Hey everybody! First off, I love all you people who reviewed for the last few chapters. Sorry it took me awhile to update…Every time I sat down to work on it, I'd get bored or side tracked and wander off. I just couldn't get my thoughts into words! (As you'll probably be able to tell…heh…) Emotions are kind of hectic in this chapter, you've been warned. Now I give you…CHAPTER 6!
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Avatar. I do own Jedreck, though! Lucky me, huh?
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Part One
WIND ON THE RIVER
Chapter 6: How Could You?
"Almost there!" Jedreck said excitedly. He lengthened his strides, and forced Katara to quicken her own pace in order to keep up with him.
"Jedreck, can we please slow down?"
"Why?" he asked, "We're so close! Trust me; it'll all be worth it in the end."
"Okay." Katara stepped over a pesky tree root that had snaked away from its origin and lain across the path. She studied the trail up ahead, and not seeing any further obstacles, took a second to observe her surroundings.
It was a curiously pretty day. The bright blue sky was completely clear except for the occasional puffy cloud. It permitted the afternoon sunlight to sift between the tree branches overhead and splatter the ground with warmth and radiance; a nice change from the cool shade now and again. Besides the weather, the forest atmosphere itself was calming. It was absolutely quiet, except for her and Jedreck's footsteps and his noisy breathing. The infrequent chirping bird song also sounded every so often, following a flurry of feathers as a bird swooped through the trees and alighted somewhere out of Katara's view. If a rowdy Jedreck hadn't been walking beside her, it would have been completely peaceful.
And Jedreck was becoming more and more jumpy and excited by the minute. Was he really that thrilled to show her whatever it was he had for her to see? She was quite confident that she'd seen sights a hundred times more amazing and rare then whatever Tiaret Island had to offer. She was probably missing Yul's story for nothing.
What a pain it was to be a good guest.
At least Aang could give her a full, detailed summary when she got back. That was one of the things she loved most about her best friend; he was so reliable in the areas her sibling wasn't. Of course Sokka was a great big brother and all, but sometimes he just didn't have a taste for the finer things in life; storytelling included. Katara smiled slightly as she played in her imagination what Sokka would tell her if she asked him about the story when she got back. Yeah, Aang was and always would be her best bet in that category.
"Katara?" Jedreck said her name suddenly.
"Yes?"
"Do you like Tiaret?"
"Um…yeah…"
"I mean, do you really like it here?"
The question seemed odd to Katara. "Sure…" she said after a moment's hesitation. "Why?"
"Uh…you know, just wondering…" He strained an indifferent tone.
Katara cocked her head slightly. There was something deeper to it, she could tell. But for some reason that she couldn't name, she didn't want to prod Jedreck to find out. Maybe, she figured, she didn't want to know the real answer. Her breath snagged for a second at that thought.
After that, a short silence passed between them before Jedreck threw another inquiry at her: "How long are you going to stay?"
"We'll probably have to leave sometime today," Katara said bluntly, "Bad things happen when we stay in one place too long…we've got certain people after us who would hurt innocents to get at Aang."
"My people are strong; you shouldn't worry about that."
"Still…we have an important deadline we need to beat."
"You have a deadline? Or is it just the Avatar?"
Another silence trailed after his words, and then...
"Why do you travel with him anyway?"
Katara blinked stupidly for a second. What kind of question was that? "Because he's saved my life so many times," she began slowly, "…he's one of the best friends I've ever had…he needs someone to look after him…he's like family…" she finished.
A relieved look washed over Jedreck's face, touched with the softest hint of smugness. "Oh, I see! He's just a good friend. Like a kid brother, right?"
"Yeah…" Katara said uneasily. "What'd you think he was?"
The Earth boy shrugged. "I don't know…"
Katara realized what he was suggesting at. A faint splash of pink swept across her cheeks. "No! No, no, no, no!" she laughed embarrassedly, "I don't feel that way about him!"
Jedreck chuckled, too. "Sorry, I don't know why I ever thought of something like that…"
"It's fine." Yet for some reason, an uncomfortable feeling began bubbling up inside her.
Then Jedreck spoke again. "Hey, did I ever tell you about the time I…"
Katara blocked his voice as he went into a dull report of his first hunting trip. She vaguely wondered if he knew how boring his stories were, and finally figured he didn't.
