Hi! I apologize for the long wait! I've been so busy, I don't have much time for fanfiction. But here is the new chapter. Enjoy!

Many thanks for my awesome Beta reader, PurseMonger!

AtLA is not mine.

Chapter Eight

In Which the Princess Begins to Understand

Ocean-blue eyes fluttered open and a soft yawn disrupted the silence as the Southern Water Tribe princess slowly woke up from the lovely dream she was having about her childhood, when her mother was still alive. The last images ended quickly when the memory of her mother bleeding to death and her father crying out it anguish resurfaced. Her eyes flew open and darted dazedly around her only for her to remember that she was not home but in a cave with a cursed prince in a dragon's body. She relaxed, her thundering heart slowing, knowing she was safe with her friend.

She realized she was curled up to Zuko's warm chest while his large, draconic body curled around hers, blocking most of her view of the cave and the fire. She could sense that he was still sleeping, which was rare since he was usually awake before her because of the energy he received from the sun. Smiling, she wrapped her blanket closer around her and snuggled close to his strong chest, absentmindedly listening to his beating heart as she tried to forget her sad memories. She smiled again when she felt Zuko's long tail wrap around her middle and heard him let out a soft croon. It was almost like he instinctively reacted to her emotions. Was that a dragon trait? It was comforting, even if it had been disconcerting the first few times she had found his tail wrapped around her.

Five days had passed since she had fallen into the frozen lake and ever since then she had slept snuggled up to his hard and scaly, though warm, body. He provided more warmth than her sleeping bag did, that's for sure.

She had noticed, however, that Zuko was acting differently lately. He kept a closer eye on her when they went outside, asked her if she was comfortable enough in the cave, if she wanted other types of meat to eat, and other things. She did not know how to explain it, but he acted gentler toward her now…more caring. At first, it had unsettled her, and it even angered her that he thought she was weak and needed to be watched over. But he told her he did not think of her like that and that he had just wanted to make her more comfortable, so she began to enjoy the attention he was giving her.

He was not like the other men who tried to impress her and win her affections by giving her expensive gifts or complimenting her on her physical beauty. None had cared to get to know what she liked or didn't like as long as they married the Southern Water Tribe Princess. Although Zuko did give her things, it seemed to be with no other motive than to make sure she was cared for. He actually listened to her when she talked, and although he rarely contributed to the conversation, she knew he paid attention to everything she said. He even asked her to sing for him once in a while.

Even though he was in the body of a dragon, a creature everybody feared and thought as a monster, she knew he was anything but a ruthless beast. He may not be open or affable, but she knew that he was a kind and honorable man who had been unjustly punished. The more she stayed with him and the more she learned of him, the more she wished to stay by his side.

She desperately wanted to know how to break Zuko's curse. But every time she asked he would say that it was impossible, that it would never be broken and refused to give her any details. She just could not believe that he would be curse forever! She would find a way to break it and free Zuko from this torment. But if she couldn't find a cure, then what? The snow and ice would melt and she wouldn't have an excuse to stay with him. Yes, she had agreed that she couldn't leave because of the blizzards during the harsh winter, but come spring it would be safe to do so. She needed to find Sokka and her friends, but the truth was that she did not want to leave Zuko.

Although she knew she should still be cautious since she had only known him a short time, that fact did not really matter to her. She could not explain it, but there was something about him that made her trust him, that made her feel comfortable and safe with him. Yet, it was also thrilling and exhilarating to be near him. There was something that kept tugging her toward him. What it was or what it meant, she did not know, but she decided not to worry about it for the moment. She had other things to worry about such as her friends' whereabouts, her father's concern and anger, her uncertain future, and finding a way to break Zuko's curse.

But what if she did find a way to help him? What would happen once he became a human man again? Would he leave and return to the Fire Nation with only a thanks and a goodbye? But what was she expecting? It wasn't as if he had to remain by her side. They were just friends and nothing more. She frowned when the thought made her heart ache. But did that mean she wanted more? And how would that even be possible? Ugh, she was losing her mind.

"What's wrong?" Zuko's voice intruding into her thoughts made her jump. "What has you frowning like that?"

"Nothing," she responded quickly, feeling her cheeks heat up. Thank La Zuko could not hear all her confusing thoughts.

