Zuko woke up the next day to the sounds of Kyru and Kiena arguing over something probably trivial. (That's all they ever argued over.) He couldn't tell what time it was since the whole compound was underground, but he guessed it was sunrise, the time he usually woke up.
Wrong.
"It's past sunrise." Katara's voice shocked the prince. He rolled over to face her.
"What do you mean?"
"You slept late. It's about an hour after sunrise. Hurry up and get moving. Su and Kiena are taking us to Su's room. She has some herbalist scrolls and we, that includes you, are going to search through them to see which herbs would best suit our needs. Oh, Su also brought a hood so we could hide your scar." Katara pointed to the hood as she tied her hair back with the late Se Li's bandanna. "Lots of the Firebenders where hoods, so you'll blend in perfectly."
Zuko took the hood and pulled it over his face. "She thought of everything, didn't she?" he muttered.
"Do you still think it's a trap?"
"No, but it is all a little fishy if you ask me."
"Well, nobody did, so come on!" Katara took Zuko's wrist and led, no, dragged the Fire Prince out of the hut.
"About time. I've never known you to sleep late, Zuko," Su said. Everyone hushed her.
"Don't say that name out loud," Kiena rebuked. "It's better if we call him nothing. Just follow Kat-Kana," she said, catching herself in time. Zuko nodded and sank further back into his hood as he followed the others.
"This is where I spend most of the day," Su said proudly when they reached her room. Zuko took a quick look around.
"My quarters on the ship had more furniture," he muttered. Katara shot Su a look.
"I've seen tents with more decoration, Su." Su shrugged.
"It's winter; I spend most of time in the summer out in my garden. Now, are we going to go through those scrolls or not?" She pointed to a pile of tightly bound scrolls on her table. Kiena sat down on a chair and took one of the scrolls. Katara followed suit, as did Zuko and Su.
"I've got nothing. You?" Kiena asked.
"Plenty of spices in this scroll, but no sleeping herbs," called Su.
"I found herbs," Katara said, "but any sleeping herbs are also healing herbs. And there are a lot of herbs for love, lust, fertility, and luck. Hmm, maybe we should just give Ji Li some of those and make him fall madly in love with you, Su. He'd do anything for you then. Zuko, did you find anything?"
The prince shook his head. "Recipes, spices, and what appears to be list of flowers planted in a garden."
"I've been looking for that," Su said, snatching the last scroll from Zuko. "I wanted to know if they planted those Ice Lilies from the Northern Water Tribe last winter."
"Did you say Ice Lilies?" Katara questioned.
"Yeah. They're one of the most beautiful flowers of any Nation. Ah! They did! Hey!" Katara whipped the scroll from Su's hands.
"I wish you had told me about this sooner, Su. You wouldn't happen to have planted Breeze Violets and Rock Ivy, would you?" Kiena held up her hands.
"Okay, you lost me. Rock Ivy I recognize, but what the heck is an Ice Lily? What's a Breeze Violet, for that matter?" she asked.
"An Ice Lily is the only type of flower that grows at poles," Katara explained. "Breeze Violets, according to Gran-Gran, was one of the few flowers that could be grown at the Eastern Air Temple. If you take the roots of the Ice Lily, petals of the Breeze Violet, a section of Rock Ivy, and the open blossom of the Fire Rose and compounded them into a paste, it can be used to make a very potent sleeping potion that could knock out a flying bison herd in two minutes."
"One problem," Su interrupted. "The Fire Roses I planted won't bloom, so we can't get the open blossom, or any blossom, from it."
"Do you have Firebenders tending them?" Everyone turned to Zuko. "Fire Roses require hot temperatures to bloom properly. They grow normally in the Fire Nation, where it is usually hot, but in these mountains, they need constant heat."
"How do you know this?" Kiena asked. Zuko turned away.
"My mother told me when she was still alive." Katara looked at him closely, but before she could say anything, Su broke in.
"Well, Ji Li refuses to let Firebenders out into the sun, said that it feeds their powers. Would constant flames near the roses work?" Zuko nodded. "Good. I'll tell Ji Li give me firewood to get those roses bloomin'. I think it would be best if you and Kana go back to the compound. Don't want anyone getting suspicious," Su said to Zuko. The Fire Prince nodded and motioned to Katara, who followed.
