Chapter 8

The trees were becoming denser and it was steadily getting more difficult to navigate through the brush, the couple soon discovered as Smellerbee led them away from the clearing. Yet, Katara still managed to allow her memories to overcome her.

Smellerbee had not been among Jet's small family when she had assisted them in rebuilding their village. According to the boys, after the war, she'd run off to be on her own to evaluate her life without Jet. She had taken his death especially hard being that she had been with him the longest. So, this is where she'd run to.

They had been walking for about ten minutes and no matter how far ahead their eyes could see, there was no point of destination.

"I despise trees!" Katara exclaimed after she tripped over the third tree root, this time falling to the ground.

Zuko moved to help her up with his good arm though it did cause his wound to ache.

"Calm down," he spoke, rolling his narrow amber eyes. Their guide had stopped walking and waited patiently for Katara to dust herself off.

"We're only approximately five feet away if you're curious. Do you wish to get there or not?" Her voice held no tones of rushing though the two travelers felt the desire to reach the temple as soon as possible.

"Five feet? There is no temple around here!" Katara bit back.

"Katara, shut up," Zuko muttered forcefully. He was definitely getting annoyed by her attitude. It seemed that not even six years could rid him of that.

Smellerbee took a seat on a nearby boulder and brought her hands up to her mouth. A sound, much like a bird's, could be heard. Almost instantly the ground beneath their feets began to rumble and groan as it shifted before their very eyes.

A set of rocky stairs had appeared and were lost sight of as they descended beneath the dark earth.

"Follow those stairs all the way down. It's going to be completely dark when I have the door sealed back up so watch your step," stated Smellerbee quietly. The lithe, wild-haired girl gestured toward the hole. The two travelers began to make their way towards the hole.

Zuko half-bowed to the girl with genuine appreciation and she nodded back. The former freedom fighter watched as the two descended the stairs before making a few soft cooing noises. Immediately the entrance closed, encasing the couple under a sheet of darkness and dusty grime.

The air was stale and it was a bit difficult to breath.

"Zuko, light a flame so that we may see where we're going," Katara whispered loudly, her hands itching to grasp his arm.

"I can't. There isn't much oxygen down here to hold a flame."

"Smart thinking, Fire Lord," came a deep voice from ahead. Instinctively Katara moved her hand to the lid of her waterskin and moved in front of the wounded man.

"Who's there?" Zuko spoke up, his voice calm with no evidence of alarm.

"Just keep walking and you'll find out soon enough. Step lightly."

"Be cautious," muttered Zuko. Katara led the way in the dark using her waterbending senses to seek out the unknown person so that they wouldn't walk into a wall.

Finally, they could see a dim light up ahead caused by a single candle that was being held by a tall figure who stood regally, much like Zuko. As they approached, the tall man bowed before them. When he was righted, Zuko nodded. Though he looked familiar, he could not place this gentleman's face.

"Master Piandao?" Katara called out quizzically. Zuko shook his head. Of course she knew who it was.

"Yes, Master Katara, it is I."

Zuko glanced over at the woman who stood beside him and noticed the grin upon her face.

"Wait...Piandao? You're Sokka's old swordbending master?"

"I don't know too much about that 'old' business but I was his master at one point, Fire Lord. Now that introductions are out of the way, come with me. You'll need to have that shoulder looked at and I grow tired of rubbing stones together to relight this candle," Piandao chuckled.

It made sense that the master swordsman was there because of his membership with the White Lotus and the closeness of his estate but what confused Zuko was the why. He knew of some members of the secret organization and they usually convened when there were times of distress. Surely they hadn't gathered there for a matter so simple as rebels.

Of course, Master Piandao could just be visiting. Zuko shook that silly notion out of his head. Piandao led them into a more brightly lit dim room and the two instantly found it easier to breath.

This room was simple in terms of decor and was round to reflect the stone carving of a lotus in the center of the floor. There were five doors, including the one that they had just entered leading away from this room.

The master pointed to a door on their right.

"Go through that door and there'll be another door parallel to it. Quickly now."

Katara grabbed onto Zuko's good arm, for the sake of needing to touch him, and pulled him towards the door.

