"Why does this room look like an air temple?" A little boy asked as he carried the latest round of cabbages into the kitchen.
"Don't dally, give them here now." A woman with hair as gray as a storm gathered the boy's cabbages in her arms and examined them. "I wish I could grow these in Omashu, but I suppose I should be glad our garden is close enough for you to get them to me before they wilt." She smiled at the boy before she put the cabbages on the kitchen counter and began cutting them up.
"You didn' answer me." The boy crossed his arms and repeated the question.
"And just how do you know what the air temple looks like? It was destroyed by firebenders long before you were born."
"We were shown a paintin' of 'em in class." The boy retorted as he watched her meticulous hands. "But it's not just the kitchen, Granma. Your work room is all blue and decorated like it's in the arctic – which Mom told me was like the Water Tribe. An' your bedroom," the boy looked around to make sure nobody was listening. "Your bedroom is all red an' orange, which I know is like the Fire Nation!" The boy looked at his grandmother with accusing eyes. "If you're loyal to the Earth Kingdom, why would your rooms look like the other kingdoms?"
The old woman wiped her hands off and looked at her grandson. He would be turning eight soon, but she would have thought it wouldn't be her variety of décor that caused him to ask about her past. She figured he would have said something when he saw her working, or when his favorite cousin had to move so he could better master his bending, or how about every day when he saw her wearing the yellow and orange garb of air nomads.
"To answer that, I would have to tell you a bit of a long story." She continued cutting the cabbages while her grandson pulled up a chair so he could sit and listen better.
"I can wait. I need make sure you're not a Fire Nation spy."
She arched her eyebrow. She, of all people, had the most reason to want the Fire Nation to be put back in its place. But, of course, she would have to go through her story for her grandson to know that. So, taking in a deep breath, she began.
"I was born near the southern air temple to two airbenders. I happened to be the rarity of a child born to air nomads who was not an airbender, but since my mother was such a prodigious nun in the eastern air temple, I was allowed to stay there and help breed the air bison…"
Author's Note: Hello, and thank you for reading the introduction to my new story! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Just so you are aware, the first half of this story focuses on the different kinds of bending, and the second half of the story focuses on the beginning of the Hundred Years' War from the perspective of my main character. I personally do not prefer having two different feels to one story, but hopefully the ongoing story will keep you intrigued.
Please leave a review; I would appreciate any feedback you would provide!