He was running. Running far, far away. He had to get away from the monster.
A shout. Two. Cries.
"Noatak! Don't go! Please!"
He shook his head, pushing himself forward, away. Where was he going? Anywhere but staying there seemed tempting.
"My son!" A feminine voice. His mother...
He let a tear fall as he struggled to stay unfazed. His heart raced, his throat burned. He did not dare turn back. He may never get away...
He bumped into something. He look up at it.
A girl...
Her blue eyes fell on him as a strong gust of wind blew outwards from her torso. The snow around them turned to water and waved away. Fire sprouted from her figure, making him jump back in surprise. Rocks were pelted around him.
Her gaze was cold, drained completely of any emotion. He backed away from her. He knew who she was. The Avatar. She was here for him. She was here to kill him.
As she advanced on him, darkness consumed his surroundings, a dim light encircling the two of them.
"Noatak..." Her voice was soft and gentle. She was not going to hurt him.
He curled into a ball, afraid. He clenched his eyes tighter, willing tears away.
Suddenly, he felt a soft hand cup his cheek. It lifted his face so their noses touched.
"Noatak..." She repeated. He opened his eyes, fear still surging through him, but her kind eyes calmed the sea in his.
She smiled. It was a friendly, welcoming smile.
"What do you want from me?" He finally asked. Her smiled widened into a board grin.
"I am here to help you." Both her hands had found their way to his face, brushing over his cheek bones to make him more at ease.
He closed his eyes, leaning into the touch.
Noatak, a simple boy of the Northern Water Tribe, and the Avatar, a girl of the South... He was her aid and she was his savoir...
Amon gasped, clutching his chest as he leaped to his feet. He panted and struggled to swallow back the dryness in his throat…and the ache in his heart, never ceasing.
He looked around, eyes wide. For a moment, he wondered where he was. Three walls surrounded him, dark, moist and earthy. There was a opening, however, and he finally remembered the cave. In a dark, cold cave with the Avatar. Of all people...
The dream flashed again into his mind again and he shook it away, shivering. How had it even happened? How had the Avatar manage to get into his dreams?
Amon glanced at Korra, her small form curled into the ball he had last seen her in. He had picked her up from the snow and carried her, bridal-style, to the cave they were now trapped in. Because, apparently, the spirits loved to make him suffer.
Outside, snow fell in thick white sheets; a blizzard. Blistering winds howled into the cave and Amon had to drag himself and Korra as far back as he could to keep some warmth. He had wondered just how long the teen could sleep.
Amon turned back to the present. He turned away from Korra, racking his brain for resources to keep himself warm. His head hurt like nothing he'd ever experienced. He could feel his brain pounding against his skull. His hands trembled and he could feel his temperature beginning to rise.
Just as he had dreaded. A fever. He was beginning to develop a fever.
Amon swallowed the lump that had lodged in his throat. He had feared this-developing sickness. It would render him powerless to take care of the Avatar and himself.
"Amon?" He turned at the soft voice.
As if just realizing the implications of being in close proximity with her worst enemy, Korra jumped farther away from him, her hands up, trying to protect herself from him.
Amon only turned away, staring out into the endless white that kept growing outside their cave. "Avatar."
Korra looked around, struggling to remember what had happened. Her surroundings confirmed her suspicions. She was stuck with Amon in the middle of nowhere. But last she remembered, she had fallen into the snow, alone. He must have carried her...ugh.
"Um, thanks..." She muttered. Amon did not look at her.
"What do you mean?"
"I fell in the snow; I remember. And you... must have carried me here, right?"
"Yes."
"Well, thank you."
Amon seemed to hesitate. He had not imagined her to thank him for something so natural. Because, frankly, it was a very human thing to care for another person...Right?
"You're welcome." He murmured, wrapping his arms around himself.
Korra could tell there was something bothering him. He just radiated self-conflict. Over what?
Amon could feel her stare boring into his back. It bothered him. His head snapped to look at her before he could stop himself.
"What?" He growled. Korra jerked her gaze away, "Nothing."
She knew he wouldn't fall for that trick, not even Bolin would. She sighed.
"You seem...conflicted," she finally said. Amon's eyes fell to the ground, suddenly very interested in the dimly lit earth.
"I see no need to speak of my internal thoughts."
Korra almost laughed at him. His idiolect amused to her. Here she was, talking like a child, stumbling over words, and here he was, speaking like a man with years of experience, voice proud and clear.
Korra thought for a moment, looking at Amon straight in the face. She glanced briefly at the entrance of the cave before moving her eyes back to him. There was a blizzard, one that did not seem to be dying down any time soon. And Avatar Korra was not a girl known for patience. He could probably wait the thing out in silence, but she needed to talk to someone. She had the need to socialize. And the only person available was none other than Amon. To talk to another human being was a need she could not quench, enemy or not. But, at this point, Amon didn't seem… so much of a villain. He was just a man.
"It looks like we'll be here for a while, so..." She bit her bottom lip, nervous to voice the question, "So, I was thinking we could talk? Get...to know each other?"
Amon shifted in his spot. He felt it weird that he had just... dreamed of the Avatar, and now she wanted to get to know him?
