Holy moly, I am so sorry about the long wait! Life tried to kick my butt in a lot of different ways (but I overcame them all, ha ha!), and this chapter went through a total of eight full revisions since I started this in January. After a 11 month wait, here's an extra long (though un-beta tested) chapter for you all. Thanks for being so patient! You guys rock.
Chapter Eleven: Wanted
"Zhao. You're a bit far away from the sea for an Admiral. "
"One doesn't catch pheasent-squirrels by staying on a boat. You hunt them where they live."
Aang and Zhao- Relics
"Absolutely not! The Yuyan Archers stay here. Your request is denied, Commander Zhao."
The answer was as firm and unyielding as the stones that made up the fortress that Commander Zhao had forced himself to visit. It was beneath him to beg like this- begging was for the truly desperate- but having an asset such as the legendary Yuyan Archers would almost certainly secure his chances of capturing the Avatar within the week. It had been relatively easy to follow the rumor trail of where the young water tribe girl had been, but it was becoming more and more clear to him that he was going to have to up the ante a bit in order to successfully catch her. It would have been easier if she had been traveling on foot, but the girl had a flying bison of all things at her disposal- and recently it had occurred to him that he had been hunting her in the wrong way up until now. Chasing her alone wasn't going to work. To catch a duck, you had to shoot it out of the sky, or lure it into a false sense of security before springing a trap. For now, traps would have to wait- he would need better intel on the girl and where exactly she intended to go. But the shooting idea had merit to it, and the Pohuai Stronghold had been blessedly close by.
Now, if only the belligerent Colonel would see it his way...
"Colonel Shinu, please reconsider. Their precision is legendary. The Yuyan can pin a fly to a tree from one hundred yards away... without killing it." Annoyance finally crept into Zhao's tone, his ability to keep it hidden now well and truly spent as he regarded the shorter man standing next to him with a glare. "You're wasting their talents using them as mere security guards."
"I can do whatever I want with them." The stocky man grunted, his own annoyance finally manifesting as he crossed his arms and finally turned his head to regard Zhao dismissively. "They're my archers, so what I say goes."
Stupid man. This was the mission of a lifetime, and he wasn't even going to give it the time of day? "But my hunt for the Avatar-"
"-Is nothing but a vanity project!" Shinu cut him off, now fully turning and sticking a thick finger up towards Zhao's face. "We're fighting a real war here, and I need every man I've got, Commander."
The sound of the archers still practicing down in the courtyard below cut through the air in sharp whistles and soft thunks, making Zhao twitch. It was maddening that Shinu was denying them (and by extension, even himself) the glory of using their talents for a higher purpose. Huffing a jet of hot air out of his nose, he watched it steam in the chilled evening air as he forced himself not to bark at a man who was technically his superior. "The Fire Lord has issued a reward for the girl, Colonel, and my sources tell me that she has been in the area- her last known location was reported to have been at Tongling a week ago. She could be right under our nose right now and you would miss an opportunity of a lifetime!"
The Colonel appeared to at least be open to considering the whereabouts of the girl, if his thoughtful expression was anything to go by. Zhao folded his arms behind his back, trying his best to completely mask his inner impatience as he waited for the man to give his final word on the matter.
A few seconds ticked away into the chilly evening air before Shinu finally shook his head. "I'm sorry Commander, but I can't afford to lend even one of my archers, let alone the whole lot of them. However..." He gestured for Zhao to look down at the adjacent courtyard, where the main gates were located. Coming in was a small group of men riding on komodo-rhinos, with one of the men looking very much like one of the Yuyan. Zhao arched a brow in interest as the Colonel continued. "You do have another option. For the time being, the Rough Rhinos have asked to use this base as a return point for missions they are attending to within the area. They've just come back from one of their last..."
Zhao felt a flash of vindication, enough to where he tuned Shinu out and completely ignored whatever details the man felt necessary to bestow upon him. It was certainly not what he originally had in mind, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
It looked like he just might be going duck hunting after all.
Spring in this part of the world seemed to be like the autumn of the south pole- people were much more cheerful as warmer weather gradually started to return, and many of the trees had blossoms here. It was all very new and exciting for the water tribe siblings, even if Sokka wouldn't quite admit just how much he was enjoying the new fauna and inhabitants.
