Previously…

"I didn't say anything," Zuko retorted quickly, going to stare out the window again before she could see his face.

Katara frowned at the back of his head.

Why was he being weird?

"Okay…" she said each syllable of the word as she too looked out the window.

The shadows were growing darker. "Well, I'm going to go on a walk."

"A walk?" He echoed skeptically. "In this town? At sunset?"

She was silent for a moment, debating if she should tell him her plans for the night. After further debate, she decided that he couldn't - and probably wouldn't try - to stop her, so it would be better for him to know in case something were to happen.

"I told the Blue Spirit I'd meet him at sunset. There's some meeting going down."

He turned to look at her. "I'm not coming to rescue you if you get caught."

Her dress and veil were in one hand, the paint and water skin in the other. She lifted her chin, looking at him confidently. "I know."


Katara slipped down the next alleyway, pedestrian voices not far behind. Her body easily slipped into the shadows between the two buildings, lingering for just a moment as the passersby crossed.

She had managed to stay as quiet as a meadow vole, her presence completely unnoticed.

Fifteen minutes of searching and no luck, she thought. Where is he?

As if on cue, the Blue Spirit slithered out from some dark corner further down the alleyway. With a simple jerk of his head, he beckoned her to follow him.

The sun disappeared completely beneath the horizon by the time they reached the roof of the third warehouse. The Blue Spirit easily scaled the building, hopping from one to the other with catlike grace. Katara, on the other hand, didn't have such acrobatic talents.

After trying a variety of ways to scale up the tall building, the Blue Spirit, who had stood at the edge of the roof watching her in silence, gestured to the water skin at her hip, as if to say, 'What, you can't bend your way up here?'

It took her a few seconds to come up with a stealthy way to journey up the wall, but eventually settled with bending icy hand and foot holds in strategically placed spots.

She drug her leg up and over the apex of the wall, seeing the Blue Spirit now seated next to the skylight on the center of the roof.

He motioned for her to do the same and she obliged.

There seemed to be an apparent distaste for conversation from her cohort, though Katara didn't feel comfortable enough to ask the man what was wrong.

So, Katara opted to keep silent, too.

She was still mildly annoyed with Zuko, anyways. She had a sinking suspicion that that would grow to be a reoccurring issue.

They sat on the roof for what seemed like hours, the only noteworthy sound the water peacefully lapping the banks. It took her nearly twenty minutes to realize why the Blue Spirit chose this particular warehouse as opposed to the one on the far end, where they'd met initially. She chided herself for not noticing it sooner.

This was the only dock that remained empty, and she figured it wouldn't be too far of a stretch to assume it often remained that way… during normal business hours, at least.

Katara's rear gradually lost all feeling and her lower limbs ached, slight pins and needles creeping down her thighs.

"Okay, I have to move," she hissed, the sensation near unbearable. The girl leaned towards her right, pressing her weight onto her palms. With a stifled grunt, she moved onto her hip, allowing her legs to slide to the left and begin flexing and bending.

Katara mumbled profanities under her breath at the feeling, wondering why they had to wait so long for…whatever… the Blue Spirit deemed necessary.

What on earth it was, she hadn't a clue. It would have been nice of him to have clued her into his plans for the night, but Katara decided it to be highly unlikely after the first fifteen minutes of silence.

His gaze moved from the water to watch her fidget uncomfortably. She had no idea how he wasn't as stiff as she was.

After approximately thirty minutes in her new position, she stifled a sigh.

So much for that meeting he said would happen tonight…

The Blue Spirit leaned forward, so slightly it almost went unnoticed.

Her ears strained to pick up on whatever he seemed to hear, her eyes scanning the shadows.

A door beneath them, on what seemed like the westward wall, facing the river had silently creaked, she guessed, as it slammed shut. A couple of heartbeats later, light flickered to life inside the warehouse, casting warm firelight through the window in the ceiling.

They allowed a few seconds to tick by before their curiosity got the best of them, both leaning to peer through the dirty glass into the lit warehouse below.

Inside the warehouse sat a myriad of crates and barrels set up to form a room, metal lanterns precariously balanced here and there to light the area. A cell, much like the ones in the secret room, sat in the middle.

A man was bent over, torso inside the cage. He seemed to be unloading something…or someone…

Augustine?

It was near impossible to make out through the dirty glass and the dim lighting inside.

Nevertheless, a lump of something remained inside the cell. The man shut the door and locked it behind him before reaccompanying another man by a makeshift table.

