Chapter 10: One Thousand Miles

"You must be a Lotus, unfolding its petals when the Sun rises in the sky, unaffected by the slush where it is born or even the water which sustains it!"
– Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Zuko knelt by the fire that blazed away in the center of the Gathering Hut, a small frown on his face as the men around him raised rough-hewn cups and cheered, tossing back what Zuko thought had to be swamp water. It certainly smelled like enough like the marshes to turn his stomach. It burned like fire going down. Zuko didn't know how the swamp dwellers were able to initially drink the stuff, let alone continue drinking it.

The party started late the night before, after Katara's final assessment and mastery, and had carried over till morning. Katara and the other girls slipped out just before the men broke out the alcohol, giggling over some shared secret that he was not privy to. A cup had been shoved into his hands after that and then the singing had started.

Zuko warily contemplated his cup, observing the strangely murky liquid and wondered how he'd managed to get dragged into a drunken party with the men of the swamp. He'd wanted to pack up and leave as soon as Katara said she was finished with her training. Anything to get away from the water and the mud and the food. Giant insects were not his idea of a delicious meal. The rest of the food wasn't too bad, but the bugs definitely put him off eating much.

Boa dropped down next to him with a laugh, holding up what looked like another one of those wineskins containing even more of what Zuko was rapidly deciding had to be poison. "More, Lee?"

Zuko wasn't given the option to decline and Boa filled his cup again, the liquid sloshing over the sides as Boa's unsteady hand poured. Another toast was raised and everyone drank heartily. The firebender dutifully drank to the toast, forcing back the urge to cough and hoping his eyes weren't watering.

"What is this stuff?" he gasped.

Boa threw an unsteady arm over Zuko's shoulders — Zuko trying not to cringe away — and laughed, "Moonshine!"

Vine slurred from nearby, "'s t' besss'."

The men cheered. Cups were again raised in a salute to the drink and several burst into song, swinging their cups along with the beat and sloshing it everywhere:

"I'm a rambler, I'm a gambler, I'm a long way from home
And if you don't like me, well leave me alone!
I'll eat when I'm hungry, I'll drink when I'm dry,
And the moonshine don't kill me, I'll live till I die!"

The song continued, growing more boisterous the longer it went on, the words slurring together in an unintelligible mess. Another cheer followed the final verse and they dissolved into laughter, falling over each other when they overcompensated their balance. Boa grinned at Zuko. "It's a shame ya ne'er married."

Boa's comment drew chuckles from the men seated nearby and several elbow jabs. Trai slapped him on the shoulder. "She's a fine lookin' gal, Lee. I migh' fancy 'er meself."

Several others chorused agreement and even Boa nodded solemnly. Zuko's cheeks filled with heat, but Boa was already musing on other thoughts. "Ya would 'ave been welcomed in th' tribe, y'know."

Wide, gold eyes swung toward the older man, disbelief clear in them. As far as he could remember, he wasn't welcomed anywhere and the initial greeting in the swamp was much the same. It'd seemed that most of the tribe still viewed in with some suspicion even after all this time. "What?"

"Yer a handy man to 'ave 'round, fire-breather," Boa said solemnly, the effect ruined by the drunken grin on his face. "Yer no' bad."

Trai agreed. "Keep th' cook fires goin'."

The men roared with laughter. Conversation circled around to women again and Trai nudged Zuko with a knowing smile. "She ever spend th' nigh' wit' ya?"

The question had been asked other times, when the men had been more sober, but for some reason, the question had caught him off guard. Zuko sputtered, choking on the moonshine he'd just taken he'd just taken a drink of, gulping it down hurriedly. Tears immediately sprang to his eyes as the moonshine burned a path down his throat and to his stomach. "No!" he rasped.

Eyebrows rose at his vehemence and Boa smirked. "My Nu said she went missin' some nights. Came back b'fore dawn."

To Zuko's horror, he felt his cheeks flush and he wondered just how many people knew Katara would slip into his bed at night long after everyone had gone to sleep. Trai and Boa exchanged conspiratorial smiles and Trai adopted a thoughtful look.

