Tonraq waited at the stables upon Korra's return. "Good evening, Korra," he said, nodding at her as she led Naga into the stable.

"Hello, father," Korra said, walking directly to Naga's stable rather than stop. Her father followed, however. He watched as she removed the sack of armor from Naga. She lowered it to the ground as carefully as possible, but the parts still clanked together. She winced and her father chuckled.

"You know, I sometimes wonder if you purposefully ruin your equipment." He raised his brow as Korra blushed and continued to unload Naga's saddle.

"Why would I do that?" she asked, fully expecting a lecture.

"Oh, I don't know. Looking for a possible excuse to get out of the castle?"

Korra avoided looking at her father as she put away the equipment. "I'm sorry about the cabbage farmers," she said.

"That's not what I-" Korra looked at him and Tonraq sighed. He walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Korra, you obviously could have handled the cabbage farmers better, but I was not trying to provoke you over it."

Korra furrowed her brow. "Then what were you trying to do?"

Tonraq waved a hand at her. "Worry about that later," he said, then picked up Naga's blanket and slung it over the low-hanging stable wall. "For now, I want you to finish up here and get over to your training with General Bumi. He will discuss with you alternative solutions to the route you took with the cabbage farmers."

Korra nodded and finished putting up Naga's equipment. She led the horse out toward the grazing field. "I will, father."

Before she could escape, Tonraq captured her in a tight hug. "You didn't think you could escape without this, did you?" he asked when Korra squirmed in his grasp. "Now promise you'll just tell me when you want to visit the blacksmith's daughter rather than sneak off."

Korra broke free of his grip. "No, my armor was honestly broken!" she said. Her father chuckled and shook his head.

"So why were the two of you seen riding out of town?"

"I was helping her with a task!"

Tonraq laughed. "Of course. Go on, now. You shouldn't keep Bumi waiting."

Korra led Naga out onto the field where they kept the horses. She patted her white mane one more time before turning and heading back into the stables. "I'll see you later, girl," she called. As she made her way to the barracks, Korra tried not to think about her father's teasing. It made her feel incredibly self-conscious whenever he implied she shirked her duties to spend time with friends. His favorite subject to tease her on was when she slipped off to help Asami with something. Korra scowled. "Just because she's not nobility..." she muttered.

Bumi waited for her at the sparring ring. He stood in training armor, hands on his hips. "Well, well. Took you long enough."

"My apologies, General." Korra crossed the sparring ring to the supply chest and began pulling on the thick leather pads for their sparring match. She fetched two wooden broadswords and returned to Bumi.

"Thank you," he said, taking the practice weapon from her. "This lesson will have to be brief. I want you to be able to pick out some lances for the approaching tourney." Bumi raised his weapon and Korra readied her stance. "And speaking of the tourney, have you found someone to attend with?"

Korra smiled and made the first move. Her sword met with Bumi's and the grapple for power began. She put all her strength behind her blow, bending and arcing against Bumi as he tried to maneuver around her guard. Eventually, he disengaged, stepping away from her and panting. "I'm going with Asami, actually," she said.

Bumi adopted the same annoying grin as her father. "Really?" he asked, pacing the edge of the sparring ring. "It's about time." He lunged at her and Korra blocked. As soon as she pushed back, he stepped aside and she stumbled forward. She yelped when Bumi delivered a sharp rap with the flat end of his sword to her leg. "Don't put your whole body behind the strike. You'll fall over every time."

Korra nodded. "What do you mean, about time?" she asked, recalling the teasing comment.

The smile receded from Bumi's face. "Oh, well..." He charged at her again, but Korra dodged the attack. "I just meant it's about time you found someone to go with." He turned and struck out at her again. When they grappled that time, Korra kept her weight centered and managed to score a touch on Bumi's arm. "Excellent!" he said as they disengaged. "Now if only you fought like that all the time."

"What's wrong with the way I fight?" Korra asked, taking the opportunity to strike.

