Ah! The more I read over my chapters, the more stuff I notice that I left out! Ugh, I have writing problems. This chapter has taken so long because I'm following Thawn's advise. He's totally right about what he said in his review. Alright, so here you go. Tell me how it goes.

I do not own Avatar.

--

The days seemed so long, filled with constant preparation, endless stories, and Sokka's unneeded strings of comments. He bugged her about everything she was doing wrong, always hovering over her shoulder and correcting her whenever she tied a knot wrong, or put certain food in a wrong bag, or even strapping her new knife wrong on her belt.

"If you don't put in through the loop right, it'll just stab you in the thigh whenever you stoop over. And also, seal jerky has to be kept-"

"Sokka!" Her hands were balled into fists, the small hard fruit in her hand had morphed into a ball of jagged icicles in reaction to her annoyance. "I've got all this! I'm not a little girl anymore!"

His was surprised at first, then dejected. His sea blue eyes fell to the ground. "I know sis, I'm just lookin' out for ya'"

"Well, stop it!" throwing the ruined fruit to the ground, she stomped away and joined the rest of the warriors when everything was together. Sokka kicked the ground, moping. He could tell when something was bothering his sister. In fact, anyone could. You didn't have to know Katara to know when she was pissed.

--

A few hours later, they had their company moving to the fringes of the meadow the outpost resided in. Katara's mind hadn't stopped racing since her last confrontation with Zuko. Even when she slept, his memory plagued her dreams.

But that's all he was now, right? A memory?

The thing that pained her the most besides Zuko's burning memory was the downcast mood of her father. She couldn't think of anything to say to him to comfort him, and the appearance of Kaya's necklace had only seemed to deepen his sadness.

"Hey, dad?" At the mention of his title, Hakoda looked down into his daughter's eyes "How did you know where I was?"

His eyes sparkled with happiness at Katara's voice "Well, we were out patrolling and looking for a place to set up camp, when we heard a scream from somewhere in the forest." His eyes darted to her scar-free hands, eyes glinting merrily, but remorsefully. "We didn't even stop to see you the fight was between. All we needed to see was the fire, and our minds were made up. My turn." His voice turned hard.

Katara looked worried, "What is it?"

"Why did you protect the Firebender?" He caught her in a net.

She sighed heavily, and told the complete, genuine story of her captivity. She elaborated on the kindness Zuko had shown her, how he had protected her from the vengeance of his men, and kept the cold from harming her.

Hakoda was deep in thought, "Why was he attacking you, then?"

She smirked and giggled, "I…sorta busted my way out. And I took out more than a few of his soldiers out along the way."

He patted her lovingly on the back, "That's my girl."

She smiled, her eyes dazzled with happiness.

The happiness was chased away when she remembered how quickly this could all end.

--

Like empty shadows, the hunters moved away from their fresh kills. The mutilated Water Tribe scouts hung by their necks, dangling from the branches of the tall pines. Their eyes had been slit out, a distinct sign that every Firenation citizen, poor or noble, knew.

Hunters were about.

The short female scoffed at the grisly remains. 'They must be close.' She flashed to the same male as before. He replied curtly, 'No kidding'

His attitude came form the fact that he was the only one who had received a scratch in the fray. To the hunters, wounds were disgraceful.

A bouncy girl with cascading black curls giggled, her laugh sounding like a breeze rather than a voice, 'Don't be so serious, Haiat. It was your own fault."

The man named Haiat glared daggers through his mask. But the leader stopped them before they could ignite. 'Enough of this foolishness, we're leaving'

They flitted through the branches without another silent word, and were gone instantly.

--

Zuko had been tracking the tribe by following their fire pits. They always left very clear trails to follow. Being a large group, it was hard for them to not leave any trace of their passing.

He had been loathsomely pondering his predicament.

By now, the entire Firenation thought he was a traitor, thought he was in some god forsaken den somewhere, plotting with a bunch of nomadic freaks and a temperamental Waterbender.

Because that made so much sense.

He would never be able to clear his name if he perished out here. He could never go back to the warm, welcoming halls of the Firenation Palace, with it's goliath hanging lanterns, velvet beds, and the best food in the world.

Zuko's stomach roared in protest to the thought.

He growled, swallowing his pathetic wishes. He really did think like a prince.

Then, finally.

His heart skipped a beat when he came within range of voices. They were low, but Zuko could tell they were prideful and jubilant.

