Korra groaned as her vision returned, dull and out of focus. Where am I? she wondered as she looked around and noticed she wasn't lying on the cobblestone ground. There wasn't even any grass or dirt as if she had been dragged away.

She was lying on a solid stone floor with her hands cuffed behind her back, chained together and linked to the nearby wall made of stone. Glancing to her right, she noticed an alcove with a wooden bench at the end. And as she looked over her body, she noticed her waterskin was missing.

Before she could try to guess where she was the pain came back, both the back of her head and her jawline. Korra rolled her tongue against the back of her teeth: they were all still there, though she wondered if they had been pushed in at all.

"Hey, Korra, you alright?"

"Asami?" she asked, shaken from taking stock of her injuries.

"Yeah; I woke up a few minutes ago. Bolin's here too, but he's still out of it."

Korra glanced to where Bolin was, head against the floor and drooling slightly. They were still in their armor, but their helmets were gone and Asami had none of her weapons on her. The other woman's hair hair was a tangled mess, along with a few scrapes visible on her face. "Where are we?"

"I don't know," Asami answered as she gestured to the small window at the end of the room they were in, open air with only a few bars. "But I can hear gulls, so we have to be at a coastal city."

Korra's gut tightened as she remembered the map. "You don't think…?" They knew which city had a slaver.

"What happened?"

Korra and Asami both paused and looked at Bolin, who was waking up and rubbing his head. "Man, I forgot how much headshots hurt… hey, wait a second, where are we?"

"Captured," Asami explained.

"Which means that monster burned the village," Korra growled as the enormity of what had happened dawned on her, the pain from the various scrapes she had and the back of her head growing. "Great. Just great. The Avatar, a pair of pro-benders, and the best engineer in Republic City and we can't even save a mountain village from a bunch of screaming Nords?"

"What happened to the people? And where's Mako? He's not…?"

"I don't know," Korra said as she tried to recall the battle. "But he's smart, knows when to cut his losses, and I know he wouldn't do that without a plan to come get us."

"How long will that take though?" Bolin asked. "I really need to use the bathroom."

"We were probably out for the night," Asami said as she looked away from them. "Though, uh, I think I'm going to need to do more than wipe off the dust…"

Before anyone could inquire further, there was a rattle outside the thick wooden door. The three stopped and looked towards the door as it opened and a heavily armored Nord soldier stepped in. He glowered at them as his brown banded armor, then nodded outside. Following his signal were two individuals.

The first one was the man who seemed to be in charge of butchering Gisim - she recognized his massive blond beard, but now he was wearing more casual dress rather than hard leather over mail. The second individual was a man wearing a fancy red tunic that Korra couldn't recognize.

"These the prisoners you asked about, Jarl Olaf?" the man in the red tunic asked.

"Aye David, they're the ones," Olaf answered. "Gave my men a good battle at Gisim, stood firm while the militia routed like cowards. The woman in blue apparently killed my berserker in single combat. Givin' 'em to Ramun was not worth the effort my men spent to take them down."

"Of course, of course, he only pays fifty a healthy head. But he only deals in galley slaves and doesn't try my finer touch, so it makes sense. Stand them up."

"You heard him," Olaf snarled. "On your feet."

Korra glared at him, wishing looks could kill. Earthbending was tempting, but with the restraints she knew she would not be accurate enough to do anything useful. If she had been cuffed in front maybe...

"I said up! Guards!"

Two more soldiers with lighter mail entered, dragging them to their feet. Korra threw her shoulders back as she was pulled to up. "Get your hands off me," she muttered as the ransom broker looked at them.

"Mmmm," he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he looked Korra over. "Rather muscled, this one." He reached a hand out towards her left arm and gave her bicep a brief squeeze. "Very muscular. Raised as a warrior, I'd say, and knowing her importance. If you're not interested in trying to ransom her, I can think of a couple gladiator rings that could use her."

"Ex Pro-Bender," Bolin noted. "So am I, no need to train us to fight."

Why did you have to say that? Korra thought in annoyance. Asami shot Bolin a glare, and the earthbender winced.

"Pro Bender?" the broker asked in surprise. "Never heard of that before. What is it?"

"He's overstating it, it's not much of a fighting sport," Asami lied quickly. "More fancy displays. These two tended to do fight like displays, but it was all rehearsed and planned, not actual combat."

"Ah," the broker said with a shrug. "Well, she looks like she's got the build for the rings. That muscle tone can't be faked… strong girl."

"Why don't you let me loose so you can find out how strong?" she taunted, staring at him.

"Hah! She'll need to be broken, of course. But yes, I think I could take her off your hands. Probably about two hundred forty denars, give or take a few. She looks like she grew up rather wealthy."

"And what about the lanistas over in Geroia? How much would they pay if I sold her directly?"

"We know that's a bluff, m'lord, you don't have the traders to send there without the Swadians or Rhodoks intercepting them. But, to humor you… probably three fifty, maybe four hundred. I'd offer more of the end cost, but I have to eat too."

Olaf nodded, smiling. "It was a bluff. We have a deal."

Korra scowled. It was bad enough they were selling her like she was a sack of grain, but discussing it in front of her? She glanced to the broker's belt and noticed he had a bottle of water. I don't need that much movement for that, I could… no, she realized. She had to wait, and be patient, for the right moment to strike.

The ransom broker moved onto Bolin. "Oh dear, what have we here?"

"What, is something wrong with me?" Bolin asked, looking around nervously.

"You look as if you've had a good life, yet your demeanor screams street rat."

"Oh, street rat like you wouldn't believe!" Bolin started, "Parents murdered by a firebender, forced to live on the streets tired, hungry, barely enough food to survive, pushed around by Triads and squeezed for every last thing we had, and what food we did have was from garbage bins!"

Korra stared, amazed that Bolin was spilling his history… Wait a minute, he's acting!

"Indeed, but that doesn't explain your new build."

"Pro Bending paid real well, but it's mostly show," Korra chimed in as she figured out the ploy, "After all, can't have show fights if the guys don't look like they could fight."

"True, true," the broker said as he rubbed his chin. "But how well did it pay?"

"Hah, I'm a growing boy, you think I kept that money around? Man, it cost so much just to get this delicate instrument in shape!" Bolin continued, giving a brief and uncertain laugh. "Yeah, we hit hard times. Why do you think we became adventurers picking fights like that?"

The ransom broker nodded slowly and poked Bolin's abs. "Mmmm. Still has the baby fat. I definitely could sell him in the gladiator rings too, if he doesn't have anyone willing to get their thespian back."

"Yeah, good luck with that. Big investment risk, dude. All of us are."

"Enough!" Olaf snarled. "Stop selling yourself short. Now, David, what would you say he is worth?"

"Not as much as the girl, but… I could probably sell him for three hundred, maybe a bit more. So, two hundred denars for him?"

Olaf growled, but nodded. "Aye, a deal it is. And the other girl?"