The ground underfoot was beginning to slant upwards and Katara was given the impression that whatever Jedreck wanted to show her was at the top of the hill they were scaling. Maybe this wouldn't take too long and they'd be back in time to finish the story…maybe…
"…then I pulled my knife out of its gut, slung it over my shoulder, and carried it back to the village," Jedreck proudly ended his tale.
Katara nodded her head politely, pretending to be interested, as he shot her a keen look.
"Are we close?" she asked as he shifted his gaze forward.
"Very. It's right up there."
Katara bobbed her head abstractedly a second time.
They continued to travel uphill. The climb was starting to put increasing pressure on Katara's leg muscles, and her soft breathing became ragged. Jedreck suffered similar effects at her side. Then, much to the teens' relief, the slant gradually leveled out. Jedreck led her out of the line of trees and a quiet gasp escaped Katara's lips.
It was beautiful.
They were standing on a cliff edge, staring out at a small portion of Tiaret. It was laid out like a quilt piece, covered in stunning patterns of green and brown, which changed into white as the trees morphed into the beach and later changed into the vast sea. Between the trees, a river wound towards the ocean like a living blue snake. The sky complimented the land perfectly, and the bright noon sun lit up every little feature. A cool wind rushed over the two teenagers, tugging playfully at Katara's braid. She spread her arms as if to embrace the scene and never let it go.
"What'd I tell you?" Jedreck said, analyzing the blissful expression on Katara's face.
"It's beautiful, Jedreck…" Katara whispered, lowering her arms.
"Just like you."
Katara's head snapped around. What? He'd never complimented her as whole before. And the gleam in his eye…the way he was looking at her...the way he had just said those three words. The peace of mind she had obtained from the spectacular view before her was shattered into a thousand tiny parts. She suddenly went rigid and hot sweat built up on the back of her neck.
"Ever since the moment I saw you," Jedreck said quietly, "I've needed to tell you…I like you…a lot…"
Katara made no response. The way he was looking at her was horrifying. Her mind screamed at her to run, but her body was frozen with terror. What was he doing?
"I want you, Katara." Then with one small step he closed the distance between them.
- - - - - - - - - -
Aang carefully made his way through the trees, keeping a sharp eye out for any signs that Katara and Jedreck had been that way.
Following them turned out to be trickier work than he had reckoned for. The ground was hard and footprints weren't frequently left. The pair had also gotten a fair head start over him. It had taken him several painstaking moments just to find the path he figured they were taking. And the path itself was not easy to follow in the least. It was overgrown, narrow, and crooked. If Aang's determination had been any lessened, he would have given up and headed back the way he had come. Yet his willpower and the occasional freshly snapped twig and swaying branch led him onward.
So many questions were swarming inside his head: Where were they going? Why couldn't it have waited until after the story? What was going on between those two?
Something bad…a dark little voice whispered in his ear.
The Airbender shook his head briskly. Ever since he had met Jedreck things had become increasingly backwards and confusing for him. He didn't trust Jedreck. There was something very wrong with the guy, he knew it.
Aang leapt over a tree root that had found its way onto the path to trip unwary travelers. He landed lightly on the other side of it and continued on his way with a new burst of speed, still buried in his own thoughts.
What did Katara see in Jedreck anyway? Sure he was good-looking, tall, and had a full head of hair…Aang let the list die, absentmindedly allowing his hand to slide over his smooth scalp. Oh, who was he kidding? He didn't have a chance with Katara the way he wanted. All she'd ever see him as was a goofy, bald little kid. Aang's shoulders drooped slightly; the fact made him feel considerably downsized.
So why didn't he just go back to the tree and leave Katara and her new boyfriend alone if it was all a dead, hopeless cause? Whatever they were doing wasn't his business…and Katara would hate him if she knew he had followed them. He really should turn back…
Yet, he couldn't.
Why not?
Because you have feelings for her, strong feelings…
Aang winced: the little voice was back. And the brutal honesty it was preaching made him the slightest bit queasy.
You don't like the idea of her being intimately involved with another guy, do you Aang? Unnerving, isn't it?
The young Avatar inwardly struggled against the voice, trying to silence it. His resistance was futile.
