Whew. I got stuck in a corner on this one and had to jumble up to get out of it. So if some of it makes you "Ptshh whatever" that just adds to the fun of fanfiction.
Katara sighed as she held Riyo tight to her. She set him down in the sling across her shoulder. She looked over at Sokka and nodded. With a snap of the wrists the reins cracked and Appa was up.
"Yip yip." Katara looked back at the village and felt a tinge of guilt. She hadn't been able to get Nakin out of the prison. Zuko seen something in his woman's eyes and put his hand on her shoulder. Katara looked at him with a smile.
"Is something wrong?"
"No. Just worried."
"Don't worry. Prince Zuko won't let anything happen to you." Iroh said with a laugh. Katara smiled warmly as she looked back toward the mountains. She wasn't worried for herself. She was worried about Nakin. She hadn't been able to save him like he had done for her. She felt horrible inside. She loved Zuko, there wasn't any doubt to that, but she was worried about another man. She looked down to the small baby curled against her stomach. She sighed, but jumped when she felt a strong hand on her shoulder, yet again.
"What is it Katara?" Katara heaved a heavy sigh and looked up at him.
"The man that saved me . . . " Zuko's eyes flashed as he frowned.
"What? Did he hurt you? I swear I'll kill him if he touched you." Katara frowned and shook his head. She couldn't really blame the prince for his jumping the gun. He had no reason to trust much of anyone.
"No . . . It just that I couldn't save him." Zuko's face softened as he scooted closer to her. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to his side. He rubbed her arm and sat in silence for several minutes. She would have loved to have known what was going through his mind and what exactly he was thinking about.
"Tell me something." She looked at Zuko with soft but slightly worried eyes. She nodded as he turned his gold eyes to look at her.
"Just what did he say to you?"
"Nothing much. He was friendly." Zuko cocked an eyebrow and shook his head. He leaned back on his elbows and looked down at the Earth far below them.
"Well as long as you are safe that is all I need to know." Katara smiled. She couldn't keep herself from smiling. The transformation in him was astounding. He went from being a cold heartless arrogant prince, to being a cold arrogant loving prince.
She looked past Aang as he steered Appa, to the rising sun. It was still very low in the sky and the deep purples and blues were beginning to lighten.
Appa groaned and spit in a huff causing Aang to pull back on his reins a little.
"You okay, buddy?" Appa snorted and answered with a loud thundering sneeze, that sent the passengers thrashing. Katara pulled Riyo tight to her chest and braced her heels against the saddle. Zuko, however, wasn't fast enough and fell backwards over the saddle rim. With a jerk Sokka jumped out catching him by the arm. Zuko grabbed Sokka's arm and pulled himself up. He swung over the side of the bison and back onto the saddle. He shook his head and looked over at Sokka with a squinted glare. They stared at each other for a moment before Zuko shook his head again.
"Thanks."
Sokka put up a hand. "Don't mention it. Really."
Katara had missed the situation. She had crawled up to where Aang was leaning over looking at Appa.
"What's wrong Aang?" She ask holding Riyo closer to her as she leaned over a little. Aang shrugged and pulled up on the reins a little.
"I don't know. It sounds like he may have caught a cold." Katara shook her head.
"How long can we keep going?" She knew that with Appa sick, they would be grounded and slowed down tremendously. Aang twisted his mouth to the side.
"I don't know. I don't want to drive him too hard." Katara nodded and frowned. With Azula hot on their case she hated the idea of having to go ground, but with Appa ill they really wouldn't have much choice.
A loud rumble sounded from Appa's chest, followed by a jerking cough. The single cough turned to into a fit. Katara gripped the saddle rim and braced her self. Zuko let out a shout for everyone to brace their selves. Appa was going down hard and fast.
Zuko fumbled over to Katara taking her and his son into his arms.
"Jump before we hit the ground!" A few seconds before Appa's muzzle hitting the ground the group leapt from his back. Zuko landing on his back still clinging to Katara and Riyo.