Zuko mentally frowned at her quick, evasive response. He had woken up a moment ago, once again curled around her (he could not explain the pleasure he felt at being so close to her) and realized she was already awake. She seemed lost in her thoughts, so he had not disturbed her. It wasn't until her scent changed from content to anxious, and he saw her frown did he decide to ask what was bothering her.

"Do you miss your family?" he asked softly. Before she could respond, he added assuredly, "Don't worry, once the weather improves you would be able to search for them. It won't be long until you're able to leave."

Katara felt her heart constrict at his words and she felt her eyes suddenly water. She hastily rubbed at her eyes to stop the tears.

What was wrong with her?

And why did she feel so rejected, damn it?

The salty scent of her tears, and the fact that she was trying to hide it, made Zuko shift in alarm. Had he said something wrong? He moved his arm so he could bring her closer to his chest in an attempt to comfort her, but he honestly did not know how. If it had been any other woman and they were back in the palace, he would have awkwardly moved away and looked for someone else to handle the situation, but this was different because it was Katara.

He realized two things at that moment—he hated to see her cry and he wanted to be the one to make her smile.

Bending his head down, he gently rubbed his cheek against the top of her head and began to rumble a purr-like sound from his chest. He had no idea he could produce such a sound, but instinctively he knew it would soothe her.

Katara paused in trying to wipe the sudden tears away when she heard the strangely comforting sound and felt it vibrate through her body. Was he trying to…comfort her? She was mortified at the fact that she had let her emotions get the better of her, but at the same time she liked that he was trying to make her feel better. Cheeks flushed in embarrassment, Katara moved slightly away as she wiped at her eyes.

Zuko allowed her to move back, but his tail remained wrapped around her as he stared silently down at her, still wondering what had caused her tears.

"Sorry about that," she mumbled.

"It's okay," he replied, "Do you feel better?"

"Yeah. I don't know what came over me."

"Do you want to go outside?" he asked, wanting to distract her and hoping it would make her feel better.

He mentally smiled when she instantly brightened up and looked up to give him a large smile.

"Yes!" she exclaimed as she scrambled to her feet, relieved that he had not prolonged her embarrassment by asking what was wrong again. She would not have known how to respond to that question.

Zuko chuckled at her enthusiasm as he let her go so she could get ready for the day.

After they had eaten breakfast, Zuko flew them down the mountain. Fortunately, the small storm that had appeared the past few days had quieted. There were gray clouds in the sky, but no snow was falling and the wind was calm. As soon as he landed, Zuko placed Katara on her feet. While she wandered off, he took the time to stretch his back and limbs like a puma-cat, before doing the same with his wings and giving a loud yawn as he did so. He looked up when he heard Katara giggle. From the way she was watching him, it was obvious that she found his actions humorous and he growled playfully at her.

She only laughed harder before she returned her attention to her surroundings, deciding a bit of waterbending practice was in order. She hoped that after she found Sokka and her friends they could finally make their way to her grandparents' home so Grand Pakku could teach her how to fight. He would probably argue against the idea (he was set in the old ways, after all), but she was sure she could convince him, or have Gran-Gran do it.

Zuko indulgently watched the blue-eyed princess as she had her fun. He thought back on her tears and he wondered what happened to have caused them. He could not explain the upset it caused him to see her sad. Nobody had affected him in such a way before. It seemed that this woman kept making him feel unfamiliar things. He had assumed she was saddened about her brother and her friends, and it seemed he had been right because her eyes misted when he brought it up.

What if she was tired of staying holed up in a dark cave with him for weeks? Always in the presence of an oddity like him. A man trapped in the body of a dragon.

But Katara wasn't like that. She did not judge him for what he was—or was forced to be. That was one of the reasons that endeared her to him. Not only was she beautiful, smart, and courageous, but she was kind, compassionate, and gentle. The reason he had taken into wrapping her in his tail, pressed close to his chest, was not just for warmth as he had told her. No, he had a more selfish one. He wanted to feel her soft body close to his. To hear her soft breathing. To bask in her sweet scent. He wanted to keep her as close to him as possible while he had the chance because he knew come spring, she would leave the cave. She would leave him.

The cursed prince closed his eyes as the thought caused his chest to pound. He did not want her to leave, he wanted her close. He wanted her to stay, not because she could break his curse, but because…he loved her.

He loved her like he had never loved anything or anyone before and he could no longer pretend to ignore it.

A sound like a sigh fell from his fanged mouth as he lost himself in his revelation.

