The Melting Ice (Phantom)

The snow fell on the ground as the sun set over the walls of the city. Lights on the street shimmered of the ice. A faintly orange and pale blue danced on the ground as a lone woman played the piano in a tavern within the center. The tavern was lit by a single candle sitting upon the seet of the piano. With the piano echoing around the city, it seemed so lonely and sad.

Kassaundra was the last one in the tavern. As she stopped snow piled on the window she stood up and closed the piano. After she picked up the candle and blew it out settign a blue tone within the empty tavern. Once the darkness settled she left the tavern and sat on a bench made of ice. A few minutes have passed and then she looked up to see the sky clear of clouds "Happy birthday Rai."

Kael had taken to walking the streets lately. He found it relaxing after everything that had been happening. It was hard to find any solace during the war, and being king didn't help either. He was taking his usual route around the city when a sad piano piece swept out of a tavern he had never been in. Curious, Kael peered in. The tavern was empty and looked about ready to close. The bartender was cleaning up and the only one in the main room was a young woman on the piano, playing a rather slow piece. He could almost feel her sorrow from the door way, and Kael was taken. He watched her play, fingers moving gracefully across the instrument. When the song finished, her fingers lingered, but she got up. Kael quickly stepped back into the darkness that the tavern roof made as she exited.

She sat on a bench not far, and Kael was perfectly still as he watched her sit there, staring at the ground. Finally, she looked up at the sky and whispered something. He could not make out the words, but her voice broke his paralysis and he approached her slowly, like how one would approach a bird that could fly away at any moment. She didn't seem to notice him, and Kael cleared his throat.

"I heard you on the piano," he said softly. "It was a beautiful song."

She looked over, startled she just let out a smile "Thank you. My brother taught it to me." She closed her eyes for a moment and looked back up to the sky "Today was his birthday. He passed away a few years back" Her eyes started to tear up as she continued "every year he would come home and play that song. But since the war started he grew colder and died in his sleep." Kassaundra wiped her eyes with a fake smile on her face "Sorry if I am bothering you."

"No, not at all," Kael responded quickly, taking her willingness to talk as in invitation to sit down. Out of instinct, he folded his arms inside the sleeves of his robes and sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry about your brother, the war has affected all of us...." He sighed and followed her gaze to the sky. It was a clear night, no clouds and no wind. Kael considered it warm even, for the Southern Water Tribe.

"Do you play here often?" He gestured at the tavern down the street, knowing it was a crappy way to start a conversation, but it was all he could think of. In the process of observing her profile, he noticed that her hair was the same color as his. White as snow. He was suddenly dying to know her name.

Kassaundra laughed as the man asked her the question about the tavern. "Yea I have since I was nine." Her eyes shifted down towards the man, glowing a bright blue. For a second their eyes met and her face turned bright red. Oh my god he is beautiful!!!! Thinking he might have read her thoughts she quickly shot her eyes back to the sky.

"So might I ask who you are? I haven't seen you around my tavern before." She looked back at him making sure she didn't make eye contact.

"Really? That long? No wonder you were so good." He smiled and met her eyes, which seemed to cause her to blush and turn away. Kael wasn't sure what to make of that reaction, and he fidgeted, wondering if he had said something wrong. Was it the praise? Was it too much? That was probably it.

"So might I ask who you are?" She turned her head back toward him but averted her gaze. "I haven't seen you around my tavern before."

Kael tilted his head, a puzzled expression coming over his face. "Your tavern?" He paused, then realized what she really meant and laughed. "You're right, I've never been in. I don't come down this street a lot. Ah, but I've put off my introduction. My name is Kael," he extended his hand to shake hers, "and yours?"

She shook his hand with a beautiful smile "My name is Kassaundra." Then something in her head went off. Not anything bad, the complete opposite. Her eyes started to ripple like they do at midnight. With the smile brightening she looked at the moon and her eyes seemed to dance with blue light and glow. She looked back at Kael and stood up "Hey do you want to see something beautiful?" But without a response she grabbed his hands and ran off, practically dragging him off his feet.

Kael had never met a girl so whimsical, but he didn't protest as she dragged him off the bench and pranced to some unknown location. He couldn't help but notice her eyes as they ran. They rippled, changed color, seemed to dance in the moonlight...he had never seen eyes do such a thing. Then there were her words. Do you want to see something beautiful?

"Kassaundra," he called, feeling how her name felt on his tongue. "Where are we going?" Despite the strangeness of the whole situation, Kael was smiling. He was excited.

Kassaundra looked back at him with a large smile. She then looked forward delaying the answer of the question. The man reminded her of an old friend, but she knew she had never met Kael. About a few miles outside the city she slowed down until she finally stopped. "We are almost there." she let go of Kaels hand and streched her arms into the sky. "So, how well can you swim?" Kassaundra looked back at Kael with a friendly smile.

Kael slowed down, refraining from panting even though he knew he was out of shape. He brushed his long hair out of his face and raised an eyebrow, perplexed.

"Swim? We're going swimming?" He pulled his robes tighter around his body, folding his arms in close. "We'll freeze," he stated. After a moment of silence, he looked at her again, returning her smile. "But any respectable water bender can swim."

Walking now, he fell in line next to her as they walked through the rural land. The sky was open above them, making Kael feel strangely vulnerable. He had taken many walks around this part of the land, that he knew, but it was unrecognizable in the dark. He also always took these walks alone, and it was odd to have company. Even odder still was the secretive quality in which Kassaundra was leading him.