Disclaimer: No habla Ingles. (A special thanks to Masako Moonshade for wishing me to get better!)

Note: Thanks to spontaneousxhumanxcombustion for bringing something to my attention. I'll explain it since some other people might also be confused.

"...if Katara can't waterbend because she's too far from water, where did she get the water to tend Zuko's wounds? If it was from her canteen, it could have been clearer."

Hehe, it wasn't from her canteen. She walked off, and came back a few minutes later. We can only assume she went to the ocean, which is described as being a "short walk away" to get the water. When I say she "can't waterbend," that means she is unwilling to walk down to the beach and practice her Bending while leaving Zuko unattended. And also, when Dagger Mouth says "There ain't no water near here" he's talking about the immediate vicinity. He obviously doesn't see her canteen as a big threat. (Just felt like adding that in.)

Also thanks for pointing out my little typo. However I think I'll let it be since it's a big hassle to fix it, because my computer and formatting don't like each other. I apologize for any typos in the future - my hands move faster than my mind does (I type 130-150 words per minute at any given time.)

I felt like addressing that, so now... onto the story!

Why the Caged Bird Sings

06

Deadly Dances and Second Chances

She was floating, just barely letting her back touch the clouds. For some reason, Sokka and Aang were there with her, floating as well.

Suddenly the clouds began to feel coarse against her skin and clothing. She frowned, trying to pull away from their abrupt ruggedness, and suddenly felt a sharp pain in her side.

Katara's eyes snapped open and her senses came back to her in a flash. There was grass, dirt and a few stray rocks poking into her back and legs. Beside her knelt Zuko, who was removing his knee from her side and quite possibly vital organs. He went to jab her again with his knee but stopped when Katara shot up, hand out.

"Geez!" she hissed, rubbing at her side. The pain was already gone but she planned on pouting over it as long as she could.

Zuko raised his eyebrow incredulously. "Unbind me," he responded with a degree of authority.

Katara raised an eyebrow as well in counter-measure. "Why?" she quipped.

Zuko fumed inwardly. Why does she have to make this difficult! Is she stupid? "So that I can take care of the idiots."

Katara digested that for a moment as she drew in the sounds of rough voices overhead. They were moving, working their way around the drop-off. They would be upon them at any moment.

Suddenly she huffed, throwing her arm out to her side in mulish defiance. "I can take care of them myself!"

Zuko glanced to the trees, his lip curling at the corner. His patience was running thin. "No, you can't."

Katara pushed herself up, ground needles digging into her palm as she did. She brushed her robe off, her eyes narrowed angrily at the Fire Nation Prince. "I was doing just fine!" She picked up her canteen, which had landed beside her. There was only a vague 'swish' of water from inside--she was almost out.

Zuko heard the noise and smirked triumphantly. Katara felt herself turn vaguely red. She couldn't make a good water whip with such a small amount. She berated herself mentally for not filling the canteen all the way up at an earlier point.

"The ocean is right over there!" she snapped defensively, pointing rigidly to her left, past the trees. Zuko sighed in frustration, trying to keep his temper in check. If he wanted her to listen, he would have to sound reasonable.

He caught her gaze in his again, keeping his voice monotone. "But you'd have to lead them there."

"I will!" Katara replied, not wanting Zuko to best her. The voices of the men had died down. This made her even more nervous--were they mounting an attack as she spoke? She glanced around herself at the trees and sparse brush, gripping the canteen more tightly to her. She didn't want to be taken by surprise again.

"And leave me here?" Zuko replied contemptuously. Before she could respond, he added, "There might be more than those three."

Katara opened then closed her mouth. She was halfway tempted to say 'Yes, I will leave you here,' and walk away. However, her brain scolded the thoughts as they came. How could she face Aang and Sokka when they came back? She couldn't just leave Zuko out here by himself. As much as he infuriated her at times, she... felt bad that she could even conjure such thoughts up.

The Firebender studied the Waterbender's face, seconds ticking by unbearably loudly in his head. Her face looked torn, unsure. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, fighting the urge to yell at her to hurry up and decide what she was going to do. He tried to place himself back on his ship, meditating alone in the room in front of the candles. Stay calm.

...However if she doesn't make up her mind soon I swear I'll-

"Fine."

The prince blinked at her sudden response. Katara kneeled in front of him, her brows drawn down and her jaw set.

"I'll undo your legs, but that's it." She caught the slight glint in Zuko's eye and hastily added-"But you have to promise me something!"

