Fire and Ice

A Young child

Random servant's POV

I walk around town after finishing with my shopping and notice a small girl that looks at least a year younger than Prince Zuko. She's asleep and shivering in a box within a hidden alleyway. If I hadn't heard her sniffle, I wouldn't have even noticed that her or the alleyway were even there.

I walked into the alleyway and gently shook her. "Wake up, little one. Can you tell me why you are sleeping here?"
She opened her little eyes and looked up at me with eyes the color of ice. She nods her small head, making a bit of her long black hair fall into her eyes.

"My parents are dead but they saved me from the person. I'm not allowed to return home even though the person left." This news surprises me. I haven't heard of something like this happening anywhere within 100 miles of the lord's home, so she must have went an extremely long distance from her home. But that's not exactly the thing that confuses me.

"Why can you not return home?" She was silent for a moment before finally answering, her voice being barely a whisper. "It's gone." I froze. This young child was sitting here without a home or family. She has no where to go even though she couldn't be any younger than 9 years old. I hold my hand out to her.

"Here. Come with me. There's some people I think you should meet." She looks at me skeptically but places her small hand in mine anyway. I help her stand up and we start walking in the direction I was originally heading. When we reached our destination, I quickly placed the food that I had brought in the palaces kitchen. I held the fabrics that were requested by my mistress in one hand and held the young girl's hand gently in the other. "Come, little one."

She walked along side me as we reached my mistress's chambers. I let go of her hand and whispered to her. "Now be very good and polite, okay? It's up to your behavior around my mistress to decide wether or not this can  be your new home, as a servant at least." She nods her head in understanding and I knock on the doors.

A woman's voice from inside calls out, "Come in." I open the door and signal to the child to follow me in. "Ahh, I see. So it was you, Seahlynn. Thank you again for getting those fabrics for me. I don't know what I'd ever do without you helping me." I chuckle, she's always so kind. I have no doubt in my mind that she will allow this young girl to stay here with me.

"Oh? Who's this, Seahlynn?" I follow her gaze to the young girl partially behind me. "This is a young orphan girl that I had found within an alleyway that I happened to have walked by. I had sympathy for her, seeing as she's so young, so I decided to bring her with me so that I could ask for your permission to take her in. So far, I can tell that she's one of the most obedient and mostly educated child I've ever met. There are no concerns that she would cause much of any trouble here, wether a servant or not." I bow as I finish stating my request and make a quick glance at the young girl beside me. She seems to notice what I'm doing and why, because she quickly mimics the action.

My mistress chuckles a bit before she answers back. "I'm sure you'll take great care of this child. Unfortunately, I don't think my dear husband would approve of me taking her in as my own, but I can allow her to become a servant girl. You may claim her as your own child since you are the one who saved her from the cold streets. You both may stand up straight once more." We both go back to how we were standing before as she continues speaking, this time focusing the conversation more towards the child than towards me.

"Now, young child, do you have a name?" The child nods and looks up at the mistress and me, waiting for permission to speak. I give her a reassuring nod to tell her that it was ok. Her small and sweet little voice is heard again. "My name's Klare." My mistress nods. "Well, Klare, it's nice to have you staying here. I hope you be good for Seahlynn and us. She'll be caring for you from now on, and you shall be helping her in her duties as well." Klare nods.