gaze shifted to the girl. How she managed to catch two decent sized fish without a pole was beyond him.

Snatching up one of the fish, he moved around the fire to sit on his bedroll. He picked at the perfectly roasted fish, cautiously watching the girl as she waited for him to chew and swallow. When he said nothing and continued eating, she released a quiet breath and took the second fish.

“You — where’s your pony tail?”

The question startled him and he felt his defenses rise. She had no idea how sensitive of a topic she broached. The part of him he called his inner-Iroh warned him not to take offense, but he couldn’t help snapping back,  “Where’s your braid?”

Her hands flew to her shorn locks, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. She pressed the ragged ends to her head, keeping her eyes lowered. “The prison medic shaved my head.”

Zuko was not surprised. It was a common practice to shave the hair to get rid of flealice. She shrank in on herself, tears of shame welling in her eyes before she looked away. Her hair was at that awkward stage of growth, all varying lengths and odd cowlicks. It didn’t help that her hair had curl to it. Zuko shifted uncomfortably, guilt gnawing at him. He didn’t mean to make her feel so awful. For the first time in his life, Zuko wondered if the Water Tribe had meaning behind their hairstyles. The thought struck him as strange. He thought back. He hadn’t missed that only the old woman he’d grabbed and the girl had those…hair loopies. He wondered if that meant something specific. Katara sniffled. Maybe she was just crying because they cut her hair. He’d heard of girls growing attached to long hair and bawling when they needed it trimmed. He tried to picture Azula doing such a thing, but found it impossible. His sister wasn’t normal. The small sniffle from her still made him feel like the world’s biggest jerk. Desperate to stop the flow of tears, he sputtered the first thing he could think of: “It’ll grow back.”

He winced. Yes, he was growing soft. Azula would cackle for hours if she knew. She’d probably come up with a dozen new derogatory nicknames within two breaths. Watery blue eyes shot to him in surprise before a bright smile bloomed. Her smile made his cheeks heat and he glared. Unfortunately, his glare did nothing to deter her smile. “I like your hair better now than the pony tail. It looks fluffy.”

His ears reddened and he resisted the urge to run a hand through his hair. He hadn’t felt so flustered since Uncle Iroh decided he needed to talk to him about girls and dreams and — and Zuko shoved the thoughts away. He did not want to remember that particular lecture.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They’d been traveling for several hours and Katara had been riding the ostrich horse for almost half an hour when she decided there’d been enough silence for the day and smiled down at the sulking teenager walking next to her. He was trying to ignore her, and failing miserably if his quick glances were anything to go by. Her smile widened and he scowled at her, giving up all pretenses.

“What?”

“This is the first time I’ve left the South Pole,” she told him.

Zuko rolled his eyes. “Good for you.”

“When was the first time you left the Fire Nation?”

Surprisingly, Zuko’s scowl deepened. “I was thirteen.”

He offered nothing more, staring angrily at the trees ahead of them, fingers tightening on the reins. Katara hummed thoughtfully, giving him a once over. “How long ago was that?”

“Three, almost four, years ago.”

“Have you been home again?”

Zuko shot her an annoyed look and stomped ahead, ignoring the  surprise in her eyes. They continued like that for the rest of the morning. Zuko remained several feet in front of Katara and the ostrich horse and she kept her mouth shut. Around mid-day, Zuko paused by a stream, removing the saddlebags from the ostrich horse when Katara reached him. Katara slipped from the saddle, taking the waterskins Zuko thrust at her. He was walking away again before she could summon some kind of apology, though she wasn't sure why she felt she had to offer one.

Katara filled the waterskins quickly, checking over the packs and stroking the ostrich horse’s beak in a soothing manner when its feathers fluffed in agitation. She made a quick meal from their dried rations and cobbled the ostrich horse so it could dig around in the dirt in the surrounding area.

Zuko had been gone for nearly a quarter of an hour with no sign of appearing any time soon. Katara watched the trees he’d disappeared into with a growing sense of anxiety. She wondered if she’d finally pushed him to abandoning her in the middle of nowhere. Annoyed with herself, she huffed, folding her arms. She could find the road and the next village on her own if it came to that. She didn’t need some depressed firebender showing her the way. The ostrich horse scratched at the ground, feathers ruffling as it found things of interest. He wouldn’t leave without the bird, would he? A twig snapped and Zuko emerged from the trees. He glanced over her and the ostrich horse. Katara opened her mouth to say something, but Zuko brushed past her, cutting her off, “Let’s go.”

Katara quickly gathered the reins, hurrying after him. He still appeared angry. “Zuko? Are you okay?”

Gold eyes flicked to her. “I’m fine.”

He certainly didn’t look fine. Katara worried her lip, walking in silence next to him. When she could handle the silence no longer, she ventured another question, “Do you know where we’re going?”

They trooped through the woods for several more minutes and Katara was just resigning herself to walking in silence when Zuko answered, “No.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The trees grew thick and close together and the ground became softer. Several times they had to backtrack and find firmer ground. Progress was slow. Eventually, Zuko came to a stop, glaring darkly at the murky water that lapped at the muddy bank in front of him. Katara slipped from the saddle, grimacing as her feet sank into mud. She approached the glowering firebender, cautiously asking, “What is it?”

“It’s a swamp.”

She turned curious eyes to her surroundings, ignoring Zuko’s scowl of displeasure. Her eyes moved over the thick roots, moss, and tepid water. “This is the first time I’ve seen a swamp.”

Zuko turned slightly to regard her, his expression carefully neutral. “This is an adventure of many firsts for you.”

She blushed, twisting the reins in her hand. “The village was small.”

He looked like he was going to say something before he changed his mind and turned back to the swamp. The silence stretched between them until he released a resigned sighed. “The fastest way is through.”

“Through?” she asked uncertainly, giving the swamp a critical look. The murky water at her feet released a nauseous belch. She grimaced. “It looks…cheerful.”

“Around would take too long.”

Katara nodded slowly, biting her lip as Zuko tested a thick root and forged ahead. With one last glance back the way they’d come, Katara followed behind, pulling a protesting ostrich horse behind her.

Chapter 5: The Swamp

"The race of humankind would perish did they cease to aid each other. We cannot exist without mutual help. All, therefore, that need aid, have a right to ask for it from their fellow humans; and no one who has the power of granting can refused it without guilt."
– Sir Walter Scott

"A good deed is never lost: he who sows courtesy, reaps friendship; and he who plants kindness, gathers love."
– Basil

Katara cautiously stepped over the twisting roots, pulling the struggling ostrich horse behind her. Zuko forged ahead, his broadswords out and swinging at the tangle of vines that blocked their path and tugged at their clothing. His occasional mutterings and cursings brought a smile to her lips. It reminded her so much of her brother. She pushed away the pang of homesickness, focusing on placing her feet firmly on the slick path.

A bloodcurdling shriek echoed through the trees, sending a chill down her spine and making her hair stand on end. Zuko froze, gold eyes narrowing as he looked into the shadows. A flutter of wings nearby drew their attention to a small bird. Beady black eyes regarded the pair with a disconcerting shrewdness. Its beak opened and the chilling shriek again echoed through the swamp. A sharp thwack sounded and a broadsword was lodged in the place the bird had been sitting moments before. The annoyed squawking of the bird proved that Zuko had missed. Katara watched it flit into the shadows, its shriek growing fainter. With a shudder, she turned when Zuko tugged the sword free with a grunt. He gave the blade a scowling once-over, ignoring when Katara stepped closer. “This place is creepy.”

He grunted, shouldering one of the broadswords and looked around at the limited view. “You’re telling me.”

“Maybe it would’ve been better to go around?”

They both turned to look back in the direction they’d come only to see that the path Zuko had cleared was grown over again. Before their eyes, the vines tightened, twisting around themselves in a thick latticework. Katara backed away, edging closer to the firebender, and Zuko’s mouth tightened. “Doesn’t look like that’s a choice anymore.”

“This place has now reached the beyond creepy stage.”

Zuko gave a stiff nod and took a few steps forward. Suddenly he tensed, spinning to his right. Katara held her breath, clutching the reins of the ostrich horse nervously. Surprise flitted across Zuko’s face and his knuckles whitened on the hilts of his swords. A moment later, he straightened with a bemused frown. Katara swallowed, whispering, “What is it?”

He shook his head, uncertainty coloring his words, “I thought I saw — I don’t know. We should go.”

An ominous rumble shook the swamp and they froze, exchanging wary looks before vines snapped out of the water, wrapping around their ankles and flung them in opposite directions. Katara only had time for a scream of Zuko’s name and then she was crashing to the ground, tumbling down a sudden decline. The impact made the breath rushed from her lungs and she coughed as she struggled to breathe. She stumbled to her feet, frantically searching the thick trunks and vines. She was alone.

“Zuko?”

Her voice sounded small. She felt small. She waited anxiously, straining to hear any hint of the firebender. There was nothing but the croak of a frog and the steady hum of insects. She splashed through the shallow water to the bank, grimacing as her shoes squished uncomfortably. She attempted to pull the water from her clothes and shoes but was still left with a damp feeling that left a chill along her skin despite the heat.

“Katara…”

Her name was soft, as if carried on a breeze from a great distance. She froze, turning slowly. Nothing. She was still alone.

“Katara.”

She spun again, coming face to face with green eyes and dark brown hair. A startled cry rose from inside her and she stumbled backward. He hadn’t changed from what she remembered him. Tears stung her eyes and he reached for her. With a sob, she turned and fled. She didn’t care where she went, she just had to get away. Eventually, she sank to the ground, wrapping her arms around herself and pressing her forehead to the ground in front of her, heaving gulping breaths.

“Katara.”

She shot to her feet, blue eyes wide and wild. He was back and he wasn’t alone. Familiar blue eyes looked at her from the woman next to him. The gasp caught in her throat. She stumbled backward only for another voice to rumble her name behind her. She spun to find an older green-eyed man staring down at her.

“You let us die, Katara.”

Suddenly, there were other green-eyed men and women pressing closer to her. The earthbenders from the Prison Rig. The ones caught between rebellion and the Warden’s ruthless suppression. Katara backed away, panic rising and choking her. A ghost of a hand brushed her arm and she cringed away. Matching blue eyes looked down at her and Katara felt her voice crack, “Mom…”

Sadness shone in her eyes. Sadness and disappointment. “You killed me, Katara.”

The words cut deep. “N-no! I didn’t—”

The mutterings of the shades grew louder, drowning out her cries of protest. “Your fault. Your fault! Your fault!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Zuko shook the water from his hair, stumbling to his feet, sheathing both his broadswords and taking stock of his surroundings. The vines had disappeared as quickly as they’d arrived and he was now alone. He briefly wondered what had happened to his ostrich horse but pushed the thought away. He had greater things to worry about at the moment. He cast another sweeping look at his surroundings. Figuring out where the hell he was would be a good start. And probably finding the girl would be another. He listened intently for Katara, but only heard the gentle lapping of water and the groan of the trees. He took a deep breath, calling, “Katara?”

The swamp seemed to swallow his words. Figures. With a final glance at where he’d landed, he picked a random direction and set off. For what seemed like hours, Zuko picked his way over exposed roots and ducked under hanging vines. Unusual birds watched him with beady eyes and the occasional shrieking call of them still felt like claws dragging down his spine. The water was deeper than before and he’d learned his lesson after nearly drowning himself crossing what apparently turned out to be a slow moving river. The weight of the broadswords did nothing to make swimming easier.

He caught a pair of categators watching him from the middle of the river and quickly backed away from the edge of the water, picking a different, and hopefully safer, route. His fifth time tripping over an exposed root, Zuko decided it was time to take a break and reassess his situation. He was getting thirsty and the swamp water didn’t look particularly palatable, though there might not be another option available.

Zuko took a seat on a thick root, stretching his legs out in front of him and regarding the mud that was caked his shoes and halfway up his legs. The shoes hadn’t been the greatest thing he’d ever owned, but they’d been serviceable. Now they would probably never dry out and would most likely stink of swamp for the remainder of their existence. He released a heavy sigh, slumping slightly and rubbing at the strained muscles in his neck. New shoes, clean clothes, good food, and a comfortable bed were the things of fantasy now. A flicker of movement to his left made him shoot to his feet, falling into a firebending stance automatically. Amused laughter made him falter and Zuko’s eyes widened. He recognized that laugh, though couldn’t believe his ears. It shouldn’t be possible.

“Lu Ten?”

A ray of sunshine and shadow flickered and a figure took shape. It took the form of a young man. A young man Zuko last saw almost ten years ago. His cousin and Uncle Iroh’s son. Zuko stared, jaw slack. The young Fire Nation man smiled, eyes glinting in a way all too reminiscent to Iroh’s. “Hello, Zuko.”

Surprise faded from Zuko’s features and his eyes narrowed suspiciously as he brought his hands back to a defensive position. “You’re not real. You’re dead.”

“I am,” the shade easily agreed with a casual lift of its shoulders. “But time runs differently here.”

It would seem speaking in riddles ran in the family. At least on Uncle’s side of the family. The familiarity was reassuring and Zuko relaxed. “What do you mean?”

Lu Ten motioned to the swamp around them. “The Spirit World lies close to the surface in this swamp. Everything in the world is connected in some fashion. Here the line between the Here and the Hereafter blurs somewhat.”

Zuko stared blankly. “Sounds like Avatar stuff.”

Lu Ten laughed softly. “Yes. The Avatar is the mediator between life and the Spirit World, but he knows that not all Spirits are benevolent. Some can take on the image of those we’ve loved and prey upon our guilts and fears until, driven to despair, we give up on life.”

A terror-filled scream split the air and Zuko jerked in the direction it’d come from, exclaiming, “Katara!”

“Her ghosts are overwhelming her,” Lu Ten said solemnly. “It seems her ghosts hold her more strongly than she was willing to admit. One thing more, cousin, the world needs balance; in life and in death.”

Another scream pierced the swamp and, without another word, Zuko took off toward the scream, vaguely hearing Lu Ten calling after him, “Remember, Zuko, don’t try to be someone you’re not!”

Zuko burst through a screen of vines just in time to see Katara fall from the root path and into the sluggish river below. She surfaced, struggling to keep her head above water and Zuko quickly shed his broadswords, dropping them on the twisting roots that served as a bridge over the water. He leapt in after her before he could give himself time to question his sanity or the wisdom of his actions. She went under just before he reached her and he dove, grabbing her arm and pulling her to the surface. She surfaced with a gasp, clutching at him frantically as he struggled to keep them both afloat. He sputtered as she unintentionally dunked him and he grabbed her arms, forcing her to loosen her grip on his neck so he could breathe. “Calm down before you kill us both!”

She calmed enough for Zuko to make his awkward way toward the bank. She said nothing, her face pressed to the side of his neck and her arms clinging to him, gasping for breath and shivering with fear. Zuko dragged her out of the water, setting her on the ground and sitting back on his heels in front of her, breathing heavily. Dirty water leaked into his eyes so he pushed his wet hair off his forehead and swiped the excess water away as much as he could, a crooked grin coming to his lips. The whole situation felt surreal and absurd.

Katara wrapped her arms around her legs, pushing her forehead against her knees and attempting to calm her shivers. Now that they were both out of the water, Zuko was finding the entire situation amusing. “It’d be pretty stupid for a waterbender to drown in their own element.”

Her head snapped up and she glared. “Excuse me! I grew up in the South Pole, we don’t exactly do a lot of swimming there.”

Despite the evidence before him, he couldn’t help feeling surprised. Disregarding his previous words, he really had thought the girl knew how to swim. Or at least bend her element to her will to assist her. “You don’t know how to swim?”

She bristled at his incredulous tone. “Oh? And you can?”

He smirked, glancing back at the river they’d just crawled out of, and meeting her eyes again, drawled, “Obviously.”

A blush rose on Katara’s cheeks and she huffed, dropping her head back to her knees. “No need to act all smug about it, jerk.”

“I just thought — you being a waterbender and all,” he trailed off awkwardly, flushing at his stupidity. She kept her face hidden, making no move to respond to his apparent assumption. He dropped to a seat next to her, sulking at the river as it lapped at the shore near their feet. This was not how he pictured the aftermath of a rescue. He was a prince and he just rescued the damsel-in-distress. Didn’t that warrant some kind of thank you? The stories always said the girl was grateful for the assistance.

“Thank you.”

Zuko startled, turning to look at the waterbender next to him. Blue eyes peeked shyly at him from behind her knees. He quickly looked away, muttering, “Whatever.”

They sat in silence, Zuko’s thoughts turning back to the swords he’d discarded and wondering if he could backtrack and find them again. A glance at the girl revealed she wasn’t yet ready to make the trip through the dense surroundings. It’d probably be quicker to go by himself and return. A small sob pulled him from his musings and he looked at her.

“I saw Haru and Tyro and the other earthbenders from the Prison Rig,” she told him, tears welled in her eyes and she hurriedly brushed them away. “It’s my fault they died.”

Zuko frowned, trying to recall a Prison Rig riot. That had been when he was still hunting the Avatar. Before the siege against the North. That’s where he’d found evidence of the Avatar’s travels. Evidence, but nothing more. His hand brushed against the hidden pocket of his tunic, checking to see if he still had it tucked away securely in an inner pocket. A quiet sniffle brought him back to the present.

“It’s not your fault,” he said, much to his surprise.

“What?”

Zuko sighed, running a hand through his damp hair. He was not good at this. His family didn’t do comfort. Or sympathy. Such weakness would never have been accepted by his father. “The earthbenders. It’s not your fault they died. They made a choice and fought for it. They died with honor.”

She swiped at her nose, sniffling. “But they still died.”

She shrank away at the glare he directed at her as he bit out, “Don’t trivialize their sacrifice.”

He appeared surprised at his defense of earthbenders and looked away uncomfortably. The silence stretched between them before Zuko gave a defeated sigh. “I heard that, because of the riot, the Prison Rig was unable to continue building ships. It set back the Fire Nation’s naval movements for several months. I don’t think they’ve found another way to build ships quickly since.”

Katara was silent, letting her mind ponder Zuko’s words. Zuko shifted to stand, muttering something about getting his broadswords, and started backtracking up the riverbank. The trip didn’t take that long, though the effort of climbing over roots and struggling through dense, hanging vines hindered any swiftness of movement. He returned several minutes later with his broadswords strapped with comfortable reassurance against his back once more. Katara hadn’t moved from where he’d left her and he frowned down at her a moment and then at their surroundings. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen the ostrich horse since we got separated?”

Katara shot to her feet with a gasp, surprising Zuko, and frantically started searching the trees around them. “We’ve lost Feathers!”

“Feathers,” Zuko deadpanned.

She nodded, informing him, “He needed a name.”

“She,” he corrected with a roll of his eyes. “And no, she didn’t.”

Katara gasped. “That’s so cruel!”

Zuko was already turning away, examining the higher bank for a space out of the flood plain. “We’ll camp here for tonight. Looks like we’re out of rations until we find the ostrich horse again. If we ever find the ostrich horse. Do you think you could waterbend us some fish?”

Katara approached the river, peering into the slow moving water. There wasn’t much to see. It was still somewhat muddy from their earlier swim and the water as murky to begin with. “Maybe. I don’t know how many fish I’d be able to find.”

The two benders crouched at the water’s edge, patiently watching for the faint flicker of a fish to swim past them. Katara watched Zuko from the corner of her eye, stifling a giggle as he scratched at a streak of dried mud on his cheek. She bit her lip, quickly dropping her eyes back to the river. “I really don’t know how to waterbend. I mean, I can. A little. I was supposed to go to the North Pole with Aang. There weren’t any waterbenders in the Southern Tribe anymore so our sister tribe is the only way for us to learn.”

Zuko grunted, responding absently, “No chance of that now. The Northern Tribe isn’t letting any ships within a hundred leagues of them.”

Surprised, Katara turned to look him full in the face. “What? Why?”

“Oh, the Fire Nation laid a three day siege against them this past winter.” He seemed to consider his words a moment before adding, “And Zhao tried to kill the moon spirit.”

Katara’s brow furrowed as she vaguely remembered a deep sense of loss at one point while she’d been imprisoned, but those days blurred together and she couldn’t remember when that happened. “Tried to?”

Zuko shrugged, rubbing tense muscles in his neck. “The Avatar went all Avatar State on him. Destroyed a great deal of the Tribe and even more of the invading Fire Nation’s force. He hasn’t been seen or heard from since. He’s assumed dead.”

“Aang?”

The name seemed to confuse him for a moment before he shook his head. “No, Zhao.”

Katara breathed a sigh of relief, sinking into her thoughts. She poked at the murky water, watching it move sluggishly at her prodding. “I wonder if Aang has mastered waterbending yet.”

She missed Zuko’s wince, only catching the roll of his shoulders as if he was testing out an old injury. “He has.”

Suspicion entered her eyes and she turned a searching look on the firebender. “How do you know?”

Zuko avoided meeting her eyes. “I — We’ve…run into each other a few times.”

Katara opened her mouth to demand a more in-depth explanation when a creature stumbled out of the woods nearby and approached the river. They both turned to look at it, all thoughts of fish vanishing from their minds. The creature stood on two legs, its long, rat-like tail was held out for balance, and small, beady eyes observed them from a rodent-like face. Its wings fluttered nervously. Neither bender moved for a moment, stunned at its sudden appearance. Zuko shifted first, slowly reaching for his broadswords. Seeing his movements and guessing his thoughts, Katara hissed, “What is that?”

“Dinner.”

Zuko leapt to his feet, lunging forward. The creature gave a startled squawking hiss and dashed back into the trees with Zuko fast on its tail. Katara knelt in the mud beside the river, surprised that the firebender had made such a rapid decision and acted upon it. Her brother seemed to spend more time analyzing the situation before committing himself. Was it because the firebender was older?

Several minutes later, Zuko returned with the animal in one hand and a broadsword in the other. He frowned, holding up the bloodied animal. “I don’t suppose you know how to field-dress this?”

Katara laughed, pushing herself to her feet and wiping the mud off her hands on her pants. “Spoiled prince.” She reached for it, Zuko gladly handing it over, and held it up for inspection. “What is it?”

“My guess, a possum-chicken,” Zuko said, still looking at the animal curiously. “I’ve never actually seen one.”

After another moment of curious inspection, she asked the question they were both wondering, “Can we eat it?”

Their eyes met, Katara’s sparkling with amusement. Zuko shrugged, answering seriously, “I guess we’ll find out.”

She giggled, adjusting her hold on the possum-chicken. “Do you have a knife?”

Zuko reluctantly reached down and pulled the dagger from his boot. He hesitated before handing it to her with a slight frown. Katara took it with a grin. “Watch and learn, Prince Zuko.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A quiet splash woke him the next morning. It was unusual for him to sleep past daybreak. The surge of energy from the sun was difficult to sleep through. Despite not being able to see the sky, he could sense the sun had already risen well above the horizon. A quick survey of the camp revealed that Katara was awake and missing from her usual place on the other side of the fire. The small fire he’d manage to light the night before was a pile of smoking embers that he gradually managed to coax back to life.

He was so tired of the damp feeling that permeated everything. A louder splash further down the river caught his attention and he rose to his feet, wincing as his joints snapped and popped. A real bed, he told himself, would be worth a small fortune at this point. He approached quietly, pausing to watch Katara struggle to get the water to bend to her will. Her shoulders tensed and her arms shot out stiffly. The water surged violently before breaking in a wave over her head, drenching her.

“Ah! Damn it!”

The cry of frustration was louder than she intended, by the embarrassed cringe that immediately followed the exclamation, and he had to wonder how long she’d been trying to teach herself waterbending. Granted, he had teachers from the time he was old enough to exhibit firebending capabilities, but the memories were far from pleasant. It had been degrading to be constantly compared to his sister, told he was a failure and disappointment in all aspects of the bending art, and then told that he’d never amount to much of a bender and perhaps it would be better to take up calligraphy and flower arrangement instead. Even years later, the memory still brought a blush of shame to his face. He snapped from his recollections at Katara’s sudden shouting, “Bend! Move!”

Her movements were erratic and uncoordinated. She’d reached the point of useless frustration. In that state she was bound to learn nothing and more likely to injure herself in the process. Granted, her element wasn’t likely to engulf her in flames if she got too angry. The worst he could imagine was that she’d drench herself even more than she already was. Zuko sighed, stepping forward. “Trouble?”

She startled, spinning around with a small scream, “Zuko!”

He made a point of observing her dripping hair and soaked clothing. “What are you doing?”

Turning to hide her blush, she huffed, folding her arms protectively across her chest. “What does it look like, jerk.”

His brow rose at evidence of her irritation, folding his arms across his chest. “Looks like you’re playing in puddles.”

She bristled at his taunt, anger flashing sharply across her face, but the next instant her whole posture drooped and she sighed in defeat, her eyes glassy as she watched the river lap innocently at her toes. “I suppose I am. This is useless.”

Zuko watched her quietly, debating internally. It was a stupid idea after all. She’d probably laugh. It would be better if he turned around right now and walked away. It wasn’t any of his business if she could bend. He had his own problems. Despite those thoughts, he found himself saying, “Maybe I could help.”

She laughed incredulously, blue eyes looking up at him with a mixture of amusement and hurt. “Right. This is waterbending, Zuko, not firebending.”

Zuko sighed. It was too late to walk away now, the offer was out there and it’d seem petty to retract it. “I know that, but,” he cut himself off, instead stepping into the river and assuming a bending stance. “Here. Copy me.”

Her mouth dropped open and she struggled with her words before finally settling on disbelief. “If you’re going to waterbend, I just might drown myself.”

He straightened with a frown, demanding impatiently, “Are you going to do this or not?”

“Fine. Teach me, Master Waterbender,” she said, giving a bow with a mocking flourish.

His eyes narrowed, insulted at her mocking of his assistance. “If you’re going to be like that, I won’t show you anything.”

He turned to slosh back to shore, determined to ignore the girl. If she didn’t want his help, he wasn’t going to offer it again. She quickly dropped her smirk, splashing after him and grabbing his arm, pleading, “No, no. I’m sorry. Show me; please?”

Zuko didn’t move, staring off into the trees while Katara clung to his arm. She gave his arm a slight squeeze, holding her breath in agonized silence. A sigh escaped him and he turned, moving back into the river until the water was shin-deep again. “Okay. I’ll try.”

He contemplated the muddy water for a moment and Katara waited patiently as he took a bending position, adjusting it slightly, a frown of concentration creasing his brow. He made a few halfhearted movements before he straightened suddenly and turned to her. “Copy my movements.”

At her nod, he rolled his shoulders and then assumed a bending position, watching as she copied his movements. His brow drew down as he took in her form. “Relax. You’re too stiff.”

She frowned, looking at her arms. “But you—”

Zuko cut her off. “I’m a firebender. You’re a waterbender. Be more fluid.”

He straightened out of the assumed pose, sloshing through the water and poking at her shoulders. She forced them to relax. He then prodded her elbows, nudged her feet and pushed down on her shoulders in a wordless request to bend her knees. She complied with his directions, holding her position as Zuko resumed his. He took a deep breath, his look of concentration almost amusing as he slowly made a motion, repeating it several times with increasing speeds. Katara frowned, mimicking his actions. “I feel stupid.”

A scoff was her reply. “How do you think I feel?”

Katara smirked, raising an eyebrow. “Like normal?”

“Very funny,” he deadpanned, standing. “Now you try it.”

She repeated the motions with nothing happening and Zuko rolled his eyes, huffing impatiently. “Bend the water. Don’t just wave your arms around like you’re flagging a ship.”

A blush stained her cheeks and she hoped Zuko didn’t notice, though he said nothing if he did. The water rose a little clumsily and Zuko moved to the side as she finished the motion with an anticlimactic splash. The two benders stared at the rippling water before Katara sighed. “Well, that was disappointing.”

Zuko looked at her, confused by her disappointment. “It was an improvement.”

“Oh, yes, a more coordinated splash. Good job, Katara! If I’m ever in danger I’ll just splash someone to death.”

A flicker of a smile crossed his face. “That’s not a bad idea.”

She almost looked taken aback by his words. “You’re being mean now.”

Zuko shrugged. “Domesticated turkey pigs drown in the rain.”

Katara blinked, not sure how to respond to that, but apparently Zuko wasn’t expecting a response. He stepped up behind her, taking her wrists and holding them in a bending position. She stiffened at his unexpected touch, face burning. “What are you doing?”

He tensed but didn’t release her. “I — you need more confidence and…fluidity in your movements. I was going to guide you slowly.”

At her nod, he moved through the motions again until she felt ready to try again. Zuko stepped away quickly and Katara gathered the water, drawing it up into a steady stream and sending it out with a sharp crack. She looked momentarily surprise with her success. Then the water splashed back to the river and she squealed, turning and throwing her arms around the stunned firebender, knocking him backward and landing in the mud of the shore. “I did it! Did you see! Zuko—”

He awkwardly patted her back, stuttering, “Uh…very good. With practice—”

A blood-chilling cry echoed through the swamp, interrupting his awkward praise. Zuko was on his feet in a second, his hands up in a defensive firebending position. Katara stood at his back, nervously scanning the shadows under the swamp’s thick canopy. Silence fell heavy over them, only the sound of their breathing in their ears. Seconds seemed to stretch for minutes. Nothing moved.

“Zuko?”

Katara’s quiet whisper sounded loud and Zuko tensed, jaw tightening. He shifted and, as if sending a signal, vines shot out of the water. Katara cried out in surprise, but Zuko was moving, dodging the vines that attempted to ensnare him. Fire blossomed from his fists, striking water and live vegetation, fizzing out in puffs of steam. Katara’s fight against the attacking vines was failing. She didn’t have a strong enough grasp on her waterbending just yet and no experience in an actual fight. She hit the shallow swamp water with a splash and a cry. Zuko faltered and that was the only opening that was needed. In a blink of an eye, a vine wrapped around one wrist and yanked it behind him. Another blink and his other wrist was captured and then bound to the first.

“Zuko!”

He was forced to his knees, water soaking through his trousers, and more vines wrapping around his chest, binding his arms to his sides even as his wrists remained secured behind him. Zuko struggled against the restraints, frustration coming out in a growl. His bending was useless.

“Wow, y’all put up a fight. It’s been a while since we’ve had a fire-breather in these here parts.”

The drawled words stilled their struggles. A dozen or more scantily clad people either stood or crouched on the exposed roots around them. Some held short spears while others manipulated the water around them. All were barefoot and bare-chested. The two captives were stunned silent for a moment and then Zuko snarled, breathing fire. “Who the hell are you?”

Chapter 6: Captured!

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
– Leo Buscaglia

 “Friendship needs no words—it is solitude delivered from the anguish of loneliness.”
– Dag Hammarskjold

Two of the strangely dressed men dropped from the tree branches, pushing back their leaf-like hats as they peered down at them curiously. Zuko struggled against the vines that bound him, grunting when they tightened around him. Somehow, Katara didn’t see how, Zuko freed his legs, sweeping them out with an arch of fire. Their captors leapt back with a shout and then the flames, and Zuko, were put out with a hiss and cloud of steam. Vines shot out of the sluggishly moving river, wrapping tightly around his legs from his ankles to his thighs and Zuko was plunged into the river with a great splash.

A tall, thin man click his tongue with disapproval. “None of that now, boy.”

Katara gasped, “You’re waterbenders!”

“We’re swampbenders,” the man corrected and pale green eyes turned to look down at her and she smiled sunnily.

“I’m a waterbender, too!” she exclaimed.

Narrowed eyes and a disbelieving snort met her announcement. “No you ain’t.”

“I am!”

Another partially clad man joined the first, proudly declaring, “There ain’t no other swampbenders ’sept us; right, Hai?”

Katara’s smile dimmed and she glanced at Zuko who just rolled his eyes back at her. The firebender was going to be no help for her and he was up to his chin in muddy water. She turned to look between the two swampbenders, a pout pulling at her lips, “But I am a waterbender.”

“Prove it,” they challenged.

Her expression faltered and she slumped in her bindings.“Well, I really don’t know how…and I’m kind of tied up.”

“Use your breath,” the firebender suddenly said.

Katara frowned, looking at Zuko where he was submerged in the river, clearly unhappy with his current situation. It was the first thing he’d said since his escape attempt. “What?”

Zuko rolled his eyes, lifting his chin out of the water. “Your breath. I’m pretty sure it’s only earthbenders who can’t breathe their element, but I could be wrong about that.”

Giving his words some consideration, Katara nodded. She’d seen Aang breathe out great gusts of air before, but she’d never given any thought to her own ability to breathe her element. “But…I don’t know how.”

Zuko sighed a small flame, smirking when the swamp people recoiled and the swampbenders drew up water defensively. Katara ignored the swampbenders’ mutterings, crossing her eyes as she breathed out. Nothing happened and she turned an accusing frown on Zuko. He gave a limited shrug. “You might want to try something else. Like frost or freezing the water in front of you.”

Katara adjusted herself on her knees, carefully leaning forward to blow a steady breath on the puddle before her. It was slow, but eventually the puddle froze to a high shine. The one called Hai stepped forward, squatting to jab a meaty finger at the frozen patch. He sat back with a bemused expression, pushing his hat back and giving a low whistle. “Hey, check this out, Boa.”

The other swampbenders crowded around, muttering among themselves as they examined the puddle. Eventually, Hai turned to Katara. “What is it?”

Perplexed, Katara looked from the puddle to Hai. “Ice?”

Boa leaned forward. “It’s that hard water stuff. The old ones talk about it sometimes. Said it’s cold but when it warms up turns to water.”

“I reckon y’are a waterbender. Chief will want to talk to ya.”

The bonds loosened around Katara and a hand clamped around her arm, lifting her to her feet. Boa spoke to the others, “Bring the fire-breather.”

The trip through the swamp was confusing to Katara. Everything looked the same and she had no idea how the swampbenders were able to know where they were or where they were going. The thick canopy overheard gave Katara no opportunity to gain a sense of direction. Behind her, she could hear Zuko’s occasional snarling curse. Eventually, they emerged from the twisting roots and thick trees into a clearing where the swamp people’s village spread out. Several huts built on stilts circled a central open quad that contained a communal fire pit.

Their appearance drew attention and several people called out greetings, pausing in their work to stare curiously at Katara and Zuko. Some of the company went their separate ways, each with a kill over their shoulder or a string of fish in hand. Boa kept a firm hold of Katara’s arm, leading her through the village to finally pause before an older man, his dark hair heavily streaked with gray.

“We’ve brought back the strangers, Chief Dai,” Boa announced, jerking his chin over his shoulder to indicate the firebender behind him. “A girl who can make hard water and a fire-breather.”

Katara almost quailed under the pale, green eyes that turned to her. Boa released her arm, stepping back when Dai rose to his feet and approached. He looked her over and Katara felt self-conscious of her dirt embedded clothing and wild hair.

“Your name, girl?”

Katara hesitated, glancing back at a scowling Zuko. “Katara of the Southern Water Tribe.”

The light of recognition entered Dai’s eyes and his smile turned friendly. “One of your tribe brought news that the fire-breathers were at war with the other nations. We have seen much to be concerned about in the swamp.”

“My tribe?” she asked in surprise.

Dai nodded, his smile shifting to amusement. “Yes. He called himself Sokka, son of Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe.”

Katara gasped, tears springing to her eyes. It was the first real news she had of her brother other than Zuko’s grudgingly vague comments. “Sokka was here?”

“And the boy Avatar.”

She could hardly contain her excitement. “When? What were they doing in a swamp?”

The chief gestured to the surrounding area. “The swamp called the Avatar, as it will with those who are sensitive to the will of the Spirits. The Water Tribe boy was troubled.” He allowed a moment for Katara to digest that news before he clasped his hands together and looked between Katara and Zuko. “But it seems the swamp has called two more.”

The firebender grunted, testing his bonds. “Just passing through. Let me go!”

Dai’s eyes narrowed, shrewdly observing the bound firebender, eyes lingering on the large scar around his left eye. “What is your name?”

Zuko glared in return, baring his teeth. “Lee.”

They stared at each other for a long moment before Zuko dropped his gaze with a soft snort. Amusement crossed Dai’s face, but he turned back to Katara without another word for Zuko. “My people say you can bend.”

She blushed twisting her fingers and stammering, “Yes — Well, no, not really. Kind of.”

Dai placed a hand on her shoulder with an encouraging clap, almost making her knees buckle. “Huu will teach you.”

Katara blinked. “Who?”

“Huu,” he repeated, turning from Katara and not seeing her confusion, to address Boa. “Send for Huu. Inform him that he has a new student.”

Boa waved to a few others who followed as he headed towards the shallow boats that bobbed against the shore. Pressure on Katara’s shoulder propelled her deeper into the compound. “Lan will find ya hammock in the women’s hut. Huu will arrive in a few days. In the mean time, welcome to our swamp!”

Katara twisted to look back at Zuko. “What about Z—Lee?”

Dai paused, watching as several of the swampbenders forced a struggling Zuko to a kneeling position before they bound him to a stake. “Ah, well, he will have to remain there for a bit.”

Katara opened her mouth to protest the firebender’s rough treatment, but a women her Gran-Gran’s age swooped down on her, exclaiming, “Ah me! Look ah-cha! Nothin’ but skin and bone, poor dear, and not even properly clothed!”

“Lan, don’t scare the girl.”

Pale eyes narrowed at him, blowing a dismissive breath at the chief, before she whisked Katara away. “Let’s get ya cleaned up, Missy. You’ll meet the other young’uns t’night and it won’t do to smell like muck.”

The last sight of Zuko Katara saw before she was pulled into a bathhouse was Zuko kneeling in mud, betrayal swimming in his gold eyes. Guilt gnawed at her, but then the tunic Zuko provided her was stripped away and she was dumped into a tub of cold water with little ceremony. Katara yelped a protest, but Lan was already scrubbing at the layer of grim that covered her, muttering under her breath as she worked. Lan poured a bucket of water over Katara’s head, scrubbing roughly at Katara’s scalp and clicking her tongue in disapproval. “What did you do to ya hair, child? Such a mess.”

Katara felt her heart skip a beat, but Lan continued without waiting for a response. “We’ll fix that right up, now.” Wizened fingers worked at the ragged ends of Katara’s hair. “Nothin’ we can do ’bout the length, but at least we can make it look better; no?”

Another bucket of cold water was dumped over her head and Lan turned away, reaching for a rough towel. “Out ya git now, dearie. Dry off. Nu!”

A young woman — all sleek curves, flowing hair, and pretty smiles — entered the bathhouse and Katara suddenly felt plain and gawky. The woman smiled. “Ah, ya must be the half-starved nymph the men were talkin’ ’bout. I hear the fire-breather they brought in wit’ ya was a real looker. I ’ave half a mind to check ’im out m’self.”

Katara blushed hotly, but Lan was between them, taking the bundle of green clothes from her. “Help the girl dress, Nu, then take ’er to meet the others.”

Nu made a face after Lan, but did as she was told. When they left the bathhouse, a group of girls converged on them, giggling excitedly. “Oh, Nu, ’ave ya seen ’im?”

Another girl sighed. “He’s a han’some one, ain’t he? Even wi’ that scar.”

With a wicked grin, Nu elbowed Katara, whispering, “Is he as dangerous as he seems”

Katara’s mouth dropped in surprise, but Lan clicked her tongue. “Don’t you be messin’ with that boy, Nu. He ain’t fer you an’ there’s plenty of young men here t’ choose from.”

The girls rolled their eyes, but didn’t look the least bit repentant. Katara glanced around at the expectant faces. “Lee?”

One of the other girls snickered, but Nu nodded, ignoring Lan’s disapproving glare. The girl grinned. “O’course! He seems really…intense.”

A girl at her elbow nodded. “I’ve seen men look at Tien like that. Ya know? Like ‘e can see more than what ya shows.”

Katara didn’t know what to make of that statement or even who Tien was, but she didn’t think she’d ever seen such a look from Zuko. “I suppose Lee could be dangerous.”

“Is he yours?” Nu asked curiously.

The others crowded around her and Katara could feel warmth fill her cheeks. “Mine?”

Nu nodded impatiently as if she were annoyed that Katara was being intentionally dense. “Th’ one ya take to th’ Hut of Unity.”

Lan returned with a vengeance, shooing the girls away with cutting admonishments. She made a few last minute adjustments to Katara’s skirt and halter-top, grumbling, “Those girls need t’ get themselves husbands. Pay no mind t’ them. They’ll leave yers alone, sure ’nough. They know better than to poach another gal’s man.”

Katara blushed, twitching with the skirt and avoiding eye contact. “He’s not mine.”

Lan paused, clearly surprised at the news, but she recovered soon enough with a click of her tongue. “Well, ne’er mind that. You’ll be stayin’ with the single girls then. Ya can take Tien’s hammock.”

That evening, Katara saw more food than she’d seen in months. If she really thought about it, she probably saw more food than she’d seen in her entire life. The South Pole wasn’t known for its copious amounts of food, though no one starved.

Taking in the food available, she didn’t recognize some of the things offered. Nu found her and dragged her to join some of the other girls. It took a bit of coaxing to try the giant bug the locals insisted was their main source of food and Katara determined that that was one edible thing even Sokka would refuse to eat. She was picking at one of the bent legs of a large bug, attempting to keep herself from cringing, when a shadow fell over her.

“Th’ hunt’s happenin’ in the next few days. Spring’s nearly ’ere.”

Katara startled, turning to look up. Firelight shone off deep brown hair, softening high cheekbones and creating intriguing shadows. Katara straightened, self-consciously smoothing her borrowed skirts and halter-top. “It’s not spring yet?”

She’d lost count of the days and the months, but the weather had seemed warm enough to her. Nu settled on the log next to her with a smile. She took the bug one of the men offered her, but her attention was on Katara. “Naw, few days ’least. Then th’ rains come.”

Katara glanced towards the sky, blue eyes searching for the not yet full moon. Her heart squeezed painfully as she realized she’d been a prisoner for nearly a full season. Somewhere out there, her brother and Aang were finding bending masters and perhaps learning their strengths and weaknesses. Without her. She would learn waterbending. She would help Aang win the war. She had to. Suddenly, she was aware of pale eyes closely watching her and she turned, locking gazes with the older girl.

“Are you a bender?” Katara asked, curious. She’d never met another waterbender and wondered about other’s experiences.

Nu blushed, lowering her lashes. “Aye, but I’m not very strong.”

Katara nodded, putting her plate down and clasping her hands together, admitting quietly, “I didn’t know there were any other waterbenders. I mean, apart from the Northern Water Tribe.”

A graceful shrug of the swamp girl’s shoulders and a thoughtful tilt of her head accompanied Nu’s words, “The Elders say yer from the South Pole. They say our ancestors grew tired of the cold so they left t’ settle ’ere.”

Before Katara could stop herself, she blurted out incredulously, “In a swamp?”

Nu laughed loudly before leaning forward and whispering conspiratorially, “I think they jus’ got lost, but th’ Elders deny it. They claim the Spirits brough’ ’em ’ere, but I ne’er seen no Spirits.”

Katara blanched, but Nu never noticed, moving on to various gossip about the other young women and pointing out handsome young men among the swamp tribe. She had seen Spirits. Zuko had seen Spirits too, though he’d never said so. She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. The Spirits didn’t like her, that much was clear. Morose thoughts fled as other girls joined them, chattering excitedly.

It was late when Katara was finally bundled off to an empty hammock with the other girls, exhausted after a full evening of curious questions about Zuko and the outside world. None of the girls, or anyone they knew, had ever ventured beyond the borders of the swamp. Or, if one of the hunters had, they’d never mentioned it to them, in which case the girls were completely miffed. To her surprise, several of the girls burst into blushing giggles when they found out Sokka was her older brother. What followed that revelation were a bunch of questions about his likes, his dislikes, and if he was married.

It wasn’t until she was comfortably tucked into her hammock and half asleep that she realized she hadn’t actually seen Zuko since she’d been lead off to the bathhouse early that day. Part of her just wanted to roll over and fall asleep without another thought for the firebender, but the larger part of her protested. She had to at least check on him and make sure he was well.

Katara waited until the sounds of restless settling in for the night calmed before she gathered her blanket and carefully rolled out of the hammock. Her feet hit the floorboards with a dull thud and she cringed, holding her breath and waiting for one of the girls to ask where she was going. The air was still and no one moved. With a quiet breath of relief, Katara slipped from the hut only to realize she wasn’t sure where, exactly, they were keeping Zuko. The swamp tribe had seemed wary of the firebender despite having had no contact with one in living memory.

Determining that the center of compound would hold the best option of keeping a prisoner, Katara carefully stepped down the steps of the stilt sleep hut, wincing as they creaked beneath her weight. The compound was quiet, the rest of the swamp people had turned in for the night and low burning cooking fires provided her with some direction.

It took her far longer to find the center of the compound than she thought it would, and she had just about given up and returned to her hammock when she rounded the corner of another stilt hut.

She froze when she saw him. Zuko knelt where they’d put him, head bowed and shoulders curled in an uncomfortable position in an attempt to ease the strain. Only his breathing proved he was still alive and the occasional half-hearted tug at his bonds betrayed he was still awake. Katara approached quietly, keeping an eye out for sentries and her voice low, “Zuko?”

The firebender tensed and gold eyes flashed up at her in the darkness. They stared at each other for a long moment before he exhaled a flash of fire. “I didn’t expect to see you back here.”

She thought she detected a sneer in his words, but it was too dark to see. Besides, a surly firebender wouldn’t stop her from doing what was right and she learned that his bark was worse than his bite.

“I wouldn’t leave you,” she said, circling around behind him to eye his bindings. “Not like this.”

He laughed without humor. “I would have.”

Hurt flashed across her face before she laughed, brushing off his cutting words with a dismissive sweep of her hand. “You don’t seriously expect me to believe that.”

Zuko glared over his shoulder at her and her breath caught. The scarred side of his face was in shadow so she could only see his unblemished profile. It sent a strange fissure though her. “Then let me go.”

Katara sighed, circling back around him and knelt in front of him, carefully keeping the blanket out of the mud. “You know I can’t.”

He didn’t look surprised. “Figures.”

Katara bit her lip, tugging nervously at her hair. “Zuko, I—”

“If you’re not going to help me,” he snapped bitingly, “go away.”

Katara flinched, but her desperation to learn her element overruled her for a moment and she found herself pleading, “Please. They said they’re going to teach me waterbending.”

Zuko said nothing, averting his eyes. Realizing he wasn’t going to say anything to that, and suddenly feeling insensitive, Katara smoothed her hands over the blanket in her lap. “I brought this…in case you’re cold.”

This time she could see the scowl and the frustration on his face and the forced effort he made to yank his hands free. “I don’t get cold.”

“Sure you do,” she disagreed, determined to at least do something right by the firebender. “Everyone gets cold.”

“I don’t,” he shouted.

She winced at the volume, glancing over her shoulder at the surrounding stilt huts to see if they’d attracted attention. Relieved that no one appeared to check on the noise, she turned back to Zuko with a glare and moved to wrap the blanket around him anyway, tugging it sharply in her annoyance. “Yes, you do.”

Zuko jerked away, straining against his bonds. “No, I don’t want it.”

The blanket slipped from one hand and she just managed to keep it from falling into the mud. She surged to her feet, stamping one foot childishly. “Stop being so stubborn and take the blanket, Zuko!”

“No!”

“Let me help you!” her own voice was rising.

White teeth flashed in the dim light of the waxing moon and another brief puff of flame lit up the snarl on his face. “I don’t need your help.”

Katara ground her teeth together, voice cracking in her throat, “You can’t do everything on your own.”

“I can try.”

Katara felt like ripping her hair out, but she forced herself to take a deep breath and release it slowly, counting to ten before saying softly, “But you don’t have to.”

Zuko sank into angry silence and Katara sighed. She was tired and boys could be so stupid. She rolled her shoulders, shaking out the blanket — more for something to do with her hands than any necessity — and again offered it to the firebender. “Just accept it, Zuko. I’ll talk to Chief Dai tomorrow.”

He eyed her warily, eyes flicking from the blanket to her face. “Why?”

“Why what?”

The look he gave her plainly told her he thought she was being stupid. “You’re back with your people. Why help me?”

Katara made a face. “My people are in the South Pole.”

“You know what I mean.”

It sounded like he rolled his eyes and she frowned at him, crossing her arms. “Because I could never abandon someone that needed me.”

Silence. She caught his own frown before he turned his face to the shadows and she wasn’t able to see it any more. He didn’t resist when Katara stepped forward a second time to wrap the blanket around his shoulders and carefully tuck in the loose ends to keep it from slipping during the night. She let her fingers brush against the hair at the nape of his neck before she turned away. Exhaustion was pulling at her and the argument with Zuko had only served to wear her out even more.

“I’ll speak to the chief tomorrow,” she repeated tiredly.

She had only taken a handful of steps before Zuko spoke, “Katara?”

She paused, intrigued by the unusual quality of his voice and turned to look at him. “Yes?”

A frown tugged at his lips and his brow furrowed, but then he looked away, muttering, “Nothing.”

Katara waited a moment longer before turning to head back to her hammock. “Good night, Zuko.”

He didn’t respond and she didn’t expect him to.

Chapter 7: Culture Shock

 “The most useful piece of learning for the uses of life is to unlearn what is untrue.”
– Antisthenes

“I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.”
– Winston Churchill

Zuko was cursing his luck as dawn broke over the swamp. He’d spent most of the night shooting fire at the nasty, biting insects that seemed to find every exposed bit of flesh on his body and attack it with aggravating precision. His wrists felt raw from his tugging and his shoulders ached from the uncomfortable position in which he was bound. He lost feeling below his knees hour ago. The whole situation was embarrassing. A firebender at the mercy of a bunch of plant-wielding, backwoods, uneducated waterbenders. He’d laugh if it happened to anybody else. As it was, he was starving and thirsty and exhausted. He gave up trying to wriggle free some time close to dawn, letting his chin drop to his chest and slumping in dejection. Nothing he did loosened the bindings. Instead, they seemed to tighten even further.

As the dawn turned the swamp clearing a strange gray-green, he could hear the sounds of the village waking, the women at the cook fires and a few of the men calling out for a hunt. A few of the more curious villagers casually meandered by in a not-so-subtle attempt to gawk at him. He’d merely glared at them sullenly, almost daring them to come closer. He’d show them just how much he appreciated their hospitality.

“You can’t just leave him there!”

Zuko’s head swiveled in the direction of that voice. He recognized that voice. It’d been the only somewhat friendly voice he heard in the months since he departed Uncle Iroh’s company. He’d never tell anyone how much he missed a friendly face.

“I don’t care,” Katara sounded incensed. “He’s not going to hurt anyone. I didn’t know you were going to leave him tied up, outside all night, like some rabid polar bear dog you were planning on shooting in the morning!”

Zuko noticed that several of the other swamp people nearby stopped in their tasks to stare. Chief Dai appeared around the corner with Katara hard on his heels. “The fire-breather—”

She made an impatient noise, interrupting, “Lee is a guest. Same as me.”

Dai paused to pinched the bridge of his nose. “Katara…”

She folded her arms and glared. A silent battle of wills occurred before Dai gave a sigh of defeat. “Very well. If…Lee is to remain here, he must assist the village. He will go with the men to hunt.”

Katara bit her lip, glancing at Zuko before nodding. “He will have to be taught.”

Zuko glared at the surprised look Dai gave him. Zuko refused to be cowed by this — this backwater peasant. The chief’s surprise smoothed out to an inscrutable expression and he turned away with a lazy wave of his hand. “Take him to Boa after breakfast.”

The bonds loosened as Dai walked off, but Zuko remained where he’d spent the night. He didn’t think his legs would hold him if he attempted to stand and he wasn’t about to bear the indignity of collapsing in front of these people. Katara hurried forward, kneeling next to him and reaching for one of his wrists. She frowned at the raw skin, wincing when he hissed at her touch. “I’m sorry. They were just being cautious.”

“I’m sure,” he grumbled.

He watched silently as she awkwardly managed to pull a stream of water from a nearby puddle, tensing when she coated his wrists with it, locking fingers with his to hold him steady. She concentrated on the ropeburn, watching the water glow blue. Zuko would never admit — even in his deepest, most private thoughts — that he was fascinated by the movements of her hands and the faint glow of healing water. He watched the raw skin heal, smoothing back into the unblemished pale skin of his wrists.

He caught blue eyes peeking up at him and looked away. His fingers were beginning to tingle and he wasn’t sure if it was because of her touch or if his circulation was finally returning. His brow furrowed. Whatever it was, he wanted it to stop.

“We — we don’t have to stay.”

The words were soft and hesitant and the temptation to take her up on her offer to leave was great. He even opened his mouth to demand they leave immediately, but the memory of his own frustration at not being able to bend the element that was supposed to be part of him stopped him. It’d felt like a piece of himself was just beyond his reach and nothing. It was a horrible feeling. He felt his stomach sink and he knew he would regret his next words.

“We can stay,” he said quietly.

Katara stared, the healing water fading away. “What?”

Zuko scowled angrily. “You want to learn waterbending.”

“Yes.”

Zuko glanced over her shoulder, shifting uncomfortably when he met the gaze of other swamp people. Katara helped him up and he shook her off, stepping away from her. He did not need her help standing. He wasn’t weak. His knees trembled slightly and he was grateful his legs held. Katara let him go without a word, motioning toward the village center. “The fires are this way.”

The cheerful morning chatter of the villagers quieted as they passed, tracking them curiously. Hushed whispers followed and Zuko’s posture straightened, his chin rising. These strange, half-clad people would not intimidate him. Still, he wished he had the reassuring weight of his dao swords on his back.

Katara led Zuko to a cook fire, cheerfully greeting the woman that stood over the steaming pot with a ladle in one hand and a marked frown on her face. The woman looked him up and down before she handed them each a bowl of some unidentified mash. The woman laughed at their expressions. “Eat up, kids. It won’t kill ya.”

Zuko stared down at it, letting Katara drag him to a log that served as a bench. The mash looked like something one of the palace cats coughed up and smelled about as appetizing. He turned his attention to Katara when she hesitantly raised the bowl to her lips, pausing when she caught his incredulous gaze. Her eyes narrowed and she quickly took a gulp. Zuko’s eyes widened and he turned to face her completely, intently watching her expression, the bowl in his hand still untouched. Her expression seemed to freeze and it was several long seconds before she swallowed.

“Well?”

Katara grimaced, looking down at the mash and turning the bowl slightly to watch it ooze from one side to the other. “It’s not bad. It’s kind of bland.”

Zuko nodded, straightening his shoulders and raising the bowl to his lips in determination. If she could eat it, he would brave the slop as well. The mash filled his mouth, coating every corner. He choked and sputtered but swallowed it without spewing it across the clearing. As soon as it was down his throat, he took a gasping breath, coughing violently. “Not bad? It tastes like swamp water and fish that sat in the sun for five days and something I don’t even want to know.”

Katara blushed, casting the cook woman a horrified glance. “No it doesn’t.”

He held the bowl out as far from him as possible, gasping and retching. “It does. What’s in it?”

He thought the food he and his uncle had scrounged up had been bad. This was worse. Much worse. He couldn’t recall anything worse tasting he’d ever eaten. Uncle Iroh’s sandals might taste better. The cook woman laughed, taking the bowl from him and pressing a round, flat loaf into his hand. “Ya don’t wanna know, fire-breather.”

Zuko eyed the loaf suspiciously, raising it to his nose to sniff at it. “It’s Lee.”

The woman nodded and moved away with the bowl, chuckling under her breath. Katara elbowed him, frowning her disapproval. “That was rude.”

Zuko looked up, scowling. “It was disgusting. I’m not eating something that tastes like it died and rotted before they attempted to pass it off as food. I can’t believe you can still eat it.”

He motioned to the bowl still in her hand and she lifted it half-heartedly. “Better than prison food.”

“You’re not in prison any more,” he reminded her.

She bit her lip, lowering the bowl again. “I know.”

She twisted the bowl in her hands and Zuko watched the sludge slide against the edges. He’d almost decided to reach for her bowl when a throat cleared behind them and a swamp man said, “Katara.”

They turned. Boa stood behind them, a small group of hunters waiting several paces at his back. He glanced at Zuko, but returned his attention to Katara, flashing her a white-toothed grin. “Chief Dai spoke wit’ me. I un’erstand th’ fire-breather comes wit’ me.”

Zuko bristled, grinding out between clenched teeth, “I have a name.”

Amusement passed over Boa’s weathered features, crinkling at the corners of his eyes. He couldn’t have been more than ten years older than Zuko. “Aye, you do,” he agreed solemnly. “Come along, boy.”

“I’m not going with you.”

“Ah,” Boa nodded knowingly, winking at the firebender. “Don’t worry ’bout yer girl. She’s safe ‘ere.”

Zuko looked horrified and jerked away from Katara, sputtering, “She’s not my girl!”

Boa looked surprised and turned to Katara with new eyes. “That so? That’s good news.”

Katara blushed and Zuko made an agitated noise, shoving the loaf of bread into Katara’s hand, surging to his feet and pushing past the older man, snarling, “Stop that. Let’s just go already.”

Boa winked at her before turning to follow the silently fuming firebender. “By all means, boy. Lead th’ way.”

Zuko snapped something back and Katara saw Boa throw his head back and laugh, clapping a hand on Zuko’s shoulder. He shrugged off Boa’s hand, stalking to join the rest of the hunters and Katara watched as they moved off into the trees. The cook woman returned, tutting and taking Katara’s half empty bowl and handing off a bucket. “Make yerself useful, girl. Fetch some water.”

Stunned, Katara looked down at the bucket. The cook woman laughed. “Ya won’t make an old woman do a young girl’s work, will ya?”

“Of course not.”

She started towards the well, the woman calling after her, “Clean water, dear!” 

 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Zuko followed the other men away from the village and into the swamp, resisting the urge to look back over his shoulder at Katara. He did not need to rely on her for any kind of support. He was his own man! And he hated her, he reminded himself. Hated her and her peasant ways. He glowered ahead of him. It was her fault he was in this situation to begin with. He would never have come this direction if he’d left her behind in the port with the traders. His scowl deepened. No, that wasn’t true. He’d now be swamped by guilt if he’d done that instead of just swamped. Either way, it was all her fault. He was jerked out of his morose thoughts by a hand clamping down on his shoulder and a jovial voice saying, “Hey there, fire-breather! What they call ya?”

He shrugged away from the touch, giving the man a narrow-eyed look. The swamp man didn’t even flinch, instead offering a toothy grin and a careless shrug, volunteering his own name and the man’s next to him, “My name’s Trai. This ’ere’s Vinh. We’re brothers!”

Of course they were, he thought sardonically, but bit back the words. Another swamp man waved, coming along side Trai. They certainly looked enough alike to be related, though Vinh had the unfortunate luck to not inherit Trai’s looks. Trai’s teeth shone a bright white and were set in a handsome face. Zuko was immediately aware of his own marred appearance and looked away. He wasn’t usually bothered by his looks. Well, that was not quite true. Occasionally, when the fairer sex would greet the ship when he docked in a port after several weeks out at sea, he caught the startled glances, the grimaces, and forced smiles from the girls that made his face heat and the feeling of shame nearly overwhelm him. He knew he was nothing worth looking at and tried to keep from thinking about it.

Vinh suddenly spoke up, dragging Zuko from depressing thoughts, “They mean well. We ain’t had a fire-breather in these parts 'afore.”

The expectant expressions on the brothers’ faces finally made Zuko relent. “It’s Lee.”

Trai clapped him on the shoulder again. “Nice t’ meet ya, Lee! Ever hunted b’fore?”

Zuko hesitated. Sure, he’d attempted to fish while he was still with his uncle. He failed at that. Pretty miserably too. His traps were never successful either. In fact, he and his uncle went hungry more times than they didn’t. It was close to a miracle he’d managed to catch the possum-chicken the day before. Fire Nation royalty didn’t have to hunt — at least not seriously. There were ceremonious hunts, but Zuko had been deemed too young when he still lived in the palace. His sister’s dogged pursuit of him and the Avatar made him wonder if perhaps he missed all training in tracking or if the tutors had merely bypassed him for his sister. It wouldn’t be the first time they’d done so.

“A few times,” he hedged, not wanting to appear completely incompetent.

Laughter drifted back to them from the front and Boa called back, “Don’t let the boy fool ya, Trai, he’s still wet b’hind th’ ears!”

Movement from the corner of his eye stopped Zuko’s snarling response and he jerked to look, his body tensing and his fingers flexing. He wished he was allowed his dao swords, but he hadn’t seen them since they were stripped from him and carried off like some battle trophy. Trai and Vinh paused as well, following the direction of his stare. Zuko frowned. He knew he’d seen movement. Could’ve sworn something was there, only, when he looked, the area was empty and there was no evidence that anything had been there. He stared a moment longer, feeling the prickle on the back of his neck of something watching. When nothing appeared, he started forward again only to be brought up short by Trai and Vinh. Their teasing expressions replaced with something closer to curiosity and respect.

“You seen something?”

Trai was the one to ask the question. A few of the other hunters paused as well, scanning the trees, hanging branches, and exposed roots. Zuko shook his head. “No. It’s nothing.”

Almost as soon as he denied seeing anything, movement again caught his eye and his head snapped in that direction, his eyes narrowing. Instead of it vanishing, two ghostly figures interacted. One appeared to be a young woman, her hair pale and her robes floating around her as if suspended in water, reached for a second woman. The second woman’s back was to him, but Zuko recognized the long, dark braid and the robe and tunic in the style of the Southern Water Tribe. The pale woman’s mouth moved as if speaking though Zuko couldn’t hear what was said. The dark haired woman turned partially, allowing him to see her profile. He was stuck by a sense of familiarity and his mouth dropped open. When their hands touched, they both disappeared. Zuko blinked, looking around to see if they’d moved to a different area, but the swamp was still. Vinh raised an eyebrow. “Yer definitely seein’ things.”

“I’m not crazy.”

“Didn’t say ya was,” Vinh said.

Trai agreed with his brother. “They say those wit’ real strong connection to th’ Spirit World can see things.”

Zuko looked between them. “But others see things.”

“Aye,” Vinh allowed. “But not e’ry time we step int’ the swamp.”

“All righ’, ya bunch of gosspin’ ol’ grannies, ’nough chatter,” Boa declared. “We’re splittin’ up. Lee, yer wit’ me.”

The group divided and Boa threw an arm over the firebender’s shoulder. Zuko could tell by his grin that whatever was going to be said next would not be pleasant. “Now, I’m gonna teach ya how to track.”

And he was right. Boa had him down in the mud looking at prints, bruised leaves, muddy scuffs on roots, and a whole conglomeration of things Zuko never knew were part of the whole hunting process. They’d been at it for hours and still they had nothing to show for it. Zuko hadn’t even seen whatever creature it was they were tracking. If they were even tracking something and not just normal weather erosion. They might all die of starvation before they found anything. A glance at the other hunters in the group showed that they each had managed a few birds. Zuko was not said to see their demise. The birds were the source of that hair-raising scream that set his teeth on edge. Any question on how they caught them without Zuko ever noticing was interrupted by Boa.

“Look 'ere. This is where they come t' water. We’ll set up 'ere for a bit.”

The place Boa indicated was a muddy little hovel not far off the path they’d been following for most of the morning. Before he could protest, Boa pushed him in and the rest of the group fanned out to other locations nearby.

Hours passed and Zuko was fast coming to the conclusion that hunting for your own food was a terrible idea. He never thought hunting would be so dirty, so difficult, or so boring. The other hunters — several had introduced themselves, but Zuko couldn’t keep their names straight — lounged in the curve of roots or leaned against trees nearby, idly chatting in whispers or examine the blades of their various weapons. None of them were benders. His eyes narrowed. And none of them looked as downright filthy as he felt.

Somewhere in the distance, Zuko heard a bird call. The idle conversation among the swamp hunters halted and a heavy silence descended. Tension suddenly sprung up in the group and they shifted their weapons in their hands. Boa rose and quietly moved away into the swamp. None of the other hunters moved to follow, but all eyes watched until he disappeared and continued watching in that direction. Zuko tensed, reaching for his swords and internally cursing when he remembered they’d been taken from him. Boa finally returned from wherever it was he went, giving a motion to several hunters who then moved off in a different direction. For Zuko’s benefit, he explained, “Snakebird. We’ll need t' circle 'round.”

Zuko had no idea what a snakebird was. It didn’t sound pleasant and he was sure his mind was conjuring images of the creature that were probably worse than it actually was. None of the others looked overly concerned with the new information. Still, Zuko didn’t think he wanted to be without some kind of defense. Fire, after all, did not seem helpful in the swamp. “I don’t have a weapon.”

Boa paused, frowning a moment before pulling a large knife from his belt. He flipped the blade and handed it to the firebender hilt first. Zuko took it and eyed it critically before nodding his thanks and followed quietly behind the other hunters. Progress was slow. Boa would stop periodically to scan the ground and canopy before moving forward again. Occasionally he’d whisper instructions to the others or look for any silent suggestions, but for the most part the group was silent. Boa made a sharp jab to his left that brought everyone up short. Zuko could hear his heartbeat thundering in his ears and he spared a brief thought to wonder if anyone else could hear over it.

The entire atmosphere of the hunt had changed with the news that a snakebird was nearby. The hunters appeared more serious and alert, eyes warily watching the surroundings.

A shout of surprise rose from nearby, shortly followed by a screeching hiss that was definitely louder than any hiss Zuko had ever heard before. The crack of branches accompanied by the sound of rushing wind sent the hunters scattering as a large creature crashed through the trees.

He was wrong in his imaginings of what a snakebird could possibly look like. It was worse than what he’d thought. Whatever vague imaginings Zuko had had, it wasn’t what he saw. The creature was huge. Twice as tall as a man with an equally impressive wingspan. Black eyes rolled wildly as it snapped at anything that moved. Its teeth were as long as the dagger Boa had handed him. The hunters dodged snapping teeth, ducking out of sight. It released a deafening roar, like thunder, ending in a snapping hiss. Its eyes zeroed in on Zuko and it decided that he looked tasty enough to eat. With another thunderous roar, it lunged.

 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Katara put the bucket on the edge of the well, leaning over to peer into the depths. She couldn’t see the bottom and there was no rope to lower the bucket. For a brief moment, she wondered how the non-benders in the swamp got water when her musing’s were interrupted by a cheerful greeting.

“Why, hello, girl!”

She turned to meet two men, one tall and thin, the other short and squat. The tall, thin man smiled broadly when she met his eye and she couldn’t help but return the smile along with a surprised, “Oh, hello.”

The tall one ambled forward. “Whatcha doin’?”

Katara motioned to the bucket on the lip of the well. “I’m getting water for the cook woman.”

The tall swamp man grinned. “Ah, that’s mighty nice of ya, ain’t it, Tho?”

The shorter man nodded in agreement. “Sure is, Due.”

Katara flushed under the praise and peered back over the ledge of the well. She couldn’t see the water at the bottom and she stretched her senses for it. Feeling self-conscious under the eyes of the two men, she lifted a hand and gave a halted waving motion. To her horror, nothing happened and she straightened, her face flushing with embarrassment. She stammered a jumbled excuse, but neither man seemed to think anything of her failed attempt. Tho hummed, drawling, “Yer a waterbender.”

Due brightened, giving her a wide grin and pressing his hands to his chest as he exclaimed, “Me too! That means we’re kin!”

Katara blinked, looking between the two men. They looked nothing like her or her people. They were faired skinned to her tanned, and green-eyed to her blues. Nothing about them looked anything like anyone in her village. Not knowing quite how to respond, she hedged, “I guess.”

She was saved from further comment by another man ambling out of the woods. He was just as short and squat as Tho, but his hair was lighter and he didn’t seem to have the strange, leaf hat the rest of the men around the village wore. Due’s grin widened and he pushed back his hat, greeting, “Hey, Huu! Whatcha been doin’?”

Katara turned to meet a short, squat man, suddenly realizing that this was the bending master the chief had sent for the day before. She hadn’t been expecting him to arrive so soon. Huu shrugged in response to Due’s greeting. “The usual. The hunters are out and the animals are quiet.”

Pale green eyes turned to Katara, giving her a sweeping look, as if searching deep within her and assessing her abilities. He tugged something forward, saying, “I believe this is yours.”

An ostrich horse stepped from the trees, ruffling feathers and looking around. Katara gasped with delight, hurrying forward to take the reins from him and pat the feathers on the ostrich horse’s neck. The bird gave a coo of recognition, lowering its beak to nudge her shoulder and groom her hair. “You found Feathers!”

The bird brought Due up short and he scratched as his chin, eyeing the ostrich horse curiously. “What is it, Tho?”

“I believe it’s one of them o-stretch horses,” Due answered knowingly.

Katara allowed a smile, stroking the glossy feathers on the ostrich horse’s neck. “It’s an ostrich horse. Lee and I lost her in the swamp earlier. I thought she was gone forever.”

Due made a sound of understanding and a beat of silence passed before he asked, “Can we eat it?”

“No.”

She said it so firmly, so defensively, that the men all turned stunned eyes to her. Surprised at her own vehemence, she dropped her eyes and stepped closer to the ostrich horse. Huu cleared his throat, but Due jumped in with another musing, “Guess not. Wasn’t allowed to eat that lee-moo either. Bet it’d be tasty though.”

Tho nodded. “That lee-moo and bison was too smart to eat. They was hard to catch.”

Tho and Due fell into discussion about the intelligence of animals and Huu turned to Katara with a kind smile. “Dai said you wanted t’ learn bendin’.”

Hope bloomed in Katara’s chest. She’d dreamed about using real waterbending moves since she first realized she could bend as a small child. With no benders left in her tribe, she’d struggled with even reaching for her element. Their sister tribe was too far away and across dangerous, Fire Nation patrolled waters for her to travel. When she’d found Aang, hope of going to the North Pole revived. Going to the Northern Water Tribe now seemed a non-existent possibility after Zuko’s more recent news of the tribe closing their waters. “You’ll teach me waterbending?”

Huu motioned her to follow him and Tho took the reins of the ostrich horse, promising to put Feathers somewhere safe. They stopped at the bank of the river and Huu nodded. “We’ll teach you swampbendin’.”

Katara frowned, feeling apprehensive. “Is there a difference?”

He shrugged, unconcerned. “Don’t know. Never learned waterbendin’.”

She bit her lip, watching as Huu effortlessly drew water out of the river and separated it before tossing some of it away and directing the rest of it into her bucket. He explained that he’d separated the dirt from the water to ensure the water was clean and free of disease when it was used for cooking. Katara watched as he filled the bucket, remarking, “Lee was trying to teach me to waterbend before we were captured and brought here.”

Huu nodded, not looking at all surprised. “The fire-breather was teachin’ you? What did you learn?”

“You’re not surprised?”

The swampbender snorted, giving a slight wave. “Naw. Ain’t seen a firebender bend b’fore, but I ’magine it’s similar. Show us.”

Nerves erupted in her and she took a deep, steadying breath. She hadn’t really gotten that much practice with the one move Zuko had shown her before they’d been interrupted. Due and Tho returned from wherever they took the ostrich horse and sat perched on a nearby log, watching. When she pictured learning to bend, she never imagined she’d have to learn in front of an audience. She drew up a murky stream of water and smoothly went through the motions, pleased when it ended with a sharp snap. She let the water circle her once and then recede back into the river. Her movements were a little clumsy with self-consciousness, but the swampbender nodded. “Good. He taught you the striking snake.”

“Oh,” Katara breathed, looking at the ripples in the river where she’d let her water whip fall. “It’s not a water whip?”

Huu shrugged dismissively. “Names are unimportant. Now, for yer trainin’.”

Huu was a patient teacher, quietly correcting her stance or her hands and demonstrating each move several times until she was able to follow without faltering. Due was an enthusiastic help, telling wild hunting stories that involved heroic bending and narrow escapes. She wasn’t sure how much to believe him until Tho included a part of the story Due had forgotten. Tho and Huu provided a calming balance to Due’s high energy and stories.

The noon hour was well past when Huu called a halt to stories and had Katara go through the basic waterbending moves they’d covered so far while he stood to the side and watched with a critical eye, commenting, “Your moves ain’t as rigid as a swampbender’s.”

Due agreed. “Yer pretty to watch.”

She blushed, thanking him for the compliment. When Huu was satisfied that she had a grasp on the basics, he moved onto a more complicated move. Katara’s whole body was beginning to ache when laughter echoed through the village and the hunters that left just after breakfast returned home with a kill slung over their shoulders.

Huu, Due, and Tho turned to watch them and Katara breathed a sigh of relief as their distraction gave her a break to relax her tired muscles and subtly stretch. They were too far away to hear what was said, but she saw Zuko drag in behind them, covered in mud from head to toe. One of the hunters slapped him on the shoulder with a hearty laugh, nearly knocking him off his feet. Zuko submitted to their good-natured ribbing with hardly a glare as the the hunters moved off with their kill and gold eyes scanned the area. Katara smiled when his eyes landed on her and she saw him hesitate before starting toward her, swiping at his damp brow and grimacing when his hand came away muddy. He dropped to the log next to her with a weary sigh. Due let loose a low whistle, pushing his hat back and looking the firebender over with an incredulous gaze. “Look at ya! Why yer all muddy?”

Zuko grunted, scrubbing at a smear of mud on his arm and sighed when it merely spread the dirt around instead of removing it. He gave up and slumped forward with his elbows on his knees. “It’s nothing.”

“Ya look like ya got in a fight with a categator,” Due commented

Zuko shook his head, his brow drawing down, muttering darkly, “It was a snakebird.”

The three swampbenders sat back with a low whistle. Katara had no idea what a snakebird was, but it had to be large if all the returning hunters were carrying a kill. She quickly scanned Zuko for injury, but other than looking world-weary, he appeared unharmed. Due voiced what the other two men were thinking, “Shoo, no wonder ya look like a mudrat. S’prized y’aint dead.”

Katara tore her eyes from Zuko to look at Due. “Is a snakebird dangerous?”

Due and Tho exchanged uncertain glances, both looking at Zuko. The firebender saw their looks and rubbed his face, spreading more mud, but answered, “It’s a monster and I never want to see another one.”

Tho sat up, rubbing his handsˇ. “I s’ppose we’ll be havin’ a feast t’night, then.”

Katara looked up, intrigued and a little excited. “A feast?”

Huu nodded, offering Zuko a hand up. “Aye. That’ll be all the bendin’ practice for th’ day. Thanks for the successful hunt, Lee. Go git yerselfs cleaned up now.”

Zuko eyed the offered hand suspiciously, taking it only after Katara quietly cleared her throat. Huu smiled. “And it was Lee’s first hunt. He is now a man.”

 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

There was, indeed, a feast that night. Katara was quickly recruited to help with food preparation and Zuko was dragged off to be shown his new sleeping arrangements for the night and then to help the men build up the large, central fire. Katara endured the excited whispers and quick glances the younger girls darted at her with some confusion, but the older women would always shush them and send them off on some errand or another before they too would send her a knowing smile. Nu sidled up to her side, elbowing her and smiling widely. “Are ya ready?”

Katara’s hands faltered at her task and she stared at the other girl, feelings of apprehension curling in her stomach. None of the women seemed to be expecting anything when she looked at them and Katara hesitantly asked, “Is something happening?”

Nu stifled a giggle and one of the older women laughed lightly, shaking her head, reaching out to gently pat her hand. “Oh, no, dearie. Ya got nothin’ t’ worry ‘bout.”

It was the kind of response she’d always gotten when she was a child and the young women had been gathered to talk about life things. She’d listened in when she was around twelve and hadn’t understood the giggling and then Gran-Gran had chased her away. The older woman moved away, her tray laden with food, pausing to whisper to another woman who was turning the spit over the fire. They both glanced back at her with smiles and quiet chuckles. When Katara looked at Nu, she received a saucy wink and a grin. A blush flooded onto her cheeks and she ducked to hide the sudden color which only prompted another laugh from the older girl. Nu thew an arm over her shoulders, leaning against her side. “There’s no reason to be embarrassed.”

Another swamp girl entered the kitchens and Nu’s friendly smile faded slightly. “’Ello, Tien.”

Tien set her basket on the table nearby with a thump, brushing her hands off and turning to look at them. Sharp, green eyes swept over Katara, lingering for a long moment on her hair that was hardly long enough to reach her chin and fly away curls that refused to be tamed. Tien was perhaps a year or two younger than Nu, fuller chested and wider hipped than either girl could ever hope for. She folded her arms beneath her breasts. “So yer gonna catch yerself a man tonight?”

Katara blinked at her, glancing curiously at Nu. Nu’s eyes narrowed and her arm dropped from her shoulders. “Tien.”

Tien sneered. “I wasn’t talkin’ t’ ya, Nu. I was talkin’ t’ the girl.”

“W-what?” Katara stammered.

“Takin’ a husband during the Spring Feast blesses th’ union,” Nu informed her solemnly. “My Boa wished t’ take me as ’is wife t’day, but we’ll wait ’til th’ full moon.”

Tien tossed her hair, jutting her hips and placing her hands on them. “It’s a shame t’ settle down so young. Ya got so much t’offer them.”

Nu frowned, narrowing her eyes at the other girl. “Some of us want t’ keep our reputations.”

The air suddenly snapped around the two girls and any sign of friendliness disappeared from Tien’s smile. Katara looked between them uncertainly. A sneer crossed Tien’s lips. “At least I don’ take the firs’ man t’ offer.”

Nu paled before blushing fiercely, fists clenching. “No man would take ya since ya keep spreadin’ yer thighs if they so much as ask.”

The icy glare she received in response was enough to freeze water in the middle of summer. Katara kept her mouth shut, eyes jumping between the two girls, wondering if they would come to blows. Tien finally broke the stare-off with Nu and sent Katara a less than sincere smile. “If ya don’ wan’ ’im, I’ll take ’im off yer hands.”

She swayed away without waiting for Katara’s response. Nu snorted, her lips curling derisively. “Don’t pay ’er no mind. Lee prolly won’t look twice at ’er, the hussy.”

“Oh!” Katara exclaimed in surprise. “I’m not worried. We’re not like that.”

An older woman entered the kitchen, catching the end of the conversation and laughed at her words. Nu’s smile returned along with her laughter. “Sure ya ain’t.”

That said, the women hustled them along with their preparations and before long Katara was sent off to bathe and prepare for the rising of the moon.

The bathhouse was crowded with other young women all preparing to look their best for the feast. Banter and gentle teasing passed between the girls, along with random advice and suggestive words for the girls who were engaged. Winter skirts and shirts were shed to be replaced with lighter fabrics and brighter colors. Several of the girls were curious about Katara’s hair, having never seen curls such as her and her tanned skinned was closely examined. When the older girls moved on to do their own primping, the younger girls clustered together, whispering furiously until one was brave enough to step forward. “Were ya banished from yer tribe fer wantin’ a fire-breather?”

Lan entered at those words, hushing them with a severe glare and sending them off since they were already dressed for the feast. The elderly woman patted Katara’s shoulder sympathetically, her word reassuring, “It’s all righ’, dear. Ya don’ have t’ worry ’bout questions no more. We don’ judge ’ere. Lee’s an honorable man. Strong.”

Nu nodded firmly, guiding Katara to a low stool and picking up a brush.”’E is. It’s always good to ‘ave a strong man for an equally strong woman. And ‘e looks out for you w’out bein’ overbearing.”

Lan left for a moment, returning with a pair of shears, placing them on a ledge nearby. Nu brushed out the short locks back, trimming away the ragged ends, and smoothing out the curls and slipping a comb into her hair.

“There,” she said, sounding pleased with her work. “I think it’s a great style. It’ll be cool in the summer.”

Katara touched the ends of her hair. “I never thought about it like that.”

Nu squeezed her shoulder. “Let’s go show ’em what ya can do.”

Nu hurried Katara off to help finish with her own preparations and, with many hands, the food was prepared and the celebration was underway. Various instruments Katara had never seen before were pulled out and a lively tune was struck. Nu left her to find Boa among the other men and Katara mingled with the others. She found Zuko skulking in the shadows, an odd grimace on his face. The cause of the grimace was soon revealed. In one hand, held out as far from his body as he could without touching another person, was a large insect on a skewer. She’d only taken a few steps toward him when Nu grabbed her elbow, tugging her back to the music and dancing. “Ya must dance with us.”

Katara looked back at Zuko, catching his eyes, her mouth forming the protest. “But—”

Nu spun her to stand with the other girls at the edge of the fire and took a spot next to her, tutting, “It’s tradition. Surely they danced in yer tribe?”

“Yes, but—”

“Ya can dance fo’ yer man. Might pique his int’rest. Don’ worry none. Th’ men have their turn later.”

Katara sputtered, her eyes wide with shock. “But we don’t dance for everyone.”

Nu raised an eyebrow, glancing over her shoulder at the watching firebender. “Tha’s a shame, then. You ain’t got any communal dances from yer tribe?”

Katara had never learned the communal dances of her tribe. Her mother died when she was too young and Gran-Gran had tried, but with her father leaving the tribe for war, there just hadn’t been enough time. The music started, first a slow tap of a drum that signals the beginning and then evolved into a slow, sensuous beat that made her heart pound. She only knew one dance; taught to her by her mother from the time since she first learned to walk. It was something she never imagined performing in front of anyone except her husband at her wedding.

Her cheeks blushed and she cautiously moved through the steps, gaining confidence as she moved and the steps that had been drilled into her as a child returned. Soon, she lost herself to the beat, the movement of her hips, and golden eyes. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

When Zuko returned from the hunt, he’d wanted to do nothing more than to eat something vaguely resembling food — but definitely not that slop he’d been served that morning — and then pass out on the bed he’d been shown to just before the Equinox Feast and sleep for days. Between being tied to a post all night while kneeling in mud so cold it might as well be ice and being forced into a Spirits-forsaken hunt, not even the sun’s energy was enough to carry him through the day anymore.

Instead, he’d been dragged around the village, prodded at by suspicious old women who muttered strange things about moon cycles and his connection with the Great Spirit. He’d taken that the Great Spirit he was connected to was not the moon spirit he’d seen in the North Pole. Zuko had felt absolutely no connection to the two fish that circled each other eternally.

He’d also been elbowed a number of times and given not-so-subtle winks at the mention of moon cycles by various men. He’d almost been relieved when the feast began. At least one of his wishes was on the verge of becoming true.

Then he’d been presented with a giant insect.

They’d loudly guffawed at his horrified expression, and then the ribbing began. It was then that he learned the beliefs they had in the power consuming such a thing held. His ears still burned from some of the more suggestive bits of advice he’d been given relating to the — the aphrodisiac effects of that particular insect. Even Uncle hadn’t been so explicit when he encouraged an interest in girls so many years ago.

Zuko still shied away from interacting with girls if he could. Too often they’d stare in horrified fascination at his scar, gawping like fish out of water. The worst were the questions. He hated the questions.

Anyway, there was no way he was eating a bug. A soft touch across his shoulder jerked him from his horrified stare. He met the beguiling smile of a young woman, her hair gathered over one shoulder and brushed to a bright copper shine. Her hand trailed down his arm, dancing over flesh in an enticing rhythm he’d only witnessed from street girls toward other men. Her lashes fluttered and a pout drew his attention to her mouth, full lips stained a dark pink. “I’ll dance fer ya.”

Her tone was a sultry purr, but Zuko could only stare uncomprehending. She gave him another smile before turning away to join the other girls at the fireside, her hips swaying enticingly as she walked. The sway of her skirt was mesmerizing. Then the music started and the men turned to the fire and Zuko took the chance to escape into the deeper shadows.

That was when he saw Katara. She’d arrived some time during the commotion with the rest of the women and the food. He caught the moment she finally noticed him and was surprised to see her smile brighten, making her eyes shine with happiness. The moment — not that it was a moment, Zuko told himself — ended when a girl dragged her to the fireside. His curiosity got the best of him and he moved closer for a clearer view. The music started a slow, seductive beat and he saw Katara hesitate; until the girl that dragged her to the fire gave her a prod. She took a deep breath, relaxed her shoulders, and then flowed. That was the only way Zuko could describe it and he vaguely wondered where that ability arose from since she’d been so rigid when he tried to teach her waterbending. The music hit a fever pitch and then, suddenly, it stopped and Zuko forgot to breathe.

Blue eyes peered up at him from beneath thick lashes and Zuko swallowed thickly. It took a couple tries to form words, the knowledge of them swimming drunkenly to the surface of his mind. “What was that?”

Her cheeks, already flushed from the dance, darkened. “My — my wedding dance.”

The Fire Sages had told him about such dances. They’d covered the differing cultures of the world, oftentimes highlighting how superior the Fire Nation was to other nations and cultures. He’d wondered then, just how accurate their descriptions were. They’d dwelled abnormally long and in great detail about the Water Tribes and their traditions. The Sages said they were vulgar and tasteless. They claimed the dances were nasty, primitive things, horrifying to watch and roused such disgusting thoughts in the pure firebender’s mind. They’d said many things. Apparently they were wrong. Escape was his only option.

“I am going to bed,” he blurted, voice nearly cracking on the final word as it hadn’t since his voice changed.

The cheerful chatter around the fire died suddenly as surprised eyes turned to the firebender. Zuko froze, body tensing uncertainly. He caught the smirks from the men sitting nearby and they made a lewd hand gesture when he made eye contact. Katara caught a few of the older women glancing curiously at her and she felt her cheeks heat, but she didn’t move, just as uncertain about the sudden silence as Zuko appeared. She was almost grateful when a muffled giggle from Nu broke the silence. Katara saw a few of the other girls sending Zuko blushing smiles and fluttering lashes and felt something inside her clench.

Zuko seemed to realize he’d inadvertently stepped into an unknown custom without any kind of forewarning or method of escape. He opened his mouth to say something, seemed to change his mind, and beat a hasty retreat without another word. They watched him disappear into the darkness, quiet murmurings erupting from those that remained until the chief cleared his throat and stood. A hush fell over the fire and all those gathered around it. Katara caught the air of anticipation and felt her heart leap to her throat. Dai swept the gathering with a discerning eye, fixed a serious look on Katara, and finally spoke, “The fire-breather Lee has taken the Hut of Unity for the night. So marks his first night.”

Notes:

Recognizable quotes from “The Swamp”

Chapter 8: Closer

 “The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances; if there is any reaction, both are transformed.”
— Carl Jung

“All people want is someone to listen.”
— Hugh Elliot, Standing Room Only

Zuko fled the feast, hoping he could escape without much attention, despite whatever it was that just happened. Another hour or two of off-color jokes and suggestions on what to do with a girl in private would be too much. He’d barely taken a handful of steps when an arm was thrown around his shoulder. He startled, jerking away and just stopping the reflexive fire jumping to his hands in defense. Laughter met his response and Zuko could just make out one of the hunters from earlier in the day. Teeth flashed white in the moonlight. “Easy there, Fire-breather, I ain’t gonna hurt ya.”

Zuko grunted, putting a more comfortable distance between them as he racked his brain for a name to go with the face. It was good to know the names of your enemies, after all. “What do you want?”

He didn’t like the considering look the hunter gave him nor the grin that remained on his lips. “Jus’ wanted t' check if ya had any questions.”

An uneasy feeling settled in his stomach. The feeling that he was missing something returned stronger than ever. Hai, Zuko told himself. The hunter’s name was Hai. That still didn’t ease the feeling that something was wrong or he was missing a crucial piece of information.

“No,” he said shortly, adding, “no questions.”

That white grin flashed again and Hai clapped him on the shoulder. “Good. Get to it then. We’ll ‘ope yer askin’ was good ’nuf.”

Zuko watched as Hai strolled back to the feast and a few moments later laughter echoed back to him. He knew the warmth on his neck telling him he was blushing. Movement in the shadows spurred him back into motion. He didn’t want to run into another swamp dweller who would give him advice on yet another embarrassing topic. This whole experience was approaching Uncle Iroh levels of mortification and would most likely be yet another thing he would attempt to block from his mind.

The trek to his sleeping quarters took longer than he remembered and it was with some relief that he mounted the steps and entered the hut. Zuko let the reed mat fall closed behind him and he stopped just inside to observe his surroundings. With the whirlwind of activity that preceded the feast, he hadn’t noticed that this hut was the only one with actual walls. It was also the only one he’d seen with a bed instead of a hammock though it was still suspended above the floor by ropes. The hut was also situated slightly away from the other, communal, huts and Zuko had a sinking, suddenly horrifying, thought. Had they — had he just been married? To a waterbender? A shudder of horror passed through him and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He half turned to find out, but changed his mind. He’d find out in the morning. If he wasn’t married, waiting until daybreak wouldn’t hurt. And if he was, well, he’d figure it out then. The thought of returning to the feast — to Katara — was too much. Decision made, he collapsed on the bed and fell asleep.

Despite his inner turmoil, Zuko slept dreamlessly and woke the next morning feeling more rested than he had in weeks. Sleep in an actual bed had been few and far between since he and his uncle fled the North Pole. Few of the Earth Kingdom towns they’d passed through were willing to give rooms to two Fire Nation men, one clearly of age to be in the military. Their lack of money was also a contributing factor and Zuko’s pride kept him from begging.

He could tell dawn was still some hours away and the rest of the village would remain asleep for some time. Relief flooded through him when he realized he was still alone in the hut. He hadn’t known what to expect and half-thought the men would toss Katara into the hut with him and be done with it. The swamp dwellers seemed rather straight-forward in that respect.

Zuko rolled from the bed, groaning as strained muscles violently protested the abuse, and ran a hand through his hair. Smoothing down his rumpled tunic, he took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. He’d refused to wear the loin cloth they’d presented him after his rushed bath, instead insisting on keeping his own clothing. There was some good natured grumbling, but one of the benders eventually dried his cleaned tunic and trousers. This morning he was going to greet the dawn as a loyal son of the Fire Nation instead of wallowing in mud.

The compound was quiet when Zuko left the hut and it felt unusual to move around without having someone watching him with barely suppressed suspicion. He passed the remains of the smoldering bonfire and gradually found his way to a small clearing that offered a place to sit well up off the damp ground. Relieved that he’d get another hour or two of peace while he sorted through the previous day’s events, he settled down to meditate. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

“Good morning, Lee.”

Zuko cracked an eye open, tilting his face up to see a smiling, weathered face. He recognized him as the swampbender that was with Katara the day before when he’d returned from the hunt. The short, fat one with the gray hair. Both eyes popped open and he shifted slightly. He said nothing, but the swampbender didn’t seem perturbed, settling down next to him and folding his hands in his lap. Zuko watched from the corner of his eye as the swampbender made himself comfortable, oblivious to Zuko’s less than welcoming frown. The swampbender took a deep, centering breath, releasing it slowly before commenting, “Not many see the need to meditate.”

Zuko looked away, gripping his knees. He could remember a time he refused his uncle’s guidance in meditation. He’d received a full on lecture about the benefits of both the calming aspects of meditating and the good it does for ones firebending. Meditation helped keep focus and an even inner balance throughout the day. Zuko had scoffed stubbornly, declaring the ridiculousness of that belief. The silence that followed had made Zuko feel like he was back in front of his mother, being scolded for not playing with Azula. Uncle Iroh always used silence to get him to talk. A pang went through him. One he usually associated with homesickness. He shoved the feeling away, grumbling, “It helps keep my element under control.”

The swampbender gave an understanding hum, pale green eyes flicking to the scar over Zuko’s left eye. “Yes. Fire is a wild element.”

Zuko bristled, but the swampbender raised a hand with a small laugh. “I mean no harm, fire-breather. Each element has its traits. Strengths and weaknesses. Fire is both a life-giver and a life-destroyer.”

Zuko knew he couldn’t rage against something that was true without sounding like a hypocrite. Too often the bending masters in the palace would talk about control. The inner fire was always seeking to break free, control had to be maintained or it would be disastrous. The Fire Nation had lost many young benders because they were unable to find masters to take them. The two benders fell into a meditative silence, Zuko absently noting the change of light in the trees and the stirring of life in the village. He wondered where his uncle was now. The thought brought a soft snort of amusement. Uncle Iroh was probably drinking tea in a tea house and flirting with the girls. The retired general always seemed to find pleasure no matter what life threw at him.

“The Avatar, too, came here seeking answers.”

The sudden words startled Zuko and he almost didn’t hear what was said. His heart surged in his chest, spiking adrenaline through him, and he resisted the urge to demand information. The capture of the Avatar was paramount to his return home. Zuko stamped down on the feeling. He was no longer searching for the Avatar. Azula’s mocking words after the North Pole were proof enough that he would never be welcomed in the Fire Palace courts. The news that he’d been in the swamp was worthless. His fingers flexed on his knees. Still, what could the Avatar be looking for?

“Did he find them?”

The swampbender slanted him a considering look. “Yes. And no.”

Zuko frowned. That was no answer at all. Of course, Zuko didn’t know what kind of answers the Avatar could possibly need. What were his questions?

“The Avatar seeks to restore balance, yet how can he when he, himself, is unbalanced?”

Zuko’s jaw tightened. “Is it really that unbalanced?”

The swampbender made a noise of affirmation. “You know it is.” He gave the young man a long look. “Something troubles you. Other than the balance of the elements, I mean.”

“Am I married?”

The words burst forth before he could stop them. The swampbender looked surprised, replacing the complacent look he typically wore. “Are you?” The question clearly meant that Zuko should know. Zuko scowled and the swampbender adjusted his question. “Did you spend the night alone?”

Zuko felt his cheeks heat and he turned away, closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing. “Yes.”

“Then you are not,” the swampbender told him. “You have declared intent, though, so she has three nights to come to you. If she does not, then you must try again. Last night was the first night.”

Three nights? Declared intent for whom? Zuko shifted uncomfortably. Stupid customs.

The swampbender watched him, clearly amused. “Of course, if the wrong girl comes, you may turn her away.” He laughed at Zuko’s panicked look and shrugged. “It has been known to happen.”

Katara’s cheerful arrival saved Zuko from responding. “Good morning, Lee. Huu.”

“Mornin’, Katara. Are you ready to begin?”

Zuko looked up at her as she stepped up onto the root next to them. She was dressed much like the other girls. The dark green skirt falling to her knees in the front then sweeping down to her calves in the back. With the Equinox now passed, the girls had switched to a band of cloth across their chests instead of a full tunic. To his horror, he found his eyes traveling to her exposed midriff. Sensing his gaze, Katara blushed when she looked at Zuko, immediately turning to Huu. “Yes.”

Huu stood, pausing to look down at the firebender. “You may stay, if ya like. The men will sleep late today and then work around the village. The rains will come soon." 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

The days passed quietly, each not much different from the one before it. Zuko would rise before sunup and meditate; sometimes alone, sometimes with Huu. Katara would join them shortly after sunrise, sitting quietly until Huu declared it was time for lessons. Zuko would watch until some of the men would come around and pull him into work around the village. Each night, Zuko would retreat from the fire with a silent nod, careful not to say too much or look too closely at Katara.  Three nights passed and Chief Dai eventually released him from his inadvertent marriage pledge when the old ladies announced that Katara had remained in her hammock all night. The resulting tease he received for his supposed rejection lasted only until one of the older female swampbenders threatened to throw the lot of them in with the categators.