Witnessing it will only make it worse, you know, the voice persisted, Are you really willing to risk heartbreak?
Katara wouldn't do something extreme, would she? Aang was beginning to have his doubts, though. She had acted pretty cozy with Jedreck the past couple days.
No…a part of Aang refused to give up on her. Katara was smart; she wouldn't do anything…excessive in such a short time.
Would she?
Aang snapped out of his reverie when he caught the soft fragment of a voice speaking. He perked his ears in an attempt to snatch more, but he didn't hear anything else. Still, Katara and Jedreck had to be close.
While he had been locked in his inner battle with the little voice, the Airbender hadn't even noticed by his heavier steps that he was heading up a hill of some sort. The sound of the voice had brought his senses back to their clear, fully alert states. He was given the strong inkling that he would find what he was looking for at the end of his climb. A peculiar combination of tension and fear coursed through him as he drew closer and closer to the hill's peak and whatever lay at the top.
Why was he so frightened to find them? What was the tossing feeling in his stomach?
"What'd I tell you?"
Aang froze for a moment as he heard Jedreck's spoken sentence clearly from somewhere ahead of him. They were so close.
"It's beautiful, Jedreck…"
The twelve-year-old crouched down, making sure he was well hidden by the surrounding foliage. From what Katara had just said, it sounded like they were just seeing some scenery. Relief took over suspicion and then was replaced by it once more. Then why couldn't it have waited till after the story? Brow furrowed from the puzzle at hand, Aang crept forward towards the sound.
"Just like you."
When Jedreck's three simple words reached Aang's ears, the fire within him rose threateningly. This was not good.
"Ever since the moment I saw you, I've needed to tell you…I like you…a lot…"
Aang's breath and heart rates accelerated. He continued on his way more forcefully than before.
"I want you, Katara."
Aang's internal flames gained a burst of angry intensity. Horror, rage, and anxiety all mixed into the fires. Aang silently parted the branches of the bush blocking his view and looked through the opening, taking in the scene beyond the leafy wall.
No…
A bucket of icy water was thrown on his internal fire. Previous emotions were overwhelmed by the sudden domination of shock and hurt. He wanted to run, as far and as fast as he could, but he just couldn't tear his eyes from what he saw. The corners of his vision became blurred by salty tears.
How could she?
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A hand found Katara's back, and another the back of her head. Jedreck pulled her right up against him and slammed his lips into hers.
Katara went completely stiff and clamped her mouth shut to keep out any unwanted surprises. She tried to shake her head and dislodge Jedreck's lips, but the strong fingers fumbling to unbind her hair held her head firmly in place.
Numbly, she groped for the water flask at her side. If she could just get it open she could maybe squirm out of Jedreck's grasp long enough to teach him a lesson with liquid. But she soon found that it wasn't there. How did she overlook the absence of the familiar extra little weight? Where was it? Then she recalled Jedreck earlier slipping it off her shoulder to 'check out a real water tribe flask' and then somehow discarding it somewhere without her knowledge. That was when cold realization slapped her in the face. He'd been planning this moment for who knew how long!
Jedreck succeeded in freeing a good portion of her hair. He tangled his fingers into the brown waves spilling down her shoulders. The unintentionally rough tugs were not helping the situation one bit.
Katara put her hands on Jedreck's chest, trying to push him away from her. Her plan backfired. He took it as encouragement and pressed her against him harder, deepening the kiss.
Let me go! Stop it! Stop it! Her mind screamed at him, but she didn't dare open her mouth to vocalize her thoughts.
Her legs were melting underneath her, and her heart seemed to be ready to pound out of her chest. Her whole form was beginning to tremble uncontrollably. She'd never felt so dirty, exposed, used. She was a toy and Jedreck was the child playing with her. It was all so wrong.
She couldn't wait for her first kiss to be over. Katara gave a mental, grim laugh as she thought that over a second time. When she was younger, her mother once told her the story of her first kiss. She had described it as one of the most wonderful (if not the tiniest bit awkward) sensations she'd ever experienced. She'd also said one day Katara would experience it, too.
Her mother had been right about one part of that, Katara was having her first kiss. But it was not wonderful at all.
She managed to utter a silent prayer to whatever spirit was listening far away in the Spirit World. A desperate plea for it all to end.