Well, most of the new inhabitants. That stupid fortuneteller and her village was not high on Sokka's list of 'things he was starting to enjoy/tolerate', even if his sister was enthralled by the old woman. However, there was one person who he was starting to really grow curious about, and it was someone he hadn't really expected. For a Fire Nation lady, Ursa was a very unsettling, disquieting reminder of Mom- perhaps even more so than Katara, and his sister was a walking, talking mini version of their mother.
He wasn't sure why it bothered him so much, to be honest... maybe it was simply Ursa's nationality that challenged some of his ideas about the Fire Nation as a whole. She certainly wasn't a monster like the rest of her fellow countrymen- even if he had been quietly suspicious of her much longer than the others had. Thanks to an interesting talk he had just a few minutes ago, however, he was starting to reconsider his earlier suspicions...
"Ah, there you are Sokka," She had greeted from the entrance, peering at him in hidden amusement as he worked at Appa's thick winter coat. (It had apparently decided to spontaneously start shedding, just to spite him for making them leave the village. Maybe that old hag had a hand in the accumulating carpet of Appa fluff that was now flying everywhere and sticking to Sokka's front...)
He had grunted a 'good morning', aware that he sounded grumpy but not really caring too much. That stupid fortune was still on his mind, and he was getting tired of trying to knock sense into the villagers here. Plus, Katara was busy out back, suddenly obsessed with mastering her forms as quickly as possible (thanks in part to that hag's gift of some kind of glider staff- an airbender relic that had been hidden away in one of the rooms used for her hocus pocus magic). Everyone in town wanted to watch their new Avatar learn the formerly extinct airbending forms, but at that point Sokka was determined to get Appa ready so they could get up to the North Pole.
So, it was within the communal stable that Ursa had found him, brushing down Appa and looking like a mini version of the furball. He expected her to turn her nose up at the mess and take her leave, since he had pegged her as a former prissy woman (she had higher mannerisms than anyone he knew), but she surprised him by sitting on a nearby bale of hay and regarding him with amusement. "I wanted to know what you might want from the market. I was going to make breakfast for us before we leave, and I sent Smellerbee and Longshot on ahead to get some water for the tea."
Spitting out some fluff that got into his mouth, he cleared his throat with some hesitation. "I thought Katara wanted to stay here another day."
"She does." Ursa agreed with a knowing smile, reaching up to scratch Momo behind the ears as soon as the lemur perked up from Appa's head and flew down to her shoulder. "However, I can tell you would prefer leaving sooner."
Sokka dragged the brush down the bison's flank, wondering where she was going with this. "Why should my opinion matter?" He asked, genuine curiosity getting the better of him. He thought that Ursa would have sided with Katara because she was the Avatar...
"Because your opinion is the wiser choice."
Huh. "Really?" He blurted out, straightening up and staring at her in shock. "But I thought you would, uh..."
Every once in a while Ursa's gentle features would betray a sharp, calculating sort of smile; one full of intelligence and wit... not unlike Mom's knowing grin that he still remembered. "I may be in awe that I have your sister to thank for my freedom, especially because she is the Avatar," She admitted, "but I've learned long ago that following along blindly because of rank is not always the best. She's very young, and none of you can afford to stay in one place for very long. We're only one town away from a colony town, you know- this place is more dangerous than it lets on." Fishing a treat out of her ample sleeves, she fed it to Appa and received a slobbery lick along her arm as thanks. With a grimace, she discreetly wiped the slime on the hay before continuing. "Besides, it's been made clear that you have very little respect for Madame Wu and her predictions."
Hearing the old hag's title was enough to poke at Sokka's growing frustrations until he voiced them aloud. "I can't believe that everyone believes her, no matter how stupid it sounds! She's even duped Suki!" He burst out, rankled over that as he continued brushing with a little more force than necessary. "What does she know anyway? My life is going to be happy, calm, and joyful!"
