Chapter 21: What Lies Ahead

"The power of water benders never ceases to amaze me," Jin-Ho said.

"So, he'll be okay?" Sokka asked.

"He'll live through the night, if that's what you're wondering."

"Good. Can't have the only sane heir to the Fire Nation dying on us," Sokka said, running a cloth over his boomerang. He glanced at the metal, seeing his reflection. 'We can't have anyone dying on us.' He sighed, setting it down. "How long do you think until he's completely healed?"

Jin-Ho rubbed the side of his head as he looked at Zuko. "Two weeks at the least. He'll be weak from the poison for a while, but as long as he avoids strenuous activities, he should recover quickly."

Toph sat next to Katara as Jin-Ho continued tending to Zuko. She slipped her hand through the water bender's, earning a reassuring smile and a hug. Her eyes darted to the prince as she sensed his breathing change. "I think he's waking up!"

Zuko's eyelids fluttered.

"Ssh! Toph!"

"Aang, don't be loud!" Katara said, holding a finger to her lips. She looked at Zuko as his eyes opened, his lips turned down in a grimace. She let go of Toph's hand and scooted closer to Zuko.

"All of you be quiet." Jin-Ho leaned over Zuko. "You've cheated death, Prince Zuko." Jin-Ho placed a rag in a bowl of water, eyes darting to Zuko as he tried to sit up. He placed a hand on the fire bender's chest. "You'll not want to move around for a while. I managed to remove the arrow tip, and the little water bender healed most of the wound, but it will reopen if you try to move before you're ready." Jin-Ho motioned for Katara to fluff the pillow behind the fire bender's head.

Zuko's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

Katara laid her hand on his shoulder. "It's a long story. He saved you." She reached beside her, and held a cup with herbal water to Zuko's lips. "Here, this will help with the pain."

"You've been sleeping all day," Sokka began, looking at Zuko. "There's a lot we need to talk about. A lot we need to catch up on."

Katara nodded. "I know and we will. But not now, Sokka. He just woke up."

"I'm fine," Zuko said, wincing as he breathed in. He closed his eyes, breathing out. "We need to figure out what our next move is."

"Are you sure?" Katara asked. Her brows furrowed as her lips turned down. "You've only slept a couple of hours."

"I'm fine."

Katara glanced at Jin-Ho. 'He already knows about Aang, but we need time to talk in private now that Zuko is awake.' "Um...could you give us a minute?"

The soldier shrugged, but stood anyway and walked towards the shoji doors. "I will call you when Ashan finishes dinner." He closed the door behind him.

The group stared at each other in uneasy silence, growing nervous as Ashan's and Jin-Ho's muffled voices drifted through the sliding doors. A slight breeze blew through the window as faint sunlight shone into the room. It had almost been two weeks since they'd last seen their friends, neither of them picturing their reunion would include two extra people.

'Dangerous people,' Sokka thought. He broke the silence. "Okay, who are those guys?"

Katara inhaled. "Jin-Ho and Ashan. They...were a part of the group that attacked Aang."

Toph picked at her toes, flicking specks of dirt on the floor. "So what are they doing with you guys?" she asked, her voice low. "And where's the rest of their pals?"

Katara tensed, Toph's question bringing back a flood of horrible memories of the night they got separated. The fearful gaze of a dying soldier struck by her ice dagger etched itself in her mind. Her hands stained with blood. Even now, she could see his shocked expression as he looked down at his chest to see the frosty blade turning red with his blood. She began to shake.

"Katara?" Aang asked, placing his hand on her shoulder.

She heaved and covered her mouth.

"Whoa, sis, what's wrong?" Sokka ran to the other side of the table and knelt next to her, glancing at Zuko. "Is she sick or something?"

Zuko looked at the ground. "No. It's something else."

"What is it?" Sokka asked, wrapping his arm around his sister's back. She's shaking so much.

"It's not for me to tell." Zuko met Sokka's confused gaze.

Katara closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Calm down. Breathe. She gripped the end of the table. "I'm fine. I-I got overwhelmed. We lost you guys and Zuko almost died…"

Aang met her gaze. She turned away.

"I see," Sokka said, his brows raised.

"Zuko was injured by an arrow," Katara began. Her eyes welled up with tears as she tried to push the images far from her mind. Should she tell them everything? Should she tell them what she had done? She looked at Aang, his tender gaze resting upon her. I can't tell them. I can't let Aang know what I did. He'd never...he'd never forgive me.

"I…my healing wasn't enough. Jin-Ho said he'd heal Zuko if I would save his brother."

"Doesn't seem like a bad trade," Sokka said.

Katara closed her eyes, thinking back to their time in the hut. She wrapped her arms around herself as the image of Jin-Ho, sitting in the corner with a knife to Zuko's throat set itself in her conscious. "It wasn't."

Aang's throat tightened as he watched Katara place a hand on Zuko's shoulder. He swallowed, rubbing his hands together. 'I need to say something. Anything.' "What happened after we got separated?"

