No own, no money, no sue.

X

The next two days passed in a haze of rhythmic predictability. They ate, slept, steered and took watch in a circular pattern that allowed little time for meaningful interaction, but plenty of opportunity for introspection. As a result, Zuko didn't sleep much. His mind was too full of thoughts about what lay ahead of him.

It also didn't help that the further North they went, the longer the hours of daylight stretched. While this was great for watch, it wasn't so great for Zuko, who was having a hard time getting his inner fire to settle down and not tug him in a thousand different directions.

He mentioned as much to Katara the next time he went below to wake her.

"It's like this constant humming," he said, "I'm all...twitchy."

"That happens to me sometimes. That night at the lake, back at Uncle's? The moon was full and I was already keyed up and I just felt like I couldn't sit still." She swung her legs over the side of the bunk. "It was like being in a cloud of restless energy."

"Yeah," Zuko said. "Except mine's less of a cloud and more of a volcano."

He turned his back as she jumped down and started rifling through her pack in search of clean clothes.

"I guess I would feel the same way if we were going into polar night," she said, and Zuko heard the rustle of fabric as she, presumably, slipped out of her sleeping outfit and into her day robe. "Although it might not be so bad once we get there. If there's cloud cover, it should dim the sun at least a little bit."

"But it won't make it go away," Zuko grumbled.

Behind him, Katara laughed. "Well ok fine Mr. Pessimism. You look at the dark side and I'll stop trying to be helpful. By the way, I'm done if you want to turn around."

Zuko peeked over his shoulder. Fully dressed, she smiled at him as she plaited her hair into a long braid.

"The world will be glad to know the Fire Lord is still a gentleman," she said with a wink.

Zuko's cheeks burned. "Good manners are underrated," he mumbled, "Anyway, I uh...made sure the fire was going really well before I came down. You should be good until I trade off with Sokka."

"Thanks," she said, "And by the way, I wanted to tell you..."

Her sentence was interrupted by the sound of footsteps.

"Katara?" Sokka called.

"Yes?"

"We're coming up on the outer edges of the ice shelf. I need you."

"I'll be right up."

Katara grabbed her parka and slipped it over her shoulders.

"Do you want me to come, too?" Zuko asked.

"No," she said, "I should be all right. But if that changes, I'll come get you."

"Ok."

He watched her blue-clad figure as it disappeared into the sunlight before lying down on his bunk and folding his arms over his eyes.

More solitude was the last thing he needed right now. An iceberg or two would have been a nice diversion from the static in his head, and a little conversation would have been a welcomed break from the non-stop chattering of his inner fire. He'd never been one to crave companionship, but lately, the company of other people seemed to be the only thing keeping him sane.

The candles in the bunkroom flickered, a reflection of his restlessness. He could hear the water outside splashing against the hull, and he almost envied it. It got to be in a constant state of motion, unlike himself, who had a body that required rest. He wondered what it would be like to have that kind of freedom. The ability to move and change shape at will. The ability to soothe and heal and carry ships and travelers to any destination. The ability to be endless and unfathomable and the source of all life at the same time...

It was this combined ebb and flow of thoughts and tides that finally lulled him to sleep.

****

He awoke an hour or so later to near-silence. The water was no longer splashing, and he could hear the murmur of voices again as footsteps criss-crossed above him.

Zuko sat up and rubbed his eyes. These new sounds could only mean that they'd reached their destination and that Katara and Sokka were preparing, if not already seeing to, the docking of their vessel. And that he needed to be helping, not resting.

He crawled out of bed, reaching for the parka he'd discovered in his bag shortly after they'd set sail. It was a beautiful piece, deep burgundy with blue trim and a soft koala-lambs wool lining. The fit suggested Iroh had taken it upon himself to make sure his nephew was well-outfitted for his time in the north, and the thought brought a smile to Zuko's lips as he slid it on and headed for the mirror.

His hair, per usual, fell wherever it wanted, so it took a few tries for him to smooth it down and draw it back into its traditional style. It was far from perfect, but for doing manual labor, it would suffice, and he stumbled up the stairs and out into the brilliant polar sunlight, ready to assist.

Only there was nothing left to assist with. Aside from Sokka, who was on the port side tying off a mooring line, everything else had been taken care of.

"Why didn't you come get me?" he demanded, folding his arms, "I could have helped!"

"Zuko, it was your off-time. You weren't supposed to help." Sokka tugged the rope, testing the security of his knot, and dusted off his hands. "Besides, Katara and I have docked enough ships to know what we're doing."

"Still, you're not here to wait on me. I don't want you getting in the habit of doing that."

"Sparky, chill," Sokka said, "It was one time! Besides, the last thing I want to be is your personal servant. Especially if it requires taking care of whatever is going on top of your head."

Zuko snorted. "It's called hair. Where are we by the way?"

"We're inside the main wall of the city in one of the trading harbors. The sentries sent us down here. They said it was the safest place to put you while they alerted Chief Arnook of your arrival."

"Oh."

"They also suggested we stay on board for the night since they didn't have time to prepare any of the guest quarters in a manner suitable to house the Fire Lord. I said that was fine. We'll just need to go ashore and get some food because we're running pretty low."