"Ya know," Trai said with some consideration, "Tien said she tried t' spend th' nigh' wit' ya once, but ya was busy."

"I was not," Zuko exclaimed. "She did not!"

Trai gave him a pitying look, reaching over and filling Zuko's nearly empty cup again. "Don' worry. She'll come 'round some time. I thought she were into ya somethin' fierce."

Zuko jerked away from Boa and Trai, nearly spilling the moonshine as he shot to his feet, his face flushing more deeply. "I do not like that — that girl!"

Trai brightened. "So I can 'ave 'er?"

Zuko glared hotly, fist clenching around the cup in his hand, contemplating throwing it at his smirking face. Baring his teeth, he snarled, "No."

Trai wilted, protesting hotly, "Well, ya can't keep 'er all to yerself if'n ya don' want 'er! Thas — thas mean."

"Lee?"

Zuko whirled around, coming face-to-face with Katara. Several other girls stood behind her grinning when the men hailed them and offered cups of the moonshine. Zuko stared dumbly, ignoring the snickers from Vinh, Boa, and Trai. The girls moved in to accept the cups and settle on the floor to join in the farewell party. Katara smiled uncertainly, shifting to motion behind her. "Huu said he's ready to guide us out of the Swamp."

Boa looped an arm over Zuko's shoulder again, slurring cheerfully, "Yer welcome back any time, Lee! Th' w'men will miss ya, han'some devil!"

Zuko's blush flared and he caught Katara's smirk. Boa seemed to suddenly notice her and he blinked owlishly at her before pointing slightly to her right. "An' yer, 'tara, ya need t' work on yer trappin' or 'e's gonna get away."

Katara spluttered, eyes widening with surprise. She looked at Zuko for explanation, but the firebender was covering his face so she could only ask, "My what?"

But Boa was already turning away to engage one of the other swamp men. "I always wondered if'n a fire-breather 'n a wa'erbender had bebies they'd be steam bebies."

Loud guffaws met that statement and quite a few demanded the two benders return to the swamp with their brood in the future to see what steam babies looked like. Color flooded Katara's cheeks and a quick glance at Zuko revealed a similar condition. A quickly stifled snort of laughter made her swing her eyes to Nu with a look of betrayal. The older girl grinned, offering an unrepentant shrug of amusement. "Don' take it to heart. Th' men are as bad a gossip as th' women. 'Sides, Boa 'n I are gettin' married soon."

Zuko handed off his cup to someone, he didn't care much who took it, and hurried out of the hut with hardly a glance at Katara. Huu stuck his head in the door a moment later, smiling when the revelers greeted him with a cheer and an invitation. He declined, explaining, "Lee has expressed his desire to leave now, Miss Katara."

When Katara finally made her way outside, she found Zuko and Huu standing with a few other older men. Feathers was digging in the mud, plumage glossy and well groomed, clucking happily. Huu smiled when he saw her. "Ah, there ya are, Miss Katara. Come along, we've got 'bout a day's travel t' reach th'other side. A few of the men are coming with us jus' in case we run int' trouble. Spring is an active time for most of the swamp. The catigators will be watchin' th' banks fer easy prey."

She glanced instinctively at Zuko to try and gauge what he thought, but he simply turned to the ostrich horse and checked that the packs were secure. Someone had returned his dao swords to him and they were again strapped securely across his back. Hai held up a hand to help her down to the wide barge and she took it gratefully, stepping carefully down the wet steps. "Thank you."

Hai grinned when she placed her hand in his, shooting Zuko a mischievous glance. "'S not a problem, Miss Katara. Ya two be sure t' come back and visit. Per'aps yer'll get married fer real this time?"

Zuko choked, coughing violently and earning several concerned looks from the others; though the ones that heard the comment hid their smiles. Katara laughed, hoping no one would comment on the blush she could feel returning to her cheeks. Thankfully, she was saved from responding by another swamp dweller deciding they'd better leave if they were expecting to make good time. Zuko gathered Feather's reins, covering the ostrich horse's eyes to keep the bird calm during the trip by water. Tho took a position by the rudder, while Due and Hai took positions on either side of the barge. They were just preparing to start bending when Boa stumbled out of the hut, Nu close behind him, calling out unsteadily, "'Ey! We're comin' too!"

