"When it rains, look for rainbows. When it's dark, look for stars." - Anon

Chapter 3: Cabbages and Chen

"Cabbages! You got me cabbages!" Yi Jung's voice is loud enough to grab the attention of the soldiers around us. He's grinning from ear to ear, clutching the cabbages as though they were his best friends.

"Do you know how to make kimchi?" I ask.

"Do I ever!" Yi Jung exclaims. He practically runs to the cook shack, cabbages in hand. A few curious soldiers follow us to the kitchen.

"What's he doing?" Elan, one of the Elite, asks.

"Apparently, he's going to make kimchi," I say. Excited murmurs spread through the crowd.

"I've watched my nana do this plenty of times," Yi Jung says. He flexes his fingers, cracks his neck, and then grabs a knife and a chopping block. "First she chops the cabbages."

"Then what?"

"Then she sprinkles it with a lot of salt." He places the cabbage in a large bowl and generously douses it with salt.

"Isn't that too much salt?"

He glares at me. "Who's making kimchi here? Is it you or me? Hand me that pitcher."

He starts pouring water over the cabbage, just enough to cover it.

"Then we wait for a few hours," he says with a smug grin. The soldiers file out, with a promise to be back in a few hours.

"I didn't think you had it in you, but I'm pleasantly surprised," I pat him on the back.

A few hours later we head back to the kitchen. Yi Jung is staring at the soaked cabbages and scratching his head. This is not a good sign.

"Then what?" I ask.

"My nana makes a paste to put on it."

"Let's make it then. I'll help," I offer. Thoughts of having kimchi tonight is making my mouth water.

He winces. "I don't know how to make the paste."

"I thought you said you've watched your nana do this, and I quote, 'plenty of times?'"

"I did. But after she puts water in the bowl to soak for a few hours, she sends me off to do something else. She says I can't stare at the bowl while waiting. By the time I get back, my nana's already made the paste."

"Aw, I knew it was too good to be true!" Hao says. A few more groans confirm the rest have lost hope. One by one, they file out, casting a final glance at the almost-but-not-quite bowl of kimchi.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Yi Jung says.

We both look longingly at the bowl. My stomach makes a loud gurgling sound.

"It's okay, Yi Jung. We probably don't have the ingredients here, anyway."

He pauses for a few seconds and then his face lights up. "Let's make our own paste! With whatever we can find in the kitchen. I mean, how hard can it be?"

"I don't know if that's a good idea..."

"What if, now hear me out before you shake your head, what if we actually make something good, something that would put kimchi to shame?"

Or put us to shame.

"Yi Jung, I'm not sure we should..."

But he's already rummaging through the kitchen cupboards, bringing out whatever he can find.

"Ji Hoo, rinse the cabbage and I'll make a paste. You just wait. This will be the best kimchi you've ever had."

…

Yi Jung is half-right; I have to hand him that. What he made, though it is not kimchi, is pretty good stuff.

"What do you call this again?" Woo Bin asks. He spoons a heap of the cabbage dish on to his plate.

Yi Jung beams. "It's called...wait for it, Yi Jung surprise."

Jun Pyo looks at him suspiciously. "What's the surprise?" He's eyeing his spoon as though a bug would jump out of it any minute.

"It's a surprise because he wasn't expecting it to turn out this good," I laugh. "He just threw a bunch of things together and hoped for the best. I doubt he can make this again."

"Is that a bet, Ji Hoo?" Yi Jung dares.

"Uh uh. I'm done making bets with you," I chuckle. Bets with Yi Jung never end well. At least, not for me.

The atmosphere in the dining hall is bright and cheery, everyone glad to have something different (and tasty) for a change. Soldiers are chattering excitedly among themselves, and even Jun Pyo is eating more than usual.

The door bursts open, and a soldier carrying a letter heads straight for Jun Pyo.

"This just came in from a messenger bird," he says.

Jun Pyo calmly sets his chopsticks on the table, then takes the letter.

"Trouble?" Woo Bin asks.

Jun Pyo dismisses the soldier and shakes his head. "Not really." He hands the letter to Woo Bin. "Apparently, a masked man just attacked several fire nation soldiers not too far from here."

I pause halfway into stuffing my mouth.

Uh oh. I wonder if they suspect anything. How did the news get here so fast? My heart is in a frenzy but I keep my face blank. "And they want us to do what?" I manage to ask.

"Root him out," Yi Jung says. He hands me the paper but I don't look at it. I don't need to. "They want help tracking him. Says he'll cause trouble for the fire nation."

"Are we going to?" I ask. I hope they can't hear my chest thumping.

"No," Jun Pyo says. "This masked man is not our problem. I know one of the soldiers he attacked, and I'm guessing he probably deserved it."

That's right. He did deserve it.

Whew. I can finally breathe again.