Katara proceeded to tell the gang about the events that followed, and all the while her friends listened closely, their brows furrowed in concentration. When she reached the part about Zuko being shot by the arrow, her voice wavered. She stopped speaking as tears filled her eyes and her throat became tight. After a nudge from Toph she continued recalling the events that led them to where they were now. She pulled her knees up to her chest.

Katara sighed and closed her eyes. "That's all."

"I'm glad we found you guys," Aang said, scooting closer to the water bender. 'I thought I'd never see you again.'

Katara smiled. She took Aang's hand in hers and held it tight. "I'm glad that we're all together."

"Me, too," Aang said, glancing at their entwined hands. He turned to Sokka. "We should tell her about Seung Hyun. If we can get together with them, we can reach Shu Jing easier."

Sokka nodded. "Right. Well, after we got separated, we managed to make it to one of the mountain villages..."

He continued to relate their experiences after the storm, occasionally shifting his gaze from his friends to the doors where Jin-Ho and Ashan waited. "...and that's how we'll get into Shu Jing to resupply. Seung Hyun plans on leaving tomorrow, so we don't have much time left."

"Tomorrow?" Katara said, her brows furrowed in concern. "But Zuko needs to recover."

"I don't think we have too many options right now," Zuko said, sighing. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly. "The Fire Nation knows we're here now. It's possible that they know Aang is alive, too."

Sokka nodded. "It'll be tough, but I think it's our best option." The sound of knocking caused them to stop speaking, looking towards the door as it slid open to show Ashan.

"Dinner is ready."

Toph stood and stretched, digging her toes into the floor. "Great, because I'm starving! All this planning and talking is getting boring."

He turned to Zuko. "Are you hungry?"

Zuko began to reply before his stomach gurgled. "I guess."

"Before you do that, I need to change your gauze." Jin-Ho walked up from behind Ashan. "Then you may eat as much as you want."

Jin-Ho closed the door to the bedroom where Zuko slept. He ran his hands through his hair, inhaling and then exhaling. "The wound has closed up nicely. We'll have to continue watching him in case of infection."

"Thank you, again," Katara said. She ladled out soup in a bowl and motioned for Ashan to pass it to the soldier. "You've done a lot for us."

Jin-Ho shrugged, taking a seat beside his brother as the young man passed a bowl to him. "Your healing has sped up the process now that the arrow tip is out of his back."

Ashan stirred the pot of stew, glancing at his brother and then around the table. His gaze met Sokka's gaze. 'So he is Katara's brother. He doesn't trust us.' A wise choice. After everyone received a bowl, Ashan poured his own. He inhaled, sensing the tension between Katara's friends, himself and Jin-Ho. 'Should I say something? No…there isn't anything to say.' He looked at his brother. 'He doesn't seem worried. I wonder what he's thinking.'

Sokka broke the silence. "What are your plans now? You don't have anywhere to go and if the military catches you…"

"We have no official plans," Jin-Ho said. "Though giving the Avatar's head to Fire Lord Ozai could have been a good start."

"What did you say?" Toph said, her lips twisting into a scowl.

Ashan held up his hand on Toph began to stand. "He didn't mean it. Brother please…" Ashan sighed. "Like Brother said, we have no official plans. I'm sure the military will not welcome us back. But you still have not told us exactly why you are in the Fire Nation with Prince Zuko."

"Ozai has to be stopped," Aang said. "I'm—we're going to stop him."

The corners of Jin-Ho's lips turned up, his eyes seeming to dance in amusement. "Your strategy?"

"We're going to Shu Jing to resupply, rest and…" Sokka glanced at Aang. "Train the Avatar."

"Train?" Jin-Ho looked at Aang, his eyebrows raised.

Aang shifted his gaze towards the floor, his cheeks flushing with shame. "I—I don't know how to fire bend."

"I see." Jin-Ho frowned. "That is a problem."

"Jin-Ho," Katara began, meeting his eyes. "We want Zuko to become Fire Lord. Then he and Aang can work to change things for the better. You can join us."

"Hey!" Sokka said, setting his palms against the table. "We haven't discussed this!"

"It only makes sense, Sokka! We need more allies. Right now Zuko is the only one in the Fire Nation who isn't out to kill us." Katara inhaled. "We barely managed to escape the soldiers in the forest and Zuko still needs time to recover. They could really help us."

"He's one of them!" Sokka said.

Jin-Ho stood. "We'll need time to think about it." He grabbed an empty satchel and threw it to Katara. "I need more herbs, and your brother needs to find this merchant."

"I'll go with you," Aang volunteered.

Sokka held up his hand. "No. I'll go." He glanced at Katara. "We need to talk." Walking towards the door, he motioned for her to follow. He looked back at the group."We won't be long."

The bazaar bustled with civilians and soldiers as people maneuvered through the market. It was easy to tell who the refugees were by the gaunt and hopeless expressions on their faces and the sparse belongings strapped to their bodies. Several produce carts and merchant tents littered the center of the village.