Bumi brushed aside the attack. "Not much. It gets the job done. You overpower your opponents by sheer surprise rather than skill. But for someone who has dueled you regularly..." He let the thought trail off as Korra attacked again. Even though they engaged in a grapple, Bumi managed to escape fairly quickly. "You're too predictable," he said. "You rely on force. You don't look for other angles." He attacked with a sweeping blow that caused Korra to duck. She dodged the blow and threw her sword up for what would have been a killing strike. "Yes! See what happens when you consider another alternative?"

Bumi disengaged and struck again. Korra caught the blow with her sword and they pushed against one another. "You should have yielded," Korra said. She pushed hard against Bumi's sword, her muscles screaming at her. She continued anyways, determined to get through his guard.

Bumi flashed her another annoying smile and stepped back, allowing her to fall forward. Korra dropped the sword with a clatter and almost fell over, her arms wind-milling as she caught herself. Bumi laughed as he stepped back and lowered his sword. "Korra, you need to find better balance." He tossed his sword aside and placed his hands on his hips. "You only ever see one tactical route, and that's simply not the case. There is an endless list of possibilities in every scenario, and overpowering your enemy is hardly ever the best route."

"I know," Korra said with a sigh. "I just don't think very much in battle. I act." She shrugged and ran a hand through her hair. "That's my problem, isn't it? I don't ever think."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Bumi took a step toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He smiled in a gentle way, the points of his beard lifting. "You're just a little...oblivious." With a sigh, Bumi removed his hand and nodded toward the training yard for jousting. "Now, show me some lances you'd prefer for the tourney. I'd hate for you make a fool of yourself in front of Asami Sato."

Korra arrived in the castle library just in time for the start of lessons. She toted her books over to a free desk and let them drop noisily. Tenzin glanced over at her before returning to a tome he read over. "Welcome," he said. Tenzin was naturally reticent, Korra had learned. He spent more time sitting quietly, thinking, and meditating as he put it. The dark lines tattooed across his cheeks and along his forehead crinkled as his concentration deepened. Finally, the creases smoothed and he looked up, shutting the tome. "Where is your squire?"

Korra glanced around the room. Kai was nowhere to be seen. "Uh, he should be coming."

Even as she spoke, she heard footsteps pounding in the corridor. Kai appeared in the doorway behind her, panting and clutching his books. "I'm sorry Master Tenzin. I just...I..."

Tenzin stood up, straightening his robes and grabbing his staff from its resting place. "I told you to attend Korra today, did I not?"

Korra met Kai's gaze. He raised his eyebrows, silently asking for her to cover. Truthfully, Korra had not seen Kai all day. "I sent him away, Tenzin," she said, placing her hand on Kai's shoulder. "I had business to attend to with Asami."

"You did?" asked Tenzin. He arched a brow, studying her in a similar manner Bumi had when she mentioned Asami. Korra fought the urge to groan. The shock that people showed at the mention of her spending time with someone outside of the castle was bothersome. "Well, that's good. And have you considered who you are taking to the tourney, then?"

"Asami, if everyone is all right with that."

"Of course everyone is," said Tenzin. "I think it's a fine idea, actually. And I don't think it comes as a surprise or a bother to anyone."

Korra shrugged and pulled a chair out at her desk. "We're friends. Why would I avoid her? Do they presume I'm too good to be seen with her? That I'll sully myself? I am a Knight-Commander in the King's army. They have to know that I'm not afraid of stoking a forge or rolling around in a field. Actually, I prefer it to the delicate way nobles handle themselves."

Kai snickered as he slid into a chair next to her. "And do you help Asami stoke her forge?" he asked.

"Kai!"

"On occasion, when no one else is around," Korra answered. Kai nearly fell out of the chair laughing and Tenzin glared at the two of them. "I...did I say something?" Korra looked to Kai, who held himself as he wheezed with laughter, and then to Tenzin, his face had turned scarlet.

"Just – just open your books and practice your letters. Immediately!" Tenzin slammed his staff against the ground with a loud crack and they both flipped open their journals to a blank page. Korra grabbed a quill and prepped the inkbottle. Soon, she found herself consumed in the task of lettering each word with deep concentration. She glanced over at Kai's writing to check her own and frowned at the smooth, perfect words he had already scratched out. She read along the line, frowning when she did not recognize the script they were supposed to be copying. "What are you..." she asked.

