A/N: Phew, I was starting to feel kinda lonely over here. Thanks to CrazedLlama for the review, haha. Admittedly, the previous chapter was definitely one of my weaker ones, and I apologize for that. Hopefully this chapter will make up for it, and I can assure you that things are DEFINITELY going to start picking up from here :)
In response to reviews from Chapter 18:
CrazedLlama: This is one of the stories I check everyday to see if it is updated. It is great so far, you got me hooked!
= = = Thank you so much! It's so nice to hear when people are eagerly awaiting your next update and are enjoying your hard work.
There was no light left save for that of the stars. A sliver of moon peeked between the spotty shroud of vanishing leaves above, scarcely large enough for its light to filter down through the branches. Genshi and her companions proceeded in silence, hardly daring to breathe for fear that even the whisper of an exhale would drown out any sign from the friends they pursued. An hour went by, and then another, but she had managed to convince them – barely – that they had to keep going. They were tired and weary but she knew, she knew, that Toph and Aang were close. She could sense them, feel them. They might be around the next tree or just beyond the next riverbank. She was sure of it… wasn't she?
The silence surrounded her on every side, pressing upon her with the tangible presence of doubt and skepticism from the others. She was well aware of their diminishing faith in her. She couldn't blame them. They'd been searching for… how long now? With nothing to show for it. And while she would normally be the first to admit her misgivings of her so-called gift, she was certain that what she had seen and felt in those visions was accurate and that the strong presence she felt now was no coincidence.
Beads of cold dew clung to her face, chilling her skin in the brisk night air. In the distance, the flutter of wings unseen made her start. She halted for a moment, her hand signaling them to stop, and peered hard into the black void ahead. She opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated, instead pointing into the wall of darkness that surrounded them from every angle. She was sure it was them she sensed. But it had been so long since she'd done this. If she was wrong, if it was someone else, someone they weren't expecting… Well, it was best to be cautious.
"This way," she whispered, her head nodding for them to follow.
A twig snapped under her foot, amplified in the lifeless silence. The tang of pine needles filled the air and danced on their tongues, the evergreen quills crushed beneath their footsteps. A moment passed and then from somewhere not far off rumbled a guttural growl followed by a young girl's voice. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
Behind Genshi, the simultaneous gasps and squeals confirmed what she had suspected. She sighed in relief, letting her shoulders relax, a small smile turning up her lips. She'd done it.
"Toph!" Zuko shouted. "Toph, it's us! Where are you?"
"Zuko? Is that you?!"
"Stay where you are! We're coming to find –!"
The crashing and snapping of foliage turned their heads and a moment later a large form emerged in the darkness, its familiar groaning like a sweet symphony to their ears.
"Appa!" Suki cried out, running to hug the bison's soft, cold muzzle.
Toph had scarcely had time to jump from the saddle before a swarm of warm, welcoming arms surrounded her, a jubilant sea of incomprehensible voices filling the night air with beauty. Genshi stood back, hugging her arms to her chest, and smiled, admiring the scene before her. So this is what it was like to have friends.
"You have no idea how happy I am to see you guys," Toph sighed as the commotion began to die down. "But how did you find me?"
"We'll explain all that in a minute," Zuko responded. "Where's Aang?"
"Oh, uh, he's kinda lying unconscious in Appa's saddle."
"What?!"
"Yeah, he went into the spirit world, like, a while ago and just… never came back." She tried to mask the worry that was heavy in her tone. "I was about to go insane from the solitude."
Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes squeezed shut. "Ugh, this cannot be happening."
"Maybe there's a way to bring him back," Sokka chimed in. "Maybe the sound of our voices will draw him out somehow."
"Do you really think that will work?" Suki asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Can he even hear us when he's in the spirit world?"
"I don't know, but it's worth a shot."
For a moment they were silent, exchanging tentative glances. Wind slipped through the branches, crackling the dying leaves that fought to hang on. In the absence of a better idea, the friends nodded in agreement. Genshi and Hakoda stayed on the ground while the rest of them climbed into the saddle to sit next to Aang. Sokka bit his lip, his eyes darting around at his friends.