Huu shook his head, but Due laughed, calling back, "Yer drunk!"

Boa snorted, slurring back, "Aye! And yer ugly, but ya don' see me complainin'!"

Due laughed and Boa practically tripped onto the barge, prompting a laugh from the other men. Nu stepped on with much more grace, rolling her eyes and helping Boa back to his feet and adjusting the skewed leaf hat he was wearing. Boa grinned at her, leaning in to sloppily plant a kiss on her lips and missing. "Thank ya, love."

She helped him to the center of the barge, making him take a seat before Due and Hai pushed the raft into motion. "I don' know 'ow ya 'spect t' be any help, Boa."

"Ah," Boa sighed. "I couldn't let Lee go wit'out givin' 'im some a'vice!"

The look of terror that crossed Zuko's face would have been comical had Katara not felt the same sense of dread. Nu merely rolled her eyes again, folding her arms across her chest and tilting her head curiously. "What kinda 'vice?"

Boa's hand flopped around until Nu took pity on him and reached to take it in her own. "Ya know, w'men a'vice! Kid don' know nothin' 'bout nothin'."

Nu laughed in affectionate exasperation. "Ya don't know nothin' 'bout women, Boa."

He gasped, eyes wide and offended, pressing a hand to his chest. Nu rolled her eyes, bending to kiss his cheek. His grin returned and he struggled to his feet, stumbling over to where Zuko stood with the ostrich horse. Nu could only gave a rueful shrug of her shoulders before moving to stand next to Katara.

The two young women watched as Boa leaned heavily on the ostrich horse, the animal tossing its head and clacking his beak with agitation, and spoke to Zuko. Despite Zuko's clear reluctance to speak to the other man, he didn't brush him off or push him away. Katara smiled.

"Ya know," Nu said casually, "'e ain't tha' bad of a guy. A lil rough 'round th' edges. Ya take care o' each other, 'kay?"

Katara hummed her agreement, watching Zuko shrug awkwardly in response to something Boa was explaining with a great deal of hand gestures. Nu smiled. "Good. Maybe ya can 'elp 'im find hisself."

Katara turned away from the firebender to look at Nu, brow furrowing. "You think he's lost?"

The swamp girl lifted her shoulders. "He's confused, I think. Conflicted."

"Huu mentioned something like that before," Katara muttered. "I wonder what he's conflicted about."

"Ye'll 'elp 'im out," Nu said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Three days trekking across the desert sands in scorching heat and stinging sand and Zuko was wishing for the rains of the swamp. He even found himself wishing for his ship again before remembering how utterly miserable he was when confined to its deck and incredibly small cabin. The Northern Water Tribes were remembered with a wistfulness fondness. The ice channels a distant memory. If it was ever cold or wet again, Zuko swore he'd never complain. The sun was brutal and if he could spare a thought, he would curse it. A sigh brushed hotly across his neck and Katara drooped heavily against his back, mumbling, "So hot."

Zuko grunted, adjusting his rice hat to better shade his eyes, and looked around. Three days and they were quickly running out of water in their waterskins and they'd yet come across a fresh water source. "We need water."

Hot breath again danced across his neck as she gave a short, silent laugh. "Nothing around. I haven't felt water for days."

The words had kind of a mournful longing beneath them; like she was missing a lover. Zuko leaned to the side to look back at her. "How much do we have?"

Blue eyes squinted against the bright sunlight, gaze focused on the horizon, a frown tugging at her dry lips. "Not enough."

Zuko nodded grimly, twisting the reins around his hands. He knew as much, but had been hoping he'd been mistaken. Minutes passed in silence except for the near silent thud of the ostrich horse's trot on the sand. Yes, Zuko missed his ship. He missed the ocean. He missed the breeze that came off the water. He missed the smell of the sea. His frown deepened. He never thought he'd miss water so much. Even water he couldn't drink. It was the water that he could drink that he missed the most. He'd probably dream about the stuff when they set up camp for the night.

