After Dark
Part 2
It was more than a week before Mai worked up the courage to sneak out of her house in the middle of the night and return to that other part of Capitol City. She had purposely napped during the day, feigning illness. Her mother left her alone. She was busy having the servants put the finishing touches on the nursery anyway and was just as happy not to have Mai's lack of enthusiasm dampen her own excitement.
At dinnertime, Masami called up the stairs to her daughter.
"Come on, Mai. You need to eat something. I don't want you wasting away up there in your room."
Mai yawned and stood up, straightening her slightly wrinkled outer tunic and running fingers through her loose pieces of hair. Normally very particular about her grooming, she couldn't be bothered to redo her hair completely just to sit at the dinner table with her parents.
She glided down the stairs with feline grace and sat down in between Masami and her father, Sen. They looked at her briefly before resuming their conversation about the nursery. Mai yawned again. She silently wished that the kid would arrive and get it over with.
Two servants brought in steaming hot serving bowls and ladled out rice and stew to everyone. A teapot already sat on the table and Mai reached across to get it.
"Sit down, Mai. The girl will get that for you," Masami said sternly.
Mai sat making sure to roll her eyes at the stupidity of waiting for a servant when she could do it herself much more quickly.
"Servants are here to serve us, dear. You should know that by now."
"Whatever," she said in her raspy voice.
Both Sen and Masami shook their heads, exchanging a look that Mai could read quite well. They didn't know what to do with her.
'Here's an idea,' Mai thought. "Leave me alone.'
"Are you going to visit Princess Azula tomorrow, Mai? It's been a few days since you were there. You need to maintain that connection with her. She's a very important young lady."
"And so much fun," Mai retorted sarcastically.
"It doesn't matter if she's fun or not; she's the princess, daughter of our Fire Lord. Do you have any idea how lucky you are that she chose you as a friend?"
"I've heard," the girl replied.
"Then pay her a visit."
"Fine," Mai said as she looked down at her rice.
She held her chopsticks very still over her bowl and then carefully picked up a single grain of rice. Feeling smug, she popped it into her mouth and then picked up another. Her appetite was now piqued and she dug into her stew like a growing teenage girl. When she was finished she looked up. Her parents were talking about the baby again.
Bored, Mai sipped her tea and waited for dessert to arrive. Another servant brought in a tray of colorful fruits. They looked beautiful spread out on the red platter, almost too pretty to eat. But Mai chose a chunk of maroon colored star fruit and a wedge of red fire fruit. They were sweet in her mouth and she savored the delicious tastes before excusing herself.
"I'm very tired," she announced.
"You may go to your room then. I want you fresh for your visit to the palace tomorrow."
Mai hid a smirk with her hand. She wanted to be fresh for something else.
Mai passed the time reading, sharpening her ever growing collection of knives and other bladed weapons, and taking cat naps. She listened to all the activity in the house and was aware when it finally ceased. At last, everyone had gone to bed. She looked out her bedroom window at the angry looking night sky. A half moon peeked from behind heavy clouds now and again, but for the most part it was very dark.
Mai strapped on her ankle holsters and inserted the five knives that each carried. Next she put on her wrist holsters with their deadly little darts. She then changed out of her red clothing, reaching into the wardrobe for the outfit she had assembled days before. It was completely black, from inner tunic to outer tunic to leggings to cloak. Mai felt a bit silly, like she was pretending to be a spy infiltrating an enemy camp or something. Then again, she was going into unknown territory. She didn't want to stand out in bright colors and she didn't want to be defenseless.
Her thick black hair hung loosely down her back and she tucked it behind her ears. Mai sat stiffly on the edge of her bed and waited for another half an hour before leaving. Taking once last look out her shuttered window, she breathed in deeply and stepped out onto the narrow window ledge.
Lithely she climbed out onto the red tile roof. Her soft black boots did not make a sound. Mai eased herself downwards, grabbed hold of the gold colored overhang and jump down onto the staircase that graced the front of her family's large house. She was grateful now for all the martial arts training she had received in school. Moving gracefully and silently was just a natural part of who she was.
Tucking herself into the side of the stairs she observed her surroundings. The clean and orderly stone road that ran in front of the house was completely deserted. The street lamps were lit and created shadows that loomed across the street. There were four guards on duty outside the palace gates, but Mai could get around them no problem. She darted to the opposite side of the street and then ducked down a narrow roadway. She crisscrossed her way across the capitol until she reached the alley beside the bookstore that she had first discovered days earlier.