Zuko frowned, feeling his eyebrow twitch slightly. Does it always take women this long to make up their minds?

"Promise me you won't try to escape. That you'll stick with me and still be my-" she paused here, trying to conjure up a more appropriate word than 'prisoner.' She somehow felt Zuko wouldn't appreciate such a noun to be applied to him. "...hostage." Well, she wasn't sure if that word was any better, but she was running low on time to contemplate such things.

Zuko tensed his wrists, fighting with himself. Promise? He had to promise? He'd finally get some amount of freedom and he had to promise this?

And though the prince wasn't at all happy with his situation, he had the feeling he was caught up in a corner. He needed his legs free.

Perhaps, just perhaps, he'd wriggle out of these formalities later. He grudgingly replied, though having difficulty saying the words--"I promise."

"To?" Katara demanded, stubborn as ever--though her voice shook slightly. Every fiber of her being was still on alert. She heard nothing from the men; no noise came from the area around them. She swallowed.

Zuko ground his teeth together. This is stupid! "To not escape."

Katara's eyes searched the Firebender's. Somehow, she just didn't feel satisfied. She wracked her brain as to find out why.

He promised... but...

Her mind clicked. "No, swear."

Zuko's patience was at its thinnest point. "I swear-" he began to spit out, but Katara interrupted him again. Her voice was softer, and weaker.

"Swear by your honor."

Zuko jerked back just slightly. What did she just say?

Katara burned her blue orbs into Zuko's golden ones. She recalled, all that time ago, when she had been the one tied to a tree...

She remembered what the prince had said. "You don't understand... I need him to recover something I have lost... my honor."

His words floated back to her, almost like lost specters. She wasn't sure what ground she was treading on. Obviously, honor was important to Firebenders--it was to most warriors, true ones at least. And something about how Zuko drew back, his face suddenly masked from her searching and wondering eyes and mind, told her it was incredibly special to him.

She prepared for some kind of angry lash. She immediately felt bad for even asking such a thing.

Zuko was also having difficulties. Why had she said that? How did she know a swear by his honor was one of the things that could hold him through hell or high water?

Suddenly the spectral memory came back to him as well. Had she really remembered him saying that?

The prince cleared his head. He couldn't afford to look too closely into this.

If he swore by his honor, he would have more difficulty getting out of this situation. However...

If he didn't, he'd sit here and get picked up by petty robbers.

His eyes glanced up from their cast down state. His voice was even but lower than usual. "I swear by my honor."

Katara suddenly felt a wave of relief wash over her, though she wasn't sure why. She gave a curt nod and reached over to Zuko's legs to release them from their restrictive coils.

The unmistakable sound of crunching leaves alerted her to the worst. She heard a ragged laugh emanate from behind her and her blood paused its flowing.

"Well well, so you ain't knocked out. Oh well." Dagger Mouth ran the blade of his weapon across his lower canines. "Makes it funner." He tried to ignore the fact that his already dirty and unhandsomely ravished shirt now had big blackened burn areas decorating it. His vague facial hair also looked a little singed.

Green Eyes and Ripped Ear emerged on either side of their leader. Their countenance was one of pure determination and delight.

Katara stared at them for a moment, briefly wondering why there are such people in the world. She quickly snapped out of her brief reverie and turned her back on them, frantically grappling with Zuko's chains.

Green Eyes immediately saw what was happening. With an angered cry he leapt forward, the two other following.

Katara franticly pawed at the metal. There was a certain way her knots worked. She grasped a coil and yanked it, causing Zuko to grunt in pain. Nevertheless the coil was loosened and she jerked at the chain near it.

They were just behind her. She felt their gleaming eyes, their harsh footfalls, and their ready weapons. She felt Zuko's body tense in anticipation. In the final seconds before they descended on her, Zuko's leg binds were loosened.

The Firebender took full advantage of it. As soon as he felt them fall he whipped himself backwards, throwing his lower torso up while managing to pivot on his upper back and shoulders. His legs lashed out like twin lightning bolts.

Pent up flames erupted and hissed through the air. Green Eyes wailed as a plume caught him square in the chest and he fell back. Ripped Ear managed to evade the fiery assault but was unfortunate to have Zuko's loose leg binds whip at his face as they flew by. He cried out, throwing his hands up to his face as blood poured out of his nose.

