Wild At Heart (Zuko)

Chapter Sixty-Six

Hama is a peculiar woman. Of that, Kali is sure. She's never met anyone that has affected her as much as this woman does and she supposes that says something when she's lived with actual slavers. But this woman makes her skin crawl far more than it ever did. She holds Bing and Ran-Ya in her arms, clutching to them as the group follows the old woman up a hill towards a local inn that is perched atop it. Kali glances around. The woods are far behind them now, and it is almost as if nature doesn't want to grow any closer to the inn. The ground beneath their feet is almost barren, with only the smallest blades of grass. Something is wrong here.

......

The inside of the inn is just as barren as the outside. Kali can't feel any living plant life. She shudders slightly as she sits next to Katara and Toph. Sokka and Aang sit across from them as Hama pours out some tea into a set of cups. Kali glances at Hama, trying to figure her out. She doesn't trust anyone that wouldn't have plant life in their home. She doesn't know why she feels that way, but perhaps experience. There have been a number of people she has met over the years, bad people, and one of the things that they had in common was the lack of nature in their lives. Good people take care of plants, even if they are terrible at it. They try and that counts. It also doesn't help that she's really missing Zuko right now. Being away from him is proving to be difficult, perhaps made worse by her unease and her growing fear. She knows he would listen to her about her fear and suspicion, but these guys haven't known her long enough to trust her on this. She's sure of it. So she sits, and she listens, and she feels.

"Thanks for letting us stay here tonight" Katara offers Hama. "You have a lovely inn" Hama sets the teapot on the side and then returns to the table, sitting with the children.

"Aren't you sweet? You know you should be careful. People have been disappearing in those woods you were camping in"

"What do you mean "disappearing"?" Sokka probes, a fearful sliver to his tone.

"When the moon turns full, people walk in and they don't come out" Hama admits, Sokka turns a worried glance around the rest of the table, but it seems to be only him and Kali that sense something off. That can sense the fear that they should be feeling here. "Don't worry, you'll all be completely safe here" Hama tries to reassure the group, she claps her hands together and smiles at them. That smile does little to help Kali feel better, she's seen that type of smile many times before and it always came before something bad. "Why don't I show you to your rooms and you can get a good night's rest?"

......

In the upper rooms, Kali sits in an open window, her legs swinging outside. She didn't like how stuck she felt in the room. With no nature around her. She thought opening the window and reaching out to the woods would make her feel better, but she can't feel it from here. She's too far away. She lets out a breath and closes her eyes. The only comfort she has comes from the animals they brought with them. Momo, Ran-Ya, and Bing are all curled around one another as they sleep on the bed that was meant for her. She's probably not going to use it though. It felt too scratchy, too uncomfortable for her to fall asleep.

"This place is creepy" Sokka mumbles as he leans against the wall next to her, she hums in agreement. He glances at her as she opens her eyes. "You've been quiet" He admits softly.

"Like you said" She starts and looks at him. "This place is creepy" She agrees. He wrinkles his nose a little and turns to look out the window.

"And you can't feel it from here" He realises, she shrugs a little. It is not for them to worry about. But it does get to her. Even if she can make her own, even if she has the animals, it still feels like a loss when she can't feel the trees and flowers and bushes of the woods.

"You should try and get some sleep," She tells him, he hums a little and moves across the room to the second bed, but scoffs a little.

"I don't know if I'm gonna be able to fall asleep!" He complains, flopping back against the bed. Kali glances over at him and finds that he has already fallen asleep. She rolls her eyes fondly and smiles, turning back to look out the window, relaxing against the frame.

.......

In the Fire Nation capital, Zuko rests his head back against the wall of an alley. It's not the more pleasant of circumstances that he has found himself in. He's sneaking around the city. Sleeping where he can, tonight, it's an alley. He thought about leaving. About going after Kali and the Avatar. He yearns to do so but he feels like there is more for him to do here. And he can't leave until he figures out what it is. He wants to leave. He wants to go and find Kali. But there is this block. He looks down at the crown prince headpiece that Iroh had given him which he clasps in his hand. It's a promise, he supposes, or something. He scoffs at his own stupidity. It's nothing. It's just a headpiece that means nothing now. Zuko is not the prince any longer. He hasn't been since he made the choice to stand with Iroh and Kali in those catacombs. This isn't him anymore. He glances at a bird as it lands next to him, watching him. He frowns a little. It's not a Fire Nation bird, it shouldn't be here. The bird hops closer to him and he sees a message attached to its leg. He leans forward and takes it from the bird, who then decides to stay, flying up to sit on the antlers of the hart who makes an indigent noise. Zuko unrolls the note and instantly relaxes, smiling as he sees the smiley face drawn onto the corner. It's a note to tell him who it is from. Kali. No one else would know to do that. No one else would know to use that as a way to ease his worry about a strange letter reaching him. She hasn't written the rest of the note, obviously, but someone with the Avatar has written it for her. At least he knows she found him. That she's safe with them. They are informing her of their plans. Of them wanting to use the coming eclipse as an advantage. Perhaps this is why he couldn't leave. They will be coming here. Invading during an eclipse. It's a smart plan actually. They firebenders will be powerless to stop them, but they won't have long. Eclipses never last very long. He could stay. Maybe sneak around the palace. See if he can't help in some way. He can listen for any signs that they know it is going to happen. He can sabotage from the inside without being seen. Perhaps this is a chance for him to prove himself to them. If he does this for them. If he does something to aid their victory. Then maybe it is enough to start redeeming himself to them. He folds the letter away and tucks it into his pack along with the headpiece. He'll stay then. Wait for the invasion to come then be reunited with Kali then.