Chapter Three

All's Fair

I'd asked Reshi not to tell anyone that nothing had happened. Gorou wanted Shun to think that something had happened, so the fewer people who knew, the better. It hurt to see the looks of sadness on Enkou and Lee's faces when they saw me, but I couldn't do anything to reassure them.

And then one day, there came a knock on the door to my room in the evening when Gorou and Reshi were firebending. I moved my water bucket into a corner and went to answer.

It came as a surprise, though I suppose it really shouldn't have. It was Gorou's intention, after all, in a way. To have Shun take notice.

Because that's who was at the door. Gorou's wife. Shun.

I dropped into a low bow, my back almost sloping downward.

"Mistress," I said.

I held my hands steady, though they wanted to shake. From this woman's point of view, I had invaded her home and stolen away her husband, never mind that I had no choice in the matter. She would hate me; that much was certain. But why was she here? To torment me? Or to tell me to leave?

"Your name is Katara, no?" I heard her say.

"Yes, Mistress."

"Let me see your face, Katara."

I straightened up, letting my arms fall back to my sides. I could not look her in the eyes, so instead I stared at her shoes.

"Look at me, child," she said. "I want to see your eyes."

I took a deep breath and moved my head up. And for the first time, I got a good look at her face. She had been a beauty once; that much was clear. She still was, in a way. Though there were streaks of gray in her glossy black hair and wrinkles around her eyes and mouth, she had a strength to her that radiated from her skin in a pale glow.

She smiled, and her face was all the more striking because of it.

"Well, you are lovely," she said.

"Thank you, Mistress."

"I can see why my husband bought you," she said, her smile fading a bit.

"Mistress, I am so sor—"

"Don't apologize, Katara," Shun said. "While I can't pretend to rejoice in your presence here, I understand your position. I won't hate you for something you can't control."

I stared at her.

She gave a tiny giggle. "Close your mouth, girl. It ill becomes you."

I snapped it shut. Then I opened it again and asked, "Mistress, do you need something?"

She tilted her head. "In a way, I do. Though you may not believe me, I love my husband. I want him to come back to me."

"Forgive me, Mistress, but didn't you leave him?"

"Quite true," she said. "It hasn't seemed to work, has it? I'd hoped he loved me more than his drinking and would give it up if it meant my return. But he's more foolish than I thought."

"Then why did you come to me?" I asked.

"Katara, you and I have something in common. We are both women. You are too young to have realized this yet, but we women are different from men in more ways than the obvious. While men may get their way by rushing ahead and acting like barbarians, we cannot. We must be clever and cunning and occasionally sneaky to get what we want. I could just tell Gorou to stop his vile hobby, but that would accomplish nothing. Instead, I must make him think that he himself had the idea of giving it up. That is the only way to get men to do anything good with themselves."

It was a cynical way to look at things. Then I thought of Sokka. Perhaps it had some truth to it, after all.

"So," she continued, "to answer your question: I came to you to propose a deal."

I blinked. A deal? She was my owner. Why not just give me my orders and be done?

"I'll do whatever it takes, Mistress," I said.

"Good. I'm glad. I could have asked one of the other servants to do this, but I thought it better for me to meet you and diffuse some of the tension in this house." She gestured to my room. "May I come in?"

"Of course!" I said, moving back to allow her to enter. She walked inside, and I closed the door behind her.

"Gorou keeps most of his money in a chest in his room, for ease of access. What I need you to do is put it in bags and give it to me. Gorou will notice that it's gone and tell the city guard. They will investigate and determine that it has been stolen, so he will come to me and beg for drinking money. Of course, I won't give it to him. After he's had a few months of sobriety, I will reveal what happened to his gold, but by then, he will, with luck, have overcome his addiction."

I listened to all this without changing my face. It was an interesting plan, but I wasn't sure it would turn out well. There were so many opportunities for disaster.

"Are you certain, Mistress?" I asked. "What if it doesn't work?"

"There is that possibility," she agreed. "But I have to try something. Katara, you have a family, don't you? One that you are now separated from? If you had the opportunity to get them back, even if there were a likelihood it wouldn't work, you'd try it, no?"