Was that who she thought it was?

She frowned, leaning closer to the window, palm pressed to the cool glass. Katara could barely make out the second man's face when-

The glass cracked beneath her, dangerously loud.

With a startled croak, her eyes flew up to meet the Blue Spirit's bottomless pits, terror overtaking her face. The surface shattered instantaneously beneath her, blue eyes growing big as saucers.

A scream erupted from her mouth, body in a free fall. Her hand threw out a wave of water beneath her, desperate to stop her fall.

The cool liquid engulfed her body, roughly gliding her right into the middle of the wall of crates.

Darkness overtook her.

~0~

Katara shrieked, bolting upright.

"Hey," a feminine voice said to her. Warm hands pressed against her chest, back to the floor. "Don't try to move yet."

Augustine's face came into view, a grim smile on her lips, dirt smearing her face.

Deep voices chatted indistinctly somewhere in the warehouse.

"Wha?" She said dumbly.

Her fall played back in her mind, her thoughts racing to catch her up. The Blue Spirit's gloved hand reaching out to her as she plummeted through the window. The wave she slid down, right into the wall of crates.

"Fancy meeting you here," Augustine continued. "Nice get-up you had there."

Katara frowned, her hand trailing up to feel her clothes.

Her real, normal clothes. No veil, no dress. Just the clothing she'd worn under her dress. A thin black tank, patched with red thread from Akira's and loose black pants that fell to her ankles.

Katara sighed. "Well, that didn't go as planned." Her hands raked through her hair, wincing as it passed over a quickly developing welt on her right temple. The entire right side of her body seemed to radiate a deep ache- she'd hate to see the bruises tomorrow.

Augustine chuckled. "So, June, was it?" A smirk drifted across the girl's lips. "Funny name for a waterbender."

"Katara," she corrected, a wry smile dancing on her lips.

The waterbender's hand drifted slowly to her hip.

"Yeah, they took anything with liquid in it before they threw you in here with me," Augustine explained, catching the movement. "Not that you could probably do much bending after that tumble, anyways."

"Mmm," Katara agreed, slowly pushing herself up to lean against the wooden bars. "Makes sense that they would."

"So, the Painted Lady," a man's voice sneered from behind them.

Goosebumps prickled up the back of her spine.

She knew that voice. The uncertainty and fear that bubbled up in her before the plummet came flooding back.

"We meet again," footsteps echoed on the hard ground and he walked into her view. "I should have known you were simply just Water Tribe scum."

General Mung.

"Mung," she said evenly, holding his gaze.

"You know, little girl," he started, crossing his arms across his chest. "I got hell of an ass-chewing from my superior for letting a spirit run me out of my factory. And now that I know it wasn't even a spirit after all?" He tutted. "Let's just say you better be worth your weight in gold."

He smiled wickedly, the crescent shaped scar crinkling at the motion.

"Luckily for you, you're not just some random little water tribe girl, are you?" He inched forward, crouching to stare at her through the gaps in the bars. "No…you're one of the Avatar's friends, aren't you? He's been asking around for you."

The general held her gaze through the bars of the cage. Katara held her chin high, not backing down.

"Ready the ship," he said to someone behind her, gaze briefly flicking away. "I'll be taking this one with me too."

Katara's stubborn gaze wavered, eyes widening ever so slightly at the command.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." She snarled, hating herself for looking away. It only served to broaden the nasty smirk across Mung's face.

Zuko's words echoed in her ears.

"I'm not coming to rescue you if you get caught."

Mung cocked a brow at her. "Like you have a choice."

His eyes flitted to the curly haired girl beside her. "Don't worry, Katara-" Her skin crawled as he drawled out her name. "You won't be alone."

Katara blinked rapidly, looking at her hands in her lap. Tears threatened to spill over, panic bubbling up in her chest with every passing second.

The man stood up, turning to bark more orders at the men.

"Now," another voice drawled. "About my payment for storage services…"

Above, a blue face peered through the hole in the ceiling, watching and waiting, white knuckling the hilts of swords.

~0~

Katara's eyelids fluttered at warmth surrounding her being.

Where am I?

Through the foggy thoughts, she hardly remembered the men flooding their cage with some sort of sweet smelling gas and her eyelids growing heavy.

Heat pressed in on all sides of her, though the room was dimly lit and empty.

Augustine laid in a heap next to her, eyes closed, chest slowly rising and falling with each breath.

Thank spirits.