"Aang, it's Sokka. Can you hear me?" He paused a moment to gauge a response. None came. He shifted on his knees and cleared his throat. "Hey buddy, listen, I'm sure what you're doing is important, but we – your friends – really need you here right now."
Silence. Sokka swallowed. His eyes moved from one friend to another, brow wrinkled, searching for ideas.
"Aang, if you can hear us," Zuko pitched in, "give us a sign."
Zuko wasn't sure if it was his imagination or if he really saw it – the smallest flinch of Aang's eyebrows, like the subtlest trace of a breeze that wisps and is gone.
"Did anyone else see that?" Sokka asked, beating him to the question.
"You guys saw it too?"
"Maybe it's working!" Toph exclaimed.
Zuko placed his hands on Aang's shoulders. "Aang," he shouted, shaking him, gently at first and then more vigorously with each unresponsive moment. "Aang! Come on, I know you heard us! Come back! You have to come back!" Aang's body was limp, thrashing harder with every increasing jolt.
"Zuko." Suki's hand finally stilled his vehement efforts. "It's no use."
The firebender released his grasp and slumped back, exhaling a pant of frustration. His posture sagged, neck bent, as he rubbed his fingers along his brows to his temples. The hopelessness of his stance spoke for all of them. His stomach clenched, cold and heavy as stone. He knew that having Aang with them was their best bet in bringing Ozai down, but waiting for him would only make things worse. It wasn't an option. If they were lucky, he'd come back before they reached his father and Katara. But luck seemed to have a nasty habit of running out whenever they needed it most.
Zuko's mouth went dry. They didn't have a choice. They'd have to go it without him.
.:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:.
"What… what is that?" The boy avatar opened his heavily lidded eyes, glazed over from days in his lethargic stupor. The enchantment Jaaku had cast had been working beautifully, keeping him in a somnolent, dreamlike state. Which made it all the more strange that he now seemed to suddenly awaken, fighting against it.
"'That' is a word which could refer to many things." Jaaku kept his voice flat and torpid, devoid of emotion. He needed to keep the boy placated. "Of what are you speaking, Avatar?"
"I don't… I'm not sure," he slurred, sitting up slowly and rubbing his head. "I feel strange, like something is pulling me, calling to me. Like a dream I'm trying to remember… but can't."
The boy was beginning to slip away. Jaaku could feel his mind clouding, fading from the spirit world. He was not about to let the avatar's friends succeed in pulling him back, or in any way disrupt Ozai's mission. Every step the man took toward victory brought Jaaku one step closer to seeing the world's destruction. If Ozai was successful in draining the avatar's power into himself, for all intents and purposes he would be the avatar. He would take the young boy's place in the cosmos, complete with a newfound connection to the spirit world. All Jaaku would have to do then would be to sit back and watch as Ozai worked his magic. The man was devastation incarnate. There was no telling what he would be capable of, what kind of beautiful havoc he would wreak, if he were to harness such power. It was a magnificent plan, music to his destruction-loving soul. He only needed to ensure Ozai's complete success.
"You're tired, Avatar. Your mind is weary. Come, rest a while. Let your cares wash away with the peace and solace of this place."
The avatar's features softened, his eyes blinking long and slowly. "You're right," he sighed with a languid stretch. "I think I'll just… lie down for a while." The boy's listless eyes slid closed, his head drooping forward until his body followed, slumping lifelessly to the ground.
"Yes, lie down. Close your eyes," he crooned, his voice drawing the avatar back in, weaving the enchantment stronger around him. "All will be as it should be… before long."
.:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:.
The fire gnawed at the massive log, consuming it like a disease until only a sickly pile of molten ash remained. Ozai huddled close to the warm embers, breathing ghosts into the brisk dewy air, as the sun's first halo peered over the horizon. The rainstorm the week before must have been autumn's last stand, as winter seemed to have made a sudden early arrival. He hated the cold. He wasn't accustomed to it. He had expected to be so much farther along before the weather turned.
