ALERT. ALERT.
I was a derp and uploaded the wrong, unfinished document to chapter two. If you have not re-read the chapter, I suggest doing so, as it contains the rest of the information. This chapter will probably not make much sense without it.
Anyway, here's chapter three! It's short, but expect Amon/Noatak/Korra interaction next chapter.
Chief Kya's ship was different from the wooden boats of the Southern Water Tribe, and even the traditional vessels of the North. Her ship was one crafted from steel, much like Commander Bumi's, but ran on the power of steam. Korra had looked around the engine rooms, surprised to find it bare of coal and furnaces; instead, it bore huge turbines that were operated by waterbenders, directing streams of liquid through a boiler operated by a single firebender. Korra had wondered why, exactly, a firebender would volunteer to work on a ship that went only to and from the North Pole. However, when the man stepped aside for a brief rest, Korra saw him go and embrace one of the female waterbenders, and found her question answered.
She had left soon after, out of boredom, she supposed, and not at all because the sight of the firebender and waterbender together made a strange ache appear in her chest, fleeting as it was.
No, Korra spent most of the journey on the deck, leaning against the strong, steel railings and staring into the depths of the ocean, lost in thought. Sometimes, her thoughts were plagued by wonderings about the man who may or may not be Amon; other times, she noticed simple things like the variation in the water's color as they grew closer and closer to the North Pole. The crewmen dared not interrupt her musings—many a sailor had made the mistake of interrupting Kya when she behaved thusly, and were challenged to a spar as a result.
No, they were much too frightened to interrupt a woman when she was silent. After all, no one could truly know the cause for such behavior. The half-ton polar bear dog that lay at her master's feet who growled at anyone that attempted to approach Korra had nothing to do with it, of course.
There was only one person brave enough to interrupt the Avatar, and that was Chief Kya.
"You've been quiet since the ship set sail, Korra, and that was almost four days ago," the older woman said, giving Naga a fond pat on the head as she stepped up beside the Avatar. Naga lowered her head in content.
Korra, for her part, did not look up from the churning gray waves far below. "I forgot how cold the waves looked near the Poles."
The Chief was silent for a few moments, inspecting Korra's blank face. Korra still didn't turn to meet her eyes, which was unusual. There was usually very little tension between the two of them—even when Korra was in those angry pre-teen years, her face had always lit up when 'Auntie Kya' came to visit, even on business. Somewhere in between that time and the present, Korra had gone from being a child to a woman. In the past few months alone, Korra had seen horrors and suffered pain and terror.
And now, Kya was asking Korra to face her personal nightmare.
"It's okay to be angry with me," Kya said, for the first time, feeling guilty for what she was asking of Korra. It hadn't occurred to her before just how great a toll this could take on Korra's mind. Korra had faced Amon before, sure, but on the field of battle. Never in such close quarters. Never in such a personal way. "And it's okay to be afraid, Korra."
"I've learned to deal with fear," Korra replied, voice darkening. Her eyes narrowed at the waves, but she still did not raise her head. "I've faced it head-on and stared it in the eyes. I've had it touch me with its freezing, clammy hands. I've had it take away everything. And you know what I did to it? I threw it through a wall."
Korra's hands tightened around the railing, her head dipping further so her bangs obscured what little of her face Kya could see. Korra's shoulders tensed, and if Kya didn't know better, she would think the girl was either going to cry or throw someone overboard. "I know that Amon did terrible things to you, but there's a possibility that this man is not Amon at all."
"But what if he is?" Korra retorted. "What if he is Amon or Noatak or whoever the hell he is? What do you expect me to do, Kya? Send him back to Republic City to face trial, when the world thinks he's dead? Raise unrest among the Equalists? Or should I simply let him stay with you in the Northern Tribes, leaving you all with the danger that he might remember who he is someday?"
"We will face that once you identify him, Korra."
"And what if I can't identify him?" Korra finally snapped, whirling to face her once-mentor, her face twisted with a myriad of emotions. "What if I can't tell you for sure? What will you do then?"
The Chief pursed her lips, frowning at Korra. "I have confidence in you, Korra."
Korra sneered, turning sharply on the heel of one hide-made boot and stomping back toward her quarters. Naga let out a great, tired groan as she got to her feet and padded after her master.
Kya huffed in frustration, but was silently shaken.
What if Korra couldn't identify the man either way? What would happen to him, then?
