Katara ripped off her dress below her knees to use as a blanket around her bare shoulders, throughout the night it was cold, ty lee came down on time for every two hours to take her bending temporarily. Katara cussed her out every time but the non bender found it humorous. 

Katara dozed off till the sun came up again, she heard foot steps coming down the wooden stairs but they were heavier than the smaller girl before. 

She looked up and inhaled a sharp breath seeing it was the captain, she knew that scar. 

The man seemed younger in the sun light, paler, he wore a dirty warm cream colored shirt that was buttoned to his chest but was open around his collar bone. He had dark brown trousers as well but in the sunlight they seemed more red, tucked into his black boots. He was fire nation. 

"Captain," Katara said coldly as he walked up to her cell. His black belt was around his waist giving him more of a slim figure as the end hung at his hips. 

He nodded and set a metal plate that had bread, an apple and a cup of cold soup.  She stared at the tattoo wrapped around his left arm, Katara could see it started from his bicep and wrapped around to the inside of his forearm, a red dragon with some gold scales. He caught her staring but it didn't bother him. 

"Eat," he stared unamused.

  "I'm not eating- or drinking cold soup," Katara protested setting the cup of soup outside her cell. 

He put his hand over the top of the cup and she gulped a little seeing a fire spark from his hand and soon the soup was warm. 

"You're a fire bender," she whispered a little, a dragon tattoo should've been a give away. 

"Why do you fight against the fire nation?" Katara asked looking up at him as she eat the bread, not realizing how hungry she actually was.

"I'm not fighting against anyone, my crew is from all sides," the captain said calmly with his arms crossed.

"Even water tribe?" Katara snorted not believing him. He nodded though. 

"They may not be a water bender but he's a good sailor," captain said simply. 

"Just tell me why you want me kidnapped, I don't hold money or have anything valuable, my tribe is poor, that's why I agreed to marry," Katara looked up at him confused.

"I said why," Captain went to walk away. 

"Hey!" Katara threw her apple at him, it hit him in the back of the head making his shoulders tense up. He turned back and looked at her narrowing his eyes.

"Tell me your name," she spat. 

"I don't have to tell you anything," he snarled back making Kataras eyes widen slightly at the tone. 

"Welcome aboard the Phoenix, princess," he said walking up the stairs as she gulped a little sitting against the wall again. 

The young man walked on the wooden deck as men and women worked together against the blue seas as he saw jet standing against the sail post chewing on a straw. 

"I don't want anyone going to the prisoner alone, two people only," the captain told him and jet nodded.

"Ty Lee said she'll go back down in an hour, and mais looking for you," jet told him and a shorter teen dropped down from above next to them. 

"A water bender? You bring a water bender on a pirates ship?" They looked up at the captain and their friend shocked. 

"Smellerbee she can't bend," jet smirked. 

"Until she can, this is such a dumb ass idea lee," smellerbee looked at the captain annoyed. 

"It was hitting two birds one stone, trust me, she's going nowhere," the captain nodded but didn't smile at them. 

"Tell mai I'll find her when I can, I'm going to my quarters," he told his crew and went to the higher point of the captains quarters, no one was allowed into them, the captain wasn't cruel but he had only three strict rules that he follows like its law. 

Respect as equals
No one goes in the captains quarters 
You work if you want to eat

  He's been on the sea long enough to know how to run a ship. 

He pushed the door open and closed it behind him immediately as he walked into the candle lit room with his desk in the center and his bed on the side. But there was another room on the side that he opened to visit. 

It was lit by the natural sun light with a window cracked for fresh air despite the smell of body Oder that he ignored.

"Morning captain," the young man grabbed a pitcher of water and poured some in a glass. 

There laid an old man with grey hair that was to his shoulders and a grey beard with some dark brown stripes. He was sickly pale with spots on his face, a scar over his left eye as it was fully white but his good eye was green. 

"Morning captain," the old man smiled back at his boy. 

"Thank you Zuko," he grunted when the young man handed him the water. 

"How did the night go?" The old man asked as Zuko helped him sit up, he was light to zuko as it was easy to help. 

"We got the water bender, no one suspected a thing, ty lee and jet did good," Zuko smirked pouring himself some water into a metal cup. 

"I see she did a good hit on ya too lad," the captain laughed loudly with a wheeze seeing the bruise on his cheek.

"Well she's a fighter," Zuko smiled a little at him. 

"But she's safe?" The old captain asked. 

"Yea xan, shes safe, ozai can't commit genocide without a wedding to crash," Zuko nodded sipping his water. 

"Good, you're a good lad," Xan gulped nodding but broke out into heavy coughs as Zuko grabbed a cloth and bucket as the old man hacked up blood and spit into the bucket.

"You don't have much time do you?" Zuko gulped a little looking at his mentor. 

"Ah, I'm as good as I was when I was your age, you calling me old?" Xan asked rolling his one eye. 

"Yep," Zuko pursed his lips.

"Ah, it's just a wee cough, how long have I been up to this?" Xan waved him off but grasped zukos hand seeing his anxiousness. 

"It's just life little lad, you know as best as I we can't stop death, but when it comes I'm happy to see my wife again," he nodded gripping the mans hand with a small squeeze.

"Your probably going to hell you know," Zuko snorted a little at him. 

"I'll see the spitfire bitch down there... you hear that Zana! I'm coming for you ya two time whore!" Xan yelled down at the ground as he heard Zuko laugh the smallest bit.

"Eh she's my two time whore, I miss her," he grunted laying back down and Zuko smiled at him but shook his head. 

"Don't worry, I ain't going any time soon, the miss's can wait down in hell and yell at my stupid decisions as long as it takes for me to finish what I need up here," he nodded as Zuko took his water for him.

"Yea and what's that?" Zuko smirked standing up. 

"Just to make sure you live longer than I," xan smiled up at him. 

"Well if I kill you know mission accomplished," Zuko shrugged but ducked the cup that was thrown at him by his mentor. 

"Get out of here before I throw you out the window," xan flipped him off as Zuko smiled a little closing the door behind him.