A sharp gasp from Katara and the sudden tightening of her arms around him jerked him from his thoughts and he immediately scanned their surroundings for danger. There was nothing except endless sand and rock. A heartbeat later, she croaked, "Water."

His mind moved sluggishly to understand, partly believing he'd misunderstood. "Where?"

A hand rose and Zuko ignored the tremor as she pointed slightly to their right. Zuko squinted, trying to see what she was pointing to. "How far?"

Katara grunted, her had dropping as if it was too heavy to hold up. "A few hours. Maybe."

She was leaning heavily against him, despite the heat and the added warmth of his internal fire, and she didn't wrap her arm back around him to steady herself. Zuko scowled. They needed shade. And water. He kicked the ostrich horse into a brisk trot hoping the animal wouldn't collapse. Feather's, too, was beginning to droop in the heat despite the fact that the bird's home climate was arid land.

With the occasional input from Katara to adjust direction, they eventually stumbled upon water. The oasis was barely larger than a puddle, but it had a rocky out cropping that offered enough shade for the ostrich horse to rest in while the overhanging ledge would provide enough space for Zuko and Katara to crawl under. The firebender quickly slid out of the saddle, shaking Katara back to consciousness. His frown deepened when dazed eyes met his, but he would deny any feelings of concern if anyone were to ask. "Get some water and stay in the shade."

She stumbled when her feet hit the ground and Zuko turned to pull the saddle from the ostrich horse as fast as he could, trying to ignore the trembling of his own hands and blurring vision. He led the horse to the edge of the puddle, letting the beast find its own water. Katara knelt at the puddle, brow furrowed. The puddle looked cloudy, muddy, and unappetizing. Zuko tried to push away feelings of disappointment. His uncle once mentioned the great price some poor soul paid for drinking mud. He couldn't remember if it'd been an analogy or a true story. "Great. Can we even drink it?"

Tired blue eyes glanced at him. "Waterbender."

Her hands moved and a globe of water rose before them, clear and sparkling. It was the most beautiful sight Zuko had ever seen. She regarded it critically before holding it out to Zuko. She held it patiently as Zuko stared. He didn't exactly trust her to transfer it to his mouth without trying to drown him.

More water slipped through his hands than actually ended up in his mouth and eventually Zuko dug out an empty waterskin. Katara filled it quickly before bending water for herself. The ostrich horse squawked a protest, nosing at the puddle and ruffling distressed feathers. Katara quickly bent an ice trough, filling it with water before she crawled under the overhanging rocks and stretched out with a relieved sigh. Zuko joined her moments later, settling as comfortably as he could on the hard ground and placing his dao swords within easy reach. Katara rolled toward him, half-lidded blue eyes looking at him. Zuko turned his gaze to the ostrich horse pecking at the rapidly melting ice. Nothing moved in the desert beyond and Zuko let his head fall back and his eyes close. "We'll move at sunset."

Katara grunted acknowledgment and let herself drop into a light doze. Hours later she awoke with a shiver to find the sun low on the horizon and Zuko saddling the ostrich horse. He ignored her as she slid out from under the ledge, briskly dusting sand off her clothes and stretching muscles cramped from sleeping awkwardly. She quickly packed the bedding and gathered up the few loose possessions they'd pulled out of the packs earlier and carried them out to Zuko. Once everything was secured, Zuko swung into the saddle and Katara climbed on behind him.

The sun sank below the horizon, leaving behind only a lingering warmth before the night breeze blew it away. Each of them was silently relieved that they were no longer melting under the heat of the sun. A soft breeze picked up close to midnight and Katara shivered, snuggling closer to Zuko's back.

"It's cold," she commented, sounding as if she hated to even mention the fact after the blistering heat of the day.

Zuko grunted, trying to ignore the way his heart leapt when Katara tightened her arms around his stomach and pressed close. Her breath puffed warm across the side of his neck as she rested her chin on his shoulder. "I guess the sand doesn't hold the heat long."

He shrugged the shoulder she wasn't resting on. "It's better than the heat."

A soft snort of amusement sounded close to his ear and raised goosebumps on his arms. "Better for two people to travel together. At least the nights will be comfortable."

