Category: Avatar:
Last Airbender
Author: RedNovember
Title: The
Hunter and the Prey
Pairing: Zuko/Katara
Genre:
Romance/Action
Rating: T (PG-13) for now, but if I have
to up it to M (or R) I will.
Disclaimer: I do not own any
part of this series. However, the fanfiction written, the plot
contained and any original characters I write I do own.
A/N: Sorry this chapter
is a day late! However, it's a bit longer than usual, so maybe
that'll make up for it.
Chapter 6: Tempter Tantrums
For two days now, Aang and Sokka had been searching unendingly for Katara. To say that they were tired was an understatement. Actually, to say that Appa was tired was the truer understatement. For it was the great giant bison who had been doing all of the flying, and therefore most of the actual physical work on their endless search for Katara.
In the beginning, they had not known where to begin. After rousing Appa from a long-deserved sleep, they had flown high into the sky, searching for any sign of a Fire Nation ship in the distance. Nada was what they had seen.
Soon, however, Aang came up with a plan to find the Fire Nation ship. Sending 8 air currents along all 4 main compass directions (North, South, East, West) and the 4 smaller sub directions (Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest), he'd wait for the air currents to rebound on whatever they hit and eventually return to him, whispering of things they had passed and who they had seen.
However, the system wasn't always reliable. One time they flew southeast for half a day before realizing that the ship the air current had told them about was, in reality, a pirate ship. They had to turn back around and choose another direction to head in, losing much of the time they could have spent searching for Katara.
Most of the time it worked. The problem wasn't their direction. It was all about their strength. Really, Appa's strength. Every time they sighted a Fire Nation's red sail on the horizon, Appa was utterly exhausted and needed to touch base with land in order to take a break for the night.
The next day they would start off again, knowing the Fire Benders had put more distance between them, for their ship could travel at night.
So the two boys, a lemur, and a flying bison continued to island-hop behind a Fire Nation ship that was carrying their friend farther and farther away from them with each passing day.
Katara lay in bed majority of the morning after Zuko had left, stewing in her mind about their last conversation. And she couldn't stop thinking about the look the Captain and his Officers had given her when she fell out of bed. A look that said to them, she was just pure trash. For some insane reason, it didn't seem to matter to Zuko that everyone else on this ship probably thought she was some cheap whore now.
Fucking bastard.
His reputation wasn't in jeopardy. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised if men started knocking on her door, offering 2 copper coins for a quick roll in the hay. Not that there was any hay on this ship, but that was clearly beside the point.
Her mind lingered for a long time on the subject, making up so many outrageous situations and possibilities that even she had to admit after a certain point that she was getting a bit overdramatic. Glancing outside the window, she noticed the sun had almost reached the highest point in the sky. Maybe an hour or two before noon. She glanced out the next window and noticed the cluster of black-sailed ships on the horizon. She squinted at them. They were still too far away to make out the sign on their flag.
Maybe these were the pirates Zuko and the Captain had been talking about. She grimaced slightly. Well if they weren't overly worried about it, she wouldn't be either.
Hopefully if the pirates did attack, they would be able to kill that reputation-destroying Zuko for her. Then she would be free! But there was also the fact that she'd just switch captors from Zuko to Pirates.
Zuko, or Pirates? Really, life was only about choosing the lesser of the two evils. There was no such thing as Good and Evil, as there had been in the nostalgic old times. Nowadays, it was only "Evil A and Evil B, which one are you most likely to survive with?"
…Maybe she would keep Zuko alive a little longer, just until Aang and Sokka arrived to rescue her.
Stepping from the bed, she crossed to the wardrobe and opened the carved door. Wow. He really did wear the same thing day after day. No wonder the man was practically insane. He definitely needed more variety in his life.
Not that she should be saying anything. Since leaving the Southern Water Tribe, she'd had nothing to wear but the two blue robes and several sets of underwear she possessed currently.
Shrugging, she simply exchanged one wrinkled red shirt for one non-wrinkled red shirt and wrinkled black trousers for non-wrinkled black trousers.
Untying her hair from it's customary ponytail, she combed it with her fingers, wincing at the snarls and tangles. Finally, it was neat enough for her to tie back up again. Rummaging through Zuko's closet once more, she found a plain leather belt that she clasped around her waist and tucked the too-long hem of the shirt into.
