ARC 2: A War Divides Their People
DAY 8: Storm
Katara stumbles, skins her knees bloody. Its hard to force her body up again. There is a stitch in her side that she suspects is truly a burn and one arm that hangs uselessly at her side. Her ankle burns with each step and her heart hurts with the certainty that at least two of her waterbenders are dead.
It was supposed to be a safe outpost, well-defended, and her unit was only to stay a night.
A single night.
But with the storm came Fire Nation soldiers.
The combined efforts of the Earth Kingdom forces and five waterbending masters could not keep them out and now, she's caught in the storm. She's not sure what's worse, the part where she is alone and bleeding or the part where there is a Fire Nation patrol right behind her.
Black spots dance before her eyes, dogs snap at her heels. She's out of water, but its snowing and desperation gives her the strength to get rid of the dogs. The soldiers should have caught up with her already (either they're too stupid to throw fire at her or…or it's a trap). Katara struggles down a rocky slope, but doesn't notice the huge, sprawling camp until she stumbles right into it.
It takes twenty men and a dozen ruined tents to take her down.
To her terror, they don't kill her right away (being killed in the snow would be a mercy to them—the Fire Nation isn't known for mercy). The pale faced soldiers bind her hands tightly and force a foul smelling draught down her throat (she knows a bending repressant when she tastes one). She's dragged into their largest tent and thrown before the leader.
The tent is simple, spartan. A cot to one side, a desk over-flowing with maps and papers (she makes a mental note to nick a few for Sokka). Their leader sits at a low couch, sipping tea from a metal cup. She doesn't expect him to be so young (or roguishly attractive, for that matter, with a fearsome scar that is devastatingly handsome and not quite so fearsome). His eyes are a dragon-gold that widen when they meet hers.
Maybe its her youth that surprises him. Or her gender. Or maybe that she's a pretty girl and he's got that lecherous Fire Nation bug biting at his manly bits (he wouldn't be the first to try taking advantage of her). But Katara isn't here to become some man's whore (no matter how cute) and she spits at him. Waterbenders don't miss at point blank range and sure enough, blood tinged spit splatters on his cheek. One of his men cuffs her and she misses the man's reaction (she's too busy seeing stars).
A hairpin, the battered stick with a faded turtle-duck at the end, slips out of her hair. The man, still wiping away her spit, ignores her and reaches down to pick it up. There is a long silence as he examines the hairpin.
He looks up and and recognition punches her in the chest.
Its been five years, but she'd recognize Crown Prince Zuko anywhere. She spits his name like a curse and lunges for his throat.
His men yank her back and she's slammed down to the thickly carpeted floor. Her bad arm is caught awkwardly and cracks audibly. She screams.
"Stop!" Zuko shouts, but it sounds like he's underwater.
His men leave her wheezing on the floor, half-conscious and fading fast. The prince rolls her over, wincing at her muffled whimper. Her nose is bleeding, blood streaking down one side of her face.
"Katara?" he asks softly.
She spits at him again.
Okay question time
I'm a little stuck with something.
Should there be a steambaby?
Frankly, I can't resist. And I think it'd be fun, but I want to know what you guys think. It would really affect anything until the third arc.
Depending on what you guys say (and why), I'll decide by the end of the week.
PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK (y/n?)