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A new Journey	By : sicklysweet24 Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > Het - Male/Female Views: 5781 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own avatar the last airbender or it's orignal characters. I only own this story plot and characters that were never in the orignal series

Chapter List
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Disclaimer: I do not own avatar or any of the series characters only the ones I make up belong to me.

Chapter 5

Trust and Taking a Step

Katara waited impatiently by the docks, today would be the day she and Bato would set off on a year’s worth journey. She had already stopped by her father’s tent to drop off specific instructions regarding everything she was leaving behind. When she got there her father was already up and seemed to be in a very happy mood. Katara wondered what he was up to.

“Good morning, my daughter.” Said Hadoka cheerfully, “I’m glad you chose to accompany Bato, he will need the help of a strong, talented young women like yourself.”

“Well aren’t you the cheerful one today, I didn’t expect you to be so happy about seeing your only daughter leave you again.”

“I’m happy when my children are, your mother would live to make her family happy. She had a sweet soul and there will never be another like her.” Hadoka said quietly while starting a small fire.

When he was satisfied with the fire he walked over to a tall clay jar in the far corner of his tent and removed the lids and drew out water in a bowl then placed a small pot that had been sitting near the fire pit over the fire and poured the water in and added rosemary tea leaves her mother’s favorite, Katara quietly watched her father she would always love her mother but time had healed her wounds but her father remained.

“I know what you’re thinking” said Hadoka

“Do you?”

“Katara I will always love your mother she was my soul, a person like that doesn’t come along every day, she was born to be my mate as I was hers. And I wait for the day when I pass from this life into the spirit world where we shall meet again.”

“I’ve been blessed by the Gods to have a father as loving as you.” And she scooted closer to her father and rubbed her nose against his.

He gave her a warm smile and they talked and drank their tea until first light of day peaked through his tent, before they said their goodbyes her father handed her a small purple colored velvet pouch and told her not to open it until she left.

It was always foggy at the docks, which Katara hated only because it was hard to see. Bato would be here soon he was always punctual; she turned her attention away from the various boats and ships that bobbed up and down with the waves and decided to take a brisk walk since she didn’t have any time this morning to do calisthenics, as she walked she spotted a fine piece of sandalwood floating to shore, she quickly rushed to grab the wood not really minding that she was now wet just a little.

She reached down to her pouch that was tied around her waist and pulled out a small carving knife which had a white handle and a symbol of a dolphin and began to carve.

Meanwhile…

Damn where the gods is Katara they were supposed to leave an hour ago. Bato thought to himself, he started to leave the docks and go and find her but the subject of his thoughts was already approaching.

“Hello Bato sorry I’m late I was here earlier but I decided to take a walk and then I got carried away with a carving project.” What the hell, why am I rambling on? She thought.

“Why were you early?”

“I have to admit I’m very excited.”

“I am glad to be leaving, the water tribe is deep rooted within me but I’ve always wanted to travel but since the war and then the rebuilding of our tribe that didn’t look like a possibility, but now it is shall we depart?”

“Um yes but where is Amerione and Tam? I thought they were departing with us.”

“Tam received a message from Aang that required her to leave last night and Amerione had one of her strange dreams and decided that she would do some investigating but would be in contact so it’s just you and me.”

Bato reached for her bags that she had left by the wooden post and headed for a medium sized boat that had a silver mass and water tribe symbols carved on the sides. Katara had never paid any attention to Bato much less his possessions, she wanted to ask how he could afford a boat like this since water tribe money wasn’t great in value a problem all four nations were trying to resolve, But to ask would be rude so she held her tongue.

Bato tossed their bags onto the boats deck and jumped down, then extended his hand to offer her assistance. Katara was surprised by his agility, she half expected him to be a little frail because of his age and his war injuries but he was as healthy as a twenty-five year old. She took his hand and let him help her onto the deck which was very tidy, she noted that the deck had a few velvet cushions and a very low table that was made for two and a few pots filled with wild flowers and herbs.

“Let me show you our room.” Bato said

“Excuse me?”

“As you can see this boat is not large there is no room for another sleeping area, so we will be sharing a bedroom, also my injuries require me to lay on comfortable surfaces.”

“Bato I don’t think this is going to work.”

“Do you trust me Katara?”

“What? Bato I ...”

Bato just stared he had no intention of interrupting for he truly wanted to know her answer. He could not admit that he was just as uncomfortable as she was but they would have to put on airs once they reached the Earth Kingdom so it was better to be honest and get familiar with their situation now.

“It’s not appropriate for us to lie in the same bed; it would make for an awkward experience.” Katara said while glancing around the dock and thinking that maybe she should have declined his offer.

“Please do not evade the question, I asked if you trust me.” Bato said with a very firm voice.

