Thread: Avatar: Fire & Water (East & StarSiren)

She heard his voice. Turned toward it. Zuko! Where? Where are you?! Nearby, a flame burst into existence. It was too far away to light her immediate surroundings, but she knew who was on the other end. A ripple of relief ran through her. He was alive. He was ok. They would make it. It didn't take him long to reach her. She craved his embrace, but with her eyes closed it was too easy to relive the assault she'd just suffered. She shuddered in his arms as his lips touched hers. No! She loved Zuko! Hakoda would NOT take that from her! The second time was easier. She kept her blue eyes open, hooked on that beautiful scar. How many times had she offered to fix it now? She'd lost count. He always declined. It was one of many things she admired about him. Katara kept hold of Zuko's hand as they pulled apart. They needed to get moving. Their escape would be discovered, and so too would this place. As a child, she hadn't thought these caverns to be real. Now, standing in one, she hoped they could find a way out. The carved stories were fascinating. Had she more time and been in less danger, she might have been able to appreciate them. But things as they were, she was happy to follow Zuko's lead. The main cavern gave way to a small tunnel, maybe two shoulders across. From there, it branched several times, but each time the carvings pointed the way. It felt like they were hopelessly lost underground when finally they rounded a corner and a speck of daylight shone through the ceiling. Katara stared at it. There was something... odd about the way it moved. As the pair continued down the tunnel, she also noticed a humming sound growing stronger. The ceiling here was patchy and allowing bits of the sun to shine down, but the holes were small. It wasn't until they found one spot large enough for a person to climb through that Katara figured out why everything was off. They were under the water. This tunnel was built by waterbenders out of the icy waters so they could escape. They probably collapsed parts of it to keep the people safe while also drowning the fire nation soldiers. Which meant that once the waterbenders had been all rounded up, these tunnels couldn't be used. Katara stood under the clear spot in the ceiling. It was circular, almost like it had been carved out. But was it an escape route or was it a safety flood? She glanced ahead of them. There was still more ground to cover. Perhaps she could mark it and come back if- Figure out which way they went! Flush him out and get these on her hands quick! Katara spun around to face the way they had come. There were footfalls now. And voices. But the ice tunnels made everything echo, there was no way of telling how far away they were! She glanced up at the opening. Zuko, step back. She took a breath to calm her racing heart. Her hands flew up, fingers splayed. The ice above her head cracked. She smirked. Shifting her weight to her back foot, she lunged forward and brought both hands down. The ice creaked and cleaved itself in twain. Frigid water rushed into the tunnel, but she was quick to shelter Zuko from it. One hand worked behind her, forming an ice cap between them. The other hand kept the icy water from flooding the tunnel. Once he was safe, she wrapped herself in a bubble and began forming a second cap. With any luck, their pursuers would think it was a dead end. When Katara finished, she took a moment to propel herself to the surface. She knew this landscape better than Zuko and had hoped to recognize where they might be. The sunlight blinded her for a few moments once her head emerged, but it didn't take long for her eyes to adjust. But a quick scan of their surroundings proved fruitless. Disheartened, Katara dove back under the surface and swam down to Zuko's tunnel. She bore a hole through the ice on the bottom of the tunnel and pulled herself up out of the water. That should slow them down, I hope. But I have no idea where we are. I guess we just have to trust in those markings to lead us out.