She wasn't even positive anymore that she wanted to leave the room for lunch. She wondered seriously if word had gotten round the ship about their little… incident this morning. If it had, Katara wasn't sure she could handle the embarrassment and humiliation. She hated it when people stared at her. Being the center of attention, especially for a bad reason, wasn't something she liked to do often.
Again, it all went back to the lesser of the two evils. Would she rather stay cooped up in Zuko's room all day, or go out, take a breath of fresh air, and eat some lunch?
Going outside was probably the lesser of the two evils. If she stayed in this room any longer today, she'd probably go completely insane.
The customary rattling of locks on the door alerted her to someone's presence. The door finally opened and Zuko stood there, tucking the key back into his shirt from were it hung on a thin golden chain. Katara was a bit surprised that he had come to get her himself, instead of sending one of his little minions to take care of the problem for him. On any other day, in any other situation, she would have been flattered. But he probably hadn't come to get her just to see her beautiful and shining face. No, more likely he came because he didn't trust the guards to keep an eye on her well enough. When you want something done right, you always do it yourself.
She crossed her arms over her chest and matched his neutral stare. They stood like that for several moments before Zuko finally spoke up:
"Come on."
He turned and left, expecting her to follow him.
She did, seething. Maybe an "I'm sorry, I was wrong and acted like a real jerk this morning" was too much to hope for, but he hadn't even bothered to say "Hi" or "Hello" or even a conversational "Nice weather today, eh?"
Fucking bastard.
She glared daggers at his ramrod-straight back as they climbed the flight of stairs to the upper deck. At the top of the stairs, he stopped to wait for her. They maneuvered through the usual crowd of working sailors shouting and cursing at each other, his hand resting on her lower back to guide her.
Was it just her imagination, or were there more eyes than usual following her and the Prince? Were there more whisperings, sniggerings, and guffaws trailing in her footsteps? Suddenly she felt completely and utterly exposed, wearing Zuko's shirt. The material was the lighter, more breathable fabric that most Fire Nation clothes were made of, since they spent more time in a hotter climate. The wind blew hard on the deck, outlining parts of her she would rather have kept concealed and hidden under a thick blue Water Bender coat. All of a sudden she was glad Zuko was there, hand on her back, guiding her through the crowds and ultimately keeping anyone from bothering her. She was grateful for his presence, even though he was the sources of all her troubles.
They continued across the deck towards the Officer's dining room, trying to ignore all the eyes trailing them. Katara shrank close and close to Zuko, wishing, without success, that she could simply disappear into his shadow.
At the entrance to the Dining Room, a group of 5 rough-looking sailors were unloading bundles of something from several large crates. As Zuko and Katara approached, the five slowly stopped their workings to stare unabashedly at her.
She pretended not to notice it and shrank even close to Zuko, keeping the Prince between herself and the stares. If Zuko noticed her behavior (which he, in fact, did) he said nothing of it. The sailors merely craned their necks sideways to continue gaping openly.
"… Not bad, not bad at all…"
"… our Prince's got mighty good taste…"
"…'course, royalty always get the best ones first…"
Katara's cheeks flamed as she caught snatches of the sailors' conversation. Zuko's hand stopped her gently. "Is there a problem here, gentlemen?" He asked, in a low, dangerous voice.
Four of the sailors immediately shut their gaping mouths and hurried to unload the last of the crates.
"Wouldn't you know it." Said the remaining sailor dreamily. "I haven't seen a woman in such a goddamned long time-" He cut off short as he raised his eyes, realizing who he was talking to. His facial expression was one of the absolute horror.
Zuko leaned so close to him their faces were almost touching and hissed, "Get back to work."
The sailor tripped over himself scrambling to rejoin his comrades who were now sniggering at his foolish mistake.
Zuko, pressing his arm into Katara's back again, led them into the Dining Room where they sat down at the elegant walnut table in the middle of the room. The Officers of the ship had their own eating area, while the rest of the common sailors ate in the larger cafeteria next to the galley below decks. The food was also significantly better. The Captain also had a private dining room he used when eating with the Prince or other important nobles.
Immediately, two serving boys deposited steaming plates of fried chicken and a cool salad in front of them. Some kind of soup followed, and although Katara wasn't sure what it was, it smelled heavenly.
Katara was struggling to cut her chicken one-handed when Captain Raku and Officer Sakai arrived for lunch. They paused, standing by the table.
