Chapter Nine

It had been a week since Zuko had disappeared and they had found no trace. A messenger hawk had been sent to the Beifongs, asking for Toph's assistance. Aang blamed himself for not being a good enough earth bender to find the tunnels they had used. Toph would be skilled enough though to find the subtle differences of the loose rock used to cover their trail. Unfortunately, it would take her nearly two weeks to get here. It had been quiet since that awful night and both Aang and Iroh had decided it would be safe enough to let Katara sleep in the old room she'd had that had once been Ursa's and Katara couldn't be more relieved.

She knew everyone feared for her safety, but they had taken it to such an extreme that she was almost never alone and they didn't want her outside. The lack of fresh air and constant surveillance had been slowly grinding her nerves for the past week and she was thrilled to have the room to herself once more. She enjoyed her small freedom by sitting on the little balcony overlooking the gardens. The scent of the blossoms wafted to her on the warm, humid air; cherry blossom, lilac and jasmine lulled her into a faux serenity. She was trying not to think of what had happened to Zuko. Her imagination was eager to summon all kinds of horrible scenarios and it was an effort to just clear her mind. She closed her eyes and just listened to the hum of insects, call of birds and splashes from the turtle ducks in the pond.

It had been quite a while with her eyes closed before she felt the ever so subtle drop in pressure as the moisture in the air changed. There was a storm coming. She could feel it. Sure enough, the skies darkened with heavy clouds and lightning rent the skies and a peal of thunder followed. She turned her face up and parted her lips for the rain, soon she was soaking wet but savoring the moment. Wind tugged at her, whipping her braid as another bolt loosed followed by an earsplitting boom. She heard a sound behind her and the rain stood still, gathered into a stream and she waited, ready to strike. It came closer and she lashed out a water whip sailing for whoever or whatever was coming up behind her.

A familiar yelp of surprise and she dropped her defenses, the cool rain pelting down on her again. The stream she had shot at Aang was now being bent back onto the balcony and over the edge.

"Sorry." Katara said, finding her feet.

"I shouldn't have been sneaking up on you." He reached out, taking her hand gently and leading her inside. "You're soaking wet." He brushed a damp strand that was stuck to her cheek behind her ear.

"I like the rain." She murmured.

He bent the water from her and let it splash onto the balcony.

He pulled her into a hug and they held each other for a few quiet moments. "Well, if you're up for it, dinner is ready."

"Alright. I'll be down in a minute."

Aang nodded and left her. She stood watching the rain patter against the open windows before slowly turning to leave.

Dinner had become a somber affair. Iroh was no longer jovial, but had dark circles under his eyes. He sat at the table and they tried to have light hearted conversations about the weather or something that didn't remind them of the pain or the danger, but they usually ended up lapsing into silence. Tonight was another one of those meals and Katara ate without tasting and watched the old man's eyes, seeing their deeper pain. After dinner, Aang went to meditate in his room, hoping that perhaps he could get some help from the spirit world, but previous trips had proven futile so far. Katara went back to her room, chilled by the draft from the open windows. She shut and latched them, looking at night sky blotted out by the thick clouds. A breeze blew through and she shivered, running her hands over her arms for warmth.

Slowly, her thoughts caught up to her. There shouldn't be a breeze, the window and door were closed. Tense, she listened and heard nothing, but felt the chill wind caress her once more. Her hand went to the canteen on her hip and she spun slowly, observing the room. It appeared empty. She checked in the bathroom, under the bed, under the desk, in the closet, nothing. She paced the room when she felt a chilly blast once more. It was coming from the wall. She ran her fingers over it and felt a small crease in the paneling. Cautiously, she pressed and a click echoed in the silence and a panel of the wall opened before her. It was dark, so she retrieved the lantern but kept her other hand free to bend if necessary.

The room was frigid and by the flickering flame, she could make out Zuko's room. The windows had been shattered during his abduction and the night wind breezed through. Patches of carpet and some bed sheets had been singed from the little fires and furniture had been upended. A quick, but careful surveillance assured her the room was empty. Quietly she walked around and turned over a picture frame that had fallen. It was Zuko's family, or it had been. His father was strong, with a stern face and a hand over a beautiful woman's shoulder. In Ursa's lap was a darling little girl with malice glinting in her golden eyes. Standing beside his mother was a very young Zuko. Lightly Katara ran a thumb over the glass where in the photo, his face was smooth and unscathed. It was so odd to see for she'd not known him before and the scar seemed a part of him, but seeing what he had been was heart wrenching. He was smiling, full of innocence and happiness. It was rare to see Zuko smile now and even when he did, it was usually tempered with a sad slant of his eyes. She ran her fingers over the happy little boy that had gone through so much.

Her fingers curled on the glass and a drop of wetness fell. He had gone through so much. Losing his mother, his father challenging and disfiguring him, being banished, forced to a life of exile and sent on what was assumed to be an impossible mission. How he had struggled so hard to find who he really was and stand against his only remaining family. And now she didn't even know what was happening to him. Images of him being beaten, burned, cut and tortured flashed vividly in her mind and her stomach twisted. She sank to the floor and let herself cry, clutching the perfect little boy to her chest as she cried for him. She sat on the floor in his frigid room and cried until she sat shaking from the cold or the complete emotional expense before she slowly climbed to her feet and trudged back to her room, taking the photo with her.

Sarahplainntall here. Sorry, I know it's a dull, short chapter. I wish I could skip straight to the action, but plot lines don't work that way. Bare with me. Next chapter is longer, I swear. Review.