"You know her?"

"Yes," Korra answered as she walked up to Baheshtur's horse and pulled Jinora off, undoing the rope binding her as she did so. "She's the daughter of my airbending instructor and was the one that helped me meditate into the Spirit World for the first time."

"So, a witch?" one of the hunters asked.

"No, she's not a witch," Korra repeated as she took a closer look at her. "What'd you do to her?"

"We found her sitting, fists together. Meditating, most likely," Baheshtur explained. "I knocked her out with a club to make sure she did not resist."

"Asami, go grab some water," Korra ordered as she ran a hand through Jinora's hair and felt the welt from the blow. As they moved further into the camp, Korra glared at Baheshtur. "Was it necessary to knock her out?"

"Had I known the two of you were friends, I would have spoken to her. But as far as I know she is a friend of the spirits, who as we both know are not friends."

Sighing, she let it go. There was no point in arguing the matter. Korra laid Jinora down near where she had been trying to sleep and put a folded blanket under her head as a pillow.

"Here's the water," Asami said as she brought over a small bowl.

"Thanks," Korra said as she turned Jinora onto her side so she could more easily reach the welt and brought the water around, and it started to glow as Korra focused. The Khergits all gasped in surprise and started to mutter amongst themselves, but they remained until Korra finished. The welt had shrunk down and, hopefully, Jinora wouldn't suffer more than a headache when she woke up.

As she finished, one of the Khergits, staring at her with wide eyes, broke and ran to the other end of the camp.

"So uh, I guess that makes you the witch…" another Khergit said as he glanced at Baheshtur.

"No," Korra answered as she shook her head. "Waterbenders can use water as a catalyst to redirect a person's chi paths to accelerate natural healing. Pretty much any waterbender can do it with training, though some have a gift for it."

"I see," Baheshtur said as he folded his arms. "It seems that we know very little of bending after all."

"In fairness, we've got what, ten thousand years of accumulating knowledge to draw on from our homeland?" Asami said as she sat down. "Given the same, I'd imagine that Calradian benders would be just as good as any from where we're from. How's Jinora going to be?"

"She'll be fine," Korra answered. "At most she'll have a headache when she wakes up. You guys go ahead and get some sleep; I'll keep an eye on her. Give her a familiar face to wake up to, so she doesn't panic."

"I'll speak to the elder then," Baheshtur said as he lowered his head briefly and left them alone.

As they settled back down for the night, Korra wondered. The people here had lived with some of the spirits; it was Xiang that tipped the scale.

And it wasn't like humans couldn't live with spirits - Bumi, Bumi of all people was able to establish a rapport with one. Korra smirked; there she was underestimating Bumi again because of his antics. And doing so despite having seen a destroyed encampment as proof that his tales might not have been all fiction.

But if humans could live with the spirits, did that mean that Unalaq had a point? And the portals had been left open - what was happening back home now that they were open again?

Don't, she told herself. There's nothing you can do about it right now. Tenzin can handle things.

Shaking her head, she pulled another blanket over her and settled down on the short grass of the steppes.

XXXXXX

"Korra? Asami? Naga?"

Korra shot awake immediately, looking towards Jinora as the young airbender woke up, hand on the back of her head. Asami and Naga were still both sound asleep. She decided not to wake them yet.

"Hey; you alright?" Korra asked as she pulled herself up. "You were hit in the back of the head while meditating."

Jinora nodded slowly. "How did you find me?"

Korra shifted side to side. "Well, uh… the guys who knocked you out? They brought you here since we're trying to figure out the problem with the spirits in the nearby village."

"I knew that 'witch' rumor I didn't bother correcting was going to hurt," she muttered as she shook her head. "Though, I'm glad you came. This situation isn't a simple matter of corrupted spirits."

"Tell me about it. That serpent, Xiang, isn't budging at all."

"They need a home, Korra. Spirits and humans can be together again; you have a chance to do what Wan couldn't."

"I know," she said as her reservations the night before came back, "But… the last time it happened in the large scale, humans were stuck on the backs of Lion Turtles. I know, it's only small scale, but if whatever happens needs me to constantly patch it up… I wouldn't call that living together."

Jinora paused for a moment before nodding. "I understand, but… this is a chance that has not existed for thousands of years. Don't tell me that you don't think it's worth trying?"

"So, you're saying Unalaq was right?" she asked. Jinora recoiled.

"No, releasing Vaatu was…"

Oh, right, Korra realized. "Sorry; I meant that Unalaq believed Wan made a mistake by separating humans and spirits. That's what I was asking."

"In that case… I think so. I mean, you saw Bumi and Bum-Ju, right?"

"And there's also a man dead right now because of the spirits in Kedelke," she answered. "If it hadn't gone that far, it'd be a lot easier to push for letting them stay, but ignoring the fact that someone died… it's not easy for people to do, Jinora. And it shouldn't be - that man was someone's family, someone's friend."

"An eye for an eye blinds the whole world, Korra. It's not about justice then; it's just revenge."

"I don't intend to take any eyes," she retorted as she noticed Jinora's expression hardening. "But at this point, the spirits are the invaders. I'd rather not evict all of them, but if they insist on staying without letting people come home, this is going to get violent at some point, if only because the Khergits get friends to help take their homes back."

They fell silent for a few moments as Jinora was mulling over what had been said, and Korra mused on the answers she had managed to get from Jinora. She had pushed to see what Jinora's view of it was. She needed the view of someone who was in harmony with the spirits, but now Korra had to consider her options. This can't be the only place, she thought as she reached for the map in her rucksack.

"So, where did you arrive?" Korra asked as she noticed the map was not in there. Mako must have grabbed it again, she thought.

"A mountain pass, one that led from the desert to the steppes," Jinora said, "Near a place called Jameyyd Castle. Then I ended up drifting a bit as…"

"Spirit!" the lookout cried, cutting Jinora off. "Spirit approaching the camp!"

Korra raised an eyebrow as Asami stirred awake at the call. "Friend of yours?"

"And freed from Vaatu's influence," Jinora explained as the two hurried over while Asami picked herself up. The lookouts had drawn their weapons and aimed it at a floating spirit resembling a light green rabbit with two dragonfly wings instead of ears.

"Put your weapons down!" Jinora demanded as she pushed past the adults, "It's just Furry-Foot."