Along the way, she got to see the capitol city at night. It was actually quite beautiful. The white of the buildings stood out in stark relief against the darkness. Occasionally a lamp burned inside a house. Perhaps someone was doing some late night reading, Mai thought, or tending to a sick child. As she moved Mai also thought about what her parents would do if they discovered her little foray into the night.
"Hmph, they would probably send me away somewhere or lock me in a room with no windows. I'll run away if they try….go search for Zuko."
That idea both thrilled and terrified her. She imagined wandering around the Earth Kingdom on her own, penniless and ignorant, trying to find food and shelter all while searching for a banished Fire Nation prince who traveled by ship. That would be some difficult task. Mai pushed aside thoughts of Zuko. They hurt too much and she needed to be alert.
She walked down the alleyway and stopped when she reached the opposite end. It hadn't been a dream the other day. Everything was still there. Timidly, she stepped out into the street and was immediately jostled by a couple of young men. She bit her tongue and continued walking, ready to use a knife if the need arose.
As she continued, taking her time and taking in the varied sights, a wonderful smell hit her nostrils. Someone was cooking outside. Her stomach growled despite the good dinner she had eaten. Inside her cloak was a tiny pocket. She had put two gold coins there, all the money she had. Deciding to live a little, Mai approached the stall where a man and woman, both of middle age, roasted various meats, coating the pieces with spicy sauces and serving them with vegetables and rice on the side. They were spiced as well. Mai licked her lips and thought for another minute.
"Buy something or get lost, princess," the woman snarled. "You're in the way just standing there."
"I, um, how much?"
"Whaddya got?" she asked and elbowed the man in the ribs.
He snickered and looked Mai up and down.
"You're new. If you're looking to make money, go see Chika. She's across the street. Pretty young girls are always welcome."
Mai swallowed hard but ignored the comment.
"Give me some of that," the girl said, pointing to a delicious looking piece of chickenpork.
The woman hacked off a slice, scooped up some rice and vegetables and handed it to Mai inside a tightly woven little basket.
"What about chopsticks?" Mai asked as she reached inside her cloak for a gold coin.
The woman let out a loud whoop and then picked a piece of meat out from between her teeth.
"You want chopsticks, bring your own. People around here eat with their fingers. Who do you think you are, missy?"
Mai gave the woman a haughty glare but kept quiet.
"What are you waiting for?" the woman asked.
"My change," Mai replied. "This can't cost a gold coin."
"You gave it to me. Must be you think the meal is worth it."
Mai sized the situation up. She put the basket down on the small table and looked casually down at her nails. Then so swiftly that neither man nor woman saw it coming, whipped out two blades and pinned both to the wall behind them.
"I'll take my change," Mai stated again.
"Sure," the man replied. "Just, uh, take these knives away."
She removed his and watched as he fished out some coins for her. When she had her money, Mai retrieved the other knife and then put them both back in place. She grabbed hold of her basket once again and took a bite of the meat. Mai daintily licked her fingers clean then wiped them off on the thigh of her leggings.
"Not bad," she remarked and walked off down the street.
The couple stared after her retreating form.
It wasn't large, this part of the capitol city. In fact, from what Mai could see, it was only two streets wide. Despite its narrowness, the area was packed with people and it was difficult to move without bumping shoulders or hips with someone else.
Mai actually stood out from the crowd because of her black clothing and pale, unpainted face. The women mainly wore bright reds or loud pinks and cheap, tacky jewelry dangled from ears and wrists and hung down between flaunted breasts. Their makeup was almost garish; nails were blood red while cheeks were rouged to within an inch of their lives. Lips were glossy and painted varying shades of red. Their eyes were all lined heavily with kohl. Mai felt as though she had been dropped into the middle of some theatrical performance where exaggerated makeup was the norm.
For their part, the men, if they were well proportioned, wore sleeveless tunics in reds and golds that flattered their muscular arms and were cut deeply to reveal firm chests. Some had rings in one ear and many wore chains around their necks as well. Loose fitting pants, again usually red, tied with a drawstring and comfortable boots completed their look. Those men a little older or perhaps a little less muscled wore tunics with sleeves instead, but stuck with the same type of loose pant.