I thought of Sokka. Of Gran Gran and Father. Of Mother. And I nodded.

She touched my cheek. "Thank you, Katara."

"When should I start?" I asked.

Shun walked over to the window and looked down at Gorou and Reshi. It was still light outside. They had only just begun practice.

"They have hours ahead of them yet. I think that should be enough time." She turned back to me. "I'll keep Lee and Enkou occupied."

I nodded. My heart was beginning to beat faster. Shun turned away and opened the door.

"The bags for the gold are in my room. The key to the chest is in the top drawer of his dresser," she said. "Good luck, Katara."

"Thank you, Mistress."

She smiled at me and left.

I took a deep breath and followed, heading towards Shun's room. Once I got the empty bags, I walked the familiar path to Gorou's room.

The chest of coins was not hard to find. I had seen it before without realizing it, when Gorou called me to him. It was large, intricate, made of dark wood, with tiny detailed carvings of dragons flying over a battle field. I could see every one of the dragons' scales. He must have bought it in happier, more prosperous times. I went to the dresser and opened its top drawer. The key was sitting on a messy pile of clothes. I took it and walked back to the chest.

The chest was less than half full, and many of the coins inside were not gold, but silver and copper. The rumors Lee had told me about Gorou's drinking taking up their money were true, it seemed.

Without wasting any more time, I took the bags and began filling them with coins. Even though the chest was not full, I had to make several trips to Shun's room to get all the filled bags to her. I was sweating by the end of it, not because of the weights I carried, but because of the fear that Gorou would return at any minute.

It took about an hour, and then I was done.

Shun was in the kitchen, watching Enkou cook with Lee's help.

When Lee saw me enter the room, his smile faded, and he threw a meaningful glance at Shun. His intent was obvious; he didn't know Shun had forgiven me and was trying to warn me she was there. To show him that everything was all right, I walked up to Shun and said, "Mistress, I've finished the task you wanted me to do."

She turned to me. "Thank you, Katara."

I nodded and walked back towards the door. But before I could leave, Shun said, "Oh, one more thing, dear. Could you possibly go to the market and bring back some fish for the stew tonight?"

"Of course, Mistress."

She smiled at me, and I returned it.

There were guards at the house when I got back. Gorou must have discovered the missing money. Lee, Enkou, Reshi, Shun, and Gorou were all outside. They turned when they heard me approach. I looked to Reshi first and was surprised by what I saw. There was something in his eyes, not his usual kindness, but a sort of urgency, as though he were trying to scream a warning without opening his mouth. I stopped walking. Something was wrong here.

As soon as I thought that, a hand clapped down on my shoulder. I whirled around. Another guard stood there.

"Is this the one?" he asked.

"That's her," Gorou said.

"What—" Before I could finish, the guard pulled my arm back. Pain flashed through me, and my knees buckled, crashing against the ground. I let out a cry, but it was too late. The guard slammed manacles closed around my wrists.

"You're under arrest for theft from your master, slave," he said.

"What?" I said. "I didn't steal!"

"Your master's money went missing, and we found bags of gold hidden under your bed. What kind of fools do you think we are?"

And then it all made sense. My head snapped towards Shun. She was standing next to Gorou, and he had his arm around her.

"I'm sorry, love," he was saying. "I'll never betray you by bringing a little thief into our home again."

I stared at Shun, too angry and shocked for fear. She had done this! She had planted the gold in my room, all to get me out of the house! I remembered what she had said about women needing to be cunning and sneaky to get what they want. She had betrayed me!

The guard dragged me to my feet, and I found my tongue.

"She told me to!" I shouted. "Shun told me to steal it!"

No one paid me any attention. And then the guard began to pull me away, towards the center of the city.

Nothing I could do would convince them. I was just a slave from the Water Tribes, and she was a Fire Nation noble. I would not demean myself by begging.

But I couldn't help but ask the guard, "Where are you taking me?"

"To the prisons," he said. "Don't expect a trial, though. Slaves don't have the rights of normal people. Get caught stealing, and you get executed."

And then the fear began. I knew how the Fire Nation executed its prisoners. That was my fate.

I would be burned alive.