"Good afternoon, your Majesty." Raku said, both him and Officer Sakai bowing low to Zuko. He nodded politely back at them. The Captain paused, turning to Katara, who was still struggling to cut her chicken into smaller pieces. "And… good afternoon…" He clearly did not know what to address her by. "… Good afternoon my lady."
She whispered back her own "good afternoon", keeping her eyes on the plate. She wasn't exactly a lady by any means, but it was definitely better than "prostitute" or "slut".
The Captain and Officer took their seats next to Zuko, and were served the same meal by the kitchen boys. Zuko noticed her predicament, and giving her an inscrutable look, took over her plate and knife and began to slice her chicken for her. Captain Raku and Officer Sakai began a conversation on the danger literally looming over the horizon: The Pirate Rishku. Zuko listened as he finished with Katara's plate and handed it back to her. Quietly she said thank you. He merely nodded. It seemed that all traces of geniality they'd had that morning had disappeared.
The Captain, Officer, and Prince seemed genuinely worried about Pirate Rishku's presence. They began to count the advantages and disadvantages they'd have if a conflict or actual sea battle were to take place. Should they have the cargo ships leave first while the war ships and several scout ships stayed behind to deter the pirates? What of the flagship?
The name Rishku rang a familiar bell in Katara's head. Several years back, before many of the men of her tribe (including her father) had left to ally with the Earth Kingdom in order to fight the Fire Benders, she'd known a boy, a bit older than her, named Rishku. He'd been a general bully, made worse by the fact that his Water Bending skills were far beyond any other children of his age, including Katara. She remembered her hateful jealousy against the older boy, and how he'd taunt her, telling her she'd never be a great Water Bender. Her brother Sokka had come to her defense several times, using physical power that usually resulted in both boys getting several scrapes as well as in trouble.
However, when the men were called on to fight the Fire Nation army, Rishku, by that time a young man, had refused to help by lending his impressive skills to the Earth Kingdom. He had run off in the middle of the night with several other boys intent on avoiding going to war. They'd been called cowards, dogs too afraid to protect their families and friends. Katara remembered how she'd hated him so much, wishing it was him going off to war instead of her own father. She hadn't seen either her father or Rishku since.
She interrupted the men's talk suddenly. "Is this pirate Rishku a Water Bender?"
Officer Sakai appraised her with a slightly arrogant look. "Yes. What could you possibly know about him?"
Feeling Zuko's eyes on her, she determinedly offered up the information she remembered about the Rishku from her tribe.
Captain Raku and Zuko sat silently, digesting the things she had told them. Officer Sakai however, let out a scoff of derision. "Really! I doubt that a teenager from a no-name Water Tribe with a few flashy tricks could end up being the dreaded Pirate Rishku. It's just hard to believe."
Katara couldn't help a short glare at the arrogant Officer, but knew that the more level-headed Captain and responsible Zuko would think seriously about the things she'd said. Zuko turned to her. "Do you know what happened to Rishku after he left the Southern Water Tribe?"
She shook her head no. "After her left, we never heard from him or his companions again." She looked up at Officer Sakai. "But there is a fair chance it's the same man."
Captain Raku considered it. "Maybe. The Captain Rishku is a skilled Water Bender, and several of his companions are as well."
Officer Sakai rolled his eyes, but only Katara saw it, for both the Captain and Zuko were spooning soup into their mouths at that moment. She knew he would never have dared to do it if Zuko had been watching. Sakai sneered at her. "Or, maybe it's just a simple coincidence."
She had to resist the strong urge to poke the pale man's eyes out with the tines of her fork. Instead, she concentrated on stabbing her salad and pretending it was Officer Sakai. What did he have against her?
Zuko finished eating his salad, and pushed back his chair. Katara took her cue from him and stood up as well. "Well, Captain, Officer," the Prince said, looking at both of them. "Katara and I will be heading to the Control Deck for a check-up with whoever is sailing the ship today."
"That would be Officer Taru." Sakai interjected quickly, eager to please his Prince with is knowledge. He seemed to practically worship Zuko, which, for some strange reason, bothered Katara. Sakai must have been at least 30 years old. She wondered if he knew Zuko's real age.
Stupid know-it-all, Katara thought of Sakai hatefully. Never mind the fact that it didn't make sense (How could Sakai be stupid and a know-it-all?).
