Yes, I am still working on this. It's a slow process and I apologize for that. To all my readers who have stuck with me patiently, I thank you.

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

The next morning found Ame waiting in Iroh's room, as he went to fetch tea supplies. Prince Zuko was safely aboard the ship, wearing the armor Jee had dropped off for her. She was wearing the outfit so generously provided by Zhao. The halter top pushed her boobs together, creating cleavage she didn't know she had, while also revealing everything from the middle of her ribs down. The leggings and skirt weren't nearly as bad as she thought they were, though the skirt was stretched tight against her ass and left nothing to the imagination. She had to have Iroh's help in applying her paste, as it was difficult to reach all the places her arrow was exposed. Her cheeks still burned from the encounter. He had also helped her style her hair, piling most of it on top of her head with the rest falling around her shoulders.

Iroh entered the room, interrupting her attempts to pull the front of the top up further. Her face flushed again, but he carefully avoided looking her direction. If she hadn't been so focused on how exposed she felt, trying to control the embarrassment, she might have noticed he was strangely quiet. It wasn't until he declined a second cup of tea that she realized something was wrong.

"What's going on?" She asked abruptly, nearly dropping her cup from the sudden fright. Something had to be wrong for him to refuse tea.

He sighed heavily, obviously wishing he could put off this conversation. "I encountered a messenger from Admiral Zhao on my way back. He would… like you to join him for breakfast."

"What do you mean join him for breakfast?" Ame exclaimed, actually dropping her cup this time.

Iroh uneasily filled his tea cup, taking a sip to steady himself before he responded. "It is considered a great honor to be invited, and you should treat it at such."

"But this is Zhao that we are talking about. He shouldn't have any interest in me." Ame protested, agitation forcing her to her feet.

"I wouldn't let your guard down so quickly. You have been traveling with me and my nephew for quite some time now, it is only reasonable that he would want to question you about your experiences." Iroh stated grimly, losing any trace of positivity.

She was about to protest again, insist that he go with her or something. But they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Ame, already standing, crossed the room and flung the door open violently. She half hoped it would be Zhao so she could punch him in the face.

There was a soldier at the door. "I am here to escort you to Admiral Zhao." The voice was monotone, and she had no indication if it were someone she knew. Ame turned back to see Iroh standing behind her, his expression polite.

"She would be honored." He answered for her, stepping forward and nudging her. "Don't forget to be polite." He whispered behind her as he urged her out the door.

The anger boiled under her skin as she followed the soldier to the top of the tower where Zhao's room was located. But as they stood outside the door, the anger quickly died, replaced by dread. She had no idea what to expect.

The soldier opened the door for her after a brief but loud knock. Apparently she was expected. He bowed to her as she hesitated, wondering how hard it would be to escape and swim now. Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, she marched into the room, trying to forget about her skimpy clothing and the thin layer of paste covering her tattoos.

"Ah, Ame, thank you for joining me." The Admiral said smoothly as the door closed ominously behind her. His chambers were grand, the room she had just entered being fashioned as a sitting room. To the left of the entrance was a low table, surrounded by plush cushions much like in Iroh's room. There were various decorations around the room, obvious indicators of his status and wealth. To the right, there was a table with two chairs across from one another. There were a few doors leading off into other rooms.

Zhao was sitting in one of the chairs, but he stood as she entered the room. She had to keep her lip from curling at his self-satisfied smirk as he hungrily looked at her. It made her stomach turn, made worse by the spread of food on the table in front of him. He traced her eye down to the table, and his smirk grew wider. "Ah yes, please, sit." He gestured, and she wordlessly obliged him. It was all she could do.

Zhao poured them both some tea, and gestured to the table of food. "Please, help yourself." Ame did not move, keeping her hands folded in her lap and head bowed. She did not want to see the leer he was directing at her.

"I suppose you are wondering why I asked you to come dine with me." Zhao broke the silence, his chopsticks clinking against his plate as he served himself food.

"I assumed it was to enjoy a change in company Admiral." She answered gravely, her eyes never leaving the cup of tea in front of her.