"But," Jun Pyo adds, "if he attacks one of the Elite, we'll have to deal with him."

Thankfully, I know better than that.

…

I told myself I wasn't going to do it again. That my good deed was a one-time thing.

The problem is, every time I think about how it made me feel, that feeling of freedom, that intoxicating feeling akin to flying, the craving hits me hard. So hard it makes it impossible to sleep at night.

I sneak out just after Yi Jung falls asleep, and run towards the nearest hamlet. The mask is on my face before I spy the first house and my all-black outfit blends well in the dark.

This place is smaller than the market village, and much closer to our outpost. There are very few houses here, all built extremely close together. I'm sure if you sneeze in one, the entire hamlet will hear you.

There aren't many fire nation soldiers here, either. They walk in groups of two, some looking bored out of their wits. I bet the most exciting thing that happened here was when we got lost and asked for directions several weeks ago.

Well, I'm about to change that.

…

My nightly escapades to set my alter ego loose is starting to take a toll on me. Often I find myself randomly falling asleep throughout the day. I've been very careful not to get tangled with one of the Elite, though, because that would certainly spell disaster.

"Did you hear? That masked man has been seen a few times this week," Yi Jung says to me the next day.

I stifle a yawn. "Really? What's he doing?"

"Just annoying soldiers," Yi Jung says. He walks into my room and sits on my bed. "He's been setting captured animals free, stealing food from the storehouses and distributing it to the villagers, and apparently helped a little old lady cross the street."

Okay, that last deed was unplanned. She was carrying a huge bundle of straw late at night and was struggling to walk.

"He doesn't sound so bad," I say. "Those are pretty minor things."

"They are," Yi Jung says. He wrinkles his forehead. We start walking towards the dining hall to get breakfast. "Which makes me wonder what the point is. I mean, he's stealthy. Aside from the soldiers he beat up and the old lady he helped, I don't think anyone's seen him up close. They just get a glimpse of the mask."

"So?"

"So he could do more damage if he wants to. He's obviously got skills."

I shrug. "Maybe he's just bored."

Yi Jung nods. "That would make sense. Or he's hiding something."

This stops me in my tracks. Do they suspect anything?

"Like what?" I ask carefully.

Yi Jung looks me in the eye. "Maybe...it's a girl under that mask."

Whew.

"Maybe that's why she's not showing her face. One of the villagers, no doubt. Just trying to get back at the soldiers," Yi Jung continues. "She's not strong enough to have a direct confrontation with them so she sneaks around."

"What about when she beat those soldiers? She was certainly strong enough then," I point out.

"Maybe she got lucky then. They were taken by surprise," Yi Jung reasons. We look for our usual spot and find Woo Bin and Jun Pyo already there.

"You guys are late," Woo Bin says as we set our trays down. Today's menu looks like cabbage rolls stuffed with rice. It's not bad, but it's not great either.

"We were discussing the blue spirit," Yi Jung says, lowering his voice mysteriously.

Jun Pyo lifts an eyebrow. "The blue spirit?"

"That's what I'm calling it from now on," Yi Jung explains. "Whoever it is wears a blue mask and pops in and out like mushrooms!"

I groan. "It would never catch on, Yi Jung."

"Anyway, I have a theory," Yi Jung leans in closer. "I think it's a girl behind that mask."

Woo Bin chuckles. "Of course it is." He shakes his head. "You and your crazy theories. You might as well say it's one of us behind that mask. Maybe it's Ji Hoo."

My heart stops for two beats before I realize they're all staring at me.

Laugh, smile, say anything.

"Yeah, maybe it's me," I manage to say, hoping my voice isn't shaking.

Yi Jung pauses for a few seconds and then waves his hand dismissively. "Fine, fine. I'll drop it. Geez, you guys have no sense of imagination."

"And you have too much of it," Woo Bin pats him playfully on the back. "That mask IS quite popular lately though. I saw several people wearing it – men, women and children alike – when I went to town yesterday. And I guess it's in every town. Whoever is selling them is making a lot of money right now."

"It's probably a publicity stunt, then," Yi Jung pulls a face. "The mask vendor promoting his masks at night. Gets everyone to buy it and in turn gets free exposure."

Jun Pyo nods. "That's possible. But let's keep an eye on things just in case."

…

The moon is at its peak in the sky and it's full and bright outside my window.

I can't sleep again.

I know my alter ego has been getting some attention lately. But aside from Yi Jung's too-close-for-comfort suspicion, I haven't been found out.

It's exciting and scary at the same time. My mask and black suit are safely stashed inside the hollow of a tree I found in the woods the other day, along with the stick that's become my new favorite weapon. I have to thank those guys for giving me that.

Yi Jung's snore from the next room is in its usual rhythm, indicating how deep he is in sleep. I throw the blanket off and head out, footsteps making no sound as I run to the woods.