They were Water Tribe, alright. No Water Tribe Warrior was without pride, and some even had too much of it. He had killed several, and knew this for sure.

But he would keep that little detail from Katara. It definitely wouldn't help his cause, especially when he was surrounded by Warriors.

He advanced closer, their voices coming in more clearly. His heart quavered when he heard Katara's mellow, soothing voice. She was probably talking to someone important or respected. Then he heard a loud, teenager voice, energetically raving something about Katara's knife being in the right place again. Her voice replied brutally, sounding like a breaking glacier. Like a mediator, a gentle, fatherly voice interjected and ended their quarrel.

The tribe was coming closer.

Taking a deep breath, Zuko purposely rattled the bushes as he came out into sight.

He didn't want to be hit by cheap shots.

--

Once again, sapphire clashed with fierce gold.

What was he doing here?!

The tribe was halted, and amazed.

There was a long, blank silence.

The Warriors shot each other glances from the corners of their eyes. They were conflicted. This man had saved Katara's life, but he had also tried to kill her. Was he bad?

Before anyone could speak, Sokka broke the shocked silence. "You're still alive?!"

Zuko raised an eyebrow, "Of course" The snap in his voice seemed to rattle their minds, showing them the obvious way to handle this.

A symphony of drawing blades and swooshing water filled the air. Katara had emptied the canteen at her side and held the water between them. Zuko was very outnumbered. He had never felt what it was like to be on the disadvantage, but he knew this was it.

"What do you want Zuko?" Katara's hard voice grazed his ears with the intensity of a blizzard.

He waved his empty hands in front of him. "Look, we have a common problem. We're both being hunted-"

"Why are you being hunted?" She cared very little about manners at the moment.

Habitually, he pinched the bridge of his nose, as he always did when he was annoyed, "Look, the details would take forever to explain, but the point is, I know things you don't, and we can help each other-"

"This is absurd," Katara bent the water into frozen needles, letting them gravitate in front of her. "Leave, or else I'll-" Her words were interrupted by the sound of knives screaming through the air.

Acting reflexively, she melted the gleaming needles and hardened them, putting up a wall of ice, catching the thin, tailed knife just inches from her face. Her eyes were crossed as she looked at it, perplexed. It had been on a dead-on path, right between her eyes.

The atmosphere burst into a flood of motion. Upraised weapons, constant wailing of tailed knives, and the roars of the enraged Warriors shattered the still morning air.

Their enemies eventually came into the clearing, moving like spiders from the tops of the trees.

Zuko knew who they were when he saw Katara catch the distinctive knife. The tassel that was linked to the bottom of the little hilt told Zuko exactly who these people were. He only hoped there were only a few of them.

A maelstrom of clashing weapons and shrieking daggers replaced the tranquil, morning setting. Instead of fighting, Katara looked around, frantically searching for her father.

She watched as Zuko was swallowed up by the sudden charge of Warriors. Then something terrifying stood where he had been seconds later, now behind the Warriors.

Her figure was indisputably female, and her raven black hair trickled down to her waist. Her body seemed to be made from shadows and death. The thin scimitar in her hands rang with the resounding echo as a she blocked a boomerang that had been spinning towards her. The warriors all turned to her, surprised, but ready.

"Sokka?!" She called out, alone in the midst of shouting war cries and dying people.

"Katara!" Sokka's reply was swallowed up by the furious melee.

Everything was such a blur. Everywhere she turned, someone was dying. Whether they wore deep blue fur, or grotesques masks, someone was dying.

She felt so lost in the void, until a hand grabbed her by her shoulder and ripped her body through the mob of charging Warriors. She felt Hakoda shove a pack into her arms, and just barely heard his words. He sounded so quiet, even though he was yelling at the top of his lungs.

The world was spinning.

"Go back! Go back! Just run, Katara!" He kept repeating, but her eyes were glazed over, in a different world. Shaking her, the distressed father shouted over and over again.

Zuko appeared at his side, Sokka trailing closely behind him, looking fierce, frightened and relieved all at once.

"I'll get them out of here." The prince shouted hurriedly. Hastily, Hakoda gave a strained smile and clapped Zuko on the back before turning back to the brawl. The Warriors were dropping to the ground like poisoned flies.

Roughly grabbing Katara's wrist, Zuko yanked her and Sokka from the clearing.

Looking up from his kill just in time, one hunter saw this, and took up immediate pursuit, slipping past the encumbered Warriors.

