Fireheart

Chapter 6

“What’s the matter?”

Haru asked, since i had been frowning and glowering for the entire afternoon.

I ignored him.

“Does your new roommate snore a lot and you can’t sleep?”

I rolled my eyes.

“Yes, she does snore, but that’s not the problem. I’m quite used to the sound of snoring. ”

Ever since that little ‘fight’ in Zuko’s office, he had decided that I share a bedroom with Katara, and I now slept in a sleeping bag on the couch, or the fluffy carpet, which I didn’t mind. It was quite almost as comfortable as a feather bed, except for the pesky water tribe girl’s snoring.

“So why are you mad?”

“I hate weddings.” I groaned, and ducked my head under one of the blankets that I had hauled into my library in hopes of sitting down and having a quiet night of reading and catching up on the nation’s latest news.

“Oh. So you’re just…. not used to all this…. fussing?”

“It’s not just that. I can’t help thinking about my best friend, Malali.” I said softly, and rested my face on my elbows.

“Who’s she? You never mentioned a Malali before.” He asked, leaning back in the sumptuous, high-backed velvet armchair. He reached inside a wicker basket, and brought out a teapot and two delicate crystal cups. “Would you care for some ginger tea?” He asked, handing me a teacup.

“Malali was my best friend. She was the imperial engineer, and Zuko’s ex- girlfriend. She disappeared a few weeks after the day of Sozin’s comet, 6 years ago, and was never seen again.” I poured myself a little of the golden ginger tea, and sipped slowly.

“Aha! So that explains why you’re upset. You wish that your friend would be the bride, instead of Katara.” He guessed, very much correctly. I winced, though he didn’t notice. Was I that obvious? Or was he just a good guesser?

“Well, kind of. I haven’t seen her since she disappeared. I even had wanted posters put up for her everywhere, but to no avail. Her sister comes to visit sometimes, you know, to do her engineering work and such, but she never brings news of Malali.” I sighed, and wrapped the red woolen shawl tighter around myself. The fire nation was well known for temperature extremes, reaching the approximate heat of a blacksmith’s furnace in summer, and in the winter, the climate would suddenly drop to negative ten degrees celsius. I wondered how the water tribe people survived in their year-round frigid climate. I desperately wished for the blazing summer sun to shine upon my face, and to feel the warm breeze.

“Why did she leave?” Haru frowned, “I have heard news of a mysterious masked metalbender in the Seewong desert. She wears a mask that looks like a desert wolf’s face, and wears traditional sandbender clothing, and long red hair”

“Malali’s a firebender. It can’t have been her.” I sighed. “She left on that fateful day, and I never saw her ever again.”

“Yes, Zuko told me, but why did she leave?”

Haru was getting a little too inquisitive for my liking.

Two days ago, I had received a letter.

A very special letter, from a very special friend.

It had read,

“Do not worry about me. I will come home soon. Can’t tell you location, very sorry. I can only tell you that this tavern stinks like the sewer that runs underneath the palace. Phew! Full of smelly, sweaty drunken folks. It’s awfully hot and sunny over here. I’d quite forgotten what winter is like; it’s an oven 365 days a year here. DO NOT tell Zuko or that filthy water tribe slut I am coming.

See you soon!

P.S. BURN THIS LETTER”

So, she had sworn me to secrecy. Well, at least secrecy against Zuko and Katara. That night I would never forget. After Zuko dueled and captured me, he had me brought into the victory feast, tied up like an animal. At that feast, Zuko had explained to everyone how he had survived my lightning shock -all the while smirking at me- And how he saved Katara, the two kissed. I turned away in disgust, but Malali turned beet-red. In her hand, appeared a blazing fireball, much stronger than the weak puffs of smoke and sparks she usually produced, but a roaring flame. She’d thrown fire blast after fire blast at Katara, called her a filthy whore,  (whatever that was supposed to mean) slapped her thrice, then she’d twisted around, quick as a cat in a narrow alley way, and shot a bolt of lightning at Katara. It’d hit her smack in the chest (I had no idea how she managed that move perfectly, after I’d tried drilling her on that particular lightning stance for years, ever since I learnt it myself. I suppose rage gives you better concentration), and Malali had fled, weeping bitterly and cursing Zuko, leaving a conflagration behind her as she stormed out the door. Katara survived the attack, with only a faint scar, as she’d very luckily been wearing a thin armor vest of spun jewel-studded silver and platinum underneath her thick cotton and wolf pelt parka. Malali never appeared again. If there was a mysterious masked woman with red hair, who terrorized the desert-dwelling folk, it might just be Malali.