Windswept
Chapter 1:
Quiet Afternoon

The long, sloping rays of light from the late afternoon sun lit the gardens with a yellow-orange glow, turning lavender blossoms to pink and white ones to gold. An adolescent boy sat in the doorway to the bathhouse, enjoying the soft, warm light while reading what appeared to be a very old scroll. He held it gingerly so as not to damage the ancient paper. The blue-and-white clad boy had black hair with tints of green and blue, cut in a straight pageboy. His green eyes scanned the scroll, and he wore a slight, thoughtful frown as he read.

There were a couple thumps behind him, a splash, and some swearing. "Haku! What are you doing there? I almost fell!"

The boy carefully rolled the scroll up and turned to look. "Sorry, Lin. No one was around."

"Well, you could be a little more considerate. Honestly, sitting halfway into the hallway like that…" The young woman muttered as she began to clean up the spilled dirty water. Apparently she had been coming to empty it out after scrubbing the floors, a common chore for the bathhouse yuna.

"What are you doing up so early anyway, Lin? Kamaji hasn't even lit the boiler yet." Haku took one of the wet rags that was draped over Lin's arm and started to help her clean up the mess.

Lin darted a glare at him, but she made no effort to stop him from helping. She tossed her dark brown hair back and sniffed haughtily. "Extra duties. None of your concern. Look Haku, you know I only tolerate you because you're Sen's friend. No need for chitchat, all right?"

Haku sighed, wiping up the last of the dirty water. Apparently he'd touched a nerve. I wonder what she's so upset about? Of course, it could just be that same old grudge. Lin had never particularly liked him; not that he could blame her. After coming to the bathhouse, Haku had not been the friendliest of people. Part of it had been simple dissatisfaction with his situation, as well as frustration at being unable to remember much of his past, but he now knew there had been more to it than that. Still, try as he might to make it up to the workers at the bathhouse, Lin, at least, had never seemed to entirely forgive him.

Haku handed back the rag and stood, sighing. "All right Lin, if that's the way you want it. I was only trying to be polite." He scowled, a little irritably, then shrugged it off and leaned over to pick up his scroll.

"What's that you're reading?" Lin peered over his shoulder curiously.

No chitchat, huh? "Just…something I found in Yubaba's library. She let me borrow it. Be careful though; it's very old, and she'd kill me if anything happened to it."

Lin shrugged. "Oh, is that all? Huh. Hey Haku, why do you keep working for the old bag, anyway?"

He frowned. "You of all people should know, Lin, that it's not as simple to leave as you think. Besides, where do you expect me to go?"

Lin gave him a very level, pointed look. She said nothing, but her eyes were expressive enough. It was obvious that she knew exactly where she thought he ought to be.

Haku shrugged. "Sorry to keep you. I'll let you get back to work, and I'll try to keep out of the way from now on." He closed the sliding door to the garden and padded away down the hall, scroll in hand.

Lin shook her head and muttered to herself again as he left. "I will never understand that kid. Ah well, work to be done."

Tucking the empty water bowl under one arm, Lin reached into her shirt and pulled out a wooden chitty, tied on a string and draped around her neck. She examined it and sighed. "Still got quite a ways to go. Well, there's work to be done." She stuffed it back in her shirt and started off down the hallway again.

I can do it. If Sen could save her parents and that annoying Haku, I can certainly do this. I just have to keep working.