He chuckled mirthlessly. "Right you are. I also wanted to learn something from you. Do you know what that is?"

"I can't imagine what I could teach you, Admiral."

She could almost feel the stare that she refused to look at. "That may be true. But regardless I am still fascinated to learn any answers I can." He spoke around a mouthful of food, any sense of formality quickly dropping from his tone.

"I see no point in letting your curiosity wait any further, Admiral. What is it you are wondering?"

"To the point, how interesting of a quality in a woman." The pitch of his voice drew her eyes up. It had sent a shiver down her spine. He took a sip of his tea to hide his frown, his eyes never leaving her, before he regained his composure and continued. "I was wondering why Prince Zuko found you fit to keep you on his ship for so long."

Ame clenched her teeth, letting the silence drag on. She still hadn't moved, and she did not intend to.

He uttered a sound, somewhere between a chuckle and a growl. "And here I thought you wouldn't keep my curiosity waiting." She watched as her hands curled into fists in her lap, her fingernails digging into her palms.

She inhaled deeply before answering. "I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you, Admiral."

Silence fell, and she wondered how much longer she had to sit here before she could go. "Did you enjoy the present I sent you?" He changed tactics entirely, his chopsticks being set firmly against the table. His words were predatory, and Ame glanced warily at the man. His eyes were boring into her, and she quickly looked back down. "I forget myself. I suppose you haven't realized I was the one who sent that man."

She resisted the urge to bite her lip, thinking back on what man. He couldn't be talking about Yukio, could he? The corner of her mouth twitched despite herself.

"I see you're confused. You see, when I found out that Prince Zuko had captured the Avatar in the South Pole, and his incompetence led to the Avatar escaping, I sent a spy onto his ship. I merely had to distract the brat with an Agni Kai to give the man time to establish himself on board. Almost immediately I began to receive messages about a stowaway on the ship, a girl pretending to be a soldier." He was so proud of himself, bragging about what he had done. He stood up, the chair scraping roughly. His footsteps were heavy on the metal floor as he stepped around the table, standing next to her.

Ame stared at her fingers, dumbstruck. Vaguely her mind wandered over the past few months on Zuko's ship trying to find any indicators of what he was talking about. She didn't remember a man joining them back then.

"Imagine my surprise to hear that, upon discovering this stowaway, Prince Zuko decided to keep her. When my solider asked me how I wanted him to proceed, I told him his orders were simple."

Zhao pushed her chair back with his foot, twisting it toward him and away from the table. The movement shocked her muscles into stone. He leaned over her, placing his hands on the armrests of her chair, forcing her to lean back, as he hissed his next words in her face. "I told him to break her."

He let that sink in, his eyes burning into hers as she fought to keep her expression neutral. The memories flooded back, the man pinning her to the ground as he struggled to tear her clothes off. Her eyes began to sting, and she tore her eyes away from him to stare at her hands again.

Zhao smirked as she looked away, then briskly stood up and turned around, clasping his hands behind his back. "After all, why should the Prince get to have all the fun? You can't expect a ship full of men to contain themselves around such a… delightful woman. I was merely encouraging him to… get the ball rolling, as it were." He looked back over his shoulder at her, catching her gaze with a smirk. Numbness was creeping around her, turning her blood to ice.

"It was such a shame to hear that he did not get to complete his task. And it was quite inconvenient to retrieve him. It would have been so much easier if that weakling finished him off."

Zhao turned back to her. "I suppose I should count myself lucky. Because here you are now." He leaned on the arms of her chair again. "I can break you myself." His eyes drilled into hers.

"My only regret is that Prince Zuko won't be around to see what it looks like for a real man to take a woman."

A shudder ran down Ame's spine. She focused on keeping her expression neutral, to not show that he was getting to her. If he saw her fear, she was worried it would encourage him. Fighting against her every instinct, she met his gaze, trying to keep it steady as he towered over her.

He finally smirked. "The brave ones are always the most fun."

"Are you really so dishonorable?" She asked, tone neutral. Their eye contact was still unwavering, but he blinked at that.

