Chapter 6
4 Years after the Hundred Year War
Forests South-East of Republic City
The night they had spent in the forest had been utterly miserable. Stumbling around in the dark with no sense of direction, they had eventually collapsed in a tranquil meadow, too exhausted to continue. Hoping that the Dai Li would wait until morning to resume their search, they had decided to try and get some sleep, Katara first to keep watch over Azula for a couple of hours, then waking the princess to trade places. With no supplies other than the clothes they were wearing, sleeping on the ground had been very uncomfortable, and come the break of dawn, neither of them felt well rested.
With the start of a new day, they needed a plan on what to do next. At least that seemed to be on Azula's mind when she approached Katara, the waterbender having removed her dress to clean it from bloodstains, sitting in the grass wearing nothing but her light undergarments. "You know that we can't outrun a shirshu, right?" Azula as always didn't waste any time on pleasantries, cutting to the matter at heart.
"I know," Katara nodded. "I must admit, I did not take that into account when I came up with our escape plan yesterday," she confessed.
Azula looked like she was about to say something insulting about Katara's planning abilities, but then she simply shrugged and withheld her comment. "Well, it's a problem we need to deal with," the princess said instead. "You're lucky that I'm here, because I just happen to have an idea."
"I'm all ears," Katara told the firebender as she quickly slipped back into her Earth Kingdom style dress. She suddenly realized how hungry she was, they hadn't eaten a bite since that breakfast way back at Aunt Wu's village. She imagined that Azula was starving as well, but with no supplies at hand, there was little to be done about it.
"The Dai Li will soon start tracking us again," Azula began. "They'll expect us to be on the run, so I say... let's surprise them. Let's head back to their camp and hit them hard."
"Risky," Katara frowned. "But I don't like the idea of being caught flat footed on the road again. You know what... let's go with your plan, Azula."
"Really?" Azula looked surprised. It seemed as if she had already been prepared for a fiery back and forth argument. "Well... at least you can recognize the genius of my plan. Let's not waste any time. If we can hit them before they set out to track us, that would be ideal."
"Agreed," Katara nodded. She glanced around the meadow, the forest appearing exactly the same whichever way she looked. "So... which way back to the Dai Li camp?" she asked, feeling a little lost.
"That way," Azula sighed, pointing to her left.
"How confident are you about that?" Katara asked.
Azula let out a frustrated sigh. "Haven't you learned by now that I'm never wrong?" she grumbled. "Now, are you coming or not?"
Katara hurried to follow the princess and after spending at least an hour fighting through thick underbrush, the pair eventually emerged from the forest, near a familiar looking coastline. "I think we're some ways behind the Dai Li camp... I'm quite sure we passed this large tree stump before getting ambushed by them," Katara remarked, having examined the landscape more closely.
"Indeed, we are exactly where I wanted us to be," Azula replied sternly. Katara chuckled inwardly at that. There was something amusing, perhaps even endearing about Azula's complete inability to admit that she could be wrong about something, even if it was the most inconsequential thing.
"Well... I suppose they will not expect us approaching from behind," Katara smiled as they began to walk down the coastline road, keeping quiet and remaining alert to make sure they were not jumped by June and the Dai Li yet again. It took them at least several hours to reach the Dai Li campsite, but as they approached the place where it had stood last night, they were surprised to see that the Dai Li camp had been dismantled, and the earthbenders had all left.
"Damn it, we're too late! They're off tracking us again!" Azula cursed, both of them looking around cautiously, expecting trouble.
"Wait, Azula," Katara spoke, peering at the campsite, reaching out to grab Azula's wrist. "There's something... or someone still back at the camp."
"Hmm, you're right," Azula nodded, having looked more closely. "Let's go check it out. And... you can let go of my hand now," she said, Katara quickly releasing her wrist, then setting to follow the princess who had already rushed ahead.
A surprising sight awaited them at the dismantled Dai Li campsite. A single body lay prone on the ground, badly beaten and battered, looking to have been on the receiving end of hostile earthbending. Much to the surprise of them both, it was June, the bounty huntress. Her shirshu mount, Nyla, was close by, trapped and rendered immobile by the earthbenders, leaving the animal to growl helplessly at the two approaching girls.
"Looks like there has been some falling out between her and the Dai Li," Azula remarked thoughtfully. "Well, that's good news for us."