He wanted her to love him just as fiercely because he wanted her to remain by his side, because he wanted to make her happy. But that was just wishful thinking, for who would love a...dragon? A beast. A monster. Katara deserved better than him. He had nothing to offer and, apparently, he was four decades older than her! He did not deserve her.

A snowball hit him on his snout, and although it did not hurt, Zuko's eyes snapped open in shock. He glanced up when he heard muffled giggles. Katara was standing a few feet away, trying to hold in her laughter behind her gloved hands.

"You dare throw a snowball at me?" he growled playfully as he narrowed his eyes at her, grateful that she had distracted him from his depressing thoughts. "Don't you fear anything, woman? I am a dragon! I could bite your head off with my fangs!"

Katara removed her hands from her mouth and batted her eyelashes at him.

"You may be scary from the outside, but you're just a big softie in the inside," she retorted with another laugh.

"A…softie? I'll show you softie when I chew off one of your legs!" he growled playfully as he bared his fangs and took one step toward her.

Laughing, the waterbender spun around just as Zuko launched at her. Her laughter resounded throughout the frozen valley as she ran about the clearing and it sounded like music to his ears—as something he had heard his uncle say. Iroh was right. Love made you think the strangest things.

Katara dodged the dragon nimbly every time he came close to her, driving him back by pelting him with tons of snowballs with the help of her waterbending. But it only worked a little since he would easily deflect them with a wing or his tail, or melt them with a small flame he blew from his mouth. She knew he was going easy on her since he had come quite close to be able to snatch her with his talons or fangs, but it seemed he was having as much as fun as she. The thought only made the moment even better since she knew he had not participated in such silly games in a while—if at all.

The gray clouds had opened a little to allow a bit of sunlight to touch down on the mountainside as they continued in their game. Katara had thrown a few more snowballs at the chasing dragon when, in her distraction, she tripped over a log that had been hidden beneath a small mound of snow. She rolled onto her back, so she could spring back onto her feet, but she gasped when Zuko gently pinned her down with his clawed-hand, the long claws digging into the snow around her. He loomed over her with wings spread wide, his large form blocking the sun and casting her in shadows.

"Submit now, princess, and perhaps I will show you mercy," Zuko said haughtily as he stared down at her.

"You will have to kill me first! I will never submit, dragon!" she retorted just as playfully.

"Such defiance is unacceptable," he rumbled. "You're punishment is death!"

Katara watched with wide eyes as he swiftly leaned down, his mouth wide open, his sharp fangs glistening in the minimal light. Instinctively, she closed her eyes with a shocked gasp as he growled at her. A moment later, her eyes flew open when she felt his long, rough tongue lick her from her chin to her temple.

"Ew! Gross!" she protested mentally as she moved her head to escape him, but she could not help her laughter at the unexpected act.

Zuko, however, froze as he stared down at her with wide eyes. He should not have licked her…for he had liked the taste of her sweet skin. As soon as her sweet flavor coursed down his throat, he wanted, craved, more. It was the type of hunger that he had not felt in a long time. The feeling in his belly had nothing to do with food and everything to do with lust. While he had the body of a dragon, his mind and desires were that of a hot-blooded man. Something he himself had almost forgotten until now. He wondered what other places on her body would taste like…

His eyes became a bit unfocused as he imagined kissing her plump lips before trailing his tongue down her lovely neck down to her chest. He imagined kissing her mounds before teasing her nipples, flicking them with his tongue before moving down her enticing body. Unconsciously, his tongue flicked out to run against his sharp fangs as his fantasy continued. He wondered how she would taste if he licked her between her legs. He had never considered doing such an act before because it never seemed appealing to him. But he could not stop himself from wanting to shove his face between her luscious thighs and eat her slick sex like a man starved...

"Hey, are you okay?" the sound of Katara's voice immediately snapped him from his fantasy. "I would like to get off the cold ground, if you don't mind," she added sarcastically.

Zuko blinked down at her as the lust his sudden fantasy had created within him slowly faded. He slowly removed his talon away from her and moved back. Agni, he was becoming a huge pervert. He was surprised at himself for even having such an erotic daydream. Dammit, he needed to stop thinking such things!

"Sorry," he mumbled apologetically.

Katara stood up and shook off the snow from her clothes.

"For a minute there, I thought you were going to eat me," she said as she removed the snow from her hair.