"Wait, that thing has a name?!" one of the guards said, refusing to lower his bow.

"It's okay," Korra said as she stepped up behind them and put her hands on two of the guards' shoulders. "It's just a dragonfly bunny spirit. They only grow hostile when something drives them on."

"Dragonfly bunny?" the guard asked incredulously before groaning. "Ugh, forget this I need a few bowls of sake… or a barrel..." he removed the arrow from his bow, put it back into his quiver, and walked away. The other guards followed him as Mako, Bolin, and Asami walked over from where they had been sleeping, Bolin rubbing his eyes as he walked and Mako holding the map in his hand.

"Good to see he's alright," Korra said as Jinora started scratching behind Furry-Foot's ears.

"Thanks to you," Jinora said, "purifying Unalaq and Vaatu at Republic City destroyed whatever influence they had over these spirits. They're free again, Korra."

"That's good, right?" Bolin asked. "I mean, that means they aren't automatically hostile anymore."

"That may be why the villagers haven't been wiped out yet," Mako noted grimly. "That doesn't mean they're suddenly going to be all peaceful, though."

"Aren't there any other spiritually strong places?" Korra asked as she looked around. "I mean, even if its not quite as strong as the waters below Kedelke, maybe there's some uninhabited areas where they would be able to live peacefully."

Jinora rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I travelled around eastern Calradia as I could feel energy in some places while meditating. It was mostly free wandering, but I followed my intuition and I found an oasis of spirits, other refugees from Harmonic Convergence."

"Wait, there's a spiritual oasis in Calradia?" Korra asked, turning to stare at the young airbender. She had expected an uninhabited lake or cave, not a full one that was already in use.

"Yes, why?"

"Well, it means that there's a place for these spirits to go if they don't want to stay that's already set up," Mako said with a faint smile as he held up the map. "Korra, this just got a lot easier."

"Assuming they'll go for it," Asami cut in. "I mean, there's a reason why they didn't just go there, right?"

Furry-Foot buzzed something.

"Huh?" Bolin asked.

"He said that spirits tend to prefer having multiple homes in the material," Jinora explained as she looked at him. "Rather than stay in one spot, they like to travel between a few. That's part of why spiritual guardians of such places are so important; because they actually stay and protect it."

"Nice, when'd you learn that?"

"I talked with some spirits while exploring eastern Calradia. I was trying to find a place where I might be able to sense you by meditation."

"Speaking of that, how come the spirits were okay with you, Jinora?" Mako asked as he folded his arms.

"I guess I just give them the respect they deserve," the young airbender explained with a faint shrug. "I can't really explain it, but I think this mindset of intruders is hurting you guys."

"Sorry, but a bunch of people's homes got uprooted and they killed someone," Asami cut in, the harsh tone beneath her words catching Korra off guard. Asami seemed to recognize it, though, curling her lip as she glanced to the side. "It's a complex issue," she added.

Jinora simply nodded. "I understand, but living at peace with the spirits is not an easy task."

"You said there were other locations?" Korra asked as she gestured for Mako to bring up the map. He walked up and handed it to her.

"Yes, there's another gathering of spirits in the mountains between Vaegir and Khergit lands," Jinora said, pointing to a mountain peak to the north of their position, between a place named Malayurg Castle and a city labelled as Ichamur. "I spent a night with them, though they preferred their privacy from humans."

"That explains Xiang's hostility," Korra said as she grit her teeth. "You find any others?"

"Not yet, but one of the spirits there mentioned going to explore Swadia."

"Add that to the list?" Asami asked. "Just so we know where to look the next time there's something like this."

"Probably," Korra said as she shrugged. "Though we should probably focus on the ones here."

XXXXXX

The morning passed without incident as the Khergits gathered more of their belongings for their work and some personal effects to take to the camp. Jinora being around had been a major help with the spirits, calming down most of them as they seemed to take a liking to her. Korra wrote it off as her remarkable spirituality at such a young age, compared to the world weary Khergits who lived by the land.

Not that Korra was closer to a solution between the two parties. Boal was not yet completely certain on how far they could negotiate in terms of what to let the spirits have. But as Boal explained, while there was plenty of places for building their homes, none of the Khergits were ready to relocate. They had spent years building their homes, and had chosen the location because it was one of the few places in the Khanate which was suitable for growing crops in large scale agriculture rather than smaller horticulture. Losing it without a fight did not sit well with them.

"I'll credit them for fighting for their land," Baheshtur said as they were gathered on a hill north of the village, giving them a good view of it as they had sat down for lunch. "But settling down is the problem with the Khergits."

"How so?" Korra asked as she took a drink from her waterskin. Asami was sitting to her left. Mako, Bolin, and Jinora were sitting a distance away talking together as they ate.

"The strength of the Khergits is that we move with the herds," he explained as he was stirring his soup slowly. "We did not root ourselves to one place. When disaster struck, we moved on, leaving famine behind us. We grew strong in the wild, not weak and coddled in the cities."

"You realize that we're all pretty much from the city, right?" Asami retorted. "And I can tell you, that 'city people are weak' is a load of junk told by jealous rustics who can't conceive that life doesn't have to in the countryside."

"I'm certain your proficiency in the martial arts is well earned," Baheshtur said as he held a hand up. "But a woman of the steppes would be stronger than you, I believe. The city coddles you; you do not need to struggle for food, simply exchange a few silver coins and you feast."

The ex-CEO snorted. "Maybe, but you can talk to me when the Khergits are using horsepower as a unit of measurement, not a literal count of how many horses they're using to move something."

"What's your problem with cities anyways?" Korra asked, hoping to steer the topic away from insults.

"The Khergits took the towns we inhabit now," Baheshtur explained as he placed his soup bowl down. "Halmar and Narra in particular; we had begun to settle some of the eastern parts like Tulga ourselves as the ancient empire declined, though they were mere villages then. You have heard of the Empire, right?"

"Yeah, and heard that they hired the Nords to man galleys," Asami answered.

The Khergit nodded. "Well, we were paid by the Empire to keep the other tribes from passing through the steppes into the rich vales of what is now Swadia. We began to settle as well, but most of us lived across the steppes. Then in my grandfather's day, when he was a young whelp wet behind the ears, the Khergits moved into Calradia in force. This was, oh, ninety or so years ago. We are hard warriors of the saddle, and being such allowed my grandfather's generation to easily chase the town dwelling Vaegirs out as they had little understanding of how to fight horse archers."