The street Mai walked down was jammed on both sides with stalls selling virtually everything, from crudely carved likenesses of Fire Lord Ozai to jewelry, from clothing to books containing lusty tales and drawings. There were musicians playing jaunty tunes (Mai wondered why the only music she ever heard sounded more like something suitable for a funeral), jugglers, groups of actors performing scenes from famous plays (she stopped to watch 'Love among the Dragons' for a few minutes) and always women standing around as if waiting for someone to talk to them. Sometimes the women were not alone. Sometimes a man was leaning in close and the woman was giggling while her eyes betrayed another kind of feeling, something far from amusement. Mai had more than a good idea of what they were and what the men were saying. She was both repulsed and fascinated.
The closest Mai had ever come to so much activity in one place was the annual Fire Festival. Her parents took her every year, more because it was patriotic than because they enjoyed it. That was where she developed her fondness for fire flakes. And she had some good memories of the festival as well; watching puppet shows with her father while her mother chatted with other women of the noble class and eating fire gummies while fireworks exploded in the night sky.
What fascinated Mai most in this underbelly of the city were the gaming tables set up outside large gaming houses. Men and a few women tossed dice, betting on what would come up and mostly losing. It was addictive to watch and she bet even more addictive to play. One man had a table set up with the classic shell game and still another a game in which the player tossed a small ball and tried to knock a pile of apples down.
Mai paid and won that game twice in succession, more than doubling her money. The young, black haired man gave her a narrow eyed glare when she wanted to play again. Figuring she should leave with her winnings before he called on some of his friends, Mai wandered toward the end of the street. A large group of men was gathered around and looking at something intently. Their broad backs and greater height blocked the girl's view but she recognized the familiar noise of knives hitting wood and her pulse quickened. Mai skirted around the edge of the crowd and saw two men tossing well crafted blades at a painted target. They were good but nowhere near as good as she was. The first man to miss the bull's eye lost while the other won a handful of coins that sparkled on a narrow table. When they finished, Mai forced her way forward, feeling strange among the mostly burly men.
"I'd like to try," she announced firmly.
The runner of the competition sized her up and shook his head.
"What's the point? You've got no chance."
"I have the money and I'd like to try. What's it to you?" she retorted.
"Oh, ho, we've got a spunky one here, men. Should I let her try?"
A chorus of 'sures' and 'why nots?" came back to him and he shrugged, then gave Mai a nod.
"Do you have your own knife, little girl?" he asked with a wink. "Or do you need to borrow one?"
"I have my own. And let's move that target back. It's too close."
The men roared with laughter. Dutifully the middle aged man with a pony tail and short beard repositioned the target. He looked around for another player.
"Who's going to throw with her?" he asked. "Come one….little girl wants to play."
A young man, probably about eighteen, finally came forward. He looked Mai up and down. She felt as though he were undressing her with his mind. Twisting her thin lips into a scowl, she glared at him icily with gold eyes until he turned red.
"Ladies first," she sneered.
Mai chose a short, sharp blade, and shifted its weight in her palm before settling on a grip. She took a quick look at the target and then threw. It landed dead centre and the men gaped. An hour later, she had quite a sum of money. Each man believed he could beat her with ease then stumbled away surprised and angry when his coins disappeared into her pocket.
"I'm done for the night," the game runner said. "You've driven everyone away. Where did you learn to do that anyway?"
"I have a lot of free time," Mai shrugged. "And I'm bored during most of it."
She gave the man a nod and walked back in the direction of the alley she had come down originally. Activity seemed to be winding down a bit. Most people were either exhausted or too drunk to do much else other than bump into people and stands. Mai was tired too and stifled yawns behind her hand as she walked. While passing the building where Chika worked, she saw a different kind of man walk out of a side door and pull up his own hood. Curious, Mai followed close behind the man and was surprised to see him head up the alleyway that led to the 'proper' part of the capitol city. Once back in the meticulously swept, quiet streets, he pushed back his hood. Mai saw a perfect topknot and handsome, even features. She continued to follow, staying in the shadows and far enough behind that he couldn't hear her.
When he entered a lovely home close to her own, her eyes widened.
"That's the Ibaraki house," Mai whispered to herself. "He's one of Father's best friends."
She stood and looked at the clean white stone home for a few minutes before scurrying off to her own. She climbed into her window and pulled off her dark clothing, slipping on a nightgown and climbing into bed. A mixture of fatigue, adrenaline and shock left her tossing and turning, slipping in and out of sleep until almost sunrise. Finally she fell into a sound sleep. The sound of her mother calling her down to breakfast startled her out of her slumber.
Sleepy eyed, she washed and dressed then walked down the stairs, back into boredom and propriety. Or maybe the noble class wasn't quite so proper after all.
A/N: Thanks to anyone out there reading.