Chapter 5.
Katara woke the next morning alone. She vaguely remembered Zuko getting up and then leaving. He had returned a short time later with her gown. She stretched and enjoyed the feel of the shirt and sheets against her skin for a little longer. They both smelled pleasantly of wood smoke. She guessed it must be the smell of Zuko. Sighing, she got up and dressed. She had to find out if Sokka was on board.
Katara left Zuko's room and started to explore the ship. The crew noticed her immediately, but none of them said or did anything except bow or bid her a good morning. No one stopped her from going anywhere. Katara wandered the holds of the ship until lunchtime. There was no sign of Sokka anywhere. If he had made it on board, he was hiding better than any man she'd ever seen.
Noon found Katara staring out over the sea back the way they had come. She scanned the horizon looking for some sign of Sokka, hoping to see Appa somewhere in the sky. She saw nothing.
Zuko found her there. He was walking around the ship with a relaxed confidence. Katara had to admit that he'd always looked arrogant, but now he was walking with the self-assurance of someone who had nothing to prove.
"We have some lunch prepared if you would like to join us." Zuko said with a smile as he joined her at the rail. "Uncle has been looking forward to eating with you all day."
Katara smiled to Zuko and silently followed him into the galley. She sat down at the table next to Iroh while Zuko sat across from her. They ate some roasted fish with rice and Katara was amazed to find how hungry she was, and that her stomach had finally stopped trying to struggle free of her body. Occasionally she would glance up at Zuko, and occasionally she would catch him glancing back. Katara blushed and lowered her eyes.
It was after one such case that she noticed Iroh staring at the two of them. He hadn't said a word through lunch. Katara hadn't really noticed because she had been staring at Zuko. Finally, the old general cleared his throat.
"Zuko, the captain wants to see you after lunch." Iroh said finally.
"Very well, uncle. I have to make preparations for tonight. I'm going to disembark on one of the small boats in the hold before we reach port. I will need to discuss things with him anyway." Zuko said returning his thoughts to business. Katara could tell he enjoyed these thoughts a great deal less than what he had been thinking.
"Good. I will stay here with the young lady and have some tea. I'll escort her back to your quarters once we're finished." Iroh said happily.
Zuko nodded and finished his lunch. He got up and bowed to Katara, and she stood to curtsy back. She hadn't realized she was still standing after watching him go until Iroh spoke. "Please my dear, won't you have a seat?"
Katara smiled and sat back down as a crewman brought out some ginseng tea. Iroh took the tea and waved the man away. He left and Katara was once again alone with the general.
"Here you are… Katara." General Iroh said handing her a cup.
"Thank you." Katara said absently. It took a moment before her brain woke up to the exact words Iroh had spoken. She glanced over at the general who made no sign of having said anything. Suddenly her stomach wasn't feeling well anymore.
Katara sighed. She knew the general wouldn't have made such a mistake by accident. She gingerly placed the cup on the table in front of her and studied her lap. "When did you notice?"
"Last night while you were dancing. You are a splendid dancer, by the way. My nephew and the crew have never studied a waterbender very closely. I recognized your form. I doubt Sienna has any skill with waterbending, and I must say I doubt water tribe dances come close to the grace you displayed." Iroh said chuckling.
"So now what are you going to do to me?" Katara asked, ready to cry. She had failed. No one was going to be able to save Aang except for maybe Zuko, and he wasn't going to just let him go free.
"I was up most of last night trying to decide that myself." Iroh said honestly. "Right now, though, I intend to have some more tea."
Iroh poured Katara and himself more tea and sat back to study her. "I must admit, the resemblance between you and Sienna is remarkable. Are the two of you related?"
"Not as far as I know. We met the morning after she and Zuko… spent the night together." Katara said quietly.
Iroh nodded. "Zuko told me yesterday when we returned to the ship that he did not take Sienna." Iroh said looking up at Katara. There was an unspoken question in his eyes.
Katara shook her head. "We didn't do anything last night, either. I've… never been with a man." Katara could feel her face blushing furiously.
"I am not surprised. My nephew is a respectable young man. I really didn't expect him to. I was hoping that the company of a young lady might relax him. I am glad to see that I was not wrong." Iroh said sipping his tea.
"He is… definitely more than I expected." Katara conceded.
