Heading towards a small island, an ironclad split the sea. Like a knife opening a parchment envelope, waters around it parted. Men worked about the deck preparing to dock as the island drew nearer. After weeks of fruitless sailing, they were happy to see a shoreline and much needed reprieve from the salt spray, ocean storms, and endless meals of fish. Except for one. That same young man glared at the approaching isle. His arms folded across his chest; he did not bother to hide his disapproval.
"Uncle, why are we going to dock here, of all places? We're behind the Avatar by at least a week. We don't have time—"
"We will catch up to him in time. He doesn't make himself subtle about his movements. Besides, the crew is in need of some rest and I promised a friend that I would stop by if I was ever in the area. You must learn to relax, Zuko."
The corner of Zuko's lips twitched. His first sighting in the frigid south made him anxious. The Avatar proved to be a far more cunning boy than he expected. Of course, he'd expected to find a frail old man hiding in the frozen wastes and not some child. Any delay in finding him further postponed Zuko's return home.
"Who is this friend of yours exactly? You don't seem to talk very much about him. Or the fact that he lives on an island in the middle of the ocean."
"He is a very...reclusive man. But he does not neglect old friends or guests. You'll enjoy his company, and perhaps learn a few things from him."
Zuko doubted that very much. They reached shore and docked in one of its two ports. The island supported a medium-sized village. It was a pit stop for sailors and traders. Beyond the village stood a thick forest. Snow was still melting off the pine branches. A late winter wind passed through still strong enough to chill to the bone. Cast in stark contrast with the evergreen forest was a slate-gray monastery carved out of the mountain peak that made up half the island. Zuko didn't complain when he saw how happy it made Uncle Iroh to finally dock and make his way towards the village. If it made him happy, Zuko could withstand a short delay for a while.
He followed Iroh through the thoroughfare of the markets that marked the shoreline. Most of them were from the Fire Nation trading with soldiers and governors sailing to and from. Despite their presence, the locals lived in a comfortable state. For now. There wasn't enough of them to start a rebellion and it would be easy for a small fleet to destroy the island entirely. Iroh perused through the markets, stopping at every other stall to inspect the merchandise. Zuko sighed. It took every bit of effort not to roll his eyes or make a snarky comment when Iroh went about his window shopping. Zuko perched himself against a corner of building to wait it out. Eventually his uncle would get bored. Aside from the business of the market, it didn't appear to be very noisy. It was unearthly quiet for a village.
His gaze turned towards the monastery tucked into the mountain side, seemingly carved out of the stone. There but one road leading up to it. A red gate at the end of the village led to a dirt road which cut through the pine woods. Only birds made a sound, chirping and fluttering in the trees. He began to think it was abandoned.
"Shang, no! Get down."
At first, Zuko thought it was someone reprimanding her son. When he looked, he didn't see a mother and child, but a girl and a white tiger, of all things. But not just any tiger. That would be too obvious. What she was trying to tame was a white sabretooth lion-tiger. The beast smacked its lips; its gaze fixed on the prize. Zuko looked to find the fish merchant nervous but not pale from terror.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Chen. You know how hungry he is first thing in the morning."
"It's alright, Hei Lin. Let me get them for you. How many do you need?"
"Six."
The fish merchant didn't balk. He grabbed the requested number of fat tuna from the basket the lion-tiger leered over. The girl Hei Lin fished the coin purse tied to her waist, opened it on the counter, and pushed a pile of coins towards Mr. Chen. With a smile, he handed over a bag of fish. Shang the lion-tiger grabbed one when the girl was busy tying her coin purse back onto her belt. She chided her pet for being impatient, but manners were a little late when the beast scarfed it down. Nothing except a few bits of bones remained behind. Shang crushed the rest between his powerful teeth. The girl plucked the decimated fish from the ground and pitched into a bin Mr. Chen provided for refuse.
"And that's all you're going to get until after Third Bell," she chided the beast.
She hefted the heavy fish into the bag on her shoulders and started to walk away from the fish merchant. As she looked up, their eyes met. Hers and Zuko's.
She was attractive, for a peasant girl. She looked to be his age. Her long-braided hair reached the base of her spine. From the distance, it was hard for him to make out the color of her eyes. She was very pretty, but her drab clothes diminished her good looks. Head to toe, she wore gray robes similar to a monk's. A cloak of coarse blue felt kept the cool sea breeze at bay. Hei Lin didn't blush when their eyes met. She smiled softly and nodded in his direction before moving on. He watched her until she disappeared towards the other market stalls.