Thankful for the darkness that hid his heated cheeks, he scoffed, urging the ostrich horse into a brisk trot. She laughed quietly, pressing her mouth against his shoulder to stifle the laugh. The next few minutes passed in silence, the desert sand a pale silver beneath the sliver of a moon that hung over their heads. A slight breeze brought the occasional howl of a pack of coyote bats. Katara shivered again, keeping an eye out for the night creatures.

"Do you know where you're going?" Katara asked after a while.

Zuko pointed in the direction they were heading. "Vinh said there was a town in this direction."

Katara absorbed the thought, fingers flexing thoughtlessly at his sides. "You think he's right? I mean, from what the girls told me, not that many of the villagers leave the swamp."

Zuko tried to remember if Vinh had said anything about going out past the borders of the swamp and came up blank. Not wanting to admit as much, he nodded. "Yeah?"

He sounded uncertain, but Katara nodded, stating confidently, "The desert can't go on forever; right? It's going to end at some point."

Zuko said nothing. They'd either hit a town or hit the sea so she was right, the desert couldn't go on forever. It certainly felt like it could, tough.

Close to dawn, Zuko started looking for a place to camp, guiding the ostrich horse to another rocky outcropping. This one had no oasis, but there was evidence of an old campfire and the outcropping looked like it had been dug out a bit to accommodate a person or two. Zuko swung out of the saddle, prowling around the area while Katara watched cautiously. He poked at the ashes of the fire, squinting in the dim light and again circled the immediate area. Nothing lay further out that could provide cover for an ambush or thieves, so he returned to the camp.

"It's cold," he declared, looking around the area again. "But we must be near a road. The area's used often."

"Great," Katara sighed with relief. "A town must be nearby."

The firebender grunted, but said nothing else, turning instead to pull sleeping pallets and packs off the ostrich horse. Unperturbed, Katara took her share and headed toward the outcropping, frowning at the sky before making a decision on where to bed angle of the sun as it rose and made its trek across the sky would shine more directly on some areas as opposed to others and Katara didn't want to be forced to move before she had to. The best area wasn't very wide, just enough to fit herself and Zuko as long as they stayed pretty close together. The ostrich horse would have to make do with partial shade. Katara stretched out the sleeping mats, collapsing gratefully onto her own with a sigh, burying her face in her arms. Zuko dropped moodily next to her a few minutes later, scowling out at the road. The sun was lighting the eastern horizon and the night stars were fading from the velvet darkness. He tried to find the constellations Uncle had pointed out while they cruised the oceans looking for the Avatar, but too many stars made it impossible to see any of the shapes and he'd never been very good at picking them out anyway. Katara shifted to her side, propping herself up on her elbows and looking at him expectantly. When he said nothing and continued to scowl, she leaned over him, blocking his view of the night sky, and demanded, "What?"

"Nothing."

"Something's on your mind," she insisted.

Zuko's scowl turned on her for a moment, his eyes narrowing to indicate his annoyance, and then he was back to watching the road turn a dusty red-gold in the morning sun. Katara rolled her eyes. Finally, she gave up and rolled into her blanket, looping the strap of a waterskin around her arm. Zuko heard her breathing even out and he relaxed. If he tried to sleep now, he'd only wake again when the sun flared across the eastern sky. It'd just make him moodier when they packed up camp at dusk.

Zuko watched the sun clear the horizon, releasing a tense sigh, and rolled into his sleeping mat to try to find rest.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Katara woke after midday to the ostrich horse attempting to catch rock beetles and squawking her discontent each time she missed. A quick glance at Zuko revealed the firebender gazing silently at the rough ceiling of their shelter. He was covered in the fine desert dust that seemed to get everywhere no matter what they did or how hard they brushed their clothes. He looked exhausted. Unable to help herself, she spoke, "You need to rest, Zuko."

"I'm fine."