Aang scrambled to his feet and ran over to Appa. The bison's muzzle was covered in dirt and slick with mucus. Drool was flowing freely over his mouth in thick streams. Iroh was beside the young avatar in a matter of moments. He opened one of Appa's large eyes and shook his head. The whites were a brilliant red with only specks of white mingled amongst the blood vessels.
"Appa!" Aang shouted shaking the large animals nose. But Appa had slipped into a deep sleep.
Sokka stood up, dusting himself off while he walked over to where Appa had landed. Momo peaked out from Sokka's shirt and jumped over onto Appa's nose.
"What's wrong with him?" Sokka ask picking Momo up and setting him on the ground.
"Itiat Unat." Iroh said rubbing his chin skeptically. Zuko frowned as he came to his uncle's side.
"What? How would he have gotten that?" Katara readjusted Riyo putting him high on her shoulder.
"It's an illness that is only found in the Fire Nation."Aang and Sokka stared at the older man with question in their eyes.
"How would he have ...?" Katara ask looking at Zuko. Zuko shrugged and pushed her a few steps back from Appa.
"I have no idea." Iroh took a few steps back from the animal. Sokka quickly following suit. Aang stared at all of them with wide eyes.
"Will someone please tell me what is going on?" Zuko shot the young avatar an annoyed look and sighed.
"Your animal has come down with Itiat Unat. In my language it means literally 'nose of fire'."
"It invades the sinuses and inflames the mucus ducts, making so the carrier can hardly breathe." Iroh interrupted. Zuko frowned and interrupted his uncle in turn.
"It is highly contagious and can be fatal. We should keep our distance till the beast fights it off." Aang's eyes turned red as tears welled in them. Iroh was quick to jump in and comfort him where Zuko had made it seem hopeless.
"But he can be helped, if not cured." Aang looked up at the old fire bender with the eyes of a worried child." We need to find some fog's root. That will ease the pain and start up his healing." Aang frowned and turned his eyes to Katara.
"Can't you heal him?" But before Katara could answer him. Zuko threw his arm in front of her.
"Not a chance. I will not have my family getting sick." Katara frowned at Zuko. As much as he was wrong, he was still right.
Iroh shook his head. A foul stench lingered in the air, and the hairs on the back of his neck danced on end. Something was wrong, yet strangely familiar. There was no putting his finger to what it was that was making him feel this way, but it eagerly itched the very back of is brain taunting him.
"It would be in our best interest if we push onward on foot." Aang began to protest but Iroh raised his hand to stop the interruption.
"Appa can follow us at reasonable distance and pace. We will have to hurry as fast as he can keep up." Zuko jerked his eyes to look at his uncle without turning his head. His uncle wasn't one to hurry, especially when it came to the expense of an ill or injured person, much less a stupid animal. Zuko noticed out of the corner of his eye that Katara was nodding in agreement.
"We already know that Azula is on our heels. If she catches us by surprise..." Sokka frowned then nodded looking over to Aang who still wore a stone frown on his face. Zuko sighed. It was obvious that the boy wasn't going to move until he was convinced that the animal would be safe.
"If we can get to a village or a town there will be more luck that we find the root as an import."
Sokka nodded but his brows frowned.
"Yes but the letters sent to all of the provinces declaring us bounty doesn't help the situation." Zuko frowned. Couldn't that imbecile see he was trying to ease the younger of their companions?
"It will be the only way we can heal the animal and get some for ourselves if we were to catch it." Zuko snapped back. Katara frowned and stepped forward in the direction that they had been flying.
"If we stay low and keep quiet we won't be so well noticed. We could be in and out before anyone makes the connection." Aang looked urgently to Momo. Looking for some sign of disagreement from the lemur, but no such luck. He hung his head and defeat and nodded. But if something were to happen to Appa, then there would be nothing in him left to lose. He had already lost all of his family, all of those he respected a hundred years ago, he lost Katara to Zuko and if he was to loose Appa...