"There you are, Zuko!" His uncle finally decided to make an appearance. Zuko tried not to remind him that he'd been standing around for almost an hour. "Did you find anything interesting?"
In response, Zuko shrugged. He briefly wondered if Uncle Iroh had seen the strange girl with an even stranger pet lion-tiger walking around like it was nothing. He stuck close by to his uncle while the latter wandered through the shops. Zuko glanced around, but there was nothing that either caught his interest or would be useful for finding the Avatar. It was approaching noon when he asked, "Aren't we going to visit your friend, Uncle?"
"We have an appointed time. He said to arrive at the temple around afternoon. In the meantime, let's relax. Take in some fresh air. Browse a little." Uncle's eyes were charmed by a statue for sale displayed on an art merchant's table outside his shop. "You never know what you might find."
Zuko leaned over Uncle Iroh's shoulder to look at what had so distracted him. It was a bronze statue nearly a foot tall of a woman dressed in flowing robes. Her hair was hidden beneath a veil swept by a wind. She held a vase in one of her tiny hands and a pine branch in the other. Her bare feet stood on top of a dragon, which didn't seem too made about being used as a footstool. Tongues of flame wreathed around her head. Her eyes were cast downward as if seeing something funny on the ground below her. The artisan molded a small yet expressive mouth that smiled gracefully at anyone who looked at the statue.
"Who's that supposed to be?" It didn't resemble any Avatar he'd read about, though it was still possible. The clothes were too old to be from any period within the last five hundred years or more. They were ancient.
"Kwan Yin, I believe. A goddess or spirit of peace."
"Never heard of her."
"Her cult is largely unknown. There are fanatics who believe that only the Avatar is to be venerated. I couldn't tell you much more than that. You can ask my friend Latsing more about her if you're curious."
Zuko, of course, said nothing to this. They walked a little further, nearing the end of the marketplace. At the end of the street, Uncle Iroh found a small bookstore. This was the one place Zuko didn't mind venturing inside. He could get away from the salty breeze accosting him and perhaps find something to pass the time while he searched for the Avatar. Stuck on a ship gave him a little cabin fever.
But lo and behold, it took two steps for them to realize that they were not alone. Laying on the ground, stretched out like a fat house cat, napped the white lion-tiger Zuko saw earlier. By its head stood a familiar fish basket, holding five tuna fish. The lion-tiger's tail twitched but made no move to even glance at passers-by. Customers entered and left the book shop without so much as the lion-tiger batting an eye. Zuko's jaw nearly fell open as he watched a couple of locals even stoop down to rub the beast's head and scratch behind its ears. The lion-tiger bathed in the affection purring loudly. Only once did it peer up with icy-blue eyes, and that was when Zuko and Uncle Iroh entered the bookstore. The beast growled softly as Zuko passed it, and then flopped back down into the half-frozen dirt to continue its nap.
A tinkling bell rang above their heads as they entered. The store's products were divided between scrolls and leather-bound tomes. Scrolls were kept in cubbies against one wall and shelves were lined with books on the other. A long table ran down the middle of the store, displaying books and little knickknacks. Behind the paneled counter, stood a wire-thin man dressed in beige and wore thin spectacles.
"Give me a moment, Miss Hei Lin, dear, I have new customers," said the shop keep addressing the young woman in gray and blue.
She half turned. Yes, it was the same girl. He doubted there were many teenage girls in town with a pet lion-tiger.
"Welcome." The shop keep greeted them and bowed from waist. "How can I assist you?"
Hei Lin woke up at first bell, but not in a pleasant way. In the night, she had strange dreams. Of course, she couldn't remember them well. Though it left her an imprint on her mind, she couldn't recall most of the dream's details. What she could remember was stranger still. A pair of dragons, one white and one red, encircled each other as if preparing to fight. The red dragon flew off and the white chased after it. They flew through the clouds. The clouds parted to reveal a city built into a mountain, shining and resplendent. Then she woke up.
She rubbed her face and peeled off the blankets. Shang stirred. He's slept in her room since the day she found in the woods. He made an excellent guard dog and personal wake up call. He opened his massive jaws to yawn. Shaking himself awake, he padded over to her bed tucked into the corner. Hei Lin petted his head which now lay in her lap. She scratched behind his ears. Shang showed his gratitude by licking her wrist until she stopped. Hei Lin walked over to the basin of cold water and washed her hands.