"Katara…" Jedreck let her name roll from his lips like a sugar-coated candy, drawing back for a moment to study her.
Katara barely had enough time to open her mouth and suck in several grateful breaths, let alone escape, before Jedreck was vigorously kissing her all over again.
Spirits, save me, she thought, squeezing her eyes closed, desperately wishing it all away.
She then opened her eyes, half expecting to wake up on Appa's back from a horrible nightmare. But, no, what was happening was all too real. Jedreck was still there. And past him, a breathtaking view still existed off to their side. The forest was still on their other side with all its trees and bushes…
Katara's frenzied heart beats suddenly slowed.
A small face made up of a blue arrow tattoo and two sad gray eyes was peering out at them from between the leaves of one of the farther bushes. Then, with a quiet rustling, it was gone.
Aang?
Katara was dumbstruck.
How long was he there?
Why did he look so hurt?
Did he think I was going to leave him and Sokka for Jedreck or something crazy like that?
She had to go and find him. She needed to fix up whatever damage had been done. And the only way to do that was to get away from Jedreck first, but how?
There wasn't time to come up with an amazing strategic, fool-proof plan. So instead, she acted on the first idea that popped into her head. She called up every last ounce of strength left inside her, pulled her leg back, and kicked Jedreck's right shin sharply.
His hold on her was broken.
The Earth boy yelped with pain, lifting his leg to clutch it protectively, his yelp dissolving into whimpers. Katara chose that moment to hook her foot on Jedreck's other ankle, and swing her leg to the side, tripping him to the ground.
Without a second thought, Katara pushed through the bush Aang had been spying in, and vanished.
Jedreck stayed on the ground and watched her go, dazed and light-headed. After he regained himself, he got to his feet. Why'd the girl turn so hostile all of the sudden? Didn't she even enjoy the privileged kiss he'd imposed on her? Not ready to give her up so easily, Jedreck ran into the trees after her.
- - - - - - - - - -
Even though Aang was a twelve year old Airbender monk, kissing still meant the same thing to him as it meant to anyone else: love.
Seeing Katara kiss Jedreck had ripped his heart to pieces. And now those pieces were lost somewhere deep in his saddened soul. Aang felt sure he'd never be able to find them, and if he did, it'd be impossible for him to put them back together again by himself. So the tears kept coming.
Why'd she kiss him? Aang played the question over and over again inside his head, as if numerous repetitions would create an answer. Why, why, WHY?
To punctuate the last word, Aang threw his arm out in a jagged arc, sending a strong gust of air to clear his path.
He had to get away. He had to keep running. He had to hide until the tears dried and the horrible image of Katara and Jedreck kissing faded away into the darkest edges of his memory. He needed time alone for his heart to heal, if it ever could.
He didn't know where he was going; he was just running from them. It didn't matter where he ended up as long as it was far, far away.
Why'd she kiss him?
"Aang!"
Aang cringed at the sound of Katara's voice. Had she seen him back there and was coming to get mad at him for spying on her and Jedreck?
"Aang!" she called again. It didn't sound like she was angry, but Aang wasn't willing to take any chances. He ran faster, ducking below low hanging branches, jumping over logs and roots, and avoiding rocks.
"Aang, where are you?"
The young Avatar risked a glance over his shoulder. Katara wasn't anywhere in sight…
Then, without warning, a tree root hidden in the fallen leaves caught his foot. He fell, head over heels, onto the hard, unforgiving ground with a brusque cry. After he hit the dirt, he realized he hadn't suffered any harm other than a few bruises and cuts. He tried to air-bend himself to his feet, but his foot was trapped beneath the root. He settled back on the ground and yanked roughly. No use. He foot was stuck tight.
"Aang! If you can hear me, please answer!"
Katara was too close. Panic seized him as he frantically kicked at the root with his other foot. I have to get out of here! Get off! Get off! Aang opened his mouth wide, taking in a huge gulp of air. But just as he was about to blow out and rocket himself backwards, Katara found him.
"Aang!" She rushed to his side, sinking down to her knees, looking him over. "What are you doing here?"
Aang hastily wiped his red eyes with the back of his sleeve. "J-just going for a walk, you know," he lied. The heartbreak he had been subjected to still clung to his voice.
"No, you're not," Katara said softly.
