Smellerbee wasn't very pretty or the brightest in mind. Her mother only thought to marry her off as soon as possible to the best suitor, while her father ruled over her like a dark thundercloud. It seemed whatever she did, her father didn't approve. She had been educated by the finest scholars and learned how to play the flute. The day she turned eight, her mother introduced her to Forest, a tall gangly boy who she was to wed when she turned fourteen.
"White Jade, stop running around in the garden!" Called her mother
White Jade trudged unhappily into the house. Her mother and two servants bathed and washed her hair. They dressed her in a beautiful robe of green and black silk. Her mother combed her long black hair until it fell down her waist, straight and shiny while the servants put powder and blush on her face. They sprized her with a funky smelling perfume that made Fluffy, the little catbird in the corner wrinkle her nose with disgust. Her mother and the servants left her when the doorbell rang while Jade stared back at her reflection in the mirror. She looked at her powdered face and felt as if she was looking at a stranger. Suddenly a servant knocked.
"Ms. Jade, the boy has arrived." White Jade nodded and rose from her chair.
"He is tall, handsome, and comes from a prosperous family!" Gushed the servant. "He is perfect for you."
She nodded silently and followed the servant where her parents were standing with Toko and his parents.
She smiled and bowed at the visitors. "Pleased to meet you" she said.
The parents nudged each other as Toko smiled at her. "I'm Toko" he said.
"My name is White Jade." she replied.
The grownups talked with each other about business as Toko bragged about his amazing earth bending skills. He 'bended' a piece of earth to impress Jade, but the rock fell and crushed his foot, and she couldn't help but laugh as he hopped around, clutching his injured limb.
Toko got angry. "What are you laughing at?"
"Nothing" said White Jade, suddenly her father appeared, along with her mother and Forest's parents.
"Jade," said her father, "why don't you entertain our guests with some of your earth bending?"
Jade nodded mechanically. "It would be my honor."
She started earth bending with the skill a master should have. Toko gasped and watched her do different tricks with the earth. A servant appeared with two broadswords.
"What are these for?" Her mother inquired.
"Her training" replied Jade's father. While she stood unsuspecting, he flung the swords at her with lightening speed. She parried them with earth easily. He called for more knives
Two,
Four,
Five,
Seven,
Ten
Her father and the servants held twelve knives. All at once, they let loose the swords. Jade parried them all with earth bending. When the mist cleared, twelve swords laid in a perfect circle around her.
Toko and his parents stood stock still-shocked.
The servants collected the knives and gave them to her father. "One last time" said her father. "But this time, I want you to defect knives with your broadswords."
A servant handed Jade two broadswords. She stood in her stance, totally concentrated.
As she deflected the first blow, the cook ran threw the house, screaming "Fire Nation! EVERYONE RUN!"
Toko and his parents ran out of the house in terror, as White Jade's mother hid behind her. White Jade's father quickly ran into the house and grabbed his best swords. He tossed them to her. Brandishing the swords, Jade held off the soldiers as her mother and her father fled the village.
The fight was long, hard, and moved with a lightning fast speed. She managed to kill several fire benders. Twice she got burned, and even more times she was bruised and cut. As afternoon turned into evening, the fight persisted. Jade's energy was wearing down before she saw two fire benders kill her parents. She saw the wild crazy look on her mother's face before she was set on fire.
Jade's temper fired up. She tucked her blades into their coverings and emerged behind a wall. Twelve fire benders surrounded her. She counted to ten in her head and produced a massive earthquake that killed the soldiers.
That day changed her life forever. She huddled in the coverings of a tree, trying to stay warm. She wandered over to the pond and stared at her gross reflection. Her cheeks were slashed from knives and her entire body was bruised. She took out the two daggers she'd tucked into her boot and sliced off her flowing black mane. She was left with a boyish haircut that reminded her of a mushroom. Staring back at her, she felt she could finally recognize herself.
Smellerbee heard a knock on the door. It was Longshot, carrying two bowls of rice and her favorite foods. Smellerbee smiled and they started to eat on the table they'd made with their own hands. She looked at his long lean face and thought its time to put the past beside me, this is where I belong.