Several weeks passed and the rains that were mentioned seemed on the verge of breaking. The work around the village picked up, ramps were pulled down out of the eaves of the huts and anchored to the porches to bridge the spanning distances between the huts above the dirt paths.

The air in the swamp was growing warmer each day and every afternoon Zuko’s clothes would stick uncomfortably to his body. Boa usually took a spot nearby, working logs into long boards and generally talking despite Zuko’s lack of response. The flow of words would pause when Nu came by with food, water, and a cheerful smile, but she’d only wait until she learned everything was going well before leaving the men to their work. Zuko was grateful for her presence for a number of reasons. The main reason being that no one complained when he stopped working to join the others on a lunch break. Boa watched as Nu left, eyes lingering until another elbowed him, commenting, “She’s a good gal.”

Boa’s face reddened but he grinned proudly. “Ain’t she?”

A few others nodded. “She makes a great pho.”

Boa laughed, taking up a bowl of soup and lifting it in a partial salute. “Well, she’s mine so doncha get any ideas.”

Laughter met his words while more bowls were passed around and the group down to eat. Trai slurped his noodles, speaking through a full mouth. “I don’ see th’ rush t’ marry.”

Zuko caught several eye rolls and soft snorts from the other men and a few even frowned. Boa was one of the latter, frowning over his bowl at the other man, but it was Hai who spoke. “Ya should jus’ be careful ’er father don’ find out. Ya e’er gonna marry tha’ ghel?”

Trai gave a dismissive wave of his chopsticks. “Naw, I cert’nly ain’t th’ firs’ t'ave ‘er an’ I prolly won’ be th’ las’. I got my eye on ’nother gal.”

There were a few of the men that exchanged knowing smirks until one of the older hunters grumbled, “Tha’ ain’t righ’.”

Trai shrugged and went back to slurping noodles. Attention drifted back to Boa. “Yer gettin’ married, yeah?”

Boa nodded, tearing his glare away from Trai and grinning. “Aye. At th’ full moon.”

Laughter rose and the men started talking over each other in a jumble of voices that Zuko was unable to follow for several minutes until Vinh, who was sitting nearby, turned to him and asked, “So, when are ya gettin’ married?”

Zuko nearly choked on his food and his violent coughing drew more attention than he wanted. The men broke of their conversation, turning to the firebender curiously while Zuko sputtered and gasped for breath.

“Hey,” Boa called, rising to his feet, “what’d ya say to ’im?”

Vinh shrugged, eying Zuko with some concern. “I jus’ asked ’im when ’e was marryin’.”

“Tha’s righ’!” Hai recalled suddenly. “Yer got yerself a pretty gal, too. She bein’ shy?”

“No!” Zuko gasped.

Boa made a sound of understanding. “So yer bein’ shy.” He reached out and patted his shoulder encouragingly. “Ya don’ have t’ worry none. It ain’t as scary as all that.”

Zuko spluttered, hoping the dirt and mud from the day’s labor hid his flushing cheeks. “No! I’m never getting married!”

They looked surprised at his vehemence, even Trai, despite his earlier stated views. “Why?”

Zuko looked away, angrily stabbing at his pho. The soup sloshed over the edges of the bowl. “Who would want me?”

“I can think o’ one,” Trai offered.

Vinh reached over and punched his brother’s shoulder, causing the other man to yelp. Vinh rolled his eyes, saying, “No one wants yer seconds.”

“Tha’s not what I meant!” Trai protested, rubbing his abused shoulder.

Hai rolled his eyes at the pair, pushing them away and bending to stare into Zuko’s face. The firebender pulled back to put more space between them and then Hai straightened, proclaiming, “’S not that bad.”

Zuko’s hand rose to his scar. He’d forgotten it for a moment. “That’s not — I mean — I guess not.”

Boa sighed, standing and tossing his bowl into the empty pot and tugging slightly on his clothing. “It’s not. Why, I got this scar, ’ere,” he twisted to show a long, jagged scar across his lower back, “from m’ first hunt. Ran afoul of a categator. Nearly cut m’in half!”

Soon the other men were showing scars and boasting of what spectacular feat of bravery they did to earn it, the stories growing more wild and farfetched as each tried to out-do the other. Hai finally turned to Zuko, asking, “How’d ya get yer scar?”

Zuko stared. No one had ever asked how he got his scar. The Fire Nation saw it as it was: a mark of dishonor or failure at controlling his element. Other nations saw it as a result of the war. To be asked outright, as if it’d been acquired through some heroic feat of battle, was a strange feeling. Most everyone knew how he’d gotten the scar anyway. Unsure of how to explain, he hesitated. “Well, it’s — I got it from a battle of sorts.”

The swamp men stared. “Battle, huh.”

Zuko nodded and Boa leaned forward, squinting at the scarred flesh that covered almost the entire left half of his face. “Looks like ya had this a while.”

Zuko rose, dropping his bowl in the pot with the others, muttering, “I was thirteen. I’m going back to work.”

He left before anyone could say anything and the others drifted back to work shortly after that. A few of the men glanced at him, but thankfully they kept their distance and their words to themselves. The day wore on and the afternoon was once more sticking to his skin in a grimy layer of sweat, dirt and mud and making his clothes feel awkward on him. He tugged uncomfortably at his tunic before deciding to abandon it altogether. He’d just pulled it over his head when a throaty laugh behind him made him jerk in surprise.

“I wasn’t expectin’ a show when I came wit’ water jus’ now. I’da come earlier if I’da known.”

He spun to face the voice, startled and nearly ripping the sleeves from his tunic. He recognized the girl as the one that approached him the night of the Equinox Feast. The one that had clearly mastered the come hither look early. She smiled at him, pale green eyes drifting down to his exposed torso before meeting his eyes with an enticing smile. “My name’s Tien. What’s yers?”

The name rang a bell, but the sway of her hips and the sweep of her hair distracted him from recalling where he’d heard it. She was an attractive girl, he supposed. Full-figured and fine featured. “Lee.”

She fluttered her lashes, tilting her head so she’d have to look up at him through them. “Would ya like some water, Lee?”

Her voice caressed the letters of his name and sent a shiver down his spine. “Water?”

“Yes,” she laughed, holding up a waterskin that hung at her side. “I brought th’ men water. This heat’ll do ya in quick.”

Zuko stared at the waterskin dumbly. “Oh, water, yes.”

She poured some water from the skin, stepping well within his personal space to give it to him and brushing against his arms. He took it carefully, stepping away to gain a more comfortable distance. She followed, watching as he quickly drank the water and handed her the cup again. She took it from him, letting her fingers linger against his for a moment too long. “I’ve ne’er met a fire-breather afore.”

“Oh,” was all Zuko could say.

“What’s it like? Where yer from.”

Zuko blinked, frowning. “Uh…hot?”

Tien laughed, tossing her hair. She reached out, brushing her hand down his arm. The hair stood up on his arms and he pulled away, flushing hot. She bit her lip in a coquettish gesture. “Hot? What else?”

He took another step back only for her to follow again, stepping that much closer and nearly tripping over the tools at his feet.

“Hello, Lee.”

Tien startled, turning toward the new voice, a frown already pulling at her mouth. Katara stood a few feet away, her hands on her hips and frowning at the other girl. Zuko never thought he’d be so relieved to see the waterbender again. “Katara!”

Tien stepped away from Zuko, clearly unhappy with the interruption. “What are ya doin’ ’ere? Ain’t ya s’posed t’ be trainin’?”

Katara scowled, folding her arms across her chest. “Huu has given me time for the afternoon meal so I thought I’d come and see how Lee is doing.”

He opened his mouth to respond and was surprised when her glare shifted from Tien to him. Tien simply laughed, shooing Katara away with a dismissive wave of her hand. “’E is very busy now. ’E is not interested in a lil girl. ’E was tellin’ me ’bout ’is home.”

“I—” Zuko tried to interrupt.

“And I’m sure it was fascinating,” Katara cut in over Zuko, her words heavy with sarcasm. “It looked like it was going so well that Lee wanted to leave immediately.”

That brought Tien’s attention back to the firebender and she once again fluttered her lashes so much that Zuko was beginning to think there was something stuck in her eye. “I’m sure Lee was enjoying himself.”

Katara snorted. “Right. I think you’d better move on to a different man now.”

The glare Tien shot Katara was enough to make the temperature around them drop several degrees. “What do ya mean, by that?”

“Exactly what you think it means.”

They stared at each other for several minutes before the swamp girl released an annoyed sigh, snapping out shortly, “Fine.”

She gave Zuko one last sultry look before leaving, making sure he was watching as she walked away. Katara watched her as well, her scowl dark. A slight movement from Zuko snapped Katara back to the present and blazing blue eyes pinned him in place. “What did she want?”

Taken aback by the force of her anger, he answered automatically, “She asked about the Fire Nation.”

Her foot tapped against the ground and she raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “Really?”

His own scowl returned and he tossed his tunic away, demanding, “Why?”

Whatever righteous indignation Katara had mustered up before that quickly deflated. “It’s just — She was—” she shook her head. “Nothing. It was nothing. Don’t talk to her.”

Zuko could only nod at the command in her voice before she stalked away, muttering about hussies and loose swamp morals and the downfall of society and the things she could do that no one would be able to trace back to her. Girls, Zuko decided, would never make sense. They were insane. He would know. His sister was about as crazy as they came.

Whatever Katara had come to talk to him about was forgotten and Zuko watched as a second girl walked away from him. Granted, Katara marched away, nearby puddles splashing angrily in response to her temper. Maybe it was a good thing he was stuck in the swamp. Katara lacked control, though he would not be the one to tell her that.

 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He didn’t notice it at first, but then he hadn’t been paying much attention. He’d been more concerned with survival in those initial weeks among a bunch of swamp dwellers that seemed to watch him as if he was about to burst into flame at any moment and burn down their village. He frowned. That thought brought to mind some firebenders who just might do that. Eventually, though, the villagers relaxed. Zuko suspected that was in part because the hunters had warmed up to him rather quickly after his first hunting trip.

So, surviving took precedence for a while. It was when he finally felt less hunted that he noticed. Small things. Things he wouldn’t have paid any attention to that suddenly became glaringly obvious. It seemed that every time he turned around, there was a guy talking to Katara. At first he thought nothing of it. He didn’t care what she did or who she talked to. He just wanted to get out of the swamp, drink fresh, clean water, and bathe alone. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of his body or had any qualms about modesty or lack of modesty, he just wanted to be alone. Blessedly alone. There were too many men sharing one small bathhouse and not enough space to move without invading someone’s personal space. The Fire Nation was never so barbaric as having too little space for so many men. It wasn’t like he had to bathe every day. In fact, it seemed most of the men jumped in the sluggishly moving river and called it done. But Zuko discovered that the mud itched when it dried. And it smelled. Horribly. And Zuko just liked being clean.

One such day, when the ground was soft and he’d been feeling particularly disgusting, he saw her. She’d been assisting in general chores around the village and practicing her bending under Huu’s watchful eye. It wasn’t even anything that he would normally remark upon, but Katara had come around for several days accompanying Nu during the men’s lunch break and kept him company until it was time for her to return to practice.

This day he’d turned from his work to join the others for a meal when he saw one of the men take the basket from her. She smiled, thanking him, and then laughed at something he’d said. The sight brought a rush of confused feelings that Zuko quickly pushed aside, determined that perhaps the swamp was beginning to mess with his mind. After that, he started noticing that she was rarely alone when she walked through the village. One or another of the young men would be by her side, offering her help with her tasks or just chatting away. It also didn’t help that every time he turned around, Tien was there touching him, smiling at him, and provoking some kind of want in him that he found disturbing on every level of being. The swamp was trying to drive him crazy. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

The final push to be ready for the spring rains had arrived and Zuko was stretched out on his stomach in the soft mud below one of the huts on the edge of the village closest to the river, a crude mallet in one hand. The previous day the ground had been bone dry. According to the men of the village, the rainy season was almost upon them. The waters of the swamp would rise and flood the village, turning all the paths to rivers and each hut to its own island. His task, along with the rest of the men, was to check the stilts and reinforce the weak ones to prevent the sudden and tragic collapse of them in the initial swiftness of the water. After that, the bridges would need to be checked over and properly secured.

With a grunt, Zuko hammered the final peg into place, giving the board a firm tug. It didn’t move. Pleased, he crawled out from beneath the hut, gathering his tools to move to the next one. One more and the huts would be complete and he’d be able to wash the mud and sticky sweat off his body. Stretching the kinks out of his back, he caught sight of Katara stomping his way with a scowl. She stomped past him, splashing through shallow puddles and dropping onto a hollow log with a frustrated exhale.

“This is so hard.”

She fell back against the log, frowning up at the branches that swayed over them. Zuko carefully sat on the log at her head, glancing down at her. Very few things frustrated the waterbender about their time in the swamp so it was easy to hazard a guess. “Bending?”

She rolled her eyes as if it were a stupid question. It probably was, but he’d had nothing else to say and it seemed she wanted something said. “Yes.”

“Show me.”

Katara scowled, twisting her neck to look up at him. “What?”

Zuko shrugged. “Just your warm up.”

She didn’t move, instead dropping an arm across her eyes with a sigh. “It’s so different from everything I’ve ever heard about waterbending.”

“It’s a different culture,” he said. “It stands to reason there’d be different histories they’re pulling from. I do see a difference in their bending.”

Katara sat up, looking interested. “How?”

“They use their feet more.” Zuko looked thoughtful. “I think it’s a good thing.”

She scowled, folding her arms across her chest. Zuko held up his hands. “It’s more diverse. It’ll let you learn different forms of combat.”

“But I don’t want to learn different forms of combat,” she whined. “I just want to learn how to bend.”

“It could be useful. Practice.”

She snorted but didn’t pursue the argument, instead standing and stepping a short distance away, calling water to her in a thin stream. At least she was no longer struggling with that part of her bending. Zuko watched intently as she moved through her warm-up, brow furrowed with concentration. It was…different, Zuko decided. Not a bad different, but definitely different than the Northern Water Tribe. He recognized the end of her warm-up and stood. She had certainly improved, no matter what she claimed. She’d adapted the swampbending style to what she already knew of the Water Tribe’s style which created an interesting combination. It’d give her a slight edge in a fight since the style was so unfamiliar to the average firebender.

A flash on her hand caught his attention and Zuko seized her left hand, pulling it up to look at it with intense scrutiny. Katara gasped with shock at the sudden hold. After weeks in his company, she knew the firebender almost avoided all touch. There were times she thought she saw him cringe when someone reached to pat him on the shoulder. She gave a halfhearted tug, trying to reclaim her hand.

“Zuko.”

The firebender ignored her, his fingers tracing the silver band that encircled her thumb. Katara watched quietly, her breath catching when he gave the ring a gentle tug.

“It won’t come off,” she told him quietly.

Gold eyes flicked up to her face, his fingers unconsciously tightening around hers. “It’s not meant to come off easily.” He looked back down at the ring. “Theory behind it is that the only way to remove it is by cutting off the finger, then everyone would know you’d escaped. And not many people can stomach cutting off their own finger.”

Katara grimaced, her fingers unconsciously twitching at the thought. “Pleasant.”

His lips quirked and he raised an eyebrow. “Right,” he let her hand go, the gold of his eyes brightening. A shiver ran down her spine and she lowered her eyes. “It won’t stay there forever, you know. It can be removed.”

She smiled, tucking her thumb into her fist and feeling the press of the band against her skin. “At least they didn’t brand me.”

His brow furrowed and his head tilted to the side as he considered her. “That would’ve been a poor decision on their part.”

“How?”

His lips twisted briefly and his hand rose almost of its own accord, fingers tracing the unblemished skin around her left eye. His expression was almost wistful. He turned away before she could question his thoughts, saying with certainty, “No one wants a scarred lover. Especially if they’re paying good money for a pretty face.”

Katara blinked, suddenly aware of large scar that covered the firebender’s left eye and extended up over his ear and into his hairline. Not that she hadn’t noticed before, it was nearly impossible not to see it and stare when she’d first met him back in the South Pole, but that had gradually faded from her full awareness over time. She’d been hesitant to ask before, but not it had come up on its own. “What happened to you?”

Zuko studiously avoided her eyes, brushing a hand down his muddy front self-consciously. It seemed like he was always covered in mud and muck in this village. He hated mud. It was always in his hair, his clothes, his mouth. And it stunk.

“Zuko?”

He came back to himself, catching her amused glance. “I’m reinforcing the stilts.”

He motioned to the hut behind him and Katara followed the motion, her eyes dropping to the ground and following the path of disturbed mud under the hut. Curious, she stepped to the side of the hut and bent to look under. She quickly spotted the recent work Zuko had done and she bit her lip to stop the giggle that threatened to come out. Twice as many pegs had been used to keep the support in place. She turned to look at him just in time to catch his anxious shifting. She smiled. “Looks good.”

Zuko rolled his eyes and snorted in disbelief, but didn’t correct her. He knew his skill with a hammer left much to be desired and half hoped they’d grow tired of his work, but it appeared they were willing to put up with anything. Katara seemed to realized they were staring at each other first and reached up to tug on her hair, biting her lip. “So—”

“Hey!” Boa called out as he passed by. “Quit yer wooin’, Lee. Them huts ain’t gonna fix theirselves.”

Zuko and Katara blushed equal shades of red and Zuko backpedaled away from her, stuttering, “I better go.”

Katara nodded, avoiding looking at him. “Me too. Practice. Huu’s probably waiting for me.”

She walked away with a blush darkening her cheeks. Zuko bent to gather his tools and tore his eyes away from the gentle sway of her hips. A quiet snicker behind him startled him and he turned to find Boa grinning at him. Zuko’s eyes narrowed and he quickly straightened. “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothin’. It’s alrigh’ to look, ya know,” his gaze slid from the firebender to the direction Katara had hurried in. “She’s mighty fine. Tho is lookin’ fer a wife.”

Zuko felt his muscles seize and he couldn’t stop the look over his shoulder after Katara. Tho was often in her company and was a little too friendly with his hands for Zuko’s comfort. A knowing smile slowly spread across Boa’s lips and Zuko pushed his annoyance away, shouldering the mallet and pegs and grumbled, “Good for him.”

Mud sucked at his shoes as he started away, ignoring Boa as he fell in step with him, musing, “I would try for her meself…”

Gold eyes flashed irritably. “So why don’t you?”

Boa looked surprised, rubbing a finger against his chin and then shrugged dismissively. “Why, she won’t have me, o’course. Ya have prior claim and all. ’Sides, I got me own girl. Nu’s th’ bes’ girl there is; ain’t nothin’ like ’er. She’d remove m’ head from m’ shoulders if’n I tossed ’er over.”

Zuko froze, the pegs and mallet slipping from his hands to land in the deepening mud at his feet. Boa walked a few steps before realizing Zuko had stopped and turned to look back at him in question. Zuko shook his head. “No, I don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

Zuko made a face. “Have prior claim. I don’t own her.”

His thoughts immediately flashed back to that day on the docks, her ragged appearance, the depletion of his money pouch, and the silver band around her thumb. His mouth dropped open in sudden surprise. Technically, he supposed, he did own her. The thought did not inspire comfortable feelings. Boa laughed, clapping him on the shoulder and jarring him from his ponderings.

“Sure ya do!” he said cheerfully. “Ya killed the snakebird and jus’ in time fer spring rains!”

“But the three days—”

Boa dismissed the protest with a wave of his hand. “Jus’ renew yer intent. Simple. Better do it before someone else snaps ’er up!”

With a final pat on his shoulder, Boa moved away with a cheerful whistle, leaving Zuko sputtering behind him. 

 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Zuko accepted the skewer from Cook, suppressing a grimace at the large insect still steaming from the cook fires. He was trying to figure out a way to dispose of the bug without anyone seeing, when Due dropped down next to him on the low laying log, knobby knees rising almost to his shoulders. He looked at the skewer Zuko was holding awkwardly away from his body, asking, “Ya gonna eat tha’?”

Zuko shifted to hold it out to the gangly swampbender, grateful to be rid of it. So far, he’d made it through his time in the swamp without being forced to eat the insects. “No.”

Due snapped it up enthusiastically, consuming it with close to an unseemly relish. Zuko turned away, his stomach rolling. He froze when he caught sight of Katara. She stopped by the fire, accepting a bowl of pho with a smile, hesitating only a moment before taking the offered insect. Several girls hustled around her, speaking quickly and taking her by the arm. She caught his eye as she turned with the other girls, smiling brightly and tilting her head in question. Surprised that he was caught staring, Zuko looked away quickly, meeting the grinning countenance of Boa. “I saw that.”

“Saw what?” Zuko feigned ignorance.

His grin turned conspiratorial. “Oh, ya know, I told ya she were pretty.”

Giggles erupted from the girls and the three men turned to look at them. They watched as the girls glanced towards them before swiftly turning away with another fit of giggles. They clustered closer to Katara, clearly whispering about them. Due spoke up suddenly, “Right pretty. Tho said he was goin’ t’ ask her t’nigh’.”

Boa sat back with a good-natured laugh. “That so?”

Due nodded, using his skewer to point across the fire. “Yep, look.”

They followed the motion back to the girls, noticing the short swamp dweller approach the girls. The group greeted him cheerfully and he greeted them all in return before turning his attention solely on Katara. Tho leaned forward as he spoke, stepping just a touch closer than Zuko thought strictly necessarily, and reaching out to put a hand lightly on her shoulder. Her cheeks flushed as the other girls giggled and her eyes darted across the campfire to Zuko before returning a smile to Tho. To the surprise of both Boa and Due, Zuko shot to his feet, stalking around the campfire with a murderous glare. Tho turned with a friendly grin, greeting, “Evenin’, Lee.”

The words were friendly despite Zuko’s stare and Tho’s obvious surprise at his sudden presence. Zuko’s eyes narrowed further. Tho was definitely older and larger than Zuko was, but Zuko had youth on his side. And firebending. He definitely had firebending. Katara’s expression shifted to surprise and she watched him carefully before passing her bowl to another girl and laying a tentative hand on Zuko’s arm. “Lee?”

His combative stare wavered and he finally noticed the expectant expressions on everyone’s faces and the hush from the rest of the villagers. Zuko groaned internally. So much for not drawing any more attention to himself. Nu even raised an eyebrow, smirking. He nodded stiffly, reining in his temper with some difficulty. “Tho.”

Tho waited to see if he would say anything else, but when he didn’t expand upon his greeting, Tho smiled and nodded at the girls, his smile lingering a moment longer on Katara than the others. “Katara.”

Zuko tensed, vaguely aware of Katara’s hand tightening on his arm. He ground his teeth together, temper simmering back to life, and nearly missed Katara saying, “Yes, Tho.”

Zuko jerked around to stare at her, ignoring the significant look Tho leveled on him as he moved away. Katara suddenly noticed Zuko’s stare and stepped away, surprise and uncertainty flashing in her eyes. “Lee?”

His lips thinned and his eyes narrowed. He wondered what Tho wanted with Katara. What did she mean by saying ‘yes’ to Tho? Did she promise herself? The man was at least a decade or more older than her. What interest could she have in him?

The girls were waiting for an explanation, or at least for him to provide a reason for his sudden appearance, instead of standing mutely before them. He looked over them all, glancing over his shoulder to where Tho had joined Boa and Due. The three swamp dwellers were now watching him. Zuko squared his shoulders, his chin rising as he deliberately spoke his next words, “I’m turning in. Good night, Katara.”

Chapter 9: Understanding

“Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.”
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 

“I’m turning in. Good night, Katara.”

Her blue eyes widened and squeals from the other girls were quickly muffled. Zuko hesitated only a moment after the words left his mouth, a bubble of panic rising up in him, before he turned on his heel and walked away. Katara’s cheeks heated, her blush deepening when pale green eyes of the other girls turned to her in surprise. As soon as he was out of earshot, the girls crowded around her, speaking excitedly, “He singled you out! What are you going to do?”

Katara turned in an attempt to hide her blushing cheeks, forcing herself to speak calmly, “Nothing.”

The girls were shocked, gasping in horrified disbelief. “Nothing? Why?”

“He doesn’t view me like that.” She caught sight of their skeptical looks and quickly added, “And I’m not interested.”

Nu snorted. “Like I believe that pack o’ lies.”

Katara hadn’t heard Nu approach and startled. “W-what?”

The older girl rolled her eyes, jutting out a hip and placing one hand on it, waving the other absently as she spoke, “I seen the way ya look at ’im an’ Tien ’ere has sashayed pas’ ’im with naught but a skirt and scarf t’ cover ’er and ’e barely glanced.”

The girls turned to Tien with varying expressions of awe and disapproval. Tien’s cheeks pinked even as her chin rose defiantly, “I ain’t done nothin’ wrong.”

Nu, though, disagreed, rolling her eyes. “Lan said t’ leave that fire-breather alone, Tien; ’e belongs t’ Katara.”

They turned to Katara for confirmation.

“Lee’s not mine,” she squeaked.

“See? ‘E’s fair game. I—”

“He declared Intent—”

Tien frowned mutinously. “She don’t want ’im. That’s over.”

Nu frowned in return, poking a sharp finger into the other girl’s shoulder. “No, jus’ now ’e renewed Intent. An’ ’e knew what ’e was promisin’ this time ’round.”

Lan bustled into the group, interrupting what was turning into an argument that was on the verge of erupting into a brawl. “Enough, enough. Huu says the rains a’comin’ so we bes’ be off. Tien, leave that boy alone. ‘E don’ wan’ ya and if’n ya keep up yer messin’ round, no one else’ll want ya either.”

The girls quickly stifled snickers, hiding them behind coughs and hands. Tien scowled, shooting Katara a dark look. “But why? ‘E’s lookin’ fer a wife an’ she ain’t doin’ nothin’ ‘bout it.”

Lan’s tongue click, hands on her wide hips. “Don’t be a hussy, girl.”

“I’m more of a woman than she is,” Tien snarled, giving her body a sweeping gesture and emphasizing her breasts. “She ain’t nothin’ but a girl.”

Nu gasped. Her own chest was not as well-endowed as the other girl’s and she took offense that breast size indicated the status of a woman. Katara flushed, folding her arms across her chest self-consciously. Lan snorted, rolling her eyes. “Per’aps, but there be other men fer ya t’ choose. The fire-breather ain’t yers. Enough o’ that, now.”

Lan bundled the girls off to their hammocks, clicking her tongue in disapproval when the girls protested, wanting to stay around the fire a while longer. Thunder rumbled in the distance and the smell of rain hung heavy in the air. The reed mats were lowered around the hut, creating thin walls to block most of the windswept rain that would fall during the night.

Katara wrapped the thin blanket tightly around her shoulders as she huddled in her hammock. Around her, the girls were settling down, still grumbling about their forced bedtime and Tien’s better-than-everyone attitude. She stared unseeing at the reed mat as it quivered against the wind. The rain wasn’t falling yet, but she could sense it drawing closer. So much water in the air and it was pressing against all of her senses. She felt cold. It was with some surprise when quiet footsteps approached and then another body joined her in her hammock. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed Nu pressed in behind her, a conspiratorial grin on her lips.

“What are you doing?” Katara whispered, conscious that now the girls around them had grown quiet.

Nu prodded her shoulder. “Turn around.”

“What?”

She prodded harder. “Face me.”

With some effort, Katara turned over in the hammock. It took some awkward shifting on Katara’s part, and a helping hand from Nu, and they were finally laying comfortably against each other. Now facing Nu, the older girl gave Katara a long, searching look. “Y’ain’t been sleepin’.”

“I — It’s nothing.”

Nu reached over and tugged gently on Katara’s short hair, twisting a curl into a tight spiral before releasing it again. “T’ain’t nothin’. Ya have nightmares.” She smiled gently at Katara’s shocked expression. “I ’ear ’em. Ya used t’ call out fer yer da, yer brother, even that Avatar kid. Yer ma was also mentioned, but not as of’en.”

Katara swallowed nervously. “Used to?”

“Yep,” she affirmed. “Now ya call fer some guy named Zuko or somethin’. Hard t’understand ya sometimes.”

Katara groaned, covering her face with her hands. Nu waited quietly before speaking again, keeping her voice low, “Lee ain’t ’is real name, is it?”

“No.”

The word whispered out from between her hands, barely audible. She didn’t know what would happen if the Foggy Swamp people discovered Zuko’s real name or exactly who he was. It wasn’t like he had a common name. To her surprise, the other girl didn’t seem to react. Nu pulled her hands down, leaning in with a devious whisper, “I won’t tell if ya want t’ sneak o’er. Ya can take ’em for a test ride. Put ’em through ’is paces.”

“Nu!” Katara gasped.

The older girl shushed her quickly, laughing quietly at Katara’s fiery blush. She sputtered, barely remembering to keep her voice low, “I would never—”

“Course ya wouldn’t!” Nu interrupted her, brushing her hair back reassuringly. “Ya do need t’ sleep though. I ain’t stupid. Ya shared a bed before ya came ’ere.”

“Not like that,” Katara muttered.

Nu raised an eyebrow. “Disappointed?”

Katara glared, feeling a bit put out. “Is that all you think about?”

“Course not, but the rains are ’ere and there ain’t nothin’ else t’do.” Nu rolled out of the hammock, stopping the gentle swing and looking down at Katara. “Think ’bout it. ’E gets up early, from wha’ I remember. Ya can sneak out an’ back b’fore anyone wakes.”

Katara watched as Nu fell into her own hammock, waving off the calls of the other girls on the far side of the hut to join them in their gossip. Katara curled further into the thin blanket, suddenly aware of the sound of rain beating against the thatched roof and dripping into puddles. The sound was soothing, but she knew she wasn’t going to sleep. Or at least she wasn’t going to sleep well. The weeks after Zuko rescued her from the auction stage she’d grown accustomed to his comforting presence. He kept the nightmares at bay. And the warmth he emitted was soothing. A shiver moved down her spine and she squeezed her eyes shut. The swamp was too close to the Spirit World and there were times she thought she saw things.

The girls eventually drifted to bed and Katara listened as the beat of rain drops lulled them to a peaceful sleep. With cautious movements, Katara rolled out of her hammock and crept out of the hut. Perhaps Nu was right. She wasn’t getting any sleep in her own hammock and Zuko would be awake long before the rest of the village. She desperately needed someone next to her and she was exhausted.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Zuko stared at the thatched ceiling, listening to the steady beat of rain against the reeds. The swamp people hadn’t been lying when they said the rains were coming. Now the entire village would soon be flooded and each hut would be like a tiny island in the middle of steadily rising water. His thoughts were troubled and it wasn’t about the coming flood to the village. Not this time. None of the villagers seemed concerned so he put the thought from his mind despite the feeling of unease that hung over him. No, his thoughts dwelled on the reaction he had to a certain blue-eyed waterbender gaining attention from the villagers. He huffed a sigh, a slight frown pulling at his thoughts. What ever had possessed him to say good-night to Katara? He knew what the customs of the swamp were now, yet he still did it. His eyes closed, brow furrowing. He was being stupid.

“Zuko?”

The firebender’s eyes snapped open and shifted upright, fire blooming in his palm to light up the small room. Gold eyes reflected the warm light and Katara hesitated, glancing over her shoulder at the empty compound. Zuko frowned, swinging his legs over the edge of the hanging bed and stilling the gentle rocking his motion caused. “Katara?”

She startled, quickly stepping into the dim interior and letting the reed mat fall shut behind her as she nervously patted at her clothing. “I — I couldn’t sleep.”

Zuko shifted, leaving the edge of his bed more open, giving her an unspoken welcome. “You know what it means if they find you in here.”

Relief flooded through her, a smile blooming on her face, and she quickly crossed the small hut to the swinging bed, grasping at her hands. “You wake before dawn,” she stated as if the answer was obvious, “just make sure you push me out the door by then.”

He grunted and carefully moved to the other side of the bed, keeping the small flame aloft. It’d be difficult to explain if he ended up leaving scorch marks behind. At least Katara’s waterbending was better so the place wouldn’t burn down completely. “I really don’t want to get married in a swamp.”

She laughed, crawling onto the swinging bed next to him. “It’s not really ideal. A lot of mud and I don’t think I can convince my brother to actually eat one of those bugs.”

Something in him ease somewhat as he watched her settle down next to him, a contented sigh escaping her and her eyes drifted closed. Without opening her eyes, she reached out and tugged on his arm. He scooted closer to her, his heart skipping when she threw her arm over his bare chest and snuggled into his side. She was here, with him, but still he couldn’t forget the words of Boa and Due.

“What did he want?”

Blue eyes opened, looking up at him in confusion, only to squint against the brightness of the flame in his hand. “Who?”

His teeth clenched. The who should have been obvious. He forced himself to calm the flame in his palm, shrinking it to a tiny flicker. “Tho.”

Confusion cleared and a blush rose on her cheeks instead. Her eyes fell away from his to a point somewhere in the darkness over his shoulder. “Oh, nothing.”

So, Due was right. Tho had asked her, not that it was any of Zuko’s business. Katara could do whatever she wanted. Zuko’s lips thinned. With whomever she wanted. He didn’t care. That still didn’t stop the words that spilled from his mouth, “He’s too old for you.”

Katara shrugged, pushing chin-length hair behind her ears. “The older men usually marry younger women in the tribes.”

Zuko pulled a face. He didn’t care that things like that happened among the Fire Nation nobility as well. He wondered who is father promised Azula to. The mental picture that brought to mind made his thoughts stutter. Azula probably wouldn’t stand for it.

Katara rolled her eyes, poking his side. “Older men offer more stability. More security.”

He moved away from her fingers, eyes narrowed and the flame in his hand flared for a moment before he took a steadying breath. “So Tho is a good match.”

Katara lifted herself onto her elbows, staring at him and speaking slowly, “In a manner of speaking—”

“Did he ask you to spend the night with him?” he cut her off, probably a little more harshly than he intended and definitely not the question he wanted to ask.

She flinched, sitting up and looking down at him incredulously. “Zuko—”

She was hiding something, he could tell. He jerked away from her hand, scowling fiercely and demanding, “Did he?”

Her blush darkened even as her own eyes flashed with anger. “It was nothing like that.”

He leaned into her, speaking through clenched teeth. “Then what did he want?”

She shoved him away, throwing back the thin blankets and launching herself from the bed. The hanging bed rocked wildly with her exit. She smacked his hand away when he made a grab for her and she made sure she was standing out of his immediate reach. “He was congratulating me on the fine work my intended had done on the huts. I told him he was mistaken.”

She spun away, marching to the reed mat door. Zuko scrambled after her, nearly falling on his face as he sprang from the bed. He grabbed her hand, holding tight when she tried to yank it away, her anger spiking. “Wait.”

They were nearly shouting and Zuko had an absent hope that they couldn’t be heard over the rain and thunder. The flame in his palm puffed out as he lacked the concentration to maintain it, but not before flashing blue eyes turned toward him. “Why do you even care?”

“Because you’re mine!” he shouted.

Thunder rolled ominously overhead and in the next lightening flash Zuko caught sight of her drop-jawed astonishment. The speechless astonishment didn’t last long and Katara yanked harder on her hand. “Is that what this is about? Your little slave might run off with another man? You’ll lose your trick before you have the chance to play?”

“No! That’s not—”

Zuko sputtered into silence. He didn’t even know what he meant. A frosty silence fell over them, punctuated only by the sound of rain and the rumble of thunder. He heard her sigh softly and her fingers moved as if testing his hold, but she didn’t continue to try and take her hand back. “Maybe I should go.”

She hadn’t moved but Zuko tugged on her hand, pulling her a step closer and away from the door. “Don’t. It’s raining.”

It was a stupid thing to say to a waterbender and Katara seemed to agree, if her soft snort was anything to go by. She’d arrived in the rain, after all, and she was dry. Zuko held his breath. He hadn’t apologized. He wasn’t even sure what he should apologize for, but the feeling that he’d done or said something wrong nagged at him. Katara took a voluntary step toward the bed. “Fine.”

It was a “fine” he would learn in his married life that was a sign of still simmering anger and hurt. But that was years into the future. They climbed back into bed in silence, settling back beneath the thin blankets without touching. She was as far across the bed as she could get without falling off the other side. Katara shifted slightly, drawing Zuko’s attention. In the next flash of lightning he could see her back turned to him. He released a weary sigh, eyes turning to stare at the darkened ceiling. Whatever they had was gone now and for some reason it hurt. Katara shifted again and a hand landed on his arm, making him jump.

“Can I ask a question?”

“You did.”

She ignored his smart remark, moving closer when he didn’t push her away. “The firebenders before. On the road.”

She hesitated and he could almost see her biting her lip as she tried to word her question just right. It took him a moment to remember which firebenders she would be talking about and then the memory came to him. The guards patrolling the road, them shouting for him to stop, escaping into the woods. Zuko tried to stop himself from tensing. “What about them?”

She waited for another rumble of thunder and flash of light. “They called you the Fire Prince.”

So she had heard. He’d hoped she was still out of it enough to have missed that. Not that it mattered really. She hated him anyway. And she’d phrased it as a statement. She was seeking confirmation. Apparently running away was solving nothing. He should have stayed with Uncle and none of this would’ve happened. “Yes.”

She said nothing, but he could feel her eyes on him, even in the dark. She was waiting for an explanation; one he didn’t want to give, but couldn’t avoid now that the truth was out. He was back to having only one person in the world that didn’t hate the sight or thought of him. He pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes, ignoring Katara when she closed the distance between them again she settled along his side, resting her cheek on his chest. He did not want to talk about this. He didn’t want to think about it. Taking a deep breath, he spoke lowly, “My father is Fire Lord Ozai. I am — was his heir.”

He felt her draw a quick breath, but she didn’t move away. They were silent, each lost to their own thoughts before Katara spoke, her voice quiet, “Was?”

He sighed. “It’s complicated.”

He felt her nod and he was grateful that she let the explanation stand and she didn’t push for more. The darkness pressed comfortably around them and Zuko let one of his hands fall to rest against her spine. Her back rose in a quiet sigh. “This is taking longer than I thought it would.”

He frowned at the darkness. He didn’t know why she was so discouraged. She was learning remarkably fast. Much faster than he thought she would. “It took me ten years to master the basics.”

Her head jerked up and he could feel blue eyes peering at him. Probably trying to decide if he was patronizing her. “What?”

Zuko avoided looking at her, keeping his eyes on the thatched ceiling as he absently twisted a curl around his fingers. Katara waited, biting her lip to keep from prodding more. With a quiet sigh, Zuko spoke, “I’ve had a bending master since it was confirmed I could bend. The firstborn and the first son, great things were expected of me. I was a failure.”

Katara took a moment to ponder this new information, her fingers tapping at his side. “You’re an excellent bender now.”

Gold eyes flashed down at her and he could see the sincerity in her expression with the next flash of light. They stared at each other thought the dark in silence until Zuko grunted and turned his face away, closing his eyes. He didn’t believe her, but for the sake of closing the discussion, conceded, “Sure.”

Zuko woke slowly the next morning to find himself curled comfortably around Katara, his hands in places they probably shouldn’t be would probably result in painful things if she was aware. Carefully extracting them and putting them in less compromising places, he relaxed and let his body wake gradually. Gray light filtered through the slats near the ceiling and he could still hear the steady sound of rain. Katara remained blissfully asleep, her lips parted and her breathing soft and steady. He watched her for several long minutes before he remembered what it would mean if she was found with him. With a gentle nudge, he whispered, “Wake up.”

She groaned, rolling over and pressing her face to his chest with a tired yawn and then didn’t move. He ignored the blush that heated his cheeks. “You should go before the others wake up.”

Her arms tightened around him, grumbling, “Five more minutes.”

“You know you can’t,” he told her.

Bleary blue eyes peeked up at him, a pout pulling at her lips. “You’re mean.”

Warmth flooded through him and he pulled away from her sleep-warmed body. “Go sleep in your hammock. I’m going to meditate.”

He carefully crawled over her and she turned over to watch him stretch while she stifled a yawn. “In the rain?”

He glanced towards the door, shaking his head. “No, I’ll stay here.”

She nodded, tumbling out of the bed, giving the firebender a sleepy hug as she walked past him. The effort to bend the rainwater off of her woke her up a little, but she was still taken by surprise when she stumbled into the hut she shared with the other girls to come face-to-face with an irate Lan. Katara pulled up sharply, blinking dumbly as the shorter woman huffed, her eyes narrowing. “Jus’ where ’ave ya been?”

Words fled her in her sleepy state and for a moment Katara could do nothing but stare. “Uh…privy.”

Lan’s lips tightened. “All night?”

“Yes?”

Katara winced internally as her answer came out more like a question. Pale green eyes scanned her with a shrewd gaze before she grunted, “If’n I knew yer mother — Very well, girl, git yerself dressed. Huu wants t’ finish yer trainin’.”

Nu met her at her hammock, wincing apologetically and glancing to make sure Lan was a safe distance away before whispering, “If it ’ad been anyone else, Lan would ’ave turned the hut upside down and then skinned ’er hide.”

Katara glanced at the other hammocks, relieved that the others appeared to be still asleep. “I overslept.”

Nu gave her an odd look. “It ain’t quite sunrise. Bet she were keepin’ an eye out fer ya.”

Katara hoped her blush wasn’t obvious as she hurriedly pulled on the clean green skirt Nu handed her and quickly tightened her breast bindings. Nu quietly handed over a loose shirt and gave her a sweeping look, checking for anything out of place. Lan bustled over, narrowing her eyes at the older girl and taking Katara’s arm. “Come along, girl. Can’t keep Huu awaitin’.”

A last sheepish glance over her shoulder at Nu was the only thing she had time for before Lan ushered her out of the hut. A quick tromp through the drizzle of rain and the deepening mud of the village brought them to a large, open-air hut. Several men waited for them and Huu grinned in greeting, motioning to take a seat across from him. Zuko was kneeling nearby, keeping out of most of the swamp dwellers’ immediate line of sight. Lan shot Zuko a dark look, satisfied when he shrank away from her. His action prompted a few raised eyebrows and quiet chuckles, but no one said anything. Huu seemed oblivious to the tension, smiling easily as he spoke, “Good morning, Katara.”

Katara gave him a small smile and Lan huffed, speaking over Katara’s return greeting, “Keep an eye on that one.”

She stabbed a finger in the firebender’s direction and Huu glanced at Zuko, but only shrugged. “Lee is welcome to our lessons. His bendin’ ain’t much good in the rain.”

Zuko glowered, saying nothing. Lan cast the firebender a suspicious look before, with a firm nod, she left them. Katara waited quietly, watching Huu shift to glance at Tho, Due, and Zuko. A smile crossed his lips. “The Avatar sought balance in the swamp. He sought answers—”

Katara perked up, intrigued. “Did he find them?”

Humor crinkled at the corners of his eyes and he smiled his amusement at Zuko. “So similar. I did not want to talk about the Avatar. It is true ’e is the bridge between us and the Spirit World, but ’e cannot achieve balance and peace alone.”

“But, he’s the Avatar!”

Light green eyes looked at her searchingly and Katara felt a sense of disappointment in his gaze. She dropped her eyes, darting a quick glance at Zuko to find him frowning at nothing. Huu cleared his throat, drawing her attention again. “You place a heavy burden on one so young.” He shook himself, continuing before she could respond, “We are all connected. We balance each other.”

He shifted to indicate the thick vines that wound around the tree near the hut, apparently moving away from any further discussion of Aang. “There’s water in these vines, if you bend the water, you bend the plant.”

Huu demonstrated, weaving the plant through the hut before motioning for Katara to try. Zuko frowned, watching as Katara experimentally bent water she couldn’t see. “Couldn’t you bend blood then?”

A tense silence fell over the Foggy Swamp men and Katara stilled, blue eyes wide. The thought hadn’t yet crossed her mind. The swampbenders exchanged glances and Huu cleared his throat. “In theory. Blood moves fast through the body. It is nearly impossible to catch. Our healers can mend the wound of the flesh because the blood slows and pools.”

“But it’s possible,” Zuko pressed for a definitive answer.

Huu hesitated, choosing his words with careful deliberation. “Yes. There’s legend of a great healer that could heal all things unseen.”

Katara turned, curious. “Unseen?”

Huu nodded. “The bleeding cough, the wasting sickness, among other things.”

“How?”

Huu shrugged. “Some say magic. Others say blood bending.”

Tho grunted, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. “Why the interest, fire-breather?”

Zuko scowled at the name. “Curious. I — it’s nothing.”

Huu shrugged at the looks from the other swampbenders, returning to Katara’s lesson. “Fire-breathers have the ability to make lightning.”

“Not all of them,” Zuko grumbled sullenly.

Again, amusement flickered across Huu’s face. “Yer unbalanced, fire-breather.”

Zuko shot to his feet with an indignant cry. “I am not!”

Zuko’s blustering was ignored and he stalked out into the rain, leaving Katara to her lesson. Huu watched him go, laughing lightly. “What ya must know is that lightning is lazy and takes the easiest path. Ya must not let it touch ya.”

Katara watched the firebender leave with a frown, catching the smug smirks passed between Tho and Due from the corner of her eye. Suspicion gnawed at her and she wondered what had been discussed before she arrived. Zuko seemed even more on edge than usual. She pushed the thought away, determined to think on it later and instead concentrated on what Huu just told her. “So, dodge.”

“Aye. If you can.”

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Late that night, Katara crawled into bed with Zuko, pressing against his side and hoping he wouldn’t notice her shivers. A minute passed before Zuko shifted, his hand coming up to lightly touch her hair. A small flame flickered to life in his his other hand, casting the hut in a soft glow. Bleary gold eyes looked down at her, his voice thick with sleep. “Katara?”

She flinched, blue eyes looking up at him but she didn’t move. His head fell back and he let the flame snuff out. They lay in silence, listening to the patter of rain on the thatched roof above them. Several minutes passed and Katara could feel Zuko drifting into sleep once more. She sighed, moving to look up at Zuko in the darkness. Her movement brought him back from the edge of sleep and she whispered, “Do you have nightmares?”

She felt him tense next to her and his eyes opened to lock on her. A soft breath escaped him before he allowed a quiet, “Yes.”

“Really?”

He hesitated before admitting, “Almost every night.”

“About what?”

Zuko grunted his annoyance, rolling away from her. “Nothing.”

Katara shuddered, huddling under the blanket. “I think the Spirits are angry with me.”

A heavy silence fell over them before Zuko moved again, twisting to look back at her. His brow furrowed deeply. “What?”

Her breathing was unsteady and it took several minutes before she whispered, “The spirits. I think they’re angry. They visit my dreams.”

Zuko propped himself up on his elbow. “Is it what you saw in the swamp?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

He sighed, resting his cheek against his shoulder, sleep still fogging his thoughts. “It’s not your fault.”

“But—”

“It’s just a nightmare,” he interrupted her protest.

Katara fell silent, pressing her face to the thin blanket. When she finally spoke, her voice was muffled. “Dreams mean something in my tribe.”

“Not all of them,” Zuko allowed, laying on his side and wriggling a bit to get his shoulder comfortable.

“How do you know?”

His hand moved softly over her hair before dropping to the space between them. “Everyone would be a shaman then.”

She turned to him, tucking her hands under her cheek, a small smile playing on her lips. “That’s not far from the truth. Gran-Gran seemed to just know things.”

“Uncle seemed to know things, too,” Zuko murmured.

He seemed sad and Katara scooted closer, reaching to drape an arm over him in a partial hug. “Tell me about him.”

Zuko was silent, but Katara waited patiently. His immediate denial meant he was considering responding with something more than a brush-off.  Gradually, the tension in his shoulders relaxed and he released a quiet breath. “He’s loved and supported me in every way he could and I left him.”

His skin warmed her fingers when she pressed them into his back. “Where is he now?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted after a few seconds. “We separated in the northern part of the Earth Kingdom almost three months ago. He could be anywhere now.”

She reached for his hand, threading her fingers through his and squeezing gently. “You’ll see him again. Things have a way of working out. Who knows, he might be looking for you.”

Zuko allowed the grip on his hand for several heartbeats, she even felt him squeeze her hand slightly in return, and then he pulled away and rolled onto his back. Katara felt her eyes growing heavy and, surrounded by Zuko’s comforting warmth, sleep overtook her.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

So far, other than Lan’s disapproving frowns and Nu helping to cover her absences, no one knew that Katara regularly spent the night with Zuko in his hut. She’d grown more proficient and confident in her bending abilities so practices had taken the form of mock battles with the occasional showing off. Other swampbenders had joined and her training turned into a game and a series of brackets. Zuko had finally been convinced to attend the games and he sat among the hunters, between Boa and Nu, slouching underneath the protective overhang and leaning against a nearby post.

Katara stood on a small raised platform across from Huu on a second platform. The rain had swelled the swamp waters to a sluggishly moving body of water. Chief Dai raised his right hand and Katara and Huu took a ready stance, watching each other carefully, trying to predict the other’s first move. The chief dropped his hand and water shot out at Katara from behind. She jumped out of the way, wobbling on the edge of the platform even as she sent a water whip after him.

Huu redirected the strike, hardly giving her a moment to recover before a vine shot up from the bottom of the swamp and wrapped around her knees, yanking her into the swamp water. She disappeared below the surface with a startled yelp. Zuko twitched. Boa grinned, ribbing, “Nervous?”

“No,” the firebender snapped back, though he shifted away from the post he’d been leaning against.

The ripples on the surface smoothed and still Katara didn’t emerge. Some of the watching swampbenders shifted forward, but Huu didn’t appear concerned. His eyes had closed and his arms were out as if waiting for an embrace. The villagers held their breath, gasping in surprise when dozens of vines suddenly erupted from the water. Huu’s attention focused on  defending against the vines, he almost missed Katara’s appearance on his platform. She swept a leg out, catching his ankles and knocking him off balance. By the time he regained his footing, Katara had straightened and had her hands bladed at his throat.

Katara’s chest heaved from the effort, her hair dripping water into her eyes and water streaming from her clothing. Huu let the water drop to the platform, splashing over their feet, a smile blooming on his face. “I have taught you everything I know.”

Katara blinked, relaxing her stance and straightening from her attack. She pushed her wet hair back, unconsciously pulling the water from it and her clothes as she did so. “I’m done?”

Huu nodded, spreading his hands and declaring, “Yer a master.”

Excitement exploded through her, escaping in a squeal as she threw her arms around the swampbender. Tho and Due cheered, prompting the rest of the watching villagers to join. She spun from Huu, eyes scanning the gathered spectators.

Zuko had risen when the rest of the villagers had leapt to their feet, cheering wildly for the end of the battle. He’d fallen to the edge of the crowd when it’d rushed to the edge of the viewing platforms. Her eyes locked with him and she pulled away from Huu. Her smile sparked. “Lee! I did it!”

She jumped off the platform, skipping across the water. Zuko caught her when she leapt at him, her arms circling his neck in an enthusiastic hug. His arms closed around her on reflex, drawing her closer. The swampbenders grinned at him and he scowled back in response. “Congratulations.”

Huu’s trip from the fighting platform was not as quick, but he stepped up beside Chief Dai, reporting, “Katara has mastered everythin’ I can teach her.”

Katara pulled away, grinning broadly. “I’m a waterbending master, Lee.”

Katara saw his expression shift and heard the emotion beneath his words. “A prodigy.”

Huu laughed. “Aye.”

Zuko’s lips twitched and his brow drew together. Her smile dimmed. “Lee? Are you all right?”

“No,” he shook his head. “I mean, yes, I’m fine.”

Katara’s hands rested on his shoulder and she looked up into his face. He was hiding something from her and she was on the verge of pushing when she remembered the swamp dwellers lingering around them and she changed her mind. “We can leave now.”

Zuko’s eyes shot wide. “Now?”

She smiled at his astonishment, nodding. “Yes, as soon as we pack and get some supplies.”

The relief in his expression was unmistakeable and Katara laughed, again hugging him tightly and dropping her voice to a whisper, “Zuko?”

The firebender grunted.

She closed her eyes, grinning into his shoulder. “Thank you.”

Chapter 10: One Thousand Miles

“You must be a Lotus, unfolding its petals when the Sun rises in the sky, unaffected by the slush where it is born or even the water which sustains it!”
– Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Zuko knelt by the fire that blazed away in the center of the Gathering Hut, a small frown on his face as the men around him raised rough-hewn cups and cheered, tossing back what Zuko thought had to be swamp water. It certainly smelled like enough like the marshes to turn his stomach. It burned like fire going down. Zuko didn’t know how the swamp dwellers were able to initially drink the stuff, let alone continue drinking it.

The party started late the night before, after Katara’s final assessment and mastery, and had carried over till morning. Katara and the other girls slipped out just before the men broke out the alcohol, giggling over some shared secret that he was not privy to. A cup had been shoved into his hands after that and then the singing had started.

Zuko warily contemplated his cup, observing the strangely murky liquid and wondered how he’d managed to get dragged into a drunken party with the men of the swamp. He’d wanted to pack up and leave as soon as Katara said she was finished with her training. Anything to get away from the water and the mud and the food. Giant insects were not his idea of a delicious meal. The rest of the food wasn’t too bad, but the bugs definitely put him off eating much.

Boa dropped down next to him with a laugh, holding up what looked like another one of those wineskins containing even more of what Zuko was rapidly deciding had to be poison. “More, Lee?”

Zuko wasn’t given the option to decline and Boa filled his cup again, the liquid sloshing over the sides as Boa’s unsteady hand poured. Another toast was raised and everyone drank heartily. The firebender dutifully drank to the toast, forcing back the urge to cough and hoping his eyes weren’t watering.

“What is this stuff?” he gasped.

Boa threw an unsteady arm over Zuko’s shoulders — Zuko trying not to cringe away — and laughed, “Moonshine!”

Vine slurred from nearby, “’s t’ besss’.”

The men cheered. Cups were again raised in a salute to the drink and several burst into song, swinging their cups along with the beat and sloshing it everywhere:

“I’m a rambler, I’m a gambler, I’m a long way from home

And if you don’t like me, well leave me alone!

I’ll eat when I’m hungry, I’ll drink when I’m dry,

And the moonshine don’t kill me, I’ll live till I die!”

The song continued, growing more boisterous the longer it went on, the words slurring together in an unintelligible mess. Another cheer followed the final verse and they dissolved into laughter, falling over each other when they overcompensated their balance. Boa grinned at Zuko. “It’s a shame ya ne’er married.”

Boa’s comment drew chuckles from the men seated nearby and several elbow jabs. Trai slapped him on the shoulder. “She’s a fine lookin’ gal, Lee. I migh’ fancy ’er meself.”

Several others chorused agreement and even Boa nodded solemnly. Zuko’s cheeks filled with heat, but Boa was already musing on other thoughts. “Ya would ’ave been welcomed in th’ tribe, y’know.”

Wide, gold eyes swung toward the older man, disbelief clear in them. As far as he could remember, he wasn’t welcomed anywhere and the initial greeting in the swamp was much the same. It’d seemed that most of the tribe still viewed in with some suspicion even after all this time. “What?”

“Yer a handy man to ’ave ’round, fire-breather,” Boa said solemnly, the effect ruined by the drunken grin on his face. “Yer no’ bad.”

Trai agreed. “Keep th’ cook fires goin’.”

The men roared with laughter. Conversation circled around to women again and Trai nudged Zuko with a knowing smile. “She ever spend th’ nigh’ wit’ ya?”

The question had been asked other times, when the men had been more sober, but for some reason, the question had caught him off guard. Zuko sputtered, choking on the moonshine he’d just taken he’d just taken a drink of, gulping it down hurriedly. Tears immediately sprang to his eyes as the moonshine burned a path down his throat and to his stomach. “No!” he rasped.

Eyebrows rose at his vehemence and Boa smirked. “My Nu said she went missin’ some nights. Came back b’fore dawn.”

To Zuko’s horror, he felt his cheeks flush and he wondered just how many people knew Katara would slip into his bed at night long after everyone had gone to sleep. Trai and Boa exchanged conspiratorial smiles and Trai adopted a thoughtful look.

“Ya know,” Trai said with some consideration, “Tien said she tried t’ spend th’ nigh’ wit’ ya once, but ya was busy.”

“I was not,” Zuko exclaimed. “She did not!”

Trai gave him a pitying look, reaching over and filling Zuko’s nearly empty cup again. “Don’ worry. She’ll come ’round some time. I thought she were into ya somethin’ fierce.”

Zuko jerked away from Boa and Trai, nearly spilling the moonshine as he shot to his feet, his face flushing more deeply. “I do not like that — that girl!”

Trai brightened. “So I can ’ave ’er?”

Zuko glared hotly, fist clenching around the cup in his hand, contemplating throwing it at his smirking face. Baring his teeth, he snarled, “No.”

Trai wilted, protesting hotly, “Well, ya can’t keep ’er all to yerself if’n ya don’ want ’er! Thas — thas mean.”

“Lee?”

Zuko whirled around, coming face-to-face with Katara. Several other girls stood behind her grinning when the men hailed them and offered cups of the moonshine. Zuko stared dumbly, ignoring the snickers from Vinh, Boa, and Trai. The girls moved in to accept the cups and settle on the floor to join in the farewell party. Katara smiled uncertainly, shifting to motion behind her. “Huu said he’s ready to guide us out of the Swamp.”

Boa looped an arm over Zuko’s shoulder again, slurring cheerfully, “Yer welcome back any time, Lee! Th’ w’men will miss ya, han’some devil!”

Zuko’s blush flared and he caught Katara’s smirk. Boa seemed to suddenly notice her and he blinked owlishly at her before pointing slightly to her right. “An’ yer, ’tara, ya need t’ work on yer trappin’ or ’e’s gonna get away.”

Katara spluttered, eyes widening with surprise. She looked at Zuko for explanation, but the firebender was covering his face so she could only ask, “My what?”

But Boa was already turning away to engage one of the other swamp men. “I always wondered if’n a fire-breather ’n a wa’erbender had bebies they’d be steam bebies.”

Loud guffaws met that statement and quite a few demanded the two benders return to the swamp with their brood in the future to see what steam babies looked like. Color flooded Katara’s cheeks and a quick glance at Zuko revealed a similar condition. A quickly stifled snort of laughter made her swing her eyes to Nu with a look of betrayal. The older girl grinned, offering an unrepentant shrug of amusement. “Don’ take it to heart. Th’ men are as bad a gossip as th’ women. ’Sides, Boa ’n I are gettin’ married soon.”

Zuko handed off his cup to someone, he didn’t care much who took it, and hurried out of the hut with hardly a glance at Katara. Huu stuck his head in the door a moment later, smiling when the revelers greeted him with a cheer and an invitation. He declined, explaining, “Lee has expressed his desire to leave now, Miss Katara.”

When Katara finally made her way outside, she found Zuko and Huu standing with a few other older men. Feathers was digging in the mud, plumage glossy and well groomed, clucking happily. Huu smiled when he saw her. “Ah, there ya are, Miss Katara. Come along, we’ve got ’bout a day’s travel t’ reach th’other side. A few of the men are coming with us jus’ in case we run int’ trouble. Spring is an active time for most of the swamp. The catigators will be watchin’ th’ banks fer easy prey.”

She glanced instinctively at Zuko to try and gauge what he thought, but he simply turned to the ostrich horse and checked that the packs were secure. Someone had returned his dao swords to him and they were again strapped securely across his back. Hai held up a hand to help her down to the wide barge and she took it gratefully, stepping carefully down the wet steps. “Thank you.”

Hai grinned when she placed her hand in his, shooting Zuko a mischievous glance. “’S not a problem, Miss Katara. Ya two be sure t’ come back and visit. Per’aps yer’ll get married fer real this time?”

Zuko choked, coughing violently and earning several concerned looks from the others; though the ones that heard the comment hid their smiles. Katara laughed, hoping no one would comment on the blush she could feel returning to her cheeks. Thankfully, she was saved from responding by another swamp dweller deciding they’d better leave if they were expecting to make good time. Zuko gathered Feather’s reins, covering the ostrich horse’s eyes to keep the bird calm during the trip by water. Tho took a position by the rudder, while Due and Hai took positions on either side of the barge. They were just preparing to start bending when Boa stumbled out of the hut, Nu close behind him, calling out unsteadily, “’Ey! We’re comin’ too!”

Huu shook his head, but Due laughed, calling back, “Yer drunk!”

Boa snorted, slurring back, “Aye! And yer ugly, but ya don’ see me complainin’!”

Due laughed and Boa practically tripped onto the barge, prompting a laugh from the other men. Nu stepped on with much more grace, rolling her eyes and helping Boa back to his feet and adjusting the skewed leaf hat he was wearing. Boa grinned at her, leaning in to sloppily plant a kiss on her lips and missing. “Thank ya, love.”

She helped him to the center of the barge, making him take a seat before Due and Hai pushed the raft into motion. “I don’ know ’ow ya ’spect t’ be any help, Boa.”

“Ah,” Boa sighed. “I couldn’t let Lee go wit’out givin’ ’im some a’vice!”

The look of terror that crossed Zuko’s face would have been comical had Katara not felt the same sense of dread. Nu merely rolled her eyes again, folding her arms across her chest and tilting her head curiously. “What kinda ’vice?”

Boa’s hand flopped around until Nu took pity on him and reached to take it in her own. “Ya know, w’men a’vice! Kid don’ know nothin’ ’bout nothin’.”

Nu laughed in affectionate exasperation. “Ya don’t know nothin’ ’bout women, Boa.”

He gasped, eyes wide and offended, pressing a hand to his chest. Nu rolled her eyes, bending to kiss his cheek. His grin returned and he struggled to his feet, stumbling over to where Zuko stood with the ostrich horse. Nu could only gave a rueful shrug of her shoulders before moving to stand next to Katara.

The two young women watched as Boa leaned heavily on the ostrich horse, the animal tossing its head and clacking his beak with agitation, and spoke to Zuko. Despite Zuko’s clear reluctance to speak to the other man, he didn’t brush him off or push him away. Katara smiled.

“Ya know,” Nu said casually, “’e ain’t tha’ bad of a guy. A lil rough ’round th’ edges. Ya take care o’ each other, ’kay?”

Katara hummed her agreement, watching Zuko shrug awkwardly in response to something Boa was explaining with a great deal of hand gestures. Nu smiled. “Good. Maybe ya can ’elp ’im find hisself.”

Katara turned away from the firebender to look at Nu, brow furrowing. “You think he’s lost?”

The swamp girl lifted her shoulders. “He’s confused, I think. Conflicted.”

“Huu mentioned something like that before,” Katara muttered. “I wonder what he’s conflicted about.”

“You’ll ’elp ’im out,” Nu said, putting a hand on her shoulder.  

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Three days trekking across the desert sands in scorching heat and stinging sand and Zuko was wishing for the rains of the swamp. He even found himself wishing for his ship again before remembering how utterly miserable he was when confined to its deck and incredibly small cabin. The Northern Water Tribes were remembered with a wistfulness fondness. The ice channels a distant memory. If it was ever cold or wet again, Zuko swore he’d never complain. The sun was brutal and if he could spare a thought, he would curse it. A sigh brushed hotly across his neck and Katara drooped heavily against his back, mumbling, “So hot.”

Zuko grunted, adjusting his rice hat to better shade his eyes, and looked around. Three days and they were quickly running out of water in their waterskins and they’d yet come across a fresh water source. “We need water.”

Hot breath again danced across his neck as she gave a short, silent laugh. “Nothing around. I haven’t felt water for days.”

The words had kind of a mournful longing beneath them; like she was missing a lover. Zuko leaned to the side to look back at her. “How much do we have?”

Blue eyes squinted against the bright sunlight, gaze focused on the horizon, a frown tugging at her dry lips. “Not enough.”

Zuko nodded grimly, twisting the reins around his hands. He knew as much, but had been hoping he’d been mistaken. Minutes passed in silence except for the near silent thud of the ostrich horse’s trot on the sand. Yes, Zuko missed his ship. He missed the ocean. He missed the breeze that came off the water. He missed the smell of the sea. His frown deepened. He never thought he’d miss water so much. Even water he couldn’t drink. It was the water that he could drink that he missed the most. He’d probably dream about the stuff when they set up camp for the night.

A sharp gasp from Katara and the sudden tightening of her arms around him jerked him from his thoughts and he immediately scanned their surroundings for danger. There was nothing except endless sand and rock. A heartbeat later, she croaked, “Water.”

His mind moved sluggishly to understand, partly believing he’d misunderstood. “Where?”

A hand rose and Zuko ignored the tremor as she pointed slightly to their right. Zuko squinted, trying to see what she was pointing to. “How far?”

Katara grunted, her had dropping as if it was too heavy to hold up. “A few hours. Maybe.”

She was leaning heavily against him, despite the heat and the added warmth of his internal fire, and she didn’t wrap her arm back around him to steady herself. Zuko scowled. They needed shade. And water. He kicked the ostrich horse into a brisk trot hoping the animal wouldn’t collapse. Feather’s, too, was beginning to droop in the heat despite the fact that the bird’s home climate was arid land.

With the occasional input from Katara to adjust direction, they eventually stumbled upon water. The oasis was barely larger than a puddle, but it had a rocky out cropping that offered enough shade for the ostrich horse to rest in while the overhanging ledge would provide enough space for Zuko and Katara to crawl under. The firebender quickly slid out of the saddle, shaking Katara back to consciousness. His frown deepened when dazed eyes met his, but he would deny any feelings of concern if anyone were to ask. “Get some water and stay in the shade.”

She stumbled when her feet hit the ground and Zuko turned to pull the saddle from the ostrich horse as fast as he could, trying to ignore the trembling of his own hands and blurring vision. He led the horse to the edge of the puddle, letting the beast find its own water. Katara knelt at the puddle, brow furrowed. The puddle looked cloudy, muddy, and unappetizing. Zuko tried to push away feelings of disappointment. His uncle once mentioned the great price some poor soul paid for drinking mud. He couldn’t remember if it’d been an analogy or a true story. “Great. Can we even drink it?”

Tired blue eyes glanced at him. “Waterbender.”

Her hands moved and a globe of water rose before them, clear and sparkling. It was the most beautiful sight Zuko had ever seen. She regarded it critically before holding it out to Zuko. She held it patiently as Zuko stared. He didn’t exactly trust her to transfer it to his mouth without trying to drown him.

More water slipped through his hands than actually ended up in his mouth and eventually Zuko dug out an empty waterskin. Katara filled it quickly before bending water for herself. The ostrich horse squawked a protest, nosing at the puddle and ruffling distressed feathers. Katara quickly bent an ice trough, filling it with water before she crawled under the overhanging rocks and stretched out with a relieved sigh. Zuko joined her moments later, settling as comfortably as he could on the hard ground and placing his dao swords within easy reach. Katara rolled toward him, half-lidded blue eyes looking at him. Zuko turned his gaze to the ostrich horse pecking at the rapidly melting ice. Nothing moved in the desert beyond and Zuko let his head fall back and his eyes close. “We’ll move at sunset.”

Katara grunted acknowledgment and let herself drop into a light doze. Hours later she awoke with a shiver to find the sun low on the horizon and Zuko saddling the ostrich horse. He ignored her as she slid out from under the ledge, briskly dusting sand off her clothes and stretching muscles cramped from sleeping awkwardly. She quickly packed the bedding and gathered up the few loose possessions they’d pulled out of the packs earlier and carried them out to Zuko. Once everything was secured, Zuko swung into the saddle and Katara climbed on behind him.

The sun sank below the horizon, leaving behind only a lingering warmth before the night breeze blew it away. Each of them was silently relieved that they were no longer melting under the heat of the sun. A soft breeze picked up close to midnight and Katara shivered, snuggling closer to Zuko’s back.

“It’s cold,” she commented, sounding as if she hated to even mention the fact after the blistering heat of the day.

Zuko grunted, trying to ignore the way his heart leapt when Katara tightened her arms around his stomach and pressed close. Her breath puffed warm across the side of his neck as she rested her chin on his shoulder. “I guess the sand doesn’t hold the heat long.”

He shrugged the shoulder she wasn’t resting on. “It’s better than the heat.”

A soft snort of amusement sounded close to his ear and raised goosebumps on his arms. “Better for two people to travel together. At least the nights will be comfortable.”

Thankful for the darkness that hid his heated cheeks, he scoffed, urging the ostrich horse into a brisk trot. She laughed quietly, pressing her mouth against his shoulder to stifle the laugh. The next few minutes passed in silence, the desert sand a pale silver beneath the sliver of a moon that hung over their heads. A slight breeze brought the occasional howl of a pack of coyote bats. Katara shivered again, keeping an eye out for the night creatures.

“Do you know where you’re going?” Katara asked after a while.

Zuko pointed in the direction they were heading. “Vinh said there was a town in this direction.”

Katara absorbed the thought, fingers flexing thoughtlessly at his sides. “You think he’s right? I mean, from what the girls told me, not that many of the villagers leave the swamp.”

Zuko tried to remember if Vinh had said anything about going out past the borders of the swamp and came up blank. Not wanting to admit as much, he nodded. “Yeah?”

He sounded uncertain, but Katara nodded, stating confidently, “The desert can’t go on forever; right? It’s going to end at some point.”

Zuko said nothing. They’d either hit a town or hit the sea so she was right, the desert couldn’t go on forever. It certainly felt like it could, tough.

Close to dawn, Zuko started looking for a place to camp, guiding the ostrich horse to another rocky outcropping. This one had no oasis, but there was evidence of an old campfire and the outcropping looked like it had been dug out a bit to accommodate a person or two. Zuko swung out of the saddle, prowling around the area while Katara watched cautiously. He poked at the ashes of the fire, squinting in the dim light and again circled the immediate area. Nothing lay further out that could provide cover for an ambush or thieves, so he returned to the camp.

“It’s cold,” he declared, looking around the area again. “But we must be near a road. The area’s used often.”

“Great,” Katara sighed with relief. “A town must be nearby.”

The firebender grunted, but said nothing else, turning instead to pull sleeping pallets and packs off the ostrich horse. Unperturbed, Katara took her share and headed toward the outcropping, frowning at the sky before making a decision on where to bed down.The angle of the sun as it rose and made its trek across the sky would shine more directly on some areas as opposed to others and Katara didn’t want to be forced to move before she had to. The best area wasn’t very wide, just enough to fit herself and Zuko as long as they stayed pretty close together. The ostrich horse would have to make do with partial shade. Katara stretched out the sleeping mats, collapsing gratefully onto her own with a sigh, burying her face in her arms. Zuko dropped moodily next to her a few minutes later, scowling out at the road. The sun was lighting the eastern horizon and the night stars were fading from the velvet darkness. He tried to find the constellations Uncle had pointed out while they cruised the oceans looking for the Avatar, but too many stars made it impossible to see any of the shapes and he’d never been very good at picking them out anyway. Katara shifted to her side, propping herself up on her elbows and looking at him expectantly. When he said nothing and continued to scowl, she leaned over him, blocking his view of the night sky, and demanded, “What?”

“Nothing.”

“Something’s on your mind,” she insisted.

Zuko’s scowl turned on her for a moment, his eyes narrowing to indicate his annoyance, and then he was back to watching the road turn a dusty red-gold in the morning sun. Katara rolled her eyes. Finally, she gave up and rolled into her blanket, looping the strap of a waterskin around her arm. Zuko heard her breathing even out and he relaxed. If he tried to sleep now, he’d only wake again when the sun flared across the eastern sky. It’d just make him moodier when they packed up camp at dusk.

Zuko watched the sun clear the horizon, releasing a tense sigh, and rolled into his sleeping mat to try to find rest.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Katara woke after midday to the ostrich horse attempting to catch rock beetles and squawking her discontent each time she missed. A quick glance at Zuko revealed the firebender gazing silently at the rough ceiling of their shelter. He was covered in the fine desert dust that seemed to get everywhere no matter what they did or how hard they brushed their clothes. He looked exhausted. Unable to help herself, she spoke, “You need to rest, Zuko.”

“I’m fine.”

He rolled away from her, curling on his side and set about ignoring her. She stared at his back for a long moment, observing the tense lines in his shoulders and down his spine. Sometimes Katara just did not understand the boy. A loud crunch proved that the ostrich horse was finally successful in catching one of the rock beetles, though it appeared that the rest of the insects were staying well out of sight. Feathers was now turning over rocks and digging in the sand in search of something interesting. Katara’s stomach rumbled and she rolled away from Zuko, reaching for their packs. Their provisions from the Foggy Swamp were just about out or on the verge of spoiling and this midday meal would be the last of it. A brave rock beetle skittered across the sand just outside their shaded spot. Feathers’ beady eyes caught the movement and her wings fluffed out, head tilting to follow its path. Katara hoped they wouldn't have to resort to eating rock beetles. They didn’t look particularly appetizing. Feathers’ lunged finally lunged for it with a squawk, snapping it up with a loud crunch.

“There’s a town about half a day from here.”

Katara startled, throwing a glance over her shoulder at the firebender. Zuko was now sitting upright, but his eyes skirted away from her as soon as she caught his gaze.

She sat back on her heels, a saddle bag in her hands. “How do you know?”

He brushed uselessly at his clothing, giving up the endeavor a moment later. “I did some scouting.”

Her heart leapt. He’d left her alone. She fought down her initial feelings of panic and abandonment. He’d come back, after all. He hadn’t really left her. “You didn’t wake me.”

He ignored the accusation in her tone, running a hand through his hair and over his face. “There’s a marker about two miles in that direction,” he paused, eying the last of the snakebird jerky in her hand though he made no indication that he wanted it. “We should leave soon to get there before nightfall.”

“Travel in the heat of the day?”

She held out his portion to him as he rolled to his feet, but he shook his head. “I don’t think they’d be too friendly with us arriving after dark. Most small towns don’t like strangers sneaking into their villages in the dark.”

She tucked his share of the jerky back into the pack, stuffing her meager share into her mouth and rolling up the sleeping mats. She chewed the jerky thoughtfully, speaking around puffed cheeks, “We could just hide in a barn for the night. They don’t even have to know we’re there.” The incredulous stare he gave her over the back of the ostrich horse was enough to make her blush and stammer, “We did it all the time before — well, before. They were sometimes upset, but, once Aang explained things, they were really nice. A few times they even invited us for breakfast.”

Zuko finished tying down their supplies, giving their camp a once over for things left behind, muttering, “I’m not that lucky.”

Katara laughed, accepting his help onto the back of the ostrich horse behind him and wrapping her arms loosely around his waist. “Sure you are! You made it this far in life after all.”

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The ride to town was blessedly short in comparison to the journey through the desert, though Katara wasn’t sure if they’d be better off in the desert after all. The village so far seemed entirely unwelcoming, even arriving well before sunset. The back of her neck pricked uncomfortably. The streets were deserted and trash-lined. The buildings all that a run down, world-weary look to them that left a heavy feeling in her chest. While no one was on the streets, she could feel eyes watching their progress from darkened windows. Zuko’s arms tensed and she saw him glance around warily, a frown tugging at his mouth. Even Feathers was discomforted. They made their way through the dusty streets, Zuko clearly looking for something. They paused before they entered what appeared to be the town square and Zuko dismounted, calming Feathers’ agitated head toss while Katara also got down out of the saddle.

The first sign of life appeared when they turned onto a wide street. Rough laughter bounced eerily off the weathered buildings and drew Katara’s attention. Zuko’s arms jerked, tensing expectantly, and the muscle in his jaw jumped. His unease set her on edge, giving her flashbacks to the Prison Rig.

She pressed closer to Zuko, gripping her waterskin anxiously. He shot her a frown, following her gaze to the group of men that had gathered in the lengthening shade of an open alley. His eyes narrowed and he turned to lead her to a dusty shop, not protesting when she slipped her hand around his elbow. Gold eyes glinted down at her from behind a dark fringe of hair and then shifted to look around at the buildings. “Don’t wander off.”

Katara nodded, taking the reins of the ostrich horse and keeping it near. The market stall was empty; the fine layer of dust on the counter evidence of little business had passed in recent days. Zuko’s frown deepened, but he said nothing about it, leaning over the counter and peering into the dark interior, calling, “Hello?”

Several minutes passed before a worn face peered around the corner, pale green eyes wary. His gaze swept over Zuko and Katara, suspicion clear in his gaze, before approaching. “May I help you?”

Zuko nodded sharply, pulling what little money they had left out of a cracked leather pouch. “A bag of feed and two hot meals.”

The man’s gaze darted over Zuko’s shoulder, grimacing and quickly shaking his head. “I don’t have any meals, but I can give you some feed.”

Zuko’s expression tightened, but he nodded, sliding the coins across the counter. The man snatched them up, eying them critically, even going so far as to test their authenticity. Satisfied, he turned into the darkened shop behind him. A child’s voice drew Katara’s attention away from the transaction.

“Let me go!”

“Naw, I’ve seen you punks harassing the the soldiers, throwing eggs, and sneaking around,” a large man drawled, holding a boy’s arm in a tight fist. “What are you guys up to?”

A too thin boy swung a small fist at the man holding him, the blow hardly drawing notice from the man. The boy’s friends scattered, ducking into alleyways and around dilapidated buildings. Laughter rang coarsely across the street as the boy continued to swing from the man’s grip, the other men watching on with jeering expressions. Katara glanced at Zuko, but the firebender appeared to be ignoring the confrontation, his gaze focused intently after the shopkeeper. Katara bit her lip as the man shook the boy. “Now where’s the stuff?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” the boy hollered, kicking out and missing his captor.

The man snorted, giving the boy a rough shake before turning to the man lounging on the ground behind him. “Gow, this one don’t seem to want to talk.”

A large, stocky man rose from the ground, a smirk cruelly curling his lips. Katara was shocked to see him dressed in Earth Kingdom green, an Earth Kingdom soldier medallion pinned to his mantle. He stopped before the boy, resting his hand on one of the hammers at his side. “It’d be in your best interest to cooperate, kid. You wouldn’t want to get…hurt.”

The boy only glared in response and that seemed to humor Gow all the more. He rubbed at his short beard, gazing down at the boy thoughtfully. “Your father’s that pig farmer on the edge of town, ain’t he? Do you think he’d mind losing another son?”

Katara stepped forward before she even really thought about it, a white-knuckled grip on her waterskin. “Leave him alone.”

Cruel green eyes turned to her, sneering as they swept over her appearance. She had no doubt what she looked like: dusty from head to toe, mused hair, and probably looking half-starved. She probably looked as intimidating as a polar dog pup. She saw the moment he dismissed her as a viable threat. “What are you going to do about it, girl?”

She backpedaled, surprised at the fear that suddenly welled up in her out of nowhere. It’d been so long since she’d actually felt threatened, and it was mostly her dreams of being captured by the Fire Nation that brought up unpleasant memories, that she’d hadn’t counted on the sudden panic. She’d thought she’d had nothing to fear from people outside the Fire Nation. It was naïve of her to think so, she realized. The Fire Nation didn’t have the monopoly on evil, after all. And it was an Earth Kingdom man that had first betrayed Haru. Forcing her feet to remain firm, she raised her chin defiantly. “He’s just a boy.”

Gow towered over her, making her feel small. “He’s stealing food from the army.”

She opened her mouth to reply when an egg collided with the side of his head. Angered, he whirled in the direction it came from, ignoring the boy that struggled free from his man’s hold and delivered a sharp kick to the man’s shins before he fled down the dusty streets. The only two people left on the street were Zuko and herself. Katara quickly moved to the firebender’s side, keeping an anxious eye on the large man. Zuko spared her an impatient glance as Gow crossed the street, demanding, “You throwing eggs?”

Zuko’s spine straightened and gold eyes narrowed. He didn’t turn. “No.”

A large hand grabbed Zuko’s shoulder, forcing him around. He stumbled a little with the force of the turn but pushed the hand away, his glare deepening when he met muddy green eyes. The large earthbender sneered at Zuko’s act of defiance, baring teeth and lifting one of his war hammers menacingly. “That egg had to have come from somewhere.”

“Maybe a chicken flew over.”

The statement was said with such seriousness that Katara couldn’t tell if he was in earnest or if he was intentionally trying to provoke the larger man. She caught several of the soldiers behind Gow glancing at the sky and one of them snickered. Gow’s face took on a thunderous expression and Katara was sure nothing good would come of this confrontation. Before Gow could decide to start a brawl, the shop owner reappeared, breaking the staring match between earthbender and firebender, and slid the bags of feed onto the counter. Zuko reached for them, but a motion from Gow sent several soldiers forward. They shouldered the feed bags quickly, smirking at Zuko’s furious expression. Gow sneered, “The army appreciates your contribution.”

Indignant that they would take what didn’t belong to them, and that Zuko let them, Katara protested, “Hey! That’s ours!”

Green eyes darkened and glared down at her, sweeping over dust covered hair and worn clothes, pausing on her right hand. The small silver band around her thumb stuck out against the dust, sparking in the setting sun. The significance of the silver band was not lost on the soldier. An eyebrow rose and a leering smirk came to his lips and he gave her another considering look. Then, addressing Zuko instead, made another suggestion, “We’ll forgo the feed if you have something better to offer.”

The look in his eyes sent a thrill of terror through her. She recognized that look. She’d seen it on several of her firebending captors at the Prison Rig. Her heart thundered and her breath came in short, sharp gasps. Gow leaned toward her, smirk widening, delighting in her obvious fear. “We’d give the boy a fair trade, after all.”

Zuko smoothly slid between them, eyes narrowed dangerously. “She’s not for sale.”

The two men glared at each other, the stand-off growing charged. The soldiers behind Gow tensed, fists tightening around their weapons and glares intensifying. Suddenly, Gow backed off with a snort, sliding the war hammer back into his belt. “Fine. I’m warning you, boy, this town don’t like strangers so you best be on your way. Wouldn’t want you running into any trouble.”

He stroked the hammer at his side fondly, leered at Katara, and turned away with a motion to the rest of the soldiers to move on. They took their feed with them. Zuko returned to the ostrich horse, barely sparing the shop owner a passing glance as he gathered the reins. The shop owner grunted, turning back to the cool interior of the building. “Bunch of bullies is what they are.”

Katara was still rooted to the spot as Zuko pulled himself into the saddle, holding out a hand to her. “We’ll go to the next village.”

She stared unseeing at his hand for a moment until he cleared his throat and wiggled his fingers in front of her nose. She took his hand, letting him pull her into the saddle in front of him. Shame was taking over her fear now. The first time she’d come face to face with an enemy since the Prison Rig and she froze. She half expected some kind of cruel remark from Zuko but he said nothing. Like most of the time, he seemed preoccupied with something. “I’m sorry.”

Zuko lifted a shoulder, shifting when the ostrich horse protested their combined weight, throwing its head restlessly. Zuko lifted the reins, ready to head back out of town, when a small hand snagged the reins, bringing the animal’s head down. Both teenagers looked down to meet the wide, toothy smile of a young boy. Seeing that he had their attention, he burst forth with a flood of words, “That was so cool! You really showed them! No one every stands up to them! Were you scared? What happened? Did you fight? Was it scary?”

When he paused to take a deep breath, to no doubt continue a litany of questions, Katara interrupted, “You shouldn’t have thrown the egg at them.”

The boy deflated for a moment, looking chastised, before brightening. Feathers disapproved of the exuberant young boy, pulling against the hold the boy had on the bridle. The boy ignored the protesting ostrich horse with well practiced ease. “Are you hungry? You can come to my house. I’ll even feed your ostrich horse!”

He was already tugging on the reins before Zuko could respond and a quick glance from Katara kept him silent. A place to stay with a roof over their heads, a possible bath, and potential food was more than enough of a temptation for Katara. It meant that they wouldn’t have to sneak into a barn or eat rock beetles.

The boy led them along, chattering excitedly as young children do, and she leaned into Zuko, keeping her voice down, “You haven’t eaten in days, Zuko — don’t think I haven’t noticed — and who knows how far the next town is. This will give us time to rest and plan our next move.”

He scowled at her mention of his not eating, but didn’t deny it. He didn’t really believe there was another town after this one for several days and they’d probably starve before they reached it. No, he wasn’t going to complain. He’d take what this family offered and then move on with very little guilt.

Notes:

*Traditional Irish drinking song. The Moonshiner
Recognizable quotes from “Zuko Alone”

Chapter 11: If I Had A Hammer

"All things are difficult before they are easy."
— Thomas Fuller

They left the edge of the town behind them, traveling a narrow path through some sheer cliffs until it opened up into a wide, flat area that stretched out to the mountains in the distance. Sections of land were fenced off and, as soon as they approached, a herd of cow pigs stampeded over, squealing and snorting their displeasure. The racket echoed off the sides of the cliffs in a cacophony of headache inducing noise. The boy must have noticed their pained expressions because he laughed, explaining, “We’re pig ranchers.”

That wasn’t much of an explanation, but Katara nodded, looking at the animals carefully. She’d never seen them before, the South Pole didn’t have such creatures, and Zuko simply looked bored. They progressed down the road, gathering even more cow pigs announcing their arrival. A rooster sheep pig leapt up onto a post, ruffling its wings and puffing out its chest territorially. It released a crowing bleat, fluffing itself up to an even larger size even though it wasn’t very big to begin with. Katara stared at it in fascination.

The boy laughed sheepishly. “No one can sneak up on us.”

“No kidding,” Zuko commented dryly, earning an elbow in the stomach from Katara.

Zuko grunted, scowling at her. The boy didn’t seem to notice, his attention suddenly on a woman rapidly approaching from the small house at the end of the road. Her skirts swished quickly around her ankles, kicking up dust as she made beeline directly toward them. Her expression was thunderous and all three of them instinctively froze. The boy winced, trying to make himself disappear next to the ostrich horse, muttering, “Uh oh.”

Within moments, the woman was within shouting distance and all three of them flinched at the tone of her voice when she snapped out, “Just where have you been?”

The shout brought a man from around the corner of a nearby barn, a hammer in one hand. The gap between them and the woman closed swiftly and, before they knew it, she was standing before them, her hands on her hips and a look on her face that promised swift and severe punishment. The man, too, was making his way to them, albeit at a more leisurely pace and expression not as irate. She barely spared the two teenage strangers a glance, focusing solely on the boy, rebuking, “I told you not to go into town, Lee. It’s dangerous!”

“But nothing happened, Mom!” Lee whined.

“No ‘buts!’” she exclaimed, jabbing her finger toward him. “We have good reasons for the rules we lay down. Anything could have happened to you!”

“Sela,” the man suddenly spoke up, laying a calming hand on his wife’s shoulder, “we don’t need to deal out discipline in front of strangers. Lee has returned unharmed.”

Sela subsided with one last glare at her son and an apologetic smile at Katara and Zuko. “Of course. You look like you’ve come far. My name is Sela. This is my husband Gansu and you’ve met Lee, my son.”

Zuko and Katara dismounted from the ostrich horse, standing uneasily under Gansu’s watchful eye. He frowned at the state of their clothing, a little worse for wear and smeared liberally with mud stains, and still seemed wary of their sudden appearance on his farm. “You came through town?”

Lee interrupted before either Zuko or Katara could say anything, bouncing out between them and exclaiming, “It was so cool, Dad! They stood up to Gow and his army and didn’t even flinch when Gow told them he’d pound them into the ground with his hammer!”

Lee proceeded to act out some imaginary battle Zuko and Gow had engaged in until Gansu put a firm hand on his son’s shoulder and drew the boy to his side. Sela had clasped her hands to her breast, looking at them with new eyes, but it was Gansu who spoke, sounding oddly approving, “So you stood up to those bullies in town?”

Zuko shrugged slightly, keeping his eyes averted and clearly uncomfortable with the attention. His actions made Katara wonder how much hate he’d received from others and just how many firebenders Sela and Gansu had seen before and what they’d think if they discovered Zuko was one. He did have distinctly Fire Nation coloring — the gold eyes evidence enough for most people — and Gansu was still watching him carefully. Katara spoke up, taking the attention away from Zuko and back on herself, “Who are they?”

“They’re supposed to protect us from the Fire Nation,” Gansu answered, frowning deeply and dropping an arm over his wife’s shoulders, “but we need to be protected from them instead. It’s about time someone stood up to them.”

Sela smiled, reaching up to take Gansu’s hand. “Welcome to our home. You are welcome to stay for dinner.”

Zuko looked surprised by the invitation and stumbled over his words, “We can’t. I mean — We should be going.”

“Nonsense,” Sela said, bushing away Zuko’s words with a small flip of her hand. “Gansu could use some help on the barn and I haven’t had female company in what feels like an age.”

Lee cheered, hopping out from under his father’s hand and immediately firing off questions. “Have you traveled a lot? I’ve always wanted to travel, but Papa says it’s dangerous. My brother said he’d take me to see the world when he gets back, but it’s been forever. What’s the best place to visit? I bet you’ve seen a lot of cool stuff!

“Have you ever been to the Fire Nation? Have you ever met a firebender? Are they mean? Can they really breathe fire? Do you think it burns their lungs? Are they worse than Gow and his idiots?

“Do you know how to use those swords? I think it’d be awesome to sword fight! Brother said—”

Sela cleared her throat, speaking over her son’s flood of words, “Lee, let our guests rest before you pester them with questions.”

“Mom!” he whined in protest.

She ignored him, looking at Zuko and Katara with a smile and reaching for Katara’s arm to pull her toward the house. “You two must be exhausted. You certainly look like you haven’t eaten in days.”

Katara smiled shyly, admitting, “It’s been a while. The desert didn’t have much to hunt.”

“Of course not,” Sela agreed sympathetically. “I’ll get you fed up in no time.”

Lee trailed after them, whining, “But—”

“You were supposed to take care of the sheep pigs today, Lee,” his mother told him. “Hurry up and do your chores, supper will be ready soon.”

Gansu brushed Sela’s shoulder, smiling. “I’ll be in as soon as I finish repairing the barn. Come along, Lee, take care of their ostrich horse and feed the cow pigs and sheep pigs.”

Lee grumbled quietly, but took the reins of the ostrich horse from Zuko and sullenly followed his father back to the barn. Sela pulled Katara along. “I’ll show you where you can wash up.”

Katara had to admit that the thought of being clean again was relieving, but she still felt like they were intruding. “I’m sorry if we’re inconveniencing you. We didn’t mean to invite ourselves—”

She laughed. “Nonsense, dear, we’ve got enough for two more…if you wouldn’t mind helping around the farm tomorrow.”

A soft groan behind her let Katara know what Zuko thought of the negotiation, but she readily agreed anyway, “Oh! Of course.”

“We’ll put you up in the barn for the night,” Sela told them. “Gansu needs some help fixing the roof. With his leg wound, he has trouble climbing the ladder.” 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Dinner was a cheerful affair and Sela insisted that they eat their fill. Katara entertained the family with tales of Water Tribe legends and growing up surrounded by snow and ice. Zuko offered no stories and no information about himself, preferring to sit quietly off to the side, despite Lee’s efforts to draw him out.

The food was simple, but filling and Katara ate her fill, complimenting Sela. Zuko still said nothing, but took seconds and thirds when Sela offered them. Gansu took Zuko away after dinner to get a look at some of the things he wanted to work on the next day and Katara was volunteered to help with dishes. Sela shooed her off as the last dish was dried, handing over several thick blankets and a promise to send Zuko after her.

The barn was dark and still warm from the heat of the day. Feathers was in a stall, comfortably clucking away as she inspected the new shelter. Katara knelt in the clean straw, carefully spreading out the thick wool blankets across the straw, picking out stray stalks that managed to poke through the blankets. Zuko was still off with Gansu so she was alone for the moment. She smoothed out the blankets one final time, tossing a few more for cover over top, and was checking the packs when Zuko entered the barn and came to a stop standing over her. Feeling his eyes on her, Katara looked up, surprised to find him glaring angrily. He spoke before she could ask what was wrong, his voice snapping. “They think we’re married.”

She opened her mouth to tell him he hadn’t had such an issue with it in the Foggy Swamp, but changed her mind and closed it again. Zuko turned away from her, stomping to the make-shift bed and yanking the dao swords over his head. He paced for a moment in front of the bedding, the sheathed dao swords clenched firmly in his hand. He paused, breathing deeply and putting them down beside the blankets with jerky movements. “I can’t believe this. This is all your fault.”

Katara sucked in a breath, sitting back on her heels to stare up at him incredulously. “My fault? How is it my fault?”

Zuko’s glare turned on her again, but his glare had long ceased to intimidate her and she scowled right back at him. His eyes had never held the coldness present in the other firebenders she’d met, despite his efforts to appear cold and unfeeling. “I wanted to go to the next town.”

Katara put her hands on her hips, sighing with exasperation. It had to be more than a few strangers believing they were married. He certainly hadn’t acted this way in the swamp. “What is your problem, Zuko?”

He glared at her but said nothing and started pacing again. Katara reviewed the events of the day. “Is it so much to ask for help?”

“I don’t need help,” he snapped.

“Are you still on that,” Katara demanded. “What’s so wrong getting help from someone who offers it?”

Zuko whirled, fire leaping from his hands as he exclaimed, “I’m not weak!”

“Getting help doesn’t mean you’re weak!” she shouted back, climbing to her feet to put them on more even ground.

They stared at each other, each breathing hard. A sense of deja vu settled on her, but she refused to break eye contact. A minute passed before Zuko sighed and dropped into the straw, draping an arm over his eyes. He appeared set to ignore her for the rest of the night and so Katara crawled under her blanket, snuggling into the straw with a blissful sigh. The silence stretched between them and she was nearly to sleep when a soft rustle let her know that Zuko was moving. She turned to watch as Zuko checked his dao swords and settled them close at hand. The careful movements told Katara that he valued the swords.

“Do you know how to use those?” she asked quietly.

Gold eyes flashed in her direction and he touched the sheath fondly, answering shortly, “Yes.”

“Why? If you can firebend,” Katara asked.

Zuko scowled, laying down and turning his back to her. “None of your business.”

Katara sighed, staring at his back. It seemed she was always saying something that put him in a foul mood. She pillowed her cheek on her hand, her eyes tracing the line of his back. “It was nice of you to help Gansu.”

He grunted. “I don’t help people.”

She snickered, tucking her chin. “You helped me.”

He snorted, turning to face her. Gold eyes regarded her seriously. “You were just in the way.”

The claim made her smile, but she didn’t offer any arguments. 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Katara woke the next morning to Zuko pulling away from her and rolling out from under the blanket. His movements were quiet and smooth and he settled the blanket back around her to keep the cool morning air out. Katara stirred, yawning, stretching and sitting up. Zuko started when she moved, wincing slightly. Katara grinned crookedly, rubbing sleep from her eyes. “You’re up early.”

He blinked, glancing toward the barn door and the light of dawn shining in around the edges, before looking back at her. He started to speak when the barn door creaked open and Lee poked his head in. His eyes scanned the barn, landing on them and lighting up. “You’re awake!”

Katara stifled another yawn, smiling at the young boy. “Good morning, Lee.”

He bound into the room, flopping onto the hay pallet next to Katara. “I wanted to wake you up earlier, but mom wouldn’t let me. Do you want to see the overlook? It’s not much to look at, but you can see really far!”

