There's a round post digging into her back. Her hands are still bound, wrapping and holding her to the post. They didn't string her up but she almost wishes they had. This position is so uncomfortable and her back is already sore even though it hasn't been a day yet.
Her legs are splayed out in front of her. She can move some, switching between having them underneath her and then moving them around and that makes this a little bit better but still. She's tied up to a post in a barred box in the middle of the camp.
Katara can see the soldiers move around from her little cage. Some stop and stare at her, not even bothering to hide the smirks and twisted expressions on their face. Most of the soldiers glance and keep walking though.
She hasn't seen the traitor yet.
Not that she's particularly shocked at that. Zuko has proven to be a coward, a liar. It doesn't surprise her that he isn't going to show his face around her. He had made her out to be a fool. Deluding her into thinking that he might have been a decent guy. That he might have a heart underneath all of that fire.
Something twists in her stomach and she feels that cold that burns creep back. It hasn't left her, kept her up even - along with the uncomfortable metal pol digging into her spine - but times like this when she's thinking about what he did - how he tricked her - it comes on stronger.
She will burn him with her ice. If he thinks that her bloodbending tricks were monstrous… Well, what she wants to do to him - what she's imagining over and over in her head - will make that seem like nothing. Child's play.
If he knows what's good for him then he'll just stay away until Zhao comes -
"Katara." She freezes at her name. There's only one in this entire camp with that voice that knows her name. "I -"
"Don't you dare." The ice in her blood shows in her voice. She raises her eyes to his just in time to see him flinch. Flinch. "Don't you dare call me by that name again. You have no right."
The Prince swallows. His heart is racing. Nervous. Very nervous. Before, she would have found this interesting. Now she just finds it infuriating because he has the gall to stand before her cell and speak her name like they're friends.
"You knew this was going to happen. Either you were going to hand me to your rebels or I was going to give you to the Fire Nation." His voice is steady. A true Fire Nation firebender. She notices for the first time that he's in red again. He's clean.
He's also right. They had no other options than this. But that doesn't change anything and she still hates him for what he did - what he knew -
"So I just made it to where I was standing on the other side of the cell. You would have done the same. You were doing the same."
She scoffs. "Why are you even trying to explain yourself to me? I don't care."
"Yes you do. I saw the betrayal in your eyes. The anger. I deserve that, but I just think you should know that I'm only doing what you were planning on. You knew that this was a possibility - I just beat you to the punch."
"Go. Away." She's snarling again. Katara jerks forward like she can break the manacles or uproot the post even though she can't. Her wrists and arms scream in protest but she just has to - needs to - rake her nails across his skin, across his scar. "I don't want to see your face again."
She spits up at his face. She's a waterbender, even with her hands behind her back she doesn't miss.
Zuko raises his hand and wipes it away.
"I'll make sure that you're fed. That you have water and maybe move you to a tent instead of...here." His eyes glance over the bars. "You're not an animal."
"You thought so before. You thought I was a monster - barbaric, savage and vile. Don't try to help me. You don't owe me anything. I don't want your pity or your kindness because the moment you get me out of this cell is the moment when I reach out and grab your heart and watch you freeze."
There must be something in her eyes because that makes him step back. The little victory turns her snarl into a cruel and cold smile.
"You better watch my back, firebender. Because I'm certainly watching yours."
He leaves her. Katara watches until his tense shoulders disappear around the group of tents where the soldiers sleep.
He had no right. No damned right to come up to her and not only call her by her name, but also offer his help - his pity. She doesn't need that - doesn't need or want anything from him and his traitorous hands.
It doesn't matter that he's right - and deep down, she knows that he is. In a way, she even understand what he did and why he did it. Zuko was only doing what she was. He just did what he said: beat her to the punch.
In the Earth Kingdom, it is easier to find a Fire Nation camp than a rebel outpost.
That doesn't lessen the anger in her blood, the iciness around her spine and heart, the cold twist on her lips. She hates him. She really hates him. Not only for acting like someone who could potentially be her friend - or at least, an ally when there was no one else to rely on - but for winning.
He won. Damn him, he won. Just when she thought her biggest goal was to get him to Ba Sing Se without killing him, he launched a sneak attack and she was blindsided. He won and she lost.
She was right back at the beginning. A defeated, captive waterbender surrounded by her enemies. One step away from Zhao and two steps away from Ozai.
So she needs this anger - this frozen anger because it's the only thing keeping her from burning underneath this sun. Because she will survive and get out of this somehow. Katara has no intentions of speaking about Aang to either Zhao or Ozai.
