I'm back! Sorry for the late update, but here's the new chapter! Enjoy!
Many thanks to my awesome Beta reader, PurseMonger, for her help.
Oh, here are some guidelines to the characters' thoughts and dialogue:
"Spoken words"
Individual thoughts
"Shared thoughts"
AtLA is not mine.
Chapter Four
In Which the Maiden Kindly Listens
Katara stared unbelievingly at the red dragon after his startling proclamation. Surely she must have heard wrong. How could a human transform into a dragon? It was impossible! Was he trying to make a fool out of her? To what purpose, though? As her mind whirled with questions, she realized that the dragon was still staring into her eyes, silently waiting for her reaction. She stared back, her mind still trying to grasp what he had revealed, before she realized that he was being completely serious.
"A…man? How could that be?" she asked hesitatingly.
She watched as his golden eyes seem to dim a little before he looked away to stare into the blazing fire.
"I...don't want to talk about it," she heard him murmur in her head.
Something in his tone made the waterbender's chest tightened. There seemed to be a wealth of anger, pain, and sadness in that one sentence and it only made her a little sad and even more curious.
What happened to him?
There was a heavy silence as Katara continued to watch the dragon stare darkly into the fire. She could sense he was lost in his memories, probably painful ones by the way his eyes would narrow into slits and his fangs would clench. She bit her lip, uncertain of what to do or say. When the silence stretched on, she decided to help him dispel whatever dark thoughts had taken a hold of him.
Why? She didn't know.
She cleared her throat delicately and watched as he blinked before he turned his head to look at her. She was glad to see that the anger and sadness she had detected before had disappeared, or maybe were just being suppressed at the moment.
Zuko mentally frowned at himself for allowing past, dark memories to resurface, but he had been unable to stop them when the woman asked her question. A part of him had wanted to tell her his entire story, but another part of him was hesitant, and if he were honest, a little ashamed, for he felt it was partly his fault he found himself in the form of a dragon. He watched as the waterbender suddenly stood up and made a small bow, her long brown hair falling over her shoulder at her action.
"I am Katara from the Southern Water Tribe," she introduced herself with a kind smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you."
Zuko could only stare in wonder at the woman. Instead of bombarding him with questions about his sudden revelation like most people would have, she had somehow sensed his hesitation, and instead changed the topic, perhaps to make him feel more at ease. And she was introducing herself and saying she was pleased to meet him as if she were standing in front of a person and not a huge dragon. This woman was...unique.
Katara, her name swirled in his mind and he found that it was a pleasant name, and if he could have, he would have rolled her name on his tongue several times. He finally realized that she was staring at him expectantly, one eyebrow arched, and he knew she was waiting for him to introduce himself. He was still not ready to reveal everything about himself, but he could give her his name since she had told him hers.
"I am Zuko," he replied before he added slowly, "From, uh, the Fire Nation."
He watched as the woman, Katara, let out a small laugh.
"I kind of figured you were from the Fire Nation," she replied with a bit of humor before a small frown appeared on her smooth, tanned brow. "Zuko…? I think I've heard that name before."
Zuko held his breath as he watched the woman mused over his name, but he watched as a moment later she frowned and gave a small shrug.
"I know I've heard it before, but I can't exactly remember where," she said as she looked at him curiously.
Zuko did not reply, though it kind of hurt that his name wasn't as famous as it was when he was still human. Everybody had known his name. Perhaps the Southern Water Tribe didn't receive much news from the outside world? He was startled out of his thoughts when he heard the woman gasped loudly.
"You...you almost saw me naked the first time you took me to the pool to bathe!" she exclaimed as she pointed an accusing finger at his face, her blue eyes blazing.
"It wasn't as if I took you there to see you...naked," Zuko replied carefully, "You were the one who started to disrobe before I could leave."
The waterbender spluttered indignantly and Zuko watched with interest as her cheeks flushed with color before she crossed her arms and huffed at him.
"I left as soon as you started to...disrobe and I swear I saw nothing," he added just to make her feel at ease. Besides, it was the truth.
Katara stared at him for a moment, her brow furrowed, before she decided he was being honest. Besides, she was the one who started to take off her clothes before he had left.
"Alright then," she replied with a little huff to hide her embarrassment.
Zuko was a little amused that she was more worried over the fact that he almost saw her naked than his revelation of him being a human. Women were strange.