"There's a reason why you stopped," Korra noted. "If being nomadic warriors made you unstoppable, you'd own most of Calradia after ninety years."

"Yes, we did suffer some defeats - the Swadians at Reindi Castle, Vaegirs at Tismirr Bridge, and the House of Sarran at Sharwa. But the real stop was that we settled down after those battles. Many families moved into the now vacant cities and wanted time to learn how to take up the trades the Vaegirs had left. 'course, I imagine you know how things go, Korra."

She shook her head. "No, I don't. The Water Tribes settled down into cities quite comfortably and remained strong. If anything, settling down strengthened us because we could more easily trade for things we couldn't make ourselves. Polar tundras aren't exactly places where you can grow crops, after all."

"I will not pretend to understand your people. But mine were hard warriors of the steppes. Now, Khergits in the towns spend as much if not more time bartering than practicing archery - especially on horseback. They are forgetting that we are not warriors of walls, but the horse. Yet Sanjar Khan insists that we learn to be warriors of walls as well."

"You need to be able to defend walls to hold onto your territory," Asami cut in. "It won't do you much good if your homes get yanked out from under you."

"Then we defend it where we are strong, in the field where we thunder across the open plain. This generation is growing fat on Velucan wine, their children will do the same, and they will lose these lands to the next batch of illiterate hill raiders, just watch. Hard warriors of the steppes will endure where the coddled will not."

"I think properly motivated city fighters would surprise you," Asami said. "I mean, you did get checked by those same people, and haven't the Khergits been kept in stalemate since? Since they know your tactics, it's not like you can surprise them with horse archers anymore."

Baheshtur paused for a moment, picking up his soup bowl and taking another spoonful before nodding. "Perhaps. But there is much to be said for an upbringing for battle."

Many of them bad, Korra thought as she considered how her own training had left her with no social skills.

XXXXX

"There," Boal said as the villagers unloaded the load on the last horse for that day. "That should be enough to feed Nasugei's army. We can send a rider to tell him we managed to get it a day early."

Korra nodded. "That might put him in a better mood, but now that it's done we need to deal with the next problem."

Boal nodded as he gestured towards the campfire and the two sat down across from it. "I've spoken to other prominent members of our village and we've agreed that we can live with the spirits as we did before the serpent." He hesitated, and she knew there was something else.

"But?"

"We cannot have the serpent stay, as he and his friends killed one of our own. If he and the other militant spirits leave, we should have no problems with sharing the village center with the others and would respect the importance of these waters. But it cannot belong to only the spirits."

Korra nodded, leaning forward as she weighed it. What she said next could shape the outcome of a lot of people's lives, and she had to not only consider his side, but the spirits' side.

"I think that sharing it will be agreeable. However, I'm not sure that Xiang will go for being exiled. He's a protector; a spirit who protects locations like the waters below for all spirits to enjoy."

"Can the others protect it without him?"

"I think together you all could, but Xiang will probably think you're not able to. Also, I don't think he would trust you to preserve the waters as he once guarded a place like this where I came from. When spirits left the world, it was destroyed in a war."

Boal frowned, rubbing his chin. "I see; it is hard to overcome something like that. Unfortunately, this is the only way to avoid a blood feud. We cannot forget that one of our own has died. Dayan's murder cannot go unanswered."

"I understand," Korra said with a nod. "Still, Xiang will resist. What about him as a traveller? Jinora, the 'witch' of that rumor, said that spirits tend to drift. Xiang may accept it if he is simply made to be a traveller rather than a resident. Obey the laws of hospitality while here, but he does not stay."

"I'll ask Dayan's family and see if they would accept such, but it is already hard enough for them not to seek the destruction of his murderers."

"Thank you. I know this has been hard, but… if we can negotiate a peace here, it could lead to great things for Kedelke." She stood. "Would tomorrow morning be a good time for a negotiation, to sit down and have you and Xiang hammer out details?"

"Provide protection, and it will be."

Korra gave him a nod, and Boal stood and went to talk to the men and women who Korra assumed to be the late Dayan's family. Who was he? she wondered as she looked towards where the covered body had been before they buried it while most of the village was at work that day.

Not that it matters, she realized as she was climbing into Naga's saddle to tell Xiang about the meeting. What is going to matter is how people perceive justice in relation to his death.

"What are you going to do if he does not accept?"

Korra frowned before turning to see Jinora walking up, glider staff in hand but undeployed.

"If Xiang doesn't budge?" Korra answered. "Well… I need to appeal to the other spirits. Convince them to not let Xiang's grudge speak for them all."

"Shaking their confidence in the protector?" Jinora asked, putting a hand on her chin. "You know Korra, that might actually work if you have to go there. But try not to; that could cause the spirits to consider just leaving."

Which actually might be a solution to this, Korra realized as she gave Jinora a nod and headed out.

XXXXX

"Pabu's taking well to Furry-Foot."

Bolin looked up as Asami was walking over as the two waited for Korra to get back. The fire ferret and dragonfly bunny spirit were playing some weird game of tag on the hillside, with the dragonfly bunny spirit staying at a low altitude to be fair.

"Yeah, he is," he admitted. "Pabu's always gotten along well with other animals. At least after they understand he's not a snack."

"What do you mean?" Asami asked as she sat down.

"When Amon's goons captured me, Pabu managed to slip away in the confusion. Mako said that Naga sniffed him out and chased after him before Korra could reign her in. Then they got along." He shrugged. "Animals are weird like that."

She shrugged. "Yeah. Though, you think Pabu will be okay once we move on? I mean, we aren't planning on bringing that spirit with us, are we?"

"No idea," Bolin admitted as the thought occurred to him. "but how dangerous do you think it'd be?"

"I talked with some of the Khergits here. Apparently, in some places in Calradia their stories talk about driving strange beasts back that sounded a lot like spirits. We might attract the wrong kind of attention if Furry-Foot stays with us."

"Ah come on, those stories are probably ancient! I mean, these guys didn't believe them until they saw it!" Besides, he thought, Furry-Foot is kinda cute. Not as cute as Pabu could be, but…

"Maybe, but we should keep it in mind if Furry-Foot's going to stick around with Jinora."

"Fair enough," Bolin said with a shrug as the two looked towards the village. If all went well, in the morning something could finally be resolved.

