Sea and Sky

Chapter 28: The Price of Betrayal

Sea and Sky

Chapter 28: The Price of Betrayal

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Pinching the bridge of his nose, Zuko leaned forward onto the large oak desk in front of him. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Wringing her hands, Katara cast her eyes down to the floor. Moving her hands to her stomach, she instinctively moved to stand behind Aang. It wasn't that she was expecting Zuko to react negatively to their current situation, but rather the slight embarrassment she felt at it all.

Sighing, Aang rolled his shoulders to release the tension building in his muscles. Planting his staff firmly into the teak flooring of Zuko's study, he steadied himself before speaking.

"Katara is pregnant. About three months. We were ambushed in the forests outside of Roundtree Gap. I need you to protect her, Zuko. Sokka and I must go after Rana and the General."

Aang's admission was a heavy burden for Zuko to take on. Digesting the words, he picked apart the information. The fact that Katara was expecting wasn't surprising to him. With Aang's marriage proposal a few months back, Zuko was surprised the couple hadn't announced the pregnancy sooner. Not that he cared, really. He was happy for them. It was the request of Aang leaving her alone that rattled him.

"Katara is safe here, you know this. No harm will come to her within my domain. What happened at Roundtree?"

Behind Aang, Katara's arched brows furrowed as she listened to the men speak. It was like she was defenseless, unable to protect herself. Rolling her eyes, she knew Aang's concern over her safety was to be expected. With the attack from the unknown assailant in the forest, who was to say what could happen to her next. She hated to be treated like a victim. Katara could protect herself better than anyone she knew.

"I'm not entirely sure, Zuko. Suki and Katara were sitting next to a stream and this-" Aang paused, slamming the dagger onto Zuko's desk. "Was lodged into Katara's thigh."

Ever silent, Zuko picked the dagger up and studied it. The handle was a delicate stone carved with ornate patterns. The blade, comprised of rare steel, surprised him. Steel was a rate commodity, an expensive material at that. Not many sword smiths could easily come about the material.

"This is a beautiful knife." Turning the dagger over in his hands, he studied the characters carved into metal of the blade.

"It's a shame, these symbols.... they were used during my father's war to communicate with our Generals and Commanders."

Zuko frowned as he continued to study the knife. Etched neatly into the metal was a few symbols - a raven, the all seeing eye, and a triangle to signify a mountain. In his mind, Zuko knew exactly what the message was conveying. Moving quickly, Zuko took hold of the knife, driving it into the wooden top of his desk. Silently, he moved to uncap the hilt of the knife, revealing a hidden space.

"This knife belonged to one of my father's Generals. The General was caught conspiring with a rebel faction in the Earth Kingdom during the war. Fazil was sentenced to death but escaped before the sentence could be levied. We haven't seen him since."

Turning the cap end of the hilt, Zuko lifted a small container out of the dagger. Holding the vial to the oil lamp on his desk, a small amount of golden liquid shone through the thin glass.

"Poison. I'll have my physician take a look at this. Katara, do you feel ill at all?"

Swiftly, Aang turned on his feet to look at her, eyes wide with concern. Before she could answer, Aang took her by the shoulders, terror and anxiety lining his face. "You feeling okay? How's the baby?"