Iroh looked over at her and nodded sadly. "It is often a misfortune of war that the people on both sides grow to hate each other and never stop to see that they are all people. Too often they see their opponents as nothing more than animals. I guess it is their way of dealing with the guilt over the brutality of war. I was afraid my nephew had done this as well, until he met you."
"You mean when he met Sienna." Katara said sadly.
"No. I mean when he met you." Iroh said seriously. "My nephew does care for you, Katara. He probably never would have agreed to stay with Sienna otherwise. Even then, he struggled. I do not want to see my nephew get hurt any more than he already has in his life. That's why I'm asking you to help him. Even if you feel nothing for him, which I am beginning to doubt, please do not hurt him. That's why I was sitting here wondering what to do, now that I know who you really are. I think I have finally reached a decision."
"What are you going to do?" Katara asked again.
"I think I am going to have some more tea." Iroh said picking up the little pot and pouring more for himself and Katara.
Katara smiled and accepted the tea from Iroh. She smiled to him graciously. She was really coming to adore the old man. "Thank you."
Zuko rejoined them a short while later. "I'll be leaving soon." He announced.
General Iroh nodded and turned to Katara. "Well, I think I shall go up and find something to do. You will probably want some time alone before you leave. Sienna, it has been a pleasure." Iroh said as he bowed to Katara. Katara smiled and stood to return the bow to him.
Iroh puttered off and Katara could hear him humming the song she had had sung for them the night before.
"You're going after the Avatar?" Katara said looking up at Zuko.
"I'm not. Someone else is." Zuko said mischievously.
"If not you, then who?" Katara said in confusion.
"Come. I'll show you." Zuko said taking her by the hand and leading her to his room.
After they were inside, Zuko went over to a chest and pulled out a mask. "This is the person that will rescue the Avatar." Zuko said handing the mask to her.
"You mean YOU'RE the Blue Spirit?" Katara said incredulously. "I thought that the Blue Spirit and the Avatar were supposed to be on the same side?"
"Yeah, I know. That rumor got started the last time I rescued the Avatar from Admiral Zhao. I was trying to capture him for myself, but he escaped from me afterwards." Zuko said chuckling.
"He never told me." Katara said distantly.
"Who never told you?" Zuko asked curiously.
Katara cursed herself for the momentary lapse. Her conversation with Iroh still had her unsettled. "Your uncle. He never mentioned it."
Zuko smiled. "Not even uncle Iroh knows this secret. I guess the only people that do know are the Avatar, you and I." Zuko said smiling. "Unless the Avatar told his friends."
No he didn't. Katara thought to herself.
Zuko got his things together to go after the Avatar and Katara weighed her options. Perhaps if she were able to follow him, she could free Aang once Zuko had recaptured him. Unable to think of any other plan, she tried her luck.
"Zuko. I want to go with you." Katara said to him.
"Impossible." Zuko said flatly.
"Not when you go after the Avatar. I just want to go with you on the boat. I don't want to stay behind wondering if you're alright." Katara had to admit that this at least was true. "I'll stay on the boat and wait for you to return."
Zuko looked like he was going to refuse. Katara gave him her best pleading smile, and he finally nodded. "OK, but you'll have to lie low. I'm going to hide the ship, and then I'll be back for you. I may be gone for a while, so please don't leave the ship until I return."
"I won't." Katara promised.
The rest of the day seemed to creep by until finally it came time to set out. Zuko had loaded his mask and spare clothing into the boat and Katara got in with him. Iroh was there to see them off.
"Be careful nephew. A fishermen has many nets; make sure that you don't fall into one trying to get into another." Iroh said sagely.
"I will be careful uncle. I'll be back once I have the Avatar." Zuko said seriously. Iroh looked at Katara, and a sad look crossed his face. He had trusted Katara not to hurt Zuko, but she realized he probably knew that she couldn't let him return with Aang.
The two of them set off for the shore and Zuko sailed around until he found a safe place to hide the boat. He really was an excellent sailor. He would have made a good water tribe fisherman. Stay focused Katara.
She turned her back while Zuko changed. When he was done he was dressed nearly head to toe in black with his only other covering being the blue mask. He finally turned and got ready to go. "Wish me luck." He said turning to her.
Katara hugged Zuko tightly. It was nice that he wasn't wearing his armor, because she could feel the muscles of his chest under her cheek. "Come back to me safely, my prince."