"So, the old legend mention anything else?"

"Yeah, something about cold iron hurting the creatures in the stories. I don't know whether it means metal can actually hurt spirits or if it was something else, but it's something to consider."

Maybe they had metalbenders? Bolin thought, wondering. Maybe he could find someone to help him finally learn how to metalbend. Wouldn't that be a day? He sighed as all his failures at metalbending came to mind.

"So, Korra's going to try negotiations tomorrow?" he asked to try and distract himself from that.

"That's what it sounds like. She wants us along in case they get hostile."

"Ah come on, how angry could they get? I mean, Korra's the bridge between the two worlds, right?"

Asami looked around, leaving Bolin wondering why the ex-CEO was so worried.

XXXXX

"And so, you side with the humans."

Korra grit her teeth as she stared at Xiang. It was the next morning. She, Mako, Bolin, Asami, and Jinora had accompanied Boal, Baheshtur, and several other prominent members of the village to the slope leading up to it to begin talks.

And peace had gone straight down the sewage pipes when the Khergits' points were raised. Xiang made his displeasure clear as each of the conditions were listed by Boal and she was certain the serpentine spirit was rolling his eyes as he explained why they were a condition.

"No, but you are the invader here," Korra finally spoke up as she took a step forward. "And you murdered one of the people here."

"In self defense!" Xiang snarled.

"Spirits can subdue people without killing them," Mako cut in as he unfolded his arms. "So it's not like you had to kill him to stop him."

Xiang paused, then nodded. "I see. No, we did not, but we were attacked. Such attacks on guardians cannot be tolerated, and now you seek to deprive this place of protection!"

"We are warriors, serpent," Baheshtur cut in. "We can protect ourselves and the waters below from attackers. What we cannot ignore is the blood of Dayan, son of Baasan, grandson of Ajiari, which you have spilled."

"Ah, humans and their conflicts. Any excuse to spill the blood of others." The spirit rolled his eyes before looking to Korra. "Surely you are not so base as to let these bloodthirsty instincts take in?"

"If they were bloodthirsty they would be trying to destroy you," she warned as she took a step forward between the two groups. "What they're asking for is hard enough for them already. You murdered one of them, Xiang. In self defense, yes, but it's going to be hard enough to ignore and it's not like this is the only place for spirits to gather."

"There are other places as well," Jinora said as she finally stepped forward. "You do not have to root yourself here. You can move freely with the wind as many other spirits do. I know you are a protector, maybe you could protect another place?"

Xiang looked at Jinora, tilting his head. "You know our ways. Two protectors is almost unheard of."

"And Calradia was unheard of by any of us before Harmonic Convergence," Korra cut in. "We have to change, we have to adapt."

Xiang's eyes definitely rolled this time and Korra sighed. So, it has to be like this, does it? she thought as she knew negotiating was not working.

She stepped forward. "And Xiang, here's something else for you to consider. Boal's compromise is reasonable. He's letting spirits remain in peace here so long as they abide by that peace and he is here willing to talk." She put her face in front of his. "Others would see you as attackers who must be crushed. These villagers chose to talk, to work out an agreement. You haven't raised anything in your favor to work within that, you've been rejecting his arguments outright without acknowledging the points."

Xiang maintained his composure as he looked back at her. "And so, the Avatar gives into the human side."

Korra laughed. "You know, I thought spirits were supposed to be wise. That was why I had to push myself so hard growing up to handle this burden. Now? Now I've realized that spirits and humans aren't that much different. We're all arrogant, we're all angry. We all hold grudges. Xiang, you're acting no better than the people who destroyed your grove."

"What?!"

Korra turned to the other spirits who had gathered to watch. "Look at them, Xiang. Those spirits. Do you want to bring them down into your grudge match with humans because of what happened ten thousand years ago? I know what happened to the oasis you guarded back then. It was destroyed when spirits returned to their world, when humans fought each other."

The spirits turned towards each other, talking, and Korra knew she had hit the important point: she had shaken Xiang's role as a protector.

"And I will not let this happen here!" Xiang shouted back.

"Against helpless villagers, sure," Korra continued as she pressed her advantage. "But these villagers are under the protection of a commander who has an army. And he serves an even greater leader. You could very well be a threat that will call them all down on you to destroy you. And they don't have to take you out to ruin what you want here - peace and the ability to rest in the waters below."

"So you bow to threats rather than destroy the imbalance such causes."

"Not at all, I just know what I would do if someone like you started attacking people under my protection to steal their homes. And I know how spirits would react if humans did this in the Spirit World."

"Xiang," one of the other spirits finally said. "She's not wrong."

Xiang whirled around, causing Korra to duck to avoid being hit in the face by his tail. The spirit that had spoken up was the one with leaf ears that had talked to her before.

"The Avatar threatens us and you think she's right?" Xiang demanded.

"This is our home," Boal said, stepping forward. "Spirits like the one who just spoke up had lived as guests. We were content, happy even, to share our homes with such travellers. We are a hospitable people, serpent. But we do not forget wrongs. We have pushed our honor to the limit to not battle you, but if you draw a line in the dirt, then we will cross it with our heads held high. Don't force us to, for the sake of those you are supposed to protect."

"If humans took Hai-Riyo Peak for themselves, would we sit around even if it was because humans were stuck there and needed a home?" the smaller spirit added. "We would chase them away for intruding in our world."

Xiang turned and looked at Boal, then to Korra. "You corrupt them! You're driving them towards your way of thinking with your warlust and blood feuds! I have had enough!"

Korra immediately dropped into an earthbending stance as he launched towards Boal, a jagged rock jutting up and hitting Xiang in the throat. The spirit was knocked into the air with a tumble.

"Asami, Baheshtur, get them out of here!" Korra ordered as Naga grabbed Boal by the back of his coat and put him on his horse. "Mako, Bolin, let's keep them back! Jinora, keep the other spirits safe!"

The two brothers stepped up to join her as Xiang recovered and was joined by several more of the larger spirits. The three benders attacked as Jinora flew around the battle with her glider staff and guided the other spirits who were not joining in away from the fight. No civilians to worry about, Korra thought as she glanced back and saw Baheshtur riding behind the villagers, turned to keep an eye out for pursuit while Asami was on Naga's back.