He rolled away from her, curling on his side and set about ignoring her. She stared at his back for a long moment, observing the tense lines in his shoulders and down his spine. Sometimes Katara just did not understand the boy. A loud crunch proved that the ostrich horse was finally successful in catching one of the rock beetles, though it appeared that the rest of the insects were staying well out of sight. Feathers was now turning over rocks and digging in the sand in search of something interesting. Katara's stomach rumbled and she rolled away from Zuko, reaching for their packs. Their provisions from the Foggy Swamp were just about out or on the verge of spoiling and this midday meal would be the last of it. A brave rock beetle skittered across the sand just outside their shaded spot. Feathers' beady eyes caught the movement and her wings fluffed out, head tilting to follow its path. Katara hoped they wouldn't have to resort to eating rock beetles. They didn't look particularly appetizing. Feathers' lunged finally lunged for it with a squawk, snapping it up with a loud crunch.

"There's a town about half a day from here."

Katara startled, throwing a glance over her shoulder at the firebender. Zuko was now sitting upright, but his eyes skirted away from her as soon as she caught his gaze.

She sat back on her heels, a saddle bag in her hands. "How do you know?"

He brushed uselessly at his clothing, giving up the endeavor a moment later. "I did some scouting."

Her heart leapt. He'd left her alone. She fought down her initial feelings of panic and abandonment. He'd come back, after all. He hadn't really left her. "You didn't wake me."

He ignored the accusation in her tone, running a hand through his hair and over his face. "There's a marker about two miles in that direction," he paused, eying the last of the snakebird jerky in her hand though he made no indication that he wanted it. "We should leave soon to get there before nightfall."

"Travel in the heat of the day?"

She held out his portion to him as he rolled to his feet, but he shook his head. "I don't think they'd be too friendly with us arriving after dark. Most small towns don't like strangers sneaking into their villages in the dark."

She tucked his share of the jerky back into the pack, stuffing her meager share into her mouth and rolling up the sleeping mats. She chewed the jerky thoughtfully, speaking around puffed cheeks, "We could just hide in a barn for the night. They don't even have to know we're there." The incredulous stare he gave her over the back of the ostrich horse was enough to make her blush and stammer, "We did it all the time before — well, before. They were sometimes upset, but, once Aang explained things, they were really nice. A few times they even invited us for breakfast."

Zuko finished tying down their supplies, giving their camp a once over for things left behind, muttering, "I'm not that lucky."

Katara laughed, accepting his help onto the back of the ostrich horse behind him and wrapping her arms loosely around his waist. "Sure you are! You made it this far in life after all."

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The ride to town was blessedly short in comparison to the journey through the desert, though Katara wasn't sure if they'd be better off in the desert after all. The village so far seemed entirely unwelcoming, even arriving well before sunset. The back of her neck pricked uncomfortably. The streets were deserted and trash-lined. The buildings all that a run down, world-weary look to them that left a heavy feeling in her chest. While no one was on the streets, she could feel eyes watching their progress from darkened windows. Zuko's arms tensed and she saw him glance around warily, a frown tugging at his mouth. Even Feathers was discomforted. They made their way through the dusty streets, Zuko clearly looking for something. They paused before they entered what appeared to be the town square and Zuko dismounted, calming Feathers' agitated head toss while Katara also got down out of the saddle.

The first sign of life appeared when they turned onto a wide street. Rough laughter bounced eerily off the weathered buildings and drew Katara's attention. Zuko's arms jerked, tensing expectantly, and the muscle in his jaw jumped. His unease set her on edge, giving her flashbacks to the Prison Rig.

She pressed closer to Zuko, gripping her waterskin anxiously. He shot her a frown, following her gaze to the group of men that had gathered in the lengthening shade of an open alley. His eyes narrowed and he turned to lead her to a dusty shop, not protesting when she slipped her hand around his elbow. Gold eyes glinted down at her from behind a dark fringe of hair and then shifted to look around at the buildings. "Don't wander off."

Katara nodded, taking the reins of the ostrich horse and keeping it near. The market stall was empty; the fine layer of dust on the counter evidence of little business had passed in recent days. Zuko's frown deepened, but he said nothing about it, leaning over the counter and peering into the dark interior, calling, "Hello?"

Several minutes passed before a worn face peered around the corner, pale green eyes wary. His gaze swept over Zuko and Katara, suspicion clear in his gaze, before approaching. "May I help you?"

