Chapter 7: Chapter 7

The entirety of Avatar: The Last Airbender and franchise is the creation of Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and product of Nicktoons Network (Nickelodeon/Viacom). I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or its characters. This story is a unique fictional derivative of the original work, written (not for profit) by an Avatar enthusiast.

Rated: K

Avatar Journeys

Chapter 7: The Cold Desert

VMP! VUVMP! VMP!

A man dressed in black tossed the board full of throwing stars and quickly picked up another.

"MOVING TARGET!"

He picked up a second board, waved them around and began running.

She slipped two throwing stars into both of her hands, poised herself and waited. Her pale yellow eyes followed the waving boards, waiting for instinct to tell her strike. It called and she hurled the projectiles, landing swift and sure in their targets. The target threw the boards away, scurried for two more and kept running. She grabbed more and took form. The air hissed as the stars raced toward their target and landed with a vicious buzz. The target scurried over the grass field for other boards since her onslaughts quickly succeeded one another.

"Mai?" echoed a voice from inside.

She ignored the call and picked up more stars.

"Mai? Where are you, dear?" It was her mother. She sighed and picked up more stars.

"Mai?" she said emerging on the back porch, "Oh! There you are," she said. Mai wiped sweat from her brow and turned to her mother. Her mother waved at her handmaid who scurried over with umbrella and they descended the stairs. Her mother was overdressed for a visit. Mai noted the patterned layers of silk and long sheer robes that the handmaid had to carry in one hand. Must be another party, she thought balefully.

"Darling," she said smiling and reaching for her. Mai gave her a small smile and accepted the embrace.

"Yes, it is another party," she said over her shoulder. Mai pulled away and returned to the waiting target. He immediately began to run and wave his boards.

"Oh, now dear, really. You should get out. And I don't just mean the house anymore," she chastised, "I'm glad that you have gotten back to training and to see you soaking a little sun," she said touching her daughter's bare arms, "but you have to return to society. Let them see that indomitable spirit of yours."

Mai continued hurling stars as if she didn't hear. She didn't see her mother's expression of concern.

"I know that whole affair with that fool Lord of ours and the water peasant was terrible and embarrassing, but don't hide because of th-"

"I'm not hiding," she said stopping suddenly. Mai inhaled a few times then threw the stars in her hand. She didn't reach down for more. She put her hands on her narrow hips, head down. "I'm not hiding, ma." Mai didn't see but she could tell her mother was nodding.

"Of course, you're not, dear," she said, "I just thought it would be good for you to get out and get some new friends." Mai frown at the word, friends. She looked up. The target raised the boards and began to run again.

"BRING IT IN!" Mai called. He stopped running and lowered the boards and began walking back. Other targets dressed in black emerged from their positions and began picking up scattered boards and stars. She turned back to her mother. Her face full of concern and hope. It has to be done sometime, she thought.

"I'll come tonight, mother," Mai said. Her mother's face lit up.

"Good," she said, her eyes watering up, "Good. Your Father and brother will be glad to finally see you again."

"I'm sure he will," Mai said.

"Oh, don't let that little miff about Azula fool you. He wants to see you," she said composing herself, "Well; I have to make some changes for tonight's party." The delight her face slightly distressed Mai.

"Nothing extravagant, ma," she whined.

"Oh, no, no. Of course not. I know my daughter. Subtle," she said touching Mai's cheek. Pecked Mai's forehead, rubbed her chin and began to leave. "Oh! And please, don't be too fashionably late, Mai," she said pointing at her daughter.

"Yes, ma," she said.

"Okay, see you tonight, dear," she said disappearing into the bungalow.

Mai looked at her mother's back bending the corner. Then up at the bungalow that she had been living alone in, then back at the field. The target men were prying stars from the boards and creating piles.

"Get the palanquin ready when you're done!" she yelled and went inside. The floors were freshly polished, the ceilings were vaulted, family portraits, calendars and paintings decorated the walls, hand crafted vases, bejeweled knick knacks and exotic plants filled the corners and shelves, plush furniture were strategically placed throughout the lavish bungalow. A handful of maids moved around doing assorted tasks. An old grey haired woman shuffled up to Mai holding food.