Asami recoiled as the two turned to her. "Ah… I'd keep her around, actually. There's a certain rich man's daughter air you can't fake. The graceful features, the healthy body, the dignity she carries herself with… that doesn't come from tough growing up. Even your daughter isn't quite a match - through no fault of your own, of course," the broker added hastily as Olaf's hand fell on his sword. "But, this prisoner grew up with the luxuries of life in full, a father both doting upon her and willing to teach her the harsh realities of the world."

Oh this idiot has no idea, Korra thought angrily as she felt an urge to rip them limb from limb.

"So what're you saying, hold her here and ransom her directly?" Olaf asked, tilting his head.

"Aye, if you believe news of her reaches her family. That'll be far more profitable."

"Not likely," Asami remarked. "My father's in jail, he betrayed our homeland."

"In that case, I'm certain I could find someone looking for a serving girl… or a brothel looking for something exotic."

"Brothel!?" Asami snarled angrily and Korra wanted to incinerate him then and there, wishing she could breathe enough fire to would burn the ransom broker to ash. She felt the surge, one she had felt when Tarrlok had her tied up, but it died down before manifesting.

"Oh aye, you'd be surprised what requests the Geroian aristocracy might give, and a foreign exotic like yourself? Oh, I can imagine some would pay well," the broker said before pausing. "They haven't been 'handled' by your men, have they?"

"Nay, I do not permit my men to do such to prisoners. Especially slaves, no one likes to find out they bought extra without first knowing." Olaf shook his head. "But what their new masters do with them once sold into thralldom in a foreign land, that is not my concern. How much would you say?"

"I'll take her off your hands for three hundred. You know why they don't sell for more."

Olaf paused, rubbing his beard thoughtfully before nodding. "Aye, three hundred it'll be. Still doesn't make up for the damage they and their fire throwing friend caused. But I'll have him soon enough, he can't escape me forever, no matter what little fairy queen flies him away."

Jinora got him out of there! Korra realized and she smiled.

"Mako got away? Dude, this is a bad investment! Man, you do NOT want to get in his way when we're in trouble!" Bolin noted. "This one time, I got captured by Equalists, he flung one of 'em twenty feet away! And that 'fairy queen'? Airbender. Granddaughter of one of the most bada…"

"ENOUGH!" Olaf snarled, smacking Bolin across the face and cutting him off..

Korra struggled against the chains as Bolin staggered, face red.

"What? Just trying to be honest merchandise here! I mean, you are a noble lord and you're supposed to have honor, right?"

"Bolin, enough," Asami warned before he went on any further. "Besides, we saw his true colors at Gisim."

"Impudent," the broker noted. "Whoever buys them will have to put them through plenty of conditioning. Well, that's what galley work is for and Geroia is a long row away. Let me go fetch my silver and we'll make the exchange. It should only take half an hour."

"Take all the time you need," Olaf said as he glared at them. "This is but a pittance of what they should pay. They killed Johann, ten of my men, and wounded plenty more. If I hadn't pillaged Gisim and sold the survivors who didn't escape to Ramun, I'd of lost silver on this venture. It was still profitable, but they set back a Nordic Calradia."

"'tis the risk of warfare, m'lord. But, at least the Geroian arena is brutal in its deaths. I suspect the female will find that dying in the sands as the crowd cheers for her blood will be more than painful recompense for what she did to your men, who had glorious deaths in battle that will be sung about."

Korra scoffed. He seriously thought that kind of death would frighten her?

He wasn't wrong - the idea of people cheering for her death as she was gutted for their viewing pleasure did send a shiver up her spine - but compared to what she had gone through and what nearly happened to her, it was practically refreshing. Steel in her stomach was a lot simpler than having her bending stripped, jumping off a cliff into the polar sea, or whatever Vaatu would have done to her after winning.

Olaf seemed to like the idea though, smiling to himself. "Aye, it would be. Well, let's conclude this trade."

They all left, leaving the dungeon cell quiet for a few moments as the three prisoners looked at each other fearfully.

"We need to get out," Asami said with her eyes wide. "If we end up on that ship…"

"We won't," Korra said as she lowered her voice. "I don't think that guy understood anything about what we were talking about. Pro Bending, any of it."

"So he'll underestimate us!" Bolin said as he grinned. "And if Mako times it right…"

"Let's just hope the guards don't put weapons to our throats," Asami noted as she curled her lip. "But I can't believe it… he sold all those innocents to be galley slaves?!"

Korra simply shook her head and slumped down back to the floor. "I know. Maybe we can rescue them as well."

"I doubt it," Asami noted. "You've only got two elements and they took my glove."

"We'll get it back," Korra promised.

"What about that manual?" Bolin asked. "I mean, you said yourself, the knowledge in there…"

"Left it with Naga, remember? It's safe. Same with the money, we probably only lost pocket change."

"Okay, good. Hey, you okay?" Bolin asked as Asami's expression softened.

"Sorry, it's just the way they talked about what would happen to us…"

"Really I pity whoever is dumb enough to try and use you," Korra noted. "I mean, you haven't seen yourself taking down chi blockers, have you?"

"Thanks, I think," Asami said as she glanced down. "Though, you might've wanted to mention your dad, Korra."

"Why?"

"Probably could've talked them into treating you like a noble prisoner. You actually have that blue blood and he seemed to pick up on that. Should've done that myself, but if you two were going..."

Korra snorted. "Yeah, my dad was exiled before my parents even met. Bloodline, sure, but I was never in the North's succession. I doubt it would count here. Besides, we'd want to mention he couldn't be reached anyways - keep money out of that guy's hands."

"True," Asami admitted.

"So, how we getting out?" Bolin asked. "This stone looks like we could earthbend it."

"These chains will trip us up, unless you think you can break them," Korra said as she looked behind her, trying to get a look at her chains. Breaking them off the wall was easy, but the links were long enough that she knew that having them bouncing between her legs would trip her at the worst time possible.

"So, wait for an opportunity? Huh. That's what Mako said about the Vaegirs…"

"He's probably right," Asami explained. "He had to guard against this as a cop, so he probably figured out when people try to make a break."

"For now, try to get a little rest," Korra said as she slid back down onto the floor and leaned her head back. "We'll need it when the time's right."

"So, about the bathroom…"

"We'll just look away," Asami said, and Korra closed her eyes while leaning her head to the side and trying to doze off.

After what felt like an hour, they heard movement and the door opened. As it did, the broker and two guards stepped in. The two guards carried themselves very differently from the Nord soldiers they had met, the least of which being far less armored. Mercenaries, Korra decided. One of them had Asami's crossbow slung around his shoulder and the bolts on his belt, both had cudgels, and for defense both wore leather shirts.

"The silver's been exchanged, and now you three belong to me," the broker said. "Up, your new lives in Geroia await."

The three grudgingly climbed to their feet. The guards went for Korra first, grabbing her arms and holding them together as the broker put a new pair of cuffs on her, and attached another length of chain. Once the new cuffs were on and chained, the broker used a key to release the old cuffs, which clattered to the floor. The two guards pushed her back, Korra staggering at the sudden shift until she was standing in front of Asami, who simply waited as the broker put the new cuffs on her and connected them to Korra's, and Bolin was added a few moments later to bring up the rear.

