Chapter 2: Cold Heat
She felt the hand of a gloved man cover her mouth. She felt the strong muscles of his abdomen stretched against her back. She thought she heard him exhale hard against her, as he seemed to be…protecting her? Stopping her? Trying to kidnap her?
It was too damn dark to see who it was. But as the man perched his head up over the supplies to get a view, she had to try to mute her squeal. The light of the Fire Men's campfire illuminated just enough.
A twisted face, not human. One she had not seen in many years.
The Blue Spirit.
Her mind rushed with questions.
Had Zuko not long given up that vigilante life? Or had someone else taken his place?
If this was an imposter devil, then who were they and why were there Fire Nation men setting up a war camp in between the rolling snow banks and polar caves?
Was her tribe in danger?
A familiar feeling, one she had not felt in a long time, rushed back – memories of the fire nation's invasions and destruction.
But Lord Zuko was not that kind of man to rekindle his father's fury. Not the man she knew.
She could not see if this was Zuko or not and knowing what might be at stake she didn't have the time to question it. If it was him… she would be fine, if it wasn't…perhaps it wasn't a risk she could take.
If it was Zuko he should know damn better than to act so pompous to think she could not protect herself…or would yell out like a banshee and attract attention!
She lifted the water from her pouch and whipped it against the back of his head. Hard enough to leave a bruise, not hard enough to knock out the mystery man.
He made a small surprised "umph" noise, as she crept away. In an instant reaction, he went to lunge for her, aware that this, small ruckus, could create a problem, but if she was found…it was over.
He had political immunity against his own. She…she was prey. She would be the perfect leverage for them. He had to make sure she was-
He protected his mask from an attack, quickly freezing his hands in their crossed position.
She was trying to see his face. She didn't know. She was clever for trying that. He could be an imposter. Even he had thought that the mask he knew had sunk to the bottom of the ocean. This identity which once was for selfish purposes had been turned on its head.
But he was sure she'd already figured out these damn fire tribe was out for her tribe. Katara was smart, but she was like him – instinctual.
His thoughts were interrupted in his limbo to make a next move.
"What's that commotion over there?"
"Not us. Just shoot at it. No fire. We don't want to reveal ourselves. Could be a damn animal. If we're lucky it's dinner. Not too many though… If it's a spy… we'll hunt."
The Blue Devil and the blue-eyed woman stared each other down, in a mutual decision to freeze eerily still. He wished he could express to her the dire need they were in to be extremely careful. It could ruin his chance to infiltrate the camp and her chance at getting away.
But Katara knew better than to remain still. Hiding would not help her. She had to escape to tell her family about these people.
Katara swiftly tried to push on, scurrying forward.
That's when he saw it.
He propelled himself forward, with a quick leap he pushing her down to the ground, as they fell over, his body protecting hers.
She looked up.
She blinked again and saw the arrow sitting out of his shoulder, as his body had protected her from the attack.
Spirits, it was Zuko. Just like that time with the rocks…. again. Damn she had made the wrong call. Spirits.
"What was that?"
"Who cares, we can't let them escape."
Katara put her hand on his arm and helped pull him up. She consequentially used the icy snow around her to create a small wave-like ripple in the snow creating a small avalanche at the men who were now likely close enough to see them. It would allow them long enough to make sure they could stumble away.
"Stop recklessly saving me. Blue Spirit or not you can't escape death every time. What if I can't save you?"
He groaned, the pain from the arrow making it hard to walk. "Maybe stop recklessly getting into danger."
"I don't paint targets on my back. Look, let's get to that snow cave. I can barricade us in. Spirits Zuko, you've got some explaining to do."
He groaned again, before pulling some of his weight off her support and attempted to swiftly run to the cave.
She bit her lip. He could try to be brave all he damn wanted, but that injury was going to cost him. She noticed a stain of red on the snow and brushed it over as she followed to hide their tracks.
This was as far from a peaceful escape from her tribe as she had ever expected. The moon sat above them, and she silently thanked it for watching over them.