Her room was small and segregated from the rest. It contained a bed, a wash basin and a stand, a shelf which contained all her books and scrolls, and a chest of drawers for clothes, which contained nothing but gray robes. Hei Lin changed into those aforementioned robes, put on some shoes, and brushed her long, long hair. She ran the brush over her hair until it was smooth and braided it. Shang followed close behind, as usual, when she stepped out her room quietly as possible. She proceeded down the hall past the monks' rooms. It was almost time for First Bell, when all the monks went into the sanctuary to offer prayers and meditate. She was only allowed to participate in a handful of rituals. Not because she was a teenage girl, but because she wasn't inducted in the order officially. Master Latsing took her under his wing, offering protection and education. As long as she lived in the temple, she would listen to whatever she was told.
The temple was still with only a small amount of stirring coming from behind the doors to their rooms. Slowly, the monks arose for morning prayer. It didn't bother her that she wasn't allowed to participate. Hei Lin had gotten used to the treatment. It was a small price to pay for shelter, education, food, and clothing. She owed her life to the temple which opened its doors to her when she was found abandoned at its porch steps. If not for the monks' compassion, especially Master Latsing's, she would have died of exposure in that cruel winter. It still didn't make things any easier. She liked to learn, and she was welcome to join in their martial arts. There were privileges she was granted like access to their library and to their garden. She could come and go as she pleased. There was nothing that kept her a prisoner in these walls, and yet, the monks made it very hard to leave. Where else would she go? She had no family to speak of except the one she made in the temple. Hei Lin didn't even know where she came from or if she was simply born on the island. All that she knew of the world came from books she bought with her tiny allowance.
She approached Master Latsing's room. Through the thin rice paper door, she could see a couple candles burning behind the screen.
"Master Latsing?" Said Hei Lin.
"Come in," he answered back.
Hei Lin slid open the door and closed it behind her before Shang could sneak in. The problem with Shang was that he was terribly allergic to cats. He allowed Shang's presence only because Hei Lin was too fond of him and he made a great protector when Latsing was preoccupied with other things.
Master Latsing appeared to be in his mid to late forties, far younger than some of the other masters. If he had hair, it would be growing gray by now. He shaved all his hair except his dark eyebrows. His skin was tanned from the work and training he did outside when the warm seasons permitted. He'd grown fairer since the beginning of winter when there wasn't much to do, and it was too cold to train or tend the garden. Master Latsing's features could be called handsome with only a few worry lines wrinkling his forehead. While most of the monks had gray or brown eyes, Master Latsing had amber-colored ones, leaving almost no doubt where he hailed from. There were a number of monks who objected his leadership simply because he was from the Fire Nation. However, the temple was a neutral ground where nationalities and bloodlines were left at the door. Master Latsing had showed no sign of favoritism in the war and discreetly opposed it. He had to be careful how he spoke because the island, although mostly autonomous, was still considered an enclave of the Fire Nation. Protected as they were, the Fire Nation would still raise the temple to the ground if they even suspected of blasphemous and traitorous opinions of a monk.
"After supper, you said to meet you in the morning. What did you want to talk about?" Hei Lin had been curious all night wondering what Master Latsing had to say to her and why he couldn't say it then. Did he worry about privacy?
"Ah, good. You remembered. Have a seat." He gestured to the cushion on the floor sitting on the other side of his low desk.
Hei Lin sat down and peered at the letter he was busy writing. She did no more than glance then turned away before she could decipher the characters. It really wasn't her busy to know what Master Latsing was writing or to whom.
"We have some important guests coming to visit today," said Master Latsing.
"Visitors?"
They weren't unheard of, but Hei Lin could only remember a handful of times in her life that visitors came up the carved path and enter the temple. Usually they were prospective monks or medicine men seeking advice. On only one occasion was there a tourist. Hei Lin was very young, maybe three or four years old. She couldn't remember well. Whenever they had a visitor, she was told to stay in her room. The temple didn't want others to know that the monks allowed a young girl to stay with them. Hei Lin was prepared to hear a familiar speech about not being seen while the guests visit, but Master Latsing threw her off balance when he said just the opposite.
"I would like you to meet them. He's a good friend of mine who has helped me in the past. He's bringing his nephew with him."
Hei Lin's brows furrowed. "I don't understand."
"Iroh knows your situation and will protect the reputation of the temple, and yours. He is a good friend that I want you to be acquainted with."
"But why?"
