I realized that somewhere in the writing of this, I changed Arrkun's name. It was originally Arrluk. I don't know what one I like better, but I would like to make it consistent. Which one do you as readers like best?

Chapter 5

Avani
Underground somewhere near Ba Sing Se

Avani sat up suddenly to the sound of a screeching catowl. She looked around the dark cave, wondering what time it was. She couldn't see anything, and was really wishing for the fire from the night before. Tora let out another horrible yowl from above. Avani glanced up, searching for her in the darkness. She could just make out the catowl circling near the ceiling, searching for a way out. She obviously didn't like being underground.

Avani stood and earthbended the rock roof away, allowing bright sunlight to pour down into the hole. She blinked several times, trying to get her eyes to adjust to the sudden light. Tora shot upward, and began circling lazily above them, like a distant, hungry vulture.

A quiet whispered "Avani?" made her turn back to the cave, and Arrkun. It surprised her to see him trying to sit up, looking around the hole with slightly hazy eyes.

"Arrkun! You're awake!" she exclaimed, hurrying to his side. Kneeling next to him, she began pestering him with questions. "Are you okay? How do you feel? Do you want something to eat?" He lifted a hand, motioning for her to stop.

"I… think I'm okay. Sore, dizzy, but breathing," he informed her, allowing Avani to relax a little. "What happened?"

"You were struck by lightning," Avani informed him, wondering just how much he remembered.

His eyes widened in surprise. "Lightning?" he muttered. She nodded. "Well, I guess this explains why my shoulder aches." He gestured to the bandaged arm. He glanced around, taking in his surroundings. "How'd we get down here?"

"I earthbended us down here. How else? I wished I would have thought of the idea sooner. Maybe you wouldn't have been hurt." Her mind trailed back to the night before, remembering what had happened after Arrkun had collapsed. Remembering the moments while she had created the hole was hard, her memories blurry. The more she thought of it, the more it didn't make sense. She had bended more than one element, something that was only possible for the Avatar. Is Arrkun's father right? Am I the Avatar? That's the only explanation, she wondered.

"You okay?" Arrkun asked. She blinked and turned back towards him. She hadn't realized it, but she had pulled her knees to her chest and rested her head on them, staring at the small scorch mark where the fire had been the night before.

"Uh… yeah. Just thinking of last night. Things got pretty crazy after you collapsed," she said. He nodded, but the look on his face made her think he didn't believe she was alright. Silence fell over the two for a minute, and then Avani realized just how hungry she was. She moved towards his pack, searching inside for food. "You feel like eating?" she asked him as she started pulling some food out.

"Yeah, I'm starved," he replied, and then slowly rose to his feet. She watched him warily as he moved towards her, and didn't relax again until he was kneeling at her side. It's good to see that he can walk though, she thought as she handed him a role. They ate in silence, and then Arrkun said, "We should probably get going. My dad's expecting us soon."

"You think you're ready? We could wait another day," Avani suggested. She wasn't sure he was healed enough to walk all the way to the north shore of the Earth Kingdom, but she didn't think he would listen to her.

"Even if I'm not, I don't think I could sit around and wait in this whole. We've still got a lot of ground to cover, and I'm not going to let a little injury slow me down," he replied.

Avani sighed. "Alright," she agreed reluctantly. She started packing up their stuff after she finished her role. She didn't mention that it wasn't just a little injury he was dealing with.

"We have any water?" Arrkun asked from behind her. Avani pulled out a canteen from her pack and handed it to Arrkun. He took it in one hand and popped the lid off and peered inside. "This should work," he muttered.

"Work for what?" she asked, not understanding.

He looked up from the water. "Some waterbenders can use their bending to heal. I told you I wouldn't allow this injury to slow me down. Now, can you help get these bandages off?"

She sighed, moving closer. "You want me to remove all of my hard work?" she grumbled. "It took me forever to wrap these."

"Yup," he said with a small, playful smile. "Thanks for that, by the way."

"You're welcome," she said. She reached for the ties holding the bandages tight. "So have you ever done this before?" she asked as she worked.

"Nope," he informed her. She met his gaze, one eyebrow raised. He gave a small half shrug with his good shoulder and said, "I get the basic idea." She shook her head in exasperation, and then continued to work. Together, they carefully unraveled the bandages, until the wound underneath slowly became visible. It was the same angry red from the night before, but it seemed a little better. Maybe the cream helped, Avani thought.

