Chapter Five: Tag
It was a while before they finally found their way out of the forest and into a new part of the region. It was about five days since they had left Kaihen when they stepped past the very last oak from the wood and into a vast and clear valley. The wind swept over the luscious green grass and created small emerald waves. The cool breeze was refreshing after being in the stuffy, tree-inhabited woodland. Kaya looked out beyond the bright, lush knolls and spotted some mountains in the far distance. They were barely the size of her thumb from where they were standing, so they would be crossing the meadow for a day or two. But from the gorgeous scenery they were already looking upon, they had no problem with that at all.
The afternoon was just starting to dawn when they decided to make camp at the foot of one of the larger hills. It bothered them to be in such a vast and apparent place in case they might be caught, but after a few hours of no visitors but themselves, they concluded that the next town must be far from where they were. They didn't know for sure, but it was comforting to have a thought of security at mind.
When the sun was starting to take cover behind the mountain tips, Zuko could've been found sitting underneath a small tree, bowing his head down and relaxing. Small footsteps were growing closer to him. He turned his head and saw Kaya walking towards him with her hands behind her back and her eyes looking to the sky. He pretended to pay no attention and looked down at the ground again. A few seconds later, and she was sitting on the opposite spot behind the tree, admiring the meadow in awe.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" she said.
He grunted in reply. She ignored the small response and started to pick blades of grass from the ground beneath her.
"So, tell me about your mother," she said.
He was taken aback for a moment. "Why should I?" he asked stubbornly.
She leaned her head back against the trunk of the tree. "I told you about mine. Only fair that you do the same."
He didn't say anything. They were both silent for a few minutes, almost until Kaya was on the brink of leaving.
"My mother always looked out for me," he said suddenly. Kaya smiled and listened with her eyes closed. "She was the only one in my family besides Uncle who would. Everyone else kept their attention on Azula. 'A true child prodigy,' my father would always say. But my mother spent most of her time with me. She disappeared one night. But before she did, she woke me up and said to me, 'Everything I've done, I've done to protect you. Remember this, Zuko. No matter how things may change, never forget who you are.'" He closed his eyes. "I'll never forget those words."
When he was done, Kaya was frowning sadly. "I'm sorry to hear that, Zuko. It must be painful not knowing what happened to her."
He didn't answer. He was still grasping the idea that he had once more opened up to her in a way he never thought he would do. Why was he doing this anyway? Nothing too special about this girl. . . At least, he would try and keep telling himself that.
Kaya got up after a few moments of silence and more picked blades, and leaned against the tree while standing and folding her arms. She thought for a minute and said, "I feel like playing tag."
Zuko turned around and looked at her in confusion. "What?"
She giggled a bit. "I know it sounds childish, but it seems like it's been decades since I've played a game like tag."
Zuko frowned. "What's the point of playing a kids' game?"
She opened her eyes and looked to the sky. "Not everything needs a point. Just doing what you want is a great way of expressing spirit and freedom." She looked down at him. "Even if it means playing a game of tag."
He looked at her blankly, and showed no sign of getting up. Kaya rolled her eyes while smiling and tapped him quickly on the shoulder. "You're it," she said with a grin.
He grimaced. "I am not going to play tag."
Kaya stood in front of him. "Don't tell me that you're afraid you won't be able to catch big, bad Kaya," she taunted in a babying tone.
Zuko gritted his teeth. "Stop that."
"Not until you tag me," she said.
They were still for a minute or two, but Zuko finally made a grab at her. Unfortunately he missed, and she dodged his hand by backing away.
"Aw, come on," she said. "You can do better than that."
He sat up a bit and tried to touch her again, but she stepped to the side and nearly missed his hand.
"You can firebend better than my father," she said, dodging another attempt, "but you can't catch me?"
Fed up with her teasing, he stood up and started to chase her. She started to laugh as her feet took her across the grassy meadow, still avoiding Zuko's efforts to tag her. Becoming a bit aggravated, he sped up his pace and tried to grab her by the shoulder, but she jumped back before he could come an inch closer. She made a go up a moderately sized hill. It was hard trying to run and climb up it at the same time, but she finally managed to get to the top before Zuko could get her. She waited for him while catching her breath. She didn't have much time, for Zuko was only a few seconds behind her. She made a run down the hill, but he managed to grab onto her right shoulder before she could go too far. Unfortunately, this gave her too much of a push, and she tripped sending them tumbling down the hill. It wasn't too long a roll. They were at the foot of the knoll within a few seconds. They were, thankfully, uninjured. But as for their landing position. . . That was a far more awkward arrangement.
Zuko was above, but not quite on top of, Kaya. His hands and feet were planted to the ground caging her in while she lied in the grass. Both their eyes widened as they realized their predicament. But both pairs of amber eyes were staring in the person opposite them. They never really found out how long they stared at each other or how long it took them to realize what was going on. Zuko was the first to get up though. He blinked a few times, grasping the idea of what was happening, and got up clearing his throat. He offered her a hand and she took it, getting off the ground and laughing nervously. They didn't say anything for a long time. At last, Kaya looked out at the horizon and saw the last of the sun sinking from sight.
"We should go back to the campsite," she suggested.
He nodded and they walked back to the camp without saying a word to each other. Iroh was peeling some apples when they came back.
"Finally, you two have come back," he said with a kind smile. "What were you up to?"
Kaya smiled while looking at the ground. "Just a quick game of tag."