“I—”

He sprang to his feet again, circling Zuko excitedly. “Then we can herd the sheep pigs to the far field and chase—”

Katara cleared her throat, interrupting the stream of  words, while Zuko simply stared down at the boy in surprise. “I think we have to help your parents around the homestead.”

The barn door opened for a second time and Sela peeked in. The expression on her face tightened when she saw Lee and she stepped into the barn, placing her hands on her hips and frowning severely. “I hope you didn’t wake them up.”

“No!” Lee exclaimed, tugging on Zuko’s arm, much to the firebender’s chagrin. “They were awake when I came in. I made sure they were up before I came in and they were and I wanted to do so much today and we’re going to the far field and I’m going to show him all the cool spots.”

Zuko’s look of alarm was ignored. Sela sighed. “I’m afraid they’ll have to go out to the far field another time, Lee; your father needs the young man today. Come along now, young couples don’t need a boy between them in the morning.”

Zuko and Katara flushed red, exchanging wide-eyed looks but Sela was herding Lee out the door before they could say anything. They quickly looked away, Zuko smoothing his rumpled tunic and Katara pushing her hair out of her eyes. The silence between them grew tense before his shoulders straightened and he moved rapidly out of the barn. Katara threw aside her blanket, crawling out of the hay and straightening her clothes. As awkward as Sela’s comment had been, Katara didn’t want the older woman to assume they were doing anything — well, anything that required privacy. Katara dressed quickly and straightened their bedding before making her way out to find the family.

She found Sela seated next to a pile of clothing, darning a pair of pants. She looked up when Katara approached, motioning for the waterbender to take a seat next to her. “There’s breakfast on the fire. I appreciate your help around the house today. The men have already eaten.”

Breakfast was a simple grain mash and eggs, but it was filling and Katara ate quickly before taking up a needle and settling into fixing rips and tears. They fell into a steady rhythm that Katara found relaxing in its familiarity. She could almost hear Gran-Gran’s voice correcting her imperfect stitches and explaining the correct stitch to use depending on the tear and weave of the fabric. A lost, lonely feeling settled over her. Life had been so full of adventure in recent months that she’d been distracted from thoughts of home. A home she thought she’d never see again when she was imprisoned on that iron rig. She ducked her head, hiding the sheen of tears and a soft sniffle in her concentration on her darning. She was not going to be the weepy female her brother always complained about. A touch to her shoulder let her know that Sela wasn’t fooled. “Are you a long way from home?”

The question was soft and understanding and Katara sniffed back the tears, rubbing at her nose. “How do you know?”

The older woman’s eyes flicked over her, a sardonic smile on her lips. “Your stories from last night of snow and ice. And I don’t believe I’ve ever seen an Earth Kingdom native look quite like you. You have remarkably blue eyes.”

Katara blushed under the compliment, lowering her eyes and picking at her uneven stitches. “Thank you.”

“You just seem like you’re a long way from home.” She paused and then added, “You both do.”

“I’m from the South Pole,” she told the older woman, deciding to say nothing of Zuko’s origins.

“That is a long way,” Sela agreed. She squeezed her arm and picked up her needle again. She gave the threadbare pants an critical frown. “Lee is at that age where he destroys every piece of clothing he wears. When you have children, don’t spend too much on clothes. They’ll just end up in the rubbish pile in a few weeks.”

Sela smiled at Katara’s blush. Katara nervously fingered her ring. “I don’t think I’ll ever have children.”

“You are young, yet,” Sela assured, glancing curiously at the ring which Katara quickly hid from sight. “Your husband appears willing to wait until you are both ready.”

Her gaze drifted and a smile spread across her face. Katara followed her eyes to find Gansu and Zuko standing at the base of a ladder that was propped against the barn. Gansu lifted a hand in greeting when he realized his wife was watching. Zuko solemnly met Katara’s eyes, looking away again when Katara smiled and waved slightly. Sela laughed gently. “Such a serious young man. How ever did the two of you end up together?”

Katara lifted a shoulder, the smile still lingering on her lips. “Fate, I guess.”

Sela made a humming noise, giving Katara a sly glance. “I have a feeling there is more of a story there, but I will not pry.”

Further discussion was interrupted by Lee bounding around the far side of the barn, skidding to a halt when he caught sight of the men climbing the ladder. He quickly made his way to the ladder and Katara could already see him talking. She watched Lee swing on the ladder and Zuko raise a steadying hand. Sela raised an eyebrow. “The young man clearly wants a family some day.”

Katara flushed, quickly changing the subject. The last thing she wanted Zuko to hear was speculation on their future lives together. “I was wondering,” she said slowly, “why was Lee in town yesterday? Town seemed rather deserted and the one merchant we talked to seemed anxious.”

Sela sighed, setting aside the repaired pants and picking up a shirt. Her eyes grew distant as she recalled past memories. “The young boys have felt left out while their fathers and older brothers go to war. Once Gow and his men arrived in town and proved to be greater bullies than protectors, the boys decided they needed to protect the village.

“Things have been difficult since our oldest son went off to war. We tried to talk him out of it, but after my husband was injured, he insisted he had to go. He felt it was his duty to represent the family and do his part defending his home.”

She glanced at Katara to see if she was paying attention before continuing, “Gansu’s injury made it impossible for him to continue serving. When he returned home, many of the young, able-bodied men had gone to join the war. Sensu took his father’s place in the army. Gansu has trouble getting around some days. Lee so looks up to his brother, but he is young. He misses his brother and wants to prove himself.”

They looked up to see Gansu and Zuko walk across the yard to another barn, Lee trailing behind them. Sela smiled. “He’s so happy to have another young man around.”

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Once again, Zuko found himself with a hammer in one hand and a bag full of nails in the other. Gansu sat near the peak working steadily. Neither man said much to the other as they worked. Keeping a watchful eye on the manner in which Gansu laid the shingles, Zuko grimaced at his own poor attempt to keep the shingles straight and the number of bent nails that already protruded. He should’ve learned in the swamp that he was never going to be a carpenter. He must’ve made a noise of frustration, because Gansu looked up from his neat work. His eyebrows rose when he took in Zuko’s accomplishment. Zuko kept his head down, grateful that his sedge hat at least hid his embarrassed flush. Gansu cleared his throat, sounding equally as embarrassed. “Forgive me, young man. I should’ve shown you—”

The older man trailed off into an awkward silence before motioning for Zuko to come closer. “You are far more agile than I.”

When Zuko hesitated, frowning darkly, Gansu smiled encouragingly. “I will show you how to lay shingles. I’ve forgotten that not everyone has done so. There’s no shame in learning something new. I know nothing about sailing, for example.” Gansu must have caught the suspicion in Zuko’s look because he shrugged. “I assume that’s how you met your wife?”

That curious feeling that rose in him every time Katara was referred to as his wife was back and it irritated him. He lowered the hammer, tapping it lightly against his knee. “Not exactly.”

When he offered nothing further, Gansu nodded and motioned for him to come closer, continuing with his previous offer, “I’ll show you. There’s a technique and it can be tricky.”

Zuko grudgingly moved across the partially finished roof, kneeling next to the older man. Gansu calmly explained how to lay shingles and then demonstrated how to nail them down efficiently without using a dozen or more nails. After a few more demonstrations, Zuko returned to his portion of the roof with a better understanding of what he was doing.

The sun was nearing its zenith when Lee popped his head over the edge of the roof, scrambling onto the sloping roof and sidling up to Zuko’s side. The firebender ignored the boy, hammering the nails in with both hands wrapped around the hammer. Lee watched the work for a few minutes before speaking up, “You’re not from around here; are you?”

Zuko’s swing faltered. “No.”

Lee frowned, putting his chin on his fist. “Where ya from?”

“Far away.”

This time Lee scowled, picking up the shingle Zuko was reaching for. Zuko took it from the boy without a word. Lee was only discouraged by the older boy’s silence for a moment before he brightened again. “What are you doing?”

Zuko grunted.

Lee picked up another shingle, handing it to Zuko, watching as he nailed it into place. “Have you ever killed anyone?”

Zuko jerked, missing the nailhead and bringing the hammer down on his thumb. He bit back a curse, his thumb flying to his mouth. Lee didn’t seem concerned that Zuko hadn’t answered either of his questions. He picked up the scattered nails and shingles and placing the nails back in the bag and the shingles in a neat stack. “Where’d you get your ostrich horse? It’s so cool. I want one.”

Zuko hesitated, but Lee looked like he was truly interested in the answer. He sighed, pushing damp hair out of his eyes and carefully examining his injured thumb. With another sigh, he picked up the hammer again, admitting, “…A girl.”

Lee made a face. “What’s your name?”

“Lee.”

Lee and Zuko turned in surprise. Katara stood on the ground, looking up at them with a smile. Lee stared down at her in confusion. “What?”

She motioned to Zuko. “That’s his name.”

Lee looked at Zuko in surprise, a wide smile spreading across his face. Zuko grimaced, cringing when the young boy exclaimed, “Awesome! You have the same name as me!”

Zuko nodded, returning to hammering nails into the roof. Gansu chuckled, edging to the ladder and heavily making his way back to the ground. He greeted Katara with a smile, limping slightly to her side. She lifted a hand. “Sela says food will be ready in a bit.”

He nodded, glancing up at Zuko and Lee on the roof. Katara followed his gaze, suppressing a laugh as the firebender hammered with a dogged determination as Lee talked. Gansu put a hand on her shoulder. “He’s a good man—” Zuko’s exclamation of pain interrupted him and Gansu winced. “He’s not very good with a hammer though.”

Katara shook her head, laughing as Lee shouted excitedly about blood.”I should probably take a look at that. Patch him up before we eat.”

Gansu called Lee down and the young boy scrambled down the ladder. Zuko followed more slowly, cradling his hand close to his chest. Katara held out a hand. “Let me see.”

He frowned at her, but she reached for his hand before he could say anything. Katara examined the injury with a critical eye. It was bloody around the nail and a bruise was already showing from a previous injury. She reached for her waterskin and looked up at him with a smirk. “You’d think you would’ve gotten enough experience in the swamp with a hammer.”

Zuko scowled and moved to pull his hand away, but she held him firm and drew a stream of water out of her waterskin with one hand. She coated the injury and concentrated. She ignored the quiet gasp from Lee and Gansu when the water glowed a faint blue and the cut healed over and the bruise faded. Zuko watched in fascination, but as soon as she let the water drop to the dust at their feet, he pulled away and stalked off. Lee hurried after him, but Gansu looked on with interest. “It’s been a long time since I’ve met a waterbender. You have a truly remarkable gift.”

She blushed under the compliment and Gansu chuckled. “Come, we should probably save your young man from further hounding by my son.”

They found Zuko and Lee at the water pump, Zuko bent over the trough and splashing water on his face and neck. Lee had clearly not stopped talking since joining Zuko on the roof and they arrived just in time to hear Lee ask, “How’d you get that scar?”

Gansu cleared his throat, giving the energetic boy a stern look of disapproval. “Lee, leave the man alone and go help your mother. We’ll be there after we wash up.” 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Gansu and Zuko finished the new barn roof just as the sun was beginning to set and Zuko gratefully stumbled to the small house to gulp down leftovers from lunch before walking stiffly to the small bathhouse to wash the dust and sweat from his skin. The bathwater was refreshingly cool and Zuko dumped the last of it over his head with a blissful sigh. When he finally made it to the barn, Katara had not yet returned. A few of the chicken pigs clucked in some of the empty stalls, but were clearly settling down for the night. A quick check on the ostrich horse and he could see that it was well cared for. Zuko dropped to the pile of hay with a deep groan, already falling into a half-conscious state.

The barn door slammed open, startling Zuko and causing him to reach for his dao swords before he realized that it was only Katara. He collapsed back onto the blankets, flinging an arm over his eyes and letting his mind drift closer to sleep.

Katara was far from sleep. She paced the barn, a frown marring her brow. Zuko ignored her mutterings, forcing tired muscles to relax and concentrating on his breathing. He was nearly asleep when Katara suddenly spun on her heel and demanded, “Why don’t they do anything about Gow and his soldiers?”

Zuko grunted, waking up enough to mumble, “Have you seen the villagers?”

She sighed, falling to the hay next to him. Zuko tilted his head to look at her from the corner of his good eye. He really was a handsome man. Katara blinked. That’d been a sudden thought she’d never expected. Flustered, it took her a moment to remember what he’d said and to reform her thoughts. “Well, yes, but someone could still do something.”

Zuko’s sigh was laced with exhaustion and he rubbed at his scarred eye. Katara watched his chest rise and fall with his breathing. His breathing had a hypnotic effect on her and she startled when Zuko finally spoke.

“Gow is an earthbender,” he said. “And I haven’t seen another bender in the village.”

For a moment she was surprised. How had he known? Could you tell who benders were just by looking at them? She almost asked him, but instead pushed the thought aside to focus on what she’d been thinking before.

“So you’re saying we can do nothing?” Katara asked. “We should help them!”

Zuko dropped his arm from his eyes, pushing himself up on his elbow and staring down at her. “They don’t want my help.” He seemed to realize that he implied he wanted to help to begin with and quickly continued, “And it’s not my problem.”

The injustice of the situation gnawed at her. It was too much like what the Fire Nation was doing to the rest of the world. It was wrong. It wasn’t fair that so many people would be kept down by so few. That they’d hide and cower from a handful of men instead of standing up to them and refusing to comply with ridiculous demands. If they all stood up against them, Gow and his cronies wouldn’t stand a chance. She frowned back at him. “But they’re abusing their authority.”

“There will always be someone who abuses authority,” he snapped.

She drew back in surprise and subsided into silence. They stared at each other until Zuko finally turned onto his side, his back to Katara. She was slowly growing used to looking at the firebender’s back when they settled down to sleep. It didn’t mean she liked it.

She lay quietly, pondering Zuko’s reaction. It’d been stronger and more vehement than she’d anticipated. She fell asleep wondering how many old wounds she’d end up poking before he told her what bothered him.

Notes:

Recognizable quotes from “Zuko Alone”

Chapter 12: Turning

 "If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us."
— Hermann Hesse

"The deepest definition of youth is life as yet untouched by tragedy."
— Alfred North Whitehead

Katara woke suddenly to find herself wrapped around Zuko’s torso, her nose tucked into the crook of his neck. Waking in such a position was not unusual after their time in the Foggy Swamp and she could only assume Zuko hadn’t waken yet to push her away. It was still dark and Katara could feel Zuko’s gentle breathing and the steady thrum of his heart. Unsure of what woke her, she lay still, straining her ears to catch any sound that was unusual.

A soft thump and quick breathing had her tensing, ready to roll away from Zuko and snatch up her waterskin. She barely noticed her rather indecent hold on the firebender. Zuko’s arm closed around her before she could move and she stifled a surprised gasp, pulling away just enough to meet gold eyes shining in the dim moonlight. His eyes flicked over her shoulder when she heard a soft creak and then his hold loosened and he sat up. He took a quick glance around the barn before rising from the bedding. She watched as he moved away, flicking his fingers to produce a small flame and examining their packs and what few supplies they’d pulled out to use. He made a soft noise, but it didn’t sound surprised. He let the small flame snuff out as he picked his way across the dark barn to the door.

Katara watched his progress, having to squint to pick him out in the deep shadows. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing,” Zuko said, his voice low. “Go back to sleep.”

He was out the door with hardly a sound and Katara quickly struggled to free herself from the blankets that had gotten twisted around her. She made it to the door in time to see Zuko slip around the edge of the barn and head back toward the sunflower fields she’d spent most of the morning weeding and watering. Hesitating only a moment, she returned to her side of the bed to grab her waterskin and quickly followed — making sure she stayed far enough back to keep out of sight.

At the edge of the field, Zuko paused, shoulders tense as he assessed the area. He hadn’t been this way earlier, staying close to the buildings with Gansu and he probably wanted a moment to gain some kind of lay of the land. Katara held her breath while the firebender took his time and she vaguely wondered what he was doing. A child’s war cry lifted and carried faintly on the breeze. Zuko turned toward the sound, but waited a moment, examining the ground before he chose a direction. A pleased feeling rose up in her when she realized he was using what he learned in the swamp to follow a trail. It didn’t seem like the firebender was concerned about what he was following since he maintained an easy stride and relaxed posture and he wasn’t attempting to keep his steps quiet. She knew he could move silently when he so chose. When he paused again, Katara realized that this time he was watching something and she edged closer.

A wordless cry, a flash of silver, and the heads of several sunflowers flew through the air. She recognized the flash of silver as blades and she realized the rough sound of displaced air as a clumsy attempt to wield them. A leap of a small, shadowed body, followed by a two streaks of silver and a cry of battle, and Katara knew who Zuko was watching. Lee had said he’d wanted to sword fight and subsequent pestering had worn Zuko down enough for him to admit knowing how. Zuko had refused to teach him despite the young boy’s pleas and now, it seemed, Lee had taken the matter into his own hands. No doubt the boy wanted to be able to impress all his friends and probably the brother that was away at war.

Lee leapt again, tripping over his feet and landing in a heap. Zuko moved forward through the sunflowers, finally making his presence known. “You’re holding them all wrong.”

Lee startled, shooting to his feet with a panicked gasp. He fumbled with the swords, stammering, “I’m sorry!”

Zuko rolled his shoulders, plucking the dual swords from the boy’s hands, adjusting his hold and showing Lee his grip. “The swords are an extension of your arms.”

He demonstrated a few swings, explaining the nature of the swords, before handing them back to Lee. The young boy took them carefully, almost reverently, staring in awe at the blades. Zuko traced the edge of the blade without touching it, repeating, “The swords are an extension of yourself. They are both halves of a whole. Don’t forget.”

Katara watched a few more minutes before slipping away to return to the barn. She settled back down under the covers and let her mind drift to what she’d witnessed. She knew Zuko valued those swords and wondered why he hadn’t been more upset that they’d been stolen, even if the thief was just a boy and the swords would most likely be returned by morning. She half expected the firebender to return to the barn shortly after she did, but it was several hours before she heard the sound of footsteps and quiet conversation.

“He used to show me stuff like this all the time,” Lee was saying.

Zuko’s response was too low for her to hear, but she caught Lee’s farewell and then saw Zuko quietly enter. His steps were near silent as he approached and he startled when she spoke. “That was very nice of you.”

A flame flickered in his hand for a brief second before snuffing out again. “Don’t do that.”

He laid the swords next to his spot, kicking off his shoes and rolling into his blankets. She felt him shiver slightly and heard him release a slow breath. Spring may have arrived, but the desert nights were still chilly once they lost the heat of the day. Once he’d settled again, Katara laughed quietly. “You’re not nearly as heartless as you pretend to be.”

Zuko rolled his eyes. “The kid could’ve run himself through, swinging those swords like that.”

She lifted herself onto her elbow, peering through the darkness at him. “So you taught him how to hold and swing the swords?”

He shrugged, settling down with his back to her, grumbling, “I didn’t want to clean the swords in the morning.”

Katara laughed but left it at that. She waited several moments before scooting closer to his back, curling up and facing the other direction, relaxing into his warmth. The bedding had been cold without him there. She was nearly asleep when Zuko spoke quietly, “Did you know Lee has a brother?”

Katara looked over her shoulder, but Zuko hadn’t moved. She frowned. “I did. He’s joined the Earth Kingdom Army in place of Gansu.”

“Gansu was in the Army?”

Katara hummed sleepily. “Yes. He was injured so they let him go.”

Zuko was silent for a time and Katara was once more drifting off when she felt him roll toward her. “Do you know how?”

She groaned, throwing an arm over her eyes. Half the time she couldn’t get him to speak and now he wouldn’t shut up. “Zuko, we didn’t discuss that kind of thing. Go to sleep.”

She half expected him to say something else, but he only grunted and settled down quietly. 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

When Katara woke again, the sun was shining through the slats in the side of the barn and spilling across her face. She rolled away from the light with a disgruntled groan, directly into the spot Zuko was sleeping in the night before. His absence roused her enough to lift her head and look around the barn. He was nowhere to be seen and Feathers was out of the stall. Another search of the area revealed that their packs were still present though Zuko’s dao swords were gone. The latter didn’t concern her since Zuko was rarely without the blades since leaving the swamp. She flopped face down into the blankets, yawning hugely and wishing the nights were longer.

Knowing she couldn’t lounge in bed all day, she finally rolled out of the blankets and started gathering their things. She took her time folding the blankets and packing their bags so was surprised when she heard raised voices. The farm was pretty isolated and quiet. It didn’t sound like Zuko was involved.

They must’ve moved closer to the barn, because she could clearly hear Gansu demand, “What do you want, Gow?”

She dropped the bags, grabbing up her waterskin and hurrying out of the barn. Zuko and Gansu stood in front of Gow, several of the rogue Earth Kingdom soldiers astride ostrich horses behind their leader. Sela was holding a scowling Lee back by his arm and the sheep and cow pigs were squealing angrily. The large earthbender towered over Gansu, a laughing sneer on his face. “Quite the friendly reception, Gansu. Especially after we rode out all this way to tell you.”

Katara held her breath, a feeling of dread curling in her stomach. Gansu and Sela looked just as fearful as she felt while Zuko merely looked irritated. Gansu straightened his shoulders. “What’s that?”

Gow affected a careless shrug. “Just thought someone ought to tell you that your son’s battalion got captured.”

Sela gasped and Gansu’s face drained of color. Sela’s hold on Lee’s arm tightened painfully and when she spoke, her voice shook. “Is he alive? Do you know?”

Gow laughed as if he’d been told a joke and Gansu and his wife flinched. He looked over his shoulder at the rest of his men, asking, “You boys hear what the Fire Nation did with their last group of Earth Kingdom prisoners?”

Zuko tensed, hands fisting and his expression stony. Katara didn’t want to hear, dreading what the response might be, but one of the soldiers on the ostrich horses spoke, his tone tinged with malicious humor, “Dressed ’em up in Fire Nation uniforms and put ’em on the front line unarmed, the way I heard it. Then they just watched.”

Sela gave a great sobbing cry, her legs collapsing under her. Gansu’s fists clenched and he stepped forward angrily, shouting, “You watch your mouth!”

No one noticed Zuko’s flinch or the way his expression turned a sickly pale color when he heard the rumor. Katara moved closer to the firebender’s side, keeping a wary eye on the Earth Kingdom soldiers. Gow drew himself up importantly, green eyes glaring at the distraught family. “You better watch yourself, Gansu. You’re behind on your taxes as it is.”

Gansu’s teeth clenched, eyes flashing, and he growled out, “Get off my land.”

Gow’s hand reached for his hammer and he stepped forward threateningly. Zuko smoothly stepped between the two men, meeting Gow’s glare without flinching. The two benders sized each other up before Gow finally sneered, tearing his eyes away from Zuko’s and cast Gansu and his family a disdainful sneer. “Why bother rooting around in the mud with these pigs? Let’s go.”

He stalked to his ostrich horse, hoisting himself onto the protesting animal’s back and the whole group charged back toward town in a choking cloud of dust. Sela burst into tears and Gansu enveloped her in a tight hug, drawing a confused Lee in as well. Katara moved forward, placing a hand on Zuko’s arm and drawing his gaze. For a brief second, she caught a glimpse of remembered pain and grief, then she blinked and his emotions were hidden again beneath a mask of indifference.

He glanced back at the small family that was seeking comfort from each other and Katara thought she detected some form of longing from him when Gansu brushed his hand over Lee’s head. Katara put a hand on Zuko’s back, leaning into him to offer what comfort she could. He seemed to come to himself again and he turned to the ostrich horse, muttering, “We should go.”

“Now?” she clarified.

He looked down at her, glancing back at the huddled family. “Yes. It’s for the best.”

Katara frowned. “But what about Gansu and his family? Shouldn’t we stay and help?”

Zuko didn’t answer right away, his brow creased with a frown. Eventually he sighed, shaking his head. “No.”

“But—”

Gansu stood, helping his sobbing wife up, a determined expression on his face. “I’m going to the front. I’m going to find Sensu and bring him back.”

Sela gasped, clutching at her husband’s tunic, whimpering, “No. I can’t lose you too.”

Gansu placed his hands on her shoulders. “I’ll leave right away.”

A last nod to Zuko and Katara, and Gansu guided his wife back to the house. Lee immediately turned to Zuko, looking up at the older boy with wide, hopeful eyes. “Will you stay? When my dad goes…will you stay?”

Katara smiled at Zuko’s stunned expression, tucking herself close to the firebender’s side. For a brief moment, he looked torn and Katara could see him struggle with the desire to stay. He’d opened himself up to the small Earth Kingdom family far more quickly than he had with the members of the Foggy Swamp. Unfortunately, Katara knew they couldn’t stay and Lee’s hopeful expression fell when Zuko finally shook his head. “No. I — We need to move on.”

Lee’s disappointment was nearly heartbreaking and he followed them to the ostrich horse, pleading even as Zuko tied the packs behind the saddle, mounted and lifted Katara into the saddle behind him, “Just until dad gets back?”

Zuko looped the reins around one hand, looking first toward the horizon before turning a steady gaze to the young boy. To Katara’s surprise, Zuko pulled out the dagger he always carried, holding it out for Lee. “I want you to have this.”

Lee’s face lit up with a grin and he took the dagger, pulling it from the sheath and holding it up. Sunlight sparked along the sharp edge of the blade. “Wow! This is the best present ever! Thanks!”

Zuko ruffled the boy’s hair fondly, telling him, “Never give up without a fight.”

“Will I see you again?”

“It’s hard to say,” the firebender said. “Our paths crossed once. Who’s to say they won’t cross again?”

Lee nodded, clutching the sheathed dagger to his chest. “I’ll miss you.”

Katara smiled down at him. “Farewell. I will remember you should we meet again.”

The young boy looked confused, but he lifted a hand to wave them goodbye when Zuko kicked the ostrich horse into a trot.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Katara leaned over a well, peering down into the depths. Zuko leaned against the dry stones watching her. Katara had insisted they stop to refill their waterskins before they got too far out of town in the off chance that she’d overlooked doing so in the excitement following Gow’s appearance on the pig sheep farm. She glanced up at Zuko, meeting his eyes for a moment before quickly looking away, brushing loose hair out of her eyes. “I don’t sense any water in this well.”

Zuko grunted, eyes sweeping the area around them before settling on her again. She scowled in return. “I know. You don’t have to rub it in.”

The firebender had taken one look at the area surrounding the well when they first arrived and declared it was dry, but Katara had insisted that it wasn’t. She caught the briefest tilt to his mouth before Zuko turned away to gather the reins of the ostrich horse. Katara tried one last time to draw water up before conceding defeat and moved to follow the firebender. Quick movement caught her eye and she paused, reaching out to stop Zuko from pulling himself into the saddle again. He followed her gaze, frowning when he recognized the figure that approached. Katara worried her lip, murmuring, “Do you think something’s wrong?”

Leather squeaked as Zuko’s hand tightened around the reins. “I’d say so.”

The relief on Sela’s face when she finally reached them was obvious and she barely paused a moment to catch her breath before gasping, “You have to help! It’s Lee — the thugs from town came as soon as Gansu left. When they ordered us to give them food, Lee pulled a knife on them! I don’t even know where he got a knife!” She was nearly hysterical, her words flooding from her in a jumbled mess. “They they took him away. They told me if he’s old enough to fight, he’s old enough to join the army.”

Katara felt Zuko tense beside her, but she moved to comfort the distraught mother. Sela clung to the waterbender, but her attention was on Zuko, pleading, “I know we barely know you, but—”

Zuko was already swinging into the saddle, pulling his dao swords over his shoulders to rest against his shoulder blades. “I’ll get your son back.”

“Oh!” she sighed, her relief palpable. “Thank you!”

Zuko waited long enough for Katara and Sela to situate themselves behind him on the ostrich horse before urging Feathers to a quick pace. The trip back into town seemed far longer than the trip out. Sela clung to Katara, her expression anxious and her breath catching. Katara was surprised to see just how many people there were in the streets. Several dozen men and women crowded into the square, shouting angrily at Gow and his men but none of them moved to do anything more. They scattered when Zuko approached, but hung on the edges to watch.

Zuko dismounted, handing the reins to Katara without taking his eyes from the stocky earthbender. She took them, reaching for his hand to draw his attention. Gold eyes flashed up to meet hers and she hesitated before saying, “Be careful.”

Zuko nodded and turned, his eyes sweeping over Lee who stood bound to the central water tower. The boy appeared uninjured and even grinned when Zuko looked at him. Gow, however, did not look pleased and stepped forward to scowl menacingly at Zuko. Not one to be easily cowed, Zuko raised his chin, commanding, “Let the kid go.”

Gow laughed. “This isn’t any of your concern, stranger.”

Zuko settled his shoulders and remained firm. “It is now. Let him go.”

“Who do you think you are?” Gow growled.

“Who I am doesn’t matter. I don’t associate myself with bullies and cowards who intimidate old people, women, and children,” he announced, glancing pointedly around the square. “I will tell you again: let the boy go.”

Gow snorted, turning to address the soldier next to him. “Are you going to let him insult you like that?”

The soldier charged, spear leveled at Zuko’s chest. Katara held her breath. She knew Zuko was a skilled fighter, but firebending and sword fighting were completely different from spears and she knew Zuko was hiding his bending, even if he never said as much. He’d only briefly used his bending when they were out of sight of strangers.

He dodged the spear, landing a forceful blow to the man’s stomach that sent the charging soldier tumbling to the ground. Zuko straightened and Katara heard the distinctive sound of a sword clicking back into its sheath. The downed soldier quickly regained his feet and fled. A second man with a spear attacked and again Zuko dodged the point, slamming the man into the ground. A third shortly after and Zuko’s kick splintered the spear. Without a weapon, the man panicked and ran. Lee cheered, but Zuko was still closely watching Gow. A feeling of dread filled Katara, but Zuko didn’t appear concerned. He’d lost his sedge hat sometime during the scuffle so the flash of his gold eyes was obvious now.

Zuko’s lips curled in a snarl. “As I’d said, cowards and bullies.”

Gow sneered, pulling out the hammers in his belt. “You think mighty highly of yourself, boy. You’ll find I’m at a completely different level. We don’t like punks like you around these parts.”

Zuko drew the dao swords, holding them at ready. “You’ve been abusing power too long.”

They faced off, sizing each other up as an opponent. Katara could hear the whispered concern for Zuko from the gathered crowd. Zuko looked grossly outmatched and Katara tried not to worry that their fears just might be true.

Gow moved first, earthbending a rock up and thrusting it Zuko. The firebender smashed through it with his sword, eyes narrowed to avoid dust and rock shards. Gow followed the attack with another three rocks in rapid succession. Zuko dodged the first two, but took the third one in the stomach. Katara started forward as he stumbled back — hunching and clearly winded — but Sela grabbed her arm, halting her.

Zuko straightened from his hunched position, taking a deep breath. The swords leveled and held steady. A moment later, he charged. He dodged and flowed around the attacks with ease. Katara held her breath, flinching each time a boulder brushed Zuko’s clothing. Another boulder slammed into his abdomen. Katara heard the air rush from his lungs when he hit the ground. She couldn’t stop her gasp. The only thing keeping her back was Sela’s white-knuckled grip on her arm and the knowledge that Zuko didn’t want her to interfere unless necessary. Not that he’d said as much.

The firebender somersaulted to his feet, favoring his ribs and grimacing in pain. A smug smile grew on Gow’s face and he launched a barrage so fierce it took everything Zuko had to dodge. Katara gasped again when the ground beneath Zuko’s feet surged. Zuko stumbled in attempt to maintain his balance, his eyes narrowed in concentration. A wall of rock slammed into the firebender before Zuko could gain the footing to avoid the blow. Zuko flew through the air, hitting the ground hard. A terrified cry escaped Katara before she was even aware of the words her tongue formed, catching herself halfway, “Zu—Lee!”

He rolled a few feet before coming to a stop. He lay still and Katara held her breath. The crowd had also grown deathly silent, all eyes anxiously turned on the downed firebender. She heard a few mutterings of encouragement and prayers to the Spirits around her. Gow approached Zuko’s prone form with a cautious eye, smirking when the firebender remained unmoving. “You’re not so tough now. Let this be a warning to the rest of you.”

The hammer rose to deal Zuko the final incapacitating blow when Zuko’s hand shot out, snatching up his fallen dao swords and rising in a hurricane of fire. Shocked gasps rose from the spectators and even Katara was surprised. She hadn’t seen Zuko firebend since they’d been captured by the Swamp Tribe, and even then she’d been involved in her own pathetic fight and hadn’t actually watched him bend. Fire leapt from his hands, knocking Gow back and forcing him to drop his hammers as they heated to near unbearable temperatures. The large earthbender fell back, all traces of arrogance gone, and raised his fists to continue the fight without his weapons.

His movements were clumsy and Zuko’s attacks were relentless and powerful. A desperate attempt to gain the upper hand failed and Gow tripped over his own element, landing in a cloud of dust. Defeated, the earthbender looked up at Zuko, fear in his eyes. “Who — Who are you?”

Zuko stood proudly over him, breathing heavily, his eyes shifting to briefly glance at the stunned crowd that was quickly recovering from its shock. Angry rumbles were moving through the crowd, taking the place of the previous cheers. A firebender had defeated one of their own! It suddenly didn’t matter that the man he defeated was the one abusing them. Firebenders were the enemy. The men around were now unfriendly faces. Fierce gold eyes pinned Gow in place, pointing one of his swords directly at Gow’s nose. “My name is Zuko, son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai; prince of the Fire Nation, and heir to the throne.”

The crowd’s surprise increased and even Katara was taken aback. Of course she’d known. He’d admitted as much in the swamp, but she never thought he’d declare it to all and sundry. An old man nearby recovered enough to shout, “Liar! I heard of you! You’re not a prince, you’re an outcast! His own father burned and disowned him!”

Blue eyes widened and swung around to look at him, but he didn’t even flinch. “Zuko…”

He ignored the murmurs of speculation as to what he could’ve done to warrant being banished by a man as ruthless as the Fire Lord. Katara could hear speculations from theft to attempted assassination, each story more outrageous than the last. He stepped forward, expression growing cold when Gow flinched, and snatched the dagger he’d given to Lee from the earthbender’s belt. A last glare from gold eyes sent the defeated earthbender fleeing. He sheathed the dao swords and approached the water tower were Sela was quickly untying Lee from one of the posts. She looked terrified when Zuko approached, but she stepped protectively in front of Lee, snapping, “Not a step closer.”

Zuko flinched, betrayal flashing across his face before he buried it beneath an impassive mask. He stopped where he was, holding out the dagger to Lee. “It’s yours. You should have it.”

The young boy glared angrily, tears welling. His small frame shook with emotion and his fists clenched at his side as he shouted, “No! I hate you!”

He kicked desert dust at Zuko and sped off home, Sela quickly following after him with a last fearful look at Zuko. Lee’s words seemed to shake the rest of the town out of its stupor. Voices rose in anger, jeering, and a few rocks flew. The very people who’d been cheering him on were now calling for his death or at least his being run out of town. The crowd surged around Katara, jostling her, shouting:

“Get out of our town, scum!”

“Monster!”

The firebender drew away from them, but didn’t draw his dao swords. Katara pushed at the bodies around her, forcing her way to the front, calling, “Zuko!”

Her shout reminded the villagers of her presence and hands grabbed at her, trying to pull her back. She struggled against them, breaking free and stumbling into Zuko’s surprised form. Blue eyes clashed with gold and then Katara straightened, turning to face the crowd. They hung back, the shouts lulling as she faced them, but she could clearly see they weren’t past their lust for blood yet though they feared Zuko would slaughter them if they got closer. She shivered. Maybe many firebenders would, but for some reason Zuko seemed hesitant to use his firebending or attack the townsfolk. It had to be more than just avoiding notice in hostile territory.

An old woman wrung her hands anxiously, looking nervously at Zuko even as she addressed Katara, “What are you doing? Get away from him; he’s dangerous!”

Katara bristled, anger flaring and stepping away from the few men who were brave enough to approach with the intent to pull her away. Her back pressed against Zuko’s chest. She looked over the crowd, declaring angrily, “He’s no more dangerous than you.”

Disbelief rumbled through the mob and several men closest to her looked insulted. Fingers lightly touched her elbow and Zuko mumbled quietly, “Let’s just go.”

“No!” she exclaimed, pulling away from him and glaring furiously for even suggesting they leave the way things were. “They’re being unreasonable. You helped them and they’re treating you like — like—”

She groped for a suitable word, falling short when another villager exclaimed, “You don’t have to stay with him. You can be free.”

Blue eyes turned on them in an icy glare. “You’re all cowards.”

Notes:

Recognizable quotes from “Zuko Alone”

Chapter 13: Enemy of My Enemy

 "A friend is one to whom one can pour out all the contents of one's heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will take it and shift it, keeping what is worth keeping, and, with the breath of kindness, blow the rest away."
– Arabian Proverb

The ride out of the Plain’s Village was made in silence. Katara’s anger simmered beneath the surface and occasionally she’d huff and mutter curses too low for anyone to hear. She bristled at the recalled memories, fingers flexing as if itching to waterbend some sense into someone. Zuko’s emotions were a little better hidden; the tension in his back and arms the only indication he was feeling anything.

They’d managed to reach their ostrich horse and mount while the villagers pressed in around them, still too hesitant to actually grow violent but quickly gaining confidence from sheer number. Seeing that both Zuko and Katara were leaving without any further threatening or convincing, the throng fell silent and watched as they rode out of town. A few of the braver villagers made to protest Katara’s leaving, but a cold glare from her silenced them. Katara caught a brief glimpse of a young boy among the rocks and boulders trailing their progress, but was not able to identify him.

Gradually, Katara’s anger cooled and she eventually dismissed the entire village as closed-minded bigots. Disappointment replaced her anger and her shoulders slumped. Now that she was no longer so focused on her own anger, she was able to detect Zuko’s. His posture was rigid and when she rested her chin on his shoulder she could see the tension in his jaw. He gave no indication that he was in any pain, but she wondered if he was covered in bruises. He’d hit the ground pretty hard several times, after all, and been nearly pummeled by boulders. She subtly stretched her senses to detect any injuries. His breathing was harsh and she thought she could detect the pooling of blood along his back and ribs that would indicate bruising. She hoped none of his ribs were broken. They’d have to stop so she could get a better look. Unfortunately, the firebender didn’t appear to have stopping in mind. Katara bit her lip before asking, “Do you want to stop?”

Zuko yanked on the reins of the ostrich horse, abruptly pulling it to a stop and dismounting. His movements were harsh as he paced around the clearing they’d stopped in, tossing twigs and dry moss into a pile, his jaw tense and his scowl deep. Katara dismounted more slowly, removing the sleeping rolls and watching him disappear into the bramble and reappear moments later with several thick branches. He dropped them on the pile he’d already gathered and, with a sharp flick of his wrist, a fire exploded from the logs. Katara frowned. It’d been a while since she’d seen him like this — angry and volatile. It was kind of frightening. She dropped the bags a decent distance from the fire in case it got out of hand due to Zuko’s anger, and calmly seated herself on a folded bedroll.

“You look angry,” she observed.

He whirled around, fire exploding from his fists as he exclaimed, “Of course I’m angry! My father despises me, my sister is trying to kill me, I have a bounty on my head as well as orders to kill me on sight, everyone hates me, and I just want to go home!”

His words ended in a roar that made Katara sit back a bit. She watched as he panted for breath, before nodding and agreeing, “Me too.”

Gold eyes snapped to her, narrowing. “What.”

She shrugged, staring at the fire as it finally lowered to a manageable level. “I want to go home, too. I don’t even know if I still have a home.”

Zuko flopped to the ground next to her, his anger spent, grumbling, “At least you can go back to it.”

She nodded slowly, letting the silence fall comfortably on them. She passed him a piece of jerky, putting the battered kettle over the fire. Something he’d said tickled her memory and she turned to him. “I never knew you had a sister.”

Zuko snorted, falling to his back to stare at the darkening sky, his voice glum, “She’s a prodigy. A Master Bender before she turned thirteen. Father’s pride.”

Katara put her chin in her hand, looking down at him thoughtfully. “She sounds scary.”

A dry laugh escaped him. “Terrifying,” he paused, frowning at something in his memory. “She can conjure lightning.”

“Can’t you?”

He draped an arm over his eyes, hiding from her gaze. “No.”

“Have you ever tried?”

“You don’t just bend lightning.”

“No,” she allowed, “I suppose not.”

Zuko grunted, but said nothing else. Compassion stirred in her. She wasn’t used to seeing him so defeated. He’d always been so strong, so fierce. He acted like he didn’t care, but she could see the villagers’ rejection of him had cut him deep. Especially Lee and Sela. She’d never been hated just because of the element she could bend and apparently even his own people didn’t accept him.

“I don’t hate you.”

The words were out before she was even aware she’d thought them. They startled her, mainly because she realized they were true. Zuko’s arm shifted and she caught the gleam of a gold eye looking at her. She blushed, nervously fingering the half-eaten jerky in her hand. Gathering her courage, she lifted her chin to look at him and give him a small smile. “I mean, you were scary at first, but inside I know you’re just a polar bear puppy.”

He sat up, looking indignant, but she caught the blush that spread across his cheeks. “No I’m not.”

“Sure you are!”

“I’m not!” he insisted. “I’m mean…like a boarcupine!”

Katara laughed, further delighted when Zuko’s blush deepened. “I’ve never seen a boarcupine.”

“They’re mean,” he told her.

Her grin widened. “So I gathered.”

He scowled at her, but she only grinned and scooted closer, resting her head on his shoulder. He grunted, but didn’t push her away and she smiled up at him. “You are a polar bear puppy.”

He sighed, conceding, “Don’t tell anyone.”

“Promise.”

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Zuko and Katara relaxed into an easy companionship after the expulsion of emotions from Zuko. Even after their time in the swamp, the firebender still kept her at arm’s length and watched her warily. Katara’s admittance that she didn’t hate him seemed to relaxed him enough to accept her gestures of friendship without the wariness that usually accompanied him. He didn’t push her away when she crawled into his sleeping pallet in the middle of the night and Katara almost felt like he welcomed her presence.

The area surrounding the village was as desolate as it’d been before the village and Katara was cheered when they finally came across a shaded oasis. Their supplies were running low and the small package Sela had given Zuko when they first left wasn’t nearly enough to last until the next town, wherever that might be. Zuko stopped beneath a scraggly looking desert tree and Katara quickly slid from the back of the ostrich horse, eager for fresh water. Zuko took his time following, soothing the ostrich horse and checking various other things.

Katara waded into the water with a sigh of relief. The cool water felt heavenly after the days spent in the desert heat. She was disappointed that there were no fish in the small pool, but she couldn’t say she was surprised. She took the opportunity to freely bend the water around her with a delighted laugh. Zuko leaned against a boulder, watching her progress. Katara stopped her cheerful spin, facing Zuko. Her smile widened when she caught sight of the slight smile on Zuko’s face. “You should come in and cool down.”

Zuko’s brow rose and he glanced at the water before looking back at her. “I don’t think so.”

Katara snorted. “I know you can swim, Zuko. Are you afraid?”

“I have a healthy appreciation of a Master Bender surrounded by her element.”

She laughed at his affected superior tone and she dropped into the water to hide her grin. Zuko eyed her suspiciously for a moment, but Feathers released a startled squawk that drew his attention. Katara took that moment of distraction to strike, sending a wave of water over the firebender’s head. Zuko stumbled in surprise, sputtering indignantly, and Katara’s laugh echoed around the oasis.

“Distance doesn’t make you safe.”

Zuko straightened, pushing sopping hair out of his eyes. “This means war.”

He was in the water before Katara could process his words and he yanked her under water with a deft sweep of his legs. She went down with a shriek, eyes narrowing at his smug look when she surfaced. She retaliated with another wave of water, laughing at Zuko’s protest, “No cheating!”

Making sure she was a safe distance from him, she crossed her arms and cackled. “All’s fair in — Wait!”

Despite being a firebender, Zuko managed to produce an impressive wave of water. After that, talking dissolved into an all out water war, only calling a truce when Feathers decided to join them in the water. Feathers put up a fight, determined to stay in the water, but eventually Zuko pulled the dripping, protesting ostrich horse out of the pool and tied it in the shade of the scraggily tree. Katara was carefully making her way out of the water when she glanced up just in time to see Zuko pull off his wet shirt and wring it out. Her foot slipped and she fell with a gasp and a splash. Her cheeks burned when Zuko turned. Katara coughed quietly, avoiding his questioning look. “I slipped.”

Zuko pulled his damp shirt back over his head and held out a hand for her. She hesitated only a moment before taking his hand and carefully stepping out of the oasis pool. Zuko made a strange noise and quickly dropped her hand, turning back to their packs once she was on firm land. She tilted her head curiously at his strange behavior, but shrugged and pulled the water from her clothes, trying to smooth her hair back. It was just getting long enough to pull into a short tail. The front usually fell down to hang in her eyes, but it was nice to get it off her neck. Dry once more, Katara joined Zuko looking through the backs. “Should I try to cook something?”

She took one of the provision bags, looking through what little food they had left. With a grunt, she bypassed the rice. It would take too long and she doubted Zuko wanted to stop for the rest of the day. Katara sighed, lifting out the small oilskin of wrapped jerky. She didn’t know about Zuko, but she was growing tired of jerky. “I wish there was fish in the pool. We’re almost out of food. Again.”

Zuko snorted and was about to respond when his head snapped to the north and his eyes narrowed. Surprised, Katara followed his gaze curiously, but didn’t see anything except empty sky and a few stray wisps of clouds. She glanced at him, but he was still focused on the northern sky.

“What is it?”

He blinked, focusing back on her though a frown still pulled at his mouth. He shook his head when he caught her concerned look. “It’s nothing.”

She didn’t really believe him, but accepted the answer anyway. It didn’t prevent her from searching his face for some indication of what he’d seen. She held up a piece of jerky, her eyebrows rising when he took it distractedly. She busied herself airing out their sleeping pallets and blankets, keeping half an eye on Zuko. The firebender seemed restless, his eyes continuously darting to the north and fingering his jerky without eating it. When Katara rose to clean up, Zuko shot to his feet.

“Stay with the ostrich horse, I’ll be back.”

He was nearly out of the oasis before Katara could respond, calling after him, “Where are you going?”

“Nowhere! I’ll be back!”

“Zuko!”

And then he was gone. Katara stared after him in confusion. He’d seemed fine for most of the morning and it hadn’t been until they’d gotten out of the pool that he’d grown anxious. Her brow furrowed thoughtfully and she stooped to wash the few things they had. He’d seen something, despite his denial, and she wondered what it was. There was only one way to find out. She washed quickly, returning to pack Feathers. She was going to follow him. 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

It was strange not having Zuko in front of her guiding the ostrich horse. She felt more on edge than usual and would jump when bushes rustled unexpectedly. Feathers sensed her unease, ruffling feathers and squawking. Despite the relatively flat landscape, she didn’t see Zuko anywhere nearby. Picking a direction, she urged the ostrich horse into a brisk trot. She crested a hill, startled by a man’s shout of surprise. She yanked sharply on the reins, nearly getting herself thrown from the saddle. Feathers danced under her and it took everything in her to keep herself on the ostrich horse. A man’s hand grabbed the bridle, pulling the ostrich horse’s head down. Once the ostrich horse was restrained it stopped moving. Katara slumped forward, trying to still her racing heart.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you or your ostrich horse.”

Katara looked up to meet the eyes of a young man. He had to be in his twenties and by his clothing, he seemed to be from the Earth Kingdom. She sighed with relief and he gave her a friendly smile, smoothing back ruffled feathers on the ostrich horse’s head. He glanced at the packs behind the saddle. “Are you going to Ba Sing Se?”

Katara shook her head apologetically. “No. I don’t think so. Did you see a boy pass by here?”

“Is everything all right, Tahn? I thought I heard shouting.”

Katara and Tahn turned, Tahn calling back, “Everything’s fine. I just surprised a traveler.” He noticed Katara’s curious look and explained, “My wife. She’s resting in the shade.”

A young woman, heavily pregnant, appeared on the edge of the road a few minutes later, her hand placed protectively on her belly. Tahn quickly dropped the bridle, hurrying to his wife, scolding, “You should be resting, Ying. It’s too hot to be out in the sun.”

Tahn took her arm, urging her back into the shade. The young woman twisted to look back at Katara, speaking to her husband, “Did you ask her?”

“She’s not going to Ba Sing Se.”

Disappointment made her shoulders slump and she allowed Tahn to help her back to the thin shade. Katara dismounted, approaching the shade. She watched Tahn fuss over his wife, offering a nearly empty waterskin. Katara reached for the waterskin Zuko usually traveled with and offered it to them. “Why are you going to Ba Sing Se?”

Tahn hesitated taking the waterskin, but took it with Katara’s urging and assurance that she had more. “Our village was attacked by the Rough Rhinos. We thought it’d be safer for us to start our family in Ba Sing Se. The city’s full of refugees.”

She’d never been to Ba Sing Se and this was the first time she’d heard of a city of refugees. Katara took a seat next to them in the shade. “I thought the Earth Kingdom was holding out against the invasion.”

The young woman shook her head. “It’s not the invasion we’re seeking refuge from.”

Tahn nodded. “The Rough Rhinos are elite Fire Nation cavalry. They seem to thrive on fear.”

“They’re supposed to be under the command of the Fire Nation’s military, but they don’t seem to be following any specific order. Our village was small and not very wealthy.” She stroked her belly with one hand, reaching for Tahn with the other and smiling brightly. “We’ll have a better life in Ba Sing Se. A safer life.”

They smiled at each other long enough for Katara to grow uncomfortable. Curious — she’d never seen a pregnant woman’s stomach so prominently displayed, the women of the Water Tribe always swathed in heavy furs from head to toe — she asked, “When are you due?”

Ying beamed, smile glowing with happiness. “Soon. We hope to reach Ba Sing Se before then.”

Lightning arced across the cloudless sky, startling all three of them. Tahn searched the sky. “I didn’t think a storm was coming. The desert so rarely sees storms.”

Katara shook her head, frowning at the endlessly blue sky. “No. There’s no moisture in the air.”

An explosion shattered the air, startling the ostrich horse and sending Katara to her feet. In the distance she could see a plume of smoke rising. Flames flared into the air and Katara gasped. “I have to go.”

Tahn scrambled to his feet, hurrying after her as she mounted the protesting ostrich horse. “It’s dangerous. I can see the fire from here. There are firebenders fighting!”

He grabbed the bridle, looking anxiously at the rising smoke. Katara shifted, pulling out a small bundle and handing it to him. “I’ll be fine. Take this, you need it more than we do.”

With a final smile to Tahn and his wife, she kicked the ostrich horse into a full out run. She rapidly closed the distance to the cloud of smoke and Katara was surprised to see the shadows of buildings growing closer. A flash of white drew her to a stop. She edged Feathers as close to the bare tree reaching for the white object. Her fingers brushed it and she was surprised at the softness. It brought back memories and she plucked some of it up to get a closer look. Incense and woodsmoke met her nose and she gasped. “Appa?”

Fur slipped from limp fingers and she urged Feathers on, her heart in her throat. 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The buildings were partially collapsed and a few were burning when Katara entered what appeared to be a ghost town. She’d thought the last village was deserted, but she knew, without a doubt, that no one lived here. She followed the path of destruction, marveling at the scorch marks on the ground and the various collapsed buildings. Nothing stirred and she wondered if she might have missed Zuko and the others. If it really was Sokka and Aang, she hoped the firebender wasn’t the one doing the attacking.

Stopping in the middle of what used to be the square, Katara dismounted. The air was almost too still and it made her uneasy. The ostrich horse made a whirring sound, nosing Katara’s hair. She patted the bird comfortingly even as she frowned at the silence. Nearly every building in the square was scorched or burning and she couldn’t pick a definite path to follow. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to find what happened at the end of the trail of destruction.

A crack of lightning shattered the stillness and suddenly the earth trembled and flame and smoke shot into the air. Feathers screeched a protest, plumage standing on end, only her hold on the reins kept the ostrich horse from bolting. Shouting echoed off the buildings and Katara picked a direction, running towards it and uncapping her waterskin. She slid around the corner just in time to see the large shadow of Appa pass over and disappear. A gasp flew from her lips and she couldn’t stop her shout, “Sokka!”

No one heard her as the sky bison was already out of ear shot and was soon out of eyesight. Her eyes welled with tears. She’d nearly forgotten how much she missed her brother and they’d just missed each other. She stared after Appa, silently wishing that the sky bison had heard her and was circling around to come back. The wish was futile. They were retreating and leaving her behind again.

“Katara!”

Her name was urgent and panicked and she whirled around, ready to defend herself if needed. Zuko knelt on the ground next to an old man. Surprised, she hurried to his side, momentarily pushing thoughts of her brother away. He was alive. And Aang was too. She’d have to content herself with that knowledge and hope she’d find them safe and well at another time.

She knelt at Zuko’s side, quickly scanning the old man’s wound. She grimaced at the sight of charred and blistering flesh, wincing as she peeled back his tunic to get a closer look. A swift check of his breathing and heartbeat let her know that he was still alive, though the heartbeat was weak and erratic. Working quickly, she drew water out of her waterskin and coated the wound as best she could. The old man groaned when she touched the wound, eyes opening a crack. “Zuko?”

Surprise nearly made her lose control of her water when she saw the flash of gold beneath heavy lids. He lost the strength to keep his eyes open and he slipped into unconsciousness. Zuko scooted closer, clasping the old man’s hand in his. She glanced at him before focusing on the wound again. “What happened?”

He looked at her blankly. He didn’t seem to understand the question at first, but shook himself and quickly explained the run-in with Azula, Aang, and a few others. “Azula struck Uncle with lightning.”

Katara bit back a gasp of surprise. Was family so little valued in the Fire Nation? Zuko’s uncle gasped, groaning painfully. Zuko’s whole posture went rigid and he leaned over him, anxiously watching. Her heart broke a little when he turned pleading eyes on her, begging, “Katara, please…”

“I know,” she assured him, pulling more water from the waterskin and tossing away the used water.

The water glowed faintly and she concentrated harder, urging flesh to knit and heal. She tried twice more, changing water each time, before sitting back on her heels and wiping sweat away from her brow. Zuko looked from his uncle to her with an almost fearful expression. “Will he be okay?”

She smiled, capping her waterskin and checked the wound again. There was still a lot of damage, but if she used all the water they had, all three of them would die in the desert. He watched restlessly, sagging with relief when she nodded, saying, “He should be. I will need more water than I have.”

For the first time since Katara knelt at his side, Zuko looked at his surroundings. “Did you follow me?”

Katara huffed, rising to her feet and placing her hands on her hips, frowning down at him. The reminder of his abandonment of her sat uneasily with her. “I did. It wasn’t easy either. You didn’t have to run off like that. What was so important that you had to leave me alone?”

He looked away, shoulders hunching and muttering, “You wouldn’t understand.”

She stared down at him for a moment longer before sighing in defeat and dropping the subject. It would have been nice to see her brother again, but maybe she’d get another chance sometime in the near future. “We should probably find a better place to stay while your uncle heals.”

Zuko agreed and Katara left to find the ostrich horse. When she returned with the protesting animal, it took both of them to lift Zuko’s uncle onto the back of the ostrich horse, Katara wincing each time the injured man groaned in pain. She sincerely hoped his wound wouldn’t reopen.

“You should ride with him,” Zuko muttered in distraction, “to keep him from falling off.”

Katara looked at him strangely. “Me? I can’t hold him on the ostrich horse if he decides to take a tumble. He’d probably take me with him.”

Gold eyes blinked. “Oh. Right. I mean. Of course. I—”

He cut himself off, giving his head a shake and quickly climbed into the saddle behind his uncle. Katara took the reins and, making sure Zuko had a firm hand on his uncle, she started out of the ghost town. Stretching out her senses, she felt a pull of water and headed in that direction.

Chapter 14: A Time to Heal

 “When we are unable to find tranquility within ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere.”
– Francois de La Rochefoucauld

 “There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm.”
–Willa Cather

They ended up in a cabin in a sparse grove of trees a short distance from the ghost town. There didn’t appear to be anyone in the vicinity and the cabin had the worn look of long neglect.

A small spring bubbled to the surface not far from the cabin’s back door. The spring’s presence was a great relief to Katara since the surrounding area was so arid. Together, Zuko and Katara got Zuko’s uncle from the ostrich horse, into the cabin, and onto the floor pallet Katara had quickly thrown together. Katara went to refill her waterskins and Zuko hurriedly built a fire in the fire pit at the center of the room more for something to do than any pressing need. When Katara returned, Zuko was again sitting at his uncle’s side, anxiously watching the rise and fall of the old man’s chest. Her return attracted his attention almost immediately. “He’s still unconscious.”

Katara searched through the storage cabinets that lined the wall on the far side of the cabin before she settled in beside the pallet, feeling the injured man’s forehead. She pulled away with a frown, wetting a clean, of musty, cloth she’d managed to find in one of the cabinets and carefully placed it on his forehead. “He has a fever, but that’s not uncommon with serious injuries.”

She handed the cloth and a shallow bowl of water to Zuko with instructions to keep the cloth cool. With Zuko distracted by his task, Katara turned her attention to the half-healed wound on the older firebender’s chest. Thankfully it hadn’t reopened during their travel and didn’t appear to have any infection setting in, but it still retained the angry red color and the new skin looked thin and fragile. She frowned again. She didn’t remember her healing back at the ghost town looking so thin — like it would tear at his slightest movement. A quick glance at Zuko proved he had taken her instructions very seriously, his brow furrowed as he wetted the cloth thoroughly, carefully wringing it out and putting it back on his uncle’s forehead. His attention diverted, she concentrated on smoothing out the burned flesh, cursing under her breath when she realized the injury went deeper than she anticipated. Zuko caught her tone and looked at her in alarm, gold eyes wide. “What?”

She looked up in surprise, not realizing Zuko had heard her. The water flowed easily between her hands and she hesitated telling him her findings. Tossing the dirty water out the nearby window, she scowled. “The wound is deeper than I thought.”

Before their eyes, the wound opened again, seeping fresh blood. The new skin was tearing rapidly and Katara quickly pulled more water to her, ignoring Zuko’s exclamation of surprise as the wound fully reopened. The water glowed blue and she could feel sweat bead on her forehead. The flesh was refusing to mend and she could sense his uncle’s heart start to falter. “Can’t you do something?”

“I’m trying, Zuko,” she snapped back.

She pulled more water and was considering her options when Zuko started to say something, paused, then started again. “What about what Huu said in the swamp?”

Her brow furrowed, struggling to remember what her bending teacher might have said that would prove useful in this situation. “What did he say?”

Zuko stumbled over his words, trying to make sense of what he was saying. “They could bend the water in the plants; right?”

Katara made an impatient noise and Zuko quickly finished his thought. “Huu said it was possible to bend blood. Blood’s mostly water; right?”

Katara froze. Bloodbend? Was that even possible? She recalled the conversation now that Zuko brought it to the forefront of her mind. Huu had said bloodbending was possible though not many benders were able to accomplish it without assistance and even then, most were unable to do more than sense its presence. She knew she could sense bruising and the like, but actual healing was something else. What he was asking terrified her. Worrying her lip, she glanced at his anxious expression and felt a heavy weight settle in her stomach. “I never tried.”

Even as she said that, she narrowed her concentration, searching for the blood rushing through the older man’s veins. If she didn’t do something, he was likely to die. She could feel the pulse of Zuko’s heart racing across from her and blocked that out as best she could. Finally, she sensed the blood pooling beneath the injury and the stuttering beats of the old man’s heart. Lifting her hand, she spread her fingers and gently prodded at the air above the injury. The blood moved, though sluggishly, resisting her guidance. She released it, breathing hard. It was nearly impossible to do and the effort left her feeling drained and weak. Zuko’s uncle, though still unconscious, was now gasping and fear was now settling over her. She recognized the death gasps and could only hope Zuko wasn’t aware of them or didn’t know what they meant. Zuko watched, his jaw tense, and Katara took a deep breath, determined to do the impossible.

Once more, she lifted her hand and spread her fingers, grabbing the blood flowing through his veins and bending it to her will. Zuko’s uncle jerked and Zuko gasped, hands flying to his uncle’s shoulders to hold him still. Katara ignored the frantic movements, but gentled her hold.

Repairing what she could not see was almost as difficult as bending the blood that continuously tried to slip from her grasp, but eventually she decided she’d done as much as she could and let the blood flow freely once again. A cursory check revealed that his heart had ceased its erratic leaps and shudders and fresh, pink skin now stretched over the wound. Katara slumped forward, her vision blurring and head spinning. Zuko’s uncle’s breathing evened and deepened, but he didn’t wake. She lifted a shaking hand to brush hair out of her eyes and took a deep breath. “I think that’s as much as I can do right now.”

“He’s not awake,” Zuko said before suddenly getting a good look at her. He frowned, his eyes tracing her features. “Are you okay?”

“I—” she tried to stand but found her legs wouldn’t hold her and she sank back to the floor, squeezing her eyes shut against the wave of dizziness. “Maybe I need to lie down.”

Without another word, Zuko stood and walked around the pallet his uncle was on and helped her to her feet. He supported her to the only other spare sleeping pallet the small cabin had, then disappeared to fetch the blankets from their packs. She was asleep before he returned.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Katara woke slowly. Her body still felt like lead and her head was pounding. It almost felt like she’d consumed too much moonshine the night before. She squeezed her eyes shut, releasing a quiet groan and pressing her face into her bedding. As tempting as it was to return to sleep and ignore the day, she knew she had to check on Zuko’s uncle. Birds twittered outside and she rolled over, forcing her eyes open. Zuko sat slumped against the wall next to his uncle, mouth hanging open and snoring lightly. She sat up, surprised when a blanket fell from her shoulders and pooled around her waist. She didn’t remember having a blanket when she fell asleep. Of course, she barely remembered making up the sleeping pallet.

A quick glance out the only window in the hut revealed the sun well above the horizon. Surprised, she glanced back at the firebender. He was still sleeping soundly and appeared to be in no hurry of waking. She rose quietly to check on Zuko’s uncle and was satisfied that the old man was sleeping peacefully and appeared to be in no pain. Her stomach rumbled and she decided it was time to find food. Zuko, no doubt, would be hungry when he woke and she wanted to have something for the uncle if he woke and felt like he could eat.

A floorboard creaked under her step and she cringed when Zuko woke with a snort, his hand already reaching for the dao swords before he was even fully awake. Foggy gold eyes looked up at her in sleepy confusion before he blinked and the fog cleared. Seeing her standing there, wincing slightly, he immediately looked at his uncle, scrambling to his feet to check. “Is he all right?”

Katara kept her voice low, motioning for him to follow her out of the hut, “He’ll be fine. He’s sleeping right now.”

He followed her reluctantly. “But he’ll wake up, right?”

She smiled even though the sunlight hurt her eyes and increased the pulsing pain in her head. “Yes. He just needs his rest. I’ll have to do another healing to make sure there are no problems, but hopefully it won’t take as much out of me.”

The tension in Zuko’s face seemed to ease some with her reassurance and he rubbed tiredly at his eyes, repeating the words to himself quietly, “Right. Rest. He’ll be fine. Just sleeping. You know what it’s like.”

They gathered up the remaining packs that Zuko left against the side of the hut the evening before and carried them inside. They fell comfortably into their usual morning tasks, Zuko building the cook fire in the kitchen of the hut and Katara putting together a meal of rice and jerky. She clucked her tongue over their limited supplies as she packed the rest of it away, noting that they’d have to find a way to purchase more soon. Zuko vanished out the door again, returning several minutes later with a pot of water, which he put over the fire. He settled down nearby, keeping an anxious watch on his uncle.

Now that the immediate danger was past, Katara allowed her thoughts to drift over the events of the past day and a half. Zuko’s admittance that his uncle’s injury was a result of his sister still came as a shock. Months before, she thought Zuko was just like his sister. She gave the contents of the pot a swift stir then sat back on her heels and grinned at him when he looked in her direction, breaking the silence, “You’re right. Your sister is terrifying. Was she always like that?”

“Yes,” Zuko said without hesitation and then looked abashed. “I mean — no, not really.” He shrugged, picking up a stick and prodding at the fire. “She was just a show-off before.”

Katara tore her eyes from the stick, lifting an eyebrow at him. “Before what?”

The firebender stabbed moodily at the embers before tossing the stick into the flames and folding his arms across his knees. His shoulders hunched and he fell into a melancholy sulk. “Before Mother — after that, she got scary. She always did have a vicious streak, now that I’m thinking about it.”

Katara watched him for a moment before checking her cooking one last time and rising to her feet and walking around the fire to take a seat close to Zuko’s side. At first, he didn’t seem to notice her presence so she scooted closer, slipping a hand through his arm and leaning against his shoulder. The firebender looked askance at her, but didn’t push her away. She gave his arm a slight squeeze. “I’m sorry.”

Confusion crossed Zuko’s face and he pulled far enough away to look down at her. “What?”

She shrugged, resting her cheek against his shoulder. “My mother’s gone too.”

Silence fell between them and they both watched the fire crackle along the logs. Zuko cleared his throat, leaning back on one hand and turning his gaze toward the sky. “What happened?”

At first she said nothing, her throat thick with tears and eyes stinging. She took a moment to push the rush of emotions away, hoping Zuko would say nothing about her show of emotions. With a deep breath, she pulled away from Zuko and focused on a loose thread in her skirt. “She was killed in a Fire Nation raid when I was young. My mother’s necklace was all I had left of her.” She touched her throat where the pendant used to lay against her skin and let her hand fall to her lap, murmuring, “Now that’s gone too.”

Zuko touched the inner pocket of his tunic, glancing at her discretely before pulling an object out. He ran his thumb over the engraved surface of the stone pendant, taking in the intricate details, and held it out for her to see. “Oh, you mean this?”

A blue slip of cloth dangled in front of her eyes, the pendant familiar even if it took several seconds for it to register. Her fingers rose to touch the stone, her breath catching when the necklace didn’t vanish. Shocked blue eyes met his guarded gaze. “Where did you get that?”

He almost didn’t want her to take — it’d been with him for so long — but he let it go, watching as she cradled it in the palms of her hands. “I didn’t steal it, if that’s what you mean.”

She laughed, shaking her head. “I didn’t think you did.” She tied it back around her throat, touching the smooth stone, warmed from Zuko’s pocket. “Thank you.”

He shrugged, blushing lightly when she leaned into him again. “I found it on the Prison Rig.”

“You were there?” she asked in surprise.

The firebender nodded, lifting an arm to drape across her shoulders. She edged closer, tucking herself closer against his side. He let his thoughts drift. “They told me the Avatar had escaped.”

Katara rested her head against his shoulder, murmuring, “I did not.”

“They left you.” He glanced down at her. “Why?”

He sounded surprised and Katara shrugged, fingers still touching the stone. “They had no choice. The world needs Aang and they couldn’t risk his capture.” She glanced up a him. “Why do you need Aang?”

He pulled away, rising to his feet and pacing to the fire. For several long moments, Zuko poked at the fire, watching sparks shoot up from the embers. His shoulders straightened and he turned to her, fire leaping in his eyes. “I need him to regain my honor.”

Katara looked up at him, a slight frown pulling at her lips. This wasn’t the first time she’d heard him mutter about lost honor and she thought that perhaps he’d be willing to actually talk to her about it. She clasped a fist around the pendant of her necklace. “How did you lose your honor?”

“I—” His fingers touched the scar around his eye before fisting and dropping to his side. He looked away so all she saw was the smooth, unblemished side of his face. “You wouldn’t understand.”

His shoulders slumped and a frown appeared. Her eyes traced his profile, taking in the shadowed gaze and defeated frown. She stood, approaching him and hooking an arm through his, giving it a tight squeeze. “Try to help me understand.”

He sighed, letting his head rest against hers. They stood in comfortable silence together, each gaining comfort from the other’s presence. Katara felt him shift and take a deep breath and she knew he was going to tell her something important. They didn’t hear footsteps approach until the person spoke, “My, what have we here?”

They leapt apart as if burned, Zuko exclaiming, “Uncle!”

Katara tried to keep the blood from rushing to her cheeks and she anxiously smoothed her tunic. Zuko’s uncle stood leaning against the door of the cabin, looking worn but cheerful. He smiled, laughing lightly at their startled reactions. He took a shuffling step out into the sunlight, grimacing slightly and placing a hand over the bandaged wound. Katara hurried forward, helping him the short distance to a bench near the fire. He eased down onto the bench awkwardly, breathing through the pain. She watched anxiously until he opened his eyes and smiled at her. “Now, to whom do I owe the gratitude for my continued existence?”

Katara blushed. “It was nothing.”

“I don’t believe that for a moment,” he disagreed with geniality. He frowned as if trying to remember something. “You look familiar, Miss…”

“Katara,” she quickly responded.

He beamed, exclaiming, “What a beautiful name! It suits you well, Miss Katara. I am Iroh, though you may call me Uncle.”

“Thank you,” she said, glancing at Zuko when he made a strangled sound.

Zuko seemed to be recovering from his surprise though color still flooded across his cheeks. Iroh grinned. “If I had known you were leaving to find a girl, I would’ve given you some advice, my boy. Why, when I was a young captain, I would sneak away some nights—”

Zuko sputtered, looking absolutely horrified. Katara retreated toward the cook fire. “I’m going to check on the food.”

Both firebenders watched her hurry away to check her cooking. Iroh turned to face Zuko, smiling congenially. Zuko eyed him suspiciously, his whole posture tense. Iroh shifted, the grimace of pain flashing across his face making Zuko worry. “Uncle—”

“I’m fine, Zuko. It merely stings,” Iroh soothed.

Zuko frowned, but relented. “Should you be up?”

The older firebender grunted, but moved onto a different topic. One he was much more interested in. Gesturing towards Katara, he asked, “Nephew, how did you come to be accompanied by this beautiful young woman?”

Zuko stared, unable to form a coherent sentence, his eyes darting from his uncle to Katara. Iroh watched in amusement, enjoying the picture of his serious nephew squirming like a schoolboy. He didn’t miss the flush on Katara’s cheeks either as he goaded Zuko, though she tried to pretend she hadn’t heard anything. Katara scooped up two servings of the rice porridge, handing them to Zuko and Iroh. Iroh took the bowl with a smile of thanks, commenting, “This looks delicious, Miss Katara.” He paused, nudging Zuko with his elbow and saying in a loud whisper, “You must compliment her more often if you want her to stay.”

“Uncle!” Zuko shouted, his face blushing a bright red as he fumbled with the bowl.

Katara laughed, returning to the fire to get her own portion before seating herself nearby. Iroh chuckled cheerfully. “My nephew is shy, Miss Katara. You must be patient with him.” He winked at her. “Come, you must tell me all about yourself; how you met my nephew and—”

His words broke off abruptly and his eyes narrowed on her hand. A frown of disapproval landed on Zuko, but he spoke to Katara, “And why you appear to be wearing a slave ring.”

Katara immediately tucked her hand out of sight, ducking her head. Zuko scrambled for an explanation, his words coming out in a rush, “It’s not what you think, Uncle.”

The older firebender tapped his fingers against the edge of his bowl, watching his nephew squirm for a moment before saying, “I don’t know what to think, son.”

The story spilled forth in a torrent of words. Zuko’s time alone, the port town where he found — and purchased — Katara, the Foggy Swamp and the swampbenders, the Plain’s Village and their betrayal, and finally Tu Zin and Katara’s healing. When Zuko’s flood of words ceased, Iroh could only look between the two teenagers in surprise. The meal was long over and Katara had cleaned up their dishes and settled down next to Zuko. Iroh sat back, sighing deeply. “Well.”

He said nothing for several more seconds before motioning for Katara to come closer. “Let me see this ring, Miss.”

Katara held out her hand, watching as Iroh carefully examined the ring, giving it a gentle tug. He stroked his beard in thought before smiling up at her. “Not to worry, Miss Katara, we’ll find a way to remove it. We should probably head to a refugee camp for now. Neither my nephew or I are safe out in the open anymore.”

Zuko grunted, folding his arms, but Iroh didn’t seem fazed by his nephew’s frown, merely patting Katara’s hand. “We are fortunate to have twice escaped Azula’s grasp with relative ease. I do not think a third time would be as easy.”

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The three of them fell into a comfortable rhythm. Iroh spent most of the days resting, the wound in his chest pulling painfully when he moved. Katara did three healings a day, checking for any lingering internal injuries, possible infection, and soothing the deep burn as best she could. She was disappointed she would not be able to heal the wound without a scar, but Iroh had simply laughed, brushing off her concerns and saying, “Scars make a man distinguished. The ladies love them.”

Zuko scoffed at that, drawing his uncle’s attention. Katara caught the twinkle of mischief in Iroh’s eyes as he grinned at his nephew. “To walk through life without a blemish simply means one has not truly lived.” He paused, looking thoughtful. A moment later a serene smiled appeared on his face. “Everyone loves a rebel; is that not so, Miss Katara?”

He gave her an exaggerated wink. Color flooded across Zuko’s cheeks and he quickly made an excuse to leave, desperately ignoring Katara’s giggle. Katara returned to changing Iroh’s bandages and Iroh watched her silently for several minutes. Katara liked Zuko’s uncle. He didn’t have the serious, desperation so often present in Zuko’s expressions and actions. Katara tucked the end of the bandages into place, stepping back to survey her work with a pleased nod. “That should do it for a while, but I’d like to look at it again tonight. Are you still feeling pain?”

Iroh pulled on his tunic with far more ease than he’d done in the past few days, patting the seat next to him. “You are far too young to be worrying about such things, my dear.” Katara’s lips pursed and Iroh laughed. “Don’t give me that look, Miss Katara. I have no complaints about your healing. You have a marvelous ability.”

She flushed under the praise. “Thank you.”

Iroh smiled at her before glancing in the direction Zuko had taken. “I hope you have enough food in your pack to feed all of us. Zuko’s previous hunting attempts rarely had desirable results if, in fact, they had any results at all.”

He caught her look of surprise and lifted an enquiring eyebrow and she explained, “Oh, it’s just that the Swamp Tribe took Zuko hunting and trapping while I was learning waterbending. I’m sure he’ll find something.”

“Good,” Iroh said, looking pleased. “I’m glad he was able to learn such a valuable skill. I must say, I have never seen my nephew so at ease with himself.”

“Was he always so,” she trailed off uncertainly, gesturing vaguely as she tried to finish her sentence, and Iroh laughed.

“No. He was much like any other young boy. Full of hopes and dreams and mischief. He has a lot of his mother in him.” He leveled Katara with a look. “That is a good thing, I think.”

She smiled, leaning back to gaze up at the sky as she tried to picture a young Zuko. A giggle escaped as she imaged the serious firebender getting into the kind of trouble her brother seemed to have a knack for finding. “What was she like? The Fire Lady?”

“Ah, how curious,” Iroh mused. “You know our secret. Where are you from, Miss Katara?”

Thrown by the sudden question, it took a moment for her to respond. “The Southern Water Tribe.”

A look of surprise and then deep sadness crossed his weathered face. He considered her for a long, silent moment before he released a weary sigh. “I did not think there were any waterbenders…in the Southern Tribes.”

Katara looked away, gently touching her necklace again. She was grateful to have the necklace back and was glad that Zuko had kept it all this time. She wondered why he did since it was of little value. “I am the only one. The others were taken when I was very young.”

Iroh let a moment pass in respectful silence, folding his arms into his sleeves and closing his eyes. When Katara said no more, Iroh mused quietly, “Sounds like a legend. The Exile and the Last Waterbender.”

“What?”

Iroh chuckled at the look of confusion on her face. “Would you prefer it: The Last Waterbender and the Exile?”

Her brow furrowed. “Exile?”

Instead of answering, Iroh veered back to her original question. “The Lady Ursa was a quiet, gentle woman though there was a strength about her that no one could deny. Court life was difficult for her. Many in the court are like the white jade bush.” He paused to see if Katara was still listening. “The white jade bush looks like the white dragon bush except it is poisonous. Lady Ursa’s kindness made her an ideal Fire Lady, but it was that same kindness that too many tried to destroy and alas, she never got the opportunity to guide my brother along better paths.

“She loved her children. Her pregnancy with Zuko was a difficult one and his birth nearly killed them both. It was fortunate that one of the—” he paused and Katara got the distinct impression that he was uncomfortable, “one of the servants was a waterbender — from the Northern Tribes — and she managed to save both Lady Ursa and young Zuko. Both of them were sickly for weeks, Zuko more so than Lady Ursa. The Fire Sages didn’t believe he would live a month.

“Ozai detested the child. Dismissing Zuko as weak, even then. Azula’s birth two years later was everything Zuko’s was not. Lady Ursa loved both her children and would do anything for them, but Azula is very much her father’s daughter.”

He fell silent and Katara mulled over his words. “What happened to her?”

Iroh heaved a tired sigh. “I cannot say. When I returned, my brother had taken my place on the throne and the Lady Ursa was gone. I’d heard rumors of betrayal and murder, but no one would speak of it directly. My brother is not a kind man.”

They were interrupted by Zuko stumbling out of the woods holding some kind of rabbit in one hand. He righted himself quickly when he saw them watching. He skirted the campfire and knelt to clean his kills. Iroh chuckled quietly, whispering to Katara, “He’s never been the most coordinated of the family. More than one dance master lamented his lanky frame.”

A sneeze drew their attention back to Zuko and Katara half rose out of her seat. “Is he all right?”

“I suspect it was because we were talking about him.”

Iroh watched his nephew work for a moment longer before sighing and carefully rising to his feet. He smiled at Katara’s look of concern. “I feel I should rest some before supper.” He paused, putting a hand on her shoulder. “My nephew is lucky to have found you. Be patient with him.”

Iroh slowly made his way back into the cabin and Katara rose and approached Zuko. He glanced up at her quickly, cheeks flushing under her gaze before swiftly directing his eyes back to his kill. She helped move away the trimmings and neatly pile the carved portions on a clean stone. They worked quietly until Katara broke the silence; “Did you have trouble? You were gone longer than I expected.”

She motioned to the rabbit when he looked at her curiously. He shook his head. “No. I was thinking.”

“Oh. Deep thoughts?”

Zuko glanced at the cabin. “Is he all right?”

She nodded. “He’s just resting. It’ll take a while before he’s back to full health.”

He nodded his acceptance, muffling a quiet cough. Katara frowned at him, leaning forward and putting a hand against his head. He flinched back immediately, eyes narrowing suspiciously. “Are you sick, Zuko?”

The firebender snorted, only to sniffle afterward and thereby ruin the effect. “No. I’m fine.”

“You would tell me if you were feeling sick; right?”

Zuko ignored the question, instead sitting back on his heels and awkwardly brushing sweat from his face with his arm. “Do you think he’ll be able to teach me firebending?”

Disgruntled, she let him be, answering, “Your uncle knows more about his limits than I do. You have to ask him.”

Notes:

Recognizable quotes from “The Crossroads of Destiny” and “The Waterbending Scroll”

Chapter 15: Try Again

“Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.”
— Proverbs 19:27

 

Katara kept a careful eye on Zuko as he worked around the cottage. He occupied his time scrounging up what food he could find to feed them all. She agreed with Iroh. They needed to find a better place of refuge soon, but Iroh was still too weak to make the journey across the desert to the walled city of Ba Sing Se. A frown pulled at her mouth. She’d have to start making jerky soon. Raw meat in the desert wouldn’t last long.

Iroh sat beside her, quietly amused to find out that Zuko had dragged a battered and dented kettle across so many miles. He was further amused to hear that tea was a regular addition to many of Zuko and Katara’s meals. A quiet cough from the younger firebender had her eyes narrowing and her frown deepening. So involved was she in her thoughts, she nearly missed Iroh saying, “You watch my nephew a great deal, Miss Katara.”

She spun to look at him, blue eyes wide and cheeks heating, stuttering, “I—”

Iroh set the kettle down on a warm stone by the fire, giving it a friendly tap on the top. “My nephew is a fine looking young man. I’m pleased he doesn’t take after his uncle.” Iroh patted his rotund stomach, chuckling. “I’m afraid I’ve let myself go since I retired and I’m no longer as young as I used to be. Of course, my brother was the one that received the good looks in my family. And the height. I was always rather short and stocky. Tea?”

Katara didn’t quite know what to think of Iroh’s words and could only nod accept the cup of tea Iroh passed to her. Her gaze drifted back to Zuko, missing the smile Iroh hid behind his own cup. He let her watch in peace for a moment before speaking again, “Of course he is rather gangly. But most boys are at his age.”

“No,” Katara absently disagreed, “my brother doesn’t look like Zuko.”

Iroh made an encouraging noise in his throat, his words a little too casual. “How so?”

“Zuko — he’s got,” she motioned to the firebender in question, who was currently practicing with his swords, and then seemed to realize what she was saying. “Never mind.”

Iroh smiled triumphantly. “My nephew has great strength.”

Katara gasped, tearing her eyes from Zuko and coloring spectacularly. When she continued to appear at a loss for words, Iroh continued blithely, “You are at an age where you begin to notice such things. Zuko has noticed a great deal about you, I’m sure. After all, he too—”

Katara shot to her feet, nearly shouting, “I’m going to do the washing!”

She fled before Iroh could say anything else. Iroh chuckled, calmly sipping his tea and paying no mind to Zuko’s cautious approach.

The young man watched Katara vanish around the corner of the cottage, wondering at her rapid retreat. He dismissed his thoughts and turned to Iroh, shifting uncertainly on his feet before asking, “Uncle?”

Iroh breathed in the tea vapors, sighing heavily. “This tea is getting old, Zuko. We will have to stop in the next town and buy more.”

He didn’t have to look up to know Zuko was now sporting a flabbergasted expression. A quick glance through lidded eyes proved him right. Zuko’s expression was rapidly changing from flabbergasted to annoyed and Iroh gave his internal self a smug pat on the shoulder. It was nice that some things didn’t change. Zuko was quickly finding his tongue and Iroh would have laid down good money on what was coming next.

“We are not going shopping!”

Oh yes, Iroh thought, it was good to be back. “Why not? You could do with a new pair of shoes and a hearty meal.”

The younger firebender huffed. “Because last time, we ended up with pirates after us!”

“That was not my fault, Prince Zuko,” Iroh pointed out. “Besides, you’ve been to town more recently than that.”

Zuko snorted, throwing his hands up. “Oh, yeah. When I went to buy supplies I ended up with a girl and no food. And the other time they ran us out!”

Iroh set his tea aside, folding his hands into the sleeves of his tunic. “Ah, yes, Miss Katara. I must say, I’ve never gone shopping and ended up with a girl instead.”

Zuko’s pale cheeks flared red. “That was your fault!”

Iroh’s brows rose in curious amusement. “Well, you made an excellent selection. I think she even approves of you. It’s certainly not the normal way one selects a wife—”

“I am not getting married!” Zuko bellowed.

Iroh let the echo of Zuko’s shout fade before calmly allowing, “Very well. But you have to admit, Miss Katara is not unattractive.”

Zuko merely folded his arms and scowled in return.

Iroh waited and, when Zuko said nothing, shrugged. “Very well. If you are feeling ill, you should tell Miss Katara. She worries.”

“I am not sick.”

Iroh lifted an eyebrow skeptically as Zuko muffled another cough and started pacing. After several passes, he stopped in front of his uncle, a look of determination on his face. “Uncle, I’ve been thinking.”

“Excellent,” Iroh exclaimed. “A little bedside manner would do you well.”

Zuko stared, clearly thrown by his uncle’s comment. He opened his mouth to ask what his uncle was talking about, changed his mind, and closed it again. He shook himself, determinedly ignoring Iroh’s genial smile. “No. I was thinking: It’s only a matter of time before I run into Azula again. I’m going to need to know more advanced firebending if I want to stand a chance against her.”

Zuko paused, glancing cautiously at the older firebender. Iroh’s smile had sobered and a worn, tired look replaced it. Zuko jerked his eyes away, running a hand through his hair. “I know what you’re going to say; she’s my sister and I should be trying to get along with her—”

“No,” Iroh interrupted. “She’s crazy and needs to go down.”

Zuko sagged in relief though a part of him was still anxious about his uncle’s decision. He shifted nervously under Iroh’s gaze. Finally, Iroh nodded and rose to his feet. “It’s time to resume your training.”

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Katara sat by the fire, watching their dinner simmer quietly as she carefully darned a threadbare tunic. It was almost a useless endeavor and was more frustrating than helpful. The needle pricked her finger and she scowled, her eyes narrowing at the wounded fingertip in search of blood.

They’d cleared out a flat, empty space not far from their cabin and the firebenders were occupied there for most of the morning and early afternoon. Iroh stood near the edge, calling out corrections to a clearly exhausted Zuko as the younger firebender practiced formations. From what she’d heard Iroh say — and Zuko grumble about — they were going through the basics and Zuko had fallen into some bad habits that need breaking.

It’d been three days since training restarted and Katara was fascinated by the similarities as well as the differences between firebending and waterbending. Finally, Iroh seemed satisfied with Zuko’s form and they advanced into the more complex forms. Now that the basics were corrected, Zuko progressed faster than Katara expected. A glance toward the setting sun showed that Zuko’s training was ending for the day. With that thought, she heard Iroh call a halt and give his nephew a few words of encouragement and a few things for him to concentrate on. As always, Zuko grunted in response as he shuffled away from his uncle. Zuko collapsed next to her with a tired sigh and she looked up with a smile. “Are you hungry?”

His head fell back with a groan and his eyes closed. Iroh laughed, easing himself down on a make-shift bench nearby. “Perhaps after he’s cleaned up a bit.”

Zuko didn’t move and barely acknowledged his uncle’s subtle hint to bathe. Katara set aside her darning and scooped up a bowl stew and handed it to Iroh. Zuko twitched when she leaned over him. She glanced over him, smiling at Iroh before settling back down and picking up her sewing again. “You look like you’ve improved.”

“Not enough,” he grumbled moodily.

“You are being too hard on yourself, my nephew,” Iroh disagreed.

Zuko rubbed his face tiredly, frowning darkly. “Azula’s still better.”

Iroh loudly slurped his soup, exclaiming, “This is delicious, Miss Katara! Zuko, you know it’s rude to show up to dinner in such a deplorable state. You insult Miss Katara’s work.”

Zuko looked up, brow furrowed and scowling at his uncle. He glanced at Katara to find her quickly ducking her head and focusing intently on the garment in her lap. With an annoyed sigh, Zuko lumbered to his feet and stalked off in the direction of the shallow creek that bubbled up between the dusty rocks. Katara watched until he disappeared around the corner of the cabin, the folded the tunic she’d been working on and placed it to the side. “Is Azula really that much better?”

The retired general sighed sadly. “My niece is exceptionally talented in the bending arts. She has had very talented instructors from a very young age and learned quickly. She is very ambitious and she draws her power from that ambition. I’m afraid that Zuko has been hurt too many times and has come to rely on anger and fear to power his bending. I fear he may have some difficulty when he lets those emotions go.”

Iroh ate quietly and Katara picked at a loose thread in a pair of trousers. When Iroh spoke again, she started with surprise. “Zuko is conflicted. He is trying to be something — someone — he is not.” A cough alerted them of Zuko’s return and Iroh frowned. “I am not liking the sound of that.”

Katara nodded. “He says he’s fine, but even if he is sick, I don’t think I can heal illness.”

Zuko rounded the corner, steps faltering when he saw them watching him. He hastily dropped his hand to his side. “What?”

Iroh smiled at him. “You look and smell much better, Zuko. Come, eat Miss Katara’s fabulous stew. You are too thin!”

Zuko took a seat next to his uncle, warily taking the bowl from Katara. Iroh beamed at him before turning to Katara. “Now, what were you saying, my dear?”

She tore her eyes from her study of Zuko to look at Iroh in some confusion. Iroh smiled indulgently, motioning to the trousers in Katara’s lap. “You were telling me about the state of our clothing.”

She looked down, alarmed to see that she’d pulled the loose thread enough to create a large hole. “Oh!” she exclaimed, lifting it to take a better look. She could clearly see through the fabric. “I don’t think I can fix these. Most of the clothing isn’t fit to wear again.”

Zuko’s wariness shifted to suspicion when Iroh took the trousers from Katara and had a look for himself. A loud rip resulted when he tugged on the fabric. He looked startled at how easily the clothing tore, but he recovered quickly and grinned. “It looks like we’ll have to—”

“No,” Zuko interrupted.

Iroh turned to his nephew in surprise. “You expect a lady to travel without pants?”

Zuko choked on his soup, an embarrassed flush spreading rapidly up his neck and across his cheeks. Iroh waited for the coughing fit to pass, sending a red-faced Katara a sly wink. Zuko recovered enough to gasp hoarsely, “She’s got a skirt — dress — thing.”

“Oh, dear,” Iroh sighed sadly. “Isn’t that skirt covered in blood?”

“Fine!” Zuko snapped. “We can go shopping.”

“Excellent!” Iroh exclaimed, clapping his hands together and rising to his feet. “Perhaps I can find a worthy Pai Sho opponent.”

Zuko groaned, but said nothing to contradict his uncle. With a last benign smile, Iroh disappeared into the cabin. Katara tossed aside the torn pants and scooted closer to Zuko. The firebender glanced at her, but returned his focus to his bowl. With a gentle nudge of her shoulder against his, she gained his attention and smiled. “It’s not so bad, is it?”

Zuko grunted, lifting his shoulders in a small shrug. “He buys all kinds of weird things. He bought a gold monkey statue before.”

She laughed, leaning against his side. “Well, we don’t have much money anymore so we won’t be able to buy much.”

The cabin door suddenly opened again and Iroh stuck his head out, calling, “Miss Katara, I would like to teach you how to play Pai Sho. My nephew is a horrible strategist and lack the necessary patience for longterm battle. Perhaps a pretty competitor will improve his game.”

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Katara had learned during her time with Zuko that firebenders tended to be early risers. Growing up, she was usually up well before Sokka to attend to the morning cook fires with Gran-Gran and the other women. She liked the peaceful beginnings to the day when Gran-Gran and the older women would share stories from when they were young. She had never paid much attention to where the sun was positioned when she rose in the morning. It was unimportant in the grand scheme of things. The south pole had periods of time where the sun never set and times when the sun never rose. It wasn’t until she left with Aang that she realized the sun rose and set every day in the rest of the world.

She’d always known Zuko woke before her, but it wasn’t until Uncle Iroh joined them that she realized he woke up before dawn. Zuko was typically quiet in the mornings, but with two people moving about now, she was roused earlier than usual. She drifted in half-sleep until she fully woke an hour later to stumble out of the cabin to find that Zuko was well into his bending practice when she knew he usually spent the morning in meditation. Iroh greeted her with a cheerful “Good morning!” and Zuko merely grunted hello. And so the morning progressed like it had for the last week.

This morning she noted that both firebenders had decided to forego their tunics due to the rising spring temperatures. She eyed the bandages that still swathed Iroh’s torso, pleased to see they were still clean. She stopped by the fire, pouring a cup of tea from the battered kettle Iroh left to warm in the coals. Cradling the cup between her hands, she breathed in the steam and released a contented sigh.

“Miss Katara, we are going to practice bending lightning.”

She turned at Iroh’s call, approaching warily when he motioned for her to come closer. She stopped next to Zuko, glancing up at him and catching his eye when he looked down at her. A flush rose to his cheeks and he quickly looked away again, frowning at his uncle despite the fact that the older man said nothing. Iroh raised his brows as if he expected something and Zuko finally muttered, “Morning.”

Iroh seemed disappointed with his nephew’s grumble, but said nothing to correct him. He cleared his throat loudly and Katara caught Zuko straightening quickly from the corner of her eye. Another quick look showed Zuko watching his uncle intently. Iroh grinned at her and gave her an exaggerated wink before adopting his instructor persona. He cleared his throat and steepled his fingers. “There is energy all around us. The energy is both yin and yang; positive energy and negative energy. Only a select few firebenders can separate those energies. This creates an imbalance between the elements. The energy wants to restore balance and in a moment the positive and negative energy come crashing back together. You provide release and guidance, creating lightning.”

Katara held her breath as Iroh moved through the motions, energy sparking and arching around him in bright, bluish-white bolts. With a final turn, he released the energy into the sky with a crack that raised the fine hairs along her arms. Katara was still staring after the lightning long after it disappeared into the morning sky, her eyes wide and her mouth dry. Huu said there were firebenders able to bend lightning, but she’d never really put much thought into how much power there was behind it.

Her attention turned from the sky back to the firebenders as Iroh walked Zuko through the movements. Once Iroh was satisfied with Zuko’s form, he gave a few last instructions before gently taking Katara’s arm and guiding her a distance away. “It would be best if you stayed by me, Miss Katara. Lightning is difficult to control even by a master.”

Apprehension settled heavily in her stomach. “Should I leave you alone with Zuko?”

“Oh, no,” he disagreed cheerfully. “I would have had to come find you. It is fortunate we are in the middle of nowhere and unlikely to pose a danger to anyone else. No, you are safest right here.”

Zuko was staring in their direction, clearly waiting for instruction. She stopped Iroh when he turned to call to Zuko. “Will he be all right? I mean, he’ll be safe, right?”

He paused, giving her a long, considering look before rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “It is fortunate we have such a talented healer in our company.” At her look of horrified fear he grimaced, hurrying to reassure her. “I don’t think it’ll come to that, Miss Katara. Zuko is stronger than he gives himself credit and no one is shooting lightning at him.”

With that said, Iroh waved and called for Zuko to begin. At first, nothing happened. It looked like he was just practicing the motions again. He reached the end and paused as if expecting something to happen. Several seconds passed without so much as a spark and Zuko straightened with a scowl. Katara started forward, but Iroh’s hand on her shoulder brought her to a stop. “Wait until he gives the signal. Fire is a dangerous element and one must always approach a firebending in training with caution and forewarning.”

Zuko made no signal and instead went back through the motions. When still nothing happened, he repeated the steps several more times, each time the movements were sharper and angrier. One last time finally produced sparks that snapped and popped erratically. Iroh sighed. “This isn’t going to end well.”

Katara started to question him when Zuko entered the last form and a loud explosion knocked Zuko off his feet. Smoke filled the air where Zuko had been standing, the acrid smell of electricity in the air. Katara didn’t wait for Iroh’s okay to approach and quickly hurried forward. “Zuko!”

Iroh followed at a more sedate pace. Katara covered half the distance to Zuko when he angrily got to his feet, muttering curses. Soot covered his front and streaked across his cheeks. Zuko didn’t seem to notice and Katara slowed her approach just in case he started firebending in his temper. He didn’t appear injured, but she felt she had to ask. “Are you all right?”

He jerked, realizing they had approached, but ignored her question. Instead, he caught sight of Iroh and exploded in a flood of frustration. “Why can’t I do it? Instead of lightning, it keeps exploding in my face! Like everything always does!”

Katara drew back in surprise, glancing back at the other firebender for a clue on how to deal with the situation. Iroh had donned his tunic again and he folded his hands into his sleeves, calmly watching Zuko pace angrily. “I was afraid this might happen. You will not be able to master lightning until you have dealt with the turmoil inside you.”