He laughed, straightening up and removing his hands from the armrests. "Like you know anything about honor. You were loyal to a banished prince." He leaned over her again. "I'm not going to do anything to you. Not yet, at least. But I want it to be abundantly clear. At any time, I can make you mine. Not even that old fool Iroh can help you. You belong to me now." He traced the back of his fingers down her arm, and she shuddered and pulled away.

He chuckled to himself at her reaction. "You are dismissed now." He said lazily, before turning swiftly and disappearing into one of the side rooms. She caught a glimpse of a lavish bed, and he made sure to look over his shoulder and send one last lecherous gaze before he closed the door behind him.

Ame couldn't move for a few seconds, her skin crawling from where he had touched her. The rest of her body felt numb as she managed to stand up, legs wobbling as she made her way to the door. She wrenched it open, gaining momentum as she got farther away from the man. Soldiers turned and stared as she sprinted past, keeping her from running full speed. She was still running by the time she slammed into Iroh's door. Wrenching the door open, she slipped in and slammed it behind her.

Once she had some semblance of privacy within Iroh's room, she burst into tears. She could feel that man's hands on her again, could feel the desperation to escape but the inability to do so. She wasn't sure if she had ever been this terrified before, felt such a primal fear. She made it just a few small steps into the room before her knees gave out. She sank onto the floor, trying to keep her sobs muffled. She didn't want to draw any attention, or let Zhao know that he had gotten to her. Even in Iroh's room, she did not feel safe.

There was a knock on the door, and she stifled another sob by placing her hands over her mouth. Whoever knocked, opened the door, letting themselves in. She stood quickly, whirling around to face the door. Blinking through her tears, body ready to fight, she couldn't even think. It was a fully armored soldier, but they quickly closed the door and pulled off their helmet upon seeing her in tears.

"Zuko…" She croaked, before relaxing and launching herself into his arms. He stood, stunned, as she fully broke down, her tears tracing lines down his metal armor.

"Who hurt you?" He demanded, while timidly enclosing her in his arms. She shook her head, unable to bring herself to speak quite yet. The comfort and security he brought was what she needed right now, explanations could wait.

He embraced her as the sobs shuddered through her, stroking her hair and letting her weep.

Once she had some semblance of control, she pulled away from Zuko. This was the first time she had seen him since the explosion. Now, in the light of the lamps, she studied the cuts and bruises that covered his face. It brought a fresh wave of tears to her face.

"What now!" He exclaimed as she tried to bury her face in the hard armor of his chest plate. He welcomed her into his arms again though, pulling her closer against him.

She spoke before she considered what she was about to say. "I thought I lost you." Her words were muffled, but his arms tightened against her in response.

She could feel his puzzlement as he tried to figure out what she was on about. "I never thanked you for saving me." He finally whispered into her hair, and they fell into silence as Ame tried to control her sobs.

They were interrupted by Iroh returning to the room. As the door opened, Ame tried to pull away from the Prince, but he was reluctant to let her go, his fingers trailing down her arms as she stepped back. Iroh closed the door quickly behind him, lest someone catch a glimpse at the occupants of the room, before he came over and pulled Ame into a hug.

"I am sorry you had to go through that." He stated as he released her. Studying her tear-stained face, he mournfully shook his head. "It seems it went far worse than I had anticipated."

She fought back the newest wave of tears, choking out, "He sent that man on Prince Zuko's ship. He told him to break me. He said he was going to break me himself." Ame pressed a hand against her mouth, holding herself with her other arm.

Though her words were scattered, somehow they understood her meaning. They both stood in stunned silence, the severity of the situation dawning on them as tears streamed down her face. Iroh started stroking his beard, his face grim. "I am sure those are merely ideal threats. Admiral Zhao is many things, but he is not stupid. Still, we should do whatever we can to ensure you are not alone with him again."

Zuko rounded on Iroh at this, his anger finally having an outlet. "This is your fault. You should have kept her from going."

"You are right nephew. I accept responsibility for what happened." Iroh bowed his head.

Zuko stood in silence, having been ready to yell more but he faltered at Iroh's words. Instead, he merely nodded. "Don't let her out of your sight again." He growled, brusquely picking up and donning his helmet before wordlessly leaving the room.

