We finally land at dusk in an open plain. We had been stuck on Appa all day, so we were pretty tired of each other. As it turns out, Hakota got separated from the group when the kids left to help Zuko and me. Toph is sure he's okay, since the tunnel didn't cave in, but Katara still isn't speaking to her. Fortunately, we had planned for Hakota to leave soon anyway to gather some old friends of the group's to help us during the comet. At least now he'll get a head start.
I manage to keep everyone entertained with stuff from my backpack—it's a wonder I still had it after the rumble. When we land, the bag produces five two-person tents and a whole lot of food. I show the group how to set up the first tent, and the rest are up in no time. Aang, Katara, and Toph each get their own, but Sokka and Suki, and Zuko and I, decide to share. Soon, Katara has dinner cooking and we gather around the warm fire.
"Wow," Aang said, "camping. It really feels like old times again."
"If you really want it to feel like old times, I can chase you around a while, trying to capture you," Zuko responds with a smile. Everyone laughs at the joke.
Sokka raises his cup. "To Zuko," he declared. "Who knew after all those times he tried to step us out, today he'd be our hero?"
"Here, here!"
"I'm touched," Zuko replies. "I really don't deserve this."
"No kidding," Katara comments darkly. She rises and stalks away from the warmth of the fire.
Everyone stares blankly at her retreating form.
"What's with her?" Sokka wonders.
I shrug. "I wish I knew."
Zuko gets up and follows Katara to the edge of our camp site. The two talk for a while. Before they come back, the rest of us say good night and retreat to our own tents. I stay to put out the fire.
A few minutes later, Katara comes back and storms to her tent. Zuko walks directly to me.
"What's up?" I ask as I sprinkle the water over our fire.
Zuko collapses onto the one of the logs we found. "She still doesn't trust me," he said, "and she thinks I lured Azula to the temple to try and kill us."
"What?" I glance at him incredulously. "That's crazy!"
"That's what she thinks," Zuko responds. "I asked what I could do to gain her trust, but she turns around and says things like 're-conquer Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth King,' or to bring her mother back."
"But you can't possibly do that," I move to sit next to him on the log. I see that I missed a few embers, but I leave them be.
"I know," Zuko admits, "but I still want her trust."