Chapter 13:

The ostrich-horse-drawn cart crashed through the forest. Sokka could feel every bump, and it did not make it any better than the Fire Nation Princess was practically lying right on top of him. He writhed and struggled with the bonds, but Sokka knew he was not a miracle worker.

Combustion Man probably wouldn't even be able to break through these ropes, Sokka though grimly. Think, Sokka, think! You're the brains of the group...find some way to get out of this mess! The longer it took them to escape, the further away they would be from the rest of the Gaang.

As he scanned the rickety cart, an idea popped into his head. Swallowing, Sokka nudged Azula with his elbow. The dark-haired demon glared at him. "What?"

"Do you see that pebble right there?" Sokka whispered. He nodded his head toward a small, rounded piece of rock on the ground. "Get it for me."

Azula scowled. "Just what do you plan to do, peasant?"

"Hey! Quiet back there!" the thieves barked.

Sokka remained silent for a moment, and then spoke again, in a low voice. "We need to distract them and stall for time. Toph, Zuko, and Aang are going to be coming after us, and we can't let ourselves get too far away."

Azula scoffed. "And you expect to accomplish this with a pebble? While you're tied up?"

Sokka clamped his mouth shut. He wasn't usually one to think things through. "Well...why don't you blow fire out of your mouth or something? You know, fry that guy's hair off."

"I refuse to do something so demeaning," Azula rolled her golden eyes.

"Oh please," Sokka muttered. "You're tied up with two "peasants" in the back of a rickety wooden cart owned by a couple of thieves. I say you have nothing to lose."

"I said QUIET BACK THERE!" a deep voice shattered their conversation.

Azula bit back a venomous retort.

Sokka did not seem to hear the anger in the tone of the thieves. He casually continued speaking. "Do you have a better idea? Just spit it out. I'd like to hear you ingenious plan for getting us out of here."

Suddenly the cart lurched to the side.

"Look out!" one of the men bellowed.

Azula craned her head and saw a collapsed tree right in the middle of the path.

The thieves panicked and yanked the reins of the ostrich-horse. The animals veered to the side, but the cart they were pulling was not nearly as agile. The rusted wheels skidded on the ground before toppling over. The bundle of Sokka, Azula, and Katara rolled out, thudding to the ground.

They were on an incline, and promptly proceeded with rapidly descending down the hill. Sokka yelped as they tumbled gracelessly through bushes and over rocks, sticks, and filthy earth. The dim sky and the hard ground blurred together as they spun around and around, endlessly spiraling downhill.

"K-keep rolling," Sokka blurted, as if it were possible to do otherwise. "We n-need to g-get away from those th-thieves!"

His head collided with the ground nearly a dozen times, and Sokka could feel dizziness settling in. Scratches and bruises accumulated on his skin.

Suddenly, he became engulfed in ice cold liquid from head to toe. Sokka was so stunned his brain did not process the information right away. Sound was shut from his ears, and all he could hear the the pounding of his own heart. When his mouth opened to take a breath, frosty water flooded it.

They had fallen into a river. The currents were swiftly transporting them away, and they were sinking in it, quick. The heavy coils of rope that bound them together ensured that there was no escaping this watery demise.

If only Katara were awake! Sokka cursed. She could get us out of here in a heartbeat!

Sokka was in too much despair to be startled when warm hands grabbed his. Then searing hot pain shot all over his wrists, and Sokka let out a silent scream underwater. He squirmed in vain to free his wrists from the grasp of the princess. Azula's grip tightened, and from their awkward positions, she released more fire underwater. Sokka ground his teeth in pain and fury, but that subsided when his blackened bonds slid from his blistered wrists.

Azula went to work with the thicker length of rope that was fastened around all three of them.

I swear to Agni I will get out of this, she hissed to herself. I refuse to die in such a disgraceful manner!

She could not free herself, for her bonds were made of metal. But Azula knew that the water tribe boy could save all of their lives, if he were released. Using the last of her strength, Azula released a powerful beam of fire from her body. She expelled the energy in front of her, concentrating on burning the ropes to a crisp.

Summoning fire underwater was a difficult task that rapidly drained her. Azula gritted her teeth, letting every ounce of strength in her body become fuel for the fire. She watched as the bonds slowly turned black, splitting apart at the edges. The fine threads withered and curled as the thickness of the rope dwindled.

Just a little more...Azula pleaded to her body.

The coil struggled to remain attached, gripping on to every last thread. Azula felt the water tribe boy pushing against the bonds, and at last, they snapped. The rope slackened and slid loose as Sokka, Azula, and Katara were free at last. Azula gave in to the blackness.

Sokka pushed himself apart from Katara and Azula with great relief. He spun around underwater and grabbed the two unconscious girls. With all the power in his legs, Sokka pushed himself, and two other people, toward the surface. Both of his hands tightly gripped the biceps of Azula and Katara. They weighed him down, but Sokka did not care at the moment.

His muscles screamed out in pain as he strained them beyond limits. His vision was swimming, and the world around him darkened with every second. Biting his lip mercilessly to stay awake, Sokka gave one final push. His head erupted up into the air, and heaving gasps shot in and out of his body.

Sokka floated there for a moment, relishing the feeling of oxygen filling his lungs. The river had calmed down now, but was still dragging them downstream. Sokka waited for the opportune moment when a lowhanging branch presented itself. He shifted Katara and Azula to one arm, holding them by their collars.

It's just for a moment, he grimaced, looking at the way their heads hung heavily into the water. He snatched the branch, and then climbed up the extension until solid ground revealed itself.

Sokka lay Katara and Azula on the ground in a heap. His limbs were shaking so much that he could hardly even crawl on the ground. Willing himself to move, he sluggishly picked up Katara and them pumped the water out of her. Katara coughed and gagged as what seemed like gallons of water rushed out of her. She mumbled something and then fell back to sleep.

Sokka dropped his sister back onto the ground and gave the princes the same treatment.

It was then that Sokka noticed with mild interest that the entire front of Azula shirt had been scorched right off. The sides of her robes hung in shaggy tatters.

...Must've been from burning the ropes off... Sokka thought wearily. ...Whatever. His heavy exhaustion prevented him from reacting to Azula's lack of decency. He hoisted the princess up with quivering arms and rolled her onto her stomach.

That should do it. Sokka curled up into a ball between Katara and Azula and drifted off into a deep sleep.

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