"Iroh, you can't blame yourself for this." She sniffled, finally getting herself under of control. She sat wearily on cushion, drained and famished. She was unable to bring herself to eat in the presence of Zhao.

"I should have insisted on going. I could not guess he would act so disgracefully." Iroh responded, settling on a cushion across from her.

Ame shook her head, dismissing the conversation. She didn't wish to dwell on this anymore. She didn't know how much longer they would be on this ship, and she was not ready to give in to fear yet.

There was a knock on the door. Iroh sighed heavily, as she swiped at her eyes one last time. He opened it to another soldier, who bowed to the old general. "Admiral Zhao is requesting your presence at the helm." He stated, head still bowed.

Iroh turned back to Ame. "Stay here. I will send someone to keep you company." She nodded, but the messenger straightened up.

"Miss, he requests your presence as well. I am under orders to escort you both there." Ame raised her eyebrows, silently pleading for Iroh to tell her she didn't have to go. He grimaced apologetically.

"Of course. I would like to request a couple of cloaks for us in that case. These old bones are not up to the task of fending off artic wind." He bowed slightly to the messenger. "Will you fetch these for us? I will escort Ame to the helm."

The messenger hesitated, before giving a short nod to express his consent. He ran off, and Ame heaved herself off of the cushions. Her eyes still stung, but she inhaled deeply and sealed her emotions away, summoning her emotional fog. She would not give that monster the pleasure of seeing her emotional.

Iroh led the way to the balcony, with Ame trailing behind him. The men they passed gave them sidelong glances, some outright staring. She tried to hide her discomfort at the attention, overly aware of her exposed skin. It was difficult to remember that they were looking because of the smooth pale skin that was on display, and not the bright blue arrows covered up by old make up.

Admiral Zhao did not turn to look at them as they stepped onto the helm balcony. "I'm glad you could join me. We should reach the North Pole by day's end, and I would hate for either of you to miss anything." He spoke, and her and Iroh exchanged glances.

"Sir, I've brought the cloaks." The soldier approached them before either of them could respond to Zhao. He placed two folded bundles of fabric in Iroh's arms.

Iroh grinned at the man. "Thank you, these will be much appreciated." The young man bowed, backing away as Iroh unfolded one and went to hand it to Ame.

"Wait." Zhao approached them, speaking to the soldier. He paused, and Ame could see him visibly tense as he straightened up to face Admiral Zhao. "I did not approve cloaks for our guests."

Iroh broke in, as he put his own cloak on. "My apologies, Admiral. I was the one who requested them. The cold sets into these old bones much quicker."

Ame was in the process of putting her own cloak on, a thick oversized piece of clothing, but she froze as Zhao spoke. "Understandable, general. But why did she require one?"

Ame met the admiral's eyes, trying to keep her expression from turning into a glare. "My outfit is not sufficient to keep me warm in this climate, Admiral." She responded, finding it difficult to keep her tone even. She defiantly shrugged the cloak on the rest of the way.

The corner of Zhao's mouth twitched downwards. "I do wish you brought this to my attention earlier so I could have remedied the situation." He addressed the soldier still standing at attention without taking his eyes from her. "You will find a more suitable cloak for Miss Ame in my chambers. It will be hanging just inside the room to the right." He smirked at Ame as the man ran off to fetch the item. "I'm afraid you won't be needing this one anymore."

He held out his hand expectantly. The cloak was already warming her, enveloping her in its rough fabric from head to toe with the hood up. It was forlornly that she let it slip from her shoulders and tossed it to Zhao. He caught it, shaking his head at her. "I would hate to see you revert to your old ways. Really, wearing men's clothing is so far beneath somebody of your… assets."

"Admiral Zhao, may I remind you this girl is my ward. I do not appreciate such comments-" Iroh interjected in an attempt to defend her, but Zhao interrupted him.

"General, I'm not sure what kind of life she led while sheltered on your nephew's ship, but I will not allow her to experience anything less than a woman would be subjected to while on a ship of this stature. Ah, good. I think you will find this much more suitable." Zhao said in response to the soldier returning with another bundle of cloth. He handed it over to Ame before stepping back and standing at attention.

