Aztec Diary The Ancient Tales: Book One

by Leanah Song

I had to do this for school and everyone said it was really good and told me to post it. A lost diary found in a newly discovered Aztec City tells the tale of two girls living in the Aztec empire. Love, freedom, and hope mark their paths.

3. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Unnoticed Beauty

Cuetlachtli dressed unhurriedly in her cueitl and huipilli, a long skirt that she tied around her waist and a simple white blouse. The blouse was optional but her skin was wet after her afternoon bath and the makeshift yellow die that all Aztec women wore. She even put her hair in the two loops over her forehead.

She went without many things in the wilderness, but what she could make with berries and herbs, she did. She had even gone so far as to tattoo herself on her arms and chest as all the beautiful women in the cities do. Unfortunately she couldn't find any red or black paint to cover her teeth with, so ultimate beauty could not be attained.

Sometimes she asked herself why this was so necessary but she could never come up with a truly good reason. She had told herself that it was if anyone came to the forest they would not think that a wild woman was out here, but mostly it was just so she could feel pretty. She didn't know how to give a good explanation for that.

But today she had a good explanation, she had seen a fire in one of the keeping friends for the turkeys and dogs some of the people kept to eat. She would act like her namesake, the wolf, and take the turkeys. Yolotli and her would eat like nobles tonight!

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When Cuetlachtli arrived at the burning field it was as she suspected, the turkeys squawking and running around, the dogs growling and huddled in a corner.

Though the field was burning it was only burning on the left side, but the right back corner lay untouched, that was where she went in. The dogs immediately ran out (she always knew they were smart), but the turkeys were the dumbest animals she had ever seen. They darted around and didn't even notice the gap in the fence.

It seemed like it took hours to just get five of the turkeys out of the pen, but truly it was only about half an hour. By the time an hour had passed only the craziest of birds had escaped her. She was so determined to get every last one that she failed to notice the people running up the hillside. They were pointing and exclaiming. And it was all because of her.