Satisfied with the formation, the broker led them out and the two guards were walking alongside them. They were taken out of the stone dungeon into much more obviously wooden construction, surprising Korra. She had figured that the architecture was stonework like the Swadian castles, not wooden like Dramug Castle had been. No, it's probably just the dungeon was built into the foundation, she decided.

The hallway they were marched through was long, and they passed by multiple wooden cells with thick bars. They felt eerily like kennels to Korra as they walked by them, and she was fairly sure she could smell urine in at least one of them. Bolin seemed to as well given he cringed.

At the end of the cells, they entered a square room with a large desk to their left. On the desk was a flagon, a trade scale with silver coins on it, and a nearby chest that looked like it was being filled. Behind it sat Jarl Olaf, one of his Huscarls standing behind him.

And the Huscarl had Asami's gauntlet on his left hand.

"A trophy of your defeat," the Huscarl said with a self-righteous grin.

"Aye," Olaf added as he grabbed a flagon of mead on the desk and took a quick sip. "Your helmets will be a grand tribute to my men, a testament of what their deaths in battle lead to the defeat of. As Helgi the Unbent did to Zendar and organized bending, my men have done to you. The sorcery of bending brought low by proper warriors, as it should be."

Wait a minute, Zendar and organized bending? Korra thought in shock, but before she could process the tidbit of Calradian history, the broker spoke up.

"You sure you don't want their armor too?" he asked as he pointed to Korra's chest before handing Olaf the key he had used to remove their old restraints. "I don't need their armor, just their bodies, and I know you need all the profit you can to get ahead of the Lodbroks."

"Keep their gear, I'm sure it'll help you get a fairer price from the Geroians or be a profitable sell for you. Consider their armor and the crossbow a gift for many years of fair and honest trade with the Jorgensen family, and a desire to continue it."

The broker nodded and the guards pushed them along, leading them outside to a small rectangular courtyard as the castle was clearly predominantly wooden, before leading them through the streets. Tihr's streets were beaten down dirt roads with no cobble or anything. The sun was low, indicating it was still very early in the morning.

There were several onlookers as they were marched through the streets, several briefly commenting on it before moving onto their daily lives. Korra stared at them in shock: slavery was practiced openly here and no one seemed to care! Some even were discussing them, describing them as 'newly caught thralls' or similar descriptions. As if people who happened to be on the wrong side of a battle being turned into slaves was normal.

Korra glanced at the broker's belt, and noticed where the keys were before something caught her eye in the distance. Was there a man with a red scarf in the crowd following them?

She put it aside - they could not rely on Mako. If they got on the boat, she and Bolin were as good as dead in an arena and Asami… don't think about that, she told herself as she assessed the guards. They were lightly armored, but she usually went with street clothes. Unlike her, however, she caught a sense that they were very lax about this. They did not see the three as a dangerous threat with their chains.

As they approached the docks, Korra could make out several ships, long boats with curved hulls that reminded her of older style Water Tribe designs, except the bow was in the water than rising just above. There was also one that stood out with a very rigid shape, with the bow shaped like an ice cutter. It seemed to be where they were heading as once it was in sight, the broker smiled.

Then she saw their chance: as he smiled, the broker pulled up his flask to take a drink. Korra glanced back to Bolin and Asami. Both of them nodded and Korra clenched her hand into a fist, bending the water from the flask into the broker's face at as high a velocity as she could manage with her restraints, stunning him and he staggered.

"Boss!" one of the guards shouted in surprise as both moved forward. Korra had frozen some of the water into ice that had pricked the broker's face. "Boss you alright?"

"I'm fine," he muttered as he tried to wipe away the mild bleeding. As he did, Korra dropped to the ground and knocked all three of them on their backs with a leg sweep, pivoting painfully on her restrained hands.

As they hit the ground, Asami ducked and Bolin leapt forward, earthbending a small part of the dirt road to give him the extra push so he could body slam the three of them.

"Got it," Asami muttered as she grabbed the keys from the broker's belt and unlocked Bolin's cuffs.

"Stop, escaping thralls!" a guard in mail and with a spear shouted, rushing towards them as more guards began to hurry to answer the call.

"Bolin, we need a minute," Korra said as she kicked one of the broker's guards who was getting back up.

"No problem!" Bolin retorted as he adopted an earthbending stance and kicked up the piece of earth he had bent earlier, launching it at the guard and knocking him clean out. Townsmen and women shrieked, hurrying into their homes as the brawl started and more guards began to run over from their posts in ones and twos.

Korra felt the cuffs release and quickly brought up three streams of water from the ocean, launching them at the ransom broker and his two guards. She split the streams and froze them around their limbs and heads, locking the ice into the ground with earthbending.

"That'll keep 'em down," Korra said with a grin as she took the keys from Asami and unlocked her cuffs as Bolin blocked an axe hurled their way with a rock barrier. As soon as the axe fell to the ground, he launched the top part of it as a counterattack.

"Hey guys, we might want to mo- MAKO!"

They looked up in time to see a man leaping out of the fleeing crowd and kicking a large fireball towards the guards, forcing the six men to halt and drop behind their shields. A few screamed, but Korra wasn't able to see how many were burned.

"Sorry I'm late," he said as he kicked several more bursts of fire down the street. "You guys okay?"

"We are now," Korra said with a wide smile. Now it was a fight. "Come on, we need to get Asami's gauntlet back!"

"We can get it later!" Asami shouted as she pulled her crossbow and the bolts from the guard who had taken them, loading it and discharging the bolt into another guard. The guard collapsed to the ground as it hit his knee. "Let's get out of here, now!"

Korra nodded. "Mako?"

"Follow me!" he shouted, leading them through the streets to a part of the wall that had a hole in it. A hole that was being filled in by several workers.

"What the?" a worker asked before Mako launched a fireball at the weak spot. Bolin and Korra followed up, working together to earthbend out a large boulder from the dirt road and launching it into the hole. It went through completely, the boulder shattering into pieces and scattering chunks onto both sides. The way out of the town was clear.

"We've got company!" Asami shouted as she fired another crossbow bolt, this time into one of Olaf's Huscarls who had joined the chase. The Huscarl quickly raised his shield, blocking the bolt.

"Let's not stick around," Bolin muttered as the Huscarl threw an axe at them and Mako intercepted it with a quick fireball, knocking it aside. They leapt through the hole in the wall.

"So how're we running away? Those guys don't quit!" Korra asked as they began to run from the town as the guards in the towers started shooting arrows after them, though at the range they were at and how fast they were running kept them narrowly ahead of the projectiles.

"Just a little further…" Mako muttered and Korra looked up, smiling again.

"Naga!" she shouted as the giant polar bear dog ran up towards them and skidded to a halt, dropping down slightly so they could get on. Korra leapt on first as Mako stopped. The firebender ignited the ground in front of them in a semicircle as Bolin and Asami climbed on, then he leapt on himself.