"Alright, hold this for me," Arrkun said, handing the canteen back to her. She took it, and kneeled in front of him. He took a deep breath, and then lifted his hand above the mouth of the canteen. He made an upward motion, and the water streamed out, following his hand. She watched as he flipped his hand over, and a puddle formed in his palm. It spread out, surrounding his hand, and then faintly began glowing. He reached up and covered the wound with his hand. The light became more intense, and he let out a small gasp. She found herself biting her lip, nervousness coursing through her.

Eternity seemed to pass, and then the light died, and he removed his hand, the water falling away from it. Her eyes widened in surprise as the burn mark came back into view. It had faded from a bright red to a softer, tender looking pink. He moved his shoulder experimentally, and smiled. "That's better."

"Good. Let's get going then," Avani said as she stood and replaced the canteen in her pack. She stood and pulled it on to her back.

Arrkun reached inside his own pack and rummaged around for a little while, before he pulled out a short-sleeved dark blue shirt. He shrugged into it, and then pulled his pack on. "How do we get out?" he asked, glancing up.

"Same way we got in," Avani answered. "Though I'd rather not bend this whole thing back up," she added as she motioned for him to come closer to the wall. He did, and then she bended the section they were standing on up to the top of the hole. As soon as they had reached level ground, Tora dropped down out of the sky to land on Avani's shoulder again.

They turned to face the north, and started their trek back through the desert. It wasn't much longer before plant life began returning, and they left the desert behind them. After a while of walking, the sun slowly started to sink, so they stopped and made camp in another small cave created by Avani.

Eona
South of her employer's home.

Dark images flashed before Eona, images of her sister, nameless attackers, her father. They were larger than life. Wild, green and blue flames surrounded them, and their eyes were dark, empty pits above maniacal grins. She called fire to her hands, but nothing came, not even a spark. Fear overwhelmed her, and she turned to run, wanting nothing more than to flee these dark creatures. She ran, fleeing the terrors behind her, but no matter how fast she ran, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't outrun them. She was enveloped in their flames, surrounded by their laughter, as the world turned crimson.

"Hikari!" A voice shattered her nightmares, a hand wrapped tightly around her arm. Eona pushed herself up on her elbows, gasping for breath. She looked around wildly, grasping at the hand holding her. She turned to meet Charan's hazel eyes. "It's alright, it's just me," he said soothingly. She forced her breathing to become even, and let go of his wrist. He moved back to kneel on his sleeping bag. She sat up the rest of the way, running a hand through her long black hair. Though she had managed to calm herself most of the way, her heart still raced inside her chest, and she had a tight knot of anxiety in her stomach. She breathed in deeply, trying to get the feelings to pass. "You alright now?" Charan asked.

She nodded, glancing at him. She was surprised to see genuine concern on his face. "Just a nightmare. I'm fine," she muttered.

"I noticed. Never thought you'd suffer from nightmares," he said, staring at her with his typical, openly curious, annoying attitude.

"Yeah well, when you have a past like mine, there's plenty of unpleasant things to dream about," she said, trying to sound irritated that he was prying, but in her shaken state, she couldn't manage it. Instead, she sounded like she was reluctantly admitting it.

"Hmm. Well then, I'm guessing saying it was just a dream won't help," he mused, moving for the satchel he had brought with him. "Hungry?" She shook her head. Feeling like she did, she doubted she could swallow anything. He shrugged. "Suit yourself." He then began eating some of the supplies he had brought with him. He swallowed a bite, and then asked, "So, where you from?"

"Really? Do I look like a girl willing to just lay my life story out on the table?" she replied.

"Maybe not." He shrugged. "Still, you have to tell me something about yourself. You know everything about me, and all I know is your name," Charan said around another bite.

Eona glanced down at her hands, realizing he didn't even know that. Boy, I hate lying. And I hate even more that I'm good at it, she thought. "I really don't like talking about my past," she muttered.

"Fine, fine. I'll just wait." She stared at him a minute, not sure what to say to that. Eventually she started to roll up her sleeping bag. "Then can I ask you a question?" he asked, breaking the silence. "A question unrelated to your past, that is."

She sighed heavily. "Depends on the question," she answered curtly.

"You're not from the Earth Kingdom, are you?" he asked. "You're from the Fire Nation, right?"

She glanced up, not expecting this. "Your extremely perceptive," she said, only half sarcastically. "What gave me away?"