He bristled at those words, snapping defensively, “What turmoil!”

“Zuko, you must let go of your feelings of shame if you want your anger to go away.”

For a brief moment he looked as if his uncle had struck him. He stumbled, wide-eyed and breathing heavily, before he caught himself. “But I don’t feel any shame at all,” he exclaimed, his voice cracking. “I’m as proud as ever!”

He stormed off before either Katara or Iroh could say anything else. Iroh sadly watched him go, murmuring, “Oh, dear. That did not go as well as I had hoped.”

“I’ll go after him.”

She was already following Zuko’s path when Iroh called after her, “Perhaps it would be better to leave him alone and allow his disappointment to cool.” 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

It took longer than she expected to find Zuko. There weren’t too many places to hide in the area. They were surrounded by desert on one side and the steep sides of rocky mountains on the other. A storm was building on the mountains and her skin itched from the electricity in the air.

She found Zuko at the base of the mountains, picking his way over the rough terrain and still as angry as he’d been when he’d left. She paused a moment to watch him and spared a brief thought to wonder what he was thinking when she saw him glance toward the mountain’s peak. A low rumble of thunder reached them and she suddenly realized what he must be considering. She frowned. Learning to bend lightning in a storm would be like her learning to waterbend in a typhoon. She hurried after him, calling out, “Zuko? Are you okay?”

He ignored her, making slow but determined progress up the face of the mountain. She followed, keeping an eye on the clouds as they grew steadily darker and more threatening. Thunder rolled again and wind picked up, bringing the taste of rain with it. When she stumbled over loose rocks for the third time, she decided they were not going to climb the mountain in a storm. “Zuko—”

She’d apparently broken his concentration because as soon as she spoke, his hold on a protruding boulder slipped and he fell back, crashing into her and sending them both tumbling down the steep, rocky path. It was definitely faster going down than climbing up, and they landed in a battered heap back where they started. They gasped for breath, filling winded lungs and each testing aching limbs for broken bones. Zuko rolled off of her — cradling a sprained wrist and nursing a few scratches and bruises — sitting in dejected silence while Katara examined her own bumps and bruises. She quickly healed her own scratches and then turned to Zuko. He didn’t respond as she tended to him, hardly flinching when she poked at his sprained wrist.

“Really, Zuko,” she said with slight exasperation, “we’re lucky we didn’t break our heads open.”

His shoulders slumped and he watched her fingers dance over his injured wrist, following the hidden flow of blood in his veins. She let her hand drop back to her side with a sigh, looking at the top of Zuko’s bowed head. “There’s nothing I can do about the sprain except wrap it when we get back.”

“Why am I so bad at everything?” he asked, his voice as desolate as his expression.

She sat back on her heels with a frown. “You’re not bad at everything.”

A snort of derision showed what Zuko thought of that. The wind picked up and brought the beginnings of the storm with it. Rain pattered around them but Zuko didn’t seem to notice, sinking into a sulk. “Yes, I am. I hadn’t even passed the basics of firebending when I first met you.”

“And I couldn’t even bend a whip until a month or so ago,” she stated with a shrug, rising to her feet and encouraging him to follow. “Let’s get out of the rain before your cold gets worse.”

He followed with a grumble of: “I’m not sick.”

They found decent shelter under a rocky outcropping and they sat, leaning against the back wall and watching the rain fall more heavily. Katara shifted closer to Zuko’s side in an effort to ward off the damp chill that followed the storm. They sat in silence until Katara prodded gently, “You’re not as bad as you think you are, Zuko.”

“Azula—”

She sat up, pulling on Zuko’s shoulder to turn him toward her, interrupting, “You need to stop comparing yourself to your sister.”

He seemed surprised at her vehemence, but forged ahead in an attempt to explain, “She’s had everything so easy. It’s not fair.”

“No,” she allowed, “it’s not, but just think: Azula has never failed at anything. She just might lose her mind if she did fail.”

They took a moment to ponder that thought before Zuko shuddered. “That’s almost more terrifying.”

Katara laughed, leaning into his shoulder again, slipping her arm around his and holding it close. “Perhaps it is.”

Thunder echoed among the rocks and the rain picked up so they couldn’t see past the edge of their shelter. Katara let the fall of rain soothe her and she nearly fell into a doze when Zuko cleared his throat, started to speak, changed his mind and fell silent again. She looked up at him and he turned so she couldn’t see the scar that covered half his face. A muscle jerked in his jaw and he seemed to make some kind of decision. Still not looking at her, he spoke quietly, “My father — I’ve been banished. I can’t go home until I capture the Avatar.”

Katara frowned darkly, blue eyes narrowing at an unseen point in the distance. Pieces of their previous conversations returned to her and she began to put the puzzle together. He hadn’t been home since he was thirteen and that was years ago. Her frown deepened. No one thought the Avatar was still around three years ago. “But until recently that was like chasing smoke. It’s like saying you could return home when it snows in the Fire Nation. The Avatar was a legend.”

Zhao’s words, spoken so many months before, echoed in his mind and he couldn’t help the flinch that followed. All this time and they still stung as bitterly as they had the first time he heard them. Instead of feeling angry, Zuko just felt depressed. Perhaps Zhao was right. Zuko hadn’t even listened to what Katara said, muttering, “It wasn’t impossible.”

“Just improbable.”

Zuko didn’t argue, mulling over his thoughts. Outside their shelter, the storm still raged and Katara wondered if the storm would last all night. She’d rather be in the cabin. There she was protected from the wind and the damp that rode on its wings. She jerked from her thoughts of a cheerfully warm fire when Zuko sighed heavily. “I’m a failure and a disgrace to my father. I just wanted…”

He trailed off and Katara felt her heart squeeze. No wonder he seemed to expect rejection with everyone he met. But this was Zuko’s father. Surely a father wouldn’t treat his son that way. “That sounds like a lie someone told you.”

The words sounded weak even to her ears and Zuko simply shrugged a shoulder, his face still averted. Katara frowned at herself. She was doing a rotten job of cheering up a depressed firebender. Maybe she should’ve listened to Iroh and stayed behind until Zuko worked out his angst on his own. She immediately felt guilty for the thought. If she hadn’t followed him, he’d probably be doing something stupid… like standing on the top of a mountain screaming for death. The storm seemed to be wearing itself out when Katara spoke again, “Is your uncle banished too?”

“Uncle? No, he,” he stopped with a frown and shrugged.

“Your uncle loves you, Zuko,” she reminded him, “and you’ve never lost your honor.”

He turned to her, clearly startled by the conviction in her words though it was still apparent he didn’t believe her. “You—”

He stopped, not sure of what he was about to say and Katara smiled at him, prodding his shoulder. “I think I would know. There’s no shame in struggling to achieve something. It makes the success that much more earned.”

Zuko swallowed thickly, eyes darting out to the drizzle that followed the storm. Katara lifted a hand, hesitating only a moment before slipping a hand over his shoulders and pulling him into an awkward side-hug. It was brief and tense and she pulled away to meet his eyes, saying firmly, “Never be ashamed of who you are.”

Emotion flickered through his eyes and he swallowed thickly, dropping his gaze when her smile softened. Katara laced her fingers through Zuko’s nearest hand, squeezing gently.

They waited until the rain finally stopped before they left their shelter and made their way back to the cabin where Iroh waited. Katara saw the relief that spread across the retired general’s face even if Zuko didn’t seem to notice and she returned the smile. He enveloped his nephew in a welcoming hug, murmuring something too low for Katara to hear. Zuko nodded in response and Iroh grinned, stepping back and announcing cheerfully, “I have another idea. I will teach you a firebending move that even Azula doesn’t know, because I made it up myself!”

Notes:

Recognizable quotes from "Bitter Work"

Chapter 16: Sickness and Health

“Fortune is not on the side of the faint-hearted.”
— Sophocles

It was eventually decided that Iroh was well enough to start across the desert. They’d spent nearly two weeks in one spot and it was becoming more and more difficult to find food — and Katara really wanted a new skirt or something that wasn’t bloodstained and threadbare. Katara made one last sweep of the small cabin for any items they might have overlooked during their packing before shouldering her pack and stepping out of the cabin.

Iroh stood outside the cabin door, calmly watching Zuko saddle Feathers and strap their nearly empty packs behind the saddle. He turned from Zuko’s fussing to smile at her when she approached. “All ready, Miss Katara?”

Katara nodded, handing her pack to Zuko when he held out his hand for it. Iroh turned back to his study of his nephew. Zuko secured Katara’s pack then ran a soothing hand down the bird’s neck feathers, murmuring something too low for either Katara or Iroh to hear. Iroh’s thoughtful expression cleared when Zuko finally dropped his hand and cleared his throat, saying, “You should ride, Uncle.”

“Oh, no,” Iroh protested immediately, “I would not make a young lady walk when I am perfectly able to walk myself. It would be ungentlemanly of me and I could never live with myself for such a slight.”

Katara spoke up before Zuko could formulate a response, “Uncle, you are still recovering so you should ride. I’ll ride behind you first and Zuko and I can trade.”

Iroh gave his nephew a significant look and approached the ostrich horse. “Very well. Someone will have to help me up.”

With a put-upon sigh, Zuko cupped his hands and allowed his uncle to use him as a mounting block. Iroh settled in the saddle with a low groan, patting Zuko’s shoulder to reassure he was fine and not about to die on him. Zuko looked at his uncle for a moment longer before he turned to Katara. He held out his hand, moving to lift her into the saddle before quickly changing his mind and instead offering her a step up like he had for his uncle. Katara settled into the saddle in front of Iroh, missing the older man’s beaming smile. “I am pleased to see that not all of your manners are gone, Zuko.”

A blush rose to Zuko’s cheeks and he quickly turned away, muttering, “Let’s go.”

The first half of the day passed in silence, everyone content to let the cool of the morning relax them. The sun made its way across the sky and they were fortunate their path was mostly in the shade of a canyon wall. When it appeared to Iroh that neither of his companions were going to offer a topic of conversation, he decided to broach one himself, addressing the girl in front of him, “Did you know, Miss Katara, that that is a betrothal necklace?”

Katara’s hand automatically went to the pendant and she glanced over her shoulder at the retired general. “It is?”

Iroh nodded, ignoring Zuko’s quiet groan, and adopted what Zuko called his ‘lecture tone.’ “Oh, yes. They are a custom in the Northern Water Tribes. When a young woman turns sixteen, she becomes eligible for marriage and her parents arrange a contract. Once the contract is agreed to, her suitor carves a necklace and presents it to his beloved as a sign of their union.”

A frown creased her forehead and her fingers traced the carved strokes. “I didn’t know.”

“No?” Iroh queried, stroking his beard in thoughtful. “Not surprising, really. It is a custom for your sister tribe after all. I’m not aware of arranged marriages occurring in the Southern Tribes.”

Katara looked surprised, darting a glance at Zuko. “Arranged marriages?”

“Yes,” Iroh affirmed. “They are quite common among the royals and nobility of the nations. It is rather unusual that the Southern Tribes don’t follow the tradition.”

Katara’s expression soured and she scowled at the deserted landscape around them. “That’s barbaric.”

Iroh laughed. “I suppose it could be. It works well enough for the Fire Nation.”

Katara dropped her hand back to the reins, shifting a little in the saddle to glance over her shoulder. “Are you saying all arranged marriages are happy?”

Zuko snorted, his own expression dark. “They’re not.”

He fell back behind them and said no more, brooding over his thoughts. Iroh sighed sadly. “Not all arranged marriages work out and divorce is difficult to obtain.”

Curious, Katara asked, “Is Zuko betrothed?”

Iroh eyed her carefully, smiling when she averted her eyes. “Are you interested, Miss Katara?”

She couldn’t stop the heated blush that rose to her cheeks. “Just curious.”

He said nothing for a long minute until finally admitting quietly, “He was, but his banishment has no doubt nullified that contract. The young lady is most likely betrothed to another by now.”

“Oh,” Katara said quietly, glancing discretely back at Zuko. “Is he upset about that?”

Iroh, too, glanced back at his nephew. “I don’t believe so. When he was banished, he was still at the age where boys think girls are gross. He’s never mentioned it.”

Katara seemed to mull over that thought before finally asking, “Was she beautiful?”

“Who, Miss Katara?”

She shrugged, quickly ducking her head to hide her reddening cheeks. “Zuko’s betrothed.”

Iroh hummed in understanding. “I cannot say. She was very young when we left and I have not seen her in many years. Her mother was an attractive woman.”

Zuko was surprisingly silent during this conversation and Katara looked back to see if he was still following. The younger firebender had dropped back several paces, his eyes averted as he scanned their surroundings, though she noticed a definite flush to his cheeks. Iroh seemed finished with that line of conversation and was back to contemplating his previous thoughts. “I wonder how you received it.”

She touched the stone again, drawing comfort from its return. “It was my mother’s.”

Iroh seemed content to ignore the explanation and raised his voice, addressing his nephew, “Zuko, didn’t you give Miss Katara that betrothal necklace?”

Zuko’s head whipped around to look aghast at his uncle just as his foot caught a protruding stone. He tripped, stumbling over his feet, arms flinging out in an awkward attempt to regain his balance. His voice came out surprised, cracking halfway through the word. “What?”

Iroh ignored him, tucking his hands into his sleeves. “I wonder what it means when a firebender gives a waterbender a betrothal necklace.”

Zuko sputtered, hurrying to catch up with the ostrich horse. “I did not give her a betrothal necklace.” Iroh smiled indulgently and Zuko returned a scowl, insisting, “I returned it to her.”

“Of course, nephew,” the retired general allowed, sounding not at all convinced of such benign events.

Zuko grunted, moving forward to take the bridle of the ostrich horse. He ignored his uncle’s low chuckle and avoided Katara’s searching look. It was about time to rest and they were seeing more and more evidence of a settlement nearby.

They rounded a bend, coming upon a small settlement that grew up around a small oasis. When they entered the town, they were greeted with some degree of suspicion, but were shown to a small inn with no further hostility. Katara looked around with interest. It seemed that every settlement they’d come across had the same weathered, dilapidated appearance. Iroh slid down from the saddle with a quiet groan, waving away Zuko’s movements to help. He put a hand carefully against his bandaged shoulder, looking around the area. “We must find a way to pay for our stay.”

Zuko groaned. “You’re not going to sing again, are you?”

Interested, Katara swung down from the saddle and inquired, “You sing, Uncle?”

“Of course I do, Miss Katara,” Iroh exclaimed, motioning slightly to his nephew. “Zuko does as well, when I can convince him to overcome his shyness. It was a rare treat on Music Night—”

“Uncle!” Zuko protested loudly.

Katara laughed with delight. “I didn’t know that. Did you sing with Boa and the others?”

Color spread across Zuko’s cheeks and he brushed by her, roughly taking the reins from her hand and snapping, “No.”

He quickly made his escape and Iroh let a hand fall to her shoulder, squeezing gently. “Don’t worry, my dear, he’ll sing for you one day.”

A giggle escaped her lips before she could stop it and she quickly stifled it behind her hand. “I don’t think he’ll ever sing for me.”

Iroh’s face wrinkled in a smile. “You never know. A man does many things for the one he loves.”

There was a commotion on the street, drawing their attention. A woman was hurrying after an elderly man, her hand grasping at a loose sleeve, begging, “Please. You can’t leave yet. He’s just a boy. What am I supposed to do?”

He sighed, pausing long enough to set his bag down and untangle her fingers from his sleeve. She latched on with her other hand and Katara could clearly see tears rising in her eyes and spilling down her cheeks. He spoke too quietly for them to hear over the buzz of whispers, but the woman’s exclamation of denial rose sharply, “You can’t. You’re a doctor!”

He finally managed to untangle her hands and grasp both of them in his. He looked weary as he spoke, sounding like he’d already said the same thing several times before, “I’m sorry, Yun. There’s nothing further I can do for the boy. I’ve left something for pain and a sedative…for the end.”

He released her hands and she let them drop listlessly to her sides, her expression lost. “But — that can’t be all.”

The doctor turned away, avoiding looking at her as he picked up his bag and started away. “There are others who need me.”

She followed close behind, defeat in every line of her body even as she persisted, “So you’re abandoning us?”

“There’s nothing I can do for a patient that is already dead.”

Yun stopped, hands fisting angrily, her head jerking as she snapped, “He’s not dead yet!”

“The infection is in the blood now,” the doctor said patiently, leveling her a resigned look. “He may as well be.”

Her mouth twisted bitterly, but she didn’t stop him when he gave her a short bow, murmuring, “My condolences.”

Yun made no further attempts to halt the doctor’s departure. The onlookers resumed their own business and Iroh sighed quietly beside Katara. Katara turned, eyes immediately going to his healing shoulder. He smiled, shaking his head. “It’s a sad thing when a young life is cut so short.”

She glanced back at Yun where she lingered despondently on the street. “Is there really nothing that can be done?”

Iroh shook his head, a frown marring his usually cheerful features. “No.” He paused suddenly, giving her a thoughtful look. “Unless — It’s possible you could find the infection, Miss Katara. You won’t know until you try. It could be as the doctor said, though. Only…don’t make any promises.”

She looked surprised, biting her lip uncertainly, indecision making her hesitate. Iroh took her hand and he smiled. “Go on. I’ll tell Zuko where you are. He’ll come find you.”

A final glance in the direction Zuko had taken and her jaw firmed. She nodded to Iroh and hurried after the woman, catching up to her before she had taken more than a handful of steps away. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help overhearing…”

She trailed off, shifting awkwardly. Pale green eyes gave her a frank once over, lips pressing together. “I don’t see how that could have anything to do with you.”

Katara was momentarily taken aback by the obvious skepticism in Yun’s voice and the not-so-subtle glance around the street. Katara felt her ears burn, but she stubbornly set her chin. “I have some healing ability.”

Yun snorted, folding her arms across her chest. “You’re kind of young and you’re not from around here.”

“My…group — we’re refugees. We’re heading to Ba Sing Se. I’m a waterbender.”

Yun glanced once more around the street before sighing and motioning for Katara to follow her. “I suppose it can’t hurt. I live just around the corner.”

Katara nervously followed the woman to a small house and allowed Yun to usher her into the cool interior. Yun hesitated before offering with a polite, “Do you need anything?”

Katara wet her lips, glancing around at the sturdy table and chairs and reeds drying from the beams in the ceiling. “Water, please.” Yun reached for a clay cup and Katara shook her head. “No, a bucket. If you have one.”

Confused, Yun did as she was asked then motioned to a room off the main room. “This way.”

Herbs and infection assaulted her nose as she stepped through the bedroom door. Yun was leaning over a small figure in the bed, brushing damp hair off a sweating forehead. Katara approached, her eyes scanning the prone form. It was a boy, no more than eight, seeping bandages wound around his torso and down his left arm. Her stomach turned at the sight, but she clamped her jaw and released a quiet breath through her nose. Pale eyes turned to her, waiting for instruction.

Katara swallowed thickly, hoping she wouldn’t be sick. “First, the bandages have to come off. I need to see what I’m doing.”

They worked in relative silence, Katara only occasionally directing Yun to replace the water. The infection was deep in the boy’s body, infecting organs and poisoning everything it touched. Gradually, Yun told her what happened.

“It was a wild animal. Boys will be boys, you know, and without the older men around to provide a strong example, they get up to mischief. The boys decided to try their hand at hunting.”

Katara tossed away dirty water, grimacing at its murky appearance, and darted a quick look at the other woman. She was staring at the boy, deep lines of worry and fatigue around her eyes. Katara turned her attention back to healing. “What were they hunting?”

Yun’s lips quirked. “I imagine the usual things. Lizards. The occasional desert hare.”

Yun fell silent when she noticed Katara’s look of concentration and trembling hands, waiting until her brow relaxed and she pulled the water away to continue, “There’s not much they can get into out here, which keeps them from too much trouble most of the time.”

Katara motioned to the still gaping wound. “That doesn’t look like a hare or a lizard.”

Yun folded a linen cloth over the wound, saying softly, “There have been rumored sightings of a mad desert fox.”

Katara gasped, immediately turning her attention elsewhere, fingers probing the air over the boy’s head and working her way down his body. “How many days has it been since symptoms appeared?”

“Just a few,” the woman told her, stroking her son’s hair back from his forehead. “No more than three, but it’s gotten worse. We’ve had to sedate him”

They fell silent and Katara worked quickly, finally drawing out the last of the infection and healing the damage it’d done to the body. She did another sweeping check of his blood and organs before sitting back. “He’ll have to sweat out the rest, but I think he’ll be okay. It’s difficult to say until he regains consciousness. The doctor did the best he could.” She paused to let those words sink in before quietly adding, “You shouldn’t blame him.”

Yun pursed her lips, looking skeptical. Katara cleaned the space, dumping dirtied water out the window. When she turned back to the bed, Yun had taken her son’s uninjured hand and perched carefully on the edge of the bed. “He’ll recover completely?”

She hesitated, uncertain and remembering Iroh’s parting advice. “That is the hope.”

Yun smiled widely, tears in her eyes. “Thank you. Are you okay?”

Katara suddenly felt exhausted and she slumped in her chair, her hands trembling. All she wanted to do was sleep and her head ached. Her vision swam and she pressed the heels of her palms against her eyes, breathing deeply. She hoped healing would get easier with time. Passing out after every session didn’t sound like a good way to spend her time.

Yun hovered anxiously over Katara, but a knock at the front door took her out of the room. She left quickly with a concerned look at Katara. Alone, Katara watched the boy breathe quietly, his rest easy. He’d probably wake by morning though he’d be much too weak to get out of bed. The murmur of voices moved from the door to the bedroom and then a familiar voice greeted her, “There you are.”

Katara turned in surprise. “Lee!”

Zuko glanced beyond her to the bed, a slight frown pulling at his lips before gold eyes returned to her, taking in her obvious fatigue. “I came to tell you that we’re on our way.”

“We’re not staying?” she asked, disappointed that she wouldn’t be able to sleep in a bed for one night.

The firebender shook his head, his own disappointment clear. “No. Uncle was unable to entice enough people with his singing and he is not well enough to dance yet.”

Katara smiled, lifting a brow. “Did you help him at all or did you glower at everyone who glanced in your direction?”

He looked mildly affronted by her words before his eyes narrowed. He was on the point of replying when Yun spoke up, “Oh! Please stay. At least for the night. I know there are others who would like to see Master Katara. The herder’s boy broke his arm yesterday. I’m sure he’d appreciate you looking at it.”

Zuko looked surprised by the offer, stumbling on his response, cheeks reddening, “I — we are unable to rent a room.”

Yun shook her head, brushing off his concerns. “You may stay here. My husband and oldest sons are gone so there is plenty of room. My daughter’s about Master Katara’s size. I think we might have some spare clothing. It looks like you could use some.”

Katara blushed, fingering the frayed edge of her skirt. “We wouldn’t want to inconvenience you and your family.”

“Nonsense. You’ve done more than I could ever hope.”

Yun brushed a hand over the young boy’s head with a teary smile. Katara nodded her acceptance, turning to Zuko. “I don’t think Uncle should spend another night out in the elements. He’s still healing, after all.”

Zuko gave in with a sigh and a muffled cough, turning to retrieve his uncle from whatever corner he chose to stand on and assault the ears of passersby. Yun showed Katara to the bathhouse, leaving her to refresh herself while Yun returned to the house to prepare dinner.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.* 

 

Katara never thought a bath could be so wonderful. The water was wonderfully cool against her heated skin and washing the road dust away was exhilarating. She sank down in the water until it came up to her nose, humming happily and watching the ripples move across the surface. It felt like weeks since she was last clean and she almost didn’t want to leave the water.

When her fingers started looking pruney, she decided it was probably time to return to the house and see if Zuko and Iroh had arrived. Iroh needed his bandages changed and probably could use another healing session. She did a quick wash of her clothes — scowling when they appeared no cleaner than they’d been before — and pulled them on again.

Katara returned from the bathhouse to find Iroh seated comfortably at Yun’s table, a cup of tea steaming in his hand and a broad smile on his face. He brightened further when he saw her, setting the cup down and motioning to the chair next to him, exclaiming, “Miss Katara! Come, sit. You look exhausted.”

A quick scan of the room proved Zuko’s absence. “Where’s Lee?”

Iroh lifted his cup again, hiding a smile behind the rim. “He volunteered to accompany Ms. Yun to the market to pick some things up for supper. Lee insisted I stay here with you. They should be back shortly.”

Sure enough, the front door swung open and Yun entered with Zuko trailing sluggishly behind. He was looking paler than usual and a sheen of sweat shone on his brow. Katara frowned and opened her mouth to question him when he shot her a narrow look and scowled. Her mouth snapped shut and she scowled right back, ignoring Iroh’s stifled snicker.

Yun bustled around her modest kitchen, settling various dishes on the table and glancing out the door. A moment later a young girl hurried in, flushing brightly when she saw that her mother had company.

“Sorry I’m late, Mama,” she trailed off, staring wide-eyed at Zuko.

Yun brushed her hands on her skirts, smiling. “This is Cam, my daughter. Cam, Mushu, Lee, and Katara are staying here for the night. With Katara’s help, Akamu will recover.”

Green eyes hardly moved from Zuko to acknowledge the other two and Yun quietly cleared her throat to regain her daughter’s attention. Cam blushed brightly, hurrying past Zuko to help her mother in the kitchen. The table was soon set and dinner was served in a friendly manner. Iroh pretended not to notice his nephew’s uncomfortable expression as Cam stared avidly, flushing brightly when they made eye contact and quickly looking away again. Katara watched the interaction uncertainly, her stomach twisting uncomfortably when Zuko eyes would linger on the other girl. Yun didn’t seem affected by any of the activities at her table, chatting amiably about events of the day.

“You’re good looking. Even with that scar. Are you married?”

The sudden question caught everyone by surprise. Yun gasped, quickly reprimanding her daughter, Zuko choked and immediately reached for his tea, Katara could only stare in astonishment, and Iroh snickered. Cam protested the reprimand, insisting she meant nothing by it, but Yun excused her from the table and sent her off to begin washing the dishes.

“I’m so sorry. I don’t know what got into her.”

Zuko shrugged, but Iroh smiled, assuring the flustered woman. “That’s quite all right, Ms. Yun; she was merely curious. It is fortunate for Master Katara’s presence, otherwise I’d have no hope for the boy.”

Zuko made a choking sound, gasping out a strangled, “Uncle!”

Iroh waved him off, chortling. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of, Lee. Miss Katara has been good for you.”

“But—”

Iroh interrupted, “I’ve not seen you so happy in years!”

Katara felt the tell-tale heat of her cheeks that let her know she was blushing. Zuko sent her a beseeching look that she quickly ignored by rising to her feet and gathering a few of the empty dishes from the table. “I’ll go help Cam.”

Katara found Cam pouring hot water into the sink. She glanced up when Katara entered, motioning to the counter next to her. “You can put the dishes there.”

Katara joined her at the sink, scraping left over food into a slop bucket and stacking them neatly to wash. “I can help. It’ll be faster with two people.”

They worked in awkward silence — Katara uncertain of how to interact with a girl her own age since there weren’t any girls her age back home and Cam was unsure how the waterbender would react to her flirtations at the dinner table. Katara focused her attention on drying dishes with far more concentration than the task probably deserved so was startled when Cam cleared her throat, saying, “Mama says you’re a master waterbender.”

Katara nearly dropped the plate, quickly stacking it safely with the others and darting a quick glance at the other girl. Cam’s eyes were focused on the soapy water, but Katara caught the curious glance when she handed Katara another plate to dry. “Um, yeah.”

The girl nodded, shifting awkwardly. “I’m glad. I mean, she said you helped Akamu. He’s annoying, you know, but he’s my brother. I’m glad he’s not going to die.”

“My brother’s annoying, too. I wouldn’t want him to die, either,” Katara agreed.

Cam grinned, looking up. “You have a brother?”

Katara rolled her eyes, grinning back. “Yeah, he’s older and thinks he knows so much more than me. He claims it’s because I’m a girl and so he can do some things better.”

“Boys,” Cam scoffed. “Where is he now?”

Katara frowned, drying the last of the dishes with a sweep of her hand. “I don’t know. We got separated a few months ago and then I met Lee again.”

“Really? How did you meet?” Cam asked eagerly. “Was it romantic?”

Katara opened her mouth to tell her that Zuko had crashed his Fire Navy ship into her village and then threatened all the villagers, but thought better of it. She hesitated, choosing her words carefully. “We met in my village. He was looking for someone.”

“Did he find them?”

Katara shrugged, answering vaguely, “In a manner of speaking.”

“And later,” Cam prompted, “how did you meet again?” At her surprised look, Cam rolled her eyes. “You can’t tell me that’s the entire story. I know there’s more. How did you get here? Mama said the waterbenders live in the poles.”

“Oh.” Katara blinked, wondering how much she should say. “He — I was captured by firebenders. Lee rescued me.”

Cam gave a high pitched squeal of delight, clasping Katara’s hands and squeezing them tight while exclaiming, “That’s so romantic! Did he have to fight a whole bunch of them to win you back? Is that how he got that scar? He’s so brave! Did he kiss you? How was it? You are so lucky!”

Yun entered the kitchen, interrupting further questions, and Katara sighed with relief. The older woman glanced around and seemed satisfied with their work. “Cam, you’re staying with me tonight. Mushu, Lee, and Katara are going to stay in the boys’ room and I’ve moved Akamu to your room. I’m going to need you to stay around the house tomorrow, Cam. We’ve got work to do before the merchants come.”

Cam groaned in protest, whining when her mother pushed her out of the kitchen with instructions to get ready for bed. Katara followed her and Cam leaned over, whispering, “Mama weaves baskets and makes pottery to sell and trade with the merchants.”

“Enough complaints, young lady. Now, off with you. I’m going to show our guests to their room.”

Cam slouched off with one last eye roll that her mother, fortunately, didn’t see. Yun lead them to a room at the back of the house, motioning into the room with an apologetic smile at Katara and Zuko. “I’m sorry. I only have the one room. My sons shared when they were younger.”

Iroh laughed, clapping Zuko on the shoulder and giving it a friendly squeeze. “That is quite all right, Ms. Yun. My nephew and niece are used to sharing. I’m sure they won’t mind an old man infringing on their privacy for the night.”

“Oh!” Color dusted across Yun’s cheeks and she looked apologetically at Zuko and Katara. “I can make up a pallet for my daughter and me in Akamu’s room for the night if you and your wife would like some time alone. I know it can be difficult to find privacy.”

When it looked like Zuko was about to say something scathing, Iroh moved his arm over his shoulder and brought him into a tight side hug. Zuko grunted, but it achieved Iroh’s goal of keeping him quiet. “That’s all right, Ms. Yun. You’ve already done so much for us; we wouldn’t want to impose anymore.”

Iroh ushered them into the room, pushing them toward one of the beds. Yun hovered in the door, looking uncertain. “Are you sure? It would be no problem.”

Zuko looked mutinous as he glared at the narrow beds and pointedly ignored Katara. Iroh nodded cheerfully, waving away Yun’s concerns. “This is perfect. Thank you.”

“Well, good night.”

Yun closed the door behind her and Iroh turned to the two teenagers. “Well, it looks like you two are sharing a bed. I don’t think there’s enough room for anyone else in my bed and I think Miss Katara would rather stay with you.”

“Uncle!”

Iroh settled on the bed on the far side of the room, looking at Zuko innocently. “I’m sorry, did you want to be alone with Miss Katara? You should have said something.”

Katara blushed. Zuko’s jaw clenched and his cheeks took on a furious shade of red. “That’s not — she thinks we’re married! She thinks we — but we don’t! We never! That’s — with her — that’s gross!”

Katara scowled at him in indignation even as her blush deepened. Iroh shrugged, unconcerned. “You take life entirely too seriously, Zuko. And you’ve just insulted Miss Katara most grievously.”

With a final growl of frustration, Zuko stomped to the bed and dropped onto it without looking at Katara. Iroh chuckled quietly and Katara put out the candles before crawling into bed beside Zuko, carefully keeping a discrete distance from the irritated firebender.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Katara woke with a jerk, shooting upright with a gasp that violently startled her sleeping bedmate. Beside her, Zuko rolled from the bed, landing with a thump on the floor and scrambling for his dao swords. Katara swung her legs over the side of the bed, reaching for her waterskin and the candle before realizing she wouldn’t be able to find the spark rocks in the dark.

In the other bed, Iroh pushed back sheets and stood, a small flame appearing in his hand. He peered at them through sleep bleary eyes, taking in Zuko swaying on his feet, half asleep and swords drawn, and her with her waterskin in one hand. They stared at each other in confusion. For a moment Katara wondered what woke her and then a loud banging on the front door reminded her. The pounding was followed by a frantic voice, “Yun! Yun, please!”

The other bedroom door opened and hurried footsteps approached the door. Iroh quickly lit the candle, extinguishing the small flame in his hand and picking up the candlestick. Zuko swung their bedroom door open, peering out in time to see a sleep rumpled Yun lift the bar from across the door and open it. A frantic man stood on the other side, dark brown hair standing wildly around his head. He paid no attention to the curious looks he was receiving from the others in the house, instead gasping out, “Yun! We heard you had a healer staying the night. You’ve got to come quick.”

Yun clutched her thin robe closed around her, looking surprised. “Tuan! What’s wrong?”

“It’s Hieu. Something’s wrong. We thought it was just a fever. It wasn’t anything that would normally alarm us, but then he started convulsing. He screams any time there’s water. We don’t know what to do any more.”

Yun put a calming hand in Tuan’s shoulder, turning away as she spoke, “I’ll wake Master Katara—”

“I’m awake.”

Katara stepped around Zuko, slipping her waterskin over her shoulder and giving Zuko a reassuring smile when he frowned at her. Tuan looked surprised when he saw her — no doubt expecting someone older — but quickly dismissed his thoughts and motioned her to follow. “It’s this way. Just down the street.”

There was a flurry of activity behind her as Zuko stumbled after her, pulling on shoes and adjusting his swords on his back. They nearly had to jog to keep up with Tuan’s rapid steps. Katara glanced at Zuko, saying, “You could have gone back to bed.”

The firebender shot her a disgruntled look before looking away again. “I’m coming with you.”

“Zuko—”

The glare he sent her stopped her short. He rolled his shoulders, settling his swords more comfortably against his back, saying shortly, “I’m coming.”

They could hear the animalistic yells before they even entered the house. Inside, several young children peeked out from darkened bedrooms, eyes wide and fearful. Tuan pushed them back in, ordering them back to bed and closing the door tight. He continued through the house to the back room where a woman stood with her hands clasped over her mouth, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Katara couldn’t prevent the gasp that escaped her at the sight that greeted them. A young boy was tied to the bed, screaming and writhing against his bonds. Katara felt her stomach roll and chills raced down her spine. Behind her Zuko cursed quietly, drawing to the side of the door to allow her to enter. Tuan hovered over the bed, his expression stressed when the boy lunged for him, snapping like a wild animal. Words passed between Tuan and his wife though Katara didn’t hear what was said. She was jarred from her horrified stare by a soft brush of fingers on her arm and Zuko’s hushed whisper, “Katara.”

She looked up at the firebender, nodding shakily at his enquiring look, and moved forward in a daze, clutching her waterskin with a white-knuckled grip. She knew what this was and, by the expression on both the parents’ faces, they did too. There was little hope for a happy diagnosis. She swallowed back bile, stuttering weakly, “I — I’ll need you to hold him s-still.”

Tuan’s wife drew back with a harsh sob, fiercely shaking her head. No amount of pleading or ordering could induce the woman to holding down her son. Desperate, Katara turned to where Zuko lingered in the door, asking, “Lee?”

Zuko hesitated for only a moment, grimacing to himself, and then he approached the bed. A hesitant glance at Tuan, and he received a curt nod. Zuko’s hands hovered over Hieu’s shoulders a moment as he swallowed thickly before firmly pressing the boy’s shoulders to the bed. Tuan leaned across Hieu’s legs to keep them still, his face pale and drawn. Once the boy was pinned, Katara went to work, drawing water from her waterskin and running it over fevered skin. She found the wound on the boy’s leg, red and inflamed but showing no other signs of obvious infection. She sank her awareness into his blood, searching desperately for something she knew she wouldn’t find. Withdrawing from Hieu’s blood, Katara moved to stand at Zuko’s shoulder, coating her hands with water. When she stretched to place her hands on Hieu’s head, the boy snapped at her fingers, saliva foaming on his lips. She jerked back and Zuko hissed, “Careful.”

Her breath was coming in shuddering gasps and she could already feel tears burning. The next chance she had, she seized Hieu’s head between her hands, concentrating on keeping a firm grip. Her hands glowed a bright blue for several long seconds before she withdrew, muscles shaking. She stumbled away from the bed, sending her water out the open window before she collapsed against the wall and slid to the floor, burying her face in her knees. She took a quivering breath, speaking as loud as she could around the lump lodged in her throat, “You can let him go.”

“Katara?”

Zuko knelt in front of her, brow furrowed uncertainly, a frown forming when she merely sobbed. He hesitated before scooting closer, tentatively putting a hand on her arm. She shuddered. Her throat worked to speak, but no words came, instead she choked on a sob. Forcing herself to swallow past the lump in her throat, she looked up, her gaze sweeping the small room before settling on Zuko. Tears ran down her cheeks and she forced her voice out, “I can’t — there’s nothing I can do. I — it’s too late.”

Zuko’s mouth twisted, but he didn’t look surprised, asking the question that was on everyone’s mind, “How long?”

Her lip quivered and she bit her lip to stop it, eyes drifting to the writhing boy on the bed. “Any day. His lungs will—”

She cut herself off, shaking her head vigorously and pressing her hands to her stomach. Tuan cleared his throat and avoided looking at her. “Is there anything you can do…to make it better?”

“I,” she paused, wetting her lips. “I can sedate him.”

Tuan’s wife whimpered, her hands tightening. “What if he wakes? What if he wants to say good-bye?”

Zuko helped Katara to her feet, steadying her with a hand under her elbow when she wavered. She straightened her shoulders and approached the bed, trying to put strength behind her words even as her hands trembled. “His mind is gone. The…infection took that first. He is not himself.”

Tuan’s wife sobbed, begging, “There’s no hope?”

“I-I’m sorry.”

Tuan paled, his face grim. “It’s best if you can sedate him then. We have other children to look out for now.”

Katara nodded firmly, brushing tears from her cheeks and approaching the bed one more time. She lifted a hand and, with a tweak of her fingers, Hieu quieted and slumped into the bed. The sudden silence was deafening and the four of them simply stared. Tuan’s wife sank into a rickety chair by the bed with a keening moan, clasping Hieu’s limp hand. A tense moment passed and then she burst into tears, throwing her arms across Hieu’s body with a wail of grief. Katara retreated a step, backing into Zuko. Tuan couldn’t bring himself to raise his eyes from his son, speaking dully, “I think it’d be best if you left.”

She was vaguely aware of Zuko’s hand wrapping around her elbow, his polite bow, or the words he murmured — “We’ll see ourselves out.” — but the shock of night air when he guided her out the door and into the darkened street jarred her back to her senses. They stood outside the house, Katara taking great gasping gulps of air and Zuko keeping her on her feet by keeping a firm grip under both her elbows. She sagged forward, pressing her forehead against Zuko’s chest and sobbing into the warm weave of his tunic. She cried into his chest until he shifted and adjusted his hold on her, muttering, “We should head back.”

She nodded and allowed Zuko to drag her through the streets back to Yun’s house while she swiped uselessly at her tears.

“I couldn’t save him.”

Zuko glanced at her, his face cast in shadow. “You did what you could.”

No words of comfort, just fact. She knew Zuko wouldn’t blame her when Hieu died, but…

“It hurts,” she whimpered.

Zuko nodded his understanding, ushering her into the house. Yun, Iroh, and Cam were seated at the table and looked up expectantly when they entered. Yun rose when she saw Katara and opened her mouth to ask a question before thinking better of it. Iroh sighed, motioning for Zuko to continue on to the bedroom. Without a word, Zuko put Katara to bed, taking her waterskin, pulling off her shoes, and tucking the blankets securely around her shoulders. She drifted into a restless sleep as Zuko climbed onto the bed next to her.

He could feel the headache building behind his eyes and hoped it’d be gone by morning. Iroh entered ten minutes later, noticing his nephew sitting up in bed and watching Katara sleep. He sank down onto his own bed, watching him quietly. “I take it things didn’t go well.”

His nephew’s gold eyes frowned at him and he answered shortly, “No.”

Iroh sighed, nodding his understanding. “Try to sleep, nephew.”

 

 *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Zuko’s eyes felt like they were filled with sand when he woke shortly after dawn. It’d been years since he’d slept past the rising of the sun and it gave him a sense of disorientation. It also hurt to move, his joints protesting when he finally forced his body out of bed. Katara was still asleep, her cheeks still bearing tear stains, and he moved slowly so he wouldn’t wake her. Iroh wasn’t in his bed, which meant he was most likely meditating somewhere. The thought of sitting upright for any length of time nearly made him groan. He wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed and pretend he wasn’t alive, but Uncle was probably waiting for him.

Breakfast was torture like he’d never imagined. The sight of food turned his stomach and the conversation at the table was grating on his ears. He was almost relieved when it was over and he was able to escape outside, away from the noise. His relief was short-lived, however, when the others joined him. Yun and Iroh went to the small, open air shop near the house and Cam settled under the awning nearby with a loom she’d dragged out of the house. If he hoped she’d be content to work in silence, his hopes were soon dashed.

“My elder brother is getting married soon,” Cam offered by way of conversation.

Zuko grunted, closing his eyes and letting his head fall back against the side of the house. His head was beginning to pound and the sunlight hurt his eyes. His lack of verbal response didn’t seem to deter her and she passed the shuttle again before saying, “I am weaving a tapestry for my brother’s house. It’s tradition. What do you think?”

She fell silent and he felt her looking at him expectantly. Zuko forced his eyes open, squinting against the light. Cam motioned to her work and he followed the motion, his mind working sluggishly. He stared at the incomplete tapestry, trying to make sense of the scene and failing. Feeling like he was back under the strict gaze of the palace tutors, Zuko muttered, “I’m not familiar with the subject.”

Cam looked surprised and she turned to give her work a critical look. “You don’t? It’s a common legend.”

Zuko shrugged, shifting uncomfortably, suddenly feeling overheated. “I can’t recall it.”

He shivered. His inner flame seemed to be fluctuating more than usual, at times burning almost too hot and then suddenly going cold. It was making it difficult to think clearly or even follow the conversation. Cam didn’t seem to notice, more than happy to chatter away and assume he was listening. She touched one of the carefully stitched figures, dragging her finger across the fabric. “This is Lien, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy king. She swore to never marry. She just wanted to have fun and travel. Her father let her do as she wished for she was his favorite.”

She touched another figure. “De was the only son of a poor fisherman. His father died and left him with no inheritance. To honor his father, De buried him in the only clothing they had. One day, when Lien and her friends were passing by, De hid himself in the reeds since he was naked. It so happened that Lien decided to bathe there and discovered the unclothed De among the reeds.

“Lien declared that she would take De as her husband since it seemed by the will of the Spirits that they would be naked together. De refused since he was a poor man and not worthy to be her husband. She persisted and he eventually agreed. When her father heard that she took a poor man as husband, he declared her ruined and sent people to kill her.”

“Doesn’t sound like much of a love story,” Zuko grumbled.

Cam laughed, giving him a playful smile. Iroh looked up from where he knelt, moulding jars with Yun, speaking with good humor, “My nephew doesn’t appreciate the subtle romance and culture in the old stories.” 

Zuko grunted, folding his arms and sinking into silence. Yun laughed, carefully moving her jars to the furnace. “Be nice to the boy. He’s probably tired.”

The clay crumpled under Iroh’s hands and he frowned at it, turning to peer curiously at Zuko. The young firebender ignored him, trying to shake off the chill that raced up his spine. Cam returned to her work, chattering about old stories, but Zuko wasn’t listening. His head and neck were aching and his eyes burned. A clatter sounded from the house and a moment later a sleep rumpled Katara appeared in the door, blinking owlishly. Iroh beamed, greeting her cheerfully, “Good morning, Miss Katara!” 

Yun stood, brushing her hands on her apron and approaching Katara, smoothing a mothering hand over Katara’s hair and looking at her closely. “You still look tired. Are you hungry?”

Blue eyes glanced over the others, taking in the various activities that occupied them. Her eyes landed on Zuko and her brow furrowed when she took in his slouched position. Yun gave her arm a gentle squeeze, drawing her attention back to her question. “Oh, yes. A little.”

Yun firmly steered her back into the house just as Iroh said, “If you don’t feel well, Lee, you should tell Miss Katara.”

“I’m fine, Uncle.”

Katara tried to pull away from Yun’s guiding hand, twisting to look back at Zuko, but Yun kept a firm hold, clicking her tongue. “Boys always want to be tough. You’ve got to let them learn that it’s okay to ask for help.”

“But—”

Yun cut her off, pushing her into a chair and setting a plate of food in front of her. “None of that. He’s not about to die this instant. Eat.”

Katara nodded, picking at the food and suddenly finding her stomach rolling at the thought of eating. Yun took the seat next to her, watching carefully. When Katara hadn’t taken more than three bites, Yun sighed. “I went by Tuan’s house early this morning. They don’t blame you, Katara. You did your best.”

Katara pushed her plate away, shoulders slumping and tears blurring her vision. “So he’s,” she choked, unable to finish her sentence. 

“No,” Yun conceded. “But it’s only a matter of time.”

They fell into a respectful silence, allowing Katara the chance to swallow her tears. Several moments passed before Yun cleared her throat. “Now, about that young man of yours.” Katara flushed and Yun smiled knowingly. “He’s just being stubborn. He’s a proud one and doesn’t want to admit to a weakness; especially in front of witnesses. 

“I’ll tell you a secret, Katara. You may be his wife, but everyone wants their mother when they’re sick. I’m sure Lee is no different.”

Katara felt her cheeks heat and her mouth worked soundlessly to deny her marriage, but failed to find the words. Yun merely patted her on the shoulder and drifted back outside where Katara could hear her praising Iroh’s ability to form a jar. Katara followed once she was sure the blush was gone from her cheeks. She found herself standing over Zuko before she even realized she’d made the decision to approach him. He had his eyes closed and the steady rise and fall of his chest showed he was most likely dozing. Ignoring Cam’s watchful eyes, she gently brushed her hand over his hair, unable to prevent the smile that rose when he stirred and lifted his head to look at her. He was bleary-eyed when he met her gaze and his already pale skin had taken on an unhealthy tinge of gray. She frowned, but refrained from commenting, instead saying, “Thanks for coming with me last night.”

Zuko snorted, rolling his eyes and turning away, mumbling, “It was nothing.”

The day passed quickly. Yun pulled out several of Cam’s old clothes, passing them to Katara to try on and then returned to her own work while Katara darned a few holes. Cam looked as if she were going to protest, but kept her silence at the sharp look her mother gave her. By late afternoon, Akamu woke. Katara put aside her sewing and joined Yun at the boy’s bedside. Akamu was groggy and weak, but coherent enough to respond to a few questions. Katara was pleased with his recovery — even through her heart clenched at the thought of another boy who was not so fortunate — but warned both mother and son to take it easy for a few weeks.  

Dinner that evening was a cheerful affair, Iroh keeping everyone entertained with amusing anecdotes and Yun chiming in with stories of her own sons. Zuko kept silent as usual, though he looked more exhausted than he should have after napping for most of the day, and ate sparingly. Cam had tried to gain his attention, but failed and so eventually joined the conversation with her mother and Iroh. After dinner, Zuko mumbled an excuse and took himself off to bed. Katara followed him half an hour later, her own body feeling the pull of exhaustion. 

Zuko was curled under the covers of their shared bed when she arrived and she noted the subtle shiver that passed through his body when she crawled into bed beside him. She wasn’t sure if he was awake or not, so she instead focused on finding a comfortable spot and relaxing.

She found herself waking some time later, not even aware she’d fallen asleep, to Iroh quietly settling down in his bed across the room. Behind her, Zuko shifted restlessly, grumbling quietly before settling again. Making sure to keep her movements smooth, she rolled over to face Zuko, squinting through the dark. The rest of the house was settling down for the night and a peaceful silence descended. Zuko coughed quietly, quickly stifling the sound and Katara knew he was awake. Across the room, Iroh was already snoring faintly. Katara closed her eyes, focusing on the steady sound of breathing around her. A frown marred her brow and her eyes opened again. Zuko’s breathing sounded a little off. It’d been off for weeks, though he denied he was feeling bad. His actions throughout the day and at dinner proved he was feeling even worse than usual.

“Zuko?” she whispered.

His shoulders hitched and a moment later he rolled over to face her, eyes finding hers in the dark. “What?”

She scooted closer, keeping her voice low so as not to wake Iroh, “You’d tell me if you were sick, right?”

“I’m not sick,” he immediately denied.

“But you would tell me if you were?” she asked again. “Would you let me look?”

A long moment passed before he sighed. “Are you going to get your water or something?”

“No. I just want to check.”

“Fine.”

She shifted closer on the narrow bed, ignoring his surprised flinch when she wrapped her arms around him and tucked her head under his chin. His arm draped over her after a moment of indecision, his hand resting between her shoulder blades. While she could bloodbend without the full moon, it was more difficult and in her sleepy, exhausted state she didn’t think she’d have the energy to do difficult bending. Surrounded by the source she was trying to bend would be much easier and already she could feel the pull of blood in his veins.

She sighed against his neck, feeling his arms tremble around her. “You’re warm.”

Zuko grunted. “Firebender.”

“I mean more so than usual. I think you have a fever.”

Zuko said nothing to that and Katara turned her attention to the blood flowing through his body. Her brow furrowed. Nothing seemed unusual. His breathing was raspy in her ears so she turned her attention to his lungs, pressing her palms into his back, just below his shoulder blades. Zuko tensed and made a sound of protest which she ignored. There was something in his lungs. Not quite fluid, but enough that it moved when she prodded it. He coughed, attempting to pull away. She tightened her grip, hissing, “Would you relax? I’m not going to kill you.”

Across the room, Iroh snorted in his sleep and turned over. They stilled — Zuko unsuccessfully stifling a cough — glancing over at the other bed. When it was clear that Iroh had settled down and wasn’t going to wake, Katara frowned up at Zuko. Zuko scowled right back. “What was that?”

“You have fluid in your lungs. I was going to clear them so you’ll be able to breathe easier.”

“I’m fine,” Zuko stubbornly insisted.

“It won’t hurt.”

She actually wasn’t quite sure if that was true, but the firebender was already wary enough without her adding to it. Her reassuring words caused him to bristle and he snapped, “I know!”

“Good. Now hold still.”

She pressed her palms to his back and was focused on moving the fluid in his lungs before he could protest. The effect was immediate. Coughs shook his entire body and he tried pulling away but she stubbornly hung on, concentrating on the fluid that stubbornly clung to the walls of his lungs. Suddenly, it broke loose. At the same time, Zuko finally managed to get away from her, rolling out of bed, stumbling as his feet hit the floor, and then falling to his knees to curl in on himself as coughs shook his body. It sounded like he was about to cough up a lung.

Katara scrambled after him, her hand making contact with his back with the intention of helping him when his cough suddenly turned into a gag. He fell onto his hands, body heaving as it attempted to dislodge whatever was now blocking his breathing. Katara worked quickly to help, tracing her hands up his back and throat, breathing a sigh of relief when the blockage hit the floor with a wet plop and Zuko was gasping and coughing again. Eventually, the coughs turned to gasps and he slumped against her, unresisting as she run a hand over his throat and chest, checking for damage she may have caused. She hugged him tightly when she found nothing. “I’m sorry.”

“Is everything all right?”

She jumped, startled by the sudden question, looking up to find Iroh gazing down at them. Zuko leaned heavily against her, eyes closed and breathing even for the first time in days. She brushed a hand over his forehead, frowning as she responded to Iroh’s concern, “There’s no damage to his lungs or throat, but he has a fever. At least, I think it’s a fever.”

Iroh stepped around them, careful to avoid the mess on the floor, and bent to place a hand against his nephew’s forehead. A moment passed in relative silence, only interrupted by the occasional cough from Zuko. Iroh’s hand fell away and he sighed. “I thought something like this would occur. Come, I’ll help you get him back into bed and clean up.”

Katara awkwardly rose to her feet, tumbling a mildly protesting Zuko back into bed with Iroh’s help. Zuko groaned faintly, curling in on himself as Katara tucked the blankets around him and brushed his hair out of his eyes. Iroh gently touched her shoulder to draw her attention. “I’ll be back in a moment. I’ll sit up with him tonight. You need your rest.”

When Iroh returned he was surprised to find Katara in bed next to Zuko instead of taking the bed Iroh had been sleeping in. He pulled a chair up to the bedside, settling down for the night. Katara stirred, turning to look across Zuko’s chest, speaking quietly, “You knew this was going to happen?”

Iroh nodded, placing a damp cloth on Zuko’s forehead. “He’s been in conflict with himself for too long.”

“Will he be all right?”

“Time will tell.”

Notes:

The legend Cam tells is derived from the Vietnamese legend called "The Beach Boy."

Chapter 17: Deliverance

"A man of great wrath will pay the penalty, for it you deliver him, you will only have to do it again."
— Proverbs 19:19

There was a dragon. Zuko could only stare at it in astonishment. He could remember his uncle telling him that there were no more dragons and yet, there was a dragon circling him. A big, white dragon. It was bigger than he ever imagined it — longer, even — and he felt intimidated by it. It circled him several more time in ever shrinking circles before it settled across from him.

Zuko gazed around the room. He was in the Fire Palace and yet it looked nothing like the Fire Palace. A small table set with an elaborate tea setting was between him and the dragon. Without really thinking about it, Zuko poured a cup of tea and handed it to the dragon. They were talking about something, but Zuko couldn’t recall what it was. The dragon took the tea, inhaling the aroma before gulping it down with a pleased grumble. Zuko refilled the cup without batting an eye and then lifted his own cup to his lips. The dragon looked at him, a deep, rumbling voice that sounded vaguely familiar issuing from its jaws, “A gem is not polished without rubbing, nor a man perfected without trials.”

Even as the dragon spoke, thick, black clouds rolled in and thunder rumbled ominously. By the time the words faded, lightning was flashing around them. A mighty crack! and the dragon reared back with a roar of pain and fled. Zuko found himself on his feet with no knowledge of having risen and following the dragon’s trail. The storm followed close on his heels, drowning out his cries. He turned a corner and found himself in the Western Air Temple. It was, after all, perfectly natural for the Fire Palace to have the Air Temple as one of its courtyards.

A water sprite was suddenly before him. It danced around him, smiling enticingly. A moment later, a fire sprite joined the dance. The two sprites moved together in an exotic dance, twining together sensually and still the storm raged on around them. The dance reminded Zuko of Katara’s dance in the Foggy Swamp and he could still feel the heat crawl up his neck with the memory.

The storm reached an even greater fury, thunder crashing loud enough to shake the ground beneath his feet. Lightning struck the stones around him, blasting holes in the ground and sending chips of stone flying. Still, the sprites danced, oblivious to the destruction happening around them. Zuko tried to call out a warning, but the words were ripped from his throat. A bolt struck the pair and they exploded in a shower of sparks before darkness fell over his eyes.

It was so dark. And cold. His heart raced in his breast and panic gripped him. He couldn’t see. He was alone. Forever alone.

A large fish rose up out of the inky blackness, Lu Ten sitting in a saddle on its back with the reins wrapped around one hand. The fish’s wide mouth gaped open, its voice echoing in the void, “You are a failure.”

A hand closed around his throat, choking off any reply he might have made. He struggled uselessly against the hold. Lu Ten gazed solemnly down at him from atop the large fish, asking, “Why are you trying to change yourself into something you’re not?”

A bird swooped down, claws sinking into Zuko’s hair and tugging harshly, screaming, “Never forget who are you! You’ve forgotten! You’ve forgotten me!”

Zuko gasped, clawing at the hand around his throat and trying to chase the bird away. “No! I haven’t!”

“You have,” the bird insisted, pecking at his eyes and ripping at his hair.

“No!” he wailed, reaching out for Lu Ten. “Help me!”

The bird screamed and pain blossomed in his hand where its talons tore open a gaping wound. Blood swelled and ran down his arm, dripping into the black void around him. Still the bird cried, “You’ve lost yourself. You’ve forgotten who you are so how can you remember me?”

The fish circled him, chanting, “Failure! Failure! Unwanted! Unloved! Failure!”

The bird vanished with a death cry and Lu Ten looked on him with hard eyes. “It’s not too late. You’ve not too far gone.”

The fish turned and swallowed him.

Zuko cried.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Katara entered the room with a fresh bowl of water and placed it on the nightstand beside Iroh. The older firebender smiled gratefully and patted the seat next to him. Katara sank down, her eyes immediately going to the unconscious form on the bed. Three days and Zuko had done little but mutter in his sleep. She only caught a few words. Things like “tea” and “gone” and “Lu Ten, why are you riding a fish?” Iroh had chuckled at that last one, cupping his own cup of tea between his hands and lifting an eyebrow at Katara.

“No change?” she asked.

Iroh hummed, stroking his beard as he gazed at his inert nephew. “His fever has broken.”

Katara couldn’t hide her relief. They had taken turns tending to Zuko. His fevered state worried them, but Iroh was better at hiding his fears. Katara had fussed and worried and fretted over the ill firebender until Iroh threatened to drug her to get her to sleep.

The older firebender also avoided any direct questions on the length of time Zuko would be unconscious, murmuring vague words that did nothing to calm Katara’s anxiety. The worst part of the entire thing was that she could find nothing wrong with Zuko. Nothing that would cause this deep, unresponsive sleep that she was growing ever more fearful of. Too many of her people had fallen into this sleeping sickness and never woke. She feared Zuko would be one of them.

A sudden deep breath from Zuko drew their attention, both of them standing to hover over him. Katara held her breath, watching as Zuko slowly stirred, a frown flashing across his face. A moment later, gold eyes cracked open, blinked, and finally focused on their faces. Iroh breathed a sigh of relief, placing a weathered hand on Zuko’s head. “Good morning, nephew.”

Zuko’s brow furrowed in confusion. He looked around the room before he spoke, his voice hoarse and rasping from lack of use, “Morning?”

“Ah.” Iroh grinned, stroking back Zuko’s dirty hair. “In a manner of speaking. It’s early afternoon.”

Katara nudged Iroh aside, checking Zuko’s temperature and peering at his eyes. She brushed her fingers across his forehead and down his cheeks, asking, “How do you feel?”

Zuko’s eyes closed again as if it was too much work to keep them open. “Tired. I had weird dreams, Uncle.”

Iroh perked up with interest and pulled his chair closer to the bed, asking, “What did you dream?”

For several seconds, Zuko didn’t say anything and they thought he’d fallen back to sleep. When he did speak, he sounded confused. “Dream?”

Katara nodded despite the fact Zuko wasn’t looking at her. “Yes. You muttered a few things. Can you remember?”

In the pause that followed, Katara ran a cool cloth over his face and neck before sitting back. Zuko’s brow furrowed as he struggled to connect his thoughts, finally murmuring, “I dreamed about tea. And home.”

“What a lovely dream!” Iroh exclaimed. “What kind of tea?”

“I don’t remember,” Zuko mumbled. “The dragon was drinking it with me.”

“A tea party with a dragon?”

Zuko struggled to open his eyes and he gave his uncle a lopsided grin. “Yeah. It reminded me of you.”

Iroh chuckled, patting Zuko’s hand. “Well, dragons are noble beasts. What color dragon was I?”

Zuko’s nose wrinkled and Katara quickly stifled a giggle, blushing when Iroh sent her a knowing glance. Zuko peered at his uncle, finally saying, “Gray.”

“Dirty-white kind of gray?”

“Yes — no. Maybe. Like silver. Some of your scales were tarnished.”

The idea of tarnished scales seemed to surprise Iroh and he suddenly looked apprehensive. His look turned thoughtful and he reached up to absently stroke his beard. “What happened?”

“Lightning scared you away,” Zuko murmured and he sounded sad. “It tried to kill you. I didn’t want you to die. I followed.”

They waited for him to continue, but it looked like he’d drifted off to sleep. His breathing was even and steady and they watched his chest rise and fall for several moments before Katara prompted, “You did?”

He took a deep breath, rousing himself again to respond. “Yes. I couldn’t find you. I lost you in the Western Air Temple.”

“How did you get there?” Iroh asked curiously.

“It was in the Fire Palace,” Zuko told them, though he looked bemused at the remembrance.

Iroh laughed lowly, smiling as if he should’ve expected that answer. “Of course.”

With those words, Zuko dropped back into sleep. Katara frowned, tugging the sheets back into place and checking his temperature again. There was no fever and he was breathing easily. She sat back and looked at Iroh in bemusement. “That didn’t make a lot of sense.”

“No,” he agreed, “but that’s not surprising. Dreams rarely do make sense.”

Katara frowned, picking up the damp cloth she’d been using. Dreams usually held hidden meaning in the South Pole and she wondered if dream walking extended outside of the Water Tribes. “Do you think it meant something?”

“It could. Or it could just be fever dreams. I once dreamed I was swimming in an ocean of noodles!” He laughed at her astonished look and reached forward to pat her hand. “Don’t worry too much about it, Miss Katara.”

Yun entered the bedroom, her expression solemn as she slowly approached the bed. It wan’t the first time over the last few days Yun had been in the room, she’d bring a tray of food or tea on occasion, but her expression this time put Katara on edge. Green eyes first studied Zuko, her gaze lingering on the scar in a manner they hadn’t before, and then her gaze shifted to Iroh and her expression tightened. Katara stood, unconsciously reaching for Zuko’s hand. “Yun? Is something wrong?”

She grimaced, pulling her eyes from Iroh to look at Katara. The older woman shifted uncomfortably, darting a glance down at Katara’s hand, blanching at what she saw before setting her expression and lifting her chin. “Master Katara, I realize that people in your position may be hesitant to ask for help, but I want you to know that you don’t have to stay in your situation. There are ways I — we can help you.”

Katara stared at the woman in surprise, brow furrowing in bemusement. “What?”

Iroh sighed, speaking calmly, “Miss Katara is not being held against her will, Ms. Yun.”

Katara turned to look at him, her jaw dropping. “She thinks—”

Yun cut her off, speaking harshly, “Of course you would say that!” She jabbed a finger toward Katara’s hand. “I recognize that ring even if others don’t. I didn’t make the connection before, but they came today. You’re—”

“Yun!” Katara interrupted, “Uncle’s right. I am free to do as I wish.” She paused, twisting the ring around her thumb. “It’s true; I was captured and then sold, but I wasn’t lying to Cam when I said that — that Zuko rescued me. He didn’t have to. Sometimes I think it would have been better for him to have left me on that pier. After all, my own folly was what lead me there.”

She fell silent, tucking her thumb into her fist and dropping her hand. She slipped her hand into Zuko’s limp hand. When she met Yun’s eyes, the older woman appeared frustrated. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

A smile lit Katara’s face and she laughed. “He tried to leave me several times, you know.” She directed the comment more to Iroh than Yun. “I had plenty of opportunities to ‘free’ myself. He told me to ‘go away’ that first day. We were captured by the Foggy Swamp Tribe not long ago. They released me, but had no intention of releasing him.

“You see, Yun, whatever captivity you believe I’m in, it’s far from the truth. What changed? Why are we suddenly unwelcome?”

Yun looked away, seemingly embarrassed. Katara couldn’t hide her disappointment when Yun offered no explanation. With a sigh, she shook her head. “We are going to Ba Sing Se as soon as Zuko’s well enough.”

Iroh spoke up, “Who came?”

At first, it didn’t appear that Yun was going to say, but she grudgingly answered, “The Rough Rhinos are in the square. They are looking for you.”

Katara gasped. “Did you tell them where we are?”

Yun shook her head and Iroh pushed himself out of his chair with a faint groan, tucking his hands in his sleeves and starting toward the door. Yun hastily moved out of his way, drawing back against the wall and eying him suspiciously. Iroh didn’t seem to notice, saying calmly, “I believe I would like to check out the market. Come along, Miss Katara, Ms. Yun will gladly watch my nephew while we step out for a bit. Too much stale air is not good for one’s health.”

Yun’s expression clearly showed that she would rather not tend to Zuko, but she didn’t protest their leaving. Katara gave the woman a flat look before she hurried after him, grabbing up her waterskin as she passed it. “But — Uncle! They’re looking for you. We can shop later.”

Iroh turned to her, lifting an eyebrow. “You are sounding remarkably like my nephew. Come along, now. I believe we have enough money to buy some tea!”

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Everything felt heavy and his head was fuzzy when he next woke. It felt like the world was pushing down on him. He could sense the sun was past its zenith, but the house was silent and still. He forced his eyes open and was greeted with a pair of bruised green eyes set in a pale face that hovered inches from his own. He blinked and the eyes blinked back. Confused, Zuko asked, “Who are you?”

To his surprise, the question came out in a hoarse croak. A smile appeared in those green eyes and a young voice chirped, “You’re alive! I told Miss Katara that you must be dead because you haven’t moved in ages! Mama said you were sleeping, but I didn’t believe her. You looked dead.”

The mattress bounced and for a moment Zuko thought his stomach might empty itself. The room was empty except for himself and the boy and his foggy thoughts wondered where the others were. Uncle usually wasn’t far away and, so far, Katara appeared the same way. The mattress jostled again as the boy settled himself closer to Zuko’s side, pulling up a blanket around his own thin shoulders, chattering, “Cam said you fought a whole bunch of firebenders and rescued Miss Katara. Your scar’s so much cooler than mine.”

To Zuko’s surprise, the boy tugged up the sleeve of his oversized tunic and shoved a thin arm in his face. Zuko pulled back as much as he was able, peering at the arm the boy held out. Now that the fog of sleep faded, Zuko recognized the boy as Yun’s youngest son Akamu. When Zuko took too long to comment, Akamu waved his arm impatiently and commanded, “Look!”

Akamu twisted his arm enough that Zuko finally saw the faint outline of a scar on the boy’s forearm. It twisted around the boy’s wrist and halfway up his arm. It looked old and it’d probably be nearly invisible in a few months. A thrill of fear shot through him. He could clearly remember the boy’s arm being an open wound, the boy unconscious and hovering near death. Just how long had he been unconscious?

Akamu didn’t seem bothered by Zuko’s apparently distraction, turning his arm to poke at the fading scar. “Miss Katara said if she does another healing, I won’t be able to even see the scar any more. I think I want to keep it. It’s cooler than any of the scars the other boys have. Mama said a desert fox almost took my arm off! Isn’t that cool?”

“Akamu, I told you not to disturb Lee.”

Both young men turned toward the voice. Yun stood in the door, frowning at her son. When her attention turn to Zuko, her expression became more ambiguous. Zuko struggled upright, his arms shaking with the effort, and asked, “Where is Katara? My uncle?”

Yun’s lips thinned, her eyes darting to her son before answering, “Your uncle and Master Katara went into town.”

That was somewhat surprising and he frowned. “Why?”

“The Rough Rhinos—”

“They’re here?” Zuko interrupted, reaching to pull the blankets back. “I need to stop them!”

Zuko swung his legs over the side of the bed, nearly falling as his head spun and vision tunneled. A hand pushed him back on the bed and, as the rush of blood faded from his ears, he could hear Yun scolding him, “You spend days hovering near death and the first thing you think to do is to run off and fight a bunch of hooligans? Your uncle and Master Katara can take care of themselves just fine without you throwing yourself into danger.”

“But—”

Yun stepped back, pointing a finger at him and commanding, “Stay.”

She stalked away, muttering under her breath, and returned a moment later with a tray. She placed the tray across Zuko’s lap, a deep frown still on her face, and stepped back, dusting her hands. “Eat slowly. It’s been a while and you don’t want to make yourself sick again. And you,” she turned to her son, “you’re supposed to be in bed.”

The boy turned wide, innocent eyes to his mother, protesting, “I am in bed!”

“Your own, Akamu. I’m sure,” Yun paused, looking uncertain. “I’m sure Lee would like to be alone.”

The young boy pouted and scooted to the edge of the bed in preparation of going back to his own room. Zuko spoke up, “I don’t mind company.”

Yun hesitated, clearly unhappy. “Very well. Make sure you finish that tray. Akamu, don’t pester Lee too much.”

When Akamu nodded, she gave Zuko one last penetrating look and moved toward the door. She paused briefly when Zuko asked, “Where is my uncle?”

She considered the question seriously for a moment before saying, “Getting tea.”

Zuko was not surprised.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Katara didn’t know what she was expecting when Iroh dragged her out the door and into the bright afternoon sun, but casually strolling down the street without a care in the world was not it. The desert town wasn’t particularly large — the small oasis in the center could only support so much life — but they were able to blend in with the residents as they went about their daily chores.

Katara was just wondering how she would recognize the Rough Rhinos, when they entered the town square and she saw them. Two men were mounted on komodo rhinos on the far side of the square, keeping a suspicious eye on the people who warily skirted them. Katara moved closer to Iroh, her grip tightening around the mouth of her waterskin. Two seemed like too few a number.

Iroh’s hand closed around her wrist and he pulled her into a small stall that sold various necklaces and baubles just as another Rough Rhino rider appeared in the square. The rider approached the others and a conversation took place. Katara watched anxiously as the Rough Rhino riders split and headed in separate directions. She strained her neck to try to watch them, but lost sight of them when they rounded the corner of a building.

Iroh picked up a necklace, holding it out and addressing the merchant, “What beautiful jewels you have, sir! Miss Katara, what do you think?”

She tore her eyes from the bustling crowd to look at the ornate, jewel encrusted necklace Iroh held out to her. She was surprised at how garish the necklace was. She hesitated, pondering how to word her response. “It’s very nice. Uncle, shouldn’t we go back? I’m sure Lee will wake up at any moment.”

Iroh merely grinned at the merchant, carefully replacing the necklace and pulling Katara along the booths. “You’ve spent far too much time at my nephew’s side over the last few days. The sunlight and fresh air are good for you.”

A short distance down the dusty street, Iroh pulled her into a cramped bar and Katara breathed a quiet sigh of relief, glad to be out of sight of the Rough Rhinos. “But—”

“Oh, look!” Iroh exclaimed, interrupting the start of her protest. “Pai Sho!”

She had no choice but to trail behind him as he made a direct path to the game table. A few of the patrons cast them curious glances, but returned to their drinks and conversation without comment. The Pai Sho table was tucked into a dim corner near the back of the bar and Katara spared a thought for how Iroh could have possibly seen it from the door. Once again, she tried to convince the cheerful firebender to return to the relative safety of Yun’s house. “Uncle, we don’t have time to play right now. If you want, we can play a game back at Yun’s.”

Iroh cast her a pitying look, but still made his way toward the game table, commenting, “There is always time for a game of Pai Sho and, while my nephew is still a dismal player, you are greatly improving, Miss Katara; but I’m looking for something more in this game.”

They reached the table and Iroh came to a stop, giving the man sitting in the far chair a polite bow and asking, “May I have this game?”

The man’s head lifted, rheumy eyes squinting at them curiously before motioning to the empty chair with a weathered hand, speaking in a papery voice, “Please. The guest has the first move.”

Iroh took the offered chair and the tiles were quickly cleared from the board. Iroh stroked his chin as he observed his opponent. He hesitated only a moment before selecting a tile and placing it in the center of the board with a definitive tap. Interest flickered in the old man’s eyes and he looked at them with more interest, musing, “Ah, I see you favor the white lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the ancient ways.”

He cupped his hands, unfurling them like a flower and giving Iroh a slight bow. Iroh smiled broadly, repeating the gesture and commenting warmly, “Those who do can always find a friend.”

Katara watched as the tiles were rapidly placed on the board. She didn’t recognize any of the patterns or gambits and it just appeared as if each player was placing a tile with little regard for strategy. The final tiles tapped into place on the board and she stared. It looked nothing like previous games she’d watched. “Is that—”

The old man interrupted her, spreading his hands over the table and saying, “Welcome, brother. The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets.”

Katara glanced between them in confusion. “Uncle?”

Iroh picked up the lotus tile from the center of the board, tucking it safely into his sleeve. “I have been telling my nephew for a long time that Pai Sho is more than just a game.”

The rest of the tiles were cleared from the board and swept into a worn bag and then placed in the middle of the table. The old man rose to his feet, shuffling around the table. “Come, we will talk at my house and perhaps we can play another game.”

They rose from their seats and Iroh took her arm. The man led them out a back door hidden in the dim shadows of the bar. Katara blinked in the bright sun of the streets, following the gentle tug at her elbow as Iroh followed her. There were a surprising number of people behind the bar but no one spared them so much as a glance. Iroh’s friend was already shuffling to the mouth of the alley and Iroh tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. “Relax, Miss Katara.”

They followed the man out into the crowded streets and Katara felt her shoulders tense as she sensed eyes land on her. Her hand tightened around Iroh’s arm, drawing herself closer to his side. “Do you know this man?”

Iroh shrugged easily, seemingly unperturbed by the situation. “No.”

She jerked in surprised, turning to look at him incredulously, but they’d reached a small house and she was ushered inside before she could say anything. Pottery lined the shelves, much like it did in parts of Yun’s house, and there was a faint scent of mud and damp that managed to cling to the air despite the stifling heat outside. Iroh settled his bulk at the small table while the still unknown man bustled about the small kitchen. Tea was quickly prepared and served. The old man eased himself into his chair across from Iroh, picking up his own cup of tea and gazing curiously at Katara.

“This is not the person rumor said accompanied you.”

Iroh grinned, taking a slow sip of tea before saying, “No. My nephew has taken ill and is recovering in Ms. Yun’s home. This is Master Katara,” he paused and seemed to consider something before settling on, “a friend.”

Katara resisted the urge to squirm under the old man’s intense scrutiny and instead met his eyes with a suspicious look of her own. To her surprise, an amused chuckle escaped him and he shook his head. “Yes. My daughter-in-law came to me this morning with tales of firebenders and an imprisoned waterbender in her home. I assured her she was perfectly safe and in no danger from these particular firebenders.” He set his cup back down, suddenly looking serious. “We will have to speak privately, Grand Master.”

Iroh copied his motions, pushing himself to his feet with a faint groan, waving off Katara’s look of concern. “Of course. Miss Katara, I hope you don’t mind waiting here. We should only be a few minutes.”

They disappeared into a back room, shutting the door firmly behind them and Katara could only sit at the table and wait in perplexed silence. Perhaps Zuko was right about his uncle. The old man was crazy.

Notes:

Recognizable quotes from "The Desert"

Chapter 18: Dust

“Tens of thousands of bones will become ashes when one general achieves his fame.”
—Chinese proverb 

Katara spent the first hour anxiously pacing the small kitchen, casting furtive glances at the closed door. She’d rifled through the cupboards in search of something. She didn’t really know what she was looking for as she doubted anyone would leave evidence of sinister plots behind in their kitchen cabinets. She’d even gone so far as to peek into the cramped bedroom at the back of the house, but she found nothing incriminating and therefore returned to the kitchen to pace and anxiously peer out the windows to the street. As shadows lengthened out in the street, Katara gave up pacing and dragged a chair to the window to keep watch.

Out on the street, people went about their days as usual, even if they seemed a little more wary than typical. Gradually, she felt the tension drain from her and she rested her elbows on the sill, her thoughts drifting more towards watching dust make unusual shapes as it was kicked up than keeping an eye out for potential threats. Zuko was probably awake by now and she hoped he wasn’t too worried about their absence. With a sigh, she slumped further onto the windowsill and absently tapped out a rhythm.

Iroh emerged from the back room nearly an hour and a half later, startling Katara from the daydream she’d drifted into. She leapt to her feet, tripping over her chair in an effort to be ready for an attack. When she managed to catch her balance and hastily straighten, she was met by Iroh’s amused smile. Embarrassed, she scowled back which merely prompted a chuckle, but at least he didn’t make any quips at her expense. Iroh turned back to their host and Katara took the opportunity examine the room they’d locked themselves in for most of the day. She could see just beyond him into the room, catching a glimpse of a Pai Sho table and a teapot with several cups, before the door swung shut and Iroh was bowing courteously to the man who brought them here. “Thank you for the tea and the game. Perhaps we can play again.”

The man returned the courtesy. “It is always a pleasure to play against such a talented opponent.”

Shortly after that, Katara found herself ushered out the door and into the late afternoon sun. The heat from the streets and the sun felt like she’d stepped into a blast furnace. Iroh followed her, tucking her hand in the crook of his arm and giving it a fatherly pat as he steered her down the dusty road. “There, I’d say that was a successful bit of bargaining, my dear! An impressive bride price!”

At her askant look, he laughed. “Don’t look so anxious. The bridgegroom is a fine young man. He’ll take care of you and any children you may have.”

She hoped the color that rose in her cheeks would be attributed to the heat and nothing more. Iroh didn’t seem to mind her speechlessness as he continued to smile benignly. He turned them onto another street before saying, “Unfortunately you will have to wait until after the funeral to meet your future husband. I’m sure you understand.”

He turned to look at her, eyebrows rising in question. A faint squeeze to her hand prompted her to murmur, “Yes; of course.”

Katara was surprised to find herself standing in front of Yun’s house. The door opened and Cam stopped short, surprise clear on her face. “Oh, Master Katara. Mushu.”

Iroh smiled brightly, ignoring the girl’s wary expression. “Good afternoon, Miss Cam.”

Cam mumbled a good morning, slipping past them and hurrying down the street. Iroh watched her go with a hint of sadness, but anything he might have said was interrupted by laughter coming from within the house. Katara hurried inside, greeting Yun with a grateful smile when the older woman handed her a cool cup of water. Iroh followed at a more sedate pace, glancing back toward the bedrooms. “Do you have company, Ms. Yun?”

Yun’s expression tightened fractionally. “No one new.”

“Oh, I thought I heard…”

He trailed off when another laugh sounded and a young boy’s voice rose, demanding another story. Yun sighed, turning to tend to dinner. “Your nephew is entertaining Akamu with childhood stories.”

“He is?” Iroh asked with some surprise at the same time Katara asked, “He’s awake?”

Yun gave Katara a surreptitious look and a fraction of a nod as she addressed Iroh, “He hasn’t told how he received his scar, though Akamu has been asking.”

Katara slipped away as Iroh hummed delightedly. She was still surprised when she entered the bedroom and found Zuko propped against the headboard grinning foolishly at Akamu. Neither boy noticed her arrival and Akamu was frowning, his chin resting on the pillow he clutched to his chest. “Did you really swim the ice channels in the North Pole?”

Zuko looked bemused. “Of course. I wouldn’t lie.”

Akamu snorted his disbelief and Katara took the opportunity to interject, “You could have died.”

Both boys startled, turning toward the door. Zuko grinned widely when he saw her, making moves to clamber out of bed. “Katara! You’re back!”

Her eyebrows shot up at his uncharacteristically cheerful greeting and she hurried forward to push him back into the bed, clicking her tongue in disapproval. “Yes; we’re back. How are you feeling?”

She directed the question to Akamu who grinned and chirped, “Fine!”

Katara looked the young boy over with a gimlet eye. “You should be in bed.”

“I am!”

“He is!”

Both boys spoke at the same time, exchanging startled looks before dissolving into laughter. Nonplussed, Katara raised an eyebrow and looked curiously at the cheerful firebender. She had a feeling she was missing something and neither boy appeared to want to explain. Folding her arms across her chest, she frowned at them for a moment before sighing. “Well, I’m glad you’re both feeling better.”

Iroh appeared in the door with Yun, beaming at the laughing boys. “As am I, but we don’t want to overstay our welcome so we must make plans to leave.”

Yun’s relief was evident and the motioned for her son. “Come along, Akamu.”

The boy whined, but rolled off the bed to follow his mother out of the room. Iroh closed the door after them, tucking his hands into his wide sleeves as he approached the bed and took the empty chair. Katara fussed with Zuko’s covers, peering closely at the recovered firebender before settling down on the edge of the bed and leveling Iroh with a flat look. “There’s a plan?”

“Of course there’s a plan!” Iroh insisted, looking affronted before he looked more seriously at Zuko. “Are you sure you’re recovered?”

Zuko grinned, nodding. “Never better!”

Katara shifted uncomfortably, glancing warily at Zuko. “Uncle, I’m not sure…”

She trailed off, at a loss of what to say in the face of Zuko’s cheerfulness. She was relieved when Iroh seemed to completely understand her concern. “I did say it was a spiritual illness, Miss Katara. I’m sure things will sort themselves out soon. In the meantime, we must leave. The Rough Rhinos have heard rumors that we are here and are keeping a close watch. The funeral for Hieu is tomorrow and we will join the mourning party. I’m afraid we will have to leave the ostrich horse with Tuan.”

The plan was simple, really, and Katara wondered if it really would work the way Iroh insisted it would. Sokka’s plans were always elaborate and commonly involved several steps and contingency plans. The plan went as follows: They would dress in mourning attire, join the mourning party, accompany them out to the tombs, and then slip away. Ba Sing Se was only a day and a half away, Iroh’s contact had given them papers and passports to get them into the city where, supposedly, they would be safe.

 *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The evening meal passed in tense silence. Katara attempted a conversation with Cam and Yun, but gave up after getting nothing more than short sentences and wary glances. Zuko seemed to sense that all was not as it had been and sunk into the silence she was accustomed to seeing. Even though she was relieved to see him return to normal, she was a little disappointed at the same time. The only one at the table to appeared unaffected by the atmosphere was Akamu, but any question he asked was met by a quiet admonishment from his mother to eat his food. Eventually he, too, gave up and turned his attention to shoveling food into his mouth.

Zuko finished quickly, mumbling a thank you under Iroh’s watchful eye, and escaped back to the bedroom claiming fatigue. Shortly after Zuko’s departure, Iroh excused himself and followed his nephew. Katara watched him go with feelings of dismay, preparing to follow when a quiet sigh of relief drew her attention. Yun flushed under Katara’s penetrating stare, starting, “Master Katara—”

Katara’s chair screeched across the floor as she stood, cutting off Yun’s words angrily, “What did they ever do to you?”

“Really, Master Katara,” Yun snapped back, “I would think you would understand.”

Katara made an angry motion, stopping Yun from saying anything further. “I do not understand. They are no different now than when you thought they were refugees.”

“But,” Cam stumbled over her words when Katara leveled her with an icy look, but continued on, “they’re the ones who…”

She trailed off uneasily, motioning to the nearly forgotten ring on Katara’s thumb. The waterbender twisted the ring around her thumb before letting her hands drop with a tired sigh. “Good and evil is not so clearly defined by your nation of origin or even the element you bend. I—” she cut herself off with a shake of her head. “We will be leaving tomorrow with the funeral party. Thank you for your hospitality.”

She bowed to each of them in turn and headed toward the bedroom. She paused at the door, glancing back at the silent table before offering a pleasant, “Good night.”

Once in the bedroom with the door closed behind her, she found Iroh seated on his bed gazing sadly at the huddled form of Zuko. He met her scowl with a smile of understanding, merely stating, “The funeral begins at sunrise.”

She nodded her understanding and crawled onto the bed next to Zuko. With one last thoughtful look, Iroh lay down and turned his back to them. She waited until the soft sound of his snores reached her before scooting closer to Zuko’s back. At first, the tense muscles in his back remained so but then he relaxed with a put upon sigh, turning onto his back and grudgingly allowing Katara to press against his side. His arm curled naturally around her shoulders and she smoothed a wrinkle out of his tunic before settling down. She relaxed listening to his steady heartbeat and gentle breathing.

“I’m glad you’re better,” she whispered.

If he replied, she didn’t hear.

 *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Katara woke the next morning to find herself alone in bed. Zuko was already gone from the room, but Iroh leaned over her, speaking quietly, “We don’t have long until the funeral procession begins. I’ve left your robes at the end of the bed. We’ll go when you’re ready.”

She nodded, her head still fogged with sleep, and Iroh retreated from the room. A quick glance out the window showed the horizon tinged a pale gray-blue, testament that dawn was still a ways off. The temptation to roll over and go back to sleep was great, but she managed to drag herself out of bed to blink mussily at the pile of undyed linen at the foot of the bed. She picked it up, letting the cloth unfold. Her throat tightened and she swallowed. Mourning clothes. She put them on mechanically, tying the brown sash around her waist and picking up her waterskin.

Iroh and Zuko were in the kitchen when she arrived, Iroh standing at the door and Zuko slumped in a chair. He straightened a little when she appeared, though she could see the pallor and lines of exhaustion still on his face. If there hadn’t been such potential for danger, she would’ve insisted they stay another few days but, with the Rough Rhinos in town, it was only a matter of time before they started searching the houses.

Iroh smiled, holding out a sedge hat for her to take. “Good. They’re about ready,” he told her. “The sun will be up shortly. Can you take the ostrich horse? I fear my nephew will need more assistance than you are able to give.”

Katara frowned. “Your shoulder—”

“Is well healed, my dear.” He patted her gently on the shoulder. “Don’t fuss over such an old man. Come along, my boy! We’ve got a few miles to walk and then you can rest again.”

Zuko grumbled something Katara couldn’t hear, but by the tone he was clearly disgruntled. She felt the muscles in her back relax with relief. Things were back to normal. Iroh laughed, taking the younger man by his arm and pulling him to his feet. Zuko swayed on his feet for a moment before leaning against his uncle. They left the house, moving slowly up the street to join the swelling crowd gathering outside Tuan’s house. Tuan met them in front of the crowd, his face haggard and drawn. “Master Katara, thank you for coming.”

He paused when he saw Iroh and Zuko behind her, his jaw tightening. Katara held her breath, only releasing it when he looked away and motioned to the gathering. “You’ll be in the middle.”

Katara reached out, touching his arm. “I am sorry.”

He gave a tight nod and then he was gone. Iroh sighed, releasing Zuko long enough to lay a hand on her shoulder and murmur, “It’s not your fault.”

She sighed, scrubbing a hand at her suddenly stinging eyes. “I know.”

The sun crested the horizon, turning the desert sands a brilliant red-gold. A wordless mourning song rose from the gathered crowd and they moved forward. At the edge of town, several of the Rough Rhinos sat astride their mounts, suspiciously eying the mourners as they shuffled past. Katara ducked her head, letting her shawl swing forward to hide her face. She felt their eyes pass over her and she breathed a quiet sigh of relief when she attracted no attention. The song swelled and words joined. A prayer of guidance for the departed spirit.

A mile and a half outside of the village they stopped before steep, jagged cliffs. The mourners parted and the stretcher carrying Hieu was solemnly brought forward. Two earthbenders stood on either side of the stone coffin. One laid a hand on top, sweeping it slowly from head to foot. Carvings etched across the surface, words and pictures telling the story of a young boy whose life was cut short. Tuan and his wife approached the coffin and Katara dropped her eyes to focus on her fingers worrying the edge of her sleeve. A few efficient earthbending moves later and the cliff face opened and the coffin slid into place. Iroh touched her arm, muttering, “We should go.”

No one paid any attention when they slipped away. Katara cast one last look at the cliffside tombs before she turned away. They walked another mile before deciding to find shelter to avoid the heat of the day. Katara managed to find a shallow indention in the cliff that would allow all three of them to rest out of the heat until sunset. Zuko slumped against the back, his head lulling and his breathing harsh. Katara passed around her spare waterskin and turned her attention to assessing the damage Iroh had inflicted on his shoulder. He submitted to her attentions with good grace despite his insistence that he was completely healed and that it was merely stiff.

By the time she had confirmed that Iroh was speaking the truth, Zuko sprawled himself across the floor of the cave, his eyes closed and his chest rising steadily. Katara knelt at his side, watching quietly. She didn’t want to disturb him since he needed all the rest he could get while he recovered. “I really wish we could have stayed another day or so at Yun’s.”

“We made them uneasy,” Iroh stated as if that explained everything.

Katara scowled at him but didn’t refute his statement and instead turned her thoughts to further travel. “How far?”

“If Zuko is strong enough and we make good time, two days,” Iroh said after a moment’s thought. “I think we can take an easy pace and make it three instead. One more day won’t hurt.”

 *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Katara took a deep breath as they made their way through the winding caves that constituted the port for the ferry across to Ba Sing Se. After all those days in the desert, the cool, slightly damp feeling of being underground was a welcome relief. Clusters of men, women, and children in various stages of wear grouped around vendors or lounged against the dank walls. They attracted few curious looks, though Katara wondered if it was because of her instead of the two firebenders with her. Iroh led them to a bored looking woman, greeting her with a wide smile and a cheerful, “Good evening.”

The woman sniffed, hardly bothering to glance up before drawling, “Papers?”

Iroh pulled some rumpled parchment from his sleeve, passing them over and commenting, “We had quite the journey here. The sun and the sand almost turns the whole world gold And such beautiful, wind-swept rock formations—”

“That’s nice,” the woman interrupted testily.

She scrutinized the papers with an intensity that made Katara nervous. With a last suspicious glance at them, she stamped them and handed them back. “Ferry leaves in ten minutes. If you miss it, you have resubmit your papers and provide additional letters of recommendation.”

Iroh tucked the papers away, smiling genially. “Thank you. I’d be happy to buy you a cup of tea if you would like to give a lonely old man the pleasure of your company.”

Zuko groaned, turning away with a grimace. The ticket lady gave Iroh a flat look before ignoring him completely. “Next!”

Zuko dropped onto an empty bench tucked in an out-of-the-way corner. “Why do you always have to do that?”

Iroh tucked his hands into his sleeves, watching people as they passed. “It’s always a good idea to be kind to people in service. You never know when it might be to your benefit.”

The younger firebender grunted, following the progress of a tray of steaming dumplings that a man was hawking. “I’m hungry.”

Iroh turned to see money exchange hands and a bowl passed back and sighed. “Yes,” he agreed with a wistful tone. “Dumplings would be wonderful.”

Katara dropped to the seat next to Zuko and he moved over to make room for her, grumbling to Iroh, “It’s your fault we don’t have any money. Going off and buying stupid gold monkeys from pirates.”

Katara looked curiously at them, catching the faint reddening of Iroh’s cheeks. “Pirates.”

Iroh cleared his throat, saying loftily, “Yes, Zuko made them angry. Besides,” he shot Zuko a sardonic look, “I believe most of our funds are at the bottom of the arctic ocean.”

Her curiosity shifted to Zuko. “Why would they be there?”

Zuko grumbled irritably, crossing his arms and looking away. When he offered no further explanation, Iroh spoke up, “Admiral Zhao tried to assassinate Zuko a few months ago. He blew up Zuko’s ship.”

Zuko grunted. “So it’s Zhao’s fault.”

Katara frowned in thought. “Isn’t Zhao the one who tried to kill the moon spirit?”

“He is and he did.”

Katara let a moment pass in surprise before sighing, and propping her chin in the palm of her hand. “One of these days you’re going to have to tell me what you did while I was in prison.”

Zuko shrugged dismissively. “It’s a long story.”

“And a fascinating one!” Iroh added cheerfully.

“No, it’s not,” Zuko disagreed.

A gong echoed through the cavern announcing boarding time and they joined the rush to board the ferry. Zuko’s hand closed over her wrist, pulling along behind him so she wouldn’t get lost in the press of humanity. They spilled onto the wide deck of the ferry, spreading out to claim a spot for the trip across the large lake. Zuko and Katara had settled down between two large coils of rope that would block the wind before Iroh appeared with a steaming cup and a large smile. “I was able to find some tea.”

He took a deep, satisfying sip only to end up coughing and sputtering, looking appalled. “This is an affront to tea! It has no ambrosia. It’s not even hot.” He looked absolutely betrayed. “What uncultured person would even attempt to—”

“Uncle…”

Zuko trailed off when a shadow fell over them. A tall, young man grinned down at them, running a hand through wild, brown hair. He passed a piece of straw to the side of his mouth, his grin turning lopsided when he looked at Katara. Zuko bristled immediately.

“Hey, my name’s Jet,” he paused, giving a careless wave to two people standing behind him, “and these are my Freedom Fighters, Smellerbee and Longshot.”

“Hello,” Zuko deadpanned.

Jet ignored him, leaning against the coiled rope near Katara. “So, what’s your name, Sweetheart?”

“Katara.”

“Katara,” he purred, causing her to blush. He dropped a wink. “A pretty name for a pretty girl.”

Zuko scoffed, earning a disapproving frown from Katara. Iroh settled down next to his nephew, pushing away the tea. “We’ll be in Ba Sing Se by tomorrow morning. I am looking forward to some decent tea.”

Smellerbee spoke up then, “Longshot and I are going to scout the area.”

Jet waved them off and then dropped down to sit next to Katara, leaning in and speaking in a confiding tone, “I can’t wait to see that giant wall.”

“It is a magnificent sight,” Iroh agreed.

Something tired and worn underneath Iroh’s words drew a concerned frown from Katara, but Jet leaned past her to look at the older man. “You’ve been there before?”

Iroh nodded solemnly. “Once. When I was a…different man.”

He offered nothing more and a quick look at Zuko proved he was going to offer no further explanation as he was avoiding her eyes. Iroh seemed to sink into his thoughts as he gazed across the crowded deck so Katara turned to Jet, asking, “Why are you going to Ba Sing Se?”

Jet lifted his shoulders in a careless shrug and gave her a knowing wink. “I guess you could say I’ve been causing the Fire Nation a little trouble. See, they took over a nearby Earth Kingdom town a few years ago. My Freedom Fighters were ambushing their troops and supply lines.”

Interested, she leaned forward. “What happened?”

Jet gave a tragic sigh, looping an arm around Katara’s shoulders and drawing her close against his side, saying mournfully, “We were betrayed.”

Katara gasped and he nodded sagely. “I could’ve been a hero.”

Zuko snorted, rising to his feet. “Come on, Katara.”

He waited a moment and, when she didn’t move to follow, he stalked off toward the opposite end of the ferry. Katara watched him go, torn between following him and staying with Jet. Iroh sent her a kind smile and rose to follow his nephew. Jet gave her shoulder a squeeze, drawing her attention back to him. “So, is the angry guy your boyfriend?”

Flustered, it took a moment for her to answer and she shook her head. “No.”

“That’s good,” he drawled, shifting even closer and lowering his voice to a husky purr. “Pretty girls deserve better.”

He winked again and Katara blushed, shifting uneasily. “He’s had a hard time. He’s not so bad.”

Jet must have sensed her unease because he leaned back and put some space between them. “I can tell. He’s an outcast, like me. We have to watch each other’s backs. Because no one else will.”

“No one?” Katara asked curiously.

His head tilted back and he gazed at the setting sun for a long moment. “The Fire Nation killed my parents. I was only eight years old. That day changed me forever.”

Katara touched the pendant of her necklace, relieved to feel the smooth stone beneath her fingers again. She’d thought the last token she had of her mother was gone forever until Zuko returned it. “I lost my mother to the Fire Nation.”