Despite Korra's frustrated mood, she found herself feeling much better once her feet were on solid ice. The simple pleasure of watching her breath curl in soft tendrils of steam was enough to distract Korra from the reason she was there. The sound of her feet crunching on the frozen snow, the taste of the polar air... it felt so much like home that Korra ached, especially when Naga's tail began to swish in excitement and she threw herself into one of the canals without a care in the world. Korra almost envied Naga's thick pelt—in her time away from home, she had gotten used to the mild temperatures of Republic City.
With only a rucksack slung over her shoulder, Korra had packed light. She had no problem following Kya when the woman gestured for her to do so (not like Asami, who would have half the city carrying her bags). Korra trailed behind the woman as she was led to the ice palace, maintained for the Chief and her guests, as was custom in the North. It made the humble lodgings of her home look downright cheap, but Korra missed them all the same. She would take a well-work igloo over an ice palace any day.
Still, though, she had to admit that the rooms in the North were considerably more opulent.
Korra was laying her other clothes on the bed when she was ambushed.
"KOOOOOOOOOORRRRAAAAAAAA!"
Korra barely had time to turn before she was struck by a small body, bundled in navy cloth and tawny fur. Short arms attempted to wrap around one of her legs, but couldn't quite succeed. Korra laughed, reaching underneath the little boy's arms and hauling him up onto her hip. His hair was the same brown as his mother's, blue eyes shining with mischief. "Pakkoda, you're so big!"
"I missed you Koko!" Pakkoda replied with a pout, clinging to Korra's waist. "Mama and I went to see Gramma 'Tara, but you weren't there!"
Pakkoda, Kya's son, was a bundle of energy. He was barely five years old and was something like Korra's little brother. He was strangely attached to the Avatar, but she didn't mind. The young boy was a non-bender like his father and Kya's husband, Sinaaq. With a tiny wolf's tail in his dark hair and big blue eyes, Korra was sure he would grow up to be a heartbreaker.
"I know, Koda. I had to go with Uncle Tenzin for a while, and I stayed with Jinora and Ikki and Meelo and baby Rohan," Korra reminded him, making her way out of her room and toward the kitchens. "Auntie Pema had a new baby, did you know that?"
Pakkoda shook his head, eyes wide with wonder. "She got 'nother boy?"
"Yeah, just like you!" Korra poked the boy in the side, gaining a round of giggles for her trouble. She smiled, descending the stairs and putting the boy on the ground. "Want to go get a snack with me?"
"Kelp cookies?" Pakkoda asked hopefully.
"Sounds great!" Korra agreed. "Race you there!"
Quickly, the ice-carved halls were filled with the sound of little feet as Pakkoda took off, Korra jogging slowly at his heels, just far enough behind that the boy didn't feel cheated. When they arrived, Korra made a show of being exhausted and let Pakkoda chatter on about his victory while Korra scrounged for cookies. The biscuits she finally managed to unearth were made from a sweet, flat dough that was mixed with shreds of salty sea kelp. They were a favorite treat among Water Tribe children in both the North and South, sometimes eaten with stewed sea prunes.
"Koko, d'ya meet the weird man?"
Korra frowned through a mouthful of cookie, eyes narrowing in consideration at Pakkoda. "Who?"
"The man with the scars," Pakkoda whispered, leaning closer. "Mama took me to see him once while she was healing him. His face looks funny, it's all red and blotchy."
Korra's hands spasmed in alarm, crushing the rest of her treat. "You saw him?"
"Mmhm," the young boy said, looking pleased to have Korra's undivided attention. "He was really quiet. I asked him stuff but I don't think he got it, 'cause he didn't say anything."
Taking a deep breath, Korra pushed herself up to sit on the icy shelf. "What did you ask?"
"Well," Pakkoda started, frowning like he couldn't quite remember. "I asked him who he was, but he didn't tell me. And I asked him where he came from, but he didn't tell me that, either. Mama said he has nee-sha."
Korra took the gross mispronunciation to mean that the man had amnesia. It was nothing she hadn't known already, but it was still unsettling to think that Kya had allowed her son so close to a man who could be Amon.
Though, Korra realized, if the man really was Amon, Pakkoda would be in little danger, at least of having his bending taken. As a non-bender, the boy would never have to fear losing something that was such an integral part of himself.
Just because Amon wouldn't be able to take Pakkoda's bending doesn't mean he isn't dangerous! Korra's mind argued fervently. She had to admit to that fact. Amon's weapons were dangerous to more than just benders.
"Are you gonna help him, Koko?"
Korra met the boy's gaze with wide-eyed surprise, blue against blue. In that moment, she saw such innocent hope in the Pakkoda's face that she couldn't help but sigh. "...yeah, Koda. I'm gonna help him."