CHAPTER 6: The Rice Man

I woke as the first drops of rain fell onto my face, forcing my blind eyes to open. I was still lying in the middle of the road, and it took me a moment to remember why I was feeling so utterly, utterly miserable. Then I didn't want to get up, I just wanted to lie there, to keep lying there, until I died. But soon the downpour became so heavy, that I abandoned my new ambition, and rose. I didn't know where I was going, only that I would knock on the next door I came across, to find shelter from the rain. But no houses seemed to come.

Soon my bare feet were wading through deep puddles at the side of the road, but I was afraid to walk in the middle, for fear of being run over by ostrich-horses or carts, because it was far harder for me to see with my feet in the rain, with millions of drops pattering on the ground.

I had no idea how long I had been walking, no idea if I would ever come across even one lone cottage. My stomach felt so empty and I tried not to think of the bag of food Urna had given us. Then I tried not to think of what would happen to Lee.

Was he really in the army now? Was he going to fight the Fire Nation? With what? With the kitchen knife he stole? He was only a boy, how could they expect him to fight? But if he really was a soldier in the army now, he wouldn't be able to leave. Deserters were hunted down and killed, everyone knew that..

Later, even Lee faded from my mind, as I sank to the cold wet floor, unable to move another step. Thoughts of how long it would take me to die flitted through my head, and I wondered whether I would be able to tell. Would everything still be black? Black nothingness? Or was there a world of the dead? Would I be able to see colours there? I thought back to the vibrant, dazzling, terrifying colours of my vision, the fear I had felt when the bright gush of fire came towards me, and wasn't so sure I wanted that.

By now, I had become absolutely convinced that I was at death's door. No question about it. I was going to die. I was going to die. It seemed almost a relief at that moment. Sweet nothingness.

Then I felt something heading towards me, fainter than I would ordinarily have felt if it hadn't been raining quite so hard, but there all the same. I was too weary to try and hide, I had nothing they could steal, and who would want a blind girl fighting in their army? Besides, I was going to die soon, anyway.

As it drew closer I could feel that it was a cart, drawn by something that could be a bull-antelope.

''You there, girl!'' the old man sitting at the front yelled over to me.

''What do you want?'' I asked, annoyed that I couldn't even die in peace.

''Whatcha doin' there?''

I almost laughed at the idiocy of the question. What did it look like?

''Oh, I'm having the time of my life here!'' I yelled back, wishing he would leave. My forehead was burning and that had to be a sure sign that my end was near..

''Dang, girl,'' he shouted, jumping down his cart and crouching down beside me, ''Why're you lyin' here? There's a village not one mile that way..''

''Well, I couldn't make it, that's obvious, isn't it?''

I heard a sharp intake of breath, as he looked into my face.

''Why girl, you blind? Poor thing..''

I decided to hate him for the rest of my short life. But before I could tell him exactly what I thought of him, he had gathered me up into his arms and walked over to his cart. He let me sit next to him as we rattled on, keeping a tight hold of my shoulder all the time, doubtlessly fearing that I would fall off, if he didn't. But I was too tired to complain, and soon I was asleep.

I woke up when he tapped me gently on my shoulder. The rain was still pattering all around us.

''We're in the village now, girl. I know a nice family here, they could put you up for the night.. I have to keep on travelin'..''

''Where are you going to?'' I asked, somewhat dismayed, because he had just saved me a long walk, let alone a certain death, and although I had sworn to hate him for the rest of my life, I couldn't help but feel a little sad that he would leave me so soon.

''I'm goin' to Full Moon Bay, to deliver my cargo,'' he said gesturing behind him, then seeming to remember my blindness, cleared his throat uncomfortably. ''Rice, crates of rice. After that I'm goin' back to my farm, that's south from Moon Bay, though.''

''Where is Full Moon Bay?'' I asked, wondering if it was anywhere near Ba Sing Se. That was the only possible destination for me, because there was always a slim chance that Lee would show up. Anyway, it was the only city I knew by name.

''Full Moon Bay's about two hours the way we're goin','' the old man said, ''It's just south of the Earth Kingdom capital, at the beginnin' of the Eastern Lake. Full Moon Bay's the ferry station to Ba Sing Se.''