I've dealt with my ghosts

And I've faced all my demons

Finally content

With a past I regret.

-Rascal Flatts, Moving on

Romjak cheered inside at the look on the boy's face. Technically, he supposed, Zuko was rightfully a man. But boy sounded so much better in his head. He saw his muscles clench up, engaging the fight or flight instinct.

"Calm down, boy." He saw the offense in Zuko's eyes at the word and smirked. "I haven't told anyone."

The boy visibly calmed, but his body stayed ready. His eyes were narrowed, fists clenched. Romjak watched his feet slide instinctively into the beginnings of a fire bending stance and chuckled.

"Seriously." Romjak leaned forward to rotate the pheasant squirrel and Zuko's arms twitched. Oh the fun he would have with this one. "We have nothing against fire benders here, in case you hadn't noticed."

"I seem to remember carting dozens of bodies away just a few hours ago." Zuko said, his voice low and hoarse. Romjak wanted to offer him a flask of whiskey; that'd clear up anything.

"There's a difference, boy," He wanted to see how many times he could poke the platypus-bear before it roared. "between fire benders and the Fire Nation."

"What do you want from me?" Romjak frowned and the boy rolled his eyes. Almost. "I assume, since you're waiting outside my tent, that you want something. And don't want anyone else to see you ask for it."

Romjak chuckled, turning the spit. "Well you're not stupid."

"I do my best." Zuko folded himself on to the log bench across the fire from Romjak, eyeing him closely.

"Chi Lin mentioned you yesterday. Said you were the best sword fighter he's ever seen. And you're good with people, from what I've seen."

"I think you're the first person who has ever said that." Zuko's voice was hard. Romjak sensed bitterness in his tone and wondered briefly about the history there.

"You're a natural leader. Charismatic," Zuko's frown deepened. "if not cheerful." Romjak sighed. "I want to start teaching my people how to defend themselves, really defend themselves. They're fine with staves and axes, but not with the finer combat weapons. We don't have anyone who can do what you do. And you're a fire bender. You can teach basic forms, energy. Your Uncle has already agreed to teach the younger children."

"Of course he has." Zuko groaned. Most of the tension went out of the Prince at the mention of his Uncle.

"We thought you could start with the adults." Romjak cut a chunk from the smoking, cooked pheasant squirrel and plopped it on a plate, dousing it with gravy. He offered it to Zuko. The younger man hesitated, then took it with a murmur of thanks. "My daughter has also agreed to help. I think she's tired of 'playing house' as my second in command." He looked Zuko in the eyes. "She's ready to stop hiding. Do something important."

"I see." Zuko took a bite of the pheasant squirrel.

Romjak watched the Prince eat. There was no false humility, no duplicity, no arrogance he could detect in the Prince's manner. If he was honest with himself, he wished there was. It would make everything the stark black and white that was so much easier to deal with than the gray areas that made up his village. He wished all fire nation people could be the bad guys. He wished the world was easy like that. But it wasn't. Here he was, talking to the spawn of the monster responsible for all the hurt in the world. He should be killing him. Torturing him. But this…boy was not at fault. He had split from his father, like some of the world remembered. The rest of the world had forgotten about the missing Prince of the Fire Nation. Forgotten he ever existed. Everyone except his daughter.

"When do you want to start this…training?" Zuko asked around a mouthful of meat.

"I thought Princes were supposed to have good manners." Poke the platypus-bear, poke the platypus-bear.

"It's been a long time since I was a Prince." Zuko said. Romjak looked for a hint of regret, longing, something. But there was only truth.

"Chi Lin wants to start this week." Romjak said, standing. "If you're in, you can meet us near Moswren's tent this afternoon."

"I'll consider it." Zuko said, reaching to help himself to more pheasant squirrel.

"I'd leave some of that." Romjak said, turning to leave. "It's Chizu's favorite."

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Zuko stared after the headman's retreating back, wide eyed. He knew Katara had spent the night in his tent? And that was all the admonishment he offered? He chewed the stringy pheasant squirrel thoughtfully. His Uncle had been right that his feet were restless, as was his spirit. It felt suicidal to stay in one spot for too long, even if that one spot was a hideout of resistance. He didn't know if anyone here, upon realizing his identity, would turn him in for a quick reward. His Uncle was in danger as well. More people remembered the Dragon of the West than the disgraced Prince.

"It's not my favorite."

Zuko looked around to see Katara emerge from his tent, her thick hair held over her shoulder. She was braiding it, winding it into a style he remembered from years past. The hair loopies were gone; he supposed they were too distinctly water tribe. It hit him suddenly, that he and his Uncle weren't the only ones in danger by standing still: Katara, the last free water bender, would be struck down on sight if she was found.