From a distance I can see the flickering of the lamp posts and a few huts clustered together surrounded by trees. It's the second time I'm visiting this place. The first time was just to scout around – I was bored that night. There are no fire nation soldiers on patrol here so I just looked around and found a barn with crates of old books. It was late so I didn't get a chance to look through the crates so I figured tonight should be a good night to do it. It's quiet, save for a few whispers in the huts here and there.

Tall double doors greet me as I enter the barn. The rough wooden walls are full of hooks to hold tack and equipment. The pungent smell of animals that used to live here greet my nose as I step on the straw floor towards the huge crates stacked on one side. The first crate is full to the brim with books, and I carefully take each book out, skimming over the titles, looking for one that is interesting enough for me to take back to camp, the moon giving off just the right amount of light.

I'm about to open the second crate when the doors open with a crash, and three figures step in.

"You!" one of them shouts, pointing at me.

The shock freezes me to my spot. And it's not because I've been found out, but because of who found me out. I don't care about the two soldiers with him – they're regular fire nation soldiers, and I can take them on easily enough.

But there, right in the middle of the three figures is a tall, dark haired boy looking at me with a devilish grin.

"Well, well, well," he says, as if he just won a prize. "I knew I saw someone enter this barn. What do we have here? A thief? Or something more?"

Chen.

"I told you guys we should stop here before we head back to camp," he says to the other two. He steps forward, and I will my legs to move. "Who is this masked man sneaking around in the dark?"

I can't be caught. No, not by him.

And I can't fight him off either.

Chen is one of the Elite. And he's not just one of the Elite, but he's fifth in rank, next to me. Which means I don't stand a chance against him without firebending. I can't risk firebending either, as he knows my moves and will surely figure out it's me.

My only chance is to outrun him.

The first blast of fire narrowly misses my face and I leap from post to post until I'm on one of the rafters closest to the window. Chen is firing blast after blast at me, not caring if he set the barn on fire. I climb out the window onto the roof and start jumping from roof to roof, thankful that the huts are close enough together. Shouts from below tells me they're in wild pursuit, but now the barn is on fire, and the noise has woken several people up, some of them coming out of their homes to see what the commotion is about.

This works to my advantage as some of them block Chen's way and slows him down.

"Get out of my way!" he screams.

"Fire! There's a fire in the barn!" someone shouts.

More people file on to the streets, some carrying buckets of water. One of them runs into Chen and knocks him down, buying me some much-needed time.

Maybe I might just make it. I make a mad dash to the trees at the edge of the houses, leaping from roof to roof, desperation pushing me on. I'm almost to the last hut, the one by the trees that would enable me to disappear and escape, when my foot goes through the roof and I fall straight down onto the wooden floor, hitting the corner of a desk on my way down.

My vision goes blurry, my side screaming in pain, and my chest gasping for air. I force myself up and hobble towards the window.

If I can jump out the window I may still get away.

A gasp stops me from my tracks. I'm not alone. Two pairs of eyes look back at me.

One of them is standing by the bed holding a tray. It's a girl with long, straight hair, and a baby face. Her mouth is shaped like an O and she looks like she's about to scream.

The other one doesn't look surprised, as if people fall out of the roof all the time. She actually looks...pleased to see me, which doesn't make any sense.

Get moving, Ji Hoo.

But there's something in her eyes that keeps me frozen in place.

Those eyes are ones I've seen before.

It's her.

The girl from the woods.

The mask!

The mask is still stuck on my face, and for the first time I'm thankful she can't see the panic that is coursing through me right now.

I wonder if she recognizes me. Woo Bin said there's a lot of these masked guys running around the island. Maybe she thinks I'm just one of them?

She signals the other girl to be quiet, purses her lips and nods. The voices outside get louder, and I recognize Chen's voice among them.

"Search every hut! He's here somewhere!"

Her head whips around and then she points to the floor. She pushes the table and raises the rug under it. Without a word she lifts up a hidden door and motions me to jump inside.

I contemplate on my chances of survival – whether I should jump out the window or jump into a dark recess on the floor. I turn to the window but the pain on my side hits me hard and my knees almost buckle under me. Silently I jump into the dark hole and she closes the lid.

Slithers of light pass through the wooden floor, and I'm thankful it's not pitch black down here. If there's anything I'm afraid of, it's being locked in a pitch-dark place.

Something huge and heavy blocks most of the light coming in. I can hear whispers and then the sound of a window opening.

And then someone starts screaming.

….

It's her. She's screaming.

"Help!" she shouts. "Help me! Please, hurry!"

Panic envelops me. There is no exit down here. I'm surrounded by packed earth. I can't even think about setting the door on fire – too risky. Maybe I can push it open, then jump out the window. My hands are on the door ready to lift, waves of pain racking my entire body, when the stomping of heavy boots stops me.

Several footsteps enter the hut, Chen leading them no doubt.