Katara scrambled out of the way, already feeling the air heat up around her. She drew herself up, heart pounding wildly as her eyes flew around the scene. Green Eyes was getting up, one hand over his heaving chest. Ripped Ear was rolling onto his stomach on the ground, groaning and still cupping his hands over his face.

Dagger Mouth and Zuko were locked in battle. The larger thief spit out his dagger and caught it in one hand, pulling out a short sword from a crusty scabbard that hung at his side. He whirled the weapons around in circular motions, the flash of the blades against the sunlight catching his keen eyes.

"I ain't gonna be bested by a Firebender," he said poisonously.

Zuko tilted back his head, a cocky and even amused smirk winding across his face. "You've already been once," he replied with all the regality of royalty.

Dagger Mouth lunged in a mad blaze while yelling "That doesn't count!" Zuko whirled, catching the thief's hand holding the dagger with his heel. The weapon turned into a projectile, flying absently through the air. It landed, blade-first, only inches from Ripped Ear's head. Said thief's eyes went wide as he took it in, and he looked rather faint.

Dagger Mouth blocked Zuko's second kick with his upper arm. Both men turned against each other's back and Zuko caught Dagger Mouth's sword arm and twisted it aside. The thief's leg flew up and Zuko raised his knee, blocking it as well.

Katara found herself blinking. The gang leader was obviously somewhat skilled, but it looked like Zuko was making sport of him. An airy, confidant (almost laughing) expression never left the prince's face as he twirled, blocked and lunged aside. His feet wound themselves along the forest floor, making game of the thief's clumsier movements. Dagger Mouth's sword slashed through the air and Zuko waited a moment before drawing his head back in a fluid dodge. The blade passed neatly under his chin and the Firebender snapped his head back up with force, catching the thief in the forehead with a crack.

Dagger Mouth stumbled backward in a daze. Zuko drew his leg up and sent his foot into the older man's stomach. All of the air left Dagger Mouth's lungs in one 'oomph' and he stumbled back, his knees weakened.

Out of the corner of her eye Katara saw Green Eyes charge forward at Zuko's back, a short but brutal-looking whip in tow.

The Waterbender raced forward, clamping her hand down her canteen and drawing what water remained in it out. She slid her foot forward and threw her hand back, then snapped it out in front of her in one smooth movement. The water whirled and hissed through the air. It snapped on the thief's head and he stumbled as he lost his footing, a hand flying up to meet his now wounded temple.

Zuko whirled around, dropping his weight and whipping a foot in a perfect circle against the ground. His foot caught Green Eyes at the ankle and the thief plummeted, landing hard on his back.

Ripped Ear was attempting to scrabble away on his stomach using his knees and elbows. Zuko's heavy boot caught him in the back and the thief began to babble piteously, wriggling like a caught fish under the prince's stance.

Zuko scoured the scene carefully with his eyes. Green Eyes was rolling onto his side, fumbling with his whip. Dagger Mouth was now standing but wasn't making a move. Instead the older man simply glared pure hatred at the Firebender, the entirety of his body trembling with suppressed rage.

Katara loosened her canteen, catching her breath. Everyone was still for a moment.

Zuko took his boot off Ripped Ear's back and slid it back slightly, digging the toe of it into the dirt.

Katara paused her breathing, her mind working feverishly. Is he going to... kill them? The Firebender's face was hard to read. The thieves simply stared back at him, a mixture of fear and rage residing in their eyes.

Zuko swept his piercing stare over them once more. His lip curled and he leaned foreword threateningly.

"Leave now and I won't further your defeat."

Katara exhaled again, though in slight surprise. He's giving them a chance...

Green Eyes and Ripped Ear exchanged glances. Both looked like they were willing to Zuko's offer.

Slowly, the both of them glanced to their leader.

Dagger Mouth continued to stand, his chest heaving like a mad bull. Slowly, with fist clenching and unclenching, he muttered, "This won't be the last time you see me, brats."

The thief then took a step back, motioning toward his followers. They slunk over to their leader in embarrassment, and subsequently all three disappeared into the brush.

A few moments passed and neither Katara nor Zuko moved. Both of their gazes were trained on the area the men had last disappeared.

Then Katara relaxed all the muscles she hadn't known she'd tensed. "Whew..." she sighed.

Zuko stiffly turned to look at the Waterbender. She blinked under his intense gaze. His whole demeanor seemed very... alive at the moment. His aura was still adrenalized by the battle. The girl almost took a habitual step backwards.

