Ignition

Chapter 12: Branded

Author's Disclaimer: Warning: Long arse chapter, ahoy!

Katara moved through the trees as silently as she could, the soft leather soles of her boots kissing the ground gently. She slipped from shadow to shadow effortlessly, her dark gray cloak causing her to appear to be barely more than a shadow herself. Travel became difficult as the sun had begun to sink lower and lower in the sky; night came earlier beneath the leafy canopy of the forest. Every now and again she noticed the faint glimmer of a star through the trees above her. She couldn't help but wonder to herself if Zuko, wherever he was, was looking up at the same stars.

Rustling through her pack without halting her pace, she produced a small dumpling wrapped in cabbage leaves which Iroh had given her as part of her stores on the journey. It was the last one she had, and though it was somewhat damaged by the rest of the items in her pack that had scattered as she ran, it was most definitely still edible. Glancing around at the unfamiliar forest, she decided it was probably her best option anyway. Sokka had always done most of the hunting and while he had taught her some of the basics, her skills were shoddy at best after dark. As night descended, she also ruled out foraging as she would not be able to discern edible fruits and plants from potentially poisonous ones. Anyway, I need to focus on finding Zuko. There's no time for distractions.

She pressed onward, stopping only to refill her water flasks when the river curved inwards, crossing her intended path. The river was wide and without a bridge or a ferry in sight. Katara frowned as she extended her hands over the water. Exhaling slowly, she concentrated on making the flow of her own chi match the flow of the river. She managed to form an ice bridge extending a few feet in front of her. An ecstatic smile appeared on her face; it was the first bending she had accomplished since Zuko had burned her. Timidly, she stepped out onto the bridge, testing it gently. It seemed to hold her weight well enough. Focusing her attention further, Katara moved forward, placing one foot before the other and gradually reforming the ice bridge in front of her. She made a grand total of three steps before the bridge melted away into nothing, the water splashing back into the river beneath it, along with Katara.

"Oh for the love of Tui, what is wrong with me?" Katara shouted as she dragged herself onto shore, sputtering. She tossed her sopping wet hair out of her face indignantly as she stormed across the shore, disappearing into the trees once more. "First I end up risking my life against a deranged Fire princess, then tagging along on some La forsaken goose chase with an ungrateful prince, getting burned for my troubles, and now I can't even bend!" she muttered to herself as she sloshed through the forest. "And what do I do next? Oh, of course. I end up backtracking to save his sorry ass. This is just great Katara, why can't you learn to say NO?" she demanded of herself. Sighing, she felt her anger slowly ebb away. In reality, she had said no. She had turned her back on Zuko, and now she had no idea what had happened to him. Guilt continued to nag at the back of her mind as she quickened her pace. Despite everything she had been through, somehow she still cared for him. No matter what he does, no matter how badly things turn out, I think of him and I'm right back where I started…

Katara paused, her brow furrowed as the sound of distant voices reached her. She followed the sounds until she realized there was a large number of people in a clearing ahead. Crouching in the shadows, she peered through the brush into what was clearly an encampment. The darkness made it difficult to discern the necessary details for her to identify their nationality. Creeping closer, she listened to a group clustered around a small fire sharing jokes and songs over their evening meal. As one story reached its end, another man struck up a song, beating out a simple rhythm on the log upon which several of them sat while another played a simple, lilting stringed instrument. Apparently it was a song with which they were familiar, because the others gathered around him quickly joined in.

The song began slowly and Katara leaned closer to listen. It mentioned a name that seemed familiar to her, Lu Ten, a young soldier who had given his life for his country in battle. Soon after, it mentioned the Dragon of the West who had lost his only son in the siege of a powerful stronghold. Her eyes widened as she realized that the ballad referred to Iroh's son. Across the camp, she noticed a luster of young men clearly running through drills to practice their bending. Her eyes glanced over the youngest who seemed to be struggling, at the moment it was completely insignificant. "Of course, you would stumble across a camp full of firebenders…" she murmured to herself. "Because you've had such wonderful luck…"

Suddenly, a man appeared at the opening of one of the larger, more extravagant tents. He was clothed in an ornate evening robe, which to Katara seemed completely out of place. The man had to be in charge, he certainly was not one of the working class men. As he turned his head, his features caught the firelight. Katara recognized him as one of the generals they had met in their travels- General Bujing. Her eyes narrowed. Zuko had once told her about his banishment and its cause. The ruthless general was known for his cruelty and willingness to sacrifice those around him if he felt it suited his goal. Zuko has to be around here somewhere...but how do I even begin to look?

