Burn and Bloom - Phan

CHAPTER FOUR

"I'm cold," Phil complained, looking sullenly at Dan.

Dan ignored him, shifting to the side and glaring out the other side of the bars. Phil had made the cage too small and Dan couldn't stretch out all the way when he laid down, though he refused to succumb and ask Phil to fix it. He'd probably made it too small on purpose.

It'd been a few days since they'd left that little town, and by now they were getting low on certain supplies, mostly water. Their journey had been filled mostly with annoyed bickering and surly silences.

Unfortunately, Dan was cold too. He couldn't feel his fingers or his toes, and while he had been shaking earlier, he was now so cold that the tremors had stopped, and he felt unnaturally still. It probably hadn't been a smart idea for Phil to kidnap him as winter was approaching, which Dan would be sure to berate him about later. He couldn't help wishing they'd stolen some jackets and things from the town as well, though he couldn't deny that that would've been harder to miss.

"I know you're cold too," Phil said, his breath materializing as a white puff in front of him. "You could make us a fire, you know."

"What if I'm not even a fire bender? What if I just happen to be in the Fire Nation army? Ever think of that?" Dan retorted.

Which, sure, it wasn't unheard of. Those soldiers normally got picked on by the other soldiers, ones who could actually firebend. They got bullied almost as much as Dan, actually.

Really, Dan was just lucky that Phil somehow didn't recognize him. If he'd known that he'd kidnapped General Howell's son? Dan could just imagine what extreme measures would then be taken. Phil would probably ask for ransom, maybe even send Dan's fingers as proof. Of course, Dan doubted his father would pay the ransom. He didn't much care for Dan, and it'd probably just be easier for him to let someone else get rid of Dan.

It'd been terrifying, actually entering another city. Anyone could've recognized Dan, and while he was eager to get out of Phil's hold, he wasn't so sure that he wanted that to happen while he had a piece of rock secured around his neck. Plus, what if someone saw him with Phil and just kidnapped him from Phil? And then used him for a ransom? It's not as if Dan's father was generally well-liked, seeing as he was leading many of the raids on Earthbending towns and cities. Phil was probably the nicest person to be kidnapped by, Dan didn't want to take his chances with anyone else.

"Is that true?" Phil asked, sounding a bit appalled.

Dan didn't plan on firebending any time soon, so he lied. "Yes. Why else do you think all those soldiers were after me?"

Phil sighed loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Well then how are we supposed to stay warm?" he demanded.

Dan scoffed. "You got us into this mess, you're on your own. Why don't you try to make a fire or something?"

"We should just share body heat," Phil said.

"Over my dead body," Dan snarled in response, before crossing his arms over his chest. Phil stood up, and the bars around Dan fell down.

"Fine, but you're coming with me to find firewood," he commanded, and Dan felt the little stone around his neck tug in Phil's direction as incentive.

"If you're expecting me to carry anything," Dan called, "then you're sorely mistaken."

Phil led the way deeper into the woods, where he meticulously picked up and examined every twig they passed. "Don't bother picking up the little ones," Dan advised. They would burn all the way through in less than a minute, and it wasn't worth the added labor for such a small amount of warmth.