She found the neckline and pulled it up out of the soldier's arms, allowing the rest of the cloth to fall from her grasp. At the sight of her new cloak, she clenched her teeth and felt her lip twitch. This one ended just below her knees, and the sleeves looked like they would end just past her elbows. It was a satiny material, thin enough to see light through. Looking up from it, she was met with Zhao's self-satisfied smile.

"I hope you find that more suitable." He leered at her, before turning his back to them and looking out over the horizon.

Ame thought about burning the item in her hands, but a gust of wind made her shiver. Iroh looked at her concerned. She never shivered. He looked at the sorry excuse for a cloak, then back to her, a silent question. Groaning inwardly, Ame slung it around and slid her arms into the thing. Pulling it on and tying it closed revealed that it would do little to keep her warm, but at least her midriff and arms were covered. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, trying to remember how to keep herself warm.

The rest of the day was spent on the helm balcony. Iroh stood next to Zhao, and she was relegated to stand off to the side to listen to him brag. Lunch was brought to them, but as they were meat dumplings she was unable to bring herself to eat anything. This went unnoticed by Zhao, other than a comment about how it must have been how she kept herself so thin. She didn't know what made her sicker, the lack of food or breathing the same air as him for so long.

"One must remember that a wall can be both the strongest point, and the weakest." Zhao was lecturing Iroh about how to properly conduct a siege on a heavily fortified enemy, when a shrill whistle echoed over the water, joined shortly by a growing chorus of whistles. "Good. We've finally made it." Zhao said, stalking forward from the sheltered area of the balcony to the railing. Ame and Iroh followed.

The glittering water was broken by the expanse of white on the horizon, and a clear break in the ice indicated where the city lay. A feeling of dread crept into her stomach at the sight of the distant wall, making her mouth taste sour. It was the Southern Water Tribe all over again, where she was on the wrong side of the war, about to participate in an invasion.

And then the first fireball was launched.

From their position, situated behind several rows of war ships, they could see it was a direct hit. That fireball was followed by another, and soon every ship within the first few lines were unleashing their barrage upon the gleaming snow city before them. These ships were nothing like Prince Zuko's. Each had three catapults on the deck, each running with a full crew and going near nonstop. It would have been breathtaking to see, if it weren't for such a malicious purpose.

Messenger hawks flew from ship to ship, giving and receiving orders and status updates to each other. Ame was rooted to the spot as Iroh received these birds, relaying messages to Zhao and sending his replies. Smaller boats moved between the war ships, ferrying crew and rescuing survivors from the waters when possible. They received word that the Avatar was trying to stop them, one ship at a time. Upon this, Zhao had ordered that they ignore the Avatar. "We will get to him, in time. Let him do what he can, it will only serve to tire him out."

Even with the Avatar's flying bison moving from ship to ship, and the Water Tribe warriors immobilizing ships, it seemed to do nothing to stop the fireballs flying through the sky. She knew her brother was out there, doing everything he could to incapacitate the ships, and here she stood, at the commanding ship watching it all occur.

She had to get away from it. She couldn't let Aang see she was just standing here, doing nothing. Reflexively, she turned to leave the helm. But Zhao noticed almost immediately. "And where are you going?" He asked without turning around. She froze in her tracks, mind chaotic with thoughts of what was happening out there. "Don't you want to see what a competent fleet is capable of?"

Ame rotated to the source of his voice. "Apologies, Admiral Zhao. I am just cold." It wasn't a lie; she was still wearing the outfit he picked out for her and the thin cloak. Their eyes locked, a silent battle between wills.

"Oh trust me, once you see what our nation is capable of, you will warm right up. Stay." He insisted. She exchanged a defeated gaze with Iroh as she moved to her spot off to the side. She did not want to watch, but it was all she could do. Ship after ship was incapacitated, the smaller ships swarming to rescue the crew and take them to functional ships, and Water Tribe boats swarming around those. It was a struggle to keep her spirit from feeling each and every strike.