"You just made a big mistake," Korra said as the three benders attacked the hostile spirits, Korra and Bolin with boulders and Mako with fireballs.

The spirits scattered, two of them flying away as Korra's boulder and Mako's fireball connected. The three dropped back, covering each other with their own bending attacks as they had done numerous times in front of Republic City's sports fans. A faceless ape-like spirit tried to clobber Mako beneath two arms, but Bolin brought a pillar into it and knocked it back.

Xiang attempted to attack Korra, but Mako hit the serpent in the head with a fireball and Korra followed up by hitting him with multiple icicles from her waterskin's contents. Xiang howled as he was hit and the shards pieced through, then shot away.

"Did he give up?" Bolin asked as an owl like spirit spun into him and knocked him onto his back. Before it could dive into his body, Bolin brought up a jagged rock into the spirit.

Korra spared a quick glance back and felt her stomach tightening. "No, he didn't!"

XXXX

"Behind us!" Baheshtur warned as he turned, drawing his bow instinctively before realizing that his instinct was wrong. They cannot be hurt by mortal weapons, he thought as he looked towards Asami. "Time to prove your battle prowess, city dweller," he said.

The woman nodded as she pulled on the polar bear dog's reins and Baheshtur turned his horse around, putting his bow away and punching the air, releasing a burst of wind at the spirit.

The serpent spirit took it to the side, staggering briefly as Boal and the other villagers rode away. "Here!" Baheshtur shouted. "You talk big, spirit, but prove your worth as a warrior against a true son of the saddle!"

"As you wish!" Xiang shouted as he shot towards him. Spurring on his horse, Yesun, he ducked as the spirit shot over him. As he did, Baheshtur turned to the left and fired a parting shot with his airbending. The shot missed, but he that the spirit's attention.

"Lead him around to the village, I got an idea!" Asami shouted. He looked at her and noticed she had put a hand on her gauntlet.

His first instinct was to tell her to stay and fight, but she knew these things better than he did. Respect the wisdom of the one who knows the foe, he thought, repeating the maxim his father had told him countless times as he nodded to himself. The serpent was still chasing him.

He turned the horse to the left, starting to circle around the serpent as it followed through the uneven steppes around the village. The serpent could fly, but it could not ride the wind. Baheshtur attacked, using what Korra had shown him of airbending to keep jolting the spirit. Whatever bending did, it hurt spirits.

"An airbending barbarian?!" Xiang shouted after dodging a pair of gusts. "Well, I suppose it is fitting that you do not know how to use it."

"And that can change," he retorted as the spirit launched at him. He leapt off the saddle as he knew he had no way to dodge otherwise, landing with a roll as the spirit shot past where he had been. "We can learn to wield air against spirits."

"You are so far from the truth, I almost pity you," the serpent said, shaking its head and tisking at him as the two faced each other. "Do you not understand the true wielders of air?"

He looked around quickly. He had picked a bad place to leap off - it was too close for him to ride around the serpent as the horse archers would do against Rhodok pikes. But it did provide cover as he saw Yesun running behind one of the hills. He faced the spirit and drew his bow, aiming an arrow at the serpent.

"Can they read the wind?" he asked. "Do they understand the use of a bow? The girl shows little understanding of combat, not even arming herself with more than a walking staff."

Xiang laughed. "The Air Nomads understood what spirits are. They understood our ways. They knew how to live in respect to us, and sought enlightenment in peaceful meditation, not in spilling blood." The two continued to circle as he held the draw - his arm starting to ache from holding it steady.

"You speak in the past," he said as he thought about what the serpent was saying. "But she lives now. She is a remnant, isn't she?"

"Yes. Humans destroyed a culture that still truly appreciated spirits and our ways, starting a war that proved humans were the problem. You prefer war to peace."

He smiled. "War is all there is in Calradia. Until one is strong enough to rule all, peace is but a chance to take a breath. This is no place for a girl who seeks to meditate."

"I wonder if you will still think so in your next life," the spirit said as Baheshtur could make out hooves as his arm was tiring from the long draw.

"You will not be around for it!" he taunted as he released the arrow. It went wide, hitting the tail rather than the head, but the spirit showed no pain as it passed through harmlessly. Xiang shot forward and Baheshtur turned, dodging to the side as Yesun rode back towards him and he leapt up, grabbing the reins and pulling himself back onto the horse as they rode out of the small valley and towards the village itself.

As he rode there, he saw the two brothers fighting alongside each other and the polar bear dog chasing off two of the smaller spirits. Mako and Bolin had attacked together, knocking back the spirits as they were standing defensively around a well.

He turned and tried to airbend, but his tired arms generated nothing. Shaking his head as Xiang was behind him, he rode towards the town center. Xiang was closing in…

There was a glow ahead of him and he tried to turn Yesun to the side, but he had seen it too late: a spirit leapt out of the ground and hit him, knocking him off of his horse and he slid against a wall between two houses. The spirit, resembling a cross between a lizard and a hunting dog, bared its teeth at him.

"Where's Korra?" he shouted.

"She dropped down the well to…" Mako started before being cut off as he heard it. A rush like that of a river.

Moments later, Korra shot out of the well, suspended in the air by a whirling spout of water. The hostile spirits paused for a moment and looked at her as Korra brought the water up and launched it as a deluge of rain, freezing most of the spirits in place. Korra leapt with it, landing with a crouch.

All the spirits but Xiang were frozen by the water, as he was too far away. Baheshtur realized he was trapped in the alleyway as he tried to get some distance between him and the serpent.

"It's over," Xiang said as Baheshtur turned, notched another arrow, and fired. He was not going to die against a monster without his bow in hand. The arrow shot through the spirit harmlessly as he moved forward. "Now, you will understand why I do not trust humans. You do nothing but kill!"

Someone in red dropped down from above and a brass colored gauntlet grabbed the serpent's tail, glowing before lightning shot around the spirit's form. Xiang screamed, glowing as the lightning rippled across his form and his form became translucent for a moment before he was slammed to the ground, eyes closed.

"Yeah, we do kill each other," Asami said as she let go of his tail, gauntlet still glowing. "And we've become very good at it."

Xiang simply groaned and Baheshtur drew his saber. The spirit was either unconscious or too dazed, but he did not want to take chances or make assumptions. "Shall we finish him?" he asked as he held it at the neck.

"No."

He looked up and saw Korra staring at him, water floating along her arms as her expression was stone cold.

