So sorry for such a long delay in the update! I've been super busy caring for my motherless baby goats. They live in the house with me now, haha, and they pee on absolutely everything in sight. Everything. Including my fuzzy leopard blanket that my brother left lying on the living room floor. Stupid beasties. Gah, but they're too adorable to stay mad at for more than 5 seconds. :P
Okay, so thanks to the dark euphie for the 50th review! She picked a free Amorra one-shot. Working on it now. Should have it within a few weeks for ya! :)
Anyway, I hope this chapter is adequate for y'all. Please review!
"There is a darkness deep in you,
A frightening magic I cling to.
Just keep me a chance to hold on…
Give me something to hold on to."
—Snow Patrol, So Clear Now
Korra awoke to the sound of Amon moving about the campsite. The leather saddle bags rustled as he dug through them, pulling out their second set of rations to prepare breakfast. He already had a small fire crackling when she pushed the sleep out of her eyes, emerging tousle-headed from behind Naga's snoozing form. She grimaced in the dim, flickering light. The sun hadn't even risen yet.
"What are you doing up?" she mumbled, her voice groggy.
He glanced up at her approach, then went right back to cooking. "We should get going before sun up if we want to reach port before the main shipments launch. Otherwise we'll have to wait another day in the town and find somewhere to board, which we don't have the money for."
Korra rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hand, slumping down beside the fire. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of the cooking rations. "What is that?"
"Sustenance," he replied, with the barest trace of a grin. "And trust me, coming from Sheng's stores, you don't want to know. Just take the strength you need from it and don't ask questions."
Korra shot him a look, but reached out and plucked a roasted strip of meat from the fire. She took a delicate bite, trying to mask her grimace at the bland, gamey taste. "Lovely. So what's the plan? Just hard riding all day?"
"Yes. And if I were you, I'd feed the polar bear dog so she'll have the strength to sustain us for the trying journey."
"Oh!" Korra whirled around to see Naga laying with her head on her paws, her soft brown eyes round and begging. "Sorry, girl. Here, have the rest."
She tossed her friend the remainder of her rations, which Naga gobbled up with a happy thump of her tail.
"You should have eaten that," Amon admonished. "You'll need your strength too."
"It's gross. 'Sides, I've gone longer than this without food."
He lifted one shoulder in indifference and finished his rations, standing and dousing the fire with a quick blast of waterbending. Korra grimaced at the sudden darkness. It reminded her that she really ought to be sleeping right now. With a reluctant groan, she stretched her aching limbs and struggled to rub the last remnants of sleep out of her burning eyelids. When she opened her eyes, Amon was extending a hand down to her.
"Come on. We'd best get going if we want to make port by sunhigh."
Korra tried not to react to the warmth of the proffered hand as he pulled her to her feet. Naga lumbered to her feet, snorting against Korra's cheek with a soft grumble.
"I know," Korra murmured, patting her snout. "You've only got to keep on like this for half a day, then you're home free and can sleep in all you want."
She saw the corner of Amon's mouth lift at the sight of her talking to the polar bear dog, but ignored him. He vaulted astride before she'd even finished fastening the leather saddle strap around Naga's furry ribs. He reached down to give her a hand up, and she swung up behind him. Her heart fluttered a little in her chest when he guided her hand around to his waist before taking the reins. Swallowing back the disconcerting reaction, she glanced over her shoulder and earthbent their makeshift tent back into the ground. And Naga bounded forward onto the dusty path.
The moon had just barely sunk behind the hills, but Korra could now see the faint pink line of dawn on the eastern horizon. She watched with mild fascination as the sun's fiery half dome broke over the mountain range, shooting streaks of red and orange into the brightening sky. With a soft sigh, Korra let her chin rest against Amon's shoulder, weariness seeping through her once again. She wondered vaguely why she felt so tired. She'd gotten up this early a lot before to practice for the Fire Ferrets, and had never felt this drained.
"That's something you'll have to get used to," Amon said suddenly, startling her. Had he been reading her mind?
"What?"
"The shift in time zones," he replied. "The Northern Water Tribe is the polar opposite of the Southern, so naturally the sun is set on a different nightly path. As we're approaching summer now, you'll have to adjust to fewer hours of darkness and longer hours of daylight."
Korra frowned. "What time is it now?"
Amon glanced ahead at the sun, pausing for a moment. "I'm a little rusty on Northern Water Tribe time, but I'd say somewhere around four in the morning."
Korra whistled. "No wonder I'm exhausted. I was a little confused why you said it would take seven hours to reach the port but we'd get there by noon. Now I get it." She groaned, slumping against his back. "Have I ever mentioned that mornings are evil?"
He chuckled, then reached back and squeezed her hand. "You can sleep if you want. I'll wake you when we stop for water."
Korra hesitated. Then she relented to her body's demands, resting her cheek against his shoulder blade with a soft sigh. "Thanks."
