Senna is older than most when she has Korra.
She writhes and screams and yells at Tonraq to leave the room and he's in his Amaruq's igloo when the midwife bursts in.
"It's a girl," she breathes, smiling from ear to ear.
Tonraq pushes past them, nearly causes the igloo to cave in, and rushes to Senna. He drops to his knees next to her and he is still taller than her. In her arms, is the smallest thing he's ever seen in his life.
She has mocha coloured skin, with even darker hair. She's got the most intense blue eyes the Southern Water Tribe has ever seen.
It almost feels unnatural, holding something so tiny in his big arms compared to spears and tools and fur. He's afraid he'll drop her, so he rests his elbows on the edge of the bed.
"I was thinking Korra," Senna starts, beads of sweat still prickling down her forehead. "After your mother."
He nods, his eyes filling up with tears. "Korra, it is."
And Amaruq and the midwives leave their home, with Amaruq blowing the traditional Southern Water Tribe horn to announce the birth of a new child.
She's got some lungs, Korra does.
She keeps the entire village up with her wails, and that's saying something, considering how compact the igloos are. Senna shrugs sheepishly when tired villagers come knocking at their door. They only need one look of the purple circles beneath Senna's eyes as she sits next to the fireplace, rocking a screaming Korra against her chest and they understand.
Her first steps are outside in the snow a year later. Her tiny feet are standing on top of Tonraq's boots as he slowly walks her towards the centre of the village. She gets off his feet and is soon enough walking on her own.
Korra is always going to be independent, he realizes.
She waterbends for the first time when Master Katara comes back from Republic City.
"Aang's dead," Katara breathes when she arrives, her weight falling onto Senna.
"We've heard," Senna says, locking her arm with the waterbender's.
"I can't believe it's already been a year," says Katara as Tonraq pulls out a chair with furs for the older woman.
A soft wail starts from the other room.
"Korra's up," Senna sighs, making her way to the nursery. "I just got her to sleep."
"Korra?" asks Katara, a grey eyebrow raised. "Your new daughter?"
Tonraq nods, a tired smile forming on his face. Senna comes out with Korra, taking a seat on some furs, watching Korra as she takes wide steps across the rug. "She's just turned one. It's crazy how much time flies."
Katara gets up from her furs to approach the toddler. Korra cooes as the woman extends her finger, which Korra wraps her fist around.
"She's got a firm grip," Katara notes. "Has she shown any signs of waterbending?"
"Not yet," Tonraq shakes his head. "But it's probably still early, we haven't really-"
"Do you mind if I try something?" Katara asks them, turning around.
Senna nods, although Tonraq looks unsure.
The woman pulls out water from a nearby pot, twirling it around her fingers and eventually letting it spin in a perfect circle in the palm of her hand. Korra looks deeply entertained. She opens and closes her fists at it, and the water particles separate and come back together. It's tiny, but clear.
"Congratulations," Katara smiles, picking up Korra from the furry rug and handing her to Senna. "She'll be a great waterbender, I can tell."
Katara knows, this is no coincidence. But she spares the tired parents and says goodnight. They'll be surprised soon enough.