Somewhat disheartened, Katara hunched down in a clump of bushes far enough away from the camp that her rustling would not be heard by scouts or those huddled around the outer fires. She drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her burned arms around them gingerly as they were still somewhat sore. Staring down at them, an idea came to her as if she had been physically struck. Digging through Iroh's pack once more, she produced red leggings, a black tunic trimmed in red and gold, and simple black boots, an outfit typical of Fire Nation pages. She silently thanked Iroh for planning ahead and reminded herself to hug him when they returned.

Katara exhaled as she tightened her sarashi, the thin strips of fabric typically worn by her people as undergarments, in order to bind her breasts. While it was uncomfortable, she found she could still move freely. After slipping the tunic over her head and tugging on the leggings, she stowed her distinctive Water Tribe clothes in the pack and hid it under a loose pile of stones she was fairly sure she would recognize if she was able to return. Finally exchanging her boots for the formidable looking Fire Nation boots, she twisted to look herself over. "Not half bad…" she murmured before catching sight of her reflection in a nearby pool. She lifted a hand to her head, gently fingering the thin braids on either side that she had worn since she was a child. She untied the leather thong that bound her hair back, finger-combing it roughly. With a sigh she took one last glance before reaching into her belt and unsheathing her knife. She trimmed her hair as neatly as she could, watching it form dark, shining pools of chocolate at her feet. When she was finally done, her shaggy brown hair hung to her chin. Using the same strip of leather with which she had previously bound her hair, she drew it into the typical top knot she had come to associate with the Fire Nation. "There. Well, congratulations Katara, you've officially become a Fire Nation boy." She muttered, straightening.

Katara circled the camp, searching for the best way to enter unnoticed. It was obvious to her that the party was so large, she was very likely to go unnoticed. In her experience, pages were overlooked and seldom even known by name. Blending in among the other pages would not be difficult, as long as she did nothing obvious to give herself away. She noticed a small break in the brush ahead of her between two rows of tents. "That will have to do." she muttered. Pushing her shoulders back, she strode into the camp.

She was relieved to find that heads did not turn as she passed groups of people surrounding the fires similar to the singers she had passed earlier, nor was she invited to join any of them. Finally, it seemed, she could focus on locating Zuko. Katara wandered through the camp, searching for a vantage point from which she would be able to see more of the camp or at least a place which seemed obvious to keep a prisoner. Finding nothing fitting either description, she continued to explore the camp. In her state of distraction, she collided with someone in the darkness.

Both figures were sent sprawling. Katara's pulse quickened as she recognized the boy's page uniform. Damn it, damn it all! Surely he will recognize that I am not one of his companions! Her mind was racing as she scrambled for an explanation. She was startled when the young man extended his hand to help her up. She reached out to accept before remembering the role she was trying to play. Snatching her hand back, she stood under her own power, crossing her arms over her chest and attempting to look disgruntled. The boy however dropped his hand to his side, undeterred. "S-sorry about that, I w-wasn't watching where I was going." he stammered. "I was t-tired from training." he added, jerking his thumb over his shoulder to indicate the scorched area from which he had come. Katara merely shrugged, not trusting her voice to help conceal her. "I'm Rhyu. I don't r-recall seeing you before." the boy muttered, looking up at her. His gaze was not accusatory. No, it was more curious than anything else. Such odd eyes, he had never seen blue ones before. "I'm new." Katara managed, making her voice as deep as she could without sounding utterly ridiculous. "I'm Koru." she replied quietly.