"Hungry, dear?" she said offering the plate.

"No thanks," she said walking past her to the stairs. She trotted up them, walked down the hall into her room. A mirror greeted her as she walked in. She rolled her eyes and went to the closet. Just as her mother knew her, she knew her mother. She's going to make show of it, she thought. Mai was half tempted to go under dressed but decided against it when she remembered the look on her mother's face. She sorted through her clothes and assembled a four piece ensemble for the evening. She looked over it, liked it and threw it on her bed. Her eyes were drawn to the bureau next to her bed. The top right drawer nagged her. She went over and pulled the draw open and looked inside. The question came again, What am I doing?

"Lady Mai?" called haggard voice.

Mai closed the drawer and turned to the door. "Yes?"

"Are you sure you won't eat?" she asked, her watery brown eyes were concerned.

Mai pulled her thoughts from the drawer and looked out the window. It was the late afternoon, plenty of time before party.

"Sure, okay," she said turning to old woman. She smiled at Mai and backed out into the hall, waiting for her young mistress. Mai looked down at the old woman and smiled as she past and went downstairs.

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The cold desert, Katara thought looking at the layers of blue, brown and white clothing hanging before her. She picked them up. They were thick and heavy. She put them down on the cot of skins and pillows and put her hands on her hips. The cold desert? She thought again. She recalled her time in the desert with Toph, Sokka, Aang and Appa. There's nothing cold about the Si Wong desert. Mana insisted that they weren't going to the desert of Si Wong but the smaller sister desert to the west of it. They called it Kuriuchiyonnu: The Cold One. It didn't make sense to her but much of what they said didn't make any sense. She heard the flap of their tent as Zuko came inside.

"Today?" she said.

"Right now," he said pulling off his shirt and walking over the hanging clothes.

"Now?" she said confused.

"Yeah, now," he said continuing to disrobe. Katara followed suit.

"What made them change their minds?" Katara asked, sifting through the clothes.

"The wind most likely," he said over his shoulder. Katara shook her head. Mana's people were very temperamental. They were all songs and flutes one minute then knives and whips the next. They had gone in three different directions for the past two days just to end up in Faé again. Now they had pack up to go since the mood struck them to leave. It's annoying. Once they had on their robes, they packed away the old ones and their things and left the tent. Large dark clouds hovered in the sky, promising rain. They wrapped the shawls around their heads and headed to Mana's tent. Mana, Yani and three others were strapping bags and saddles to six llamagos in a rushed manner. Mana looked up and waved them over.

"What's with the rush?" asked Zuko. Mana smiled bitterly.

"Me and some of the others got into a bit of a miff," he said tying a knot, "over who goes where. As elders they're welcome to whatever I have including myself but we have other priorities so I stole back my party without their knowledge and we're leaving now. The other big one is yours."

Katara gave Zuko an annoyed look and they headed to their llamago. Like Mana's it was half a size bigger than the others with fluffy white fur. The saddle was already on so they set about loading their things. Zuko pulled the animal to a kneel and leapt on. Katara grabbed his offered hand and did the same. The saddle was a little small but comfortable. The animal rose and Zuko did a test run in guiding it around the little open area. He came back and Mana and the others were mounted waiting.

"Trust the animal," Mana said, "It knows what it's doing. It knows the way." He pulled his llamago to the north and made a clicking noise with his mouth and the animal half-hopped, half-galloped away. Katara scooted closer to Zuko put her arms around him. Without a sound the other llamagos followed. And they were off. The llamagos followed right behind the other, only stepping where the last did. She expected it to be a bumpy ride but it wasn't. The llamagos were fast and smooth as they hopped through the hills.

