The Courtesan and The Mercenary

PART ONE: Winter

Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own AVATAR THE LAST AIBENDER (or its characters) nor do I own"The Courtesan and The samurai" (or it story line) by Lesley Downer.

"The first step towards vice is to shroud innocent actions in mystery, and whoever likes to conceal something sooner or later has reason to conceal it." Jean Jaques Rousseau

Katara was sitting crossed legged; bundled in a comfy blanket by the brazier in the main room of the house, reading a romance scroll by the lights of a couple of candles, trying to absorb herself in the story and ignore the silence and gloom around her. She was failing miserably. She sighed and rolled the scroll before dropping it unceremoniously to her side and pulling the blanket closer to her body. She uncrossed her legs and pulled them to her chest, resting her head on top of her covered knees.

As she watched the fire, she internally snickered at the way her mother in-law would react if she ever found her sitting like this. She'd throw a fit; and she would rant for hours, and the hours after those that a wife of Katara's standing should never find herself or less, imagine herself, behaving like a peasant, starting with the way she should be sitting, on her knees with her bottom resting against the heels of her feet, her back straight, her hands delicately posed on her lap and her eyes shyly diverted to stare at the floor.

Katara snorted. They had all forgotten she'd been a "peasant" to begin with and that this so called noble life was never what she had wanted. She couldn't remember much of her life in the water tribes but she could still recalled the laughs and the games in the snow with Sokka and the other kids of the tribe, her father,her mother. As a reflex, her hand went up to her neck to touch the pendant of her mother's necklace. Another thing her mother in-law wouldn't be too happy with. She was forbidden to wear the jewellery and if it hadn't been for her husband insistence that she'd be allowed to keep it, it would have been taken from her and burnt with the rest of the meagre souvenirs the she had managed to keep from her tribes. " You have a new home now Katara" they had said " You belong to your husband's family now. Those will only bring you sadeness and a sad wife does not make a home".

She sighed, it did her no good to go back on those painful memories especially since she should be focusing on more important matters. Things like the fate of her husband. It had been four months since he left and he had completely stopped writing to her two months ago. Words from the war front were bad and from what she'd heard, Gaoling was surrounded by fire nation troops. They had failed in their attempt to take back Omashu and they had been pushed back all the way to where they came from and now the surrounding domains like her husband's were at the mercy of the enemy. They now lived in fear, with nowhere else to go, waiting for the day the fire nation would come barging in.

When the news of the defeat had reached their ears, her in-laws had demanded that she flees to Ba sing Se like their son had requested. But she had refused arguing that she'd been left in charge of them. They were too old to travel in the conditions she was to travel and she knew that if the fire nation ever entered their domain, they would be the first ones to be put to death. Many of the servants had already ran away living only her, her parents in-law, Hama and the cook Lao who had also refused to leave.

She was still caught up in her tought when somewhere in the distance she heard noises. She looked up sharply, frowning, her heart beating faster. First it was like a whisper then it grew louder and louder to finally become like the roar of an avalanche. Booted feet, many of them pounding along the road towards the house. There was a loud bang at the main gate echoing through the whole house before it reached her inside the darkened room. She knew no one would visit at times like theses so she knew exactly who was there. They were fire nation soldiers thet came to kill them. Less than seconds later Hama had slid the door to the room open, a mix of panic and determination written all over her face, two water pouches in her hands.

" Hurry Katara they are here" Katara nodded solemnly and jumped to her feet. Hama threw the water pouch to her and ran out the door, down the corridor that lead to the masters bedroom with Katara following close behind. When they barged in , the old couple were sitting on their knees, head held high and faces unreadable like they actually been expecting that it would be the enemy opening the door. Katara pulled her face in confusion.

" Father , Mother the enemy is here, we must leave"

"No child its too late for us bust this is your last chance" her father in law said getting to his feet somehow looking stronger, younger even. Only then she noticed that he was wearing his Earth Kingdom general uniform . "Had he worn that everyday to bed" Katara wondered to herself. Her toughts were cut off again when the banging on the gate intensified. She turned around to look at her in laws again and her mother in-law was now standing too and both were looking at her with eyes that told her that they knew their time had come and that they were ready to face it.

" You must leave now Mistress, we will hold them off long enough for you to gain some distance" she heard Hama say, adressing to her formaly as she always did when in presence of her in-laws.

Katara was dumbstuck for a while taking in their expressions before she shook her head , her face hardening, " I will not leave you behind, it is my duty to protect you and take care of you and I will not fail my husband's wishes" with that she ran out of the room towards the main door that lead outside and towards the main gate where the loud banging was coming from, ignoring Hama and her in-laws callings. Lao came charging from the kitchen, holding the poker that he'd taken from the stove like a sword in his hand. A smell of burning rice behind him as if in his panic he'd forgotten to take it off the fire. Katara only spared him a look before she continued on her way her in-laws still calling after her.

There were shouts of " Open the gate or we'll burn it down" as Katara came to halt in front of it, breathing heavily. It was pitch black outside and the frosty wind bit her face and her naked fingers. She glared at the gate as they soldiers continued to bang on it, seeing trough the small space underneath that they were cariying torches. She attached her hair, tucked up her skirts and uncapped her pouch taking a bending stance, those soldiers had probably never seen waterbending before, they would not recognise her stance, they would not know what was coming for them. She heard shuffling behind that told her that the other had joined her , but not daring to look behind her she kept her eyes on the gate, ready for whatever would come out of it.