Anger will make her strong. It will keep her cold and she won't break. She'll be just as Sokka told her: Be the icy waters, he always says, their ships cut through the ice. So be the water. Lure them in with deception just before you freeze and drown them in your cold depths.
She refuses to either empathize with or forgive Zuko. Even if she was doing the same to him… She's not going to think about that. Because she needs this anger. Needs it more than she needs anything right now.
It's the only thing that will get her out of this.
-/-
"The Earth Kingdom summers sure are warm, aren't they?" Someone says to her left. Katara turns, eyes already steely and hard and she sees the commander walking towards her cell. He smiles, eyes glinting and she looks away.
He comes around to the front of the cage and she refuses to look away. The commander crosses his arms over his chest.
"I bet they feel even warmer to you, tribeswoman. You don't have heat in those poles of yours, do you?" He's amused, squatting down so that their stares are locked and leveled with each other. "Might be a bit more comfortable if we were to take that heavy tunic off of you."
"The last firebenders who tried to take off my tunic found themselves with knives buried in their chests and blood around their necks."
He lifts an eyebrow, tilts his head to the side. "Good thing we got your hands tied up then."
"Good for you."
The commander hums something. He reaches forward and runs his clean, pale fingers up and down the length of one of the bars. "Zhao said to make sure you were restrained. Said that you were wanted for killing men on his ship and practicing unlawful bending."
"That's all he told you?" Katara snorts. These soldiers had no clue.
"Is there more to the story?"
"Isn't there always?" She challenges right back. The commander shrugs his shoulders like he doesn't care, but she watches as he leans forward a bit and the way his eyes brighten. He's curious. Seems like he already had suspicion that Zhao was hiding something.
"You'll be put on trial for the unlawful bending and for the kidnap and murder of Prince Zuko. Your death will be painful. I wonder how loud a waterbender screams?" So that's it - information for information. That's how he wants to play this.
But wait. Murder? She hadn't killed Zuko - he was right - … oh.
The commander smiles. It snakes across his lips. "That's right. Thought you'd be glad of that little fact. You and he seemed… close. Thought he'd keep you around for a bit longer, did you? That's what all you whores think. Just because you fucked him means nothing."
Heat brushers her cheeks and she's glad that it's darker in the cage so that he doesn't see it.
"Have you told Zhao you have me yet?" Katara changes the subject.
"Sent the bird this morning. He'll be here in a few days." The commander shifts and sits on the ground. "I'm sure you can't wait for your little reunion."
"And he told you my supposed crimes?"
"Your crimes? Yes."
"All of them?"
A pause. "Not unless there's something else -"
"Oh there is." She smiles, cold like her tone. "There's a big something else. I'm rather surprised he didn't tell you. Could be that he doesn't trust you or he's worried about you stealing the spotlight or something - or he could just want to tell you in person." Katara shrugs her shoulders. She needs to be Sokka - lie, cheat. Anything to get out of here.
It works. Her bait works and her idea about him already suspecting Zhao seems to be right. The commander's eyes narrow and he moves closer to the cell. If she plays this just right…
"How do I know you're not bluffing?"
"You're going to kill the man - boy - who betrayed me to my worse enemy. You're right, apparently the fact that I've fucked him doesn't mean anything," she sniffs. "I don't like Zhao and neither do you. What reason do I have to bluff? You've already caught me - I'm not going anywhere so why would I lie? If I'm going to be put on trial to die, I'd rather die knowing that Zhao falls too."
"He really worked a number on you on that ship, didn't he?" Katara meets his laugh with silence. A stony silence and he quickly scrambles to cover it up. "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean - Didn't mean to say that."
"Are you in?"
"Depends on your conditions. I'm not going to make some sort of deal with the likes of you without knowing what I'm getting myself into. I know how you rebel tribesmen work. I'm not an idiot."
Yes you are. "I let you take me to the Fire Lord without struggle. You get to hand me over as a prisoner to him and reap all the benefits that Zhao would have gotten. In return, you let me kill the Fire Prince. I also want out of this cage - no, just listen - I want out of this cage and in a proper tent with food and water. You'll guard it, of course."
"You were fighting tooth and nail back in that clearing. Why are you giving up now? Surrendering? Doesn't seem your style?"
"I want to put the Prince's head on a platter for what he did to me. If I kill him, the Fire Lord will have no choice but to kill me. I can stop running and die knowing that both of the men who screwed me over are dead and gone."
"So this is about revenge."
"Isn't everything?" He still doesn't look entirely convinced. "Look, I'm not asking you to trust me. Because really, you can't. But I am urging you to take this opportunity before Zhao steals it right from under you. We can both benefit from this."
