This is a very short chapter, was written during a family hard patch. And most likely to be rewritten but might not be.
Katara sat across the fire from her brother and Aaang. Aang was his normal cheerful self, but she could tell that he hadn't always been that way. His once chipmunk cheeks were now sunken in and his eyes had deep black circles under them where it looked like he hadn't slept for days. And believe that he was telling Katara all about what happened when she was away. Sokka looked better then Aang but kept eyeing his sister warily as if he wanted to ask her something, or lots of somethings.
Katara looked back at the fire. She knew that they had been worried about her, but everytime they ask her what had happened she didn't know what to say. It wasn't lying if you didn't say anything. And besides, what would they do, how would they react if they ever found out.
She watched the flames dance and felt her heart sink even lower. Had she not have had so much on her mind at the time, then she could have ask the bartender about the stone. She had alot of questions. She knew that in that town, the stone meant that she was married, but then the bartender and the guards both recognized it as the exiled prince's. Would that mean that he had been married? What did it really mean? All he told her was that it was a bind. That didn't mean they were married, but it did mean they were connected.. She took a deep breath and looked up to see Momo inches from her face. She laughed and patted him on the head.
The boys were already laying down for what looked like a much needed sleep. But she couldn't sleep. She didn't even want to try. She took her necklace off and turned the blood stone in her hand, but only after she was completely sure that the others were asleep. As she looked at the stone it began to glow, dimly at first, then it got brighter and brighter. She looked at it intently, but dropped it quickly because it burnt her hand. She stared down at the stone with wide eyes as it lay on the dirt. The glowing was gone, and she gently put her fingers to touch it then take it back into her hand. It was cold. Like normal. She shook her head and buried the necklace deep in her pocket. Shrugging it off as a halucination.It was a cold day and had been a very long night, her or her friends had gotten any sleep. She looked up at the drab clouds floating overhead. She would let them rest as long as they needed. But she knew that they had to return to the village and stock up, or as where the next one was.
Zuko paced the floor in his room, patting Riyo's instinctivly, everytime the baby moved. He quietly sang the first lulaby that the child ever heard, to sooth the aching little boy. Zuko rested his cheek against Riyo's small head.
They were headed back to the Earth Kingdom village, to find a doctor or a healer that knew how to tend to children. Zuko only prayed that they made it in time. Riyo's appetite had lapsed and he was generally fussy.
Iroh watched from the door as Zuko walked a hole in the floor. He was worried about his son, the only heir that he may ever have. Iroh shook his head, to loose the girl, and if he lost Riyo so close after then the boy wouold go completely off the deep in. That little baby had such an impacton Zuko that Iroh didn't know if Zuko would have the will to continue living if the baby was to pass.
Zuko took the damp rag he had near and patted the babies head the quickly wrapped the baby up
It had occured to him over the past few hours that he knew nothing about taking care of children. That was always the woman's place. He regretted putting the waterbender out, for his own selfish reasons. He saw now that his son needed the nurturing a woman could offer. And maybe she could even use her water bending to make his son's illness go away..