Yanking her up onto her feet. Kya stumbled in surprise. Her feet slipping on the ice covered floor.
"Mom?" Katara said. Her eyes wide and tears brimming there.
"You're still here? Get lost you brat!" The fire nation solider spat in disgust. Katara flinched back before scowling back up at the bigger man.
"Katara." Kya said warningly. She glanced down at the mans strong whip like hands. His knuckles had soot and ash and burn marks on them. His eyes were filled with a fanatical hate exclusive for soldiers and fools. Which this man was clearly both.
"Katara it's okay." Kya said soothingly.
"Out of my way you little brat." The man said pushing Kya forwards. Katara growled and rushed forwards. Her little fists pounding into the man's powerful thigh.
"No! Let my mom go! Let her GO!" Katara howled like a lemur bat from hell. Her screeching reaching a higher and higher pitch as she smacked impotently at the man's leg and side. His thick armor making it so he couldn't even felt anything. He grunted as Kya squirmed in his grip. Trying to sooth her daughter, trying to keep her safe.
The mans little patience complete burned away. He raised his closed fist and let it fly. Katara grunted as he backhanded her across the room. All of his force in the blow. The little girl took it directly in the chin.
Katara hit the snow wall her eyes unfocused. She heard a crunch and felt a sharp pain in her head, right towards the base of her neck. She saw stars, which didn't make any sense since she was indoors. Kya was shouting. Katara could hear her mom shouting. Followed by rough cracks and groans.
Katara tried to raise her head but it was just so heavy. And her mind was so fuzzy. She felt so cool on the snowy floor. She rested her overly warm cheek on the cold floor and closed her eyes. She would rest for just a little while. She was sure when she woke up everything would be just okay again.
Katara blinked. Someone was carrying her, she tried to lift her head but a sharp pain in her skull made her close her eyes again. She groaned and snuggled closer to the cold metal armor that was carrying her. She looked upwards and saw the scowling ugly man who had been in her home. He was carrying her. In his other hand he was yanking someone. Someone dressed in blue.
"Mom." Katara moaned out silently. She felt like her tongue was too big for her mouth, and her eyes were unfocused. She gazed around her in disbelief. Only little bits and pieces seemed to be getting through. This was definitely her village. But in a state that she could not recognize. Many houses were falling apart. The meticulously made and lovingly handcrafted igloos were melting. Baskets were busted in the street, entire streets were just gone. As if a great burning flame had scrouged them from the earth.
Katara saw the distant glaciers that marked the shoreline. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. The harsh hard cold air was being overwhelmed by another smell. A deeper dirtier smell. Of grease and oil. She opened her eyes, forcing them to remain open, forcing them to remain unclouded. She watched her home slowly disappear. Smoke and fire raging over the protective wall.
She watched until the man walked up the ramp leading into the belly of the great fire nation war ship. The door closed behind them. And Katara slept again.
The rocking of the boat woke Katara up. The stink of sweat and the close hot quarters knocked into her head. She let out a little groan of pain. Her eyes were brimming with tears. And her head was filled with only pain and suffering. She felt something surge in her stomach and she barely kept her bile down.
"Katara. Oh Katara." Kya said as she stroked her daughter's head. Katara eased her eyes open and stared up into her mother's face. Kya stroked the sweat stained hair off of Katara's forehead. The cell they were in was dark, and hot, and windowless. The only light coming from a flame flickering in a lamp above the door. The red glass making the entire room seem confining. The flickering of the light made Katara squeeze her eyes in pain.
"I'm thirsty." Katara whispered up to her mother. Her mouth was dry and full of bone dust. She blinked slowly, her eyes felt dry and too large for her head.
"They didn't give us any water. I'm so sorry. Katara….why didn't you run? You should have run." Tears beaded in Kya's eyes and began to drip onto her daughter's face. Katara let out a moan and rolled over. Her head was in Kya's lap. The soft blue furs that her mother was still wrapped in made a comfortable pillow.
Katara buried her face in her mother's furs and began to sniffle. In pain. In fear. In confusion. The boat went over a large swell and the light flickered all the harder.
Two days went by. The two cuddled silently in the dark. Then the door opened, a fire nation guard stood scowling down at the two of them. He held a bucket in one hand. He tossed it onto the wall next to them. Katara flinched against her mother. Wrapping her arms tighter against the woman.
Kya reached over cautiously and gripped the bucket. She scooped a handful of water out and sipped it eagerly.
"It's for your faces. Not your stomachs. Drink it if you want. It's the only thing you are getting until….later." He smirked before turning on his heel and slamming the door closed behind him. Kya scooped some more water out and rubbed it against her face. Letting the dirty straw stained water drip down her tired face. The water stained the top of her furs.
Katara looked into the bucket. Her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth. It was dry and the size of a slug. Katara made a disgusted face. The water was filled with dirt particles, what looked like cooking grease, and straw and hay. They must have banged the bucket against every single wall on the way to their cell.
Katara frowned and concentrated. The water was still there, she could feel it. She could sense it. She reached her fingers out and began to wiggle her fingers carefully. She visualized the water, the water was living in there. She just needed to pull the liquid away….