Zuko nodded sharply, pulling what little money they had left out of a cracked leather pouch. "A bag of feed and two hot meals."

The man's gaze darted over Zuko's shoulder, grimacing and quickly shaking his head. "I don't have any meals, but I can give you some feed."

Zuko's expression tightened, but he nodded, sliding the coins across the counter. The man snatched them up, eying them critically, even going so far as to test their authenticity. Satisfied, he turned into the darkened shop behind him. A child's voice drew Katara's attention away from the transaction.

"Let me go!"

"Naw, I've seen you punks harassing the the soldiers, throwing eggs, and sneaking around," a large man drawled, holding a boy's arm in a tight fist. "What are you guys up to?"

A too thin boy swung a small fist at the man holding him, the blow hardly drawing notice from the man. The boy's friends scattered, ducking into alleyways and around dilapidated buildings. Laughter rang coarsely across the street as the boy continued to swing from the man's grip, the other men watching on with jeering expressions. Katara glanced at Zuko, but the firebender appeared to be ignoring the confrontation, his gaze focused intently after the shopkeeper. Katara bit her lip as the man shook the boy. "Now where's the stuff?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" the boy hollered, kicking out and missing his captor.

The man snorted, giving the boy a rough shake before turning to the man lounging on the ground behind him. "Gow, this one don't seem to want to talk."

A large, stocky man rose from the ground, a smirk cruelly curling his lips. Katara was shocked to see him dressed in Earth Kingdom green, an Earth Kingdom soldier medallion pinned to his mantle. He stopped before the boy, resting his hand on one of the hammers at his side. "It'd be in your best interest to cooperate, kid. You wouldn't want to get…hurt."

The boy only glared in response and that seemed to humor Gow all the more. He rubbed at his short beard, gazing down at the boy thoughtfully. "Your father's that pig farmer on the edge of town, ain't he? Do you think he'd mind losing another son?"

Katara stepped forward before she even really thought about it, a white-knuckled grip on her waterskin. "Leave him alone."

Cruel green eyes turned to her, sneering as they swept over her appearance. She had no doubt what she looked like: dusty from head to toe, mused hair, and probably looking half-starved. She probably looked as intimidating as a polar dog pup. She saw the moment he dismissed her as a viable threat. "What are you going to do about it, girl?"

She backpedaled, surprised at the fear that suddenly welled up in her out of nowhere. It'd been so long since she'd actually felt threatened, and it was mostly her dreams of being captured by the Fire Nation that brought up unpleasant memories, that she'd hadn't counted on the sudden panic. She'd thought she'd had nothing to fear from people outside the Fire Nation. It was naïve of her to think so, she realized. The Fire Nation didn't have the monopoly on evil, after all. And it was an Earth Kingdom man that had first betrayed Haru. Forcing her feet to remain firm, she raised her chin defiantly. "He's just a boy."

Gow towered over her, making her feel small. "He's stealing food from the army."

She opened her mouth to reply when an egg collided with the side of his head. Angered, he whirled in the direction it came from, ignoring the boy that struggled free from his man's hold and delivered a sharp kick to the man's shins before he fled down the dusty streets. The only two people left on the street were Zuko and herself. Katara quickly moved to the firebender's side, keeping an anxious eye on the large man. Zuko spared her an impatient glance as Gow crossed the street, demanding, "You throwing eggs?"

Zuko's spine straightened and gold eyes narrowed. He didn't turn. "No."

A large hand grabbed Zuko's shoulder, forcing him around. He stumbled a little with the force of the turn but pushed the hand away, his glare deepening when he met muddy green eyes. The large earthbender sneered at Zuko's act of defiance, baring teeth and lifting one of his war hammers menacingly. "That egg had to have come from somewhere."

"Maybe a chicken flew over."