"This spirit tried to murder us," he said, surprised at the answer as he stood, saber rising with him. "And on top of that, he did it in a parlay! Diplomatic immunity is one thing you should never break."

Korra shook her head. "No, you shouldn't break it, but we're better than that. None of us died, and his violent friends are frozen in place. They know they lost."

He frowned at her, Asami looking between the two and stepping away. Korra released the water from her arms and shot streams at the serpent, circling around into binds around the spirit's body.

Baheshtur stood there, stunned. What was she doing, sparing an attacker - especially one that violated parlay? Xiang was at their mercy!

"What do you do to such spirits?" he asked at last.

Korra lifted Xiang into the air with the waterbending restraints, moving her arms to keep the movement as she did so. "Against dark spirits, I could use a technique my uncle taught me to try and make me side with him. To purify the negative energy imbalance that causes them."

That makes sense, he thought as he saw Yesun trotting back towards him. Spirits aren't humans, so they would not go to battle for the same reasons. An imbalance of their energy could be like an imbalance of the humors in humans, he realized as he put a hand on Yesun's forehead, thinking back to what he had been told of Galerian's writings on medicine.

Korra dropped Xiang in with the other spirits, who were all frozen in glittering ice and struggling. She froze Xiang's restraints as well, locking him into the ground.

"Never knew you could freeze spirits like that," Bolin said as he poked at the dog-like one that had been completely encased in ice.

"If this wasn't spirit water, I'm not sure it would have worked," Korra answered. "I mean, you saw that one back at the South Pole break everything we threw at it."

"Yeah, I d- WHOA!" he leapt back as the spirit within shook the whole block of ice.

"Stop poking it, Bolin," Mako said at he put a hand on his forehead, pinching his brow as Naga walked into the town, two spirits following the polar bear dog dejectedly. He watched them as their moved over them and towards the center slowly.

"These aren't dark spirits though, Korra," Asami said as they all watched the two spirits before focusing on the matter at hand. "So what's the other option?"

"Make them leave," Korra said as she put her boot on Xiang's unfrozen beak.

"How?" Asami asked as Baheshtur saw something flying towards them from the west. The Air Nomad girl with some sort of artificial wings, and the other spirits were following her.

"Is it over?" Jinora asked as she landed, spinning her staff and the red fan-like wings snapped shut. Baheshtur stared: they could fly?

"It is," Korra answered, turning towards the spirits that had not fought. "It's time for you to make a choice. Xiang chose to fight, but I don't want to force you out. Can you live in peace with the people here?"

The spirits talked amongst themselves before the small one that had spoken up earlier came forward with a gliding hop.

"We could," the spirit said, leaf ears twitching briefly. "But… there is no dedicated protector now. Danger could lurk here."

Korra paused, sighing. "I know. But Xiang brought a lot of this on himself; but I won't punish all of you. Maybe I could find another spirit who'd be willing to?"

"Spirits have a natural reaction," Jinora cut in. "It's not as easy as having Mako switch from working the streets to being a detective."

"For all of two days," Mako added as he shook his head.

"Could you stay?" another spirit asked, one that looked like a fluffball with a beak and overly long legs.

"I don't think so," Korra answered. "I mean, the Avatar can't stay in one place forever. It's not a sitting responsibility."

Baheshtur frowned, looking at the spirits that had attacked them. While beaten by the benders, these people were also greater than any bender Calradia had seen in the past. What dangers existed there to prompt such power?

He blinked as it hit him. "I think Khergit warriors would be enough," he finally said. "Especially working alongside you, spirits."

"What do you mean?" the spirit with leaf ears asked.

"I know little of the land you come from, but Khergit warriors are the finest horsemen of Calradia. Against common threats that you will face here, I believe that you and the villagers could defend yourselves. And if a threat is greater, you can either hold off for aid from Nasugei, or if it a threat of your world, get word to Korra since then it would be her responsibility, right?"

Everyone stared at him before Korra put a hand on her chin, then smiled. "I think that might actually work. Let's get Boal; I think you'll need to train the villagers to have a better militia, but I think it might work."

"Live in the same home and defend it together," Asami said as she smiled. "That's the basis of a lot of unity."

"But would they be drafted to war?" Jinora said. "I mean, I know that the nations of Calradia will take people from villages to serve in wars. Would this happen to the spirits?"

"Given that it takes bending to hurt them and there are few benders in Calradia of your caliber, if any, I don't think they have anything to fear of going to war." Baheshtur said as the idea of the spirits on their side started to appeal to him…

"No," Korra said firmly as her expression hardened again. "Spirits aren't anyone's cannon fodder."

What's a cannon? Baheshtur immediately thought before glancing at the gauntlet Asami wore and decided it was some weapon of similar potential.

"Maybe they don't have to be," Asami said. "I mean, knowing that the village would be safe has to reassure Nasugei, right? Plus, Boal mentioned the water was sweeter than usual. I don't suppose you guys have been doing anything to the crops here, have you?"

The spirits looked at each other in confusion, but Jinora stepped forward. "Spirits tend to be good for life in nature, but I don't think it would mean more food."

"No, but if they're keeping nature alive here, they don't need to have more food. Just stop decay; maybe even help the people here learn how to live with the land and keep it safe, not just from outside threats but keep it for future generations. I mean, one big problem back in Republic City was the worry of wrecking the nearby farmland with all the fertilizers and stuff the city can pump out."

Baheshtur shook his head. "These are details best handled with Boal's presence."

Korra nodded as she looked at Xiang. "They are. Mako, Bolin, help me keep an eye on these guys. Baheshtur, you want to get Boal?"

XXXX

As Baheshtur left, Korra turned back to Xiang, who had come back around.

"So, you leave this place at the mercy of humans," the serpent said.

Korra shook her head. "No, I'm letting the spirits who came here first do what should have happened the whole time: humans and spirits living together peacefully. They were able to do it with no negotiations, no big meeting, until you showed up. Xiang, you could have ruined it for everyone. For the people who live here, and for the spirits that want to rest in the waters beneath the village."

The spirit looked around as much as he could with Korra's boot on his beak, before closing his eyes. "Perhaps," he admitted. "So, we go into exile, forced to wander?"