"Hope to see you soon, sir," the woman smiled warmly, turning her head. She was really eager to get some food into her system and she hoped that the accommodations were...accommodating. Zuko allowed her to guide him through the first door and noted as the door clicked upon closing. That's when he remembered that he had wanted to ask Piandao why he was on guard duty.

He opened the door that they had just come through and was shocked to find that the lotus room was no longer there. Instead, there was only a rocky wall. There were strong earthbenders at work and even stronger defense systems.

"Ingenious," the Fire Lord muttered in astonishment.

"Zuko, there's a futon in here. And a table with food."

Zuko turned around to find that Katara had already opened the parallel door. He followed her into the room with his eyes automatically zeroing in on the food.

"Welcome Fire Lord Zuko and Master Katara. We are glad to see that you've made it here safely."

The companions looked up to see that a door had opened and in walked a formally dressed older woman with a similarly clothed girl at her side. They bowed in respect, earning a nod from Zuko and a bow from the master waterbender.

"We are here to tend to your injury Fire Lord and to make sure that you two are well taken care of before the delegates arrive tomorrow. Please take a seat," the woman spoke slowly, enunciating every word. She gestured to the futon.

"Master Katara, do you care to follow Wen to our bathhouse?" I'm sure that you'd enjoy fresh clothing," the lady smiled. Her assistant bowed to the waterbender .

"Sure. I'd love that," Katara spoke hesitantly. She locked eyes with Zuko, noticing just how tired his amber eyes looked. She could also see that he'd been attempting to ignore the pain of his wound.

"Go ahead Katara. The food will still be here when you return."

Approximately an hour later, Katara was guided into a room that contained two futons and a tea table. Zuko was sitting at the table with his normal look of brooding upon his face. His hands were cupped around a cup and he was staring into it as if the steam could tell him it's secrets. Katara mentally sighed.

"How's the tea?" she questioned as she took a seat at the tea table directly across from him. The kimono that Wen had given her to sleep in was incredibly comfortable and allowed for easy movement.

"They need a few tips from my uncle but...it's not bad," Zuko cleared his throat and looked up, "Katara, do you think that they'll be able to help?"

Katara looked up and locked gaze with is tired amber eyes. He was getting that look again, the one of self-pity.

"Yes, or else your uncle wouldn't have given you this lead, but we won't know until tomorrow. How's your arm?"

She offered him a grin which he appreciated but it didn't make him feel any better. He knew that she was hoping to break him of this attitude before he regressed but he was stubborn.

Zuko looked down his nose at his freshly bandaged shoulder.

"Better," he grunted, "Are you feeling better?"

"Much!" Katara exclaimed reaching across the table for a bowl that contained rice and bull-antelope stew.

Zuko studied the woman as she sighed in appreciation at the meal. He had no appetite, himself, due to the throbbing ache of his injury but he knew from experience that he'd eat like a platypus-bear upon waking up in the morning due to his body's sleep-time healing process.

He rather liked her semi-wild, short, wavy hair and the way that it curled up around her cheeks and ears to frame her face. Though he longed to run his fingers through her long hair of the past, he did much enjoy the fact that he could see her face, now. Zuko had really missed her, he realized.

"I've missed you," he blurted in a nearly inaudible whisper. Noticing his slip-up, the Fire Lord took a chance and glanced up to gauge Katara's reaction.

She was frozen. Her hand that had been guiding her chopsticks to her mouth had frozen in midair. He watched as she blinked rapidly and could not help but to feel a bit of pride at the fact that he had caused this disruption.

"Did you now?" Katara questioned, finally managing to compose herself.

"I did."

There was silence. She had obviously not expected a reply. Katara had probably imagined that he would hostilely change the subject to hide his moment of weakness as he was prone to do, but no. He stood his ground.

"I've missed you too, Fire Lord. I've missed everyone."

"You never visited…like you promised," Zuko stated. With his words, a myriad of images popped into his head, namely those that had involved his evening with the waterbender during his last stay in the Earth Kingdom.

Katara resumed her eating, taking a few small bites before responding with, "I know."

Zuko could feel his temper begin to flare. That's all she could think to say? He drummed his fingers along the grain of the wooden tea table in an effort to calm himself down.

"Why?" he managed to bite out.