The hills past by as they and they slowly turned east. Mountains appeared on the horizon. As they meandered on their way the hills grew less green and round and more grey, brown and pointy. The more east they went the more they merged into ridges. The llamagos began travel uphill and soon they found themselves traveling through a shallow canyon area. They kept riding until the early evening and stopped on a ridge for the night. They tied down the llamagos with little pikes in the ground. They brought up a fire, passed out rations, and got acquainted. They wrapped the evening up early since llamagos were quickest in the early day. They rose early the next morning and set out again. They spent the day crossing the canyon until it was steep. Low shrubbery began to coat the ground and the mountains became more apparent before them. They stopped again in the early evening. Since there were trees around they set up a proper camp, built a larger fire for the chill, ate, talked and slept. They were off again in the morning. The canyon fell behind them and rode they into a windy grassland spotted with trees. The mountains looked down them and the air carried a sharper chill. They stopped riding mid afternoon when they were well between the mountains. Yani and Nilal grazed llamagos. Mana took Karru and Puyal to hunt, Zuko and Katara were in charge of the camp and fire. Over a cooked dinner Mana announced that they were a day and half away from the desert but another two days from the Kyunno. They spent the evening exchanging history and then retired. The next day Yani warned them to keep their voices low as they traveled through the mountain pass so not to disturb the snow then they set off uphill, into colder, dryer air. Mana was right when he said trust the animals, though it took Katara time to actually do it. She was too entranced by all the ravines and sharp spikes therein. But the llamagos navigated the narrow trails made the jumps in the broken areas with ease. She eventually began to look up at the silent towering rocks.

"Look," said Zuko, his voice was muffled by his sash so he removed it, "there." Puffs of air issued from his mouth.

Katara looked in the direction he nodded. In the distance between the crags Katara saw a something gold.

"It's the desert" he said.

The trail took them higher and sure enough Zuko was right. Below them the grassland faded away into gold sands that stretched far into the east.

"Cold desert," Katara said to herself looking down.

They finished the trail and settled in the grassland later in the day than they usually did. After Zuko set up the fire, Katara volunteered them to graze the llamagos for Yani and Nilal. Katara could see the tell-tale gazes whenever Yani looked at Nilal and decided to let them have the less occupying task. He nodded. A small smile sprouted on his face as he headed off to find Nilal. Zuko gave her a flat look. He wants to stay near the fire.

"C'mon, Zuke," she said offering three reins. Zuko exhaled smoke from his nose and took the reins. Llamagos followed each other in everything but eating. Where one wanted to eat, the other two wanted to move one. After an hour of tug-of-war with the animals, and Zuko using fire to keep his in line, they began to lead the llamagos back to camp. Katara looked up at the stars.

"What do you think we'll find?" she asked.

"On the Path to Power?" said Zuko, "Power. But knowing my uncle it'll probably be some ancient scroll book full of proverbs." He grinned at her. She smiled in return. His grin fell slightly as he looked up.

"I know you thought this would lead to her," she said looking down at the short grass beneath her feet. He said nothing. "I could tell by the way you pursued the whole thing. I'm sorry."

"For what?" he said, "For not having a map that conveniently lead to my mother? Or for me thinking that a map would lead me to my mother?" Bitterness coated his words.

She didn't answer. She felt for him. A knife cut into her every time he came to a dead end. She was sorry she couldn't solve it for him. But she knew that was the last thing he wanted to hear.

"You knew," he said.

"I had a feeling," she amended.

"And you chose not to share," he said.

"Because I didn't know...I didn't want to-"

"Keep me from being a fool? From wasting our time?"

"Disappoint you." They stopped and looked at each other. He glared at her with jaws clenching. "I didn't want to say anything to make you give up."

"So you think I should give up?"

"I didn't say that."

"You're thinking it. Why would you think I might give up unless you felt I had a reason to give up?!"

"It's not that I want you give up! I want to you to stop being disappointed and sad!"

"What did you think I'd be okay because I can't find my mother? It's my mother, Katara! How did you expect me to feel?!"

"I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL! I KNOW! That's why I want it to stop! Zuko, you barely enjoy ANYTHING!"

"Well FORGIVE ME! I didn't realize my concern for MY MOTHER was such a burden on you!"

"I didn't I saay that! I just want you to be happy Zuko!"

"Happy for what?! FOR WHAT?!" His breath quickened and his hands burst into flames. The llamagos he held fled toward the camp. The question landed brutally in her heart.

