Tattoo

Chapter Two: No Room

It was late, and Kin was preparing to lock up when the three of them arrived at his grandmother's inn. That day had been especially long and boring. A bunch of his grandmother's old lady friends had come over for lunch, and he had spent the better part of the afternoon listening to, "Look how tall you've grown," and, "Look how handsome you are," and, "Haven't you got a girlfriend yet?" And that had been the most eventful part of his day. Naturally, Kin was very annoyed with these late visitors who now delayed him from finding an entertaining way to spend the rest of his evening. A part of him was tempted to just send them away. But, that temptation faded as soon as he got a good look at them.

The first to enter was a girl who couldn't have been much younger than he was. By her dark skin and hair, Kin instantly recognized her as a member of one of the Water Tribes. He had seen people from the Water Tribe before, passing through town. But they had all been grown men - soldiers or traveling merchants. Never young girls.

She stepped inside, glancing around cautiously and adjusting the straps to the bulky pack she carried. As she approached the counter, Kin noticed the tiny puddles her feet left behind. Was it raining? He groaned inwardly. He would be stuck inside tonight and, without a doubt, his grandmother would find plenty of chores for him to finish before going to bed. The girl made her way around the low dining table, splashing droplets of water onto the shining surface that Kin had just finished cleaning. They would leave marks.

Kin forced a smile.

"Hey, isn't it kind of late to be out?" He hoped she wouldn't notice the thinly veiled irritation in his voice.

"Yeah, I guess..." she muttered, without looking at him. Exhaustion oozed from the girl, and Kin almost let out a sad sigh in her behalf. Shivering slightly, wet hair plastered to her forehead, she looked pathetic. Kin watched as she fumbled around in her pack and pulled out a small skin pouch. She emptied it, and offered a handful of copper pieces. "Is this enough for a room?" she asked, but Kin didn't answer. Two more people had entered behind her, and Kin was sure he looked ridiculous as he stared at them, wide eyed.

If the girl had been pathetic, then these two were the epitome of misery. The tall boy was also a Water Tribe member, Kin could tell. He shuffled in supporting - practically carrying - another, smaller boy who moved with halting, uneven steps. Upon closer inspection, Kin realized that the young boy was limping. All three children were worn and spent, but this boy had been hurt more than his companions; covered in scrapes, cuts, and bruises, he grimaced in obvious pain.

Kin knew who he was immediately, but he had expected the Avatar to be taller. Countless times he had sat behind that very counter, listening to travelers share the latest news and gossip as they lounged around the table. As of late, the Avatar had been the topic of choice, and every week there was a new story. There was no way that this pitiful, dripping wet, half-conscious kid could be the same Avatar whom the Fire Lord himself wanted dead. The one who had single handedly destroyed a Fire Navy ship. The one who had challenged the king of Omashu, devious pirates, and wild canyon crawlers and lived. He couldn't be the one the world counted on for salvation.

But, he was. The tattoo, pale blue and unmistakable even in the wavering candlelight, silently testified to his identity.

"Is this enough?" the girl repeated. Her voice pulled him from his reverie. She dumped the coins into his hand and he counted them. She was a few coins short. There was enough money for, maybe, half a room.

"That's plenty. You just need to sign in." He grabbed the logbook from beneath the counter and pushed it towards her along with a quill. Quietly, she thanked him, and he saw a small, relieved smile cross her lips before he turned to pluck a key from the wall behind him.

"There are no rooms." He jumped, startled, and turned to the source of the precise, clipped voice. His grandmother had appeared suddenly, and stood in the kitchen doorway. Hands tucked in her sleeves and lips pursed, she glowered at him. "They will have to leave," she said.

She must have been confused; they had only received a couple of guests all day. There were plenty of rooms open. "No, Grandma. It's okay, we still have some empty -"

"There is no room," the woman insisted.

Kin glanced at the girl. Her hand was suspended in the air, waiting and open. Blue eyes wandered from the key he held to the other keys hanging innocently on their hooks. Behind her, the taller boy vocalized the question her eyes asked wordlessly.

"What do you mean, no room? This place is practically empty! The keys are right there!" He pointed with one accusing finger.

Unyielding, Kin's grandmother turned to face the two boys. "There's no room for that one." She practically spat. Kin followed her gaze.

For the first time, the Avatar looked up. The boy's face held a weariness beyond his years. Tense moments passed, and no one spoke. Kin didn't breathe - the air itself was fragile.

"That's okay." Gradually, painstakingly, the Avatar pushed himself away from his companion's shoulder. "You guys can stay here. I'll find someplace else to -"

He didn't have a chance to finish. "No, Aang. You heard what she said." Her voice was stronger now, defiant and defensive. So different from the sleepy murmurs she had uttered only minutes before. The girl glared icily at the old woman. "There's no room for us here."

The copper pieces suddenly felt heavy in Kin's palm. He dropped the coins into her extended hand and looked away. Distantly, he heard their fading footsteps and a gentle click as the front door slid shut. He heard his grandmother instruct him to mop up the wet floor, and wipe off the table. She left, and Kin was alone with the whisper of rain outside, and a feminine signature in the logbook. Katara, it read.

He crossed it out.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar, and can't think of a clever way to say it.

Note: If you got this far, then thanks for reading! And a special thanks to Black Phoenix1127, FireAzula, Spleef, alliwantislove, Liz Mizu, and Alicia Keyboard for the reviews of Chapter One. You are... the coolest!

An unrelated note: According to my fortune cookie, ji means chicken in Chinese. So, does that make Lieutenant Ji...Lieutenant Chicken?! Hahaha...

- effie's head