"I don't -"
"Zhao probably ordered you to kill the Fire Prince, right?" The stiffening of his shoulders tells her yes. "You think that he won't use that against you in the future? To try to blackmail you? I only knew the man for a few days and I already figured out how he operates. Before this is over, he will work that to his advantage somehow. You don't have to live in his debt."
"What is your other crime anyway? If I'm going to go through with his, I need to know everything. Zhao wouldn't be after a simple waterbender like this if you hadn't done something big. And don't try to say that you were his favorite slave."
She thinks fast. "I witnessed Zhao's mutiny against the Prince and General Iroh. Zhao knew that I was going to rat him out to someone - anyone. He wants to punish me himself for grabbing the Prince and getting off that boat."
"Why would you save the Prince?"
Katara smiles. "You were the one who said I fucked him. I thought it meant something to him. But clearly, it didn't. I was angry when I saw how he betrayed me. I've been wanting to slice his throat ever since I realized what he did."
"Stupid girl," he scoffs, shaking his head. Then he stands and dusts off his pants. "I'll think over your proposition and get back to you. Until then, I promise that the Prince won't be harmed. Can't give you spoiled goods if this is going to work."
"I hope you accept." Katara grins up at him. "Don't keep me waiting too long."
Anger is good. Anger is powerful.
Anger just helped her lie her way into the mind of the one man who was going to unknowingly get her out of here.
He leaves her. There's curiosity in his eyes and she tries to keep the smirk on her face small enough to not warrant too much attention. It's hard though - she just manipulated the man like she manipulates her water. Sokka would be proud.
When the sun slips behind the trees, Katara has new visitors. Four soldiers who unlock her cell and untie the rope that keeps her manacles on the ground. They have to pick her up because her legs are too unsteady to stand, but they don't seem to mind even though she does.
"I can walk," she snarls when one of the men seems bent on carrying her to the tents. Katara wriggles and elbows her way out of his arms. Her knees buckle when she tries to stand, and they're quivering enough that she has to bite her lip and focus but she manages.
Their touch is too warm anyways.
One of the soldiers grip her arm and pushes her towards the tents. Two lead the way, the other on her opposite side. Smugly, she can't help but smirk when she thinks about how nervous she's making the commander feel if he sent four soldiers to escort her.
They stop in front of a tent in the middle of a line. A few soldiers around a fire look at her in curiosity as her escorts open the flaps and shove her inside.
"Sleep tight, waterbender," one of them grumbles. "Don't get any funny ideas."
"Wouldn't dream of it," she replies tightly.
The flap falls back and she allows herself to take in a breath.
The tent is empty, a simple cot the only thing in it but it's all that she expected. They didn't remove the manacles - a smart move on their part and shows her that even if the commander is gullible and an idiot he still doesn't trust her.
She collapses right on the cot, boots and dirt and all, and sighs in pure relief. Much better than sitting up against a pole. Katara situates herself so that she's on her side and closes her eyes.
Zuko might have won at first, but she's gaining on him now.
-/-
An unwelcome heartbeat wakes her up in the morning.
She shifts, turning over onto her side and opening her eyes. They narrow as soon as she's able to discern who is in her tent.
"What do you want?"
"I went to your cage. Imagine my surprise when I found it empty," Zuko says. His eyes appraise her. "How did you manage to convince the commander to let you in a tent instead?"
Katara manages to swing her legs over the edge of the bed and sits up. She can't exactly brush her hair out of her face, so she slips her head back, huffing. "Now that's not really any of your business, now is it?"
"You're my prisoner now."
"No. I'm the commander's prisoner. Or, as you so kindly told Zhao on the ship, I'm the Fire Nation's prisoner," she reminds him and he stiffens. Katara sighs. "Unless you brought breakfast or water with you, I'd really like for you to go."
Zuko crosses his arms over his chest. His hair is in top-knot again. The scar is more pronounced this way - Katara used to not see it because it was just there, but now that he has betrayed her, it's almost the only thing that she can see.
"You're playing a dangerous game here."
"Who says I'm playing games?"
"I know you."
"No you don't," she snaps. "You just think you do. If you knew me, you wouldn't have let us walk straight into a Fire Nation camp but you did. Do you know what this means?"
His chuckle unnerves her and she is reminded again of just why she hates him other than he being a firebender. "Grand delusions of escape. We're not on the ship, waterbender. You won't get free this time."
"And that is why you don't know me. If you did, you'd know that I will stop at nothing to get out of here."
"You shouldn't." He insists. Something in his eyes flash but she can't analyze it before it fades and he regains control. "It'll be dangerous. You might die."
"And ruin your chances at ever getting the throne? Oh, Spirits that sounds awful. I'd hate to do that to a traitor."