"...You were very good," she said suddenly, her voice optimistic. Immediately she felt stupid. Good going, Katara. He thinks you're an idiot.

Zuko paused before glancing to the area where Green Eyes had stumbled over Katara's water whip. "...You, too. For a peasant."

Katara scowled at the additional comment, but was unable to hold onto her anger. She was simply too happy to be alive. "Whatever you say," she replied sunnily. It was Zuko's turn to blink as she pat her canteen, walking to his side.

"You still remember your promise?" she mentioned, almost sullenly. She searched his face.

Zuko looked away, feeling suddenly uncomfortable under her gaze. He shifted his weight to the sigh, enjoying the feel of blood freely rushing to his legs. How good it felt to stretch them out!

"...Yes."

Katara nodded. "Thanks."

Zuko frowned in confusion. "Thanks?"

Katara glanced away, rubbing at her hand vaguely. "For, uh, keeping it. Not many - not many people would."

Zuko suddenly began to walk away, treading his way back to their campsite. "You're speaking, of course, of Fire Nation people."

Katara snapped her head up. "No-" she suddenly paused.

Is that what I meant...?

She glanced down at her hands. The thought of the Fire Nation awoke a strange sort of feeling in her, a mixture of hatred and fear and lack of understanding. She simply couldn't fathom it or its people.

Slight guilt washed over the Waterbender but she shook her head. No! I'm justified in not liking them!

It was then she realized Zuko was leaving her. With a shout Katara followed after him. "Hey!"

"Too slow," Zuko replied as she caught up with him. He glanced over to her and she countered the motion, poking out her bottom lip mulishly.

He noticed she didn't move in front of him, as to not have her back to him. He also noted she didn't lag behind, probably because then it would seem like he was the leader.

But the Firebender also noticed she didn't keep unnecessary distance from him. Instead, she walked a comfortable pace beside him.

Zuko rolled these things over in his mind until a sudden sharp pain wound itself through his mind. He clenched his teeth, remembering slamming his head against the thief's. He left the thoughts alone.

The door slammed. Aang jerked up from his sprawled-out position on the floor. Sokka was leaning against the door, barrel held firmly against his chest.

"Sokka?" the Airbender asked dazedly. The older boy tossed the barrel to the side and lunged at Aang, shaking him by the shoulders.

"Aang, we've got to go!" Sokka demanded, glancing back over his shoulder. Aang opened his mouth to ask why when the voice of an annoyed man penetrated the door.

"Hey! What the hell was that about?"

"Fire Nation!" Sokka responded. Aang's eyes suddenly went wide.

"No way!"

Sokka grabbed Aang's arm and made his way to the backroom.

The old woman waddled out from behind her counter, a sour look on her face. "Hey! My barrel! ...And where do you think you're going!" She raised the celery above her head like a dark omen of undefeated justice.

Sokka turned around to explain when the door suddenly burst open. He clamped his mouth shut and shoved Aang through the door to the backroom, scrabbling in after boy while shutting the door behind him.

Annoyed voices wafted through the other room. Aang was already scouring the room for an escape route.

"No luck," the Airbender replied in slight distress. "Not even a window!"

The Avatar was right. The room was filled with shelves of preserves and ingredients, barrels lined and stacked against the far wall.

"Not even a hidden trap door!" Sokka whined. It was his reasoning that every crazy old woman had a trap door somewhere.

"Not one," Aang replied. He suddenly went silent as the voices got louder. Sokka squatted and leaned his ear against the door, listening in.

"...a kid?" one man was asking. Another coughed in the background.

"Maybe..." came the old woman's voice. "All kids look the same to me. Scrawny and dramatic--in need of good vegetables to bring them to their senses!"

There was a brief pause. One man ventured to speak up again. "May we check your back room?"

"Go ahead," the woman replied breezily.

Sokka's eyes went wide and he and Aang exchanged glances. Meanwhile the heavy footfalls of armor and boots rang across the floor, making their way towards the door.

They were trapped.

This chapter is a little shorter than the others, but that's because there was a lot of action stuff in this chapter...and it's really late and I don't want to wait to get this out, hehe. I actually had fun with this chapter, but that's probably because I don't write many fight scenes. For some reason I liked the interaction between Zuko and Katara, too. Don't worry; the next chapter will be much more centered on them!

Thank you for all your reviews. I read and enjoy every single last one of them, often reading them three or four times.