"I'm gonna take Naga for a run." A voice yells up to the White Lotus guards.
Saki looks down to the voice, cyan eyes look up through the parka hood before looking across the horizon before nodding "Yes, Avatar Korra, though I looks like a storm may be rolling in soon." He nods bending the gate open and when it's only about a foot open the Avatar slips out calling her polar bear dog to follow. The two figures quickly disappear from Saki's sight.
As soon as Korra can no longer see the town or the compound she calls Naga to stop, curling her hand into a fist she shoots a flame into the nearest snow mound, "I'm the Avatar, Naga." She mumbles as the ice forms from snow, "They didn't keep Aang locked up, or Roku, or Kuruk and they definitely didn't for Kyoshi. Why…" she looks around, punching at the air again, "Why do Tenzin and Sokka and Dad think they can do that to me? How can I keep balance, a citizen of the four nations, if I hardly even know the southern Water Tribe, let alone the Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom or the United Republic." She growls to her best friend, just then she hears a horn, looking up she sees a ship almost ready to leave harbor, the eleven year old Avatar looks to her companion, "Want to go for a ride girl?" She asks before taking off in a run, the polar bear dog pup following close behind.
Arriving at the Harbor she catches her breath as snow starts to fall, keeping her hood up she reads the locations the ships are headed towards, Republic City, Ember Island, Ba Sing Se, Omashu, all fancy passenger ships, They'll notice me Korra thinks before coming across a slightly smaller ship, a Earth Kingdom cargo ship headed to Chin, "Kya says Chin is near Kyoshi Island." Korra mutters with a nod, "Come on, Naga." She walks up to the ramp, finding a pattern as they load furs and tools for trade she carefully sneaks on finding a pile that looks fully loaded she leans into it, Naga rests her head on her lap, "I need to learn Earthbending in the Earth Kingdom, right Naga?" She murmurs softly before closing her eyes, it should be almost a full day before they get to the Earth Kingdom so may as well make herself comfortable.
She is woken several hours later by the ship's foghorn looking out the one window in her sight she sees the sun had set, she has to blink a few times as the compound had had a midnight sun for the past month so seeing the stars surprised her a bit, "We've gone quite a ways, huh, Naga?" the pup lets out a yip as Korra's stomach growls, she looks out desperately trying to figure where they are, "Looks like we're almost there, I see land and I think we're out of the south Naga. We'll find some food when we get there, okay, girl?" she pats Naga's head, "Let's get ready to go." she pulls her parka off and ties it around her waist.
Sure enough, less than an hour later the ship docks and the ramp opens she quickly runs out, accidentally running into one of the workers, "Thank you, Sorry." she yells over her shoulder as she runs down a street running straight into a man, "Sorry." she murmurs attempting to sidestep him.
"Oh no you don't." her grabs her wrist, lifting her off the ground, "You kids need to learn some respect."
"Hey, let me go you creep." Korra growls, swiping at him, unable to find much water she pulls the earth from below her at the hand on her wrist.
He laughs, "Oh, so you're a half breed, huh. Daddy couldn't stick to his own nation?"
"I'm not a…" she trails off He doesn't know I'm the Avatar "Naga, bite." She orders the growling polar bear dog, who quickly jumps and clamps her jaws on the man's arms, who lets go of Korra, the young Avatar runs out of the man reach, "Naga release."
"Mutt, I'll cook ya." he growls before sending a couple flames from his hands.
Korra feels the heat as they turn down the next street, "Naga, should've gone to Republic City, huh?" she asks as they duck down an alley, after several minutes the man appears to have not have followed them, slowly she sticks her head out, not seeing the man she sighs in relief, "Creep." she motions for Naga to follow, "What was that he called me, Half breed?" she mumbles to her best friend.
"Half breed means you're from multiple nations, especially your parents." a voice offers to her left, "It's not exactly civilized, but some people are assholes." Korra looks to the owner of the voice, it's a girl, maybe seven or eight years older than her who walks up to her, with a small smile.
Korra nods softly, "Um, do you know where I could go to get some help with my earthbending?" she asks quietly.
"I hate to say it, but Master Xaan is one of those assholes." The girl looks Korra over, "But you look like a strong bender, let me check something," she grabs her metal arm band off her arm, handing it to Korra, "Feel anything?"
Korra focuses on the metal, it's not cold like she thought it'd be but alive, not like water or even the little earth she had bent, less yielding, but alive nonetheless, "Yeah, like humming." Korra responds, looking up to meet the girl's green eyes.
"Well, then I think the place you should go is about three days north west from here, ever hear of Zaofu? Or the Metal Clan?"
"I think I heard my father say something but…" Korra shrugs.
"Okay, where is your father?"
"He's…" Korra pauses she can't go back to the compound she decides, "He died." she lies, "And I never really knew my mom."
"I'm sorry honey." the lady nods, "What's your name sweetie?"
"Korra." no one knows her name in connection to being the avatar except the White Lotus and a few world leaders.
"Well, Korra, maybe I should introduce myself." the girl responds, grabbing her armband and slipping it on again, "I'm Torah. Who's your friend?" she asks motioning to the polar bear dog with one hand
"Naga, she came here with me."
"Well, Korra and Naga." Torah grabs something out of her back pocket, "I want you to take this map, and these yuans, the city of Zaofu is where you should go, the Metal Clan lives there and you'll find a teacher there who'll make you into an amazing earthbending master and metalbender, okay, Sweetie?" she shoves the objects into her hands
"But, I can't, I can't pay you back for the map or the money."
"Just pay it forward, Sweetie. Do good in the world, okay?"
"You- you're sure?"
"Yeah. Go to Zaofu, okay Korra?"
"Okay." she nods, "Thank you."
"That way." the other girl points before standing, "I'd take you to the edge of town, but I need to get going to work, okay, Sweetie?"
"I'll be okay, thank you for all your help."
"You're welcome."
Korra runs down the street almost to the edge of town, "Ah, there you are, ya brat." A familiar voice says from her right, she turns to see firebender creep.
"Just heading out of town." Korra offers, no need to get into a fight if she didn't need to, especially as she's kind of stuck with earth if she doesn't what to reveal she's the Avatar.
"In an urn, half breed." He responds with a smile.
"You don't look like you're from the Fire Nation." She smirks, keeping just out of his grabbing range
"Take that back you fucking mutt." He growls shooting an arc of fire in her direction, she jumps over it.
"Hey! Look I get you've had a bad day but I just want to leave." she bends an earth wall between her and the man.
Her sends two flame punches her way, she dodges the first though the second hits her side, she drops to her knees in pain, "Naga, fight." She growls taking her hand away from her side to see the burn as the polar bear dog growls, stepping in front of the young avatar.
The man steps back, "Call off your mutt."
"No." Korra gasps out, standing quickly, "Now let us leave."
"This isn't over." He growls before running back into town.
"Let's go, Naga." Korra responds, taking a lurching step towards the path, Naga wines, "I'm okay, girl, we'll get help in Zaofu, or somewhere along the way." She winces as she takes the next step, gasping in pain.
After almost four days of walking, Korra sees a glint on the horizon, a city of metal, "Looks like… looks like the home… home of the Metal Clan, huh? Naga?" She gasps out coughing as she stumbles, falling to the ground. Naga whines, nudging the Water Tribe girl, who groans but doesn't get up, "It… hurts, Naga." She groans before closing her eyes. Nags barks, nudging her master again to no avail, liking the girl's face and not getting any response the pup runs towards the metal domes Korra had been walking towards.