Alrighty, This is going to be a Zutara. It's a bit rough right now but I am working on it.
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Happy Reading
Night set on the small camp in the woods out side of Ba Sing Se. Katara wasn't asleep yet. Her mind was focused on a single person, one whom helped her escape. One who was still trapped. Iroh. She didn't know why he let himself be caught, he could have escaped. The fourteen year old looked over at the sleeping camp. She gave them a weak smile before disappearing in the direction they came from, when they were running in fear, running and later flying for Aang's life. Three days flew past before she found the once great city of Ba Sing Se. Fire guards held positions on the walls and fire benders were stationed all around. In her water garb she couldn't get in, she would be imprisoned and tortured until she died or spoke of everything she knew. Deep in her bag she knew she had Toph's attire. At the base of the wall in the depths of the fourth night she changed into the earthbender's attire.
It wasn't convincing enough, she was too dark, too brown. She grasped a knife and grimaced. She felt fear rumbling in her belly, rising from the deep. She cut a bit of leather form her sandals and stuck it between her teeth and slashed her belly. Stabbed her leg, slit her wrist, gashed her legs till she lay bloody and beaten by her own knife. She called for help, screaming fake cries for help, screaming real cries of pain. The sun was barely touching the horizon when two soldiers came running through half opened gates to her rescue. She left the blade beside her. Once in the strong arms of the men held her she faded into the blackness that had been threatening her for four long hours.
She didn't know how long she had been out, but she had memories of awakening and falling back asleep. She was in an infirmary, a military one, by the looks of things. A bustling nurse came over and checked pulses and wounds and muttered about the girls amazing healing abilities. Katara whimpered at the pain she caused herself. But she was in, and no questions asked.
"Ma'am, am I to be here for much longer?" Katara's voice was held in a sweet tone. The nurse looked to her with surprise written on the round features.
"It's amazing, your wounds healed incredibly fast, you will be ready to leave soon; just until I am sure you are ok. What happened anyway girl? The men brought you in covered in knife wounds." The nurse looked worried.
"It was…well I think it was a…" and she hesitated, daring to say Zuko. "Well I'm not sure, he had a scar covering his…I think right eye."
"Zuko? The prince? I doubt he would do something like that. Though he was gone for so very long…What kind of scar honey?" She wrapped up her rambling and sat beside Katara.
Katara chose not to pin her pain on the prince after the loyalty this nurse showed. "I don't know." She bit her lip, unsure of quite how to continue.
"Well tomorrow we'll sign you out and you can go back home, ok sweetie?" Katara nodded before fading back into a heavy sleep.
Zuko marched towards the infirmary to inquire upon a cream to help the wounds caused at the time of his betrayal of his uncle. She entered the small room; a young girl lay on one of the beds, lost in a deep sleep. Her dark hair was unbound and haloed around her head. 'She's beautiful' he thought slowly. The nurse bowed quickly, before questioning his arrival.
"I have cut on my leg that simply won't heal. I require a cream of sorts to help." He snapped, his eyes held on the sleeping girl, she looked familiar.
"Of course prince, here" she scrambled to find the medication. She handed Zuko the round jar of a dark green cream. Zuko stared at Katara with out recognizing her, too many wounds and the impossibility of it left him questioning her identity.
"Who is she?" His pale hand pointed at the sleeping water bender.
"Oh I haven't gotten her name yet, poor girl was attacked outside city limits, I sure hope none of the cuts scar over and mar her beauty…" The lady rambled and kept cooing over the girl until the young price stopped her.
Not speaking anymore Zuko left the small medical office and entered the busy streets. Fighting his way towards the palace his mind never left the sleeping beauty.
By the morn of a weeks past Katara was leaving the infirmary. The nurse gave her a tunic and belt to replace the bloody dress. Katara bowed and thanked the lady before leaving on a mission. Eventually she found herself in a rundown shack bordering the walls, in the attire of the earth nation .a small clay cup of tea sat in front of her, beside the steaming soup and jerky. She tightened the ragged blanket around her she started on the soup. Night fell eventually and found her sleeping, wrapped in the ratty blanket, huddled next to the wall of the shelter.