"Would you care to join us?" Zuko continued.
Katara knew Zuko had said that just to be polite, but she hadn't expected Raku and Sakai to stand up and agree to go with them. Officer Sakai all but leapt out of his seat in eagerness. Drat! The Captain was a nice enough man whom she could stand, but that Officer Sakai was really grating on her nerves.
They left the Dining Room together silently and walked the long length of the ship to where Officer Taru stood, hands on the wheel, keeping a steady course North for the Fire Nation. He gave everyone a polite hello as they climbed the stairs to the deck where the flagship's main controls were.
Iroh gave them a glance as they came up. He had been chatting quietly with Taru before, keeping the man company. He gave Katara a friendly grin, and she couldn't help but smile back. He sidled over to her before leaning in close and giving her a sly grin, joked loudly, "So… sleep well last night, my lady?"
Katara gave him a tight smile back. She knew it was just some good-natured teasing, for Iroh certainly hadn't misunderstood the situation as the other men had. Still, it irked her a bit that Iroh was so open about it. His comment hadn't been exactly quiet either.
Captain Raku was discreetly trying to hide his obvious discomfort at the topic of subject. Officer Taru was pretending not to understand what they were talking about. Officer Sakai had several mixed emotions on his face. Uneasiness switched to disgust and then switched to an openly hostile stare.
Zuko simply said "Uncle." In a slightly bored-sounding warning tone. However, Katara could see the tension in his jaw and body, meaning he didn't want to speak about this morning in public. Apparently this subject really did affect him more than he had let on when he had left this morning.
Fucking bastard.
He could have let her know sooner, instead of putting on this whole "Oh it doesn't matter to me!" macho manly act. He really was too much for her to handle. Well. At least now she knew that they were on the same side.
Sakai had a strange expression on his face, looking like he was trying to summon up the courage to make some sort of declaration. At last, he did.
"Just what is your relationship with his Majesty, Lady Katara?" He finally spit out.
Katara gaped openly at him for several seconds, as did everyone else on deck who had heard his impudent question. The man actually had the GUTS to ask her that, in front of Zuko himself? Who did Sakai think he was?
Obviously someone incredibly important, judging by the look on his face now. He thought himself the noble, upstanding subordinate, rushing to save his precious Prince's reputation. The fact that maybe Zuko had initiated their little night together never seemed to occur to Sakai. He saw Zuko as the pure and honorable Prince who had been unfortunately seduced by her, this female snake who was obviously trying to influence the wonderful Zuko with her poisonous ideas and deceptive body!
Fucking BASTARD!
"You!" She hissed, stomping up to Sakai and staring him straight in the face. "YOU!"
The entire deck was silent, watching the drama unfold between the ship's top officer and the Prince's strange girl prisoner.
"You think I'm having sex with your precious Prince!" She shouted. Behind her, Zuko winced visibly (not something he did often) and stepped up behind her, placing a restraining hand on her shoulder.
"Well I'm not, you idiot." Her voice slowly raised until she was screaming. "I'm a virgin! I'm a fucking VIRGIN!"
Dead silence met her words. Nobody moved and nobody made a single sound.
That was, until somebody in the Crow's Nest high above their heads let out a discreet cough and said, "That's good to know, lass."
Katara immediately deflated. Horrified at her own loss of temper, she felt tears beginning to push at the corners of her eyes. She pushed past Prince Zuko, unable to even look him in the face. She almost stumbled down the stairs from the Control Deck to the main deck and ran at a full tilt towards the stairs that led down to Zuko's room. Funny that she would run there for refuge when her presence there was what had caused this whole mess.
Zuko stared after her, completely speechless. He heard Captain Raku behind him order everyone back to work before quietly dismissing Officer Sakai. The thin, pasty-faced man rushed by, an embarrassing red hue staining his cheeks. He was probably absolutely horrified at having made such a mistake. Either that, or he was extremely pissed off that Katara had dared speak to him that way.
Zuko continued to stare unbelievingly after Katara.
"Maybe it's that time of month?" Iroh suggest quietly from behind him.
