The thick, rough rope was starting to rub the skin on Katara's wrists raw. The bark from the tree was also digging into her back; she could feel the small dos of blood forming from the branch stubs that stabbed her. She blinked, trying to focus on the chuckling men in the moonless night.

"Well, well, well. Look at what we've got here."

That voice. That rough, rasping, dangerous voice. "I'll save you from the pirates." How had he managed to find her? "Zuko," she snarled. "What do you want now?" She was glad that her voice didn't sound as scared as she felt. Silently, she prayed that Aang and her brother would remain asleep and hidden while wishing they could somehow save her.

"You know what I want," he purred, walking closer.

"You're not very creative. Maybe you should try changing it up every once in while. You could have the Avatar chase you halfway across the world."

She heard an older man guffaw at her teasing. "Prince Zuko, she has a point," he said through his laughter. She could tell that he was a man she could get along with, if he wasn't traveling with the Prince of the Fire Nation.

"Shut up!" he snapped, flames flashing from his mouth. When he turned back to her, his face was serene and almost gentle-looking. All except for the angry red scar and his burning amber eyes. "Tell me where he is and I won't hurt you or your brother." He was trying a different approach; suave and smooth. Too bad it didn't fit him at all.

"Go jump in river!" she ordered. She saw a dangerous flash in his eyes, and hoped she hadn't overstepped the invisible boundary that contain his out-of-control anger.

"Try to understand, I need to capture to restore something I've lost." He walked behind her, his voice calm and reasoning. "My honor." He was on her other side, behind the tree, She didn't like that she couldn't see his face. "Perhaps in exchange I can restore something you've lost." His breath was hot and heavy in her ear. She saw a quick flash of dark blue in front of her eyes.

"My mother's necklace!" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she felt something caress her ear. She pushed that away for the moment. "How did you get that?" Zuko sauntered away again, a smug grin on his face. She realized that it had been his tongue on her ear! He had licked her!

And without understanding why, it both excited and pleased her, sending a slight shiver down her back. "I didn't steal it, if that's what you're wondering." The way he curved his eyebrow suggested that he was thinking of something else he had stolen. "Tell me where he is."

"No!" She struggled against her bonds. She wanted to slap that satisfied look off his face. How dare he lick her ear and then brag about it in front of a band of pirates and his crew!

The pirate captain she had robbed earlier spoke up, demanded the water bending scroll she had been using. Zuko dangled it over a flame in his palm, causing her and the pirates to gasp in horror. How dare he try to destroy her one way of learning about the culture his nation had wiped out! "Search the woods for the boy and meet back here," he ordered, extinguishing the flame.

The captain gave in. "Fine." He and his crew vanished into the trees. Katara twisted her head to watch them go. Her eyes widened in horror; the smoke from their campfire was snaking up above the canopy! She turned back to the company of fire benders that she was now alone with.

"I want two men at a time on hourly watches until they return," Zuko was ordering, his back to her. "You and you-" he called out two of the anonymous masked men- "are on first watch. The rest of you: get some sleep, but stay alert."

The lucky men saluted before running onto the ship, eager for some shut-eye. The two on watch looked at each other for an instant before walking up to their leader. "Umm, sir? What about her?" The taller one gestured over his shoulder at the blue-clad prisoner, who scowled as the prince's eyes locked with hers.

He shrugged. "Leave her tied up for all I care. I need to organize the watches." With a satisfied glance in her direction, he strutted up the ramp and began shouting out orders to his tired crew.

"Someday he will learn." Katara looked at the old man, who was shaking his head sadly. "I assure you, he did have manners once," he told her, a small smile on his face, "but all this time at sea has caused him to grow out of the practice." He walked up to her before bowing. "My name is Iroh. I am Prince Zuko's adviser." He grinned. "And his uncle!" He walked behind her, and she heard a knife being unsheathed. The pressure from the rope grew slack, and she stumbled forward.

She rubbed her wrists and looked at the older man in surprise. "Won't the prince-"

"The prince does not always think straight," he interrupted, waving away whatever she was going to say with the flick of his hand. "No young lady should be tied to a tree, especially one a pretty as yourself."

Katara smiled at him. "Your sweet. But aren't you afraid that I'll escape?"

He laughed. "Where could you go that we could not catch you? There are pirates all over the woods, and three master fire benders! Do you think you can get away?"

She gave him her sweetest, deadliest smile. "Have you forgotten that I am the last water bender from the Southern Tribe? We're right next to a river."

"You don't have a chance."

Katara whirled around, pinning her icy stare on the haughty prince leaning against the side of his ship. "Excuse me?"

"I said you don't stand a chance against us." He jumped, landing lightly on the grass. "You obviously have no training. You can't even form a water whip."

Katara knew she was no where near the level of master. It had taken her months to be able to pick up that fish in the sphere of water. An accident and a fight with Sokka had given her the power to break Aang out of the iceberg. And then she'd watched Aang learn everything she'd struggled to teach herself for a lifetime in a matter of minutes. Somehow, hearing the enemy who had just licked her ear belittle her bending abilities made something inside her click.

She flew at him, reaching for the water behind him. He sidestepped easily, letting her splash into the shallows. Spinning, she threw the water that was on her hand at him, freezing it as it flew towards his face. He flicked it away with a small arc of fire before kicking two flames at her. She dodged, used to this trick of his. She ran at him, freezing the water on her other hand as she tried to claw his face. He grabbed her wrists, but she was on top of him as they hit the ground. Before he could throw her off, her tongue snaked out and traced a line from his collarbone to the base of his left ear. She was satisfied to feel the shiver that coursed through his body and see the wild, stunned light in his eyes. "Payback," she whispered, her chin resting on his chest. Her smug grin produced a scowl and a bright blush from her captor. Her rolled her over, pinning down her arms and legs.

"Nice. Very nice." They stared each other down for a few moments before he yanked her to her feet. "Tie her up again!" he barked, thrusting her at the stunned guards. He turned to his uncle. "And no more untying the prisoner!" he ordered, pointing an accusatory finger at his uncle, who was feigning a look of innocence. He stormed back to his ship, giving her one quick glance over his shoulder before disappearing below deck. His uncle gave her a polite bow before following his angry nephew.

As they retied her to the tree, Katara couldn't help but smile to herself. She had bested the Fire Prince at his own game. She was sure that she could do it again.