"Go!" he shouted as soon as he was on and holding on tightly. Naga stood back up and rushed towards the woods.

"Hey, Naga isn't going to carry us and the gear, is she?" Bolin asked.

"Nah, I left the gear with the horse, and Naga was there up until a minute ago," Mako explained as he looked back. "No one following us yet!"

"We won't have much time to make our escape," Korra warned as she glanced back to the city they had just escaped from.

"At least we'll be able to see them coming, though," Mako answered.

"Okay, I'll keep a lookout, you guys figure out how to split the stuff," Bolin said as they approached where Pabu was waiting with the horse.

"Where's Jinora?" Asami asked as they came to a halt.

"Above you," another voice came in and Korra glanced up to see the airbender coming down on her glider staff, Furry-Foot behind her. "Sorry, one of the tower guards saw me and I had to go higher."

"It's alright," Bolin said as they were switching saddlebags from Minty to Naga. "Now let's hurry, they're opening the gates right now!"

"Any horses?" Mako asked.

"If there are, we'll knock them out and keep running," Korra said. "And once we lose them, we need to make a pickup."

XXXXXXXX

"And here we are. They put your helmets up as a marker."

Asami nodded to Mako as she saw their three helmets at the ends of spears in a small grove in the woods to the southeast of Tihr, past a village they had gone around. There was nothing else indicating it as a monument, and it seemed to have just been a marker for a later construction.

"I'm surprised they put it up now," Bolin said as Naga and Minty were brought to a halt. Asami slid off of the polar bear dog, Korra right behind her, and the two walked towards the spears as Bolin was busy dismounting.

"Probably some Nord tradition," Korra said as she hesitated a moment before grabbing her helmet and checking it. Asami noticed that it had a few dents and other wear on it from the blows it had taken.

"Maybe," Asami said as she took hers and gave it a check. Definitely going to repair it at some point, she thought as she nodded and slid it on to make sure it still fit comfortably. "But at least it wasn't our heads here."

"Putting up people's bodies as warnings is overrated anyways, besides being disgusting," Jinora remarked.

"We should probably move," Mako said once Bolin had grabbed his. "Who knows if a villager saw us or not."

"Let's head south, try to get into Swadia," Korra suggested as they climbed back onto their rides. Jinora climbed onto Naga this time.

"That's the obvious choice," Asami said. "I'm not saying we shouldn't," she added as Korra looked at her strangely, "but directly south is probably what they're expecting, especially if they think we're working for Swadia. Maybe head to the east a bit, skirt along the river? If nothing else, you'll have a lot of water to use."

Korra paused for a moment, then nodded. "Good point. Mako, any police officer objections?"

"There's no 'right' way to avoid pursuit when you don't need to hide the eventual destination," Mako explained as they started to ride to the southeast. "We'll need to hide wherever we end up camping, but otherwise… we don't have anywhere specific we need to go."

"I can head to the air and check for pursuit," Jinora added.

"Ah, you sure that's a good idea?" Bolin asked. "I mean, they saw you at Gisim, right?"

"I don't need to go up for too long," the airbender protested as Furry-Foot poked his head out of one of Naga's saddlebags and buzzed something.

"Thanks," Korra said as she glanced down.

"What did he say?" Asami asked, wishing she could understand spirits easily. I wonder how Korra can understand all of them, she wondered before writing it off as some perk of being the Avatar.

"He said that he'd take a look for us," Jinora explained.

"Ah. So, what happened after we were knocked out?"

"Once the Nords piled in, I was still trying to fight from the vantage point I had," Mako explained. "Most of the Huscarls went for me, and one managed to wound me in the arm." He pointed to where he had been hurt. Now that she had a chance to actually look at his shoulder, Asami noticed was a bit thicker than it usually was.

"You want me to help with that?" Korra asked.

"Couldn't hurt, but I already cauterized it after Jinora cleaned the wound. The dart uh, fell out when Jinora grabbed me."

"How did Jinora find you anyways?" Asami asked as she thought back to that afternoon. "I thought she was staying with Naga."

"I heard the fighting and screams," Jinora explained. "So I took off and saw the smoke. I got there right when you were being piled on by the Nords. I'm sorry, but there were too many and they knew I was around."

"It's okay," Bolin said, "It's not like you just left us to the dogs or something. No offense, Naga!" he added hastily. The polar bear dog growled non-committally, or at least that was what Asami thought.

"Anyways," Mako continued, "once I had it tied up, we started shadowing the Nord troops. They stopped by a castle to the west first and dropped off their dead, then most of them went for the port. Furry-Foot followed the ones who had your helmets and met up with us again outside Tihr. Then we started scoping out the place. I went in pretending to be a traveller, Jinora checked for ships leaving."

"Thank you," Korra said as she smiled then looked back at Asami and Bolin. "So, how bad were you guys hurt?"

"Just some bruises; they used the blunt weapons," Bolin explained.

"Head's sore still," Asami admitted, "but not bad enough to stop. I would like to clean up, though…"

Korra simply nodded as she glanced in the bag that had their dirty rags. "Well, once we're clear we can take a bath. Then figure out how we're going to get that gauntlet back."

Asami paused, curling her lip. Much as the gauntlet was hers and much as it had defined her fighting style against the Equalists, it was in the end just a gauntlet. Glancing at the weapons attached to Naga's saddle, she frowned as she considered: did she really need it back?

Not at the cost of Korra or any of our lives, she decided. "Actually…"

"What?" Korra asked, "you think we should go now?"

"No… I think that maybe we shouldn't make it a priority."

"Asami?" Mako asked in surprise.

"Look, I'd like it back," she said, "but not if it's going to get us hurt. It isn't worth it. For all we know it was broken when I was knocked out. It's important to me, it's the same one I've used since I stood up to my father, but in the end it's just a gauntlet."

"It's also advanced tech," Bolin added, "what if they try to use it?"

"It's one gauntlet, it won't change the course of a war," Asami said as she shook her head. "I'll learn to use a sword if I have to, but if we're going to recover it, let's recover it while we're trying to free the people taken from Gisim."

"Are you sure?" Korra asked as she turned her head. "I mean, I'm okay with getting a few scrapes to get it back. We risked death saving some snot nosed noble for money, I'd risk it to get something like that back for you."

"Thank you, but… I wouldn't be comfortable asking you to do that."

"Fighting for material gain is meaningless anyways," Jinora chimed in as she put a hand on Asami's shoulder. "It's good to be able to let go."

She knew it was supposed to be a vote of confidence, but Asami still felt uneasy from Jinora's comment. And I'm not sure I'm going to like why, she realized.

XXXXXXXXX

The sudden thunder of an army marching woke Korra with a jolt. She quickly looked around and felt her gut tensing as she saw a host of Nords marching along the riverbank, marching under several banners, from a blue one with a black falcon on it to one with two lighter blue bars with black swords crossed on the white in between.

