My leg were starting to tire. It was our third and hopefully finally day of trekking across the island so we could board the next boat to the main land. My legs wouldn't have been so tired if it wasn't for Zuko wanting to always quicken the pace, I swear if it wasn't for Iroh and myself he would have run nonstop across the island. I wasn't going to let him think that I was weak so I stayed on his heels the whole trek and was now paying for it.

Iroh had finally called a halt to our trek much to his nephew's displeasure, I don't see how they could be related. Iroh is so likeable and Zuko, well, is Zuko.

I watched him playing with a small flame in his hand. I had come accustomed to the almost always presence of the element that I was taught to fear. I couldn't figure out how fire Benders could just make their element appear from thin air, with the other three elements we had to draw them from around us, not to say that it helped the Air Nomads before they got wiped out by the Fire Nation.

I watched as Zuko across from me made the flame dance from one palm to another. I hadn't really had much conversation with him because he looked like he never wanted to be spoken to, but I was getting over him always getting what he wanted.

I stood up and walked towards Zuko and sat down next to him. He looked at me cocking up one of his eyebrows in surprise, I hoped. I felt awkward under his stare, he had a way to make you feel small next to him, but I wasn't going to let him continually act like this.

"How do you fire bend?" I blurted out. He looked at me strangely. I had just giving up the hope of starting a conversation with him when he actually replied.

"Did your father not bend?" came his husky voice

Even after five days of living under my fake history I hadn't gotten use to the constant lying. I tried to remember the fire ambassador that use to stalk the halls to our palace, I don't think he could bend, or at least I didn't ever see him.

"No, the Fire Lord wanted to send someone who couldn't bend to prevent hostility from the Water Benders"

Zuko let his flame disappear and looked into the sky above us.

"Since when did the Fire Lord ever care about preventing hostility" I just caught him mumbling.

"What do you mean?" I asked confused.

He looked at me surprised. I guess he didn't mean for me to hear that comment of his.

"Ah, don't worry about it" he said running a hand through his messy hair. I continued to look at him, I just could quite understand him, and he was so hard to read. I was use to people like Sokka and my father who both wore their emotions on their sleeves, you never had to guess what they were thinking or feeling or though sometimes I wished they were more discreet about their feelings on certain subjects. At least I could now see how he and Iroh were related, they both spoke in riddles.

I forgot I was looking at him until I realised I was meeting a stare of his golden topaz eyes. I quickly looked down to the grass below me and began to pull it out of the ground.

"My father always said that the fire that Fire Benders use always comes from the strength inside of the bender themselves. He always said the bending was power and those without the power to bend were weak" said Zuko making sure to avoid my stare.

I couldn't believe what I had just heard! I couldn't believe that people actually thought like that. I grew up in a tribe that had very few Waterbenders and was taught that while it was a privilege to be able to bend it wasn't something to judge people on.

I haven't heard him ever mention his father and I just assumed he never had one. I was curious about him and how he ever got the idea the non-benders were weak

"Where is your father now?" I asked.

I saw his body tense and figured that I made him uncomfortable, not wanting to ruin the first proper conversation I have had with him I told him he didn't have to answer. I could understand him not wanting to delve into family history, my life depended on not letting anyone know my history. I was about to go away from this now awkward situation and find Iroh who was searching for some tea leaves he was sure grew in the area.

"How is it at the South Pole?"

I had to try and keep the smile off of my face as I thought about my home.

"Well there is the being cold part" I looked at him just as he gave me a face indicating that he already knew that. "It snows all the time, this is the first time I have not walked on snow. There are the penguins that smell horrible but are so much fun to watch and the canoe races that happen-" I stopped dead in the middle of my answer. I sounded too much of a water tribesperson rather than someone with an allegiance to the Fire Nation. Zuko's glare also let me know he caught on.

"So in the war, who do you support?" he asked flatly. I knew I had to answer this correctly, my whole cover could be blown in this moment.

"I am a person of the Fire Nation. My father raised me in a way of the Fire Nation people and to always follow the Fire Lord. I was just raised at the South Pole and it is all I ever knew so I am fond of it"

I held my breath waiting for the Firebender's reaction.

He nodded his head sending his black locks to cover some of his face. "I don't understand how your father could have lasted so long down there. Like you said there is nothing but snow and barbarians to keep him company" he said curling his thin lips up in disgust.

I felt my blood temperature rise in that moment. First he insulted non-benders who all of my family were and then he flat out insulted my people! I couldn't hold my mouth any more

"My mother is one of those so called Barbarians! And mind you they are not in the slightest anything like barbarians, it is you and your manners that are those of a barbarian" I ended that last sentence by jumping up and pointing my shaking finger in his face.

I saw his mouth open but I didn't wait, I turned quickly and made my way out of the clearing before I felt the angry tears roll down my cheeks.

I needed to get away from him. I kept walking once I got into the cover of the tall trees. I needed to calm myself down, I took my three deep breaths and felt my blood cooling down. I had to keep my cool, there is no way I could portray my real loyalty to the Water Tribe. I can't let what he says get to me, it just frustrates me how we take a step forward and then three steps back when we try to talk.

