Wanted

Chapter 5

Defense

Katara, with her hair still damp under the cover of her hat, settled as quietly next to her brother as possible.

"Were have you been?" his not so quiet voice asked from below the tipped brim of his own hat.

"I was taking a bath." She replied calmly, knowing that she'd upset her brother either way she explained her whereabouts. The hat went flying as he shot up from his relaxed position. A look of blatant furry passed over Sokka's face.

"You what?" he hissed.

"Bath. I'm a waterbender and I haven't been near a reasonable amount of water in three days." She reasoned, settling into her own position of comfort. "Besides, I was filthy."

"And now you look like a girl!" Sokka grumbled, still not relaxing. "Make sure you rub some dirt of your face or something before Iroh and Zuko return."

"Iroh knows I'm a girl."

"Yeah, but Prince I-Have-A-Temper doesn't." Sokka argued. "And if you don't mind, I'd really like it to stay that way."

Katara threw her brother a hard glare. "You know what, I don't have to argue with you. You're acting like I'm oblivious to the world we live in. You'd think I might even understand the dangers a little better then you would."

Sokka sighed, finally settling back into his position against the tree. "I just don't want to have to deal with another Jet." Katara's stomach riled slightly at the mention of Jet. The memories were never something she liked to relive, and despite her brother's intentions, she didn't really appreciate him bringing it up.

"That was almost three years ago Sokka." Katara managed to say calmly. "I'm pretty sure that situation will never repeat itself."

"I know Sis." Sokka relented. "I'd just rather be safe then sorry."

'You're not the only one.' Katara thought as she pulled her own hat over her eyes and settled down for a quick nap.

---

Zuko woke to the gentle poking of a long stick. Before he knew why the stick was there, flames erupted from his hands and feet as he swept himself up into a fighting stance.

"It's nice to know that you're taking the time to rest Nephew." Iroh laughed, holding up the stick he had used to awaken him. "But I believe that it is now time to get moving."

Resting? Zuko didn't understand it. He never slept during the middle of the day. It was practically unheard of for a firebender to nod off under the heat of the midday sun. He suddenly felt weak. "I was asleep?" He muttered to himself, trying to figure out how it happened. Apart from his uncle, he seemed to be the only one around. He briefly wondered where the Water Tribe siblings where before he could hear their muffled talking behind a nearby set of conifers.

"How long was I out?" Zuko asked, turning to his Uncle.

Putting finger to the charred tip of his stick, Iroh shrugged his shoulders. "I would think almost an hour?"

Zuko wrinkled his brow. "And how long after you last saw me did you find me asleep?"

Iroh threw his nephew a quizzical look. "Why is it so important?"

Anger steamed through Zuko's system. Why was it so important? Couldn't he see how unnatural it was for him to be found asleep at this time of day? Couldn't he see the dangers involved in him being unconscious out in the open like that? What if Azula had attacked? He was positive she'd go for the pot shot and kill him as he slept. Why couldn't his uncle see that?

But instead of yelling at Iroh and pointing out the obvious to him, and giving the Water Tribe siblings another reason to be wary of him, Zuko calmly strode to the lake and splashed the cold water up to his face.

----

Half an hour later they were all back to trudging up into the mountains. Zuko guessed that, if the pace was steady and they didn't encounter any difficulties, they would reach the southern shores of the Earth Kingdom in three days. After that, however, he wasn't quite sure where he'd end up. So far he was under the distinct impression that his Uncle had bargained his accompaniment with the Water Tribe siblings. On top of that, he was pretty sure that they didn't like that he was there. He couldn't make out exactly why, but he guessed it had something to do with the younger boy, Hakoda.

He lifted his head and settled his gaze on the back of the younger boy's faded blue tunic. Sokka towered next to him, wearing the same dull blue. Both boys where shaped similarly, but Sokka was at least five or so inches taller then his younger brother. And while Sokka had kept the side of his head shaven close to the scalp with the rest pulled into the typical Wolf Tail; Hakoda always wore a wide brimmed hat that constantly cast a dark shadow over what skin the waterbender hadn't covered up with a well worn strip of cotton. Several water pouches crisscrossed over the young bender's back, the weight of water inside causing the leather straps to cut into his shoulders.