Kai pulled his book away. "No cheating," he muttered.

Tenzin cleared his throat. "Cease your chattering. The art of practiced letters does not come easily."

Kai flashed her a grin. "Yes, Knight-Commander. This is hard work, you know."

Korra scowled and went back to copying her letters. She did not get far until she heard the door to the library creak open. Korra glanced up again to see Jinora walk into the room. She smiled at the young apprentice and Jinora smiled back. "Hello, Knight-Commander," she said.

Something clattered on the table next to her and Korra glanced over to see that Kai had dropped his quill. "Hey Jinora," he said, a bashful grin catching his lips.

Korra looked back at Jinora and saw her blush and smile. Could they be more obvious?

"Jinora, back from the smith already?" Tenzin asked.

"Yes father," she said, drawing her robe around herself. "Asami made an excellent guide for the fireworks."

Korra smiled at the mention of fireworks. "I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of show you are going to put on."

"You're always amazing," Kai said.

"Thank you..." Jinora blushed.

"Master Tenzin, do you think Jinora could help me with my letters for a little bit? I don't seem to have gotten it quite right."

"What do you mean you haven't –" Korra glanced down at Kai's journal only to find that he had somehow managed to switch it with hers.

"Really Kai, you should be showing much more improvement," Tenzin said. "Jinona do you have the time to help Kai? I know you still have a lot of preparation to do."

"Preparation for what?" Korra asked.

"I'll be a fully recognized sorceress soon. King Tonraq has given permission for me to undergo the ritual as soon as my training is complete."

"What?" Kai's eyes widened. "How soon?"

Jinora shifted uneasily. "Most likely after the tournament. His Majesty is too busy with the Earth Kingdom to think about my ceremony."

"They won't make you leave, will they?" Kai asked.

"We haven't decided where her assignment will be. Magic is a rare gift, and a valuable bargaining tool for His Majesty," Tenzin said.

Though Tenzin seemed unobservant, Korra noticed the distress between Jinora and Kai. She moved her books aside and allowed the two to work together, speaking quietly as Jinora pretended to help him with his letters. "Like this?" he asked, completely mutilating the letter 'a'.

Jinora wrapped her hand around his and guided the quill. "Almost," she said. "Try this way."

Korra looked back to her own work, or rather, Kai's effortless work. Her own interest in romance had stalled some time during the civil war. The fighting had been too much, and Mako, while being an exemplary knight, had not been the support she needed in the midst of their world tearing apart. To be fair, she was not the support Mako needed, either. Korra sighed and put her quill aside. She closed her eyes and tried to push aside the memories of the war. Sometimes she wondered if something inside her had broken loose, if somehow, between cleaving enemies in two and severing her uncle's head, she had fallen out of balance.

"Excellent work, Korra," said Tenzin.

She shook her head to clear the thoughts and glanced up at Tenzin. He smiled down at her. "Thank you," she said. Next to her, Kai and Jinora happily traced letters together. She smiled at them, grateful to at least have given them a moment of peace.

"Seeing as you've finally seemed to grasp the art of calligraphy, it will be no bother for you to copy a book for the queen's arrival. That would make your father very pleased, and I'm sure the gesture would be appreciated."

"But –" She shot a glance over at Kai, who shrugged and gave her a sheepish grin. Korra let out a frustrated groan and slammed her head into the desk. She had a long night of work ahead of her.

A/N: For your reading enjoyment. Look out on Tumblr for Ozkit's drawings (hint: they're awesome!) and be sure to check back with us next Sunday for a new chapter!

As a reminder, Sy and I will stream on the Twitch channel Luraline this Friday starting at 5 pm pacific time. We hope to see you all there. Also, Sy posted a pretty awesome Carmilla remix video on her tumblr and twitter account. It takes video clips and makes them into a music soundtrack. Pretty cool, huh? Anyways, what do you all think of Korra? Is she too oblivious? Just right? Let us know!