Hello, my lovelies! Thank you so much for your reviews! I'm glad to see that you seem interested in this new story of mine. Anyway, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

Many thanks to PurseMonger for her help!

AtLA is not mine.

Chapter One

In Which the Dragon Makes a Discovery

Weeks later found Zuko hunting for his food once again. Winter had completely set and the valley was deeply covered in white snow. Few animals were out moving about, so the area was devoid of any sound except for the howling wind and the rustling of leaves. Zuko disliked the winter season since the cold weather drove many of the animals away, causing him to spend more time and effort trying to find a good meal. He missed the warm, sunny climate of the Fire Nation capital and the tropical weather of Ember Island where his family used to visit to swim in the ocean.

Shaking his head, Zuko growled at himself for once again letting his mind wander to the past. What good were the memories when he would forever be stuck in the body of a dragon? Refocusing his attention to his hunt, he searched the area below him for any sign of prey. His large wings beat slowly as he flew gracefully through the air and the wind ruffled his dark hair. Suddenly, the wind picked up its speed and snow began to fall heavily from the dark clouds above. Zuko ignored the snowstorm as he continued on his search, but when the heavy snow began to impede his view, he decided to give up his search. Annoyed that his food had ran away due to the turn of the weather, Zuko swiftly turned around and flew back to the mountain. He would try again tomorrow.

Just as he approached the mountainside, his sharp eyes spotted something blue lying at the base of the mountain, feet below where his cave was. Curious, he slowed his flight and hovered over the dark blue stain among the pile of white snow before he landed a few feet away from it. His wings created a gust of wind that blew snow around his large body before he tucked them against his sides. He narrowed his eyes as he stared at the strange blue spot before he cocked his head to the side in bemusement. What was it? Where did it come from?

He flared his nostrils and took a large whiff, but the sharp minty scent of snow was the only thing that invaded his senses. Growling softly, he took a few steps closer. As he approached, he realized the snow was quickly covering the blue object, so he quickened his pace. When he finally came near it, the snow had it almost completely covered.

Nothing exciting or new happened since he had arrived at the basin years ago, so he could not stop himself from wanting to explore the strange object. Curious and puzzled, he bent his head down and blew a gust of warm breath at the pile of snow. The warm air immediately melted the icy snow and finally revealed what was beneath it. Zuko reared back in shock at the sight before him.

A woman!

The blue color was her clothing, a sort of thick parka he had seen dignitaries of the Water Tribes wear when they had visited the palace. She was lying on her side and she was unconscious. Her long wet hair was covering her face and he could hear the faint sound of her heartbeat. What was she doing here? Who was she?

Zuko looked down at the woman for a moment before he turned away to leave the girl to her fate. What could he do for her? She was already weak and would not last much longer anyway. He spread his wings and prepared to take flight, but stopped. Something told him that he should help the woman. If he helped her, then she would have a chance to live, if not, she would surely die. Unsure of what to do, Zuko walked back to her. He stared down at her for a moment before he lifted his long tail and nudged her. She remained unconscious. He curled his tail under her and rolled her onto her back.

His eyes widened and his cold heart skipped a beat.

She was beautiful.

Her features were perfect, her skin was a lovely olive hue, her long chocolate-colored hair spread around her head, and her lips were full, though at the moment they were chapped and had a slight tinge of blue.

Zuko frowned. He needed to get her warmed up before she froze to death. But what would happen when she saw him?

The snowstorm was getting worse and it prompted Zuko to take action, deciding to ignore that issue for later when she woke up. That is, if she survived. He moved closer to her, unable to stop admiring her exotic beauty, before he refocused his attention on the problem at hand. How was he going to get her to his cave?

He reached out his clawed hand to gently wrap it around her middle and carefully cradled the woman to his warm chest. He felt her shiver and he pressed her closer to him as a reflex. He noticed a large pack almost buried in the snow and he bent down to grab it carefully between his teeth. With no more hesitation, Zuko spread his wings and took flight. He made sure to keep the unconscious woman curled into the curve of his arm and pressed to his chest to keep the wind and snow from hitting her.

Finally, he spotted the entrance to the cave and perched against the rocky mountainside with his free arm. He slid inside and crawled carefully through the tunnel, making sure to keep the woman from being crushed beneath him or against the hard walls. Once he stepped into the large cavernous room, he dropped her pack before he gently deposited her on his soft bedding. Even though the cave was dark, he could see that she was shivering thanks to his heightened eyesight. He needed to build a fire.

Zuko watched her for a moment before he quickly exited the cave in search of wood. He knew he would not find any dry wood in such weather, but thanks to his dragon abilities, he could dry wood with his warm breath.

Once he gathered a large pile of wood, he swiftly flew back to the cave. When he arrived, he immediately went to check on the woman and frowned when he saw that her shivering was worse. He quickly placed the pile of wood at the center of the room, and after fixing it to his satisfaction, he shot a small flame from his mouth. The now dry wood caught and a large fire blazed strongly. He again gathered the woman in his talon before he gently laid her down next to the blazing fire.

Her clothes were drenched and he hoped she would not get sick because he would not be able to help her. She was shivering uncontrollably and he knew she needed to get out of the wet clothes, but he did not have hands to help her undress, and if he tried he might accidentally hurt her with his claws. Thinking of another solution, Zuko lay down close to her shuddering body, and moved his face closer to her. Then he began to blow his warm breath over her. He did it a few times until her clothes and hair were completely dried and ruffled from his breath.

It was not until hours later, when the combined warmth of his breath and the fire finally seeped into her cold body, did she stop shivering. Zuko could hear her weak heartbeat return to a normal rhythm and her breathing regulated. His large body relaxed in relief.

He kept vigil over her all night to see if she would wake up, but she remained unconscious. He hoped it was just fatigue and not something more serious. He again took note of her clothing. She was wearing dark, blue pants tucked inside gray fur boots. A lighter blue parka, edged with white fur, covered her upper body down to her thighs with slits on the sides. Blue beads adorned the sides of her brown hair. There was no mistaking it, she was a Water Tribeswoman, but he could not tell from which tribe she hailed from. What made her leave her homeland to make her way to this deserted place?

Another question pressed more insistently in his mind. What made him save her life and bring her to his home? He was sure that when she woke up— if she woke up—she would run away once she saw him. The thought hurt and caused him to frown.

Moving closer, he gazed down into her face. Agni, she was beautiful. And he had not even seen her eyes yet. They must be blue like her fellow tribespeople, but what shade of blue? His gaze moved to her lips and he was relieved to see that they had regained their color. His eyes lingered on her lips a little longer. They were plump and soft looking—lips any man would love to kiss. He wondered how they would feel pressed against his.

His eyes widened. Where had that thought come from? He shook his head. It had been years since he had laid eyes on a woman and that must be affecting his brain. The thought made him trail his eyes down the rest of her body. Although her parka hid the curves of her body, it could not hide the feminine swell of her breasts. Zuko again shook his head and frowned at himself.

What was he doing? She was unconscious, for Agni's sake.

His eyes again landed on her face and a sigh-like sound escaped his fanged mouth. How he wished she could be the one to break the curse, but he quickly dismissed the thought. There was no point in getting his hopes up. Once she saw him, she would want nothing to do with him.

He growled at the thought before he moved away from her unconscious form.

She was a beautiful woman.

He was a hideous beast.

A/N: Can you guess who the mysterious woman is? ;)

Just setting up the story :)

~alwaysZutarian