xXx Chapter 12 xXx
xXx Family Issues xXx
Through the darkness, Katara could hear the dull chirping of birds; they sounded far off, as if a thick barrier existed between her and the feathered creatures. As she slipped further away from her deep slumber, the twittering became cheerful and lively. Soon, more sounds from the outside world joined in. With a sepulchral groan, she tentatively opened her eyes. The light in the room was like that of a flame hidden behind a thick piece of wax paper. She feared that if she was to blink, in order to clear the blurry image, her eyes would remain closed. Lazily, she rubbed the sleep away from her eyes and hoisted herself up. Since her accommodations were still bathed in the same dim light, she wearily searched for a window.
She frowned at seeing the windows that were present; they all consisted of close, overlapping panels. Weekly, she reached for the one positioned directly above her bed and leaned her weight against it. It didn't budge. With numb fingers, she pulled against the panels and then the frame itself. The same results came. These windows were only designed to let air in; and more than likely, to keep people out. She didn't find the possibility of being in an unstable place very reassuring, which was what the defensive window treatments seemed to imply. Pressing her face against the panels, she peered out to see people casually roaming the dirt streets. It didn't look like she was in an unfriendly village. Perhaps she was just being oversensitive. She pressed herself closer to the un-opening window and peered up at the sky. With the amount of people and the brightness from the sun, it seemed to be midday.
"You're awake."
She turned to see who had spoken the statement (because it certainly wasn't asked as a question) and saw Sokka sitting on the coach. His posture was much like it was last night; his elbows were placed on his knees, giving him a slopping posture. And just like last night, he wasn't looking at her. Hastily, she rose from the bed, not bothering to straighten out the sheets like she normally would.
She wrung her hands once or twice before speaking, "Yeah… so are you," she took in a shaky breath, "did you sleep well?" She frowned at her pathetic question, but she wasn't sure what to say to her still distraught brother.
"I am… and no, I didn't." His voice was strained and low.
Unable to stand seeing Sokka that way, she ran across the room and flung her arms around him. The coach squeaked noisily when she crashed onto it. With his slumped posture, she nearly knocked him over, but he managed to steady himself. After a moment's hesitation, he shifted his body until he was able to give her an equal embrace.
She spoke through broken sobs into his shoulder, "I'm sorry Sokka, I'm so sorry. I know you're disappointed and upset, but you need to understand how sorry I am."
He pushed her away (but not repulsively) and ran his hand across his face; he was probably trying to hide the fact that he had been crying as well, "I'm not angry at you Katara. I was at first, but how could I stay mad at my little sister? Especially when she thought she was helping," he coughed down a groan of distress, "I'm just worried about Suki. I'm really worried; you said he has his powers back. Even if he doesn't know…if he finds her.."
Katara shook her head, unhooked her arms from around his neck, and placed them awkwardly on her own lap, "I think he can only use it when he becomes angry, very angry. Besides, if Suki was to see him, she would know to go in the opposite direction."
It was Sokka's turn to shake his head, "I don't think so, since she still thinks that he is powerless, she may try to capture him by herself... After we were captured, one of the men let it slip that Ozai had escaped, and that he had you. Actually, he told us that right to our faces; he thought he had us in the palm of his hand. Suki pretty much told them that we could take Ozai down without any problem."
She clutched at the fabric of her pants, "Maybe we can find her first."
He forced a sad smile, "I've been looking ever since sunrise," he took a moment to think, "I've been staying away from the pathways that twist through the forest. I don't think Suki would stay on the normal trail; it would be too risky."
"That makes sense, but that also gives us a lot of ground to cover," she stood and held out her hand, "so I guess we better get started, we need to search as much as possible before sundown."
He looked at her outstretched hand for a moment before taking it, even though he didn't rely on her for assistants in getting up, "Right, let's go." Once again, he gave another feeble grin.
As they approached the door, Sokka stopped short, and snatched up his cloak. She looked down; one side of her cloak was draped normally over her shoulder, but the other was twisted around her back. Quickly, she straightened it out and latched the buttons. With a fluid movement of her hand, she drew up her hood and opened the door. The hallway was a bit brighter than their room; half of the lanterns were lit. As she turned to close the door, she realized that none of theirs were.
As they walked down the hall, Sokka leaned closer and spoke low, "I think we should avoid drawing attention to ourselves. So keep conversations with strangers to a minimum."
She pondered on that for a moment, "Sokka, you do realize that we're wearing cloaks… and we are randomly coming and going from the forest."
He nearly tripped over his own feet, and then hastily cleared his throat, "Just smile and nod Katara, that's all I'm asking." His voice was an odd mixture of humor and desperation.
Their conversation ceased as they approached the part of the structure that could only be described as a shabby lobby. The same man they had meet last night sat behind the makeshift desk, and he was absentmindedly shifting through the papers laid in front of him. The same sour countenance played on his otherwise dull features, and it seemed as if he wasn't going to give them any notice.
