Chapter 5: Trust?

Zuko sat on the bed furs, he had taken the blood-stained shirt off, though it just hung annoyingly on the chain connecting his wrist cuffs. But he had been trying to clean the wound, the skin of the mark was very fragile, and he only seemed to make it worse as he dabbed at the site.

The mark she had chosen was simple enough, he could see the symbol for fire and what he thought was the water symbol in the center of it. Though it was hard to be completely sure because the thing kept bleeding making it difficult to see the lines clearly. He supposed if it was the water symbol encased by the fire symbol then it was fitting to the situation.

He growled out in frustration as he continued to dap at the area. Then the sound of the lock clicking and the door swinging open caught his attention. Katara was kneeling in front of him before he had the chance to fully register it was her walking through the door. She was accessing the bleeding mark, and his eyes flicked from her face to the still open door behind her.

"Can I heal this now?" she asked him, bringing his attention back to her. "I can just knit the skin together and relieve some of the burning sensation. It would still scar if I did it that way. It would be tender, but at least you would not be bleeding over everything."

"Is that an order?" Zuko asked her, his gaze again glancing to the door.

"What if it is?" Katara countered.

"Then I am bound to comply to your demand." Zuko sighed.

Katara gave a small smile, opening her water skin she encased her hand, bringing it to the mark on his chest. She only did as much as she had said. The lines of pink prominent on his pale skin when she finished. "Okay, that is better. Now put your shirt back on and follow me." She instructed him as she looked around the cell. "Where is your parka?"

"It was removed in the hall, and I never got it back." Zuko answered promptly as he pulled the shirt over his head. "Where are you taking me?"

"To my chambers." Katara answered absentmindedly as she reached down, picking up the change of clothes she had brought him as well as the top bed fur. She handed the fur to him ordering. "Here wrap this around you. It is freezing out tonight."

But Zuko made no move to grab the fur. He even took a couple steps back away from her not understanding why he would need to come to her chambers. His mind was running through stories he had heard in school about life debts and dishonorable saviors, people that had beaten and tortured the people they saved. Who they had saved solely to gain complete control over them and do with as they wished. If found out the saviors had been put to trial and executed for dishonoring and abusing the life debt.

Zuko's scowled. He was bound to her will, she could do what she wanted with him, whenever she wanted. She held all the power; he was just unsure if she knew how much power she truly now had over him. He had vowed to serve and obey her, and to accept any punishment she deemed worthy to dish out without any hesitation on his part. He had vowed to protect her from any harm. And he was very aware of the fact that she had not vowed anything to him in return.

"Why?" he demanded, feeling a slight sting where her mark sat in his flesh. But the fire in his veins was getting the better of him and he ignored the sensation.

"Come on Zuko we need to hurry.? Katara said instead of explaining, as she closed the distance between him and shoved the fur into his chest.

"Why?" Zuko repeated.

Katara's arms dropped to her sides, and she pause to take in his expression. "Because it has become apparent that we need to develop some form of trust between us since we will probably be with each other for a while." She explained, then began pacing.

"Are you doubting my honor?" Zuko growled out. His anger rearing its ugly head, and the air in the cell warming up considerably.

"Yes-. No-. Maybe-." Katara stated, brushing her hair over her shoulders as she suddenly stopped pacing and stared at him. "I don't know Zuko." She exclaimed in exasperation. "I mean a few weeks ago we were enemies. Enemies Zuko. And then everything happened. The battle, your capture, the life debt. And vow or no vow you must admit this is crazy. To suddenly do a full about face and just start trusting the very person that had chased us halfway around the world. The person I have fought against. I have been on the receiving end of your attacks more times than I care to count. I have been hurt by you, which would not matter because you are the enemy. On the opposite side of this war that we are trying to stop. You cannot expect me to be okay with all this, to not have any reservations just because you made a vow, and I marked your skin."

"I mean even you," she continued waving her hand at him. "You are struggling with this to. Do not try to deny it. From what we have seen it is not in your nature to just bow down and follow orders and accepting them from your enemy no less. You are arrogant, hot headed, short tempered and used to getting what you want. You are a prince after all. Even if you are exiled, for whatever reason. You are used to giving orders, not taking them. Tell me if I am wrong." She challenged.

Zuko said nothing. She was not wrong after all.

"But I can see that you are trying to try. You have not attacked me, or anyone else. You have been keeping your temper somehow in check most of the time. So, I am going to try as well Zuko." She stated with a small smile. "And let us not pretend and just admit to each other that this is not going to be easy. That we will have to learn to be around each other."

"Agreed." Zuko voiced, relaxing slightly, working on lowering his core temperature.

Katara nodded. "And in the spirit of trying, I am brining you to my chambers. Things have progressed well with Aang's and my training, and the plan is to leave the day after tomorrow to travel to the Earth Kingdom to find Aang an earthbending teacher. I need to finish packing and need to obtain some travel things for you and other basics. As I understand with this debt, as my needs are yours, it is my duty to be aware of your needs as well."

Zuko bowed his head to her, welcoming the thoughtfulness on her part.

"I am brining you with me now to hopefully establish a semblance of trust. We will be travelling a lot and probably in close quarters for most of it, so we need some trust between us and a sense of understanding." She extended her arm holding out the fur again to him. "Will you come with me and stop all the questions for now? Please."

He relented, taking the fur from her he swung it around his shoulders awkwardly, as his hands were still shackled, and then he was following Katara out the dungeon and into the night.