Katara stayed in the room the rest of the day. When dinner arrived, borne by her usual servant, she snatched the tray away and all but slammed the door in the poor man's face. She could barely stand the humiliation, and didn't want to know whether the servant had been present at her earlier escapade or had heard of it through word of mouth. Either way, it didn't matter. She wasn't leaving this room until the trip ended. Zuko wouldn't even have to bother with locks anymore. She wouldn't be leaving again unless he physically dragged her out of the room.
Zuko peered into the room, noticing the one lamp still lit, throwing dim light around the room. Experiencing a brief moment of panic when he couldn't see Katara inside, finally he located her sitting in an armchair next to the window, the light from the lamp flickering over her face. She was staring out at the dark sea and at the multitude of other lights glistening in the darkness from the fleet surrounding the flagship.
She stood up slowly as he came in, crossing her arms across her chest. He noticed absentmindedly that she'd found and was wearing his black bathrobe. The bottom of it dragged a bit on the carpet. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Whether that was nervous habit or just plain nervousness, Zuko couldn't tell.
"I think I should get my own room now." She stated bluntly, eyes fixated on the floor. The woman didn't beat around the bush, Zuko noticed.
"You can't." He moved around her to sit on the couch and bent down to untie his boots.
"Why not?" She demanded angrily, head snapping up.
"No other rooms available." He grunted as he yanked off his left boot.
"What?" She said disbelievingly. "You expect me to believe that your room is the only room on a ship of this size?"
"I didn't say that." Zuko answered, a trifle annoyed. Really, sleeping with him wasn't that bad, was it? (Briefly, in his mind, he imagined the way Uncle Iroh would interpret that statement). "I just said that there aren't any other rooms available for you. Unless you'd rather bunk with Captain Raku in the Captain's Rooms. Or maybe sleeping with First Mate Hurei in his room, or Officer Taru or even Officer Sakai might make you feel better. If not, there's always the sailors' bunks below decks. They don't have individual cabins like we do, so you'll have to do with a hammock and share a big room with four hundred other men snoring their way through the night, but I'm sure you can make it work." He ended his sarcastic reply with a tight smile directed at her.
She glared at him. "Why can't Taru and… say, Sakai just bunk together and give me the extra room?" She knew she sounded whiny, but she was going to make at least one thing go her way today, or she would go absolutely crazy.
"Because 40-year-old men don't generally sleep in the same bed together, no matter what the circumstances." He said wryly.
"And it's okay for us to sleep together in the same bed, no matter what the circumstances?"
"At least we have an excuse." He said, unlacing his right boot.
"What excuse?"
He finally looked up and met her eyes. She looked away again. "Don't make me say it." He said, knowing both of them were uncomfortable about the subject, especially Katara.
She knew she was fighting a losing battle, but couldn't resist one last try. "Well… if Taru and Sakai share a room, one of them can sleep on the floor."
"No." He stated simply. "Both of them work long hours each day making sure this ship functions, and they both need their sleep. You, on the other hand, do nothing but fight and scream at me and throw temper tantrums all day long." He said the truth bluntly.
Katara knew she was being selfish, but was still angry at Zuko's accusations. "Fine." She gritted out through clenched teeth. "I'll stay with you." She threw herself back on the bed. "It's not like I wanted to be here in the first place." She glared at him. "You're the one who captured me. It's definitely not my fault."
"It's not." He agreed with her. To a certain point. To the point of making her shut up.
"Well, now that you have me, you're just going to have to put up with my temper tantrums. Either that, or you can let me go." She said, a triumphant look on her face.
He didn't say anything and stood up to put his boots in the bottom of his wardrobe. He'd put up with a lot of things during his chase for the Avatar (including extreme danger and imminent death), but this was the first time he'd had to endure the mood swings of a teenage girl. (Maybe Uncle Iroh had been on to something about the time of the month thing.)
Whatever the cause of her mood swings was, it was most definitely a new experience for him. However, he wasn't sure whether he would classify Katara under "extreme danger" or "imminent death". He guessed either would work.
She walked over to him and peered in his wardrobe, but wouldn't look him in the face. She took one black shirt off a hanger. "I'll just wear this to sleep from now on, instead of changing clothes every day and making your servants wash more things." He nodded, her idea making sense.
Katara retreated to the other side of the room by the lamp and proceeded to change. Before she did, she shot a look back over her shoulder and scowled. "Don't you dare look."
"Wouldn't dream of it." He muttered, before realizing it was the same thing he'd said before going to bed yesterday night.