A warm hand slipped into hers and squeezed gently. She looked up to meet dark, sympathetic eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

They lapsed into silence and Katara wrapped her fingers around the stone, drawing comfort and happy memories of her mother. Jet’s arm slid around her shoulders again, pulling her against his side. Her heart leapt and heat spread across her cheeks. She was thankful the deepening shadows hid her blush. Jet sighed, his voice soft, “I’ve done some things in my past that I’m not proud of, but that’s why I’m going to Ba Sing Se: for a new beginning. A second chance.”

Katara nodded. “Everyone deserves a second chance.”

Zuko returned shortly after sunset holding two bowls and grumbling irritably. He drew up short when he saw Jet. “You’re still here.”

Smellerbee appeared soundlessly at Zuko’s elbow, sneering at the two bowls before saying, “Jet, we’ve found something of interest.”

Jet grinned, lifting Katara’s hand and pressing a quick kiss to the back. “I hate to leave you, but duty calls.”

He met Zuko’s glare with a smirk and a casual wave farewell before he followed Smellerbee. Zuko handed Katara one of the bowls as he took a seat next to her. “Looks like someone zapped him with lightning.”

“Really? I think he’s kind of dashing.” She missed his incredulous stare as she examined the contents of the bowl. “What is this?”

Zuko looked at his own bowl with a grimace. “I don’t know, but I have a feeling I’d rather eat one of those giant bugs in the swamp instead of this.”

Katara laughed then took a cautious sniff, her nose wrinkling. “I think many things would be preferable to whatever this is. It smells like Sokka’s socks.”

Zuko tilted the bowl and watched it ooze towards the side. “Ugh, I think I’ll starve.”

They exchange looks before they both tossed their bowls over the side of the ferry.

Notes:

Recognizable quotes are from "Jet" and "The Serpent's Pass"

Chapter 19: Helping Hands

"It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself."
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Jet reappeared shortly before they docked, grinning and winking at Katara and generally setting Zuko’s teeth on edge. Iroh folded his hands into his sleeves and kept his expression placid while he watched the boy flirt. He merely raised an eyebrow at some of Jet’s lines and then returned to his own musings. Zuko wondered, in passing, how it felt for the older man to return to the city of his greatest military defeat. The same place he saw the death of Lu Ten.

Zuko’s thoughts derailed when Jet leaned over and whispered something to Katara that made her giggle for the third time. Zuko nearly snarled and hissed at his uncle, “Aren’t you going to do something?”

Genuine surprise crossed Iroh’s face and he again glanced at the flirting couple, before he turned to Zuko with raised brows. He took in his nephew’s disgruntled features while he stated, “He is doing nothing wrong and Miss Katara does not appear troubled by his attentions.”

Zuko scowled. “He’s annoying.”

She giggled again and Zuko’s scowl grew fiercer. Iroh’s lips quirked in amusement. “Miss Katara doesn’t think so. You should be friendly to him.”

Zuko ignored his uncle’s significant look and instead huffed, folding his arms and resisting the urge to set the annoying former Freedom Fighter on fire. As satisfying as that would be, it would attract unnecessary attention. Explaining just how the Freedom Fight managed to catch fire would be far too awkward. They were refugees and he doubted the Earth Kingdom guards would allow them into the city if they realized they were firebenders. Even if the firebenders were wanted by the Fire Nation. The reward offered for their whereabouts would see that they were swiftly handed over to bounty hunters. Still, one could dream.

Finally, the ferry gently bumped into the dock and the ramp was lowered. Smellerbee arrived and managed to pull Jet away from Katara’s side, but not before he bestowed one last flourishing kiss to Katara’s hand and a wink. “I’ll be sure to find you. I’d be a fool to let a pretty girl like you get away. Perhaps we can meet up for tea or something some time and catch up.”

Katara blushed, looking pleased. “I’d like that.”

Jet grinned then waved jauntily at Zuko and Iroh before heading down the gangway. Katara watched the Freedom Fighter swagger off, the fond smile on her face made Zuko feel ill. Part of him wanted to chase the guy down and…seriously maim him. A large part of him. He wondered how good the arrogant Freedom Fighter was with those hooked blades he carried. Zuko was sure he could beat the twit in a duel with his dao swords. If he still had them, that is. He had to find new ones soon. And once he did, he’d find out just how cocky that jerk remain. Iroh clapped him on the shoulder, jarring him from his murderous thoughts. “Well, we’d best be off. I want to find a tea shop. My fondest wish is to open a tea shop of my very own, you know. I would name it The Jasmine Dragon.”

Zuko groaned quietly, but followed Iroh and Katara into the city. He kept an eye out for the annoying Freedom Fighter. He told himself it was just because he wanted to be aware of his surroundings and ignored the tight feeling that squeezed his chest when Katara slipped her hand into his to keep from being separated in the crowded streets. She grinned when he turned to look at her, moving closer to his side. He frowned and looked away again without a word, but didn’t release her hand. She sighed, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “You look angry.”

He was. Well, maybe not angry, but — He didn’t know what he was. “I’m not.”

He pointedly ignored her curious gaze, instead searching the milling crowd for his uncle. How the rotund older man was able to slip through a crowd so easily had always baffled Zuko. He lost count of the number of times he’d lost his uncle on various docks and markets, only to find him in front of some gaudy stall buying some hideous item at what he considered a bargain. Any time Zuko would complain about wasting resources, Iroh would launch into some tale or legend about the item or area they had stopped. Stories Zuko, for the most part, ignored.

The streets were filthy; a close press of too many unwashed bodies and an accumulation of waste and discarded food. It was like the refugees stepped off the ferry and moved a few paces into the city before giving up and making a home in doorways and alleys. The stench was nearly enough to turn his stomach and despair hung heavily in the air. Zuko grimaced, pulling Katara along behind him and searching the crowd for his uncle. He spotted the other firebender rounding a corner and hurried after him, keeping a firm hold on Katara.

They followed Iroh several blocks away from the harbor before they finally caught up to him. The streets were mercifully less crowded though no less dirty. At least there was room to breathe and they didn’t have to worry about pickpockets. They finally caught up with Iroh when the older firebender came to a halt in front of one of the shops on the street.

Iroh was standing outside of a decrepit looking teahouse, chatting cheerfully to a sallow, glaring man. One look at him and Zuko wished he had his dao swords. Iroh turned to them, excitement clear on his face and Zuko felt a swell of dread. He recognized that kind of excitement. It usually meant he was going to regret whatever plan was about to unfold. “Lee! This nice man has offered to let us buy his teashop.”

Zuko was sure his expression showed that he was as thrilled about working in a teahouse as he was about the thought of taking another swim in arctic waters. A shiver ran down his spine just at the thought of that. Thankfully, Katara expressed enough enthusiasm for both of them. “That’s great! But,” she hesitated, looking uncertain, “we don’t have that kind of money.”

Iroh didn’t seem at all concerned about that, shrugging cheerfully. “That’s all taken care of.”

Zuko’s groan was ignored by both Iroh and Katara. Yes, Zuko decided, he was about to have the worst experience of his life. He backtracked at that thought. Maybe not the worst experience of his life, but working a teahouse was pretty high on the list. The sallow man sneered at Iroh’s enthusiasm, slapping a crudely written sign on the window next to the door and then stalked off without another word. To Zuko, it appeared the man was relieved to be free of the tiny shop. Iroh called a thank-you after the man before bustling into the rundown building, leaving Zuko and Katara staring at the sign which read:

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT!

That sense of impending doom Zuko had been feeling got worse and he groaned. There was no escaping his fate once he passed through those doors. He knew enough about the tea establishments his uncle frequented to know what awaited him. “This has got to be the worst idea ever.”

Katara looked surprised at his words before she laughed, squeezing his hand and letting go. “That’s saying something. Come on, it can’t be that bad.”

She followed Iroh into the teashop. She ignored him when he called after her, “I’m not wearing an apron!”

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Zuko decided it really was that bad. He should’ve walked away and never looked back.

It took them two weeks to clean the decrepit building and generate enough business to replace the chipped tea services and broken tables and chairs. Iroh insisted on those ridiculously delicate, flowered monstrosities that Zuko always hated when he had to sit with his mother during tea. The noble women always tittered about how beautiful the tea sets were. As a boy he thought they were girlie. That opinion hadn’t changed much in the past few years. Why Iroh couldn’t get a few sets with no pattern on them, Zuko didn’t know. If they had to have a pattern, why not dragons? He could at least hold the delicate thing without feeling embarrassed then.

They managed to eventually replace the table clothes and procure whimsical vases and flowers to create, according to Iroh, a “welcoming and homey atmosphere.” Zuko didn’t see the appeal in it and the disappointed frown from Katara when he said so left him with an uncomfortable feeling.

Zuko had managed to avoid wearing an apron during that time. Katara was able to flit around the tea room with ease, but eventually business picked up and another server was required. His desperate attempts to stay away from the customers failed. He’d been barred from tea preparations after he “ruined” the brews of several orders. Iroh then banned him for all time from any cooking requirements. It wasn’t his fault he couldn’t cook, after all. So it was that he found himself grudgingly tying an apron around his waist and desperately ignoring the grin Katara sent him as she moved from table to table. His one relief was that at least the apron didn’t have any frills.

After three weeks, he was still a grudging participant in living his uncle’s dream and no happier about it. The teahouse was mainly patronized by groups of old ladies — who commented on how cute he was and winked flirtatiously — and awkward first dates. The old ladies made him uncomfortable and the awkward dates gave him second-hand embarrassment. Katara seemed at ease no matter who was at the table. Zuko just wanted to be anywhere except where he was.

The business day was drawing near close and Zuko was anxious to disappear into his tiny room above the teahouse and pretend he was somewhere else. Across the room, Katara was taking an order from a red-faced boy and his awkwardly shifting girlfriend. He would’ve been relieved to be spared that particular table if the one he’d received instead wasn’t so humiliating. Four old ladies twittered among themselves as he tried to recite the day’s specials without stuttering and he could feel his collar burn. They were regulars and always ordered the same thing, but they always wanted to hear the specials. He ignored the quiet snicker from Katara as she passed with a tray for another table.

Several flirtatious remarks later and Zuko escaped with their order, trying to ignore the giggles that followed him and the burning of his ears. He passed the order through the kitchen window and Iroh nudged a tea tray. “Table 3, Lee.”

Zuko glanced at the tray. One cup, one teapot, and a plate with three small cakes. Katara must have taken the order because he didn’t recognize it. He carefully picked up the tray, weaving between the tables to Table 3, gently placing it in front of a brown haired girl, inquiring without looking up, “Can I get you anything else?”

“Hello, Lee.”

Zuko looked up, meeting brown eyes and a shy smile. He almost flinched. He’d been trying to avoid the girl for several days, but it seemed Iroh had decided to meddle. “Uh…hello…Jin.”

She laughed at his stumbling hello, a soft blush appearing on her cheeks. She was always asking questions that made him feel self-conscious and he knew another was about to come. The girl confused him and put him on edge.

“Are you—” she began only to be interrupted by the dramatic entrance of another customer.

“Katara! There you are!”

Zuko grit his teeth, resisting the urge to strangle someone. Jet breezed into the teahouse, collapsing at a table like he owned it. The Freedom Fighter had taken to visiting in the evenings, shamelessly flirting with Katara and winking roguishly at the girls on awkward dates when Katara was absent. His wish to blast the other boy still remained, but they were refugees and firebenders. They had to keep a low profile.

Jet caught his eye, grinning, and he scowled in response. He did not like the other boy and he didn’t care what his uncle said about making friends, he would never like him. Katara came hurrying from the kitchens, untying her apron. She lifted a hand in greeting when she saw Zuko. “I’m going on break; if that’s okay.”

She was settling in next to Jet and reaching to pour them each a cup of tea before he could come up with an appropriate response. It was clear she was on break whether it was okay or not. She didn’t notice when Jet sent him a smirk and wrapped a possessive arm around her shoulders. Zuko’s eyes narrowed and his grip on the empty tray in his hands tightened. Blood rushed in his ears and he wasn’t sure what he would have done if a hand hadn’t touched his arm and jerked him from his violent thoughts. “Lee?”

“What?” he snapped, ripping his gaze from Jet’s smug expression.

Dark eyes searched his face before turning to look across the room at Jet and Katara. The couple’s heads were tilted toward each other and it was obvious Jet was again flirting and telling tall-tales about himself and his Freedom Fighters. A bunch of kids playing war, if you asked Zuko.

“I—” Jin cut herself off with a shake of her head, changing her mind. “You shouldn’t let him get to you.”

He forced himself to take a deep breath before he accidentally set fire to the serving tray. That would create more problems than solve and would be difficult to explain away. He couldn’t resist glowering back at the other table. “He doesn’t get to me.”

Jin’s searching gaze was fixed on Zuko this time. He shifted restlessly when he realized she was looking at him. She sighed, placing her chin in her hand, asking, “Do you like her?”

The question caught him by surprise and he fumbled for an answer for a moment before insisting, “I don’t like him.” Katara laughed at something Jet said, rocking into him with her shoulder. Zuko’s jaw tensed. “And he makes her do that.”

He pointed angrily at the pair, missing the sad look that crossed Jin’s face. Whatever Jet had said couldn’t possibly be that entertaining. Zuko’s mutinous thoughts insisted that she never laughed at anything he said.

“Lee,” Iroh called from the kitchen window.

Zuko stalked back to the kitchen window, taking the tray waiting there. Iroh watched him in concern, glancing at the table where Jet and Katara laughed. When Zuko returned to the window, Iroh smiled and offered, “Perhaps you would like to pick up some ingredients we will need for tomorrow. I can take care of the tables until Miss Katara is back from her break.”

Zuko gave a tight nod and spun on his heel, marching out the door without a glance back. The sun had sunk below the high walls of the city, casting the narrow streets in deep shadow. Zuko ignored the drop in temperature as evening set, wandering through the streets in no particular direction. Irritation simmered just below the surface and he hardly realized he’d forgotten to get the list of things his uncle wanted from the markets before they closed for the night. Most of the shops were already closed anyway, wanting to avoid any possibility of violating curfew.

Eventually, he found an out of the way fountain in a small square and dropped onto the wide ledge, letting his head drop into his hands. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, taking a deep breath. Why he was so annoyed with the former Freedom Fighter, he couldn’t say. Jet was irritating and arrogant, but that wasn’t enough reason for him to hold so much animosity for the guy. It felt similar to the time they’d spent in the Foggy Swamp, but at the same time it felt different. He refused to admit that he felt threatened by the other boy. Zuko snorted. It was ridiculous to even think it. Jet wasn’t the first man — boy — to flirt with Katara and Zuko doubted he would be the last.

Zuko let his hands drop, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck and trying to ease the tension that had built up over the past weeks. His eyes narrowed at his shoes. No, Jet was an annoyance and he’d eventually leave. He’d just have to convince Katara that it was better for her to stay with him and forget about the former Freedom Fighter. After all, she’d had plenty of other opportunities to leave him in the past and she hadn’t. He ignored the warmth that thought gave him.

The low sound of a horn blowing announced curfew and Zuko sat up, suddenly realizing how late it had gotten. He wondered if Katara had even noticed his absence. Iroh was probably worried he hadn’t returned yet. The night patrols started shortly after sundown and they weren’t exactly pleasant to run into. Curfew was strict in the lower ring of the city and too many run-ins would get you put on the watch list. He rose to find his way back to the teahouse when a notice board caught his attention and he found himself approaching it curiously. He stopped in front of the board, his eyes adjusting to the dim light. At first, nothing of interest was apparent and then he saw it. Zuko glared at the poster. Well, there were actually three posters that caught his attention, but the one he was glaring at had a crude rendering of himself as he was when he had a ship and a crew. Before his life went up in smoke. He frowned. Well, even more up in smoke. The other two posters were of his uncle and the Blue Spirit. He scoffed at that last poster. They’d never find the Blue Spirit. No, his glare was reserved for the wanted poster of himself. They were offering a reward for his capture. Him! Prince of the Fire Nation and heir-apparent! They were treating him like some kind of criminal.

His shoulders slumped, the indignation draining out of him. He was only fooling himself. Azula had more claim to the throne than he did. She was the prodigy after all and she hadn’t been exiled. She didn’t shame her family by merely breathing. Father loved her best. Annoyed, he ripped the posters of himself and Iroh off the board and crumpled them into tight balls. He nearly set them aflame before a voice spoke from the darkness behind him, “Yeah, I hate them too.”

Zuko groaned silently. He recognized that sneering tone. His night just kept getting better. “What do you want, Jet?”

The other boy seemed to melt out of the shadows, eyes narrowed suspiciously at Zuko. They never really spoke, each content to antagonize each other from across the tearoom. Still, Zuko wasn’t used to the wary, scrutinizing look Jet was giving him. “There’s something familiar about you and that old man. I know I’ve seen you somewhere before.”

“Weren’t you with Katara?” Zuko sneered, ignoring the twisting in his gut at the reminder.

Jet shrugged, waving a careless hand. “She’s angry with me.”

Zuko turned to stare at him. Katara was rarely actually angry with someone without good reason. The thought made his fists clench around the crumpled posters and his hands warmed. “What did you do to her?”

“Relax, man,” he drawled. “It’ll blow over. It’s not important. What I want to know is how you got that scar.”

Zuko resisted the reflex to cover the burn scar and turned away, saying flatly, “How do you think I got it? From a firebender.”

He did not want to talk about it. Jet didn’t seem to care about his invasive questions, instead circling Zuko to get another look. “Looks like a pretty personal wound.”

Zuko snarled, debating the wisdom of punching the cocky Freedom Fighter when the boy made a sound of amusement. “Looks like the Avatar has run into a bit of trouble.”

Zuko turned his attention back to the notice board, taking in the other posters that crowded together in the tight space. Now that he wasn’t glaring hatefully at his own wanted poster he could see the others; notices of events, announcements, and lost and found posters overlapped each other. The one on top looked the newest and most poorly written. The poster read:

LOST: SKY BISON

IF FOUND, PLEASE CONTACT AVATAR AANG.

Accompanying the description of what a sky bison actually looked like was a crude drawing of what appeared to be a pickle with six sticks protruding from its sides. Zuko felt his heart skip a beat. The Avatar must be somewhere in the city if they were looking for the sky bison here. His redemption was so close. Jet gave another grunt of amusement before turning away from the poster to peer at Zuko again. “I’ll be keeping an eye on you and the old man.”

Zuko scowled. That did not sound like a friendly offer. “Why?”

“Don’t want any firebenders here, if you catch my meaning, and you two are suspicious. Katara may think you’re harmless. You can fool her, but you can’t fool me. We can win this war without the help of the Avatar. Kid needs to stay out of our way.”

“Got something against the Avatar?”

Jet gave the poster a dark look. “Yeah. He and that Water Tribe nobody friend of his betrayed my Freedom Fighters. He’s the reason I’m hiding in this disgusting place. He’s a coward.”

Jet seemed to shake himself and he gave Zuko another narrow-eyed, suspicious look. “Remember what I said. If you’re a firebender, your days are numbered.”

The boy skulked off into the deepening shadows in the opposite direction of the teahouse and Zuko pushed Jet from his mind. Katara was upset and Iroh was probably thinking about sending out a search party for him. He gave the missing sky bison poster another lingering look before he slipped down the streets, heading back to the teahouse. He’d given up his search for the Avatar. Returning to that path would do him no good now. Hushed voices alerted him that people were approaching and he ducked into a dark doorway, holding his breath. The patrols were starting and he was still a distance from the teahouse. Two Earth Kingdom guards passed and Zuko just caught their words as they rounded the corner.

“—the Avatar’s sky bison?”

“Do you question the orders of Long Feng?”

The first guard flinched back, stuttering, “No! Of course — of course not. It’s just…the beast can’t stay in Lake Laogai forever. Avatar Aang is growing restless.”

“Long Feng can handle a twelve-year-old kid; even if he is the Avatar.”

They passed his hiding spot and Zuko shifted to watch them. At the cross streets, they took different paths. He hesitated. He had no plans to search for the Avatar’s missing pets. It was none of his business and he had given up seeking his father’s approval after the last disastrous encounter with his sister. Katara’s smile flashed through her mind and, without realizing he’d come to a decision, he slipped out of the doorway and followed one of the guards.

Locating the guard was nearly one of the easiest things he’d ever done. The city’s refusal to acknowledge the war in any way had allowed for a sense of complacency to settle on the city’s defenders. The guard was clearly expecting trouble to come from the ground and with the curfew, there was not a single soul outdoors. Still, Zuko knew he was at a disadvantage. He was unarmed. Firebending would send out an alert beacon to any other patrol in the area and he wasn’t sure if the guard could earthbend. He would have to take the guard by surprise. An ambush. The guard turned suddenly and Zuko quickly ducked around a corner.

“Show yourself!”

Zuko pulled himself over the edge of the roof just as the guard turned the corner. He crouched low, watching the guard’s progress down the street. The guard advanced slowly, hands up and ready to strike with earthbending. That answered the question about his fighting abilities. The guard moved cautiously down the street, warily peering into the deep shadows. Zuko followed his progress from the rooftops, moving slightly ahead of the guard and preparing the ambush. The firebender breathed slowly, counting down until the guard reached the point Zuko would drop on him. He was pleased to see the guard was armed with a sword strapped across his back.

The guard’s movements were slow, but eventually he slowed to a halt under Zuko. Zuko dropped from the roof, pulling the swords from the guard’s sheath and spinning the stunned man to press the blades against his throat before the man could raise a cry of alarm. Zuko was grateful for the darkness of the streets as it hid his face. He half wished he’d brought his mask that was safely tucked deep inside his bag back at the teashop; keeping his identity hidden would have been so much easier. Taking a breath to calm his breathing, he demanded, “Where’s the sky bison.”

“I-I don’t know.”

Zuko’s snort of contempt startled the man. “I don’t believe that. Try again.”

The guard twitched, craning his neck in an attempt to look behind him, but Zuko was too close. Apparently they weren’t trained in hand-to-hand combat. Fools. The guard gulped. “And if I don’t tell you?”

“Your loss. One of you will tell me what I want to know.” Zuko felt the guard tense and he pressed the blades closer, hissing, “Bend and it’ll be the last thing you do.”

The guard stilled immediately when he felt the sharp blade at his throat. “I don’t know why you would want to know.”

Zuko recognized the stall tactic and grit his teeth, annoyed. “You’re running short on time.”

“You’re bluffing.”

“Do you want to test me? It’ll be your head.”

A tense moment passed before the guard sighed. “Fine. Follow me.”

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The guard led Zuko through a maze of streets to a small door, cleverly hidden and easily overlooked that opened to a set of stairs that led to a labyrinth beneath the city. He prodded his captive down the stairs, not wanting to give him free reign to alert his friends of a security breach. Zuko left the guard, bound and unconscious, in a conveniently located storage closet once he got directions through the Lake Laogai compound. He'd taken the dao swords and their sheath when he left the guard, comforted by their familiar weight against his back. On stealthy feet, Zuko moved down the wide corridors, impressed at the sheer size of the place. The ceilings rose high overhead and disappeared into darkness above him. The whole place had a damp feel to it and he wondered if the compound really had an underground lake somewhere within the maze of corridors and vast rooms.

A low murmur of voices alerted him that he wasn't the only one in the compound. It didn't sound like they were heading in his direction, but Zuko loosened the swords in their sheath to be prepared. Eventually, the voices moved away and Zuko continued his winding path through the corridors. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief when he finally found himself outside a set of large double doors. The eerie green light made his skin crawl and he didn't want to stay any longer than he had to. He scouted out the immediate area around the room for any guards standing watch over the room before he pushed the door open just wide enough for him to slip through.

Zuko turned and his breath caught. He'd always known the sky bison was big, but he'd never really seen it this close before. It was huge. Large brown eyes stared at him from beneath shaggy, dingy white fur assessing his sudden appearance. It seemed more intelligent than he'd ever given it credit. Zuko took a step back when a rumbling groan warned him to be careful in approaching the large mammal.

"Not who you were expecting," he said with more bravado than he felt.

A hot snort washed over him as Zuko cautiously approached, hand out to pat the sky bison. The rumbling groan increased to a dull roar and Zuko froze, warily eying the bison. A tense moment passed as the sky bison sniffed him. To his surprise, the roar subsided with what could only be a happy mumble and the sky bison settled down, inching closer. A giddy feeling settled over him and Zuko let his hand rest on the sky bison's snout before reaching to let his fingers stroke through the thick fur. The fur warmed his hands after the chill of the damp corridors and he allowed several moments just to stroke the silky strands. It was like petting a giant…sky bison. Voices outside the chamber jerked him back to the present situation. This was no time to be petting animals and getting lost in silly thoughts. The guards moved on and Zuko gave the sky bison one last pat before stepping back. "What do you say to getting out of here?"

As soon as he asked the question, he felt ridiculous. The animal was not going to answer him. The bison groaned, shifting on his many feet and Zuko heard the clink of chains. He moved around the side of the large animal, walking slowly to avoid startling him. The sky bison was chained to the floor with manacles around four of its six legs. A quick examination of the nearest manacle didn't reveal any immediate weak points and he pulled a sword, wondering if he'd be able to shatter the chains. They were considerably thicker than the chains at the Yuyan Archer's fortress. The timber of the bison's rumbling groans changed, giving Zuko a second to realize he was about to be discovered, before the bison dropped to a low crouch. A guard entered the chamber, another several steps behind him, arms loaded with weak looking vegetables. Zuko ducked against the sky bison's side, grateful that the bulky fur hid him from view. As long as the guards didn't circle the bison, he'd remain unseen. The guards dropped the vegetables just out of the bison's reach, sneering, "There you go, you mangy beast. Long Feng should just chop you up and sell your parts. He could make a fortune. I know a good dealer—"

The bison lunged against its chains, releasing an earth-trembling roar that had the two earthbenders stumbling backward. The manacles groaned with the bison's pulling. Clearly it wasn't the first time the bison had pulled at the chains and Zuko could see them weakening at the bolts. The commotion was distracting the guards and Zuko darted out, drawing the dao swords and shattering the weakened links. The bison's angry roar covered the sounds of shattering chain as Zuko moved from manacle to manacle. The guards were shouting to make each other heard over the echoing noise. Zuko broke the last chain just as the bison was drawing in another breath.

"—told you not to antagonize—hey!"

He'd been spotted. Zuko swore, scrambling back to the bison's side, grateful when the large animal lowered its head to allow him to pull himself onto the bison's back. The two guards were advancing and alarms were already sounding out in the corridor. The large room shuddered and Zuko had a feeling more earthbenders were on their way.

"Drop your weapons and get off the bison!"

"You're surrounded. There's no escape."

Green clad guards were already blocking the door and assuming bending stances. Earth manacles flew at him from one of the guards and Zuko ducked, shattering them with one of his swords. He crouched low to the bison's head, hissing, "Get us out of here, you furry monster."

The bison tossed his head with an offended grumble and Zuko had to grab a horn to keep from being tossed off, missing another earth manacle. "Okay! Okay."

Muscles tensing in the bison's neck was the only warning Zuko had before the bison surged forward with a roar, bowling over the earthbenders. The guards scattered, most dropping to the floor to avoid the large bison. Zuko clung to the bison, hoping it knew where it was going.

Chapter 20: Emotions

"The purpose of life is not to be happy—but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all."

– Leo Rosten

Katara was angry. Iroh ushered her into the kitchens shortly after she kicked Jet out of the teahouse while the remaining patrons' teacups almost exploded with her temper. Iroh disappeared back to his customers after giving Katara stern orders to remain in the kitchen until she cooled down, reassuring them that they had nothing to fear and promising a free order of teacakes for their troubles. Now she was furiously washing dishes, glowering angrily into the soapy water as she worked. That—that jerk. The water sloshed over the side of the washtub, splashing onto the floor and wetting her shoes. She ignored the mess. She'd been flattered that an attractive guy would notice her. That he would want to talk to her. He complimented her, identified with her, sympathized with her…and he was willing to kill hundreds of innocents for no reason! She knew better than to accept shallow flattery yet she still fell to Jet's charms.

Her knuckles whitened as her fist tightened around the washrag. And the worst part of it all, she could remember Zuko's betrayed expression before he quickly covered it in a sneer and turned away. So many times she'd seen that emotion swiftly buried—the Foggy Swamp, the boy Lee's rejection, and most recently with Yun. And now she'd put it there. She should've recognized it.

Katara threw the rag down, pressing damp hands to her eyes and taking a deep, quivering breath. She needed to calm down. Zuko would return. Iroh said he would, but it was getting late. Curfew was well past and worry was beginning to set in. If the guards knew just who Zuko was—She banished the thought, focusing on another calming breath. Her anger at Jet let her focus on something other than Zuko's absence. Jet was nothing more than a terrorist, tormenting people unable to defend themselves. Her brother saved a village of Fire Nation civilians. A bubble of pride rose in her, tinged with homesickness. It'd been so long since she'd seen any of her family. She wondered if they knew she was still alive or if they thought her dead.

She dropped her hands to the rim of the washtub, staring past the walls of the teahouse. She hadn't heard any news of her brother or Aang in months. She hadn't heard from her father in nearly a year. Maybe even longer. Iroh bustled into the kitchen with the last of the teacups and saucers, saying, "That's the last of them, Miss Katara. After this, we can brew our own pot of tea and relax. I bet we still have some of those delicious biscuits we," he paused, looking at her carefully. "Is something wrong?"

She blinked, shaking her head and quickly washing the remaining dishes. "It's nothing. I was just thinking about my family."

"You will see them again some day."

Together they dried the remaining dishes and put them away. Iroh prepared a tea service, setting it on the small table in the kitchen along with a plate of teacakes and biscuits. He settled down with a sigh, pouring a cup for each of them. Katara looked lingeringly at the back door before joining Iroh at the table. She noticed that Iroh's gaze lingered on the door, but said nothing about his preoccupation. Finally, Iroh cleared his throat, drawing her attention. "I saw you had an argument with your young man."

A flush of shame rose on her cheeks that even Iroh had been aware of her focused attention on Jet. She avoided his gaze. "I—He calls himself a Freedom Fighter."

"Yes," Iroh acknowledge, "he told us of the…former use of his time on the ferry."

She shifted restlessly. "He attacked civilians."

The former general's features tightened. "There are many types of warriors, Miss Katara. I dare say, the Fire Nation does not use its soldiers just against opposing armies. You know that."

She pulled a face. She had firsthand experience with the Fire Nation's brutal war tactics, both past and more recently. "Zuko didn't do that."

"My nephew is not a soldier and I believe you are a civilian."

Katara's jaw clenched. She had been a civilian when she first met Zuko, but she couldn't really say Zuko had attacked her village. He'd defended himself when Sokka attacked, demanded and threatened everyone, engaged in a brief duel with Aang and then left. He could have easily wiped out the remaining villagers since the village contained mostly women and children. Then she left to rescue Aang and her life changed. "Not anymore."

Iroh nodded and each fell into silence. Katara found herself gazing at the backdoor more often than not. She knew she was likely worrying for nothing and Zuko was perfectly all right. Despite Iroh's reassuring words, she still caught the older man watching the door as well. Somewhere out on the streets, a dog barked and Iroh stirred, setting his teacup down and pushing back from the table. "This old man needs his rest."

He paused at the stairs to the living area above the shop, turning to look back at her. "He'll return when he's ready. You should get some sleep."

At her nod, he continued up the stairs and Katara heard the door to his room slid open and closed. She snuffed the candles throughout the teahouse, leaving the one burning on the table in the kitchen. She dropped to the chair, determined to keep vigil until Zuko returned.

Katara jerked awake at the soft scuff of shoes outside the backdoor, muscles tensing in case of attack. Habits from sleeping outdoors were hard to break. She waited in tense silence as the door slowly opened and a thin figure slipped through, closing door quietly. A soft sigh reached her ears and Zuko turned, running a tired hand over his hair. Katara stood, her eyes narrowing furiously. The motion startled the firebender, as he obviously thought he was alone, and he stumbled backward, eyes wide. Hands fisted on her hips, Katara demanded, "Where have you been?"

He glanced around the room, looking bewildered, his mouth working soundlessly for a moment before he began, "I—"

Katara made a derisively sound and a sharp hand movement that made Zuko snap his mouth shut. "You just left. Without a word. What if something happened?"

He blinked and Katara could see the dark circles under his eyes. She knew only his exhaustion kept him from exploding in a rage. His hand dropped from the hilt over his shoulder and he passed his hand over his face. "Uncle knew I was…going for a walk."

The excuse sounded weak to both of them and Zuko winced. It was close to dawn now. Katara ground her teeth, trying to surprise the rush of relief and worry that was trying to escape as fury. "That was last night, Zuko! People have been disappearing from the streets. I thought—"

She snapped her mouth shut, breathing rapidly, forcing herself to calm before she did or said something she'd later regret. Zuko stood against the door, watching her warily. She could just imagine what she looked like, sleep rumpled and hair standing on end. Anger drained away and, to her horror, she could feel her eyes burn with tears. "I thought you left."

Her voice cracked and she sniffled, hurriedly wiping away a tear. Zuko cautiously moved closer, timidly reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder. "I got a little distracted. I'm fine."

Katara stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his waist and holding tight, ignoring his immediate flinch. He shifted awkwardly at first, giving her a hesitant pat on her back, before he relaxed and wrapped his arms loosely around her. She sniffled, speaking into his chest, "Where were you?"

She felt him tense and his heart skip a beat. She lifted her head, another question on the tip of her tongue, when a clatter on the stairs startled them. They jerked apart, a blush staining both their cheeks, as Iroh entered the kitchen, yawning and stretching. A relieved smile crossed his face when he caught sight of Zuko. "I am glad to see you've returned, my boy. How was your walk?"

Zuko shuffled awkwardly and avoided Katara's curious gaze. "It was fine."

"Well, go on. Rest up. Miss Katara will watch the tables."

Katara sent him a look that promised his absence would be questioned once she managed to catch him alone and Zuko slipped past her and up the stairs to their quarters. Katara watched him until he turned a corner out of sight then turned and met Iroh's curious look.

"You're not going to ask where he was all night?" she demanded.

"Zuko is a healthy young man with wants and desires," Iroh said blandly. "If he chooses to spend the evening in fairer company, I will not press for details."

At her horrified expression, he lifted an eyebrow. "If you are not prepared for the answers, Miss Katara, you should not ask the questions."

She scowled at him and marched into the front room to set up tables and unlock the front doors. She knew Iroh was right, but that didn't mean she had to like it. It wasn't even that she believed Zuko had spent the night with…another woman. Not really, at least. It was probably her old fear of abandonment that demanded an explanation for Zuko's absence. When she returned to the kitchen to put her apron on, Iroh wordlessly handed her a steaming cup of tea. Tension she wasn't aware was in her shoulders drained from her as she breathed in the steam. Iroh sipped his own cup, finally speaking when he saw her relax, "Sleep is essential to the healthy mind."

"Weren't you worried?"

A moment passed as Iroh sipped at his tea. Finally, he sighed. "I worry about many things, Miss Katara. My nephew has been my chief worry for many years."

The bell over the front door rang jauntily and Katara put her cup on the counter, pasting a smile on her face as she left the kitchen with a cheerful, "Good morning!"

Her smile dropped as soon as she saw the young man standing in the open door, a cocky grin on his face.

"Morning, Katara," he drawled.

She folded her arms, speaking coldly, "I told you I never wanted to see you again."

Jet rolled his eyes, stepping toward her. "Really, Katara—"

"No!" she cut him off. "Just…just leave, Jet."

He put his hands on her arms, attempting to draw her into a hug. "Don't be like that, Katara. You don't meant it."

She yanked herself out of his arms. "Get out."

Jet's arms dropped to his sides and his eyes narrowed angrily, demanding, "What's with you? What are you hiding?"

"Nothing! I'm hiding nothing. I explained to you last night that I never wanted to see you again. I made myself quite clear."

A clatter on the stairs announced another arrival was soon to appear and Zuko burst out of the kitchen, eyes narrowing on Jet. "What do you want?"

"You're not part of this."

Katara stepped between them, stopping Zuko from advancing further into the room. "I asked you to leave, Jet."

"If you're hiding firebenders—"

Katara folded her arms, ignoring the near silent growl from Zuko. "You aren't continuing your crusade here, Jet. Lee and Mushu are not your enemies."

Tension grew thick around them as Jet stared at Katara through narrowed eyes. Finally, Jet backed down, sending Zuko a black look. "Remember what I said, Lee."

He swept from the teahouse, slamming the door behind him. Katara turned to Zuko, asking, "What did that mean?"

"I saw Jet after he left the teahouse last night. He made some threatening insinuations."

She nodded, accepting his answer. "He's paranoid. He's got no proof. Just be careful, all right?"

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Katara's feet were aching and her head was pounding by the end of the day. Lack of sleep the night before and worry about Zuko's whereabouts combined with a steady flow of customers left here feeling drained. She glanced across the room to where Zuko was less than patiently listening to several old ladies. She could see the droop in his shoulders attesting to his own fatigue and she wondered if he would finally tell her what was on his mind and causing such an obvious distraction. One of the ladies reach up and pinched Zuko's cheek, making the firebender jerk backward in surprise. The ladies twittered as Zuko stalked away, cheeks red not just from the pinch. Katara smiled at her table as she cleared the emptied tea service and turned to drop the dishes off in the kitchen. She passed Zuko in the door. "Lee?"

He turned to look at her, affecting a grimace when he caught her worried expression. His brow furrowed and he looked from her to the room beyond, muttering, "Later."

Iroh's call for closing came with relieved sighs from both Katara and Zuko. A flurry of activity followed the last call as customers ordered last minute cups of tea and cakes. By the time the last customer was ushered out the door, Katara had wanted to smash her tray over several far too flirty young men and Zuko's feet were dragging even more than they'd been previously. The door finally closed and locked behind the last customer—one of Zuko's regulars that always invited him back to her place for a nightcap knowing he'd have to stay due to curfew laws—and they turned their attention to clearing tables. They worked in comfortable silence for a while until Zuko darted a quick look toward the kitchens, speaking lowly, "The Avatar is here."

His words caught her by surprise and her fingers trembled. She had been expecting to hear he'd spent the night with someone or something she would have found equally heart-rending. She'd spent the entire day preparing herself for it and nearly convinced herself she didn't care. The relief was heady and she almost forgot what he'd told her. She would untangle her emotions later in the privacy of her bed. Already she could feel Zuko's curious gaze on her. She quickly put the delicate teacups down, her heart in her throat as she whispered, "My brother?"

He frowned. "I…did not see the Water Tribe boy."

She moved automatically, picking up plates and teacups as she let his news settle. She was so close to seeing her brother again. She bit her lip, chewing it thoughtfully. He had to be safe and alive. There hadn't been any word that any of the Avatar's companions had been captured or killed. Telling herself to stop worrying, she said with more confidence than she felt, "If Aang is here, Sokka must be. Where are they?"

"They're probably staying in the Upper Ring."

That was true. Even if the city of Ba Sing Se was determined to remain out of the war, they would still make sure the Avatar and any of his companions would be placed in a comfortable location. Even so, the city still set her on edge and she knew Zuko was just as uncomfortable. She wondered if Aang had learned to firebend yet. Excitement flooded her and she turned to the firebender, exclaiming, "Zuko, now's your chance!"

She grabbed his arm, making him jostle the loaded tray. Her excitement startled him and he yelped, trying to keep from dropping the dishes. "W-what?"

"To teach Aang firebending!" she said. It was so obvious! How could she have not thought of that before now?

Zuko stared at her as if she'd lost her mind and he set the tray down with a thud. "Are you insane?" he demanded. "I'd be betraying my family, my county—I'd be executed for even thinking of it! I can't betray—"

She caught his arm, halting his agitated pacing, and gently cupped his cheeks in her hands, drawing his eyes to meet hers. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment. Finally, Katara spoke softly, "Zuko. How many times must your nation turn its back on you before you realize it never deserved your loyalty?"

He flinched at her words and she could see the internal conflict in his eyes. "But…"

He trailed off uncertainly, drawing a quivering breath. Katara smiled gently, absently stroking his cheeks with her thumbs. "Loyalty is a noble thing, Zuko, but is your loyalty misplaced? Is your father deserving of your devotion?"

"It's my home, Katara," his voice came out in a plaintive whine. "Do you expect me to be able to attack my own home?"

"Your people are dying, Zuko. You can save them."

She let her hands drop away from him, watching as he ran a hand through his hair and he sighed. "This isn't easy for me."

"I know, but you must choose. I can't make that decision for you. Joining the winning side is the easy way out."

He frowned at her. Katara merely smiled back. She was used to his frowns and sneers and had long ago learned to discard the vast majority of them. He wasn't truly upset with her anyway. She picked up the tray of dirty dishes and carried them to the kitchen to give Zuko time to think things through. She knew it was a difficult decision to make and she didn't want to put too much pressure on him in case he decided to push back. Iroh smiled when she put the tray next to the washtub. "Is my nephew giving you a hard time, Miss Katara?"

She studied him a moment before she shrugged, deciding he must have heard their raised voices. "Not at all."

"Well, as soon as these are washed and dried I'll leave you two alone. Don't get into too much mischief."

Katara felt her cheeks heat and she rolled her eyes. It seemed no matter how many times she heard Iroh's subtle and not-so-subtle hints she would never be able to keep from blushing. The man really needed a better pastime than Pai Sho, tea, and speculating on his nephew's love life. "If you're tired, I can finish up."

"If you don't mind, I'm getting far too old to stay up so late. It's better to let younger bodies do the hard work."

He groaned, rubbing his lower back for good measure. Katara didn't buy it for a second, but shooed him out of the kitchen nevertheless. He walked across the kitchen with an exaggerated shuffle, pausing at the door to call a faux weary goodnight to Zuko before limping up the stairs. Zuko entered the kitchen with the last of the dirty dishes to watch Iroh's exit with a resigned expression on his face. He shook his head and dropped the rest of the dishes next to Katara. "Uncle always was one for dramatics."

Katara laughed softly in agreement as she turned to the washtub. "Would you like to dry?"

"Better not. Uncle says the glazing is delicate."

She laughed again and they traded places, Zuko washing and Katara drying. Katara watched him from the corner of her eye as she dried, carefully stacking the dishes to the side to put them away later. Zuko appeared lost in thought, his hands deep in the soapy water, his movements mechanical. When he handed her the last dish to dry and wiped his own hands he turned to her, his expression speculative as he began, "Okay, so say I join the Avatar. What am I supposed to say?"

He didn't wait for her answer, continuing, gesturing with his hands and pacing as he spoke, "Am I just supposed to say, 'Hello…Zuko here, but I guess you probably already know me. Sort of. Uhh…so, the thing is I have a lot of firebending experience, and I'm considered to be pretty good at it. Well, you've seen it, you know, when I was attacking you? Uhh…yeah, I guess I should apologize for that. But anyway, I'm good now. I mean, I thought I was good before, but I realize I was bad, but anyway, I think it's time I joined your group and taught the Avatar firebending.'"

He came to a halt in front of her, looking at her expectantly. Katara stared at him in surprise before an incredulous giggle escaped her. Zuko's expression fell and he looked away, grumbling, "Yeah, that's what I'd say too."

With some effort, Katara swallowed her giggles and cleared her throat. Once she was sure she had herself under control, she said, "Come on, you weren't that bad."

Zuko rolled his eyes, crossing his arms, his expression mulish. "Says you. You weren't there."

She grunted. He seemed determined to believe the worst of himself. It was true she had no idea what he did before he found her, but she hoped he realized he had grown since then. She, at least, believed he'd changed and grown even if he didn't see it. "You rescued me."

His expression tightened and he refused to meet her eyes. "Uncle made me do that."

This time she rolled her eyes. "I don't remember your uncle being there."

"Oh, he was there all right," he muttered darkly, scowling at his memory.

"Zuko!" she laughed, surprised. "Are you telling me your conscience sounds like Uncle Iroh?"

He glared at her, mouth thinning. She shrugged carelessly, hoping what she said next would placate his wounded pride. "Well, mine sounds like my Gran-Gran. But still, even if it sounded like Uncle Iroh, it was your choice. Besides, you taught me waterbending and I doubt your uncle told you to do that."

His expression didn't change, but he shifted his glare to a pointed over her shoulder. She waited while he mulled over his thoughts. In a shorter time than she expected, he gave a resigned sigh. "Fine. I'll teach the Avatar firebending."

Unable to stop herself, she threw her arms around him, squeezing him in a tight hug, her eyes burning with tears. "Thank you."

She had pinned his arms to his side so he could only shrug, muttering under his breath. Her head tilted up to look him in the face. She contemplated his features for a moment, ignoring his self-conscious shifting. "You never did explain how you knew Aang is here."

To her surprise, his face flushed and he cleared his throat awkwardly. She stepped back to give him some space and he gradually confessed, "I saw the sky bison."

Katara blinked, processing that information. "I haven't heard any rumors of the Avatar being in town."

"It's…complicated."

She searched his eyes, sensing he wasn't telling her something and he appeared unwilling to talk about it. "How are we going to find Aang before he leaves?"

"We'll think of something."

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

It had been two days since Zuko told her Aang was in town and so far neither of them had developed a reasonable plan to seek out the Avatar. The gates into the Upper Ring were guarded and the walls were far too high for either of them to climb with any success. Iroh seemed to regard both of them with more intensity than he usually did and Katara sensed he was up to something, though he brushed aside her inquiries with a laugh and the occasional obscure proverb that left her more flummoxed than before. Zuko knew no more than she did and seemed determined to avoid his uncle's interest.

The bell over the door rang and an old woman stepped through, glancing around the tearoom with an appraising look. Katara turned toward the door, saying cheerfully, "Good morning! Welcome to The Jasmine Dragon."

The woman turned to her, her gazing sweeping over Katara with the same appraising look she'd given the room. "Good morning. You must be Katara."

Katara maintained her smile despite her surprise. "Yes, ma'am."

Katara heard the kitchen doors swing open and Zuko's voice addressing a table as he placed a tea set down. The woman's gaze shifted from Katara to Zuko, contemplating the firebender for a moment before redirecting her attention back to Katara. "I believe I will stay for a cup of tea and perhaps an order of teacakes."

"Of course," Katara responded automatically, leading her to an empty table. "This way, please."

Katara led her to a small table tucked into a quiet back corner of the room, taking her order for jasmine tea and teacakes. When Katara turned to take the order to the kitchen, the woman spoke up, "Please let Mushu know I am here, if you will, Miss Katara."

Instead of going to the small window, Katara passed through the kitchen doors. Iroh welcomed her with a smile. "Good morning, Miss Katara."

She reached for a teapot, saying, "There is a customer asking for you, Uncle."

He didn't appear surprised and, with a polite thank you, exited the kitchen. Katara quickly set up the tray and carried out to the table. Iroh and the woman appeared to be in serious conversation that they paused when Katara approached and set the tray on the table, pouring the woman the first cup of tea and asked if she required anything else. Assured that everything was fine, Katara moved to check on the other tables before retreating to the kitchens to cover Iroh's position. Katara cleaned the space until Zuko's surprised exclamation made her look up. "Why do you get to work in the kitchen?"

Katara gave him a smug grin, setting up a tray and passing it to him. "Because I haven't ruined any brews."

"That's not fair."

She clicked her tongue, looking around him at the occupied tables. "Your customers are waiting, Lee."

He snatched up the tray with a murderous glare. "We're trading."

"I don't think Uncle would appreciate the disgruntled customers if we served substandard tea. Besides, the ladies love you."

She watched as he stalked away, his ears red, and she laughed quietly. He was so easy to rile. The bell rang above the door and Katara could see Zuko's dread as four old ladies bustled through the door. She recognized them immediately and she could almost hear Zuko's despairing groan. The ladies spotted him, wide smiles spreading across their faces and they quickly settled down at table. Katara grinned, never having had the opportunity to watch Zuko interact with this group of regulars. He seemed to drag himself to their table with a resigned expression. "Welcome to The Jasmine Dragon, I am your server Lee—"

He was interrupted by a giggle and a playful swat. "Oh, Lee. We know who you are."

A clatter and a gasp drew his attention to one of the ladies. Her smile was sheepish but both Zuko and Katara caught the flirtatious flutter of her eyes as she gasped, "Oh, dear! I dropped my chopsticks. Do you think you could get them for me?"

Zuko's back straightened, his jaw tensing at their muffled giggles. Katara muffled a snicker at their obvious ploy. To Zuko's credit, he didn't attempt to retrieve the dropped chopsticks, saying flatly, "I'll be sure to bring you a clean pair."

The ladies sighed in disappointment but quickly recovered. Zuko spoke before the ladies could say another further, "Our specials for the day are—"

"Oh," the lady closest to Zuko fluttered, "are you on the menu?"

Zuko's neck reddened and he apparently decided to make a hasty retreat. "I'll bring your usual."

He hurried away, ignoring their groans of disappointment. Instead of stopping at the window to pass the order through, he retreated into the kitchen and dropped into at chair at the small table with a sigh. Katara fixed a pot, setting up the teacakes on a plate, then left the tea to brew before approaching Zuko to ruffle his hair. "Are they always like that?"

"Yes."

Katara carded her fingers through his hair in a soothing manner. "I'll take the tray out. You can hide in here for a few minutes."

He gave a grunt of acknowledgement and let his head fall to the table, muttering, "Don't forget the chopsticks."

Knowing the tea was ready, she moved back to the tray to deliver it to the table. The ladies were eagerly watching the kitchen door and their disappointment was tangible when they saw Katara exit with their tray. She poured each of the women their first cup of tea, commenting, "Excellent choice. The Jasmine Dragon is well known for the best jasmine tea in the Lower Ring."

The women watched her with a distinctly unfriendly eye which she ignored as she set the teapot back in the middle of the table with a flourish and stepped back. "Is there anything I can get for you?"

"Where's Lee?"

Katara didn't let the question faze her. "Lee had to take care of things in the kitchen for me. In the meantime, he's asked me to make sure you have everything you might need."

They subsided with put-upon grumbles and Katara left them with a smile to check on the other tables. The bell over the door rang and Katara turned with a cheerful greeting that died on her lips when she saw who it was. Jet was back. She folded her arms as the former Freedom Fighter approached her. "What do you want?"

Jet paused, clearly surprised by her cold greeting. "You're not still angry, are you?"

"What do you think?"

"You aren't serious. It's been two days."

Katara snorted. "It's going to be longer."

They stared at each other until Jet scoffed, "I can't believe you. I did some asking around. I know what that ring means."

Katara scowled, tucking her hand out of sight. "You don't know anything. It's none of your business either."

Jet's eyes narrowed and Katara just knew she'd have more difficulty throwing him out of the teahouse this time.

Chapter 21: The Game

“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.”
— Albert Einstein 

Zuko let the tension drain out of him, concentrating on his meditation breathing. Katara hadn’t returned yet from taking the Creepy Old Ladies’ order and there were no other orders to fulfill so he didn’t feel the need to do anything except sit at the table and try to rid his imagination of C.O.L. flirtation. Yes, his meditation exercises allowed him to push the disturbing thoughts aside. He’d thought Uncle was bad. He was thankful when the kitchen door swung open as his uncle’s love-life was not something Zuko wanted to spend any length of time contemplating. He glanced up, hoping it was Katara and was disappointed when Iroh strolled in. Iroh’s eyes landed on him and a wide smile spread across his weathered face. “Lee! You’re needed at Table 7!” 

Zuko eyed the other man warily. That kind of smile usually meant he was bound to encounter a situation he could’ve gone his whole life without experiencing. Iroh lifted a brow in challenge and Zuko had no choice but to do as his uncle requested. Resistance usually failed to achieve any kind of victory anyway.  

Zuko pushed out of his chair and left the kitchen with a grumble, weaving between the tables to come to a stop beside Table 7. His dread grew when he realized just what kind of customer waited at the table. An old woman, dressed in Earth Kingdom green, was seated by herself, rheumy eyes squinting up at him. He shifted awkwardly and opened his mouth to go through the specials, when the woman’s hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. Zuko barely stopped his surprised yelp when she jerked him down to eye level. Faded green eyes peered at him for a long, awkward moment. “Sit. We talk.” 

“I—” 

She pulled on his arm with surprising strength, her voice commanding, “Sit!” 

Zuko sat though it was clear he wasn’t happy about it. She regarded Zuko quietly and he looked away, folding his arms across his chest and scowling angrily. The woman didn’t appear to mind and instead turned to her teacup, saying casually, “Your uncle told me much about you, boy.” 

Zuko still said nothing, his glower deepening. She laughed. “No need to be petulant, boy. He’s worried you’ll be alone.” 

Zuko shot her a look, surprised when she simply stared back, completely unaffected. He turned her words over in his mind, stomach twisting uncomfortably as he came to a vague conclusion. She couldn’t possibly mean what he thought she meant. 

“I’ve come to make you a match.” 

His expression shifted from scowling to terror. Apparently it was. “I don’t want a match.” 

She waved a boney hand, brushing his protest aside. “Nonsense. No one wants to be alone forever. Now, tell old Hui-ying about yourself.” 

Zuko clamped his mouth shut. This was worse than the Creepy Old Ladies. He cast a furtive glance around the tearoom, hoping for some form of salvation. Perhaps Katara would rescue him before he died of humiliation. Hui-ying sighed, folding her hands. “I see you’re not going to make this easy for me. Not to worry, I can still make a match.” 

His eyes snapped back to her, his mouth going dry. She wasn’t serious; was she? She gazed at him for several long moments before she muttered, “Yes; you’ll need someone strong. There was talk before about matching you to a girl in the Court.” 

Zuko jerked in surprise. “What—” 

Hui-ying laughed delightedly. “No need to look so surprised, Prince Zuko. She would’ve been a good match. She’s a strong girl.” 

“You,” he started, but trailed off when he had no idea what to say further. 

“Your uncle and I go a long way back. He was such a handsome man. Any girl’s heart would quicken. It’s a shame his wife was such—never mind. It’s bad luck to speak ill of the dead.” 

She didn’t appear to notice his disgusted expression and she seemed perfectly content to reminisce about her past relationship with his uncle. Such as it was. The sound of the door opening drew his attention and his fists clenched when he saw the person who entered. He vaguely realized that Katara didn’t seem the least bit pleased that Jet was hanging around again. Their words were too low for him to hear from where he was in the back corner, far from the door.  

Zuko watched Jet’s expression change from genial to surprise to annoyance and finally to anger. It was clear the conversation wasn’t going the way Jet wanted it and he finally exclaimed, “Why are you protecting them!” 

“They don’t need my protection!” Katara shouted back. 

The argument appeared to catch the attention of the rest of the shop, but neither seemed to notice. Jet reached for her and Zuko found himself on his feet before he realized it, Hui-ying’s hand the only thing preventing him from crossing the room and forcefully removing the former Freedom Fighter from the teahouse. Katara pulled out of his reach and Jet threw up his hands, snarling, “They’re firebenders and I can prove it.” 

“Stop seeing firebenders everywhere you look, Jet. We’re all refugees here.” 

“They’re obviously controlling you somehow.” 

Katara sighed tiredly. “Go home, Jet.” 

They stared at each other in silence for several seconds before Jet demanded, “What did I do wrong?” 

“You attacked civilians—” 

“They were Fire Nation! They were spies!” Jet defended hotly. 

“A whole village?” she asked in scathing disbelief. “What did they ever do to you? They’d probably lived in that village since before you were born!” 

“The Fire Nation killed my parents!” 

“And they killed my mother,” Katara shot back, tears in her voice. “Murdering innocents won’t bring them back.” 

Jet’s glare was furious. “We could’ve been good together.” 

“No.” 

“Fine,” he spat angrily, “you’re one of them. You’ve turned your back on your nation. You’ve become a Fire Nation whore.” 

Katara’s hand collided with Jet’s face in a sharp slap before Zuko could even move. Jet stumbled under the blow, his hand rising to cover his stinging cheek. The Freedom Fighter looked momentarily stunned and the few low “ooohs” from spectators were quickly silenced. Katara’s hands clenched at her sides and her voice wavered under the steel in her words, “Leave, Jet, and never come back.” 

For the briefest of moments, Zuko thought Jet would refuse but he straightened and let his hand fall from his cheek revealing a glowing handprint. He seemed on the verge of saying something else, but thought better of it and instead stormed out the door, slamming it violently behind him. The shop was wrapped in a thick silence after his departure, everyone holding their breath. Katara was first to move, her eyes finding Zuko’s. Even from where he was standing, he could see tears beginning to well though she tried to keep them at bay. An instant later, she turned sharply on her heel and made a swift exit through the kitchen door and up the stairs to their apartment above the shop. He almost followed her when the grip around his wrist tightened, drawing his attention. He’d nearly forgotten the hand holding him back. Zuko looked down into Hui-ying’s assessing gaze. Her gaze seemed to strip away all of his masks and left him feeling oddly vulnerable. Heat was crawling up his neck when she finally released his wrist looking pleased. “It appears you don’t need my help after all.” 

His mouth dropped open. “What?” 

She poured herself another cup of tea, lifting it to her lips, dismissing him, “Go tell your uncle that I’m finished with you. Off you go. Miss Katara appears unwell and your customers need attending.” 

Left with no other choice, and not wanting to wait to see if she changed her mind, he turned toward the kitchen. He met Iroh at the door, his uncle glancing over Zuko’s shoulder at Hui-ying. “Miss Katara has a headache and won’t be down for the rest of the day, Lee. You’ll have to take her tables.” 

Iroh steered him out of the kitchen and Zuko’s head twisted to look back at the stairs as if he’d see Katara standing there. The kitchen and stairs were empty. “Is she okay?” 

Iroh hummed. “I think we’ll close early today. We’ve received some exciting news!” 

He bustled off to speak to Hui-ying. A wave from the Creepy Old Ladies made him sigh and he forced himself to their table. They started speaking before he could ask any questions, keeping their voices low. “That’s Hui-ying.” 

“Yes,” Zuko affirmed, unsure why they would choose to talk about the woman. 

The women exchanged knowing glances. “She’s a matchmaker.” 

“Did she give you a match?” 

“I don’t need her help,” Zuko interrupted. 

The ladies twittered and one of them gasped breathily, “I like a man who knows what he wants.” 

Zuko stared before deciding to ignore the comment. “We’ll be closing early today. Is there anything else I can get for you?” 

One of the ladies reached out, running a hand down his arm, purring, “Oh, what’s a nice guy like you doing with a body like that?” 

He was saved from doing something extreme by the sudden appearance of his uncle who spoke up cheerfully, “I’m pleased my nephew has settled on the perfect match. We must congratulate him, ladies. I’ve never been so happy.” 

Zuko cringed. Perhaps this wasn’t quite the rescue he wanted. Still, it silenced the ladies and allowed him the chance to escape while Iroh waxed poetic about true love and future grandchildren.

 *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The rest of the day seemed to drag by with increasing slowness. Iroh managed to usher the customers out the door several hours after noon with the promise of opening again the day after next. He hummed a cheerful tune as he lowered the curtains and turned over the open sign. When Zuko gathered the dirty dishes and entered the kitchen, he found Katara sitting at the table with a modest meal waiting for them. Her eyes were red and her cheeks flushed, but she didn’t appear as distraught as she’d been earlier. Iroh gave him a warning look as he passed him, settling down at the table and rubbing his hands together. “This looks delicious, Miss Katara. You’ve out done yourself.” 

Katara’s smile was weak as she answered, “Thank you. It’s not much.” 

“Nonsense. Zuko, sit down.” 

Zuko dropped into the empty chair, only realizing he was staring when Katara ducked and focused intently on filling her plate. He forced his eyes away when Iroh cleared his throat. Katara toyed with her food while Zuko served himself, finally looking up when he picked up his chopsticks. “You said you had news, Uncle.” 

Iroh beamed. “Yes. We’ve been invited to serve tea to the Earth King.” 

Katara’s gasp of surprise was drowned out by the clatter of Zuko’s chopsticks and his exclamation of, “What? That’s crazy! We can’t—” 

Iroh cut him off with a frown of disapproval, stating, “It’s a great honor to serve the Earth King tea. It will improve the reputation of The Jasmine Dragon and we might be able to eventually move into the Upper Ring.” 

Zuko knew it was a great opportunity, but tea service wasn’t something he’d aspired to in life. “I don’t want to serve tea for the rest of my life!” 

Katara frowned. “It’s not forever, Zuko. Besides, with the invitation from the Earth King, we’ll be able to pass the guards at the gate to the Upper Ring.” 

Zuko turned to stare at her. She pursed her lips, giving him a hard look and he settled back into his chair, muttering, “Fine. Let’s hope he doesn’t discover that we’re actually firebenders. Prison’s not something I want to experience.” 

Katara laughed softly. “Stop worrying.” 

Iroh stroked his beard, looking thoughtful. “Right. We have nothing to worry about, Zuko. There’s no reason for the Earth King to suspect we’re firebenders. Neither of us have displayed such skill here in the city.” 

Zuko gave Katara a cautious look, saying, “Jet seems to think we’re firebenders.” 

Katara scowled, jabbing viciously at her food. “He has no proof.” 

“It could still cause a problem.” 

“Only if he succeeds in antagonizing you!” 

“Miss Katara is correct, Zuko. Keep your temper and everything will be fine.” 

Zuko subsided into silence and Katara addressed Iroh, “When are we invited to the palace?” 

“Tomorrow afternoon. The Earth King wants to host a High Tea for some visiting diplomats. We will need to leave early so we can set up.” 

A sense of unease settled on Zuko and he picked at his meal, hardly eating much of it. He wondered just where the diplomats were visiting from since the city held an almost blissful ignorance of the war that raged outside its walls. They certainly weren’t Fire Nation diplomats and the Water Tribes were barely clinging to their ice fortresses as it was. Zuko frowned at his thoughts. Maybe the diplomats were from another Earth Kingdom. There were at least two kingdoms within the Earth Kingdom. He’d always wondered why it was referred to the singular instead of the plural it was.  

Conversation around him drifted to other things and then the meal was over. Iroh assisted in washing up the dishes before he bid the teen goodnight. They waited until they heard the faint snores from Iroh’s bedroom before Katara turned to Zuko, her face determined. “The king’s invitation will get us into the Upper Ring and then we can find Aang and start his firebending lessons.” 

Zuko wasn’t feeling as confident and shrugged uncertainly. Katara searched his face, biting her lip. “Are you having second thoughts?” 

She didn’t sound accusing but he still felt his cheeks heat and he avoided her eyes. “I don’t know.” 

“Is it Aang or your father?” 

Zuko wasn’t sure how to answer that so merely shrugged. Katara watched him for a moment before she asked hesitantly, “Do you want to talk to Uncle?” 

“I know what Uncle will say.” 

She laughed. “You’ve got time.” 

Zuko sighed, running a hand over his hair. “For some reason I don’t think it’s going to be that easy.” 

“Why not?” 

“Nothing is ever easy,” he said darkly. 

Katara frowned, reaching over to pat his arm. “Don’t worry. What could go wrong?”

 *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Sunlight streamed through the crack in the shutters, spilling across his face and rousing Zuko from his morning meditation. He only continued the meditation because Iroh insisted on it and he didn’t want to hear another lecture about calming his inner fire and aligning his thoughts. Zuko completely ignored the fact that he did his meditation even without Iroh’s presence compelling him. 

The apartment above The Jasmine Dragon was only a two bedroom, neither of them particularly large. Iroh claimed the smaller of the rooms as his own which left Katara and Zuko sharing the larger one. It would have been awkward if Katara hadn’t returned from the market one day with a dividing screen and a spare futon. A quiet groan from his roommate made him crack an eye open and turn toward the privacy screen. When Iroh slyly pointed out that Zuko and Katara had shared closer quarters and, indeed often shared the same bed, Katara simply gave him a disdainful sniff and disappeared up the stairs before they could see her cheeks redden. Zuko had quickly made himself scarce after that as well. The divider wasn’t quite long enough to completely hide the other futon, but at least it gave some semblance of privacy.  

A low, sleepy groan gained his attention and he turned his attention to the divider. The blankets shifted and a moment later Katara appeared, sleepy-eyed and hair standing wild. She blinked at him, lifting her hand to shade her eyes from the bright beam of sunlight, scowling and muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, “Firebenders.”

She shuffled out of the room to the tiny washroom. She returned several minutes later looking distinctly more awake and put together. She dumped a bundle of clothes on her futon then pushed open the shutters before facing Zuko. “Good morning.” 

Zuko grunted in reply which Katara accepting as an appropriate salutation. “Is Uncle awake yet?” 

“Just before dawn.” 

“Right.” 

He could feel her eyes on him and he took a breath through his nose, releasing it slowly through his mouth. He sometimes wondered why she didn’t meditate since her element could be as volatile as his at times. “Are you nervous?” 

Zuko’s eyes opened and he peered up at her. He sighed, giving up on meditation now that she was awake, and rose to his feet. “No. I feel like something is wrong.” 

Her brow furrowed. “Like what?” 

His gaze turned out the window. It was a warm sunny day with not a cloud in the sky. Certainly nothing that would inspire ominous feelings. “I don’t know.” 

Katara looped her arm through his, leaning into his shoulder. Zuko didn’t flinch or pull away. After months being in Katara’s presence he’d grown used to her occasional touches. Sometimes he thought she needed another’s touch. Almost like it grounded her. He turned slightly and rested his chin on her head, releasing a quiet sigh as the riot of emotions that tumbled inside of him calmed. She hugged his arm a little tighter, murmuring, “It’ll work out in the end.” 

Zuko allowed her closeness for a moment longer before stepping back and pulling on the formal, dark green outer robes Iroh laid out this morning. “We’d better go. Uncle is waiting.” 

They found Iroh in the kitchen, packing several baskets with an assortment of cakes and biscuits. He hummed a cheerful tune as he worked and Zuko thought he recognized a childhood song though the words escaped him. Iroh clapped his hands together when he saw their arrival, pointing out a pot that sat steaming on the stove. “I made jook this morning. Eat up. We’ll be going soon as you finish.” 

Both teens peered curiously into the pot. Keeping his voice low so Iroh wouldn’t hear, Zuko commented, “Looks like something the ostrich horse coughed up.” 

Katara snorted, quickly muffling a snicker. “That’s not very nice. It doesn’t smell bad.” 

Zuko raised an eyebrow, taking another look into the pot. He took the bowl Katara handed him, watching as she ladled a portion into her own bowl before holding out his to accept his share. To Zuko’s surprise, it actually tasted pretty good and he scraped his bowl clean.  

After breakfast, Zuko’s doubts once again pushed themselves to the front of his mind, but at Katara’s curious look shrugged and turned to take one of the baskets Iroh was holding out. Iroh hurried them out of the teashop and locked the door behind them. Zuko was sure his uncle made some comment about returning in the evening, but he wasn’t listening, too much dwelling on his own thoughts. 

The streets of the Lower Ring felt as narrow and crowded as they always did despite the early hour of the morning. A small crowd of merchants were gathered at the gates to the Upper Ring and several guards were scrutinizing wares and papers. Zuko swallowed thickly, falling back a few paces. Katara noticed his lagging and dropped back to walk beside him, asking in a low voice, “What’s wrong?”

Zuko glanced at her, shrugging uncomfortably and muttering, “It’s nothing.”

Katara frowned, but further questions were prevented by the guards stopping them. A severe frown was passed over them, lingering for several seconds on Zuko before they demanded, “Names and purpose?”

Iroh smiled brightly, holding out the king’s invitation. “Good morning! I am Mushu and this is my nephew Lee and…his fiancee Katara. We’ve been called before the king.”

One of the guards snatched the papers from Iroh’s hand while the other narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Katara’s chin rose and she met the guard’s stare unflinchingly. Zuko resisted the urge to cringe under the examination. He wasn’t sure if his activities in Lake Laogai had spread among the city guard, but he didn’t want to take any chances and hoped they’d let them pass without any awkward questions. He still hadn’t explained to Katara where he’d been or what he’d done that night.  

Seconds seemed to crawl by before the guards finally waved them through. Relief flooded through him and the muscles in his neck loosened once they were out of sight of the guards. A low sound of wonder escaped from Katara and drew his attention. She was gazing around at the streets, her eyes wide. She blushed faintly when she saw Zuko staring at her. “I didn’t expect it to be so different in the Upper Ring.”

He pulled his eyes away from her to look around. She was right. The streets were different. They were wider, cleaner, and in better repair than the Lower Ring, but the differences didn’t end there. The houses and shops didn’t have that rundown, depressed feeling to them and he was sure he caught sight of an extensive flower garden down one of the streets they passed. The people were better dressed and Zuko felt slovenly in comparison. Two young women watched them pass, disdain clear on both their faces before they exchanged giggles behind fanciful fans. Zuko felt his neck warm and he heard Katara mutter something about painted tarts that she didn’t explain when he looked at her.

Iroh walked several lengths in front of them, a spring in his step and still humming the jaunty tune he’d been humming during breakfast. Katara adjusted the basket on her hip, asking quietly, “Any ideas on how to find Aang and my brother?”

“No.”

The sharpness of his answer made her look at him, concern bright in her blue eyes. “Are you still worried about that?”

He couldn’t really say what was bothering him, only that the further they progressed through the streets the more an uncomfortable awareness buzzed along his nerves. Zuko still felt tense and uneasy and he constantly looked over his shoulder. He could feel eyes watching him though he couldn’t see any obvious observers. The stopped before the palace gates and Iroh gazed up at the Earth Kingdom seal above them. The hummed tune faded away as Iroh fell into a reverent silence. Katara put a hand on his arm and he seemed to shake himself, smiling at her. “Many times I imagined myself here, at the threshold of the palace. But I always thought I’d be here as a conqueror.” 

 The gates swung slowly open and another guard led them up to the doors where a servant waited to take them inside. Their invitation was once more closely examined before the servant executed a short bow, drawling, “This way, please.”

The servant led them through a maze of corridors to a large, high ceilinged room before giving them another sharp bow and leaving. Iroh moved to the low table in the center of the room, unpacking the basket he’d carried. Soon, a tea service was set up and an assortment of teacakes and sandwiches joined the spread. Zuko worked mechanically, though the hair on the back of his neck refused to lay flat and he flinched at every small noise. A quick glance at Katara revealed she too had an unsettled expression on her face. A small bell chimed the hour and the doors slammed shut. Katara spun, her hands reaching for the waterskin that had been at her side for most of their journey to Ba Sing Se. They closed around nothing and Zuko thought he heard a soft swear. Katara edged closer to Zuko, keeping her voice low, “So, that bad feeling you had?” 

Zuko glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “Yeah?” 

“I think I have it, too.” 

The doors opened and guards spilled into the room, circling Zuko, Katara, and Iroh. Zuko recognized their uniforms. He’d seen them in Lake Laogai. What was that phrase he’d heard before? That’s right. “No good deed goes unpunished.”

“Which good deed are we being punished for now?”

Zuko didn’t respond to her whispered question, his attention focused on the doors that led back into the main part of the palace. A high, girlish laugh echoed through the chamber and he ground his teeth. If that laugh was who he thought it was then he knew he should’ve never gotten out of bed. The guards parted and a slim figure approached. “Hello, brother.” 

“Azula,” Zuko ground out. 

She grinned, though it wasn’t a very pleasant grin. That grin had changed from what Zuko remembered when she was a small girl, before he was banished. She didn’t seem at all concerned about the situation, placing a hand on her hip. “Have you ever met the Dai Li? They’re earthbenders, but they have a killer instinct that’s so firebender. I just love it.” 

“What did you do to the Earth King?” Katara demanded. 

Azula’s grin stretched as she turned her attention to the waterbender, giving a little laugh. “Oh, Zuzu. You’ve got a pet. You should keep better control over her.”

Zuko stepped between Katara and his sister and Azula’s eyebrows rose. 

“Azula,” Iroh spoke up, “what are you doing here?” 

“I have done what you spent years trying to achieve, Uncle, and then you failed. I have conquered Ba Sing Se in less than a week. You were always weak.” 

Iroh picked up a teacup, tracing the design with his fingers. “Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname ‘the Dragon of the West’?” 

Annoyance crossed Azula’s features. “I’m not interested in a lengthy anecdote, Uncle.” 

Zuko reached for Katara’s arm, taking a firm hold of her elbow. The retired general calmly took a sip of tea. “It’s more of a demonstration, really.”

Iroh took a deep breath and Zuko dropped to the ground, dragging Katara with him. Fire and heat rushed over them and he heard Azula’s outraged shout. Zuko pushed Katara away, rolling to avoid one of the Dai Li’s cuffs. He lost sight of Katara in the fray and only the blasts of fire told him where his uncle was. An outer wall collapsed and Iroh’s voice rose above the melee, “Let’s go, Zuko! Katara!”

Zuko automatically turned to follow, dodging another blow, when a fearful shriek made him swing around. “Zuko!”

The Dai Li had managed to trap one of her ankles in the stone floor and, in the brief time it had taken her to call for him, another had managed to get a cuff around a wrist and drag her to the floor. Katara fought off a guard that approached her, her bending severely limited. Zuko hesitated, torn. The decision was taken from him a moment later as several cuffs slammed into him from different directions. The fight ended not long after and Zuko knelt at the feet of several of the Dai Li agents, panting against the pain of his bruised ribs. The hard soles of Azula’s shoes struck the floor with a mocking sense of accomplishment as she stopped in front of her brother, smirking down at him. “He who hesitates is lost, brother.”

One of the Dai Li moved away from the collapsed wall, reporting to Azula, “The other got away, Princess.”

Azula snorted, dismissing them with a careless wave. “He’ll be back. Take these two away. Put them somewhere I don’t have to look at them.”

 *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Zuko and Katara hit the stone floor with a thud, falling in a tangle of arms and legs. The cave sealed again before they came to a rolling stop. They didn’t even get the satisfaction of hearing the door slam to announce their incarceration. For several minutes they lay where they fell, regaining the breath that had rushed from their bodies and assessing injuries they might have missed during the fighting. The stone floor was cold and Zuko groaned beneath Katara. “I think I may have broken something.”

Katara rolled off of him, kneeling at his side and scanning him to see if there were any obvious injuries. “You can move, right?”

Zuko pushed himself upright, grimacing and rotating a stiff shoulder. “Yeah. Did you see what happened to Uncle?”

Katara shook her head and glanced around, but all she saw were strangely glowing crystals. “I think he managed to get away.”

He stared at the smooth walls of the cavern. It certainly was an effective prison. There would be no easy escape. Help would have to come to them. “I knew I should’ve stayed in bed this morning. Azula always ruins everything.”

Katara shivered in the coolness of the cave, drawing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. “How do you think she got in? I can’t believe the guards would betray their king.”

“Azula was always able to convince people to see things her way.”

Katara gave a snort of disgust, pushing herself to her feet and chafing her arms to warm herself. “More like she terrifies people into seeing things her way.”

“It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both,” Zuko quoted dryly.

She looked down at him in surprise. “Until the people’s fear turn to hate and they seek to overthrow you.”

Zuko nodded, rising to his feet next to her. “It is a dangerous position to be in.”

Katara breathed a breath of laughter, motioning to the wall that had closed behind them after the guards tossed them in. “See if you can find any weakness. I’m going to check the back.”

A thorough search of all walls revealed it completely smooth and free of cracks. No matter how much Zuko pushed against the walls, they stood firm. Pounding with his fists didn’t achieve anything except painful bruising. Katara grew quiet as time passed and he could see the tenseness in her expression. Being trapped in a room with no escape probably brought back bad memories and Zuko pretended he didn’t notice her fretful fidgeting. 

Zuko gave the walls another pass before he returned to the center of the cavern and dropped to the floor, gazing moodily at the high ceiling. Katara spent several more minutes examining the walls again before she dropped down next to him with a tired sigh, stretching out and resting her head on Zuko’s stomach. Zuko grunted, his hand finding her hair and letting the strands slip through his fingers. Silence fell around them, broken only by the steady drip of water in a far corner. At least they wouldn’t die of thirst. His hand gradually slowed and Zuko finally spoke in a low voice, “Maybe they’re right. Maybe I am a failure.”

Katara twisted to look up at him but he remained gazing up at the ceiling. She rolled onto her side, propping herself up on her elbow and regarded him with a serious expression. His eyes flitted toward her, shuttering quickly and hiding his emotions away. She smiled compassionately, brushing the shaggy hair back from his eyes and resting her hand against his cheek, fingertips brushing the edge of his scar. “You’re not a failure. We’ll get out of here. I believe in you.”

His eyes locked with hers and Katara felt her breath catch. The world around them faded away. Zuko’s hand traveled lightly up her arm to pressed against her hand on his cheek. Katara wet her lips and his heart skipped a beat and his other hand rose to rest on her shoulder. Her breath whispered across his lips and his fingers convulsed against her skin. “Katara…”

Her eyes fluttered closed and he could feel the heat of her mouth nearly upon his. Zuko exhaled a shaky breath, his heart racing. A loud explosion startled them and they scrambled away from each other, wide-eyed and blushing. Another explosion rocked the cavern, toppling crystals, and cracking stone. A small hole opened in the stone wall that had closed behind them after their imprisonment. Voices rose from the other side and Zuko and Katara hurried to their feet, anxiously watching the stone crumble away. Another blast and the wall collapse inward with a cloud of dust and coughing. A young voice spoke, “Someone would have heard that.”

“I am counting on your friends providing an appropriate distraction,” a familiar voice responded calmly.

Zuko started, taking an unconscious step forward. “Uncle?”

Iroh stepped through the settling dust, his expression melting into relief. His assessing gaze swept over both of them. “You’re uninjured?”

Zuko mutely shook his head. The air cleared and Zuko caught sight of a small girl standing just outside the demolished wall. She shifted, her head tilting as if catching a sound just out of earshot. “We should go. Sounds like Twinkletoes and Sokka could use some help.”

“Of course,” Iroh agreed. “Lead the way, Miss Toph.”

Notes:

Recognizable quotes from "The Crossroads of Destiny" and Machiavelli's The Prince.

Chapter 22: Paths to Destiny

"When the student is ready, the master appears."
— Buddhist Proverb

Katara immediately stepped away from Zuko, avoiding the knowing look Iroh was giving her. Whatever the older firebender was thinking, she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of believing he was right. Zuko made some sputtering choking noise when his uncle's attention shifted to him, but Katara kept her focus on the small girl at Iroh's side. The girl seemed to realize she was under scrutiny because her gaze shifted from down the corridor to a spot just to Katara's left. "Sorry to break up the moment, Sweetness."

Katara wasn't sure if she was more surprised by the comment or the cheeky grin that followed it, but she didn't have time to decide before Zuko regained control of his voice enough to sputter, "It wasn't a moment!"

A sardonic eyebrow rose above milky green eyes. "What would you call it then, Sparky?"

Zuko looked momentarily taken aback by the appellation. "We were settling our differences."

A heavy silence followed and a slow smirk appeared on the girl's face at the same time a look of horror crossed Zuko's. Fortunately, Iroh cleared his throat and spoke before the situation could get out of hand, "Always a worthy endeavor; to settle one's differences."

Katara could feel her ears burning and she nearly rejoiced when the ground rumbled beneath their feet. The Spirits had mercy on her at last! Her attention diverted, Toph frowned. "That would definitely be our cue, Old Man."

"Lead the way, Miss Toph."

Toph scrambled over the fallen stones with more dexterity than Katara thought possible and the others moved to follow. The corridor was surprisingly empty and devoid of any identifying markings. She wondered of there were other prisoners behind the smooth stone walls. "Shouldn't we find the Earth King?"

"No time, Sweetums," Toph called back.

"But—"

"I'm afraid Miss Toph is correct, Miss Katara," Iroh interjected.

At her look of dismay, he smiled. "Don't worry so. He's in no immediate danger. The Fire Lord is more concerned with matters closer to home at the present."

His eyes darted toward Zuko and Katara felt her breath catch as she understood his meaning. Her lips thinned and her eyes narrowed. So that's the lay of the land. Well, she wasn't about to let that happen. The ground shuddered again and Toph called for them to hurry. Toph led them through a twisting maze of stairs and corridors, seemingly turning corners at random.

"Where are we going?"

Katara thought the question was a sound one. It hadn't taken this long for the Dai Li to toss them into that inescapable cavern so she didn't think an escape would involve so many turns. Toph took another corner, answering in a distracted manner, "Aang is providing a diversion. Now we need to even the odds."

The rumbling of earth and the sounds of fighting were even closer now. Katara thought she could even hear the burst and hiss of fire. They were about to throw themselves into an unknown battle. Katara's heart was in her throat, her breath coming in sharp, painful pants. She took comfort in Zuko's presence beside her, his face set in grim lines of determination. They burst into an open cavern, quickly surveying the battlegrounds. Zuko was moving before she could even determine the position of the combatants. He launched himself at his sister, tackling her from behind and taking her by surprise. Their sudden entrance into battle pulled the others up short and cries of "Zuko!" and "Katara!" reverberated around the cavern.

The scuffle between Zuko and Azula was swift and vicious, but Azula managed to kick her brother away and roll to her feet while Zuko looked a little worse for wear, stumbling upright and clearly hiding a wince. Azula sneered at her brother, wiping blood from her split lip. "I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle, but Zuko—Prince Zuko—you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you? It's not too late, you can still redeem yourself."

Zuko flinched as if she'd struck him and, for an instant, Katara saw guilt and shame flash across his face. No. She would not let Zuko doubt himself. Not after everything. She knew he was stronger than he thought. The surprise their sudden appearance had created was fading fast and the Dai Li agents moved to continue their attack. Katara dodged an earthcuff, knocking another out of the air with a quick slice of water. Ignoring the brother she hadn't seen in nearly six months, she started forward, calling, "Zuko!"

Iroh, it seemed, had also seen the conflict and called out, "The kind of redemption she offers is not for you."

The Dai Li seemed content to ignore the two firebenders and the battle intensified. Katara had to turn to meet an attack, defending herself and trying desperately to incapacitate the attackers. Sokka, she noticed vaguely, was wielding both a sword and his boomerang.

A sneer moved across Azula's sharp features though she kept a close eye on her brother. "Why don't you let him decide, Uncle. I need you, Zuko. I've plotted every move of this day—this glorious day in Fire Nation history. And the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have your father's love. You will have everything you want."

So far Zuko hadn't moved to attack or accept his sister's offer. Katara could sense his indecision. She knew Azula offered him the deepest desires of his heart and his resolve was wavering. Katara could feel tears of panic rising as she fought to reach his side, gasping, "Zuko, please—"

"Quiet, slave!" Azula snarled, shooting her with a blast of white-hot fire.

Katara ducked with an undignified yelp, but the action seemed to startled Zuko out of his frozen, uncertain state and he attacked with a furious roar. Katara looked up just in time to see a boulder slam into a Dai Li agent that stood over her. The agent dropped like a stone and lay unmoving. Katara scrambled to her feet, gathering water around her in a defensive shield. The chaos of battle raged around her and she delved into the fray.

"Hey, Twinkletoes! Now would be a good time to make our escape."

She didn't have time to wonder at the name as it took all her concentration to deflect the attacks of the Dai Li agents. She'd never used her bending in a fight and was finding herself overwhelmed and growing desperate. In the middle of all the chaos, it was easy to spot the one figure that remained still. Especially when that figure was beginning to glow. Azula landed a kick to Zuko's chest that sent him rolling and gasping for air.

"You chose the wrong side, brother," she spat the relation like it was a curse.

Wind picked up in the cavern and Azula turned, eyes narrowing on the glowing Avatar. Zuko regained his feet, clutching at his ribs. Aang's eyes snapped open and Azula moved. Zuko gasped a faint, "No!"

It was enough to draw Katara's attention and she felt her heart skip a beat. She recognized those rapid movements even if the static that danced across her skin and made her hair stand on end wasn't enough to remind her. She moved without thought, instincts taking over in an adrenaline rush like she'd never experienced. All the water in the cavern rushed to meet her call, leaping at her command just as the lightning jumped from Azula's fingertips. Water met lightning in an explosion that knocked Azula off her feet and Aang out of the air. The young airbender hit the ground and remained still, but Azula was already recovering. Zuko moved to intercept his sister despite the obvious pain he was feeling, but Katara was already on the other girl. The fight was fast and furious, Katara pulling more and more water from the floor of the cavern. She could feel her muscles burn and her limbs tremble.

She stumbled and Zuko intercepted a wave of fire that would've finished her. Katara could tell Zuko wasn't going to last much longer, his face was pale and his breath was coming in shallow gasps. Across the cavern, Sokka slid to Aang's side under the cover of Toph's defense. He fumbled among the folds of Aang's robes before pulling out a small, white object. He put it to his lips and blew hard, twice. Zuko was blocking his sister's attacks as best he could and Katara could tell he was tiring. There was a rumbling, a crash of rocks hitting the cavern floor, and then—

"Appa!"

Sokka's shout gave her some relief. Gathering her remaining energy, she darted around Zuko and somehow landed a punch to Azula's face. The firebender stumbled back in surprise but Katara was already freezing the water around her. She turned, seizing Zuko's wrist and ignoring his gasp. "Katara! That was my sister—"

Iroh scooped up the limp form of Aang and Katara could see Sokka and Toph scrambling up Appa's sides. She dragged Zuko behind her, interrupting his astonished exclamation and nearly crying, "Who was about to kill you and everyone else I love!"

They managed to reach Appa before Azula broke through the ice. Sokka was stumbling across the saddle, grabbing for the reins. Toph made a sharp pushing motion with her hands, shouting, "Go, Sokka!"

Appa leapt into the air before Sokka could even give the command to fly. The cavern ceiling was rapidly approaching and the next moment it exploded outward, allowing the bison through into the evening sky. Fire and lightning followed them along with Azula's enraged scream. They watched with a sense of disbelief as the city of Ba Sing Se receded behind them. Beside her, Zuko fell back against the saddle with a faint groan and Iroh carefully laid Aang down, calling, "Miss Katara, perhaps you should make sure the young Avatar is all right."

Katara was relieved that the young airbender was breathing and a scan of his internal injuries didn't reveal anything worrying. The Avatar would wake shortly. That concern out of the way, she moved to Zuko's side, pushing away his hands when he tried to keep her from pulling at his robes. He finally submitted to her prodding, grumbling and flinching away when she pressed too hard. He could feel the bruises, she didn't have to touch them. Finally, she sat back with a sigh, brushing hair out of her face. "You have a few cracked ribs. It'd probably be better if you lie down. I won't be able to stabilize them until we land."

Zuko grunted, grudgingly accepting her help to recline in the saddle. A benefit of lying down was that he was now out of the wind. She fussed a bit with his clothing before subsiding and staring out at the horizon. "Well, I guess we don't have to worry about Jet any more."

Zuko snorted. He almost rather have to deal with Jet than face his sister in combat. Jet was so much easier to handle and the Freedom Fighter was unlikely to land any serious blows. Zuko threw an arm over his eyes, trying to relax and ignore the sharp twinges that stabbed across his ribs. They were lucky to be alive and relatively uninjured. Several minutes passed in silence until they heard Sokka groan from his place behind Appa's head. "Great. Now we're stuck with the angry jerk."

Katara sat back on her heels, sending her brother a warning look he didn't see. "Sokka."

He lifted a hand in a careless wave to show that he'd heard her and she could only roll her eyes. It appeared some things didn't change.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Appa landed in a small forest clearing well away from any significant towns or villages. As far as Katara could tell, they were still in the Earth Kingdom. It still amazed her just how large the Earth Kingdom was. She knew it was easily twice the size of the Water Tribes combined and she didn't see the Fire Nation before she was imprisoned on the Prison Rig so she couldn't compare. She wanted to ask Zuko, but one glance as his pinched features and she knew he wasn't in any mood to answer questions. The sun had sunk below the horizon hours ago and Sokka slid off Appa mumbling something about making camp and hunting. Katara watched him disappear into the forest. So far he hadn't even looked at her and, other than the acknowledging wave she'd received from her warning, he seemed determined to ignore her. Her imaginings of their reunion had fallen flat. She didn't even know she'd released a sad sigh until Toph spoke up, "He is really torn up about something. Both of them, actually. Been that way since I joined this camping trip." She turned startling blank green eyes on her. "Twinkletoes mumbled something about a failed prison break then clammed up right after that."

Katara shuddered. She tried not to think about those days. They still plagued her sleep with inhuman screams and dark, cramped cells. She turned to check Aang, hoping the small earthbender didn't notice her discomfort. "Yes. We got separated for a time."

Toph shrugged and then pulled herself over the saddle, calling, "Come along, Pops, put yourself to use and build us a fire."

Iroh followed her, smiling indulgently and Katara was left alone in the saddle with an unconscious Aang and a silent firebender. Katara checked over Aang once more, satisfied that she hadn't missed anything the first time due to fatigue and adrenaline. Knowing there was nothing else she could do for Aang, she turned her attention to Zuko. He didn't seem to notice her scoot closer to him and she touched his shoulder, keeping her voice low, "Zuko?"

His eyes opened and he looked up at her as she leaned over him. She absently brushed shaggy hair back from his forehead, asking softly, "How do you feel?"

He sighed quietly, his hand lifting to gingerly touch his ribs. "Everything feels worse."

Katara nodded. That was expected now that there was nothing else to focus on. She checked a few things, ignoring his pained hiss when she prodded a sore spot, then sat back on her heels. "I don't think it'd be a good idea to try to get you to the ground. I think one of your ribs is actually broken and I wouldn't want you to puncture a lung."

Zuko grunted. "Don't think I could get up anyway. The world's spinning enough as it is."

A frown pulled at her lips as she looked down at him. He'd closed his eyes, his brow furrowed. He'd never mentioned he was in that much pain. There was not a lot she could do to relieve him of it either until she found water. Her healing abilities were limited when all she had to work with was the body's natural water supply. She could only pull so much before dangerous situations arose. She carded her hand through Zuko's hair one last time and then rose to rifle through the supply packs in the saddle. A single, half full waterskin was the only thing she found of use and she scowled at it. They would have to find several more as soon as they got the chance. She slung it over her shoulder just as Toph called out, "Hey, Fussy Britches, toss down that bag you were snooping through as well as the sleeping rolls."

Katara tossed the packs and rolls down to the other girl, following them down. Iroh managed a cheerful fire and seemed lost in thought as he fed the flames. He looked up when she approached, his expression expectant. She could only shrug self-consciously and tug at the waterskin. "Aang should be waking up soon so someone should be with him. Zuko needs some healing and I need some water. He shouldn't move from the saddle for now."

Toph dumped some of the sleeping rolls next to the fire and collapsed on top of them, lifting a hand and pointed toward the forest. "There's a stream that way."

Katara looked at her oddly. "How do you know?"

Toph wiggled her toes, smirking. "I can hear it, Sweetness."

Katara strained her ears, but all she heard was the crackle of the fire and the sound of night insects. She hesitated, but eventually decided that Toph's direction was as good as any other, so she started into the dark trees, making sure she kept track of her surroundings so she could find her way back.

The stream was closer than she expected and she drew to a halt, scanning the surroundings warily. Not sensing any one in the near vicinity, she knelt at the stream's edge and emptied the old water before streaming up fresh water and removing the dirt. She just finished filling the waterskin when a branch snapped behind her and she froze, straining her ears. A quiet shuffle of leaves and she spun, water flying to defend her. She just caught sight of Water Tribe blue and heard a startled, "Katara!" before she managed to pull the attack. Annoyed, she rose to her feet and capped the waterskin, demanding, "Why are you sneaking up on me like that? I could have hurt you!"

Water dripped from Sokka's hair and clothing and he lifted an equally drenched jackalope, staring at it mournfully before he let it fall back to his side. He turned to look at her and she felt her breath catch at his expression. "You learned to waterbend?"

She grimaced. He must've seen real waterbending at some point since he was able to realize she'd actually performed an attack instead of an accidental drenching like she had so many times in the past. She cleared her throat, quickly drawing the water away from her brother so he didn't catch cold in the late spring air. "Yes."

"I," he paused, swallowing thickly. "Katara, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left you behind. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough. I'm sorry I didn't come back." The words spilled out of him in a rush and she stared in shock as tears shone on his cheeks. "I thought you died. We heard, later, that there was an explosion—"

He choked on his words and fell silent, hurriedly brushing away tears that had broken from from his restraint. Katara closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around her older brother and squeezing tight. He gasped and a soft thump told her he'd dropped the jackalope. A moment later his arms wrapped around her and his face dropped to her shoulder. She could still hear his faint, muffled words, repeating over and over, "I'm sorry."

She couldn't stop her own tears. She'd missed her brother and only the thought that Aang was still around kept her from assuming the worst. Still, she'd missed him. She'd felt so alone for the longest time. Eventually, Sokka seemed to regain control of his emotions and loosened his desperate hold on her, stepping back and looking critically at her. "Your hair…"

He touched the ends of her hair, frowning slightly. It had grown just past her shoulders now, but it was still shorter than Sokka had ever seen it. Katara knew it wasn't her hair he was reacting to, it was just the easiest thing to comment on while he worked up the courage to ask about others. He stared at her hair though his eyes were distant as he recalled memories, murmuring, "Dad was furious with me. He still is. I—He—"

He cut himself off with a sharp shake of his head. Whatever it was, Sokka didn't appear willing to say. She hoped their father hadn't done the worst. She smiled, her hands tightening on Sokka's arms. "I'm fine. I'm safe."

His expression was doubtful, but he bent to pick up the fallen jackalope though he made no move to head back to camp. "How?"

Katara grinned, looping her arm through his and nudging him in the direction of the campsite. She needed to at least relieve Zuko of some pain soon before he turned into an intolerable grouch. "Well, around mid-winter I was sold as a slave girl—"

"What!"

The horrified, stunned explosion was predictable and she quickly stifled the laugh that threatened to escape. Again, the jackalope hid the ground with a thud as Sokka grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her to face him, shaking her and demanding, "Who?"

"That should be obvious, Sokka."

Her brother froze, his expression darkening. "I'll kill him."

He jerked away from her, hand reaching for the hilt that rose over his right shoulder that she hadn't noticed before then. He turned sharply on his heel, marching back toward camp with murderous intent. Katara scooped up the fallen jackalope, rushing after her brother. She caught him by the arm, forcing him to a stop, saying, "It's not what you think." His incredulous look made her blush and she amended, "Well, not really. It's okay now. I promise."

He sighed, tugging at his hair and still looking like he'd prefer to settle his emotions through violence. "Are you still…you know."

He took the jackalope back and now, with nothing in her hands, Katara fiddled with the ring around her thumb. Sokka's eyes observed the movement but the dark concealed the details. Katara shrugged, glancing toward the camp and nervously chewing her lip. "Oh, no—well, not really. It's complicated."

"So which is it: the angry, pony-tail jerk—"

"He doesn't have a pony-tail any more, Sokka."

"—or the old guy?"

Katara met her brother's gaze, waiting until she was satisfied he wasn't going to go haring off to defend her honor. "I met Zuko again in mid-winter. He…purchased me in the markets, gave me clothes, then told me to scram. I didn't know where I was, Sokka. I didn't know where you were. I decided my best chances of survival were with Zuko so I stayed."

