Nightfall

Twenty One

The soft dusk light filtered in through the canopies above Katara, falling in little slivers across the forest floor. As she scavenged for food, the light kept hitting her in the eyes and blinding her for a second. She cursed under her breath when the light hit her eyes yet again. She screwed her eyes shut quickly, moving a step to the side. The leaves and sticks softly crunched under her feet, a little too loud for her liking. 

She slowly opened her eyes, relief flooding through her body when she saw that the sun was lower in the sky. She hadn't realized how fast the sun sank in the sky back home, but here in the Games, it really went fast. On one hand, it was awful when the sun went down because everything was scarier in the dark. On the other hand, though, it was a blessing because you didn't have to watch your every move since everything was so dark. Right now, it was a blessing because the sun was hurting Katara's eyes and she was getting annoyed. 

Katara bent down, picking at some moss on a random rock on the forest floor. Her pockets were full of lichen and moss, and there were a lot back at the tree as well. She needed to get more now, though, since Aang had joined her. He was a vegetarian anyway, so he wouldn't eat any meat she would get. Not that she would get any. She didn't want to kill another animal ever again. Maybe she wouldn't eat meat anymore because she saw first hand how terrible it was to kill animals. 

She hoped that Aang would get better soon, but he was still ill. He acted like he was better, but Katara knew better. His eyes were glazed over and had a faraway look in them; his skin was paler than what she remembered it being back at the Capital; plus, he had hardly moved from his spot on the ground in the tree. She was worried about him, but she wasn't sure what she could do for him. She allowed him to drink most of the water from her pouch, but she had to stop by the river she had swam in a few days back to fill it back up. 

Katara started her trek back to the tree, her head bent low. She didn't want to look around her in case there were people trailing her. She would rather be killed without knowing who did it than see the person who was killing her. 

A loud crunch to the right made Katara stop moving. There was a curse in the air, and Katara dropped to the ground, her heart racing. Who was out here in the forest? She figured that Azula and her gang would have moved on after they couldn't find Aang and Katara, but that didn't mean that they were gone. But there were others that could be out there, and that was scary. 

Soft footfalls sounded in the air, but they were getting quieter. She was glad about that. Katara eased herself forward, peering through a break in the underbrush. She couldn't see anyone, though the dark was partly the reason why. When she thought it was okay to move, she shot up from the ground and hurried through the forest. She watched her step and tried not to step on branches and leaves, but that was hard since she was in a forest. 

Her tree came into view, and she quickened her pace. Sliding into the tree, she quickly said, "I think we have to move."

Aang was sitting up, holding her water pouch in his hands. He looked slightly better, which was a great thing. A frown appeared on his face when he said, "Why?"

"I heard someone while I was looking for food." She snatched her water pouch out of his hands, slinging it across her back. She grabbed at his hands, but her dodged her attempts. "Come on, Aang! We have to go!"

"Why can't we hide here?"

"Because it's not safe," Katara said, crossing her arms over her chest. She cocked an eyebrow, saying, "I really feel like we should leave. It isn't safe staying in one spot for too long."

"Are you sure you heard someone out in the woods?"

"Yes. They cursed and then stomped off."

Aang stared at Katara, his grey eyes cloudy. He bit his lower lip, and she could see the anxiety written across his face. She felt the same anxiety he displayed coursing through her veins, pulling her deeper into the depths of despair. But when Aang grabbed her hand, pulling himself into a standing position, the anxiety slowly slipped away. Something about him made her feel better.