Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA, but if I did you'd all be at my mercy! BWAA HA AHAHHA AHHA -AGH! qwaughwheezes for breath
Katara walked wearily up to her room, eyes darting at every flicker of movement cast by torchlight. Sighing and convincing herself she was going paranoid, Katara opened the door to her room. Something clattered inside and she stifled a startled scream (A/n try saying that 5x fast) peering cautiously inside, her eyes met nothing but darkness. She strained to hear anything that might give away who or what might be in there. Nothing. Sighing softly, Katara walked slowly into her room, bringing a torch with her. The fire illuminated her unmade bed and a bit of her desk. The desk had a hollow in it, and something glittered from within. Stepping forward tiredly, Katara looked closer. Eyes. Dark red eyes glinting from the light of flame. Shivering, Katara let out an ear splitting scream. The creature narrowed its blood eyes and leaped for her. Katara stumbled backwards, tripping over a chair and hitting her head on the corner of her bed. As she struggled to hold consciousness, she saw the dying light cast one last beam at the eyes that forever captured it in its glinting blood-fevered eyes.
"Katara, wake up." Sokka begged tiredly. Having wakened up to his sister's scream and barged in on her unconscious body placed gently on her bed raised suspicions. First off, who would knock hr out, and then tuck her in bed? Unless someone else was in the room. Maybe all of this had a connection to Katara's tenseness. Sighing, Sokka opened the door as someone knocked. Master Paku and Princess Yue stood in the doorway with concerned looks on their proud faces. Sokka blanched as he saw Yue. The one time he'd seen her was when Katara was out-cold, unable to help her distressed brother. Sokka controlled his quivering stomach and led them to his sister.
"When do you think she was attacked?" Master Paku asked all business.
"Around mid-night. I saw her walking outside around eleven and talked to her for awhile, then left. She wasn't here when I came to see if she got home okay, so I left the door unlocked. I woke up to her scream, and saw her unconscious on her bed. Signs show that she hit her head on her bed. See that blood?" Sokka asked, gesturing to the corner of the bead Katara had hit her forehead. He shook his own head and asked, "Why would someone attack her, and then tuck her in? Also, the door was unlocked when I checked, but her window was open. They clearly didn't want to be seen, to go to the lengths of climbing down an ice wall. Also what makes the matter even more interesting, is why would anyone go through all that just to knock her out?"
"Nice observations Sokka, but you're overlooking something." The commander of chiefs walked in the room, inspecting everything.
"There must have been two people here, one to attack her, and one to protect her." Princess Yue said suddenly. Everyone looked at her quizzically. She pointed to the corner of the room where they hadn't paid any attention. There where signs of a scuffle, scorch marks and claw marks all over the wall. Also intertwined with the deadly art was blood. Too, much to be from Katara, but there was blood. Sokka rapidly walked to the wall and touched the scorch marks. Still warm. Swearing loudly, Sokka turned around and pelted to the window. Leaning out, he studied the wall the intruder would've had to climb. There were smooth indentions, as if someone had melted the ice to make hand-holds. Letting out a stream of curses, Sokka whirled around to see everyone staring at him.
"Fire benders." Sokka said grimly. Princess Yue wrung her hands, while Master Paku watched Katara soberly and thoughtfully. She and Sokka would've been his grandchildren if their Gran-Gran hadn't ran away when she found out about their arranged marriage. Letting out a grumble the commander, Lord Saku, turned on his heal and barked for his son, Tamal, to come in. At age nine-teen, he was a muscular young man. With striking teal eyes and jet black hair that flashed electric blue when it caught light, he was quite the ladies man. His was hair currently fashioned into a horsetail on top his clear, tanned head. Flipping a comma of loose hair out of his face, he looked at his father with fierce eyes. He had his dad's chiseled features, adding him a rugged, sensitive look that made almost every girl swoon. When Sokka first met him, he could have sworn he was Zuko's twin, not by physical appearance, but by their matching temper.
"Yes, Father?" He asked in his usual drawl. When his temper flared, his voice was much sharper. Possibly as sharp as a knife in one form or another.
"You will guard Miss Katara with your life, do not, I repeat, do not let anything harm her." As Sokka was about to protest, the commander went on, "Never let her out of your sight, unless of course, she is to do personal stuff including; using the latrine, bathing, chang-"
"Yes, Father. I know what personal stuff includes, Father." He said quietly, looking at his new charge with something akin to interest. Sokka was about to retort again when his sister groggily woke up. Rushing to her side, he watched her open her eyes and heard a gasp come from Tamal's cool demeanor. Katara's eyes were one of the many things that has captured her suitors' hearts in the past. Cobalt blue, flecked with silver, she could pierce anybody's soul, cow even the bravest of knights when angered. She was blessed with long, silky, chocolate brown hair and the tan skin of their tribe. Also inheriting their mother's and grand-mother's bending ability, she was the ideal spouse for men his age.
"Katara, do you remember anything that happened last night?" Sokka asked urgently, but her eyes weren't on him, they were fixed confusedly on a sapphire ring around her finger.
A/N: the ring on her finger is a solid ring of sapphire, like somone just took a hunk of the blue stone and cut a smooth ring out of it. More details next chappie. How'd you like Tamal?