Chapter 5

4 Years after the Hundred Year War
Makapu Village

Having spent the night in Aunt Wu's village, the unlikely pair set out on their epic journey soon after the break of dawn. The local inn had no other visitors, so they had been able to rent a room each without having to annoy one another with their presence. Katara had been a little worried that she would have to wait endlessly until the pampered princess was ready to travel, but in the end, they had both emerged from their rooms at the exact same time.

After some light breakfast at the inn, consumed in silence, the pair were finally on their way. Traveling on foot, which was a daunting prospect in itself, meant that they had to travel relatively light when it came to the supplies. The day before, they had argued whether to purchase tents or not. Katara had thought that they could buy a single larger tent and share it, but Azula had vehemently argued against sharing with a lowly water peasant. Then Katara had suggested to buy two smaller tents with both of them carrying their own, but Azula had taken one look at the heavy and cumbersome tent before announcing that she was no pack animal and that Katara would just have to carry both tents, something that Katara had no intention of doing. Katara had to admit that Azula's tantrums could be more than a little frustrating, but at the same time there was something amusing about the princess acting like a spoilt brat.

Fortunately, and this was something that Katara was privately thankful for, Azula had possessed the foresight to also purchase a detailed map of the Earth Kingdom. Having studied it, the princess announced that they should be able to pick a route that would allow them to travel from one settlement to another without needing to spend a single night under open sky. Katara was a little doubtful about this optimistic assumption, but she was forced to trust Azula on this occasion. It was not something she liked to admit, especially not to Azula, who would most definitely mock her relentlessly, but Katara had real difficulties reading a map. It wasn't something she had been taught at the South Pole, and what little she had picked up, Katara had learned by glancing over Sokka's shoulder during their travels.

It didn't take them much time to cross the volcanic island dominated by Mount Makapu. Once they reached the eastern shore, Katara quickly shaped another raft of ice to carry them across the narrow strait to the mainland. They now found themselves in what was the very southeastern part of the newly founded United Republic of Nations, a large peninsula forming the eastern coast of Yue Bay. The day before, when planning out their journey, they had considered cutting straight across the peninsula to save time, but in the end, they had both agreed that it made little sense. The forests were thick and dangerous, and there were barely any beaten paths, nor any settlements they could spend the night. It made a lot more sense to stick to the more populated shoreline and travel along the coast, dotted with many fishing villages that would allow them to resupply.

As they walked, mostly in silence, Katara's thoughts were inescapably pulled back to her conversation with Aunt Wu, and the parting words of the fortune teller which had confused her greatly. Her sleep had been restless the previous night as she had stared at the ceiling of her room, wondering what Aunt Wu could have meant by her words. It was nonsense, of course, Katara knew that by now, however… there was still a part of her that wanted to believe that someone in this world might possess the abilities that Aunt Wu claimed to have.

It just seemed so ridiculous that she could fall in love with a powerful bender who wasn't even a man. It wasn't like Katara actually knew a lot of female benders she would call truly powerful. There was Toph, of course, but... even thinking about that made Katara feel all wrong and unpleasant. Toph was like the little sister of their tightly knit group... rebellious, confrontational and occasionally frustrating little sister, but still very much loved by them all. The only other powerful female bender Katara could think of was her current travel companion, but the thought alone made her laugh. If there was anything Katara and Azula shared, it was the mutual dislike they held for each other.

Until Aunt Wu had shocked her the day before, Katara hadn't even considered the possibility of having a girlfriend instead of a boyfriend. The entire concept as such hadn't crossed her mind. As she thought about it, she didn't feel as if she disliked the idea on principle. She wanted to be with someone she loved, someone who loved her back with equal fervor. Did their gender matter? She supposed that it didn't, but considering that all her previous crushes had all been boys, the possibility that she would suddenly crush on some girl seemed silly and unlikely.

Katara had noticed a few same gender couples during their travels across the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation, but they had been a rare occurrence and she hadn't paid them any special attention. Katara tried to think whether she had ever seen it happen in the Water Tribes, but she could not think of ever having witnessed it. Perhaps it made sense. Life at the Poles was harsh, mortality was higher than average, including among infants. The women of the Water Tribes were expected to marry early and produce plenty of children, it was essential for the survival of her people. Katara couldn't help but wonder what happened with women who were not romantically attracted to men. Did they still force themselves to marry and have children for the good of the tribe? Were they coerced? Or perhaps they were exiled? These were uncomfortable questions that she had never thought about while growing up, but now they were starting to bother her, all because of Aunt Wu's ridiculous comments.

