The Waterbender's Wager

NOTE:

Again, sorry for the delay. Been busy with real life stuff. But I've also been planning the rest of the story in more detail so now I really have a better idea of how it's all going to play out.

This is a bit of a filler chapter, I'm afraid, but hopefully still interesting. Needed to have some time pass for these two as they made their journey. They're gradually learning more about each other and learning to trust each other so that has to be developed properly.

This chapter is almost entirely from Katara's perspective. I didn't really plan for this but it just flowed more naturally. Rest assured, you will see more of Zuko's point of view in the next chapters.

I will try to post an update as soon as I can. In the meantime, I'd love to know what you think of this one.

Enjoy!

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Katara glanced curiously at her companion who was busy tending to the fire. Naturally.

Though she had vouched for him to the members of her council, Katara was still on her guard. After all, he was still little more than a stranger. But as their journey progressed, the waterbender grew more and more relaxed around the somber young prince. She was not sure, however, if the feeling was mutual. He looked as serious as he always did and she wondered what topic would be able to effectively draw him into a conversation. She had never met anyone so reserved. As unusual as their circumstances were, these did not stop her from being warm and friendly. It was simply in her nature, as she suspected Zuko's constant silence was in his. Fortunately, she did not sense any hostility from him in spite of his grave demeanor.

They spent several days traveling through challenging terrain, steep mountains and icy plains. Most of their energy was used up as they moved along so it was fortunate that they had no conflicts between themselves. Katara took the lead and Zuko followed along without question. The waterbender found this comforting but also slightly strange. To have the prince of the Fire Nation simply obey her every word.

They also encountered harsh weather conditions, particularly extreme cold. The temperatures were almost always close to freezing which was exacerbated by the occasional heavy snowfall and strong winds. Being a waterbender, Katara was accustomed to such conditions but even she had trouble every now and then.

At such times, she worried about her companion and she always checked to see how he was dealing with a climate he had not grown up in. To her surprise, he dealt with everything admirably. While he still struggled with the conditions, he did not look particularly downcast. (At least, not more than usual). If he was miserable about the cold, it was not that apparent.

Initially, Katara wondered how he was keeping warm and then she noticed that there would occasionally be some smoke appearing over his hands as he warmed them or when he exhaled deeply. Sometimes, there was even a slight glow on his hands as he controlled his element enough to keep him from freezing.

The few times that they made contact, helping each other climb steep and rocky surfaces or passing their supplies to one another, Katara immediately felt the warmth that emanated from Zuko's person. Whether he was sharing his natural warmth intentionally or if it was just some side-effect of his bending, Katara could not yet tell. But still, she appreciated it.

There was something soothing about this change of temperature and even though she was used to the cold, she still found the heat comforting. She was beginning to find his presence comforting and that's what surprised her the most.

Understandably, Katara never had a very good opinion of firebenders. For years she had nursed a deep hostility towards them because of what they had done to her family. It was only after some intensive waterbending training that she was able to channel her energy and her rage into more productive avenues. And somehow having let go of her anger was an immense relief. She had decided to focus on how she could help her people instead of getting revenge on those who had caused so much pain.

And it was this kind of compassionate mindset that had spurred her to take Zuko on this quest. She was suspicious of him, but she did not hate him. And as their journey progressed, Katara felt the remnants of any ill-feeling directed towards him diminish significantly. There was no changing who he was but she was beginning to change how she saw him.

"Who would have thought that I would ever meet the prince of the Fire Nation?" she told herself constantly. She never ceased to marvel at the circumstances that had brought them together.

And as they approached their destination, despite the meteorological difficulties, Katara felt her strength and determination grow. She would fulfill this mission and help her people. And while she was doing so, she was also making (she hoped) a friend from the most unlikely place.

She observed him carefully whenever he wasn't looking. He was of a serious disposition and spoke to her but rarely but always in a civil tone. They had spent most of their journey so far in silence. At first he had seemed uneasy in her company not from any suspicious notice but because he seemed more accustomed to solitude. Katara was often the one who initiated conversation but though his answers were always concise, he seemed to gradually grow more at ease in her presence.

They were able to make short conversations though Katara could not be satisfied with just these. But she also knew that she could not push him to talk, not if he didn't want to. She was fairly certain that she could not provoke him to do anything untoward. He was too careful for that. But she still did not want to offend him. After all, they were allies on this mission and he had not shown any signs of betrayal.

In fact, all he had ever been to her since they started on their journey was unflinchingly loyal and helpful. Sometimes, she noticed, even protective.

Even though he knew that she was more than capable of taking care of herself, he was always so considerate of her and warned her of falling chunks of ice or walking in front of her to make sure that the coast was clear. She was touched by his concern and showed the same for him but noticed that he always felt awkward whenever she did so. He made sure to express his gratitude but he always seemed to be at a loss for words, something she found both endearing and frustrating.

She longed to know more about him but she was also hesitant about prying. It was clear that he had endured great pain though she was not yet sure how this could have happened to the son of the Fire Lord. She was eager for details and yet his manner made her pause. She knew that she would have to tread carefully.

But Katara was never one to get deterred by an obstacle. And as they spent more time together, she was working up the nerve to ask him about all the things she wanted to know. She only hoped that he would be willing to share his past with her because she was certain that she trusted him enough to share hers with him.