She grinned at him. "I learned waterbending in the Foggy Swamp. It was also the first time I'd heard about you and Aang."

"Zuko let you learn waterbending."

"Yes. And master it."

She let that bit of news sink in before continuing, "He's really not that bad." She ignored his snort of disbelief. "Has Aang learned firebending yet?"

"No," Sokka said slowly, "he's still getting the hang of earthbending. Firebenders willing to help the Avatar are in short supply."

Katara nodded sharply, not the least bit surprised. "Zuko will teach Aang firebending. Once I can get him back on his feet."

Sokka looked at her as if she'd grown a second head. "The guy chased us all over the world! What makes you think he's going to teach the Avatar to firebend?"

"Just give him a chance. Please?"

For a moment, Katara thought he would refuse. Many times before, he ranted about the evilness of firebenders. His jaw tightened and his fists tensed. He looked away, through the trees toward camp, his brow deeply furrowed. She was not used to this thoughtful consideration. When he turned back to her, he appeared to have come to some kind of conclusion. "Fine. But just so you know, I don't trust him. I'm keeping my eye on him. You can tell him that."

Together, they continued their way back to the others. Katara knew Zuko, at least, would be growing anxious for her return. She'd taken longer than she expected and the firebender wasn't the most patient individual. Just before stepping past the ring of trees, Sokka caught her hand and gave it a tight squeeze. "I'm glad you're back with us. I'm glad you're safe."

She returned the squeeze, smiling up at him. "I am, too. I missed you."

He gave her a stoic nod and her hand a final squeeze before releasing her and heading toward the campfire. Toph greeted him lazily and Sokka handed off a small bag he'd had tied to his belt.

Katara climbed back into Appa's saddle. Aang was now curled on his side, snoring blissfully in sleep. She felt the half-lidded watchfulness of Zuko as she knelt at his side, pulling her waterskin loose. Katara uncapped the waterskin just as Zuko murmured, "The Avatar was anxious for your return."

She glanced back at Aang, noting that he hadn't moved since her return, and turned back to Zuko. She knew that Aang wasn't he only one anxious during her absence. Drawing out a stream of water and gloving her hand, she made sure to keep her voice low so as not to wake the other boy, "I ran into my brother."

His eyes followed her hand and he hissed a little as the cool water touched his skin. He let her work a moment in silence before asking, "He didn't—Are you…all right?"

"I'm fine," she assured him. "We talked. I told him you would teach Aang firebending."

"He's okay with that?"

She didn't blame him for sounding surprised. "He knows Aang needs to learn firebending and he says he's keeping an eye on you." She paused when Zuko made a sound that suspiciously sounded like amusement before she finished with a wink. "Besides, friendly firebenders aren't exactly thick on the ground nowadays."

Zuko grunted and fell silent. Katara continued to work quietly, half aware of the low conversation around the campfire. Zuko's breathing gradually evened and deepened as he fell asleep. Pain was exhausting and she didn't blame him. Grinning, she capped her waterskin and let the firebender rest. She tossed what looked like her brother's parka over Aang, checked that Zuko was resting peacefully, then crawled out of the saddle. Iroh looked up when she approached the fire. "How is he?"

She took the small bowl he handed her, her mouth watering at the scent of roasted jackalope. She tucked her legs under her, smiling reassuringly at Iroh. "They're both fine. Aang's sleeping and, other than a few bruises and a knock to the head, he'll be back to himself by tomorrow. Zuko had several bruised or broken ribs and some internal bleeding. I've repaired what I can, but he'll have to take it easy for a few days. Bones are difficult to mend."

Iroh nodded gravely. "Princess Azula was always ruthless."

"Princess," Sokka scoffed, startled. "Does that mean…"

He trailed off, looking between Iroh and Appa. Iroh tucked his hands into his sleeves. "Yes. My niece and nephew have always had a strained relationship. I'm afraid Azula has only grown more like her father in the years since the disappearance of Lady Ursa and Zuko's banishment."

Sokka turned a suspicious gaze on his sister. "You think Fire Nation royalty is going to teach Aang firebending?"

Katara's chin lifted. "Yes."

Toph interrupted whatever indignant thing Sokka was about to say with a not so subtle kick at the boy's knee, drawling, "I don't see why not. I'd think Sparky'd know how his own father would think."

Sokka still looked mutinous and he narrowed a glare on the earthbender that the girl appeared not to notice. Iroh cleared his throat. "I ask you to give my nephew a chance. He has not had it easy."

Sokka's disgruntled expression didn't change, but he eventually crossed his arms and huffed. "Fine. Don't expect me to like him."

"You might find you actually like him, Sokka," Katara tried.

"Not likely," he grunted, rolling himself in his sleeping roll and ignoring them.

Katara gave Iroh an apologetic smile, but the older firebender waved it off and gathered the used bowls. He paused as he headed toward the nearby stream, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Give him time, Miss Katara. I wouldn't expect our welcome to be a warm one."

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Katara woke to the sound of arguing. She groaned, rolling over in her sleeping roll to see what, exactly, the problem was. To her surprise, it appeared that the argument was between Zuko and Iroh instead of any of the other three like she was expecting. She sat up, glancing for the others. Sokka was sprawled across his own sleeping roll, dead to the world. Toph had built her own tent like structure and there appeared to be no movement from her quarter. Katara covered a wide yawn, pushing back the light blanket she'd been wrapped in and blearily climbed to her feet. Neither of the firebenders noticed her approach until she spoke, "What is going on so early in the morning?"

Zuko scowled, folding his arms and grumbling, "It's not that early."

She ignored his surly attitude, eying the bruising she could see beneath the gapping of his tunic. Iroh wished her a cheerful good morning, explaining, "I have decided to let Zuko train the Avatar on his own. There are other matters I must attend to now that the war is coming to its culmination."

"You can't just abandon us!"

Iroh's face softened even though Katara caught a flash of pain beneath his smile. "Oh, Zuko. I'm not abandoning you."

Zuko refused to say anything further and Katara stepped forward, offering the older man a parting hug. "Are you sure you'll be all right?"

Iroh returned the hug. "Oh, yes. I am gathering a bunch of old friends."

"We don't need your old friends," Zuko grumbled mulishly.

"A drop of water shall be returned with a burst of spring."

Zuko and Katara merely stared at him until Iroh clasped his hands together, saying, "Well, I should be off. Good luck, Zuko. I'm proud of you."

Zuko shifted awkwardly, glancing at Katara out of the corner of his eye. She took the hint, waving farewell, and heading back to stir the campfire's embers back to life. A grinding of stone announced the appearance of Toph. The earthbender grumbled a good morning which Katara returned, getting her first good look at the younger girl. Toph seemed to sense her appraisal, because she flopped onto the ground by the fire and stated, "I can still tell you're staring, Sweetness."

Toph's milky, pale green eyes stared through her and Katara immediately looked away. "Sorry. I didn't know you were—I'm sorry."

Toph tugged at her wild hair, shrugging absently. "I'm pretty much over being blind. Don't remember ever being able to see anyway. Aang's awake."

True to her words, the young airbender arrived in a gust of wind, throwing thin arms around Katara and exclaiming, "You're back!"

Katara gasped as it felt like the air was squeezed out of her lungs with Aang's enthusiasm. "Good morning."

Aang beamed widely up at her, gray eyes shining brightly. Katara disentangled herself from the boy, patting him gently on the shoulder. Suddenly, Aang pushed her aside, yelling, "Run! It's Zuko!"

Katara stumbled, catching at Aang's arm, trying to prevent him from bending. "Don't! Zuko!"

Sokka scrambled out of his sleeping roll with a disjointed yell. Toph was on her feet, punching her hands out and up. A wall sprang up, intercepting the blast of air and redirecting it back. Sokka fell back with another shout and Katara went tumbling when the rush of air knocked her off her feet. Only Toph and Aang remained standing. Aang turned astonished eyes on Toph, but the earthbender remained unmoved, keeping her wall up around Zuko. Katara hurried to her feet, trying to catch her breath after having the wind knocked out of her. "Aang! Stop! Aang, it's okay."

Aang stared at her in surprise. Katara caught his hand, her eyes searching his face. "Do you remember anything from last night?"

Wide, gray eyes darted from Katara to the solid wall surrounding the firebender. "Um…It's kind of fuzzy."

Katara sighed. There wasn't much she could do about that and she could only hope further attacks on Zuko could be prevented. She gave Aang's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Zuko's going to teach you firebending."

Sokka was untangling himself up from his twisted bedroll, grumbling, "Yeah. It's a super idea. Worked out real well so far."

"Zuko's going to teach me?"

She could hear the doubt and disbelief in his voice, but her attention had already shifted. Zuko hadn't made a sound since the initial blast of air had knocked everyone off their feet and his silence was worrying her. Toph was frowning slightly. "You may want to check on Sparky."

Katara grabbed the waterskin she dropped and Toph lowered the wall. At some point, Zuko had also been knocked to the ground and once the wall was down Katara was able to see Zuko roll onto his stomach with a groan. Katara hurried to his side, ignoring Sokka's, "Great, you broke our firebender."

Aang was immediately contrite. "I'm sorry! I thought—well, he's never wanted to help before."

Katara let the conversation drift on its own as she check the injuries she'd healed the night before. She was relieved to find that the tumble hadn't undone much of her work and she sighed, capping her waterskin. "You really should take it easy for a bit."

"I'll be sure to tell that to the Avatar next time he decides to blast me," Zuko said dryly.

Katara took his elbow and helped him back to his feet, ignoring his sulky expression. Aang cautiously approached, eyes wide and uncertain. Zuko put a hand to his ribs, unsuccessfully hiding a wince. Aang's expression fell, immediately stammering, "I'm sorry."

Zuko merely stared at the young airbender, but Katara offered an understanding smile. "It's okay, Aang. Zuko just needs some time to recover from yesterday."

Aang nodded solemnly. "You're really going to teach me firebending?"

"Yes," Zuko said shortly, pointedly ignoring Katara's admonishing look at his short answer.

Aang took Zuko's attitude in stride, suddenly looking excited. "And I can teach you waterbending, Katara!"

"Katara's already a waterbending master," Zuko grumbled irritably.

The words were enough to silence Sokka's morning grouching and take Aang by surprise. Sokka spoke up from his spot by the fire, "I can't believe you're a waterbending master."

Katara flushed with pride. "I learned from Huu in the Foggy Swamp."

"I bet Huu was a lot nicer than Master Pakku," Aang said enviously. "Master Pakku was angry about everything when we first arrived. He and Sokka—"

"Whoa!" Sokka interrupted hurriedly. "They don't need to hear about that!"

Sokka avoided Katara's curious look, busying himself with stirring the embers of their campfire back to life. Aang grinned widely, but obliged the other boy's protest and turned back to Katara. "I can show you some really cool moves. Maybe Huu showed you something Mast Pakku didn't show me."

Toph snorted, folding her arms across her chest. "Hey, Twinkletoes, before you start showing off you need to finish learning earthbending."

Sokka managed to coax the fire back to life by the time everyone settled down around the fire pit and was pulling out various rations. Katara hung back, feeling useless as Sokka swiftly moved through what was apparently a morning routine. A small skillet was swiftly placed on the glowing embers near the fire and a handful of mushroom thrown in along with a few leafy things and a root that made Katara's eyes burn. Sokka pulled out a carefully wrapped package, folding back a flap and handing out a few pieces of jerky to everyone except Aang. "Time for breakfast! We might have to go foraging, Aang. There's not much here for you. Where's the old guy?"

To her surprise, Zuko responded, "He's gathering friends."

"So," Sokka said slowly, "does that mean we should sleep with one eye open?"

Zuko flushed angrily. "Uncle's not like that!"

Katara frowned at her brother even as she put a soothing hand on Zuko's arm. Sokka immediately held up his hands. "Didn't mean it like that. Don't get your tunic in a knot."

Breakfast was finished peacefully and Katara volunteered to wash the dishes. Toph dragged Aang off to practice his earthbending while Sokka cleared camp. Sokka declared he'd feel better if they didn't stay in one place for very long and, to his surprise, Zuko agreed.

Notes:

Recognizable quotes from "Crossroads of Destiny"

Chapter 23: Getting to Know You

"Getting to know you. Getting to know all about you. Getting to like you. Getting to hope you like me."
— "The King and I"

An entire day and a half of flying and Katara was more than ready to return to the ground. A quick glance around the saddle revealed that she wasn't the only one that felt that way. Toph had a white-knuckled grip on the edge of the saddle, looking a little green-faced, and Zuko was drawn and pale. Sokka—the only one who appeared unaffected—was leaning over the front of the saddle and speaking to Aang where he sat on Appa's head. Though the wind whipped his words away before she could hear them, she could tell by his gestures that they were selecting a place to land for the night. Appa would need time to rest and they had to come up with a plan for the next few weeks until Zuko was able to start firebending again.

Sokka nodded, clapping the younger boy on the shoulder and shifted back toward the center of the saddle as Appa turned and slowly dropped in altitude. Toph groaned, fingers tightening further on the saddles edge, and Sokka spared the girl a dry look. "Not in the saddle, Toph."

The earthbender looked like she would've snarled a reply if her jaw wasn't clamped so tightly closed. Zuko grunted an agreement, but said nothing. Sokka ignored them both and turned to Katara. "We're going to land on one of the small islands in Fire Nation territory. It doesn't look inhabited, but don't wander too far."

Katara glanced at Zuko and the firebender frowned. She wove her fingers together, asking her brother, "Do you think that's wise?"

Sokka darted a suspicious look at Zuko, shrugging lightly. "It's the least likely place they'd look for us."

She sighed. There was a lot of truth in Sokka's words, but she also knew Zuko faced execution on sight if he was found within Fire Nation borders. It was an unsettling realization. Sokka settled down in the saddle to watch Zuko—who pretended not to notice the scrutiny—and Katara watched the island draw closer. Like most of the other islands nearby, the center was densely forested before the trees thinned to grassland which faded into beach. They circled the island once and Katara realized the northern part of it was a rocky cliff not more than a hundred feet high.

Appa landed on the cliff side, settling with a tired groan. Katara shifted, but Sokka motioned for her to wait, saying, "Toph, provide us some cover from the ocean. Keep it natural."

Toph snorted, clambering over the back of the saddle and sliding down Appa's tail. She walked a few paces from the bison before planting her feet, calling out, "Brace yourselves!"

She waited for a few seconds and then the ground started to rumble. Katara felt her breath catch as they slowly sank into a shallow ditch. Or maybe Toph was raising a wall. She couldn't decide. Maybe it was both? Her task complete, Toph dropped to the ground, reveling in the reconnection with her element. Sokka tossed down the bedrolls and shouldered a few packs, issuing orders, "Toph, a fire pit." The earthbender thumped her fist on the ground and a circular pit formed not far from her. "Aang, gather some firewood. Make sure it's dry. We don't want a smokey fire."

Katara dropped to the ground and Zuko moved stiffly to the rear of the saddle, dubiously eying the drop to the ground. Katara grinned, patting Appa's flank. "Just slide down his tail, Zuko; I'll help you up at the bottom."

He didn't look pleased with her offer, but he slid down Appa's tail, suppressing a groan as Katara helped him up. He ignored her concerned frown and moved toward the empty fire pit. Toph's head shifted in his direction and a moment later a low seat emerged from the ground. "Have a seat, Sparky, before you fall over and break something else."

Zuko eyed the offered seat warily before carefully settling down. Katara didn't miss his relieved sigh as he adjusted his posture to take pressure off his ribs. There wasn't much else she could do for them. She'd encouraged as much healing as she could, but the rest just had to take its time.

Aang returned to camp with an armload of branches and twigs that he dropped in the fire pit before vanishing again to retrieve thicker logs. Sokka finally dropped from the saddle with the last of the packs when Aang returned. Sokka dropped a pack to the ground and started digging through its contents, a frown furrowing his brow. Katara watched her brother mutter to himself for a few minutes before he sighed.

"All right. We're almost out of food so we need to do some foraging," Sokka turned to the packs, digging through their supplies. Katara was surprised when he pulled out a bow and a quiver of arrows. He eyed the arrows for a moment before swinging the weapons across his back. "Aang, you're on your own. Remember, stay away from game trails."

The airbender sighed and rolled his eyes, but nodded anyway. Sokka leveled the young boy a long look before continuing, "Zuko, you're with me I guess. Know anything about hunting?"

"Some."

Toph opened her mouth to say something but Sokka pointed his bow at her, cutting her off, "You will stay here and watch camp."

His tone was so commanding that it took Katara by surprise and she looked curiously between the young earthbender and her brother. Toph groaned, folding her arms across her chest and dropping mulishly to the ground. "So I made one mistake. Big deal."

"It took me three days to get all the quills out!" Sokka exclaimed.

"That's not fair. How was I supposed to know—"

Sokka's gasping, choking cough covered what Toph was saying and he loudly exclaimed, "No need to bring that up again! They don't need to know!"

Aang's snicker was quickly muffled when Sokka's accusing gaze swung in his direction. Katara cleared her throat, resisting the urge to ask for the story, and instead said, "Maybe Zuko should stay here for the time being. His ribs are still healing."

Sokka's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "No. I'm keeping my eye on him."

"Really, Sokka—"

"It's fine," Zuko interrupted.

Sokka nodded, turning to Toph. "Which way is game?"

Toph frowned thoughtfully for several seconds before lifting a hand and pointing. "That direction."

Sokka followed the direction she pointed, eyes narrowing. "Right. Aang…"

The airbender nodded. "I'm going in the opposite direction. And I won't pretend to be a platypus bear this time."

Sokka scowled and grunted an acknowledgement, pointedly ignoring Toph's grin. "Right. Let's go, Hot Shot."

He marched away without waiting for Zuko, grumbling about ruined plans and tarnished reputations. Zuko stood, moving after the muttering Water Tribe boy, and Katara anxiously followed. "You'll be all right, right? I mean, your ribs are still bothering you. You should stay and rest. I can go with my brother."

Zuko paused, turning to look at her and she blushed, dropping her eyes away to look after her brother. She'd never felt so awkward. "Katara, I'll be fine." Their eyes caught and held until Zuko broke their gaze, the tips of his ears reddening and he muttered, "We'll be back soon."

They stood in uncomfortable silence for several minutes until Zuko cleared his throat and turned away. Katara chewed her lip, watching him disappear into the trees before returning to camp. Aang had already gone off to do his own foraging and Toph seemed content to lay in the dirt though her head tilted toward Katara when she approached. Katara fussed with a few bedrolls, trying to bring her jumble of emotions under control. She'd been trying to ignore what had happened back in Ba Sing Se. Things had been unusually awkward between them since Ba Sing Se though they hadn't had much time alone over the last few days. Heat burned in her cheeks and she shifted, hoping Toph couldn't see her blush. She'd been so stupid. She couldn't even say what she'd been thinking. She hadn't been thinking. There had just been something in his gaze in the catacombs and she'd felt herself drawn to him. Katara wondered if he even noticed. He hadn't said anything.

The sound of Toph shifting jerked Katara from her thoughts and she gave up fussing with the bedrolls. The earthbender had rolled onto her stomach as was absently chasing pebbles through the dirt. Katara watched for a few minutes before finally asking, "How did you meet Sokka and Aang?"

Toph turned her startlingly blank eyes on Katara, smirking, "I kicked Twinklestoes' butt in an earthbending rumble."

That, Katara decided, was not what she was expecting. She tried to imagine Aang in such a situation and came up blank. "So, you decided to teach him earthbending?"

Toph shrugged. "More or less."

She offered no further explanation though Katara sensed there was more to the story than Toph let on. Katara clasped her arms around her raised knees, absently twirling the ring around her thumb. "You help Sokka hunt?"

"Once. I mistakenly thought a boarcupine was a koala sheep. He won't let me help anymore."

Katara would've believed her except for the amused grin that crossed the girl's face at the memory. So much time had passed since she'd left the South Pole with her brother to rescue Aang from Zuko's ship and she'd missed most of it with her brother as she'd been captured on the Prison Rig and then in the company of Zuko. It saddened her that there was this awkwardness between herself and her brother that hadn't been there before. She started when Toph spoke, "So, how'd you end up with Sparky? Sokka and Twinkletoes never really said."

Katara sighed and settled more comfortably on the ground, drawing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "I was captured by firebenders while trying to rescue a friend."

"Haru," Toph stated, nodding. "Aang told me."

Katara felt her eyes burn and she realized she hadn't thought of the earthbender boy or the other earthbenders that died that day in months. She'd been mostly concerned about her own survival since she realized the firebenders were going to sell her. Grief and pain had been buried until she had the leisure give them appropriate attention. The weeks spent in a dark, filthy cell fueled her nightmares still. She swallowed her tears, forcing her voice to steady as she spoke, "The Warden decided I was useless as a worker on the Prison Rig and he'd make a profit by selling me in the markets. Zuko bought me."

Toph sat up at that, her expression incredulous. "Sparky bought you? You're a slave?"

Katara grinned humorlessly, fingering the ring again. "Technically."

"So, you're not really?"

Katara sighed, waving her hand though she knew the other girl couldn't see it. "I am until I get this ring off. We haven't had a chance to have it removed. Too many questions."

Toph's brow furrowed as she frowned. "I've heard of slave rings, but I've never seen them." She extended a hand, commanding, "Let me see."

Surprised, Katara let Toph take her hand; the earthbender's fingers lightly danced over hers until they found the ring. Toph examined it curiously, twisting it and tugging gently, murmuring, "How'd they get it on if you can't pull it off again?" She must have felt Katara shudder because she shook her head. "Never mind. I can get it off."

"You can?" Katara asked in surprise.

"Of course," Toph said smugly. "I learned a really cool trick a few weeks ago. Watch."

Toph pinched the ring between her thumb and forefinger and slowly drew them apart. Katara gasped as the ring loosened until it easily slipped over her knuckle. Toph held it up and adjusted the size. "You can wear it on a different finger if you like. Or sell it. It's good silver."

Toph dropped it into her palm and Katara could only stare at it, too surprised to realize what it meant now that it was off. Aang arrived at that point, but Katara didn't notice. He dropped his bag by the side of the fire pit, grinning at them. "Hey, I'm back!"

Toph returned the greeting, but Aang frowned at Katara's silence. Katara held up the ring, watching the sun glint off the silver. Aang moved closer. "Katara?"

She trembled, clutching the ring in her fist and burst into tears. Aang jerked back in surprise, looking helplessly at Toph. He received no explanation from the earthbender, merely a shrug. "Go get some water, Aang."

Katara wrapped her arms around her stomach and pressed her face against her knees, muffling her sobs and hiding her tears. The wall she'd built to hold her emotions in back crumbled and the months of fear, anger, grief, and relief spilled forth in gut-wrenching sobs.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Zuko trailed behind Sokka, content to let the other boy search for the game trail. The dull throb of his ribs pulsed in time to his heart beat and he hoped Katara's brother wasn't expecting him to do much on this expedition because he felt any kind of sudden movement would cause him to embarrass himself. Fainting was not high on his priority list. He almost wished he'd been enough of a sissy to let Katara talk him into staying at the campsite.

Sokka had ceased his grumbling but still continued to march through the underbrush, swiping angrily at hanging branches. Zuko was beginning to wonder if Sokka planned to do any hunting or if he'd lured him out into the forest to stage some kind of hunting accident. It was something he wouldn't put past Azula, but he wasn't sure about Katara's brother. In any case, the game would have long since fled with the amount of noise the boy was making. Without warning, Sokka suddenly whirled to face him, demanding, "What do you want with my sister?"

Zuko stopped short, resisting the urge to grimace as the sudden change in motion jarred his ribs. So it was a staged hunting accident, a small corner of his mind whispered. For some reason, he was surprised. It didn't seem like something the Water Tribe boy would do. "What?"

"I know that she's—that you—" he made a disgusted noise and started over. "Look, I know they sold her and that she's," he grimaced, "yours."

"Technically."

Sokka ignored him. "So, what do you want with her?"

"Want with her?" Zuko repeated dumbly. The painful throb of his ribs was making him stupid.

Fortunately, Sokka didn't seem to find anything unusual about his question. "She's my little sister. It's my responsibility to protect her. You have a sister. You should understand."

Zuko stared at him blankly. He was…protecting his sister's honor? Was that normal sibling behavior? He could imagine Azula's reaction to his meddling and he grimaced. Azula's honor never needed protecting. "I'm pretty sure she could kill me between one breath and the next."

Confusion crossed Sokka's face. "Katara?"

"Her, too," Zuko agreed.

Sokka frowned, his confusion still evident but Zuko didn't expound upon his statement. Eventually, Sokka gave a shrug and decided not to pursue the matter further and instead glanced around the darkening trees. "So, any idea how to track?"

"I thought you knew how to hunt."

The Water Tribe male scowled. "Yeah, in the tundra. Trees and bushes, not so much. It all starts looking the same after a while. You're used to dirt and green things."

Zuko groaned. His hopes of a quick hunt rapidly diminishing. "The…royal family doesn't track its own game."

Sokka looked surprised. "You don't hunt?"

"Not for survival purposes."

Sokka mulled over that bit of information for a moment. "If you can't track, how'd you manage to find us all the time?"

"It's pretty easy to find a giant, flying bison."

Sokka frowned, looking like he'd never considered the thought. "Right."

Zuko sighed, pushing himself off the tree he was leaning against and absently cradling his ribs. He just wanted to get this over with. He surveyed the crossing game trails before motioning down one. "This way."

Sokka eyed the trail suspiciously, adjusting the quiver against his back. "How do you know?"

Zuko started down the trail and Sokka fell in step behind him. They walked for several minutes before Sokka nudged the firebender. "Well?"

"In the Foggy Swamp," Zuko grudgingly admitted, "the men took me hunting while Katara trained. We caught a snakebird."

"That's not fair," Sokka whined. "You and Katara had good, fun times in the Swamp while Aang and I had to eat giant bugs."

Zuko paused to examine some tracks more closely while Sokka frowned at the surrounding foliage and mused, "You don't suppose they really eat giant bugs, do you? They just say they do for shock value, right?"

Zuko gave the other boy a side-long look. "I heard they're an aphrodisiac."

Sokka whirled around looking horrified and Zuko rose, brushing off his hands and nodding solemnly. "And increase fertility."

"That's—my sister…"

"Can really dance," Zuko finished.

Every muscle in Sokka's body tensed and his face flushed. Zuko ignored the murderous glare the other boy pinned on him and continued along the trail. A few heartbeats later, Zuko heard Sokka's footsteps as well as muttered obscenities behind him. Katara's brother drew even with him, a dark frown still pulling at his lips. "I might decide to kill you yet."

At Zuko's questioning glance, he shrugged. "There's no honor in kicking a man when he's down."

A rustling in the brush made them both freeze. Up the trail, a small creature covered in dark fur entered the path, pausing to scent the air. They crouched behind a bush, watching the animal nose along the path. Sokka shifted, reaching for his bow even as he whispered, "What is that?"

"A tarrabah."

"A what?"

"Some call them devil dogs."

Sokka eyed the creature for a moment. "Can we eat it?"

Zuko shuddered. Too many stories rose to the front of his mind about tarrabahs. None of them good. "I wouldn't want to."

Glittering black eyes turned toward them, sharp teeth flashing as the hair along the creature's back stood up and it screamed. The scream sent a shiver down their spines and then the creature darted into the foliage and vanished. Sokka stared after before standing and agreeing, "Yeah, I wouldn't want to eat it either. They sound almost as bad as those screeching birds in the Swamp. That's not what you were tracking, was it?"

"No. There are goats up ahead."

"Goats," Sokka said, his expression dubious. "Just goats?"

"Yes."

"You're not going to tell me they're actually puma goats or something like that?"

"No. Just goats."

"Very well," Sokka said, glancing at their surroundings and rolling his shoulders. "Fine. I can handle goats."

Despite Sokka's assertion that he was more than capable of hunting a few goats, the goats themselves proved their displeasure in being hunted. Sokka's first shot injured, but failed to kill, an immature buck that was grazing on the edge of the herd. Its pained bleat brought the rage of the herd and a stampede of hooves. Sokka managed to kill the injured goat with a second shot, but then had to climb a nearby tree to escape the angry herd. An unsteady blast of fire managed to startle the goats and send them scattering to watch from a distance as Sokka dropped from the tree and approached his kill, muttering, "Seems like everything in the Fire Nation is trying to kill me."

Zuko snorted what might have been a laugh, but Sokka was too busy eying the mournfully bleating goats to pay much attention. Sokka seemed to come to the conclusion that the goats would keep their distance because he looked down to study his kill. "We'll have to dress and butcher it here."

Zuko grimaced, picturing carrying hunks of bloodied meat through the forest. Not to mention the attention they'd attract from scavengers. It seemed Sokka's thoughts were running along the same lines. "I brought some leather bags. Aang," he hesitated, changing his mind. "It's better if Aang doesn't see it."

Zuko frowned, watching as Sokka deftly cleaned and butchered the goat. They packed the meat in the leather bags, each shouldering one. Sokka grimaced at his hands and knife, glancing at the carcass and scanning the surrounding area. "Do you think we should bury it?"

"Don't bother. The vultures and tarrabahs will take care of it. We're far enough from camp."

Zuko motioned to the birds circling overhead. Sokka studied their flight, musing, "You don't think they'll attract attention?"

"Things die all the time."

The frown Sokka sent him was easily ignored and Zuko started back to camp. His ribs were aching and he really wanted to do nothing more than collapse on something soft and vaguely bed-like and he didn't care whether the other boy followed or not. He trudged through the trees for several minutes before Sokka spoke, "Hey, there's a spring in this direction."

Sokka veered off the path and Zuko paused a moment before following with a sigh. When he emerged from the trees, Sokka had stripped to his shorts and waded into the water, scrubbing at his skin. Zuko froze, retreating a step back into the trees. Sokka straightened, wringing out his hair and returned to the bank, catching sight of Zuko in the trees. "You going to wash?"

He motioned to Zuko's hands and the firebender automatically glanced down. Goat blood stained his fingers and he curled them into a fist and moved toward the water as Sokka pulled his clothes on again, frowning at a tear. Zuko scrubbed his hands clean, inspecting his skin for any more dried blood or dirt. Sokka cleared his throat, asking, "How soon until you can teach Aang firebending?"

Zuko shook off most of the water, touching the bandages hidden beneath his tunic. "A few weeks."

Sokka's brow creased in thought, shouldering his equipment again. "I suppose it's not that big of a deal, then. Maybe by then the war will be over and he can learn firebending afterward."

"What are you talking about?"

For a moment, Sokka frowned at nothing before shaking his head and shrugging. "It's nothing. We've still got some time. I have to think some things through."

An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of Zuko's stomach. The fact that all the world's hopes seemed to depend on a twelve-year-old boy made the temptation of finding some remote area of the globe and becoming a hermit all that more appealing. He pushed thoughts of leaving away. It felt too much like running away and his problems were persistent enough to follow him; as they proved in the past. The rest of the walk back to the campsite was done in silence. Sokka was lost in his thoughts and Zuko was concentrating on not jarring his ribs and controlling his breathing.

The sun had sunk low on the horizon while they'd been gone and cast the camp in shadow. Aang had returned in their absence and Zuko could see the airbender's anxiety as he hovered over Katara. Zuko frowned.

"Oi! What happened?"

Apparently, Sokka noticed something amiss as well. Aang jumped, turning sharply toward them. His face flooded with relief when he saw Sokka. "I don't know! She just started crying!"

Sokka quickly crossed the distance, unceremoniously dumping the quiver and bag by the empty fire pit. He knelt in front of his sister, reaching for her hands. "Katara?"

Her tearstained face rose from where she'd pressed them against her knees and Sokka reached for her, hesitated, and took her hands instead. She stared at him, swallowing thickly and sniffling back tears. Her eyes moved over her brother, Toph, and Aang before lighting upon Zuko. With a gasp, she pulled her hands from Sokka's and scrambled to her feet. She bit her lip, her resolve wavering. Zuko shifted and she was decided. Her feet carried her swiftly to Zuko, drawing up short when she remembered his injuries.

"Zuko," she breathed.

Zuko rocked back on his heels, warily looking down into tearful blue eyes. Tears always made him uncomfortable. She drew her hand from her chest, uncurling her fingers to hold her hand out palm up. She pulled her lip between her teeth and he dropped his eyes to her hand. It took a moment to register what he was looking at. A silver band lay in the palm of her hand. His hand rose and he laid a finger on the ring before meeting her eyes again. "How?"

A smile bloomed on her face and she picked it up, holding it between her fingers. "Toph. I want you to have it."

Zuko sucked in a surprised breath when she took his hand and closed his fingers around the ring. "I can't."

Her head tilted. "You should be compensated for your trouble. Toph says it's good silver."

Zuko glanced over her shoulder to where Sokka and Aang looked on, bewildered. He averted his eyes and shook his head, repeating, "I can't. I—you keep it."

They ignored Toph's poorly stifled snort of laughter. He caught her hand and slipped the ring onto one of her fingers. Katara stared at the ring for a moment before shifting her gaze to Zuko. "Why?"

Zuko shifted uncomfortably. "Firebending and metal don't really mix."

Katara frowned, but Toph suddenly called out, "Hey, Sparky, start a fire for Snoozles here. I'm starving!"

Sokka scoffed. "I can start a fire!"

"Sparky can start one faster."

"She has a point," Aang chimed in, earning a glare.

Sokka turned toward the gathered wood pile, snatching up tinder and kindling and dumping it in the fire pit. "Did you find food?"

Aang shrugged half-heartedly. "Just some berries and a few mushrooms."

Sokka struck a fire and encouraged the spark to catch before creating a tepee. Satisfied with his work, he set about building a log cabin structure, commenting, "We'll have to get more rice soon. And other supplies."

"With what money?" Zuko asked.

Sokka sat back, quirking an eyebrow at him. "You're with team Avatar, now."

"People give us free stuff all the time," Toph drawled.

Zuko looked dumbfounded and he turned for affirmation from Katara. When she only shrugged in response, he turned back to Sokka and demanded, "They just give you stuff?"

Sokka shrugged dismissively. "Yup. It doesn't hurt that they think Aang's cute."

Aang protested immediately, blushing hotly.

Chapter 24: Tiny Pushes

"The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of tiny pushes of each honest worker."
– Helen Keller

Katara was scowling at her brother. Never mind that she'd missed him dreadfully for the past few months and his absence was a constant worry in the back of her mind that manifested itself in her nightmares alongside the nightmares of her imprisonment. Sokka didn't seem the least bit perturbed that his sister was glaring at him. He was squatting next to the pile of clothes he'd dropped in front of her, calmly sorting through them.

"Some of them need mending," he was saying. "It's been a while since we've been able to do a good job or find someone willing to do some sewing."

Her scowl deepened. "Why do I have to do it?"

He rocked back on his heels, looking up at her. He seemed surprised by her scowl. His shoulders stiffened and he answered defensively, "Well, Toph certainly can't do it and Aang's just as bad as I am."

He held up a pair of pants, turning to show a clumsily stitched tear. She stared at it, setting her jaw. She was not going to give in. "That's awful."

Sokka frowned, turning the cloth to inspect the stitching himself. "It's not as bad as Aang's!" he said, sounding indignant, before adding sullenly, "I have gotten better."

Katara watched him poke at his stitching for several minutes before heaving a sigh. "Oh, give me that."

She snatched the pants from his hands and threw them back on the pile of laundry, wrinkling her nose. Everything needed to be washed and aired. She picked at a few of the tunics, asking, "What did you wash these in? Swamp water?"

"Funny you should say that…"

She took in his sheepish grin and shook her head. "Never mind. I don't want to know. Might as well get the rest of the wash."

"Great!"

He jumped to his feet and went digging through the packs. He returned with a few more articles of clothing which he dumped on the pile. He dropped a sloppy kiss on her cheek, grinning when she grimaced and wiped it away. "You're the best sister ever. I'm going to make some jerky and stock up while Aang's busy. We'll be moving again in a few days. Let's go, Sparky."

She waved him off and scooped the clothing up, starting toward the stream. A glance at Zuko showed he'd been watching their exchange, looking faintly curious though he scowled at the nickname. Their eyes met and Katara quickly looked away. If they'd had an opportunity to talk without interruption maybe things wouldn't feel so awkward between them.

They'd been on the island for nearly three days now and the group had fallen into a routine. Toph would drag a protesting Aang off for earthbending practice shortly after lunch and Sokka would either sit muttering over maps or he'd take Zuko hunting and foraging. She didn't think her brother was forming any kind of friendship with the firebender despite the frequency with which he sought the other boy's company. Zuko seemed aware of the the distrust and suspicion, but he didn't seem bothered by it, taking the frowns and sidelong glances in stride. Sokka's careful watchfulness set her on edge, though; and Aang was responding to the tension with forced smiles and cheerfully loud comments, as if volume and cheer alone would fix things.

She was beginning to think that too much time had passed since the Catacombs that it'd be too awkward to dredge it up again. Maybe she should pretend nothing happened. Zuko didn't appear bothered by her actions and she doubted he'd even noticed. He hadn't said anything either.

With a sigh, Katara dropped the laundry on the bank and stared down at the gently babbling stream. She took a few centering breaths then decided to practice her forms. It'd been weeks since she'd been able to freely bend and she wondered if Zuko felt the same release and freedom now that they were away from civilization. After all, the most he used his bending was to light the campfire in the evening and keep it from going out during the night. Sokka had grudgingly given up that duty when Toph pointed out that Zuko could snap his fingers and light a fire without all that "huffing and puffing" Sokka had to do.

Katara released a blissful sigh. The motion of the water was soothing and it calmed the tension that radiated from her shoulders. Now relaxed, she turned her attention to the laundry. She couldn't help wrinkling her nose as she carefully picked up a soiled tunic. Boys, she decided, were a filthy, smelly bunch.

She worked quickly, pulling the water out of clean clothes and inspecting them for tears, putting aside the clothes that needed mending and folding and sorting the ones that didn't. She was nearly finished when Aang appeared.

"Hello, Katara!"

She turned with a smile, letting the last of the water flow back into the stream. "Hello, Aang. How was earthbending practice?"

Aang grimaced, twisting to show off a spectacular bruise on his shoulder. "Toph's pushing really hard. I think my bruises have bruises."

He gave her a wide-eyed pout as she examined the bruise, clicking her tongue sympathetically. "Do you want me to heal them?"

Aang squirmed under the attention, cheeks pinking. Saying with an air of injured male pride, "They're not that bad."

She smoothed a thumb over the bruise, asking, "Are you sure?"

He nodded eagerly, determined not to sound like a wimp. "I can handle a few bruises. It's not a big deal."

She let him pull away and he bounced to his feet, stretching a flexing in a show of bravado. She laughed lightly, smothering it quickly when he tripped over his feet and nearly landed in the small stream next to them. His ears burned and he seemed relieved she apparently hadn't noticed his clumsiness. Katara folded the last of the laundry as he casually stretched his arms and glanced around the area. "So…want me to show you some cool waterbending moves?"

Katara leaned back on her hands, tilting her head back to look up at him. "Do you practice?"

The young airbender pulled a face. "I'm the Avatar! I've mastered waterbending no problem. It was easy."

Katara lifted an eyebrow. She wouldn't describe her own journey to bending mastery as easy. Off-hand comments around the campfire let her know that earthbending wasn't coming as swiftly to Aang as his waterbending had. "If you don't need to practice your waterbending, maybe you should spend more time with Toph."

Aang looked horrified and Katara was amused at how much terror the small earthbender inspired. It was clear that Aang would rather avoid the girl for the time being. "I'll waterbend! It'll be fun!"

Katara rose to her feet, dusting the dirt from her hands and skirt. She really needed to find something more suited to camping than what she wore to the Earth King's palace. "All right, Aang. Let's see your forms."

The boy suddenly looked nervous and Katara gave him a soothing smile. "Don't worry. We're not going to do any sparing yet. I just want to see the difference in bending styles. I've never seen the Northern Tribe style before."

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Zuko tugged the brim of his sedge hat down lower over his eyes, scanning the milling crowd. He'd protested going into town in the middle of the day, but Sokka overruled his protests and shoved the hat into his hands. He really didn't see the need for their entire group to spend the day in the market and he really didn't see the need for the Avatar to waltz into the square with no worries whatsoever. It was like the boy didn't realize he had a target on his back. It was amazing that they'd survived this long without capture or injury. The Spirits were clearly with the Avatar and his group. Life was so unfair. A sharp elbow to his arm prompted a grunt and he scowled at Katara. Undaunted, she returned the scowl. "Stop sulking."

"This is dumb," he muttered. "We might as well tell Azula where we are."

Katara sighed. Zuko had been sulking since the argument that morning and she'd had to listen to his grumbles since Appa landed a mile or so from the small town they'd selected to resupply. "We're in the Earth Kingdom. We'll be fine."

Zuko stopped, frowning down at her. "What was Ba Sing Se, then?"

She blushed, feeling silly. "That's different."

He snorted, searching the market again. Nothing seemed out of place so he focused on Katara again. "How?"

"There's no reason for Azula to be here," Katara said, trying to sound more confident than she actually felt.

Zuko rolled his eyes, pulling her out of the street. "It wasn't just Azula we were fighting back there."

She bit her lip, realizing the truth of his words, and she darted a look at the people around them. "But that was—that can't happen here, right? They're Earth Kingdom."

Zuko said nothing and she turned anxious eyes to him. His brow furrowed and he sighed, breaking eye contact. "The Fire Nation isn't winning the war simply by greater numbers or strength."

He paused, his eyes moving over her face before dropping to her necklace. He lifted a hand, his fingers reaching for it before he clenched his hand and dropped it back to his side. Katara's chin rose, her expression worried. "Zuko?"

He blinked, clearing his throat. "The Southern Tribes were attacked to wipe out all the waterbenders, Katara. All of them. How do you think the Fire Nation found out about…"

He trailed off, motioning vaguely. It took several seconds before comprehension dawned and she gasped, her hand flying to clasp her necklace. Her eyes widened in shock before narrowing in anger and she growled, "Traitors."

He gave a sharp nod in confirmation. He may have been young at the time, but he could remember messengers slipping into the Royal Palace during the darkest hours of the night. Her eyes darted around the market, eying the passing throng. Something hurt and angry lurked beneath her expression and his stomach twisted. He reached for one of her hands, clearing his throat. "Katara—"

"Did you know, in the Earth Kingdom rings are given as a betrothal custom?"

Zuko jerked away from Katara as if she burned and the waterbender exclaimed, "Toph!"

"Man, that was good," Toph laughed. "Your hearts are jumping like jackalopes!"

Zuko and Katara pointedly avoided looking at each other and Toph moved forward to cling to Zuko's arm. "I'm sure Sparky, here, knows Earth Kingdom customs."

Katara turned startled eyes toward him and Zuko knew he was blushing. He could feel the heat of it crawl up his neck, making his ears burn. She swiftly looked away again, twisting the ring around her finger and blushing deeply. "Maybe I should take this off."

"Take what off?"

At Aang's appearance, Zuko sighed deeply and folded his arms, muttering, "For wanting to keep a low profile, we're sure drawing a lot of attention to ourselves."

And they were. A group of teenagers drew attention no matter the circumstances, but they were unknown in this town and without any adults in their strange group so they drew more attention than usual. Plus Aang seemed to have no qualms about airbending whenever he wanted to which drew even more attention. Zuko really wished they could've all stayed at camp and chosen one person to get supply. Maybe two. Yes. They could've avoided suspicion if just two of them entered the village. They could've sent Sokka and Katara. While it would've been unusual for their presence, they wouldn't stand out as much as the Avatar.

He focused on the conversation going on around him just in time to hear Aang finish saying, "—necklaces are given when the girl gets engaged."

He didn't need to know what the first half of the sentence was because Katara's hand darting to her throat and closing around the carved pendant was hint enough. And Aang was frowning. They were still discussing betrothal customs.

"What about you, Sparky?"

Zuko blinked, surprised that he was being dragged into the conversation. "What?"

Toph poked him. "Pay attention. What does a man give a woman at her betrothal ceremony?"

"A comb."

Three pairs of eyes stared at him…Well, two pairs stared at him, but Toph did a credible job. Toph's head tilted, considering. "Why? I can understand the Water Tribe with their beaded hair and necklaces because their hands are usually covered…"

She trailed off and Zuko looked at Katara curiously. Beaded hair? He must've missed that part of the conversation. Zuko shifted uncomfortably. He didn't really want to discuss wedding customs. "Some firebending forms encase your fists in fire. Metal heats up quickly. A ring could cause severe burns to your hands. Non-benders will often wear a ring, though the comb is traditional."

Another glance at Katara revealed her nervously twisting the ring around her finger, her expression thoughtful. She blinked out her thoughts, flushing when she caught his eyes and quickly looked away, scanning the market. "We should split up before Sokka sees us and complains about his master plan failing."

Zuko lifted a hand, but Aang perked immediately, darting to Katara's side and grabbing up her hand. "Come with me this time! I want to show you something really cool I saw in one of the stalls."

He started insistently tugging her along before she could voice an opinion either way and she could only glance back at Zuko with a helpless smile. Toph slipped her arm around his, grinning. "Looks like you're all mine this time, Sparky!"

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Katara shared Zuko's relief when they were finally away from the village they'd stopped in for supplies, though she didn't know it. They'd set up camp several miles away and duties were split and completed with relative speed. Aang returned from his firewood gathering with a fist full of drooping wildflowers that he thrust out to her with a blush. "I thought you'd like these."

Katara blinked, accepting them automatically, setting aside the cook pot to take them. "Oh, thank you. I've never seen flowers like these."

That perked Toph's interest and she moved closer. "What do they look like?"

Katara held them out to the other girl, stumbling over a description as Toph sniffed and touched them delicately before pronouncing, "Columbines and asters."

Katara smiled at the anxious airbender. "They're beautiful, Aang."

The boy gave her a blushing grin and hurried to one of the food bags as Sokka returned with his own armload of firewood. Her brother dropped the wood next to the fire pit, glancing at the flowers Katara still held and merely raised an eyebrow and glanced at the chipper airbender. He opened his mouth to say something before changing his mind with a shrug. "Are you cooking tonight, Katara?"

Katara nodded, watching as Aang moved with a cheerful bounce in his step. Sokka followed her gaze, finally asking, "What's got you so happy?"

"Nothing!" Aang chirped in reply.

Toph snorted. "He just wants to get some practice in before dinner. Come along, Twinkletoes."

The small girl reached out and snagged Aang's arm, forcefully pulling him along despite his protests. Katara set the wildflowers aside with an bemused smile, glancing up to see Zuko's eyes slid away from her to focus on building the fire. Sokka stood near, watching him haphazardly stack wood before squatting and batting the firebender's hands away. "You'll stifle the fire that way."

Zuko scowled and sat back on his heels as Sokka swiftly built a log cabin. As he worked, he explained, "This lets air through the branches and feeds the fire. The fire has to breathe otherwise it'll be smokey and eventually snuff out." He finished the task quickly, eying it with satisfaction. "There, Spark Rocks, light it up."

Zuko rolled his eyes, but obliged with a snap of his fingers close to the tinder. Sokka nodded his satisfaction and settled down by the fire, pulling the sword he kept strapped across his back to lay across his knees. Katara watched him curiously as he inspected the hilt before drawing the sword and gazing down the blade. He muttered something inaudible and pulled his bag closer, digging through it a moment before pulling out a cloth and a small jar. Katara watched in fascination as he cleaned and polished the blade with meticulous care. Sokka caught her eye when he happened to glance up.

"I've never seen a black blade before."

"It's Adamantine! I forged it myself," he said proudly. "Master Piandao said it was an excellent blade and will last me many years."

His words caught the attention of Zuko and the firebender watched curiously as Sokka gave the blade as last swipe of his cloth and held it out for Katara to look. "Adamantine?"

Sokka nodded. "From a space rock."

Zuko scooted closer to Katara's side for a closer look, asking carefully, "You trained under Master Piandao?"

Sokka's enthusiasm cooled a little with Zuko's inclusion on their conversation, but he answered gamely, "Yes. He's a master swordsman and I thought I needed all the training I could get after…" He trailed off, darting a quick glance at his sister. "Anyway, we're in the middle of a war and I wanted better skills to protect Aang and…others. Can't let us non-benders down."

"Master Piandao is the best swordsman you could find," Zuko said. "He doesn't usually take students. You must be good."

Sokka preened under the modest praise even as he attempted to pretend the words meant nothing. "I'm all right." He sheathed the sword. "It's a shame I don't have somebody to spar with. I go through my exercises while Toph and Aang practice earthbending."

Katara leveled a look at Zuko who immediately shook his head. "No."

She rolled her eyes. The stubbornness of firebenders. "Why not, Zuko? If you take it easy, it can't hurt to go through the drills. Your ribs are healing so you should be able to get a light workout in. It would get you back into routine to teach Aang."

Sokka looked interested, his expression warming. "You know swords? I thought you were a firebender."

Zuko sent the other boy a dirty look. "I am a firebender. I just happen to have some sword skills."

Katara nudged him with her elbow. "It can't hurt."

"I don't have my swords. Again."

"What kind of swords?" Sokka eagerly asked. "I might have something you can use. Aang's always getting gifts and stuff. Perk of being the Avatar, I guess. We sell a lot of it, but we might have something."

"I doubt you received a pair of dao swords."

Sokka shrugged, standing and swinging his sword across his back. "I don't really know what we have any more."

Sokka clambered onto Appa's back and tossed down a bulky sack Katara hadn't seen anyone so much as glance at over the weeks they'd been traveling. The sack hit the ground with a metallic thud and Sokka dropped down next to it, untying knots and flipping it open. To Katara's astonishment, Sokka began pulling out an assortment of blades, from knives to axes to swords. Zuko moved forward to inspect the weapons, eying a few with disdain. "You could outfit a small force with all this."

"Yeah," Sokka mumbled distractedly, "it makes for a great money source. Not everyone likes the fact that Aang vanished for a hundred years so it's good to have money just in case. There are quite a few bitter people out there. Not that we expect people to give us stuff either."

Zuko unsheathed a dagger, eying it critically and testing its edge. Katara was surprised when he sheathed it again and turned to her, holding it out for her. She took it automatically and he motioned to her belt where she'd tied her waterskin. "Keep that on you."

"Really, Zuko," she tried to protest, but Zuko overrode her.

"I'm serious."

Sokka watched their interaction curiously then nodded his agreement with Zuko when she looked at him. Katara submitted with a sigh, looping the dagger through her belt. "I'll probably end up stabbing myself."

"No you won't," Zuko said dismissively. "I'll show you some moves."

Sokka's curiosity shifted to suspicion, but he said nothing and instead pulled out another weapon. He was about to toss it aside when Zuko snatched it from him and drew the sword. He ran a thumb along the blade and tested the balance, before declaring, "This is perfect."

Sokka glanced at the sheath, commenting, "That's from Master Piandao. There's not a second one."

Zuko stared at the other boy. "Did you even look at the sword?"

Sokka shrugged. "He said to never sell it. That I would have need of it some day."

Katara could see Sokka's words surprised Zuko, but the firebender slung the sword over his back in a similar manner as Sokka, tightening the strap that crossed his chest and wrapping his right hand around the hilt that rose above his right shoulder. He shifted his shoulders to settle the blade, muttering, "Old men are creepy sometimes."

In a quick, smooth motion, Zuko unsheathed the blade and the next moment there was a sword in each hand. Sokka jumped back with an exclamation of surprise, "Swordbending! How'd you do that?"

Zuko snorted, putting the blades together and holding them in one hand. It was nearly impossible to tell they were actually two swords instead of the one, especially if Zuko didn't give anyone enough time to get a close look. Sokka looked suitably impressed. "Wicked!"

Katara rolled her eyes. Boys. Zuko seemed lost in thought as he gazed down at the swords, swinging them lightly. "These are mine."

Sokka blinked. "Master Piandao—"

"Was my sword master, too," Zuko finished, sliding the swords back into their sheath. "It's strange he would give away another student's swords."

Sokka stared at him for a moment before flying to his bag and digging through the mess. He returned a moment later with a flat disk that fit in the palm of his hand. He flipped it up and showed them. "He also gave me this. It seems all old men are cryptic. Aang says it's a Pai Sho tile, but that doesn't do me a whole lot of good without the other tiles and board."

Katara and Zuko stared at the tile in surprise until Zuko said, "That's a white lotus tile."

His words were stated as if that meant something to them. Sokka remained just as confused as he'd always been, but Katara gasped, recalling Iroh's insistence on playing the game and consuming tea. "You mean Uncle and Master Piandao…"

Zuko nodded solemnly though she could tell he was having difficulty coming to a reasonable conclusion. Sokka looked down at his tile. "You mean, I'm in some kind of old man club?"

He sounded a little horrified and Katara rolled her eyes. "Don't lose that tile."

Further conversation was interrupted as Aang and Toph returned to camp, Aang bouncing cheerfully. The airbender paused when he saw the cache of weapons at their feet, frowning in disapproval. "I thought you got rid of all those, Sokka."

Sokka frowned, clearly annoyed, but he bent to gather up the discarded weapons. "Yeah, well, something to sell in case we're out of money would come in handy. It's a good thing, too, because Zuko has his swords back."

Aang didn't seem comforted by this. "I don't think we should even have weapons let alone sell them. They're evil."

It appeared this was an old argument since Sokka remained unconcerned. "The blade is neither good nor bad. It's the user that determines the result. It's no different than your airbending."

"The Air Nomads were peaceful people," Aang said, sounding indignant.

Toph entered the conversation then, pulling a chair out of the ground and dropping on it in a careless sprawl. "No one ever said they weren't, Twinkletoes. You did try to blast Sparky here for no reason the other day."

Aang opened his mouth angrily to defend himself, but no words came. He cringed, looking sheepish and shuffling his feet. "Sorry about that, Zuko."

Katara grinned at Zuko when he accepted the belated apology with very little scowling. Toph seemed disappointed the argument had been so effectively culled, but she thankfully didn't push to continue it. Sokka stored the extra weapons and declared that it was supper time.

Chapter 25: Seas of Misunderstanding

"We are all islands shouting lies to each other across seas of misunderstanding."
— Rudyard Kipling, The Light That Failed

They gradually fell into a routine: moving every few days, setting up camp, assigning camp duties, bending practice, and breaking camp. Zuko started firebending practice with Aang almost a week after he started sparring with Sokka and from what Katara could tell, things weren't going well. The only thing that seemed to be improving was Sokka's wary suspicion of Zuko.

Katara had grown used to rising early after all her time spent with first Zuko and then Zuko and Iroh. Zuko was still awake well before her, but she joined him after sunrise, sitting quietly at his side and enjoying the stillness of early morning. She loved her brother and Aang and would even admit to a certain fondness for Toph—the earthbender was incredibly sarcastic and uncouth for a young girl—but she missed the peace and quiet of just Zuko's company.

Toph would inevitably stir next—woken by their movements no matter how quiet they kept them—followed by Aang and last by Sokka. Of course, Sokka usually had to be forcefully evicted from his sleeping roll. By that time, Katara typically had managed some kind of breakfast. After breakfast, Zuko would take Aang a safe distance away from the campsite and trees and teach him firebending. The first few days of training ended abruptly with Aang reappearing, singed and frustrated, to grab his glider and vanish for several hours. Zuko would stomp into the campsite after Aang left, even more singed and easily more frustrated, declaring it all a colossal waste of time before storming off in the direction of the nearest water source.

Toph would whole-heartedly agree, then snag Aang as soon as he arrived back and drag him off to chuck rocks. When Katara asked Sokka about the best way to help Aang, her brother merely shrugged. "He's got a lot of pressure on him and gets disappointed easily. He is only twelve."

A week passed and things still weren't improving. In fact, things seemed to be getting worse. Katara had just packed the last of the sleeping rolls into Appa's saddle when she heard an explosion. Alarmed, she turned in the direction Zuko and Aang had vanished. A minute later, Aang appeared through the trees, angry tears on his cheeks. She was relieved that for once he wasn't blackened with soot and trailing smoke. She moved toward the airbender, ignoring the warning hiss from her brother. "Aang—"

He whirled on her, shouting, "I can't do this! Leave me alone!"

Instead of taking his glider, he fled into the woods in the other direction. Katara was too stunned to immediately follow and Toph rose. "Let me handle this, Sweetness."

The earthbender followed Aang's trail, leaving the campsite uncomfortably quiet. Sokka rose, jarring her from her muddled thoughts, saying, "You might want to check on our resident firebender. That was a pretty big explosion."

She gasped, spinning on her heel and running to check on Zuko. She could only hope he wasn't seriously wounded. He usually returned within moments after Aang and his absence from the campsite sent a shiver of dread down her spine.

She found Zuko sprawled unmoving on the ground not far from a blackened patch of earth. Her heart lodged in her throat and for a brief moment, her body seized in terror thinking the firebender fatally wounded. She hovered a distance away, afraid to approach but refusing to leave, blood rushing in her ears. She nearly missed the dejected sigh and mournful words, "I really am a failure. I don't know why I try. I guess I thought that maybe I could—I was wrong."

Breath rushed back into her lungs and her heart started beating again. He was alive. He didn't appear to be injured either. She knelt next to him, giving him a cursory scan to be sure there really were no injuries. Nothing. It seemed both benders had been able to avoid the explosion this time. Zuko draped an arm over his face, hiding from her gaze. With a slight sigh, Katara threaded her fingers through his and pulled his arm away. "Zuko, you really should be more confident about yourself and your abilities."

His fingers twitched around hers and his despondent gaze drifted from the sky to her. "Uncle would be a better teacher."

She poked him sharply between the ribs, glad when he only twitched away. "Uncle's not here. You are Aang's firebending teacher."

Zuko said nothing, simply frowning at her. She frowned right back. "How did you first learn firebending?"

A blush rose on his cheeks and he immediately diverted his gaze back to the sky, mumbling, "I set fire to the bed curtains. Father was furious."

"And your training?"

"Father put me in class with Azula. The Fire Sages liked her."

Katara fluffed his hair a bit, distracting him from gloomy thoughts. "Do you think the Fire Sages—"

"No," Zuko's answer was immediate and definitive.

Well, she expected as much though she wondered how he could be so sure. Katara considered Zuko, watching him relax under her ministrations. He seemed less angry and defeated now than he had when she first arrived in the clearing. She let her thoughts mull over a way to teach Aang firebending. He'd already learned water- and earthbending—though Toph claimed he was still awful at her element.

"Is there a way you can start with the very basic basics?"

Zuko stirred, opening his eyes and giving her the most incredulous look he could manage. It was like she'd just asked the stupidest question imaginable. She flushed under that look, drawing herself up and attempting to defend her thought. "I'm not saying you're not teaching basics now, but what about meditation?"

"Katara," he groaned, "he's the Avatar."

"So?" she demanded. "He's still an airbender first. Maybe he needs to find the firebending part of himself."

"That's ridiculous," Zuko scoffed. "He's the bridge between the Spirit World and ours."

She frowned, tugging gently at his hair. "Well, I don't see him meditating that much. You meditate every morning for the most part. Aang's your student. If meditation is important to the balance and control of firebending, then Aang should meditate too."

Zuko still looked doubtful. "I don't think that will work."

Katara shrugged. "Maybe it'll calm him and help him focus on his training. He does have a lot of energy."

He grunted his agreement and they lapsed into a comfortable silence. Zuko watched a few birds catch the wind currents and sweep away before he realized that for the first time in weeks, he and Katara were alone. He turned to look at Katara. She seemed deep in thought, gazing absently at the trees that lined the clearing. He cleared his throat, drawing her attention. "Where's your brother?"

She shrugged. "At camp. Toph went after Aang so someone had to stay behind."

That seemed reasonable and Zuko relaxed back into the ground, letting the tension from the failed firebending lesson fade away. He hardly noticed Katara's agitated shifting until she released a breath and squared her shoulders.

"Zuko? About Ba Sing Se—"

The firebender tensed, pulling away. "Forget it. It was nothing."

"Oh," Katara said weakly. "Right."

The silence turned awkward until Katara brushed her hands against her skirt and pushed herself to her feet. "Well, I'm going to see what needs to be done in regards to food." She took a few steps toward camp before pausing and looking uncertainly at him. "Are you coming?"

Zuko grimaced and shook his head. "Later."

"Okay. Don't stay out here too long."

He listened to her footsteps fade away before collapsing onto his back and pushing the heels of his palms into his eyes, groaning, "I'm an idiot."

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

By the time Zuko returned to camp, Katara was lifting the pot off the fire and gazing into its depths as she stirred. Toph was sprawled in the dirt not far from the fire and Aang hovered over her shoulder, chattering about things he'd seen in her absence. Sokka glanced up from the map he was examining as he approached, glancing quickly at his sister before saying, "Hey, we were wondering when you'd return. Did Aang really blast you that hard?"

"I didn't 'blast' Zuko. The fire just kind of…exploded," Aang explained, frowning at Zuko in concern. "I didn't hurt you, did I? I mean, this time you were ready for it, right? Katara said you were fine."

A glance at Katara revealed she was focused solely on the meal. Zuko sighed, running his fingers through his hair. He'd made a right mess of everything. "I'm fine."

"Dinner's ready; get your bowls," Katara announced.

There was a minor squabble over who got the cracked bowl and Zuko hung back while the others gathered eagerly around Katara as she spooned food into the bowls held out to her. When Sokka retreated back to his maps, Zuko slowly approached, words forming on his tongue only to have Katara thrust a bowl at him. "If you want meat you'll have to talk to Sokka."

Zuko fumbled with the bowl, absently noting it contained rice, mushrooms, and some kind of flatbread. "Katara—"

She was already turning away, gathering her own meal before she skirted the campfire to find a seat next to her brother. Sokka welcomed her with a grin, balancing his bowl on his knee as he passed both Toph and Katara strips of dried goat. He tossed Zuko a strip and the firebender nearly upset his bowl attempting to catch it. Katara ignored him and Aang muffled a barely concealed giggle. Sokka merely grinned at the glare Zuko sent him. Sokka pulled the map closer to him with one hand while he shoveled rice into his mouth with the other. He tapped his finger on the map over the northwest corner of the Fire Nation, announcing, "Now that we're all here, I think we should move in the morning." Sokka raised his voice to be heard over the groans, "We've been here two days already."

Aang perked up, scooting to get a closer look at the map. "Are we going to ride the hopping llamas?"

Katara smiled fondly at the airbender, but Sokka rolled his eyes. "No. We're not sightseeing."

"That's too bad," Toph drawled from her spot, popping a mushroom into her mouth and speaking around it as she chewed, "because I love sightseeing."

"Well, you can do that after the war," Sokka huffed.

"Assuming we're still alive," Toph noted dryly.

Aang snickered at Sokka's disconcerted expression and Zuko had the feeling that the conversation would veer even more off course if Katara hadn't cleared her throat and brought them back to the matter at hand. "So where are we going?"

Her brother nodded his thanks and once more tapped the map. "Here."

Zuko wondered if he'd always have a sinking feeling of dread any time someone proposed a plan. He toyed with the idea of demanding to know just what the plan was, but chose to wait. If he brought up the issue now, the others would want to contribute and it'd probably disintegrate into an argument. He was glad when Katara spoke up, "That's Fire Nation territory."

Sokka nodded, picking up his bowl of food to finish it off. "I know, but it's out of the way and we can camp for a day or two. Aang's firebending practice won't attract as much attention as it would here."

It was true that on the mainland of the Fire Nation, a random firebender practicing wouldn't draw the rumors it would in the Earth Kingdoms. The other elements weren't as flashy so they'd be easier to hide. Zuko leaned over the map, tracing an area near Sokka's proposed campsite. "This is the village of Huo Hua. The fire lily season is about three weeks away so we should try to avoid it during that time. It'd probably be best to avoid the village entirely."

He looked up to meet Sokka's searching gaze. The other boy swallowed the last of his rice before examining the indicated place with greater interest. "Why?"

"It's a popular tourist attraction during the spring."

Aang rocked forward, his eyes shining with excitement. "A festival?"

At Sokka's barely stifled groan, Zuko hesitated to answer but his lack of response didn't dissuade the Avatar and he immediately filled the silence with another question, "Are there games?"

Now the others seemed interested in an answer and Zuko shifted uncomfortably. "I don't really know. I've never been to the Huo Hua Festival."

Aang looked disappointed for a moment, but he immediately brightened again. "We'll have to find out!"

"No," Sokka jumped in immediately. "We're not going to a Fire Nation festival."

"Why not?"

"I would say because the Fire Nation doesn't like you," Toph commented.

Katara was moving around the campsite gathering empty bowls to wash and Zuko only listened to the escalating argument with half an ear as he watched. Katara had been unusually quiet through the whole meal and had avoided any kind of acknowledgement of his presence.

"What did I ever do to them?" Aang whined.

"You're the Avatar," Sokka pointed out, "and an airbender."

"So?"

Katara headed off to a nearby stream and Zuko rose to his feet, determined to talk to her, and absently answered Aang's petulant question, "Airbenders sacrifice infants to the spirits."

He took two steps to follow Katara before he realized the argument had fallen silent. Sokka was staring at him in surprise, Toph's expression was impossible for him to decipher, but Aang was looking appalled. "What?"

Zuko retreated a step, wishing he'd kept the words to himself. "It's propaganda. The Fire Nation people are afraid of airbenders."

"But it's not true!"

Zuko frowned at the boy. "Who said all propaganda is true? The Fire Nation has had to wage war for a hundred years. They have to justify it somehow."

Aang leapt to his feet, fists clenched, and gray eyes flashing and for a moment Zuko was reminded of an earlier time and a colder place and the death of the moon spirit. Then tears filled gray eyes and Aang looked impossibly young.

"It's not fair," he shouted and then he fled.

They watched him vanish into the darkening trees for the second time that day. Sokka sighed. "I'd hoped he wouldn't find out about that."

Zuko grimaced, glancing at the other boy but saw no recrimination in his expression. Sometimes ignorance truly was bliss. "He would've learned it at some point."

Sokka rolled up the map, slipping it back into its protective leather tube. "I admit I've sheltered him from much of it and now that we're moving into Fire Nation territory it's probably for the best he learned about it now."

"Well," Toph interrupted, "you two are a cheery lot so I'm going to leave you to it. Aang's probably going to need to blow off some steam and normally I'd volunteer Sparky, but Aang's not quite gotten firebending so he'd probably end up doing more damage to himself than Zuko."

She tossed a wave over her shoulder and followed Aang's trail. Once Toph disappeared into the trees, Sokka turned a raised eyebrow on Zuko. "So, what's up with my sister?"

Zuko folded his arms and refused to look at him. "What are you talking about?"

Sokka snorted and rolled his eyes. "I haven't seen my sister give anyone that cold of a shoulder since I made fun of her magic water the first time she realized she was a waterbender."

"A misunderstanding."

Sokka looked skeptical, but fortunately didn't ask for any kind of clarification. "Well, you'd better apologize before she comes up with some kind of revenge. Don't take too long. I'll give you until I have to add more wood to the fire."

He nodded to the merrily burning campfire. Zuko glanced at it. There would be just enough time to find Katara and return to the camp before Sokka would have to add more wood. He doubted he could get Katara to talk to him in that time, but he was willing to give it a shot.

He found Katara kneeling next to the small stream, swirling water through the dirty dishes. She didn't seem to realize he was there and her motions were sharp and agitated. He hesitated, wondering if perhaps he should just leave her to work out her anger before he approached. No. The tension between them would not go away until whatever it was that caused it was out in the open. He smoothed his palms against his tunic and took a deep breath. This was it.

"Katara?"

Her hands stilled from washing dishes and she glanced over her shoulder, eyes scanning over him before she returned to her task. "Did you get enough to eat? Sokka's still a bit of a glutton so you'll have to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't take more than his share."

Zuko stepped closer, glancing over his shoulder to see if he'd been followed. He wouldn't put it past Sokka to spy on his interaction with Katara. Heat crawled up the back of his neck and he cleared his throat, trying to sound nonchalant. "It's not that. I wanted to apologize."

His words again stilled her hands and she frowned into the distance. She worried her lip for several long moments of silence and Zuko shifted awkwardly. With a sigh, she stacked the clean bowls into the cooking pot and rose. "It's not your fault."

This was not going as well as Zuko had hoped and he had the feeling he was missing something vital to the conversation, but he couldn't imagine what. "Katara, earlier I—"

"It's fine, Zuko," she interrupted, balancing the cooking pot on her hip and turning away. "Like you said, it was nothing."

She gave him a brisk glance at him and a nod of finality before she started back to camp. Zuko watched her leave, not knowing the words to call her back. In a moment of frustration, he snatched up a stone from the bank and threw it as hard as he could. He heard it bounce of a tree and hit the ground, but it didn't provide any kind of satisfaction. He kicked at the stones along the bank, mulling over the events of the last few hours but was unable to come to any satisfactory conclusion. With a last scuff of his shoe, he turned back to camp.

Some time while he'd been gone, Toph and Aang returned to camp. Toph was already inside her customary rock tent and Aang had retreated to Appa, curling up behind the bison's head. Sokka was stretched out on top of his sleeping bag, either studying the shadows of his hand in the flickering firelight or tracing constellations, Zuko couldn't tell. He did greet the firebender with a raised eyebrow when he returned to camp, but Zuko could only shrug.

Zuko scanned the camp. It was neat and tidy; the cooking pot and dishes next to the fire for whomever had breakfast duty in the morning. Katara was wrapped up in her sleeping bag, her back to the fire. It was clear she wasn't going to talk to him any more that night. He watched her stiff back for several seconds before he shook himself and headed toward the edge of the camp.

"I'll take first watch."

Sokka's hand dropped to his chest and he twisted his head to watch him walk away. "You know, you really don't have to."

Zuko glanced at the small earthen tent, but still settled down in an attentive kneel. "I know. I feel better if there's more than one watch."

Sokka sighed, burrowing into his sleeping bag. "If you say so. Wake me when it's my turn."

Zuko nodded and listened as the camp faded into sleep.

Nothing happened that night.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The trip to their new destination the next morning was made in near silence. While Katara didn't exactly refuse to talk to Zuko, she didn't make any effort to speak to him outside of necessity. Aang maintained a depressed silence that neither Toph nor Sokka could tease him out of. It was almost a relief to all of them that they finally landed in an out-of-the-way glen around noon. The group quickly dispersed to their assigned tasks, not even bothering to pair up.

Zuko was leaning against a tree, gazing out over an open valley when Sokka found him. Sokka dropped his own armload of gathered wood next to Zuko's with a grunt and stepped to the firebender's side. Zuko acknowledged his presence with a sidelong glance. When the silence grew long, Sokka rolled his shoulders and turned to the firebender. "So, find anything interesting?"

"The fire lilies are late this year."

"I suppose so," Sokka agreed, frowning. "It was a cold winter this year."

That prompted a look of surprise. "Was it?"

Sokka shrugged easily. "So they say. I didn't think it was so bad. You never explained this festival that's coming up."

Zuko pushed himself off the tree, turning back into the forest. "It's mainly a lover's festival. Fire lilies symbolize passion and purity."

Sokka pulled a face, scanning the meadow below. Zuko was stacking the larger pieces of wood together when Sokka turned around. "My sister is still upset."

Zuko's movements faltered and he quickly put the wood down, glancing back at Katara's brother to gauge the other boy's mood. The Water Tribesman seemed relaxed, but Zuko still rose and turned to face him. "I know."

They stared at each other in silence for several seconds before Sokka shrugged and motioned toward the hilt that rose above Zuko's left shoulder. "Do you want to spar some before heading back?"

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Katara watched the water fall back into the small pond she'd found and sighed. She didn't know why she was so upset. She pulled a face. Okay, so she knew, but it didn't have to be like this. Whatever easy camaraderie that existed between her and Zuko before was gone now and it was all her fault. She started it in Ba Sing Se—her face heated just remembering it—and, just when it seemed the awkwardness between them was fading, she had to go and bring it up again. Drawing her lips between her teeth, she contemplated the events of the previous day. Zuko had tried to talk to her, but she'd interrupted him and thrown his words back in his face. She knew she'd been hurt and embarrassed then, but now she was wondering what he'd wanted to say.

"That was some pretty awesome bending."

Katara started, whirling to face the intrusion. "Aang," she breathed in relief, "you scared me."

He laughed, giving her a crooked grin. "Sorry about that."

He approached without his usual energy and Katara pushed aside her own concerns. "Is something wrong?"

The airbender shrugged, dropping to kneel next to the pond and poke at the water that lapped at the bank, answering morosely, "Everything."

Well, that narrows it down, Katara thought with a frown. "Is it firebending? You'll get it eventually. Zuko's doing his best."

Aang collapsed back with a sigh. "Everything is just so wrong. How am I supposed to bring balance and peace to the world when it's full of lies?"

Katara took a seat next to him, stretching her legs out toward the water and watching the way the sun reflected off the pond. "You're not alone. We'll help. My dad's the chief of the Southern Tribes and didn't Toph say her family was powerful?"

He considered her words, mulling over them as he said, "And Zuko's going to be Fire Lord."

"He is?"

Aang grinned at her. "Sure; assuming we're still alive."

His words surprised a laugh out of her and Aang's spirits seemed to improve. He bound to his feet, splashing into the shallow pond. "Let's practice waterbending. We haven't really had the chance and I want to see the difference in bending styles. I bet I can beat you."

Katara grinned, rising to her feet and dusting off her skirts. It'd been a long time since she had another waterbender to practice with and she wasn't about to turn down a challenge.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Evening was falling and Zuko and Sokka were still overlooking the meadow, each relaxing against the base of a tree while they cared for their weapons. Zuko ran a clean cloth over the engraved dragons that ran along the spine of the blade, lost in thought. The sparing match was good and had distracted him from his concerns for at least a little while. Caring for the blades afterward provided a sense of peace.

Sokka held out his sword, glancing critically down the blade before sheathing it and turning to watch Zuko fit the dao blades together. Sokka slumped casually against the tree, picking at a few stray weeds nearby. "Why do you practice the sword when you can firebend?"

Zuko glanced at the other boy but returned his attention to his swords. "I am a poor firebender." Sokka made a sound of disbelief and Zuko shrugged. "Compared to my sister."

"Do all firebenders use weapons?"

"No," Zuko said, "it's considered shameful for a firebender to learn a blade."

"Why?"

Zuko sheathed his swords and pushed himself to his feet. Sokka quickly followed and they divided the firewood between them. They hiked through the woods in silence for a distance before Zuko finally answered, "The firebender is considered weak if they learn a weapon. It usually means their firebending is too weak to be of any use except lighting the cooking fire. A weapon master is below a firebending master, but above those who are unable to do either."

Sokka frowned. "And if the firebending master became a weapon master?"

"He wouldn't."

"But—"

"Pride and honor would prevent it. If the firebender is a master, there is no need for a physical weapon. The Fire Nation is elitist."

They entered the campsite to find the others present. Aang was bending misshapen animals out of the surrounding rocks for Katara and Toph was grumbling about the airbender needing more practice before showing off. Zuko caught Katara's swift glance in their direction, but it was Toph that greeted them. "What took you so long, Snoozles? I was beginning to think your instincts got you lost."

Sokka dropped the wood with a roll of his eyes, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Ha ha, you're a riot. Zuko and I decided to get some sparing practice in."

"Your ribs aren't bothering you, are they?" Katara asked Zuko.

"No."

She stared at him as if trying to determine if he was telling the truth or not. Finally, she nodded. "Good."

She turned away and said nothing else to Zuko that night.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Spring was fading, the days growing warmer though the nights remained cool. Zuko stood watch, breathing in the cool of the night air. He enjoyed these quiet moments when the noise and the energy of the group faded away into rhythmic breathing. The quiet let him regroup his thoughts and brace himself for the bustle of the next day. A soft murmur drew his attention and his eyes sought the source of the sound. Katara was curled in her sleeping bag, sound asleep. By the dying light of the fire, he could see her brow furrow as she muttered something unintelligible. She settled back into a peaceful sleep and Zuko shifted his focus back to the surrounding darkness.

Zuko wasn't exactly anticipating an attack during the night—the Fire Nation preferred the light of day—but being back in Fire Nation territory set him on edge and it took several hours to relax in the silence of night before he could find sleep.

A sleeping bag rustled behind him and soft footsteps padded toward him.

"Hey."

Zuko turned slightly, taking in the disheveled hair and bright eyes of Katara's brother. Sokka usually slept like the dead. "What are you doing up?"

"Thinking," Sokka said shortly, taking a seat on the ground next to the firebender. "I couldn't sleep."

Zuko grunted. That much was obvious and Zuko had no intention of encouraging conversation. Silence settled comfortably around the camp again, the familiar sounds of a Fire Nation spring surrounding them. Zuko hadn't realized just how much he missed home. The spring night brought back pleasant memories of better times. Memories of his mother and childhood stories.

"Azula said something," Sokka started to say and then hesitated.

"Azula always lies," Zuko muttered.

Sokka shifted restlessly, turning to Zuko. "Would she lie about torturing the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors?"

Zuko opened his eyes and took in the other boy's agitated movements. "Is she important to you?"

"Yeah."

"Probably not," Zuko allowed.

The news sent Sokka into a thoughtful silence and Zuko returned to his own thoughts only to have them interrupted again. "Where are political prisoners taken?"

Zuko frowned, tapping his fingers against the sheath that rested across his knees. "There's an island surrounded by boiling water—the Boiling Rock. She was probably taken there."

Sokka grunted. "Where is it?"

He started to answer before a thought struck him and he turned to glare at the other boy. Katara's brother looked far too casual. "No."

The Water Tribe boy leaned away from him, looking stunned. "What? But—"

"No," Zuko snapped, irritated. "This isn't a fairy tale. You can't rescue the damsel in distress."

"I can't just leave her there," Sokka exclaimed, face reddening, and Zuko wondered if there was more behind the boy's desire to save the girl. "I'm stronger now. I can save her."

"The Boiling Rock isn't like the Prison Rig, Sokka. You'll fail—you will fail," Zuko stressed over the other boy's protests, "and when you do, you won't just be taken prisoner. You'll be made an example of. You'll die—both of you—but only after your throat erupts from screaming and your heart bursts from pain."

For several moments Sokka looked defiant before he wilted, dejection falling over him. "So that's it? I do nothing? I abandon her to that place?"

"If Azula has moved her to the Boiling Rock, she'll survive. In a few weeks, the war will be over and the fate of the world will be decided. If we lose—well, we'll probably be dead along with most of the nations' leaders if it comes to that."

Zuko scanned the night shrouded trees while Sokka sighed despondently. "I wish I'd told her I loved her."

The firebender stilled, sending Sokka a wary side-long glance. He darted a quick look toward the fire before allowing a quiet agreement, hoping the glance wasn't noticed. "…Yeah."

The two boys sat quietly. Night insects buzzed around them in harmony. Zuko allowed himself to sink back into a meditative silence. He was disappointed he hadn't been able to speak to Katara "Don't you have someone at home?"

Sokka's sudden question startled him out of his thoughts and it took a moment for him to recall the question. Mai, he remembered. Negotiations had started between Mai's father and his before his banishment. "Not any more."

"I'm sorry."

"It was arranged," he explained. He was almost relieved to know that any marriage schemes had fallen through at his banishment.

"Oh." A beat of silence. "My first girlfriend turned into the moon."

Zuko stared at him incredulously and, seeing he was in ernest, he couldn't stop himself from finding the waxing moon in the sky. "That's rough."

They watched the moon until Zuko felt his eyes drooping. He stood, stretching the kinks out of his back. "I'm turning in."

"Yeah, sure," Sokka muttered, never taking his eyes from the moon.

Zuko hesitated, on the verge of saying something completely unlike him, before changing his mind and making his way to his bed roll. He paused to toss more wood on the fire and steady the flames with his internal fire. Katara sighed and snuggled deeper into her blankets, drawing his attention. He wasn't aware how long he'd been staring without really seeing until Sokka cleared his throat. "Something wrong?"

"No."

He ignored the raised eyebrows the other boy was sending his way and rolled into his bed roll and turned his back to the fire. He watched the play of moonlight and shadow until he fell asleep.

Chapter 26: Trust and Betrayal

"I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you."
– Friedrich Nietzsche

Zuko roused Aang shortly before dawn and led him a short distance from the camp, ignoring the young boy's grumbling. The others were still curled in their blankets, but he knew Katara would probably wake once the sun crested the horizon. He wondered if she would join them for the last few minutes of their meditation as she used to before things got awkward. He knew she was avoiding him as much as she could without seeming obvious. The calculating looks Sokka sent him after Katara dodged his presence proved the other boy, at least, was aware that things remained unresolved between them.

"Why do we have to meditate so early?"

The tired groan drew his attention to the sagging airbender. The whine reminded Zuko of a time when he could complain about the early hours. Zuko folded his legs under him, settling comfortably on his heels, breathing a lungful of morning air. Aang dropped next to him yawning loudly.

"I told you why we meditate in the morning," Zuko finally answered. Aang jerked upright, his eyes snapping open and Zuko sighed, choosing to ignore the airbender's obvious inattention. "Dawn and dusk are the most unstable times of day for the firebender. The sudden fluctuations of power can cause serious injury."

Aang blinked at him and Zuko wondered which of his previous firebending masters he was parroting. Aang seemed to consider that for several heartbeats before asking, "So why not wait until later?"

Zuko frowned. The firebending masters had an answer for that as well. 'Because we're at war. Because dawn is often the most opportune time to attack. The enemy is sluggish and fatigued at dawn.' Instead, he said, "Meditation stabilizes your inner fire and allows greater control throughout the day. It grounds you so it should be the first thing you do when you wake." Zuko paused. "You do know how to meditate, right?"

Aang glared, puffing his chest out. "I'm the Avatar."

Zuko shrugged and turned away, closing his eyes and focusing on his own meditation. Within a few breaths, Aang spoke up, "So, what am I meditating on?"

Still keeping his inner focus, Zuko responded, "Picture your inner fire. Keep it warm and steady. Don't let it get too low. Don't let it get too high."

When Aang didn't say anything else, Zuko allowed a quick peek at the younger boy and was amused to see his face screwed up in concentration, mouthing Zuko's instructions silently.

"Relax."

Zuko watched until Aang's feature's smoothed and his breathing evened out, peering at him to make sure he hadn't fallen asleep. Meditation was meant to relax and open your mind, not relax into sleep. Though Zuko had to admit it could do that too.

He returned to his own meditation until he felt the flair of heat and fire across his senses that let him know the sun had cleared the horizon. At the same time, he heard Aang exhale an awed, "Whoa."

Zuko rose to his feet, shaking out the lethargy in his limbs and stretching tight muscles. Aang bound to his feet next to him, his eyes shining. "That was amazing. I've never felt something so…so…energizing. Is it always like that?"

"That's your inner fire. Fire is life."

"But fire hurts," Aang said, gray eyes darting to the scar that spread across Zuko's left eye.

Zuko turned away, rolling his shoulders. "So does life. Now, the basics."

He had Aang mirror his movements until he was sure the airbender was able to move through the basics without stumbling or hesitating and then he stood back to watch Aang go through the motions several times before allowing any kind of bending. Aang's first attempt sent him tumbling and after two more tries, both boys were becoming frustrated.

"I can't do this," Aang exclaimed after the fourth time he picked himself off the ground. Soot smudged his hands and dirt covered his cheeks in muddy streaks.

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose, seeking patience. He was suddenly feeling a great deal of sympathy for each and every one of his bending masters. "Don't be stupid. Try again."

"I've been trying. It keeps blowing up!"

"Firebending is not airbending," Zuko tried to explain for what felt like the millionth time. He was beginning to wonder how his uncle managed to stay sane. Maybe that's why he drank tea all the time. Zuko didn't feel like drinking tea. He felt like bashing his head against the nearest solid object. Maybe Uncle took his tea with a little something extra. Zuko certainly wouldn't blame him.

"I know that," Aang snapped.

Zuko rubbed the back of his neck, rolling his head back to look thoughtfully at the sky. "Uncle always says fire comes from the breath," he mused.

He contemplated that for a moment, concentrating on his inner fire and his breathing. Finally, he nodded and moved to Aang's side, assuming the first bending position. "Center yourself. Breathe in through your nose." He shifted through the position. "And out through your mouth. Release."

The blossom of flame that erupted from Aang's fist startled both of them and they froze. Aang suddenly gasped, straightening and spinning to face Zuko. "Did you see that? I did it! I can firebend!"

His enthusiasm teased a small smile from Zuko and he felt some of the tension across his shoulders ease. "It's a start."

"Hey, Sparky and Twinkletoes!" They turned toward Toph's call. The earthbender grinned. "Breakfast and then earthbending practice."

At the mention of food, Aang quickly headed back to camp, calling over his shoulder, "I'm going to show Katara my firebending!"

Zuko frowned after the retreating airbender, attributing the turning of his stomach to hunger. Toph greeted him with a none-too-gentle punch that grazed his arm and landed in his side. He rocked away from her with a cringing gasp. His ribs were better, but they were still tender. Blind eyes turned toward him and she drawled, "You're too easy on him."

Zuko gingerly prodded the area she'd punched, muttering, "Forcing someone to firebend can lead to disaster for everyone involved."

The scene that greeted them when they returned to camp made Zuko pause. Katara was standing in the middle of scattered supplies and digging through another bag that was once neatly packed. Sokka stood next to the fire with his bowl in his hand, gaping at his sister. "What are you doing?"

Katara didn't even glance up. "I'm looking for a tent."

Sokka frowned, eying the mess that looked like the camp had been struck by a natural disaster. "The sandbenders sold off a lot of our stuff. I don't think we got our tent back. Why?"

Katara sighed, brushing her hair out of her eyes and sitting back on her heels. "It's going to rain tonight. I don't really want to sleep in the mud."

"I like mud," Toph commented, taking the bowl Aang held out for her.

By Katara's expression Zuko could tell she was having difficulty coming up with a diplomatic response. Fortunately she was saved from commenting by Sokka. "Yeah, but you wouldn't want to sleep in the rain. It wouldn't be very comfortable. I don't want to camp in the rain." He paused, glancing toward the cloudless sky before skeptically asking, "Are you sure it's going to rain?"

"Yes."

Sokka mulled over the situation. Zuko dreaded what was coming next. He didn't want to spend the night in the rain any more than anyone else, but with no tent there was only one reasonable option left. It was no surprise when Sokka finally spoke, "We could go into town." Katara was already shaking her head, but he continued, "No one will notice Zuko. It's tourist season, right? What's one more firebender?"

"Except for that wanted poster," Zuko dryly offered.

"Looks like you and Sweetness are the only ones without wanted posters, Snoozles."

"I'm just as important as anyone else," Sokka protested.

Zuko looked at the earthbender in surprise. "You have a wanted poster?"

"Course I do," she said around a mouthful of jook. "I did this vigilante outlaw thing right."

"Having a wanted poster isn't exactly an honor," Aang pointed out. "And we're not vigilantes."

They all stared at him.

"Then what are we?" Toph asked.

Aang blinked, brow furrowing in consternation. "We're…we're righting a wrong."

"Right."

Sokka snorted at Toph's dry tone, clearing his throat when the others turned to look at him. "So we'll head into town later. We'll be able to scope out the area and see if there's any useful information to pass along."

"Useful to whom?" Zuko asked.

Sokka waved his hand, responding vaguely, "The others."

"Aang needs to practice earthbending first," Toph announced, smirking when Aang groaned into his jook.

The meal was finished shortly after that despite Aang's attempts to prolong finishing his portion. Jook tended to congeal as it cooled, turning into an unappetizing paste that could be mistaken for mortar. Toph dragged the protesting airbender off, boasting in the superiority of her own element. The dishes were swiftly washed and packed away again and the supplies was divided between the five of them.

Sokka retreated to the far side of the camp and spread his map out where a patch of sunlight filtered through the trees. The boy didn't seem to be paying any attention to the rest of the group. Gathering up his courage, Zuko approached Katara where she was setting aside a few things to leave in Appa's saddle. She glanced up briefly, offering a vague smile. "Hey, Zuko. Do you need something?"

Before he could find the words to form any kind of response, Sokka strolled over, shaking out his map. "I think we should start for the village when Toph finishes pounding Aang. It looks a distance away and we can't take Appa close. They're bound to have heard the rumors about a giant flying monster." Appa groaned and Sokka took a few hasty steps back. "I'm just saying, buddy. Momo can keep you company. Though I haven't seen the lemur in a while."

He pondered the animal's absence a moment before he shrugged the thought away and held out the map for them to see, tracing a trailing line to the area marked as the village. "See, we'll want to come in from the east side of the village, where the port is. Nothing's out this way so it'll draw attention if we stroll in off the fields."

"I guess the waterskins should be refilled," Katara mused.

Sokka nodded, cheerfully agreeing, "Good idea. It's a good distance to walk. Zuko and I will check the rations."

She gathered the waterskins that were scattered throughout the camp and went off toward the nearby stream without a glance back at them. Zuko sighed, shooting the other boy an annoyed frown. "You did that on purpose."

Sokka looked up from carefully rolling his map and sliding it into the leather tube, his expression free of guile. "Did what?"

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The Huo Hua Village was colorfully decorated in preparation of the fire lily festival that would occur over the next few weeks as the flowers bloomed. They received a few curious glances when they first entered, but Aang's over-the-top enthusiasm went a long way to providing an adequate excuse for their early arrival. Some polite enquiries of the locals told them that the fire lilies weren't expected to be in full bloom for another three weeks, but there were some early blossoms to see if they were interested. Aang, of course, was interested in everything and Sokka was interested in food. Toph trailed after them claiming that there was always someone willing to be swindled by a blind girl during festivals.

Zuko hung back, relieved that so far no one had thought to connect him to the wanted poster he'd seen on the local notice board. He was almost tempted to see if he could rip it down without anyone noticing. To his surprise, Katara also hung back though she was frowning in the direction of the hated wanted posters as well so perhaps she hadn't noticed she was alone with him yet. He cast a surreptitious glance around, taking note of what the others were doing. They were occupied. More importantly, Sokka was occupied. Seizing the opportunity, Zuko cleared his throat. "Katara—"

"Oh, have you come to see the fire lilies, dears?"

His mouth closed with a snap. Katara glanced up at him and together they turned. A hunched old woman stood behind them, smiling kindly. Blue eyes took them in with a sweeping glance that set Zuko's teeth on edge. Katara recovered from her surprise quickly and smiled in return.

"Yes. I—We'd heard the fire lilies were beautiful here," Katara said as she stepped closer to Zuko, looping her arm through his. He glanced down at the tan hand she rested on his bicep, surprised at the familiar touch. She edged closer, leaning against him and he covered her hand with his, giving it a brief squeeze before dropping it back to his side. The older woman watched the motion closely, her gaze lingering on Zuko's face.

"The fire lilies here are the most beautiful in the Fire Nation," the woman agreed. "It must be serious, then, for your beau to bring you so far. You are a long way from home, child. Blue eyes are rare in the Fire Nation."

Zuko twitched and Katara's hand flexed on his arm even as she blushingly ducked her head, bashfully glancing up at Zuko through her lashes. "My brother and I are from the Southern Water Tribe."

"I thought I recognized a fellow countrywoman," the woman exclaimed happily. "You look very much like someone I once knew a long time ago. Now, where is your brother? I miss Water Tribe men."

"He's probably gone in search of food. Oh, there he is!"

She rose up on her toes, stretching and waving to get her brother's attention. Zuko didn't turn to look, keeping his eyes on the old woman. She smiled at him. His skin crawled. When Katara leaned a little too heavily into him, he grunted and shifted to adjust to her weight. She tapped his cheek to draw his attention and he only realized he'd been scowling when she raised an eyebrow and frowned questioningly.

"Is something wrong?" she whispered.

He lifted a shoulder, looking away as Sokka and Aang joined them. He couldn't really explain why the uneasy feeling settled in his stomach and felt heavier the longer they were in the old woman's presence. He was even beginning to believe he was being paranoid, but he could swear he was seeing cold calculation in her eyes. Sokka greeted them, looking disgruntled to be pulled away from the food stalls. The earthbender was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Toph?" Katara asked.

Sokka shrugged. "She said something creepy and wandered off."

"Really creepy," Aang agreed.

Zuko wasn't too surprised to hear that. The earthbender seemed to derive pleasure from discomposing the rest of the group. Katara seemed to think so as well. "What did she say?"

Sokka made a face. "She heard screaming. Under ground."

The answer was strange enough to strike them momentarily speechless. Katara cleared her throat, glancing at the benignly smiling woman. "Right."

The strange conversation didn't seem to alarm the woman and her gaze shifted from Zuko to Sokka. She surveyed the Water Tribe boy with approval. "I am glad to see there are still handsome young men in the Water Tribes. Do you have a good Water Tribe girl waiting for you at home?"

Zuko scowled, immediately sensing the underlying slight directed toward him, but Sokka merely blinked at the woman in confusion. "Er…there aren't too many girls left in the Southern Water Tribe."

She looked momentarily saddened, but her expression shifted and she murmured, "That's a shame. It's going to rain tonight. You and your friends are welcome to stay at my place, Hama's Inn." She paused, her eyes sweeping the group and lingering on Zuko. His eyes narrowed and she pulled her gaze away, smiling at the rest of them. "Enjoy the festival. I'll have supper ready for you."

"Thank you," Katara answered.

With that, she nodded at them and shuffled away. When she was out of earshot, Sokka glanced at the still cloudless sky and turned to Katara, demanding, "How do you know it's going to rain? How does she know?"

"I can smell it."

"I can, too," Aang chimed in. "I have to concentrate though."

Sokka stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I guess that means we should find a place here."

Katara rolled her eyes. "That is why we came into the village to begin with. Besides, Hama offered rooms at her inn."

Zuko frowned at that, grumbling mulishly, "I don't trust her."

Katara sighed. "Zuko—"

"I hate to admit it," Sokka interrupted, "but I agree with Sparky on this one."

"Don't call me that."

Zuko was ignored as Katara opted to continue the argument with her brother. "She's a nice old woman, Sokka."

"Nice old women were once treacherous young women," Zuko pointed out. "And I don't think she's nice at all. Old or not."

"Zuko, you don't trust anyone—"

"For good reason!" he exclaimed.

"—so your vote doesn't count."

Zuko scowled at her and she met him with a scowl of her own. He knew on some level she was right. He didn't trust many people. He'd been burned too often to have that kind of unfailing faith in the goodness of people. Zuko winced at the analogy. Under Katara's glare, he could almost hear her saying, "Not everyone's out to get you."

Guilt began to rise with that realization. He clenched his teeth, knowing he should say something but not knowing what. To his surprise, the fight suddenly seemed to drain out of her and she sighed, her gaze growing distant. Aang, ever the peacemaker, piped up, "She seems nice."

Sokka scoffed, flipping his hand dismissively. "You trust everyone."

Aang looked affronted, puffing up his chest and denying hotly, "No, I don't."

"You do."

"So does that mean his vote doesn't count either?"

"Toph! When did you get here?" Katara asked with a start of surprise.

