Hi everyone, I hope you are enjoying the story so far. Now, unfortunately, I have another personal appointment next Wednesday. However, I don't want you to worry because I am not going to post late like I did the last time I had an appointment. Instead I will just post earlier than usual because my appointment is later than last time. Either way there will be a new chapter next Wednesday; it will just be earlier than usual. Ok then, back to the story!


Chapter Twelve:

-Katara-

Once I was fully awake I began to hold onto Zuko's outer robe more tightly so I wouldn't fall off. He didn't say anything except for when he retold me what I had half heard last night; that we had to leave the cave just to be on the safe side so that he and his Uncle were not caught by someone. Hmm, vague enough?

We rode all day except when we needed to take breaks and eat. Zuko couldn't remember exactly how much we actually had so to be on the safe side we found some apple trees and picked enough that would help last us throughout our week together. The silence dragged on for the whole day. The only time I broke it was to ask how long we would be traveling before we could stop and he told me he wanted to get as far away as possible so we could take it easy over the next couple of days. He wouldn't say anything else after that. I didn't mind though. Just a few days with Zuko and I think I have already learned a little bit about him each time we talk. For one thing he likes his privacy, he can have a temper, is extremely stubborn, but he also has some redeeming qualities to him that he doesn't even seem to realize.

He strikes me as one who tries his hardest to listen to those whom he is very attached to, though it may not always turn out well because of how stubborn he can be. This is why I think he is not that willing to speak right now. He's probably so worried about his Uncle that maybe he's finding it hard to focus on anything else. Another thing I realized is that he is not one to express his emotions well; in other words he isn't the kind of person to wear his emotions on his sleeves. Despite what I still think of him, the part that continues to yell at me to run as soon as the chance presents itself, I can't dare bring myself to abandon him. Not right now anyway.

I mean eventually I will have to leave…right?

It was starting to become late as the sun finally set, signaling to the world that the day was coming to an end and that night would be approaching when I couldn't take riding anymore. I was barely hanging onto Zuko's outer robe anymore, my shoulders were slumped and my head seemed to keeping bobbing up and down with each movement of the ostrich – horse while Zuko still managed to keep himself ramrod straight like he could ride for hours. My eyes were drooping at this point when I finally said, "Zuko, please can we stop? I think you're far enough and I can't ride anymore. I'm falling asleep and I don't think you want me falling off do you?"

Zuko never turned his head to acknowledge me, but I guess he must have heard me because the next thing he does is pull hard on the reins and commands the ostrich – horse to stop which it does willingly; apparently I'm not the only one who is tired. Zuko slides off gracefully – gracefully? – while I manage to stumble off without hurting myself. I was just about to sit down on the ground when Zuko walks over to the nearby tree across from the trail we had stopped by and found some wood so he could start a fire. I tried to help by finding some big enough rocks to put around the wood for when Zuko was ready. The circle of rocks was complete by the time Zuko came back. He nodded his head and gave me a small smile as his way of saying thank you before he arranged the wood in our makeshift fire pit. Then looking left and right he set fire to the wood with his fire bending.

Once the fire was going fine on its own Zuko found me a spare mat and laid it out for me near the fire so I would stay warm throughout the night before he laid out his own mat on the opposite side of me. We each took a drink of water from the canteen before I placed it back with his bag of supplies.

Zuko didn't appear ready to go to sleep, as he just stared aimlessly at the fire while I sat watching him. Now more than ever I really wanted to know what was going on with him right now. I figured it couldn't hurt to try to get a little bit of an explanation. "Zuko?" I called out to him uncertainly. He looked up at me, his eyes unreadable. "Could you please explain why exactly we had to 'run'?"

There was silence except for the crackle of the fire for a couple minutes. I waited patiently for him to answer. Instead he only looked back at the fire and shook his head no.

I cannot believe him! I ask him anything specific and he retreats from me! What's with him?! It's not like I'm going to hurt him! He couldn't see me as I shook my head in disbelief. "You are such a hypocrite."

I had not even realized the words had left my mouth until Zuko's head snapped up and he stared me dead in the eyes. His eyes were wide (though his left one was only a little wider compared to normal) and his mouth hung open slightly. I guess he couldn't believe I would say such a thing to him. "Wh—what did—you—say?"

