I'm so excited that people are reading this. I won't be updating as frequently because I already had most of chapter 2 written when I posted chapter 1. Please forgive any grammatical errors, I have no beta reader at the moment.

2019 edit: I'm not going to have any beta readers, I don't release at a consistent enough rate and don't like to wait for people.

. . .

. . .

Thick iron manacles circle Katara's dark wrists. She's trying to discreetly wiggle out of them but they hold firm. Nearby the Fire Nation Prince fumes. General Iroh pinches the bridge of his nose. When he had suggested that his nephew get friends this is not what he had in mind. Kidnapping is not what he had ever had in mind. Now because Zuko hadn't thought this through there was nowhere to store the girl where she would be safe.

"You don't think things through nephew. This wasn't a good idea."

"What do you mean! Of course it's a good idea!" Zuko can't very well admit he was wrong, not after his prisoner has already been brought aboard. "We can lure the Avatar to us instead of chasing him all around the globe."

"Yes, but where will we put her? As far as I can tell my room is the only real option considering both the brig and the crew quarters are out of the question and putting her in your room would be a bad idea."

"A bad idea? I'm not going to hurt her Uncle, you've taught me better than that."

Iroh raises an eyebrow, that's not what he was talking about. "Ahem, the Water Tribe has certain views about honor and other things."

Understanding dawns on Zuko's face as he sputters and turns to the furiously blushing girl. "Wha- I would never - how could you say that! She's a filthy peasant."

"Well it's not like I'm interested in you, you piece of moose-lion dung." Katara retorts.

"I am not moose-lion dung!"

"Yeah you are! You've chased us around the world, you kidnapped me, you're trying to kidnap the Avatar and to top it all off you're Fire Nation. Just being Fire Nation is enough to make you shit!"

"Children-"

"I AM NOT A CHILD!" Both voices angrily holler back before continuing their own shouting match.

Iroh sighs and motions for one of the crew to come over. "Go get some clothes from town that look like they would fit our new guest. Hmm, get whatever else you think a girl her age might like, like jewelry and hair pieces. Have it all brought back here to my room. Oh and get another bed roll." The soldier nods and Iroh hands off a small bag of gold pieces.

"No one even likes you or have you not noticed that? You're a jerk with a big fat ugly scar and an ugly personality to match it!" At her words Zuko stops cold all of the fight leaving him like the air out of a punctured balloon. His shoulders hunch a little and his face falls. Without another word he walks out. "Good riddance," Katara spits, making sure he can hear her.

He should have seen that one coming, after all she doesn't know. The Prince follows the familiar steps from his Uncle's room to his own and slams the door behind him. How could she say something like that? "I don't need anyone to like me. I just need my honor back," he says but it doesn't make him feel any better. He swings his fist at the metal wall, the solid crunch and pain relieving some frustration. His nose still hurts from where she headbutted him earlier and now he has knuckles to match. Nothing's broken but it still hurts.

. . .

"You'll be staying here in this room. I know it's not the best situation, but at least you'll be left alone here. No one will bother you." Iroh pats her blue clad shoulder and walks out, careful to shut the door behind him. The manacles are still on her wrists and it doesn't look like they're coming off anytime soon. They hurt and are rubbing her raw. Her stomach hurts from being thrown over someone's shoulder. Her heart hurts from, no it's best not think about that. She is stuck on an enemy boat, surrounded by men, she doesn't know what's happened to her brother and Aang, and it is most certainly all her fault. The first tear leaks out. She's been so strong around her captors, careful to not show any weakness but in the silence of the room she cries. She cries until her eyes are swollen and red and snot is smeared across her face from trying to wipe it away.

Someone knocks politely on the door then hesitantly sticks their head in. It's a man in his late teens or early twenties who seems more than a little nervous about being near the waterbender. After all, she's a blood thirsty sea wretch who eats human flesh for fun according to the rumors already spreading across the ship like wild fire. The large chunk out of Chang's neck didn't help matters either. "Um, I uh brought you the things that General Iroh asked for." He stammers. "Uh dresses for you and some other stuff. Here you go." He shoves a pile of cloth into her arms and bolts.

All of the clothes are red. Those bastards obviously have something against nice reasonable colors like blue or purple. Even Earth Kingdom green would be preferable to red! She drops them, refusing to let her captors think she agrees with any of this and goes to sit by the wall, staring out the window at the port town. At least she's somewhere where she gets to see outside.

Later Iroh walks in and almost trips over the clothes she left in the middle of the floor. Katara doesn't turn around, just tenses up but to her surprise he just chuckles and starts folding them for her, clearing out a drawer in the chest of drawers for her. "Oh this is nice, they bought you some jewelry and some nice soaps for your hair. That was thoughtful."