It was sunset before the full fleet was within firing distance. Even from this distance they could see the devastation to the front wall. Ame found herself staring at the back of Zhao's head, wishing she had what it took to end him, to end this all, now. But even if it meant saving the Northern Water Tribe, she could not bring herself to accept killing him.

Upon Iroh's insistence, Zhao ceased his attack at nightfall. It was a struggle for Ame to keep herself together long enough as they were escorted back into the privacy of Iroh's chambers. Her nerves were shot from feeling every blow landed by the Fire Nation against the Water Tribe. She didn't wait for the soldier escorting them to open the door, navigating around them to open it herself and take the few strides in until she was able to drop to her knees on a pillow. She hid her face in her hands as footsteps followed into the room and the door closed behind her.

Once the lock clicked, she let loose a low moan. The tears wouldn't come, not yet. She had to accept the gravity of the situation first.

A hand on her shoulder brought little comfort as she replayed the day. So many killed, many more injured. Fire Nation soldiers desperately trying to make it to the next closest ship as their own sank, before they succumbed to the freezing water. She could almost feel the loss of life, feel the last desperate gasps of those who didn't make it.

"You are freezing." Zuko's rough voice startled her. She brought her head out of her hands to see it was his hand on her shoulder. "And what are you crying about this time?" The exasperated question followed.

She merely shook her head, wiping at her eyes in response. "When did you get here?" Her question was a little more choked than she would have liked, but he was unable to answer.

"Would you like to tell me what you thought you were doing? I thought we agreed that you would stay hidden within the ship, not patrol through the helm!" Iroh interrupted them both, his irritation evident in his tone.

She looked up at Zuko, mouth hanging open. "That was you escorting us back? What do you think you are doing!" Her own irritation flared up at his stupid move, leaving the tears momentarily forgotten.

"After what he did this morning, I wasn't just going to leave you alone with him again!" Zuko snapped, withdrawing his hand. His voice was muffled by the helmet he still wore.

Ame stood up, trying to meet his eyes through the mask. "And what would you have done if he did something, huh? Expose yourself and make this all worth nothing? If Iroh's presence couldn't stop him, then what could you have done?" Upon the conclusion of her sentence, she dropped her head into her hands again. "I don't know how much more of this I can take." She groaned out.

"Stop being dramatic and sit back down. You're freezing and haven't had anything to eat today." Zuko rumbled at her, ignoring her angry outburst. She was feeling dizzy from standing up so quickly, but she didn't feel the cold until he put both hands on her shoulders again, pressuring her to sit down. A shiver ran down her spine from the contrast his warm hands made against her skin, and she complied.

"Now both of you, just stay here while I get us some food."

Iroh tried to argue, but Prince Zuko was out of the room before he could manage any real words. Instead, he sighed and shook his head, groaning quietly to himself.

Ame wiped the last remains of tears off her face, trying to summon heat from within her, willing it to reach her fingertips. They felt clumsy with cold. Iroh started bustling about, seeming to need something to do with his hands. By the time Zuko returned, she had a hot cup of tea in her hands and a blanket over her shoulders.

Zuko carried a tray of assorted covered dishes, clumsily opening and closing the door with it. One or two had spilled by the time he set it on the table. Iroh and Ame exchanged amused looks as Prince Zuko huffily removed his helmet. "I can't see anything with this thing on."

He settled at the table, and they started eating in silence. There were two things that she felt comfortable eating due to the lack of meat. Iroh waited until they were nearly done to break the silence. "Prince Zuko, have you come up with a plan yet?"

"I'm working on it Uncle." Prince Zuko said calmly.

"We are running out of time, Prince Zuko. You need to have a plan." Iroh insisted, setting down his tea cup.

Prince Zuko hit the table with a fist. "I have a plan Uncle!" He glanced apologetically to Ame for his action. "I'm leaving tonight." He gruffly admitted, righting the overturned dishes.

"Tonight?"

"I've got a boat prepared. I'll slip away in the night and get the Avatar before Zhao can set foot off this ship."

"That's your plan? That's what you've been working on all day?" Ame burst out.

Prince Zuko glared at her. "I'd like to see you come up with something better." He bit back at her. She clenched her teeth, unable to reply.