Master Latsing gave a soft laugh. "You'll see in time. For now, why don't you take a walk through the village? Don't you have to feed your friend over there?" He pointed to Shang's shadow staring at them from behind the rice paper screen door.
Shang growled in approval. He was an eight-hundred-and-fifty-pound house cat that loved to eat.
"I'll go get some fish in the market, then."
Master Latsing reached into his robes and retrieved a small pouch. Handing it towards her, Hei Lin took it.
"Master—"
"Take it. I won't hear 'no' out of you."
Hei Lin knew better than to argue. She bowed her head and thanked him. The coin purse weighed more than usual. She shook it and heard a plentiful amount of coins jingling inside. Hei Lin turned back to Master Latsing, but he gave her a warning glance. She was not to argue. Despite feeling that he was feeling a little too generous this morning, Hei Lin, nevertheless, tied the coin purse to her belt. She stood to leave, however not before she gave Master Latsing one more glance over her shoulder. Sometimes, he had the habit of giving her this strange look. Hei Lin sometimes caught him looking at her with a tender look with a sad smile on his face and eyes that looked like he was about to cry. Master Latsing gave her this same look when she peered over her shoulder. She never understood it but didn't feel the need to ask why. Hei Lin slid the door to his room open and left without any further protest.
Dawn breeched the horizon by the time she climbed all the way down the path from the temple to the merchant village at the foot of the mountain. At this point, the locals were used to seeing her and the lion-tiger that followed her almost everywhere. There were some merchants who became radiant when they saw the two together because that meant Hei Lin had coin to spare to feed her giant house cat. Shang was perfectly tame; Hei Lin made sure of that. He didn't require a leash when she took him out of the temple. Fire Nation soldiers who gave her curious looks as she passed with Shang by her side. She made her usual rounds to the fish and meat merchants. She filled a basket with precious meat and fish while trying to keep Shang from eating goods she hadn't yet bought.
While dealing with Mr. Chen one of the fish merchants, Hei Lin felt a prickle on the back of her neck. All the hair there stood on end. She did her best to ignore it as she was preoccupied with keeping Shang from digging into a basket of tuna. Mr. Chen was patient enough to help with her money as she had to keep a firm grip on Shang's leather collar. She stuffed her basket with six more fish before calling it a day. When she turned to go down the street, her eyes caught the attention of another. She never saw him before, but this was nothing new. People came and went frequently. Judging by the distinct color and design of his armor, he was sailing from the Fire Nation. Goosebumps erupted over her skin. She smiled and bowed with her head. Ignoring the prickly sensation running through her, Hei Lin continued down the street to her favorite place on the island. Well, second favorite place.
Arriving at her destination, Hei Lin left her basket outside the shop. Shang laid down next to it. Knowing Shang would stop anybody who'd dare try steal his dinner, Hei Lin entered the familiar bookstore. Mr. Kaoru, the proprietor, burned incense in the back to perfume the store. It was a welcoming scent that removed the stench of sea salt, brine, and fish that permeated the marketplace.
"My favorite customer!" Mr. Yen was a wiry man in his forties. As far as she could tell, he was single with no family. She liked to think it was because he was so in love with books that marrying anyone seemed like an act of infidelity. She never saw him without a scroll or tome in hand and was always looking out for the best book.
However, being a small shop on a small island in the middle of the ocean didn't help business. Hei Lin was his favorite customer probably she was his only customer that came in more than once every few months. She knew the shelves and cubbies like the back of her hand. As a matter of fact, she knew the bookstore almost as well as she knew the temple layout.
"How are you, Mr. Kaoru?"
"My dear, I'm doing very well. I just finished a scroll last night. The Mountain of Flowers by Bao Tian-Tian…"
"The one where a soldier falls in love with a celestial spirit?"
"And he has to complete a list of impossible tasks in order for her father, a mountain guardian, to allow their marriage, yes! That one!"
"I finished it last week."
Mr. Kaoru's jaw fell to the floor. "It's a mile tong scroll. How did you finish it so quickly? You only bought it last week."
"I…have a lot of time on my hands," Hei Lin answered. "Any way, do you have anything new?"
"Anything new?" Mr. Kaoru laughed. "You've read almost everything in my store. I'm afraid I won't get another ship until next month."
Hei Lin tried to hide her disappointment. She warned herself to pace through her books before buying a new one, but she wasn't very good at listening to her own advice.