"That's what you said last time." She muttered back. She'd caught his slip of words as well.
"Well, I mean it this time." God she was annoying. It wasn't his fault they'd moved so close together in the middle of the night. He hadn't been awake at the time, and therefore thought he shouldn't have been held accountable for his actions. She probably didn't think of it that way.
However, when he turned back to change himself, he noticed that since Katara was standing in front of the dim lamp, it threw her slim silhouette onto the wall above the wardrobe. He watched as she quickly stripped off her day time shirt (which also belonged to him) and quickly pull the black shirt back on. He quickly tore his eyes away from the shadow on the wall and changed quickly. He hadn't technically been peeking. It was her own fault she hadn't checked to make sure the light wasn't doing funny things to her shadow. Besides, she'd been wearing something under the shirt.
By the time he was done, she'd already gotten into her normal side of the bed. He blew out the lamp and felt his way in the dark back to his side.
"Ow! That was my stomach, you retard!" She hissed.
"Sorry." He muttered quietly and quickly got back to his own side, laying down with a bit of shifting. Any higher up and he would've…
Stop! He scolded himself. Really, did he want to turn into what Katara had called him last night? What was it, a testosterone-driven hormonal teenage boy? He definitely wasn't that. He was a Prince of the Fire Nation, Commander of the 1st Fleet of the Fire Navy, and Heir to the Throne. That's what he was.
They lay together in the dark for several quiet minutes. He noticed that they both took extreme care this time to stay on their own sides of the bed, maybe a bit farther apart than actually needed. They were both stiff as wooden boards.
"You didn't snore last night." Katara finally said, with a slight woosh of a sigh. He knew it was the closest she would ever come to apologizing for screaming at him earlier.
"You didn't kick me either." He said. Just to make it even. Not that he was actually sorry for anything. He didn't even have anything to be sorry for. Except maybe taking her prisoner.
Neither of them mentioned touching.
Eventually, both fell asleep. On their own respective sides of the bed.
However, the next morning woke to find them in a situation much like the previous morning's.
Both woke at the same time. This time, Katara was facing Zuko, the top of her head tucked under his chin, arms wrapped around each other.
Iroh admired the adorable sight. He sighed nostalgically. "When I was a young lad, you wouldn't believe how many beautiful women I woke up next to some mornings. Of course, it was more like the afternoon when we woke up, since we would both be so worn out from the previous night's events-"
"PLEASE UNCLE!" Zuko yelled desperately, one hand snapping up to cover his ears. "Please stop."
"Alright, alright." Iroh couldn't keep a slightly maniacal smile off his face. "I'll tell you about my escapades later. When you're old enough to handle them." He gave Katara a wink.
Both Zuko and Katara sighed in relief and relaxed.
Iroh grew incredibly serious. "However, Captain Raku and the First Mate want to see you immediately. It's about the Pirate Rishku. Apparently he's advancing at a pretty fast pace. He obviously wants to make some kind of contact with us, whether violent or otherwise."
"Okay. Tell them I'll be up there in five minutes." Zuko sighed and Iroh left quickly, shutting the door firmly behind him.
The room was silent again. Neither of them moved to get up from the bed. It was extremely comfortable lounging in the warmth of the morning and each other. Zuko didn't even really want to leave, although he knew he had to. It seemed like the soft morning was the only time they could spend together without one of them losing their temper.
Katara started, "Can you imagine your uncle-"
He cut her off weakly. "DON'T even start. I've already got images in my head and they aren't pretty."
She giggled softly and they were silent again.
Finally he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Katara gave a small sigh behind him and rolled into the spot he just vacated. Zuko quickly dressed in his normal uniform and said a quick "See you later" before he left. Closing the door, he saw Katara give him a small wave from the pile of blankets and pillows she was buried in. He allowed himself a small grin before composing his face to have a meeting with his Captain and Officers about the Pirates. It was starting to seem more and more like they would have to engage in some sort of conflict sooner or later. Most likely violent. Pirates weren't known to be very diplomatic.
Let behind in the bed by herself, Katara felt incredibly alone now that Zuko had left. Well. There was nothing much more she could do until he came back, unless something else happened to catch her attention. She definitely wasn't going outside. She sighed and closed her eyes.
She was surprised when Zuko turned up to join her for lunch, balancing a tray of food from the Officer's Dining Room in each hand. She accepted it gratefully, since she hadn't had any breakfast. They both ate silently for a moment, sitting in separate armchairs.