His eyes flicked down to the piece of paper he held in his hands, rustling it between his fingers. It was a letter from Jiao delivered by messenger hawk, thankfully while the girl was scavenging for firewood. It was about time that imbecile had sent him an update. He had begun to think Jiao may have turned traitor. He cast a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure he was still alone before scanning its contents again.
Greetings, my Lord,
I apologize for the delay in the sending of this letter. I'm afraid some unavoidable and unforeseeable complications have hampered my efforts to contact you previously, but I'm happy to report I have rounded up a small army of men willing to aid your mission in any way they can. We have set up a base in the northern mountains of the Earth Kingdom and are ready and waiting for further orders.
The main intent of this letter, however, is to warn you that there has been a setback. There are rumors that three mercenary men reported having seen you in the forest near the village of Gaipan. The surrounding towns have been put on high alert and have likely called in reinforcements. Be on your guard.
The recruits and I are set up in Frostbite Cove. We will remain here until you either send orders or arrive in person. When we meet again I would like to discuss the possibility of an advance payment for my services. My wife has taken a turn for the worse and the doctors say if she doesn't receive proper care soon, the cancer will take her. I'm sure you know my loyalty would remain unwavering.
Spirits hasten your steps, my Lord.
Your humble servant,
Jiao
Sparks spewed and sputtered from the embers as two new logs were thrown onto the pile. Ozai crumpled the note in his hand and tucked it into his pocket as the waterbender brushed the fragments of bark from her hands. She stared at the fire for a moment before taking a seat by the flames, a bit closer to him than seemed necessary, hugging her knees to her chest.
Ozai's gaze slid toward her from the corner of his eye and then back to the fire. The girl had been acting odd ever since the incident with the slavers. She'd been keeping strangely close to him and had been inexplicably obedient. At times she even seemed almost… content. Her features seemed softer, her posture more relaxed. Once he'd even caught her humming softly to herself.
As baffling as her change in behavior was, he was not one to neglect such a stroke of luck. He knew he'd wear her down and gain her trust eventually. He just hadn't expected it to be so easy. Granted her resistance had been hanging by a thread after he'd convinced her that Zuko, her last hope of rescue, had been playing her and that she had no one to run to. But perhaps he owed a debt of thanks to those slavers after all. Unwittingly making him the "hero" may have broken the last straw of her resistance. Nothing could have come easier.
And yet… there was something else. Something in the way she looked at him lately. The way he'd catch her staring at him from the corner of his eye, only to blush and quickly glance away the moment he looked at her. Or the way her lips would part, heavy with something that looked strangely like longing, as her eyes burned into him when she thought he wasn't looking. Not to mention that night not long ago when he'd awoken to her touching him…
Blessed mother of Agni, the girl actually had a crush on him. When he had goaded her before about an attraction to him, he'd meant only to spite her, a way of toying with her, confusing her. He never imagined it might actually be true. He had to choke back a laugh at the thought, the idea seemed so absurd. But all the evidence was there. He had heard of such a phenomenon before: a captive developing unintended feelings for her captor, subconsciously mistaking an absence of harm for caring, or even love, on her captor's part. But he never considered that might actually be the case until now.
Perhaps this new development called for a change in tactic. The girl was putty in the palm of his hand now, the most difficult part past him. A softer, more delicate approach would not only draw her that much closer to him but would likely be even more effective in her besotted state. Perhaps there were spirits yet on his side after all. A change in fortune had come at just the right time.
A sudden burst of wind nipped at his face, his skin prickling at the frigid air, bringing him back to the matters at hand. The last of autumn's leaves tore from the trees, leaving their spindly branches naked and shivering in the cold breeze. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew they couldn't last many more nights with the supplies they had. Their clothing wasn't made to withstand these temperatures and they would need better equipment if it were to snow. Just in time for every town within a hundred mile radius to be teeming with guards. Damn it all, he had no choice. At least Jiao had tipped him off. He was going in with the advantage. He'd just have to get what he needed and get out without drawing attention. He'd done it before. And he would do it again.
.:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:.