"What's the matter? Have you seen him?" Chen says. A pause. "Your roof. He fell through your roof. Where did he go?"

Silence. I'm guessing she's pointing at my location right at this minute.

Way to trust someone you just met, you idiot.

My mind tries to assess my situation. Can I take them on and survive? Once they lift that door, I'm done for. I can't even maneuver in this hole. But I won't go down without a fight.

In the barn, I had other ways out so firebending was my last resort. But here, in this tiny hole, I have no choice but to go to my last resort.

I'm going to have to firebend my way out and risk it.

"He went there?" Chen says, doubt in his voice.

I'm waiting for that door to open, fists ready to blast hot flames at them. Maybe, just maybe, if I have the element of surprise, I stand a chance.

"Hurry or he'll get away," she says, voice pleading.

Huh? I fail to see how I can get away, seeing as I'm trapped in here.

The footsteps are right on top of me.

Breathe, Ji Hoo. Breathe.

Get ready.

"Are you sure you're not hiding him somewhere?" Chen asks. "If you -"

"They just spotted him outside, heading east!" someone shouts.

"Go! Go!" Chen orders. Rapid footsteps follow, then the sound of a door closing.

And then silence.

The silence is deafening. I know I should be trying to get out of here but I'm unable to move, unsure what just happened.

Are they gone?

The minutes tick by, and suddenly light is flooding my hiding place.

"They're gone," a voice says.

It takes a few seconds for my vision to clear up. Her face greets me, a small smile on her lips.

"Are you okay?" she says. "Sorry it took so long. I had to make sure they were really gone."

She offers her hand to help me up and I take it, then she sits me on the bed and hands me a cup of water.

I shake my head. I can't take off my mask.

A breeze from the window reminds me of my plan to escape, to get out, and I limp towards it, clutching my side. Halfway there I collapse, exhaustion finally taking over my body.

…

There's a hole in the ceiling and I can see the stars. They're bright tonight. My grandfather taught me the names of some constellations, and I try to name them one by one.

It was a good idea putting a hole in the ceiling so I can stargaze. I should thank Yi Jung.

Of course, we'll have to do something about the hole when it rains.

The scent of jasmine fills my nostrils and I take a deep breath in.

Wait, we don't have jasmine in our room.

Where am I?

My eyes scan the surroundings, and nothing looks familiar. There's a blanket up to my chest, and my body feels like I got hit by a komodo rhino.

The events of the night slowly come back to me, and I look around in alarm.

My face!

But the mask is still on, and relief washes over me.

"I didn't take your mask off, if that's what you're worried about."

It's the girl. She's sitting at the foot of the bed, holding a tray with some dried herbs, gauze, and scissors. "I figured you must have a good reason to hide your identity."

I sit up, slowly, swirls of black and white dancing in my vision.

"Careful," she says. "I know you have to go, but you have to take it easy or it will take longer for your side to heal."

I lift my shirt and see a large rectangular patch on my left side. It smells like arnica and lavender.

"I hope you don't mind," she says. "You fainted while clutching your side so I took a look." She places the tray on the bedside table and gives me a sad smile. "I wanted to send you off with some pain relief but I ran out." She bites her lower lip, as if contemplating whether to proceed. "I don't know where you're from, but if you come back here tomorrow night I should have a poultice ready for you."

Tomorrow night?

I barely survived tonight.

As if reading my mind, she continues: "I'll ask Ga Eul to tie a white ribbon on the tree outside if it's safe for you to come back, if there are no fire nation soldiers around. If you don't see the ribbon, stay away, okay?"

I shouldn't come no matter what. It's too dangerous.

Especially now that Chen's back.

I lower my head, avoiding her eyes, unable to answer her.

"It's okay, I understand," she says. There's a hint of disappointment in her voice.

I head towards the window, calculating how long I've been gone. Would Yi Jung notice my absence?

The pain on my side is ebbing, the patch slowly working its magic. Without her help I would have been caught, discovered, by Chen nonetheless. He would probably drag me in front of Jun Pyo and have me thrown out of the Elite, then shipped me off to one of our prison islands.

I shudder inwardly at the thought.

Why did she help me? Is it because I helped her before? Does she know that masked man who rescued her is the same one standing in front of her right now?

Nevertheless, I need to thank her. But how can I thank her without talking to her?

Taking a deep breath, I face her, stand straight as a post, and very slowly bow low at the waist.

Her cheeks go pink, and her smile widens.

"My name's Jan Di. Geum Jan Di," she says.

Geum Jan Di.

It's a nice name.

Goes well with her nice smile.

Focus, Ji Hoo, focus. Remember you have to get back to camp.

I leap onto the nearest tree, and turn to cast one last look at her.

"It's nice to see you again," she whispers, and I pretend I don't hear it as I disappear into the darkness outside.

...