Chapter Eight

Something had woken her up. She was still groggy, but she heard a subtle shuffling sound. She sat up in bed listening carefully. There were muted sounds coming through a wall. She pulled the covers off and stumbled through the dark and pressed her ear against the wooden paneling. She could hear grunts and muffled sounds of distress. The sounds were coming from Zuko's room! She bolted for the door, tripping once over her discarded clothing, but was on her feet quickly, searching blindly for her canteen and as soon as she found it, she was ripping the door open and sprinted past the startled guards and grasping the door knob to Zuko's room. It was locked.

"He's under attack!" She shouted to the guards all watching her warily. One brushed her aside and kicked down the door, a few of the posted guards and Katara surged in. A set of curtains was on fire and aside from one small beside lamp, that was the only light in the room, but it revealed what Katara had suspected. There were five, no six, no seven of them. It was hard to tell, they wouldn't hold still. Zuko wearing only his pants, was surrounded by the shadowed figures dressed in black. The guards surged forward, throwing the men aside to protect their fire lord. Two of the guards were quick to fall. One of the men had been subdued with a series of jabs to different nerve clusters that made his muscles useless and limp. The other had been beaten swiftly and effectively into unconsciousness. Three guards, Katara and Zuko remained.

Katara bent the water from her canteen and sent icicles at the attackers, sticking a couple to the wall where they didn't stay for long with some assistance. Katara had to work hard to defend Zuko and herself. Zuko was not the only target, she reminded herself. Zuko was now letting out small cries of fury as he unleashed fiery attack, one after the other, until the man who knew the chi blocking attacks made several swift jabs and the streams of fire ceased.

"Zuko!" She cried in dismay.

"Watch out!" He warned. One of the black figures was charging her and she had yet to recollect her water and just before he struck he was blown back by a strong gust of wind.

"Katara!" Aang cried, bounding forward, his chest bare and only wearing trousers.

Iroh came puffing in a robe, took in the chaos in the span of a second before jumping into action. It was a good thing reinforcements came when they did, because the last of the guards had been taken out and at some point in time, the window overlooking the gardens had been shattered. One of the dark figures was a still heap on the floor, but one of the other darkly clothed men threw him out the window. Katara was preoccupied with fighting, but noticed this odd act in horror. She didn't have a chance to react because two more dark figures burst into the room through the window one of their comrades had just been tossed out of.

Iroh was fighting near his nephew. Zuko met the intruders with physical blows, his bending having been taken and Iroh let loose an extraordinary show of fire bending. Aang stayed near Katara, though he kept track of all that was going on, using all elements to protect everyone. Something loud clattered to the floor and the dark figures all jumped back and before anyone else had a chance to do anything, the small cylinder exploded in a loud boom, a blindingly white hot flash of fire emanated from it, blowing everyone off their feet. It left debris and smoke in a choking cloud that filled the room. Katara's eyes stung, lungs burned and her ears were ringing. She could barely make out what was going on as she struggled to her hands and knees, trying to push herself to her feet. Something looped around her waist and started to pull, but then it disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared. She staggered to her feet and Aang was there, grasping her hand and pulling her frantically out of Zuko's room. They made it outside the door right before a troupe of soldiers rushed into the chaos.

Aang eased Katara to the floor, her back against the wall as she hacked up the smoke and dust from her lungs, eyes watering and hearing slowly returning. Aang kneeled across from her, checking her much exposed skin for anything worse than the few scratches and bruises that she had gained.

"Wait here." He ordered and sprinted back into the fray that had been Zuko's room.

Katara took one more moment clearing her lungs before stumbling to her feet just as another explosion shook the ground and she fell into the wall. "Aang! Zuko!" She cried as she rushed into the debris cloud floating out the busted doorway. Soldiers lay sprawled and dazzled, flames fed dully on anything flammable and it was hard to see through the thick smoke. It felt as if the dark fumes acted as a thick blanket, trapping the sound and obscuring the events. Katara spotted Iroh just pulling himself up from the disintegrating balcony and she rushed to help him.

"They're gone." His voice was gruff from smoke inhalation and he launched into a coughing fit that had Katara hovering over him nervously. She hauled the older man to his feet and was aiding him in limping away from the edge and into the clearer air of the hall.

There was a whoosh of sound and all the smoke had been cleared from the room. Aang emerged shortly after, bare skin smeared in ash. More soldiers had come and were helping the wounded men from the room while servants fluttered from one to the next with clean linens for wounds and pitchers of water. Aang spotted Katara kneeling next to Iroh as he slowly recovered from the thick smoke inhalation.

"What's going on?" She demanded. Her eyes searched the men being led out and felt her stomach flip and her heart plummet. "Where's Zuko?" She realized she was shouting, but the panic wasn't allowing her to control her voice.

"They're gone." Iroh repeated before he was sent hacking up dark phlegm.

"Aang?" She searched his stoic features for confirmation.

He looked away as he answered. "There were too many of them. Zuko got lost in all the commotion. They have him."

Katara vaulted to her feet and seized Aang by the shoulders, shaking him. "We have to go after them! We have to get him back!"

Aang planted his feet to keep himself from swaying as she shook him and placed a strong, heavy grip on her shoulders. "I tried. They're gone. I searched for their tunnel, but they filled it as they went along. I couldn't find it. There were too many of them. And they didn't leave anyone behind."

She stood shocked under his grip and gaze. Her mind didn't comprehend. "But we have to go after them…" She argued meekly.

"We will." Iroh said, momentarily struggling to his feet, leaning heavily on the wall. "But you will stay here." He fixed her with a stern gaze.

"But-"

"It's not safe. Especially if they're after you." He said.

"It's okay Katara, we'll find him." Aang soothed.

"You're staying too. There's always that possibility that they're after you through her."

"Iroh…"

"It's not safe." It was said in a way that offered no room for argument. Aang nodded. "You and Katara will go with Kuzin. He'll lead you somewhere safer and we'll keep some guards with you. The rest of us are going to check the surroundings, track them down."

"Be careful." Katara said hugging Iroh before they were ushered away. They were led deep into the palace, far from the outside walls and any windows. Kuzin was second in line for captain of the guard and he led the way with three soldiers bring up the rear. The room was dark and after a few well aimed blasts of fire the sconces on the wall lit up the plush room littered with pillows and couches.

"Go ahead and get some sleep." Kuzin said as the soldiers spread out, one in the corner of the room, watching unobtrusively and the others in the hall.

Katara paced restlessly, making up a makeshift bed for herself and Aang, but she never actually lay down. Aang draped a blanket over her bare shoulders and she was suddenly aware once again of how little she was wearing. She pulled it about herself and gave him a grateful smile as he pulled her down onto one of the couches with him.

"We should probably sleep." But the suggestion was hallow as he put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

"I can't I'm too worried."

"They won't be able to get you." He reassured her with a little squeeze.

She sighed, resting her head on his bare chest. "It's not me I'm worried about."

The grip on her shoulder tightened briefly. "He'll be okay. I just know it. Zuko's tough."

"I know."

Sarahplainntall here. Short chapter I now, but that's how I end up being able to update every week. Review and I'll update again next week!