Dangerous Ground
Chapter Five
"That was some night." Sokka said, rubbing his shoulders over the rebuilt fire. "I thought it only got that cold back home."
"It's winter here." Aang explained. "The nights are only going to get colder. We should probably find a shelter."
"I bet there are some caves in those mountains." Sokka pointed east at the hedge of craggy peaks that stood like teeth against the horizon.
"Then we'd better get going. Quickly." Aang looked up, into the dark mass of clouds that writhed in the sky and opened his palm in time to catch a raindrop.
Splot I felt a large, cold raindrop land on my head. Splot splot splot. Three dark blue spots appeared on my dress. We packed up in a record-fast amount of time and climbed Appa's back just as the full fury of the storm was unleashed.
"Think we're getting close?" Aang's brow furrowed as he looked at the fluffy carpet beneath him. The storm's immense cloud-cover obscured even the highest mountains beneath us.
"We should go down and look." I advised, though I was less-than-enthusiastic about having to endure the winter's rain.
"Yip Yip!" Aang shouted and Appa plunged into the icy mist.
Suddenly, my world changed from one of soft, harmless clouds dancing beneath the sunshine to one of wild, lashing rain and driving wind that tore through my clothes and bit my skin voraciously.
I waterbended an umbrella over Appa, but I could only hold it up for so long. My strength gave out long before we reached the mountain caves. Wet, shivering, and exhausted, we groped our way into the first cave we could find.
"Winter, eh, Aang? Why couldn't you tell us this BEFORE we entered the land of sub-zero temperatures?" Sokka grumped from a corner of the cave. I suspect Aang might have come back with a witty reply if his teeth had not been chattering so hard. I hugged my knees and concentrated on waterbending the chilly rain out of my clothes and hair.
Ah, that was better. At least I wasn't wet anymore. But I was still freezing. I looked around the cave for something to make a fire with. After several minutes of searching, I came up with some twiggy things and some mossy things that all grew in the dark damp of the cave. I set them in a pile on the floor and rolled up my sleeves as I began to work on getting a spark out of the flint stone we'd brought.
After at least fifteen minutes, I gave up. Sokka and Aang each took a turn, but it was just too damp to nurture a flame. I cast a look at the boys, knowing that if we didn't get warm soon we could all fall into the eternal sleep. I'd seen it happen back home. Desperation bit at the edge of my thoughts. There had to be something...
Zuko! Still lashed tightly to Appa's back, Zuko was persistently working on trying to break the ropes when I walked up to him. I touched his shoulder. Sure enough, he was not only dry, but wonderfully warm.
"Zuko, please, we need-"
"Forget it!" He cut me off before I could even finish my request.
"Come on! Can't you do one decent thing?" My voice rose and shook in frustration at the fussy Prince. I stopped myself before my temper got out of control. Starting again, this time calmly and soothingly, I entreated him. "Maybe we could work out something? An exchange? There must be something that you want that I could give you." I felt his eyes sweep over me, and the meaning of my words suddenly caught me. I felt a blush warm my frozen cheeks.
"There's nothing I want from you." He spat. The embarrassed blush quickly turned to one of anger.
Remember Gran-Gran. I calmed myself.
"How about your arms untied?" That caught his attention.
"What? Are you crazy? He'll roast us!" Sokka said through chattering teeth.
"No he won't. He's in no shape to fight right now. He can't even breathe heavily without hurting his ribs. Besides, he'll need his arms untied to firebend, anyway." I reasoned.
"For how long?" Zuko asked, his eyes narrowed at me calculatingly.
"As long as we're in the cave." I said.
"No. I want them released permanently." He lifted his chin in defiance.
I thought for a moment. He wouldn't be a threat until his ribs were healed, and that was still at least a week or two away.
"Fine. But if you so much as twitch in a threatening manner the ropes go back on." I said, trying my best to sound commanding. It must not have worked, because all I got from Zuko was a smirk.
"Fine." He lay still as I began to untie the ropes and metal twine around his wrists.
He was free. I sat back. The entire cave was hushed. Aang stood tensed and ready, Sokka gripped his boomerang and held it in a strike pose, I stretched my hand toward a puddle, ready to water-whip him if he tried something funny.
But nothing happened. He stretched his arms in front of him and flexed them, working out the kinks that had built up over the past two days. He winced and brought one hand to his chest, pressing it against the offending rib.
"You should try to move as little as possible and let it heal." I said, slowly relaxing. He grunted at me and pushed himself up, letting out a growl of pain as he deliberately ignored my advice.
Before any of us could react, he flicked his wrist, letting a blaze of fire spin through the air from his palm. I yelled and grabbed his shoulder, sure that he had gone back on his word.