Nibbling at an itch on his foreleg, Appa snuffled before letting out a bison sized sneeze that blew fur in every direction, seemingly in direct reaction to Sokka's statement. Momo screeched, flitting out the door to escape the fluff storm while Ursa (now covered by fur as it floated down on everything) coughed a little, clearing her throat before a small smile worked it's way over her features. "Well, that's bound to happen. For all of Suki's striking intelligence, she seems to be a little sheltered. Don't be too hard on her about believing such things." She tried to brush off the fur sicking to her clothes to no avail. "You needn't worry about your fortune though- I've found that you are free to make your own future. To have someone dictate to you what your life is going to be like isn't at all trustworthy, even if that person has the gift of foresight. Only you have the power to make your own decisions. After all, you are a free man. You may be a boy yet, but you have a maturity that tells me that you know what to do, for your own good as well as the good of your family."
Shocked, Sokka openly studied the woman in surprise. It sounded so much like something Dad would say. "You seem like you know what you're talking about," He said at last. "I guess now that you're not a slave, you appreciate the power of free will more than most."
It was strange, how Ursa's amber eyes could so easily betray her feelings, even if her expression didn't so much. A bitter laugh escaped her before she could stop herself, even as she stood and turned her face to the doorway. "Oh Sokka, I may have been a woman of privilege when I was married, but my will was not my own. My children weren't mine, even if I bore them. I was bound long before I had the misfortune of becoming a true slave." She offered an empty smile, the sadness in her eyes chilling him as she paused before the doorway. "Be grateful for your freedom, and be grateful you have the power to break words spoken over you. You have a far greater chance at a happy life than most."
Perched up on the decorative ridge cap of Aunt Wu's building, Aang hugged his knees loosely against his chest and watched his friend practice her airbending down in the courtyard below. All in all, this journey was not what Aang had envisioned when Katara had been given permission to leave the Southern Water Tribe more than a month ago. At first, he had been thinking it was going to be more along the lines of the trips he used to take with Gyatso and all the other friends he had at the Southern Air Temple- full of fun, laughter, and feeling the joy and freedom that only a good day of flying could bring. However, this trip had been much more somber, and it had been full of little rough patches that no one- least of all himself- could ever have anticipated. The visit to his old home had been the most emotionally taxing for himself, but here at the fortuneteller's village he was starting to realize that perhaps this trip was taking a harder toll on Katara than she had let on.
The sun tinged the sky with pinks and purples that were rapidly melting into a brighter gold, but even as early as it was, Katara had been out here since before the sun had come up. "Don't you think that you're pushing yourself a little too hard?" He asked at last, his voice seeming loud in the early morning stillness.
Katara swept though her new practice forms once again, sweat lining her flushed face as her movements started to become stiff and jerky. "No," She said, her tone short as she struggled to move with her customary grace through the second set. "I need to be the best I can be. I gotta train harder and master airbending before we get to the northern water tribe!"
Aang's lips pressed thin, his heart feeling heavy as he started to regret teaching the new forms to her. After the session in the salon, the old woman had presented the Avatar past and Avatar present with a gift- an old air nomad relic that she had hidden away for years, just as her father and his father had done before her. The familiar weight of a glider staff in his hands had prompted Aang to let out the tears he had been holding in since their fateful visit to the Southern Air Temple, and it made him feel even more emotional to see Katara's wonderment and awe over the treasure. Since the moment they left the salon and showed the others their priceless gift, the pair had been eager to have Katara try it out; to the point where Aang hadn't really noticed her demeanor change from excitement to driven determination until she had got up this morning and started her forms again. She practiced them over and over again, with an almost frightening intensity that went well beyond her earlier enthusiasm. Having spent the last hour and forty minutes watching her with growing concern, Aang decided to try again, a little more insistently. "Right... but I think maybe you need to get some breakfast before Sokka eats it all. You can't expect to master these staff forms all in one day, you know."
Faltering slightly during a spin, Katara growled at her mistake and went through the first staff form again, the air currents twisting around her body with increasing speed as the staff spun and twirled. "I can't stop right now!" She insisted, her tone taking an edge of desperation, "I'm not ready yet! The world needs me to be ready! You need me to be ready! I've got to be ready!"
He flinched. To think that she was doing it because she felt the need to ensure an earthly future for him... well, it was what he was afraid of when he had chosen to with hold the information in the first place. This was not what her Avatar journey was all about. I must be doing a worse job of guiding her than I thought, if this is her idea of being the Avatar.