Aang lowered his head, evading her piercing blue gaze.
"Why'd you follow us, Aang?"
Tears pricked at his eyes. He said nothing.
"Aang, what's wrong?"
Again he didn't respond with words. He fought off the urge to dive into her arms and cry his heart out and merely gestured to where his foot was snared by the tree root.
Katara knew that was not the half of it. Nevertheless, warm sympathy filled her eyes as she looked at her friend. She was strangely reminded of a small, scared animal caught in a trap, awaiting the coming hunter in the distance. She placed her hand on Aang's ankle, gripping it tightly. She maneuvered his foot, trying to find a position in which it could slip out. When she found it, she gave his ankle a strong, but gentle pull and freed him.
"Thanks," Aang murmured, giving his foot an experimental wiggle to get the regular feeling back into it.
"You're welcome." Katara smiled, and Aang could've sworn a piece of his broken heart found its way home. For a second, it didn't even seem like anything had happened to taint their friendship. He returned the smile weakly, before…
"Katara!" Jedreck staggered out of the plants.
Dread overcame both Katara and Aang. One of the last people either of them wanted to see.
The Earth boy gave Katara his trademark grin, and pulled some leaves and twigs off his clothing. Then he straightened up, drawling, "Why'd you run off? We were just getting starte—"
Jedreck stopped in mid-sentence as his eyes fell upon Aang. He lifted an eyebrow, looking thoroughly annoyed by the Avatar's presence. Aang traded the look with a murderous glare. What he wished he could do to Jedreck but couldn't…
Jedreck shrugged Aang's glare off and crossed his arms. "What are you doing here, kid? Get lost; Katara and I have stuff to do."
And before Katara could tell Jedreck off, Aang leapt to his feet.
That was it.
The fires inside him careened out of his control. He didn't try to stop what was happening, it was useless anyway. All the hurt and anger and torment and suffering that had been inflicted on him fed the flames. The inferno grew to an infinite size until it consumed every fiber of his being.
He gave a furious cry, and thrust his hand out. A blast of frigid wind shot from his outstretched palm and went racing towards Jedreck. It hit the Earth boy square in the stomach and hurtled him backwards crashing through the bushes. His petrified scream was cut short as he made impact with the trunk of a large tree with a sickening thud. Everything became still after that.
Aang scowled at Jedreck's limp form at the tree's base, breathing heavily, his chest distinctively rising and falling with each heave. Slowly, the fire began to cool, and so did his fuming expression. His rage transformed into dismay.
What had he done?
He had just gone against all his childhood teachings, everything he stood for. He'd given the first blow, he'd been on offense. He had just willingly hurt another human being who'd offered no real threat to himself. He'd attacked a person he was supposed to protect as the Avatar.
What was wrong with him?
He looked down at the hand he had used, mortified. He raised his head, and his eyes met Katara's.
"Aang?" she whispered, trembling.
"Katara…I didn't mean to…" he tried helplessly, "I'm sorry…"
"Why did you do that?"
"I…I…" He couldn't face her any longer. Everything was so wrong…so wrong, wrong, wrong. He took a few steps back, turned, and for the second time that day he ran.
He ran without any direction or purpose.
He ran just to get away.
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Was that chapter satisfactory? Happy with what happened to Jedreck? (coughDan-Chan Haru-Sancough ;) ) Maybe bashing someone into a tree was a little OoC for Aang, but he's going through an emotionally distressful time! Heh…Well, sorry about all the running around and confusion in this chapter, and…um…do I need to bump the rating up to T or am I still okay at K plus?
Please review. I really need to know if all the time and effort I put into this story is worth it. I'm on the verge of abandoning it, even though I've already got all 10 chapters planned out (except for 9). When I first started writing "Wind on the River," the idea seemed pretty original. But now I've read a lot of Kataang fics and seen similar ideas to mine…so my story kind of lost its dazzle for me. :(
Please, people! Give me some pointers and suggestions! Tell me what I'm doing wrong! I know my writing style's dull and hard to get through so help me! Constructive criticism! I NEED IT!
Announcement:
I'll be changing my pen name soon. It's not that I don't like my name or I'm abandoning AK or anything like that, I just noticed somebody with one almost exactly the same as mine. So, be ready for that.
…until next time?