She would be turning nineteen soon. Katara suddenly had to wonder whether her family also had such expectations of her. Her father had looked devastated when she had announced her breakup with Aang. Was it because he had expected her and Aang to produce plenty of healthy offspring? She couldn't help but frown at the thought. Yes, it was true that the war had left populations reeling across the entire world, and they had to rebuild their numbers, especially the Water Tribes... and she did like the idea of eventually giving birth and becoming a mother. But at the same time, she hated the idea of doing it because it was expected of her. She wanted it to be her own decision, once she felt ready and wanted for it to happen.

Katara almost laughed aloud when she tried to imagine what her family would say about Aunt Wu's amended reading. Their reactions would probably range from getting a stroke to blowing up in righteous anger. She decided to humor herself and imagined introducing Azula as her girlfriend to her family. The imagined look on Sokka's face almost made her giggle like a little girl. As the mental images of her shocked family members slowly faded away, the vision of her and Azula standing side by side for some reason remained, lingering.

Hmm... I suppose she could have beautiful eyes, if she didn't always glare like that, or set her face in that cruel scowl. She and Zuko have the same golden eyes, intense and passionate. Maybe if she learned to smile, the way Zuko has learned... his eyes shine with so much warmth when he smiles. She tried to imagine Azula smiling the way Zuko sometimes smiled at her. The conclusion was easy to make. Smiling would definitely make Azula look very pretty. Hmm, and I suppose her jaw line is also interesting... delicate, but also projecting strength, always set in such determination...

"What?" Azula suddenly snapped, making Katara jump slightly. "Do I have something on my face?" the princess glared at her.

"No, of course not," Katara recovered quickly. Azula's appearance was impeccable, as always, Katara knew her to be an obsessive perfectionist.

"Then stop staring at me like that," Azula frowned. "Bloody weird water peasant."

Katara didn't know quite how to respond, feeling slightly embarrassed at being caught staring, so she felt grateful for some fellow travelers appearing around the bend of the coastal road they were traveling along. She became considerably less thankful for the interruption as soon as she realized who these travelers were, a group of grim earthbenders wearing the black and dark green robes of the Dai Li.

"Excellent," Azula's expression shifted to a predatory grin as she discarded her belongings and cracked her fingers, preparing to firebend their ambushers to kingdom come. "I've been quite looking forward to this," she chuckled confidently, letting loose with jets of blue flames, the Dai Li scrambling to protect themselves.

Immersed in their bending to quickly scatter the attacking earthbenders, both Azula and Katara missed the commotion behind their backs until it was too late. They both quickly swiveled around and ended up staring at the snout of a massive snarling animal. Before Azula could react, its long tongue lashed out and slapped her across the face. The princess slumped to the ground almost instantly, paralyzed by the whip-like tongue of the shirshu.

"June!" Katara cried out, trying to think quickly. "I'm not with Azula, I was just escorting her!"

June stared at her from the back of her loyal mount, Nyla. "Oh really?" the bounty huntress looked amused. "Unfortunately for you, the Dai Li know that you sunk their battleship," she exclaimed. Realizing that her deception had failed, Katara tried to defend herself with a barrier of ice, but she was too late with it, and Nyla's tongue slapped her hard across the face. Moments later, she lay prone in the gravel, right next to the helplessly glaring Azula.

"Well, don't you two make for an excellent catch," June laughed, watching as the Dai Li agents quickly secured Azula and Katara by tying them up so tightly that they could hardly breathe, then throwing them onto Nyla's back for transportation. "The Fire Lord's sister and the Fire Lord's girlfriend, like two birds with one stone…"

Azula was not in a good mood, to put it mildly. For the second time in two days, she found herself manacled and bound tightly, this time a gag also stuffed into her mouth for good measure. She had endured a humiliating ride to the Dai Li encampment, bouncing on the back of the shirshu next to Katara, having to suffer all sorts of demeaning comments from the irritating earthbenders. Back at the Dai Li camp, they had been unceremoniously dumped inside one of the tents and left there, bound and helpless, unable to move a limb.