She let her eyes fall closed. Her arms latched around his waist would prevent her from falling off. Despite her earlier frustrations centered on this man, her tired mind couldn't help but register how warm and firm his body felt beneath her arms. It was oddly comforting, in a way. It made her feel like nothing bad could happen to her if she just succumbed to sleep. Huh. Go figure. What would have she said to herself for thinking that way just a few weeks ago?
She was too tired to think about the ramifications of her mental wanderings. She sighed, letting the gentle rhythm of Naga's gait slowly eased her back into unconsciousness.
Korra awoke to the disorganized murmur of voices. Frowning, she opened her eyes, blinking in the bright sunlight. She was lying slumped over the soft leather of Naga's saddle, her cheek resting against the polar bear dog's silken neck. And alone. With a tired grimace, she pushed herself into a sitting position and looked around.
Naga lay with her head on her paws along the side of a busy street. Civilians bustled to and fro over the cobblestones, chattering and calling out to vendors hawking their wares from beneath side street pavilions. A few tossed curious glances in the polar bear dog's direction, but passed them by without saying anything. To each his own seemed to be the way of life across the Earth Kingdom.
"Ah, someone's up and about."
Korra turned to see Amon returning from the other side of the street, carrying two leather flasks of water over his shoulder. She slid off Naga's saddle as he approached.
"Why didn't you wake me?"
"I was going to when we leave town. Besides, you needed the rest."
Korra eyed him for a moment, a little taken aback at his concern for her. Then her eyes leveled on what he was carrying in his hands.
"What's that?"
"These?" He lifted one and tossed it to her. She caught it without thinking. When she turned it over in her hands, she gave a little cry of delight.
"Water Tribe dumplings? I haven't had one of these in years!"
He grinned at her, moving around to tuck one of the morsels beneath Naga's lips, which she gobbled up happily. "I thought as much. To be quite honest, I haven't tasted traditional food for probably as long as you have."
She looked up and gave him a genuine smile. "Thanks."
Amon tapped Naga's shoulder, and the polar bear dog grunted in reluctance, but slowly shuffled to her feet. Amon gripped the saddle horn and swung astride, reaching down to haul Korra up behind him.
"How much farther do we have to go?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his waist once more. "And what town is this?"
"Hei Zhen," he replied. "And we've got another few hours until we reach the coast."
Korra groaned and slumped against his back. "At this rate I'm going to be too sore to even walk when we get there."
He chuckled, guiding Naga into a mild trot with his knees. "And here I thought you were quite used to traveling by polar bear dog."
"I haven't had to since I came to Republic City. I must've gone soft."
"Gone soft indeed," Amon murmured with faint amusement. "That would have been handy to know just a few months ago."
Korra glared at the back of his head. "I'm not that soft. I still beat you and your Equalists' sorry hides to the South Pole and back."
"Don't flatter yourself," he replied. With a condescending smirk, he patted her knee, which was resting just next to his hip. A strange sensation fluttered in her stomach. "My undoing was my own. I let my rashness get the best of me, and acted without thinking. It had nothing to do with you."
Korra snorted. "Oh yeah? Who was it that kicked you out of a five story window in full view of a gawking crowd? And knocked your mask off? I'm pretty sure I beat you fair and square, Amon."
He laughed, but Korra could feel the tension mounting in the muscles beneath her arms. She suddenly registered how much bigger and stronger this man was than her, and wondered if it was really wise to be pushing his buttons like this. But her reckless streak was getting the best of her.
"I mean, I beat you twice. Once when I ruined your reputation in front of a whole crowd, and next when I totally owned you with airbending. Don't kid yourself. Your defeat wasn't your doing. It was mine."
It happened so fast, Korra didn't even have time to blink. With a sharp jerk, Naga skidded to a stop, and suddenly her back was slammed against the saddle. Amon's fierce blue eyes were inches above her own, his armored forearm braced against her stomach, pinning both of her arms beneath his weight. Korra's eyes widened. She tried to speak, but only a rasping squeak came out.
"If you think you brought me down by your own strength, young Avatar," he breathed, his voice hot and menacing against her neck. "You are sorely mistaken. Do you truly think you could stand against me?"
Korra shrank back against the saddle, suddenly realizing she may have been a little to bold. She glanced sideways to see Naga's head tilted, watching them in mild curiosity. Her polar bear dog would sense if she was in danger, and rush to rescue. So why wasn't she doing anything?
Her heart hammered in her chest. She knew he could feel it through his grip on her wrists, because his mouth tipped in a dark smirk, and he leaned closer, his breath ghosting over her face. "You're right to fear me. I've beaten you once, and I can do it again. Had circumstances been different, you wouldn't have stood a chance against my Revolution. Don't you forget that."
Trying to quell her fear, Korra squirmed beneath him. "I won, Amon," she snapped, her voice trembling just a little. "There's nothing you can do about that."
"I spared you in front of the crowd because I had no choice." His blue eyes burned with frightening intensity. "I could destroy you right here and this town would be powerless to stop it."