The waterbender stays quiet. "Would you like a nice hot cup of jasmine tea? I was just about to make some." He sighs after she doesn't respond.

"My nephew usually joins me for dinner. He'll be here any minute now."

"You know, I still didn't catch your name. What is it? Well, if you won't tell me then I guess I'll call you," he thinks of the most stereotypical Fire Nation name, one that's sure to annoy her, "Saphire, yes Saphire will do nicely as a name."

Finally she speaks. "Katara, my name's Katara."

"Ah Miss Katara then, would you like to join us for dinner? I hear the cook made delicious fried eel tonight." Apparently her name is all she has to say to him since there's no reply to that.

Zuko enters and casts a brief glance at the waterbender pressed as close to the window as possible before sitting down at the short table in front of a roaring fire. His nose is swollen and he's careful not to move too quickly. A server follows him in and places bowls of rice with white wine sauce and fried eel in front of them. There's a bowl for Katara but she makes no move to join them. The two Fire Nation royals eat, awkwardly aware of their guest who is pointedly ignoring them.

The silence stretches on until Zuko snaps. "Oh Agni! You, you're not hurt, you're in a nice room with what I'm sure will be the first real bed you've ever slept in, you should be grateful."

"Really!" Her eyebrows shoot so far up that they're in danger of crossing into her hairline. "Really, what should I feel honored that I was so blessed as to be kidnapped? Should I be happy that you're trying to catch the one person on this planet that has a hope of bringing an end to the war? You have one screwed up idea of what makes people happy."

"Well peasant -"

"My name's Katara, dunderhead. If you're going to be an ass at least be a polite ass."

"You're lecturing me about being polite! You've been the epitome of Southern savagery since we met."

She scoffs. "Southern savagery! The Fire Nation is the real savage, they spread war and death wherever they go!"

"We spread knowledge and civilized ways of thinking."

"Oh don't even try to pull that line with me."

"If a few people happen to get hurt in the process so be it."

"A few people." Pain flashes across her features. "A few people happen to get hurt!" The young waterbender has seen so many people who have been brutalized, extorted, killed, and he calls them a few people who happen to get hurt. There's nothing she can say to that. Howvcould someone be that blind? "I hope someone shows you just how bad the Fire Nation has made people's lives."

"The Fire Nation has helped so much! Before us -"

"Nephew." Iroh's hand rests gently on his shoulder before Zuko scorches the bowls in his temper. Zuko removes his hands quickly from the table, embarrassed. "Please Katara come join us. Any escape plans you have will do better on a full stomach."

"She's not escaping Uncle! We need her to catch the Avatar."

By this time Katara has moved to get her food but retreats back to the window with it. It's hard to eat with the manacles on but she manages it considering that she hasn't eaten since the day before. "And how exactly do you plan on catching him? You've done a pretty bad job so far."

"But now we have something he wants. He'll come to us."

"No he won't." She's praying that he won't at least. She can get herself out of here but he can't get caught, no matter what he can't get caught. "My brother and Aang know better than to stop for me. Aang has to master the elements, and they won't stop for me."

"I wouldn't be so sure little waterbender. The Avatar adores you and so you'll bring him right to me."

"I'll be gone long before you get the chance."

"I'm going to have guards with you twenty-four seven, you won't get the chance."

"Watch me."

. . .

The manacles chaff and Katara should be planning her escape. Her stomach is full though and the bed roll they bought for her is so much more comfortable than appa's saddle or her bison fur and flea infested sleeping bag. Not seeing the stars is the worst part considering she's been sleeping under them for the weeks since she and Sokka left with Aang. Within moments she's asleep even with the older gentleman in the room and the fact that she's on an enemy ship. Guards stand outside the door and Iroh looks at the young woman huddled against the window. This war has affected so many and children shouldn't have to live like this. Children like her and his own nephew shouldn't have to live in fear, they shouldn't have this much responsibility weighing on their young shoulders.

"Prince Zuko, this isn't right." the prince had just walked in the room.

"I know Uncle, but what else am I supposed to do?" The pleading undertone is obvious.

"I know catching the Avatar is important to you but think about this poor girl. She's scared witless. She'll at least cooperate more if you take the manacles off and perhaps don't retort to all of her comments with quite as much vigor."

"I'm talking about the Avatar."

"And I'm talking about Miss Katara over there. She is your responsibility and you need to treat her well. The mark of a good man is how he treats those who won't help him."

"I don't want to hear anything about being a good man Uncle, I want to hear about how to capture the Avatar!"

"I don't have any advice on that Nephew, that is something you must figure out yourself."

"Ugh!" he groans and stomps back to his room, skipping the usual nightly tea with his uncle. This girl is going to be a problem but how else is he going to capture the Avatar? Nothing has worked so far and he needs this. He needs to catch that boy.

. . .

