Blood and Tears

Chapter Three

They had made a lot of progress after their short rest - Katara noted to herself - considering the condition Zuko was in. It had been awhile since they had turned off the main trail and this made traveling much harder. What with the branches pulling at them as they passed, as though trying to hold them back. The undergrowth was no better, for it caused Zuko to stumble almost causing them both to fall, and Katara knew that if he fell, there would be no getting the prince up again. But she had to admit, it was still manageable. Now she could hear the sound of the waterfall in the far distance. The sound felt like an encouraging beacon, like a light at the end of a dark tunnel. With every step she took, it led her closer to a possible freedom. But which freedom? She wasn't too keen on Zuko's idea, but the more she thought about it, it was beginning to look more and more like their only option. But she wouldn't tell Zuko that. She could imagine the smirk that would play on his face with the knowledge that she had succumb to his reasoning. No, she wouldn't let that happen.

She pushed the thoughts out of her head and began listening to Zuko's breathing. It sounded raspy and uneven. This worried her. She wondered how much more he could take before even his stubbornness failed him. But she decided not to linger on that, for it would do neither of them any good. Instead, she concentrated on the sound of the distant waterfall and with every step they took, the closer they would be.

Meanwhile, Zuko's awareness flickered in and out. He wanted so much to just stop; to lie down and simply sleep. He hurt. Pain had become his whole world. Two things kept him moving now – responsibility to the girl and revenge for whoever had put him here. With each step, he wrapped the pain around himself and vowed that those responsible would pay.

Back at the prison camp, Arun's temper had not improved, as he went around camp trying to find something or someone to get his mind off of the missing two prisoners. Unfortunately, all the other prisoners were down working the mines, so he had to find another way of occupying his mind while he waited for the two guards to drag the pair to him. His mind wondered onto the Fire Nation boy and how he would end the brat's life. Many thoughts crossed Arun's mind before he finally made a decision that seemed to please him greatly. He would make him suffer slowly before finally bringing him death and he would make the water tribe girl watch the whole thing. That would teach her. A smile played upon his face as he thought about it. But soon that smile faded as he saw the returning two guards coming before him empty handed.

"Well?" Arun fumed. "Where are they?"

He noticed the two guards kept their distance from him. Not that it would do any good if he decided to rent his anger on them. But he did note that it would give them a chance to react - seeing as they both were Earthbenders as well.

"Well?" Arun asked yet again, his temper not improving. He hated being kept waiting.

"They're not in the camp." One of the guards answered, taking a step back. And the other soldier followed suit.

"What do you mean they're not in the camp?!" Arun shouted. He was having trouble trying to maintain his anger at this point. How could the guards not find a couple of prisoners, especially since the one was so beat up he could hardly move.

"We looked everywhere." The other guard spoke up, taking yet another step back for good measure. "We looked in all the usual hiding places where prisoners tend to hide. But they seem to be unoccupied."

Arun's hands became fists at his side as he stormed passed the guards, who quickly gave him space. He was determined to find the two missing prisoners. He couldn't imagine them getting very far. He knew for sure that the firebrat was injured really badly and it would be impossible for him to get very far. And with the water girl, she was chained to him, and she wouldn't be strong enough to carry him anywhere, let alone drag him along.

He went straight to where he had left the pair earlier that day. He knew that if he was going to find any answers, it would be there. After all, he had left the fire boy bleeding which would make a perfect trail to follow. There would be no escaping him, no one ever escaped him. That is what made his prison camp the best, and he prided himself on that. The only way of escape was through death, and he made sure that wasn't very easy either. And he would make the boy suffer unlike any other, before granting him that.

When Arun came to the spot, he looked down at the ground. At first he didn't notice anything. So he bent down and looked closer. A grin appeared upon his face as he saw the blood that was sure to be the firebrat's. He also noticed the scrapes along the ground which was bound to be the girl dragging him along and his feeble attempts to walk. He followed all of this with his eyes, as far as he could see from where he kneeled. But it was all he needed to see, for he knew what direction they had taken.

"Get the Wolfhounds ready," He called back to the two guards he was sure were behind him, his eyes never leaving the forest. "We're going hunting."