The Dai Li simply left them there ignored until the nightfall, at which point the flaps of the tent parted and in stepped the irritating bounty huntress Katara had referred to as June. The smug smirk on her pretty face irritating Azula to no end, and she instinctively began to struggle against her bonds, desperate to teach this June a lesson she would never forget. The bounty huntress merely laughed at Azula's attempts to free herself and proceeded to address Katara, the waterbender also tied up tightly, but at least she hadn't been manacled and gagged. The Dai Li rightly didn't view her as a much of a threat.

"Sorry about all this unpleasantness," June grinned at Katara in a way that suggested she wasn't very apologetic at all. "But a job is a job. I hope you know that this is not in any way personal."

"I'm sure it isn't," Katara replied coldly. "How did you even track us?"

"The Dai Li have acquired several items of clothing your angry little friend had worn in the past," June smirked as she threw another amused glance at Azula. "They really have a long reach, you know. And they pay well."

"Whatever they are paying, Fire Lord Zuko will pay you double that," Katara offered. Azula hoped that she was wrong. She hated the idea of her brother making deals with the Dai Li on her behalf. Deals were worth making only with one's equals, and the Dai Li were anything but equals.

"I'm sure he would, but I have my reputation to think about," June shrugged. "If word goes out that I'm someone who betrays her employers... no, thank you, but I'll pass on your kind offer."

"You might come to regret that decision," Katara warned, but June appeared unimpressed. Azula wasn't surprised at all. Katara had no clue how to intimidate people. "Do you know what they have in store for us?" Katara asked, obviously trying to extract more information from June.

"I'm not privy to their plans, but I know that they are waiting for a ship to come and pick you up," June replied. "Once that ship arrives, I'll receive the second half of my payment, while you'll be off to Ba Sing Se."

"Why take me to Ba Sing Se? It's obvious they are only interested in Azula," Katara pressed.

"Not anymore, girl," June smirked. "I think they are a little worried that the Fire Lord and the Avatar might be onto their plans, so I believe they plan to hold you captive to make sure they do not interfere. Anyway," the bounty huntress said as someone else entered the tent, one of the Dai Li agents carrying a wooden bowl and a ladle. "Looks like it's time for you to enjoy your meal. I won't disturb you any longer," June chuckled before leaving the tent.

The Dai Li agent began to make preparations to feed them both, propping Azula upright, not an easy task as she struggled all the way, trying her best to head-butt the man. At some point during their struggle, Azula suddenly noticed something, Katara giving her frantic looks and silently forming words with her lips, as if trying to communicate something to her. Azula stopped fighting her captor and finally allowed him to settle her upright and start working on removing the gag, her eyes focused on trying to decipher what Katara was trying to tell her.

What could she be trying to tell me? Azula thought frantically. Hmm, she probably has some plan to escape that she needs my help with. How would Katara plan to escape? She'd probably use her waterbending... only there's nothing here for her to bend with. As the Dai Li agent submerged the wooden ladle in the disgusting looking brew in the bowl, Azula's eyes instantly flashed in recognition. 'Spit it out!' That's what she's trying to tell me!

Wincing inwardly, Azula allowed the earthbender to shove the spoon into her mouth. Hungry though she was, Azula refused the temptation to swallow the disgustingly bland slop, instead spitting it out on the ground with a look of disgust on her face. "I am not eating anything so gross!" she snarled at the angry looking earthbender. "In Fire Nation, we wouldn't feed this sludge even to the bull pigs!"

The Dai Li agent angrily slapped her gag back in its place and shoved the princess to the ground. "Arrogant little bitch," he growled, turning towards Katara. "I trust you possess enough sense to accept the food offered to you?"

"Thank you, but I'm not hungry," Katara replied icily.

"Let's see how your pride holds up when you're chained in the ship's brig," the Dai Li agent smirked. "Soon you'll be begging for the scraps we might throw your way," he shook his head in annoyance, leaving the tent shortly after.

As soon as they had been left alone, Katara sprang into action. Azula watched with interest at how the waterbender rolled around, revealing that she had managed to somehow disentangle her fingers from the ropes that bound her, the Dai Li being rather careless in how they had secured Katara. Being able to wriggle her fingers gave Katara some limited bending capabilities. Despite herself, Azula was mildly impressed at how Katara managed to use what little liquid she could gather, combining the scarce droplets and then starting to shape them. With her hands tied on her back, Katara did not even see what she was doing, but apparently, she was able to sense her element well enough to manipulate it even then.