Four windowless gray walls, a solid flat roof and an equally drab gray floor surrounded them. The only light offered came from a small torch positioned next to the large iron door on the far wall. They seemed to be the only ones in the otherwise empty room, their old cage long gone. Planks of light wood constructed their new cell, built close enough together where Katara couldn't even fit her head through the gaps in the planks if she wanted to. It had enough room for both girls to stretch out, but not much room for personal space if they needed to use the bathroom. Ten feet by six feet, the wooden cage barely fit inside the dingy room.

How much time had passed? She wondered, moving to shake Augustine awake. When her right side groaned in protest at near the same intensity, Katara hoped it wasn't long.

Her friend stirred slowly from her sleep, eyes lifelessly meeting Katara's big blue ones.

"Augustine," she whispered, shaking her again.

Confusion drifted across the sleepy girl's face and something moved behind her eyes.

The girl lurched upright, gasping. "Huh?"

"Hey," Katara raised her hands up innocently. "Hey, you're okay."

Augustine swore profanities under her breath, quickly taking in their current predicament.

"Yeah," Katara pressed her lips together. "I couldn't have said it better."

She swore again, palms pressing against her eyes.

"Any chance Lee knows where you went and what you were doing?"

"Well," she chewed her lip, thinking about Zuko. He was likely out of the question.

But the Blue Spirit would save her, wouldn't he? He was the one who got her into this mess in the first place, after all…not that she wanted to be a damsel in distress.

"Lee's name is actually Zuko…"

Katara scooted over to lean against the wall of the crate, continuing. "And…well, he's an enigma. He told me if something happened to me, that I was on my own."

Augustine nodded, staring at nothing.

"But…" she murmured. "I have a friend - er, well, the Painted Lady has a friend. He's called the Blue Spirit. He was up there with me when I fell. I'm hoping that he'll try to help."

"His name is Blue Spirit?" Augustine repeated, brows raising incredulously. "What kind of name is that?"

Katara shrugged. "He wears a mask, I think he kind of got named by other villages."

"Yeah… I'm calling him Blue."

This sent a bubble of laughter out of Katara's lips, a beacon of light in the otherwise very dreary evening. The motion sent a pulse of pain through her side and the feeling echoed in her face. Augustine sent her a sympathetic glance.

"Blue." Katara repeated. "Hm. I don't know how he'd feel about that."

All I'd get would be stare, Katara thought with another little smile, wondering what kind of annoyed or disbelieving facial expression he'd wear under that mask. Again, she grew curious as to his looks beneath that permanent blue and white snarl.

Was he pale? Tan? Handsome? Hideous- Was that why he wore the mask?

"Oh my gosh, you like him, don't you?"

Red skimmed her cheeks, barely visible in the light.

"What? No," she fidgeted with her ratty braid. "No. I don't even know what he looks like. He's just…impressive."

Augustine snorted. "Oohh, okay. Impressive." She threw air quotes around the adjective.

The younger girl held a smile back, rolling her eyes.

They sat in silence for some time, neither seeming to want to hold a conversation. Katara took that time to listen to the movement around them and feel for her element.

Wherever they'd been taken didn't feel like a ship since she hadn't noticed even a drop of water within reach since she'd awoken. Though she assumed that didn't mean that that wasn't where they were.

Soldiers, she assumed, walked up and down the corridor just outside their room every ten minutes, like clockwork. Loud scraping and scuffling came from above them, and the waterbender decided wherever they were, they were careful to keep liquids from her.

The two girls fell into a comfortable conversation, both wanting a distraction from the fact they seemed to be trapped in a hopeless situation. Augustine told Katara her story of how she'd started working for Ren.

The girl's older brother disappeared five years earlier, causing then thirteen year old Augustine to march into the Red Dragon and demand that Ren give him back. He'd laughed in her face, of course, but she'd not balked at the large man even once. So, he struck her a deal. If she could do whatever tasks he required of her - in six years time, if her brother wanted to come back home, he'd take whatever money he would have paid her for her services and used that to buy his freedom. It started out as odd jobs here and there. Sometimes he requested she watch for people coming towards a certain spot or count how many soldiers came off this or that ship. She begrudgingly admitted to helping Ren kidnap a number of people over the years, often being a lookout or familiarizing routines. When she was almost sixteen, she began work at the Red Dragon. Ren kept the general and his cronies away from her and her sister for as long as she helped them. Augustine only had six months left when he'd fired her.

The elder girl hung her head and remained quiet for some time, before curiously peering over to Katara.

