Promise

The midnight air was a temperature that froze the sea, littering it with mountains of ice. A large ship was moving slowly through the frozen islands, careful not to scratch against one or sink. Because of the cold weather everyone, say for a few, was in their cabins bundled as tightly as they could get. The emptiness almost made it seem like a ghost ship, included with a woman standing at the prow looking longingly out to the ocean.

The young woman was draped in red sleeping robes. Her hair was in a traditional style from her childhood that she was never without, loops framing her face, a small bun at the base of her neck, and a long braid at her back waving in the icy breeze. The smile was small on her face as she remembered the last time she saw these waters. Seven years? Had it really been that long since she last threw a snowball?

"I've always loved the cold weather." She spoke softly as she turned her head to the young man behind her that had just come on deck. "The air is always clean. The ocean, unbelievably, clear. There are never many clouds in the sky." She turned back to the sea as her companion stood on her right, close enough to share his body heat against the arctic, but not touching.

His hands rested on the metal wall separating them from falling into the sea, his face turned enough to his left to see her clearly as she talked. With the moon full that night her dark skin appeared to glow, making her even more beautiful then he knew she was. Then she'd always been. Even as a child the adults had praised how attractive and striking she would mature to be. He couldn't agree more. Her blue eyes seemed to shine even brighter, reflecting the frigid world around them. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

He watched as her eyes lit up more and a full smile broke her face "And my favorite part has always been the snow. How it's everywhere." She leaned forward resting on the rail looking at the endless horizon of white she loved. "Isn't it spectacular?" She spoke in a soft whisper.

Silence reigned between them, as it often did, but never awkward. "Do you miss it?" His sudden words were hard but quiet, afraid to break the tranquility around them.

Her smile darkened into one of sadness. "Everyday." She turned her head only slightly toward him, still gazing out over the water. "There will never be a day that I don't."

When the ship had gone south he began to think more and more of her past. And he could see that she did too every time that she looked at the waves, and the smile on her face the colder it got. Over the past few weeks as they traveled farther south he had been thinking about those lonely smiles she thinks no one sees.

And now he was going to tell her what he thought, no matter how much he didn't want to say it.

"You can stay." Shocked, her blue eyes widened as she whipped her head back, braid flying. He would have found her agape lips amusing normally and teased her about catching flies, but he was more somber than customary for him. "When we find the tribe you can stay." Turning to his right, he couldn't watch her anymore. But he could still see her in his minds eye, her face beaming with excitement. "You can go home." His words were soft and hushed

While he looked out at the stars she watched him with surprise. Her right hand delicately touched her neck, where a splash of blue-out of place in the flurry of her clothing-rested as a necklace. Sapphire eyes watered as she smiled lightly at him. He wanted her to be happy, so he showed her the scar, his disfigurement, (something she saw as simply him) so she could not see the hurt in his unmarred eye.

Her words came out just as soft, "I'll go home," He flinched. Hardly noticeable to most, his jaw tightening, muscles flexing and fingers holding the wall in a vice grip. "Once you find the Avatar," She drawled out. "I'll go home." It was her turn to watch his profile turn surprised. Though his face was controlled, she saw his mouth slacken and left eye widen from its squint. She could only imagine his right wide open. With a smile she lowered her hand and brought it to his, only when she rested it over his own did his vice grip on the metal wall release.

Petit body leaning forward to him her head tilted left to better see his face. "We'll go home together." Her fingers curled around his rough hand, his hand turned over to hold hers. He turned away from the sky and looked down into her sparkling eyes, and bright and beaming smile. A smile he thought was more extravagant then any of the noteworthy and amazing places he'd seen these past two years. "That's a promise."

And he smiled one of his few real smiles since his banishment. One of the smiles only she could bring out of him. But how couldn't he smile, when the woman he had secretly grown to love promised to stay with him forever.

Fin

So what do you think? It's not written as well as I hoped it would have come out, or as long, but I'm satisfied with it as a oneshot.

I think.

I've got all these great ideas for if I continued it, but the question is, can I actually write it and write it well? Ah well. Only time will tell.