Aang is frantic, crying and wringing his hands. "She's gone, they took her! How could they take her! Why need to go get her back! Sokka why are you just sitting there, we need to go get Katara!"

"Shut up Aang." Sokka doesn't look up just continues staring into the fire.

"How can you just be sitting there, we have to go get her!"

Sokka jumps to his feet and the surprised Avatar is pinned to a nearby tree. "This is all your fault kid. If you had never shown up this never would have happened. Now shut the hell up and let me think."

. . .

"The manacles will come off during the day but don't you dare try anything or else they will be right back on and you'll be in the darkest corner of the ship bound to the point that bending isn't even an option." Katara isn't planning on trying anything quite yet. They pulled out of port late last night and now they're in the middle of the ocean. She may be a waterbender but that doesn't mean that she can make it to shore especially since she doesn't know where shore is. The manacles click open and breakfast is placed in front of her. "Well, aren't you going to say thank you?" It didn't take long for her to realize that silence is what aggravates him the most and so she uses it to her full advantage. "I didn't have to do that you know." She rolls her eyes. "I could have thrown you in the brig to rot."

"Or you could have not kidnapped me. How about that?" The prince groans, Uncle's idea of being nice is getting him nowhere.

"So Nephew, will your guest be joining us for training today?"

"Have you forgotten that she's a waterbender and we're on a ship in the middle of the ocean?"

"I just thought that it would be a nice break from your regular drills. Sparring with someone new will help your skills develop."

Zuko snorts. "My skills develop? You saw her the other night trying to do some simple move. She's awful she won't be a challenge."

"Excuse you, that was a brand new move I'd never seen before so I did a pretty good job considering." She may not believe it but that doesn't mean he doesn't have to. "I could take you on." Mostly she just wants a chance to continue learning bending or at least practicing hers. Even if it is from filthy fire benders, she needs to learn more especially if she ever wants to defeat Zuko, get away from him, and keep Aang and Sokka safe. "In fact, I could take you with one hand tied behind my back." That does the trick.

"Keep dreaming peasant. Guards, set up a room away from the hull with a few barrels of water."

"Yes sir." A wicked grin spreads across Katara's face and is met with equal intensity by Zuko. Iroh's heart drops somewhere in the region of his intestines. There's not going to be anything left of the two! They shovel food into their mouths and are off, Katara's eyes scanning the ship for her future breakout.

Zuko closes the door behind them and Katara immediately pulls all of the water in the three barrels towards her or at least tries to. The barrels explode but the liquid inside goes no more than two feet before dropping to the ground. "Fuck."

The firebender turned around at the explosion and raises an eyebrow. "I thought you could take me on with a hand tied behind your back."

He's smirking and it's infuriating. It was a reaction the other night when the water whip worked properly. She's waterbended fish for dinner before, she's done simple things, she can do this. Just go on instinct. Her arm shoots forward and the water does too. Zuko dodges but at least he's surprised. With a twist of her wrist the water flows on a smooth arc right into her forehead, again.

"With skills like that I'm amazed that the Water Tribes haven't beaten the Fire Nation into the ground." To her utter embarrassment tears form at the corners of her eyes. She bites her cheek to stop them but a few have already escaped to Zuko's complete and utter shock. "Oh Agni, don't worry about it. Here," without thinking he puts his hand on her arm.

She stiffens and jumps back screeching. She doesn't know this boy, this enemy of hers and she wants him nowhere near her. "Don't touch me!" She spits and every drop of water including her tears smashes into him. Fire shoots from his arms, evaporating a lot of the water before it reaches him. She pulls it back instinctually forming a barrier around herself. A fire ball fizzles out against it and Katara twirls, sending the water crashing into the prince again though this time he jumps to avoid it. He lands catlike a few feet away and goes in for close combat with fire knives. Her arms wave and the ground beneath him freezes. It actually works properly! The Prince of the Fire Nation lands squarely on his butt. It takes him a moment to catch his breath but once he does he's back on his feet. The moment is long enough for the adrenaline to leave Katara's veins and when he attacks again the water only splashes against him instead of pushing him back with it's force.

Thankfully he pauses as the waterbender starts muttering swear words under her breath. She moves her arms and the water responds better than it did two days ago but still not well enough for her to be a great bender outside of adrenaline filled situations. "I hope the Water Tribe didn't loose it's best warrior when it lost you. That's enough for the day." Zuko states, uncomfortable and embarrassed for her, and walks out of the room, leaving her with the guards standing outside the door. Unsure of whether or not she has to leave now, Katara stays and puts in another few hours worth of work. She goes through kata after kata perfecting her old moves and trying to remember the new ones from the scroll. She has to work with the water and feel the energy in it if she wants to get any better and she has to get better. She has to get herself out of here.