Sensing another presence behind them Zuko looked back and saw the deadly hunter shadowing their footsteps. Zuko hadn't expected such immediate pursuit.

When the hunter spoke, it sounded like his voice had never been used. "Your father wants you home, Prince Zuko." It sounded like sick, rasping metal. And his laughter was even more unsettling. The gruesome hiss he considered to be mirth escaped his lips, sending chills down Katara's back.

Using the momentum of their pace, Zuko heaved Sokka and Katara ahead of him. With amazing swiftness, Zuko whipped around, drew his swords, and pointed them out behind him, all in one fluid motion.

Predictably, the hunter skewered himself on Zuko's outstretched blades. The shiny blades went in clean and burst from the man's back covered in dark blood and speckled with ravaged tissue and bits of carnage. He had been so close to their backs, teasing and taunting them, too busy to notice that he should've just taken the kill while he was still alive.

Not pausing a second, Zuko kicked the carcass of his blades, turned forward again, and kept his bloody weapons out and ready.

--

The sun was setting before they broke their sprint, collapsing to the spongy loam, chests heaving in exertion.

Sokka rolled over on to his back and murmured, "Oh no…"

Shaking, Katara got to her hands and knees, wrapping her fists around the long green blades of spring grass.

"I couldn't do anything." Her voice was ragged, devastated by their unquestionable loss. The reality of what she hadn't done collapsed on her the moment her body hit the ground and her legs stopped pumping.

Zuko, recovering his breath the fastest, came up to her and placed a surprisingly comforting hand on her back, "None of us saw it coming-"

"Shut up!" She spun on him and slapped his hand away from her, "This never would have happened if you weren't here! If you had just stayed in your stupid palace, and ruled your stupid nation, we wouldn't be here right now!"

Her knife-like words stung him, but Zuko didn't show weakness. "It's war Katara; what else do you expect? Did you think they were going to sit down and chat things out?"

A sharp, resounding crack echoed on the wind as Katara struck her hand across his face. A hand-shaped welt was already forming on his visage.

Sokka winced, "Katara…We're alive because of him…"

"But dad isn't!"

"We don't know that yet!" For the first time, Sokka's face turned serious. "Katara, just calm down-"

"NO!" From high atop the mountains, a booming rumble sounded as the glaciers that were miles away reacted violently to her rage.

This seemed to sober her a little bit. But where the fury was, the sorrow replaced it.

--

Zuko paced back and forth, passing the campfire for what must have been the thousandth time. Sokka, his face emotionless, fed the crackling fire wiry briar he found in the thin outskirts of the forest.

After several hours of waiting, the disowned prince spoke up, irritated with Katara's stubborn lack of interest. "We need to-"

"We're not leaving." Katara's reply was blunt and to the point. But she wasn't shouting anymore.

When Zuko looked to Sokka for help, Sokka shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, as if saying 'Your funeral.'

Chills ran over Zuko's skin.

Katara was getting to him the one way he hated to think about.

He cared for her more and more.

--

Later, deep into the night, Zuko rolled over and opened his eyes. Katara was still awake, sitting, hugging her knees to her chest, staring at the part of the forest her father would emerge from.

Sleepily, he crawled over to her. "Katara, please sleep."

She didn't reply.

"Katara?" He peered over her shoulder and looked upon her face. Her eyes were shut, and her lips were parted delicately, white puffs of breath escaping the breach.

Observing her angelically calm face, Zuko came to be surprised. He hesitated at first, but mustered the courage to drape his robe over her still form. Zuko was left bare-chested, but far from freezing.

Sitting next to her, he draped his alabaster arm around her shoulders. She stirred slightly, leaning into Zuko's side, her slumbering body unconsciously moving towards the heat. Sighing against Zuko's bare chest, she returned to sleep.

The only sounds that carried on the wind were the dying crackles of the fire, Sokka's noisy snores, and Katara's slow, soft breathing.

Silvery, illuminated by the nearly full moon, the billowing clouds parted, allowing Zuko his first sight of the twinkling stars in several months.

His first thought was to wake Katara, but his mind caught on a thought.

He liked it when she slept with him. Her presence extinguished the fire inside of him. But he would always consider her a thorn in his side.

So he watched the stars by himself, and he couldn't care less.

--

I think this is my longest chapter yet! I typed all this with a funky space bar; it doesn't seem to want to work most of the time. Maybe I just need a new keyboard? Well, I hope I gave you plenty to enjoy and I want reviews!