When the sun rose on the city Katara finally awoke. The young girl decided to start her search but didn't quite know where to start. Katara figured rumors may be what she needs. Through out the day she went from tea house to tea house. First a small place called Ba Sing Se Tea House. No luck, just rumors about a crushes and love affairs. The second place was a bit better; they were talking about Zuko, only though about how hot he was. By the time she got to the fifth place she was getting a bit of information. The place, the Ginger Pearl, was crammed with fire nation soldiers.
"Well, would you look at that, it's a little eavesdropper." A fire soldier pointed right at her. Katara ignored them, and listened to other conversations while sipping at her sakura tea.
"I think the little lady needs a lesson in manners." Another soldier slurred, drunk on sake and beer. Katara tensed, ready to defend herself if necessary.
"I think your right Gir. C'mon o'er here lady." Katara continued to ignore them, hoping they would leave.
"Would you look at that, the girls ignoring us." The first man snapped, anger rising in him. Katara started to look around for any weapons that may be of use.
A hand grasped the back of her dress, dragging her out of the teahouse. She started screaming and struggling.
"Leave me alone you bastard!" She shouted smashing her white clay cup against his leg, blood splattered and she knew she did damage when he dropped her. She turned furiously looking for an escape, there was none, his friends had her surrounded. She dropped into a ready position, hands out and started looking for any water. The one to her left attacked rapidly, a small blade nicking her shoulder. She grimaced and slammed him against the wall with ferocity of water. The man named Gir hissed at her.
"Ah so you're a little…You! You're the avatars friend!" He jumped at her, his hands completely ensnared in flames. She spun out of the way and smashed the water against him. Snaring his body in ice she started talking quietly to the others.
"Speak of this and I will kill you. I know this city better then you do." And when the words left her mouth the first man whom attacked, whose name was Den, tackled her to the ground, her head banged roughly on the cobble and everything became blurry and then slowly it became dark.
Zuko was sitting lazily in the chair, thinking over what had happened in the past few days, his capture, Katara offering to forgive him, the breakout, the offer, the betraying, the look in her eyes, the leaving, the girl in the hospital, and now. He sighed, some soldier wanted to speak to him, claiming he had the key to the avatar.
"Let them in." He boomed, and the doors were flung open, the site amazed him.
"Sir, we have the water bender captured." And he smirked.
"What are names men?" Zuko asked questioningly. His eyes staring at the know awake water bender.
The man at the end stepped forward. "I am Gir, that's Den, Dozu, Ju, and the last one is Wer. We captured the young bender." He then dropped to the ground in a low bow.
"Leave the girl and go." Zuko snapped suddenly. The men all nodded and scurried out the room.
"What do you want with me?" She growled her eyes were dark and heavy.
"Why did you return? Where is the avatar?" His gold eyes bored into her navy ones. She pushed herself into standing up.
"I am here for one whom was left behind. And I won't tell you." She said in response to his harsh questions.
"Who are you here for?" His tone got harsher. To his knowledge all of the avatars buddies left.
She didn't respond for a few seconds. "What are you going to do to me now? Imprison me? Beat me? Kill me? Hand me over to your soldiers to do with me as they like?"
"Imprisonment." And with that some men came walking in and bound and tied her. Soon she was chained and was being dragged towards the cells. She didn't fight, but simply went along, giving the prince a rude gesture.
The elderly man sat in the corner of the cell. His legs were curled into a meditating position. He hands rested at his knees, his eyes were closed. He heard foot steps coming towards his cell.
"Should we put her with the other traitor?" A voice was heard down the hall.
"We have to. It's the safest, driest cell." A lower voice responded.
"Alright." And sure enough seconds later a girl was thrown into his cell.
She started moving a bit and getting to stand up, he felt the air shift, it got cooler. He watched her stretch then twist and move till she seem comfortable.
"Hello young lady, I am Iroh." The elder choose to introduce himself.
"It's me Katara. We need to get out of here. I came to get you because you helped us and I was wondering if you would be willing to help teach Aang fire bending?" Her blue eyes met his and he knew the question was serious.
"I can't leave."
Alright, you know the drill
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