Zuko was suddenly glad that his bending was internally ignited. He couldn't imagine the annoyance if he had to constantly rely on a pre-existing source of fire to create his bending. He was glad to be a firebender, but not enough to feel sorry for the waterbender and his burden.

It seemed, as he watched him, that it was an accustomed weight for the young bender. In the long run, Zuko figured, it was probably a good training exercise for someone as small as Hakoda. Zuko wondered if it was a self-imposed task or if his master had insisted upon the practice. And how old could Hakoda possibly be? No more then 15 at the most, he was too short and slight. But his level of mastership forced Zuko to second-guess. He guessed Sokka to be close to his age, nearing 20 years. He guessed if the boys were close in age, they'd be close in size… unless they weren't really brothers or Hakoda was some sort of oddity amongst the tall men of the Water Tribes. The thought, however, of Hakoda being a younger master, caused a small flame of jealousy to burn within his chest. He pushed it away, slightly ashamed of his reaction to the thought. Masters where few and far between, not to mention that they tended to be a lot older then either him or Hakoda.

But, then of course, there was Azula.

They walked for two days before they encountered another village. Their small group had reached high into the mountains and despite the summer heat radiating from the Wong Se Tong desert, snow still spotted the landscape of the mountains. Chill air bit at the faces of the firebenders, and the fog of their hot breaths appeared long before that of the waterbender.

The smell of smoke and the steady tapping of hammers hinted at the presence of the village before it came into sight. They stopped before the walked beyond they tree line.

"We need supplies." Sokka declared, turning the address the three. "I'll only be gone for half an hour at most. When I'm done I'll meet you at the tree line on the eastern side of town.

"If I'm not back before nightfall," Sokka continued turning to the waterbender. "You know what to do." Zuko watched as Hakoda nodded his head, his gaze serious. Sokka placed a heavy hand on his brother's shoulder and a moment later, walked out of the woods.

Hakoda stood there for a moment before turning and began to skirt the outside of the clearing. They walked in silence until they reached the eastern most point of the town's tree line, just out of site of a small outhouse and a rough-hewn road. Zuko half expected the waterbender to perch himself upon a group of boulders sticking out of the ground, but instead uncorked his waterskin. Zuko started at the sudden movement and quickly made a stance. The waterbender, seeing this just rolled his eyes before looking back to a large pine that bordered the clearing. Zuko, still expecting an attack was surprised when Hakoda, forming a tendril of water, directed it upwards and almost immediately disappeared into the boughs of the tree.

"Relax Zuko." Iroh chuckled from his seat on the rock. "The boy is merely looking out for his brother."

Zuko sighed and extinguished his flames before taking a seat next to his uncle. "I'm under the impression that Sokka doesn't want Hakoda looking out for him."

Iroh chuckled. "That maybe true. But Sokka knows he can count on Hakoda to do the right thing even if it means forsaking him for the greater cause."

"I do not see how teaching a kid to be an assassin is 'the greater cause'." Zuko mumbled darkly.

"It is not about teaching the Avatar his elements, it's about ending the war." Iroh said somberly, tucking his large hands into the sleeves of his robe. "While only you and I may be running from our own country, Sokka and his people have been hunted by the Fire Nation for over a century. While we may be the last of Fire Nation royalty, Sokka and Hakoda are the last of their kind. Even then, Hakoda is the last native waterbender the southern tribe had before General Zhao obliterated them seven years ago. It is a wonder they are still alive."

Zuko sat very still for a very long time after his uncle's story. While Zuko suffered under the weight of his banishment and the murder of his mother, the tale of the Water siblings suddenly seemed to outweigh his pain. A wave of guilt passed over him, calming his inner fires and releasing a short spasm of shivers as the cold flowed over his cooling skin. He wondered what it would be like to have no country… at least more-so then he was at that very moment. To never see another firebender in his lifetime made him suddenly glad to only be a banished prince. While he may never be welcomed home by it's ruling powers, he was glad to know that his homeland still existed, still breathed even as it spread terror and destruction.