"We've got company!" Korra warned as she prodded Asami. The others shot awake immediately and they all looked over. The Nords saw them and the leader held up a hand, the men stopping. Korra blinked as she looked at the banners flying above the host again.

"That flag…" Asami said.

"I recognize it too," Korra answered as she looked at the one with swords. "From Jayek."

"More Nord raiders?" Jinora asked as she tightened her grip on her glider staff.

"No, from a village we saved," Mako explained as he put a hand on his chin. "What do you think, run for it?"

"Wait, he owes us, remember?" Asami cut in as several men from the formation walked towards them. "Maybe we can talk him into letting us go."

"I'm not sure," Jinora said uncertainly. "I mean, if those people practice slavery, what's to stop him from taking us prisoner?"

"Nothing," Korra said as she weighed the risk. "But they know we're here… hey, is that Kyoshi Warrior still with him?"

"A what?" Jinora asked in shock before Bolin silenced her.

"If you're going to talk, now's the time," Asami said. Korra nodded back, taking a deep breath before standing and putting her hands in the air.

"Weapons down, I'm coming to talk!" Korra called, hoping desperately that they did not fill her with arrows or thrown axes. "I'm unarmed."

"You can lower your hands, this is parlay!" the old man in the middle of the group called. He definitely was Jarl Turya. Next to him were several others, most of them looking like Huscarls. The lone woman in the group was definitely a Kyoshi Warrior: the white facepaint was a dead giveaway. Korra noticed that her outfit had changed, though: the open skirt had been split and what remained was sewed back together as relatively baggy pants.

"It's okay," the Kyoshi Warrior explained, "he's not going to turn on you. It's a parlay, they take this seriously."

Korra nodded as she glanced back and the others revealed themselves, walking closer to be part of the conversation. "Thank you, Tomoe. So, why're you after us?"

"Kneel," one of the Huscarls snarled, "you stand in the presence of a king."

"Marayirr," another of the 'Huscarls' with a thick red beard, "they are foreigners, do not be surprised that they do not recognize the banner of the Nordic King." He pointed to the banner with the falcon on it.

Korra bit her lip, then bowed. "Your majesty," she said as her heart began to pound.

"You can stand," Ragnar said. "And this is a parlay, you need not fear force unless you violate it."

"Okay… so, were you pursuing us?"

"We marched home fresh from victory," Turya explained. "Jarl Olaf sent messenger hawks far and wide about your escape. We were at Ambean where my adopted son holds a fief, returning home from a successful campaign."

Ragnar smiled. "The Kingdom of Nords was victorious in our war with Swadia, a treaty signed after Kelderan Castle was taken and its rightful owner restored."

"So… what happens to us now?" Korra asked. "After all, we did just escape a Nord dungeon."

"That is for me to decide," Ragnar stated, the smile vanishing as he adopted a stone glare and looked them over. "I have been told that most of you are benders of power." He snorted. "Bending is a weak way to fight, but you look as if you can fight physically too."

Don't retort to that don't retort to that, Korra desperately thought to keep it down as she noticed Mako grabbing Bolin in the corner of her eye.

"However," Ragnar continued, "your fate will be decided by the honesty of your answer. Why did you attack the forces of my sworn vassal, Jarl Olaf of the Jorgenson family?"

"We saw raiders attacking Gisim," Asami supplied. Korra nodded to her and let the ex-CEO step forward. "So we went in to protect innocent lives. We did not know exactly who they served, we only wanted to protect innocents, just as we did at Jayek."

"Were you acting as a mercenary in service of the Kingdom of Swadia at this time?"

"No," Korra admitted as her gut tightened. If it came to a fight, they would lose. There were simply too many. Tomoe was looking between them and Ragnar uneasily, but Korra was not sure the Kyoshi Warrior would stand with them or not, nor would blame her if she sided with the Nords.

Ragnar remained silent for a few moments, rubbing his chin before nodding firmly. "I see. Very well: I will not pass judgment on your actions."

"My king," Marayirr said, "is this wise? She murdered good warriors with bending! Benders do not deserve…"

"Tell me again, nephew," Ragnar snarled as he turned, "does the earth not shift beneath your feet when you will it?"

The younger Nord recoiled at the sudden venom in his King's voice, lowering his head. "No, your majesty, but I do not use it in battle or daily life, and I simply fear for your authority."

"Your concern for the wellbeing of the crown is appreciated, but I am no scholar pretending to be king," Ragnar finished as he shook his head and turned back to them. "But be warned: while I will not pass judgment for your actions, I cannot grant you the protection of the King's Peace. You are fair game for any Jarl to take offensive action against if he sees fit. Jarl Turya, does the Lodbrok family wish to take action?"

Turya shook his head. "That depends on your will, brother, but if left to me I would give them safe passage from our borders. They earned such with their escape from Tihr." Tuyra smiled as he looked west. "Oh how I wish I could have seen Olaf's face when you escaped."

Ragnar chuckled. "Aye, humility is something he and his family will need one day."

A rivalry? Korra wondered as she glanced between them, but she put that aside. "Right now, the main thing we need is safe passage. However, Olaf's men enslaved a lot of people, and took something important from my friend…" she glanced to Asami.

"A gauntlet. But the people sold into slavery are more important."

"I cannot and will not interfere with the victor's rights," Ragnar firmly stated as he looked at them. "I trust you will not ask me to do this again."

Reminds me of Raiko, Korra thought as she grit her teeth. She heard Jinora mutter something indistinct, but whatever it was, no one seemed to hear it.

"I understand," Asami answered, glancing away from the king.

"Good. Unless there is another matter, I should be on my way."

"Actually…" Korra said as she remembered Shariz. "If I could ask you something, King Ragnar, I met a man in Shariz…" Tomoe's eyes went wide, but Korra finished before the Kyoshi Warrior could signal anything. "Lethwin Far-Seeker."

And as she said the name, all the Nords and Tomoe went stiff and stared at her, leaving her wondering for a moment if her eyes were glowing in the Avatar State.

"Not many people have the courage to say that name in my presence," Ragnar growled, his voice notably deeper. "But bender you may be, you carry yourself a warrior." A hand fell on the pommel of Ragnar's sword and he looked to the north. "Are your people familiar with the saying that Unhappy is the land whose king is a child? Well, in the case of Lethwin Ink-Fingers, unhappy too is the land whose king is a student."

Korra noticed Asami shifting at the implication, but Korra focused on Ragnar and shook her head. "I don't think I've heard of it before, but I understand the point."

"Good. I would hope that your people would not have their king be a beardless youth, one with no callouses of gripping a sword or bruises from standing in a shield wall. If Lethwin were king, the Jarls would rightly laugh at him as a weakling!"

"He said that he would be willing to prove himself a warrior," Korra responded, trying to put it carefully. "He was willing to face you in an honest battle."