Making up his mind, he intercepted her by hopping down from his perch and sliding in between Katara and the staff with impossible speed; catching hold of the old weapon with one hand and twisting it deftly out of her grasp as she came out of her spin. His actions startled her enough to stumble backward and stare at him in disbelief, her mouth hanging open for a second as the staff clattered noisily onto the cobblestones. "Aang! What are you-?"
"Katara, stop." He commanded firmly, his sharp tone startling her. He gasped her shoulder, softening a little as he met her confused gaze steadily. "Please. You have to stop. You're not doing anyone a favor by being hard on yourself. I can't just sit here and watch you push yourself to extremes just because you feel like everyone needs you. You've been at it for hours without a rest!" Catching the rising irritation clouding her features, he retrieved the staff and crossed his arms, ensuring that it was tucked neatly in the crook of his arm where she wouldn't be able to yank it back. "Give yourself a break, ok? Go eat something. Better yet, go play."
Blinking, Katara stared at him as if he had grown a second head. "Play?" She echoed, confused. "But- but I need to practice! We just found something that we thought we would never find, the one thing that I need so I can master airbending. I don't get to play, Aang. I'm the world's only hope! I'm the Avatar!"
"So was I." Aang reminded her, hoping that she would at least try to listen and understand. "You need to remember that you're a kid too, not just the Avatar. We're not back home in the southern water tribe, you don't have to grow up overnight like you've been forced to. You do get to play. You deserve to play, and not have to worry so much about being able to end wars and become part of a long line of legends." He wilted a little, leaning against the staff and glancing up at her with a subdued expression that gave her pause. "I... I'm glad you want to do this for me, really, but it's not fair to yourself. You've got almost two years left before the comet arrives, not two days. I just... I don't want you to lose yourself by becoming obsessed with the idea you gotta be perfect, and neither would your mom. No one deserves that, least of all you."
Flinching at the mention of her mother, Katara swallowed, looking a little lost. Aang felt guilty at using Kya's memory to help prove his point, but if he could get her to see what he was trying to say...
Opening and closing her mouth as she floundered for a response, Katara finally lifted her gaze from the dusty street to his face. "You heard what Aunt Wu said though," She murmured, surprising Aang with how serious she sounded. "The stakes are so high right now. If I lose, I lose the chance to... to fix what has been broken in the world, to fix what's wrong and make things right." Inexplicably, her face began to burn with a light blush that didn't seem to have much to do with her strenuous practicing from earlier. "I want to do this for everyone, but I want to do this for you too. You deserve to live again. Twelve is too young to die."
He blinked at her, a little confused at the blush that still tinged her cheeks and the tips of her ears, and her eyes shone with a fervency that made his own face heat up a little as well. The sounds of the town starting to wake up began to filter through the moment, however, and Katara was the first to break eye contact (much to his relief). "I know you want to protect me, and I guess you're right in having me slow down a little." She admitted, "But I want you to know that you can't really tell me what I can or can't do. As the current Avatar, I get to choose why I do things, you know."
He smiled in response to her challenging grin, shaking himself of the contradictory (but weirdly pleasant) surge of aggravation and affection that her words brought him. "I know. I guess we're both still learning this whole Avatar thing."
Katara smiled, clearly relieved that he understood what she was trying to say. "Yeah. When the war is over, I'm going to- yech! Plech! Hey!"
A thick, billowing cloud of fine, fluffy fur (that looked suspiciously like Appa's) came cascading down from the top the fortuneteller's roof, and a chortling Sokka peered down at his sister as she coughed and sputtered. The white and tan fur got into her eyes and stuck into her hair and clothes as it wafted down on her like snow, while passing harmlessly though Aang. "Hey Katara! What's up?" He called down slyly, waving his empty bag at her with a mischievous smirk, "You're looking kinda fuzzy there."
"Ugh! Plech! Sokka! What are you- ugh!" She stomped her foot, trying to use airbending to blow away the fur, but only succeeding in getting it up to Sokka's level before it came right back down onto her. Aang wasn't even trying to disguise his laughter, and his clear giggles rang out merrily as it blended with her Sokka's slightly deeper chuckles from above. Giving up, Katara rolled her eyes heavenward and started to laugh along with them. So much for her earlier protest about not having fun...
