Chapter 14

Azula and her guards traveled by sandsailer from the Western Oasis to Gaishun's desert hideout. To appease her allies by following their customs, she wore a white robe over her regular light armor, and found to her pleasant surprise that instead of adding to the heat, it kept her cool.

The sheik received her with all the pretended warmth of a well-paid whore, offering fruit and refreshments. She accepted only the minimum hospitality to avoid offending, then demanded to see the captive.

The leader ordered one of his men to take her to the tent where the waterbender's brother was kept. Looking through a flap in a small tent, she saw the Water Tribe boy alone. She hadn't paid much attention to Sokka when they had met in the palace, but surveyed him with interest now. She had to admit, Ty Lee's taste in men was good. (She had dated Aang, after all.) The young man's bronze skin shone over his shoulder muscles. A white shell necklace and earring contrasted nicely with his color, adorning him in an intriguing, exotic way, while his blue eyes flashed with intelligence and humor, despite his situation. But she saw his resemblance to the waterbender now–it should have been obvious before—and that made him distasteful to her. Satisfied that her contract had been fulfilled, she left the hostage and returned to the gang leader's personal tent.

While they waited for their quarry to arrive, the Fire Lord and her host killed time by negotiating the purchase of a few thousand barrels of oil. Once that deal was concluded, he expressed interest in the tank that had been used in this kidnapping. Azula was about to explain that the Fire Nation could not give up its technological advantage over the other countries, when a serving boy interrupted their discussion.

"Sir, a sandsailer has been spotted heading our way. But it's not moving like a normal one. It's….making its own wind."

"Ah. That vessel carries our guests," Azula announced, standing eagerly. "Will you prepare to receive them? I will take my place among your men, as we discussed. Remember our script, the offer of exchange." Her ally nodded at her reminder, and led the way to his largest, most luxurious tent.

The Fire Lord put up her hood to hide her face, standing in line next to another white-robed young warrior. She couldn't wait to observe this little scene, to finally see the waterbender reveal her treachery. Then, while poor Aang reeled, heartbroken at her betrayal, Azula would unmask herself. He would be so grateful to see her familiar, smiling face, that he would forget the past. She could bring him home, and soothe his hurts. Soon they would just put this whole incident behind them, and settle into the blissful, royal life they were always supposed to have.

The members of the small group filed into the tent; Azula recognized her brother and friends with a pang. Then, from her spot behind the gangster, she saw Aang for the first time in weeks, and was taken aback. She should have known he would cut off that gorgeous topknot; he had done the same thing several times when he had first come to the palace. He knew what hair meant in his adopted country; his choice to mutilate himself this way was a deliberate rejection of her entire culture.

The firebender's training had taught her to see bald men as unattractive: either infantile, ancient, or, worst of all, dishonored. But despite her dismay at the airbender's choice, her body felt the same draw toward him that she had the day they celebrated their engagement….In fact, the longer she looked at him, the more attractive she found him. His manly beauty transcended the trappings of any particular culture, even her own. He was more completely himself than he had ever been in the palace, she realized. The hair, and the Fire Nation clothes had hidden him, and now he was revealed: more essential, and more powerful than ever.

In that moment, she wanted him more than she had ever wanted anything in her life.

And finally, he was within her reach. This day would be the beginning of their lives together. She was certain of it.

When they glided into the assemblage of tents, the Resistance fighters were greeted as expected, even honored visitors, and shown directly to the leader's tent.

Inside, Gaishun reclined on a cushion, surrounded by textiles and furnishings that looked incongruously opulent in the middle of a barren desert. Hooded henchmen lined the canvas walls, swords glinting at their sides

"Let me do the talking," Katara whispered to the others, and stepped forward.

She decided to begin by setting out the situation as diplomatically as possible, avoiding any direct accusations. "Gaishun, we are here because my brother has been kidnapped. We followed tracks to the desert. Since you know everything that happens here, we thought we'd come and ask you for help to get him back."

The sheik bared his teeth in a handsome, predatory smile. "We may have come across a young man who resembles you," he acknowledged with a slow nod.

She tried to repress her eagerness. "Can I see him?"

At his boss's nod, a deputy disappeared. Moments later, he came back, pulling Sokka by the arm, another burly man on his other side.

Seeing that her brother was unhurt, Katara relaxed for the first time in days. She covered her mouth to hide its trembling and blinked back tears. "Oh, thank you, Gaishun. We'll take him and go." She started toward Sokka, but two heavyset turbaned men thrust spears at her to block her way.

From behind his captors, Sokka met his sister's eyes and winked at her.

"Not so fast." Gaishun cautioned the waterbender. "We acquired this young man at significant expense, and we are a business, after all."

"How did you get him?" Katara asked, hoping to get him to admit he was working with the Fire Nation.

"I can't say. Part of the deal was secrecy." The sheik's grin was infuriating.

"Why do you want him?" she pushed, tamping down her frustration.

"Sokka tells me he is a talented engineer. I had hoped to have him design new sandsailers for us."

Rage filled Katara at the thought of her brother escaping the Fire Nation, only to be forced to work for this band of ruffians. "So you'll enslave—"

"No, we'll pay him and treat him well." Gaishun answered mildly. "But he stays with us. Unless you would like to make a trade?" He raised a speculative eyebrow.

"You are a kidnapper!" she accused, all her calm poise gone. "You're trying to ransom—"

"No, I'm just proposing a simple exchange of services." the gang leader corrected her, not riled in the least by her display of temper. "I notice that the Avatar is with your party. I will gladly release your brother if he will work for me instead."

Conflicted, Katara shot an anguished look back at her boyfriend.

That was when the tent collapsed around them, and chaos broke out.

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Leave me a review!