Hesitantly, Katara summarized her last few weeks after Ba Sing Se, glossing over the majority of the other months spent with her brother, Aang and Toph.

And, about the boy who hunted them across the world.

She didn't need to hear that part, Katara decided. He wasn't like that anymore, or she expected she would have been carted away by his sister or some other General for bait a long time ago. The thought sent an iota of uncertainty through her.

He hadn't told Mung about her, had he? He didn't dislike her presence that much…? Or her mission? Katara's teeth chewed thoughtfully on the corner of her mouth.

The heat that seemed to radiate throughout the room never lessened, covering both girls in an uncomfortable sheen of sweat that did little to cool them.

The room began to rock and sway, sending them both careening towards the left. Her heart sank.

They were on a ship.

On the ocean.

Another wave rocked their room, less intensely this time.

~0~

"So, do you think they put us right next to the boiler room or something?" Augustine's arm wiped tiny beads of sweat off her forehead. "That could explain why it's so hot."

"It's possible," Katara's eyes darkened, lingering on the door. "I can't even detect the ocean…do you think the ship could be that large?"

A shrug. "I don't have bending abilities, I wouldn't know."

She pressed her lips together, mind gradually drifting to one of the many adventures she'd experienced or heard about.

The time Toph got kidnapped by Xin Fu, the Earth Rumble tournament host and Yu, her former teacher, came to mind. The pair entombed her in a metal cage, something that no Earth bender should have been able to break out of. It should have been impossible. But her blind friend was more then happy to prove them wrong. That was the day Toph had discovered metal bending. Toph explained to Katara that bending metal wasn't really that different then bending earth, that if she really focused on the metal, she could see it for what it really was - small bits of processed earth.

And so she'd escaped, just like that, imprisoning her captures in the same small cell they'd trapped her in.

Without Toph, there was probably no way her friends could have found her…and Zuko. Toph and Iroh had befriended one another and Iroh helped them rescue them both in the crystal catacombs. She didn't think Sokka or Aang would even listen to Iroh if it wasn't for Toph vouching for him.

Katara sighed, mopping her forehead off with the back of her hand. The sheen of sweat sparkled up at her.

If only it was that easy for her, like it seemed to be for Toph. It wasn't like she could make water out of thin air…what other ways had she seen water bending used?

The swamp benders and their plant bending abilities came to mind.

Yeah, a snide voice inside her remarked. Because there's totally a whole bunch of plants on a Fire Nation ship.

Another bead of sweat slid down her temple.

Warm fingertips brushed it away offhandedly.

Wait. That's it!

A grin overtook her face, leaping to her feet.

"Move over," she commanded, beginning to run in place.

Her feet rhythmically thudded against the floor, the beat like a war drum.

"What are you doing?" Augustine's face scrunched up at her in confusion, feet sliding closer to her body.

"They don't want to give me any water? Fine," she said between breaths, feet drumming away. "I'll make my own."

"What?"

A few more moments later, a larger bead of sweat dripped down her forehead.

There!

With a swipe, she gathered the liquid off her face and pulled, feeling the sweat on her body sing to her. Katara sent her hand forwards, bending the small amounts of water against the cage again and again, in a 'x'.

Her body protested at the exertion, her armpits dripping now. Shoving her hands beneath her arms she pulled the last bit of water out before sending it full force towards the prison wall.

Katara grinned maniacally down to her friend, who still gawked up at the bender.

"What do you say we get out of here?"

One last swipe sent the wood splintering away.

~0~

Water crashed across the deck of the ship, screams snuffing out like water to a flame as the sea ripped men off their feet. The ocean water receded, pulling them overboard.

"And that's for treating people like livestock!" Katara yelled, sending the last torrent of water up and over the vessel, dragging any remaining men into the inky depths. The screams stopped all at once and Katara took a deep breath, not wanting to ponder their fate.

Augustine's head popped out of the main tower's door, across the ship's deck. "Glad you told me to stay in here."

Katara turned to stare out over the dark ocean. Her hair blew behind her, having worked its way out of the topknot and braid long ago.

"They got what they deserved."

Her voice was cold, unforgiving. Just like the waters she so easily sent them into.

She made sure Mung wouldn't get away so easily this time. He remained frozen to the bow of the boat, wrapping chains around him so he couldn't break free, even if her ice melted.

"I understand now what people saw in you," Augustine said softly, stepping out of the doorway to allow Katara in. "As the Painted Lady, I mean."