The Nord king scoffed. "Did he now? Well, if he has learned to fight in the last year then he is welcome to try again. I will not spare him a second time. Old Hakrim may have had fancy ideas, but it takes more than a crown to rule the Nords. A king must be strong, must be a warrior who defends his people, not some whelp who spends his time studying books no matter how royal his blood. And if he cannot fight, he must have the scars of war to prove that he is worthy of the position despite fate. I am king by strength and the acclamation of the Jarls, and woe to anyone who dares say otherwise."

"Ah, I'm not saying otherwise…" Bolin said.

"Neither am I," Korra said as she weighed it before nodding. "Thank you, your majesty, for taking the time to explain."

Ragnar nodded. "Indeed. Now, unless you are seeking to serve the Kingdom of Nords, I should move on." He turned to Turya, "I will see you in a few days at Alburq Castle."

"Of course," Turya said with a nod, and Ragnar left the group, a large portion of the Nord army marching away as he did.

So, Ragnar did just what Lethwin thought, Korra realized as she considered Ragnar's explanation. She could understand Nordic king's position, especially in light of Raiko's actions, but that did not make them right. Being in charge is more than fighting. I had to learn that to be the Avatar, why would it be different for a king?

"Well then," Turya said as the king's host left them, jolting her from her thoughts.. "I can grant you an escort to the border with the Vaegirs, at which point you should be far enough to travel as you see fit. But I cannot give you any more aid than this."

"Thank you," Asami answered.

"I owe you all a debt for defending my responsibilities. However... I would not search for the people of Gisim."

"Are you saying we should abandon them to slavery?" Jinora asked incredulously.

"Naive girl," Marayirr muttered.

Turya ignored the younger man's comment. "If Olaf has sold them to Ramun, they have been scattered by now. If you are fortunate, you may save some, but it would be best to swallow your pride and accept that you were defeated in that battle. You do not have an army to support you, while Jarl Olaf has many warriors who regularly face the charge of Swadian Knights. He may overblow the difficulties, but his men are capable."

"I don't like this," Korra said, "Those were innocent people."

"That they may be, but they were the ones defeated, as were you. You earned your freedom back by skill of arms, but they have not. The victor's rights cannot be ignored."

Korra knew it was a pointless argument and sighed, shaking her head. "Well, we've got a long march, don't we? We should probably get started."

"Aye, we should."

XXXXXX

"So, how has living with the Nords been?"

Asami looked up as Jinora asked the Kyoshi Warrior the question. They were still marching and would be out of the Kingdom of Nords by the afternoon, but Asami and Jinora were walking as their pace had been slowed by the large numbers of foot soldiers. Plus, Asami's legs were beginning to cramp up riding on Naga all the time and she needed to stretch them out.

The march was rather casual - Turya permitted his men to talk on the way and they were in high spirits from their recent military victories, a few of them singing what sounded to her like a bawdy drinking song.

"Well, I have a few new scars and I had to modify my kimono," Tomoe answered as she looked at the young airbender. "Those Swadian levies might not be skilled, but they still know how to use their spears. I can't say I'm perfectly comfortable with some of the things here, but it's no better elsewhere in Calradia."

"The slavery?" Asami asked as she noticed Korra, riding on Naga next to them, clenching her fist. She knew Korra was not taking this easily. She pushes herself so hard, and now she has to live with failing a lot of people...

"Every kingdom here allows it," the Kyoshi Warrior explained, "though only in regards to foreigners taken in war or criminals. The serfdom that most places have supposedly replaces it… but really, I have a hard time seeing it as more than dressed up slavery with rules on the master as well. Assuming it's upheld as there's no oversight. The lords may appeal to their monarch, but the average peasant? Nothing."

"I remember," Korra cut in. "I first heard the term when we beat up some looters. I thought it was just some way for people down on their luck to get on their feet again."

"That's not incorrect," Tomoe admitted, resting a hand on the pommel of her sword. "But it's really binding, not only the person agreeing to it but also any of their descendents born while they are in serfdom. I'd rather take my chances."

"So did the looters," Asami added as she remembered the second time they had met them. "They chose to rejoin more bandits rather than take it after we tried to scare them straight"

"Did any survive?"

"Some of their friends did, and we helped arrest some Triads in Shariz," Korra explained.

"You probably should have killed them."

"Why?" Jinora asked, stopping and staring at Tomoe in shock. "Aang didn't have to kill Ozai to stop the Hundred Years War."

"So how are you going to weaken a non-bender? Cut off her hands so she can't make new war machines?"

Asami felt her entire body twitch as she realized it was aimed at her. "Excuse me?" she asked as Jinora recovered and jogged to catch up.

"Just an example," Tomoe hastily added, waving a hand. "But the point stands: in Calradia, killing bandits is a mercy. You saw the dungeons first hand."

"Definitely not Republic City standard," Asami said as she curled her lip. "I mean, the one we were in was passable, but a lot of the other cells… not that big."

"More like pens than cells," Korra added.

"They are. Lords might get put into one with some more room, but most of dungeons might as well be chicken roosts. If a criminal's lucky, that stay will be just until they get the hangman. If not, he'll be stuck in there until disease or dysentery does him in."

Asami shivered. "I'd take the hangman personally."

"That's disgusting," Jinora said as her grip on her glider staff tightened. "If you have to imprison someone, do it humanely. Ozai tried to destroy the entire Earth Kingdom and he was treated fairly. Executing anyone shouldn't be needed. Every life is sacred."

Some of the nearby Nords snorted at it and Asami heard at least one calling Jinora a clueless child, but the young airbender ignored it. Well, she is only eleven, Asami decided, though she's not clueless.

"Well, how about a more cheerful topic," Asami said as she knew this line of conversation was going to lead to trouble. "How're the Nords themselves treating you?"

"Quite well," Tomoe explained. "They're a lot more open to the idea of a woman fighting than some Calradians. Though I still get comments!" she added, raising her voice and looking towards some of the archers. The bowmen looked at each other and started snickering.

"But other than that they respect you?"

"When I stopped being just a mercenary and actually accepted the offer of being part of Turya's retinue? Yes."

"Wait, you joined the Kingdom of Nords?" Korra asked, turning her whole body around rather than just her head.

"Why?" Jinora asked. "They practice slavery!"

"So does everyone in Calradia," Tomoe answered. "You can't escape some things. Besides, I need the steady work and Turya's one of the better lords. He rewards his men for their good work and doesn't go out of his way to take slaves from villages and such, even if it's only for practical reasons. He still ransoms captured soldiers, but unlike other lords who just sell to some broker he sets a clear ransom and has messenger hawks sent to their families so it can be paid."

"That's fair," Asami said as she nodded. "he has to fund these wars somehow. And I guess it gets people home..."

"Hey," Korra cut in suddenly, "You don't think that we could put the money we have to good use, do you?"

"Pay the ransom for the villagers?" Asami asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Don't bother," another voice cut in and Asami turned to see Turya riding up on a brown horse. "I know the Jorgensons. They'll have sold them to Ramun or the salt mines. The traders they deal with might take a ransom for extra profit, but while you are enemies of the Jorgensons trying to do so in Tihr will not work."

"What if we convinced Ragnar to restore that 'King's Peace' for us?" Jinora asked. "Then they wouldn't be able to try and enslave us."