Zuko's eyes widened in alarm.

"Why do you say that?" he asked warily.

"You had this hungry look in your eyes as you stared at me," she responded teasingly.

"I did not!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, yes you did!" Katara laughed, "You were practically drooling!"

Oh, if only she knew, she would blush so hard it would remain for days! Zuko thought to himself. That or she would water whip him.

"Never mind," he grunted, wanting to change the subject.

It was then he finally noticed the wind had picked up and the gloomy clouds were darker and heavier with snow. They had completely blocked the sun, so it was dimmer than it had been moments ago.

"We should head back."

"But we were having fun," Katara protested, though she knew it was probably for the best. They didn't want to be caught in the storm.

"We missed lunch and we need to eat," he said before adding cajolingly, "You can practice your waterbending in the pool or we can sit by the fire and share scary stories."

"Fine…but only because you're terrible at telling jokes," Katara huffed teasingly.

"We can't all be perfect," he drawled playfully.

The waterbender rolled her eyes, but smiled at their banter. A night of scary stories sounded like fun, especially because Zuko had some really good ones he said his uncle used to tell him when he was younger. Sokka used to try to scare her when they were children, but his storytelling was more amusing than terrifying, so he gave up when she would just roll around with laughter. He had gone to complain to their father that she would laugh instead of being scared, and their father would only grin and say it was because their family was too tough to be frightened by silly stories. That had made both their young chests puff out in pride. Katara smiled at the memories. Even though her mother's death had devastated them, they had managed to remain a happy family. Her smile faded a little. She just hoped they could remain so in the future.

"Luckily, we have enough food in the cave. We won't have to hunt before night arrives," Zuko continued as he once again glanced at the dark sky.

The blue-eyed princess perked up. Once night fell it meant she could curl up against him again while they slept. Who else could say they slept snuggled up to large, frighteningly-looking, and powerful dragon?

"Alright, let's go," she said eagerly with a grin.

She waited for him to pick her up, but she frowned when he did not move. She watched as he lifted his head and scented the air before his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits and a low growl escaped him. She felt her skin prick in sudden alarm at his reaction.

"What's wrong?" she whispered as she warily looked at their surroundings.

She looked back at him when he suddenly lowered himself closer to the ground, protectively close to her, one of his wings almost shielding her. A louder growl emitted from his throat and Katara instinctively prepared herself to use her waterbending.

"Stay close," he urged as he stared intensely at a copse of trees and bushes, "Someone is approaching."

Katara moved closer to his foreleg, calling forth a stream of water from the snow toward her and curling it around her arm. She may not have training in combat, but that did not mean she was completely useless. She would help Zuko with whatever threat was approaching them as best as she could.

A moment later, the bushes rustled loudly and they tensed. They watched as a large man emerged from the thick foliage, cursing under his breath as he did so. His was dressed in thick furs, a thick beard covering most of his face. It was hard to tell the color of his hair since it was almost entirely covered with snow and frost. But it was the many weapons and bags strapped to his back, chest, and waist that caught their attention. Zuko cursed himself for not reacting quicker and taking them back to the cave. He shifted so that his wing completely covered Katara.

The man finally seemed to notice he was not alone and he snapped his head up, only for his eyes to widen in shock at the dragon glaring down at him. His surprise only lasted a second for he began to chuckle as he reached for a weapon strapped to his back.

"Must be me lucky day," he said to himself as he shifted what turned out to be a large crossbow, "I haven't found a dragon in so long, but I sure dinna 'xpect one in da Earth Kingdom. You, dragon, are gonna fetch me a nice bag o' gold for those lovely horns and fangs."

Zuko growled at him, but before he could scare the man off with a blast of fire, he felt Katara push her way under his wing, almost feeling her indignation. Before he could stop her, she had stepped out of her hiding spot, placing her hands on her hips as she glared at the shocked man.

"I won't let you hurt him," she hissed, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

She wouldn't allow another hunter to hurt Zuko if she could help it!

"What's tis?" the man spoke in an incredulous voice, "A woman? Why hasn't the dragon eaten ya yet? Are ya a witch?"

Katara ignored his question as her glare intensified.

"Leave," she demanded, using all her upbringing as a princess to make her tone as regal and commanding as possible.

She growled when the man threw his head back and laughed. How dare he laugh in her face! If he knew who she was she was sure he would be groveling at her feet. Not that she would want him to, but still, it was infuriating. Once the man calmed down, he grinned maliciously at her.