"I'm curious about something," he added when he saw that she was no longer upset, "Why were you wandering around these parts? Especially during this time of year?"
The waterbender still found it amazing and unbelievable that she could hear his voice in her head, that it took her a minute to process what he had asked her.
"Oh, uh, I became separated from my companions," she began in careful tone, "I was lost for a few days before I stumbled upon this place and...um…"
"And you collapsed near the mountain," he continued when she trailed off.
She gave him a brief nod.
"Why are you traveling in these parts in the first place? You look young."
"Uh, we are just…on a road trip," she replied slowly before she added more firmly, "And I'm eighteen!"
Zuko let out a soft snort at her explanation. He had a feeling she was hiding the truth, and for some reason, it upset him that she was lying to him. But he decided not to demand she answer his questions truthfully since she had not pried him for answers before. She had a right to keep her secrets just as he had his. Was he curious? Definitely. But he would respect her privacy.
"I...see," he finally replied.
So he had been correct in his assumption that she was no older than twenty. He had been twenty when he had been cursed, but he had lost track of time as the years passed that he no longer knew how old he was now. If he were to guess, he would say he was probably in his mid to late thirties now.
"Yeah," the sound of her voice brought him out of his thoughts. "So I need to leave soon and find my friends."
His heightened sense of hearing heard her mutter under her breath, "Sokka's probably worried sick about me."
Zuko felt his stomach squeeze a little when she said she needed to leave before some kind of feeling tightened his chest as she mentioned this Sokka person once again.
Who is this Sokka? Zuko mentally asked himself with a growl so low that the woman wouldn't be able to hear. His eyes widened in alarm when he realized that he was feeling annoyed at the thought that this Sokka could be Katara's...lover. He mentally shook his head and growled at himself. Why should it bother him if the waterbender was spoken for?
"So why did you rescue me?" Katara asked, unaware of Zuko's thoughts and the emotions whirling within him. "I've always been curious about that."
"I'll admit that at first I thought of leaving you behind," Zuko replied slowly before quickly adding, "but I felt bad at the thought that you could die when I could've done something to prevent it. So I decided to bring you to my home, so you could be safe until you recovered and the storm passed."
"Thank you," the brunette replied sincerely with a small smile before she grimaced. "And I'm sorry to be a bother."
"I don't mind. I enjoy your company," Zuko found himself reassuring her before he could stop himself.
If he could, he knew his face would be flushed at admitting such a thing. But he found his embarrassment disappear when she threw a beaming smile his way. For the first time in his life, Zuko felt his heart skip a beat and he growled at the strange and unwanted sensation. She must have heard his growl this time because she tilted her head to the side and gave him a questioning look.
"Why didn't you run away as soon as you saw me?" he asked, trying to distract himself yet curious as well.
"Honestly, I was terrified," Katara replied truthfully as her hand fidgeted with her hair before she forced herself to stop, "But when you didn't attack me, I decided you mustn't be that bad. Although, it did surprise me that 'a dragon' seemed to be caring for me."
"Hm," she heard him murmur mentally.
"Is it strange that I didn't faint dead away at the first sight of you?" she asked with a bit of humor.
Her smile immediately fell when she saw him stiffen and she suddenly had a feeling that she had touched a nerve.
"Yes," he responded truthfully, his mood more subdued that before. "I was expecting you to start screaming and trying to escape as soon as you found yourself in the presence of...a dragon. That's what always happened before." A low growl escaped his throat.
Katara felt her heart reach out for him. If what he said was true and he used to be a human, it must have been truly horrible to suddenly find himself being shunned by everybody, to be looked on with horror and fear. She did not know much about what he had experienced, but the little he had revealed made her sad. She wanted to know more, she wanted to ask why he was a dragon, but she held her tongue. She sensed it was a painful subject and she did not want to pry, especially since he had not called her out on her pathetic excuse for being in that part of the country. For some reason, however, she wanted to comfort him, to make him forget his sadness, even if for a moment.
"Well, I'm not your typical damsel in distress," she spoke up with mocking hauteur as she puffed out her chest and placed her hand on her hips that way her arrogant brother would, "It'll take more than a dragon to bring me down. Ha!"
"But you did run away later," he reminded her.
Katara flushed and cleared her throat.