Once back at the hovel, Katara untied her kerchief. "That took longer than I thought it would," she muttered. Zuko shrugged slightly. Katara sighed in exasperation. "What is your problem? Ever since last night, you've been all moody. I mean, it's usual for you, but usually you'd yell, or get mad, or something explosive! I've never known you to be, well, calm for this long." She looked at Zuko, full of concern. "Is something wrong?"
"No," Zuko replied quietly.
"What is it with men and denying something's wrong? Sokka is the same way," Katara exclaimed.
"What is it with women and being so nosy?" Zuko quipped.
"We have to be nosy to find out what's wrong with men, since they won't tell us themselves. So, what's wrong? And don't say nothing, because with you, nothing is always something," Katara said, sitting down on her pallet.
"It's none of your concern," Zuko muttered. He turned away from Katara. He was still a bit upset from the previous night and his lack of sleep. The prince felt Katara's gentle, cool hand on his shoulder.
"Zuko, you don't have to lie to me. I can tell when something's wrong, and something is definitely wrong. And if this is about being macho, forget it. It doesn't impress any girl with a grain of sense." Zuko turned to face Katara. Though she sounded aloof, the Fire Prince could see concern in her eyes. Still, it would prove he was weak if he confided what was wrong with him.
Katara must have realized this because she next said, "I know you aren't weak, Prince Zuko, so you don't have to prove anything to me. And it's not like I would tell anyone. Some things are meant to be kept secret."
"And some things aren't," Zuko said. Katara looked at him.
"Like what?" she whispered quietly. She leaned closer to the prince, caressing his face.
"You know." They kissed.
There had been many times the younger Zuko had had a "crush" on a girl in his father's court. They had flirted with him, but in time, Zuko could tell when they were just flirting in hopes of finding themselves in his good graces. (Which was all the time.) And then when he got his scar and was exiled, he thought he'd end up like Iroh, old and single. (Okay, so Zuko's aunt had died, but still.) Who'd have thought that would change in a slave compound?
Finally, the two teens broke the kiss. Katara smiled. "That is definitely something you don't keep secret, your highness," she whispered. Suddenly, Katara frowned.
"What's wrong?" Zuko asked. Is something I did?
"Don't worry, it's not you," Katara assured. "It's Jet; he is this charismatic rebel you almost destroyed a whole village of innocent people just because of some lousy Fire Nation soldiers. For some reason, I can't stop thinking about him. He and Ji Li would probably get along quite well." Prince Zuko wrapped his arms around Katara.
"People like that are hard to forget," he murmured.
"Tell me about it," Katara snorted. "How long do you think we've been here?"
Zuko thought about it. "About a month or so, why?"
"Sokka and Aang should have found this place by now. I mean, my brother's a bit dense, but still."
"My uncle should have gotten here," Zuko admitted. "I'm starting to think that they are either very lost or have given up."
"Knowing my brother, I'll go for the former," Katara laughed quietly. "He'd get lost on his way to the graveyard!" Both teens laughed at that.
Katara yawned, as did Zuko. "All that searching drained my energy," whispered Katara. "I think I'll take a nap. You?" Zuko nodded. Both teens collapsed on their pallets.
"That bastard is going to kill us all! I can't believe it!" Zuko and Katara jerked awake at Kyru's voice. The Earthbender didn't sound happy.
"You can never believe anything, Bro," Kiena said.
"I can't believe it!" Katara popped her head over.
"Can't believe what, Kyru?" He shoved what appeared to be an edict in the Waterbender's face.
"Read that," he ordered. Katara read the paper aloud.
"'It is hereby forbidden to eat anything other than rice, beef, and soup in the compounds containing Benders,'" she read. "'It is also forbidden to eat anything more than the rations allotted. The rations are as follows; one pound of rice a week, seven cups of soup every three days, and three pounds of beef ever two weeks. Signed, Ji Li.' You're kidding me." Katara's jaw dropped. "How could he?"
"Well, we know one thing," Zuko said. "Ji Li can't read or write anything except his name."
"How do you know?" Kyru asked. Zuko pointed to the signature.
"'Ji Li' is the only thing in a man's handwriting. Everything else is in a woman's, probably Su's hand. I think she's the only one who can read or write who isn't a Bender."
"That's for sure," Kiena laughed. "The 'soldiers' can barely put one foot in front of the other, they're so stupid! I wonder why Ji Li is putting restrictions on food."
Suddenly, Li Se burst in. "Su's outside. She wants to talk to you guys." Kiena nodded and let Su in.