By the end of her practice her arms are sore, her legs are jelly, and she's sweating head to toe but it's worth it. She can now at least manage the water whip even if it isn't perfect. She doesn't have to be perfect to win. The path back to General Iroh's room is fairly straight forward. They go up two flights of stairs to the main deck then down a hallway and up one flight of stairs before arriving at his door. No one is inside and she flops down in front of the table downing the pot of tea that was left for her. If they're going to drug her they can slip it into pretty much anything and there's not much she can do so she might as well stay hydrated. There don't seem to be any negative after effects and the taste is rather floral. Katara's not used to tea of any kind considering the leaves are hard to come by in the South and so the taste leaves something to be desired by her.

After a few minutes or hours of stretching and relaxing after her workout she stands. After being the 'mother' of the group for so long she can't just sit and do nothing, it feels wrong. She goes through all of her stretches again but that doesn't take nearly as long as she'd like. She looks at the new clothes they got for her - and proceeds to hate every single one of them, preferring to stay in her Water Tribe blues even if they were getting a little worn and she's already outgrown them. After a moment of internal debate and deciding that since she was the prisoner here and they were the idiots that put her in the room so she could do whatever the hell she wanted to it, she starts rifling through the drawers. This Iroh man doesn't have anything interesting. There are a few candles, some trinkets and jewelry but nothing all that odd. He does have a few little sculptures that seem almost Water Tribe in style but they surely couldn't be.

Finally, there's something interesting or at least it could be. His bedside drawer is locked. She really shouldn't pry into other people's things but, well, what would Aang say? 'The monks told me once that even though we all live together we each are entitled to our own little bits of privacy,' or something along those lines. What would Sokka say though? 'Open it open it!' Chants through her mind, 'There could be blubbered seal jerky or even Fire Nation war plans!' Yeah, Sokka's voice definitely wins. It doesn't take much to open the drawer, a few twists from the pins that hold her hair in place and the drawer clicks open. The contents shed a new light on the old man even without too close of a look. A polished wooden statue of two koi fish circling each other gracefully sits in one corner, carefully padded against the iron drawer. The Water Tribe symbol is carved into the back of one and on the other the Fire Nation symbol is carved. Katara picks it up carefully as if afraid even breathing on it might break it. An inscription at the bottom reads 'Iroh, may you find your peace' and on the other side it states, 'balance is achieved through the push and pull of inner seas'. That's an old Water Tribe saying. What is a Fire Nation man doing with a personalized Water Tribe statue? Letters lay beside the carving and underneath them pictures. A little boy, a young man, they seem to be the same person and have Iroh's features. There are easily a dozen paintings of the boy and Iroh together laughing and smiling. The second to last one though is sombre, both men are dressed in what can only be described as royal paraphernalia with straight faces and serious mouths. The artist somehow managed to catch the twinkle in the boy's eyes, making the picture a little less grim. Katara picks up the last painting and gasps. It's a funeral announcement with the boy's face. Steps echo outside the door and she scurries to put the papers back and get away from the drawer, schooling her face to look as pissed as possible and whoever walks in.

. . .

Prince Zuko goes through the motions of his own training but his thoughts are elsewhere. After messing up a form that he should be able to do with no problems for the fourth time he throws his head back in frustration and releases a steady stream of fire from his lungs. "Enough!" He stalks inside and slams the door of his room closed behind him. That peasant should not occupy any of his thoughts especially no thoughts of pity! The problem is that he sees so much of himself in her. He still struggles with some of the basics and it's quite obvious that she does too. Uncle was right though, she does offer an entirely different kind of fighting than he is used to. If she gets better at it then he'll have a stronger opponent to fight and he himself will get better too. The prince opens his wardrobe and pulls out the waterbending scroll from the other night. The pirates hadn't gotten it back from him. Perhaps this would help her. No, it would help him by giving him a better opponent who doesn't hold back because he's young and a prince, even a banished prince outranks the men on this ship. It could easily be a death sentence if any of them hurt him and though he'd never execute any of them, they don't know that and they hold back.

He needs to come up with a plan to capture the Avatar though and having a strong Waterbender may not be the best idea for that. They're already on a course for the Fire Nation and it's been a day and a half since the girl was brought on board. He needs to get ready. He sighs, giving the girl the scroll won't take long and prepping for the Avatar will.

He walks out then realizes he has no idea where his own prisoner is. He gave no orders to the guards and so she could be a number places, the training room, the mess hall, Uncle's room. Uncle's room seems the most likely since it's been a few hours and it's doubtful she's still training with her limited abilities. His guess is correct. The girl is standing in the center of the room her arms crossed and a look of utmost annoyance etched into her features. Just the sight of her makes his blood pressure go up a bit. "Work on this. Tomorrow we'll spar again and I want an actual challenge." He throws the scroll down on the table and bolts out of there before she can say anything rude.