Zuko looks like he's about to make a move towards her - his weight even shifts and she tenses because if he comes near, she won't hesitate to ram her head into his skull - but he catches himself. "I'm trying to help you in any way I can but you're not grateful at all."
"Help? Grateful? In what ways have you tried to help me? Why should I be grateful to you?" Her voice is rising - she needs to calm it down or else she'll set the guards off and the commander - he might retract their little deal. So, she takes in a deep breath but it doesn't do anything to soothe her.
Fists are formed at his sides and he looks like he's trying to calm himself down too. Good. She wants to set him off. Give him a reason to hit her so that she can torment him about it later. She's a big girl, she can take a few punches if it'll help her destroy him later.
She hates him. She hates him so much - but she really doesn't, not really and - No. She hates him.
"Don't try to help me. I can help myself just fine and I don't need you." Katara clears her throat. "You only make things more complicated in the end so I'd rather you not try to seek me out again. I don't want to talk to you anymore than you want to talk to me. So leave me alone."
Zuko stares at her for a few moments. A few tense, silent moments and she can't even tear her own eyes away from his. It's uncomfortable. It makes her skin crawl and she feels so exposed that she thinks he's catching on to what she's doing.
But he turns away, striding over to the flap quickly because he has long legs and the tent is small. Just before he pulls the flap open he pauses, turns to look at her over his shoulder and says, "I won't let my father or any of the guards at the prison touch you. You have my word. I really am sorry about how - about how this is ending."
With that, he's gone.
Now that - that right there just makes her hate him even more.
Here she is, trying to keep her anger against him to strengthen her so that she can do what needs to be done. And then he just ruins it - ruins it all - with a simple sentence. It's something that they've discussed before; she knows that he thinks the way the Fire Nation treats their female prisoners wrong, and she's told him exactly what she thinks -
And there he goes. Putting himself in a jeopardizing - and questionable - position by telling her that he won't let anyone touch her. And then he apologizes - he damn well apologizes for the way that things turned out. Not only ignoring the fact that he was the one that brought about this ending, but also that he knew exactly how things were going to end.
It should make her angry. Angry because he's promising her help, special treatment and apologizing after committing an act that not only hurt her, but also made sense to her because she would have done the same exact thing. Except she wouldn't have apologized. And Zuko knows that she wouldn't have.
Because that was the way that war worked.
Despite that - despite the fact that he could be manipulating her again - Katara can't bring herself to feel any more anger. It crumbles. Crumbles because his voice was so soft, so damned sincere at the time that she can't even bring herself to doubt him.
It sucks. This sucks. Because she's being irrational and she knows she's being irrational yet she can't stop because that's who she is.
She should be imagining an icy death for him. But she can't - she can't and that makes her want to scream. He's her enemy and she should want him dead but she doesn't.
None of this makes sense. Before, her view was black and white. Fire and water. Them and us. Now, there's so many shades of grey forming and there are so many blurred lines that had been solid before and she can't even think.
But she knows that she can't be mad anymore.
Katara can't be mad because she would have done the same thing. She would have - and was going to - take Zuko by the collar of his tunic and drag him to some icy prison up North. She was even going to use bloodbending if she need to. Anything to get him out of her hands so that she could turn her attention back to the war.
She can't be mad because Zuko just wanted to go home and is terrified of being banished from it. He wants his throne and he doesn't approve of the way things are going now. He doesn't like the way the commanders treat prisoners and the way his father has a prisoner priority system implemented.
She can't be mad because he doesn't like war. He doesn't like the genocide and he turns to stone whenever they brush across the subject.
She can't be mad because he would rather her be free than back under Zhao's command.
She can't be mad because he gave her a knife on that ship so she could protect herself. She can't be mad because he didn't take any of her crap - he fought back against her and made her life hell just like she was doing to him.
She can't be mad because he didn't let her hurt herself a night ago, because even though he's a Prince he doesn't really know anything about the world and how to survive out of a palace.
She can't be mad because he doesn't know that Zhao has plans to kill him. And he doesn't suspect a thing.
She just can't. And that makes her confused because she doesn't even really like Zuko. She doesn't even understand most of the things that he does. She just...she just can't be mad at him anymore.
She doesn't hate him. She doesn't like him, but she doesn't hate him either.
Katara isn't sure how this conclusion is supposed to help her any. If anything, she just feels more confused and her head hurts a little.
A harsh breath pushes through her teeth and she slams back down on the bed. Things shouldn't be so damned confusing. She certainly hasn't helped situations any by becoming somewhat comfortable around him - but honestly, how could she not when he was the only person around for those days?
