Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender...I wish.

This is my first fanfic, and I've been working on it for awhile now.

Thank you to Nimira...for editing and helping me!

A man gripped my arm and threw me aside with force. I winced, but ever so slightly for I didn't want to show any weakness. I landed on my small bed in the hut. When I moved my arm to try to get back into fighting stance, I cried out in pain. I couldn't tell if my arm was broken, I hoped not.

"You there, your age," a rough voice called out. A man was questioning me, one who had not yet tried to hurt me. I gazed up at all the Fire Benders and I could tell that they were cold. They were Fire Nation, and not used to the cold weather here in the Southern Tribe. I could feel the hatred from their golden eyes shining down on me, which felt like fire in their own way. "Your age!"

Not wanting to be burned again, I spoke. "Sixteen." I answered in a short and forceful way so they wouldn't think they harmed me at all. I didn't know if that was possible because I was practically sitting in a pool of my own blood. I looked up and saw the men chuckling quietly. I wouldn't give up without a fight, ever.

"And your name?" The same man asked me. I stared at him and saw how small and sharp his eyes were, how forceful he tried to look, to fit in with the others around him. Trying to fit in was something I had known all too well here in my tribe. I wanted adventure, not sitting around doing pointless chores.

"Katara," I looked down at my hands, fresh blood dripped off them like the water I could bend. I could feel the stinging and burning everywhere on my body, but I wouldn't give up.

"Put her with the others on the ship." I stared up at the man who had just spoken. I was never the one to not ask questions that were on my mind.

"Why do I have to go?" I had heard about raids all around the Water Nation, but not taking people as prisoners. I had heard all too well about Fire Lord Ozai, and I didn't think he was someone I wanted to meet either.

"You'll find out soon enough, now get up!" The guard shouted at me and I whimpered because of the thought of having to move felt like pain without even trying yet. When I didn't get up, the guard reached down and picked me up by the arms. I cried out in pain and the guard just snickered. "Put her in the cells."

Somehow that didn't sound very comforting to my ears. "You have no right!" I spit in the guards face and tried to break free of his hold.

"Hey men, she's telling me about rights!" The small group of soldiers started laughing, and I felt so defenseless at the moment. Then he lowered his gaze to me and spoke softly so that only I could hear. "I have enough right to do anything I want with you little Miss Water Bender, so think about that."

My blood turned cold and I dropped my gaze to the floor, wishing I could turn into a puddle of water. He dragged me out of the hut and the group of guards followed behind. I watched the homes that were being burned down and emptiness that hadn't been there only a few minutes ago.

I was then turned around and was pushed forward to face a gigantic metal ship. The door came down onto the ice and fumes from whatever it was being powered by made me dizzy. I stared at it and then once more behind me. This was one last chance to try to get away. I turned to run, but ran right into a soldier.

"Now now, the ship is that way," the guard said and pushed me to the entrance. I gulped and followed, seeing weapons that were now in their hands. I walked forward and onto the dark ship.

After having to march down many stairs and into a small cell, I cried. There where no other people down here except for a guard outside the doorway. I cried for everything that had happened just now. But I cried because of the events before it to.

The last I saw of Sokka, was him telling me to go back into the hut, and wait for him there. Now, I had no idea if I would ever see him again. A dark thought passed over me, he could be dead as well.

Then the sound of the metal door opening up sent me into attack mode. But it was just another guard forcing another prisoner to corporate.

They stopped at another cell across from me, and put a girl inside. Then they walked out just as fast as they came. I sat up and tried to peer into the girls cell, but it was too dark. All I could make out was a person just laying on the ground, not moving. I closed my eyes and pretty soon after, I felt the ship move on water. The rocking motion made me fall into a restless sleep.

"Your food!" A ruff voice called out and I opened up my eyes slowly to see a tray being pushed under the cell door. I realized that I could see and I looked out of the cell. There had been torches lit on the walls, high above the cells. I crawled over in pain to my food, and ate.

When I finished, my attention went back to the other prisoner in the cell across. To my surprise, she was leaning against the wall, chewing slowly. Her eyes seem to be out of focus and she never made a sound. "Are you all right?" I asked and she turned her head towards me. Her eyes seemed to be empty, but her gaze was so powerful, it made me a feel a little uneasy. It seemed to be a long time before she spoke, so the sound of her voice made me jump.

"No, thank you for asking," then, with her head still facing my direction, she closed her eyes. For a moment I thought she was just going to die right there. Then she opened her eyes again and looked me over, making me uneasy once more. "What's your name?" The strange girl asked me, with a soft sounding voice.

I tried to think of a reason to not answer her, but I came up with nothing. We were, after all, both prisoners on this horrible ship, probably being sent to our deaths. And besides, what else was there to do? A conversation with something that was alive down here, besides rats, probably would be nice. So after I finished arguing with myself, I answered, "My name is Katara, what's yours?"

"Oh, my name is not important anymore since I'll probably die here anyway," a look of fear hit her when she said that. I was not to sure of her myself.

"I just mean, I've gone through to much to want to have a name. I think it would be better if I did die here."

I really had no idea what to say to her, so I stayed silent. "You want to here my story? Probably not, but I'll tell you anyway because I enjoy talking." I actually was kind of curious, and there was nothing else to do.

"I'll listen if you want," I offered and she smiled and nodded her head. I leaned back against the wall and closed my eyes.

"To make a long story short, I'm not a bender. I'm not from the Water Tribes, or the Fire Nation, but from the Earth Kingdom. I grew up with a very good life, very good indeed, until I was told that I was adopted. I hated my family for never telling me so I ran away. I met a man from the Northern Water Tribe and fell in love with him and went back to his home there. I had been living in a village until the Fire Nation invaded. I had to get away, so I ran to another village for safety."

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said and kept my eyes closed.

"Oh it's not done yet. When I went in search to find my husband, I sure did find him. He told me that he thought I was dead, so he remarried. You can imagine my surprise and how I felt after that. I had left my family, almost killed in a raid, and had my only love remarry. And then somehow I've ended up here, in a ship heading to the capital of the Fire Nation."

I sat up and looked over at her, "The capital? Where the Fire Lord lives? That's were we are heading to?"

"I expect as much," and she turned away from me. "Thanks for listening, Katara, I hope you never get betrayed by a man." Her words haunted me for some unknown reason. A little while later when she had fallen asleep, I stayed up thinking about my family.

My father had left for the war, my mother was dead, and my brother... I didn't even know if my brother was alive. I closed my eyes and dug my nails into the palm of my hand to keep me from crying. A rat scampered across my foot, and I screamed.

"Katara?" The girl asked and I could tell from her voice that she turned over to look at me. "Are you alright?"

"Y- yes, I- I'm fine," I closed my eyes again and pictured myself sleeping, forever and that there wasn't anything that was going to bother me. Finally the rocking of the boat led me to a painful sleep.

I'll try to post more...with Zuko in it...I hope. B/c I want to get him in the story too!