"That's fine."

Sokka leaned back against the rail. "You know, for a group of people that supposedly hate you, they're being awfully nice."

"Well, it's bad form to welcome a representative from another country with hostility. I'm sure once things settle down, we'll get a better idea of how they really feel."

"Maybe. Or maybe Iroh and Pakku were wrong and Arnook is really ok with letting go of the past."

"Maybe. But I'm not counting on it." He turned as he heard footsteps behind him. "Hey Katara."

"Hey guys...oooh, Zuko. Hair." She made a face.

Zuko reached up. "What? What is wrong with my hair that everyone has to keep talking about it?"

"It's... all hippo-cowlick-y. Did you just wake up?"

"Yes. No. Are you saying I look like a hippo-cow?"

"No. It's just a...you know what? Never mind. Just come here."

Katara beckoned him over and he came, frowning.

She raised herself up on her tiptoes.

With gentle fingers, she loosened the tie and combed through the ebony strands, smoothing them into place.

"Now kneel," she said. Zuko looked at her like she was crazy.

"I can't reach with you standing up," Katara said with a hint of impatience.

To his left, Sokka snickered, but Zuko did as he was told, blood rushing to his cheeks as he found himself eye level with a part of her body he wasn't supposed to be looking at. Katara, however, paid him no mind, pulling his hair back into a ponytail and re-securing it in the band with a satisfied hum.

"There," she said, "Much better."

"Uh, thanks." Zuko said, "Can I get up now?"

"Please."

Zuko hastened to his feet, doing his best to ignore Sokka's very unsubtle giggling.

"I used to do Sokka's hair all the time when he first started growing it out," Katara said, "He was pretty hopeless, too, so don't feel bad."

"I wasn't hopeless, I was ten," Sokka countered, "And forgive me if I hadn't been braiding my own loopies since birth."

"Whatever," Katara said with a wave, "Don't hate on the hair master. And did I hear you guys say something about eating?"

"I was saying we should go ashore and get some food," Sokka said, "Since we're low on supplies."

"Is that safe?"

"Of course! Who's going to mess with two benders and a master swordsman?"

Katara and Zuko exchanged looks.

"I dunno..." Katara said.

"Well, I do, and I say it's fine." Sokka straightened. "You guys ready?"

"I guess. Lead on, fearless one."

Sokka did, descending down the gangway to the pier. Katara followed. Zuko came up on the end.

Once on shore, they set off in search of the nearest inn.

****

It was after dinner that Katara's earlier concern for their safety became a reality.

Sokka spotted them first, and he stopped dead in the middle of the street, almost causing Zuko to run into him.

"No way," he said.

"No way what?" Zuko asked.

Sokka pointed. Zuko followed the line of his hand, his eyes falling on a small group of Water Tribe men coming in their direction.

"You see the guy in the front?" Sokka asked. Zuko nodded. "That would be Hahn."

"I'm going to guess by your tone that he's not a friend of yours," Zuko said.

"No," Sokka affirmed, "Not remotely. But we have...history."

"What does that mean?"

"That means this could potentially get kind of ugly."

Zuko said nothing. The Water Tribe group continued to approach until they were in conversation range. Then they stopped, and the man in the front- Hahn apparently- folded his arms and twisted his lips into an unattractive sneer.

"Well, well," he said, "If it isn't the worst bodyguard in the history of body guards. How are you Soak-a? Are you trying to get the Fire Lord assassinated?"

Sokka glowered. "That's not funny, Hahn. And my business with the Fire Lord is none of yours, so just get out of the way."

"Whoa, hey, no need to get testy," Hahn said, "I was just asking. Just making a little friendly conversation."

He glanced over at Zuko. Zuko took a step closer to Sokka in a show of solidarity.

"We're not here to cause trouble," he said, "We're here on a political errand that requires me to speak with your Chief."

Hahn snickered. "Oh, don't worry, Fire Lord. We know all about why you want to speak to the Chief. Word is, you ran out of things to do back home you need some new material. Am I right?"

A ripple of laughter followed his words.

Zuko's expression hardened.

"You don't know nearly as much as you think you do," he said, eyes narrowing, "And I don't like you tone. Please step aside. Now."

Hahn gave Zuko an insolent glare. "No," he said, "We will not. This is a public street. We can stand anywhere we want."

Zuko heard the hiss of Sokka's blade as it left its sheath.

"We're asking nicely Hahn," said Sokka, "Get out of the way and no one gets hurt."

"Oh, you're going to hurt us now? With what?"

"I'll show you what!" Sokka gripped his sword, ready to strike. But Katara's hand on his wrist stopped him.

"Hey, come on. This is stupid," she said, stepping between the men. "No one needs to hurt anyone, ok?" She looked at Hahn. "We just want to get back to our ship. Can you please let us pass?"

Hahn eyed Katara.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Katara," she replied, "The Fire Lord's other bodyguard."

Hahn blinked. "You're...you're his..." Hahn dissolved into laughter. The loud, cackling kind that made the hair on the nape of Zuko's neck stand on end.