"Uh, well, when you kept bringing me food, I, uh, thought that maybe you were trying to...fatten me up so you could make a meal out of me," she murmured in embarrassment.
She watched his eyes widened in surprise before she heard his rumbling chuckle in her head. The sound, although a little distorted since it was in her head, was nice and it brought a grin to her face. She had a feeling he didn't find much amusement around these parts, so she was glad she was able to humor him a little.
Zuko had at first eyed her in confusion for a moment—studiously ignoring the way her breasts had jutted out at her action—before he realized what she was trying to do. For the second time that day, he found himself chuckling in amusement. He was grateful for her efforts.
"So you are a waterbender," he stated as he lay down on all four feet and looked at her with interest.
"Yes," she replied enthusiastically as she sat back down on her bedroll.
Zuko ignored the sweet, lingering scent of her blood that still clung to the dagger as he listened quietly as the blue-eyed woman talked excitedly about her abilities, mostly the healing side of waterbending. He could hear the pride in her voice when she mentioned that there hadn't been a waterbender in her family since her grandfather's generation before he heard her grumble something too low for even him to hear.
"I...heard you mention before that you wished to be a master waterbender but...your father only allowed you to learn waterbending for healing," Zuko began slowly and curiously. "Why is that?"
Katara crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.
"It's traditional for women to use their waterbending only for the healing arts while the men learn it for combat," she explained a little bitterly. "I tried to convince Father, but it's even more difficult since I'm…" she trailed off and then cleared her throat.
"Uh, never mind," Zuko heard her finish in his head.
The dragon cocked his head in curiosity, but she did not notice as she absentmindedly began to clean the bloody dagger she had dropped earlier. He still found it incredible that he was able to hear her in his head and that she was able to hear him in return. He sure had not expected such an outcome. He had expected to live in silence for the rest of his life. Her actual voice was like a sweet tingling in his ears, but when he heard it in his mind it was like a soft murmur. He wondered how his voice sounded to her.
"So, uh, you mentioned you're from the Fire Nation," Katara said as she again looked at the silent dragon staring down at her.
She wondered if he knew what was going on in his homeland, of what the Fire Lord was trying to do to the world—which in a way, was what caused her to be in her current dilemma—but decided not to bring up the subject. She did not want to upset him more than he was and she did not want to talk of the reasons why she left her home.
"Were you a firebender when you were...human?" she asked tentatively.
The idea still sounded incredible to her.
Although the memory brought a pang to his chest, Zuko thought this topic was acceptable. Besides, he had always been proud of his bending abilities.
"Yes, I used to be a firebending master," he replied, his tone full of pride, "I was also skilled in martial arts and swordsmanship, I used to wield dual broadswords."
"Wow, that's impressive," the waterbender said in awe, and admittedly, a bit enviously. "Do you miss firebending?"
Zuko was silent once again for a moment as he lost himself in past memories before he nodded his head.
"I do." His response was a soft murmur in Katara's mind. "But it's not so bad since I can still produce fire."
Katara brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs as she stared at the suddenly solemn dragon. She could not imagine being without her waterbending. It was a part of her, it made her who she was. She wondered how he had handled his sudden loss in firebending. However, her biggest question was how had it felt for him to suddenly find himself no longer human? Why and how was he a dragon? The only conclusion she could come up with was that ancient and rare thing called magic.
"So you can heal with your waterbending," his baritone voice snapped her from her thoughts. "That is why your ankle isn't sprained anymore."
"Yeah," Katara responded proudly as she unwrapped her arms from around her legs and sat up straighter. "Speaking of healing abilities," she added curiously, "I didn't know dragons', uh, saliva have healing properties."
The waterbender felt heat rise to her face as she recalled his rough tongue licking her palm. A small shudder raced down her spine as she remembered the sensation that had raced through her as he healed her cut and she self-consciously pressed her palm against her stomach. She felt even more self-conscious now that she knew it was a man who actually licked her palm, even if it was just to heal her cut.
Zuko watched with interest as the woman's cheeks reddened and he did not miss the movement of her now healed hand. The memory of the scent of her blood, of the sweet and intoxicating taste, assaulted his senses so strongly that he had to shut his eyes and take deep and calming breaths to destroy the sudden, almost violent, feelings that erupted within him. What in the hell was wrong with him? The thought of someone's blood and scent shouldn't…arouse him to such an extent. Which in and of itself was strange since he had not had any sexual thoughts since he was cursed. It had something to do with his dragon curse. What else could it be? But more importantly, what did it mean?