Having formed a tiny dagger of ice, Katara used it to slash at her restraints, but unfortunately, without seeing what she was doing, the sharp edge not only cut through some of the ropes, but also bit very deep into her flesh, almost causing her to cry out. Azula winced as she watched blood escaping from the self-inflicted deep cut. If Katara bled to her death, then this escape attempt would end up as a particularly embarrassing disaster, and Azula definitely did not want for that to happen. Fortunately, Katara managed to shake off the severed ropes quickly, then using water from one of her hip flasks to quickly mend the cut, but not before the back of her dress had been badly stained with blood.

Seeing Katara walking up to the tent flap and carefully peering outside, Azula began to make impatient noises around her gag, demanding to be released. It was time to unleash fiery doom on these impudent Dai Li and burn them all together with their campsite. Katara eventually reacted to the noises she was making, frowning as she snuck over to Azula.

"Here's what we're going to do," Katara told her. "I'm going to create a distraction and throw the entire camp into chaos. Then I'm going to release you, cut a hole in the back of the tent and we'll make our escape while they're distracted."

Azula blinked in surprise before starting to struggle against her bonds with increased ferocity. She couldn't believe the insipid waterbender thought that she wouldn't take her revenge on the Dai Li for this humiliation. Was she expected to just forget about this insult and skulk away into the night like a coward? Katara was out of her mind if she thought that Azula would ever agree to that.

"Azula, we're doing this my way or not all," Katara spoke sternly, looking deep into her eyes in the way that still made Azula a little uncomfortable. "I'm going to free you regardless, but if you recklessly attack the Dai Li camp, then our deal is off and we're heading to the North Pole instead. Am I being clear on this?"

Azula hesitated for a brief moment. Perhaps this was her chance to get rid of Katara in all the confusion that would follow if she attacked the Dai Li. But there were a lot of these earthbenders, not to mention June, that damn shirshu of hers, and Katara possibly turning on her as well. It was just too damn risky. She gave Katara a reluctant nod, signaling her agreement. For now.

"Thank you," Katara smiled at her, carefully walking up to the tent flaps, peering outside before pulling them slightly apart, looking ready to bend. Azula's brow wrinkled in confusion. Katara did not appear to be using any water this time.

Azula adjusted her position slightly, wriggling like an earthworm in order to get a better look through the slight gap between the tent flaps. Katara's hands were moving subtly, she was definitely bending, but with what? Azula's attention was then drawn to one of the Dai Li who was behaving very oddly. With jerky, unsteady steps, he walked towards the large campfire and then simply... stepped into it, standing there as his robes caught fire, the man remaining still with a dull look on his face as if he felt no pain. Even more strangely, the same moment Katara stopped bending, the expression on the man's face changed completely. He seemed to become aware again, letting out an ear-splitting cry of pain as flames engulfed him and the entire campsite erupted with chaotic and confused shouting.

What had Katara done? Azula had never seen anything like that, but there was no time to ponder about it. The waterbender was at her side immediately, quickly slicing through her bonds as well as the rock gloves that held her hands and feet tightly together. Water whips lashed against the back of the tent, ripping the fabric, and moments later the pair were outside, crouching low as they ran for the safety of a nearby forest.

All of a sudden there were so many questions on Azula's mind, but they would have to wait until they got to safety. They were already close to the edge of the forest, when Azula noticed two figures ahead of them, wearing the Dai Li robes, most likely guards patrolling the outer perimeter of the camp. Before Katara or the guards could react, blue lightning left Azula's outstretched hands. The bright arc jumped from one guard to the other, electrocuting them both and leaving two smoldering corpses behind as Azula jumped over them, Katara right behind her.

"Got any problem with that?" Azula asked as they kept running.

"None whatsoever," Katara shook her head. "I didn't want you to burn down the camp not because I'm sorry for the Dai Li, but because I wasn't sure we would win that fight, especially with June and Nyla still present."

Azula did not respond right away, not wanting to admit that Katara was most likely correct in her assessment. Instead, she just kept running. "You do realize that she'll just track us again come the morning, right?" Azula asked a while later.

"I know," Katara nodded as they finally reached the forest's edge, gradually slowing down. "But now that we know what we're dealing with, they will no longer take us by surprise."

Azula fell silent, offering no rebuttal. As they proceeded deeper into the forest, Azula remarked at how at the start of their journey, she had been completely uninterested in anything that had to do with the waterbender. Now, all of a sudden, she had so many questions concerning Katara, and by Agni, she was absolutely determined to get the answers.