Fall of the White Lotus [Zutara/Taang]

23 | Drunk

Music: Dark Harbor, Two Steps From Hell

                    "Pirates?" Katara's shrill voice rang through the dense forest and she checked her step in the middle of the road.

Zuko looked over his shoulder. His traveling companion was rooted to the spot, her eyes filled with horror.

Turning around to face her, Zuko suppressed a wry smile. He had expected as much. Katara held no fond memories of her encounters with pirates in the past. Nor did he, for that matter.

After a moment of deliberation, Zuko walked back and invitingly held out his hand. "Come on. You walk, I talk."

After days of steadfast rainfall, the forest was damp and a heavy scent of moist woodland soil hung between the trunks. Weak sunlight peeked through the intricate lattice of bare branches, the subdued beams no longer able to expel the chill in the air. In places, late autumn flowers had their little purple or pink heads tilted towards the few rays that managed to reach the ground. A quiet had descended upon the woods that heralded the upcoming grim season.

The silence was oppressive, and even though Zuko had promised to explain, the travelers refrained from speaking for a long time as they kept up a good pace following the neglected path to Senlin Harbor, their footsteps muffled by the springy woodland soil. Sometimes they passed a weathered wooden signpost along the roadside - usually leaning to one side, always in bad repair. It was clear that the people of Senlin Village didn't take this route if they could help it.

The realization added to the silence between them.

Katara listened to the sound of Zuko's Dao swords clacking against his back as he walked next to her, the repetitive clanging of metal against metal having a calming influence on her nerves. 

Pirates... She had hoped she would never come across the likes of them ever again. And now she was walking straight into their arms and there was no avoiding it - they had no choice but to follow the Spirit Princess's trail towards Senlin Harbor. If only she had picked a safer place to land. A shiver ran down Katara's spine when she thought about the pirates she had encountered before – the ones she had provoked by stealing a waterbending scroll from their ship. The thought of meeting them again scared the living daylights out of her.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Zuko's husky voice broke the thick silence.

"A few days ago, I told you about the smugglers of Crescent Island," he started while maintaining his even stride.

Katara nodded silently.

"As you correctly pointed out, Senlin Harbor lies across this island. Senlin Harbor is as troublesome a place as Senlin Village is peaceful. For more than a century, the area between Senlin Harbor and Crescent Island has been a safe haven for pirates, smugglers and worse."

His features darkened. "The Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation have been neglectful of their duties. They should have checked the growth of criminal activities in this harbor town, but Fire Lords Sozin and Azulon ignored the problems in the region, as they were keeping themselves otherwise engaged. I also can't rule out the possibility that they found Senlin Harbor's destabilizing influence to be beneficial to their cause."

Katara let this sink in for a moment. She had never realized that the problems Zuko had to face as a result of the war extended this far. And he had to face them alone, what with his uncle living in Ba Sing Se and his friends scattered all over the world. Seeing the worry in his gaze, she wished she could help him.

Subconsciously, she touched her necklace and asked, "And what measures have the current Fire Lord and Earth King taken against Senlin Harbor now?"

Zuko had been looking at her from the corner of his eyes and had noticed the movement of her slender fingers reaching for her necklace. He set his jaw. The gesture told him exactly why there was a look of unease passing over her features right now. Yet again, he cursed his troubled past.