Chapter 10

What's in a Name?

*Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Hama and Maxim

She was a sleep, and with those pleasant, wracking sounds from her old ribs, Maxim took off. Not for good, but curiosity got the best of him. He figured he had about a good six hours of a sleeping Hama and enough space to see that mysterious woman again.

There were gray, shapeless clouds and glittering stars to light his path. He trudged his way back to where that lake was and the tall caverns. He memorized every detail of that landscape; committed it to memory as if his life depended on it. Finally, he wiped the small forms of sweat popping from his face and stood at the lip of the lake.

Where could she be? The woman with the very long hair? At that most impalpable moment, he sniffed and caught a scent in the wind.

"You shouldn't be here."

Maxim didn't turn around quickly. He slowly took in all of her. Her skin was so different from his tanned one. She was wrapped in a simple, white robe. A long, long, leg was exposed.

"I know. I just had to see you."

The woman let her doe eyes slip down and she saw Maxim's feet were bare, and filled with caked grime and rocks.

Maxim couldn't hide his toes from her revealing eyes.

"You've seem to have come a long way though." She walked to him and took his hand in her very warm ones and. "Your sweat has made your skin very cool."

To Maxim, she had the voice of a hundred cherubim and what he wouldn't give to have her and to possess her. To take her as his. She seemed wise and so attractive.

"I cannot stay long, madam. But, what is your name?"

The woman backed from him and suddenly began to shiver visibly. Maxim did his best not to comfort her. It would have been too forward and he probably wouldn't leave.

"I can not tell you. In fact, you just being here is enough to get you killed."

"Ma'am, I can help you. Just tell me, what is wrong?" Maxim tried to close the distance between them but she kept moving back."Please…who are you? Why are you living in this way?"

"You ask too many questions, child!" The woman said in a motherly tone al of a sudden. Maxim held his breath and counted to five.

"I-am-not-a-child."

"Seem much younger to me," the mysterious woman retreated into the cavern and Maxim punched the air in frustration. She left! Was he so clumsy around women they could smell it?

He waited for a few moments and almost left when he smelled something hot and sweet. She had a cup filled with water in her right hand and steaming stew and bread in the other.

"The bread is getting a bit old, but it's still good. Eat." She commanded him.

Maxim sat down with her and he ate while she watched him. His stomach growled terribly while he ate and it was no bother because he dined with this gorgeous woman of the water. Her lips were a red gash set in a perfect face. Maxim leaned into her.

"You like poetry?"

"Yes." She looked down at the ground. Her legs were stretched out. "You tell poetry?"

"Yes. Here is one: 'Down goes the water , a lurch in my heart survive the fangs of prison.' "

The woman stood with a colored sadness in her eyes. "That was…interesting Haiku, my dear." She smiled.

"I think I am a lame poet, but I get inspired easily." Maxim grinned and stood to his feet. That's when the woman produced some leather sandals for him.

"For your feet, before they bleed and you catch death."

They dangled from her slender fingers and got closer to her to get them. While holding onto the sandals, he refused to pull from her and just leave. Maxim caught her chin in his hand. Her eyes pooled with tears and she looked away from him.

Footsteps fall onto the ground and they break apart. The woman disappeared like a mist and he stood facing Hama.

"Who were you talking to?"

Inside the Royal Palace

Ozai squeezed his face between the bars at Zuko and let out a chilling laugh.

"Everyone's talking about your little ghost problem." Ozai rubbed his fingers along the barred door. "Very spooky indeed."

"That is not why I am here. Stay on topic!" Zuko screamed.

"Your mother couldn't cut it being a a lord's wife. Simple. We had to banish her."

"She was a good person. Any decision she made was better for everyone . Saving me, your son was paramount in her choice, father."

Ozai looked at Zuko when he said 'Father'. A sigh, and then: "Alright. Your mother is somewhere within this kingdom. She has been stripped of her title, clothes, and whatever else she ever had. That's all I know."

"You know more," Zukp pretended not to be happy to know some answers after all this time.""I am waiiiiitiiiiing." Zuko dragged out.

"I told you everything."

"No," Zuko pressed his face to the bars in desperation. "I need an exact location."

"That's the thing, my boy. Ursa could be half way around the world by now. I told you where we banished her. She could be dead by now. The treacherous little monkey needed to be taught a lesson."

Zuko walked away from Ozai and told Iroh everything.

"It is dangerous Zuko as people will expect Aang to come along as well. They will not receive only you and I alone while we go on this journey. There will be people after us."

"Don't care."Zuko spoke resolved. "I'm finding my mother."