Chapter 38: Silencing of Faelin
Zuko rested for several hours while the two old dragons talked over supper. Afterwards, like Travahar, Zuko was taken home in a cart with Iroh helping him. They went to the hut to gather some of Zuko's things and then to the new apartment where Iroh can watch over his healing nephew. The pain washed through Zuko in waves. He was fine for the tram ride, but the bumpy cart rides turned his stomach. It was a long cart ride from the tram to the new apartment. Zuko remained cradled in his uncle's arms desperately trying to block out the pain. Relief came when the cart stopped moving at last. With much wincing, Zuko stood and looked at the new place. Part of his mind thought how incredibly beautiful the place looked and part of his mind groaned at the fact that he would have to climb more stairs just to get to lie down again.
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Gagged against potential screaming, Faelin struggled against the big arms of the sumo guard with all the strength and defiance she could muster. Her master paced the room pondering what he should do to her. "Apparently the beating on your legs did not bruise them enough to remind you of your duties and restrictions. Let me try something different." He pulled out her contract. Pointing to it to emphasize his words, he stated cruelly. "You are bound to me in this service. Remember the children you gave up your freedom for? And I have within my rights to punish you as I see fit. I am still trying to think of something suitable. Since I still need you able to work and walk, I cannot remove your hands or feet." He paced more. "Since you insist on challenging your contract with these religious and superstitious acts of magic with your chanting to those imaginary spirits…" he trailed off in thought. "Tie her to the chair. Then fetch me the silver smith, the one for the indentured servants. We will silence her." The sumo guard tied her firmly to the chair and left the room.
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Zuko was essentially completely out of commission for two whole days. His uncle set up the new Tea Shop and made various arrangements. As Zuko felt better, he helped set up the apartment. He walked like an odd duck and refused to go in public. He wished he were Travahar who was probably being cared for by some beautiful women, though Faelin would be all that he really needed. He was in no condition to even try to visit her. Standing and walking was an alternating experience of pain or uncomfortable erections the stretched the skin and thus caused pain. He valued the ice from the Tea Shop like it was gold.
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An hour later the sumo guard arrived with the specialized silver smith. This was a cold looking whip thin man with small glasses across the bridge of his long narrow nose. His eyes were a grey green as he carefully laid out his tools on a small table not far from Faelin. Her eyes grew wide and she renewed her struggling. The man held out a small bottle with a strange elixir on it. Flatly he said, "Drug her." It was a small fight to pin her in place and force the liquid down her throat. They waited a few hours till she could no longer see straight. She no longer put up any fight as she was barely aware of anything. Everything swirled together and her body felt numb and disobedient. When she was so drugged she was drooling, the silver smith took hold of her face and studied her mouth. Then he chose his apparatus and inserted a pear-shaped device into her mouth slowly cranking it till her mouth was forced open. With tongs, he drew out her tongue and studied it top and bottom. He felt her eyes focus on him a bit. He stared back into them. Then he coldly ordered everyone out because they were distracting him from his work. Once they left, his eyes softened to a sage green. "Shhhhh… We all have our duties. I will do exquisite work on you. If you remember this talk at all, remember this, I will do no damage to the little bit of skin under your tongue. Perhaps in time, when you are no longer under contract, you can learn to speak again. But for now, I advise you not to try. The bolt I will insert could chip a tooth if you try to talk too soon. And if they even think you can talk, which you won't be able to for a long while, then they will simple call me back to cut out your tongue." With a tiny blade, he pierced the top of her tongue determining the right place. Then with a long thick needle with a silver bolt on the end, he pushed it through the bottom of her tongue till it pierced up through the small cut he made at the top. The drugs had thinned her blood some and she bled from the piercing. He dabbed it with a cloth. Then the metal pick that was heating in the lamp flame was applied to the sharp point at the top of the bolt. The silver there melted and he pushed on the small silver ball that instantly sealed with the molten silver. Pleased with his craftsmanship, he released her already swelling dry tongue from the tongs. Then eased the pear-shaped apparatus out of her mouth and brought some water to her stretched and bruising lips to moisten her tongue and mouth. She choked on the water managing barely to swallow only half the sips. Then he gave her a strong alcohol to drink. The reaction of the alcohol and the drug brought on a nightmarish oblivion that she could not fight.
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With some extra bandaging and the stylish longer jackets common for the people in the Upper Ring, Zuko eventually ventured into the new Tea Shop to help his uncle ready the place for opening. Zuko had not seen his uncle so busy, a good kind of busy. He knew that soon he, himself, would return to the Lower Ring. He offered to manage the arrangements with the suppliers there to save his uncle the traveling. It was like running a ship. Supplies and personnel had to be arranged, financing and coordination, too. His uncle despaired at this. Zuko's mind was content to have his body sitting still while he problem-solved all these challenges. It helped keep his mind off worrying about Faelin. Though several times, he was caught staring off, missing her. A whole week, maybe two seemed like forever.
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She was left to fend for herself for the remaining days of the quiet time in the season. People were too busy with families to come to the red lantern houses. She lay on the floor of her room shivering, her tongue throbbing, her faced bruised black. She could not eat. Sipping water and broth was all she could manage. One of the older women who stayed in the red lantern house came down. She was an old waterbender, not a very powerful one, but she new a little of healing. She advised Faelin to not drink anything of extreme temperatures, no matter how much her tongue burns or swells. She should stick to water and broths for the remainder of the week. The swelling would soon go down. She wondered if she could manage to help this poor girl somehow. She took a few breaths and tried what little waterbending she new. She could feel the needs of a body and then usually figure out what to do after without bending. She took some time to assess if any other harm had come to her. Knowing that Faelin did now work with the courtesans and evening ladies, she asked if the girl was violated recently. Faelin frowned and shook her head weakly. "Then you had a lover." Faelin let her tears flow into her pillow. She missed Zuko so very badly right now. "If you have trouble, come see me. I know a little of medicines." Then she left to return to her own duties.