She sat next to him on the log, just barely not touching him. She tied her hair off in a thick knot and tossed it behind her shoulder. "My favorite is smoked sea slug."

"That's a Fire Nation dish."

"I know." Katara said, cutting her own chunk of pheasant squirrel off and holding it in her hands, picking pieces off and popping them in her mouth. "I like the spices. A lot more flavorful than anything in the South Pole or Earth Kingdom." She looked over at him. "What's your favorite?"

Zuko swallowed a large mouthful, thinking. "When we were travelling through this one province in the Southern Earth Kingdom, I ordered roast duck at a roadside stand. I thought it would be like how they make it in the Fire nation, but it was different. Sweet and spicy at the same time." He shrugged. "I've never been able to find the stand again." He slid a glance sideways at her. "Best duck in the world."

She smiled at him. "Thanks for letting me stay in your tent." Her leg moved just the slightest bit, bringing their hips into contact. Zuko sat rigid for a moment before edging in to the touch. For spirit's sake, he had slept with his arm around her. Now he was flinching because their legs touched? He guessed it was different in the daylight. Night shrouded ideas and actions in a cool blanket of darkness where things could be forgotten if chosen. "It was such a long day…yours was closer…"

"No problem." His voice came out huskier than he liked and he cleared his throat. "It was…nice. Sleeping next to you." He prayed to any spirits that were listening that his face wasn't red.

"Nice?" Katara had a smirk on her face, but her eyes were wide.

"Yeah. It was nice."

"Well…we'll have to…do it again." Katara gave him a small, shy smile from under her lashes. Zuko felt his ears turn pink.

"I'd like that."

She looked up at him, suddenly worried. "Zuko, I don't…" She took a deep, wavering breath. "I don't know…how far…what you're expecting….but-"

"Mom!"

They both jumped as a bleary eyed Kaya joined them, rubbing a small hand across her curls. Zuko looked around to see people emerging from tents, heard shouts and calls across the camp. The sun had risen.

Katara pulled Kaya into her lap, her shoulder bumping against Zuko's. He scooted over so Kaya could clamber from her mother's lap to sit between them. She eyed him grumpily.

"You snore."

"I do not." Zuko glared at her. "My Uncle does."

"Humph." Kaya leaned against her mother, picking a piece of pheasant squirrel from her plate. "It was loud."

"Tell me about it." Zuko smirked. "I've had to listen to his snore for seven years."

"That's awful." Kaya mumbled, looking up at him.

"Yeah."

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The night had fallen too quickly. Zuko again sat around the fire, mug of hot klah in his hand. The sun was still setting behind the trees, setting a red orange glow to burn behind them. Firebugs zipped around him on their nightly quest for love. He envied their simplicity.

Zuko had finished his day's work at Moswren's tent and was cooling off outside when Romjak had stridden up, followed by a small group of men. They varied in age, height, and origin to the point Zuko couldn't even guess where they were from. He had introduced them to Zuko as his fellow 'masters', leaders of the village. Many of them bore scars, ranging from insignificant to visibly disfiguring. Their names had blurred together, a mishmash of sounds that were all vaguely foreign. Zuko had spent all afternoon with them, talking, planning, feeling their eyes sizing him up, examining him in more ways than one. He suspected Romjak had disclosed Katara's latest sleeping space and they were seeing if he was worthy. As he sat with them around the fire in the darkening forest, he tried to put faces together with the half-remembered names.

Romjak sat directly across the fire from him, Chi Lin at his side. Chi Lin had stayed close to Zuko during the afternoon, dispelling tension as best he could. He said almost less than Zuko did and with more aggravation. He really was short on patience.

Beside him sat Kamol, whose mother was half earth kingdom and half fire nation. His father had been a Fire Sage on Ember Island years ago, before meeting his mother. He was a tall thin man two years older than Zuko himself with a shock of dark hair and sea foam green eyes. Romjak had introduced him as a master archer; Zuko felt that he could have guessed. The bow and quiver of arrows was a giveaway. He had been friendly, joking and laughing with the others. But his eyes constantly roved to Zuko's scar and lingered. He joked and laughed with Bao the healer, sitting next to him.