Just as they opened the squeaky door, the man spoke up, "Going out again, are you? Where is it you wandered off to earlier this morning?"
Sokka pretty much ignored his question, "Expect us back around sundown."
As they completely left the building, she heard him cry out his response, "Sundown? Just where are you going, boy?"
"He's awfully nosy, isn't he?" She kept her voice near a whisper as she walked side by side with her brother.
"Yeah, but he's not very friendly, so it makes him an unpleasant person." His attempt at humor came off as dry and odd.
As they made their way through the village, they attracted some attention. Not that their cloaks were attention grabbing or anything… Despite all eyes on them, Sokka kept his gaze focused on the tree line. She decided to do the same. It helped some, but she could still feel their eyes on her back as they walked. It was odd that she didn't seem to notice the stares as much when she was with Ozai. Then again, she wasn't watching Sokka's every step like he might attack her.
A slight feeling of relief washed over her as they reached the cluster of trees, "Where do we begin?"
Sokka didn't hesitate, "We should follow the river. That's where I was searching earlier. We'll go through the part I've already been through pretty quickly, but I think we should still search it over."
They traveled through the thick accumulation of trees for only a few moments before coming across the flowing river. The glistening water, shinning sun, and chirping birds served as a great contrast with their solemn moods. She could only hope that Suki was okay, and that they could find her before Ozai could. Knowing him, he was already searching for her. And he would be angry. She had an unnerving feeling that he would be furious enough to firebend, but she couldn't bring herself to enlighten Sokka on her theory. With a sharp intake of breath, she became twice as determined to find Suki.
She noticed that Sokka was giving her a thoughtful look, "What?"
He shook his head, "Take the other side of the river. Move into the trees as deep as you can while keeping the river in view. I'm sure I don't have to tell you to not be too loud."
She nodded her head and skipped (somehow managing to do it dully) across the rocks that laid on top of the shallow waters. She glanced at Sokka and forced a smile. It wasn't hard to figure out the cause of his stare. He was worried about leaving her alone. She didn't blame him, but splitting up would be better for their search. They both began walking, peering longingly into the tightly packed trees. To ease Sokka's nerves, she stayed by the tree line, keeping herself visible to him. It wasn't long before they reached the point where Sokka had stopped, so they slowed down their pace; they needed to do a thorough search. They were also deeper into the forest, which meant that the surrounding growth of trees were becoming impossibly dense.
She caught Sokka's attention, and signaled that she was going to move away from the river. Even though he nodded in approval, she could see the doubt in his eyes. Slowly, she abandoned the comfort of the river. It was almost funny. Being on opposite sides of a river would usually symbolize a division, a barrier between two people; but the river was what kept them connected. As she moved further away, she could feel that connection fade. With every step she took, she moved further away from Sokka; with every step, she felt like she was moving closer to Ozai. Her stomach compulsively flipped and tightened.
Having that thought proved to be a mistake. It only made her think about the almost-kiss. She remembered how he held her gaze and gently brushed his lips against hers. The way her heart had knocked strongly against her chest. The warmth she felt from his body. She suddenly stopped and leaned against a tree. She felt her checks flare, but her stomach screamed at her in violent protest. If it hadn't been for her lack of food, she was certain that she would have become sick. But thanks to that sickening thought, her body ignored the fact that she hadn't ate since before sundown last night.
She shook her head, remembering her directive; and it wasn't to think about Ozai. She had to find Suki. She moved a bit further away from the river before turning to walk in her original direction. Surely Sokka would be doing the same thing; it would make it easier for them meet up again if they kept moving down stream. Stealthily, she moved against the foliage and roots that cluttered the forest floor, while making as little noise as possible. With as much skill as she could, she searched everywhere she passed; looking for broken twigs, branches and even foot prints. Periodically, she would stop and listen, straining her ears for any sound that might have originated from a human. She was doing this to not only search for Suki, but to avoid Ozai. And possibly Hikaru.
xXx Later that Day xXx
If she hadn't been use to such travels, she would definitely be complaining about her aching feet. They did in fact hurt, but she had learned to deal with it a long time ago. She frowned at her lack of progress (which was no progress at all) and the sun was starting to dip lower into the sky. She instantly stopped, realizing just how close it was to sundown. Sokka wanted to be back in the village by sundown. With how deep they were into the forest, they wouldn't be back until well after midnight. Fearing the worst, she sprinted (as quietly as she could) back to the river.
When she reached her destination, she came to a skidding halt right in front of the water line. Wildly, she whipped her head back and forth, searching for her brother. When she didn't see him, she ran down the river a little further, and did the same in the opposite direction when she didn't get any positive results. Backtracking failed her as well. She came to a halt and once again looked in both directions. She could fell the panic welling up inside of her.
"Sokka!" She hissed through gritted teeth, trying not to attract any undesired attention.