"So how did you know your saliva can heal?" he heard Katara ask.
The question immediately dispelled the chaotic emotions churning within him as past memories once again slammed into him. Of pain, fear, confusion, and anger. A low growl rumbled in his throat and smoke seeped from the sides of his maw and curled upward.
"Dragon hunters," he said simply.
"Dragon hunters?" she asked with a frown.
Once again silence permeated between them, the only sound being that of the crackling fire and the rustling of the waterbender's clothes as she shifted uncertainly.
"Not everybody ran away from me when they saw me," he finally spoke, his tone quiet, morose, and a little bitter. "Some actively hunted me down."
"What?" Katara gasped.
"Every once in a while, I would come across a dragon hunter or a group of them," Zuko continued and a low growl rumbled in his throat. "In the beginning, when I was still adjusting to...my sudden transformation, I did not know how to fight them off. It was during these...skirmishes that I learned almost nothing could penetrate my scales, but it was also during these times that I learned, in the most painful of ways, that I wasn't completely invincible."
"What...what do you mean?" she asked with a small frown.
Zuko eyed the brunette warily for a moment, but when he saw her ocean-blue eyes only held innocent curiosity—and dare he say it, compassion—he knew he could trust her, which was strange because he wasn't one to trust people so easily, even when he was human.
"The scales on the underside of my body are...softer," he explained, though he hated to admit any kind of weakness. "The more experienced hunters knew that, so they always aimed for my chest, right at my heart. A few came quite close to killing me."
"How horrible," the waterbender breathed as she pressed a hand to her own chest.
Zuko felt his heart warm a little at her sadness for his own predicament. She must be a compassionate sort of person, he mused. He had not encountered many people like her, even when he was human since Court life was full of intrigues and lies, of people hiding behind facades and using any means necessary to achieve the highest positions of the royal court. It was because of such people that he was currently living the way he was. But he could sense this blue-eyed waterbender was completely different from the devious women of Fire Nation nobility. It was different. Nice.
"It was only by pure chance that I learned I could heal my wounds with my own saliva," the dragon rumbled mentally, "It has saved me many times from bleeding to death."
"But why did they attack you so much?" she asked with a deep frown.
Zuko was surprised to detect a bit of anger in her tone and he could see her clenching her hands on her lap. The male's mood darkened and anger spiked in his chest as memories once again assaulted him, causing fire to lick along his fangs before he forced himself to calm down so he wouldn't frighten Katara. He did not want to tell her the main reason, but he could tell her the rest.
"There was a time in the Fire Nation, many centuries ago, when dragons were considered sacred and magical creatures deserving of respect and awe," he began in a solemn tone, "They were revered because it was believed that they were the first firebending masters."
"Really?" Katara asked, intrigued, "What changed?"
"I'm not exactly sure, but a century ago dragons began to be hunted because they were believed to be monsters," Zuko stated simply, "Many people hunt them in order to protect their homes and families." Then with a growl, he added angrily, "Yet there are those who do it for sport and others who do it to sell dragon parts in the markets."
"What? Why?" Katara exclaimed and she wrinkled her nose.
"Many believe some of the dragons' parts, such as their claws, fangs, and horns, have magical properties," the golden-eyed male explained. "There are even myths that say that bathing in their blood could grant you their long lifespan."
"Is that...true?" Katara whispered mentally, her blue eyes wide.
"I wouldn't know," he replied with a shake of his large head.
"Is...is that why you're living here in this remote part of the Earth Kingdom?" she asked softly as she stared sadly into his eyes.
Another short silence followed her question
"Yes, that's part of it," he responded slowly and his eyes fell shut as another ache appeared in his chest.
There were other reasons as to why he had fled the Fire Nation, his home, but they were too painful to recount. He had already told this woman more than he had planned. Hell, he had talked to her more than he had talked to anybody else except his mother and his uncle. He wanted to believe the reason he told her so much was because he was starved of conversation after living so many years alone, but part of him knew that wasn't the truth. If it had been someone else, he would not have revealed so much about himself. There was something about this woman that made him trust her, that made him want her to understand and know him. Was it because he was desperate for his curse to be broken? He did not know.
