A/N: I'm gonna be honest here, I have no clue where this story is going. Regardless, I hope you enjoy! Reviews are appreciated!

In her dreams, she was a wolf.

Fierce and fast, she ran across a smooth expanse of snowy plain. She was willed on by the scent of prey and the promise of blood and flesh. The biting wind dragged icy fingers through her thick coat. But she could barely feel it, for the wild blood that coursed through her veins was hotter than fire compared to the cold of the tundra. Her brothers and sisters were all around her. She could hear their snarling breaths and yips of excitement. She could see the elk now. Her and her pack were gaining fast on the hooved beasts. She lifted her head to give a short howl before her paws dug into the snow and she prepared to leap and then…

"Katara."

She was jolted out of her dreams by someone shaking her shoulder. She turned and saw Jet. He was dressed, which was odd considering that it was the dead of night.

"What?" She sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "What is it?"

"Get dressed," he said. "And arm yourself."

He kissed her and ducked out of the room.

She did as he said and stepped out onto the landing outside their room. Zuko was waiting there.

"Where's Jet?" Katara asked as she adjusted her quiver on her back.

Zuko's face was grim when he said, "Follow me."

"Is he alright?" Katara said worriedly as she quickened her pace to keep up with his long strides.

"He's fine," Zuko insisted. "Just follow me."

They silently made their way to the main platform, which was supported on one side by an old and tall oak. Carved into the trunk of the tree were footholds that they used to climb up and up. Katara's arms ached by the time she reached the top. She planted her feet in the crook of one of the tree's many limbs and wrapped her arm around another branch to steady herself from a gust of wind. High above the forest, she felt like she was standing on the shoulders of giants. If it had been day, she could have seen for miles and miles around her. But in the moonless night, she could barely see a foot in front of her.

The only thing she could distinguish was the tall tower of flame reaching for the sky.

The fire was only a few miles to the east from their camp, which meant it had to be coming from…

"Ongaku," Zuko said, as if reading her mind.

Ongaku: the small village by the river. It was a quiet village, but the people were warm and stout of heart. Katara had often wandered through to trade her healing skills for food and supplies for the Fighters.

There will be no healing this wound, she thought as she watched the flames.

"Who did this?" Katara's voice shook as she asked the question.

"Who do you think?" Zuko replied. His voice was low and sorrowful. "This is the Fire Nation's work."

Katara swore she could hear the cries of villagers on the wind.

"Is Jet down there?" Katara asked. She turned her head to see Zuko nod.

"We have to help," she said.

She began to climb down the tree but Zuko grabbed her arm.

"No. You can't go," he said.

"I can't go? Says who?"

"Jet. He said to keep you here."

"There are people burning. They need our help!"

"And why do you think they're burning?" His face was solemn but his amber eyes were as bright as the fire. "The Fire Nation knows you help them. They set fire to the village because they know you will rush to Ongaku's aid."

"Well, for once they're right about something." She ripped her arm from his grip and resumed the climb down.

"It's a trap, Katara!"

She ignored him.

"Katara, they'll catch you!"

She ignored him again.

Instead of another ineffective attempt to stop her, Katara heard him sigh a frustrated sigh. And then she heard the leaves rustle as Zuko climbed down after her.


There was no sign of Fire Nation soldiers. They had torched the village and then left it to burn. The small, thatched huts had been perfect kindling for their vehement destruction.

Katara and Zuko had found a small group of villagers on the outskirts of the devastation. They were the survivors, little as they were. They huddled together and mourned their loss of home and their loss of kin.

With hands gloved in water, Katara used her healing abilities to tend to burns and other wounds. Zuko patrolled around the group, keeping watch for Fire Nation soldiers.

"Where's Jet?" Katara asked as she felt Zuko's presence behind her.

She ran her glowing hands over the forearm of an elderly woman, soothing and cleansing the burn.

"He hasn't returned yet," Zuko replied.

A long time had passed since Jet had ventured into the flames to make certain no villagers had been left behind. Katara had begun to worry, and when she stood to face Zuko, she saw the same concern writ upon his face. But just as their worries began to fester, they heard a call and saw Jet limp from the smoke and fire. The hem of his pants had been singed away so the flames could lick at the skin of his leg. In his arms he held bundle. When Katara and Zuko rushed to his side, they saw the bundle was a little girl with soot-stained cheeks. She was alive. She clung to Jet as if her life had depended on it, which evidently it had.

"There's another one," Jet coughed. "Another girl. In the painted hut."

Katara didn't wait a moment longer before sprinting off into the village.

"Katara!" she heard Jet shout from behind her, but she didn't pay him any mind.

She nearly ran past the painted hut, for the walls had been almost completely swallowed by the blazes. The door had been kicked down, but a new door had been erected out of fire. She leaped through and into the smoke-filled house.

The smoke made her eyes water and burn.

"Hello?" she called.

The only answer she got was the crackling of fire. She walked carefully through the house. Each step she took made her feel like she was venturing further and further into an oven. This house was larger than the rest, with four rooms rather than just one. There were three doors at the back, leading to the other rooms.

"Hello?" she called again, louder this time.

She made for the first door, intent on checking each room when…

"Help!" was the panicked response.

The voice had come from the last door.

"I'm coming in!" Katara said as she brought the door down with a strong kick.

Thankfully, the fire had not yet reached this room. She found the girl huddled in the corner of the room, clutching a doll in her tiny fist.

"I'm going to get you out of here," Katara promised.

She stooped to pick up the girl, but the child squirmed away.

"Come on," Katara coaxed.

The girl's eyes filled with tears and she began to cry.

"I'm scared," she sobbed.

"There's nothing to be scared of. It's just a little fire," Katara insisted. Her forehead was dripping with sweat and she could barely see through her watering eyes, but she managed a reassuring smile.

A crash came from the other room as something fell. It didn't help her cause.

The girl screamed and tried to dart under the bed, but Katara caught her hand and scooped her into her arms. A soothing hand in the child's hair was enough to mollify her for the moment. With quick strides, Katara made for the door. She could see the village street from between strands of flame. She was almost there…

A resonating crack was heard. The girl let out a yelp and Katara started to run for the door. Like a beast of burden being relieved of its load, the house seemed to sigh as the roof came crashing down.