A flurry of pine needles falling from above suddenly alerted Zuko to the outside world. Looking up he could see Sokka running from the town while the waterbender frantically slid down the side of the tree.

"Run!" Sokka yelled as he broke through the first row of conifers. Behind him, Zuko could see several mounted men chasing the fast moving boy. Acting quickly Zuko grabbed his uncle's forearm and was pulling them after the siblings before they had a chance to blow past them.

"What's going on?" Zuko yelled as the dodged tree after tree.

"Bounty hunters!" Sokka yelled back, narrowly missing a low hanging branch. They were in the town posting wanted posters of the four of us. I saw the posters just as they spotted me. I didn't even have time to get any meat!"

The sound of crashing feet and breaking branches where drawing nearer. "Can you block them at all?" Sokka yelled as the continued to weave frantically through the trees. Zuko could hear his uncle's labored breath next to him and wondered how much time they had before he'd have to stop.

"Not without sitting fire to the trees!" Zuko yelled back, whilst jumping over a fallen log. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Hakoda motion something to his brother.

"Never mind! We're coming up to a river, we'll be safe once we reach it." Sokka replied. Several paces later they were wading into the rocky shallows of a large mountain river.

"Safe?" Zuko yelled, trying to keep is breath under control. "How are we supposed to be safe if we can't even get to the other side?"

Hakoda's head snapped to the side in reply, a look of fear and anger flaring up. With suddenly rolling motions the waterbender's arms where pointed skyward and before Zuko could realize what was happening, river water was following Hakoda's physical suggestion and rising into the sky.

"Look!" Iroh exclaimed, pointing back down. A small pathway, framed by great walls of water, lead straight to the other side of the river. No wasted any time staring at the great wonder Hakoda was managing to produce. Another moment later they were on the other bank and the wall of water were collapsing. As it settled they soon realized that Hakoda had not crossed with them. Instead he could be seen on the other side, pillars of ice encasing the legs of several ostrich-horses.

"Katara!" Sokka screamed, several other unfamiliar words fallowing the call.

Zuko wondered if Hakoda could hear his brother on the other side of the river. Iroh launched several fireballs over the river, but with the combination of distance and his exhaustion, they exploded into the water before they could lend any assistance.

"Katara!" Sokka screamed again, this time throwing an oddly shaped metal blade into the air. A second later Zuko could see it fly into the throat of a man sneaking up from behind the waterbender. The attacker fell from his mount and landed part way into the river. They all watched as Hakoda pulled the blade out of the fallen man's neck, tucked it into his belt and drew water into the air. Several disks of ice began to form around the waterbender and with quick swinging motions, launched them into the forest. No one waited to see the results of the attack, instead watched as Hakoda, pivoting to face them and forced his arms out; causing a path of ice to form directly in front of the motion. Just as the waterbender began to run across the ice the trees began to fall. The sound of wood snapping exploded through the calm air. Large trees where falling into the river, causing waves of water splash over and shatter the ice path Hakoda and forged. Bark and leaves exploded from the water, flinging deadly shrapnel to fly into the forest and out across the river. Several sharp splinters rained down on them, drawing blood. Hakoda made it across just as the largest tree began to fall, collapsing parallel to the river and effectively blocking anyone from fallowing their direct path across the water. Another explosion rang out across the mountains, and the four where forced to dunk and splinters of wood rained down on them.

As the air silenced, Zuko rose to survey the damage. Across the river he could see several bodies pressed between the trunks of trees or sprawled out across the beach. Anything still willing to fallow them would have to not only regroup but spend hours if not days walking along the river to find a crossing. A sudden sob broke the silence and Zuko turned to see who had made it. Sitting in the sand was Sokka, cradling his brother. While Hakoda's eyes remained closed an arrow stuck out from his back.

"Katara!" Sokka scream, rocking the waterbender back and forth. Zuko could only watch as blood dripped into the sand.