"So," Katara started, wiping the corners of her mouth clean with her napkin. "How is the situation now with Rishku?"
Zuko swallowed his last mouthful of soup. "He hasn't sent us any sort of message yet. To be truthful, we're not sure."
Katara frowned slightly. "Why are you even worrying about him? Your fleet is huge!" She glanced outside at the myriad of Fire Nation ships surrounding the flagship in the center of the fleet. "It's fourteen ships against five. We both know the odds to that, and I'm sure the pirates do as well."
Zuko leaned back in his chair, finally full. "I don't think you really understand who the Pirate Rishku is." He said carefully. "Have you heard anything of him, aside from your own story about the Rishku from your tribe?"
She shook her head no, reluctantly.
"Well, there's the fact that practically all of the pirates under his command are Benders of some sort. Water, Earth, even a couple Fire Bender deserters." He grimaced at the idea of his own countrymen deserting the Fire Nation to join a rogue pirate. "Obviously there aren't any Air Benders."
He continued on. "Water Benders have an obvious advantage in the ocean. They can create giant waves to capsize ships, and they can speed up their rate of traveling by manipulating the currents and driving their own ships along faster. The especially powerful ones can whip up a storm in seconds, making it especially difficult for a fleet of this size to stay coordinated and under control." He took swallowed the last of his soup. "When battling with an enemy ship, what we do normally is start a large fire on their ship as fast as possible. They sink in seconds and there is virtually no battle and a quick deathless victory for us." Zuko grimaced slightly. "It's usually a good plan. But the Water Benders with Rishku can put out fire easily with their own water."
Katara cut in quickly. "But what use are Earth Benders in the middle of the ocean?"
"You'd be surprised. Cannonballs and arrows are what we usually use when the first option of fire fails. Each of our warships is equipped with forty large-sized cannons on each side of the ship. Our scout ships have weaponry as well, and though not as powerful, they can still inflict significant damage, especially if there are many of them working and attacking together. This flagship has several cannons and many archers to defend against most attacks. Our cargo ships are our biggest weaknesses and the ones we have to protect the most." He stopped to catch his breath. "However, cannonballs are generally made of metal, which therefore comes under the element of Earth. Metals, minerals, and other raw sources we use to melt and create cannonballs all come from the ground. Arrows are made of wood."
"Both wood and metal are under Earth. Have you ever shot off a powerful cannon towards your enemy and two seconds later have the same cannonball shooting back, straight at your face? The Earth Benders can stop arrows and cannons right in their tracks and send them back from where they came from with the more than enough power."
He gazed at her calmly, not betraying any of his worries underneath the skin. "Do you understand why we're worried now? We have a bit of an advantage because we have so many more ships than they do. Still… it's going to be hard. Usually with a fleet this size, intimidation is enough of a weapon." Zuko gave her a weak smile. "Most people give up before the battle's even started. Which I don't think is going to be the case with Rishku."
Katara stared at him. Obviously she hadn't thought the situation was as bad as it currently was.
Out of the corner of his eye, Zuko noticed a slight movement outside the window. Funny, the cabin boys weren't supposed to be wiping down his window until next Thursday…
SMASH! A cannonball sailed straight through the window and shattered it into a million pieces of tiny glass. It sailed straight towards Katara's head and as her face turned towards it and a horrified expression came over her, Zuko leapt across the table and slammed her down onto the floor, covering her from the tiny glass pieces with his body. She screamed and the sound of laughter drifted in from outside the window, the direction the cannonball had come in.
Zuko hissed at the girl underneath him, "Stay down!" and crept to the shattered window frame. Peering outside, he saw the small rowboat bobbing underneath his window on a swell of ocean water. A small white flag waved from a tiny stick held in the hand of a smirking black-haired man.
"Did I interrupt something, my dear Prince Zuko?" The man smiled widely, displaying a black gap where he was missing a tooth. "I heard a woman scream. Or was that you?"
"Rishku?" Zuko replied incredulously. Unbelievable. How had the pirate gotten past all the scout ships defending the flagship?
"In the flesh."
"How… how did you get here?" Zuko immediately regretted stammering. He sounded more like a nervous schoolboy than a commanding Prince.