Katara studied the man before her. He was always respectable, strong, a good friend and dependable. He never gave anyone a reason not to trust him. She did not fear Bato but did not welcome the idea of sharing a bed, but she so very much wanted to leave. Katara why are you doing this? It’s Bato he is a good friend be the women you have always been and take the step. There goes my conscious making me feel guilty Katara thought.

“Yes Bato I trust you and I can only be honest when I say that this arrangement will make me uncomfortable for a while but I’ll try to get used to it.”

Bato wasn’t surprised by her words she was a strong women and he admired her for that, but she was going to get even more of a surprise when he told her that they would be traveling as a married couple, but he would save that for tonight at dinner when they were far enough from tribe grounds and she couldn’t just walk off the boat.

“Follow me, the room is small but only cause I have a large bed and I’m a bit of a wild sleeper just to warn you.” He said with a sheepish grin

“Is that the only thing I should be on my guard about?”

“I snore too.”

“Are you serious? You don’t look like the snoring type.” Katara was gigging a little he was reminding her of Sokka and Aang.

“What’s so funny about snoring?” Bato said slightly amused that she was relaxing and giggling.

“It reminded me of a funny story between my brother and Aang it’s hilarious.”

“I’d like to hear it later.”

“Sure”

Bato lead her down a narrow hallway to a dark blue door with a gold seal of an eagle hawk. When he opened the door she was in a state of awe, sure it was small but she never expected it to be so grand and well decorated. Her eyes were instantly drawn to the bed which was covered in blue and silver linen, an assortment of pillows lined the top.

The walls were a mural of a beach with a moon rising in a star studded midnight sky and two seals sat close together watching the waves crash against the shore, the floor wasn’t wooded but covered in black bear fur and had small hints of silver. Katara wasn’t used to her tribe’s people being so decorative with their furnishings; she turned to Bato who was sitting her bags on the small vanity near the window.

“You have an amazing room; did Amerione or one of the women do this?”

“No, I painted the mural myself as well as decorated everything. Your bedroom should always be a place where you can relax your mind.” He said

“I never knew you were a painter.” She said

“We have a lot to learn about each other, you can unpack later for now we need to get going… so would you like to keep me company?” Bato said a little hesitant

“Yeah no problem.” She said. In fact Katara was interested in getting to know Bato a lot better he was intriguing, she only ever looked at him as a family friend but now she was staring to see him differently she just didn’t know it yet.

Bato was excited but was very good at controlling his emotions, he was nervous that he still had more to tell her but even more nervous about sleeping in the same bed. Before going to the deck he led her back down the hall and showed her a small table and chair set that would serve as the eating area, the rest of the boat was just cabinets and compartments that were used for storage and food supplies.

Once they were back on deck he immediately went to untie the post, once he was sure everything was secure he headed for the helm, where he found Katara nosing about. She had her head down and was studying his most recent map which would be their course for the next few weeks. He studied her momentarily before he spoke.

“Does our course meet your approval?” he said

“Yes but only three port stops, do you think that we will get there that fast?”

“This boat has a fire nation engine and earth kingdom steel, I have maintained this boat and it’s running in excellent condition, I wouldn’t ever think about putting us in an untrustworthy vessel.”

“What city will we be staying in?”

“Omashu, we will stay there for six months then move onto Ba Sing Se after that we will return to our tribe.” Bato moved forward to the steer, he turned a silver key that had a long gold chain attached and Katara could hear the soft purr of an engine. Then he pulled up on a white lever and she felt the boat shift slightly, then he pulled another lever and the boat moved forward smoothly.

Katara was quiet as she watched Bato maneuver out of the docks into open water. The vessel moved through the waters like silk and she couldn’t help but stare at the man controlling their path, His hair swayed slightly as the wind picked up a bit from her angle she could see defined feathers such as his high set cheek bones and a sharp nose , soft dark blue eyes and the most delicious lips. Whoa what the hell? Did I just think of my father’s best friend having delicious lips? Maybe it’s because it’s been a while since I...

“Katara is there anything wrong? You’re not ill I hope?” Bato said with a look of concern.

“Oh no just deep in thought.” She replied.

“Is there something on your mind you would like to talk about? I’m a good listener.”

“No really I’m fine.”

“Well then I suggest you take one last look at the tribal lands you won’t be seeing them for a long time.”

Katara raised an eyebrow a year wasn’t as long as her previous journeys. Bato gently took her by the hand pulling her up and out of her thoughts and guided her to the deck. He was so gentle with her and she wanted to know why, she definitely wasn’t fragile or timid and could hold her own in a fight and damn it she wasn’t a little girl, she hoped that Bato didn’t see her as such.
Bato turned her around and placed his hands on her shoulders as they both watched the receding shores.