Sitting on her bedroll, Katara watched as the dragon's eyes shuttered, hiding the pain she had detected within them. She was saddened at what he had gone through, yet she knew there must be more than what he had just revealed to her. The thought only brought a pang to her chest for his plight. Although their situations were different, they were also somehow similar. He had fled from his home in order to survive. She had run away from hers in order to escape a horrible fate.
They remained silent for a long moment, each lost in thoughts about their past and what they had learned of each other, as little as it was. They were each curious to know more of the other, but were hesitant on what to say, not wanting to pry and not wanting to be asked.
The silence was disturbed when the waterbender's stomach suddenly growled. Zuko opened his eyes and turned to look at the embarrassed woman.
"I'll go hunt for more food," he spoke up as he stood up on all four of his large feet.
"It's okay, you don't have to," she quickly said as she craned her neck to look up at him, a small frown on her face. "I don't want you to go into that storm."
Zuko was touched at her genuine concern. Except for his uncle and mother, nobody else had shown any concern for him or cared for his well-being.
"But you're hungry," he stated.
"I have some cooked meat I saved up yesterday," she explained.
"Then I will bring more," he said before he quickly added when she opened her mouth to protest, "Besides, I am hungry as well and I need to hunt for my own food."
"Oh, okay then," she said as she settled down, though he could see that she was still worried.
"Besides," he continued with an arrogant sniff, "My high body temperature can withstand a measly snowstorm."
Katara rolled her eyes. She mentally grumbled at his arrogance and heard his muffled laugh in her head. Smiling, she watched as he walked away and disappeared through the tunnel.
Zuko's keen eyesight scanned the snowy ground beneath him as he soared through the air. He ignored the biting wind and heavy snow that bombarded his body as he got lost in his thoughts. He was still shocked at the fact that somehow, maybe even magically, the beautiful waterbender could understand him. It was still a mystery to him that something like this could happen, but he was not going to question it. He could communicate with someone! After so many years of being unable to speak to anyone, of being alone and misunderstood.
The woman, Katara, was different from any woman he had ever met as a prince. Granted, he barely knew her, but somehow, he just knew she was unique, maybe even special. She was a pleasant companion. Not only was she physically beautiful, but she was interesting and she was kind. She didn't even know him and yet she had felt sad and indignant for him as he recounted part of his story to her. She had even tried to make him laugh in order to dispel his dark mood.
Could it be? Could she be the woman he could fall in love with? Could she love him in return? Could she be the one to break his curse? The thought made his heart beat loudly in anticipation before he viciously crushed the thought.
No. He was only fooling himself. Even if they could understand each other now, how would she be able to fall in love with him when his body was that of a dragon? He had nothing to give her. He did not even have a home. Besides, she would leave soon, to find that Sokka guy she seemed so worried about. Zuko was once again surprised at the irritation he felt at the thought of this mysterious man.
Shaking his thoughts away, Zuko refocused on his hunt. He quickly spotted a large puma-lynx digging at a hole near a large tree. Zuko had a feeling the large feline had found the burrow of some smaller animal and was trying to dig it out. Perfect. The puma-lynx would put up more of a fight than a caribou-elk and he was itching to release some tension. Plus, he would get a meal out of it.
Spreading his dark-red wings wide, sharp claws extended, he let out a loud roar that pierced the air before he swooped down on the suddenly hissing animal.
After staring at the fire in silent contemplation, Katara decided to take a drink and wash her dagger and hands in the small pool. Once done, she walked back into the bigger room and sat down before the warm fire as she waited for the dragon, no, Zuko, to return from his hunt.
"Zuko," she repeated slowly, a small frown appearing on her smooth brow.
She was sure she had heard that name before, but she could not remember from where. She racked her brain to see if she could figure out why his name sounded so familiar before she gave up when she couldn't come up with anything. Maybe it would come to her later. Her thoughts once again shifted to the earlier revelation. She still could not believe that she and Zuko could communicate mentally. She still found it so surreal. Though as he had said, dragons were magical creatures so perhaps it wasn't so impossible.
But more importantly, how could a human turn into a dragon? It had to be magic, which that in itself was both amazing and bewildering.