" Open up. We know you're in there" a voice bellowed . She heard scrambling and cursing and the clatter of falling stones and a man appeared , heaving himself on the tiled roof of the earthen wall, his breath puffing out like smoke. He must have climbed on another man shoulders to get there. Katara stared at the man, fire burning in one of his hand. He was tall and lean,wearing a dark red uniform and a helmet withn horns covering his head, his face covered by a white skull mask. He looked like a demon and when he gave a guttual snort making him sound like a dangerous animal, katara was sure he was one.

" No one here. Just some women" he called down to his companions. There were scornful laughs on the other side of the wall. Katara took a deep breath and tried to focus but it was hard to hear anything expect the blood pounding in her ears. He could not see her bending, Water benders were scarce, they were hunt down and killed like animals for years and if he got the slightest indication that she was a water bender before she struck, she'd have no chance at all. Her only opportunity would be to strike when he jumped down. She was scared, she knew she had to do this but the tought of killing someone in cold blood was terrifiying. As if Hama had heard her toughts she moved close to her .

" You don't have to do this Katara. I can take care of it." So her in laws had stayed inside she concluded.

" Where are mother and father" she inquired instead .

Hama sighed " They are inside, waiting to see you out. They are also probably coordinating a surprise attack" she said smirking.

"Are you ready ?" she asked turning her face slightly towards Katara

"Yes"

"Good. Go on then" Hama said as she steped back giving Katara space for her bending but also preparing her for own.

"Stay where you are !I heave a weapon and I won't hesitate to use it" Katara shouted trying to carry her voice trough the wind. She tried to keep her voice firm but it came out weak and quavery. Another burst of laughter sparked from the other side of the gates. Leering down at her the man on the wall intensified the fire in his hand and jumped down . As he hit the ground , he lost his footing and stumbled a little and before he could regain his footing, Katara struck. In on swift move she had bended the water out of the pouch, into an icicle and straight to the man chest before he'd had time to realise what she was doing.

Quivering in horror Katara moved back, seeing the icicle slowly turning red dipping in the man's blood. She had expected some type resistance but there had been none, the icicle had went trough the man heart like a knife trough butter. He made a shoking sound, fell to his knee and then collapsed to the ground face first, body twiching and blood streaming from under him. Katara was still staring at the man when more soldiers appeared on the top of the wall. Now that she'd kill one of them, they would certainly kill her. They were all wearing masks but she felt like they were staring at her, then she looked at her hand and realised it was still coated with water. They were staring at her hand. "She's a waterbender" one of them said in stunned voice. Then they attacked, all at the same time and Katara covered her face bracing herself for the pain that was to come. She waited a few seconds, paralised by fear, breathing hard. Nothing. Then she opened her eyes and saw why she was still alive. There was a wall of solid ice in front of her with Hama bending it thicker. She could see on the on ther side shadows of orange lights, telling that the soldiers were attacking to break it down. She was about to say something when she was pulled back roughly and dragged torwards the house. She shouted Hama's name but the old lady was too taken by triying to keep the wall standing against the attacks that she didn't even turn to look at her. She turned around to see her father in law pulling her after him.

"Father! What are you doing, Hama nee-"

"Its you they are after" he interupted "You must get away"

"And leave you behind?Never"

Stopping abruptly he whireled around and grabbed her foreharms roughly "Listen to me you foolish child, there is nothing you can do anymore! "

"But Wu Fei said-"

"I know what Wu Fei said and If you were listening to what he said, you would also know that this is the time for you to run"

With tears pooling in her eyes, Katara bowed her head in shame, she new her in-law was right but she couldn't just leave them knowing that they would certainly get killed. He sighed and turned on his heels draging her along the corridor and towards the back alley where she could see her mother in law waiting with a heavy coat and a bundle of belongings that she'd kept ready at the back of the house, in case she had to leave in a hurry. When they reached the woman,she droped what she was holding and she lashed out at Katara hugging her feircely and for a little while Katara stood motioneless stunned by the very first display of affection her mother in-law ever showed her. The women was severe and distant, she rarely even smiled and when she did smile was never directed to Katara. After a few second Katara hugged her back just as feircely, with tears now flowing freely from her eyes. The woman then let her go and looked at her face, using her delicate fingers to wipe Katara's tears.

" You are all that is left to Wu Fei now, so please stay safe my child" Katara nodded and the woman stepped back giving space to her husband who bowed to Katara, his face looking as collected as ever but is eyes betraying a mix sadeness and resiliance to their impending fate. Katara let a sob escape her lips and the man face hardened

" You must be strong now" he said in a hard tone " Go and wait in Ba Sing Se. Our son will come and get you when the times are right again"

" Yes father " Katara respoded in a cracking voice, bowing deeply to the man

"Its was an honor to have had you as a daughter" he said while him and his wife bowed back to her and Katara nearly burst into tears then.

" We are sure you will give our son all the happiness he deserves and good childen"

" I will. I-" just then they heard an explosion and knew Hama's wall had broken down.

"Now hurry go! We will hold them off" Katara nodded, picking her traveling bag and the heavy coat that had been forgotten on the snow before watching her father in-law run back to the house. Her mother in-law gave her one last look before she smiled sadly at her and followed her husband and Katara realised that she'd never see them again. She put on the coat and and attached the bag to her back before exiting through the secret small door covered by vines on the back wall and without looking back.

Heart pumping , she rushed out into the street behind the house, darted down one tiny lane, then another and another, not daring to stop until she was out of sight of the house, then she bended over, panting, feeling the cold air burning into her lungs.

She felt for her pouch, attached securely to the side of her waist and her bag on her back and then tried to remember exactly what her husband had told her. The port. She needed to get to the port.

Note : Chapter one, part one, done. Tell me what you think. Critisism and Flames are welcome. Remenber people Reviews so R&R. English is still not my first language (french is still is) so help me better myself.