"She's alive," Katara said, kneeling next to June to check up on her. "Let's see if we can learn more from her," she added, starting to heal the many wounds of the bounty huntress, and after a brief while, June groaned and opened her eyes.
"Oh great," she sighed. "You two. Just my rotten luck."
"What happened between you and the Dai Li?" Katara asked.
"What do you think?" June rolled her eyes. "After you escaped, they asked me to track you again, but I told them that I had already fulfilled my contract by capturing and delivering you the first time. If they wanted me to track you again, they had to pay me the same amount again. They didn't take kindly to my words and... well, I don't remember much after the rocks started flying."
"Well, I guess in that case we'll finish what the Dai Li started," Azula grinned maliciously, getting ready to firebend.
"We're not going to simply kill her, Azula," Katara protested.
"Why the fuck not?" Azula glared at the waterbender. "She's the enemy!"
"I don't really care about your conflict with the Dai Li," June said calmly. "I'm a bounty hunter. I'll accept any job as long as the pay is good."
"Let's make a deal, June," Katara offered. "I'll heal you fully and we'll release you, but you must promise never to take a job tracking me or Azula again."
"That's not how a bounty hunter operates, girl, you should know that," June shook her head.
"Well, I would urge you to make an exception in our case," Katara snapped angrily. Using her waterbending, she coated the tips of her fingers with water, then freezing it to form sharp claws of ice, pressing them against June's exposed throat. "Or instead of healing you, my fingers might just... slip," Katara added warningly, hoping that she appeared sufficiently intimidating.
"Alright... alright!" June exclaimed, looking slightly unnerved about the sharp spikes of ice digging into her flesh. "I won't track you again, I promise!"
"Isn't that a lot better?" Katara smiled at her, noticing how Azula was watching her with a surprised and almost approving look on her face. "Now, let's heal you properly. And if you have any other valuable information for us, this would be a good time to share it," Katara added, starting to mend June's remaining injuries.
"I have only one piece of advice for you," June spoke, sounding grateful. "The Dai Li suspect that your destination is Ba Sing Se. They'll be watching all the main roads, so I strongly suggest that you seek alternative routes whenever possible."
"That's actually good advice, thank you, June," Katara smiled, applying last finishing touches with her healing. "There, all done," she said, stepping back and letting June rise. "You should be able to free Nyla by yourself."
"Yes, don't worry about it," June nodded at her. "And don't take it the wrong way, but I hope not to see you again. Especially you, angry princess," she winked at Azula, who bristled at the impertinent gesture.
"I think Azula and I feel the same, June," Katara smirked, turning around to walk away. Azula looked like she was considering setting June on fire regardless of what had been promised, but then she also turned around to fall in step with Katara as they both walked away from the dismantled Dai Li camp. "So," Katara began once they had put enough distance between themselves and June. "Any complaints about how I handled that?"
Azula frowned, but didn't say anything. She spoke up only a while later. "Don't read too much into what I'm about to say, you're still an irrelevant water peasant far beneath my notice, but... I must admit, that thing with the ice claws?" she gave Katara an approving stare. "I enjoyed that."
"Thank you," Katara smiled at the princess. Despite having been insulted in the same sentence that complimented her, Katara could not help but feel touched by Azula's words. She knew how hard it was for Azula to offer kindness or a few nice words to anyone. She had been raised in circumstances where showing kindness was considered to be a weakness.
"Show me," Azula demanded.
"Fine," Katara replied, repeating what she had done to intimidate June, raising her hand to show off the glistening claws of ice.
Azula stopped and raised her own hand next to Katara's, focusing with her firebending. Flames spread at the tips of her fingers, forming beautifully matching claws of fire. Katara could not help but notice how long and elegant Azula's fingers were, her alabaster skin contrasting with Katara's copper as mesmerizingly as the fire and ice at the tips of their fingers. "That's... very pretty," Katara managed.
"Yes, well..." Azula withdrew her hand, though it seemed as if she was a little reluctant to do so. There was an almost placid expression on her face for a moment, but then the customary sneer fell right back into place as she glared at Katara again. "Don't forget that you're still an inconsequential water peasant, and you'll never be more than that," the princess snapped at her.
Katara let out a sigh as they resumed walking. She truly was a fool if she thought that this would be easy...
