Chapter 1: Lesson of the forest
I looked from the cliff at the ship that was coming. A fire nation ship.
"Katara?" I turned and saw Hama, a little girl from my tribe. I smiled.
"Yes, Hama?"
"What will they do with us?" My smile disappeared and I looked serious at her.
"They will do nothing to us; I will make sure of that as I always do." She nod and I lifted her up in my arms. "Let's not think about such sad things." I smiled. "It will be alright." She nods with a smile and I walked to the camp. Everyone was a bit worried but no one showed it because they didn't want to make the children afraid.
"I will go and check the soldiers." They nod and I pulled up the hood before jumping down at the water surface and used water bending to move fast with the river. If they were a threat to us I need to get rid of them before anyone in the tribe bet hurt.
I walked the last part, humming, and watched them from distance when they walked in land. Some soldiers looked around when they heard the humming.
"She is watching us." One of them said.
"Of course she does. She is guarding her tribe." I looked at the ship when a big amount of guards came out and everyone bowed. The crown prince was with them! I kept humming and he looked around he to.
"She is here, isn't she?" The head guard nod.
"We don't think she has been her long but she will judge us. Either we are a threat and an enemy or harmless." The prince nods and made them leave him alone then he walked out in the forest. Curious as I got I followed him. When he had walked a bit he stopped and looked directly at me.
"I can't say you have tried to hide yourself, Painted Lady." I stepped out of the shadows and his eyes widened when he saw me.
"You are just a child…" He whispered.
"Watch your tongue, crown prince." He looked away, blushing.
"I'm sorry. I got carried away." He looked at me again. "But you are a child. What can you be? Thirteen? Fourteen?" He asked.
"Seventeen." I answered.
"Two years younger than me and you have already hunted down hundreds of men because they were a threat to your tribe that live somewhere in this forest." He did a gesture at the forest and shot some fire at it at the same time.
"And I can do it again if you or your men are a threat to my tribe or the forest."
"This is the fire nation's forest!" He said angry. I walked to him so I stood just a few centimeters from his face and gave him a cold look.
"This forest belongs to no now other than the Mother. You can't own it; definitely not make it come alive when you can't see what's in front of you." I turned around and walked away but stopped when he stopped me.
"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked and I looked at him.
"Every rock and tree and creature has a life, has a spirit and has a name. If you don't know those, if you can't see it you can't make the earth listen or live. Your people, the fire benders, are incapable to listen to the nature because your people burns it, kills it. You will never make this land fall under your will." I took back my hand and walked in to the forest and jumped up in a tree when I felt he followed me. I looked down at him when he sat down at a stock with a sigh.
"And what should I do now? I lost her and this is my last chance." I put the head on one side. Last chance? To do what? I sat down and waited for the rest of his mumbling. "He will banish me for ruin this chance." I closed my eyes. Someone would hurt him and the only thing he had ruined was his chance to talk to me for a while. I opened my eyes again. This someone wanted information from me but would hurt the prince if he didn't get it. I can't just leave him like that. I started to sing:
"Wild the fairy garden grows. Twining 'round like mistletoe . Poison sweet as berry wine . Fauns know which one is kind. There are no such things as leaves. Only baby fairy trees . Branches grow as strong as horns . Ones that fauns can adorn. Do... do you dare. Secrets everywhere" He looked up when he heard the song and smiled.
"You are still here." He whispered and sighed relived. "You aren't too angry at me for being stupid." I smiled when I heard his words. I jumped down and stopped behind him and laid my hands at his head. He winced and looked up at me.
"Painted Lady… I…"
"Shh, you will scary them away. They have accepted you."
"Them?" I pointed at the little blue mist that came but then spirits of dead animals came out from it and rushed past us. Zuko looked at them with big eyes. Flower spirits grew around us and some animal stopped to eat some.
"What on earth is this?" He asked me. I laid down my hands at his shoulders and looked at them and felt his eyes.
"This is the spirits of the past, which mean spirits of those who died in harmony with the nature. Fire benders who kill the nature will never come to this cycle because you kill it. You aren't in harmony with the nature." He looked at them again.
"But you said they accepted my, what do you mean but that and why me?"
"Not many humans are allowed to see them. Just those with a pure heart and a mind of gold will be allowed to see them. You were accepted because you have something of those or both. The forest want's to teach you a lesson in something."
"But I'm not. I came here to get information from you for an impure meaning. My father wants this forest and the powers which come with it!"
"But not you. You aren't your father, prince. Do not compare yourself to him. The nature have accepted you and will teach you and I will help her to teach you."
"Her? The Mother as you calls the nature?" I nod.
"The Mother of nature, Gaia, want's to teach you what you a necessary lesson from nature."
The song is of course "Mercede's lullaby" from Pans Labyrinth. Hope you like it!
*To hear the version I'm meaning so search for "Mercede's lullaby" ~Ashley Serena feat. Chriss Knorr and you will find it! :)