He was about to refuse, say they already knew everything they needed to about each other, but he knew of the Avatar's energy. She was a very talkative person, thus, needing a companion. A warmth crept into Amon's heart at the thought of someone needing him again...
"My name is Amon," he drawled. "What is yours?"
Korra yawned and crossed her arms over her chest, unamused, "Sarcastic one, are we? Hmph. My name is Korra, Amon. I'm the Avatar, so I'm a rather big deal." She smirked.
Amon couldn't staunch a smile, though it lay hidden behind his mask, "So, Avatar Korra, how old are you exactly? Five? Ten? "
"More like seventeen. I didn't expect you to know. Since, you know, with old age comes memory loss," Korra jabbed.
In Amon's voice there seemed a hint of shock, but he kept his posture calm and collected, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt for you to know. I am thirty."
"Oh."
There was a silence that fell between them. Not an uncomfortable one, but it was thick and threatened to deafen them both.
"Sorry." Korra finally said.
Amon shrugged, unfazed, "It doesn't matter. Not like you could tell." He gestured to his mask.
Korra suddenly had an urge to know what was behind that porcelain slate. To see the man's real face, scarred or not. She wanted to know his real story, sad or not. She wanted to know him, enemy or not. But she was too shy to ask. She at least knew how old he was, right? That was a start.
Unbeknownst to her, Amon's mind traveled down the same lines. He wondered how Korra became to be Avatar Korra. He had never before wondered about the Avatar's personality. He didn't think about their feelings, their thoughts. He just wanted to conquer. He suddenly felt like he was applying too much pressure to one single person. A seventeen year-old, to be exact. A seventeen year-old who still had to learn and grow.
The masked man decided to take the first step, "Avatar-"
"You can call me Korra." She glanced up at him through her lashes. Amon's heart stopped when he noticed the decreased distance between them. When had they gotten so close?
"Korra..." he hesitated, but continued, determined to at least learn more about his enemy before returning to Republic City, "Do you miss your family?" He hadn't been sure of what to ask, so he just blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
Korra looked away, but a soft smile touched her lips, "Yeah...I haven't seen my parents much...And I miss the South Pole. All the snow, all the fun..." She trailed off, staring out the entrance of the cave.
Amon's eyes fell to the ground again, remembering the perks of the North, which were basically the same...
"You know, " Korra's voice broke him out his thoughts, "I remember this one time I went penguin sledding with my dad...It was the best day of my life." She smiled such a broad grin, Amon was sure she must have broken something in her face.
"What about you? What happened to your parents?" Korra asked. She crossed her legs, elbows on knees, chin in hands.
Amon turned away from her gaze, "They're dead." He said. It was true. At least he hoped so...
"Oh." A silence. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Death is in human nature." He didn't think much about it. He didn't want to.
Korra sensed his discomfort and decided not to pressure him. They were still enemies, after all. Just...on a truce of sorts until they got back to Republic City.
Once all interest of conversation died in them both, they returned to their own corners, shivering and shaking, but never touching. Body heat was essential, but Korra was certainly not going to suggest it first.
Amon's headache returned and he felt a slow burn seep across his skin. He leaned his head onto the moist wall cave, closing his eyes. He was going to survive this. Some way or another, he was going to return to his Equalists and conquer Republic City. He was still Kor-no, the Avatar's-enemy. He had a job to do. A reputation to keep up.
The pounding in his head grew the more he thought about the city and his plans. He let his subconscious take over and sighed. The fever was draining his energy. Plus, they hadn't eaten anything, and it was freezing. He forced himself to quell his anxious thoughts, letting himself slip into the welcome oblivion…
Korra was huddled in her little corner, wondering what he was thinking. Surely he wasn't planning on killing her in her sleep? No, Korra reminded herself, he's had the chance. She dared a glance over her shoulder. The man was trembling, knees pressed against his chest.
Korra blew into her palm, and a small fire ignited. She slowly made her way to where Amon lay. She could tell he was asleep, even with the shadow of the mask. She was tempted to take it off, but she reminded herself to respect his privacy.
Instead, she positioned herself in front of him, her free hand over his. He seemed to relax at the touch and his tensed shoulders slumped. Korra's firebending hand touched the dry ground between them. She bent the earth into a sort of cone, holding the fire in place.
Korra looked up at Amon. He breathed in shallow gasps, his chattering teeth and the mask making in harder; Korra was sure.
She didn't know what had gotten into her, but she felt as if she needed to help him. That there was an illness in him that needed to be treated, and she was his only available cure.
Korra almost laughed at the idea. It sounded so...She paused, glancing back at Amon's masked face...So possible.
She felt him shift near her, unconsciously seeking warmth. She slipped her small hand into his. Surprisingly, the moment Korra did so, he tightened his grip around it. She almost jerked away, shocked that he responded to the simple gesture.
But the warmth in Korra kept her still, telling her he needed her. And for some unknown reason, she knew she needed him too.
*Author's Note: As always, sunnyontheheights helped with this chapter! I really like this chapter for some reason...I hope you enjoyed it and tell me what you think!