"Wine?"

Katara nodded. "He was stone drunk when I went to see him. If someone were to lace his wine, then…"

"Perfect escape," Kyru finished. "Katara, you're a genius."

"I know. But he only takes wine from his hip flask, and he only lets Su fill that," Katara added. "And there is no way on this Earth that she'd betray her husband."

"Yes, there is." Everyone turned to Li Se, who was sitting in the hovel with the four other Benders. "Su doesn't really love Ji Li, she just married the bastard 'cause she's a half-breed and he'll only marry women who won't bear Benders. And the only people who can't bear Benders are half-breeds. Convince Su that Ji Li loves another and wham! She'll willing drug 'im."

"Hey, bro, did ya fall in love with the looks or the brains?" Kiena asked playfully. Everyone, even Kyru, laughed at that comment.

"The question is," Zuko pointed out, "is there any other way to convince her of that without getting someone hurt? I've seen what women will do when they find out their husband isn't being faithful."

"Not pretty," Kyru admitted. "I know. We can say it's a surface girl, also a half-breed. That's what a lot of my surface runs have been for, delivering things from Ji Li to his mistress. Kiena, will you spread the rumor around? Sooner or later it'll float up to Su." His twin nodded.

"I'll find some way to injure Ji Li again and get him to ask for Katara, I mean Kana," Kiena said with a smile. "Maybe I can 'accidentally' bend a rock onto his leg and break it." Katara nodded.

"Good thing I know how to heal broken bones. One good thing that came from the injuries Ji Li inflicted on us; I was able to try healing Zuko's broken arm and found out I could." Zuko rubbed the offended arm. It still tingled with pain sometimes.

"Okay, so I'll see if I can get to Jin-Se and tell to start the tunneling," Kyru said, clapping his hands together.

"Tunneling?" the others asked in unison. Li Se, who had been getting to go, promptly sat back down.

"Kyru? What tunneling?" Both the sister and sweetheart of the muscular Earthbender turned to Kyru with suspicious looks. The Earthbender turned red.

"Um, part of the escape plan involved tunnels, in case the offense act doesn't work. We'd usher the women and any children into them first, along the wounded. We didn't tell you because we don't want the thought of failure hanging over the heads of the Benders," Kyru explained sheepishly.

"And just when were you going to tell us?" Kiena asked.

"Um, in case of failure." Kyru ducked as his sister sent a stone flying at him. Li Se sent a small Fire Blast in his general direction.

Katara sat laughing. Zuko tapped her shoulder. "I think we should get out of here," he said, glancing Kiena and Li Se's attacks, which were getting progressively bigger. Katara nodded and followed Zuko out.

If they had been outside, the full moon would have been shining down. Katara sighed. "I miss the outside world. I've down here too long. I miss the Cricket Birds, and the wind, and the moon. Heck, I even miss the heat." (The underground compounds, arena, and village area were always a cool temperature.) "I'd love to walk by a river and Waterbend the water into a double or single water whip."

Zuko nodded. "A Firebender's powers will diminish if they are out of the sun for too long. I'm safe, but I worry for the other Firebenders, the ones who have been here longer. They might never get back to their full potential if they don't get out of this place soon."

Katara shook her head. "Why does Ji Li do this?"

"Because he's scared, Katara." Both the Waterbender and the Fire Prince turned around to see Madam Su.

"I've known you two were here since the night Prince Zuko mentioned the rosehips," Su explained. "I was the one who dropped them for Kyru. Kiena's the closest thing I have for a friend in this damned dungeon. I wasn't let her die."

"Yet you'll stand by and let your husband imprison thousands of Benders?" Katara asked. Su shook her head.

"I did, and I'm sorry. Ji Li was talking to…to Hin. I was going to bring some wine to Ji Li and I overheard…overheard him saying that as soon as he could, he was going to poison me. I haven't bore any children and…and Ji Li is disgraced." Su started to weep. Katara went over and began to comfort the distraught Su.

"How do we know this isn't a trap?" Zuko asked.

"Why does everything have to trap to you, Zuko?" Katara asked incredulously. "Would someone fake this?" She motioned to the weeping lady.

"A skilled tactician would," Zuko replied. "And trust me, Ji Li is a skilled tactician. Maybe she doesn't know it, but Su could be leading him straight to us. I grew up in my father's court; I've seen every sort of trap possible and this has 'trap' written all over it." Katara shook her head.

