Chapter IV- Alone in the Night

I wake up to darkness. There is a stingy smell in the air around me, like sweat. I must have been sleeping for a long time. Something feels different, though. I feel like I'm not in the same room I was in before. It's cooler now, and the bed doesn't seem as soft. I try to get up, but I can't. Why? I use my right hand to feel around, but I can't move it very far. I feel cold metal around my wrists. What the hell?

…...

Zuko

I lay on my bed, looking up at the ceiling. I have been laying here for about six or seven hours. It's dark outside. I've spent the entire afternoon brooding over what had happened in the throne room earlier. I'm disgusted with my father. He has no right to defend me after all he has done to me. My stomach growls, so I figure that I should probably get something to eat. I get up, walk over to my door, then walk down the hallway. I turn a corner, then continue to walk down the hallway, but I pause. I look over at the door to Katara's room. Something isn't right. Wait, why do I care? She's just a stupid peasant, but I'm curious.

I turn towards the door, then knock. Why did I knock? That is the most stupid thing that I could do! No noise, no movement. Is she in there? I slowly turn the doorknob and open the door slowly. I create some fire on the palm of my left hand, just enough to see. I walk in, but no one is there. Did she leave to eat? No, she doesn't even know where the kitchen is. I look around the room, then notice that the window is open. She escaped! How dare she? I look down and see that there is a rope hanging down to the ground. I climb out of the window and down the rope. When I reach the bottom, I see that there are footprints left in the mud, but they seem to be too big for Katara's feet. I follow the footprints, which lead to the wall that surrounds the palace.

Another rope. I climb up this rope, which continues down the other side of the wall, which I also use to climb down. How could of she, or someone else, escaped without any guards noticing? Well, I guess I just got out undetected, so it's possible. I don't see any footprints, but I walk out further and see some footprints. They're about the same size as the other footprints, so I follow them. I start to run, so that I might have a chance of catching up to whoever it was. The footprints lead to a forest, then they disappear. Shit. I look around and notice some broken branches, so I follow that path. Whoever it was must have been larger, because I walked through there easily. I stop when I see something blue on the ground. I bend down and pick it up. It is a necklace with blue beads. Where have I seen this before? Katara has a necklace just like this. I continue walking and I start to see a light ahead. Hopefully, it's the way to Katara.

…...

Katara

I try to free myself from the chains, but it's no use. I can barely move my arms and legs, let alone scratch my itchy nose. The smell in this room is becoming unbearable. I feel like I can barely breathe. I hear something. Maybe a door opening? I see a small light. It appears to be a man holding a flame, a fire bender I assume. They slowly walk over to me, chuckling. When they get close enough for me to see their face, I gasp.