"Boy, the Spirits must be looking out for you guys," Su said. "Ji Li said that any I chose as 'personal servants' will get space nearer to my room and won't have to follow the new ration restrictions. Guess who I'm choosin'?" Kiena hugged Su.
"We owe ya one, Su." Su snorted.
"Just take me with you guys when you b-r-e-a-k o-u-t," she spelled, "and we'll call it even. There are…two small rooms that Ji Li said I could use for the 'special ones' as he called it. Kiena and Kyru will take one. You two will have to share," Su said, turning to Zuko and Katara. Zuko nodded, but Katara wasn't paying attention.
"What about Li Se?" she asked.
"What about her?"
Katara pointed over to Kyru. He had a sobbing Li Se in his arms, murmuring into her long, black hair. "Oh," Su whispered. "There's not enough room for two people in every room." She looked Kyru apologetically. Kyru nodded.
"It's fine. I'll stay here with Li Se." Li Se looked up at the Earthbender.
"No, you Earthbenders have never fasted. Firebenders can stand long period of time without a lot of food."
"Superiority issues must be common in the Fire Nation," Zuko heard Katara whisper to Kiena and Su, who nodded. Choosing to ignore the comment, Zuko looked at Kyru.
"You are the only one who has a plan to get us out of here, Kyru," Zuko told him. "If you starve to death (and Ji Li has gone to starvation rations, or will soon), we are all stranded here."
"He's right, Bro. Besides, Mom would send some evil demon after me once you arrived in the Spirit World for letting you commit suicide. Do you want your only twin to have an evil demon on her butt?" Kiena asked. "I know I wouldn't."
Kyru's face turned stony. "I'm not leaving Li Se." Every female in the hovel sighed.
"I know Earthbenders are stubborn, but this is ridiculous," Su muttered. "Kyru, there is not enough room for you two, Kiena, and those two!" she exclaimed, waving an arm at Katara and Zuko.
"Couldn't Kiena stay with you?" Katara asked. "I think I saw a spare pallet in your room when we were looking through those scrolls, Su."
Su nodded. "You're right, there is an extra. Kiena?" The Earthbender sighed.
"If it will get my annoying brother to come, then I'll do almost anything!" she exclaimed, teeth gritted. "Now will you come, Kyru?" Kyru nodded. Kiena let out her breath. "Good. Now, do we take anything with us?"
Su shook her head. "Nope. Everything will be provided for. My advice is to not accept anything from anyone not me. It might be laced with poison." Everyone nodded. Su looked at them. "Well, come on! Those rooms are waiting." Su left the hovel, everyone following. (Zuko grabbed his hood and Katara grabbed her kerchief before leaving.)
The group soon reached the rooms. "Small was a gross understatement, Su," Kiena muttered.
"Yeah, but there's hot water," Su said. Li Se and Katara perked up.
"As in, bath water?" Katara asked. Su nodded. "What a relief. We all smell rather ripe." Everyone laughed. Suddenly, Li Se yawned.
"Excuse me. I'm going to go to bed," she yawned, entering the room farthest from Su's room. Kyru excused himself and followed Li Se. Kiena rolled her eyes, and then said she was also turning in. Su shrugged and went into her room.
"Ladies first," Zuko muttered, opening the door of the last room. Katara rolled her eyes and went in.
"If you don't mind, I need a bath and am planning to take it," she called over her shoulder. "So don't bug me."
Zuko nodded as he took in his surroundings. There was a curtain behind which Katara disappeared, a small set of shelves, and a double bed. There was no other furniture, much to Zuko's dismay.
Katara soon came out from behind the curtain, her hair and face damp. She glanced around the sparsely furnished room. "The hut back at the compound had more furniture than this," she muttered. "Oh well. At least there's bath water. Do you…?"
"No," Zuko said quickly. Katara shrugged and Waterbended the water from her hair. Suddenly, she yawned.
"Sorry; I thought that nap would have given me more energy," she apologized.
"Hot water will do that to you," Zuko said, removing his hood. "It does that even to Firebenders, even though we're used to constant heat."
"Yeah, I envy your people in the winter. They only need light cloaks to stay warm while everyone else uses heavy coats!" Katara exclaimed. The Waterbender shivered. "It's colder here than in the compound," she muttered as she lay down on the bed. Zuko lay down next to the Waterbender and wrapped his arms around her.
"Better?"
"Much," Katara whispered. They soon fell asleep.
Major fluff. Sorry it took forever to get out, March is my busy month. 11 more days until Season Two!