"I've learned that when it comes to things like this, I trust my instincts, and they're tellin' me that this is not a trap. I've seen traps, been caught by traps, and escaped traps. I think I know what a trap looks like," Katara said.

"What would you know about traps?"

"A lot more than you would know! I've been trapped before! And by who? A silly little Fire Prince with no respect or honor for others." With that stinging remark, Katara led Su off to Kyru and Kiena's hovel, leaving Zuko alone.

The Fire Prince took a deep breath, breathing out fire. How dare she say that? He had more respect than she could ever dream of. His honor, yes, wasn't restored, but even so.

I rescued her friend the Avatar and offered help to Zhao. I have more respect than she'll ever have. I was foolish to have any feelings other than hate towards her; she's just like my sister.

No, his conscience nagged. If she were, she would not have helped you when you were in serious pain. She would not have comforted Su.

Why was it that every time Zuko criticized Katara, his conscience would kick in? A true son of the Fire Nation didn't have a conscience.

Yes, they do. And they listen to it. Your father is not a true son of the Fire Nation, Zuko. You are. The Fire Nation was once known for its beautiful works of art, not destruction. You know this. Your mother had many scrolls on the subject of art.

Zuko stopped. Why had that thought come up? He hadn't thought about that in six years, the year his mother died.

His mother was always the gentle one; she never yelled, argued, or fought, even though she was a master at the broadswords. Instead, she would study her histories and such. Needless to say, Ozai hated the Fire Lady.

When Zuko was ten, his mother had given him one of her art scrolls. Zuko was reading it when his father came up and demanded the scroll. Scared, the young prince obeyed and gave his father the scroll. Ozai took it and a few days later had his wife killed, under the crime of treason to the Fire Lord. Zuko had known it was his fault, even though Iroh tried to tell him differently.

He had burned the scroll, along with almost anything that reminded Zuko of his mother. Everything but his broadswords, but those were destroyed in the explosion of his ship.

Zuko shook his head. Why was he thinking about this? He got his mind back on the topic at hand, Katara.

The Fire Prince tried to feel hate towards her, and nearly succeeded. But every time he got close, something would pop up, like the memory of the waltz, or her healing him.

"What's matter with me?" he muttered. "I had no problem hating her before this whole mess."

But you didn't hate her.

Smoke tendrils came from Zuko's clenched fist. Of course he hated her! He had beaten her at the North Pole, hadn't he?

But you didn't scar her, like the protocols of the Fire Nation demand, did you?

She's a girl!

So? The Laws of the Fire Nation show no mercy, even to "girls". So why show mercy to Katara? Why didn't you lash out at her when she insulted you?

Why are you worrying about her now?

"Grrrr…" His conscience was really starting to sound like his uncle, as in annoying. Giving up, Zuko headed back for the hovel.

"There you are!" Kiena cried. "Katara, as Kana, is leading Su back to her room, and Kyru is walking Li Se back to her hovel. Where were you?"

"Uh…walking," the price replied. "I'm going to bed." Kiena shrugged and went back to the needlework she had laid out.

Zuko sighed as he dropped to his pallet. "What…?" Something was digging into his back. Sitting up, Zuko pulled out the culprit.

It was a small package with a note attached. It had the prince's name on it. Curious, Zuko tore the note of and read.

Zuko, it began in Katara's handwriting, I apologize for what I said tonight. I just couldn't believe that you would think Su was laying a trap, probably like you couldn't believe I'm so trusting. I know you have a lot of respect and honor, regardless of what your father says. Kiena backed up the story that Ji Li thought we died in the fever Su told us when I brought her back. It was Su who told him the story, apparently, and Kiena did nothing to deter the rumor. Su has agreed to drug Ji Li as soon as we concoct the potion. (That promises to be difficult. Not even Kyru knows where the right herbs grow.)

As I said, I'm really sorry for insulting you. Sometimes we, and by we I mean teenaged girls, say things we don't mean, like you guys do. I hope you can forgive me.

Don't worry about what's in the package; it's a stone I used to make sure you'd see the note.

Love, Katara

It was the signature that got Zuko. Was that how she always signed her notes? Or did it mean something else? Frustrated, Zuko lay down on his pallet and attempted sleep.

When Katara and Kyru, Zuko was still awake, but faking sleep. He heard Kiena whisper that he was asleep and they should be doing the same. The Fire Prince heard Katara sneak past the curtain and lay on her pallet. It wasn't long before her breathing leveled out and the Waterbender fell asleep. The sounds of three other people sleeping lulled the restless Fire Prince asleep.