Catalyst

Chapter 22: Separate and a Part

Even before the warmth of the sun reached camp, Zuko had awoken, opening his eyes to glimpse the yellows and reds painted across the sky through a hole in the side of the canvas tent. For a moment, his half-asleep mind thought about how many sunrises he had missed while imprisoned in Ba Sing Se.

Memories of the night before came over him like a bad dream: Uncle was leaving. It occurred to him that the "friends" Uncle had referred to were probably his Secret Old Person Pai Sho group, but how they would be able to make any great difference in the war was anyone's guess.

He rubbed his eyes and exited the tent, stretching and truly appreciating how much his body had healed. His chi strengthened as the sun began to peak over the tree line. Looking around, there were some sounds coming from surrounding tents but no movement that seemed to suggest anyone was fully awake.

Gathering a few branches sticking out of the sand that had been rubbed smooth from their time in the ocean, Zuko threw them into the ashes and smoldering coals of the old campfire. With a flick of his wrist, a small flame bloomed in his hand and flew to the wood, catching it on fire.

Momo flew from somewhere Zuko didn't see and landed next to him, waiting for his daily handout.

"I don't have any food," he whispered as he sat down.

A rustle of fabric. "Thought you'd be up." Zuko's eyes snapped up to see Katara's head sticking out from her tent flap. "You do rise with the sun, don't you? It's not just that you get your power from it." She walked over and sat down on Zuko's other side, the side not taken by Momo.

He lowered his head. He wasn't going to do this with her. There was nothing she could say to make him feel better about Uncle leaving. "Just something I've learned to do," he replied with a shrug. Left over from being on the run with Uncle. Get up and out before someone found us. Stop by the fishmonger and butcher for yesterday's scraps.

"You know he doesn't want to go, right? He loves you." She set her hand on his shoulder and he flinched in response, more out of annoyance than surprise.

"Obviously not enough to stay," he muttered under his breath. "He didn't even want me to come with him."

"Then who would teach Aang?"

Slumping his shoulders, he didn't bother replying. She was right, but the quickness of Uncle's decision to leave still bothered him. He raised his head to look at Uncle's tent. Why couldn't they have waited, enjoyed a day reunited? Surely a day's difference wouldn't affect the plan? But it does, he reminded himself. Hakoda said they were already a couple of days behind schedule.

Katara interrupted his thoughts. "Will you stay?"

He turned and saw her expression. She was gazing at him, intently searching his face for an answer. Her checks were a tinge redder than he recalled them usually being. "What?" he asked, though he'd heard her perfectly clear the first time.

Did she really think he was going to leave? "I made a promise that I'd teach Aang. I'm not going to break that promise."

"Oh." She looked down and nodded.

That didn't seem to be the right answer. "You don't want me to go...right?"

"Of course I don't!" she replied, almost offended by the question.

He frowned. "What's wrong then?"

Katara's responded, her voice high and defensive. "Nothing! I'm fine!" Then she caught his eye.

He raised an eyebrow.

She chuckled nervously for a second, eyes darting away before focusing on him again with an uneasy look. "Is that the only reason why you're staying? Because you don't want to break a promise?"