Merchants hollered over the drone of incoherent murmurs, the sound of rickety carts being wheeled over uneven roads filling the air. Ozai and Katara stood at the opening of a vast marketplace leading to a town in the distance. Tall stone walls outlined the perimeter of the entire market and town, providing one solitary archway as both entrance and exit at the far end where they stood. An Earth Kingdom flag rippled on one side of the archway while another flag waved on the other, its emblem a symbol of unity between the four nations.
The market wasn't exactly small, but for the size of it there seemed to be an astounding number of people mingling throughout. The crowd looked like a giant sea anemone, undulating randomly but as one massive entity. There hardly appeared to be a break between bodies. Judging from the colorful flags and streamers that hung from the plethora of stalls and booths, she figured there must be some kind of festival in town.
Ozai was strangely silent and hadn't budged since they walked in under the stone archway. Turning to look at him, Katara noticed his eyes fixed solidly on something up ahead. She followed the direction of his stare to a wooden pillar towering in the center square, tacked with various bulletins and town notices. There, on a vastly sized poster, overlapping what might have otherwise been important news, was Ozai's face alongside her own with a reward written in large print underneath. She had never seen so many digits following the currency sign in all her life. And scattered heavily amidst the multitudes of boisterous people were Earth Kingdom soldiers, more numerous than she could count, leisurely pacing at his or her assigned post.
She knew what he was thinking. They were both thinking it. "They must know you're close. Maybe we shouldn't…," she said aloud before she could stop herself.
"And why do you care?" he asked softly, turning to her, the inflection in his voice hinting of a deeper question.
The breath hitched in her throat. His tone took her by surprise. There was a touch of something that had never been there before. Tenderness? Maybe, but there was something else… Affection? His eyes brushed across her face as he stepped in closer and placed a gentle grasp around her arm, sending an electrical tingle down her spine and through her body. Filled with a sudden discomfort at her own reaction, she averted her eyes for a moment, feeling her face grow warm. But against her will she felt her eyes drawn back to him to find his fiery gaze still studying her. With a sheepish expression, she opened her mouth to speak when he spoke first.
"I think you care because you see now that those you loved and trusted most are not all you thought they were. You care because I'm the only person who has ever been completely truthful and forthcoming with you, the only one from whom you know what to expect. And despite what else you know about me, I'm the only one you can really trust."
She blinked rapidly before going wide-eyed, dumbfounded by his sudden candor. Why did his words seem to sting with the truth? Her mouth opened to protest, but he continued.
"You belong with me now, girl." He spoke slowly. His voice was lower now, a deep whisper. "Katara."
Her eyes shot to his. The sound of her name was so foreign on his lips. And yet, so unwelcomely pleasing to her ears. And was it her imagination…? No, she definitely just felt his thumb lightly brush over her arm in his grasp. Her throat tightened. She tried to look away, she wanted desperately to wrench herself from him. But her body was frozen, her gaze glued to those burning amber eyes.
"Don't wander far," she finally heard him say, grateful for the transition. "We'll need to be ready to leave at a moment's notice. I'll come to you when it's time." All she could manage was a nod, his fingertips grazing along her arm as he let go.
A ragged breath escaped her as he strolled leisurely toward the crowds, disappearing almost instantly. That tone, the way his pupils dilated as his eyes bore into her… Maybe she was reading into it, maybe she was imagining things, but was he trying to tell her in some roundabout, maddening way that he cared for her? That he wanted her with him, not just needed her for convenience sake?
A sudden jolt shook her from her thoughts as a short, stubby woman sideswiped her from behind, trying to squeeze through the throngs of bodies. She closed her eyes and let out a huge breath, struggling to shake off her daze. Glancing down, she noticed her hands were trembling faintly. Ugh, she needed to clear her head.
Katara looked around and made a bee-line to the nearest booth, and was promptly greeted by a man in his early forties. His brown hair was peppered with grays and beginning to recede. The smile he wore seemed genuine, welcoming.
