Chapter Three

"Katara are you crazy! You could have been caught or worse burned to death!" Sokka shouted as he stomped angrily around the camp. After sneaking out of the building, in case any more Fire Nations soldiers were around, Katara had run into Sokka who had finally found Aang, unharmed, at the edge of the village. They had gone back to the forest where they were currently residing and now night was falling. Katara had just finished telling them everything she had overheard. Aang looked mildly worried and Sokka was beside himself with anger. He claimed it was because Katara had put herself in mortal danger but Katara figured he was just mad he hadn't been there to kick some Fire Nation butt.

"Well I'm ok now and that's what matters right?" Katara asked huffily, dropping a piece of wood onto the fire. It sizzled then burst into flames. Watching it, Katara let her mind wander back to the conversation she had overheard between Prince Zuko and General Gonju. The uneasy feeling returned to her. "I think the question we should be asking is what are we going to do now?"

Sokka stopped pacing and plopped down in front of the fire. The anger disappeared from his face and was replaced by concern.

"We can't let the Fire Nation get their hands on whatever this thing is." Katara said worriedly.

"Well you said that they always thought it was just a legend, right?" Sokka said.

"Yes but-"

Sokka cut her off, "So as far as we know it probably is just a legend."

"Yeah Katara." Aang spoke up for the first time. "What kind of weapon or whatever it is could be powerful enough to take away someone's bending skills? I think it's just an old legend. Who knows? Maybe it was just a story that parents used to scare their kids when they misbehaved."

"But Prince Zuko said-" Katara sighed to herself as she was interrupted yet again.

"Well whether it's real or not, the important thing is that Aang finishes his training. That's the only way that we can win this war so we might as well just forget all about this weapon nonsense and concentrate on getting to the North Pole." Sokka crossed his arms, a sign that the conversation was over as far as he was concerned.

Katara sighed again and gave up. There was no point in arguing when he was like this.

"It'll be ok Katara. Don't worry." Aang smiled up at her. Katara couldn't help but smile back.

"Yeah I guess." She answered but she didn't mean it.

"Well I don't know about you guys but I'm going to bed." Sokka said yawning.

"Yeah me too." Aang answered.

Later that night after the fire had been put out and the moon was shining brightly in the sky, Katara lay awake staring at the stars. I just can't forget about what I heard. No matter how hard I try it keeps coming back to me. What if this thing really does exist? I've got to do something. She stood up and crept quietly away from their camp. Maybe a walk will clear my head.

She wrapped her arms around her to ward off the cold night air. The steady rhythm of her feet as she moved helped her to think more clearly. She replayed the scene in the old abandoned house over and over in her mind. Suddenly she stopped short. Something Prince Zuko had said, something she had forgotten about, had just surfaced in her memory.

I leave tomorrow. I'm training new recruits to take with me to the Temple for protection.

Slowly an idea began to form in her head.

"No! That's stupid! It would never work." She scolded herself out loud. But the idea wouldn't go away.

What if I… she hesitated, knowing that the instant she allowed the thought to surface then there would be no turning back.

What if I went as a Fire Nation soldier? Her heart raced at the very thought. A Fire Nation soldier. Their sworn enemies. To be one of them, how could she? Yet…..

It's the only way to save Aang. She realized. Sokka couldn't go, he would never agree to it and besides, Prince Zuko would recognize him instantly. Aang, that would defiantly never work.

"But no one would suspect me." She whispered. "If…if I were to disguise myself….I could watch them, listen to them, find out what's going on. And…and I could stop Prince Zuko from getting his hands on whatever this weapon is." She sat down beneath a tree, her mind reeling. "But Aang and Sokka will never agree to it." She remembered Sokka's refusal to even believe that this thing might exist.

She thought for a minute then the solution came to her. She didn't like it but it was the only option she had. I won't tell them. I'll leave a note for them. They won't realize I've gone until it's too late.

She sat there for what seemed like forever, thinking everything over, wondering if she had the courage to go through with it. Finally she stood up and walked determinedly back towards the camp. When she arrived she checked to make sure both boys were still sound asleep. Then she carefully scrawled out a note on the back of the water bending scroll in her bag. She tucked it gently under Aang's arm. He groaned and Katara froze but he simply rolled over and went back to sleep.

Finally Katara gathered just enough food for breakfast the next morning, her sleeping bag, and a pair of Sokka's pants. She slid Sokka's knife out of his satchel. He had bought it at the last village and had taken to carrying it around with him.

"Sorry Sokka." Katara whispered as she turned to leave. "I'll bring it back in one piece. I promise." Then she swept silently into the forest.

She walked until she could see the bridge that led to into the town they had visited earlier. She wanted to be close to the Fire Nation ship so she would be ready the next morning but far enough away so as not to be spotted. She rolled out her sleeping bag and sat her stuff beside it. She sat down on it and gazed towards the town. Slowly she slid Sokka's knife out of her bag. The light caught the blade and for an instant she could see her reflection in it. Her long hair hung down her back. Her eyes lingered on it, sadness filling her. It had taken her entire life to grow her hair this long. She shook her head and turned the knife so she couldn't see herself anymore.

She lifted her hair with one hand, the knife in the other. Then before she had a chance to change her mind, she sliced through it. It fell to the forest floor, a long silky rope of black. She kept sawing at the ends with the knife so that it hung raggedly just above her shoulders. She cut the sides until they swept over her eyes, creating bangs that hid her eyes so that she would be hard to recognize.

After she had finished she let her hand drop to her lap. Then when shaking hands she raised it slowly to her face again. She hesitated, the blade only inches from her pale skin. Maybe I'm going too far. Is it really worth all this just to spy on the Fire Nation while they chase after something that might not even exist? An image of Aang floated through her head. The world needs Aang. They need the Avatar. It's worth it.

She sat there frozen for an instant then suddenly slashed out with the knife, bringing the tip slicing across her cheek. She cried out in pain and felt warm blood trickle down her face and onto her dress. Gingerly she felt the cut with her free hand, wincing as her fingers brushed the open wound. I had to do it. She thought sadly. No one will recognize me now. Especially after it scars.

She cut a strip from the bottom of her dress and pressed it against the wound. She lay down on her sleeping and closed her eyes. She didn't think she would be able to sleep, not tonight, but her exhaustion got the best of her and before she knew it she was waking up to the dawn's first light.