Magic wasn't as prominent as it used to be many centuries ago. She had read books that told stories of a time when magic ruled the world, when people could do many amazing feats. It was even said that the ability of bending the elements derived from magic. Bending abilities were much more common nowadays, with bending masters being the most powerful and respected of all. She didn't know exactly why magic and magic users began to dwindle, but there were still a few people who had the ability, though they were difficult to find. But those who used magic were highly sought after for one thing or another.
Did Zuko perhaps have magic abilities along with his firebending and that was why he could transform into a dragon? No, that couldn't be it. If he had magic, he would have been able to transform himself back into a human and wouldn't have had to suffer so much under the hands of dragon hunters. So why was he a dragon? Why did he live in this remote part of the Earth Kingdom so far away from his homeland? It must have been someone else who turned him into a dragon.
Her eyes widened as a horrifying thought appeared in her head. Perhaps he was cursed? But why? Why would someone do that to someone else? It was just cruel.
She felt her heart constrict in sadness as she recalled the sorrow, pain, and anger she had been able to detect in Zuko's eyes and voice. It made so much sense that he was cursed. But why didn't he tell her? She wanted to ask him if her suspicions were correct when he returned, but she shook her head and decided not to pry. He must have his reasons why he kept his secrets to himself and she could only imagine how painful the subject must be. How lonely he must feel…
When she heard sounds coming from the tunnel, Katara got to her feet, and watched as Zuko entered the cave. Her heart leapt to her throat once again at the impressive sight of the magnificent dragon. She wondered if she was the only person who had been able to stand so close to a dragon without being attacked. She watched as Zuko shook himself to get rid of the melting snow before he approached her in slow, precise movements, almost as if he was still trying to prevent her from being scared and running away in fear. She could only feel saddened that after so many years of being feared, he still felt the need to be careful. Putting on a smile, she did not wait for him to reach her and instead walked toward him without hesitation, watching as he paused to watch her uncertainly.
She finally realized why he was being cautious when her eyes landed on two squirrel-rabbits being held gingerly between his sharp fangs. There was a large amount of blood on his mouth, and she knew it wasn't because of the small animals. He must have fed on something bigger. She suppressed a shiver at the gory images that flashed through her mind.
"I hope I didn't take too long," Zuko said mentally as he carefully dropped the two dead squirrel-rabbits at the woman's feet.
"I didn't even notice the time," Katara reassured him with a small smile.
Zuko relaxed once he realized she could still hear him. As he had approached the cave, he had begun to worry that perhaps the ability of them hearing each other's thoughts had faded somehow.
Katara reached down to pick up the animals. It was a good thing that she had learned to skin animals and cook them, or else she would have fainted at the sight of them like she had seen a few women do during her travels. Though she had a feeling they did it mostly so the young men they were trying to impress would catch them, she mused with a mental grin.
Zuko watched as Katara picked up the bloody animals and made her way to the fire after thanking him. Inwardly shaking himself, he moved toward the other small chamber to wash down the taste of the puma-lynx he had defeated and eaten. As he bent down to take a drink, he froze when he caught sight of his bloody muzzle in the water's reflection. He had become so used to the way he hunted and ate, that he forgot how bloody he sometimes got. He must have been a terrifying sight, yet Katara didn't even bat an eye when she greeted him. Did that mean she no longer feared him? That she trusted him not to hurt her? Those thoughts caused a satisfied feeling to surface in his chest before he shook the thought away as he finally cleaned his maw and drank deeply from the cold pool.
Once the metallic taste of blood had completely vanished and he was presentable—as much as a large dragon could be—he returned to the main cavern. His eyes immediately landed on the woman sitting by the fire, preparing her meal. Quietly, he made his way to his grassy bedding and gracefully lay down, folding his wings to his sides and curling his tail around himself. He watched with silent fascination as Katara skinned the squirrel-rabbits with practiced skill before skewering them with two large sticks she had salvaged from the pile of wood he had brought the other day and propped them up by the fire.
The sound of her soothing voice reached his ears as Katara began to hum softly. The little tune sounded happier than the melancholic lullaby she had sung before and his body relaxed at the melody as he continued to watch her. Ever since he had rescued her and brought her to his cave, he could not seem to stop himself from staring at her. There was just something that seemed to be drawing him to her, but he could understand why or what that was.
The scent of roasting meat reached his senses and he took a deep whiff of the delicious smell before letting out a wistful sigh as memories of past bountiful banquets during glamorous celebrations floated in his mind. What he wouldn't do to be able to eat human food and not bloody, raw meat.
