rescue me
Excerpt from chapter 6.
Two of the strangely dressed men dropped from the tree branches, pushing back their leaf-like hats as they peered down at them curiously. Zuko struggled against the vines that bound him, grunting as they tightened. Somehow, Katara didn't see how, Zuko freed his legs, sweeping them out with an arch of fire. Their captor's leapt back with a shout and then the flames, and Zuko, were put out with a hiss and cloud of steam. Vines shot out of the sluggishly moving river, wrapping tightly around his legs from his ankles to his thighs and Zuko was plunged into the river with a great splash.
“None of that now, boy.”
Katara gasped, “You're waterbenders!”
“We're swampbenders.”
Pale green eyes turned to look down at her and she smiled sunnily. “I'm a waterbender, too!”
Narrowed eyes and a disbelieving snort was the response. “No you ain't.”
“I am!”
Another partially clad man joined the first, proudly declaring, “There ain't no other swampbenders 'sept us; right, Hai?”
Katara's smile dimmed and she glanced at Zuko who just rolled his eyes back at her. The firebender was going to be no help for her. She turned to look between the two swampbenders, pouting, “But I am a waterbender.”
“Prove it.”
Her expression faltered and she slumped in her bindings.“Well, I really don't know how...and I'm kind of tied up.”
“Use your breath.”
Katara frowned, looking at Zuko where he was submerged in water up to his chin. It was the first thing he'd said since his escape attempt. “What?”
Zuko rolled his eyes, lifting his chin out of the water. “Your breath. I'm pretty sure it's only earthbenders who can't breathe their element.”
Giving his words some consideration, Katara nodded. She'd seen Aang breathe out great gusts of air but she'd never given any thought to her own ability to breathe her element. “But...I don't know how.”
Zuko sighed a small flame, smirking when the swamp people recoiled and the swampbenders drew up water defensively. Katara ignored the swampbenders' mutterings, crossing her eyes as she breathed out. Nothing happened and she turned an accusing frown on Zuko. He gave a limited shrug. “You might want to try something else. Like frost or freezing the water in front of you.”
Katara adjusted herself on her knees, carefully leaning forward to blow a steady breath on the puddle before her. It was slow, but eventually the puddle froze to a high shine. The one called Hai stepped forward, squatting to jab a meaty finger at the frozen patch. He sat back with a bemused expression, pushing his hat back and giving a low whistle. “Hey, check this out, Boa.”
The other swampbenders crowded around, muttering among themselves as they examined the puddle. Eventually, Hai turned to Katara. “What is it?”
Perplexed, Katara looked from the puddle to Hai. “Ice?”
Boa leaned forward. “It's that hard water stuff. The old ones talk about it sometimes. Said it's cold but when it warms up turns to water.”
“I reckon y'are a waterbender. Chief will want to talk to ya.”
The bonds loosened around Katara and a hand clamped around her arm, lifting her to her feet. Boa spoke to the others, “Bring the fire-breather.”
Two of the strangely dressed men dropped from the tree branches, pushing back their leaf-like hats as they peered down at them curiously. Zuko struggled against the vines that bound him, grunting as they tightened. Somehow, Katara didn't see how, Zuko freed his legs, sweeping them out with an arch of fire. Their captor's leapt back with a shout and then the flames, and Zuko, were put out with a hiss and cloud of steam. Vines shot out of the sluggishly moving river, wrapping tightly around his legs from his ankles to his thighs and Zuko was plunged into the river with a great splash.
“None of that now, boy.”
Katara gasped, “You're waterbenders!”
“We're swampbenders.”
Pale green eyes turned to look down at her and she smiled sunnily. “I'm a waterbender, too!”
Narrowed eyes and a disbelieving snort was the response. “No you ain't.”
“I am!”
Another partially clad man joined the first, proudly declaring, “There ain't no other swampbenders 'sept us; right, Hai?”
Katara's smile dimmed and she glanced at Zuko who just rolled his eyes back at her. The firebender was going to be no help for her. She turned to look between the two swampbenders, pouting, “But I am a waterbender.”
“Prove it.”
Her expression faltered and she slumped in her bindings.“Well, I really don't know how...and I'm kind of tied up.”
“Use your breath.”
Katara frowned, looking at Zuko where he was submerged in water up to his chin. It was the first thing he'd said since his escape attempt. “What?”
Zuko rolled his eyes, lifting his chin out of the water. “Your breath. I'm pretty sure it's only earthbenders who can't breathe their element.”
Giving his words some consideration, Katara nodded. She'd seen Aang breathe out great gusts of air but she'd never given any thought to her own ability to breathe her element. “But...I don't know how.”
Zuko sighed a small flame, smirking when the swamp people recoiled and the swampbenders drew up water defensively. Katara ignored the swampbenders' mutterings, crossing her eyes as she breathed out. Nothing happened and she turned an accusing frown on Zuko. He gave a limited shrug. “You might want to try something else. Like frost or freezing the water in front of you.”
Katara adjusted herself on her knees, carefully leaning forward to blow a steady breath on the puddle before her. It was slow, but eventually the puddle froze to a high shine. The one called Hai stepped forward, squatting to jab a meaty finger at the frozen patch. He sat back with a bemused expression, pushing his hat back and giving a low whistle. “Hey, check this out, Boa.”
The other swampbenders crowded around, muttering among themselves as they examined the puddle. Eventually, Hai turned to Katara. “What is it?”
Perplexed, Katara looked from the puddle to Hai. “Ice?”
Boa leaned forward. “It's that hard water stuff. The old ones talk about it sometimes. Said it's cold but when it warms up turns to water.”
“I reckon y'are a waterbender. Chief will want to talk to ya.”
The bonds loosened around Katara and a hand clamped around her arm, lifting her to her feet. Boa spoke to the others, “Bring the fire-breather.”