The earthbender grinned. "Just now, Sweetness. Why are we voting?"

Sokka motioned to his sister. "Katara wants to stay at the inn."

"Seems like a good plan," Toph agreed easily. "It's going to rain."

Sokka's jaw dropped. "You too?"

Toph shrugged. "I can smell it. So, what's the problem?"

Sokka's mouth snapped shut and he sniffed skeptically, still giving the young girl a wary look. Katara rolled her eyes and motioned to Sokka and Zuko. "They don't trust Hama."

"The crazy innkeeper?"

"She's not crazy," Katara protested. "She's from the Southern Water Tribe."

"And crazy doesn't happen in the South Pole," Toph drawled at the same time Sokka demanded, "Then what is she doing here?"

Katara put her hands on her hips, scowling at her brother. "Really, Sokka. She could be here for a number of reasons. We're here."

"We're here with the Avatar," Sokka said, jerking a thumb toward the airbender.

"Snoozles's got a point. Besides, there's only one inn in town so I'm voting to stay."

"But you said the innkeeper's crazy," Sokka exclaimed, sounding betrayed.

Toph frowned, digging her toes into the packed dirt road. "I'm curious about something."

Zuko glanced around the street. The merchants were already packing up their stalls and there were still a few hours before dusk. They were also looking anxious. "Something's not right."

Katara tilted her head to look up at him, giving him a comforting smile. "You worry too much."

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The market stalls closed well before sunset and the streets cleared rapidly after that. Katara wouldn't admit it, but the anxious glances the villagers cast toward the darkening mountains gave her the first thrill of unease. A quick check of the rest of the group and she found Zuko keeping an alert eye on their surroundings. His hands were flexing in an unconscious show of anxiety. Sokka was frowning. "Things have gotten stranger."

Katara couldn't help but silently agree. "Maybe we should just go to the inn."

The proposition was reluctantly agreed to and they turned their steps toward the inn that stood on the edge of the village closest to the mountain. Hama met them on the porch of the inn, ushering them through the door. "I'm so glad you're here before dark. It's not safe near the mountain at night right now."

Zuko hung back, eying the building with trepidation. Sokka didn't look any more eager to enter the inn than Zuko. A cold wind brought the scent of approaching rain and Katara knew neither boy could justify turning down shelter. Aang didn't seem troubled by similar thoughts. He curiously followed Hama to the common room where a table was already set up for dinner. Aang settled on a cushion, asking, "Why is now a bad time?"

Surprise crossed her weathered features. "Why? It's the three nights of the full moon." She encouraged them to sit around the table and serve themselves, settling herself at a comfortable distance. "The villagers believe something evil dwells in the mountain and draws the unwary night stroller to it and devours their soul."

Toph tilted her head thoughtfully, considering the story. "But you don't think so?"

A smile touched Hama's dry lips. "It is difficult to say. The villagers are a superstitious group. I do know that men, women, and even children have disappeared into the mountain during these nights and are never seen or heard from again."

Thunder crashed overhead and the entire group flinched. Hama laughed, touching her fingertips to her lips. "You have nothing to fear tonight, children. The rains have come and fewer people vanish during the monsoons."

Katara glanced around the table. Sokka shuddered and Toph frowned. Zuko and Aang had claimed seats next to her, but Zuko was picking at his food, his brow furrowed. She could hear the rain drumming against the roof and another roll of thunder punctuated the uncomfortable silence. Katara cleared her throat. "Will you tell us why you left the South Pole?"

Hama regarded her seriously, blue eyes darting beyond her to Zuko. The innkeeper gave a tired sigh and shook her head. "It's not a happy story and has much tragedy in it. Perhaps another time." She pushed away from the table, rising slowly to her feet. "If you are finished with dinner, I'll show you to your rooms."

Sokka inhaled the rest of his food and Zuko rose with Katara, moving closer to her side. He didn't meet her eyes when she looked up at him and she resisted the urge to reach for his hand. Hama guided them up the stairs and to the first room. Katara was surprised to find only two beds until she realized that Hama planned to separate them. "I thought you girls would like some privacy for a bit. It'll give you a chance for some girl time."

Katara surveyed the room. It was a cheerful, comfortable space. Fresh flowers filled a vase on the window ledge. Toph flopped inelegantly on the bed closest to the door and Zuko stepped into the room to check out the space, ignoring the disapproving frown Hama gave him. He paced the room, peering out the window at the rain pouring down outside. Katara touched his arm, drawing his suspicious contemplation away from the window. She smiled. "It'll be okay. You're just down the hall."

He nodded and his eyes made another critical sweep around the room before allowing himself to step back into the hall. The door closed behind him and she could hear Hama chivvying the boys down the hall. Katara sighed and dropped her small pack on the empty bed, giving the room a searching look in the same way Zuko had moments earlier. She would've felt better if they were all sharing a room. Or even if their rooms were closer!

Toph brought her dusty feet up onto her bed and gave a satisfied belch, drawing Katara's frown of disapproval. "I thought you came from a noble family."

The earthbender relaxed into her mattress, picking at her teeth. "Yeah? What about it?"

With a grimace, Katara shook her head and turned away. "Never mind."

Thunder rumbled across the sky and the occasional flash of lightning lit up the window as Katara prepared for bed. When she finally crawled beneath her covers the storm had passed and only the soothing sound of rain remained. It was then when Toph made a thoughtful noise and spoke up, "I think Sokka and Zuko are right."

Katara blinked, twisting around to look across the dim space at the other girl. "About what?"

"The innkeeper." Katara could hear the frown in Toph's voice. "She wasn't lying earlier, but something wasn't right."

"How so?"

"If I knew, I'd tell you." Toph shifted in her blankets. "I'd keep an eye on Sparky, though. She doesn't like him and she really doesn't like him near you."

"That's ridiculous," Katara scoffed, though it was weak.

"I know what I felt."

Toph fell asleep shortly after that, but Katara lay awake, mulling over the earthbender's words. The rain passed as the night progressed and she listened to the creaking sigh of the old inn settling. She was listening to the night insects emerge after the rain and counting the drips that fell from the eaves to splash against the windowsill outside when she realized she'd been hearing a soft murmur of voices in the hall outside her door. Pushing back her blankets, she quietly crept to the door and pressed her ear against the solid wood. The wood muffled the voices too much so she couldn't hear the words so, with a huff of annoyance, she gave up any pretense of stealth. She swung open the door and stepped out.

In the dim light of a candle, Katara could make the stooped form of Hama and the bright flash of gold eyes near the boys' room. Zuko. She frowned, recalling Toph's words. Her stomach turned and she made her way swiftly toward the pair.

"You're a dangerous one," Hama was saying. "I sense fire in you."

The words made Katara's skin crawl and she stopped just behind Hama and cleared her throat. "Lee? Is everything all right?"

Hama whirled to face her, a manic gleam in her eyes. Katara took a startled step back, her hands rising to ward off an attack she was sure to come. By the next heartbeat, Hama's expression cleared and Katara was wondering if the dim light had played a trick on her eyes.

"Oh, you're awake, my dear. Is anything wrong?"

Katara looked uncertainly between them, drawing her lip between her teeth. "I heard voices."

"Oh," Hama sighed easily. "I was asking this young man if he would be so kind as to bring in some firewood."

"In the middle of the night?"

Zuko remained silent, but a curious expression flashed across Hama's weathered features. "No, dear. In the morning." She turned to look over her shoulder at the silent firebender. "Thank you. You can leave it by the stove."

Zuko gave a jerky nod and Hama smiled brightly, wishing them both a good night. Katara watched her shuffle down the hall and round the corner before Zuko released a heavy breath and seemed to sag against the wall. "We are not staying here a second night."

"No," Katara murmured in agreement. She fidgeted, glancing in the direction Hama went. "I don't really want to go back to my room."

She knew she sounded ridiculously like a frightened child, but she caught a flash of gold eyes as Zuko pushed himself off the wall and jerked his head toward the room he was sharing with Sokka and Aang. "Come on, then."

"My brother…"

"We'll be awake long before your brother. Or Aang," he assured her.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Katara jerked awake with a gasp, disoriented and panicked, at the first, brisk knock on the door. Her elbow connected with something solid, which earned her a pained grunt in her ear.

"Rise and shine, children! Breakfast is on the table," Hama called through the door.

Across the room, a familiar groan reached her, the sleep slurred complaint muffled by the bed clothes, "First time in ages I get to sleep in a real bed and some crazy lady wakes me up at the crack of dawn."

Aang grumbled his agreement, but so far neither of them moved. Katara turned wide eyes to Zuko, surprised that the firebender was not much more awake than either her brother or Aang. He was frowning at her — probably because she elbowed him in the stomach — and the mussy, sleepy look was rapidly fading from his eyes. She peeked over him at the beds across the room, thankful that she was against the wall and Zuko's body hid her from immediate detection if either boy would look. Sokka was sprawled out on his stomach, snoring loudly, and Aang was curled under his blankets

"I've got to go—I mean leave," Katara whispered, prodding Zuko's shoulder.

He rolled onto his back with a disgruntled sigh and Katara scrambled over him, ignoring the way his fingers dragged across her as he pulled away, and darted out the door as quietly as she could. She breathed a sigh of relief once the door closed silently behind her.

"Oh, there you are, dear." Katara jumped, spinning around to come face-to-face with Hama's pale gaze. The innkeeper looked from her to the door she'd just slid out of, tsking quietly. "You should be more discerning in the company you keep. And when you keep it."

Katara flushed, stammering, "It's not what it looks like."

"Why buy the cow when the milk is free, dear?" Hama spared her another disapproving frown and shuffled past her. "I would like to tell you a story after you break your fast. I'll be in the garden."

Katara took a last look at the closed door to the boys' room and then followed Hama to the kitchen. Toph was hunched over a steaming bowl of porridge, her expression groggy. The earthbender grunted when Katara sank into a seat next to her. "Morning, Sweetness. Have a good night?"

Katara frowned. "It wasn't like that."

Toph made a skeptical sound, but subsided when the boys stumbled through the door. Sokka dropped onto a cushion at the table, yawning widely. "I'm starving."

Sokka piled food into a bowl, mumbling a vague "good morning" to Toph's pointed greeting. Aang joined Sokka in enthusiastically consuming the food laid out on the table. Zuko hesitated in the doorway, sweeping a searching gaze around the kitchen before he took his seat and accepted the bowl Katara passed him. His eyes flashed to meet hers before swiftly moving away. Zuko methodically shredded a small loaf of bread without consuming any of it.

Katara gave up picking apart her food and pushed her plate away, rising to her feet. Her motions drew the other's attention. Sokka glanced pointedly at her abandoned plate. "You're not going to eat that?"

She grimaced and pushed it toward him. "No. I'm going to talk to Hama."

"Right," Sokka agreed, shifting his attention to Zuko for a moment. "We're heading back to camp today."

Katara nodded, lingering for several seconds as she debated speaking to Zuko. The firebender was focused intently on his bowl though he didn't seem interested in eating. With a sigh, she went in search of Hama. She found the innkeeper tending an extensive garden. Hama smiled when she saw Katara, setting aside her watering can. "There you are, child. Are you ready to go?"

"Go?" Katara asked uncertainly, looking up from examining an odd plant.

Hama dusted her hands against her apron, reaching for a basket Katara hadn't noticed. "I must go to the market and I'd like your company. We'll also be able to talk in confidence. There are things I'd like to tell you."

Katara absently accepted the basket held out to her and Hama shuffled back to the kitchen, commenting with a wink, "Let me give the boys something to do. You've got to keep them busy so they stay out of trouble." She pushed open the door, calling, "Will you boys restock my firewood?"

Katara couldn't hear the answer, but Hama nodded with satisfaction and motioned for Katara to walk with her. The morning was cool and water puddled along the road from the previous night's rain. Merchants were opening their stalls in the square and Katara amused herself by examining various trinkets offered. They gradually made their way to grocer's corner.

"It was over sixty years ago when the raids started," Hama said suddenly and Katara set down the melon she was examining, looking at the old woman in surprise. Gran-Gran had rarely mentioned the raids, merely stating that it was a terrible time for the Water Tribes. Hama handed off a few coins and placed her purchase in the basket Katara had hooked over her arm and guided the younger girl to the next stall. "They came again and again, each time rounding up more of our waterbenders and taking them captive. We did our best to hold them off, but our numbers dwindled as the raids continued. Finally, I too was captured. I was led away in chains."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Hama leveled Katara with a serious look that put a chill in her blood. "The Fire Nation are cruel, heartless people. Don't trust any of them." She tucked the last of her purchases into the basket and took Katara's arm. "There, that should be everything. Come along, dear, I want to prepare a real Water Tribe meal for you and your friends before you leave me."

The panicked feeling from the night before returned. Zuko hadn't told her what had happened in the hall before Katara arrived, but she'd sensed the fading fear behind his eyes. He hadn't protested when she'd wanted to stay with him despite the close proximity to her brother and Aang. Something wasn't right. "But," she stammered, "we were going to start home today."

"Oh, tosh," Hama said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Stay another night. It'll be safer tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes. Tonight's the last night of the full moon," Hama said as if that explained everything.

The walk back to the inn was made in silence and Hama shooed her off to bide her time until supper was ready. Katara found Sokka and Zuko behind the inn and a good distance from the building, leaning over a well-worn map and speaking in hushed tones. She joined them, sitting beside her brother and asking, "Where are Toph and Aang?"

To her surprise, both boys frowned and Sokka made a vague gesture toward the mountains. "She took him out to check something. We'll meet up with them at the campsite."

Katara grimaced. "About that. Hama's not letting us go until tomorrow. I couldn't insist on leaving without sounding suspicious."

Sokka exchanged an uneasy glance with Zuko, then folded up the map and tucked it away. "We'll think of something."

Unfortunately, they were no closer to a solution when they were finally called in for supper.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The evening meal was a silent affair and Katara was almost relieved when it was deemed late enough to turn in for the night. Sokka had watched their host through narrowed eyes — though that didn't stop him from consuming enough food for a small army — and Zuko refused to meet anyone's eye and instead sat stiffly and ate hardly anything. She missed Toph and Aang's presence. At least, between the two of them, the tension wouldn't have been as thick.

Hama noted and dismissed Aang and Toph's absence with barely a flicker of concern.

With a sigh, Katara turned onto her back and gazed up at the shadowed ceiling. The room felt threatening without Toph's presence and the sounds of the night lacked their normally soothing effects. A floorboard creaked and she held her breath, straining to hear. Nothing. She exhaled slowly, silently chiding herself for jumping at shadows, and attempted to relax. A door slammed below and she shot upright, snatching her waterskin from the bedpost. Footsteps thundered up the stairs and she flung her covers back, wrenching her door open and nearly ran into her brother as he came barreling down the corridor. Sokka seized her hand immediately, dragging her back to the stairs. "You've got to come quick!"

Katara gasped, tripping down the stairs. "Wait! Sokka, what's going on?"

"She got him," her brother exclaimed. "Hurry!"

They hit the dirt and gravel path and Katara wished she'd thought to grab her shoes. The full moon overhead gave her enough light to read the fearful expression Sokka was trying to hide. It made her own fear she'd been trying to ignore rush to the surface. "Who?"

"Hama. She's crazy. She's got Zuko. She's doing something."

She winced when she stepped on a rock she hadn't seen in the dim light. "You're going to have to explain."

Sokka hurried her along, explaining in a muddled flow of words, "I had to visit the outhouse. I was only gone a minute, you know. When I came out I saw them — Zuko and that crazy innkeeper Hama. Hama was saying all kinds of crazy stuff and dragging Zuko along. It sounded painful."

Katara struggled to keep up, gasping as she stumbled again as they followed a darker path under the trees. How could Zuko be dragged somewhere he didn't want to go? "That doesn't make sense! She's an old woman."

"She's doing weird magic stuff," Sokka insisted.

Katara felt a sinking feeling, but the next moment they heard a voice speaking and then they stumbled into a break in the trees. Hama's hands were raised before her like claws, a manic gleam in her eyes. "You invaded my home — raped and pillaged and killed. You threw me into prison to rot, along with my brothers and sisters."

Hama's fingers flicked and Zuko convulsed, grunting in pain. Katara started forward, hardly noticing Sokka's grip tightening on her arm before disappearing. "Zuko!"

Hama jerked in surprise and Zuko stumbled a step, but the next instant the firebender was still and the innkeeper threw out her hand toward Katara. It felt like every muscle in her body seized up. She couldn't move. Hama ignored her, sneering at Zuko. "I should have known. The whole Fire Nation is full of bad blood, but yours is the worst."

Zuko hadn't said a word and he looked as if he was struggling just to breathe.

"What are you doing?"

A wild grin spread across Hama's face. "I am releasing you from the spell this monster has you under. You will thank me in the end."

Katara strained against the invisible hold. "Let me go!"

"Patience, my girl," Hama cooed. "It'll be over soon."

Zuko caught her eyes, gasping, "Katara—"

"Don't speak to her!" Hama shrieked and Zuko fell silent with a choking grunt. Her fingers twitched and Zuko drew his dao swords with jerking movements, pressing the sharp point against his stomach. "See?" she purred. "I am willing to give you an honorable death."

"Don't do this," Katara begged, her voice trembling. "Please don't do this."

Sweat shone on Zuko's brow and muscles rippled as he struggled to regain control of his body. Hama's fingers curled even more and she bared her teeth, snarling, "It's impossible to fight your way out of my grip! The moon gives me strength. I control every muscle — every vein in your body! Give up. Give in. So many of you demons have destroyed homes—ruined lives—but I will free her with your death."

Katara wanted to close her eyes. She wanted to make everything disappear. Zuko's labored breaths were so loud in her ears she almost missed the soft hiss of a sword being unsheathed, but there was no way she could miss Sokka hurtling himself from the trees across the clearing with a wordless battle cry. Somehow he'd managed to circle the clearing without being noticed in an attempt to carry out a surprise attack. Unfortunately, his assault was halted quickly. It almost looked like he'd hit an invisible wall or tripped over his own feet and he landed hard on his knees.

"Katara!"

Aang burst into the clearing, staff poised and ready to deal a sweeping blow. Hama's hand shot out toward the airbender and his staff fell from nerveless fingers. Katara half noticed Aang's startled look of surprise, her attention caught by the brief lessening of her invisible bonds. In that moment while Hama's attention was caught by the attacks, Zuko's sword also fell from his grasp. Katara moved, gathering the water around her before the hold clamped down on her again. She nearly cried in despair when she lost her hold on the water.

"Not yet! Sit and watch," Hama commanded, turning crazed blue eyes on Katara. "I do this for our people. For you. Why do you struggle?"

Katara glared, working her way through the panic that had fogged her thinking. Hama gazed at her for several moments before understanding lit in her eyes, followed quickly by disgust. "Ah, I see. No doubt you believe you love him. Perhaps you should be the one to end his life and break the curse."

Frustration and helplessness leaked out in tears as she fought against the force that propelled her forward in shuffling steps.

"That's it," Hama crooned. "Take the sword."

Her fingers brushed the braided leather of the sword hilt and she met Zuko's gaze. Time seemed to slow, their breathing harsh in her ears and the unfamiliar weight of the sword in her hand as she straightened. Her arm rose to bring the sword down in a killing stroke and suddenly time was spinning out of control.

"Some say magic. Others say blood bending."

Huu's words from months ago shouted in her mind and she gasped, screaming out, "No!"

Katara lashed out, her hands moving instinctively, her senses following along nerve and blood and ignoring Hama's shocked gasp and panicked cry, "Stop!"

Katara's heart leapt to her throat and she struck blindly. Hama shrieked, the sound grating against her ears and making her hair stand on end, before the sound was cut off with a choked gasp and Hama collapsed like a marionette with severed strings. Sokka and Aang stumbled as they regained control of their bodies. Katara let her arms drop to her sides, panting, the fog of panic and fear slowly dissipating, the adrenaline making her limbs tremble. A sword clattered to the ground and Zuko sank to his knees with a pained groan, his hand pressing against his stomach to staunch the flow of blood.

In a daze, she felt the earth rumble and a jumble of voices talking over each other. Someone grabbed her by the arms and gave her a sharp shake, snapping, "Katara, snap out of it!"

She blinked, recognizing her brother face. She suddenly realized Toph had arrived and had trapped an unmoving Hama in a prison of stone. The earthbender's face was hard and unforgiving as she paced around the stone prison.

"You're going to need a healer, Zuko."

Aang's worried voice snapped her out of her daze and she whirled toward Zuko, stumbling on unsteady legs. She knelt at his side, reaching for the bloodied hands he had pressed against his wound, swallowing back bile that rose in her throat. Her voice quivered when she spoke, the words coming out more as a plea than an order, "Lean back, let me see."

Her hands trembled as she worked and she had to stop frequently to dash away tears. The wound gradually closed and Zuko's breathing came easier. She choked on a sob and Zuko shifted. "Katara—"

"I'm sorry," she sobbed, interrupting him in a burst. "I'm sorry. I didn't know she was a waterbender. I'm sorry."

She let Zuko draw her closer and she pressed her forehead against his shoulder, clutching at his bloodstained tunic as she let the panic and fear flow out in tears. She barely heard his whispered assurances or Sokka's declaration that Hama was struck down by apoplexy, but that she was still breathing. Immediate concerns attended to, Toph pulled up a stone seat and dropped onto it. "You know, you two really should work on your ambushing techniques."

Notes:

Recognizable quotes from "The Puppetmaster"

I'm going to believe that "Huo Hua" means fire lily... the Google gods may have lied though. I'm sorry.

Chapter 27: Upsetting the Status Quo

"Deep in my heart I'm concealing things that I'm longing to say. Scared to confess what I'm feeling, frightened you'll slip away. You must love me."
– "You Must Love Me" from Evita

Zuko stirred awake to the sound of someone's sleepy complaint. Gray, predawn light filtered through the crack in the curtains allowing him to see that both Aang and Sokka were sprawled across their beds. Sokka was snoring away with abandon, but Aang's sleep looked troubled. Zuko rolled out of bed with a stifled groan, his muscles protesting loudly. He took a moment to gain his bearings and then shuffled to Aang's bed to shake the airbender awake. Grey eyes popped open, darting anxiously around the room before he looked up at the older boy. "Zuko…"

He straightened stiffly and studied the smaller boy for a moment. "Looked like a nightmare."

Aang shuddered, looking away. "Yeah."

Zuko sighed. He didn't do this comforting thing. That was more along Katara's line of work. "Do you want to," he winced over his words, "talk about it?"

For a heart-stopping moment, Zuko thought Aang would take him up on his offer, but Aang swiftly shook his head and he breathed an internal sigh of relief. Iroh may be more openly affectionate and caring than his brother, but he was still a military man. Zuko stood awkwardly beside the bed until he decided that a retreat was in order. He gave Aang a firm nod and crossed the room to the door

"Zuko?" He paused in the door, looking over his shoulder at Aang. The airbender flashed him a bright smile. "Thanks."

He ducked his head, quickly leaving the room and quietly closing the door behind him. The inn was peaceful and quiet as Zuko turned his steps toward the yard. With all the excitement that occurred during the night, Zuko felt off balance. Meditation would fix that for the time being. Leaving the village behind would fix it completely. He doubted the others would want to stay another night and he knew Katara would insist on leaving as quickly as possible. Hama's bloodbending ability had shaken her and would no doubt bring about a resurgence of the nightmares from the winter.

At the top of the stairs a weak cough drew his attention to a partially open door and a low murmur of voices. Zuko hesitated. Listening at keyholes was more Azula's style, but he sometimes wondered if he could have changed things if he'd followed his sister's example. Making a decision, he inched closer to the door.

"You're a traitor," a weak voice rasped, slurring the words. "A traitor to your tribe and your family."

Zuko held his breath, nudging the door open a little more so he could see inside. Katara stood beside the bed, her expression set as she tended to Hama. The innkeeper lay on the bed, looking gaunt and gray, though her eyes flashed angrily.

"You're wrong," Katara said.

"Am I?" Hama asked. She struggled briefly and then lifted her right hand to grasp at Katara's arm. "The Fire Nation people are cruel and cunning. They'll use whatever means to achieve their ends. The royal family is the worst."

Thin fingers dug into Katara's arm, but Katara didn't pull away. He could see her shoulders tense and could just imagine the glare on her face. "You don't know him."

"From a bad crow, a bad egg."*

Feet hit the floor with a thump and Toph appeared in view, unerringly grabbing Hama's hand and pulling it away from Katara. "You spew poison, lady, and it's rotting you from the inside out. Sparky's here for you, Sweetness. You should go."

Katara stepped back from the bed, her head turning toward the door. She met his gaze briefly and nodded. Zuko flushed at being caught eavesdropping. Katara glanced around the room then approached the door, giving him a sweeping look.

"Are you injured?" Katara asked briskly.

Zuko shook his head, looking over his shoulder to glare at the incapacitated woman on the bed. The left side of Hama's face sagged tiredly and the snarl she directed at him was lopsided. Katara pushed him out into the hall, pulling the door to, and stated, "You're up early. Even for you. Nightmare?"

"Aang," Zuko said by way of explanation. He didn't want to even admit his own reoccurring nightmares that seemed twice as bad now.

Katara's compassionate frown made him look away uncomfortably. He wondered if she could sense the partial truth. She glanced back toward the bedroom he shared with the other boys. "Is he awake now?"

"He was."

She considered her thoughts for a moment before meeting his eyes. "Are you going to meditate?" He nodded and she looped her arm through his. "I think I'll join you."

She practically dragged him down the stairs and out into the garden. Zuko felt his shoulders relax once they left the inn and he took a deep breath. Katara seemed to realize she was clutching his arm, because she dropped it and lead the way down a winding path. They found a rickety wooden bench tucked behind a weeping tree and protected from the windows of the inn. Katara dropped onto the bench, ignoring the protesting groan from the wooden joints, and Zuko took a seat next to her. They watched the sky lighten in silence.

Just before dawn, Zuko closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. The familiar crescendo of the sun rising was comforting and he immediately felt better for meditating.

"She's paralyzed on her left side."

Katara had waited until the sun was completely above the horizon before speaking. Zuko looked at her, taking in her arms folded across her stomach and her hunched shoulders. Guilt radiated from every line of her body.

"It's not your fault."

She looked skeptical. "It's not? I grabbed her blood — I yanked it. I was careless."

Zuko shivered at the memory. He'd been trying to ignore the entire experience. The possibility of death had presented itself before, but it'd never really crossed his mind that death was final. Not even at his lowest point. He'd had a blasé outlook on death, but when faced with it — with his death — by a force outside his control, he discovered that he didn't want to die. He'd wanted to live. Uncle Iroh would've probably had some philosophical quote about the follies of youth.

Zuko started to reach for her and then changed his mind, shifting his attention to the drooping tree behind them. "I'm surprised she has this tree."

Katara frowned, puzzled for a moment before following his gaze. "Why?"

He touched a thick leaf that hung low near her shoulder. He felt ridiculous. "It's dragon heart fruit. They say that when a dragon is defeated, with its last breath, the dragon produces its heart. Those who feasted on the flesh were endowed with the strength and ferocity of the dragon."

Katara's fingers brushed the leaf, skimming his fingers. He didn't know why he was telling her stupid Fire Nation legends. Maybe his uncle was right and he didn't know what to do with a girl when he had her alone. Uncle had tried—

"How'd the tree get here?"

Her question snapped him from his castigating thoughts and for a moment he was at a loss for what she was asking. His cheeks burned and he dropped his hand from the leaf, avoiding her curious gaze. "A man named Ju-Long accidentally killed a young dragon. In his remorse, he buried the dragon's heart. Each year he returned to the site to beg forgiveness. One year, he discovered a tree had grown over the heart and was bearing fruit. He took it as a sign of forgiveness. Dragons are extinct now, so the tree weeps."

Her expression dropped and she examined the spiky, bright red fruit. "That makes me sad."

Zuko cringed internally. Why did he have to tell her a sad story? He'd been trying to muster up his courage to bridge the gap his careless words weeks before had caused, but failed and instead made her even sadder than she was to begin with. Not that he was a particularly happy person anyway. He startled when she leaned into his shoulder and released a quiet sigh. Perhaps now was as good a time as any to clear things up completely between them. Tension had eased between them, but he knew he had to tell her he'd made a mistake. His palms suddenly felt clammy and he cleared his throat. "Katara? I—"

"Hey, you two!" Toph shouted into the garden and Zuko flinched violently away from Katara, nearly toppling the girl from the bench. "Come eat so we can get moving before the entire village comes after Sparky."

Zuko surged to his feet, cheeks red, and turned back toward the inn. Katara sighed, rising and brushing imaginary dirt from her skirts. She took two steps past Zuko before pausing and looking back at him. "Were you going to say something?"

The look in her eyes was encouraging, but he felt his previous courage shrivel and die. The others would come looking for them if they didn't show up soon. He shook his head, muttering, "Never mind."

He missed the flash of disappointment that crossed her face before she smiled. "Okay."

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Sokka, Toph, and Aang were seated at one end of the table, each holding bowls of cold rice, when Zuko and Katara came in through the back door. Sokka's map was spread out on the table in front of them and the Water Tribe boy turned a grumpy frown on them. "It's about time you guys got here."

"Katara!" Aang exclaimed over Sokka's complaint, dropping his bowl onto the table and nearly leaping to his feet.

"Not on the map!" Sokka cried, horrified, and scooped up the bowl to shove back at the airbender. "It's not a tablecloth!"

"It can work as one," Toph garbled through a mouth full of rice.

Sokka glared at her, tugging the map further away from the girl. "And don't you put your feet on it again. They're filthy."

Toph rolled her eyes. "It's just dirt."

"You nearly obliterated the Northern Water Tribe last time," Sokka argued, pointing an accusing finger at the smudged portion near the top of the map.

She shrugged, swallowing her mouthful of rice. "From what I understand, there wasn't much left after Twinkletoes's rampage."

Aang flushed. "That was Zhao!"

"Whatever."

Sokka cleared his throat, interrupting the impending argument. Katara lifted an eyebrow at Zuko as she gathered a bowl of rice and a wedge of a moon peach from the end of the table and found a seat. Zuko took the seat next to her on the bench, but scooted further down the bench at Sokka's raised eyebrows. Satisfied, he turned to the map. "Yesterday we decided that we'd make a stop at the Western Air Temple for a week or so—"

Aang made a sound of protest, but didn't say anything when they turned to him with lifted eyebrows. Sokka tapped a location northwest of their position. "Aang needs to work on his firebending. It's an out of the way location so no one will notice us. Especially if Aang keeps blowing Zuko up."

Toph gave a snort of laughter. "He could work on his earthbending as well."

"I've mastered earthbending," Aang whined.

"As if! I can still wipe the floor with you."

"You've had more practice than me."

"Exactly."

Sokka sighed in annoyance. "If you two are finished?"

They subsided into silence, Aang glaring at the earthbender mutinously. Sokka cleared his throat again, placing his empty rice bowl aside and pressing his fingertips against the map. "The Fire Sages told Aang to stop the Fire Lord by the Summer Solstice so—"

Zuko straightened sharply, interrupting, "Why?"

Sokka blinked in confusion, looking at Zuko. "What?"

"Why the Summer Solstice?" he reiterated. "There has to be a reason."

Sokka hesitated and Zuko could tell he didn't want to give away his information, but was unsure how to hide it without seeming like he was hiding something. Zuko grit his teeth. He knew the other boy didn't trust him, but it still stung to have it pointed out to him so obviously. Sokka shifted, prevaricating, "Umm…"

"There's a comet," Aang finally offered when it became apparent that Sokka wasn't going to say.

A chill washed over Zuko and the feeling of dread he'd been trying to ignore since Ba Sing Se intensified. How could he have forgotten? Everything that happened in the last one hundred years revolved around that comet. Katara frowned, looking at Aang and then her brother. "A comet."

"Sozin's Comet," Zuko supplied the name, his voice sounding distant to his ears.

"Right," Sokka agreed briskly. "Anyway, I was thinking that if we can't position our troops before then, we should wait until after—"

"That's a stupid idea," Zuko cut him off again.

Sokka ran a hand down his face, his annoyance growing, and demanded, "Why? It'd give Aang more time to train and we can come up with a better plan."

"Sozin wiped out an entire nation at the last comet," he reminded them with a half-frantic motion toward Aang. "What do you think my—Ozai is going to do during this one? Have a tea party?"

A heavy silence fell over the group as his last sarcastic question washed over them. They shifted uncomfortably in their seats until Toph attempted to lighten the mood. "Well, if he's anything like your uncle—"

"He's not," he snarled, in no mood to humor anyone.

They were going to get themselves killed! They were going to get him killed. And Katara because she wouldn't let her brother barrel headfirst into death without company. A cool hand slipped into his beneath the table and gave it a gentle squeeze. Katara. He clung to her hand and took a deep breath to calm the swelling panic. There was no plan and he could hardly believe it. He thought they'd have at least something in mind.

Sokka drummed his fingers against the table, gazing at a point in the distance as he thought. Eventually he focused back on the map. "Regardless, the first part of the plan doesn't change. We'll still go to the Air Temple and train. Then we've got to meet up with the others."

Katara tilted her head, her brow creasing. "Others?"

Sokka gave Zuko a wary glance, but answered his sister, "Dad's captured several Fire Nation ships." He shot the firebender a smug look. "We've discovered the Fire Nation's darkest day."

Zuko leapt to his feet with a curse, jarring the table with his sudden movement. "Are you serious? That's suicide!"

Toph sighed, resting her chin in her palm. "Cool it, Fire-Pants."

Sokka looked taken aback by the violent outburst, his hand twitching toward the hilt that rose over his shoulder before deciding that Zuko wasn't going to attack him. Katara tugged on Zuko's hand. "What is he talking about, Zuko?"

He glared across the table. "Your brother—"

Sokka interrupted him, probably tired of being interrupted himself, declaring proudly, "I discovered when the Fire Nation loses all its bending capabilities."

Katara stared at her brother, lips pursed, then sought clarification. "Zuko?"

He rubbed a tired hand over his eyes. "There's a solar eclipse coming up in a few weeks."

The Water Tribe boy took over, explaining enthusiastically, "And that's when we go on the offensive! BAM! Right through their defenses, take out the powerless Fire Lord and Sparky's crazy sister and…victory! World peace."

"My father is never powerless," Zuko deadpanned.

Sokka ignored him. "We'll just waltz right in—"

"You won't get past the harbor."

Katara cut in before her brother could continue his idealized campaign. "Sokka, I think we should listen to Zuko."

Sokka wilted, looking betrayed. "But I'm the plan-man!"

Zuko put his hand on the table, leaning forward and demanding, "Do you have a plan to get through several battalions of armed soldiers?"

Toph spoke up from where she'd been absently picking at her callouses. "I thought the Fire Nation was elitist."

Zuko jerked back as if struck, memories half-forgotten flooding in a jumbled mess to the front of his mind. New recruits…diversion…not a bender among them…worthless…A thousand men tossed aside without an ounce of compassion. Men betrayed. Families broken. His fists clenched. Bujing had no honor. Neither did anyone else on the council. Zuko glared darkly at the memories. "They are."

Toph frowned, muttering, "Well, this is a cheerful conversation."

Sokka shook himself from his disappointment at Toph's words. "We still have to leave and the air temple is the best place to remain undetected." He grudgingly looked at Zuko. "I guess we need to strategize."

Toph pushed her bench back, standing and cracking her back. "Great. Grab your bags. The village leader said he'd keep an eye on Hama. He's not too impressed with her puppet act."

"What's going to happen to her?" Katara asked.

The earthbender shrugged, unconcerned. "Probably a trial and a harsh penalty. Does the Fire Nation have a death penalty, Sparky?"

"Yes."

Aang gasped, horrified. "Do you think she'll actually…"

He trailed off, looking ill at the thought. Toph frowned in the airbender's direction. "She kidnapped people, Twinkletoes, and she didn't ever intend for them to escape. Some of them didn't survive."

"But it's wrong," Aang protested weakly.

Sokka sighed, rolling up his map and storing away again. "It's outside your control, Aang. Let's get going."

The hike back to where they'd left Appa was made in near silence. Aang and Sokka lead the way, Sokka grumbling under his breath and swiping at low hanging branches. Toph had hung back with Zuko and Katara until she declared that they were boring and moved up to try to trip Aang. Katara matched her steps to his, glancing at his scowl before asking, "Is it really such a bad plan?" At his puzzled look, she clarified, "The eclipse."

His brow furrowed and he turned his eyes back to the path they were making through the forest. "My father will be expecting something like that. He'd probably set up a trap of some sort."

Katara hummed. "An eclipse isn't exactly subtle."

Zuko snorted a laugh. "No."

"Is there a way you can use your father's expectations against him?" Katara mused a few minutes later.

Zuko stopped, looking at her in surprise. "What?"

She blushed, shrugging. "You know, shake the rattle so he doesn't notice the stick. If he's expecting us to do something, maybe we should."

"A bluff?"

He knew he sounded incredulous, but he couldn't help himself. Katara bit her lip, glancing at the others as the distance between them widened. "Do you think that's a dumb idea?"

"Appa! We're back! Did you miss us?"

Aang's joyous shout prevented further conversation and they hurried to catch up with the others. Zuko wondered if a bluff might actually work.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The air temple looked much the same as the last time he'd seen it almost three years ago, but the approach on Appa lent itself to a greater appreciation of its construction. The mosaics really were beautiful in the light of the setting sun. He would never admit to his uncle that the temple impressed him. The Water Tribe siblings were more vocal in their amazement. Aang was quiet and pale in his place on Appa's head and Toph simply looked bored and ready to have her feet firmly on the ground again.

"It's upside down," Sokka said for probably the fifth time since they entered the gorge. "How did they do that?"

Again, no one answered. Zuko doubted he was actually looking for an answer anyway. Katara had hung over the edge of the saddle, staring at the canyon floor and the architectural marvel in the cliff face. She caught his pensive mood and, with a glance to ensure her brother was otherwise occupied, scooted across the saddle to his side. "You look like you've seen it before."

Zuko glanced away from the temple, briefly meeting her eyes. "I came with my uncle."

She brushed her hair out of her eyes, her expression curious. "When? I thought you were on a ship."

"Shortly after — I was thirteen."

Understanding crossed her features and she reached for his hand. They were approaching an open courtyard and Zuko pointed it out. "That's where I vowed to find the Avatar."

Her lips quirked and her eyes shone with her amusement. "It didn't work out quite the way you thought it would."

He tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear, meeting her eyes. "No."

Color rose in her cheeks that had nothing to do with the cool wind whipping around them. Appa landed with a snuffling groan and they broke away from each other just as Sokka turned and scrambled for the back of the saddle to slide down the sky bison's tail. "We're here! Let's check it out!"

"Right behind you, Snoozles. I can't wait to get off this flying shag rug."

Appa rumbled and his head swung around to look at Toph as she slid to the ground. She patted Appa's leg. "You know I love you, big guy."

She took several steps away from the bison before her unseeing eyes widened and she breathed, "This is amazing. How did they build it?"

Zuko stood, gathering some of the bedrolls and offering a hand to assist Katara over the lip of the saddle. Not that she needed help. It'd been an absent-minded gesture as he'd been distracted by the activity occurring on the ground, but the smile she gave him in return made his heart quicken. She was accepting the bedrolls he was passing down to her when Sokka skidded back into the courtyard. "There are some pretty cool rooms around. Where are the bedrooms?"

Aang didn't answer and everyone turned to find he hadn't moved from his spot between Appa's horns. Zuko passed the last of the bedrolls down then dropped to the ground. Katara frowned, walking around Appa. "Aang? Is something wrong?"

He turned a blank expression on her for a moment. "What?"

"Are you okay? Sokka asked where the dormitories were—"

The strange mood vanished in an instant and his more characteristic grin appeared. He grabbed his glider and jumped to the ground, taking Katara's hand. "Come on, I'll show you."

She dropped the bedroll she'd been holding as the excited airbender dragged her away. With a last helpless, befuddled look over her shoulder, they disappeared into the dim corridors of the air temple. Sokka shook his head, turned to the bags that'd been piled next to Appa and hefting their rations pack. "I suppose you know where he's taking her?"

The question was directed at Toph who waved vaguely. "Sure. First right, up the stairs, another right and you should be able to hear them."

Sokka frowned, grabbed two bedrolls. "If I get lost, you'll have to find me."

"Sure thing."

Sokka followed after Aang and his sister and Zuko turned to grab the rest of the gear only for Toph to suddenly speak up, "He likes her, you know."

"What?"

"Aang," she clarified. "His heart jumps all over the place when she's around or when she talks to him. He gets so nervous. No wonder he trips over his own feet. He didn't use to do that."

Zuko tried to ignore the way his heart had skipped a beat at her words, though by Toph's smirk he knew she'd caught it. "Okay."

She slugged him in the arm and snatched a roll from his hand. It turned out, Aang and Katara were easy to find. They just had to follow the excited airbender's whoops of joy.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The days passed quickly and, when Zuko rolled out of his bedroll with a tired groan on the third day, he could feel every day he'd missed practicing his firebending over the past few months. His muscles ached and he just knew he was shuffling like a man three times his age. He was just thankful he was the first one awake in the mornings so he wasn't subject to the humiliation in front of the others.

Rubbing at the knotted muscles in his neck, Zuko stumbled toward the door to rouse Aang for meditation. The sun was still below the horizon and it took several nudges before Aang grunted that he was awake. Zuko waited until the airbender sat up and pushed aside his blankets before leaving him. A quick stop by the washroom to splash cold water on his face and Zuko was as ready for the day as his stiff muscles could be.

Aang was asleep sitting upright when Zuko dropped next to him a few moments later. Not that the firebender could blame him. Aang had been working hard though he didn't seem nearly as stiff as Zuko felt. Maybe it was his youth? Zuko grimaced. He was starting to sound like his uncle.

"Aang." The airbender drooped a little more so Zuko nudged him, repeating a little louder, "Aang."

The younger boy shot upright, gasping sharply. "I'm awake!"

"I see that," Zuko grunted. "You're supposed to meditate and balance your inner fire for the day…not fall asleep again."

Aang's eyes were already drooping again by the time Zuko finished speaking and he mumbled, "'m balanced. So relaxed. Avatar. One with all the elements. Sleepy."

Zuko sighed. "Try to stay awake then."

Aang hummed a vague agreement and sunk into a half-lidded stupor. Zuko eyed him for a moment and then turned to his own meditation. Clearing his mind proved more difficult than he anticipated. Aang's firebending had improved by leaps and bounds, but Zuko didn't think he'd have enough control before the comet. They only had three days before they had to meet up with Chief Hakoda. His stomach twisted with dread and he fisted his hands on his knees, forcing a calming breath. By all accounts he'd heard, the Southern Water Tribe Chief was a fair and just leader. Still, it didn't ease his mind that there seemed to be some kind of contention between Sokka and the Chief. And Katara—

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

Zuko jerked out of his thoughts and turned to look at the airbender next to him. He started to answer, but lost the words before they even formed. Aang didn't seem concerned with a response, frowning instead at his own thoughts. "How do you tell a girl you like her? Like like-like her?"

Zuko felt his heart skip a beat and he swallowed thickly. "I—"

"Sokka said girls like flowers and pretty things, but I've never seen him give a girl something like that and they still flock to him."

Zuko blinked, processing this new information. "That's…" he shook his head, deciding to ignore the part about Sokka. "That's not a bad idea."

"I don't have anything like that," Aang wailed.

Zuko was beginning to wonder how their time of meditation had evolved into courting advice when Sokka entered the small courtyard. He really didn't want to admit that he knew no more about girls than a twelve-year-old. Aang turned pleading eyes on him and Zuko awkwardly cleared his throat. "I'm sure it won't matter." He tried to ignore the way his stomach turned. He must be coming down with something. "She should like you for who you are, not what you give her."

"That's true," Sokka agreed, dropping down next to Aang and yawning hugely, "but girls want to know you can provide for them, and their children. They want someone stable, with a steady income and such."

Aang's distress increased. "I don't have that!"

Sokka snorted. "You're twelve."

Zuko turned away, his stomach churning. He could understand the panic. He had nothing to his name. No home. No country. He didn't even know if he had a marketable skill. Since his banishment, he couldn't even offer himself as a prince. All he knew was war. What did he have to offer anyone, let alone a wife?

"Relax," Sokka's words broke into his thoughts. "You're the Avatar. You'll be able to provide for a girl no matter what. They'll probably be fighting over you in a few years."

Aang cheered marginally at that, but then scowled. "I don't want her to like me because I'm the Avatar."

Sokka shrugged. "I wouldn't worry about it. Just give a girl flowers or something and tell her she's pretty. Girls like that."

Zuko could almost see Aang's thoughts before he spoke them. "There are no flowers around here."

Enough was enough, Zuko decided. He pushed himself to his feet, stretching out the kinks in his back and limbs. With an impatient wave to Aang, he said, "Come on. Let's get some bending in before Toph drags you off to throw rocks."

Aang gave a weary sigh and grudgingly rose to take his place across from Zuko. Sokka leaned back, settling in comfortably. Zuko rubbed at his neck before jerking his hand away. There was no need to let them know how much he ached. "Are you going watch?"

Sokka grinned, folding his arms behind his head and lounging back against the rock wall. "Yup!"

Zuko resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

The other boy shrugged. "Not really. Katara's making breakfast and I thought we could spar after Toph takes Aang off to wherever they play in the mud."

"We don't play in the mud," Aang protested.

Zuko sighed. He'd really been hoping he'd be able to escape and work the knots out of his back. "Fine."

"Then we can talk strategy," Sokka called after him. "Katara said she mentioned an idea to you."

Zuko groaned. It was going to be a long day.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

They were leaving the next morning. Zuko had spent the morning pacing across the courtyard where he usually trained Aang. The airbender was absent and a search of the temple revealed he wasn't anywhere nearby. Toph had stalked off, muttering angrily about missing practice, so Zuko was left to his own devices. Sokka had finally decided that there were things that needed to be accomplished if he expected to eat that day and vanished into the valley. The only other person still in the temple was Katara, which lead to the position he was in now.

He stood outside the makeshift kitchen, watching as Katara busied herself cleaning up from breakfast. He'd gone out and managed to catch two pheasant squirrels as an excuse to search out Katara. Now he had an excuse, he just needed to follow through. He hadn't been noticed yet and he told himself he still had the chance to leave things the way they were. Status quo wasn't so bad, was it? He didn't mind things staying the way they were. Katara was finally relaxing around him again; their misunderstanding fading and forgotten. Zuko winced. Nearly forgotten. He flexed shifted his grip on the pheasant squirrels. His hands felt clammy. Right. He turned on his heel. He could do this after the war. If he survived.

"It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness."**

Zuko cringed. His inner-Iroh had been silent for months and it chose now to come back? He straightened, wiping his palms against his thighs, and took a deep breath before turning into the kitchen. He could at least give her the pheasant squirrels.

"Katara?"

Katara hummed to show she was listening, but never moved her gaze from the water she streamed from the cooking pot. Zuko fidgeted nervously, his movements unnoticed by the waterbender as she turned to the next dirty dish. He cleared his throat which served to draw her gaze, a slight frown forming between her eyes. "What is it, Zuko?"

He felt his face heat and he hoped he wasn't blushing noticeably. "I was—I just—" he snapped his mouth shut, taking a deep breath and trying to focus his thoughts. This was more difficult than he thought it would…and he'd thought it'd be pretty difficult. He thrust the pheasant squirrels out toward her. "I brought something for dinner."

She blinked, looking at the animals. "Oh, thank you. You can put them there for now."

She motioned to an empty space and Zuko quickly put the pheasant squirrels down. Katara started to turn back to her task, but paused, looking at him curiously. "Was there something else?"

Zuko really hoped his face wasn't as red as he thought it was. He rolled his shoulders, turning to face her. This was it. "Am I—"

"Katara!"

The shout cut him off with a start as Aang slid into the room. The airbender beamed when he caught sight of her, pink spreading across his cheeks and Zuko felt his stomach clench. Aang ignored Zuko's presence holding out a black-and-white flower to the surprised waterbender. "I got this for you, Katara."

She took it from him, blue eyes glancing from the flower to Aang with some confusion. "Thank you, Aang."

The airbender grinned eagerly, his expression expectant. Katara glanced at Zuko for some hint on how to respond, her eyes returning to the flower when he offered no explanation. "It's…it's very pretty, Aang."

He nodded, exuding excitement. Katara twirled the flower between her fingers, biting her lip before finally saying, "I think Toph was looking for you to practice your earthbending."

He deflated slightly, but still maintained his cheerful smile. "Okay! I'll see you later, Katara."

He zipped out of the kitchen and Katara turned to fill a cup with water and placed the flower in it. Her fingers brushed the petals, a thoughtful frown her on lips. She started when Zuko spoke, "So that's where Aang went."

A glance over her shoulder revealed an ambiguous expression on Zuko's face. "What?"

Zuko looked away with a shrug. "I couldn't find him this morning for bending practice. I thought he was avoiding me."

Not that he'd be all that surprised if Aang was avoiding him. Zuko often tried to avoid his bending masters.

"He was finding me a flower?" She sounded surprised.

"That's a panda lily," Zuko said as if that explained everything.

"It is?" Katara looked a great deal more interested. "I've never seen one."

He made a face. "They're hard to find."

"Oh," she looked back at the flower. "Shouldn't they not be picked then?"

A strangled sound came from Zuko and she turned. He avoided looking at her, speaking softly, "They're a symbol of love. Similar to the fire lily."

She dropped her hand from the flower, blushing furiously. So that was that. He couldn't say he was all that surprised. Zuko grimaced, turning to leave the kitchen when Katara reached out and touched his arm. "Zuko? What were you going to say earlier?"

Gold eyes darted to the panda lily before settling on blue eyes. She smiled at him encouragingly, stepping closer and lifting her chin to better look him in the eyes. Her lips drew his attention and he forced himself to look away as a blush crawled up his neck. Fingers touched his sleeve, trailing up to rest on his shoulder, feeling him tense beneath her fingertips. "Zuko—"

He jerked at his name, cutting her off, eyes wide as he looked down at her. "I—is it okay if I," he winced, squeezing his eyes shut and continuing in a rush, "if I love you?"

Silence fell heavily over them and Zuko held his breath, hoping she wouldn't hate him forever. He'd never felt so stupid. He should've kept his mouth shut. Status quo was an excellent state. What was he thinking? He'd ruined everything. Several long seconds passed before her fingers moved, brushing along his shoulders to the skin of his neck before sliding into the hair at the back of his head. His eyes shot open when she stepped into him, pressing her cheek to his chest and releasing a quivering breath. "Oh, Zuko."

She pulled away just enough to look up at him, her eyes bright with tears but she was smiling. "Of course it's okay, Zuko."

Zuko released the breath he'd been holding, his hands tentatively settling on her hips, flexing uncertainly as he attempted a shy, awkward smile. An unfamiliar, giddy feeling rose in him and he had the ridiculous urge to giggle. "Good." He took another steadying breath, saying more firmly, "Good."

A quiet giggle escaped her and her hands tightened in his hair, drawing his head down. She brushed his lips in a whisper of a kiss, pulling back to look into burnished gold eyes. "I love you."

She heard, and felt, his breath hitch as he searched her features for the truth of it, coming to rest on her lips. "May I kiss you?"

Her stomach flipped at the desire in his voice and she was barely able to nod before his mouth covered hers. Warmth rushed through her, making her heart skip a beat and her knees turn to jelly. She clung to him, gasping slightly as his hands drifted from her hips to the back of her head, gently shifting her to a better angle and taking advantage of her gasp. A shout out in the hall pulled them from their passionate embrace. They separated quickly, Katara stumbling on suddenly unstable legs and Zuko quickly steadying her. Both were flushed and breathing hard. A moment later Sokka entered the kitchen with an armful of wood, grousing about how heavy and awkward it was carrying so much. "Next time, Sparky comes with me. I wouldn't have to make so many—" he turned, stopping short when he saw his sister, eyes narrowing. "Are you all right? You look a little red."

Zuko had quickly slipped from the room while the water tribe boy's back was turned. Part of Katara was relieved about his absence, grateful for the momentary reprieve from her brother's protective hovering. She snorted in response to her brother, flipping her hair over her shoulder and turning away. "It's a little warm in here."

Sokka's eyes further narrowed in suspicion, glancing around the room. "Was Zuko just here?"

She motioned absently to a low ledge that served as a counter. "Yes, he was dropping off some game for dinner."

"And it's hot in here." The statement was flat and skeptical.

Katara hummed absently, returning to cleaning the cookware. "Yes, it's always hot when Zuko's around."

Sokka gasped, eyes rounding in shock and a finger pointing accusingly. "That's a panda lily!"

Katara followed her brother's pointing finger to the flower she'd completely forgotten about. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, Aang gave it to me."

Sokka gave it a considering look, giving his sister the same look before he nodded and turned to leave. "Good."

Katara stared after him. "Wait. What?"

"At least it wasn't that firebender."

Katara scowled, folding her arms across her chest. "How is that better?"

Sokka batted the question away with a flick of his hand, never pausing as he continued out the door. "Aang's harmless."

"Zuko's not a bad guy," she called after he brother.

She listened to her brother's footsteps fade away and then turned back to her washing. A silly smile pulled at her lips and she bit her lip to keep herself from giggling.

Notes:

* Sophocles
** Chinese proverb
Dragon Fruit. Such a thing exists and so does the legend, apparently. Well, part of what I have in this chapter. I made up some of it. Anyway, the fruit's rather cool looking…a little alien.

Chapter 28: Banks of the Rubicon

"Plans are nothing; planning is everything."
— Dwight D. Eisenhower

Katara was frustrated. Not that anyone knew just why she was frustrated. Aang and Sokka probably just assumed it was a result of feeding so many or, as Sokka sagely informed Aang one day not too long ago, "Woman Issues." He'd not repeated the supposition in her hearing again. Toph merely smirked at her when she felt her frustrations rise. No, no one knew for sure what the source of her frustration was except for possibly Zuko, but he kept his head down. The occasional side-long glance he gave her sent her heart racing.

After Zuko left her in the make-shift kitchen, she'd been unable to get a moment alone with him. It seemed like the world was conspiring against them. As soon as she'd find the firebender alone, it seemed inevitable that Aang or her brother would come along within moments. Even Toph would amble along and complain of boredom.

And so, the rest of the day passed and it was with some relief that the others turned in for the night. She'd be able to be alone by herself at least. She found an overlook a distance from the dorms so she wouldn't disturb Toph if she decided to practice bending and gazed out at the moon shadowed cliff across from her. A cool night breeze tugged at her hair and the sound of crickets singing was relaxing after a long day.

Zuko loved her.

The giddy feeling from earlier welled up again and she giggled. Days of pretending nothing was wrong and everything was perfect had worn her down. If the frowns Zuko had sent her way, she probably wasn't as good at pretending as she'd thought. Still, she didn't think he'd actually confess such a feeling to her. Not after she'd tried and he'd told her it was a mistake. Boys. A soft scuff on the stones behind her warned her she was no longer alone and she whirled in surprise. Zuko retreated a few steps, expression anxious.

"Oh! I didn't know you were still up."

She was grateful for the darkness. He couldn't see her blush. Zuko shifted on his feet, hesitating. "I can leave…if you want."

She shook her head. "I was just surprised."

He approached cautiously, stopping in front of her with a shy smile. "Hey."

"Hi."

Katara smiled at him and saw his cheeks darken before he tucked his chin and looked away. She slipped her hand into his and stepped into his side. His hand was warm around hers and she could feel the callouses on his palm. Hesitant, she stepped closer and breathed, "I missed you."

A light squeeze of his hand assured her that the quiet sentiment was shared. "Your brother is persistent. He wanted to have a plan ready."

There was an undertone of anxiety beneath his words. It was strange that she was so attuned to his feelings and she wondered if she was the one to change or if he was. "What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

His shoulder moved in a quiet sigh. "We're leaving in the morning." He paused and she let him gather his thoughts. "We're going to meet up with the others." His voice dropped to a near whisper, "We're going to see your father."

It took a few heartbeats for her to understand what he was saying. Her brow furrowed and she pulled away, tugging him around to face her. She peered up at him. "You're worried about Dad? Why?"

The idea was bewildering to her. She never imagined her father as someone to be afraid of. Zuko grimaced. "He's the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. I am—was a prince of the Fire Nation. He's your father, Katara."

She scowled. What prompted this breathy fear? It was true that there might be some suspicion among the warriors because of Zuko's parentage, but it sounded like he was more worried about her father's relation to her than his status as Chief. Her father was an understanding man. "Has Sokka been telling you wild stories?"

"No," Zuko denied with a shake of his head. "He hasn't said anything, but he's worried."

He bit his lip, looking momentarily as if he'd betrayed a secret. Katara released his hand, reached for him, hesitated and then slipped her arms around his waist and hugging him tight. He jumped at first before holding impossibly still. "Don't worry. Dad's a good guy. You'll see. I don't know what's going on between Sokka and Dad."

Tense muscles relaxed and his arms closed around her. A warm sigh tickled the hair at her temple. "I don't have the best experience with fathers. And you've…never spoken of him."

Katara frowned, feeling a flash of guilt and half remembered anger. "I was mad. After mom — he left us to — it was stupid." A shuddering breath. "I just wanted him home."

His hands moved in an awkward, out-of-practice motion of comfort against her back that made her shiver. The motion halted immediately and Zuko rested his chin on the top of her head. "He was trying to protect you."

Katara sighed. Some part of her knew that, but the hurt was still there. She'd lost her mother and then her father was gone. After seeing the war herself, she could better understand what her father was trying to do. She was so tired of war. "Do you think we'll win?"

She felt him tense and a moment later he pulled back, catching her hands as he stepped away. "Come on, it's late and we're leaving early tomorrow."

The absence of his comforting heat made her realize how cool the late spring air felt. He left her at the door of the room she and Toph had chosen, brushing hesitant lips against her cheek. It was only after she'd settled into her bedroll that she realized he hadn't answered her.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Zuko felt like his stomach was tying itself in knots. He'd barely been able to eat the cold breakfast Katara had passed around and, after a few bites he'd had to force himself to swallow, passed his portion to Sokka. He avoided Katara's concerned looks, hoping he didn't look as exhausted as he felt. Sleep hadn't come easily that night and he'd fallen asleep just before dawn. Aang had shaken him awake what felt like minutes later, gray eyes wide and concerned, to tell him that he'd missed bending practice and Katara had breakfast ready.

They'd cleaned up the area after their hurried meal and then climbed into Appa's saddle. That had been hours ago and, if anything, Zuko felt even worse. He was walking to his death. Well, flying actually. Nevertheless, he was about to willingly put himself among battle-hardened men who all had a legitimate reason to hate him. He pulled his knees to his chest and let his head fall against them with a groan.

"There they are! Aang, do you think Appa can land on the deck?"

The wind tore away the rest of the conversation and Zuko hugged his knees tighter, trying to calm his breathing. This was it. Appa flew lower and his stomach swooped. He was going to be sick. A hand fell onto his back and a soft body pressed close. "You'll be fine, Zuko. I promise."

He grunted. That was easy for her to say. Zuko knew what these warriors first reactions would be. If he survived that, there was a chance he'd live to see tomorrow. Katara tugged on his sleeve. "Sit up. Be confident. You don't want them to think you're a coward."

He groaned, but unfolded and straightened. If he was going to die, he might as well go looking death in the eye. Katara smiled at him encouragingly and then Appa landed. Toph was over the side of the saddle with a small cheer and for a moment it looked like the small earthbender was going to embrace the deck. Tanned skinned men dressed in various pieces of the Fire Nation naval uniform spilled onto the deck. Greetings were exchanged, most of them directed toward Sokka. A man moved through the warrior and they quieted. Sokka's cheerfulness seemed to drain away and he dropped to the deck from Appa's head. Zuko started to stand, but Katara put a hand on his arm saying quietly, "Maybe you should wait. You don't want to surprise them."

The worry in her expression as she watched Sokka approach their father. Zuko went over the back of the saddle, reaching up to help Katara down. She slid into his arms while Aang greeted the gathering warriors cheerfully, giving the man who stepped forward a more formal bow. "Hello, Chief Hakoda."

"Avatar Aang."

Zuko got his first look at Katara's father. He was tall, was Zuko's first thought. Not as tall as his father and stockier. He looked…weathered. The stern expression he turned on his son seemed at odds with the laugh lines around his eyes and mouth. "You bring news, Sokka?"

"There's been a change in the invasion plan," Sokka started.

Hakoda's eyes narrowed. "What lead to the change?"

Sokka shifted. "We — there were some problems with the plan that…someone pointed out."

Zuko saw the suspicion enter his expression. Sokka was not good at deflection. Hadoka warily took note of the new arrivals, finally spotting them where they'd hung back from the others. His eyes halted on Zuko and his mouth twisted angrily. Sokka cringed under his father's glare and Zuko tried not to do the same.

"A firebender. You brought a firebender to my ship?"

Sokka stuttered and the gathered warriors reached for weapons. Toph smirked, drawling, "And not just any firebender."

A dozen or more eyes swung toward Zuko and he heard Katara's quiet, irritated hiss. Silence followed that statement and Zuko lifted his chin as they examined him with greater scrutiny. Hakoda's eyes flashed. "Of all the foolish, reckless things you've done, Sokka, this is the worst." He motioned to two of his nearest men. "Take Prince Zuko to the brig."

Zuko tensed, still not sure if he was going to go quietly and put up some kind of resistance. Katara stepped in front of Zuko, spreading her arms wide and demanding, "Stop this!"

Hakoda jerked, turning in surprise. "Katara?"

Somehow he'd missed his daughter's presence at the firebender's side. The warriors paused, a murmur rising among them. The waterbender turned large eyes to her father. "When did you lose your compassion? Zuko's come in peace yet you'd treat him like a criminal."

Hakoda flinched. "You don't—"

"I know exactly who Zuko is," Katara interrupted. "He's protected me for months when — He's not our enemy, Dad."

"He's pointed out weak spots in our plans. He's right. We can't win with the plan we have now," Sokka spoke up.

"He's been teaching me firebending!"

Toph shrugged. "He's an okay guy."

Zuko raised an eyebrow at the earthbender though the look was lost on the girl. Aang was clutching his staff and looking anxious. It'd probably never crossed his mind that one of his friends wouldn't be welcome. The thought made Zuko pause. Was he even considered a friend?

"Please," Katara breathed. "Give him a chance."

A wave washed against the side of the ship sending sea spray over the deck in a fine mist. Zuko let the tips of his fingers brush against her shoulder, silently telling her to breathe. Gradually, Hakoda's posture relaxed and he jerked his head at his warriors in a curt dismissal. "Very well. One chance. If I suspect any — anything," hard blue eyes stared Zuko down, "the brig will be the least of his worries."

Katara's breath rushed out of her in relief. "Thank you."

A smile crossed the older man's face, softening the hardened features. The tension eased and even Sokka looked more relaxed. Hakoda lifted his arms in a clear invitation and Katara rushed forward, throwing herself into her father's embrace, sobbing, "Dad."

Zuko hung back, feeling awkward and out of place. Emotional reunions and displays had never been a part of his life. Not even before his banishment. His mother softened the rough edges of life in the Fire Palace, but she was gone and his life became a cutthroat existence. Especially with Azula for a sister. Zuko quickly averted his eyes when he thought he saw the sheen of tears in the older man's eyes, closely examining the deck beneath his boots.

"I thought you were lost," Hakoda said brokenly, holding her at arms' length and looking her over. "Sokka said — well, no one's ever been seen again. How did you get away?"

"I was sold," Katara started to explain.

Hakoda swore quietly. "How'd you escape?"

"I didn't."

He looked down at her in confusion then shifted his attention to the firebender hanging back and trying to remain unobtrusive. Katara followed his thoughts and turned to smile at Zuko. She motioned him forward, introducing, "Daddy, this is Zuko. Zuko, this is my father, Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe."

Zuko stepped forward, bowing formally. "It's an honor to meet you, Chief Hakoda."

He waited nervously until Hakoda stepped forward and offered his hand. "I understand that I owe my daughter's safety to you, Prince Zuko."

Zuko felt his cheeks heat and he hesitantly reached to take the offered hand. "I—I couldn't leave her like that."

Hakoda's hand bypassed his and gripped Zuko's forearm, holding firm when the firebender flinched minutely. "I owe you a life debt."

Zuko darted a quick look at Katara before meeting the older man's blue eyes. "There is no life debt."

A wide smile crossed the chief's face and he gave Zuko's forearm a firm squeeze before stepping back. Katara moved to Zuko's side, smiling broadly. Zuko felt like he'd won some kind of approval he hadn't known he was trying to obtain. Hakoda released his daughter and took in the group, motioning for them to follow him. "I suppose you lot are looking for something to eat."

Aang hurried forward eagerly. "Yeah! We had cold rice and mushrooms this morning before we left. I'm starving!" His eyes caught Katara's and he quickly added, "Not that it was bad. It was delicious."

Toph snickered, grabbing Aang's arm and pulling him along, rolling her eyes. "It was fantastic. Hard to mess up a cold meal."

Hakoda laughed. "Well, we've got a hot meal for you. We'll have a meeting after lunch to discuss the changes in the plan."

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

"It's not fair! You can't leave me behind!"

Zuko cringed at the shout, cringing again when Katara shot to her feet. "You're not ready to face the Fire Lord, Aang."

Aang's cheeks puffed out and his face reddened. "I can firebend. I nearly have it mastered."

"But you don't have forty years of experience. He'd crush you and it wouldn't even make him blink."

Desperate for support, Aang turned to the firebender in their group. "Zuko?

"You are needed here," Zuko said quietly. "When the war is over, the world will need your help." He looked into gray eyes. "This isn't your fight."

The look of betrayal in Aang's eyes hurt, but Zuko would not give in. He had trained the Avatar, but not so he could go before his father as a lamb before slaughter — and Zuko had no doubts that Ozai would be ruthless. Toph touched Aang's arm, murmuring something so quietly that Zuko couldn't hear, and the airbender deflated, collapsing back into his seat and refusing to meet anyone's eye.

The plan was rather simple. Zuko and Katara would slip into the Fire Nation capital during the skirmish on the day of the eclipse while the Fire Nation's troops were occupied with the idea of a possible invasion during their weakest moment. They would then meet up with Iroh at Piandao's city home and then wait for the right moment. The right moment was still undecided since that would depend a lot on how the rest of the plan fell into place, but it had to happen before the Solstice. Once they received word, Iroh would distract his niece while Zuko and Katara sought out the Fire Lord.

Zuko sighed. He was sure the plan would be shot to hell in moments and it would all turn out much more complicated than it currently was, but apparently the strike team — as Sokka had called them — didn't need to know the exact details. They just had to win.

Plan set, the council had broken up and Toph had dragged Aang off somewhere to "practice cool earthbending secrets." The meeting was far from reassuring to Zuko and Katara's mute concern did little to change that. He stood to follow her to the door when Hakoda cleared his throat. "If I could have a moment of your time, Prince Zuko."

For a moment all Zuko could hear was a rush of blood in his ears as his heart skipped a beat. A quick glance at Katara for guidance which she only offer a shrug. Taking a deep breath, Zuko nodded. "Sure."

Hakoda gave his daughter a pointed look. "Alone, Katara. It will only take a minute."

Clearly reluctant, Katara left the conference room, pulling the door closed behind her. Several seconds passed under Hakoda's penetrating gaze had Zuko shifting restlessly. Knuckling his lips, Hakoda sighed and took his seat, motioning for Zuko to do the same. "I wanted to ask: are you sure you're up to facing your father? I know it will be difficult."

Zuko looked away. "Not as difficult as you would think…sir."

Hakoda steepled his fingers, resting his chin on his thumbs as he regarded the firebender. "I didn't want either of my children in this war. I thought, if I left them, they would remain untouched. Aside from what they'd already experienced. I never dreamed they'd find their own way into it."

He paused and Zuko waited. Finally, Hakoda dropped his hands and leaned toward him. "I didn't want them here, but they are. My baby girl is about to go into the heart of danger and I know I can't stop her. She inherited too much of her mother's spirit," he mused ruefully. "Look over her. Protect her."

"With my life," Zuko promised solemnly.

For a moment it looked like Hakoda would add something else, but he changed his mind and merely shook his head. "Thank you."

Taking that as a dismissal, Zuko stood and took a few steps toward the door before pausing and turning back. When he hesitated, Hadoka lifted an enquiring brow. Zuko frowned. "Sokka — he tries."

The hard lines of Hakoda's face softened and his mouth curved with a slight grin. "I still love my son, Zuko. A father doesn't just stop loving his children." He rose and folded the map, tucking it away for safekeeping. "You should go before Katara decides I'm doing something dreadful to you."

Katara was waiting outside the door when he opened it, retreating several steps so she wouldn't crowd the doorway. She glanced into the room as Zuko stepped out. "What did he want?"

A deep chuckle behind him made his ears burn and he decided to put as much distance from the room as he could. "It was nothing."

Katara looked doubtful and Zuko thought he felt much the same way.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

He'd retreated to the bow of the ship and that's where she found him when she finally decided she could slip away from the ever watchful eye of her father. She stopped several paces back, trying to gauge his mood. He was gazing out at the sea in front of him, his arms folded across his chest. She could almost picture him in his old armor taking up a similar position on his own ship. As she watched, his shoulders fell and he braced his hands on the rail in front of him. To her, it looked like he was trying to come to terms with his thoughts. Or trying to stop himself from running. Well, the only place to go would be the sea.

"There you are," she said as she moved forward, coming to a stop next to him. He didn't look away from the waves. Leaning against the rail, she examined Zuko's expression. "What are you thinking about?"

Zuko shifted, straightening and making room for her at his side. She stepped into the space between the rail and his body, wrapping her arms around him and not caring who saw. There was no privacy on the ship anyway and word would no doubt get back to her father before too long. He sighed, releasing the rail and loosely closing his arms around her as he finally answered her question, "The future."

She couldn't prevent the frown that pulled at her lips. The Day of Black Sun was rapidly approaching and even though it wasn't the end of the war, it was the beginning of the end. There was a lot of unknown ahead of them. "It's okay to be afraid. He is your father."

He blinked, his brow furrowing as if he suddenly had to redirect his thoughts. "That's," he shook his head. "I never really thought about the future. I tried not to think about it. Uncle kept telling me that the future was brighter. I didn't think the future would hold anything better. Or, at least, not something for me."

Her heart broke at the desolation in his words. "Zuko…"

"I didn't know what I wanted. I told myself I wanted my honor back. I wanted — I wanted my father's love again." He swallowed thickly. "I can't even remember a time my father wasn't ashamed of me. Or disappointed."

"Do you know now?" she asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer.

He was silent for a long time before saying quietly, "I want the love of a wife. In time, I want children. I want — Katara, before we meet my father, there is something you need to know."

Cold dread clutched at her heart. "What?"

Solemn gold eyes looked down at her, tracing her features for a moment in silence. It looked like he was trying to capture the moment. "There will be many guards around my father. They will try and stop us, but once I engage my father they will not interfere with me. You will have to fight the remaining guards on your own. Tradition states that challenges for the throne must be fought one-on-one until one is defeated."

"Defeated," Katara repeated bleakly.

Zuko nodded. "Usually with death. Katara, if I…go down—"

"No!" she burst out, her hands fisting in the back of his tunic and yanking — as if she could pull him from a danger that wasn't there.

"Katara—"

"You can't expect me to just stand around and let you die. How can you ask me—"

"I'm not asking you to watch me die," he interrupted. "I'm asking you to finish what I was unable to. I'm asking you to come with me because, out of everyone here, you are the most likely to win where I fail."

Tears burned in her eyes and her throat. What he was saying — she wouldn't let it happen. It wasn't going to happen. She hugged him tighter, her voice muffled against his shoulder, "But…your uncle…"

The silence that followed her half-formed thought told her that her fledgling hope was in vain. He sighed quietly and she felt a light tug on the ends of her hair. "Uncle abdicated. He cannot issue a challenge."

She squeezed her eyes shut. Zuko wasn't going to lose. The — was it an Agni Kai? — wasn't for a few days more. "You would have a waterbending peasant as Fire Lord?"

"Yes."

There was no hesitation in his answer and the certainty he had in her made her smile. She knew it wasn't that long ago that the idea would've been abhorrent. Zuko shifted, glancing down at her. "So, will you take up my challenge if I am unable to?"

"Only if you don't die."

A faint smile rose on his lips and he pulled her close. There was a loud snort and they quickly broke apart, turning to find Toph smirking at them. "If that was your idea of romance, no wonder it took so long."

Katara laughed nervously, sure her blush was obvious to the earthbender. Zuko kept his back to Toph as if that would prevent her from knowing how fiercely he was flushing. Toph jerked her head back toward the cabins. "Chow's on. I'm supposed to tell you to come before Snoozles eats everything."

"Thanks, Toph; we'll be right there."

The earthbender's smirk deepened and she strolled away, tossing over her shoulder, "Sure. Don't take too long. Your dad will probably hunt you down next."

Notes:

FYI, I am not happy with this chapter. *sigh*

Chapter 29: iacta alea est

"It is well that war is so terrible—otherwise we would grow too fond of it."
— Robert E Lee

It was strange being on a ship again. It'd been months since he…lost his ship in the waters near the North Pole and the familiar sway of the waves kept him awake instead of relaxing him into sleep. Half-formed worries rose in his mind to be replaced by other, more substantial, worries that kept sleep from coming. That, and the unfamiliar presence of other men unknown to him. He and Sokka were bunked in with the rest of the warriors and the arrhythmic snores from the various bunks kept him on edge as much as his thoughts did.

At dawn, he gave up on his fitful sleep and rolled out of his bunk, quietly weaving between the swaying hammocks and snoring men. On deck, the eastern horizon was tinged a faint purple which faded into a deep navy. Zuko breathed a deep sigh, taking a moment to let the sea breeze wash away the fog of exhaustion. The deck was empty and, apart from the night watch in the crow's nest who eyed him suspiciously, Zuko was alone. He made his way to the forward deck and took a seat. Perhaps meditation would ease his thoughts.

Sokka appeared on deck an hour later, yawning hugely and rubbing sleep from his eyes. He dropped down next to Zuko, staring blearily at the rising sun while propping his elbow on his knee and resting his chin in his hand. When Sokka said nothing for several minutes, Zuko ignored him, thinking that maybe Katara's brother simply wanted to escape the snores of the other men.

Still looking and sounding half asleep, Sokka stated, "You like my sister."

Zuko's eyes snapped opened and he glanced at the other boy from the corner of his eye. Sokka was still gazing half-lidded at the horizon and didn't seem particularly perturbed by his statement. Still, he took note that Katara's brother had brought his sword. Zuko let his hand rest on the dao swords he'd placed on the deck by his left side, more for reassurance than the belief that he would be attacked. His fingers flexed and he breathed out. "Yes."

Silence passed between them for several long heartbeats before Sokka grunted, muttering, "Figures. I kind of suspected — You watch her all the time, you know."

Zuko's brow furrowed. "I do?"

Sokka rolled his shoulders and popped his neck before he slumped down again. "Yeah. Kind of annoying, really. I don't think anyone else noticed," he paused, frowning in thought. "Well, maybe Toph."

Zuko didn't know what to say to that. Toph did have an uncanny ability to know everything that was going on around her and she'd sent him a few knowing smirks over the last several days. He thought that she probably enjoyed creating awkward situations. Sokka stirred, stretching his arms above his head and looking more awake when he turned to regard Zuko seriously. "I don't think I like it, but Katara seems to think differently and…well, she's got a mind of her own. You'll take care of her, right?"

He met the Water Tribe boy's eyes steadily. "Yes."

Sokka's brow furrowed and his lips pursed as he contemplated Zuko's answer. With a final nod, he pushed himself to his feet and stretched his back. Zuko stood as well and slipped his dao swords over his head to lay flat agains his back. It was still early in the day, the sun just barely above the horizon, so there were few men about though the ship was beginning to stir. Sokka turned away from the ocean, his eyes catching on the dao hilt. "Are you up for some sparring?"

Zuko hesitated, glancing toward the helm where he was sure Hakoda was keeping a close watch. He didn't see the Water Tribe chief, though he doubted the man was sleeping in. "Sure."

Sokka grinned, moving away from the ship's railing and toward the center of the deck, drawing his sword. "Great. It's been a few days." He took a few practice swings and then lifted the sword to examine the blade. "Take it slow?"

Zuko nodded his agreement, moving to his place in front of the other boy, rolling his shoulders back, and drawing the dao swords. He kept them as one blade, twisting his wrist and settling into a comfortable hold on the hilt. The sound of steel being drawn caught the attention of those on deck and several of the warriors paused to see what was happening. A murmur passed through them, most expressing some surprise that a firebender was willing to go blade-to-blade with a non-bender. Zuko ignored them, holding his sword at ready and prepared for Sokka's attack.

Over the weeks, Zuko had grown used to Sokka's style, though it was very similar to his own — most likely due to them both having the same master — the differences in blade types they each used necessitated that they develop different forms of attack and defense. Zuko watched the other boy and, when he caught the slight shift in his eyes, he brought his sword up in a parry.

They started slow, with just the basic parries and thrusts, to warm up before picking up speed and attacking with greater force. Movements across the deck became larger and tricks were brought to play. Zuko was vaguely aware that their sparring was gathering attention and the warriors were shouting encouragement to Sokka. Zuko's shorter blade put him at an advantage and he was able to get in close and use hand-to-hand combat moves, but Sokka had expected it and countered them — even if the counters were a little clumsily executed.

When Zuko split his swords, the watchers cried out in surprise. The sparring was fast and furious after that until Zuko managed to make Sokka lose his footing. The Water Tribe boy fell, managing to turn it into a controlled roll, but Zuko had his blades leveled on him before he could rise again. They held that stance, both breathing heavily, until Zuko backed away and sheathed his swords, offering a hand to Sokka. With a grimace, Sokka accepted the hand, sheathing his own sword and rubbing at the elbow he'd banged against the deck. "I almost had you that time."

Zuko's lips quirked up in a small smile. "You're getting better. Your tells are still too obvious."

At that point, the watching warriors moved forward and the babbled of excited voices washed over them. Zuko was surprised at just how many men had watched the spar. A hand fell on his shoulder and he turned to find Hakoda looking down at him. With a grin and a tilt of his head, Hakoda indicated a path to escape the press of people. Zuko gladly made his escape.

Katara met him at the edge of the crowd with her hands on her hips and a rueful grin. She nodded a greeting to a few of her father's men and then reached for Zuko's arm, drawing him away. "You can't avoid drawing attention for more than a day, can you?"

Zuko scowled at her, but willingly followed as she led him across the deck. "It was just sparring."

"I know," she assured him, glancing back in the direction they'd come. "That was very nice of you." When Zuko's brow drew down in confusion, she clarified, "Sokka — the warriors still treat Sokka like the boy they left behind. They humor him, but rarely take him seriously as a warrior. It doesn't help that most of them only remember him waving make-shift weapons at invisible enemies and screaming in terror when an arctic bird snatched his lunch from his hand."

A quick look back toward the warriors revealed that Katara had led him to a spot few would be able to see and he relaxed a little, shifting closer to her. "I wasn't going easy on him."

Her fingers plucked at the sleeve of his tunic and she tilted her head back to look up at him. "I know, but what's more important is that they know too."

Zuko gazed down at her and, after a moment's hesitation, tentatively put his hands on her hips and drew her closer. Her hand slipped up to his shoulder and curled around the back of his neck. He leaned down and then drew back uncertainly. "Katara?"

She made a disgruntled nose deep in her throat. "You worry too much," she complained and then pulled him down and kissed him breathless.

"Katara!"

Zuko jerked away from her guiltily, releasing her as if burned. Katara giggled, smoothing his ruffled hair and stepping away. A swift look proved they were still well hidden. She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and moved out of their hidden spot. "That will be Dad so I better go," she explained with a smile. "I'll see you later?"

He nodded dumbly and she lifted a hand in farewell as she left to find her father. When she was gone, he slumped against the rail and ran a hand through his hair and released a heavy sigh. He knew he was being foolish. It was unrealistic to think they could keep a relationship secret. Sokka already knew and Toph obviously thought something was going on between them. It was bound to come out sooner or later.

He straightened, gripping the rail tightly and taking a deep breath. There were other things that were a more immediate concern. Concerns that were more easily remedied. Winning a war was sure to be easier than telling a girl's father that he was considering marriage, right?

Heat crawled up his neck and his mouth twisted. It was too soon to be thinking such thoughts. Right, he told himself, forcing his thoughts away from daydreams, war first.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

He was being watched. He tried to ignore it — he was the only firebender on a ship full of Southern Water Tribe members so it was natural that they would view him with some suspicion — but this kind of watchfulness felt different. They'd only been on the ship for three days and he was somewhat surprised the suspicion hadn't lasted longer than it did. He still half expected to be seized and clapped in chains before they tossed into the brig. Or overboard. It seemed his sparring match with Sokka the other morning had gone some way to reassuring the more wary. How, Zuko couldn't quite fathom. He couldn't imagine Sokka singing his praises. The mere thought was almost laughable.

He sighed. He was once more at the bow of the ship, well out of everyone's way, and still there was a persistent watchfulness. Katara had been volunteered to give her thoughts on waterbending defensive measures, should they acquire more waterbenders in the next few days, and the others were off doing…something. Aang seemed to be avoiding him and Toph was most likely keeping him company. In two days, they would put their plan into action. In two days was the Day of Black Sun. The beginning of the end. His stomach rolled in a way that had nothing to do with the motion of the ship. Was he doing the right thing? What if —

"Do you mind if I join you?"

Zuko startled, so absorbed in his thoughts he hadn't heard Hakoda's approach. Shifting to one side, he gave a stiff nod and Hakoda leaned against the railing, folding his arms and looking out across the water. The silence dragged between them and Zuko had to force himself to relax. The man had made no motion to attack him and, other than when they'd first arrived, treated him politely enough. Zuko studied the older man from the corner of his eye. His features were weathered and creased from years spent at sea and no doubt even more spent in the ice fields of the South Pole.

"I heard you were sent to sea at a very young age, Prince Zuko."

Piercing blue eyes turned on him and he quickly looked away, shrugging uncomfortably before catching himself mid-motion. The older man was a chief and Zuko had been taught better manners, even if he rarely used them. "Yes, sir."

A frown flickered across those eyes and Zuko knew he was trying to read what was unsaid. "I did not think they sent children to man warships."

"They do not," Zuko allowed, "usually."

Hakoda hummed, a wealth of speculation in the sound. "I don't know what cards life has dealt you, Prince Zuko, but you were there for my children when they needed you—" Zuko made a sound of protest that Hakoda ignored "—and for that I will do what I can to assist you after the war."

"I thank you," Zuko murmured a few beats later.

Humor suddenly shone in Hakoda's eyes and he straightened, rolling his shoulders. "Besides, it appears there may be a more permanent alliance between us in the future. The Water Tribe could do with a trading partner."

Mortified, Zuko turned to him with wide eyes, losing whatever dignified appearance he'd managed to assume. "W-what?"

Hakoda laughed. "Son, my daughter isn't exactly subtle in her interest and the fact that you don't push her away tells me all I need to know. You both are still young so we'll discuss…alliances after the war."

Zuko gave a jerky nod, sure that his cheeks were bright red. Hakoda's expression turned serious. "Katara mentioned that she learned waterbending — swampbending from a group in the Foggy Swamp. Sokka apparently met them as well." Hakoda paused a moment in thought, drumming his fingers against the railing. "Several weeks ago, I sent someone to the Foggy Swamp, at Sokka's request, and asked them to join us for the invasion. A few others will be arriving in the next day or so. I don't know how close we'll be able to get you and Katara to shore."

"We'll be fine, sir."

Hakoda frowned and Zuko noticed that the Water Tribe chief was intently examining the scar around his left eye. The firebender turned slightly, tilting the scar away. He wouldn't say he was used to the stares — it did occasionally bother him when people gawped — but that Hakoda seemed to know its origin unsettled him. It was an obvious sign of his shame.

"I'd heard rumors," Hakoda said quietly. "I didn't believe a man would be so cruel; not even a man I consider an enemy. I'd thought they were just stories. Propaganda to demoralize us. If a man can do that to his kin, what would he do to his enemies? I can't imagine — why?"

Zuko winced, wondering if he should tell. He hadn't spoken of the events surrounding his banishment. There had never been a need. His uncle had been there and firebenders could come to a fairly accurate conclusion. And the entire court had witnessed it. With a sigh, he spoke quietly, "I spoke against my father during a war council and dishonored him."

"By the Spirits, is that all?" Hakoda exclaimed disbelievingly.

Zuko blinked at him. Hakoda ran a hand over his face, sighed and then clapped a hand on Zuko's shoulder, saying earnestly, "You're a good kid."

"Hakoda!"

The shout from the command deck interrupted anything more Hakoda might have said and had both men turning. A tribesman waved a scroll to indicate that a messenger hawk had arrived. Hakoda grunted, shrugging ruefully. "It looks like there are still things left to do before the invasion. I'm sure we will talk again, Prince Zuko."

Hakoda released him with a friendly squeeze to his shoulder and Zuko watched as he walked away so he saw when Katara appeared on deck. She caught sight of him and smiled brightly, waving. Zuko lifted a hand in greeting and she hurried across the deck, cheerfully greeting her father as she passed him. She paused a heartbeat, glancing over her shoulder at the men who were clearly watching them, before blushingly kissing his cheek. He turned to face the ocean, ignoring the whistles from the crew. Katara glared at the offenders, then turned to him, her expression searching. "Everything all right?"

She put her hand next to his on the railing and, after a moment's hesitation, he slid his own over hers and laced their fingers. He nodded. "The swampbenders are going to arrive soon, hopefully."

"Oh," she gasped, looking pleased, "good. That'll be so much better during the invasion." She examined his face, brows lifting. "Are you still worried?"

He tucked his chin, frowning slightly, considering his answer. "I haven't heard from Uncle yet."

She squeezed his fingers, smiling gently and leaning into his shoulder. "He's fine. I'm sure of it. We still have a few days. If not, we'll improvise."

Improvise. It seemed like all Zuko did in life was improvise. He let his head drop against Katara's. He was so tired. She tugged her hand free and he felt her slide it around his waist. She hugged him gently, murmuring, "It's almost over."

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

One more day. One more sunset and sunrise. One more and everything would change. Zuko gripped the ship's railing tightly, staring with unseeing eyes out at the rising sun. No, not everything. Not yet. Just the beginning of change. The cusp of the point of no return. This was it.

He'd come up on deck in order to center himself for the day, but instead found himself unable to sit still and besieged with worries. It was more than just pre-battle anxiety. If he was honest with himself, he wouldn't be able to pinpoint what, exactly, unsettled him. He half wished he could disappear into a little Earth Kingdom village in some half-forgotten corner of the world. He could almost convince himself that he would be happy with such an existence. If it weren't for the twinge of guilt and honor. And the whole idea burned with cowardice and shame.

A horn sounded from the lookout and Zuko straightened, scanning the ocean. Several small vessels, far too small to belong to any Fire Nation fleet, were gliding across the waves. He squinted against the morning sun, trying to identify the boats. Just because they were unlikely to be Fire Nation didn't make them friendly. Unable to distinguish any sort of flag or identification mark, he made his way toward the upper deck.

Katara was standing at the rail looking through an eyeglass, her brother and father standing at her shoulders and the ship's captain standing a few paces behind. Hakoda said something to his daughter that Zuko couldn't hear and Katara nodded, passing the eyeglass to Sokka. "They look like swampbenders," she said.

Sokka nodded his agreement, handing the eyeglass to Hakoda. "They're certainly not from the sister tribe. Should we raise the flag?"

Hakoda hummed quietly as he took his turn observing the approaching crafts. He lowered the eyeglass after a moment, glancing at Zuko as the firebender stepped up next to them. "What do you think, Prince Zuko?"

Zuko accepted the eyeglass from the Water Tribe Chieftain, risking a glance at Katara. She grinned at him and he quickly raised the eyeglass, hoping the heat on his cheeks wasn't noticeable. "They are definitely waterbenders," he said after a moment. "Their ships are more primitive than either the Southern or Northern Water Tribes. And smaller. Not exactly seacraft."

Hakoda nodded, turning to the captain. "Raise our flag. Sokka…"

He turned a look on his son and Sokka straightened. "Right, Dad."

He scurried away, practically leaping down the ladder to the main deck. Hakoda's lips quirked with amusement and he shook his head. "Katara, I'd like you to stay nearby for introductions." He took a step and then hesitated. "You may stay as well, Prince Zuko."

The firebender fidgeted and Katara moved to his side. "Thank you." He paused uncertainly before adding, "Zuko's fine, sir."

Hakoda laughed, clapping him on the shoulder. "Very well, son. Zuko it is."

With a final nod, Hakoda went to join the captain at the helm and Katara tugged Zuko to a protected place out of the wind. "I think my father likes you."

She laughed at his look at incredulous disbelief.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The Day of Black Sun dawned with hardly a cloud in the sky. Katara spent most of the morning double checking all their preparations and pacing the war room in nervous energy. The swampbenders had arrived the previous morning and, among cheerful greetings and good-natured teasing, she'd managed to explain the plan and station several groups of swampbenders on each of the ships her father had captured. There was some skepticism and demands to know what magic was used to make metal float, but they'd settled among the Water Tribe warriors easily enough and the night was spent in song and drink.

She could vaguely hear the shouts and explosions that were occurring on deck. They'd engaged the fleet protecting the Fire Capital's harbor shortly after mid-day. She'd retreated to exchange her Earth Kingdom green clothing for Fire Nation red when Zuko had appeared at her shoulder and tugged her away from the conflict.

Forcing herself to cease her pacing, Katara took a deep breath and released it slowly. Maybe she should've accepted Zuko's invitation to meditate that morning. She tugged at the hem of her tunic, running her fingers over the worn fabric. She almost didn't want to know where her father had managed to find Fire Nation clothes. Her fingers were trembling and she clenched her fists to still them, squeezing her eyes shut and focusing on her breathing again.

"Katara?"

She opened her eyes to find Zuko standing in front of her, gold eyes reflecting concern as they traced her features. It was strange to see him in Fire Nation colors again. She smiled, even if it was a little shaky, and slowly released the breath she was holding. "Is it time?"

He nodded shortly. "Are you okay?"

He regarded her seriously for a moment longer and she wondered what thoughts were going through his mind. Eventually, he took her by the shoulders and leaned down. Warm lips pressed against her forehead and held there for a long heartbeat. Her breath hitched and her eyes burned. He stepped back, his expression serious as he took her hand. "Let's go."

He waited just long enough for her nod of agreement before he pulled her out of the council room and out onto the deck. The deck was in chaos as warriors shouted out commands and moved to counter attacks. Zuko moved confidently through the activity, pulling her after him. Someone shouted something to him that she couldn't understand and he turned his, lifting a hand to show he heard, but didn't slow his strides. The deck rolled beneath her feet and it was almost a relief when they finally reached their assigned post.

"Get ready!"

The shout drifted down from the commander's deck and set Katara's heart racing. Beside her, she heard Zuko take a deep breath and release it slowly. Her hand closed around the railing and she leaned against him as the ship cut across waves. The Great Gates of Azulon were directly in front of her and she could already see the Fire Nation ships converging on them and setting up a blockade.

"Waterbenders!" Hakoda roared.

Water shot up from the ocean like a geyser. Fire blossomed from the decks of the Fire Nation ships and Katara started. Zuko's hand closed over Katara's wrist. "Wait."

She steadied her breath. They weren't close enough yet and the eclipse hadn't started. A glance at the sky still didn't show any dimming of the sun. At least that's how Zuko described it to her when she'd asked.

They were upon the ships now and the fireballs the firebenders lobbed at them were just missing the deck. Commands were being shouted more frequently, but she couldn't hear them over the sound of battle. Water Tribe warriors were swinging from their ship to the closest Fire Nation ship to engage in battle on the deck. She heard a rush of wind and a roar of fire and a fireball changed course at the last minute, crashing into the sea with a growling hiss. Aang had joined the fight.

Suddenly, Zuko stiffened and a quiet groan sounded in her ear. Concerned, she glanced away from battle. He was pale and trembling, but she could see no wounds. At her glance, Zuko shook his head, mumbling, "The eclipse is starting."

Sure enough, the firebenders were retreating and different weapons were being brought out. The flash of steel became more frequent. Katara swallowed thickly. It was almost time. Zuko's head fell to her shoulder and warm breath brushed against her skin. She tilted her head, worried. "Zuko?"

"I'm fine. It's just— " he swallowed. "It's different."

She squeezed the arm that he wrapped around her middle, recalling a half-remembered day several months ago when it'd felt like a piece had been ripped from her soul. Sokka clattered over to them. "Dad says to get ready to go over. We're about as close as we can get."

Sokka caught his breath, glancing at Zuko slumped against Katara, a flicker of concern moving through blue eyes. Sokka moved forward, giving his sister an awkward hug. "Good luck. I'll see you…when it's over."

Zuko stirred, moving away from Katara and looking toward the shore. A whistle blew and Sokka nodded. "That's the signal that we have eight minutes."

Katara nodded grimly. This was it. The waves crashed against the side of the ship, sending up a mist of saltwater, and her heart lodged itself in her throat. She hadn't thought much about this part of the plan. The part where she had to swim. Ruthlessly pushing the surge of fear down, she lifted her hands and prepared to climb over the rail. A change in the wind currents teased her hair and suddenly Aang was there.

"Wait," Aang said, catching her wrist.

Sokka grunted. "We don't have a lot of extra time, Aang."

The airbender's look was chagrinned. "I know. I just—"

He took a deep breath and quickly darted forward. Katara jerked in surprise and Aang's lips landed at the corner of her mouth. For a moment, waterbender and airbender looked at each other in surprise and then Katara blinked.

"Aang…"

Aang blushed deeply, his expression disappointed. "Good luck."

He fled before she could say anything. Confused, she turned to Zuko. He sighed, saying quietly, "We need to go."

A jerky nod and Zuko stepped up onto the lower rung of the rail and swung his leg over. Once completely over the side, he waited for Katara, wrapping an arm securely around her waist and drawing her close. She clutched his tunic with trembling hands, gulping loudly. Zuko frowned. "Breathe, Katara. I won't let you drown."

She forced a shaky breath.

"Ready?" he asked, though she knew they didn't have time to waste.

"Yes."

His muscles flexed and he jumped. It took everything in her not to gasp at the sudden feeling of leaving her stomach behind. Wind rushed past her ears.

"Bend," Zuko reminded her.

The water rose to meet them in a wave and the cold shock made her forget to propel them back to the surface, but Zuko was already kicking. They surfaced in time to hear a startled yell as Sokka was launched over the side of the ship. He landed with a splash nearby, sending a wave of water over their heads. When they again broke the surface, Sokka was cursing, "Toph!"

