Calming Ice
Chapter Ten
My blood ran cold. It was Aang. Damn! His voice seemed close. I sat up quickly, pulling Zuko along. My finger went to my lips to signal to him not to say anything as I strained my ears with all my might to hear where my friend was.
"Katara! Zuko! Sokka's packing camp up and he wants our help!" The bald monk was walking along the sand between the grass and shoreline. His hands were held to his face, making his voice carry. I stood and pulled Zuko out of the grass by the ear. I put on a mask of anger. The ex-prince's face contorted in pain as he tried to pry my fingers from his ear.
"We're right here, Aang!" I called out. My friend jogged to meet us. He gave a questioning look toward me, seeing as I had a death grip on Zuko. I dropped him and he fell face first into the sand. "Next time we spar, don't be such a sore loser." I spat at him. He only blinked the sand from his eyes as he stood. Aang couldn't help but laugh. Zuko began his walk toward the cave, mumbling under his breath. Aang grinned.
"Morning, Kat." was his sing-song greeting. He gave me a one-armed hug and turned to follow Zuko. I fell into step with the Avatar.
"So where were you this morning?"
"Taking a bath. I felt disgusting."
"Now if only Sokka had that mentality." I joked. My friend's smile radiated happiness.
"That would be too easy." He commented, bending a stream of water from a tide pool. "Hopefully Zuko bathes at least once a year." He looked back at me with sparkling gray eyes that danced with laughter.
After packing up our belongings, we loaded Appa. Sokka was sure to strap things down. He was mumbling about me using his sleeping bag to smother the flame on Appa when we were under attack. But it wasn't like I'd done it on purpose or anything… We climbed aboard. Appa took to the sky with Aang's signature call of "Yip-yip!"
Hours passed nearly silent. Only the distant crash of waves and the whipping of the wind could be heard. I ate an apple thoughtfully, watching Aang and Zuko watch the horizon for signs of Azula's vessel. Momo bounded across the saddle, hopping back and forth on his toes, waving his winged arms about. He chattered and motioned to my apple core. I smiled and gave it to him. Momo was grateful for the simplest of things.
Sokka was looking over a map when he motioned us all to come over. We gathered around, peering down at a few stray islands he was pointing to. "We pass these on the way to Kyoshi. I figured we could stop at this one," he pointed, "and this one since they have marketplaces. At this rate, we'll be at Kyoshi in three days." My stomach churned as I remembered my one-sided conversation with Yue a few nights prior.
"Uh, Sokka? Don't you think the citizens would be angry if Zuko was with us?" I asked. Everyone's gaze fell on me and then switched over to Zuko.
"Crap!" Sokka hissed under his breath.
"I didn't think of that." Aang said with a bowed head. He frowned in thought.
"Katara." Zuko's voice made me look up. "I doubt they'd recognize me without my scar."
- - - - - - - - - -
Akuzo sat in his bed, reading. He put his book down on his bedside table with a forlorn sigh. Life was so incredibly boring when he was sick. There was nothing to do but read and think. Sure, he could meditate, but because of his sneezing, his firebending was poor. He looked at the time candle on his desk. As it hit a marker, a crackle sounded. Noon. Azula should be in any minute now.
As if on cue, the princess walked in, carrying with her a cup of steaming tea. "Hello, Akuzo." she said rather pleasantly, taking her usual seat next to him on the bed.
"Hello Azula." the captain responded, sitting up. He took his cup and sipped the bitter tea. He coughed and cleared his throat. He knew the potent drink was working, but he still hated the taste.
"How are you feeling?"
"Lots better, thanks." Akuzo set his cup next to his book and turned to face the princess. Why was she waiting on him? She was a princess. It was not her place to wait on someone! He could take care of himself. He looked over at her, gazes locked once again. There was a slight silence. She'd spent the whole day talking with him yesterday, so they were running out of things to say about their past.
"What are you reading?" she asked suddenly. He perked up at the sound of her voice.
"Oh," he said, picking up the book, "it's a little fairy tale my sister wrote." He handed it to her. She held his place, leafing to the front. She scanned the first page.
"She has beautiful calligraphy. I can tell she's talented in her writing, too." The princess handed the captain his book.
"Yeah. She's always wanted to make a living off of it."
"What's she like?"
"Oh, well…" Akuzo was slightly taken aback by Azula's interest, but went ahead. "Her name is Mi Li and she's fourteen. She looks almost exactly like me: same dark hair, same brown eyes. My mother always said if she cut her hair and got taller, people would confuse us." He gave a small laugh. "But I doubt that was possible.
When she was eight or so, our mother asked her what she wanted for her birthday. She wanted a calligraphy pen and a few pieces of paper. She had made her own ink already, from berries and things. But paper was hard for us to come by. We didn't have much money since our father had left to fight in the war. So I told my mother not to worry about it. I helped a man pick fruit on his farm to pay for it." When he'd finished, Akuzo let a smile tug at his lips.
"And she's been writing ever since. She earns her own money to print the books and sells them, just to help our mother out a bit." Azula smiled kindly. The captain's heart skipped a beat. There she was, smiling again, just like at Music and Poker Night. His gaze fell on her lightly painted lips, but he wrenched himself from his staring.
"It sounds like you miss her." Akuzo looked away.
"I do." The princess laid a comforting hand on the captain's arm, making him look back. Why was she being so kind?
"You'll see her again soon." she reassured him. He gave a nod. "Finish up your tea. I'll be back later."
With a light kiss to his cheek, Azula was out the door. It clicked behind her, but the captain barely registered it. His chocolate eyes were wide and unfocused. His hand flew to his cheek where the princess had kissed him.
She kissed me. He thought. No, really? We couldn't tell!