Dark circles hung beneath Katara's stormy eyes, considering her new friend's words. She inclined her head in thanks before heading to the top of the tower.

She hoisted her tired body out the bridge's window, pulling herself to stand atop the command tower's roof, wind whipping her hair and clothes.

The sea rocked beneath her, her body swaying in harmony atop the ship's tower.

Time to go home, she thought.

Widening her feet, she sank into a bending stance before summoning the seas to her command once more.

~0~

Almost an hour and a half later, Katara calmed the waves beneath the ship, allowing the ship to slow just south of the port. She climbed back through the window, head spinning, only to run into Augustine, seated at a small table. She was pouring through piles of scrolls, a frustrated scowl on her pretty face.

"This can't be right," she muttered to herself, not looking up from the contents. "No…"

Katara stared out towards the bow of the ship, bending a stream of water to pull the anchor off and send it to the sea floor.

"What's wrong?" She asked, plopping down on the empty captain's chair behind the helm.

"This," Augustine gestured to the scrolls. "Records…from two years ago."

Katara cocked her head to the side.

"They say," she cleared her throat. "They say my brother died. Two years ago. On a mission. For Ren and Mung."

Paper rustled noisily as she held the scroll up. "He couldn't have worked for them. Wouldn't of. Unless - unless he made the same deal."

The wood of the scroll slammed unceremoniously down. "I can't believe this. Five years of my life, doing all that, for nothing. The last two years…" Anger flashed across Augustine's face.

Katara couldn't even imagine what she was feeling. If Sokka had died, years ago, and someone made her think he was still alive, a slave somewhere…

She'd lose her mind.

"Are we back yet?" Augustine's head finally raised from the papers, looking out the window. "Oh." The chair she'd been sitting in screeched as she abruptly stood up.

"I can get us to shore from here."

"Good. I need to pay a little visit to Ren."

They stood on the shore, listening to Mung's distant roars when Katara said, "Do you think he'll be okay up there until one of us comes back?"

"Do you really care if he isn't?"

The younger girl didn't quite know the answer to that.

Daybreak settled upon the town as Katara and Augustine trudged up the steps she and Zuko had done the day previously. The sleepy village remained mostly silent, the only real disturbances the few shopkeepers opening their stores. Few gawked at the strange pair, quickly tearing their gazes away when Augustine set her fiery expression on them.

They did look quite odd, Katara thought. Augustine's face and clothes were filthy and she'd hate to see her own looks. The lump on her head had to be massive by now. That, paired with the dark circles beneath her tired eyes probably made them look like quite the pair.

"I'm going to the warehouse before I go to Ren's," Augustine announced, turning down the third warehouse's alley.

"What are you going to do?"

She paused. "Do you really want to know?"

Katara took a long, slow breath.

Did she?

Instead of answering her question, she said, "I'm going to get my dress and water skin back, if it's still there - and see if I can free the prisoners beneath Ren's. Will you help me?"

Her face remained blank. "Do I get to deal with Ren as I see fit?"

Katara's head barely inclined.

~0~

Zuko slunk down the alleyway beside the inn. The sun hadn't quite peaked the horizon, the streets still silent and dark. His thoughts had overtaken his mind long ago. Katara's screams echoed in his ears all night, her terrified expression milliseconds before her plummet plastered on the back of his eyelids.

Needless to say, he hadn't gotten much sleep.

Last night, the spirit ransacked the warehouse, opening every crate, skimming through every piece of information. His eyes had grown heavy, much to his own dismay, and he forced himself home earlier that morning. Slipping up was something Zuko could not afford - not with Iroh and now Katara both imprisoned. So, he slept - or tried to - until his thoughts ate at him uncontrollably.

For the first time in his life, he had people that needed him - and he actually wanted to help them.

And that was a feeling Zuko wasn't sure what to do with. He'd been able to push Iroh away before, but that anger was long gone now. Besides, Katara had called him a friend, something he never thought anyone could or would call him.

The Blue Spirit could hardly remember a time he felt so hopeless with someone other then himself or Iroh.

Did he even have another occasion? Or had he been that selfish?

Zuko continued down the path robotically, his feet leading him whilst his mind remained preoccupied.

His last words to Katara brought guilt flaring again. Uncle would have wanted to swat him for that.

Hell, he wanted to swat himself for that.

Zuko, you must never abandon a friend when they need your help. Especially one as pretty as Master Katara. The Iroh in his head winked at him and Zuko scowled.