Katara shrugged and he lost it. Here he was, in love with this woman and she didn't give the slightest damn. He stood up abruptly, nearly knocking over the table, and walked over to one of the futons before throwing himself onto it, not caring if he damaged his shoulder any more and not caring that he was acting like a spoiled prince.

"So you're moody now?" Katara asked as she nonchalantly picked up a cloth napkin to wipe her mouth.

"Waterbender..." Zuko warned, his voice in a low growl.

"I'm just saying. You asked me a question, to which I responded. Why are you so upset?"

"A shrug is not a dignified response," countered the former prince.

Katara threw down her chopsticks and turned towards the angry man.

"Nor is a temper tantrum!"

Zuko turned onto the side of his uninjured shoulder away from the waterbender's glare. He wanted to be angry for he hadn't felt that way in years but seeing her riled up was causing his rage to subside. He had missed their back and forths.

The air was quiet and the only sounds that could be heard were of the rocks, beyond the walls of their room, subtly being moved. It was a calming sound that was gently beginning to lull the Fire Lord to sleep.

"You're such a stubborn jerk," mumbled Katara. She had gotten up from the table and walked over to his futon. With a deep, calming breath, she sat down, which instantly jarred Zuko causing him to be alert.

He could feel as her fingers lightly began to dance a top his hurt shoulder.

"I learned this from Ty Lee some time ago so I'm not sure how effective it is. It's a technique designed to soothe burning muscles and I figure that your shoulder's on fire."

"Thanks."

Katara then cleared her throat and blinked back the tears that she knew would come.

"I never visited because I knew that I'd never be able to leave."

"Haru, gather the squad. I need to brief you all on the mission."

Haru nodded and went do do as requested. Sokka stood up from his desk where minutes before he'd been memorizing the layout of the Fire Nation's lands. He reached his arms over his head for a stretch. HE had been sitting at that desk for at least three hours straight and the sun hadn't even come up.

They were on an Earth Kingdom Navy ship en route to the Fire Nation.

"Sir? You asked for us?"

Sokka turned to address the only four men who could be trusted, "We are going to seek council with the Fire Lord to discuss and investigate the rebel attacks. Unfortunately, we are also investigating whether or not your comrades are involved. This is to be kept confidential. If I receive any indication that our mission has been compromised, the culprit will have to deal with the serious repercussions of a traitor," Sokka paused to look into the eyes of each squad member, "Do I make myself clear?"

The four men nodded before saluting. Sokka saluted in response.

"Be on alert at all times. Even during meals. If you encounter anything suspicious communicate without words." Sokka rolled his eyes at his choice of words and fought himself not to laugh.

"Communicate by hand signals," Haru clarified with a small grin.

"So, Boss, are you just going to hide away in here until we reach the Fire Nation or are you going to join us for dinner?" Rowl, the youngest squad member spoke up.

Rowl was raised in a nomadic tribe that claimed to be able to trace their roots back to the Air Nomads although no one in his tribe could bend air. When he was twelve, Rowl, his parents, and his brother had traveled to the Northern Watertribe after a visit to view the Northern Air Temple's ruins. They had liked the area so much that they decided to make a home there.

When he was sixteen, Rowl rushed to enlist in the Sword Squad after meeting Sokka during a diplomatic meeting. Haru handpicked the boy to be one of the most trustworthy members of the squad after only a year's enlistment. Sokka trusted that judgment.

"Dinner sounds great. I'll be there momentarily. I have to go over the palace's blindspots one more time. Be sure not to eat all of the meat."

The Sword Squad laughed at their leader as he dismissed them to go ahead to the dining room of their ship.

Sokka sighed. Truthfully, he'd gone over the entirety of the Fire Nation's blueprints to the point in which he could draw them out himself. He just needed to cool his thoughts.

From the day that he had spoken to Azula, his thoughts had been running rampant and he hadn't gotten much sleep. Hopefully, Zuko would be able to offer as much support as he could.

The tired man sighed again and rolled the blueprints up. Anything would be great, as long as his mind was soon able to rest easy.

HELLO!

This. This is incredibly late. I know. The sad part is, I had it all written out months ago but I've been busy with LIFE and more recently the fact that my sister went missing for a week before we, thankfully, found her. Whew. But. Here you are. :] Ignore any/all typos, please.