Path Ahead

Honeymoon and Courtship

Katara stretched languorously the next morning before snuggling back into the furs. The air in the dwelling was cold, but the furs were warm and still smelled faintly of the coupling they'd shared the night before. It took a moment before she realized that something was missing - namely, her new husband. She began to sit up and look around just as he returned through the doorway.

"Where were you?" she demanded, holding a seal skin up across her chest. She noticed that Aang was looking with interest at her bare shoulders. She was not used to sleeping naked, the cold weather of her home making it necessary to cover most of the skin at all times. In fact, she was not even used to being naked. The concept of bathing your whole body at once and slipping into clean clothing was new to her, something she'd only learned on her recent travels. Even while bathing, her people only exposed one part at a time to prevent frostbite and other hazards.

"I had to..." he inclined his head outdoors, and she understood that he'd needed to use the facilities.

"Oh great, so do I," she remarked, making a face. She just wanted to stay here and snuggle, but bodily functions were intruding. She quickly pulled on a couple of layers, gave Aang a quick kiss, and left. While she was gone, she took the precaution of using waterbending to heal the chafing she discovered in her nether regions. She might as well be comfortable for the rest of their honeymoon. By the time she returned to the house, he had a nice fire going in the stone-lined fireplace.

"So, where are we going on our honeymoon?" she asked him, kneeling in front of the fire and helping him thaw some of the leftovers from the previous day. He'd been uncharacteristically secretive about his plans, which only increased her anticipation.

"At the moment, staying here for a week or so sounds pretty good," he replied lightly, giving a significant glance toward the sleeping furs. Katara blushed but responded in the same tone.

"That wouldn't work," she informed him. "The vegetarian food would run out within a couple of days."

"Then I could just feast on you," he offered, leaning in for a lingering kiss. Katara was both surprised and delighted by the new appetite Aang had apparently developed upon the consummation of their marriage. Even more surprising was the way her body responded almost automatically to him, as it was now. She had no doubt that their departure would be delayed some.

"Tempting, but not very nourishing," she said playfully when he released her. "Besides meat, we'll have nothing left but seaweed and stewed sea prunes." At the mention of those items, Aang made an involuntary face.

"I know you like them, but I'm sorry, I just don't," he apologized.

"That's okay. I don't expect us to be exactly alike."

"Well, I was thinking we'd spend a few days at the Cave of Two Lovers," Aang told her, looking at her sideways. "There's no danger now that we know the secret. Besides, I'm an earthbender now, so I could make any new tunnels we might need."

"That's absolutely perfect!" Katara approved, smiling as she remembered the last time they'd been there. Things had been awkward then, but there was little danger of that anymore. "I'm so glad you thought of it. What next?"

"Bumi invited us to stay at Omashu for a little while. After that, I'd just like to fly over the southern coast of the Earth Kingdom, stopping at little inns along the way."