"Tell invisiboy there that I've been knee deep in this stuff." Sokka said, climbing down carefully before jumping and landing in a fuzzy, graceless heap in front of her. He got up, and tried without much success to brush the fluffy fur off. "I think that Appa's getting affected by how warm it is here. He's losing his cold weather coat- he was just getting a new layer when we left, and now he's losing it so fast I'm wondering if he's gonna go bald before we get up to the North."
Still giggling to himself at the fluff prank, Aang waved Katara on, handing her staff back. "Tell him it's okay, it's expected. Appa's getting a new spring coat- an Earth Kingdom spring coat that is. Everyone else in the world except those of us who live down south have a warm spring and an even hotter summer, and a sky bison's fur tends to follow along with whatever is warmest... and that'll mean lot's of fur is going to be shed."
She nodded, and relayed what was said as Aang left to go see to Appa. "Aang says it's okay. Apparently Appa's going to shed every time he needs to get rid of his old coat, and I guess warm weather makes it happen faster." She glanced down at herself, sighing. "I need to get cleaned up... and take a break."
Sokka glanced at her, surprised. "You haven't taken a break yet? But you left to train almost two hours ago!"
She shrugged guiltily, and he studied her with a cross scowl. "Don't tell me that old hag told you to train like a crazy person! If she did, don't bother. None of her predictions are true!"
She grinned, feeling her childish side start to reassert itself now that she was forced to slow down and have a moment to talk. "You're just saying that because you've had nothing but bad luck the whole time we've been here." She tapped at the side of his head where an irate turkey-duck had tried to bite at his ears yesterday afternoon. He swatted her hand away, and she laughed. "Don't pout. I'm sure she was just joking around when she said that about you. I'm sure you'll have a long, happy life, once we win the war."
He smiled at her reassurance, before smirking at her appearance. "I'd pay good money to see you battle the Fire Lord looking like a giant version of Momo."
"Pfft. You would."
They were still laughing when they came inside the mayor's house, finding Suki, Smellerbee, Longshot, and Ursa seated at the table with their host, all looking unusually somber. As soon as the water tribe siblings entered the soft conversation died, and Katara felt her good mood vanishing as she took in the dark mood. "Uh... did something happen? What's wrong?"
Grimacing, the elderly mayor stood, bowing to Katara and completely ignoring her messy appearance as he handed her a paper. "I'm so sorry to give you bad news, but I'm afraid that it would be best if you leave as soon as you can. There's a slight... problem."
Warily, Katara took the paper and smoothed it out before reading, and was startled to find a rough portrait of herself staring back at her, with the words Water Tribe girl, Avatar, and Extremely Dangerous within the description. It also had a reward price for her capture, enough to set anyone for life if they succeeded in delivering her to a certain Commander Zhao or directly to the Fire Lord himself. She cursed her stupidity back at Ban. "Oh no, I bet this was made by those Fire Nation soldiers that I ran into a few weeks ago! They must have figured out that I was the Avatar when I airbent at them!"
"We found the poster when we went to the fountain," Smellerbee explained, "You've got a price on your head that's enormous! You're gonna have every bounty hunter in the kingdom after you when they see this."
Standing, Suki crossed her arms uneasily. "We've got to get out of here, quickly. If there's Fire Nation wanted posters popping up even here, in a secure Earth Kingdom town... well..."
Ursa tapped a finger on the table, her empty shopping basket pushed aside as she stood as well. "I'm not sure where we ought to go from here, but you're right. We cannot afford to go near the colonies now, not unless we dress you all up in the proper clothing and fly only at night. I know this man who's looking for you- he will not stop until he gets what he wants."
Katara traded a look with Sokka, sighing in resignation as her grip on her staff tightened. I'm never going to catch a break with this Avatar thing, am I? "Well, I guess we should start getting ready to go, shouldn't we?"
The mayor wrung his boney hands, his distress clear. "I'm so sorry. I would do everything I can for you if I could, but we do get periodic visits from the Fire Nation from time to time, to ensure that we haven't sent anyone to the army and to deliver tribute in the form of crops. If posters are coming, than I'm afraid we may have a visit very soon. You've been the talk of the entire region for the last few days- I suggest you fly as soon as you can. Our hospitality cannot protect you, I'm afrai-aaiiii!"
