The Pawn |Katara

SEVENTEEN

The path Akira was leading Katara and himself through was one many people took as it was the sole route that led directly from the town of the Southern Port to the Fire Nation capital and yet, despite how well-travelled it was, not a soul passed through the road at night. There was not a single light in sight and they had long since left any cities behind so the only light they could use to find their way back to the palace was the stars and the moon. Luck, though, seemed to be against them, for clouds kept on covering the half-moon and Akira had resorted to lighting a fire in his palm so they could see and not stray from the path. Which didn't help, of course, for if they were being hunted— which he believed they were—the sight of fire was only going to draw their pursuers quicker to their location.

He had long since grown tired of walking and he estimated that they had only covered a little more than half the distance to the palace. If they were to walk, then they definitely needed a day or two of walking and the huge gap in between the time span was because he had simply never walked that distance before. For all he knew, it could be more. Definitely not less, though.

Katara fell behind at an uphill. The long journey from the South Pole to the Southern Port, then the fight and finally all the walking seemed to have caught up with her. He only realized her predicament when he heard a dull thud and turned around to see her kneeling, her eyes closed, hands touching the ground. He frowned.

"Come on, Katara. We've got a long way to go."

"I know," she replied, and he realized she was panting. There was no way they would be going anywhere, that much now seemed clear. Akira looked once more ahead, at the road they had yet to cover, then sighed and extinguished the fire. He headed over.

"Come on," he gently muttered as he helped her stand up. "Get off the road. We will rest on the side."

"There's no way they won't catch up with us, then," she pointed out even as she gave in and let him move her as he wished.

"They would probably catch up with us anyway," he sighed as he led her to a tree and gently pushed her down so she would sit. In the dim light of the night, he saw her lean against the truck. He frowned as he lowered himself beside her. "Get some rest. I will keep watch and let you know if help or enemies come."

"I can stay awake-"

"Sleep so if they attack at least one of us will have gotten some amount of rest," he insisted with a small chuckle, and after a moment of silence, Katara hummed. He turned to see her close her eyes and reassured, he turned to watch ahead.

He didn't quite know for how long he had been sitting there, eyes wide open, looking for any sign that breached the silence and loneliness of the night, until he heard hooves from afar, light shedding into the street from the direction of the palace. He shot to his feet, got in the middle of the road, threw a fireball to one side of the path and drew it to the other, creating a line of fire he raised until it reached his knees. The riders soon came into view. The animals shrank back from the fire and Akira barely managed to deflect a fire blast.

"Halt your fire!" he called out just as he dodged another one. The attack ceased.

"Lord Akira?" a voice asked and he instantly got into the light as flames were lit in front of the face of the riders to let him know these were royal guards. He smiled in relief.

"Yes, yes! Did they send you to find us?"

"Your giant eel hound returned to the palace without you, Fire Lord Zuko was worried," the same guard from before spoke but Akira didn't pay him much mind, instead looking for Katara.

"Katara? Katara, they're here! Katar-"

He stopped the moment he noticed she was awake and was trying to pull herself up. He rushed over in an effort to help her and offered her a hand. She took it, although she pulled away as soon as she was on her feet again. He trailed after her, back to the guards.