The Blue Spirit would have to take all the credit. Like he always did.

But, Zuko liked it that way…or so he thought.

The swordsman drew his twin swords with elegance, holding the cool steel at his sides as he stalked closer to his destination.

Ren's warehouse door flung open with a clatter, the masked man striding inside.

This place would be a heaping pile of smoldering ash when he was done with it.

~0~

The Painted Lady and Augustine approached Ren's warehouse warily. Hushed chatter came from inside like some sort of underground galleria. The voices sounded awed yet nervous, a few words drifting from inside clearer then the rest.

"Finally."

Katara narrowed her eyes beneath her veil, frowning.

Had she heard them right?

A simple glance to Augustine proved that maybe she had, as the other girl wore the same expression.

They reached the side door of his warehouse, the same one Katara had broken into the day prior. The door creaked loudly as they slipped inside, silencing the chatter.

A ring of a blade echoed off the walls and ceiling. She heard no footsteps as she inched closer and closer forward. Augustine remained behind her, silent as a mouse.

As she rounded the corner, something whooshed behind her and she froze.

A hand roughly grabbed the back of her unusually dark cloak - very different then the one she usually wore- and yanked her back. Shiny metal flitted in front of her body, in warning, another arm snaking around her neck.

"Blue?" she squeaked.

She prayed it was him - who else could be that quiet?

The sword disappeared from in front of her, scraping back into its scabbard. Her assailant removed his arm.

Katara whirled around, a sigh of relief escaping her lips. The all too familiar fanged grin stared back at her.

"It's a different cloak-" was all she got out before catching a glimpse of those eyes.

Warm molten gold glinted briefly in lantern-light.

Augustine's voice hardly registered in her mind, speaking to someone else. It was enough to pull the logical side of her back, wondering how there was light suddenly to see them.

They were beautiful, intense and full of emotion. They disappeared seconds later, his head tilting down, almost in shame.

"I'm sorry," he rasped.

Katara didn't need any clarification.

Her face softened in response, hand going up to his shoulder before she could stop herself.

"It's okay. I needed to free myself, I think. To learn a new way to bend."

He dipped his head and she pulled her hand back. If he was curious about the new way she'd mentioned, he didn't show it.

"I wanted to stop them. But I didn't want to compromise the others." He explained.

She glanced behind her, hearing Augustine's voice again.

A young girl, one Katara recognized from the cages below was holding a lantern, speaking with Augustine.

"You freed them." She breathed. "Even after what you said yesterday."

Another nod.

"We can give them Mung's ship," Augustine said, a look of determination taking over. "Kiyo and I can escort them somewhere safe, after we take care of Ren."

They wandered the rest of the way around the corner, where five more filthy young adults milled about, all still blinking in the dim light.

"You came back!" Another exclaimed at the sight of the Painted Lady.

She smiled, bowing her head.

"Ka- Painted Lady?" Augustine corrected. "Take Ren's ship. You and Lee get out of here. It will be my thank you and Ren's apology." She winked before looking to the Blue Spirit.

"Thank you for freeing them." Her eyes flicked to Katara. "Take care of her, Blue."

A blush spread across the water bender's face. She was thankful for the dark cloak that shielded her cheeks from his view.

Katara bid the group adieu with a yawn.

"There's a few crates of food and supplies towards the front," Blue murmured huskily as they slipped out the side door. "You may want to get them before you leave."

The crisp morning air blew the thin cloak off Katara's head. She gasped slightly, reaching to pull it back up.

"Your head," he rasped quietly.

Her fingertips brushed the lump that had formed on her temple. "Yeah. I'm going to be black and blue all over here soon. That wave only did so much." She swallowed. "I saw you reach for me. Thank you for trying."

He scratched the back of his head, presumably at the band of his mask. Blue nodded at her one last time before she turned away, letting her tired limbs carry her back to the inn.

She had a feeling that wouldn't be the last she saw of him.

Katara had been so tired when she'd stumbled into the small room at the inn, that she didn't even notice if Zuko was there. She simply plopped down onto the bed, squirmed under the covers and threw the dark cloak on top of her bags at the end of the bed.

If Zuko had stuck around for her, he could wake her up when he was ready to leave.

Perhaps he'd be pleased, she thought, that she'd discovered a way to get Ren's ship and keep the money. The crates of supplies that Blue told her about would be another plus too.

Hopefully the rest of their journey would be a little less tumultuous then it had been. That would be nice…

With that final thought, sleep overtook Katara.