Korra managed a glare. "If you wanted to, you would have already. Why bother saving me at the White Lotus?"
Amon glared down at her, but she could feel the tension easing from him. After a stiff moment, he released a breath and let her up, sitting back on Naga's saddle. Korra sat up too.
"You know," she grumbled, rubbing her wrists. "Your mood swings are even worse than the daylight difference up here."
He shot her a look and tapped his heels against Naga's sides. She lumbered forward again. Korra glared at her furry friend for her traitorous show of standing by and doing nothing while her master had been practically turned into a pancake. Much more grudgingly this time, she settled her arms around his waist, feeling in both her body and his. She swallowed, gritting her teeth and resolving not to say anything. A beat passed. Several.
Korra tried to fix her eyes on the view of the land sliding past, the few scraggly trees that dotted the landscape, poking up through bits of scattered snow and tumble brushes. The sun was still low in the sky, though they must have been traveling for several hours since the morning. That must mean it wouldn't be going down till very late tonight. She wondered if she'd be getting any sleep at all.
Finally, she couldn't stand the silence anymore.
"Sorry," she finally ground out. "I didn't mean to… you know."
He was silent for a long moment. Then he let out a breath, his frame relax in her arms just slightly.
"I should be the one apologizing," he said in a low voice. "I shouldn't have let such childish banter flare my temper. I overreacted."
"I guess we're both a little tired," she acknowledged, inwardly surprised to hear anything so graceful as an apology coming from this man's lips. Perhaps she'd underestimated him. It wouldn't be the first time. "Are we… cool?"
He chuckled. The sound sent a strange warmth through her chest. "As much as we'll ever be."
The way he said it made her shoot back to reality. Right. They weren't friends. One argument between them shouldn't pull her spirits down like that. They'd fought much more violently before.
She opted for silence the rest of the journey. She must have dozed off against his shoulder again, because the next thing she knew he was shaking her awake.
"The trans-arctic shipment is about to leave," he said while she blinked her eyes into focus. They crouched in the shadows of an enormous sea barge, loaded with crates of all sizes that peaked out from between open metal panels in its broad sides. To her right, the port city sprawled out into the distance, hazy with smog and marine fog. Indistinct figures bustled about, but no one seemed to notice them. "Now—this was your part of the plan. Sneaking on board."
"Psh," she mumbled groggily, getting to her feet. "Leader of the ninja revolution, and you can't sneak aboard a freighter? Leave that to me. I'm the Master of Sneakiness."
His lips twitched in amusement, but he still looked tense. "Well, young master, can we hurry up and get going? There's a cargo inspector headed this way."
Korra tugged Naga by the collar behind a large stack of crates waiting to be loaded onto the boat. Amon ducked behind her, then eyed her friend.
"We'll have to leave the polar bear dog."
Korra whirled on him. "What? No way!"
"There's no way we'll be able to hide her on board that thing!"
"How do you think I got to Republic City?" she fired back. "I stowed away with her just fine, and no one as the wiser. We're bringing her."
He opened his mouth to argue some more, when a piercing whistle cut him off. Swearing under his breath, he pulled her deeper into the shadows, Korra pulling Naga after them.
"I thought I saw something over here," a voice said, getting louder as footsteps neared. Korra looked around, panic in her veins. Then she spotted an open panel on the side of the boat. The storage room it shielded was stuffed with crates, but it looked like there was enough room in the shadows to fit the two of them and Naga.
"In here," she hissed, tugging Amon by the sleeve after her. The two of them slipped inside, Naga following behind in a low crouch. She'd spent enough time with Korra to know how to be crafty.
"Come on, Burns, we've got to load up this freighter and get it shipped off by twelve."
"I know—I just thought I saw… an animal or something."
"Probably just a puffin-seal or something."
"A white one? With fur?"
"Just get the bloody load aboard and cast her off already! We get this shipment late and the boss'll send us to the lower docks. And I am not cleaning up rat-gull poop all morning again."
Korra shrank back into the shadows as footsteps drew closer to their hiding place. The man poked his head inside the storage cell for a second, just a cursory glance, and then slid the panel door shut with a hefty criiiiink. Then his footsteps faded away.
Korra let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She heart a throat clear behind her.
"Er, Avatar. If you could get off me."
Her face suddenly blazed with heat. She'd accidently backed straight into Amon's lap in her haste to get away from the door, and was crouching awkwardly just below his chin. Blustering a mortified apology, she jerked away and stumbled to the other side of the cell, grateful when she fell against Naga's harmless fur.
She could just make out Amon's inky shape in the darkness. A thin sliver of light slipped in through a crack above the panel door, lancing across the crates in choppy strips. The lines suddenly began to tremble. The floor rumbled beneath her and gave a soft, metallic lurch. Korra's hand tightened in Naga's fur. She breathed a second sigh of relief, feeling some of the embarrassment ebb away with the realization that they were moving. Finally.
"Well," Amon said from the darkness. "I suppose for good or for worse, we're on our way to the North Pole."