It had been a few days since Katara's capture, and Zuko unintentionally created a routine. When he woke up, he'd bring Katara some breakfast, and in the afternoon, he'd get her another small something to eat. Most of the time, they never spoke. One morning, he walked by the cell Katara was being kept in and found her sipping something from a small cup. He stopped to look. The room smelled of tea. For some reason unknown to Katara, Zuko tossed his head in the air and laughed. Loudly. Uncle Iroh seemed to dislike the fact he checked on Katara at least twice daily; now he was bringing her tea! The loud laugh was somewhat villainous, the kind of laugh those big, bad guys from movies laugh; that "Mwahahaha!" sort of thing. This only confused Katara more. She then looked down at her tea and remembered the conversation Iroh and Zuko had outside the prisonhold three days ago, out of her view. She thought for a moment, and realized what Zuko was laughing at. She found herself giggling a moment later.
Zuko found Iroh sitting and playing some wierd game in the room where the steering wheel was placed, which now doubled as his game-and-tea room."Uncle, what were you doing down in the prisonhold?" he asked. He wondered if Iroh would have the same response he did.
"Giving the girl some tea. That water you gave her a few days ago was turning yellow."
Zuko scratched the back of his head. He had forgotten all about changing her water! "...So?"
"So?" Iroh shot back amusingly.
Zuko growled, and, before he left the room, he moved one of the wooden tiles belonging to one of the other players.
"Hey Iroh, look!" The other player pointed to the moved tile. "I won!"
Zuko slammed the door behind him. Why does Iroh sit around playing games all day? He has better things to do. Even though Zuko was in charge, Iroh was technically his teacher and elder. Zuko couldn't really make him do anything, but that doesn't stop him from trying sometimes. He walked out to the deck of his ship and rested his elbows on the railing. The salty sea air soothed his nerves. It was still dark. Hmm.
Katara continued to sip from her tea. "This is pretty good," she acknowledged. She took a last gulp and sat the teacup beside her. Her wound was healing a bit, and she had managed to move to the small, cheap bed that folded out from the side of the wall. When she had first entered the prisonhold, she was tossed in by a guard, without the help of Zuko, who was still unconcious at the time. She sat and wondered... Why was Zuko bringing her food? He had said it was because the servants were lazy, but that couldn't be it. She still hadn't quite gotten over Zuko walking in for the first time... And where was Zuko keeping her necklace? She still hadn't gotten it back yet. Perhaps she would ask him for it next time he walked in.
Little did she know that would be a few moments later. Without a word, Zuko opened the prison door and motioned her to join him. Wondering if she could walk by now, she stumbled out the door and was standing next to Zuko. He smiled a soft smile. A smile different from the first smile she saw. This one wasn't cruel, persuasive, or taunting. This one was... just a smile. Katara smiled back, which caused Zuko to smile a little more. "Right this way," he said, stepping to the side. Katara hesitated, then walked in the direction Zuko had come from. He followed her.
In a few minutes, they both ended up on the deck. The sky was a beautiful pink-and-orange hue. Zuko took the lead and ushered her to the railing. Katara walked until she was beside Zuko, looked out over the ocean, and gasped. "Sunrise!"
Zuko nodded and smiled. "I thought you would like to see it."
Katara nodded in a distracted air. "You didn't have to do this."
"Yes I did."
"Uh..."
Uncle Iroh walked out on deck and pecked Zuko on the shoulder. "Zuko?"
Zuko almost jumped in surprise. "Uh-- What?"
"It's almost time for your moring training."
Katara looked at Iroh. "May I watch?"
Iroh looked to Zuko, awaiting his approval. When none came, he said, "Oh, sure. I guess."