Iroh nodded to himself, stroking his beard. "Very well. Is there anything else you need?"

Prince Zuko shook his head. They were done eating, and Ame started stacking the dishes on the tray. She was preoccupied with the images of today flashing through her mind, she hardly noticed that Iroh had taken the tray once she finished, and left the room.

Ame was brought back to the world by Zuko's hand gently grasping her arm. Startled, she looked up to meet his eyes. They were filled with concern. "He hasn't hurt you yet?" He asked upon seeing he had her attention.

Shaking her head, she sighed, "No. Just… made me uncomfortable. I'm fine, really." She managed a weak smile, but she knew it wouldn't be very convincing.

Taking her hand with his free one, he pulled her to him. She complied, sliding closer to him where he could pull her onto his lap. He cradled her, resting his forehead against her, his face in her hair. The warmth that he filled her with pushed away the chill that had settled into her bones, and she rested easily against him, despite the rough edges of his armor.

"No matter what it takes, I want you to fight him if he tries anything. Don't let him win." He muttered into her skin. "Promise me that." His breath sent a shudder through her, bringing new heat.

"I promise I won't let it get to that point." Came her reply. He huffed at her, before lifting his head to meet her eyes. She took the opportunity to kiss him, taking him by surprise. It only lasted for a few seconds though, as he crushed her to him once he regained his wits. The kiss was desperate, as though it would be their last.

Iroh caught them, slow as they were to react once they heard the door open. He didn't remark on it as Ame moved out of Prince Zuko's lap, mortified. "The ship is quiet. This is as good of a time as any." He remarked as he pulled on his cloak.

"Let's go." Prince Zuko stated as he pulled his helmet on. He opened the door quietly, and then led the way down the deserted hallway, and through the empty ship. The echoing, dark hallways made Ame's heart beat uncomfortably. It reminded her of the night she was attacked by Zhao's thug.

They reached a room deep under deck without encountering another soul. They were greeted with a blast of cold air once he opened the door, and they could see the frozen landscape illuminated by a cold moon through the open room. It made her shiver.

"Stay out here. I need to change." Prince Zuko asserted as he entered the room, closing the door behind him.

Ame took a small step closer to Iroh in the darkness of the hallway. It made her uneasy, being out here exposed.

"I think you should go with him, Ame." Iroh broke into her thoughts.

She turned to his silhouette, asking dumbly. "Go… with him?"

"I can cover with Zhao for you. You should get away from the fighting while you still have the chance." Iroh insisted, his voice firm.

"But where would I go? The only place to go is where the fighting is taking place." It was a nice idea, to get off the ship, but all there was out there was ice and snow.

He lit a fire in his palm, to gaze at her with solemn eyes. "Would you really rather be at Zhao's side while the fighting is happening?"

Realization dawned on her, and she shook her head violently. "No. No way will I be around that monster-"

Iroh cut her off before she could say anything further. "This may be your only chance to slip away before the fighting resumes. Find a safe place and I will meet you there as soon as I can."

"But, what about Prince Zuko?"

"He will find us, I'm sure of that." He grew silent, and cast his eyes to the floor. "That is, if everything goes as he has planned."

Her mind swept over the image of the Northern Water Tribe, of the vast emptiness that surrounded it. She grimaced.

The door opened then, and Prince Zuko urged them inside silently. "I will be with you in just a moment. I need to retrieve something." Iroh whispered, pushing Ame into the room.

"I could hear you talking in the hallway. What was so important that you were risking being caught?" Zuko hissed at her once the door was closed. He turned his back to her, busying himself with a small stack of items. She could see now that the room they were in was missing the fourth wall, leaving it open to the world.

She approached the young prince, her eyes tracing the curve of his back, taking note of the thick white cloth he was dressed in. "Iroh thinks I should go with you." Ame tried to say calmly, but she feared she revealed just how badly she wanted off this ship.

"Zhao would notice." Zuko curtly dismissed her, standing up and throwing some supplies into a kayak suspended just outside the opening.