But instead of hearing one of the boys complain of a burn, I heard a Aang give a whoop of delight. I looked over and saw a lovely little blaze lick at the moss and twigs I'd gathered earlier. Turning back to face Zuko I was met with his usual smirk.
"What's the matter, Katara? Don't trust me?" His eyes bore into mine and I couldn't help noticing how they mirrored the golden flame in front of us. I was hypnotized until they narrowed in disgust at me.
"I would not go back on my word. I have more honor than that. But what would a Water Peasant know of honor?"
Aghhh! I balled my fists. How was it that he always managed to find a way to push my buttons? Well, I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing that he'd angered me. With an indifferent 'hmmf' I climbed off Appa and joined the boys around the fire.
"You can just go without supper tonight!" I said in parting.
Dinner was eaten in cheerful silence as the water slowly evaporated and cold-numbed extremities were slowly warmed. Aang and Sokka ate with their usual enthusiasm, but I picked at my food, Zuko's words swimming around my mind like Koi fish.
How dare he! What kind of personal vendetta does he have against the world, anyway? What did I ever do to him?
Well, you did tie him up.
Yeah, but he's dangerous. We had to tie him up. That doesn't mean he has to be such a...
You know, you haven't been exactly the paragon of charity yourself, Katara.
Yes I have! Well, even if I haven't, he deserved it!
Mmm hmm, and you probably managed to reinforce all the lies he's been fed since birth about the Water Tribes.
Chastised by my conscience I got up and brought him some of the roasted nuts we'd picked through for dinner.
"I thought I was 'going without supper tonight.'" He mimicked me in a high-pitched voice.
Keep your head, Katara.
"Yeah, well, I changed my mind. Even an enemy doesn't deserve to go hungry." I dropped the nuts on his lap. He glared at me for a while, then slowly started to eat. I watched him, studying his movements. As he brought the food to his mouth, his sleeve slipped back, revealing the ugly blue of a bruise. I realized that it must have been from the rope. I bit my cheek. I should have checked to see if the ropes were too tight. Why hadn't he complained? Suddenly filled with guilt I brought the canteen up and reached for his hand.
"What are you doing?" He demanded, snatching his wrist away from my grasp.
"You're hurt, I want to heal you." I gripped his wrist and brought it toward me. He tried to resist but the effort brought a spasm of pain from his ribs that immediately convinced him to obey.
I streamed the water out of the canteen and wrapped it in a soothing band around my hand. I was aware of his golden eyes watching my every move. Reaching carefully forward, I gripped his wrist.
There it was again! A tingle of electricity that shot up my arm and seemed to penetrate my heart. I gasped. Zuko's body jolted and he tried to pull away from me. I began to wonder if he'd felt it too, but then his next words dispelled my speculation.
"That's cold!" So it was just that the water was cold. I felt a wave of disappointment. If he'd felt it too then at least it wouldn't mean that I was going crazy. I shook the idea out of my head and concentrated on the healing. Maybe it was just a new part of my healing skills. Or maybe it was just something that happened when healing Firebenders.
I opened my eyes and smiled in satisfaction at my work. There wasn't so much as a scratch left. Zuko forgot himself for a moment and let a look of awe cross his face.
"Pretty cool, huh?" I smiled.
"I suppose it must be a cool trick to a Waterbender who's never been exposed to the more advanced and higher form of Firebending." Zuko said, recovering his usual pain-in-the-butt attitude.
I shook my head and willed my voice to remain calm. "You forget, Zuko, I've seen more than my share of Firebending. It's that 'advanced and higher form' that tore my family apart."
"Then why did you do it?" His question was out almost before I'd finished my sentence.
"Why did I do what?"
"Why did you heal me?"
"Because you were in pain."
"Why did you put that blanket on me the other night?"
I could feel a blush creep over my face. He'd been awake? He must have felt me run my hand over his face, then. I prayed that the blush was hidden by the darkness of the cave. I certainly hadn't meant the touch in that way.
"Because you were cold."
"Why did you save me?"
"Because we couldn't let you die."
"Why!" Zuko's voice was now a shout. The boys looked up in surprise and Zuko grabbed his ribs and made a face.
"Why, if the Fire Nation has done so many bad things to you, why would you see to my... my comfort?" He continued, quieter this time.
"Because it is the way of my people to be merciful." A streak of hope flashed over my face. Maybe he would understand! Maybe he would stop-
"Mercy" He sneered, giving me a condescending glare "Mercy. A Water Tribe word for weakness."
I shook my head. How could he not understand?
"Anyone can be cruel, Prince Zuko. Anyone can learn to hate and to kill and to destroy. It takes courage and strength to show mercy. Anyone can abuse an enemy that has hurt them. It takes self-control to heal him." I turned and began to climb off Appa, leaving Zuko to himself and his thoughts for the rest of the night.