I let out a heavy sigh. I shouldn't be caring about our relationship, if we even have one at all. I am only using the both of them to get me safely back home. Of course being able to look at each other without feeling hostility would be great, but not necessary.

I looked around at the trees and colours that I was slowly getting used to. I know that my mother wouldn't be happy with me storming off like a child no matter how aggravating Zuko is.

As I walked back into the clearing I saw Zuko pacing on the opposite side while Iroh, back from his tea hunt, was trying to talk to him. Zuko's gold eyes shot to me as soon as I walked out of the trees, even when I was furious with him I had to admire his keen senses. I quickly avoided his stare, embarrassed by my behaviour from before.

I sat on the outskirts of our small camp and stared at the green grass in front of me. I heard the soft fall of feet coming towards me but ignored them.

"Sorry" Zuko said it so quickly I almost didn't catch it. I looked up at him, he was standing with his head turned to the side, his dark hair covering most of his face, avoiding my stare this time. He turned and looked at Iroh who gave him a disapproving look.

He sighed heavily and turned to look me in the eye.

"I'm sorry that I offended you before, I didn't mean to upset you" he said his perfectly rehearsed. I saw Iroh in the background nodding his head. I didn't want to cause anymore friction between us so I stood up.

Zuko took a step back in surprise. "Thank you. I am sorry for having a short temper and going off at you".

After I said that there became an awkward silence between the two of us. Zuko just nodded his head and walked back to Iroh who grinned at him.

"Now, children you must remember an eye for an eye will only make the world go blind" Philosophized Iroh.

I mulled over what Iroh had said. It made sense, every time there was an attack someone would return the attack, that is what had made this war so unforgiving, the fact that we had all become blind to the effects warfare had on everybody. We walked until we got to a small rise in the ground, the sun was just about to set and I could feel the soothing effect the moon always had on me begin to get stronger. A full moon wasn't too far off. I shuddered to think how it would feel not being able to waterbend during a full moon, it was like Sokka not eating at a feast.

I felt the now familiar pang of sadness as I thought about my brother. I missed his annoying contagious grin, and the way he just made every day so much happier. The Southern Water Tribe where lucky to have him next in line to lead them and they knew it. Everybody loved the big goofball who could also show such leadership qualities, as the daughter to their chief and one of the very few Waterbenders at the South Pole I was also well received by our people.

As second in line I was required to help Sokka when he stepped up to be chief. We believed that women were the ones that held and reinforced culture so it was tradition to always have a female beside a chief, and that is where I would be until Sokka found a suitable wife. A tradition that would be lost if the Fire Nation had their way.

I was so caught up with my thoughts of home I didn't see that we had stopped walking until I bumped into Iroh. He looked and smiled as I apologized while Zuko just looked at me and shook his head.

I looked over the hill that we were now atop of. It over looked a very busy port, I could believe how many boats there was! The big metal vessels with dark smoke coming from them looked very intimidating, it made me wonder how our small ships made of wood would ever stand up to the fire Nation Navy.

"I wonder which one is ours" mused Iroh out loud following my gaze.

"Only one way to find out" said Zuko as he stared down the hill towards the town at a face pace. I swear to Tui and La that he never ran out of energy.

"Don't worry Katara, once on the mainland we will find some ostrich horses to make our traveling easier" reassured Iroh as he followed his nephew while I was left pondering what an ostrich horses was.

I truly did miss the smell of the salt ocean. I tried hard to relish it as much as I could because I knew this would be the last time I would see the ocean for a long time. As soon as this boat ported in the main land Iroh, Zuko and I will be heading straight inland. Iroh said the ship ride should arrive tomorrow morning sometime, it was night time now.

I looked out over the rail at the endless black around us, if I didn't feel the surge of waves and the pull of currents underneath us I would have thought the boat would have been suspended in mid-air.

After the six days of travel with the strange duo I had felt worn out, not just physically but mentally. I was constantly worried about my parents, not for their health. As I was growing up I was told many tales in where people knew of their loved ones death before being told about it, they explained it as part of them dying on the inside and I had not felt that, besides picturing my father's solid frame I knew that nothing could harm him, and he definitely wouldn't let any harm come to my mother. I was more worried of the fact that they thought I would be dead and the grief they would be going through. I didn't want them to hurt without reason and made it my goal to get to Ember Island as fast as I could, even if it meant the constant complaining of my legs.

I looked up at the bright moon. I was so glad to see it, it looked the same as it did at home and that gave me peace. The only bad thing with a moon nearing full was that it kept me up late with all the energy it brought with it.

Looking up at the moon I felt the hairs on my back stand up, slowly I turned around startled to see Zuko leaning casually in the door frame. He didn't try to hide the fact that he was staring at me. I felt flustered as he looked at me, how long was he standing there? I stood outside feeling the wind lift my hair as it pleased, I waited for Zuko to say something but he didn't. Feeling uncomfortable I went to walk through the doorway back to the room Iroh had paid for, but at my movement that made him snap out of his trance and turn and walk back through the door. I was left even more confused about the boy with the scar than ever before.

Hi everybody! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reading! This week I was slow on udating but I am hoping to keep updating every Friday!