"Bodyguard!" Hahn mocked, "Well isn't that cute! Looks like when his majesty gets bored of his harem girls, he trains them to protect him!"

Hahn laughed again, and Zuko felt his anger surge.

"Don't you dare talk about her like that!" he yelled. Two long fire whips coiled out from each of his hands and he raised them, ready to thrash Hahn within an inch of his life.

The only problem was, Hahn wasn't there.

For a moment, Zuko was confused. But then, a terrified shriek made him look down, and everything became crystal clear.

The men hadn't disappeared. They were buried neck deep in the ice, and Katara was standing over them, the sole of her boot pressed to Hahn's forehead.

"First of all," she said, "I am no one's harem girl, so you take that back right now. Secondly, if you're going to call me something, it better be Sifu Katara, Master Water Bender of the Southern Tribe, get me?"

Hahn made a squeaky noise through chattering teeth.

Katara smirked. "Good. Sounds like we understand each other then. Now, we're going back to our ship. You have a nice evening, mkay?"

Katara flicked her wrist. There was a cracking noise and a loud splash, and the air filled with high-pitched screaming as the men submerged in a pool of arctic water. Katara, ignoring the noise, walked right by, eyes focused on the far dock.

After a moment of staring at the now-drenched group of frantically paddling Water Tribe men, Zuko and Sokka followed.

"Hey Katara?" Sokka said when they caught up, "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

Katara smiled. "No," she said, "Why? Were you meaning to?"

"I think I could stand to say it more often." Sokka slung an affectionate arm around his sister's shoulders.

Katara pushed him off with a laugh. "Yeah, well, save it for another time," she said with an affectionate smile, "Those guys had it coming."

****

Back at the ship, the trio went below, Zuko lighting the candles while Sokka secured the hatch. It was a tight fight with all three of them in the bunk space, and there were a few awkward collisions as they made their way to their respective beds.

"Weird having all of us below at once," Katara said, dodging Sokka as she hopped up onto the top bunk. "I'm so used to being down here alone, I didn't realize how small the space actually was."

"Yeah," Sokka agreed, "It's not made for three people, that's for sure." He wiggled out of his shirt, accidentally elbowing Zuko as he did so. "Sorry," he apologized.

"It's fine," Zuko said. He took off his parka and laid it across the bottom of his bed. Being on the opposite side of the cabin, his back was to his two companions as he slipped out of his shirt and shoes. He hesitated at his pants though, not comfortable being that undressed in mixed company and he peeked over his shoulder to see if his companions might share his sense of modesty.

As he should have expected, Katara did. She had changed into a long blue nightdress that covered her from shoulders to knees. But Sokka couldn't have appeared to care less. He was tucked into his bunk in nothing but a pair of blue under shorts, with his boomerang and flint stone resting on one bare thigh.

"So," Sokka said, "How long before Hahn starts spreading some stupid story about how he tried to befriend us and we tried to kill him?"

Zuko shrugged. "I don't know," he said, "He's your friend. You tell us."

"Enemy," Sokka corrected, "He's my enemy. And my guess is the whole city knows by tomorrow morning."

Katara, above him, unbraided and fluffed her hair. "I don't know," she said, "He did get his butt kicked by a woman. That couldn't have been good for his ego, so maybe he'll keep quiet."

"One could only hope," Sokka said, "But this is Hahn and he does like to run off at the mouth."

Zuko glanced back over his shoulder. "I'd have to agree with you there," he said, "Though I'm curious. What happened with you two?"

A heavy silence descended over the room.

Sokka's stone scraped across the edge of his boomerang with a quiet shick.

"Yue happened," he said, "Hahn was supposed to marry her. But he didn't."

"Because of the Siege?"

"Because of that." The side of the flint hissed against metal. "And me."

"What?"

Sokka cleared his throat. "I spent a lot of time with Yue while we were up here. And I really liked her. I think Chief Arnook knew that, too, because he assigned me to protect her during the raid. But then she turned into the moon."

Katara curled her fingers over the edge of the bunk and looked down. "You know the situation was out of your control. Without the moon, the entire tribe would have been slaughtered. You don't still blame yourself for that, do you?"

"A little." Sokka sighed with uncharacteristic melancholy. "I can't help thinking there had to have been a better way. That I should have done something."

"Like what?" Katara asked, "Bring back the moon spirit? Even Aang can't bring a spirit back from the dead!"

Zuko sat down, folding his knees into his bare chest. "I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't mean to bring it up."

Sokka shrugged. "It's all right. It's weird though. I still think about her. I wonder if I'd be able to talk to her if I went to the Oasis."

The room got quiet again.

"Well, I think the best thing for us to do right now is get some sleep," Katara said, "None of us have had more than four hours of rest at a time these past few days, and we need it."

"But we'll find time to visit Yue," Zuko added, "I'm sure if it works...she'd love to hear from you."

With a wave of his hand, the sconces dimmed leaving just enough light for them to find their way under the covers before he extinguished them completely. But because he did it so quickly, he missed the way Katara paused to watch him, a soft, grateful smile resting quietly on her lips as she tucked her hands under her pillow.