Opening Words:
This is not an indication of my rate of updating, this is simply luck that I happen to have inspiration to post another chapter so quickly after my initial posting. Ankor and his motives are nicely muddled, you just don't know what he seeks because of his actions. I'm growing fond of Ankor and pity him for having to put up with Navara. I'm having a lot of fun with these two, part of me is wondering if they'll kill each other before this story is complete.
Ankor shook his head as he demonstrated how she should be moving. "Fire-bending isn't like water-bending, it is more jabbity-kick-jab-kick and water-bending is more flow-dance-wavy arms." The black haired man went on to demonstrate his depiction of water-bending movements, poorly. His arms didn't capture the flowing movement that a water-bender used in movement, instead the movements were sharper and far more akin to that of his own native bending.
Navara refrained from commentating at the bastardisation of the flowing kata of her native bending. Water-bending was like a dance, not brutal or savage (although she did not deny that the other elements had a certain beauty to their bending forms). Ankor was one of the more powerful fire-benders she had witnessed, this made her all the more suspicious of the man- firebenders were common enough but powerful ones were not nearly as common. Power was normally found in the older family lines, nobility. "I am aware of this. As it happens I am a master of water-bending, and not a novice to fire-bending." Navara informed him.
"I am aware but I am a Master, so I think I outrank you. He informed her as he gave up on his caricature of water-bending and instead flopped down on the grass, he patted the ground beside him and jerked his head at her direction. Navara joined him but shuffled herself further away from him as her arms wrapped around her knees and her chin was resting on them. I
"In terms of rank it goes that I outrank you," Navara said insistently as she raised her chin and met his eyes stubbornly, "I do not need you to explain the differences of the opposition bending elements, I can judge that in a way no other can. I am the Avatar."
Ankor simply smiled. "Yes, I know that. I believe this is the twelfth time in the forty eight hours of our meeting that you have reminded me so." He informed her as he stood abruptly. "However that doesn't mean anything to me, you are a student which means you listen to me and respect me." He warned her.
Navara flew to her feet and advanced towards him. "It is by my mercy that you still live, it is I in the position of power here. One word from me would have you killed or imprisoned for attempting to assassinate me." Her blue eyes met his own amber ones in a deadlock, neither willing to look away and in doing so give the other the win. Realising that she was letting emotions get the better of her she slid the passive mask of the Avatar upon her countenance.
"Navara, you are quite possibly full of arrogance. If I had truly wanted to kill you then you would have likely been dead before you even realised you were being attacked. I was indecisive because killing the Avatar is not something to be done lightly. However if you grow even more arrogant I quite possibly made a error of judgement." The Fire-bender snapped at her as his amber eyes glowed with anger. "
The sudden change form what was an easy going manner was enough to shock her, not scare her because she would never allow herself to admit that she was in those few seconds frightened at the almost complete switch around, she tried to tell herself that he was by his own admission a killer, a man who was paid to kill but she found it hard to reconcile that with the man who had been teaching her over the past two days. He was a patient teacher, quick to spot her mistakes but also as quick to encourage her in what she did correctly. Remaining silent she remained straight backed and kept her head raised, she would not show that she was unsettled.
Unable to even seek comfort in meditation out of fear of being caught off-guard Navara left Ankor to his own devices and wandered through the forest they were now camping in. Trees, grass and dirt were still new to her, so different from the frozen tundra, snow and ice of her birthplace and so very much alive. Nature was perhaps the one thing in life that she was closely connected with and one thing she sought out as often as possible. Relieving herself of the trappings of the material life she led.
Birds were on branches, flying overhead and the earthy smell she had grown fond of was surrounding her. It was only now she smiled genuinely, surrounded by the one thing that demanded nothing of her; nature asked her for nothing but a respect that Navara was more than willing to give; humans did not, they demanded and expected that she must give all that she had to them.
Then she frowned as she heard his foot-steps, he wasn't very light on his feet and she knew already it was Ankor who sought her out. In a manner most unfitting that of the Avatar she scrambled up a nearby tree. Climbing the tree was harder than she had anticipated, nothing like she had done before but she was healthy and fit and was able to do so quickly enough to avoid being spotted or heard.
He was calling out her name, she ignored it and settled herself between two branches, wedging herself between them in a manner that was comfortable enough and secure. The leaves and thinner branches provided an excellent cover for her and she relaxed with a small amount of satisfaction as he failed to locate her.
"Navara this is not funny, if you don't come out I'll start a big fire." He was bellowing with no regard to propriety towards the creatures who resided within the forests, she heard the fleeing of some of the larger and for a brief few seconds entertained using the water in her water-skin to taunt him. Navara quickly dismissed the notion, she was above such pranks as the Avatar, even if Ankor would have been the victim. The man in question was a powerful and skilled bender; one could not help but notice it in the swift and concise movements required of fire-bending that he used; the way he spoke of it clearly and in a way that left no doubt that he knew what he spoke of; although when he did use juvenile ways of wording she found it hard to connect how he acted sometimes with how he acted on other occasions.
Despite his threat she was of the opinion he had no plans to do so, he did not seem like a man to needlessly destroy anything.
Of course he quickly proved her wrong when she realised he had gone through with his threat, she had forgotten afterall that he was by his own admission an assassin. It irked her that she had not realised that when she had ignored his threat and out of fear of anymore precious life being destroyed she nimbly made her way down. Opening the water skin and pulling the water out towards the flames she expelled a loud breath. It was now clear she had been duped, a small pile of twigs and leaves burned but not the entire tree or stretch of grass that she had feared.
He smirked as he looked up at her, his eyes shining with triumph, he was counting this as a win. His amber eyes were bright and she noticed for the first time that his lashes were long and rather pretty. Of course other than his eye lashes nothing was pretty about him, tall and broad shouldered he was what she would say was a masculine specimen. Light stubble graced his chin and cheeks and rather than detract from his appearance she noticed it only heightened his overall attractiveness.
Navara forced herself to ignore him as she stripped her clothing off, she heard a choking noise as she did so and looked to see him shielding his eyes. "I am sufficiently covered without my over-clothes. I am wearing sarashi." She informed him in what was a lighter tone than the normal passive voice she had adopted upon her fifth month after being informed of her status as Avatar.
Ankor pulled the hand from his eyes although Navara realised the fingers had been splayed meaning that he would have caught glimpses of her undressing if she had been doing so. The black haired man was staring at her intently, he advanced towards her and she stood unsure. His hand which she noticed was calloused ran down her neck. Her breathing pace quickened as she wondered what he was planning to do. He leaned in and despite herself Navara stood as his mouth brushed against her ear. She was shivering as she tried to discern why she was breathing so rapidly and why her heart was pounding.
Abruptly he pulled back and spoke. "Nineteen years but so innocent and inexperienced in such relations. I was of the opinion that an Avatar was supposed to be worldly." His voice was low as he spoke but almost velvety as he watched her.
Fighting to regain the slip of composure she did not say a word, she was unsettled by what he had done. His motives in doing so were unknown to her and it bothered her that he had affected her. "I am going to the stream, it is in your best interests to remain out of viewing distance." She informed him curtly as she hurried off but not before picking up a blanket from her pack.