Tattoo
Chapter One: Crowing Hen
"A bustling woman and crowing hen are neither fit for gods nor men."
It was one of those sayings that had been repeated so often, it had lost its meaning ages ago. Yet it held such simple and undeniable truth that it continued to be passed from generation to generation. Maisha had heard it from her grandmother and her mother; she hadn't been surprised to hear her own daughter mumbling the little rhyme to herself as she played pretend with dolls on the kitchen floor.
Maisha understood the truth of that proverb, for even as she strolled down the lane she couldn't help but overhear the gossip of her "bustling" neighbors.
"...daughter ran off with that boy..."
"...see that look on her face...?"
"...her hair, and that dress..."
She was above such pettiness, Maisha reminded herself. But, naturally, she took a certain pride in having information. And, as everyone knew, the best place for information was the front room of Miss Sanyu's inn, because the old woman knew everything about everything.
Maisha slipped through the door of the modest inn and, after allowing a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dim light, looked around. The room was the same as it had been for years. A low counter that served as the front desk sat in front of the far wall on which racks of keys hung between two windows. In front of the desk, quietly boasting its ornate carvings and just-polished gloss, sat an expensive dining table surrounded by plush and inviting pillows. And, a few paces away, a thick drapehung over the kitchen doorway. The only thing missing was the old woman.
"Miss Sanyu?" Maisha called out, her voice echoing in the empty front room. A moment later, the drape rustled and Miss Sanyu's pale face emerged from the doorway.
"Ah, Maisha," she croaked. "So good to see you. Please, sit down. I'll bring out the tea."
Maisha made herself comfortable as Miss Sanyu waddled from the kitchen with a prepared tray. Carefully, she set the matching kettle and porcelain cups on the table, and then slowly seated herself across from Maisha. She began to pour the tea, mouth twisted into a smug, toothless grin. The old witch, Maisha thought, She's just been waiting for someone to come by. Whatever news she has must be too good to pass up. If what people were saying was true, then Miss Sanyu had a right to be smug.
Miss Sanyu sipped delicately at her tea, still wearing that grin. Silently she waited for the younger woman to ask the right question. They both knew what she had come for, so Maisha wasted no time with small talk.
"Miss Sanyu, I heard the most unbelievable story!"
Feigning ignorance, Miss Sanyu played the game. "Is that so? And what did you hear, darling?"
"People are saying that the Avatar was in town last night. That he was here."
That smile again. "Of course he was. In this very room, in fact."
"So it's true! You saw him?"
"Mm-hmm..." Miss Sanyu poured more tea into her cup, offering no further explanation. A moment passed before Maisha urged her on.
"Well, what did you say to him?"
"I told him to turn right around, and stay away from my inn."
"What?" This time her shock was real, and disbelief left her unable to hold her tongue. "You told him to leave? Why on earth would you do that?"
"I didn't like those tattoos. There's nothing to like about Airbenders," was her simple reply.
Despite herself, Maisha snorted a small laugh into her tea. Nothing to like about Airbenders - how ridiculous! How would she know? There hadn't been an Airbender alive since before Maisha was born. How could Miss Sanyu hate a people who didn't even exist? Then again...
She glanced at Miss Sanyu, face painted in a vain grasp at youth. The woman was nearly as old as time itself. Maybe she had known Airbenders. Maybe she did know something...
"What's not to like about Airbenders?" Miss Sanyu gave her a long, calculating look, and Maisha began to feel uncomfortable under her gaze. Finally, the old woman chuckled - a dry and grating sound.
"You young people are so naïve," she drawled.
Young people. Maisha smiled. From anyone else it would have been a compliment. "Well, enlighten me."
"Alright," said Miss Sanyu. "But I only tell you this because I know you aren't quick to judge."
Don't flatter yourself.
Miss Sanyu bent low over the table and spoke quietly, as if afraid of being overheard "As far as I'm concerned, Sozin did the whole world a favor." Maisha didn't need to as what "favor" she was referring to. The former Fire Lord was infamous for starting the war and hunting Airbenders to extinction. Maisha said nothing, and Miss Sanyu took her silence as an invitation to continue. "You know about their temples?"
"Yes," Maisha answered, almost honestly. Sure, she had heard the stories. Mystical places floating among the clouds. But, as far as she knew, they were only legends - fairy tales she told to her children at bedtime.
"Secluded in those mountains...hiding from the world... They were right to hide, too. Because if the world had known what they were doing - mark my words - they would've been dead far sooner."
Maisha laughed to herself. Miss Sanyu was portraying the very epitome of a paranoid old woman. Her opinions were set in stone. "And what, exactly, were they doing up there?"
"Dark, strange things. Sorcery." Although skeptical, Maisha found herself curious. "They tattooed themselves with cursed needles. Devilish markings they used to channel evil spirits. Even worse was what they did to their children."
"Their children?" Maisha echoed.
"Oh, yes." Miss Sanyu's eyes were hooded and serious as she spoke, her voice hushed. "They took the youngest ones. They would steal a baby right from its mother's breast -" she made a sudden grabbing motion that startled Maisha. " - and take it to the temple. They tattooed even those little ones. Some people say you could hear the cries from miles away." She nodded sagely. "Barbarians. They deserved their fate."
Slowly, Maisha moved her porcelain cup from side to side. With unfocused eyes she watched fragmented tea leaves swirl in lazy circles. Miss Sanyu was exaggerating. The old woman was trying to shock her, to frighten her. She was making it up. She was lying.
"But, Miss Sanyu," Maisha said, looking up, "the Avatar is only a child, a harmless boy. If what you said is true, then he's just a victim. He doesn't deserve to be blamed for the wrongs of his people."
"Victim or not," she replied, "I won't allow evil to sleep under my roof."
Maisha straightened. "Of course not. There's no room for more."
It was Maisha's turn to smirk as she watched Miss Sanyu's expression leap from disgust to silent shock. Then her thin lips parted wide as she let out a loud, creaking, crowing fit of laughter. Miss Sanyu continued, body shaking in violent mirth as Maisha stood and left the inn without a word.
Outside, the streets were quiet. She hurried home, carefully avoiding the mud puddles left over from last night's downpour. The old rhyme repeated itself rhythmically in her head, in beat with her footfalls.
"A bustling woman and crowing hen are neither fit for gods nor men."
Nor gods who are men, she mused, smiling politely and waving at passersby. Nor gods who are still boys.
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar, and can't think of a clever way to say it.
Note: This is chapterone of what will be afour part story from different points of view. Please, leave a review and let me know what you think!
- effie's head