- - - - - - - - - -
Azula's footsteps rang through the steel hallways. The lit torches on the walls gave off a steady glow of red-tinted light. She smiled, thinking of Akuzo. She knew it was stupid to kiss him like that, but she couldn't help it. After all, he was three years older and the war was still going on. She knew she should have been doing something like trying to figure out where the Avatar might have gone, but she had given the command to dock. They couldn't do anything without supplies first.
Part of her told her that it was alright to like Akuzo in such a way. He was kind and courageous. He was polite and oh so adorable. She blushed at the thought. Had she really said that when she'd been drunk?
But another part of her told her she shouldn't get romantically involved with him. This was a war and she had to bring home the Avatar. She had better things to do than flirt with boys. This was her ship and it seemed inappropriate to have an intimate relationship with the captain of her ship. She knew her father was and had been for the past two years, searching for a suitable groom for her. It was his job to find her a husband, not hers. It was a tradition for the daughter to be married off by her father.
But all the same, Azula still liked Akuzo.
The princess came to the iron barred door of the prison hold and took the keys from the sleeping form of the guard. She nudged him awake, merely arching an eyebrow. He scurried to his feet, stiff as a board. "Get to bed earlier." she told him, unlocking the door and stepping inside. The baffled guard took it as a sign from the heavens that he hadn't been barbecued.
Another guard sat outside Iroh's cell on a crate. Between them was a game board on another crate. Pai Cho. The two were staring intently at the board as if it held some magnificent secret. Azula crossed her arms and waited for them to notice her. The guard moved a piece on the board and Iroh looked up.
"Ah, Princess Azula. What brings you here?" Iroh asked leisurely. Hearing the princess being acknowledged, the guard leapt to his feet at attention, just as the other had done.
"Won't you give us a moment?" Azula asked.
"Yes, princess." The guard bowed and nearly ran out of the prison hold. Azula paid him no mind and took a seat on the crate across from Iroh. She examined the board.
"He's setting you up for an easy win, Uncle." she said softly, looking up. Iroh bent low over the board, squinting as if that would help him see.
"How?" he asked, scratching his bald head.
"Like this." Azula moved a piece, jumping over several others. Iroh's eyes widened in a mix of shock and horror. It was true. He would have lost in the very next move. He had not lost a game of Pai Cho in years!
"I did not see that!"
"Right." Azula said, setting up the board for another game. She looked up at him, hands folded. Iroh silently wondered why she was not questioning him. She only watched him, but her gaze was not boring into him as if it were reading his soul. It was merely curious. He suppressed an involuntary shudder. Why was this unnerving him? He was once the great general of the Fire Nation army! He should be able to handle a simple look from his fifteen year old niece!
"I'm not going to tell you where he is, Azula." Iroh said calmly. Azula smiled. This only confused Iroh even more. Her smile wasn't an evil smirk. It was serene and calm.
"I don't care right now. I'm in pursuit of the Avatar at the moment." Iroh lifted an eyebrow.
"Why are you so happy, Princess Azula?"
"Who's happy?" the princess said rather quickly. Too quickly. A smile spread across Iroh's wrinkled face.
"Is it a boy?" he asked knowingly. Azula paled and then turned pink. Damn him and his stupid ancient wisdom! How did he always know? Unable to hold her gaze on him, she looked away. Iroh's smile widened. "What is he like?" He crossed his arms and looked at the princess innocently.
Azula regained her composure and stared at her uncle. She wrinkled her nose and furrowed her brows. "You think I'd actually fall for one of my crew members? How crazy are you?"
"So he's a crew member." Iroh said with a nod. "Go on."
"Who said he was a crew member?" Azula spat with venom.
"You did a moment ago. And I was right."
"Who said you were right?"
"You did a moment ago."
"You're tricking me again!"
"So is he a nobleman?" Iroh asked sweetly.
"No! Ther-"
"No? Is his father in the war?"
"Stop it, Uncle!" Azula said angrily.
"Stop what?"
- - - - - - - - - -
The two guards sat outside the prison hold, listening to the conversation between the princess and the ex-general Iroh. They argued back and forth for several minutes. The guards had to use all of their will power not to laugh. Iroh was great at getting answers.
But the guards already knew who the princess was falling for.
- - - - - - - - - -
"What?" Aang asked.
"I don't think they'd recognize me without my scar." Zuko repeated.
"But…" Sokka began. He pointed to the scarred teen, trying to piece together what he was proposing. He squinted at Zuko, making Aang laugh. The firebender kept a straight face. "Hey!" my brother nearly yelled. "You just want Katara to heal your scar so you can run away from us and not be afraid of being found!"
"Haven't I already proved my loyalty?" Zuko challenged, temper rising. "I helped with meals and packing, gave you navigating advice, trained the Avatar, and saved your sorry, ungrateful ass from my bitchy sister and what do I get?" Zuko stood and towered over my fearful brother. "I get your complaining, insults, anger, and temper and on top of that, you don't trust me! You're constantly hovering over me, afraid I'll hurt Aang or Katara! I'm tired of it! So if you don't trust me, drop me off at the next damn island!"
Zuko sat across the saddle from Sokka, arms crossed and a death glare plastered to his face. Sokka glared back, equally unnerving. Aang and I watched the situation unfold in silence. "Fine." my brother muttered. He took the reins from the Avatar and steered Appa toward an enormous island a little ways off to the east. My stomach plummeted.
"Sokka, get us back on course!" I told him. He looked back at me with shock in his eyes.
"What?"
"You heard me! Aang needs a firebending teacher. He's coming with us whether you like it or not." I pulled Zuko toward me by the arm, laying his head in my lap. I saw anger flash through Aang's gray eyes; confusion in Sokka's. Without a word, I pulled out my water pouch.
- - - - - - - - - -
A/N: Hi, everyone! waves
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