Everyone in the room jumped with fright as the door suddenly exploded in a shower of splinters and flames; the Mayor squealing as he scrambled back just as someone- or something came snarling through the ruined doorway.
Katara had never seen a creature like it. It was almost as tall as a polarbear dog, with a great curving horn jutting out from the top of it's snout and two matching ones above its red, far set eyes that glittered brightly against its grey, hairless hide. It had a saddle, and one of the strangest looking Fire Nation soldiers she had ever seen was cocking his fist back, his eyes lighting up as soon as he saw her. "We're here for the Avat-!"
He never got to finish his declaration, for several things happened at once. Katara was already swinging her staff as soon as the man started to speak, the air surging around the weapon before it was released like a compacted punch to the face on the outward swing, the force of the blow strong enough to make the man lurch backward and reflexively reach for the reigns to keep his seat. Sokka and Suki instinctively jumped to get between Katara and the soldier, while Longshot grabbed Smellerbee and flipped the table to shield themselves until an opening for the doorway presented itself. The Mayor had thrown his hands over his head, his stupid hat knocked clean off in his panic, and the airbending blow had startled the beast enough to force it to back up a couple of steps until it was halfway out of the ruined doorway.
In the midst of all the chaos, however, Ursa's reaction was by far the most surprising. As soon as Katara had delivered her (rather emphatic) answer to the soldier's demand, Ursa was leaping over the upturned table, using the momentum to spring towards the man with her fists curled. Before anyone could even begin to register what on earth she was doing her fists were already striking, quick as lightning; each blow concentrated and precise as she struck a different spot each time. The man had been able to keep his seat after the airbending blow, but after Ursa's strikes he seemed to be unable to even hold himself upright. With a cry and a grunt, he fell (or slid, perhaps) right out of the saddle, his head hitting the door frame on the way down. Out cold before he even touched the floor, the man landed heavily right next to the howling mayor, while Ursa landed lightly on the other side of the traumatized man and grabbed a shell shocked Smellerbee and Longshot out from behind the table. "Everyone, to the stable!" She shouted, pushing the two out through the (now thankfully clear) doorway while beckoning for the others to follow. "We must leave before he comes to!"
Shaking herself from the shock that rooted her to the floor, Katara forced everything but the goal to get everyone safely on Appa into the back of her mind. She would have time to confront Ursa later. "I'll call Aang! Get everyone to the stable Sokka, Suki and I need to make sure the Mayor's okay, and get our things from the bedroom."
As Suki hurried into the bedroom to grab their things, the Mayor rose shakily with Katara's help, edging away from the unconscious soldier and swallowing down his fright just enough to wave away her concern. "Don't worry yourself over me, Avatar. Please, leave this place before any more soldiers come! There is sure to be more of them, and you must be far far away before they come."
Suki reappeared with the packs that were always stuffed with the essentials. "We can always buy new stuff later," She reasoned, handing Katara one of the food baskets before nudging her towards the door. "For now, we need to do as the Mayor says and get out of here." She turned to the elderly man. "Go and get some help before he wakes up, and get everyone to safety in case he has friends nearby! We'll be fine."
Seemingly in reaction to her words, the soldier groaned a little, stirring weakly and prompting a yelp from the Mayor as he dashed out of the house in a panic. "Yes, help! I must get help!"
The street was mostly cleared of any other villagers, thanks to the soldier and his strange animal (which was still running loose), but Katara trusted that their elderly host knew his own village well enough to find someone who could subdue the soldier if he woke up too soon. As she watched him run down the lane, she spotted Appa already swooping in to land in front of the ruined house. "Let's get out of here!" Sokka urged, waving at the girls to toss up the bags and climb on. "They'll understand why we're leaving without saying goodbye."
Oh. Katara hadn't even given that a thought until her brother voiced it aloud. Seating herself next to the others in the saddle, she allowed Aang to take control of the reigns as she looked down at the rapidly receding village with growing guilt and worry. After all, these were a peaceful people, and she had never found out if any of them were earth benders. I hope he was the only one. She thought, unaware of where Aang was leading Appa until a soft, moist rush of mist engulfed them momentarily, swallowing up the village from view as they climbed higher into the clouds. The Mayor said that the fire nation makes visits just to keep them in line. What if these people get hurt because they openly took me in?
