Nightfall

Seventeen

The cave grew frigid overnight. At some point during the night, the fire fizzled out, leaving them in complete darkness. Katara hadn't slept a wink all night because she was afraid someone would find them and kill them. She felt safer if she didn't sleep at all because she could watch out for people.

"Katara, I'm starving," Sokka whined for the fiftieth time that day. He was sprawled out on the cave floor, staring out through the hole. An early sun was rising above the arena, and it cast its bright rays into the cave. "I'm dying here."

"Sokka, shut your mouth," Katara snapped, placing her head in her hands. Her head was starting to hurt from the cold and lack of sleep, and Sokka talking didn't help it. "We'll get food soon."

"We aren't leaving this cave anytime soon." Sokka sat up, his mood changing. "If we want to stay alive, we have to stay away from the people."

"You really think being sitting ducks is the best for us?"

"Yes."

Katara frowned, shaking her head. She couldn't believe her brother really thought that. Where was the smart tactician when she needed him? "Apparently your brain froze overnight. Sitting in one spot for the whole competition will get us killed." When Sokka gave her a weird look, she sighed. "Well, what do I know? I'm just a little girl who isn't as smart as her older brother."

"Katara," Sokka said, falling back onto the ground, "I never said that and you know it. I just think that we will be safer in this cave than venturing out into the arena."

"I agree that staying in places for a couple of days will keep us safe," Katara said slowly, just to make sure that Sokka was listening to her. "But we need to keep moving. We will freeze to death in here if we don't. Also, we can't really tell if anyone is coming." She pointed out of the small cave entrance at the snow falling down in thick sheets. "Someone could come in the middle of the night and slaughter us because we didn't hear them coming."

Katara crawled over to Sokka, poking his arm. "I guess you're right," he said softly. He sat up and gave her a begrudging nod, making her smile. "I want to stay here for a couple more days, though."

"Then we need to get food." 

"And warmth."

"Definitely warmth." Katara rubbed her hands together to get her blood moving. Sometime during the night, her fingers had gone numb. She had pulled the parka closer to her body, and it helped keep some warmth in. "Do you know when the fire went out last night?"

"It actually lasted until the first rays of dawn," Sokka said, sitting back up yet again. He scrubbed his hands across his face, and Katara saw that his fingertips were turning blue. She gasped, making him face her. "What's wrong with you?"

"You're getting frostbitten!" She reached out and grabbed Sokka's hands, enclosing them in hers. "Why didn't you tell me that you were freezing to death?"

"You don't have to yell at me," he snapped, closing his eyes. "I wanted you to be safe, Katara."

"And that means putting your life in danger?" He nodded, his dark blue eyes opening. Katara couldn't believe that he was really doing that. Anger rushed through her veins, but so did sadness. He was making sure that she would be okay, even if he wouldn't be okay. "Sokka, you need to stop doing that," she said, softly. "I can take care of myself."

"I know that, but as your older brother, I have the responsibility to take care of you." Sokka shrugged, looking away from her. His jaw was clenched when he said, "I let Mom get taken, but this time will be different. I will protect you in every way I can."

"It was my fault that Mom was taken," she said, squeezing his hands. "Not yours."

Sokka ripped his hands out of her grip, hopping up. He paced back and forth across the stone floor, clasping his hands behind his back. "What kind of food is out there?" he asked, pointing to the outside world with his head. "And where could we find it?"