"Would you like some?" he heard Katara asked.
Blinking, Zuko refocused on the waterbender looking at him expectantly as she held out the second cooked squirrel-rabbit by the end of the stick.
"Thank you, but I already ate," he responded.
Katara tilted her head to the side and a curious expression settled on her face.
"So, what do you usually eat?" she asked softly. She watched as the large dragon shifted uneasily in his grass bedding and averted his gaze to the side.
Glancing away from her face, Zuko did not know how to respond. He did not want to disgust or frightened her by discussing his feeding habits. It would just reinforce the fact that he was a beast and not a human. Sensing her eyes were still on him, he glanced back to see her giving him an understanding look.
"If you think I'd be scared, you're mistaken," she told him seriously, although her voice was soft and kind. "Your...circumstances have not given you much of a choice on what to eat, right?"
At her words, at the sympathetic gentleness in her large blue eyes, Zuko felt as if the wall he had built around his heart began to crumble a little. He eyed her warily for a moment before he slowly relented and told her of the manner in which he fed himself and what animals he usually hunted. Once he finished, he waited with almost bated breath for her reaction. Would she think him a horrible monster now? He saw her wrinkle her nose, and despite the trepidation he was feeling, he found the action adorable.
"Is raw meat...good?" she asked tentatively.
When he saw that she was not disturbed by his account, the dragon immediately relaxed before he shrugged one large shoulder at her question.
"It's tolerable," he responded slowly.
There was a small pause before he continued in a voice that sounded bitter and dark in Katara's mind.
"The first time I was...forced to eat raw meat, I was disgusted at the thought. I may have found myself in the body of a dragon, but my mind was human and the mere idea of eating uncooked and bloody meat was…"
"Horrifying," Katara finished for him in a sad, soft voice when he trailed off.
The waterbender watched him nod his head slowly before he closed his eyes and bared his teeth a little. She could only imagine the thoughts that must be running through his head, and although she was curious about it, she was glad that she could only hear certain thoughts of his. She wanted to ask him more about his story, but she bit her lip and held her tongue. It was obvious his memories were painful and it was understandable that he would be adverse to reveal everything. Besides, they barely knew each other, so it was reasonable that he would not trust her so easily. And she had not exactly been truthful about who she was and why she was there either.
Sitting by the warmth of the fire, Katara watched as the dragon laid down his head upon his large talons and let out a deep exhale, thin plumes of smoke drifting from the corners of his mouth, his eyes staring blankly at the ground before him. The image he presented, of a mighty red dragon brought low, of the man within brought down to the deepest of despairs, made the waterbender's heart constrict almost painfully in her chest. She hated seeing people or animals in pain. She wished there was something she could do to help him. To bring him back to the person he truly was and to erase the anger and sorrow she could detect in his voice and eyes. But she did not know how. She was no magic user, but at that moment she wished she were so she could release Zuko from his figurative prison.
She frowned. She may not have magic, but at that moment, she promised herself that she would help him in other ways; by keeping him company, by taking his mind off of painful memories, by treating him like the human he missed being until they had to part ways. The thought brought a pang to her chest, but she decided to think about that later. For now, she needed to cheer Zuko up. Squaring her shoulders, Katara once again picked up the cooked squirrel-rabbit and marched over to the morose dragon.
Hearing the woman's small footsteps, Zuko's reptilian eyes slanted her way and he watched as she walked resolutely toward him. He lifted his head slightly to regard her in curiosity and a little apprehensively. He blinked when a nicely roasted squirrel-rabbit skewered in a stick was shoved into his face. Tilting his head, he looked at the waterbender who was determinedly offering the stick to him.
"Here, you can have this," she told him with a smile. When he shook his head, she added, "I can't finish two of them by myself. Besides, I'm sure you miss the taste of cooked meat."
Zuko once again blinked at her words before he looked down at the tasty morsel being held close to his snout. He could detect the delectable aroma of cooked meat and he felt his mouth water. He had to stop himself from licking his chops in anticipation.
"Thank you," he said as he leaned down and carefully grabbed the meat between his front teeth.
As he leaned back, Katara pulled the stick backward and the meat slid easily off. She grinned up at him, waiting expectantly for him to eat, and with a mental chuckle, he easily gulped up the small piece of meat. It wasn't nearly enough to satisfy him, it could barely be considered a bite for the size of him, but either way he bit back a moan at the flavor of the cooked meat hitting his taste buds.