"You don't have one reason to be happy?" she asked tears spilling from her eyes. The flames disappeared and Zuko threw back his head and clenched his eyes shut. Katara sucked on her lips and pulled the llamagos away.

"Katara," he called, "Katara!" She kept walking, sniffing her nose dry and wiping her eyes. She heard him yell behind him and the roar of flames and kept walking. Wondering if she was wrong for wanting him to be happy. Wondering if what she wanted for him was to give up looking for his mother. Wondering if his happiness and finding his were mutually exclusive. Her head began to hurt, she pushed the thoughts aside and focused on what she was doing. When she got back to camp everyone was silent with their heads down. They heard us fight, she thought miserably. She walked behind the tents and strapped the remaining animals to their tree and headed for their tent. She plopped down then threw the skins over herself and pondered their argument until sleep stole over her.

Nilal woke her up the next day since everyone was already packing up. She recommended another layer of clothes and tossed Katara some. Katara rubbed her forehead, got up, put on the extra layers and began packing the inside of the tent. She came out headed to their llamago as Zuko left it to take down the tent. Mana and the others were chatting cheerfully while taking down the camp and saddling up. Katara glanced at Zuko when he wasn't looking and worked silently. He didn't say anything either. She begrudgingly took his help mounting the llamago and held on to him loosely.

By the early afternoon the grassland gave away to gold sands and bright blue skies. The llamagos hop-like strides were hindering in the sand and they were reduced to a trot. The further they traveled into the desert the slower they became. When it became too cumbersome to keep riding they dismounted and Mana announced a three hour walk to the nearest cache. Zuko lead the llamago on one side and Katara took in her surroundings on the other.

She didn't think she would see it but there it was before her. A cold desert alright, she thought, and it's getting colder. Maybe it's because we've lost the shelter of the mountains. She looked back. The mountains fell back and the cloud bank with them. It was shadows in the mountains but clear skies in the desert. She noticed as they got further away that the grassland was a rather steep incline and figured that was the reason they rode around the mountain. She looked ahead of them and saw valleys and dunes of gold sand. She scooped of some it and let the biting breeze blow it from her hand. She huddled closer to the llamago and accidently bumped Zuko's hand. He peered under the animal's beard.

"Sorry," she mumbled. He disappeared back behind the llamago's head.

"I'm sorry," he said. He pulled the llamago's head down. "I'm sorry. I'm just..frustrated about...everything."

"About your mother," she said.

"Yeah," he said looking ahead, "I've been searching for years now. Following up with staff, checking records, I even," he paused, clenching his jaws. There it is again, she thought. The bitter, pained look that she saw so often. "I even begged my father." His voice broke. She wanted to go over to him and hold him but Zuko didn't care for coddling. "As if I don't have enough problems in addition to clearing my mother's name." Silence hung between.

"If you knew where I thought this was headed why didn't you tell me how you felt?" he asked looking at her, "I wouldn't have wasted our time with this."

"I told you I didn't know for sure," she stated, "and I didn't want to disappoint you. Take away your hope. I see you, Zuko. Every time you think you're getting close you get happy. And when it doesn't work out, a little more of you is eaten up. I'm sick of seeing you like that."

The llamago pulled against Zuko's hold. He let it up and moved over next to Katara. "What do you want me to do?" he asked looking ahead, "Do you want me to stop looking for her?" He was asking her and himself she realized. He was probably just as tired of the disappointment as she was. But I don't want you to live with it she thought, it will always hang over you making everything..less. Affecting everything you do. I know it will.

"I don't want you to give up but I don't want to see you hurt anymore," she said trying to control herself, "I don't know what that means."

"It means," he said pulling her next to him, "that I have one reason to be happy." He was warm. Katara put her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder. He placed a warm kiss on her forehead.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

They passed through the cold desert, keeping the wind at bay with the llamagos. After climbing a particularly high dune, they saw a group of people riding a different animal. One rider broke away and called out. Mana waved at them and answered.

"Nearly there," he said happily. After they climbed the next dune, Katara saw tents built around a broken structure.