Zuko brushed her hair back and smiled down at her before he jumped off the side of the small boat and headed towards the port. Iroh and the ship weren't going to put in at the port so that no one would know that Prince Zuko had been involved with what was about to transpire.
Katara had grown accustomed to waiting. She had waited for her father to return from the war and she now waited for Zuko to return with Aang. She had a hard time telling who she was more worried about. Aang would be okay. If Zuko was right, the Fire Lord wanted Aang alive. Zhao wouldn't dare defy the Fire Lord. Zuko would also rather die than loose his one chance at regaining his honor. Katara worried that Zhao would probably be more than willing to help him in that respect.
The hours ticked away as Katara watched for some sign of Zuko. Finally, she saw the dark form walking out of the forest with Aang over his shoulder. He reached the boat and set Aang down in front of her. Aang looked like he'd been beaten.
Katara looked up at Zuko as he removed the mask, and pulled the hood off to release his hair. He was smiling at her when the blow struck.
Katara sucked in a sudden breath as his eyes rolled back and he collapsed on the deck of the boat. Sokka was standing behind him with his trusty club.
"SOKKA!" Katara shouted. "How did you find me?"
"After I missed getting on the boat, I went and got Appa. I tried to stay low and followed the boat. I lost you guys while trying to keep out of sight. I decided that I would try to get Aang myself, and that we would try to look for you together. I was just lucky I saw Zuko first. I followed him and hoped he would lead me back to you." Sokka said as he got out the whistle Aang carried and blew on it. He then went around looking for some rope.
He returned with rope and a flask of oil. Appa was gliding down towards them with Momo on his head as Sokka tied the prince up. He then poured the oil over the prince.
Zuko spluttered for a moment and looked up at Sokka.
"I wouldn't try any firebending Zuko. I just doused you with oil. One good spark and you and this boat will go up like a bonfire, and I don't care how much control you have over fire." Sokka said sneering as he returned to tying him up.
"Sokka. Why don't you get Aang onto Appa?" Katara said to her brother. "I'll tie up Zuko."
The look Zuko gave Katara made her heart ache. It wasn't a look of anger. He looked incredulous and terribly hurt.
Sokka nodded and picked up Aang. Katara knelt to finish tying up Zuko.
"I'm sorry, Zuko." Katara said sadly.
"How could you?" Zuko said looking her in the eyes.
"You said it yourself. Sometimes we have to do what we must." Katara said trying not to look at him. "I hope you can forgive me."
"You KNOW what I'm talking about." Zuko accused. "Was there ever even a Sienna?"
"Zuko." Katara said as she tried to reach out to him. He only turned his face so that all she could see was his scar in the light of the setting sun. She had promised Iroh she wouldn't hurt him, and more importantly she found that SHE really didn't want to hurt him. She reached up anyway and gently caressed his scar. "There was a Sienna. We met her yesterday morning and she told me what you said. Zuko, I want you to know that I don't hate you. Everything I said last night I really meant."
Zuko looked back at her as if daring to hope. Katara thought for a moment and then reached into her pouch. It wasn't much, but she wanted to give Zuko something. After all, this had all gotten started because it was his birthday. She pulled out the ivory bracelet and pressed it into Zuko's hands.
Somehow the gesture didn't seem sufficient, so Katara reached up cupped Zuko's scarred cheek in her hands and then leaned forward and kissed him deeply. She lingered not wanting to forget the moment as her forehead rested against his. "Happy birthday, Zuko." She whispered.
Katara turned away so she wouldn't have to look in his eyes. She looked up to see Sokka staring at her with his eyes bugged out as far as they would go. She blushed and looked down when she saw the blue spirit mask.
"Come on, Katara." Sokka said swallowing his shock. "Zhao's soldiers will probably be coming sooner or later. Appa is still quite conspicuous and we're going to have to fly like the blazes to get out of here alive."
Katara looked back toward the port. If Zuko were caught with this mask it would mean his death. Katara reached down and picked it up before she climbed aboard Appa. She then turned and reached out with her waterbending skills. She pulled the small boat from the shore and pushed it gently out to sea. If the soldiers searched the area or if they found the boat, at least Zuko would be safe.
Katara then settled down next to Aang and cradled the mask to her chest. She would probably have to face Zuko sooner or later in battle. They would both have to do what they had to do, but it didn't mean they'd have to like it. It also didn't mean that they couldn't both look forward to an end to the war.