disclaimer: does it look like i own it? if i did i wouldn't be 13
"Katara, wake up." Yue said softly, shaking Katara's limp form. Katara moaned and stretched in her sleeping bag, her toes curling and fingers reaching out. As she came to more, she realized how hot it had become. Sighing, she flung the blankets off of her and stood up slowly, her limps stiff from sleeping awkwardly. Scanning the campsite, she saw Yue waking Zuko up and their breakfast already cooking.
"Nature calls." Katara said breezily, walking lightly into the forest as the pressure in her bladder strengthened. She took in the sights of insects buzzing lazily in the humid air, the sunlight streaming through the eaves of the forest. Somewhere off into the distance a chorus of nightingales sang. Katara's brow furrowed.
"It's daytime…aren't they nocturnal?" She asked herself. Shrugging it off, she found a thick bush perfect for doing her business. Once she was finished, she scraped dirt over her waste and headed back for camp.
"Going to take a dip." Katara called to Yue as she snatched a fresh pair of clothes and a towel. She neared a large lake surrounded by boulders large enough to change behind. Satisfied, Katara stripped and wrapped her towel around her sweating body. She walked gracefully to the highest rock; about fifty feet above the deep, blue, clear water, and shed the towel.
Stepping daintily onto the very tip of the rock, the raised her arms above her head into the shape of an arrow. Grinning, she jumped into the air, lithely arching her body into a flip. After three flips, she neared the water, so she stretched her body out sinuously and entered the water. Feeling ever drop of water surge against her body as she dove in without a splash, Katara opened her eyes, expecting to see schools of flashing fish.
Instead, she came face to face with Prince Zuko. Her eyes widened in horror as she swiftly swam up for air, covering herself up. Zuko followed, keeping his distance from her.
"What the hell are you doing in here?" Katara screeched, treading the water with ease.
"I could ask you the same thing." He said venomously, his golden eyes unintentionally traveling to the flesh he could see above the water. In one fluid stroke, Katara swam towards him. A resounding slap echoed throughout the walls that surrounded the lake.
"Never! Never look at me again!" She hissed, already back-stroking away from him. In one movement, Katara twisted onto her stomach and dove into the depths. Before Zuko knew it, she was already streaking out of the water, running towards her clothes and towel.
"What is she ashamed of? She has a great body." Zuko muttered, swimming to the shore, his movements choppy and gauche compared to hers.
"You could've warned me." Katara hissed to Yue as they left the camp, horses snickering as if mocking Katara and Zuko. Yue just smiled, laughter dancing in her light blue eyes.
"Maybe I didn't want to warn you." Yue whispered back as Zuko's eyes flicked from one woman to another in suspicion. Katara's eyes widened in disbelief. "You know you want to see his…magical sha-"
"What has gotten in to you?" Katara hissed, her face flaming. She shot a quick glance at Zuko who was staring fixedly ahead, no doubt listening diligently to their conversation. Straightening, Katara took in their surroundings.
They were about three days from the capitol, leaving them two days to get Sokka and Aang. It would take one day to find a way through, bribe servants, map a way to the cells. Then, that only left twelve hours for them to act, nighttime being the best option. Katara continued to calculate everything they needed for the break in.
Sighing, she pulled a ribbon off of her wrist and swept her hair up into a pony tail, wisps of shorter hair falling loose around the hairline. Katara unhooked her water skin from its holder on her saddle bags and took a swig, wiping sweat from her brow with a wet cloth.
"We need to keep riding through the night, then rest for six hours. We are three days away from the capitol, two days to get Aang and Sokka, one of which we need to use to plan our way in." Katara said throatily, the heat getting to her. Turning to Zuko she asked, "Do you think you can lead us in without getting caught?" She purposefully avoided his eyes.
"Yes." He said, readjusting his armor. Katara was bewildered at how he could wear thick plates of metal in a sweltering hot day with out sweating or at least falling right off the horse.
"Good, then that means we'll have more time for bribing and the likes." Katara murmured, taking another gulp of her water skin. Yue was suffering just as much as she, her light brown tunic beginning to darken from perspiration.
Katara glanced down at her outfit. Her light green tunic had short, loose sleeves that clung to her arms. Her dark green pants were rolled up at the knees, allowing more ventilation. Katara fought the urge to laugh as she watched her toes curl and uncurl; she had chosen to ride bare foot.
Right then. She peeked down the path and saw a flicker of movement, a flash of steel. Katara stiffened, turning Evadne around. Zuko took a fleeting look back at her, seized a double take and also turned around, soon followed by Yue.
"What do you see?" Yue whispered, her eyes straining to catch a glimpse of what caused Katara's caution.
"There's something out there."
0o cliffy enough? anyway, I have the next chapter about 2/3 of the way done, so if I get 0 reviews, I'll update then..that only leaves with like..3,I think? Anyway, RnR!
.•:♥¨¨♥:•.Erica.•:♥¨¨♥:•.