He knew she was deep in thought about him and her but he refused to be deterred. In all honesty he was nervous and shy the more he thought about her last night and this morning the more he wanted to get to know her. Yes he did want a wife and he had always liked children but he learned through past experiences that a couple should always want the same things in a relationship.

He still felt awkward about this situation seeing as he remembered the day she was born and babysitting her and Sokka he loved them both but Katara had always been his favorite. He let out a sigh this was too complicated.

“Katara lets go back to the helm”

They both went back and were silent for a while then Bato started to tell her a funny story about her father and him when they were younger.

“And then I had one hell of a time trying to get your father to stop mooning the elders every time one came past his igloo.”

Katara almost fell out of her seat laughing turns out her brother got his stupidity from her dad except Sokka never grew out it. Bato was happy to see her laugh so hard he liked her like this it made him happy.

As soon as she recovered and straightened her dress she looked up to see Bato studying her.

“What?” She said

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to stare I was just thinking about how happy you look.” He replied

Katara only glanced down a slight blush on her tan cheeks. They were both quiet until Bato suggested that she should go down and unpack, while he stayed at the helm. He only did this because he needed time to calm his nerves and to think of a way to break the big news to her. He took a deep breath damn you Hadoka he thought.

Katara had unpacked her things and laid on the bed, it was so soft she felt like she was drifting on the clouds, she buried her face into the sheets and inhaled. They smelt like wild flowers and rosemary. This must be Bato favorite scents, she liked the smell she had smelt so many scents while traveling but it was the plain and simple she liked the best.

She stayed there for a while thinking about Bato and this room situation, how was this going to work? She had to talk to him about this but how? Katara decided that she should find a place to put her bags somewhere since they were still lying on the bed. The room was so small she decided the best place to put her bags would be underneath the bed.

She carefully folded them and began to slide them under, when the last bag was in place she got up and headed to the door but was immediately stopped when she hit her big toe on the corner of the bedpost. This bump caused a folded piece of paper to slip out from under the bed. Katara never the one to pry was just going to slip it back under but something inside her told her to look.

Inside the paper was an old drawing of a beautiful woman and three small folded paper packs, two contained a herb she had never seen before and the other some kind of black powder. Katara was baffled what is this? She turned her attention back to the picture, this time she took a minute to study the woman’s face she had wild eyes and windblown hair, her skin coloring was that of any water tribe native but there were no markings or tattoo’s that gave indication of which tribe she was from.

“Katara!” called Bato

“Yeah” she yelled then quickly slipped the mysterious paper and its contents back underneath the bed, just then the door opened.

“I just wanted to check on you, it’s getting late and I wanted to start dinner, would you like to keep me company.”

“Um… yeah sure do you want me to cook?” Katara said still nervous about what she found underneath the bed.

“Actually I wanted to cook for you; I thought we could eat out on the deck this evening.”

“Alright what are we having?”

Bato smiled “Nothing special”

“Oh then why are you smiling?” Katara said

Bato broke into a dazzling smile one she never seen before and Katara couldn’t help but think how handsome he was.

“No worries if the tribesmen had to depend on your fathers cooking skills we would have died of food poisoning; I’m a pretty decent cook.”

“Ok let’s go”.

Before they went up on deck Bato showed Katara were he kept all the food supplies which was just mostly dried fruits and vegetables. Once on top he gestured for Katara to sit the pillows while he started a fire. Then he went over to pull up a net that had been trailing alongside the boat, it had a few fish and some seal crabs. Bato started to de scale the fish, while he asked her to remove the crabs shell. He couldn’t help but notice she looked a little startled when he entered the room.

Is she that uncomfortable with him? He thought, he glanced her way and when she looked his way their eyes met briefly he looked away quickly feeling stupid for not being so suave around a woman at his age, but something about her made him feel different. They were just friends and he hoped that no matter what came out of this experience she would always see him as a good trustworthy man.

Once they were done he put the food over the fire then grabbed a small pot with a rope tied around the rim and motioned for Katara to come over to the ledge. He dipped the pot into the water and pulled it out using the rope.

“Hold out your hands please.” Bato said softly

Katara did what she was asked without looking into his eyes, Bato washed her hands taking care to be very gentle and to not get her dress wet. Why is he being so gentle? He should know by now that I’m not prissy or fragile. Katara frowned at the thought of anyone viewing her as breakable.

“Katara is everything alright? I didn’t hurt you did I?” Bato said
“No everything is fine it’s just that you’re so gentle with me like I am going to break.” She said reluctantly

“A man should always treat a woman with care; women are gifts from the gods, if only some men felt this way.” Bato said while drying her hands

When they were finished they both walked over to the table, Katara sat with her with her legs crossed and hands folded and stared into the fire, while Bato reclined back and stared at the sky. It was evening now and the clouds had a purplish pink coloring and the sky was quickly changing from baby blue to black.