Her eyes skimmed over the various wares. An assortment of colorful miniature bottles and packets lined the counter, filled with strange elixirs, powders, and perfumes. A couple of bowls and crates sat near the end, displaying a variety of exotic fruits and herbs, most of which she didn't recognize. A couple of the fruits looked vaguely familiar, though she couldn't quite place why.
"Looking for somethin' in particular, honey?" he asked. "Maybe somethin' nice for your, uh, other half?" He wiggled his eyebrows, emphasizing the words 'other half' with a playful grin.
"Excuse me?" She raised an eyebrow with a faint smile, unsure of his intent.
"Still in denial, huh?" he chuckled. "You don't have to play coy with me, honey. I know a pair of lovers when I see 'em."
"What?!" she shrieked, all traces of her smile gone. Suddenly it dawned on her. She had seen those fruits before, in a book once. They were known as "love foods". This man sold aphrodisiacs! She didn't even want to know what the potions did. "That man is not my lover!" she snapped.
A bellowing laugh rose from deep within his gut. "The Earth Kingdom is full of secrets, my dear, but I'm afraid that's not one of them."
Katara felt her entire face flush bright red. So she hadn't imagined it; there had been something more in the way Ozai spoke to her. This man had noticed it too. Oh spirits, she needed to get away from there. So much for clearing her head. Backing away, she took several quick paces into the crowd before stopping to look around. There were more booths and stalls than she could shop in an entire day. She reminded herself of the reason they were here and decided to focus on finding those items she'd need going forward, when an array of sequins and vibrant colors caught her eye.
From a small stall nestled between two larger booths hung some of the most beautiful silk fabrics and exquisite dressed she had ever seen. She felt her spirits perk up at the sight. There was only one thing she was certain would help ease her mind of her troubles: retail therapy.
She began nudging her way through the crowd, nearly tripping over a stray dog begging for scraps, before finally arriving in front of the stall. The owner was a gauntly woman, her skin creased and leathery from too much sun. Her fingers and ears were adorned with jewelry and the tunic she wore cut a little too low for someone of her age.
"Welcome to The Fancy Courtesan where you'll find the most authentic quality Fire Nation garments for the best bargain in all the Earth Kingdom," she croaked in a husky voice, as though reciting a script for the hundredth time.
Katara just smiled and lifted her hand to caress the silken dress that had caught her attention hanging from the awning. The Fire Nation always did have such stunning clothing. It was a deep red dress, sleek and shiny, with black and gold detailing around the hems and neckline. It was cinched at the waist with a wide black satin ribbon to offer a flattering silhouette. Lavish enough to be eye-catching yet simple enough so as not to be showy.
"How much for this dress?" Katara asked.
"Two hundred gold pieces," the woman replied, staring at her painted, dagger-like nails.
Katara frowned and bit her lip, pulling the coin purse from her pocket. She emptied the contents into her hand, counting 206 gold pieces. She could afford it, barely. But if she bought it, she wouldn't have enough left for the important stuff.
"Sorry," she said, the disappointment evident in her tone. "I probably shouldn't."
She began to turn away when the woman called her back. "Wait. How does one-fifty sound?"
Katara halted. For all she'd been through, she deserved to splurge a little on something impractical. If nothing else, it would make her happy and take her mind off Ozai and these unwanted feelings for a change. She turned back with a smile. "You've got a deal."
Tucking the neatly wrapped parcel into her satchel, Katara couldn't help but smile as she walked away and rejoined the masses of people. She stepped aside to make way for a food cart, the vendor hollering and waving to entice potential customers. The smell of yeasty breads and cured meats made her mouth water. She didn't have enough money left for food, not when there were more important things to buy. Suddenly she was beginning to second-guess her decision to buy that dress.
Her smile faded as she scanned the sea of faces for a sign of Ozai. She wasn't sure where he was, but she figured she probably didn't have much more time. She'd had her fun; now she needed to get to the important stuff. She stood on her tiptoes and shielded her eyes to locate the correct booth when a hand came down lightly on her shoulder. Startled, she drew back and turned to see Ozai standing next to her. The expression on his face made her stomach tighten. He drew her close and leaned forward, his eyes darting past her, searching for something.