"Well for one, your appearance- your eyes and hair, to be specific. Black hair, golden eyes. Those are common Fire Nation traits, at least among nobles. I wouldn't know about the lower classes. Then I took a look at that sword of yours, and recognized it as a popular sword among Fire Nation wielders. Add those together, plus your fiery temper, and it's obvious." He shrugged, as if this announcement was nothing big.

Fiery temper? I don't have a fiery temper. Do I? she wondered to herself. Then she shook her head, irritated that he was getting under her skin like this. "Well now you know something about me. Enough questions for the day," Eona snapped. She had finished wrapping her sleeping bag up and hooked it to her pack.

"See? Fiery temper. It doesn't take much to set you off," Charan pointed out with a smirk. He began packing up, realizing she was getting ready to leave.

She started back on the path, glancing around. "We don't have much farther to go until we reach the town this guy was last spotted in. After that, it shouldn't take long for us to track him down."

"Great. Let's get going then." He joined her on the path, and together they continued south. After walking in silence for a while, he sighed. She glanced at him, one eyebrow raised in question. He noticed her gaze and smiled slightly. "I drive you insane, don't I?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Maybe a little," she admitted.

"I'm sorry. I'm used to getting everything I want. Sometimes it's hard to accept defeat," he informed her.

She turned to stare off to the west. "Yeah, I know what that's like," she muttered, before even thinking about what she was saying.

"You do?" he asked, sounding surprised. "How?"

She sighed, realizing she had slipped and hinted at her past again. "Let's just say my life wasn't always that bad," she said with a small, dismissal wave of her hand.

He narrowed his eyes, staring at her for a minute longer. "Uh huh…" he muttered, and then turned back to the path. Great, now I've only sparked his curiosity more. Why can't I learn to keep my mouth shut? She thought. "Well anyway, pestering you for answers isn't going to help me any, so I guess I'll just have to wait and let you tell me," he added.

She shook her head. "You're dead set on getting answers out of me one way or another, aren't you?" she asked.

He smirked then. "Even if it kills me. I'm going to be stuck with you for a while, I want to know who I'm traveling with. Bounty hunters aren't usually the safest of companions. I got to know my life's not in danger traveling with you."

"And knowing my story is going to guarantee your safety?" she inquired.

"Secrets are a deadly weapon in the world of politics, my friend," he replied with a small nod. "So, yes, knowing your story will help."

"You knowing my secrets only further motivates me to remove you. You're a threat at that point, and silencing you will guarantee my safety," she countered. She knew the world of politics, much better than he thought she did.

"Well, aren't you the nasty little backstabbing bounty hunter. Maybe I shouldn't pry. I wouldn't want to get stabbed in my sleep," he said, his words sarcastic.

She smiled. "Just thought I'd give you a fair warning."

"But what could you have to hide that you are willing to kill to protect?" he asked, sounding extremely curious.

She shook her head, realizing he was serious when he said he wouldn't give up. "Wouldn't you like to know," she told him.

They continued along the path in silence. It lead them into a forested area. Underneath the tree's canopy, it was darker. Eona studied the scenery as they walked, enjoying the view. The path took them up a hill, and then the trees abruptly ended. Below was a small town, similar to ones Eona had already passed through while in the Earth Kingdom. "That's the town," Charan said. "Let's go ask around, see if anyone's seen him."

Eona nodded, and they started down to the town. The road wound down in a crisscrossed pattern, and briefly the town disappeared from view again. Eona paused to grab water from her pack, swinging it off of her shoulder and setting it down on the ground. "Hikari!" Charan called, and she whirled, turning back to him, to find several armed men had appeared out of the foliage to surround the two. One was lunging towards her, a knife in hand. When did these guys show up? She thought. Simultaneously, she sidestepped and reached for her sword, avoiding the man, and readying her weapon. Charan had drawn swords as well, and backed towards her. "Friends of yours?" he asked.

"Maybe," she said with a shrug. "Don't recognize them."

"Alright girl, come along quietly and we'll spare your friend," one of the men growled, grinning wickedly. He almost seemed like he was hoping she wouldn't listen; he looked like he wanted a fight.

"Yeah, I guess they are friends of mine," she muttered, and then added louder, "What do you want with me?" There was no way she was going to back down, but she was curious.

"Daddy wants you to come home. He says he's worried about you. Doesn't want his little princess running around on her own. She might get hurt," another man answered, his words dripping with sarcasm.

"Yeah right. Loving father practically disowned me," she snapped, and then swung at the nearest guy, catching him off guard. He stumbled back, avoiding her blade, and then they all attacked at once. Charan and Eona ended up back to back, fighting for their lives.