“Tell me about your parents”, Came the soft voice of the women across from him.
Bato stared into her eyes for a few moments before answering, like he was unsure how to proceed, just as Katara was about to say never mind he spoke.

“My mother was from the eastern tribe lands her name was coqueese, she was small, beautiful, and artistic. She was very loving and one of the greatest women I’ve ever known. She had an arranged marriage to a warrior from the southern tribes, my father his name was Arnock.” Bato pause and shifted so he was sitting upright.

“When her and my father met it was on their wedding day, my father was pleased only because he was sure mother could give him great pleasure and many children.” He said knowing Katara would interject which she did.

“I thought men stopped practicing those beliefs that women were only useful for sex and babies after so many women ran from their husbands into the arms of fire and earth nation men?” she said

“Yes many did but some were raised to keep to the older traditions, my father did love my mother and was very hurt when she died in child birth.”

“I’m so sorry Bato I didn’t know, your mother pasted into the spirit world while having you.”

“She didn’t it was the birth of my brother and sister, Arnack and Cotui that killed her. My father and I were out hunting with the other warriors since winter was approaching, He didn’t want to leave her because she was soon to give birth and she had been weak the last couple of months because she was carrying twins and was a very small woman.”

“Just as my father feared she went into labor while we were gone, by the time we got back the healers told him she was weak and joined the spirit world just after the birth of the second child.”

Katara sat quietly and thought about her parents and how death affects everyone.

Burning…

Something’s burning…

“What’s that smell.” She said

“Oh Gods I forgot the fish.” Bato hurried over to the food just in time to save the meat from being inedible. He returned with two plates filled with meats and sea prune salad, then poured two glasses of wine.

“Katara, there is something I need to tell you.” Bato said looking down into his cup

“I’m listening.”

“In order to ensure safe travel I would like for us to travel as husband and wife.”

“You must be joking?”

“No I’m not, I want you to be safe you’re very beautiful and many men would be tempted to claim you against your will and that would cause a fight, and of course we would be put in certain situations that will probably become very intimate. But I know your strong and can handle anything thrown your way. I’ll let you think about it overnight but I hope you will see the logic in my decision.”

Katara pondered over this but not for long, she knew Bato was right but damn him for trying to persuade her like this, he could have told her this the night he invited her. “Bato I agree to be your wife the duration of this journey and... and if certain intimate situations arise I will act as a wife should, but next time please be more honest with me.”

“Thank you, this trip should be quite interesting.” Bato said grinning ear to ear.

Gods help us Katara thought as she and Bato finished their dinner in comfortable silence.

“You never finished the story about your parents that is if you want to tell me.” Katara said

“I will finish that story but another night, for now let’s clean up and go to bed we still have a lot of sailing to do.”

Katara nodded and helped him clean up all the while feeling very nervous about the sleeping arrangement but she made sure she kept her composure. Once they were done Bato took his hand in hers and led her down to the room they would now share as husband and wife.

“Do you really have to hold my hand? We aren’t around any one.”

“Yes the sooner we get more comfortable with physical contact the better.”

He opened the door and gestured for her to enter first, then closed the door behind them. She walked over to the bed and sat silently avoiding eye contact with Bato who was now standing on the other side starring intently at her.

“I know you’re nervous I would be a bold face liar if I told you I didn’t feel the same way, but I will always respect you.”

“I know Bato it’s just that I need some time.”

“So do I, your still my best friend’s daughter but I want you to know I look at you as a woman.”

“Wh...Where do I get changed?”

“Right here, I will turn around and when you’re in the bed just let me know.”

Katara never felt more embarrassed in her life, she didn’t plan on sleeping in the same room let alone the same bed all she had on underneath was a cloth that covered her most private areas but nothing to cover her breast.

She chanced a quick look at Bato, who stood with his back to her, what the hell she thought. Quickly she slipped her shoes off and her dress and made a b line to the bed once she was under the covers and sure nothing was exposed she glanced at Bato and told him it was safe. Bato had been listening but not tempted to steal a peak it wasn’t in his nature to be perverted but he was a man and for a moment wondered what she looked liked with nothing on and her hair down. He pushed these thoughts aside and took off his shoes and pants and loin cloth. He never slept in anything other than a shirt or his very own skin.

Katara risked a peak and saw Bato undressing damn he was a sight, beautiful tan skin with a few scars from battle that made him all the more magnificent and hair that was thick but wavy and broad shoulders and whoa! did he just slip off his loin cloth. Bato was bent over and let’s just say the acorns were dangling off the branch. Then he turned and slipped into bed and did something even more unexpected he pulled off his shirt and closed his eyes…
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A new Journey