Katara strung the satchel higher up her back as she followed Sokka through the crowd of people. He hadn't said anything since they left the inn, even now he remained tight-lipped, his brows slanted.

'He's definitely upset,' Katara thought. She hadn't meant to get ahead of herself or the gang. 'But we need more people who can help us fight Ozai. Sure we have Aang, but what about the rest of the Fire Nation? Will they surrender if Ozai is defeated? Then there's Azula…'

"You looked worried," Sokka said, voice level. "Is it about Zuko?"

Katara sighed, trying to control the irritation in her voice. "I know it's hard to believe I don't think about Zuko all the time, Sokka. But I'm thinking about other things."

"I never said that."

"You didn't have to." Katara stopped at a cart that held fresh herbs and eyed the plants. She picked out several, speaking with the shopkeeper before paying for the herbs. "I know you're upset. I just don't understand why you're so—"

"Cautious?" Sokka walked closer to her. "Katara, we're in the Fire Nation. Everyone here is an enemy, and that includes Jin-Ho and Ashan. You can't trust people blindly. Especially people who tried to kill us." 'Just because Zuko has decided to help us doesn't mean we should let our guard down.'

"It's not blind trust. He saved Zuko!"

"He threatened to kill him if you wouldn't help him!"

"Jin-Ho could have killed both of us!" Katara's lips parted to speak again, but stopped as she noticed people beginning to stare. She lowered her voice. "He could have killed us both after I healed Ashan. He had the chance and, he didn't take it. He knew who Zuko was. And he decided to keep his word and help us anyway. How can I not trust someone like that?"

Sokka shook his head. He pressed his lips together in frustration, trying not to say something he'd regret. 'She just doesn't get it.' "Let's get what we need and head back to the inn, okay?"

"Don't you have to find Seung Hyun?"

"I know where he is. You should head back to the inn. I'll talk to Seung Hyun."

Katara nodded and disappeared into the crowd as Sokka began walking the other way. He hoped he could speak to Seung Hyun before the day ended and work out their passage to Shu Jin before it was too late. 'Now that we found Zuko and Katara there isn't anything holding us back from leaving.' He stopped as the thought replayed in his head. 'Except maybe two extra people. Who I'm not even sure we can completely trust yet.'

He rubbed his temples and closed his eyes. Did Katara not realize how dangerous a situation she'd placed them in? 'There's no guarantee that they won't turn on us as soon as an opportunity comes. We're lucky...Zuko hasn't turned on us already. What was she thinking?'

"Are you Sokka?"

Sokka opened his eyes to see a young woman several feet away from him, holding a large basket of food. 'Seung Hyun's wife." "Bae?"

"We haven't seen you for a while! Where are your siblings? Have you found your parents?"

"They...were lost in the storm."

Bae's gaze softened as she laid a hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry to hear that. Are your brother and sister well?"

Sokka nodded, clearing his throat. "They're doing okay. We've decided to leave with you, but we might have extra people."

"Hmm," Bae said, hoisting the basket on her hip. "I see. You will need to speak to my husband then. I was just headed back. Follow me and you can speak with him. Though I cannot promise you that we will be able to help them. Or you." She motioned for Sokka to follow her down an alley. "Many more people have come into the city...more than we can help."

"I understand."

Bae frowned, shaking her head. "So many people have been displaced and lost everything. I'm afraid there is little anyone can do for them."

"But you're doing something. That's better than nothing, right?"

"Is it? For every person we help there are hundreds more we cannot." She pointed ahead of them. "We're almost there. You can speak to Seung Hyun once we get inside."

Hearing a knock on the door, Katara looked through the peephole and upon seeing it was her brother, opened the door for him to enter.

"Did you talk to Seung Hyun?" Katara asked, closing the door behind him. She followed him to the table where Zuko and Jin-Ho sat, the soldier grinding herbs with a mallet. Zuko wiped down his dao swords with a cloth, glancing at his reflection in the cold steel.

Katara laid a cup of tea in front of Sokka. "Are you hungry?"

Sokka shook his head, sipping the tea. "I'm fine." He turned to the prince. "I thought you were supposed to be lying down?"

"I've been doing that for days," Zuko said.

Katara shrugged. "We can't stop him from doing what he wants."

"I wouldn't try," Sokka said. He looked around the room. "Where's Aang?"

"He went to check on Appa. Momo went with him," Toph said.

Sokka leaned back on his arms, allowing a heavy sigh to escape his lips. "I talked to Seung Hyun. They plan on leaving tomorrow morning..." He closed his eyes, inhaling and then exhaling.

Jin-Ho looked up from his herbs, studying Sokka's expression. "Your talk didn't go as planned?"

Sokka rested his head in his hands, rubbing his temples. "Going with Seung Hyun isn't possible. He can't help us anymore."

Thank you so much for reading the newest chapter! I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. Yay, summer is here!

Painterofemotions