"We need to leave. Now," he spoke in a low voice near her ear. "Keep your head down and follow me." He clasped his hand around her wrist, concealing his eyes below his hood, and began snaking through the crowd. They moved as quickly as they could without drawing attention.
"What's going on? What happened?" she called over his shoulder, trying to keep her face toward the ground.
"Just keep moving," she heard him mutter. She thought he said something else, but his words were stifled by the barking of a nearby dog.
A thousand thoughts were racing through her head, though she had a fairly good idea what had prompted Ozai's sudden departure. In such a public place, their presence was like a pebble thrown into a pond; their ripples may be faint, but they could only go unnoticed for so long.
They squeezed between bodies and around vendors' carts. Katara could barely make out the tip of the Earth Kingdom flag at the entrance of the town in the distance. They had a good deal of market to trek before they could disappear into the cover of forest again.
As they crammed their way past a heavyset man and his even portlier wife, they didn't see the large merchant's cart until it was right in front of them, obstructing their route. The dog's barking was becoming more rampant by the moment, and the clucks and squawks that bickered from the cart told her why. It seemed that the merchant's bunny-hens sensed the nearby threat and were growing anxious.
Ozai began leading her around the cart when a loud snap came from nearby followed by the frenetic shouting of a man. Katara turned her head to see the dog in question hightailing toward the cart, dragging behind him the frayed remains of a leash. In one leap he was upon the cart, the sudden jolt and weight toppling it over and shattering the hens' wooden cages.
The uproar was deafening. Squawks, shrieks, yelps, and snarls turned many startled heads, feathers and fur flying in the air like cherry blossoms on a windy day, as the merchant frantically tried to protect his squabbling livestock. All eyes were turned in their direction. She felt Ozai's grip on her wrist tighten as he tried to increase the distance between them and the rousing scene.
"There! That's him!" a man's voice hollered above the commotion. "I'm sure of it. He's even got the girl, see?"
Katara glanced over her shoulder to see a scrawny, bearded man in weathered rags pointing straight at her with a guard at his side.
"You there, citizen!" the guard shouted, unsheathing his sword. Frightened gasps came from the crowd, the sea of people parting to escape the weapon. "By order of the Earth King, stop right there!"
Ozai cast a cursory glance over his shoulder and halted briefly. His eyes shot to Katara for a moment as his hold on her wrist tightened, tugging lightly, inconspicuously. She read the message in his gaze. The next instant he dashed forward, barreling through the hordes of anxious onlookers, hauling Katara behind him.
"Backup! I need backup over here!" the guard roared as he stormed after them.
Ozai hurled a man out of the way as they charged through the throngs of people. Frightened faces of women and children flashed by, shrieks and screams piercing her ears. From the corner of her eyes she could see the tops of guards' helmets racing toward them, closing in. This could be it. Her rescue. But the feeling of relief she had expected never came. Who would she return to? Was that really what she wanted? She didn't know anymore.
A jolt knocked them both to the ground as they collided with a baker's cart. Ozai yanked Katara to her feet and darted off again, leaving the baker to writhe and slip on the squashed cake beneath him. Katara was growing breathless, panting. She could feel a stitch forming in her side as they sprinted toward the exit.
"Halt!" a guard's voice boomed just ahead of them.
Ozai didn't even slow down. Instead he changed direction, as quickly as a leaf in the wind. They were running along the perimeter of the town's stone wall now. Katara thought they had succeeded in bypassing the bulk of the guards when a swarm of them dashed into view, surrounding them. They were being cornered.
"This is your final warming, citizen," a guard shouted as they ran toward them, growing closer. "Step down now, or we will resort to lethal force!"
Katara stepped backward, glancing around. There was no escape. They were backing up to a stone wall, lined with vacant stalls and booths. The only way to go was… up.
Before she had even completed the thought, Ozai clambered to the top of an empty booth, reached down and hoisted her up. They ran across the roof and leapt onto an adjacent booth, jumping lithely from roof to roof toward the exit with the guards in hot pursuit below.