"There's a spirit oasis to the north, in the mountains," Jinora said as she stepped forward. "You and the other protectors could go there, help make sure it remains safe. It's far from any settlements and the only humans you'll likely see there are those who seek the wisdom to be learned from the spirits, or travelers who would respect the mountain regardless."

Xiang considered for a moment before his eyes looked up towards Korra. "And you would keep it ours, Avatar?"

"I'd need to make sure no one has a claim on it, but if what Jinora is saying is true, I see no reason why spirits can't keep it as theirs. I mean, there's always the lost traveller, but that doesn't call for a fight like what happened here." Not that there should have been a fight, she added silently.

"I see," he admitted as Korra lifted her boot off from his beak. "Very well, Avatar. It will happen your way. But first, I want to know one thing."

"What?"

"Why is it that we cannot sense Raava within you? She is half of the Avatar, the spirit in a bridge between spirits and humans, just as your prior incarnations were the human half. Why is it that we only see the human half?"

"I don't know," Korra admitted as she looked around. "All I know is that she was restored by Harmonic Convergence after Vaatu was defeated. I'm as much in the dark about this as you are."

"Then I wish you well in discovering the truth, Avatar. You will need an understanding of it in this land, full of war, just as your prior incarnations learned that there is a reason why spirits stay out of human affairs."

Korra simply nodded. Glancing around at the other spirits, they had stopped struggling and were simply waiting. Time to do this, she decided as she walked forward and began to move her arms, melting the ice and drawing the water away and sending it back down into the well. The spirits fluttered and stumbled a bit as they were released, but they all gathered and looked at her.

"Go. I'll protect the spirits here until this is figured out entirely," Korra said.

Xiang nodded, and the spirits flew into the sky, vanishing from view as Korra could make out the Khergits returning in the distance. Giving the spirits some space to sort things out amongst themselves, the five walked towards the village edge to wait for the others to return.

"So uh, Korra," Asami said as they waited. "Something I've been meaning to ask since this started. You mentioned a long time ago, spirits and humans were at each other's throats. Was it like this?"

Korra paused as she glanced towards Jinora, wondering just what had allowed Jinora to have such an easy rapport with spirits. What allowed men like Unalaq to do so while people like Tenzin with far better intentions floundered in the breeze?

"More or less," Korra finally said. "Though humans mostly just lived in fear on the Lion Turtles back then."

The implication hung in the air for a few moments before Bolin finally said what had been in the back of their minds the whole time.

"Spirits are jerks."

"Bolin!" Jinora said in shock, "That's not true! Look at the ones still here, they lived peacefully with the villagers here!"

"And that went into the air the moment Xiang showed up," Korra said as she looked towards where the militant spirits had flown off. "But they really do themselves no favors by letting the jerks talk for them. They aren't all bad, but they aren't pure wisdom either."

XXXXX

"So uh, that didn't go well, did it boss?"

"No, it did not," an old man wearing red admitted as he watched the militant spirits that migrated from Kedelke. He had no involvement in the events that had transpired there, but he had observed them. Opportunity could not be missed, but the Avatar's arrival meant that he could not play his hand. Not yet, anyways.

In contrast to the old man's withered features, his Khergit guide was young but weathered, disheveled black hair and rough shave obscuring the tracker within. This man was a rustler and had supposedly stolen plenty over the years, but he was not hired as a thief. He was hired for his knowledge of Calradia's tracks and pathways.

"So, something else, or we going to head back?"

"We can head back, Borcha," the old man said as he turned. "You did well guiding me here without attracting attention. But now we must leave; the Avatar was successful here, but just as her powers return, so will mine. This can be done another day when we are on more even terms."

"Can't say I'm exactly eager. This spirits stuff sends chills up my spine," Borcha answered. "Not as much as that baron, but…"

He chuckled at the Khergit's unease as they turned to leave. "Yes, his arrogance is daunting to those not used to manners of court. In my time, I learned to accept such pomp as the regalia of kings."

"Right. Well, long as he keeps to his little cabin, I'll sleep in my tent and not bother with it. Let's get out of here before we have to dodge Nasugei's horsemen as well; if they show up you'll see why I told you to leave those Nords behind."

The old man nodded and they begin to head back to their hideout outside the Khergit Khanate. The old man took a glance back as they did. One day, he would finish this.

XXXXX

"Even with Baheshtur, I'll admit I had my doubts. But, I will also admit when I have underestimated someone."

"Thank you for at least giving me the chance," Korra said as she remembered Asami's advice on dealing with Nasugei. Keep him happy, make sure he feels like he wasn't seen as an obstacle. "But the situation in Kedelke will remain fragile and at this point, all either of us could do is make it worse for the most part."

"Yes, you made that quite clear," the Noyan admitted. The two were standing on a hillside near Kedelke, observing the village as Naga rested a few feet away and Nasugei kept a hand on his horse's reins to keep it from trying to move away from the polar bear dog. It was sunset as Nasugei had been delayed by the beginning of the war with the Vaegirs, but he had come as promised to collect his food supplies.

"The spirits who are in Kedelke now are mostly the ones who were there before the trouble happened, and a few others who won't cause trouble," Korra continued. "But if I stay, then it all leans on me and I'm not ready to settle down, nor should I settle down since this may happen in other parts of Calradia. And if you try to rule the spirits as you would your own people, then it might bring back the violent ones who'll see it as a threat."

"If they become a threat to my land, they will learn why the thunder of our hooves is so feared," he said as he glared towards the village. "But, the agreement you made was acceptable, for now. We'll see if it works out or not." He reached for his saddlebag and pulled out a small sack. "Now, you did get me the food I demanded and now they can prepare for the next harvest."

He tossed the sack to her and she caught it, recognizing it immediately as money. "Uh, thank you?" she asked uneasily as this had surprised her. It was not too heavy, but she had to imagine that it was not insignificant as far as money went.

"That's a hundred denars, and I'm giving them to you. I never tolerate failure, but I always see to it that success is duly rewarded," Nasugei explained as he cracked a small smile. "Something a woman like you should keep in mind as she travels Calradia. Success is what matters; and with enough of it even kings will ignore the fact that you are a foreigner - and a woman at that - when you approach their halls."

"I'll keep it in mind," she said as she slid the sack into a pocket hidden by the pelt she wore around her waist.

"See that you do; even the 'honorable' lords of Calradia are bad tempered when insulted."