"Are you willing to fight as a mercenary in our service?" Turya asked, and Jinora fell silent, leaving him to continue. "Now, even if you did, it would do you little good. Those people will be long gone; you would need to hire a ransom broker and pay him quite the fee to track down all the people. And that's assuming you even knew the names. Without names, what is to prevent a trader from telling his slaves to pretend they're from Gisim? With a chance for freedom, they would uphold the deception as long as they could and then flee home."

"So you're saying it's practically impossible to do without just bankrolling slavers," Asami said as she started to think about the logistics. They probably never had a full list of names in the first place, she realized. And without photo identification or any of the other niceties of life from a developed and industrialized nation, there really was no way to be sure. What would be a noble effort would instead turn into a massive scam as the slavers would try to rip them off for what amounted to easy profit.

"Exactly," the Jarl said with a firm nod.

"That's no reason not to do the right thing, though," Jinora protested.

"I don't think any of us are saying that," Tomoe corrected, "but Calradia isn't temple life, young lady."

"So I've been told," Korra muttered. "So, what was that bit from Marayirr about benders?"

"My son by blood is… old fashioned," Turya explained as he shrugged. "Bending is seen as the weak way. Potentially great warriors weaken themselves by using such sorcery rather than warm sinew and cold steel."

Asami snorted. "They've never been on the receiving end of Korra's punches then. Bending doesn't preclude physical skills. If anything, a capable bender is going to be very good at the martial arts from the overlap if nothing else."

"Perhaps, but we look to Helgi the Unbent, so named because no bender ever beat him while he had killed many with his spear." Turya smiled. "And of course, his legendary raid on Zendar. Once the Calradic Empire's center of education and Imperial bending training, to this day a mere ruin, burned to the ground by Helgi and his warriors."

"Wait, Imperial bending?" Korra asked, Naga coming to a sudden halt as Asami paused too. "Back up a minute, did you actually say that the Empire had bending? As in, the Calradic Empire that had invited the Nords to settle on the continent?"

Turya blinked. "You mean you did not know?"

Wait, if there was bending before… Asami blinked as she thought it through, looking at Jinora as Korra continued.

"Well, we knew that Calradians had bending, but as far as we knew it was primitive. We er, didn't exactly know much before we came here. But how did bending go from widely used to forgotten?"

"How did we lose a lot of the Air Nomads' knowledge?" Asami asked as she looked back at Korra. "Sozin's Comet and a lot of enhanced firebenders.

Korra paused for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah… I guess that would do it, but if bending was known, why wouldn't it have spread?"

"Customs remain," Turya explained, "but when it gained power, the Empire went to great lengths to have exclusive authority over bending. Independent teachers were quite literally drawn and quartered if they did not submit, and Zendar was the only place allowed to have instructors. When Zendar burned, most of the masters were killed. By sheer numbers the Rhodoks maintained some of the earthbending knowledge, but they are barely a shadow of what they were."

"How good were they anyways?" Jinora asked as they moved forward to keep up with the marching column.

"Well, the sagas say that they could bring up walls the size of a man from the earth, but it took at least two to do it. They often worked in teams, and precision work was beyond them."

"So they never quite refined it," Asami said as she finished piecing it together. "And then the place with all the manuals was destroyed with a lot of the masters killed…"

"... and we Nords still proudly boast that we eradicated the scourge of organized bending."

Asami's stomach tightened as she remembered her father trying to murder her because she did not see bending as that. Relax, she told herself, he's not an Equalist.

"Well, it worked," Korra muttered. "The only benders who can do more than chuck their element were from Republic City, and we helped the Sarranids arrest them since they were helping night bandits."

"Probably dead by now," Tomoe remarked. "Especially if you warned them about how powerful they were."

"Still, you have knowledge of bending," Turya said as he looked between them. "I'm no fool, Ragnar may respect your skills as a fighter, but he has a far more practical reason not to go after you."

"Why?" Korra asked, though Asami already had a feeling of what the answer was.

"Every kingdom claims inheritance of the old Empire. Imagine what it would do to a kingdom's claim if they restored organized bending forces to their nation, ones who matched and exceeded the power of the old Empire's benders?"

The implication hung in the air as Asami wondered just how far the kings would go for them.

XXXXX

"Wow, big place."

Korra looked up towards Praven as Bolin spoke up. It had taken them two days after they had left the Kingdom of Nords to reach the city. They had returned to Swadian territory through Vaegir lands, then made their way through the vales. An hour ago they had reached Suno, but Count Klargus was not there and they had learned that he had gone to Praven for a feast held by King Harlaus.

And now they were hoping to get to the city before nightfall, a few miles south of the mountain that dominated the landscape near the Swadian capital.

"It's also roughly where Asami and I turned up," Korra answered as she looked back to the earthbender. "And assuming the place stayed clean after what we did, the back alleys might be safe."

"Right, the corrupt guard captain," Mako said. "So you know people here?"

"We might be recognized, but the guy we worked for was kicked out."

"Why?" Bolin asked.

"He made the biggest mistake of power politics," Asami explained, "he embarrassed someone with power over him and did it publically. It was to make sure a corrupt captain was removed, but, well…"

"Right? Young lady, this is Calradia. Weak kings have to put forth a face of authority first, justice second. And every king is weak here."

The warning that the merchant had given them rang through Korra's mind as she considered what she knew now. Was Harlaus more concerned about appearing authoritative, especially since he had usurped the throne from the declared heir? He's around, so I may have a chance to ask… she realized as they approached the gate.

The guard - the same one who had met Korra when she first arrived in Calradia a month ago - let them pass and they made their way towards the main castle. Directed to a railing nearby, they dismounted and tied Minty to the railing while Naga settled down next to the horse. Jinora stayed with them as the other four walked up the large stone stairs to the keep itself.

As the four approached the keep's gate, a guard wearing a suit of mail armor with interconnected plates under a black tabard turned and put his left hand up, his right falling to a morningstar.

"Halt, unless you've been invited to the feast I'm not allowed to let anybody inside," he snarled.

"Relax," Korra said as she held her hands in front of her, "we were hired by Count Klargus for a job and need to talk to him about it."

"You let the women talk for you?" the asked, looking at Mako and Bolin. The firebender raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"What? There a problem?" Bolin asked.

The guard snorted. "Wow. Men who actually follow women. Yeah, I'm not letting you in, if it's something that he's desperate enough to hire women for it, I don't want to know."

Rolling her eyes, Korra folded her arms. "Aren't you a bastion of maturity?"

"Just ask the local tavern wenches!" he retorted. "And when I'm off duty from keeping rabble like you out, maybe I'll show you!"

"Over your dead body."

"Funny," he snorted. "But unless you're planning on fighting the whole garrison and the mighty lords of Swadia, you're not getting in."

"Look, the count's going to leave eventually and he'll want an update on this. Do you really want to explain that you kept him from being informed about a job he hired for?" Korra asked as she glared at him. How come everyone always hires jerks to guard the door? she wondered.