After trying this a dozen more times, she gave up and cupped her hands around her mouth, "Sokka!" Her anxiety filled voice rang through the unresponsive forest.
Without another thought, she darted across the rapidly moving water with minimum effort. She proceeded into the forest, and dashed between the masses of trees. They revealed nothing to her. She continued her trek through the wooded area, calling out her brother's name every now and then. She knew she shouldn't be so loud, but she was too concerned about the others to put her own safety first. The tree limbs scratched against her face as she continued her run through the forest, and the roots tripped her up from time to time. All of that faded into nothingness as the brother continued to evade her.
She collapsed against the forest floor and leaned helplessly on a thin tree. Her breaths came in sort pants and tears blurred her red eyes. The search for Sokka and Suki had ended in failure. Wearily, she dragged her head up to look at the partially empty town; most of everyone had retired to their homes. Her only hope was that Sokka returned to the inn without her. She composed herself as best she could (this attempt was not a success) and entered the village. At first, no one paid her any notice, but they did when her pace uncontrollably increased.
She was running again by the time she reached the inn, and she crashed through the door. Once again she skidded to a stop, taking her place in the center of the dimly lit room. The man behind the desk looked at her with a bored expression.
She was so caught up in her problems that she didn't hear the door closing behind her.
She took in a jagged breath, "Has my brother come back yet?"
Something odd happened. That man, the one who had always worn a bored or irritated expression suddenly smiled. But it wasn't a friendly one; only one corner of his lip had pulled up, forming a callus smirk. His eyes turned harder as he leaned back in his chair. His image completely changed. She stood her ground, waiting for him to explain his odd actions.
"No, I'm afraid the Water Tribe boy hasn't returned," he let his chair fall back into place and then leaned his elbows against the desk, "and I don't expect him to be returning any time soon."
Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at the man before her. A million thoughts bombarded her all at one. How did he know Sokka was from the Water Tribe? What would make him say Sokka wouldn't be back? Had this been a trap? She suddenly remembered what Sokka had told her; Ozai has men everywhere. This man wasn't some random Earth Kingdom citizen, he must be a former Fire Nation soldier. She didn't want to believe that assumption, but she was unable to come up with anything else.
Whatever he was, she was certain that she could take him. She forced her rigid body into a fighting stance and kept her eyes locked on him. Confusion started to set in when he remained where he was; it seemed like he wasn't going to make any move against her. Her uncertainty must have been written all over her face, because he finally spoke.
"If you are going to insist on fighting, I won't be your opponent…" His eyes flickered to something that was behind her.
While still keeping the man in her peripheral vision, she turned. A gasp escaped from her upon seeing two burly men guarding either side of the closed door.
The man behind the desk spoke again, "I'm sure the Fire Lord has wasted enough of his time searching for you. Won't he be pleased to learn that his little pet came right to us?" All three of the men chuckled.
Her checks flared at the 'pet' comment, "Don't you mean the ex-Fire Lord?"
At that, then man rose from his chair, "The true Fire Lord, you insolent child!"
One of the guards snorted, "It seems the Fire Lord's pet isn't completely trained yet."
She turned on her heels to fully face the man who had just spoken, but she was cut off by the other guard before she could deliver her response, "I don't understand why he picked such a stubborn mutt, I always thought that he resented a challenge. Not that she's something he can't handle."
The first guard decided that he had something more to say, "Stubborn mutt or not, she is pretty cute. I guess. For a Waterbender," he stroked his scruffy beard as if in thought, "I guess the Fire Lord just has an odd taste in women…in pets."
Something inside her snapped, she would not tolerate any more pet jokes. She jabbed her arms in front of her and jerked them back until they were back at her side; a wave of water filled the air directly in front of her and then split, taking down the two guards. The action also extinguished the fire that flickered in the nearby lamps. She then spun around and sent the water to the wide-eyed man behind the desk. The torrent slammed him against the wall, but she didn't waste time to see if he was going to stay down. Her legs automatically made a mad dash for the door but as she passed through it her ankle was caught, and she went down. With her free leg, she tried to push herself up, only to be pulled back into the dark room. She didn't attack; her hands were too busy digging into the soft earth. Her attempt to keep herself where she was failed. Her nails were now scratching against the wooden surface of the inn's floor.
Once she accepted that plan as no good, she flipped herself around and sent the last bit of her water to her capture. He stumbled back and disappeared into the darkness of the room. The other guard must have stayed down, because her next escape attempt was a success. She bolted down the street, hopping she could make it to the cover of the forest. Once reaching it, she did not stop; her pace barely slowed. She knew they would follow, so she needed to put as much distance as possible between them. It wasn't a matter of being afraid, she needed to find Sokka. The man's comment about Sokka not returning was enough to put her in a state of panic. She had a sickening feeling that when she found her brother, she would also find Ozai.
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