"Wait. Couldn't you have used your…fire breath or something to cook your food?" the brunette asked with a confused frown.
"I tried," she heard Zuko say before he continued in what she believed was an embarrassed murmur, "But for some reason, I kept burning the meat to a crisp…"
Katara placed her hand to her mouth to hold back her amused giggle, but a glare from the dragon quickly killed the urge. Instead, she threw him a sheepish smile. Zuko snorted.
"You cooked the meat perfectly," he said.
"It would've tasted better if I had some seasonings," he heard Katara say almost apologetically.
"It was still good," he responded reassuringly, "I can only imagine how delicious your food would taste like if you had any seasonings."
For some reason, Katara found herself blushing at his small compliment. Men usually only flattered her on her looks and nothing else.
Zuko found himself liking the reddish tint on the blue-eyed waterbender's cheeks and he found pleasure in the fact that he was able to please her.
"Thanks," Katara replied with a laugh as she moved back to sit by the fire to finish eating her own meal.
She faced the reclining dragon, who was watching her almost languidly as she bit into the cooked meat. She wondered if he even realized that he stared at her a lot, but she reasoned that was probably because she was the only other person in the cave with him and he had gone too long without company.
Zuko blinked slowly as he watched Katara gingerly blow at the hot meat before she took another careful bite. His eyes riveted to her mouth and he watched as her tongue swiped across her lower lip to lick the juices which left the plump flesh glistening in the firelight.
Suddenly, he was imagining his mouth pressed against hers, his own tongue taking the same path along the seam of her lips, his teeth gently nibbling, before he drove inside her mouth to deepen the kiss. He quickly shook the thought away and his eyes widened in surprise. He had not thought of such things since he was cursed, but here he was, wishing he could taste Katara's lips, wrap her in his arms, press her body tightly close to his. Heart beating rapidly in his chest, his eyes darted back to her face, expecting to see her looking at him in disgust, but she was too busy picking at her food to notice his apprehension.
He relaxed. Good. It seemed she wasn't able to hear all his thoughts. That would be troublesome and embarrassing. Shaking his head and growling low in his throat, he laid back down. How much more of a fool could he be? Letting himself imagine such things when he knew there was no way it would ever happen.
Fortunately, he was distracted when Katara began to talk to him. He listened quietly as she told him of things she had seen during her travels, although he was sure she hid some things. He would occasionally recount stories from some of the travels he had taken when he was human and even as a dragon, although he also was vague about those. Neither of them called each other out over their omissions, however. It was only when Katara let out another soft yawn did Zuko tell her they should sleep. After Katara had cleaned up after herself and washed her hands, she slid into her bedroll with a sleepy sigh.
"Good night, Zuko," she said softly as she snuggled into the warmth of the sleeping bag. Instead of the fear and uncertainty she had felt the night before she tried to escape, she now felt a strange sense of comfort and safety.
"Good night, Katara," Zuko responded.
How long had it been since someone had wished him a good night and he had returned the sentiment? Now that he thought about it, the only people to wish him goodnight had been his mother and uncle. The thought of the two most important people in his life brought a sharp pain to his chest and he quickly brushed off his memories.
Silence permeated the air before Zuko heard Katara shift slightly in her place.
"Hey, Zuko?" he heard her whisper drowsily.
"Yes?"
"I'm glad we can hear each other's thoughts," she murmured in his head, her tone soft and sleepy. "I'm glad you don't have to be alone anymore."
Zuko was silent as her words struck a chord within him and his chest tightened with a strange emotion.
"I'm glad, too," he whispered honestly even as he heard her let out a dreamy sigh.
As her soft breathing reached his ears, Zuko closed his eyes and clenched his teeth as he reminded himself that she was there only temporarily. Soon, Katara would leave and he would be all alone once again. He did not know how he would be able to continue living without talking to someone or without having any company after this experience.
Mentally sighing, Zuko opened his eyes and he silently regarded the sleeping visage of the beautiful waterbender. He kept watch over her for a long moment as the fire blazed slowly, wondering at the changes he could feel within him because of Katara, wondering what the future would bring.
A/N: Ooh, the mystery.
Thank you for reading and reviewing!
~alwaysZutarian