The yells of the men, still a distance away brought her back to reality. It was clear as they approached the cave, they were shooting more arrows. Bad shots. These weren't Fire Tribe soldiers. Of course, they weren't but…then who? She turned again and rose an icy slate from the snow to stop them, a hip sized barricade. Her bending was stronger now – she could use the ice now to her will.
Zuko now stumbled into the snow filled cave – like a hollowed tunnel in a snowy mountain, the wind blew into it causing a dull howl. He pressed his back against the wall, unknowingly leaving a crimson mark on the cave wall, as he looked for support.
"I need to get a wall between them and us. One that will last." Katara used her powers to create a taller sheet of ice. It would blur them enough to obscure them and maybe hold off for a while. She could hear the men's voices. They were deducing what she thought was obvious – they were up against a water bender. She scoffed. As if that suddenly made them an easier target? These pompous bastards!
"Can you hold that?" Zuko's now recognizable voice, gruff from the injury, revealed an impressed tone.
"Not forever."
"We need a more permanent solution." He looked up. He ignited a bit of fire in his palm and thrust it upwards.
She watched as the snowy celling above melted enough to cause a the icy wall collapse in front of them, now barricading them in, but separating them from the fire benders.
"Do you think they will call it quits?" Katara looked to him with concern
"Possibly, they likely won't think we are worth it. They aren't coming after a rogue or two. It wouldn't be worth their time or pursuits to cause a big ruckus. They will likely return. The more fire they use the more likely they'll be seen…plus for all they know we've just died under a cave collapse."
"They're coming after my tribe. Why?"
"I don't know yet." He decided to omit the choice words the rogue men had had calling her people the weakest tribe…or the attacks. He would…when his brain was less fogged from the rush of events and pain in his back. He grabbed the arrow with his other hand and pulled it out. He let out a small grunt. His clothes were wet. With the snow or the blood…he wasn't sure. This wasn't fatal…but he had been stupid.
Not that he was going to let Katara get injured.
"Why did you do this? I thought you were less reckless than this… I mean…how is a fire lord here and-"
"Katara."
"-and what the hell were you thinking protecting me at the expense of your shoulder. And then for me again? What makes me so worth saving? At the expense of what? Now how are you going to kick their asses with an injury? And not to mention, just because I can heal you doesn't mean that it will always work…what if the moon isn't full and I got injured too?"
"-Katara."
"This is a great welcome party for me. Finally I get to see you again…god maybe I need to just burn all my bridges and-"
"Katara…"
She focused in on him. "What?"
"Just make sure I'm ok. I'm sorry." He looked at her for a brief second before he leaned against the wall again, before sliding down it.
She blinked. She swore for a second, she saw his amber eyes behind that damn mask before he collapsed.
She moved quickly to grab him. She realized it wasn't just the arrow. He was cold.
She needed to heal him now and warm him up. Ironic for a fire bender.
She tenderly removed the arrow and took some of her own wrapping to wrap his wound. Luckily, he was out cold, otherwise, she would have had to knock him out to unwrap a part of her binding.
She decided he also deserved her jacket. She knew he never wanted to get this cold and wet, but it was the damn Poles. She sighed. She was being too harsh.
Carefully she used the water she had to attempt to heal his injury. It would take a bit. However, her blood bending had always made her healing a bit stronger than others. It was a secret she would tell her tribe one day – one day when she was sure it was safe.
There wasn't much in here she could find to make a fire. What were fire benders good for anyway? A bit farther in she spotted some rocks. If she was lucky, they would be the kind that would ignite…it would have been too easy to find flint.
She sat down and began to clack them against each other.
She supposed it was time to save him. It was the least she could do to return the favour.
No luck.
She looked at him and checked the wound. No blood. She lifted his mask finally, to see a face. The terse face of Zuko. She sighed. For some reason her chest tightened.
Maybe it was nostalgia. Maybe it was a flood of what she had longed for after all had changed, a sense of the old. A sense of a time she missed.
She'd find flint. She'd find the right kind of stones. If she was lucky Southern plant for tinder.
She'd manage without her jacket.
"Stay warm fire boy." She said before she left to go hunt for the fire he desperately needed.