Though Eona was pretty familiar with a sword, and Charan turned out to be as good as he boasted, these men were trained mercenaries, with enough skill to overpower the two, and they were outnumbered. Eona knew this fight wouldn't go well, but she planned to take out as many of their captors as possible before they took her down.

When Eona's sword was knocked from her grip, she was about ready to resort to firebending, when one of the men yelled, "Stop, or we kill him!" She whirled around, to find Charan pinned against a tree, his swords gone, a small knife gripped in one hand. A man stood over him, a sword pointed at his chest, and another stood next to him, blocking his escape. Charan glanced at Eona, an apologetic look on his face.

"Fine, fine, just don't hurt him!" she replied, raising her hands. The man holding the sword nodded, and two of the men behind her grabbed her arms and roughly forced them behind her back. They bound her wrists tightly together, and then forced her to her knees. Charan dropped his knife, giving up as well. They bound his hands too. She met his gaze as they worked, and was surprised to see gratitude in his hazel eyes. Did he really expect her to let them kill him?

The men forced Charan to kneel next to her, and then they started ruffling through their packs. "Well, that didn't go as planned," Eona muttered, smiling apologetically at Charan.

"No worries. We'll get out of this," he replied with a shrug.

She shook her head slightly. "Sometimes you drive me insane," she muttered. "How can you be so sure?"

He shrugged. "Hey, we're alive, that's all that matters. We'll figure something out eventually. So what was this all about?" he asked. "I caught something about a mad father wanting you home."

She shrugged. "Something like that." Home to kill me, probably, she added to herself. She couldn't imagine her father actually wanting her home for any other reason.

"Wow. And I thought my family was bad," he muttered as their captors moved to their weapons. They had already stashed many items from both their packs, and seemed intent on claiming their weapons too.

She chuckled. "You have it easy," she muttered. A man grabbed her sword and inspected it, smiling greedily. She moaned as he claimed it, immediately missing the blade. She hadn't realized just how attached she had gotten to that sword. "I'm not going to find another sword like that…" she grumbled.

When they finally seemed satisfied, they turned to their prisoners, and forced Eona and Charan to their feet. They started into the forest, leaving the path behind them. They traveled for a while, as the sun slowly sank. Eventually, they stopped at a camp already set up, obviously the kidnapper's base. They were pushed roughly into a tent, and then left alone in the darkness.

"Sorry I dragged you into this," Eona said as she sat up clumsily, her bound hands making it difficult. She looked around, but couldn't see much in the darkness. The tent was small, just big enough for two people. Looking behind her, she saw two men standing outside the door, guarding the entrance.

Charan seemed to shrug, but it was hard to tell in the darkness. "It's alright. You didn't know these idiots were going to jump you, and I kind of dragged myself into it, by forcing you to allow me to come with you," he replied.

"Actually, I probably should have expected this," she muttered. She knew very well her sister wouldn't give up hunting for her, and her father probably would prefer her locked up where she couldn't bring more embarrassment to the family than roaming around free.

They fell silent for a moment, and then Charan said, "Thanks for not letting them kill me back there." His words were quiet, and he sounded a bit reluctant to admit that he was grateful.

"Did you honestly expect me to let them kill you?" she asked him.

He chuckled. "Do you want the truth, or the nice lie I should give you?" he asked, repeating himself from earlier.

"The truth, always," she responded.

"I thought you would let me die. You didn't seem to care about me, or anyone else. You seemed like every other selfish bounty hunter out there, and I figured you'd let me die to save yourself," he told her, surprising her.

"I wouldn't let you die. I wouldn't let anyone die like that. I'm not that selfish," she replied, trying not to sound defensive. She had asked for the truth.

"That's good to know. I knew you were being sarcastic before, but I wasn't sure how sarcastic," he said, his tone light again. "I got to admit, you're hard to read, sometimes. Usually I'm good at guessing what people are thinking."

"I've had lots of practice," she muttered, thinking of how back home she had to be so careful to control her emotions to protect herself, now it was an easy habit to slip into. After a few more minutes, she laid down, deciding to try and rest. Laying with her arms bound behind her back was extremely uncomfortable, but eventually, while laying on her side, she dozed.

Author's notes: Sorry for the slow update. Thanks to all those that have followed/faved this. It makes me feel good to know I'm not wasting my time writing this. :) If you read, please leave a comment/review! I love hearing from my readers! Also, I'm not actively searching, but am interested in, having somebody beta read this for me. If you're interested, post a review saying so.