To his side was Akiak, the only other member of the water tribes besides Katara that Zuko had seen in years. His hair was tied back in the wolf-tail he had seen on Katara's brother, complete with shaved sides. He was more serious, but not as bad as Chi Lin. His face cracked into a grin at Kamol's jokes, stretching the long scars on the side of his face that continued down to peek out from under his tunic. Zuko thought it looked like he had been raked by a Komodo rhino's claws. He was a master of staves, and had already been instructing the villagers for years in their use. His blue eyes danced with the flames. He was older, almost ten years younger than Iroh. He had married a Fire Nation woman three years ago and had gotten his scars escaping the capital. They lived in the village with their two daughters, aged two and six months.

Moswren sat between Akiak and Katara. Zuko was surprised that Katara wasn't closer with Akiak, but she seemed distant from him. They had nodded at each other and passed by, careful not to sit next to each other. Katara had chosen the seat next to Zuko and had smiled at him as she sat down. He had smiled back, but he could tell that it looked forced. He had looked away quickly, taking a sip of the klah as an excuse. Katara was there not only as Romjak's daughter, but as a skillful knife wielder and healer. She was Romjak's official right hand, with Chi Lin as his left. He wondered again what had taken her bending, and whether it was physical or psychological. Iroh sat on his other side, starting to nod off.

"So," Romjak's voice was low, thoughtful. "Where do we go from here?"

Zuko lifted his head. He looked around to see the others had done the same. They all looked to Romjak, waiting for him to continue.

"This is not the first time we have been found." Chi Lin said. "It is closer to the twentieth. The village is getting too big; too many patrols have vanished from near here."

"What do you want us to do?" Kamol asked, a wry smile on his face. "Pick up and move four hundred people?"

"Yes." Romjak answered. "But where?"

"It will not be easy." Iroh said. Zuko noticed that the other members in the circle nodded along with him. His Uncle amassed respect almost effortlessly. "There will be evidence of such a move. An easy trail to follow."

"Not to mention there aren't many safe places left." Akiak said, gazing into the fire. "Unless you want to return to the South Pole; it lies abandoned."

"Too hard to get there." Katara's voice was sharp. "We'd have to buy or charter boats. It'd be impossible to do so unnoticed."

"Not if we do it a little at a time." Akiak shot back. "It would take longer but-"

"The South Pole hasn't supported more than a hundred people at a time for years." Katara snapped. "And we have no water benders to build homes."

Akiak glowered and didn't answer. He wants to go home, Zuko realized. Or at least as close to home as he can get.

"We could move deeper into the forest." Bao suggested. "Start building homes now, move there within the year."

"It'd be winter by the time we moved." Kamol said. "We'd leave tracks in the snow, fires in the woods. And if we move too much deeper, no one will be able to find us."

"Isn't that the point?" Moswren grumbled.

"If we're going to be a haven for refugees, they have to be able to find us." Kamol said, smiling with half his face. "Otherwise we don't have much point."

"The northern Earth Kingdom has small pockets of freedom." Bao said. "We could try there, and it's not too far away."

Romjak's fist slammed down on the log he sat on. Everyone fell silent and looked to him. "These are all bandages that don't treat the larger wound." He said, eyes downcast under furrowed brows. "We need to do something about the Fire Nation."

"All by ourselves?" Kamol joked. "Sounds perfect."

"We have allies." Romjak growled. "If we start organizing we could make a difference."

"Nothing will change until the Phoenix King and his spawn are dead or overthrown." Akiak spat.

"We'd need a rightful successor to the throne to step forward." Bao pointed out. Beside him, Katara squirmed. "But there're no heirs."

"The Dragon of the West." Romjak rumbled. Zuko noticed he was careful to keep his eyes away from Iroh.

"That would not work." His Uncle said. All eyes turned to him. "History would see it as more senseless violence: a brother killing a brother for power. The only way to reunite the world and install a new Fire Lord would be for the Avatar to return and set everything the way it should be."

"The Avatar has been missing for years." Akiak sighed. He rubbed his palms over his face. "Our women are imprisoned and watched. All of their children are tested." Katara shifted her thigh so it pressed against Zuko. He leaned back, bumping her shoulder with his. She leaned into him, letting out a long, quiet sigh.

"He had been gone for a hundred years," Iroh reminded them. "but he returned."

"What about Prince Zuko?" Moswren said. "He's the rightful heir, not that fucking bitch Azula." He spat her name.

"No one remembers the missing Prince." Kamol sighed. "He's been gone for years. No one has seen him; there aren't even any wanted posters of him anymore."

"I remember him."