She shouldn't be this way. She shouldn't feel nothing but hatred for him but she can't. She can't and she doesn't even really want to. Not anymore.
There are so many others to hate. Others who deserve her cold hatred far more than Zuko does.
-/-
The commander must want to speak with her because around midday - after she's rolled around on the bed and tried not to think about the position she's in - two of the guards from outside the tent come in. She's hoisted up and when the edge of her tunic gets caught in the waistband of her pants, one of them gently untucks it and soothes it back down.
Great. Another Lee. Like she doesn't have enough problems already.
One of the soldiers walks in front. The other - the one who untucked her tunic - grips her elbow and makes her follow behind. She complies as best as she can. Mainly because she doesn't want to set the commander off and she is somewhat glad that the burly-chested man with the fondness for ripping her hair out isn't one of her guards.
The commander's tent isn't too far from her own so the walk isn't far. Katara holds her head up high. She may look a mess, but in the eyes of the soldiers they keep passing, she wants to look as confident and cold as she possibly can.
Because she's imagining their deaths. One icy death after another.
That's the kind of anger that she can rely on now.
The guard's arm sweeps away the flap and steps to the side, allowing her to duck her head down and enter his tent. She probably should be worried but for some reason, she can't find it within herself to be concerned. She's filthy, sweaty and dirty and ragged-looking from the past few nights. Not appealing at all and she wouldn't have it any other way.
He's sitting behind a small, wooden desk covered in books and a small basket of fruit, writing something out at first and she takes the moment to glance around the tent that is considerably larger than her own. The cot is bigger, there is an expensive rug covering the ground, a few chairs in a corner, the desk with a seat in front, a bookcase behind that and several chests overflowing with papers beside it.
A book slams shut and she jolts, jerking her eyes away from the papers falling out from the chests to look at him. He sets his modern quill down and temples his fingers underneath his chin. He's scrutinizing her. Again. She wonders why she hasn't gotten used to be appraised like a show beast.
"I was informed that you had a visitor," he breaks the silence finally. "Seems like our mutual friend is still fond enough to not only seek you out but to also stay a rather prolonged time in your tent. Care to explain that, waterbender?"
"The Prince tried to say he was sorry. A fake apology, a weak attempt. I think he wanted one last go before I was carried off to the prisons." She shrugs her shoulders as if it's no big deal.
"And did you?"
"Did I what?"
"Indulge him."
Her cheeks redden - she's sure he can see it this time because there are no shadows to block it out. "No. He betrayed me when I tried to help him and I can't forgive him for that. Our deal hasn't been compromised, if that's what you're afraid of."
The commander chuckles. "I haven't exactly told you my answer to your so-called deal. Just because I moved you out of the cell doesn't mean that I've accepted. You should have learned by now that tiny gestures do not indicate grand approvals."
"Then why am I here?"
"I assumed you wanted to eat? That was one of your requirements, was it not?"
Her stomach grumbles. Loudly. "I thought you hadn't accepted my proposition yet?"
"Technicalities." He waves his hand. "Besides, you are hungry and so am I. Please - sit." He gestures to the empty seat in front of him. Watching him carefully, Katara walks from the entrance over to the seat, lowering herself down like she's expecting to have to jump up again any second.
He takes one of the mangos at the top of the fruit bowl and holds it out to her.
"I can't move my hands." She says pointedly, shrugging her shoulder to emphasize that.
"I know."
She pauses. "So you need to get the manacles off so I can eat."
The commander smiles. "I'm not an idiot, tribeswoman. I'm not going to let you out of those shackles just so you can try an escape attempt that might injure one of my men and only stir up trouble just so you can bite into a mango."
"You're honestly not going to feed me, are you?"
"Unless you're not hungry…"
"Fine," she snaps. "I'll-I'll eat the damned mango."
It's humiliating. By the end of it, Katara doesn't even try to salvage what little dignity she has left. She just wipes her juice-covered lips against the fabric over her shoulder and tries to hold her head up. Relying on firebenders - it's a disgrace.
"So is that all?" She asks, more gruffly than before.
"I actually came across some rather interesting information." His fingers are temples again under his jaw. "Your friend - lover, Prince, whatever you refer to him as - seems to believe that you are more important to the Fire Nation than you're letting on."
Katara freezes. No.
"Apparently, you know where the Avatar could be hiding. In fact, you happen to be one of the leaders in that pathetic little rebellion." The commander rises smoothly. His fingers trace across the shiny wood as he steps around the desk so that he's right in front of her. Hesitantly, Katara shifts her eyes and looks up at him, meeting eyes that are burning with something.
"So tell me, tribeswoman. Where you going to let me know about this before we cut our little deal?"