Arun could hear the pair of feet fading away into the direction where they kept the fearsome animals - his pets. There would be no escaping him and the two slaves would find that out soon enough. There would be no place for them to hide nor any distance for them to run. If they wanted to take off like an animal, then he would hunt them down like one.

Katara had never been so grateful to hear the sound of rushing water. She pushed through the scrub brush and weeds that grew alongside of the river, her feet long since numb to the briars and sharp-edged stones. The bloody footprints she and Zuko had been leaving had grown darker with every step into the harsh environment. Katara was limping heavily now.

She couldn't even wipe the sweat that ran into and stung her eyes, as she was certain that only her tight grip on Zuko kept him upright and moving. She was terrified that if he fell, she'd never be able to get him up again. She was also afraid that he would just die on her if they stopped. Zuko's ashen countenance and blood-streaked body reminded her very much of ice demons, the cursed walking dead, from her Gran-Gran's old fireside tales. She shook the thought from her head, she didn't want to think of him as dead. She needed him, for he was all she had left. Even if they were enemies, it was better than being alone in an unfamiliar place.

Now the river lay before her. Oh how she missed being able to feel it's cooling strength flow through her and its ever changing graceful movements. Now, all she had was its beauty to the eyes who beheld it and how it sparkled in the sun's light. But even though it would not respond to her anymore, she still loved the sight of it. She gave out a sigh with the thought of her bending gone and brought herself back into reality.

She looked around with her eyes for perhaps something large enough to hold both her and Zuko while drifting down the river. She was hoping against all odds that they wouldn't have to drag the log too far to the river, for she didn't know how possible that would be. After all, she was still chained to Zuko and he was in no means well enough to help in any way. But she knew she would need his help, and somehow she would have to revive him long enough for him to do so. But how could she without her bending? With her bending, she could have healed Zuko and he'd be well again and able to help. Then a smile came across her face as she remembered when she was little and her brother accidently fell through the ice. When their father had gotten him out, he was so wide awake from the shock of being in the ice cold water. That was it! She just had to take Zuko into the river and hopefully it would be cold enough to revive him long enough for him to help.

"Thank you Sokka" Katara whispered to herself, as a couple of uninvited tears escaped her eyes.

She would give the water a go with Zuko, making him walk into the river with her. But first she had to see where a log could be found. Fortunately, fortune smiled upon her, and not far from where they were, Katara spied a log which had found itself in the calm waters where the river forked a little. The water was calmer there and seemed to flow gently around the log. The log itself was stopped by two large boulders on either side of the log, which stopped it from going further down that part of the river. It would be perfect, and it gave Katara a very good reason to drag Zuko into the river. So she decided to put her plan into action and into the water they went.

The shock of moving into the cold water revived Zuko enough that he was able to help Katara push the fallen log further out into the swift-moving current. With her help and his last remaining strength, he was able to wedge himself into the tangled branches that still adorned the log. Katara watched as Zuko's one good eye slid closed. He was still conscious but not by much and she knew that if they were going to survive she'd have to work for the both of them. Zuko would be little help to her now. For once, though, she was rather glad of Zuko's unwavering persistence and stubborn pride. If he'd fallen before they'd got to the river, they would have been captured for sure.

Struggling with the log, Katara made sure that Zuko was as firmly attached as she could make him. If he slid off the log, his weight and the weight of the chain would drown them both. Taking a deep breath, she pushed away from the shore. A few seconds later, the Fire Nation prince let out a shuddering sigh and slipped once more into unconsciousness. Truthfully, she was amazed that he had held on as long as he had.

Captured. Just the thought of what would happen to them if they were captured sent a shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold water around her. Her lips compressed into a hard line; capture was not an option.

Sitting up a little more from where she straddled the log, Katara wrapped her hand around Zuko's nearest wrist. He was all she had left; everything else was truly gone now. The tears that she'd refused to cry while they had been captured slid down her face to splash into the river. She cried for everything that was gone- sweet Aang and her stalwart brother, for the home she was sure she'd never see again, for the future of the world that had no Avatar in it, and then she cried for herself and Zuko. Finally, exhaustion catching up with her, she leaned over Zuko's slumped body and let herself rest.

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Note:

This Chapter is a combination of both Caeria's and my writing. From here on in, the story will be written by me, using Caeria's original basic outline for it. And of course, I will be putting in my own ideas as well. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and that you enjoy those chapters that will follow.