5 Years after the Hundred Year War
Republic City
Katara had to call upon all of her willpower in order not to cry out, instead focusing on Azula's tongue as it slipped deep inside her mouth. With the way Azula's fingers worked her clit, it was hard to focus on anything, but Katara was in no mood to break her winning streak of their little challenges, these highly enjoyable contests of will and endurance.
Lying side by side, Katara's right leg was entwined with Azula's left, their toes starting to curl lightly as the pleasure mounted. Azula's left hand was between Katara's parted legs, the princess slowly driving the waterbender crazy with her fingers, while Katara's right hand tried to repay Azula with the same pleasurable treatment. With their lips locked, the point of the contest was to see which one of them would break the kiss first by crying out in pleasure.
The loser of the challenge would then agree to carry out a specific wish of the winner, which was definitely a great incentive not to lose. Katara generally tended to win eight or nine out of ten when it came to these challenges, but it was not because she was better at satisfying Azula than the princess was at giving pleasure to her. No, Azula simply tended to climax far more quickly and easily than Katara did. It usually took quite a bit of work to make Katara reach an orgasm. It was almost as if their respective elements mimicked their sexual preferences. Azula burned swiftly and passionately like the flames themselves, while Katara was placid and slow to move, like a gently flowing river.
She could feel how Azula was struggling to maintain control, and it made Katara smile. All the telltale signs were there, the way she began to involuntarily rock her hips against Katara's hand, the way her stomach muscles tensed like tightly woven cords, the tremors starting to course through her frame. It would be over soon, Katara knew it well as she continued to mercilessly tease Azula's throbbing clit with her fingers.
Katara began to ponder what sort of reward she was in the mood for tonight. The subtle power play and the slight humiliation of a particular position she had in mind always drove them both crazy with lust. Katara's mind instantly conjured images of herself grinding her hips over Azula's chin, letting Azula's lips and tongue brush against her clit. She would then lean back a little and slip her hand between Azula's legs, repaying her in kind. Or... even better, she could flip herself around so that she had a perfect view of Azula's naked body, splayed out before her. And then she would request Azula to pleasure herself while she rode her face... by the spirits, she loved watching the princess getting herself off. The play of emotions across Azula's face during this intimate act, the vulnerability Katara could see in her eyes... oh, it drove her absolutely mad with love and desire for this complicated young woman. Katara knew perfectly well how hard it was for Azula to bare her soul and appear vulnerable, and yet, she would do it with her, and that alone made their sexual encounters so incredibly intense.
Suddenly, Katara realized that she had made a mistake. Fantasizing about the amazing prize she would extract from Azula had stoked her pleasure to unbearable levels, threatening to push past what she could endure without crying out. As Azula's fingers continued to mercilessly stroke her clit, the heat crested and cursing herself for her overconfidence, Katara was forced to break the kiss and let a moan slip past her lips.
Azula immediately removed her fingers, looking down at Katara with glee. "Yes!" the princess cheered, looking a little surprised about her victory. "Got you! Finally!"
"Ugh, I suppose you did," Katara could do nothing but admit defeat. Honestly, she didn't mind it too much. It was nice to have Azula win now and then, and most of the time the princess chose a reward that they both enjoyed tremendously. With a sigh, Katara fell back into the pillows and gave Azula a slightly amused glance. "Now, what tortures do you have in mind for me?" she asked with a grin.
"Oh, I've been waiting on this for a while," there was a hungry look in Azula's eyes as she rolled over to her side of the bed, reaching out to remove something from the drawer of the nightstand. Katara instantly recognized the oblong object with a pair of straps attached to it. Azula certainly loved making use of it far more than Katara did. The princess had actually made the extremely embarrassing shopping trip to purchase the toy all by herself, while wearing a disguise, of course.
"I was afraid of that," Katara sighed as Azula tossed the strap-on at her. Honestly, she didn't mind it at all, her reluctant attitude was just an act. While she didn't exactly enjoy how wearing the toy felt, she did love watching what it did to Azula, and how she could send the princess unraveling so completely in a rapture of purest bliss.
"Hey, I won fair and square, so shut up and put it on," Azula glared at her. "It's time you got to work servicing me as is your wont, waterbender."
"As you would have it, princess," Katara nodded with an amused grin on her face as she rose in the bed and began fastening the straps in place.