"Avani, are you alright, you're burning up..."
"I'm fine, Mako"
"You don't look well, Avani"
"I... Maybe you're right" Korra clenched her fists in the way that only a young teenager did. She had been hiding out with Mako, Bolin and a few other street rats of varying ages for a number of days now. Mako and Bolin allowed them to stay in their home, knowing that if they left they'd probably be killed quite quickly, in exchange for assistance around the house and occasionally running an errand or two for the police force that Mako served. His Chief, a man called Saikhan, was in Mako's own words a 'limp noodled twattish pig', but it was a job, it paid for the house, kept him with his brother and was enough to feed all the hungry mouths in the evening. Mako looked around and two of Korra's fellow orphans ran up to him
"Tahno, Skoochy, keep an eye on Avani, I'm going to see if I can find the local Herbalist"
"right" Tahno sat next to Korra and grabbed a cloth, soaking it through and cooling it with his waterbending. "here, Avani" he whispered, well aware that a fever or migraine can cause intense hypersensitivity to sound and light
"what's going on?" Bolin had joined them
"Avani doesn't look too good, I'm going to find the Herbalist see if she can take a look at her"
"nobody's seen her for weeks Mako, not since that Princess popped by for a visit the first time"
"oh I hope she didn't..." Mako growled, "well I'm off to find help"
"see ya, bro. Happy hunting"
*
Mako had covered a large portion of the city, he visited the Herbalist's shop and sure enough it was boarded up as Bolin had indicated. "shit" he then heard noises coming from behind the boarded up windows. "stay where you are!" he demanded, "police!"
A fearful squeak caught him off guard, he broke down the wooden boards but found himself sprawled on the ground, a piece of pipe floating over him. "leave me alone!"
"ugh. I'm a police officer and you can't just break in to someone's house"
"Leave me alone!" the voice squeaked again,
"I'm not going to hurt you" it had taken Mako a few moments to work it out, he was speaking to a frightened child.
"go away!"
"My name is Mako, who are you?" Mako waited, "what's your name?"
"are you here to take me back?"
"take you where?"
"to that place they kept saying was my 'home'?"
"No, I don't even know where your home is, kid"
"my name is... Kuvira"better not tell him my surname in case he does decide to take me back for whatever rewardshe'soffered for my safe return
"Kuvira, huh? Isn't that an Earth Kingdom name?"
"yes, what of it?"
"So why are you hiding in your own territory?" Mako asked. "you don't have to answer that" he added
"you are trembling in fear, Mako"
"one of my friends is very sick"
"The Herbalist is dead I am afraid" Kuvira whispered reluctantly, "but I guess I could have a look at them for you?"what the fuck am I saying?
"Thanks" Mako smiled and Kuvira crawled out of her little bundle of blankets that she was attempting to use to keep herself warm. "you know I've got a nice warm fire" Mako offered, "Kuvira"
"Thank you... But I'm nearly fourteen now I should be able to take care of myself!"
"Nonsense, come on"
*
"you know, I may know somewhere where this girl can get help?" Kuvira whispered. They had been sitting by Korra's bed for about five minutes before Kuvira had spoken
"Really?"
"Really really, the best healer in the world lives there"
"But..."
"She's too weak to travel? I know, that's why I went into that shop before coming back here... Now, I can stay for another few minutes but then I'll have to go"
"what why?"
"because I told that shopkeeper my name and my wanted poster is all over the place"
"wanted poster, are you some kind of criminal?"
"oh oops, I keep forgetting. Mymissing persons poster, sorry. It just feels like a fucking wanted poster, yanno?"
"Missing person?" Korra croaked
"Avani" Kuvira smiled at her
"who are you?"
"My name is Kuvira," she lowered her voice so nobody other than Korra could hear her, "Beifong"
"B..." Korra began but Kuvira put a finger on Korra's lips, silencing her
"hush now, Avani, what I said was for you alone" Kuvira sighed, "they'll be here soon" Kuvira sighed sadly. "i have to go, goodbye, Avani"
"No..." Korra was held down firmly by Bolin and Tahno while Kuvira left unhindered
"seriously Korra you only met her for like twenty seconds"
"She's so scared... And alone... Wish she'd let someone get close" Korra muttered sadly
*
A few hours later there was a knock on the door then a splinter as it was torn off its hinges and thrown against the wall on the other side of the room. A middle aged woman walked in wearing green with metal. "right, search the place, I want to find her before she runs again"
"Can I help you?" Mako scowled at the damage they did to his door
"The name's Suyin. Where is she?" Suyin hissed
"Who?"
"Kuvira! I know she's here, someone called it in!"
"Su..."
"what, Katara?!"
"can you hear that coughing?"
"a little busy here"
"well you go looking for her and I'll see who's coughing"
"you, young man, come with me" the elderly Katara demanded of Mako
"Sure"
"oh my!" Katara took one look at the young girl in the bed and immediately began waterbending to heal her
"what's wrong with her, miss?" Bolin wiped the sleep from his eyes
"Please hush"
Suyin growled and yelled in frustration. "she's not here!"
"calm down Su, we will find her" another woman replied
"I'm scared, Lin"
"i know" the woman called Lin took control and Mako found himself withering under Lin's glare. "You will tell me what you know about Kuvira's whereabouts, or I shall flay you to within an inch of your life in front of all your young friends, clear?"
"Uh... I... Uh..."
"i an waiting"
Mako took a deep breath and explained how Korra, or Avani had fallen ill, how he had found Kuvira and how she had gone in to a shop to buy some food before coming back here "that's all I got"
"He's not lying, Su"
"then she was here... But she got us to come out all this way to be gone when we got here... Why?"
"I may have an answer for you" Katara and Mako rejoined them, "there was a young girl in the basement who was quite close to death... I've done what I can for her but she's still weak"
"That's such a Kuvira thing to do, find someone in need of help and do whatever she can to provide that help. "Then run off again so we can't take her back, of course" Suyin chuckled bitterly. "She is of course in for the punishment of a lifetime when we finally get her home"
"Su... She's just a young teenager, you used to do things like this all the time when we were kids"
Before Suyin could retaliate with words or actions, Katara interrupted, "The girl needs some more medical attention, she's no longer in any immediate danger, but the poison took a lot out of her"
"Poison?! What poison?!" Mako yelled
"easy..." Katara rested a wrinkled hand on his shoulder and squeezed it, "now I don't know what it does but I've eliminated every trace I could. She hasn't had anything out of the ordinary recently has she?"
"Avani only came here a few days ago, ma'am"
"And she hasn't drunk or eaten anything out of the ordinary?"
"no ma'am, just water"
"Then it must be withdrawals. These won't be pleasant for her but she's no longer in any danger"
"thank you miss"
"Call me Katara"
"THE Katara?" Bolin gasped and waved his hands in excitement
"yup, that's me"
"Come on aunt Katara, we've gotta get back out there and search for Kuvira, she can't have gone far"
Katara sighed, "well this is goodbye, make sure you tell Avani to get lots of rest" Katara left with her group
"I can't believe it... I met THE Katara!"
"Shut it Bo, you're going to disturb Avani"
"Sorry"