Author's Note: Happy 10th chapter! It's exhilirating to make it this far and it's all thanks to the support of my dedicated readers. I didn't realize how heartbroken some of you guys would be when Kai left. However, we've got a long way to go and I've been playing with a lot of plot ideas. Just remember this isn't all romance. It's first and foremost an adventure story and I plan on making it a good one.

Kai's arms ached from rowing and she set the paddles down for a moment to let them rest. Her blue eyes scanned the brightening horizon for any sign of Zuko's ship coming after her. She had left in the dark of the night and hopefully she had gotten a good head start before anybody realized she was gone. She knew a rowboat couldn't outmatch a ship, but at least she had been able to escape. She had finally found the courage to take action after days of contemplating on whether or not she should follow her heart. She sighed and glanced over her shoulder, relieved to see the beach was steadily getting closer. She had carefully planned out her escape and made sure she would be close enough to land to make it without physically draining herself too much. She picked up the paddles with a renewed determination and rowed steadily, ignoring the ache in her muscles.

Once the boat hit the sand, she pulled it up the beach and into the tree line. If they were looking for her, she wanted to hide her trail as best as she could. She couldn't face Zuko, not after everything. And she could just picture the disappointment in Iroh's eyes. She sighed and leaned against a tree, exhaustion sweeping over her. She had been rowing for hours and it was taking a toll on her strength. She would just have to camp out tonight before figuring out where she was.

When she woke, the ache from the day before had failed to go away and an overwhelming sense of loneliness had swept through her. What was she doing? She had lived the life of royalty as long as she could remember. The most uncomfortable experience she had ever had was adjusting to living on the ship, and she had other people to help her adjust. She was alone now with no food and no idea what to do next. She had slept in the rowboat, which had been the most uncomfortable bed in the world and left her sore. She took a deep breath and tried to sort out her thoughts. First, she needed food. She had eaten all that she had brought and now her stomach grumbled for the breakfast she usually had waiting for her. Maybe there was a village nearby. She had a vague idea of where she was. It was definitely somewhere in the Earth Kingdom. That she could be sure about. She sighed and ran a hand through her golden hair. She just needed to wander until she found somewhere and hopefully she would manage to make it to a village before she became weak from fatigue and hunger.

She got to her feet and glanced around, hoping for some kind of sign of civilization. There was nothing to suggest anyone lived around there and she bit her cheek, wishing she had thought things through a little better. Maybe if she followed the beach, she might come across a village. But she also risked Zuko finding her. Hopefully, he had accepted her absence and moved on, but she could never be sure with him. Her only choice was the beach and with reluctance, she began her long trek across the sand, pulling the hood of her cloak up to keep her from being recognized if she did come across anybody.

"Hey. Hey!"

Kai looked up at the voice and let out a sigh of relief when she spotted a small rowboat with a fisherman in it on the water not too far from the shore. She felt ready to collapse from exhaustion and all of her thanks went to the Spirits at this gift.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" The voice was masculine, probably that of a young man, and hopefully the owner was as friendly as he sounded. Now she just needed a good excuse to be wandering the beach alone.

"My ship sank. I was the only survivor," she hollered back, hoping that was a good excuse.

"Really? We don't usually get that kind of drama around here." She thought she heard a little bit of a chuckle in his voice. "I suppose you need a little help."

She watched as the boat got closer to shore and studied the boy occupying it. He was probably a little older than her with tanned skin and black hair. She couldn't get a good view of his face but there was a piece of wheat grass hanging from between his lips. The sound of sand grating against the bottom of the wooden vessel was a relief to her and the boy climbed out, standing a small ways away from her. She could tell he was wary of a stranger wandering along the shoreline alone. Now that she could see his face, she noted his brown eyes and the strong lines of his jaw. There was a flicker of suspicion in his expression.

"How come you've got a hood on? Hiding a secret identity?" he asked in a smooth voice.

"I have a scar," she said without hesitation. She kept her voice even, hoping he wouldn't detect her lies. "It's not exactly something I want to show off."

"I see…" He seemed to be studying what little of her face that was showing and she met his scrutinizing gaze. The tension in his shoulders left after a moment and he stuffed his hands in his pockets, stepping closer to her. It was a sign that he didn't view her as an immediate threat. "Shipwreck, huh?"

She glanced away, trying to portray sadness or something like it. "It was a storm. The captain said we could make it but the mast cracked and then it…and my parents…"

She closed her eyes and mustered a few tears, praying to the Spirits that her acting was convincing.

"Hey, I hate to see a pretty girl cry. How about I take you back to my village and you can sort things out from there?"

She glanced up at him and brushed the tears away. "I'd appreciate that."

He smiled and held a hand out to help her into the boat.

"I'm Jet, by the way."

"Welcome to my home."

Kai looked around, her blue eyes skeptical as she scanned the empty clearing. "I thought you said you lived in a village…"

He grinned at her and held a hand out. "Village isn't exactly the best description. There is a village just outside the woods. This is my…home base. I'll show you."

She hesitated a moment before taking his hand. It was a little nerve-wracking trusting a complete stranger in the middle of nowhere. He pulled her closer and she began to protest when his arm wrapped around her waist. Before the words could get out, they were gliding up into the treetops. She fell silent and bit her tongue until they reached the platform at the top. Jet released her and she quickly put space between them.

"See, not too bad."

"Jet, you're back! Did you bring back any food?" A small helmeted boy appeared from inside a tree house, causing Kai to tense. So there were more. It was a relief and made her more wary all at the same time. "Who's this?"

"Hey, The Duke. This is Kai. I found her washed up on the beach while I was fishing."

"Really?" The kid looked up at her with wide eyes. "Wow!"

"How about you go find everyone?" Jet suggested.

"Actually, everyone's inside. We were expecting dinner…"

"Oh," Jet gave him a sheepish smile. "Well, then. I guess I don't need to call a meeting."

He glanced at Kai and gestured for her to follow him into the tree house. She hesitated a moment before walking in and she paused in the doorway to take in the others in the small room. She noted they were all boys, which made her a little nervous but she attempted to mask her hesitance. One with a paddy-hat sat in a chair with his chin tilted down and a quiver strapped to his back. Another had face paint and was sharpening his knife. One was huge and The Duke went and sat by his side. And the last one was sitting in a corner hoarding some kind of snack. She made sure she had a clear view of the exit before standing beside Jet.

"Hey Jet. Where's the fish you promised us?" the face-painted one asked, his voice high-pitched and raspy.

"I brought home something better. A new member!"

"What?" Everyone said, including Kai.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her tone hinting anger.

"Kai, I'd like to introduce you to the Freedom Fighters. Sneers, Longshot, Smellerbee, Pipsqueak, and The Duke," he said, indicating each guy as he said their name. "We're a band of rebels uprising against the Fire Nation. And I want you to join us. If you survived a shipwreck, you have to be tough and that's exactly what we need."

He was a rebel? Against her nation? Things had just grown a little more dangerous for her. She had to tread carefully if she wanted to get out of this situation.

"I appreciate the flattery, but I'm not interested in joining your group."

"Oh, come on! I just saved your life. You kind of owe me," Jet said with a slight smirk.

She bit her lip, cursing her desperate need for a savior. He was right. She owed him her life and now he was using that against her. But maybe this was what she needed. She knew she needed to find a way to stop the war and joining a band of rebels might be the perfect beginning.

A/N: Bet you weren't expecting that! I know this chapter was on the shorter side, but my mind is whirling with ideas and I'm trying to incorporate the majority of them. Bear with me while I try to develop this into something amazing. R&R!