"I'll leave, alright," he said as he stroked his crossbow, "Once I've hunted da beast down. After all, dragons don't come by so easily nowadays."

"What do you mean by that?" Katara could not help but ask.

"Don't ya know? How long have ye been living here?" he asked patronizingly before he added with an uncaring shrug, "Dragons are becomin' extinct. So if I bring tis dragon's claws, fangs, and horns I would make very good money. Maybe I'll even bathe in his disgusting blood and gain immortality!"

Katara's angry growl was drowned by Zuko's furious one.

The man sneered at the red dragon as he menacingly pointed his crossbow at him. Then he shifted his attention back on the woman. A leer appeared on his unkempt face.

"You're one beautiful thing. Once I'm finished with da dragon, I'll make use of ya," he cooed lasciviously as his eyes moved up and down her form, "After I had my fill of you, I'll sell ya to a brothel. Ye'd fetch me more money after I've trained you on how to please a man."

At his words and stare, Katara scowled, the idea of being touched by him disgusting her. But Zuko snapped his fangs angrily before he covered her again with his leathery wing as he roared fire at the man.

Cursing loudly, the man barely had enough time to evade the attack before he was knocked aside by the enraged dragon's long tail. He landed a couple of feet away, crashing into a pile of snow, sending it flying everywhere. He quickly jumped to his feet and glared at the growling dragon.

"Ya bastard!" the hunter screamed as he waved his crossbow angrily around, "I'll kill ya!"

Bringing it forward, he took aim at the dragon's chest, right where his heart should be, and fired. His arrow was thwarted, however, by a sudden wall of snow. The man watched with wide, shocked eyes as the snow rose higher and curved toward him like a terrifying wave. He gasped when it swept over him, knocking him back, and covering him completely.

It took him a moment to claw his way up and he panted from both the exertion and cold. He hurriedly wiped the snow from his face and looked warily at the strange pair. His eyes widened when he saw strings of water and snow swirling almost eerily around the woman's arms and waist as the wind picked her long hair up and ruffled the white fur of her parka. The large, red dragon stood behind her with a terrifying snarl, its dark wings spread wide in a menacing display.

"Leave, now," Katara ordered again as she sent a water whip at the man's feet that made him jump back.

Another fire ball from the dragon had him scrambling backwards with a fearful yelp.

Katara knew her fighting form was not perfect, but she was sure the hunter wouldn't notice and would think she was serious in hurting him, because she was. She had to do something to protect Zuko.

The hunter realized he would have a tough time with just the dragon to deal with, but the wench was making an already dangerous hunt impossible. So he decided to retreat. He wanted the large prize he would get if he sold both of them, but he valued his life more. He knew when he should admit defeat, which was why he was still alive after all these years. Cursing angrily at them, he shot another arrow in their direction out of spite before running to the cover of the trees.

Zuko debated on whether he should go after the man, but decided such an easily defeated hunter—more like coward—was not worth his time. He looked at Katara to see her glaring after the man.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she huffed before she growled, "Though I wish I could've beaten him up some more. As if I would've let him kill you and then let him touch me! Ha!"

Zuko growled angrily as he silently agreed with her. Over his dead body would he have allowed that man to hurt Katara. It wasn't until he noticed his temper was making the snow melt beneath his feet that he forced himself to calm down.

It made him happy that she had wanted to protect him and he wanted to bring the pleasant mood from before back. An idea popped into his head and he was sure she would like it. He lowered himself to the ground and watched as she stared at him quizzically.

"Would you like to go flying before we return to the cave?" he asked. "There are a few spots I'm sure you'll enjoy seeing from the sky."

Katara instantly warmed to the idea. She hesitantly moved forward once she realized Zuko wanted her to climb onto his back. She grasped onto his dark hair and pulled herself up so that she was straddling the back of his neck. Once she was settled, Zuko spread his wings, bunched his powerful legs beneath him, and shot up into the air. Katara gasped at the abrupt move and she latched tightly onto his hair as her heart pounded erratically with a sudden rush of adrenaline.

"It's okay," she heard him say softly in her head, "Look around you."

"I-I don't think I can," she mentally responded as the wind whipped around them. This was so much different than flying on Appa.

"You're missing out if you don't look," he replied cajolingly before he more softly assured her, "I won't let you fall. I promise."