Rhyu smiled up at the newcomer. He seemed friendly enough, though a little shy, but that suited Rhyu just fine. Koru didn't seem inclined to talk. "I'll sh-show you where the p-pages sleep then Koru." He said, stepping forward to lead his new companion through the camp. "We stay on th-the outside of the c-camp." he stammered on as the two wove between tents and skirted fires. Katara merely nodded, her attention mostly focused on searching for Zuko. "L-looking for something K-koru?" Rhyu asked, glancing up questioningly at the older boy. Rhyu was eleven summers, so judging by Koru's height, he guessed the older boy was around thirteen or fourteen summers. That explains why he wasn't at training, he's not one of my age mates…

Katara's speech faltered. She cleared her throat, once again making her voice deeper. "I was told the general had captured the Fire Prince. I don't think it's true. You know how people gossip." she rambled uncomfortably. Rhyu nodded slowly. "It's t-true." he managed. Suddenly, his brown eyes lit up. "Want to see him?" Katara managed to slow her frantic nodding to what seemed like a semi-interested shrug. Without another word, Rhyu eagerly led her to the row of tents where the pages slept. "We'll have to w-wait until later w-when almost everyone's asleep. You can stay in m-my tent if you like." Rhyu stammered as they ducked into his tent. "N-no one wanted to b-bunk with me, so…yeah…" he trailed off, indicating the unshared space with a sweep of his hand.

Katara followed him quietly, watching as he spread out a spare sleeping roll for his new friend. Katara found it surprisingly comfortable after several days on the trail and soon found herself drifting off to sleep. "You'll wake me when it's time?" she asked, lowering her voice again. Rhyu merely nodded, he too had been through a trying day.

Zuko's legs trembled, his muscles fatigued from trying to hold him up for several hours without rest. Still, he could not let himself fall, it would only put more stress on his arms. Of course, this meant his captor's design had worked perfectly, not that it was much comfort to Zuko. With a stifled cry, he slumped forward, his arms wrenched up behind him as his legs finally gave out. He knew better than to struggle, the jarring movements would only worsen his predicament; the last thing he needed was a dislocated shoulder. Every now and again sharp gasps would escape through gritted teeth as the pain throbbed, growing steadily worse.

It was not long before Katara opened her eyes as someone jostled her shoulder gently. "Koru, come on. W-wake up!" Rhyu whispered as Katara blinked blearily before remembering where and who she was. She sat up, stretched, and rose to follow Rhyu out of the tent. The camp was eerie now that it was empty. Fires had been extinguished and everyone except the three sentries had gone to sleep. After a second glance, it seemed to Katara that even two of the sentries had fallen asleep. The night air was chilly and a fine dew covered the grass, making it slick. The moon had long since risen and set, leaving the stars to light the ebony expanse overhead. The only sounds Katara could discern were the soft footfalls of her and Rhyu as they made their way across camp. Finally they rounded the row of tents behind which Zuko was held.

Katara's eyes widened as she heard cries of pain, recognizing the slumped form immediately. "Zuko!" she breathed, forgetting to conceal her voice as she dashed over to her companion. She placed her hand against the side of his face, forcing him to look up at her. Immediately, his face contorted with rage, eyes narrowed with hate. "What come to stare too? Or perhaps play the little games all the other little pages played?" Katara stepped back in shock, examining Zuko from a safer distance. His tunic was singed in tiny, perfect circles. Someone had been using him to practice bending. "That's right, back up, you little fuck. You wouldn't dare come near me if I wasn't bound, I wou-!" Zuko spat as Rhyu stepped between them.

"Z-zuko, p-please! This is K-koru. A f-friend. Perhaps he can h-help." Rhyu pleaded, desperately trying to silence the prisoner before he woke the whole camp. The fire in Zuko's eyes dimmed as Rhyu explained before he slumped towards the ground, unable to hold himself up to look at the two pages anymore.

"My…apologizes…" he panted between agonized breaths. "I thought…" he rambled, his voice trailing off.

Katara knelt beside Zuko, once again gently pulling his face upwards. Unclipping one of her flasks from her belt, she uncorked it and held it to his lips. "Drink this." she muttered, her voice a whisper as she watched her friend drink urgently, her blue eyes full of pity. Why did I leave?

