Nobody's Listening
Chapter 18: Matrimony, Part 2
By KirariSoldier

The wheels of life keep turning,
Spinning without control;
The wheels of the heart keep yearning,
For the sound of the singing soul.
And nights are full of weeping,
For sins of the past we've sown;
But, tomorrow is ours for the keeping,
Tomorrow the future's shown.

Lift your eyes and see the glory,
Where the cycle of life is drawn;
See the never-ending story.
Come with me to the gates of dawn.

And whose is the hand who raises,
The sun from the heaving sea?
The power that ever amazes-
We look, but never will see?

Lift your eyes and see the glory,
Where the circle of life is drawn;
See the never-ending story,
Coem with me to the gates of dawn...

Bjorn Ole Rasch, "Gates of Dawn" (composed for Sercret Garden: Once in a red moon)

Katara woke at dawn the next morning. All in the camp was still, not a sound was to beheard. She queitly dressed in her suede and sheep skin tunic and parka once again. She walked out from her tent, cold artic air frigid aganist her skin. She breathed heavily as though she was gasping for air, she slowly walked, newly fallen snow crunched under her boots. She truged until she came to the water's edge. The Algol-Betelgese Ocean churning at it's edge as thought some wrong doing was going to happen.

She turned away from the ocean, heaved a deep breath, and walked back to her tent. She sneaked in, took her ice skates, and left as quietly as she had came. She started a brisk run up a hill, until she came to the frozen bank near the dock where the Fire Navy warship was docked. She walked onto the creaky dock, sat on the egde and removed her boots. She then carefully slid on her skates, laced them tight, and walked as best as she could. When she came to the frozen bank, she gingerly slid onto the ice. It had been over a year since she had last used her skates,
and it felt great.

She spun around in a circle for a short while, then made and '8' symbol in the ice. She began to pick up speed, then Salchow jump, Layback spin, and finally a split jump. Unknowing to her, a special someone was gazing upon her dazling spectial on the ice. When she finally stopped herself with her toe pick, she came to kn0owlage of who was watching her. "Aang..." She said with surprize as she glided to him. "What are you doind here?" She asked, struggling to the shore. "Suki was awake when you snuck out. So she came and told me to keep and eye on you. Do you know how good you are on those things?" He asked as he slowly waded through the knee-deep slush.

"Yea... My mother taught me..." She said as she waltzed toward him. She trugded up onto the bank, took his hands in hers, and lead him onto the ice. "What are you doing!" He asked with a bemused look on his face. "It's fun!" She said as she let go his hands and speed up into a spiral.
Aang slide too and fro on the ice until Katara came to his aid and helped him to his feet. "Have you ever ice skated?" She asked with pure amusment. "No..." He said with a slight blush. She took his hands, and started to spin around in a circle.

Katara and Aang laughed as they began to pick up more speed. When the finally came to a grindind hault. "Katara, can I ask you somthing"
He asked. "Sure, what is it?" Aang gained his composure. "Why are you marring that Zuko guy?" He asked, hurt splawed accross his face.
"It's a political marrige. Not fore love. My father arranged it before I was even born. I am the thing that will seal an alliance between the Fire Nation and Nothern and Southern Poles. I have no say in this, because I am but a mere woman. Nothing more than a man's property to use and abuse." She said as she whipped away tears with her cuff. Aang looked at her with sorrow shinning in his eyes.

He slowly walked over to her, trying not to slip on the ice, took the sides of her head in his hands, and kissed her full on the lips. 'Katara, is there any way to stop this?' He thought, his mind racing. When they broke the kiss, it was Katara's turn to speak. "I will not marry him. He is evil, decitefull, and down right rude. And it would be an insult to my people if I where to bear that barbarian children." She spat as she glided to the water's edge. "How do you plan to stop the wedding?"

"Simple, wedding or suicide." She said as she removed her skates and slid her boots on. "Suicide!" Aang yelped. "Are you INSANE!" He yelled. "No, but my father is not so dense as to pick unifacation over his only daughter. You will see." She said boldly as she marched to her father's tent. "You have more audacity than Sokka at times..." Aang sighed as he slowly followed her. When Katara entered her father's tent, her father was stading in front of a full lenght mirror while two attendent women dressed him in his armor. "Katara, should you be getting ready for the wedding?" He asked, not looking at her. "Father, I will not marry that mongal Zuko! If you force me to, I will kill myself infront of you, him, and the whole water tribe!" She said as she motioned to the highly polished sword that lay on his bed.

"You will, will you? Then you may do it now, infront me, and these attending women. No, infact, I will do it for you. I will not have women trying to rise up and take power. And you wonder how your mother was killed." He said coldly. "Mother? You killed mother!" Anger coursing through her viens and tears of anguish fell from her eyes.

To Be Continued...