The guard snorted. "Yeah yeah, move along."

"Lady Korra?"

They all paused and turned, the guard's jaw dropping a bit as they saw Count Delinard walking towards them in a red shirt, along with his son and two women, one likely Delinard's wife and the other looked to be their age.

"Count Delinard!" the guard said as he bowed. "I was not aware…"

"That's fine, Sergeant," Delinard said as he waved his hand. "She does not declare her noble lineage openly. Now, what is the problem?"

"We're here to talk to Count Klargus about the job he hired us for," Korra explained. "We were at Gisim when it was raided."

The count's eyes went wide and his family looked equally surprised, but it was the older woman who spoke first. "Interesting. These are the women you hired?" she asked looking at Delinard.

"They are. Both of them are fine fighters and rescued Rafard."

The woman looked Asami and seemed faintly pleased before she looked at Korra, scowled, and shook her head. "A shame that this one destroys her femininity with the musculature of war. I hope the other doesn't fall in the same trap. I don't know what my brother was thinking, hiring women to do a man's job."

"Excellent rebuttal, Lady Bela," the guard said between snickering as Korra grit her teeth. Delinard raised an eyebrow, then looked to Rafard and the other young woman.

"Why don't you three go on ahead? If asked, tell them I'll enter momentarily."

Bela gave Korra another glare before nodding to the count and leading the two in. As the door closed behind them, Bolin spoke up first.

"What was that all about?" the earthbender asked.

"My apologies, my wife is Count Klargus' sister, and the nobility of Suno hold traditions of the old Empire close, and well…"

"They really liked women in the home?" Mako finished as he glanced at the door.

"To preserve a homely shelter from the storms of the world. It's a matter we disagree on." The Swadian noble smirked. "Getting Elina's sword training was quite an argument, but she did relent that it's better she know basics and not need it with a strong champion rather than finding herself defenseless without one."

"Fair enough, but those remarks about us were uncalled for," Asami noted, folding her arms.

"As I said, those of Suno hold the traditions of the ancient Empire close. Now, to the matter at hand…" he glanced to the door guard. "I don't know what went on here, but generally speaking feasts are closed even if you have business with one of the nobles within. A good guard would allow a message to be left for when the lords are able to deal with business, but while I'm inside I can mention it to Klargus for you, and he can deal with it as he has time."

"Thank you," Korra said as she glared at the guard, who shrugged like he did not care about all his earlier remarks.

"Though if you'd like to enter regardless, you might want to consider the tourney field. Winners are often allowed to enter the hall as a reward of their showing. There should be some more tomorrow, though you'd need to ask the tourney master for details."

"Tournament, huh?" Bolin said as he rubbed his chin. "You know, that might not be a bad idea…"

"Feel free," Mako said to his brother as he pulled on his scarf. "Just don't get hurt, okay?"

"Relax, I'll be fine!"

"Anyways," Asami said as she turned towards the Swadian noble, "thank you for delivering the message, Count."

"A pleasure. Now, if you would excuse me, I'm expected within."

"Of course, Count," the guard said, bowing out of the way as Delinard entered. The four gave the guard one last look, then turned back towards the city streets.

"So, you know a good place to stay?" Mako asked as he untied Minty.

"Follow me," Korra said as she noticed Furry-Foot and Pabu poking their heads out of the saddlebag they were sharing before settling down again.

They received numerous looks as they walked through the streets, but by now they had grown used to the fact. Korra knew that they stood out - especially Naga. Jinora, on the other hand, looked unnerved.

"Why are they staring?" Jinora asked.

"We're obviously outsiders," Mako supplied. "So we stand out. Or rather, Naga does."

"Pretty much… and here we are," she said as they came to a halt outside the tavern. There was a railing nearby that Minty could be tied up to and Naga again settled down next to the horse.

As they walked inside, the tavern was much more crowded than it had been the last time they were there. Every table was full, people were eating and drinking, and Korra was sure she saw a soldier well into his tankards in a corner with another man.

"Well knight my britches," the innkeeper said as they approached the bar, "I thought you lot had been captured."

"What do you mean?" Mako asked, frowning at her.

The innkeeper gestured to the soldier in the corner. "The guy with that soldier? He's my cousin, and he would've been taken too if you hadn't jumped in. He said that he saw you get captured."

"We still couldn't save everyone, though," Korra admitted as she looked down. "I know, you can't save everybody, but… most of the people were still taken."

"And those who managed to escape owe their survival to you," the innkeeper countered. "Something to keep in mind. Now then, what can I get you? I can't offer a seat, but I've got rooms open if you need lodging."

"Lodging is what we need," Asami answered as she reached into her pocket.

XXXXXXXXXX

End Chapter

- The whole ransom broker arc was one that I came up with early since I really wanted to make a point about how a fundamental way of getting funds in-game is outright slavery. It's not really acknowledged that much in-game, but to someone actually experiencing it rather than it just being numbers it's a lot more terrifying and degrading than would otherwise be implied. For the player, it's just a really good source of money. Think about it deeply at all and it becomes a lot more disturbing.

- Worth noting that in-game, Ransom Brokers explain their varied prices by having an eye for what a prisoner is worth based on certain unconscious traits. As they say, they can tell who is used to eating fat dumplings and who gets by on table scraps. So I tried to actually show that in action with him deducing how much they would be worth, and used the in-game prices of units as a ballpark, particularly upper level units since the Krew are very good.

- When having Ragnar related to some of the Jarls, it's mostly because Ragnar was once basically a normal lord himself by backstory. So I figured, 'why not flesh things out a bit more and interconnect some things?' But Ragnar stays above the normal house feuds, since he has greater duties as king. Furthermore, the politics half the time in Mount & Blade is behind the scenes barring the occasional "frame this guy for treason" or relations with the king. So showing some more infighting, or the starts of it, seemed appropriate.

- Speaking of that, my original plan was to have the Krew be guests at Jarl Turya's castle for a Nord victory feast, where Asami would get the chance to duel Olaf to get her gauntlet back. I actually reconsidered it for a pacing issue: it was a bulky matter and I'll have a much better opportunity to rectify it later, plus it trods too much on the next chapter. And well, in game you lose important pieces of gear when you lose, including unique objects that never spawn again. However, I did keep the thrust I wanted to do with meeting Ragnar and the talks I wanted to do happened on the march.

- In regards to the Calradic Empire having benders, the idea was to actually help explain why bending remained weak in Calradia. The Eastern Roman Empire (better known as the Byzantine Empire) had Greek Fire, but the exact composition was lost because no one recorded it elsewhere due to the ERE keeping it under tight lock and key. So with all of the bending knowledge kept under lock and key in one location, then it got burned out the same way Alexandria was. There was another factor that further discouraged bending, but that I'll get too later. The idea of bending being a tool used by the Calradic Empire was one that Mandemon (one of the co-authors on Lost Sons, which I also hosted here on ) had when I was bouncing ideas off him for this. I liked it and ran with it.