"I don't like the looks of this place."

"Is that you talking or instincts, Sokka?"

"Both, sis."

Katara, who was using Ty Lee and Zuko as supports (the wound made it painful to walk without help), rolled her eyes. "At least Aang didn't land near the city. It was crawling with pirates."

"Are you still afraid of pirates?"

"You try being attacked by them and then running into Zuko when he was still after us and see how long you're freaked out by pirates," Katara retorted. Behind her back, Ty Lee made a show of confusion. Zuko shook his head, telling her not to ask.

"We should camp soon," Zuko reminded the others. "Katara shouldn't walk too much at the moment."

Sokka seemed offended that the fugitive Firebender seemed to know more about his sister's condition that he did, but agreed. "He's right, Aang. Let's find a clearing and camp. Can anyone other than my sister cook?" Ty Lee raised her hand.

"Back in school, I was the best in cooking lessons. Azula wasn't too happy about having to take them, so she really didn't mind I was a lot better than her at it," she said.

"Just what can you cook?"

"Anything and everything. Fish in at least a hundred different ways, beef, pork, any of the varieties of fowl and poultry, and even octopus and squid," Ty Lee listed. Sokka was drooling with hunger.

"Let's hurry up! I'm hungry!" Sokka ran off to find a clearing. Katara and Toph started laughing uproariously.

"I think you just found the way to my brother's heart, Ty Lee," Katara told her. Ty Lee blushed slightly.

"Shush."

Sokka had found a perfect little clearing, the bend of a river breaking into a grove of moon peach trees. "Moon peaches!" Ty Lee squealed with happiness. "I love moon peaches!"

Sokka cocked his head. "You actually eat those slivery, fuzzy things?" Ty Lee laughed as she and Zuko set Katara down.

"You don't eat the skin; you peel it first." A loud ripping sound from behind her caused Ty Lee to jump.

Appa had found the peaches and was eating them. Momo chirruped and grabbed one. Aang laughed. "Favorite fruits," he explained.

Toph sighed and sat down next to Katara. "Are Pokey and your brother flirting still?"

"Ty Lee is, I know. Not so sure about Sokka," Katara whispered back.

"Betcha something it's only a matter of three weeks before he starts flirting back."

"You're on. If he starts after three weeks, I win. What're we betting?"

"A dare. I win, you have you to do what I dare you to, and vice versa." Toph grinned. Katara nodded and returned her grin, though Toph couldn't see it."'

"Deal." Toph smirked and stuck her hand out for Katara to shake. Katara took it and the two giggled.

It was nighttime and Zuko was having a hard time sleeping. Something was nagging at the back of his mind and preventing sleep. Finally, Zuko gave up trying and sat up, detangling himself from the blankets.

The moon peaches were glowing dimly in the light of the full moon, as were the silver tinted leaves.

Some of the leaves fell, drawing Zuko's attention to where Katara lay on her side. The fallen leaves had landed in her hair, down and framing her face in a way that (when combined with the leaves) astounded the ex-prince.

She's…

Beautiful?

Not you again!

Yes, me again. Consider me a parasite or a nagging mother-in-law. I will never leave you. But now, I'll leave you to your thoughts.

The more Zuko heard this annoying voice, the more certain he was that it was most definitely not justhis conscience. He had heard from his uncle that everyone had a spiritual guide, even if they didn't hear it. In cases such as Azula and Ozai it was missing completely, though, for the most part, it silently guided you to do what needed to be done.

Why couldn't Zuko have had a silent one?

At that moment, Katara stirred, shaking the leaves from her hair. "Zuko, is that you?" she mumbled.

"Yes. Is something wrong?" Zuko knelt by Katara, slightly worried. Katara shook her head, straining to reach her back.

"No. I just hurt. Badly." Zuko smiled slightly as he helped Katara sit upright.

"You were attacked with a shuriken twice in less than two weeks; of course you're going to hurt badly," he pointed out. Katara rolled her eyes.

"Hush. I know that; let me complain," she muttered.

"You girls do that too much as it is."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"My sister, her friends, Toph, and you all seem to have one thing in common. Two, actually. Complaints and bossiness," Zuko taunted. He got water whipped in response to his comment. "And a sadist streak," he added.

"I am not a sadist! I hate causing pain, unless it's absolutely necessary. I'll fight, yeah, but I don't like to cause permanent pain, like broken bones, sprained ankles, et cetera."

"You're better at healing them," Zuko agreed, rubbing the ankle he had sprained. Katara smiled softly, and leaned back gently.

A cracking twig startled the two teens and Momo, who was sleeping on a nest made of fallen peach limbs nearby.

"What's that?" Katara muttered, obviously spooked. She reached for Zuko's hand and took it.

"Sounded like someone nearby," the Firebender replied, not caring that the girl had his hand in a death grip (or so it seemed).

Tall and slender, the being who had snapped the twig emerged from the woods on the other side of the river bend. "Oh, Jala forsake it all!" it muttered. The figure bent down, very oblivious to the fact that Katara and Zuko were staring at it.

"Jala? Water Goddess?" Zuko whispered to Katara.

"I think so. Never heard of her before, though," the young Waterbender admitted shyly.

"Who's there? I heard voices." The figure, who was clearly a woman, looked up. "Show yourselves or you will have one very unhappy Master Waterbender on your hands."

Zuko lit up his palm. "Don't worry; no one here wants to hurt you. My friend and I are the only two up," he replied. In his peripheral vision, he saw Katara blush at the word "friend". He ignored it.

"Like a group of kids could hurt me," the woman scoffed. She was clearly Water Tribe; all she was wearing was blue. Her loose top fell just below her waist, while her tight pants stopped a few inches above her ankles. "I don't care if one is a Firebender. I've face Masters before and kicked their sorry butts."

"Who are you?" Katara asked. The woman turned to her.

"Oh, thank you! A Water Tribeswoman. Wait…" She paused and looked at Katara, then Zuko, then back to Katara. "Are you two…promised?"

Zuko looked at Katara, who shared his look of surprise. "Uh…no, ma'am," he replied.

"Ma'am? Boy, you make me sound like my mother. I'm only twenty-four. The name's Lakai, currently a traveling healer and herbalist."

"Currently?"

"Temporary occupation," Lakai said with a casual wave of her hand. "Any of you need healing?"

Katara looked at Zuko. "Do we trust her?" she mouthed.

"You decide; it's your back," he mouthed back.

"Can you heal with water?"

Lakai rolled her eyes. "Of course. I'm a female Waterbender."

What that had anything to do with it, they didn't know, but Katara merely shrugged and continued. "Could you heal a shuriken wound?"

"Sure, but I'd have to take you to the tents. All my lotions and such are back there," the young woman explained. "Plus, I've got leftover dinner."

"Did someone mention dinner?" Sokka mumbled from his sleeping bag. "Good. I'm hungry."

"Sokka, you ate less than two hours ago," Katara pointed out.

"I'm still hungry."

Lakai chuckled. "Let me guess; teenaged boy?" Katara nodded and rolled her eyes. "Well, if you'd like me to heal you, get your friends and any beasts of burden and follow me. I'll wait."

Katara and Zuko set about getting the others up to follow the new Waterbender. When Aang got Appa up, Lakai's eyes went big.

"That is what I call a beast of burden," she muttered. She looked around. "Ready? Follow me."