It had only been two months since the four of them had been separated. It was only two months since she was found and captured by Zuko. But the strange thing was that Katara didn't feel immensely threatened by him… at least on yet.
Katara lay awake, as she often did since she was forced to become the hostage of Zuko. The ground was cold and hard but she didn't mind, it was better that a cell that she could have been forced to endure if the price was still with his ship's crew. Even though he no longer had men at his command, he still tirelessly searched for Aang. Katara found it comforting that Zuko's uncle still traveled with them. She somehow felt safer.
"Where is that avatar?" Zuko asked yet again. His question was met with silence. "I asked you a question." He said quietly
Silence.
Katara quickly feigned sleep and hoped that Zuko would believe the act.
"I know you're awake. I saw you stiffen when I spoke. Now, answer my question." The quietness of his voice was eerie. Katara still hadn't answered when she felt his warm breath against her ear. "Where is he?" Katara jumped a couple of inches from the ground. She almost screamed but his hand covered her mouth before she could emit one. He removed his hand from her mouth after a few moments.
"I'm not telling you anything." She spat at him. For the past few months she had spent with Zuko and his uncle, she had been harassed with questions day in and out. Every question was the same. Where was the avatar? She knew that they wouldn't believe her if she told the truth that she didn't even know herself. She had tried to explain that point but what came out was instead a defiant answer that provoked glares from the banished prince.
Zuko grabbed her bound wrists and she winced in pain. She could feel his frustration in his hands, as they felt like they were burning her skin. Zuko pulled her up and dragged her deeper into the woods so they wouldn't awake his uncle. Since the movement of her arms were limited she couldn't bend and therefore was helpless in a fight against him.
When they arrived at a small clearing in the woods, Zuko shoved her against a tree. She slowly slid to the ground as he paced in front of her.
He suddenly came to a halt and turned toward her. "Why are you still trying to protect him? If they really cared for you, they would have attempted to rescue you by now. They arnt coming back for you," he taunted. Katara stared at him and glared at him. She knew that they would find her. They had to, they just had to.
But what if they don't? What if they don't even care?
Katara quickly banished these thoughts and looked away from Zuko in defiance, "they will come back for me" she whispered quietly.
Zuko bend down in front of her. "They wont. You and I both know that." Katara stared at him. She slowly rubbed the makeshift rope against the bark of the tree and it slowly freed her hands. She noticed the glint of a stream a bit to the west of her and decided she'd try to make a run for it . She stood up so quickly that Zuko was knocked off balance in surprise, but he quickly stood up and followed after her. He got as far a the stream and looked around, knowing that she would want to be around her element.
"Trying to resist?" he called out. "if you want so badly to be free, come out and fight! Or are you too afraid to do so?"
A water whip snapped at his head so suddenly he wasn't able to dodge it.
"I am not afraid of you. " Katara stated as she walked out from hiding.
"Maybe you should be" thought Zuko. Be shot a flame at her feet, hoping ot knock her off balance, but she narrowly escaped it. He did a whole series of movements to distract her. He noticed that it when she water bended it took her a bit longer to do a movement than he did. He easily got behind her. And hid in the darkness. Waiting till she let down her guard
Katara looked around, waiting for an attack. She knew that Zuko wouldn't just allow her to flee when she was the best hope of luring the avatar to them. She didn't dare call out for him to come back and fight, he was stronger than her by the smallest amount but it was almost dawn.
Come on Katara, she thought, take this as a chance to run. Run! You can escape. Just run! Katara bended some of the stream water into the small flask at her waist and made for an escape as Zuko reappeared behind her and grabbed her waist, trapping her hand at her side.
"Shouldn't have let your guard down." He criticized. She struggled to get away from his grasp when he did the strangest thing.
