Duke

They were on the ice block for a few hours. It was beginning to get colder and Duke was hurt badly.

"We need to find help," Chang said trying to help Duke with his wounds.

"Guys.. I need.. to tell you something," Duke said weekly. "It's about Fang." Before he could say anything else he was interrupted by Ruz.

"Look! I see land," he said pointing at a land of snow.

"Keep holding on Boss. Were almost there," Chang said as Ruz waterbent them towards the land. Ruz and Chang dragged Duke onto the island.

"Look over there," Chang said pointing at a large snow wall. "I bet someone lives over there." Together they carried Duke towards the snow wall. It took them an hour to get there. when they finally got to the wall they were stopped by a man.

"Who goes there?"

"Um.. we were escaping from this place and my friend got badly hurt," Chang started saying.

"We just need a healer or something. You got any," Ruz finished. After some hesitation the man let the boys in. As they walked in they were greeted by some waterbenders. They were talking about something, but it was hard for Duke to understand. He was so badly hurt he was about to pass out. Duke did hear a few words. He thought he heard 'he needs to see Master Katara', but he could have been mistaken. Before he knew it he was being carried into a building. Chang and Ruz following close behind. All these flashing lights were gleaming above him until finally he passed out.

"Where's Katara?" a watertribe girl said cleaning the blood from Duke. An old woman came into the room. Everybody moved away from the boy.

"Can help him?" Ruz asked the old women.

"I'll do my best," she replied. "Take the boys friends and give them a meal. They look famished." Chang and Ruz were escorted out of the room.

"Now what do we have here?" Katara asked looking at the boy.

"He's been hurt somehow. Can you heal him?" Someone asked.

"Yes, I think so," Katara replied. "Now leave. I need time alone with him." The benders left and Katara started her healing process. She bent the clean water from the bucket and started to work on his left arm. Katara healed most of his wounds. Then she noticed blood coming out of his shirt. She lifted his shirt up and was ready to heal, but then she noticed his necklace. This can't be. He's dead. Isn't he? There was only one way to prove he was actually Duke. Katara turned the necklace around. It was him. She remembered the carving on Duke's necklace. 'Life is nothing without love, never give up- your loving father.' Those words were on this boy's necklace. It was Duke, her grandson.

"Oh my spirits! He's alive." She quickly healed the rest of his wounds. Katara didn't know what to feel. Happy that her grandson has been alive all this time or sad because her grandson was in so much danger that he almost died. She took his necklace off of him for cleaning. It was so dirty. It's like he never took it off.

"Mmm," Duke mumbled.

"Shh get some rest," Katara said putting a blanket over him. "You had a long day. You're safe now." She walked out of the room and into the dining area where Chang and Ruz were sent to have a meal. Once they saw Katara they stopped eating.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Chang asked her as he was getting up from his chair.

"Yes he'll be fine. He's resting now. What happened?" Katara asked.

"Well we were on the ship and the intercom came on and the captain ordered us to attack Boss and we couldn't kill boss he's our buddy so we had to help him but everyone else was trying to kill him and someone had thrown a knife in his arm and-"

"Chang I think she gets it," Ruz interrupted. "I'm Ruz and this is Chang," Ruz said pointing at Chang. "Can we see Boss?"

"Well Du- I mean Boss needs to get his rest, but in a few hours you can see him and we can get this whole thing straightened out," Katara answered. As Duke slept Ruz and Chang told Katara about their adventure around the world as prisoners. Eventually Duke woke up. At first he was surprised about where he was, but then remembered what happened. He got off the bed he was placed on. Stretching he noticed his scars didn't hurt as much as they had. Duke looked at his shoulder. There was barely a scar. This was amazing! He heard voices coming from outside the room. He walked out of the room and followed the voices. As he got closer he recognized Chang and Ruz's voice.

"Boss your okay," Chang yelled out when he noticed Duke standing at the door. Duke was covered in bandages and scars, but he would survive.

"Katara here saved your life," Ruz said looking at the old woman.

"Well thank you ma'am I'm-" He stopped talking and started searching for his necklace. "My necklace! It's gone. I must have left it on the ship." Duke started to panic.

"Don't worry Duke everything is okay. I took it off so we could clean it. That thing was covered in blood." Katara said calmly.

"Oh thank goodness," Duke said in relief. "Wait a minute... you know my name." This was creepy. Ruz and Chang exchanged looks. What was going on?

"How do you know Boss' name," Chang asked.

"Well I-" Katara started to answer, but was interrupted by Duke.

"Can you tell me who these people are?" Duke pulled out the paper of his pocket and showed it to Katara. Her eyes widened when she saw the photo.

"They were watching us the whole time," she whispered.

"What," Duke asked.

"Oh these people are your parents. That's your mother," she pointed at the women. "Such a lovely lady," she added. "And that man is your father," Katara pointed at the man.

"Did you know them," Duke asked.

"Yes and I still do," she answered. Dukes eyes widened. They were alive?

"What happened on this night," Duke asked pointing at the picture.

"That was the night you were taken by Oji Spence," Katara replied.

"Spence?" The boys said together.

"Wait a second," Duke pulled out the letter he had. "I'm correct! This letter was sent by Oji Spence. They must be related somehow," Duke said showing the letter to Chang and Ruz.

"He kidnapped those children," Chan said shocked.

"Yeah and he's planning to take over the world. This man is crazy," Duke answered.

"This isn't good," Katara said standing up. "Not good at all."

"Hey Boss remember when we were in his office and we overheard him talking about heading to Republic city in two years," Chang asked Duke.

"Yes?" Duke replied not sure where Chang was going with this.

"Why do you suppose that is?" Chang wondered.

"I don't know Chang." They stood there in silence for a minute or two. Then Katara's eyes widened and it just hit her.

"Oji Spence is imprisoned in Republic City. He must be going there to break him out," Katara said. It grew silent again. Everyone was thinking the same thing, but didn't dare to say it aloud. There was a war coming. A nasty one that had to be stopped.

"We have to go to Republic City and warn the people," Duke said breaking the silence.

"Well not tonight," Katara answered. "Its very late. Everyone should get some rest and tomorrow you'll head off to Republic City," she said showing them to their rooms. Chang and Ruz were exhausted, but Duke got plenty of sleep already. Duke lay in his bed a bit scared about what would happen next. He did get a bit more sleep, but not as much as Chang and Ruz got. The next morning Katara made them a delicious breakfast.

"Eat up you'll need your strength," she said to them placing the food on the table. After their meal they got ready to head out for their adventure to Republic City.

"What was I thinking?" Katara said to them as she handed them clean clothes. "Look at you! You can't go out with ripped clothes. You can have these. I hope watertribe clothes are okay. It's all we have." The boys put on the clothes they were given. A man brought out a huge grey lizard.

"You can use Ringo to guide you to Republic City," the man told them. After they received a backpack full of food Chang and Ruz got on the lizard while Katara put Duke's newly clean necklace on him.

"Thank you for everything Katara," Duke said getting up on Ringo.

"Please call me Gran Gran. Your siblings do," she said smiling.

"What"

"Ya! Ya!" Chang said whipping the strings to make Ringo go. Ringo obeyed and they were off to Republic City.

"Oh spirits," Katara said looking up at the sky. "Protect them on their journey."