The blind earthbender was leaning over the ship railing with Sokka's sword in hand, grinning widely. "Change of plans, Snoozles. Good luck, Sparky. Kick Crazy's butt, Snoozles."

"Toph!" Sokka sputtered angrily.

"You might need this," the girl called, tossing the sword she held overboard. Sokka gasped, diving for it. Toph cackled madly. "Don't worry about Twinkletoes, Sweetness. I'll keep an eye on him."

She waved and disappeared from view as Sokka came up clutching his sword and coughing up seawater. Zuko sighed, swimming to Sokka and grabbing the boy's arm. "Let's get moving."

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The trip from the Great Gates of Azulon was brief with the assistance of a waterbender though by the time they made it to shore, Katara's arms were shaking from the effort. They splashed ashore, slipping over slick rocks hidden beneath the waves to make it to an equally rocky shore. Zuko kept a hand under her arm to keep her upright as Sokka marched ahead, grumbling about earthbenders and sneaky tricks. He pulled his sword from his back and unsheathed it, dumping water to the stones, whining, "My sword's going to rust."

Zuko helped Katara sit, unsheathing his own blades and emptying seawater before sheathing again. "We'll have to clean them later. Once we get to Piandao's."

Sokka grunted stalking a distance away. Katara shook her head and Zuko dropped down next to her, stretching his legs out in front of him and leaning back on his palms. Katara sighed heavily, leaning against his shoulder. A swift scan of the shore revealed Sokka wringing out his tunic a ways down. He pressed his lips against the crown of Katara's head. "Okay?"

She sighed, nodding slightly. "Yeah. You? I was worried on the ship."

"I'm fine," he said dismissively. "The eclipse is nearly over."

Katara stirred, lifting her head to peer out at the ocean. "Oh, are the ships gone?"

"They're pulling away now. The naval guard won't follow them too far."

The waves reflected bright sunshine and she squinted against the glare, lifting a hand to shield her eyes. Seeing nothing, she turned to look at Zuko, relaxing when she saw the truth of his words for herself. She stretched her arms, yawning quietly. "Do you think Piandao is ready for us?"

"I don't know. We'll find out this evening."

"This evening?"

Zuko nodded, looking to see if Sokka had gone any farther. "Change of plans."

Katara watched her brother stalk the rocky shore, pausing occasionally to squint out toward the retreating ships. His blue and white tunic stood out sharply against the shore and she had to agree. Evening would probably be best. At least the dark would mute the blue somewhat. Sokka finally tired of his pacing and returned to where they'd camped on the shore, dropping gingerly to the rocks beside his sister.

"So, what's the plan?"

Zuko shifted, moving stones that pressed uncomfortably into his back. "We wait until nightfall and then sneak through the city."

"Nightfall!" Sokka exclaimed, dismayed. "Why?"

"We did not anticipate company," Zuko said flatly.

Sokka made a face. "Can't you leave me here and come back?"

"No."

Katara shifted. "I could stay with him."

Zuko scowled. "I'm not leaving the two of you here. Alone."

"That's something I should say," Sokka grumbled. "Why can't we stay here without you?"

"Because you are obviously not Fire Nation," Zuko snapped.

Sokka looked taken aback. "So? You were going to drag Katara through the city in full daylight."

"I can claim her as a war bride. I can do no such thing with you."

A stunned silence followed Zuko's declaration and she cringed internally. Zuko turned away sharply, scowling at the outgoing tide. Sokka looked between them, his eyes huge and his mouth gaping. Katara lifted her chin, her eyes narrowed at her brother in defiance. Zuko, she noticed, seemed to be avoiding her gaze and she noticed his ears pinking. Sokka's mouth suddenly snapped shut and his eyes narrowed.

"That was your plan?" he demanded, sounding appalled.

Zuko's shoulders tensed and he scowled defensively. "It would be believable! Do you have a better idea?"

"Yes!" Sokka said instantly. It looked like he was going to continue and then he sagged. Zuko let him think for several minutes before snorting quietly and turning away and glancing at the late afternoon sun.

"We should find some shade."

He stood, paused for a moment, and then offered a hand to Katara. She took it willingly and he pulled her to her feet. Before he released her, she squeezed his hand and gave him an encouraging smile. His lips quirked and he turned away to look down the beach. She glanced down at her brother. "Sokka?"

With a heavy sigh, Sokka hauled himself to his feet and trailed after them. Katara watched as Zuko picked his way among the larger boulders and stones until he paused and squeezed between two huge boulders. He was gone from view for a moment or two before he stuck his head out and motioned them to follow.

The gap wasn't too narrow and the two boulders leaned against each other to create a small shadowed cave. The stones weren't as large as the ones out on the beach and some shifting cleared a space for them to settle down on the coarse sand.

"I would've said we were colonists," Sokka finally said, returning to the previous conversation.

Surprised, Katara turned to see what Zuko thought. The firebender seemed just as surprised as she was as he mulled the idea over. He tossed aside the rock he'd been examining without interest and leaned forward, putting his chin in his palm. "That's…not a bad idea and would work." Neither Water Tribe sibling moved, both sensing Zuko wasn't finished. "If you weren't so obviously not Earth Kingdom. The Fire Nation doesn't have any colonies in the Water Tribes."

"That's not fair," Sokka complained. "You can't just," he trailed off, making a dismissively gesture with his hand.

"It is an option," Zuko allowed. "It'd be an excuse if someone were to ask."

"There are other options?"

"We could wait until dark and slip through the slums. The only problem is if we get caught."

Sokka snorted. "We're a couple of teenagers."

Zuko rolled his eyes. "The soldiers take threats against the Fire Nation very seriously."

"Why not go now?" Katara asked curiously.

Zuko's brow creased and he muttered, "I'm too recognizable."

"Why not wear disguises?" Sokka suggested. "If I wear and beard and mustache—"

Katara interrupted, "And call yourself 'Wang Fire?'"

"Yeah — hey!" Sokka drew himself up indignantly. "I'd be older. That was my point. We could stuff a tunic in your—"

"I'm not going to pretend I'm pregnant, Sokka! And who were you imagining was my husband?" Sokka spread his hands and Katara scowled, cutting him off before he could make the suggestion, "You're my brother."

They turned to Zuko and he drew back sharply, alarm filling his face. He sputtered and then jerked. "These are all terrible choices!"

"We still have to pick one," Sokka pointed out.

Zuko opened his mouth to refute that statement, but his attention snapped toward the beach and he hissed, "Quiet."

There was a soft scuff on the stones outside their shelter and they could hear voices in the distance along the water. Sokka shifted, closing his hand around the hilt of his sword, but stilled when Zuko held out a hand. Katara held her breath, clutching at her waterskin. The footsteps came closer and a moment later a small boy stumbled through the crevice, mollusks clutched to his chest. He came to an abrupt halt, staring at them with wide, gold eyes. He looked fearfully at the Water Tribe siblings, shifting close to Zuko's side and asking something in a language Katara didn't know. Zuko shook his head, responding in the same language, but whatever he said didn't seem to reassure the boy. The boy frowned at Zuko, eyes narrowed as he asked something else. With a shrug, Zuko held out his hand, palm up, and a small flame blossomed in his palm.

The boy gasped, eyes huge and then he started chattering excitedly. Katara watched, fascinated, as the boy juggled his collection of mollusks and held out his own hand, scowling in concentration at his palm. Nothing happened.

The boy shook his hand in obvious frustration, making a fist and relaxing his hand again, saying a few more words.

"What's he saying?" she whispered.

Zuko glanced at her. "He wanted to know if I was a firebender. He wants someone to teach him how to bend."

She looked at the boy again, surprised to find him staring at her now. She smiled at him, but he only stared in return, clutching his mollusks closer to his chest. He was all knees and elbows, his face narrow and eyes large. His clothes hung on his frame, patched and frayed.

"He's a bender?" she asked, and wasn't surprised when Zuko nodded. "He can't find a master?"

The look he gave her made her blush at her foolishness. Zuko tugged on his hair, sighing. "Masters are expensive. His best chance of learning to bend would be from his parents." He paused to speak to the boy and grimaced at his response. "His mother's not a bender and he doesn't know any. His father hasn't returned home in…three years."

"Good," Sokka grumbled.

Zuko scowled at him and Katara shoved her brother's shoulder. "Don't be such a jerk. His lack of control could kill him."

"He's not died yet," Sokka protested, moving away from his sister to avoid any further retaliation.

"No, he's still got a few more years until puberty."

"What's that supposed to mean," Sokka demanded.

Katara lifted her eyebrows, leveling her brother a look. "Surely you remember; it wasn't that long ago after all. Your body goes a little crazy, you know."

Sokka's eyes widened and his head jerked to look at Zuko, motioning vaguely. "Is that how you…"

Zuko ignored him, stepping toward the boy with his hands out. The boy eyed him warily, but whatever Zuko was saying seemed to encourage him. He hesitated and then carefully put his mollusks on the ground and let his arms hang loosely by his side. Zuko's hands hovered over the boys shoulders and Katara caught a flash of uncertainty in his expression before he released a slow breath and let his hands rest lightly. The boy jumped and then stilled again as Zuko spoke though the boy's breathing remained rapid. Zuko's hands moved lightly down the boy's thin arms, then cupped small hands between his own. A tiny flame bloomed between their hands and the boy's eyes went huge as he fixed his attention on the fire.

Zuko let his hands fall away and the flame remained. Excitement infused the boy's features and the flame flickered and grew alarmingly fast until Zuko snapped a sharp word and the boy calmed again. They watched in silence as the boy stared at the fire in his palms until someone called. The boy stirred and half glanced over his shoulder. With a few words, Zuko mimed closing his hands, watching closely to be sure his instructions were followed. The flame snuffed out and the boy looked at Zuko anxiously. The older firebender obliged with a few more instructions, letting fire appear in his own palm. The boy copied him a few times until the call came closer and he scrambled for his discarded mollusks, babbling as he scooped them up and hurried out of the crevice. Zuko watched him go with a frown and then turned to the others.

Sokka was slouched against the boulder at his back, his disgruntled expression giving no one any doubts on his thoughts. Zuko sat down close to Katara, saying, "There's curfew after sundown."

"Is that what he said?"

Zuko rubbed his temples. "Not everyone speaks more than one language, Sokka; but yes, that's what he said. We'll have to risk it."

"Risk it?"

Zuko nodded, dropping back into the sand. "We'll try to get through the slums before they close the gates."

"I still think disguises is the best choice," Sokka grumbled.

Katara rolled her eyes and Zuko sighed. "No one would believe you're old enough for a full beard."

An hour before sundown, Zuko led them from their sheltered spot on the beach and into the settlement just past the slight hill that protected the village from the high tides. Katara was not expecting her first glimpse of the Fire Nation to be so gut-wrenchingly desolate. Even the Third Ring of Ba Sing Se wasn't so hopeless and dreary. Not that it was a well-spring of hope and happiness and a delight to the senses, she told herself.

Crudely built homes leaned tiredly against each other and waste lined the streets. Sallow-cheeked women held painfully thin infants on their hips as they plodded along the narrow path through the dirt. Older children darted barefoot among the litter piles. Zuko had held them back, watching the movement of the residents. He'd garnered a few vaguely curious glances, but most of the dull gold eyes slid right over them.

"Where are we?" Katara whispered.

Zuko glanced down at her, expression grim. "The slums."

Sokka made a noise in the back of his throat and stepped away from the edge of the path. "Why are there so many children." He glanced around again, correcting himself. "And women."

"War widows. Their husbands have died in service and they still have young children," Zuko explained. "They are most likely non-benders."

"What about compensation," Sokka demanded.

"There is compensation, but not nearly enough to raise young children at least to the age where they can enter service." Zuko shook his head. "War is expensive. We — they can't afford to pay dead soldiers."

"This is terrible."

Zuko scowled. "Let's go. We're drawing too much attention."

Katara took Zuko's hand as he stepped forward. He quickly led them through the weaving streets. As the sun set, the streets emptied and Zuko's pace increased until, with a soft curse, he abruptly changed direction, hurrying them. Despite that, the firebender took the time to peer around corners and down side streets. When he swore again and pushed them into a dark alley and behind a crate of broken pottery, Katara whispered, "What's happening?"

"The soldiers have begun their patrol early," Zuko said quietly.

Sokka groaned. "Now what?"

The distinct sound of soldier tread had them falling silent and Katara held her breath and tried to make herself as small as possible. Zuko shifted, his hand closing around the hilt that rose above his shoulder and waited. The steps paused at the alley and Katara's heart was in her throat, trying to strangle her, until the steps moved on. They all breathed a sigh of relief and Katara let her head fall back against the house behind her.

"Psst!"

She nearly squealed in surprised and probably would have if Sokka hadn't clamped a hand over her mouth. Even so, she felt Zuko lurch beside her. A few paces down, crouched behind an overturned handcart, a dark-haired boy motioned for them to follow him.

"Isn't that the kid from earlier?" Sokka muttered.

Katara thought it might be, but it was difficult to be certain in the darkness of the alley. When they didn't move, the boy crept cautiously from his hiding spot and spoke in a rapid whisper. The only word Katara could understand was Zuko's name and she felt her stomach clench with dread. Zuko's expression only revealed surprise and uncertainty, but he responded to the boy with a few words and a nod. The boy grinned and moved to the far end of the alley and peered out.

"His name is Jian," Zuko informed them when he caught their curious looks. "His father…was a member of my crew. He's offered us a place to stay until morning."

"I don't like it."

"There's a gate that's guarded and locked every night at sundown and only unlocked at dawn. There's no way through."

"You didn't know about this before?" Sokka grumbled.

"No," Zuko ground out.

Katara sighed, placing her hand on Zuko's shoulder and leveling her brother a stern look. "Looks like we have no choice. We'll have to trust him."

She knew it was easier said than done, she could tell by her brother's skeptical expression and the determined set to Zuko's jaw. She could only hope they weren't making a giant mistake.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Zuko hoped he hadn't just made a colossal mistake in trusting the waif-thin boy that darted between the growing shadows ahead of him. With all the others things that had gone wrong in his life, he wouldn't be all that surprised if this ended up being another. Katara followed closely on his heels, her eyes scanning their surroundings, trusting Zuko to guide her safely. It surprised him, sometimes, how much her unwavering trust in him hurt. Sokka followed behind his sister, clearly unhappy with this most recent development, but offering surprisingly little complaint.

To Zuko's relief, Jian stopped at a small lean-to house and opened the door. They entered quickly and the boy closed the door securely behind them and peeked out the window. He finally stepped away from the window and let the ratty curtain fall back into place. "We weren't followed."

Zuko nodded and took in the small room. A pallet of old, matted straw was pushed against the far wall and a ring of stones in the middle of the room contained a small fire, a pot and a few chipped bowls were the only other things in sight. A woman, younger than he excepted, rose from her crouch at the fire. She clutched at a worn shawl, her eyes suspicious as she examined them. Her gaze lingered on him and her knuckles whitened. "Prince Zuko."

Zuko bowed politely. "Your son offered us shelter for the night."

Her eyes moved to look at her son, but quickly darted back to him and his companions. "You bring Water Tribesmen with you."

Zuko shifted, lifting a hand to introduce them. "Sokka and Katara."

They bowed and she examined them curiously before dismissing them. She hitched her shoulders, pulling harder on her shawl, a fine tremor in her hands. "Do you know what became of my husband?"

Zuko grimaced. "Admiral Zhao took my crew after he — after his defeat at the North Pole, I don't know what became of his ships."

She exhaled a shaky breath, eyes hardening. "I didn't want my husband to follow you into exile three years ago. I thought he was throwing his career away — throwing his life away — but he wanted to follow General Iroh. He said the general would find a way to stop this war. It was a treasonous thought." Her mouth tightened. "Why have you returned? Why you and not my husband?"

Behind him, Zuko heard Sokka whisper, "I have no idea what they're saying, but it doesn't sound friendly."

A sufficient answer eluded him and he looked away. A broken sob escaped the woman and she swayed on her feet. Alarmed, Zuko stepped toward her, but she flung out a hand as if to ward him off. She stumbled.

"Mama!"

Jian darted toward her, catching her before she fell. Her shawl slipped from her shoulder as she reached out to grasp her son's arm. The movement brought attention to her now bared arm and Katara gasped. A large, poorly healing burn stretched from her wrist nearly to her elbow.

"What happened?" Zuko demanded.

The woman straightened proudly, lifting her chin. "My son is a bender—"

"I didn't mean to," Jian cried, interrupting. "It was an accident."

"No one blames you," she soothed the boy. "It will heal. There is no one to teach my son how to control his inner fire though Jian mentioned you helped him earlier on the beach."

This last was directed at Zuko and he could only nod, his eyes still fixed on the burn. He knew it was only in his head that he could feel the sting and smell the sickly sweet scent of burning flesh. He could remember the weeks it took to heal. Katara touched his arm, drawing his attention. "I can help her."

"Katara would like to help you," he told the woman. At her skeptical look, he added, "She's a skilled healer."

She turned wary eyes to Katara, her skepticism obvious as she examined the younger girl. Finally, with a grudging nod, she held out her arm for Katara to get a closer look. Katara stepped forward with a friendly smile, asking, "What is your name?"

The woman stared at her for several long moments before finally supplying, "Xin."

Katara's tense posture relaxed and her smile brightened. "Oh, good. You do speak the common tongue."

"Some," she agreed.

Katara examined the burn carefully, speaking slowly, "It's infected so it'll leave some scarring behind when I heal it. I'll have to clean it first." She met the woman's eyes. "It'll hurt."

Xin's expression remained wary and Katara drew a stream of water from her waterskin. Xin shrank back with a terrified gasp. "Waterbender!"

Katara froze when Xin ripped her arm from her loose grip. Zuko stepped forward, grabbing Jian's arm to prevent him from throwing himself at Katara. "Stop this," he commanded. "Xin, give her your arm. It won't take long."

Xin glared angrily at Zuko, but he met her look without flinching. With clear reluctance, Xin held out her arm again. Katara took her wrist with delicate fingers, moving slowly, as if any sudden moves would startle the woman. Despite having seen her work many times, Zuko still watched in fascination as Katara gloved her hand in water and then gently placed that hand over the burn. She breathed out slowly and then the water glowed a faint blue. Xin gasped, her eyes wide when Katara finally pulled away her hand and revealed healed flesh.

Katara scrutinized her work with a faint frown, remarking, "I'd hoped there would be less scarring, but it's not as bad as it could be."

Sokka hovered over her shoulder, eyebrows lifted in surprise. "That's pretty cool. When did you learn how to do that trick?"

"Thank you, Sokka."

Xin placed trembling fingers on the healed scar, looking from Katara to Zuko. "You mean to end the war."

Jian whipped around to stare at the firebender. "How?"

"That's—" Xin hesitated, glancing fearfully toward the curtained window and lowering her voice, "That's treason!"

Zuko blanched. "I mean to do it through an Agni-Kai, following tradition…such as it is."

Jian gasped, "You mean—"

"Don't say it!" Xin interrupted, grabbing her son's arm and pulling him away from them. "Don't even think it. You may stay here the night, but you need to be gone by morning. We never saw you."

"Thank you."

Xin nodded tightly. "Don't thank me, just…find my husband."

Notes:

iacta alea est - “The die is cast.” Attributed to Julius Caesar. According to Plutarch, Caesar actually said it in Greek. Go figure.

Recognizable quotes from “Day of Black Sun Part 1” and “Day of Black Sun Part 2”

Chapter 30: Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate

"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
— Percy Bysshe Shelley, "Ozymandias"

Sleep was slow to come for Zuko and he stared up at the dark ceiling for what felt like hours, Sokka's snores the only thing breaking the silence. He was home. Well, nearly home. He draped an arm over his eyes, sighing quietly. In all his imaginings, he'd never pictured his first night back on the floor of a shanty wrapped in a threadbare blanket. A frown pulled at his lips and he ran his hand over his hair before tucking it behind his head. A quiet rustle and a light touch drew him out of his thoughts and Katara whispered, "Are you awake?"

"Yeah," he answered, keeping his voice low.

She shifted around, settling close to his side and dragging her own threadbare blanket over them. Zuko's breath caught as she snuggled into his shoulder and he darted a quick look toward Sokka's blanket. "I don't think this is a good idea."

With a quick jab in his ribs, she hushed him. "He sleeps like the dead."

Her arm moved across his chest and she hugged him, her breath dancing across his neck in a sigh. "I've missed this," she whispered. "I've missed you."

His arm curled around her shoulders and he brought her closer, tilting his head to press his lips against her hairline. He could smell the salt of the ocean in her hair. "Me too."

They'd seen each other every day and had been able to steal the furtive kiss, but someone was always watching. After months of being alone, the casual touch Katara always seemed unaware of doing seemed to burn like a brand and garner intense scrutiny. It set his nerves on edge. He half expected a challenge or a knife in the back.

"Do you know Xin's husband?"

"Yes." He didn't want to remember.

Her fingers flexed in his tunic. "What happened to him?"

An explosion, he thought. Then an angry spirit. His hug tightened and he shifted to his side so he could bring her closer. People died that day. He almost died that day. Her fingers combed through his hair and traced the back of his neck. He shuddered. "He was my captain. Zhao commandeered my ship — do you remember what was said about the Northern Water Tribe?"

Zhao had been mentioned a handful of time, most recently by Sokka, Toph, and Aang. Katara's breath hitched. "The fleet?"

"Destroyed." Annihilated, really. There hadn't been communication from any of the ships that had taken part in the Northern campaign.

"Do you think he's alive?"

"I don't know."

They lay together quietly, Katara's relaxed breathing soothing in his ear. He pulled the blankets more securely around them, tucking them under their bodies to better trap the heat. The spring days might be warm, but the nights still had a chill. He settled around her more comfortably, closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing.

"Zuko?" her voice was nearly inaudible.

"I thought you were asleep," he murmured, tucking a loose curl of hair behind her ear.

She hummed a vague sound of agreement. "I love you."

The words came out in a sigh punctuated by a quiet snore.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The sun was tinting the horizon a faint pink when Zuko gently nudged Katara awake. She groaned, stretching and pressing a yawn to his chest before her eyes opened. She blinked sleepily, giving him a small, vacant smile and snuggling closer, her eyes slipping closed again. He tapped a finger against her cheek, biting back a smile when she wrinkled her nose and turned her face away.

"Hey," he kept his voice low, checking that Sokka was still asleep. He was still happily snoring under this blanket. Zuko tugged at Katara's hair, earning a disgruntled sound of protest but nothing more. He considered the slope of her neck, her bared shoulder, and the side of her face, hesitating to put the vague imaginings of a plan into action. He wondered what her first reaction would be: if she'd slap him or freeze him to the floor. Decision made, he rolled her onto her back, pausing to see if that was enough to rouse her. When she merely sighed, he pressed a light kiss to her shoulder, a soft press of lips. Her breathing changed slightly and he brushed his lips up her neck, pausing to tease her pulse point. At her soft groan, he shifted to the spot just below her ear, kissing and then blowing gently across her ear. She shuddered, gasping, "Mean."

Zuko pulled back, meeting her sleepy glare with a smirk of his own. "We've got to get up."

She grunted, pushing him away so she could sit up, grumbling, "Too tired to kill you."

"That's good to know."

She ignored him, scrubbing her face in an effort to rid herself of sleep. The hut was still dark, the central fire nothing more than dim embers that hardly gave any light. Zuko stood, gathering his dao swords, checking them over before slinging them across his back. Movement drew his attention back to Katara. She shivered in the cool morning air, but she seemed more awake now.

"What time is it?" she asked, glancing back to where Xin and Jian slept.

"About dawn," he told her. "We leave as soon as your brother's awake."

She scowled, her head swiveling to find her brother's still slumbering form. She wrestled herself free from her blankets and lurched to her feet, crossing the space to her brother in a handful of steps. For a moment, it looked like she was going to kick him and then she seemed to change her mind, instead bending to give his shoulder a rough shake. Sokka woke with a start, bolting upright and grabbing his sword. Katara took a careful step back, keeping a watchful eye on him as he blinked fuzzily until he grumbled, "Too early. 'S dark."

"We need to get moving," Katara whispered.

Sokka frowned. "Now?"

"Yes," she insisted. "Now."

Sokka mumbled complaints under his breath that both Zuko and Katara ignored. Katara found her waterskin and Zuko folded the blankets they'd used. Sokka checked the street outside, slipping silently out the door when he saw it was clear with Katara following. Jian stirred, scrambling out of his blankets when he saw them getting at the door.

"You're going? You weren't going to say goodbye?"

Zuko grimaced at the hurt in the boy's voice, checking to see if Xin was awake. She wasn't. "We — I thought it'd be best. It's dangerous for us to be here."

Jian shook his head rapidly. "I can help."

"Zuko." Katara had returned to see what was causing the delay.

"I'm coming," he told her. She nodded, but remained in the door. Zuko sighed, running his hand through his hair and rubbing the back of his neck. Jian watched him with wide, hopeful eyes and Zuko shook his head. "Not this time."

Jian's face fell. "But—"

"No," he interrupted in a harsh whisper, softening his tone when the boy flinched, "your mother needs you here."

The boy accepted his words gracelessly and, with a nod farewell, Zuko started toward the door. "Wait!"

The whispered exclamation stilled his steps and Jian darted into a dark corner, returning seconds later with a ratty sedge hat that he thrust out for Zuko to take. "Here."

Zuko hesitated. "Are you—"

"Take it," Jian insisted. "Please."

"Thank you."

"You'll bring it back, right?"

Zuko touched the crumbling edge of the hat. So much had to happen before he'd be able to return it. "If I can," was all he could say. They had to leave. "Practice your bending."

Jian brightened. "Will you be my master?"

Zuko shrugged uncomfortably. If he won, he'd have an entire Nation to oversee and peace negotiations to attend. He wasn't a qualified Master either. And if he lost — he shoved those thoughts away. "We'll see."

It was another non-answer, but Jian beamed as if Zuko had promised him a dragon's hoard of wealth and nearly threw his arms around the older bender. Zuko beat a hasty retreat, hurrying Katara out the door before Jian could delay them any longer. At Katara's grin, Zuko shot her a challenging glare, but she merely shrugged and looked away, the smile still on her lips. Sokka met them with an exasperated roll of his eyes. "You two better not have been making kissy-faces at each other."

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The gray, shadowed streets eventually gave way to bright morning sun and any remaining cool of night was stripped away by the heat of day. It'd been years since Zuko had been back in the Fire Nation and, now that he led Katara and Sokka through the streets, he was wondering if he'd actually paid any attention to life outside the palace walls before his banishment. The slums were even more filthy than the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se and most of the children he saw here dressed in what he would usually consider rags. With the sun just beginning to rise, the streets were beginning to fill with residents heading out into the city in search of work or to the nearby munitions factory and their presence attracted some curious glances. Zuko was glad for the sedge hat that allowed him to pull the brim low over his eyes and obscure his scar.

They joined the small crowd that spilled out onto the main streets of the capital, following most of them toward the market before Zuko turned them down a side street. At his side, Katara made of noise of discontent as the streets grew cleaner and the buildings in better repair. The few people they came across didn't have the world weary look in their faces like those in the slums and were finely dressed. Zuko was grateful she kept her thoughts to herself and a quick look to be sure Sokka followed revealed that the other boy's thoughts were running along the same line as his sister's.

The day was promising to be a sweltering one by the time Zuko pointed out Piandao's city home. They were still a few streets away, but Sokka sighed gustily. "Finally. I hope he has water and breakfast ready. I'm starving!"

Katara readily agreed and Zuko merely nodded, unable to even roll his eyes at Sokka's assertion. A bath, clean clothes, food, and a restful sleep were priorities. Taking out the Fire Lord came in at a distant fifth. Zuko felt like he hadn't slept for days.

The front gates of Piandao's city home were closed and barred when they finally reached them so Zuko led them around to the servant's entrance at the back. Zuko pulled the bell and they waited in silence until the lock turned loudly and the door opened a crack. Dark eyes surveyed each of them in turn and then demanded, "What do you want?"

Before Zuko could speak, Sokka thrust a Pai Sho tile into the servant's face and said, "We're here to see Master Piandao. He's expecting us."

The door opened a little further and the servant snatched the tile front Sokka's hand — ignoring the boy's indignant, "Hey!" — before the door snapped shut. To Zuko's relief, Sokka barely had time to start his affronted rant when the door opened again and the servant quickly ushered them into the darkened hall. The door closed solidly behind them, butting out the bright sunlight and throwing their senses as they adjusted to the dim light.

"Prince Zuko," the servant intoned solemnly, "General Iroh will see you and the young lady in his parlor at your convenience." He looked at Sokka, eyebrows rising. "We were not expecting you to bring another with you."

Zuko rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, wasn't expecting that either. This is Sokka, a former student of Master Piandao."

Recognition lit the servant's eyes and his lips twitched out of their stern frown. "Ah, Master Piandao had many things to say about the Water Tribe swordsman. Stubborn most often spoken." It is a pleasure to meet one of Master Piandao's students."

Katara laughed, ignoring the annoyed glare Sokka gave her. The servant cleared his throat, turning and for them to follow him. The servant passages were narrow and dim, but eventually they exited into a main corridor and were swiftly led past an interior courtyard. Katara slowed to take in the scene and Zuko dropped back to stand with her when she stopped for a closer look. The Fire Nation spring was in full swing so the garden was in full bloom and the flowers scented the air pleasantly after the stench of filth that fogged their senses after they left the slums. It reminded Zuko of his mother's gardens when he was a boy and he wondered if they still existed or if they'd fallen into neglect.

Katara stepped closer to the low railing, her attention focused on the flower laden stalks. A bush with large, pink flowers caught her eye and she stopped, gingerly touching a finger to a deep pink petal. When she realized the other had stopped, she blushed, pulling her hand away. "They're beautiful."

The servant smiled at her. "They are cabbage roses, Miss. Master Piandao had them planted for his wife when they married. They were the mistress's favorite flower. He takes great care to see they're well looked after. You are welcome to any of the gardens during your stay."

"Oh, thank you."

The servant took a few steps to indicate that they should follow and Zuko's fingers brushed Katara's hand when she hesitated. She glanced up at him, nodded, and then reluctantly followed. They passed into the home and were led through several corridors until the servant paused in front of a door and turned to them with a small bow. "These are your rooms. We laid out clean clothes for you if you wish to change. Breakfast will be ready in fifteen minutes."

Katara shifted uncertainly, glancing at her brother, and Zuko nodded. "Thank you. We'll see my uncle for breakfast."

"Very good, sir, I will inform him at once. If you are in need of anything, please inform the staff."

A sharp bow, and the servant was striding away down the hall. Zuko motioned for them to enter the room, following after them and letting the door quietly swing closed behind him. Sokka was already in the bathing chamber exclaiming loudly, "Wow! Look at that! It's like an indoor lake!"

Sokka was standing on the edge of the sunken bath, staring at the small waterfall that filled the bath. Zuko glanced around the chamber for the soaps, commenting, "It's really a very small pond."

Still, it would fit all three of them with room to spare if they decided to all get in at the same time.

"Why doesn't it overflow?"

Zuko moved the basket of soaps closer to the edge of the bath, motioning vaguely to the far end of the room. "There's a drain. A hot spring fills the bath and the overflow drains and is taken out to the ocean."

"I don't know about you two," Katara announced, entering the chamber with several robes draped over her arm, "but I'm about to claw my skin off if I don't wash the salt off right now."

She dropped her robes onto a low stool and was already pulled at her salt encrusted clothes before Zuko made a hasty retreat back into the bedroom, telling her, "I'll wash after you're through."

Sokka appeared seconds later, grumbling about spoiled baby sisters.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Katara didn't take nearly as long as Sokka spent grumbling about it. Zuko examined the clothes laid out, listening with half an ear as Sokka flopped onto a bed with a gusty sigh and complained, "She always gets first bath. Even back home. Do you know how many times I was left with cold bath water? Do you know how painful it is to get all wet when you live in the arctic? I kind of wished Katara was a firebender instead of a waterbender. At least firebending would've been useful…" He trailed off as if just realizing what he was saying and to whom he was saying it. He pushed himself to his elbows, frowning at Zuko. "Don't tell anyone I said that."

The firebender shrugged, tossing Sokka the extra tunic and trousers. "She can heat water."

Sokka caught the clothing, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, she can now. I don't understand why you live in this horribly hot place and your element is fire, while the Water Tribes lives where it's freezing cold and our element is water. We die if we're caught out in blizzards or fall through the ice. Wouldn't it be more reasonable to have it the other way?"

"You want to be a firebender?" he was sure his skepticism was plain to hear.

"No," Sokka denied, sounding insulted by the suggestion. "It's just—"

"You could move to the Foggy Swamp," Zuko suggested casually. "They do claim kinship—"

"No!" Sokka exclaimed, jumping from the bed, his clean clothes tumbling to the floor at his feet. "Out of the question."

"Why?"

"Bugs," Sokka answered immediately, shivering. "Big ones. You know."

"They're not—"

Sokka jabbed a finger toward him. "Don't say it."

"I'm finished," Katara announced, stepping into the room dressed in clean clothes and holding her bundled up dirty ones.

Sokka hastily scooped up his clothes and abandoned the conversation. Zuko only shrugged when Katara looked at him for an explanation and then followed the Water Tribesman, desperate to wash the salt from his own skin as well.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Zuko washed and dressed quickly, retreating to the balcony and gazing out over the tiled roofs of the city. The sun dried his hair quickly and warmed tense muscles. A soft step and a hand sliding around his elbow announced Katara's presence at his side. He ignored her considering look until she leaned into him with a gentle nudge, asking, "What's got you in a mood?"

"I'm not in a mood," he denied, scowling when she snorted her disbelief.

"I think I've been around you long enough to recognize when you're in a mood." When he glanced back towards the room in search of their other companion, she shrugged. "Sokka's either trying to drown himself or trying to figure out how they built the bath."

At Zuko's incredulous look, she grinned. "He's found an interest in inventing and building things." She nudged him again. "Don't change the subject."

He sighed. He'd been trying to ignore his doubts — he refused to call them fears — but being home again brought them all rushing forward. "Do you think we're doing the right thing? Was this really the best choice?"

Katara frowned. "It's a little late for doubts, Zuko."

"I know."

She gazed at him, her eyes serious. "I think…I think we've done the best we could with what's been given to us. Aang wasn't ready. No one can master all four elements in a matter of months. Not even the Avatar. He will do his part in unifying nations and bringing peace. He'll grow into his role and hopefully he'll have the assistance and cooperation of all the nations."

Zuko sighed, tugging on his hair and rolling his shoulders, muttering, "The Fire Nation falls from within."

"I'm starving," Sokka declared as he entered the bedroom behind them. "Let's eat."

Katara stepped back from Zuko with an apologetic smile. Zuko turned from the scenic view. It was probably time for breakfast and a servant would probably be by any moment. As if summoned by the thought, there was a brisk knock on the door and a servant entered after a brief pause. "General Iroh is ready for you."

Sokka checked his warrior wolf-tail, brushed down the front of his new Fire Nation clothes, and motioned grandly. "Lead on, good man."

The Water Tribe boy marched from the room, the servant hesitating a moment before hurrying after him. Katara shook her head and took a step to follow, but Zuko caught her hand.

"Katara," he started and then hesitated when she turned to him. He swallowed thickly, meeting her eyes and quickly looking away, admitting quietly, "I don't know if I can do this."

Katara's expression softened and she stepped to him, sliding her arms around his waist. After a moment's hesitation, he returned her embrace and pulled her closer. She tucked her head under his chin and tightened her hold. "You're not alone, Zuko. We'll get through this together."

A sigh ruffled her hair and she pulled away to look up at him. Indecision flickered in his eyes and then his jaw firmed. "I—"

The door crashed open, Sokka standing in the entry, his expression twisting from impatient to disgusted once he caught sight of their embrace. "Quit hugging or you'll make me lose my breakfast before I've even had it! Food's waiting."

Zuko glowered at the other boy and Katara laughed, stepping backward and catching Zuko's hand in hers. "We're coming," she told her brother, then threaded her fingers between Zuko's and squeezed his hand. "We'll talk to your uncle. We probably have a few days before everyone's in place and we'll have a better idea of our plan by then."

He returned the squeeze, letting her pull him out of his morose thoughts. Sokka huffed at them, but didn't make any further comments. The corridors were airy and cool and the servant led them out onto a covered balcony that gave them an ocean view. The servant bowed quickly, announcing their presence. Iroh was standing at the railing, deeply involved in a conversation with a tall, gray-haired man. The men turned when they entered, Iroh's beaming smile of welcome contrasting sharply with the other man's glower. The retired general approached with his arms out. "Nephew, you made it safely?"

"Yes."

Iroh engulfed Zuko in a crushing hug before holding him at arm's length and looking him over critically. "You're looking better. You must have taken my advice." He completely ignored Zuko's sputter of protest. "Miss Katara! So good to see you again. And your brother! We didn't know you would be joining my nephew and Miss Katara. Welcome! Welcome!"

"Yeah," Sokka sighed sardonically, "it was kind of a last minute decision."

Iroh laughed. "No matter. We can always use your skills, but I imagine you are hungry. Sit. The servants have laid a fantastic table for us."

At that moment, the other man stepped forward, bowing and intoning solemnly, "Prince Zuko." His eyes flicked briefly to Katara, murmuring, "Master Waterbender."

Zuko returned the greeting, adding, "It is good to see you, Master Fat."

Fat nodded.

Sokka shifted around his sister, grinning widely at the older man. "Hey, Fat."

"Master Sokka," Fat greeted, pausing a moment to ask, "your sword is to your liking?"

"Yup! Though it took an involuntary swim in the ocean yesterday."

"I will send the correct oils and such to your rooms," Fat promised before turning to Iroh. "If you would excuse me, General, there are several things to which I must attend before tomorrow."

"Of course," Iroh immediately agreed. "We will speak again then."

Fat silently retreated from the room while Iroh poured tea, handing steaming cups around. Sokka examined a bowl of congee curiously before shrugging and spooning a heaping helping into a bowl, snagging an egg and a bun. He was already eating by the time Zuko took his cup from his uncle, the Water Tribe boy sighing and speaking through a mouthful of food, "This is so good." He swallowed thickly, spooning another portion into his mouth. "I'd almost forgotten how good food can be."

Iroh smiled pleasantly, picking up his own bowl before asking, "Did Zuko help with the meals?"

Zuko scowled, but Sokka was already shaking his head. "No. Katara wouldn't let him."

"Probably a wise choice."

"He did make the tea," Sokka added.

"Oh."

Zuko bristled at the sympathetic tone. "What?"

"Nothing, Nephew," the former general soothed. "Your tea is only…bracing."

"That's one way to put it," Sokka agreed.

Zuko huffed, gathering himself for a scathing retort, when Katara interrupted what would undoubtedly dissolve into an argument on how to correctly brew tea. "Have you heard from my dad yet?"

The non sequitur flummoxed the boys for a moment and Iroh gave her a subtle wink, easily accepting the change in topic. "I'm afraid it's still too soon. Hopefully by tomorrow. I received word from Jet yesterday—"

"You know Jet?" Sokka interrupted, sounding both disgusted and angry, at the same time Zuko demanded, "What does he want?"

"He was letting me know that he's in on the plan and will carry out an insurrection tomorrow, at the earliest. In two days at the latest."

"And you believe him?" Sokka exclaimed, nearly upsetting his breakfast. "He's crazy! He—"

"I've known my share of troubled young men, Master Sokka," Iroh calmly interrupted. "Jet regrets his mistakes."

Zuko did not appreciate the comparison or association.

"Jet's a liar," Sokka grumbled, immediately falling silent under Iroh's disapproving frown.

"This is not the time to quibble over our allies," the older firebender admonished. "Especially when we have so few willing and able. This does put us on an accelerated time schedule if we wish to catch Azula before she returns to Ba Sing Se. She will want to return to the city and put down the uprising."

"Your sister's crazy."

Zuko rolled his eyes and Iroh nodded his agreement, continuing, "That is why you are coming with me, Master Sokka."

Sokka fumbled his teacup. "W-what?"

Katara frowned, demanding, "You're going to pit a psycho firebending master against my brother? He's not even a bender!"

"He won't be alone," Iroh soothed.

"That doesn't make it any better!" she exclaimed. "I — we barely got out of Ba Sing Se without dying!"

Sokka suddenly straightened, his jaw set in determination. "Relax, Katara. We've run into her several times and we've always managed to make it out alive. Besides, it's not any different than you and Sparky going up against the Fire Lord."

Zuko mentally cringed and Katara turned stricken eyes on him. He turned his eyes away, focusing on his nearly empty teacup. Unable to give her any kind of assurances, he kept silent. The last time he'd faced his father in an Agni Kai wasn't much of a fight. His mouth twisted at the memory. He'd spent more time pleading than actually fighting. He couldn't even remember if he'd actually did any firebending at all.

A throat cleared and he looked up to meet Iroh's pointed look. Zuko followed the unspoken direction and turned to Katara, flinching back when he saw the tears in her eyes. Desperate to stop what he was sure were oncoming hysterics, he hurriedly said, "I've gotten better! Uncle's trained me…"

He turned to Iroh for help and his uncle nodded. "He's learned well. He can redirect lightning now!"

Sokka lifted an eyebrow, leaning around his sister to look at the younger firebender. "Can he bend lightning?"

"Ah," Iroh drew out the sound, his tone subdued. "No."

"Right," Sokka drawled sarcastically. "That's reassuring."

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The atmosphere in Piandao's city home was tense. Appetites were sparse — at least between Katara and Zuko, Sokka still ate like he was in danger of starvation — and they spent most of their time either training or attempting to develop some kind of coherent plan.

Zuko knew his own nerves were on edge and made sure he spent the morning meditating in an attempt to calm himself. Time couldn't seem to decide if it was going to crawl or fly. Either way, Zuko knew that if he spent another moment in bending or sword practice he would snap. And that was how he found himself standing in a shaded archway that led into a center courtyard watching Katara practice. The cobblestones around her feet were damp and she moved gracefully through her bending forms, pausing to adjust and fine-tune her movements. It felt like it'd been ages since he'd last seen her practice and he wondered if her occasional huff of annoyance showed it'd been far too long between practices.

Sunlight flashed off a short blade and he realized she was practicing her bending with her dagger instead of water. She moved through a form and then straightened, stamping her foot and muttering angrily.

"Would you like some help?" he asked.

She startled, turning wide eyes to him. "Oh! I didn't hear you. I suppose…"

She twisted the dagger half-heartedly.

"Here," he said, stepping up behind her and covering her hand over the hilt of her dagger, "don't hold it — don't hold it like a dead fish. You already know how to fight, this is just close range. Last resort."

She stared at their hands, unconsciously following as he moved through the bending forms he'd watched her do before. They reached the end of the set and Zuko changed her hold on the hilt, saying, "Of course, you can always use this for stabbing. That would slow almost anybody down."

"They're so much more experienced."

The worry and fear in her voice made him frown and he looked down at her. "They're generals. It's been a long time since they've actually fought anyone, preferring to stay at the back of their armies and dictate actions from there. They'll have gotten lazy and will probably underestimate you."

She searched his eyes. "You think so?"

He nodded sharply, hoping his words were true. "Just don't underestimate them."

"Right," she agreed quietly, sheathing the dagger.

Zuko examined her downturned face a moment before reaching for her, cautiously drawing her into his arms. She sank into his embrace, bringing her arms up to encircle his waist. "Katara—"

Rapid footsteps interrupted him and Iroh appeared in the archway, gaze immediately finding the couple. The seriousness of his expression sent a shot of apprehension through Zuko.

"We've received word, Zuko," Iroh informed them. "Chief Hakoda has discovered an airfield."

Zuko let his arms fall from around Katara. "What does that mean for us?"

"It's time, Zuko."

Katara drew a sharp breath, shaking her head when the two firebenders looked at her in concern. Zuko slowly turned from her to face his uncle, nodding. "When?"

"They'll engage the soldiers and guards at the airship field tomorrow morning and hopefully destroy the fleet," Iroh said. "We'll need to iron out a final plan now that we know more. Tomorrow will change a few things so we'll have to allow for some adjustments."

Zuko wanted to groan. He couldn't imagine what more they could plan and they'd been going over the same particulars for almost two days. Katara caught his hand, squeezing tightly. "Uncle?"

Iroh paused as he was turning to no doubt lead them to the conference room. "Yes, my dear?"

She shuffled her feet. "I was hoping we could have the night to ourselves."

Iroh looked between them, eyes crinkling in a bright smile even as he shot a knowing look at his nephew. "Of course. We head to the market at dawn tomorrow. Make sure you get some rest tonight."

"Uncle!" Zuko protested at Iroh's retreating back. The retired general's chuckled echoed through the garden.

Katara laced her fingers through his, tugging him in the opposite direction Iroh had taken. Zuko followed without protest. They wound their way through the corridors until Katara pulled open an unused bedroom that had a private balcony. She led him across the room and out onto the balcony without saying a word, dropping his hand as she approached the rail. It was a city view and they could just see the top of the Fire Palace. Katara wrapped her arms around herself, gripping her elbows tightly. Zuko approached her quietly.

"Katara?"

She shuddered. "I'm sorry." Her words sounded choked and he heard her swallow thickly. "I'm sorry," she repeated. "I just wanted to be alone. For tonight."

"What's wrong?"

She looked at him sharply, expression incredulous. His lips quirked up in amusement and she huffed at him. "I don't think this is funny."

"No," Zuko agreed immediately, sobering, "I'm sorry."

They watched the shadows lengthen and lights fill the windows of the homes in the city below them. Katara sighed, her shoulder slumping. "What's going to happen tomorrow?" she whispered.

"The end of the war. One way or the other," Zuko answered quietly.

Katara leaned into him, letting him accept her weight. "That's what I'm afraid of."

Zuko played with the ends of her hair, rest his chin on the top of her head. "You can stay here," he offered.

She pulled away and the look she gave him told him exactly what she thought of that suggestion. "No," she said firmly. "I'm not leaving you alone."

His heart lightened at her words. He hadn't even been aware he'd been worried she'd agree to stay behind. Cupping her face, he brought her lips to his.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Iroh stood across from the main gate of the Fire Palace with his hands folded into the wide sleeves of his tunic, watching as a the crowd milled around before the gate with hardly a glance from the pair of soldiers that stood rigidly on either side. Zuko never could understand why the market set up just outside the palace gates. The sun beat down high over head, eliminating any shade. Sokka and Katara waited further down the road from Iroh and Zuko, attempting to remain innocuous. The markets drew people from all walks of life and Zuko grudgingly agreed that a group of four would be too noticeable and so they split. Zuko tugged the rim of his sedge hat lower, stepping closer to Iroh to avoid a passing pedestrian. Iroh glanced at him, humming thoughtfully. "It appears they have not increased the guard."

Zuko made a sound of agreement, shifting to peer down the street. A few guards mingled among the stalls, but most appeared bored and inattentive. "Father will be in the war room now."

Iroh stroked his beard and motioned for Zuko to continue walking. "Yes. He will want to have plans for the Solstice ready and approved in advance. They have probably received word of Chief Hakoda's attack on the air fleet by now. He will have many experienced generals with him, my boy."

The concern was obvious. They'd both been trying to ignore the very real possibility that Zuko might not survive this confrontation. No matter what assurances Zuko had given Katara the day before, the generals were still experienced fighters. A breeze picked up and Zuko could smell the market's hot-pot frying. "And you think going through the front gate is a good idea?"

Iroh hummed, turning to inspect the merchandise in a nearby stall. The retired general had sketched a brief plan for them before they left Piandao's home. Zuko had argued, but Iroh had brushed aside the concern and assured them that things were being taken care of. Zuko sighed, following more slowly, keeping an eye on Katara and her brother where they hunched in ratty blankets and hats looking like urchins. So far they'd received little interest. Iroh tapped his arm, drawing his attention. "Not only can water float a boat, it can sink it too."

"What—"

"Good afternoon!" the stall's merchant interrupted cheerfully. "We only have the finest selection available. My wife and I spin and dye the silk ourselves. Princess Azula herself came by this morning before she had to attend to other matters."

Zuko started, mouth snapping shut as he warily eyed the merchant. Iroh's brow rose and he bent to examine the bolts of silk in front of him. "Really?"

"Oh, yes," the merchant assured the older firebender. "About an hour or so ago. She was unable to purchase anything this time. Prisons are so filthy."

Iroh hummed agreement, letting a hand rest over a bright red bolt of silk. "Your skill does you credit. You have marvelous silk. I am afraid I didn't bring enough to the market today. Such a shame. This would be perfect for my nephew's future bride."

The silk merchant's expression brightened and he turned to Zuko, "Oh! Is the young master betrothed? You won't find a richer red anywhere else! She'll be the envy of every bride. When is the happy day?"

Zuko's sputtered objections were ignored.

"Well, he's not quite betrothed yet," Iroh said cheerfully. "I have told him it's impolite to keep a lady waiting, but the young these days think they have all the time in the world. We will definitely keep your silks in mind when that happy occasion comes!"

"We await the event with great anticipation!"

The merchant bobbed a little bow as they moved away, bidding them a prosperous future. They walked a little ways down the street before Iroh turned to him, grasping Zuko's shoulders and drawing him into an embrace, exclaiming, "Your mother would be so proud!"

The signal had been given. Zuko jerked away from his uncle, fumbling to keep his hat in place and snapping irritably, "I haven't done anything."

"Yet," agreed Iroh blithely. "Nevertheless, she would be proud of the man you're turning into. Look! I believe I see your lover now."

"She's not my lover!"

Iroh lifted a doubtful eyebrow and Zuko scowled, folding his arms and looking away, muttering, "Not like that."

Katara and Sokka had managed to slip through the crowd and discard their worn clothing and head coverings and were now standing next to a stall on the corner. Iroh seized Zuko's arm, pulling him along the street. "Master Sokka and I will part ways with you here."

Zuko frowned. "Do you think that's wise?"

Iroh's eyes narrowed in speculation. "Yes." He paused, turning to look at his nephew. "Do you doubt his skill?"

"No," he denied immediately. No, it was not Sokka's skill that had him worried. He knew Sokka could handle his weapon well enough. It wasn't even so much that the Water Tribe boy would be facing his unhinged sister — because Zuko knew his sister was crazy.

The smile Iroh gave him made Zuko's cheeks heat and he grunted, looking away. Iroh placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder, saying solemnly, "I promise to see Sokka through battle safely." A final clap on his shoulder and Iroh turned. "Now, let's return to our guests and inform them that we're going to give them a guided tour of the Fire Palace and its prisons."

Their approach was noticed by Katara and she quickly elbowed her brother, earning a scowl from the boy as he rubbed at the abused area. Dressed in the Fire Nation fashion of a wealthy merchant, Zuko still found the deep reds and slashes of gold against tanned skin distracting and he wondered if she might have attracted less attention in Earth Kingdom browns and greens. Sokka, it seemed, disliked the attention his sister was getting from some of the local boys.

"We've been looking for you," she informed him when he stopped by her side. She reached for his hand, giving him a bright smile when he took it willingly.

"Well?" Sokka prompted.

"This way, Master Sokka. We are heading in a different direction," Iroh stated, leading the way.

"Uncle," Zuko started, then bit back the words.

The former general paused, giving the younger firebender a long look. Zuko could almost imagine that this look was the one he'd given Lu Ten before the final siege of Ba Sing Se. He swallowed thickly, trying to put on a brave face, not wanting to admit — even to himself — how frightened he truly was. Zuko started a formal bow, but Iroh stepped forward and crushed him in a tight embrace. The familiar gesture startled him and it took a moment to return the hug.

No matter what happened, he would go to his destiny with honor.

Notes:

"Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate" - Translated: "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." Dante's The Divine Comedy: Inferno, over the gates of Hell (Purgatorio and Paradiso are boring, imho)
Cabbage rose - Ambassador of love

Chapter 31: veni vidi...

The world will not find rest just by saying, "Peace!"
— Anonymous

"The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life."
— Proverbs 20:2

The market buzzed around them and Katara shifted closer to Zuko, glancing around at the passing people. A few returned her glance, but no one seemed to pay them any particular mind. Street vendors hawked their wares in sing-song voices and the guards along the Fire Palace walls watched the milling crowd with bored expressions.

Katara wondered how Uncle Iroh and her brother were doing. He hadn't exactly said where they were headed, though they turned in the opposite direction that Zuko led. Out of the corner of her eye she saw an older merchant lean down to speak to an anxious looking young boy. The boy met her gaze and then swiftly looked away, nodding tightly to the merchant and then scampered through the market crowd. Katara twisted to watch the boy vanish from view, a curious frown furrowing her brow. Zuko shifted next to her, releasing a slow breath and flexing his hands in a show of nerves.

"On my word," he said quietly.

Katara pulled her attention from the milling crowd to look at him, noticing the tightening of his jaw. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he tracked the guards' movements. Her stomach swooped nervously and she pressed her palms against her tunic, forcing herself to take controlled breaths. Zuko shifted on his feet next to her, brushing his arm against hers. This was it. The beginning of the end. She bit her lip. "Zuko?"

He grunted, not taking his eyes from the soldiers that stood at rigid attention. Katara wet her lips. "I just wanted — I love you."

Zuko blinked, turning to her in surprise. She gave a helpless smile and a small shrug. She didn't know what else to say in a situation like this. His lips parted, but a sudden explosion rocked the ground beneath their feet and they instinctively ducked, spinning toward the sound of danger. Smoke billowed up into the sky in black clouds. She stared in open-mouthed astonishment, vaguely aware that the rest of the market had fallen into a disbelieving hush. The hush passed quickly and descended into chaos. Voices rose in panic and and several people burst into noisy tears.

"What—"

A second explosion rumbled the ground beneath their feet and interrupted her startled question. The worried crowd bolted like panicked sheep. Katara stumbled, catching Zuko's arm to keep from falling. The soldiers that had been standing in boredom had jerked to attention, their gaze directed toward the ensuing chaos.

Zuko pulled her close, elbowing his way to the edge of the crowd and ducking into a protected corner.

"What's going on?" she panted.

"I don't know," Zuko admitted, frowning in the direction of the clouds of smoke. "That looks like it was in the industrial district."

"But that wasn't part of the plan," Katara said, before adding hesitantly, "was it?"

A third explosion went off before Zuko could respond and a man ran by, screaming, "The docks! They're attacking the docks!"

"Who?" Katara wondered aloud and Zuko only shrugged in return.

A horn sounded inside the gates of the Fire Palace and Zuko gripped her arm. "Look. They've emptied the barracks."

Sure enough, Katara could see the metallic sheen of the Fire Nation soldiers' helmets as they marched out of the gates. The rigid formation of the soldiers divided, half heading toward the docks and the industrial district and the other half turning for the location of the first explosion.

"It can't be that easy," she exclaimed in disbelief.

"It's not," Zuko assured her. "There are still the guards inside."

She heard him take a steadying breath, his hands clenching as he prepared himself. Katara clutched at her waterskin, palms sweating and her heart in her throat.

"Now!" someone shouted and they leapt forward, descending on the remaining guards and soldiers with a ruthlessness that surprised even themselves. The first soldier Katara met fell quickly beneath her assault though the next one was more than ready to meet her advance. Blood rushed in her ears and her heart beat frantically in her chest. She fell into the chaotic rhythm of the melee, her only thought to stay alive.

The soldiers fell back several steps and then rallied themselves. The fight was swift and frantic. Katara hardly paid attention when her opponent fell, charging forward to meet the next. They advanced into the outer courtyard and had almost reached the steps to the palace when it seemed like the remaining guards and soldiers had recovered from their initial surprise. The blast of a horn was cut short and the horn blower hit the ground and didn't rise again. Zuko spun toward her, his dao swords unsheathed and slick with blood.

"Katara! The gate!"

She had already been turning to barricade the gate, but several of the market crowd had spilled in behind them as they cleared a path and the large gates were already swinging closed. Half of them were already scrambling up the walls with makeshift weapons. They fell shut with a resounding thud and merchants were quickly securing the gate. One large man saw Katara watching and lifted a hand, grinning broadly. "We got it from here."

Katara stared, trying to wrap her mind around the sight before her. Each of the merchants and peddlers carried a makeshift weapon. Some even had short bows. These scaled the walls and took up positions on either side of the gate. The remainder of the townsfolk took control of those soldiers and guards that had surrendered and had corralled their prisoners into one area.

"Let's go," Zuko called, already starting up the stairs to enter the palace.

She caught up with him quickly, catching him swiping at a slowly seeping wound on his shoulder with a grimace. Katara batted his hand away, forcing him to pause so she could seal the wound. Any further medical attention would have to wait.

"Who were they?" she asked, motioning back toward the courtyard.

Zuko's eyes flicked in the direction she motioned, rolling his shoulder when she released him. "Civilians, it looks like."

"That's surprising."

Zuko nodded his agreement, adjusting his swords and lifting a hand. "This way. They'll be ready for us."

She was glad he'd taken care of cleaning the swords while she'd been otherwise occupied. She could already feel her stomach roiling and a cold sweat spreading down her spine. Katara firmly pushed the feeling away, raising a shaking hand to push hair out of her eyes and focusing on her footsteps. They moved through the opulent corridors, Zuko subtly directing her. They passed several startled servants who, after staring at them with wide eyes, quickly made themselves scarce.

"We've lost our element of surprise," Katara noted as they passed a woman that screamed in terror and slammed the door she'd just opened.

His lips quirked and he shrugged, giving her a side-long look. "It can still be surprising."

"You there! Halt!"

They'd been spotted. Halting, they sized up their new opponent. Zuko hadn't said as much, but she knew he'd been hoping to not come across any more guards. Zuko grimaced. "Yours or mine?"

"After you."

He nodded, moving in front of her to intercept the attack. The guard didn't draw the sword at his side and Katara could already see the glow of fire around the guard's hands. Zuko stepped into the blast, pushing the attack to the ground and swung his leg out. He caught the surprised guard solidly in the chest and followed up with a swift punch. The guard hit the ground with a hard grunt, rolling to avoid another jab and scrambling to his feet.

"Traitor!" the guard gasped, eyes flashing betrayal and fear. Zuko flinched back and Katara stepped in front of Zuko, lifting her left hand and twisting her fingers sharply. The man dropped like a rock, his eyes rolling back as he fell. Zuko stared down at him and Katara put a hand on his arm, sliding down to grasp his hand, surprised to find him trembling.

"Zuko?" she asked in concern, gazing up at him.

He jerked, his expression closing and his spine straightening. "I'm fine. We're almost there."

They took off at a run, ignoring the startled shouts that started echoing through the corridors at their passing. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed that the civilians from earlier had followed and were now impeding the surprised guards. Zuko skid around a corner and charged for the closed doors at the end of the corridor. The two guards standing outside the doors had a moment of startled shock before Zuko charged past them and Katara knocked them out with a sharp twist of her fingers. Her head was starting to ache. The doors crashed open and Katara caught a glimpse of a group of men around a low table — Generals, her mind supplied — and then chaos erupted.

Zuko dove into the fray and Katara lost sight of him, concentrating more on taking out the Fire Nation's most powerful men. She ducked a blast of fire, kicking out a sweep of cutting water that tossed a general off his feet and into a nearby column. Startled shouts greeted that form of attack, she could hear them, but their words washed over her. Surviving was at the forefront of her mind. She took advantage of their surprise and brushed aside two more.

Fire burst to life far too close to her face and she instinctively jerked away. A hand followed the fire, closing around her neck and the weight of the general knocked her off her feet. Her back hit the ground and her breath rushed from her lungs, spots dancing in her eyes. She tasted blood in her mouth. She must have bitten her tongue when she hit the ground.

"A waterbender," the general growled, making it sound like an insult. "I've defeated many of your kind. Weak, all of you."

The hand tightened around her throat and she clawed at the hand, gasping to draw in a desperate breath. Cold eyes surveyed her, ignoring her struggles. She kicked uselessly, his weight too much for her and she was unable to gain any sort of leverage. Her vision was already tunneling.

"I think there's still a use for you," the general mused thoughtfully, his free hand pawing at her.

She managed to slap her left hand against his face, pushing his head back as hard as she could, though her strength was rapidly leaving her. The general grabbed her wrist, forcing her hand away from his face. She could feel the bones in her wrist grinding against each other. Her vision darkening, Katara closed her right hand over the hilt of her dagger and pulled it free, swinging it in a last desperate attempt. The dagger sank to its hilt in the general's unprotected side. He grunted, anger twisting his features. The choking hold on her throat loosened and she gasped a frantic breath. She clung to the dagger's hilt even as he tried to pull it away. The blood was pooling around the blade, she could feel it warming her fingers, and Katara struggled to focus on it.

"You should've stayed home with your mother, girl," he snarled.

"My mother's dead," she snapped angrily, seizing control of the pooling blood and flinging her fingers wide.

The wound around the embedded dagger exploded with icy, bloody spikes. The general had barely a moment of stunned surprise before the ice pierced his heart. The moment his grip relaxed around her neck, Katara pushed him away, rolling onto his stomach and coughing violently. She gasped desperate breaths, knowing she was taking too long to regain her feet. The fight wasn't over. There were others. She managed to climb unsteadily to her feet, wincing as she moved. Sound rushed back to her ears and she searched for Zuko. To her surprise, there wasn't a general that appeared as a further threat. Most were laying motionless, Katara didn't want to look too closely at their fallen bodies, or slouched against the columns, clearly injured.

Movement along the wall caught her attention. A young general met her eyes and she tensed, wondering where she'd draw energy for further fighting, when he quietly kneeled and lowered his gaze. Sensing no threat from the general, Katara turned her eyes toward the only remaining men standing: Zuko and the Fire Lord.

Fire Lord Ozai had risen at their entrance, but hadn't bothered to descend into the fray. The man was exactly like her nightmares imagined, but at the same time not. He was nothing like his brother in looks or stature. His face chiseled and had none of the laugh lines apparent in Iroh or the softness that hid in Zuko's eyes. Katara had seen more warmth from the icebergs that surrounded her home in the South Pole.

Zuko stood in the middle of the room, facing his father, his jaw tense and his eyes hard. Ozai looked over the room with cold eyes, before he settled his sights on his son, a sneer curling his thin lips.

"I thought you would challenge me, Zuko," the Fire Lord said in a tone normally reserved for the truly incompetent. "Azula told me of your betrayal and the little whore you chose over your honor and birthright."

Zuko's back straightened and his hands clenched.

"Fire Lord Ozai," Zuko's voice rang through the council room, "I challenge you for the throne to the Fire Nation by rite of Agni Kai."

The remaining generals stilled, eyes riveted on the two members of the royal family. Ozai didn't appear surprised by the challenge and Katara held her breath.

"You were always a disappointment. I told that woman so the moment she pushed you from her worthless body."

In a motion almost too quick to catch, the Fire Lord lunged. Lightning flew from his fingertips. Zuko's flinch saved him. Electricity crackled up his arms and his hair stood on end. Pressure was growing in his skull. Zuko pushed it down. And out. Lightning leapt from his fingers in a flash and a boom.

The explosion knocked him off his feet and sent him rolling. Smoke burned his eyes and throat. Fire blossomed out of the haze and Zuko rolled instinctively. He kicked out toward the fire and felt Ozai's knee give. Zuko scrambled to his feet, wiping furiously at watering eyes.

The smoke was clearing and Zuko could see that his father was favoring his right leg. The Fire Lord's heavy robes were singed and his hair was disheveled. Ozai's face was set in a fierce scowl and he punched a ball of fire at his son. Zuko reached for it, cutting it to the ground and letting it dissipate around his feet. Ozai's attacks were too rapid-fire for Zuko to do anything except block. The Fire Lord advanced and Zuko aimed a kick to the weakened knee. Ozai retreated a step and they faced each other, breathing hard.

"All I wanted was your love," Zuko gasped. "How could you possibly justify a duel with a child?"

Ozai sneered, shedding the heavy outer robe. "It was to teach you respect."

"It was cruel!" Zuko spat. "And it was wrong."

"Then you have learned nothing," Ozai declared.

Fire erupted along the floor and Zuko slid his feet forward, countering with a high fire kick. "No! I've learned everything and I've had to learn it on my own. The Fire Nation is a nation of lies. A nation of killers."

Ozai's expression darkened. "I grow tired of your uncle's babble."

Sparks leapt from Ozai's fingertips. The hair on the back of Zuko's neck lifted and the air smelled of sulphur. Zuko shifted, readying himself to again divert his father's lightning. Hard gold eyes narrowed on him then shifted to the side. The Fire Lord smirked. "Since we're nothing but killers."

Power crackled around his hands and Katara realized what was happening a second too late. Water refused to respond to her fumbling hands. Lightning leapt from Ozai's fingers, whiting out her vision and then suddenly a figure was in front of her. The bolt struck them and for a heartbeat she thought they were saved, then her world exploded. A body crashed into her and they slid across the floor, colliding with the wall with enough force to once again knock the breath from her lungs.

"Katara!" Zuko shouted, though his voice sounded distant and it felt like her ears had been stuffed with cotton.

"You're a fool," Ozai sneered, "to think I would honor the customs for a traitor."

A low, pained groan sounded loud in her ear and she quickly focused on the heavy body that pressed her to the ground. It was one of the remaining generals — the young one that had knelt in surrender — his features drawn and pale.

"Are you injured?"

The question threw her and she couldn't focus on the question, instead rolling him off of her and quickly searching for the wound she knew he had to have taken. "Why?"

He gasped a feeble breath, gold eyes focusing on her with great difficulty. "I…have a daughter…your age… Couldn't…" His eyes dropped closed and he seemed to gather his remaining strength. "Never liked war…too much…death…"

"No," she gasped. "You can't—"

Another flash and Zuko's cry of pain tore at her and she whirled around just in time to see Zuko hit the ground and roll for several feet before coming to a rest against one of the marble pillars. He twitched, but didn't rise. The air smelled heavily of ozone.

"Defiant even with your last breath," Ozai said with undisguised scorn. "None of your uncle's fancy tricks will save you. Your weakness is your downfall."

The Fire Lord watched dispassionately as his son convulsed. The smell of burned flesh made Katara's stomach turn. Tears burned at her eyes. With a sneer of dismissal, Ozai turned to her. She ripped her eyes away from the prone firebender, clenching her fists and setting her jaw as she met the Fire Lord's disdain with a look of loathing. The way his eyes moved over her made her skin crawl, but she refused to be cowed. He lifted an eyebrow mockingly. "Did the idiot boy ask you to take up the challenge he would so obviously fail? He was always a disappointment."

She lifted her chin, squaring her shoulders. "In place of Zuko, I will—"

"Wait." Zuko coughed up blood and her heart froze. Internal bleeding, her mind whispered in a panic. He swiped at his mouth and struggled to his feet. "This isn't over."

He's going to die! She wanted to protest, but knew better than to do so.

Ozai's eyes widened minutely. "You don't know when to die."

Zuko straightened with a wince, clasping a hand over the wound in his stomach. The floor seemed to tilt beneath his feet and he wasn't sure he'd be able to keep his balance long enough to do what he had to. This was it. Gathering his strength, he centered himself and nodded to Katara to step down. Ozai eyed his son. "You can't be serious about continuing. You're finished. You've lost."

Zuko took a breath. One shot. That's all he needed. He rushed his father, starting an offensive move and then aborting it halfway when Ozai started the counter. With his left hand, he seized Ozai's hand, the flames puffing out, and with his right he drew the dao sword at his back. Ozai had just enough time to register the flash of steel before it ran him through. For a second, no one moved and then Zuko jerked away from the Fire Lord, taking his sword with him. Ozai stumbled back with a choked gasp, clutching at the fatal wound in an attempt to stem the flow of blood. "You've dishonored the rite."

Zuko swayed and his sword clattered to the floor from nerveless fingers. "You dishonored it first."

"Traitor," Ozai hissed, falling to his knees. Dulling gold eyes sought Katara. "I knew a waterbender would be the downfall of our nation. The Sages said it was vague—"

The Fire Lord trailed off, slumping over and moving no more. A sobbing gasp jerked Katara's attention from Ozai's body. Zuko swayed and stumbled.

"No," Katara gasped, catching Zuko before he could slam his head into the floor. "No. Nononono. Stay with me, Zuko."

He blinked up at her slowly. "Hurts."

"I know," she soothed, carefully pulling singed fabric away from the wound. Sparks zapped at her fingers when she drew close to his flesh. "You can't die, Zuko," she gasped tearfully. "Not after all this. It's over."

A trembling hand took hers and she jerked at the electric discharge when their flesh met. The struggle for Zuko to focus his eyes was obvious and Katara felt her heart drop. She whimpered his name and he gasped a breath, each struggling gasp cutting her. "K'tara? I — tell you — rescued me."

Tears filled her eyes and she placed a hand over his heart. The muscle beat sluggishly beneath her palm, struggling to keep the firebender alive. "You rescued me first. Don't leave…"

His lips moved over the syllables of her name and, with a final gasp, he went limp in her arms. His heart stuttered and she gasped, "No!"

Notes:

veni vidi vici - "I came; I saw; I conquered." Julius Caesar, 47 BCE
Recognizable quotes from "Day of Black Sun, Part 2" ... almost everything said by Ozai. I did adjust some to make it fit..

Chapter 32: The Beginning

"Amidst the worldly comings and goings, observe how endings become beginnings."
— Laozi (Lao Tzu)

The crash of the doors hitting the walls nearly had Katara water whipping Iroh back into the corridor in a startled panic; only Sokka's worried shout of her name, and the realization that she felt completely drained, made her check herself. Sokka remained leaning against the door post, gingerly cradling his arm, looking whole but rather worse for wear. Iroh had taken a sweeping look around the room, making note of the still burning fires, the bodies of the generals, and the slumped form of the former Fire Lord. The last seemed to shake him, but then he was crossing the room with rapid steps and kneeling at Katara's side. Trembling, wizened hands reached for Zuko, pausing above the fallen firebender's still form and then took Zuko's limp hand.

"Is he," Iroh paused, swallowing thickly, grief in his eyes.

"He's alive," she said, her words tearful and shaky. She swallowed, clearing her throat. "His heart," her voice cracked, "it almost stopped."

Iroh grimly nodded his understanding, his eyes fixed on the water-covered hand she had pressed against Zuko's diaphragm. Katara grimaced. In those heart-stopping seconds when she thought he'd stopped breathing, she'd nearly torn his tunic open to press her palms against his chest and force his heart to start again. She was grateful it only needed a little coaxing.

Katara pulled the water away so they could both see the wound. Iroh sucked in a sharp breath. The flesh was raw, the edges curling and blackened. It looked better than it had, but there would always be a scar. Katara hoped it wouldn't be as gruesome as the one across his eye. She knew the shame Zuko felt because of it. She touched the old scar sadly then refocused on healing the new one.

"Ozai is still alive," she murmured, keeping her eyes down.

For a moment, Iroh didn't move and Katara wondered what was passing through the man's mind. Iroh lifted Zuko's hand, examining the faint burns on the fingertips and minor scorching that extended down his wrist. Without a word, he gently place Zuko's hand down and stiffly rose to his feet. Resolutely, Iroh turned and went to Ozai. Older brother regarded the younger brother solemnly. As if sensing the scrutiny, Ozai's eyes cracked open.

"Iroh," he croaked, moaning as he shifted.

"Again, it seems I've come to bid you a final farewell," Iroh said quietly. He fell silent and when he spoke again there was a note of wistfulness in his voice, "I'd wished we'd all chosen different paths. That there were other paths to choose."

"I am not like you," Ozai rasped, face twisting with pain.

"No," Iroh softly agreed. "But I still wished…"

Ozai's breath hissed between his teeth. "Azula?"

Iroh was quiet for a long moment and Katara lifted her head. Iroh's shoulders bowed and she suddenly thought he looked old and worn. "She is gone, brother."

Ozai was silent, his breathing a labored rasp. "Zuko?"

Iroh looked down at his brother for a long moment in silence, weighing the question. Ozai blinked heavily, struggling to focus, and his hand twitched toward his brother's robes, repeating with difficulty, "Zuko?"

"He's alive," he finally answered.

The dying Fire Lord looked torn, his expression twisting. Iroh knelt at his brother's side, taking the hand that lifted weakly toward him.

"Alive?" he breathed, twisting uselessly to search out Zuko. "My son…"

Ozai's hand clenched in Iroh's sleeve, knuckles turning white, gasping desperately. He convulsed, then his breath left him with a shuddering sigh and his grip fell slack, slipping from Iroh's sleeve. Gold eyes dulled into a sightless stare and Iroh gently pressed the lids closed, murmuring, "So goes the passing of Fire Lord Ozai. May the Spirits guide his path." He paused for a long heartbeat and Katara heard his breath hitch. "I'm sorry."

Iroh sat in silence at Ozai's side, gazing down at his brother's still features. With a resigned sort of determination, Iroh took a deep breath and released Ozai's hand, pushing himself heavily to his feet. He took another moment to gather himself before he turned and crossed the room to where Katara cradled Zuko's head in her lap. She'd done what she could for the moment and other healers would have to tend to both of them while she regained her strength. Now that the rush of adrenaline and terror left her, she realized her wrist and throat were throbbing and the sharp pain in her ribs was forcing her to take shallow, painful breaths.

Iroh knelt next to her once more, examining first Zuko and then Katara. His eyes narrowed at the dark bruising that was beginning to rise on her neck. He brushed a finger against the edge, a dark look on his face. "Who is responsible for this?"

Katara lifted a hand in a self-conscious attempt to hide the bruising, her eyes darting to the macabre scene on the far side of the room. Her blood-ice spikes were melting in the Fire Nation's late spring heat and her stomach heaved. She quickly turned her eyes from the sight, clamping a hand over her mouth. The former general followed her gaze, his features an expressionless mask as he took in the scene, and then he shifted to block it from her direct line of sight.

"You did well," he assured her. "You survived."

Katara's breath hitched and her eyes burned. Her lip trembled as the full-force of the past events suddenly hit. "I —"

Her throat tightened and her words got stuck on her tongue. Iroh took her hand from her neck, giving it a tight squeeze. "You both survived."

Tears spilled over and she couldn't stop the broken sob that burst from her mouth. He looked at her with dismayed understanding and swiftly brought her into a hug. That opened the floodgates in earnest and she clung to him, sobbing out her fear and pain and loss of innocence. She cried for lives lost. She cried for her mother. For Haru, Tyro, and Hana. She cried for the guards and for the generals who's lives she snatched away so she would live. She cried for Zuko and for Ozai. For what might have been, but never would be. She cried until she was a dry-heaving, hiccuping mess and someone forced her to swallow a bitter liquid. Iroh held her through it all, rocking her gently and speaking soothing words she couldn't understand. She cried until consciousness fled.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Her eyes felt gritty when she next opened them, only to squeeze them shut when early morning sunlight slammed into her and let her know that her head was playing host to a earthbender rumble. She lifted her hands to pressed hard against her eyes in a useless attempt to ease the pounding in her skull. A chair creaked nearby and she heard the swish of fabric and the room dimmed.

"Katara?" Sokka asked quietly.

She lifted her hands and forced her eyes open again. The first thing she registered was that she was in an extremely comfortable bed. The next, she suddenly realized Zuko was absent. She levered herself upright with a gasp, only to collapse back into her pillow with a pained moan.

"That was stupid," Sokka informed her, tugging at her blankets to smooth them out again.

Katara squinted at him, breathing shallowly through the pain that lanced up her side and across her chest. He looked pale and exhausted, but largely uninjured. Satisfied that her blankets were once more situated to his standards, Sokka leaned back in his chair and scowled at her.

"Zuko?" she asked breathily.

Sokka's head tilted and he regarded her thoughtfully for a moment. "Iroh's with him. He's still unconscious, but the healers don't seem overly concerned. I'm not sure if that's because they still believe he's a traitor or not, but Iroh's been keeping an eye on them and they don't seem in any hurry to make him angry. Iroh will be by later to check on you. We're hoping for word from dad by then."

"What about you?" she asked, trying to ignore the worry that bubbled up. "Are you injured?"

"Broken arm," he said, his head tilting down to his left and then waved a dismissive hand. "And some bruising and minor burns."

For just a moment, Sokka's happy-go-lucky expression turned haunted but then he shook himself and grinned lopsidedly at her. It still looked a little forced.

"What happened?"

His grin faltered and he focused on a spot beyond her. "We confronted Azula in the prison. Something seemed…wrong. It's like she snapped. Iroh tried to talk to her…"

He trailed off, his gaze distant. Katara reached for his hand and he shook himself, clearing his throat. "Anyway, the fight itself was all very anticlimactic. Comparatively speaking. The prison was inside a dormant volcano, did you know?"

She tightened her grip on his hand, asking hesitantly, "Was?"

"Well, it's not there any more," he explained. "Iroh said that gases sometimes buildup underground. It was explosive. I don't really remember what happened next. There was a lot of screaming. The next thing I know, Iroh is pulling me out from under some rocks and telling me I'll be fine."

"I'm glad you're here," she told her brother quietly, smiling when he rolled his eyes.

Sokka huffed good-naturedly. "I'm sure you'd rather be making googly eyes at Sparky."

His words surprised a laugh out of her. "Maybe. Don't you have someone you'd like to make googly eyes at?"

A blush dusted his cheeks and Katara's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Oh," she teased, "so there is someone. Who is she?"

"No one," he denied, pulling his hand away from her and folding his arms across his chest. "She's nobody."

"Come now, Master Sokka," Iroh said from the doorway, "I'm sure your ladylove wouldn't appreciate being referred to as 'nobody.'"

"Uncle," Katara exclaimed, letting Sokka pull her upright. She leaned heavily against her brother, panting slightly.

"Miss Katara," Iroh greeted with a genial smile, "how are you feeling?"

Katara grimaced. "A headache and my ribs…"

"Ah, yes," Iroh nodded his understanding. "Your ribs are just badly bruised. Some tea will soothe your head. I've called for some and it," a brisk knock interrupted him, "ah, there it is."

A harried looking palace maidservant entered the room with a tray carrying the most ornate silver tea service Katara had ever seen. The servant looked uncertainly at Iroh before setting the tray on the bedside table and hurrying from the room. Iroh pulled a chair up to the bedside and settled easily into it, pouring each of them a cup of tea, passing the cups around.

"The staff are a little on edge," Iroh explained, taking a moment to breathe in the steam from his tea. "I don't believe they quite expected this turn of events."

Katara cradled her teacup and Sokka hungrily eyed the dainty cakes laid out on the tray. Iroh passed the cake plate with a knowing smile. "As a boy, my nephew preferred the honeyed cakes."

"How is he?" she blurted.

"You cared for him well. He is not yet awake, but we think he'll come to soon. If you feel well enough, I would like you to come see him."

She readily agreed, "Of course."

After a careful sniff, Sokka determined his chosen cake was safe enough to eat and popped the delicate confection into his mouth, nearly moaning with pleasure. He swallowed the cake and reached for another, asking, "Have you heard from the others yet?"

Iroh tapped his fingers against his teacup, setting it down on the bedside table and tucking his hands into his sleeves. "Yes. Jet sent word that there was surprisingly little resistance to the recapturing of Ba Sing Se. It appears Miss Mae and Miss TyLee weren't determined to keep it and agreed to a surrender of power. Bumi was also able to retake Omashu with relative ease."

Katara was almost afraid to ask. "And…Dad and the others?"

The sympathetic expression Iroh gave them made a cold shiver race down her spine and Sokka gave a worried squeak, choking on the cake he'd just shoved into his mouth. Iroh was on the verge of answering when sharp steps brought a palace guard to the door. Gold eyes examined the three of them, pausing with mild curiosity as he gazed at the Water Tribe siblings. He remembered himself with a start, snapping to attention and bowing toward Iroh. "You requested immediate notification of any correspondence received, General Iroh." The guard held out a leather message tube. "This just arrived, sir."

Iroh accepted the tube, glancing briefly at the seal. "Thank you, Lieutenant Chen. Please return to Prince Zuko. I will be there in a moment."

"Yes, sir."

Chen bowed and then turned sharply on his heel and left as quickly as he'd arrived, though neither Katara or Sokka paid attention to his departure. Iroh opened the sealed tube without ceremony and pulled out a single piece of parchment. He read in silence while they watched with bated breath and then he looked up with a smile, passing the missive into Sokka's eager hands. "Good news. The fleet was successful. The airships are either completely destroyed or grounded for the foreseeable future."

Katara released the breath she'd been holding, feeling like a weight had lifted from her. "And Dad?"

Iroh glanced at Sokka before he answered, "Chief Hakoda, Toph, and Aang are relatively unscathed. They will be here in three days. Now, the maids assisted our healers when they brought you here, but I'm sure you'd prefer a chance to bathe after two days abed." He stood and pulled a cord near the bed. "The maids will help you to the bathing chambers and provide anything you need. Feel free to send word when you're ready to see Zuko."

 .*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

The breeze from the ocean brought with it a taste of summer. Katara took a deep breath, relishing the fact that she could. Once she'd felt like her exhaustion had faded enough, she turned her bending skills inward and focused on the deep bruising on her ribs. Encouraging healing in herself proved more difficult than healing someone else and she'd had to take a night to recover from the migraine it'd given her before she could stand without feeling like she was going to be sick. Nearly three days after Ozai's death and they were all still reeling from the changes. A soft grunt had her turning away from the view.

"I move like an rheumatic old man," Zuko grumbled, using the doorframe to keep his balance.

"Come on," Katara chided gently, "it could be so much worse."

He huffed, letting her pull his arm over her shoulder. Together, they shuffled out onto the balcony off of his bedchambers. He dropped into the chaise lounge with a tired groan, letting his head drop to the raised back. Katara plucked at his loosely tied tunic, catching a glimpse of white bandages beneath, until he caught her hand, drawing it higher on his chest and forcing it still. Her fingers flexed and stilled as she queried anxiously, "Do you need your bandages changed?"

"Sit down, Katara," he sighed wearily.

"But…"

He cracked an eyelid to glare at her half-heartedly only for the glare to fade when he saw her worrying her lip. "I'm fine. You've done all you can. I'm just tired."

Tears welled in her eyes and she dashed them away furiously. Her emotions had waffled between relief and weepy tears. The tears would rise out of nowhere which had startled Sokka something dreadful and had sent him into frantic attempts to make them stop. His attempts only made them worse. Neither Iroh or Zuko seemed surprised when she'd burst into sudden tears without warning. Iroh had assured her it was perfectly normal after repressing everything for so long.

Zuko struggled upright, wincing as he stomach muscles pulled at his healing wound. He took her by the arms, guiding her to take the space next to him. She dropped heavily onto the seat, sniffling wetly and hiccuping, "I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Zuko said nothing and merely pulled her into an embrace, letting her cry it out. When her tears slowed to the occasional hiccup and sniff, he leaned back to look down at her, wiping away tear tracks. "It's okay."

Her breath hitched. "You almost died."

It was the first time the words had been spoken and Zuko acknowledged them with a small nod. Her vision blurred and she blinked away the tears. "I don't know what I would've — I don't know — I would've died, Zuko. I wouldn't have been able to—"

Zuko cupped her face, his eyes fierce. "No," he said sharply. "No," he repeated more gently. "You would've fought because you are stronger than that."

Her bottom lip quivered. "I'm fourteen, Zuko. It's not fair. I didn't want…"

He hugged her close, drawing comfort from her warmth and the beat of her heart. "I know."

Zuko smoothed her tangled curls, shifting so they could recline side-by-side on the lounge. They drifted into a doze, Katara emotionally spent and Zuko physically drained. The sun had moved across the sky and its light bathed them in a comforting warmth when Zuko stirred again, sighing quietly. Katara's brow furrowed and she snuggled closer.

"Love you," he murmured.

"Glad to hear it, son," a vaguely familiar male voice said.

Katara rocked upright with a gasp, nearly falling backwards off the lounge in her haste to get away from Zuko. The firebender cringed as her rapid movements jarred his injuries and he reached out to catch Katara before she ended up on the balcony's marble floor.

"Dad!" Katara exclaimed, scrambling to her feet and launching herself toward her father.

Zuko moved with a great deal more care, rising to his feet and facing the older man. Indeed, Hakoda, Chief of the Southern Water Tribe and Katara's father, had been casually leaning against the balcony rail and watching them for an unknown period of time. Zuko straightened, forcing his hand away from where he wanted to clutch at his wound though he knew it would make no difference in pain management. Hakoda hugged his daughter tightly and then held her out at arm's length to examine her for injuries. To Zuko's surprise, he received the same careful examination. The chief's brow wrinkled. "You should sit down before you fall down."

Zuko hesitated and then slowly sank back to the lounge. Falling on his face in a faint in front of another leader was not something he wanted to experience. "Chief Hakoda—"

Hakoda held up a hand, releasing Katara so she could take a seat next to him, speaking sternly, "Now, I'm not a man to enter another man's bedchamber, but General Iroh assured me you were awake and able to receive visitors."

"Yes, sir," Zuko said uncertainly.

Katara slipped a hand into his, smiling when he gave her an incredulous look. Hakoda folded his arms, raising an eyebrow. "I see we will have to have a discussion when you are fully recovered."

"Dad," Katara protested, frowning at him. "Have you seen Sokka?"

Both eyebrows went up, but Hakoda accepted the topic. "I saw him this morning. He's gone to 'perform a prison break' and has taken Aang and Toph with him."

Katara's fingers tensed in his hand and Zuko suppressed a groan. He'd warned Sokka that a prison break would be dangerous, not to mention nearly impossible. The older man grinned. "General Iroh assures me that the Warden is aware of their coming and will release the fair maiden with little difficulty."

"Let's hope so," Zuko muttered.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

It turned out, Zuko's doubts weren't entirely unreasonable. Sokka, Toph, and Aang returned with a slim Earth Kingdom girl in tow, all looking a little battered, bruised, and singed. It seemed that the Warden refused to acknowledge the end of the war, the transfer of power, and Iroh's orders to release the Boiling Rock's prisoners of war. Aang and Toph had to forcibly enforce the release orders and now several guards and the warden himself occupied cells in the prison in which they once worked, awaiting war crime trials.

Sozin's Comet arrived on the solstice during Zuko's convalescence, but with nearly all the generals removed from power and Iroh's iron grip on the remaining, it passed without incident — though the fireworks that night were more spectacular than any in living memory. Katara had joined Zuko on his balcony, accompanied by Aang and Toph — her brother had vanished somewhere with the Earth Kingdom girl — to watch the fireworks.

Three weeks after the cessation of hostilities, Iroh declared Zuko well enough and stepped down from his role as regent. The nobles remained stoically accepting of their fate, even if there were some derisive whispers regarding the new peace, the Fire Nation's apparent fall from power, and Zuko's supposed cowardice. Despite the rumors, no one seemed willing to challenge Zuko's right to rule.

The day of Zuko's coronation and assumption of powers dawned cloudless with the promise of being pleasantly warm. Breakfast was delivered to Zuko's rooms promptly, but he could only manage some tea before the nervous twisting of his stomach made the thought of food nauseating. His formal robes were laid out by the servants the night before and their presence only increased his apprehension. He almost collapsed in relief when Katara's knock came and she entered the room, her smile bright and cheerful.

"I didn't think you'd be alone," she commented as she approached him. Her eyes narrowed a little when he only shrugged. "Is something wrong? Your bandages—"

"They're fine," he interrupted. "It's nothing."

"I'm sure it's not nothing." Her lips pressed together and she looked at him thoughtfully. "Uncle said you might be pacing or escaping over the balcony so I said I'd come check on you."

"He did not," Zuko grumbled.

"Not in so many words," she agreed. "Do you want me to help you?"

H scowled at the robes before sighing. "It'd probably be easier with help. It's still…difficult to move in some ways."

"Well, first things first," Katara declared, "sit down. We'll get your hair out of the way."

He sank to a stool, watching in the mirror as she carefully gathered his hair. A few pins later and she stepped back to examine her work. She tucked a loose hair back into place, commenting, "I'm surprised your hair is long enough for this style, though it does need a bit of a trim to even it out when it's down."

"So does yours," Zuko said and then winced when her hand flew to her hair. She'd been keeping it pinned up most of the time to hide the ragged ends. "Sorry."

"You're right," she agreed, pulling her hand away from her hair and turning toward the formal robes. "We'll both have to have our hair done when things have settled. In the meantime, they're probably waiting for you."

With some instruction from Zuko, the robes were donned and without the distraction, Zuko's nerves returned. As if sensing his anxiety, Katara smiled at him and ran soothing hands down his arms. "It'll be fine. You'll do fine. Uncle will be there and Aang will be next to you. Just remember, he's twelve and has been in an iceberg for the last one hundred years and he's the Avatar." She paused, smirking slightly. "You're just the Fire Lord."

His expression told her he was less than impressed with her assessment. "Just—"

A brisk knock interrupted him and a guard entered. "They're ready for you, sir."

"That's my cue," she said, stretching to press her lips against Zuko's cheek. "I'll be sitting with my father. Remember what I said."

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

The coronation ceremony had gone off without a hitch, much to Zuko's surprise. A part of him was still waiting for a disaster since he was never so lucky. Everything in his life inevitably fell to pieces. Despite his gloomy thoughts, events continued to proceed smoothly. The citizen of the capital were celebrating and the party — Iroh insisted it was a Coronation Ball — was relaxed and cheerful. Many of the nobles Zuko had known before his banishment were either absent or awaiting the war tribunals. To his astonishment, he'd already been approached by several noblemen seeking betrothal contracts. Bewildered, he was grateful Iroh stepped in and took the nobleman's arm, guiding him away from Zuko. "Lord Huojin! I believe your oldest daughter is only five, correct?"

Zuko made a face as he watched his uncle and Huojin walk away. Movement out of the corner of his eye brought his attention to yet another nobleman approaching and Zuko quickly made his retreat. He hadn't had a moment to himself since he left his rooms that morning and he was desperate for some time away from the crush of people.

The doors at the far end of the room opened out onto the terrace and the gardens and Zuko rapidly made his way for them. He dodged a few more attempts of people cornering him and slipped out the doors into the evening air. The terrace and gardens were sparsely occupied, most of the party preferring to remain in the ballroom, and the newly crowned Fire Lord quickly sought out the most private, secluded spot he could find.

Hidden behind several large, potted plants, Zuko felt the tension drain out of his shoulders. It'd been over three years since he last stood in the Fire Nation capital. For three years he'd attempted to gain his father's love and had nearly lost himself in the process. A strange sense of nostalgia struck. He hadn't realized just how free he'd been out in the world.

"There you are, Fire Lord."

Zuko stood from where he'd been leaning against the rail, hiding a wince. Katara may have been able to heal the wound relatively quickly, but it was still sensitive to sudden movements. She assured him that it was unlikely for him to tear the wound, providing he didn't charge into another Agni Kai. He resisted the urge to put his hand over the injury.

"Chief Hakoda."

Katara's father grinned and Zuko was moderately surprised to recognize where Sokka had inherited his grin. "Hakoda will do, Fire Lord. We are allies, after all."

Allies. When he'd been a boy he'd never thought he'd one day consider the Water Tribes allies. Hakoda came to stand next to him, folding his arms and gazing out at over the garden. Zuko wondered if the man had ever imagined he'd live to see the end of the war.

"General Iroh mentioned there was a civilian uprising here in the city," Hakoda said after a moment of silence.

Zuko examined the man's weathered features, his brow furrowing slightly. "Yes," he finally said, "mainly civilians from the slums. Uncle sent word to the Order of the White Lotus in the city. It surprised us — Katara and me. I did not expect — I'm grateful for their assistance."

"It is a good thing to remember that you only have power by the people's consent," Hakoda muttered. "After all, there are more of them than there are of you."

Zuko could only nod in response, unsure if the Water Tribe Chieftain was expecting an answer. Hakoda acknowledged his nod with one of his own and then seemed content to stand in silence, staring out into the darkness while Zuko tried to contain his restless discomfort.

"I knew I wanted to marry Kya the moment I laid eyes on her," Hakoda said suddenly. A smile tinged with amusement and sadness tugged at his mouth. "She was less than impressed with my attempts to woo her." He glanced at Zuko. "I threw snowballs at her. I also teased her mercilessly. In my defense, I was thirteen and an idiot. It took a lot of convincing when we were older for her to give me a chance."

"Father wanted mother because her great grandfather was the Avatar," Zuko muttered. "And she was beautiful."

He wondered of Hakoda heard the bitterness in his words. He felt the older man watching him and Zuko glanced away from the gardens. Just when Zuko was beginning to think the chief would say nothing more, Hakoda said, "I understand it is custom for nobility in the Fire Nation to have arranged marriages."

It wasn't really a question, but Zuko nodded. "I was banished before my contract could be signed and no father would want a dishonored, banished man to marry his daughter; even if he was a prince."

Hakoda turned away from the garden, blue eyes settling on Zuko with a piercing stare. The firebender returned the look, uncertain what the Water Tribe Chief was searching for. Finally, the older man nodded, saying, "Two years."

"What?" Zuko blurted, surprised. He grimaced and backtracked. "I mean, excuse me?"

"Katara will be sixteen," Hakoda elaborated. "I will discuss…a stronger alliance between our two countries in two years." He paused, lifting an eyebrow. "If you still feel such a course of action is desired."

The meaning of his words sank in and Zuko could only nod his agreement, saying faintly, "Oh, right. Two years."

The older man nodded, seemingly pleased with the conversation. "You're a fine young man, Fire Lord Zuko. I believe you will lead your people well."

"Thank you, sir."

"Zuko?" Katara called, stepping around the potted plants that blocked them from the rest of the terrace. She stopped short, staring in surprise at her father. "Dad! Is everything all right?"

Hakoda's weathered features wrinkled in a smile. "Everything is fine. I was just congratulating the new Fire Lord."

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously but she couldn't detect any deceit. Her father winked. "I'll return to the party. Again, I look forward to the future, Fire Lord."

He slipped past her with a cheerful whistle and she could only stare after him in bemusement. Shaking her head, she crossed the space to where Zuko stood at the rail, choosing to instead attempt to divine her father's behavior from the firebender. "Are you sure everything's all right?"

Zuko nodded, stepping closer to her, mindful of the crowd not so far away. "Not yet," he allowed, "but it's getting there."

She smiled, leaning into him and looked out over the night-shrouded garden. Fireworks lit up the night sky overhead and the breeze brought the faint sound of cheers to them. Nine months ago, Katara had never imagined she'd be standing on a terrace in the Fire Nation and the world at peace. Zuko's fingertips skimmed the fabric of her sleeve and slipped between her fingers. She smiled into his eyes and stretched up on her toes to press her lips to his cheek. "You're right. It'll only get better from here."

Notes:

I didn't kill Zuko! Yay! It's over! It's only taken..what? four years? I hope this was worth the wait and it wasn't horrible. I think I tied up all the important things... Before anyone asks (again), there are no plans for an immediate sequel.

I'd like to thank all the readers who've stuck with me - even through the random unannounced hiatuses! I never expected such a following! I also never expected the story to be so long! I thought I'd hit 70k words...at most. Imagine my surprise...

I guess this is farewell until next story!

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 2 of Noble Boldness