Ame took a deep breath before responding. "He seems to think he can make excuses for me, so that it won't be too noticeable." Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she didn't realize how much she wanted to go.

There was a long pause. "Did you want to come?" His back was to her, but he stopped his preparations.

"I don't really want to help you capture Aang." His body stiffened, and she continued. "I want to get off this ship though. I want to get away from Zhao."

He seemed to deliberate with himself. The seconds were agonizing for her. "Fine." His answer came, and she felt every muscle in her body loosen in response.

Iroh entered the room before she could reply. They both turned to him, and she was pleasantly surprised to see him carrying the cloak Zhao had taken away from her. She accepted it, but stood staring at it in silence.

"Are you having second thoughts?" Iroh broke into her musings. Her head lifted up to meet his gaze.

"No… I'm just not sure how helpful this will be when I'm still…" She gestured up and down her body at the thin clothing Zhao had given to her to make her point.

Zuko stopped his preparations to gaze at her. "There is a storage closet a few doors down. It has extra clothing." He stepped away from the kayak, moving to the door.

She stepped in front of him, pulling the cloak on. "I'll get it. You shouldn't risk being seen right now." He went to protest, but she put a finger to his lips. "No. Tell me where it is. I'll just scream or something if something happens, it'll be fine." She stated, challenging him.

With a small growl, he relented. "Across the hall, three doors down. Don't open the wrong one." He turned his back to her, and she took a deep breath to steady herself. Iroh didn't even protest as she slipped out of the room, keeping her head low to hide her face in the shadows of the hood.

She found the closet easily, but the clothing was a little more difficult. The artic gear was tucked behind full sets of armor, either stocked as an afterthought or placed first and forgotten about. Ame pulled the clothing over the items she was already wearing, not risking leaving them for someone else to find. The done, she returned to the men, only finding her way to the correct door because Iroh had it cracked, watching for her.

Upon entering the room, she saw Zuko was waiting for her in the kayak. It was swaying slightly from the ropes suspending it on the side of the ship. "Sit here." He ordered, gesturing to the empty space to the back of the small boat. She obliged, settling with one leg on each side of the opening where Zuko stood, and he started to lower it down the side of the ship.

"Keep your hood up, keep your ears warm!" Iroh called to them before he disappeared from sight.

Zuko called back, "We'll be fine. " He never stopped his task of lowering them, and soon Ame's toes grazed the water as the kayak gently splashed down. She helped Zuko untie the knots so the kayak was free before he settled in the hole. He released the paddles, and started rowing them to the ice wall. They worked in silence, wary of being noticed. The slightest movement from Ame rocked them dangerously, and she was relegated to keeping her body low and balanced. As he paddled, her toes and the back of her cloak skimmed through the water.

The prince landed the canoe on an icy outcrop a short distance from the damaged entrance to the Northern City. He kept the kayak steady as she used a bit of Airbending to lift herself off and onto the ice. When she was standing firmly, he clambered out himself, and together they drug the kayak amongst some other debris that had washed up.

"Keep an eye out for my Uncle. I will meet you here when I have the Avatar. Until then, stay out of sight." Zuko addressed her quietly, briefly meeting her eyes.

She nodded her understanding, and he slipped away into the night without a second glance. Surveying her surroundings, she soon took shelter where a sheet of ice must have sheared off the wall long ago, now leaving a small alcove in the ruins. Her toes and end of her cloak were starting to freeze, making every step crackle. In the stillness of the night, it echoed across the water and against the ice. She hoped it only seemed loud because she was so close to the source.

Settling against the wall, concealed by the crumbled ice, she shivered. The cold was seeping in, despite the thick cloak and extra clothing. The weight of everything started to settle on her, as she realized that she didn't know how long she needed to wait for. Pushing away the anxiety, she focused on being surrounded by ice and snow with the crisp air trailing around her. It was such a change from the oppressive metal ships, that she found herself filled with a sense of peace. Her mind settled into meditation, her body taking on a rhythmic breathing cycle that spread warmth to her fingers and toes.

And then she was violently ripped away from her body.

Please read and review. If you let me know if something is inconsistent or wrong, I'll give you internet cookies!