Zuko drank deeply, his head back with his eyes closed, relishing the cool wetness of fresh water. Had he ever tasted water so refreshing? He doubted it. When he had finished, the young man before him drew away the flask before reaching forward and gently wiping the water dripping from his face with the hem of his sleeve. Surprised, Zuko glanced upwards at the unfamiliar page. When his copper eyes met the piercing blue ones staring kindly and intently back into his own, they widened in shock. "I know your face…" he muttered slowly, his voice raspy. "Katara!" he whispered, the tiniest hint of a smile curling briefly across his face. "You came back…"

Katara rolled her ice-blue eyes as she stared down at her friend before leaning forward suddenly before she could think twice about her decision, and pressing her soft lips against his rough, parched ones. After a moment's embrace, they parted, though their bodies felt electrified where they had touched ever so briefly. "Of course I did, you goof." she muttered, unable to restrain her own smile. "Besides, you came back for me in the river, so I kind of owed you anyway." she added. Glancing up at the massive wooden beam and at the odd angle at which Zuko's arms now hung, her smile faded. "What have they done to you?" she murmured, brushing his shaggy hair gently out of his face. "Why didn't you fight them?"

Zuko averted his eyes in humiliation. "They blocked my chi. There was nothing I could do after that." He explained quietly, his voice barely audible.

Rhyu merely stared at the two of them in shock, his face turning from one to the other as if he were watching a fascination game of kuai ball. "What in the n-name of Agni…?" he stammered as who he thought to be two males clearly began necking before his very eyes. As Katara and Zuko resumed talking, his look of repulsion passed, instantly replaced by one of shock and confusion. "You t-two know each other?" he demanded suddenly, stepping between them once more.

Katara and Zuko merely nodded, while Rhyu continued to look back and forth between them as if they each had sprouted a second head and he could not decide which was more disturbing. Zuko broke the awkward silence first. "Rhyu, this is my friend, Katara. She….well, uh…" he rambled, exhaustion and tact battling for control of his tongue.

"I came to save him. We're…close." Katara interjected, sparing the exhausted Zuko from embarrassing himself further by attempting to explain something they had not yet discussed. "I am sorry I had to deceive you Rhyu." she added apologetically.

Rhyu seemed to be slowly recovering from his shock. "So you two know each other…" he repeated quietly. "And you want to help him escape, j-just like me…s-so really there's n-no problem…"

"Well, except keeping Katara hidden of course." Zuko muttered, in response to which Katara nodded. "Can you do that for me Rhyu? Please?" Zuko asked.

Rhyu nodded solemnly, listening to Zuko's instructions in silence.

"I want you to keep her safe. She is very important to me." Zuko muttered, his gaze flickering briefly from Katara to Rhyu. "When the time is right, we will leave. All three of us. We just need time to devise a plan." he continued, sounding more hopeful than he really felt. After a slight pause, Katara leaned against him, wrapping her arms around his chest gently. Zuko's eyes slid closed as he rested the side of his face against the top of her head. "I wish you were very far away from here, safe from all of this." he mumbled, his lips brushing lightly against her recently-cropped hair.

Katara lifted her head to meet his gaze. "And where would you have me go? Home to my tribe, safe and sound? Not likely. I am right where I should be, Zuko. I know that now." she muttered before resting her head against his chest once more.

"You have to promise me something. If we can't figure a way out of this, promise me you will leave. Take Rhyu with you and go." Zuko whispered, his jaw set. Katara shook her head and began to argue before Zuko interrupted. "Katara," he began slowly, "You cannot waterbend. That is my fault. Until you regain that ability, it would be incredibly dangerous for you to expose yourself or attempt in any way to defend me. Promise me you will leave."

Katara's eyes filled involuntarily as she shook her head. "No…no, absolutely not. I won't, not after I just found you again." she rambled, opening and closing her mouth as her mind raced to form coherent arguments. "It was a mistake to leave in the first place, this is where I am supposed to be, I know it, I…" she began before Zuko cut her off once more.

"Katara, Katara…" he muttered soothingly, wishing desperately that he could hold her. "Rhyu says we still have days before we reach our destination. There is still time, I just wanted to have a…contingency." he explained. "It's not that I want you to leave, I just want you safe. That is all I want. I would give everything to make you safe again." Even my life…

Postscript: YAY FLUFF! Hopefully this will satisfy your fluff cravings too. Review please, tell me what you think. The next chapter should be up soon, with plenty of a-plotting and a-scheming as far as escape attempts go. Yay? Yay.