Katara's heart was racing, her lungs aching from the cold air and exertion. She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up. As they jumped onto the next stall, the sound of splintering wood was their only warning. Before they could react, the stall crashed to the ground, sending them plummeting down with a mountain of jagged wooden boards.
Her joints were aching but she managed to scramble to her feet. She had a few scratches and splinters, but was otherwise okay. When she turned to Ozai, her eyes widened. A wooden stake was protruding from his side, blood spilling onto the rubble. He clutched his side and pulled out the stake with a raspy groan. The pain was written all over his face, but he forced himself to stand, ready to make a run for it again when a lone guard appeared around the corner.
"Here!" he shouted. "They're he –!"
Ozai grabbed a jagged stake from the rubble and hurled it at the guard. The sharp end sunk deeply into his neck. His shouts turned to gurgles as blood spewed from the wound, pooling between the cobbles on the ground, his body slumping over like a discarded rag doll.
Without a moment's hesitation, Ozai clutched her wrist and raced off again. Katara's heartbeat was pounding in her ears. Strays hairs clung to her forehead, dampened with sweat. Looking ahead, she could see the exit in plain sight now. They were so close. But at that moment, a group a guards emerged from the anxious multitudes, blocking their escape route.
Ozai turned quickly, storming back into the crowd in an attempt to lose them. Katara's shoulder rammed into a stack of crates, knocking them over with a crash as they shot through the thick of the marketplace. Aching and breathless, they arrived before the opposite wall, searching frantically for their next move. They had managed to put some distance between them and the guards but she could seem them burrowing through the crowd toward them.
"Come on."
Katara turned to see Ozai atop another empty booth, reaching for her. He helped her up and quickly began to scale the wall, anchoring his hands and feet on protruding rocks. She hesitated briefly but knew there was nothing else to do. Following his lead, she grabbed onto jutting rocks in the wall and began to climb.
The blood from Ozai's wound was beginning to seep through his cloak. With every upward heave, his grunts and groans were growing louder, more intense. Katara could see the sweat beading profusely on his forehead, the color starting to drain from his face. But they were almost to the top now. If he could only make it a little further…
His fingertips hooked onto the top edge of the wall, trembling from diminishing strength. Suddenly, as he struggled to pull himself up, the rock cracked and crumbled beneath his hand, taking Ozai down with it. He grappled against the wall, his other hand barely managing to hook onto an obtruding rock before falling too far, but Katara knew he wasn't going to make it on his own.
She reached the top and laid herself across the ledge, extending her arm down.
"Take my hand!" she called out to him.
Ozai's jaw was clenched and he looked sick from the pain and blood loss. But with a deep breath, he swung his arm up and grasped her hand, wincing with a stifled grunt. Katara helped pull him up and finally the two of them jumped down on the other side, fleeing as quickly as their weary bodies could manage into the darkening forest.
.:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:.
Zuko paced with arms crossed, glaring down at the two unfortunate guards chosen to report to him.
"You lost his trail?!" he fumed, flailing his arms. "What sort of answer is that?" The guards shrunk back, each looking at the other for words.
The letter Zuko had received wrote of a confirmed sighting of their targets, requesting that he arrive at the location post-haste to discuss their next move. It hadn't mentioned anything about Ozai and Katara having slipped through their fingers.
"I told you to extend your search, to be ready for anything! I didn't say he'd be at a tavern down the road having a quiet drink."
"It's not like that, my lord," one guard spoke up. "He climbed the wall and when we raced out to find them, they were gone."
Zuko stood up straight and smoothed his cloak, scowling from one cowed man to the other. "I don't care if he's hiding out in an igloo at the North Pole. I want him found!"
A/N: Thanks to everyone who's favorited and followed this story so far, and to my one reviewer on the last chapter, haha. I know the last chapter was pretty weak, hopefully this chapter is better. I have a really hard time writing action/chase scenes but I did my best, and I'm gonna need to work on it since I'm sure there will be several more in the coming chapters. PLEASE REVIEW to let me know what you think – good and bad feedback welcome as long as it's constructive. Thank you all :)