"Welcome to our home," said Mana, heading toward the cache. As they got closer, the twins Karru and Puyal broke off to check in with their families. Nilal wanted to do the same and Yani decided to go with her since his and Mana's parents were not far away. Mana sent his love with Yani and took Zuko and Katara to his home. A funny sensation came over Katara as moved into the village. It was built around what looked like pieces of an old building scattered and half buried in the sands. The villagers used sandbending and broken walls slabs, and columns as homes, shops and create paths. She noticed tall, narrow structures dotted over the village.

"What are those, Mana?" she asked pointing to one.

"Air wells for sand storms," He said over his shoulder, "This is the village, the cache is below us. The door is behind the temple over there," he said pointing the tallest structure. It was three walls with tents all around it.

"What's in the cache?" asked Zuko looking at the temple.

"The greatest treasure in the land," said Mana smiling at them over his shoulder, "water."

Mana gave their llamagos to a young boy after they removed their bags. His tent was built along a slab of wall next others. And it was clearly intended for one. Mana saw their faces and laughed.

"Don't worry, I will be staying elsewhere. You two will have my tent while we are here, which will be only for today. We'll move quicker now since we have boats. We'll be to the Kyunno in two days. We'll arrive at night." He finished stuffing his bag, got up and turned to them. "Would you like to see the cache?"

"Sure," said Zuko dropping his bags.

"Good. I will take you when the sun goes down," he said walking outside, then he turned around, "Are you hungry?"

Zuko looked at Katara. She shook her head.

He nodded. "We'll eat later at my sire's home. Until then, relax, walk around if you like. The market is that way," he said point to their right. "Just say you're with Mana. Welcome to my home." He smiled and trotted off in the direction of the market. Zuko and Katara looked at each other, then at the tent. Thankfully the wall blocked the wind and the fabric of the tent was heavy and the skins and pillows were plushy. It would it be tight but comfortable. They didn't unpack, they closed the flap to the tent, discarded a few layers and fell asleep.

As promised, Mana came at sunset. They had got fully dressed and followed him to his parents' tent which was much larger. Yani and Nilal were already there helping. They talked about the history of the village and desert over bread, bean paste, fruits and water. They thanked their hosts and left for the cache. Nilal returned home. Mana and Yani led them around the village, catching up with friends and introducing them to some of the villagers. The temple was on the edge of the village. They walked behind it to find five sandbenders guarding what appeared to be nothing. Mana spoke with them and then they passed torches to everyone. The waved their arms and the sand began to fall away revealing a large door. You could lay three people head to toe on this. It took all five of them to bend it open. Stairs and darkness waited for them. One of the guards led the way. As they descended the stairs Katara heard the gurgling of water and smiled to herself. The stairs ended in a narrow sidewalk with a river of water next to it. She handed Mana her torch and knelt next to it, oblivious to Zuko parting from the group to stare at walls.

Katara hadn't been next to this much water in a while. Zuko was working on expanding the pool in the palace but nothing was like going to the beach. Or the pole, she thought. She put her hand in the water and pulled a globe of it up on her hands. It feels so good she thought. Something inside her begged for relief. The water around her hand began to illuminate and she felt a tightness ease somewhere inside her.

"What are you doing?"

Mana was crouched next to her.

"Nothing," she said letting the water drop from her hands.

"That didn't look like nothing, Katta," he said smirking. He looked behind her, "Looks like Zuko found something too." She looked to her left. Down the path Katara saw Zuko and Yani huddled in the light. Their conversation, fast and peaked, bounced down the tunnel.

"What are they looking at?" she said watching them.

"Nothing special to me," he said. She stood, followed by Mana. He handed her the torch and they headed down the sidewalk. She looked at the wall as they walked. It had blocky, angular carvings in it, colored with yellow, brown and red. It was oddly familiar to her but couldn't place why. When they got to Yani and Zuko, Zuko pulled her over to him.

"Katara, what does that look like?" he asked.

She looked at the wall and was struck by what she saw.

"The Fire Nation insignia."

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Next: Chapter 8: Kyunno Tunya

Thank you to the creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender for creating a world I never dreamed of.

Thank you for reading

Uitori.