With that, he turned and climbed onto his horse. Korra bowed, and after giving her a nod the Khergit Noyan rode off, leaving her to watch as he joined his soldiers and they took the provisions away.

"You can come down now," Korra said as she looked up and Jinora glided down from the clouds.

"How did you find me?" the young airbender asked as she dropped to the ground and Furry-Foot followed her.

"I had a feeling you'd keep an eye on this," Korra said before shaking her head. "So, you planning on coming with us, or do you want to look around for more spirit stuff?"

"Learning more about the spirits is always a good thing, but… I was the one who guided you into the Spirit World for the first time. And whatever sent us here is not going to be resolved by human means alone. Even if Asami could build something to fix this, Calradia just doesn't have the scientific background for her to do it. Baheshtur asked me about that energy stuff for spirits and came up with some weird stuff about 'humors' in the human body."

"To be fair, science takes a lot of leaps and hurdles and goes with the best answer they have at the time. I wouldn't look down on it."

Jinora nodded. "I know, but it still makes my point that whatever is going to send us home, if anything can, is going to be spiritual, not technological." She gestured towards the village where the townsmen and the spirits were taking the first steps into rebuilding their lives. "But until we can go home… look at what you've done, Korra. You've set the basis for humans and spirits living together. Imagine what we could do back home now that the portals are open."

"It is a beautiful thing to watch, knowing that what Wan wanted to achieve can be done."

"It's a shame you had to fight your way to it, though."

"Really I'm glad Asami got to shock Xiang. He needed that, badly," she said with a smirk. She had almost felt the smugness vanishing when Asami got the drop on him.

"Maybe, but violence should not be the way to peace."

"No, but sometimes the only way to stop madmen, or crazed spirits, is with force," Korra explained as she knew that Jinora was going to either have to live with the spirits as Wan had done millennia ago, or learn to toughen up far sooner than a girl her age should have had to.

Maybe I should tell her to stick with the spirits until she's older, Korra thought for a moment before dismissing the idea. Jinora had far more maturity than her age indicated. She could learn to cope with a rougher world.

"I know, and as the Avatar it's your responsibility. But that doesn't mean you have to like it or take satisfaction in someone else's pain."

"Maybe, but watching smug guys get their comeuppance is one of the highlights of being the Avatar. I ever tell you about how cocky the Triads were when they pegged me as fresh off the boat?"

"You've mentioned it," Jinora answered with a faint smile as she looked towards Furry-Foot as the dragonfly bunny spirit perched on her shoulder. "Though, if I'm coming, do you have room for Furry-Foot too?"

"We kept Pabu, so I don't see why not," Korra answered. "Just… we may need to keep him hidden sometimes to avoid freaking people out."

Jinora nodded slowly as they watched the sun set.

XXXXXX

The next morning, they made ready to leave. As Asami was tying a bag to Naga's saddle, she glanced up and noticed Baheshtur approaching.

"You head into the territory claimed by the House of Sarran?" Baheshtur asked.

"To Shariz, yeah," Korra answered as she turned. "You sure you don't want to come with us? It has to be safer outside of the Khanate if you're still worried about those Humyan finding you."

"Thank you, but as I said last night I have my own path to travel. Besides, my father always told me to not be hired by a barbarian unless I am paid my worth first. I'm certain you'd do so, of course."

Asami rolled her eyes and turned back to the bags. She had a hard time liking the Khergit; his condescending attitude towards urban life was not only insulting, but gross hubris. It was a businessman who brought the United Republics to its knees. Without her father, Amon's revolution would have been little more than another gang with a powerful bending leader, just better at hiding that fact.

"Well, good luck either way," Korra said as Asami noticed the two shaking hands out of the corner of her eye.

"Thank you. It has been a pleasure to work with you here." Bowing his head, the Khergit left.

"So, you ready to go?" Asami asked as she looked at Korra.

"Yeah; we should talk to Boal first, make sure he knows to try and get word out if something goes wrong so we can come back."

"Speaking of that, we should probably stop at Halmar before heading into the desert. Get some extra water skins, that sort of thing. Or maybe ask Boal if we can buy some of that rice; the stuff we've been having was good, but not having any has kinda made dinner feel like it's lacking that comfort of home."

"I know the feeling," Korra said. "Didn't realize how much I missed Water Tribe stuff until Bolin took me to Narook's." She paused and shifted side to side, lip curling. "Anyways, uh, let's talk to Boal, get some rice and maybe some decent tea, move on to the Sarranids. Right. Hopefully it'll be less exciting than this whole thing…"

"Korra, you're the Avatar. Excitement isn't a question of if, but when."

XXXXXXXXXX

End Chapter

- From the start, I wanted to note that spirits are, if not jerks, at least on a high horse. Korra's problem as a show in regards to spirits was that unlike A:TLA where we got to see both sides, in LoK the jerks amongst the spirits got most of the screen time while the nice ones just sort of went along with it. Case in point, the spirits who were sympathetic to Wan in Beginnings but still let the Aye-Aye spirit push him around without more than a brief complaint. My goal, personally, was to show that balance with writing spirits here.

- In a similar way, Nasugei is similar. I need to show the bad parts of the Calradian nobles, but I don't want them to be one-dimensional either. Plus, they stop insulting you once you actually prove yourself as capable unless you really tick them off.

- This is also Baheshtur's exit. He may come back later, but if you look at the companions they all have their own goals to achieve too besides waiting for you to find them. I've gone through the companions to dig up their histories, or what we learn in-game. There's a surprising amount of nuance if you take a look at it.

- Speaking of the nuance; Galerian is the Calradian equivalent of Galen, who was a Greek doctor during the Roman Empire. It formed the basis of a lot of medieval medicine. Calradia has, I found, a surprisingly developed but also untapped history if you spend time looking through the things the companions tell you. Filling in the gaps and tying it together is, admittedly, one of my favorite parts of writing this.

- Now, Borcha working for someone else… well as I said, the companions all have their own goals. And Korra isn't going to be the only adventurer in Calradia - the game treats you, at first, as one of many. You were just special in being able to give Calradia peace if you pushed to do so. So not every companion will work with Korra or join her team. I do intend to use every companion at some point, though how I use them is still in the air. Some may be recruited, others may be enemies, and some may just be cameos.

- Thank you mpowers045, TheJackinati275, and ShadowCub for the reviews. Feedback is always appreciated.