Katara trusted him and turned her head to gaze below them. A small exclamation fell from her lips as she took in the sight of the countless trees covered in snow and a few frozen streams. A few animals ran or darted below them as they passed and birds flew into the air. Her long hair flew behind her, and before her, Zuko's dark hair tickled her chilled cheeks. At a distance, she could see a chain of mountains covered in snow as was everything else around them. She could only imagine how much more beautiful it would look if the sun shone or if the moon and stars glowed in the dark sky.

She did not pay attention to the time they spent flying around the valley and circling the tall mountain. It wasn't until her stomach growled and she noticed how much darker it was getting that she realized hours had passed. They did not say anything as Zuko flew them back to the cave. Once there, Zuko crouched low and Katara slid down his back. Once on her feet, she looked up to smile at him.

"Thanks, that was amazing," she said happily as she swept her wind-blown hair aside.

"You're welcome," he replied with a nod of his head. "I'm glad you had fun."

Katara could see that his golden eyes were smiling and she was glad to know he had enjoyed himself too despite what had happened with the hunter. When he turned away, her smile faded a little.

But once she left...what would happen to him?

"According to what I gathered in the town, a group of travelers resembling the princ—uh, the people we are looking for passed through," the man reported in a low and even tone, smoothly catching his slip.

He was dressed in non-descriptive clothes, a straw hat covering his head under which he had coiled his long braid. Five more men were dressed the same way as they stood silently near the door of the darkened room as they stared at the young man resting on the large bed.

The young man was leaning casually against the headboard, heedless of the rumpled sheets around him or the clothes strewed along the floor, as he absentmindedly caressed the naked thigh of the woman resting against his side. The woman had a satiated smile on her smudged, painted lips, her dark hair falling messily around her bare shoulders and breasts. She did not seem perturbed that more men had entered the room. She stared at them while her long nails teasingly caressed the young man's bare chest.

It was not the first time the men had seen the young man in such a way, so they were unfazed with the lewd sight.

"Why don't you leave us for a moment, darling?" the young man purred huskily at the woman.

He chuckled when she pouted at him.

"I promise we'll continue this later," he said lasciviously as he fondled her breast, uncaring that there were other people in the room. Then he charmingly added, "I'll even pay you extra for the wait."

"Fine," she cooed coquettishly before she pressed her lips against his in a quick kiss.

The other men in the room did not show any reaction as the prostitute rose from the bed without bothering to cover herself. She paused long enough to gather her robe before sauntering toward the door. She smiled seductively at the mysterious men, but they did not return her smile as they moved out of her way. Once the door closed behind her, the young man's insincere smile dropped from his handsome face, his hand wiping at his mouth as if to get rid of the woman's kiss, while he looked at his men expectantly.

"So do you know where they are headed?" he asked sharply as he rose from the bed, the sheets falling from his body.

The men politely looked away as he searched for his pants before putting them on. His fingers raked through his messy hair as he looked at himself in the fancy mirror hanging from one wall. The brothel they were lucky enough to find in the small town was small and barely passable, so he assumed the expensive mirror must have been given to the pretty whore by a previous rich client.

"Well?" he prompted impatiently and turned to look at his men with a raised eyebrow.

"By what I gathered, it seems they were making their way toward the mountains up north, my prince," the man who spoke previously continued in the same bland tone, "But that was weeks ago."

"Hm," the young man mused as he absentmindedly frowned at the love bite the whore had left on his neck.

It better be gone before they caught up to the group they were following. It would not do for the woman he planned to marry to know what he had been up to. He was just having a bit of fun before their wedding, but he knew Katara would not appreciate it. But, soon it will be she who would be giving him love bites as he took her body. He grinned at the thought, feeling his groin tightened at the fantasy.

"My prince?" the man asked when silence fell on them for a long moment.

"Once again the Dai Li have proven their worth," the young man responded with a smirk before he sobered up. "Prepare for our travel toward the mountains. We must travel faster."

"Yes, my lord," the men replied in unison as they bowed their heads.

"You may leave," he said as he waved them away with a dismissive hand.

Without another word, the men quietly exited the room like silent shadows, closing the door noiselessly behind them.

The young man grinned at his reflection.

They were on the right path.

And soon, he will catch her and Katara would be his.

A/N: Dun, dun, dun!

Thank you for reading!

~alwaysZutarian