Smellerbee's unexpected touch pulled Katara from her worry. "Hey, they'll be fine." The younger girl said, trying to sound reassuring. "After all, they got their hokey witch lady with them, right?"
Katara fought the urge to roll her eyes, even as an inappropriate laugh bubbled up at the awkward wording. "Well... yeah, I guess so. Thankfully, we should be fine too. There's no way he'll know where we went, since we left before he even woke up! "
Ursa nodded. "I wouldn't worry about the villagers if I were you, Katara. He should be unable to firebend for at least half an hour. I made sure of it."
As one, all the children turned to pin her with uneasy (or in Smellerbee's case, downright hostile) looks. Only Aang seemed to be confused as he twisted around on Appa's head to better see and hear what was going on. "Er... I must have missed something other than this soldier's arrival, huh?"
Katara cleared her throat as the awkward silence stretched on. "Well, I guess you did miss out on something, Aang." She admitted slowly, watching Ursa wilt a little as Sokka drew himself up, his eyes never leaving the fire nation woman even as he spoke to Aang. "Yeah, you missed out on something alright. You missed out on Ursa chi blocking."
Author's Note:
After 11 long months, I have finally posted a new chapter! I am so, so sorry for the wait, as stated in the previous note at the start of the chapter. Thankfully, I have gotten most of the story line straightened out up until the 'book two' finale, so the chapters should be posted a little more regularly than once every few months. My deepest apologies for any choppiness in how it reads- I still don't have a beta, and I wanted to get this out of my way after wrestling with it for so long.
Some things to clear up before you start asking questions:
1: Ursa is in fact a chi blocker. She's going to explain it all in the next chapter, so all questions regarding that topic will be answered in due time. ;)
2: Also worth explaining here before you get all confused is that the Rough Rhinos had been combing the area for a few days after Zhao recruited them- it was not immediately the next morning that the attack happened. They had split off into two groups to help comb the general area, so our resident firebender of the group only had one other member with him when he went to Macapu Village (who just happened to be the one responsible for the wanted poster, and was on the other side of the village questioning Aunt Wu during the getaway scene). It's going to be thoroughly explained in the next chapter as well, but I figured you needed to know before you called me out on cheap writing!
3: Speaking of the next chapter, Zuko is going to take up a lot of the spot light as he gets himself into a jam, and we meet up with some more familiar characters. (plus, a shoutout to Rufftoon and her brilliant WaterTribe fancomic).
4: This chapter deliberately mirrors two events from previous chapters, the most notable being Katara's reaction to Zhao back in Ban. I think it is important to show that she is growing more and more like her canon characterization, and she's now taking a deliberate stand for herself and (in the case of her conversation with Aang) her right to grow as the Avatar in her own way, even if it comes at a personal cost.
5: And now, for a rambley bunny trail: Katara's growing romantic feelings for Aang (and his own lack of awareness about said feelings) is something that is plausible for these two in their current situation. I think someone not too long ago asked me why it was that Katara was the first to having a growing crush and not Aang, like in canon, and I suppose it's worth explaining here to better understand why they are doing what they're doing.
Judging from what we have seen of her characterization in canon, I think that Katara's core essence stays pretty much the same, but important life events seem to mark her deeply and permanently shape how she grows as a character. Here, we don't see her in the role of a caretaker as she had in canon, because this time she is the Avatar, and Aang is now thrust into the role of caretaker/guardian. That right there is a big factor for why Katara has been a little more hesitant and even fearful than in canon. That said, she is in a position where she actively looks up to Aang- in canon she believed in him and was in awe of his status, but I think she also had a lot of pride in him that stemmed from watching him grow into his role. Here, Aang is the one who will experience that, and Katara is in the unique position of being the only person who can regularly see and interact with Aang. As a result, she is starting to realize that everything she says and does affects him and his entire future-that in fact she is his entire world besides Appa, and that is something she can't take lightly.
In terms of romantic love, neither of them are quite there yet, but this is the set up for something much deeper as the story goes on. It really is important to realize that this is something that still works within their respective characterizations, and isn't some wishful plot to make them be together just for the sake of the romance. After all, if I did that, I might as well have made this into another Zutara AU. ;P