"Can't you see my humble little rowboat?" Rishku laughed without any sort of sincerity. "Oh, and here's Lundo, he's a Water Bender, and he can really improve my trusty little rowboat's average traveling speed." Rishku flicked a hand at the sullen-faced man sitting next to him and patted the wooden rowboat.
"What do you want?" Zuko demanded. He wondered if anybody had heard the explosion. His hand slipped to his belt where his knives hung.
Before Rishku could reply, Katara appeared at his elbow. Her eyes widened.
"Rishku? It is you!"
The black-haired man immediately lost all his previous confidence and was genuinely shocked at Katara's presence. "Katara?"
"It's me, alright." Her face was guarded now, watching him carefully. "Where have you been all this time?" Though he was now obviously an outlawed pirate, it was still extremely comforting to see a familiar face from her old tribe. Even if he had abandoned them so many years ago.
"Places." He said indifferently. Rishku had regained his cool as well. "The question is, what are you doing here? With the Fire Nation Prince, of all people?"
Zuko cut in before Katara could answer. "She's with me."
"I can see that." Rishku said with an air of feigned annoyance. Zuko could read from his eyes that the pirate was definitely interested in Katara being on the ship. "What are you doing with her?" He directed his question towards Zuko.
"She's… we're betrothed." He said, seizing on the first idea that came to mind. He'd pay for it later, but he really didn't need Rishku getting any ideas about Katara. Friendly or not.
Zuko saw Katara's shocked and angry expression, but she was smart enough not to deny anything.
"Reeeeeeeeeally." Rishku was not convinced. But he decided to take the excuse, for now, anyways. He'd soon find out what the real situation was. Once he got his hands on the girl from his tribe. His face took on a wicked, mocking grin. "Well, well, well, Katara. I would have never imagined it. Little, featureless, ugly, wannabe Water Bender Katara, snaring herself a prince!" He inspected her closely, from top to bottom, obviously trying to figure out why the Prince would take an interest in her.
Katara felt her face grow hot as Rishku basically undressed her with his eyes. Zuko felt himself grow angry, although why, he didn't know. He stepped in front of Katara, blocking her from Rishku's view. A perfectly normal reaction, if he was to play Katara's husband-to-be. Never mind that he didn't even need to pretend to get angry.
Rishku raised his eyebrows slightly, having his inspection cut off quickly. "Well I must say you certainly have changed, Katara." He leered at her. "Although definitely for the better."
The pirate turned back to the Prince. "That cannonball was a message, your Majesty." Rishku smiled gleefully, not looking the least bit sane. "In exactly 3 hours we will begin our attack on your impressive fleet. Until then, I'm sure you can let me go back to my ship peacefully, under this innocent flag of negotiation and surrender?" He waved his scrap of white cloth mockingly in the air. "After all, I'm just a mere messenger."
Zuko nodded tightly, understanding that under the codes of honor applied to naval battles, the white flag was an undisputed token of cease-fire, used to send messages, truces, and negotiations across the battlefield from one commander to the other.
Rishku motioned at Lundo, and the little rowboat rose up quickly on white foaming waves and sped off through the fleet back to the pirate ships at an incredible speed.
Zuko and Katara watched him leave wordlessly as behind them, Captain Raku, Uncle Iroh, and several other officers stormed into the room. They joined Zuko and Katara at the window, watching the pirate speed away.
Upon arriving back at his pirate fleet, Rishku addressed his crew. "Take what you want, kill who you want. But I get the girl. Do you sons of bitches understand that?"
His crew nodded silently.
"Nobody touches her but me."
The message would be repeated and sent to the four other ships in his small fleet by the end of the 3 designated hours until battle.
Back on the Golden Flame, Zuko's flagship, the Captain asked Zuko what their next course of action would be.
The Prince answered simply.
"Prepare for a battle."
A/N: Jeez was that a long chapter or what! You should all be thankful. I am too, to you reviewers. I don't think any of you have any idea how much I depend and rely on your feedback. Really, thanks a lot. You guys are great. A thousand hugs for everybody. Seeing how this is already chapter 6, and there are several more important events yet to happen to our favorite Z/K couple, I'm really guessing that the end number of chapters is going to be 13+. Also, does anyone else think I need to take the rating up? I know there's a bit than the usual curse words in this chapter, as well as several references to sex and other things. It's already T, but maybe it needs to be M? What do you think?