Any other time I would have just shied away and mumbled something like 'I didn't say anything,' but I just couldn't this time. I felt…embolden…to speak my mind for once. "You heard me," I started, "you are a hypocrite." Zuko looked like he was about to speak, probably to deny it, but I was not about to stop now. "No! Zuko, for the past couple of days, whenever I ask you something personal or something that could possibly give me a clue as to what is going on you just try to brush it off like it's nothing or you completely stop me from continuing by saying that I don't need to worry about it or 'it will be too much for me to take in.' Who are you to say whether I'll be able to handle something or not because that is my decision. How am I ever going to get any better, if that's even possible, if you won't even be honest with me?" I paused to catch my breath before I continued a little more softly. "You are always begging me to trust you, but how can I trust you if you can't even trust me?"

There was no response from Zuko. He just continued to stare at me wide eyed and mouth still hanging open. Somehow I had the feeling I wasn't going to be receiving an answer any time soon. Rather than wait for him to move a muscle I laid down on the mat with a mumbled 'good night' to Zuko. I had just closed my eyes when Zuko stuttered out, "Go—good—nigh—night."

I didn't bother to acknowledge that I heard him. I just kept my eyes closed with the idea that in the morning I would be leaving despite the promise I had made just a few nights ago. Honestly, what choice do I have now? Zuko either doesn't or won't trust me so why should I continue to trust him any longer? With that I drifted off to sleep.

Out of nowhere I heard shouting. I opened my eyes to see that I was surrounded by snow and huts that appeared to be made out of the snow with some wood and fabric spread out; must be a village. The shouting continued and I looked around to see men in blues and whites fighting off men wearing reds, grays, and blacks. All of the men in red were fire bending while not one of the men in blue were using any bending; just weapons they already had or their fists.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement on my right side. I looked down to see a little girl—maybe six years old at the most—watching the entire scene. She held out a gloved hand and caught something in it. It was black, but it looked like it was made of snow. Black snow. Wait how did I know what it was? And how did I miss it when it was very clearly falling around everyone?

Upon further inspection of the young girl I realized she looked like me. She had the same braid in her hair that I used to wear and it was the same shade as mine. Our skin tone was just about the same and she had the same shade of eyes as me. I couldn't be sure if that was me because she just seemed so innocent where as the one time I looked at myself in the mirror I couldn't find a single trace of childhood left in me – and I still don't know how old I am.

Just then the young me—I think—was grabbed by an arm and pulled back inside the hut I was standing by. I followed her inside to see that she was being guided to a pile of furs in the corner of the hut by a woman; from behind I noticed she had the same skin tone and hair color as the young girl…me. I was confused as to what was going on. The older woman was moving around with urgency. The little girl was placed among the furs and was being covered up with them. Then I heard the woman whisper to her saying, "No matter what happens, do not make a sound! Do not move a muscle! Just stay still and be quiet! I'll handle things!" She said this with urgency, but also in a soft, soothing voice.

That is when it became clear to me that this woman is the young girl's mother. So if that young girl is me…does that mean this woman would be my mother?

She turned around and I was met with eyes just a single shade darker than mine…I think; there's not enough light in this hut for me to see them clearly. All I could tell was that she had a gentle nature about her just by her stance and from seeing what I could of her face. For a split second I thought she was looking at me, but then an expression of pure horror crossed her gentle face. Turning around I saw a man wearing those red clothes and a red and black helmet on his head. There was nothing kind about him. Those dark brown eyes had me frozen in place as I watched the two interact.

"You," he began in a cold, cruel voice, "have information I need and you are going to tell me what I need to know. Do you understand?" The woman did not fight back. She only lowered her head and nodded in defeat. "Very good. Now, where…is…the water bender?!"

Water bender? That's why he had come? He wanted to find a water bender?

The woman answered in a firm voice, "The Fire Nation took the last of our water benders years ago. There are none left." So that's why none of the men in blue were using bending, I realized quietly to myself.

"You really believe you can lie to me?" he laughed emotionlessly. "I know there is a water bender here. I have proof from others. So you are going to tell me who the water bender is now!"

"Do you promise to leave the village and stop your attack if I tell you?" The man nodded once. The woman let out a long breath before she looked the man square in the eyes and said one word. "Me." Her? "I'm the water bender. You may take me away now." She held up her wrists like she was going to be lead away.

The man responded by smiling. It made my blood run cold and my breathing was cut short. "I will not be taking prisoners today" was all he said before he pulled out a dagger and plunged it into the woman's heart.

I screamed quickly in horror, but no one heard me. All I could do was watch as the woman slumped to the ground, the man take his bloody dagger as he went out of the hut, and as the light in the woman's eyes went dim before they went out completely and she took her last gasping breath.

Then all I could do was begin screaming.


A/N: I know you guys were probably expecting Azula to show up, but she didn't. Sorry to get your hopes up. Don't worry though, Azula will show up. You'll just have to keep reading to find out when; she'll show up when you least expect her to.