All heads turned at Katara's soft admission. She inched slightly away from Zuko. "When…when I travelled with the Avatar," Zuko noted their expressions: who knew and who didn't. Romjak and Moswren were not surprised, the others were. His Uncle had a very convincing shocked look. Zuko knew it well from his childhood. He left his own face impassive. Let them think what they wanted. "We…sort of knew him. He wasn't cruel or vicious like his sister. He was determined, creative, resourceful. His crew loved him. They did anything for him, even though he was in exile." Zuko looked at his feet. This wasn't what he expected. He could practically feel Iroh glowing beside him. "He never gave up. He was my enemy. But I respected him." Katara raised her chin. "He should be Fire Lord. He'd be a force to rally behind, the rightful heir, a leader for a better time."

Most were silent. He could see Kamol smiling ruefully at the fire.

"How can we find him?" Romjak said. Now he was looking at Zuko. He glared back.

"I don't know." Katara said. "Maybe he doesn't want to be found."

"Not everyone in the Fire Nation wants war." Chi Lin said quietly. "He would have a lot of support around the world."

"Not yet." Zuko's gravelly voice startled all of them. "There's still too much hate, in all countries. If the missing prince were to show up right now, some would try to kill him while others would sell him to Azula." He looked Romjak in the eyes. "There would be a lot to do."

"The best time is now." Romjak shot back.

"We should concentrate on securing your village before we worry too much about the future." Iroh said. Zuko blew steam from his nose. "I believe the best path for now would to be increase sentries farther into the woods in all directions."

"We'll start there." Romjak stood, Moswren and Bao close behind him. "I'd like to start training this week." He looked around at all of them, acknowledging their nods of assent. "See you all in the morning."

Kamol smiled and stood too, stretching his long frame as he walked away. Kamol nodded to Katara and left, walking towards a tent towards the back of the clearing.

"Where is your charming daughter?" Iroh asked Katara kindly. "She has been teaching myself and my students which mushrooms are safe to eat. She is very knowledgeable for a child her age."

Katara smiled. Zuko felt her relax beside him. "She's asleep. She was up early this morning."

"I see." Iroh nodded to her and Zuko and stood. "I believe I will follow her example." He faced Zuko. "I am excited to watch you tomorrow, nephew. I am sure you will do well."

"Thanks, Uncle."

Katara and Zuko watched the older man stride into the darkness to his tent.

"I really hope he sleeps on his side tonight." Katara joked.

Zuko snorted. "I doubt it." He turned his head to look at her. "Thanks. For what you said earlier. I…didn't know you felt that way."

"I decided to leave out all the other stuff." Katara smiled at him, leaning her forehead against his shoulder. "Arrogant, rude, irrational, obsessive…" She grinned up at him as he frowned. "The good outweighs the bad, Zuko."

"I'm glad you think so." He pressed his forehead to hers. "No one else does."

"Your Uncle does."

"He doesn't count. He told me Azula had good intentions when she threw stones at the turtleducks to 'make them stronger.'"

She snorted. "Maybe she did?"

"Maybe she did." He echoed softly. She hadn't. But his Uncle saw the good in everyone. He wondered if he tried extra hard for him.

Her hand slid on top of his and she wound their fingers together. He glanced over at her, watching the fire dance in her blue eyes. She really was pretty, he thought. Her wild hair was contained by a blue kerchief that matched her eyes. His eyes trailed down her face to rest in the hollow of her neck. He frowned.

"Where's your necklace?" Her eyes fell. Her fingers loosened in his and he was worried he'd said something horrible. "I'm sorry. You don't have to-"

"It's okay." She smiled up at him, though her eyes were sad. "I lost it. When I was captured seven years ago. I don't know where it is." Her eyes turned hard. "It was too water tribe anyway. My eyes are bad enough."

"Your eyes are beautiful." Zuko said, cupping her cheek with his hand. "Don't ever doubt that."

"Your eyes are beautiful too, Zuko." She traced a finger across his cheekbone where the flesh lay ruined. "I've never seen a shade of gold to match yours. Not even your Uncle's is the same."

"My mother's eyes." He murmured, his hand still on her cheek. He felt his heart speed up and wondered if she felt it through his scar. He felt a strong urge to pull her closer, against him, wrap her up in his arms and never let go of this one person who had seen his worst and still thought the best of him. The one person beside his Uncle that gave him that look. But he was, if nothing else, a man of honor.

"Zuko…" She was giving him that look. He didn't know when she had started doing that, but he liked it. "I'm going to bed…" His heart fell. He let her hand go, getting ready to say goodnight, stand and walk to his own bedroll. Alone. "…are you coming?"

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A.N. I love all the reviews! Thank you all so much! Adult stuff next chapter, so you're warned…