The statement was said with such seriousness that Katara couldn't tell if he was in earnest or if he was intentionally trying to provoke the larger man. She caught several of the soldiers behind Gow glancing at the sky and one of them snickered. Gow's face took on a thunderous expression and Katara was sure nothing good would come of this confrontation. Before Gow could decide to start a brawl, the shop owner reappeared, breaking the staring match between earthbender and firebender, and slid the bags of feed onto the counter. Zuko reached for them, but a motion from Gow sent several soldiers forward. They shouldered the feed bags quickly, smirking at Zuko's furious expression. Gow sneered, "The army appreciates your contribution."

Indignant that they would take what didn't belong to them, and that Zuko let them, Katara protested, "Hey! That's ours!"

Green eyes darkened and glared down at her, sweeping over dust covered hair and worn clothes, pausing on her right hand. The small silver band around her thumb stuck out against the dust, sparking in the setting sun. The significance of the silver band was not lost on the soldier. An eyebrow rose and a leering smirk came to his lips and he gave her another considering look. Then, addressing Zuko instead, made another suggestion, "We'll forgo the feed if you have something better to offer."

The look in his eyes sent a thrill of terror through her. She recognized that look. She'd seen it on several of her firebending captors at the Prison Rig. Her heart thundered and her breath came in short, sharp gasps. Gow leaned toward her, smirk widening, delighting in her obvious fear. "We'd give the boy a fair trade, after all."

Zuko smoothly slid between them, eyes narrowed dangerously. "She's not for sale."

The two men glared at each other, the stand-off growing charged. The soldiers behind Gow tensed, fists tightening around their weapons and glares intensifying. Suddenly, Gow backed off with a snort, sliding the war hammer back into his belt. "Fine. I'm warning you, boy, this town don't like strangers so you best be on your way. Wouldn't want you running into any trouble."

He stroked the hammer at his side fondly, leered at Katara, and turned away with a motion to the rest of the soldiers to move on. They took their feed with them. Zuko returned to the ostrich horse, barely sparing the shop owner a passing glance as he gathered the reins. The shop owner grunted, turning back to the cool interior of the building. "Bunch of bullies is what they are."

Katara was still rooted to the spot as Zuko pulled himself into the saddle, holding out a hand to her. "We'll go to the next village."

She stared unseeing at his hand for a moment until he cleared his throat and wiggled his fingers in front of her nose. She took his hand, letting him pull her into the saddle in front of him. Shame was taking over her fear now. The first time she'd come face to face with an enemy since the Prison Rig and she froze. She half expected some kind of cruel remark from Zuko but he said nothing. Like most of the time, he seemed preoccupied with something. "I'm sorry."

Zuko lifted a shoulder, shifting when the ostrich horse protested their combined weight, throwing its head restlessly. Zuko lifted the reins, ready to head back out of town, when a small hand snagged the reins, bringing the animal's head down. Both teenagers looked down to meet the wide, toothy smile of a young boy. Seeing that he had their attention, he burst forth with a flood of words, "That was so cool! You really showed them! No one every stands up to them! Were you scared? What happened? Did you fight? Was it scary?"

When he paused to take a deep breath, to no doubt continue a litany of questions, Katara interrupted, "You shouldn't have thrown the egg at them."

The boy deflated for a moment, looking chastised, before brightening. Feathers disapproved of the exuberant young boy, pulling against the hold the boy had on the bridle. The boy ignored the protesting ostrich horse with well practiced ease. "Are you hungry? You can come to my house. I'll even feed your ostrich horse!"

He was already tugging on the reins before Zuko could respond and a quick glance from Katara kept him silent. A place to stay with a roof over their heads, a possible bath, and potential food was more than enough of a temptation for Katara. It meant that they wouldn't have to sneak into a barn or eat rock beetles.

The boy led them along, chattering excitedly as young children do, and she leaned into Zuko, keeping her voice down, "You haven't eaten in days, Zuko — don't think I haven't noticed — and who knows how far the next town is. This will give us time to rest and plan our next move."

He scowled at her mention of his not eating, but didn't deny it. He didn't really believe there was another town after this one for several days and they'd probably starve before they reached it. No, he wasn't going to complain. He'd take what this family offered and then move on with very little guilt.

* Traditional Irish drinking song. The Moonshiner

Any recognizable quotes come from the episode Zuko Alone.

AN: Chapter edited Nov. 29, 2016