Chapter 2

The party was held in a big dining hall, tables surrounding a small pelted floor. Age-old music was playing in a corner, an old man playing a low pitched horn, animal skinned drums, a higher pitched, jittery flute. Korra seemed at awe by everything as cooks brought bowls and bowls of steaming food. Fish, Howl noticed, disgusted. "Sea prunes!" She exclaimed, walking farther inside.

He knew better than to get involved with 'political' affairs, such as this one, with the White Lotus leaders surrounding them. They had let the night guard come, but they were out of uniform. It was a special treat from them and it was a special treat for the chief's son. Who, he noticed, already had his slimy little arm around Korra. Jealousy pitted in his stomach yet he did nothing. How could he? This was the chief's son, the heir to the next throne. And Korra was the Avatar. He was never supposed to even interact with her.

He moved to the corner of the igloo dining hall, into the shadows where he could be hidden and watch her at the same time. He had a pitting feeling in his stomach, like the son would try and make a move on her. That jealousy was something he had never felt in his seventeen years of life. He never had grown close to a girl, not close enough to even hold hands with one. Korra had been the first person he had let get close to him and it was still a shock that she had stayed his friend. He was so shy, so unaware of how these feelings were taking a toll on his mind.

The music started up once again, fast paced. The chief's son untied his arm around her and took her hands, talking to her above the music. Howl couldn't make out the words to her, but she smiled. His heart fell ever so slightly. She was fifteen; of course she would be interested in boys who could easily flatter her. He could hardly breathe when he was as close to her as the son was. He only did what he knew how to do; observe. Like the way she smelled like mint whenever she had exhaled. Or the way she looked up at him with begging eyes.

His head swam when the son dipped her, watching her dance to the energetic music. If only that were him. Then everything would be good. Unless, well, it wasn't. Korra didn't like him that way. She called him his friend. A friend. He shook his head and started walking towards the entrance, past the men getting drunk, past Korra and her 'friend', past everyone.

Korra wasn't too busy to notice he was leaving. She saw his scruffy black hair first and then noticed that his head was down. The chief's son, Yora, was talking about himself mostly, even as they danced. He was too focused on his own self to not even notice when he stepped on her feet. "Hey… hey Yora." She tried to stop him from talking as Howl walked farther away. "Stop. Let me go." She growled at him. The son frowned but untangled his arm from around her.

She caught him pushing past the fur flap and out of the dining hall. "Howl…" She whispered. People had already reformed the barrier out, making it hard to escape for herself. "Howl!" She shouted after him, not caring if she was close to the White Lotus leaders. They were already chugging down on seal skinned glasses.

She pushed past the flap and into the white winter wind. She shivered. Her parka was still inside, but she didn't want to risk losing him in the snow. She rubbed her fingers together, the little firebending she had warming up. "Howl!" She shouted, looking around.

"What?" She jumped when she saw him, leaning against the ice wall. His head hung low at the ground, his cloak wrapped tightly around himself. His amber eyes slowly lifted to hers. It was a relief that she knew someone with a different color eye then everyone else here. The blue that everyone else had was too old, too boring. She shivered again. "Oh, Spirits, you're going to have frost bite."

"No I won't." She said as her teeth chattered. He lifted himself up off the wall and pulled his dark brown cloak around them. Instant warmth surrounded her as she pressed herself to her chest. Oh. She thought as he wrapped his arms around her as well. His chest wasn't the same lankiness as it had been when he first had come to the South Pole. She'd been tired and had fallen against him. Though incredibly sleepy, she had felt his ribs nearly jutting out of his stomach. Now, they were replaced by toned skin, lumps replaced the ribs. Ohh. "What are you doing out here?" She questioned.

"Having fun." He said bluntly. She rolled her eyes.

"Standing in the cold is not fun. It's torture. Come back inside where it's warm." She begged. Her silk-soft words touched him softly. He pondered it for seconds before sighing. Without another word, he gave in, and she took his hand. His eyes lingered on her for a moment as she pushed them into the igloo, before her touch became too much for him and his fingers untangled from hers.

For a few moments, he watched as she returned to the dance floor, and he sighed. The first course had already been spread around (sea prunes and grilled frozen cod), the music had picked up from energetic to insane, and the first keg had been emptied. Korra turned to face him, her grin wide. "Come dance with me, Howl."

Howl froze. "Korra—"

"Don't 'Korra' me. I want to dance." She extended her rather small hand with a smile on her face, warm and comforting. He knew if she said please, he would collapse to her every whim. So instead, he took her offer. Everyone else would be too drunk to remember, right?

Her grin extended wider. "Yay!" She exclaimed for the second time that day. He smiled. He had no control with this girl, and he didn't care. He could be as shy as he wanted to be.

Korra took his hand and easily explained the moves. The banging of the drums was what he had to pay attention to, as it was the underlying of the moves. His feet felt heavy in the boots he'd been required to wear if he were going to climb through the snow home. They pounded on the furs with the beat, unlike Korra's smooth, rhythmic moves. He had only visited a dance hall once when he was young, and was always a wallflower. This, however, was fun. The faster the drums thumped, the faster their feet went. Korra threw back her head and laughed and Howl felt himself doing the same.

After three more fast paced songs, the tone slowed down. Instead, as the second course of disgusting seafood was served, the music men began to play a song composed of the flute and Tsungi Horn. He immediately paled as Korra positioned his hand on her waist. "I-I-"He wanted to say something, honest, but he couldn't find the words. Korra grinned innocently and placed his other hand on her shoulder. His chest tightened as she wrapped her arms around his throat.

"It's easy." She said. "Just move in circles. And don't step on my feet." She warned with an underlying tone of playfulness. She started leading, they started dancing, synched breathing mingling in between them. Only a few inches keep them apart as the Tsungi horn slowly played a song that even he recognized; it was Aang's song to Katara. Before he could talk her out of the dance, she laid her head against his chest. Heat erupted in Howl's cheeks, burning shamefully. Korra made no move against it, except for the slow and focused circles they continued to make. Every other couple on the pelted floor seemed to be doing it as well. And from the looks of it, they were out of sight from any of the White Lotus leaders.

Howl exhaled softly and tightened his grip around her, slowly pacing back and forth to the gentle music.