"But," said Mr. Kaoru, "I think I might have something in the back that I know you'll love. Allow me one moment and I'll—"
The bell above the shop door chimed. A pair entered the bookstore. The first was a portly man in Fire Nation dress. The second following behind also wore the same. He also happened to be the young man Hei Lin caught glances with in the market. She tried not to stare as the strange tingles ran up her spine. Her skin prickled with goosebumps. Mr. Kaoru pardoned himself and greeted the newcomers with his usual air of gentility. Hei Lin got out of their way as they browsed the shelves. But the younger man kept glancing back at her now and then. She clutched the coarse cloak tighter to herself. She wasn't afraid of what he would do to her; she was afraid of the weird sensations erupting in her chest. Hei Lin wasn't immune to the so-called butterflies in her stomach. She knew about crushes and love. Most of her books were romances, if anybody should ask. This…whatever this was, she was certain it wasn't the stirrings of a young woman's heart. It was something far different.
Suddenly, Hei Lin remembered the white and red dragons from her dream and the glistening city carved out of a mountain. Her heart started racing, beating against her rib cage.
She didn't know why she did it. Hei Lin rarely acted without thinking first. Seeing him closer, being in the same room as him, and feeling her body slowly leave her control, she shot out of the store like a lightning bolt. She gathered her basket and sprinted back towards the temple; Shang hot on her tail.
"How unusual," said the shopkeeper. "Miss Hei Lin has always been very polite, especially to strangers."
He helped Uncle Iroh find some reading material while Zuko wandered around the store. The curious girl's reaction was highly unusual indeed. She seemed normal at first. She even greeted him earlier with a tip of her head.
Uncle Iroh collected his purchase. An obscene amount for a few scrolls, but Zuko thought it better than to argue. When they finally headed towards the temple seated in the mountain, neither saw the girl again. They made their way up the carved steps. On either side, pine trees greeted them on their way up. White snow melted and gave way to green, muddy earth. When they arrived, the wide double doors were already opened for them.
They first arrived in a courtyard. In the middle was a sand garden tended to by a couple of monks clad in gray robes. As Zuko looked a little closer, he thought he recognized something familiar about their robes. Almost as if he'd seen them somewhere before, but that would be impossible.
"I think I see him now!" Uncle Iroh waved to another monk approaching them.
He wasn't an old, wizened man Zuko expected. The monk shaved his head and wore the same gray robes as the others. His amber eyes set him apart from the others. Iroh and the monk bowed to each other and embraced briefly.
"Zuko, this is my friend Latsing. Latsing, my nephew, Prince Zuko."
Zuko bowed. His uncle sacrificed much to travel with him. The least Zuko could do was show his uncle's friend the respect he deserved.
"Your Highness, it is an honor to meet you," said Latsing.
The words stung. Nobody called him 'Your Highness' anymore. It was always 'Prince Zuko' or simply Zuko. Any royal honorifics were forgotten.
"We'll be taking tea in our dining hall. If you please, follow me." Latsing gave a tour of the temple while taking them to the dining hall.
It was an austere temple. Many of the walls were painted with murals of spirits, good and evil. A figure was prominent though. The same feminine figure that he saw in the marketplace. Instead of bronze statuary, Kwan Yin's presence made itself known in the illuminated paintings of her on the walls and in the hanging scrolls decorating the columns. The dining hall was a little less austere to impress patrons and guests. A low table of lacquered wood stretched from one end to the other. Red walls were painted with portraits of spirits and celestial creatures. Kwan Yin's portrait stood above the head of the table, forever watching those who took meals here. Her robes were painted with gold leaf and semi-precious jewels were pressed into her forehead, ears, and necklace. She carried golden peaches in her arm and offered one in her hand. They sat near the head of the table with Latsing taking the prominent seat.
Uncle Iroh and Latsing chatted while the tea was being prepared in the kitchen. The doors to the kitchen were set inside an alcove off to the left. They swung open with a gentle push by a girl in gray monk robes. She had her back to them at first as she had her hands full with the heavy-set tea tray. Her shoulder gently pushed open the doors and she slipped into the dining room quiet as a mouse. When she turned, once more their eyes met. She quickly turned away. She went about setting the tea. Instead of three, there were four cups.
The girl served Latsing first, then Uncle Iroh, Zuko, and then herself. She sat next to Iroh on the opposite side of Zuko.
"Allow me to introduce to you my pupil, Hei Lin." Latsing gestured towards the girl.
She bowed her head, "An honor to meet you."