A/N Keep up the fantastic reviews! I love reading what you think :)
Chapter 22
Korra awoke to a warm hand running down her bare back. Her shoulders ached from practice (the Lotus leaders had finally found a firebending teacher she could work with), her body as sore as the first time she and Howl had made love. Howl had been busy with his guard duty—Sitch had made him pay for their one night together—and she had been busy with her training. Their time for seeing each other was minimal, but they made the most of it they could. A kiss on the cheek when they weren't in sight. A squeeze of the hand at breakfast as they both grabbed the same food. Little, intimate things that made her heart squeeze every time she saw him. She wondered if he knew about the tingles that surged through her every time he gave her that stupid grin.
It was nice for him to be back. He smelled like wind and smoke as his clothed skin met her sizzling, naked form. She'd often dreamed that he would come to her in the middle of the night and make gentle love to her without notice. But she never had had him long enough to know what that would feel like. His massive hands moved up to her shoulders and massaged the tense muscles. A moan escaped her lips but she was used to that when he was around. His amazing thumbs moved down her entire back, pushing the knots away and replacing her with a content body.
His lips had found her earlobe and he kissed it once to reassure her that it really was him. "Go back to sleep, Korra." He whispered, his low voice causing her to shiver. "I'll be here in the morning."
Though it was always a promise he kept, Korra never stopped doubting him. Still, she always listened to his words and fell victim to the darkness around her. Except, today, she honestly didn't want to. There was nothing more that she wanted than to spend another night with him. To spend another breathtaking moment of extreme passion. She turned her body to face him, pressing her nose against his. His face was wind chapped, his nose an icebox. He'd had guard duty, obviously, but she couldn't help but want to be with him. He sighed softly, much to her discontent, but wrapped his arms around her and held her to his chest.
She inhaled his smoky scent and her doubt was calmed immediately. In moments, her eyes grew heavy. She needed the rest because of another tantalizing day of training the next morning, but she didn't want to move and be disrupted. She didn't want to waste her time with him, even if they had all the time in the world. She wanted to warm him up, wanted to make his body crave hers just as badly as she did his.
A soft, almost silent, snore emitted past his lips. Korra sighed in realization of the time—late—and felt disgraced that she'd want him when he was obviously tired. Instead of pressuring him to wake back up, she decided that waiting would be better for the both of them. She pressed her nose to his Adam's apple and fell into the lull of sleep.
Her dreams consisted of freedom, as most did. It was only rarely did she dream something without Howl in it; sometimes she dreamed that they were together in Republic City, or that he had taken her to his home in the Fire Nation. But tonight, it was only her and Naga. Running through the streets, knocking over business stall. Her eyes scanned for Howl as always, but she didn't find him. Instead, Naga decided to run through the city park and jump straight into the pond in the center. Fish swarmed her, and she realized that she still wasn't in the South Pole. There were so many invading colors, so many purples and greens and yellows; colors that she had only seen through Howl's painted carvings. She smelled fish and smiled at the scent of them cooking. Naga followed the scent without hesitation.
Something stirred inside of her to get up, but she couldn't. She was too busy enjoying the freedom in her dream, the plentiful, beautiful colors. She was too busy feeling happy to notice a startling grip on her arm. She saw the golden capped probending arena and her heart stopped. "Korra!" She heard, but she didn't understand who or what was yelling at her. Her body was suddenly thrust back into reality, the only tastes of freedom fleeting from her mind .Korra opened her eyes just as rocks crumbled over top of the bed. Howl. He was still with her, wasn't he? It wasn't yet morning, was it? Had he lied? Had he left before daybreak?
"Howl," She coughed as she struggled to move off of the bed. She had to get clothes on, or she'd freeze. "Howl," She repeated, the dust filling her lungs involuntarily. Her arms burned with slight cuts. She saw her clothes next to her bed, parka and all, and grabbed it without hesitation. Korra began pulling on her clothes when another explosion caused the rocky roof to collapse even more.
"Korra!" Howl shouted. His leg was crushed underneath rock after rock, but he wouldn't let whatever was attacking him get to her. He grabbed the nearest rock and threw it off his body. Finally, it felt loose enough for him to move. Without thinking he yanked his leg from underneath the stones and nearly screamed from the intense pain. Get Korra. His head begged as he struggled to stand. Save her.
"Howl!" He heard and panic instantly filled him, along with adrenaline. He growled, clenching his teeth together and pushing over the rocky barrier that separated them. He yanked out his sword and slid down the other side, finding her in a corner. A man stood between them, and, without hesitating, Howl rammed his sword into the assassin's torso. Korra sent a fireball into the man's body when he was injured, the panic fading from her just as quickly as it had come. Howl slid down the barrier and threw his arms around her. "Oh, Spirits, Howl, what's going on—"
"No time. We've got to get you to Naga." He ordered, his voice stern. Without hesitating, he climbed back up the rocky barrier and grasped her hand, pulling her up with him. She saw his shredded leg and wanted to be sick. He'd risked his life to save her and she wasn't about to chicken out, not here, not anywhere. She was the Avatar, she could take down anything, anyone. Except, if Howl was hurt, than she could be too. Her mind ached at the realization but it
Fireballs lit up the night, benders and nonbenders engaged in battle. Shrieks of pain filled the skies, blood curdling agony ripping through her. She didn't know where he was taking her, but it was away. It was gone, it was the way out of the camp. Naga's pen. Freedom.
Howl's grip on her hand was so tight that she swore he was crushing her fingers. His helmet was flopping as the two of them ran, his cloak billowing in the wind. She kept matching his hobbling pace, shocked that he was still on two legs. Her feet began to pull away as they neared Naga's pen, dropping his hand and jumping into the den. Naga was pressed against the wall, her eyes wide with fear. "It's okay, girl, we're okay." She promised, yanking the saddle off of the wall and hurriedly putting it on her best friend's back. "Howl?" She questioned, glancing behind her. He wasn't there. "Howl!"
She raced outside the stable and saw him in a heated combat with another assassin. His golden eyes were amber with fury as the assassin bended a whip of water at him, catching him in the chest. Her lover let go of his sword. Korra watched as it caught the man in the chest, puncturing his skin with ease. The dark skinned man fell to the ground, red blood staining the snow.
Korra raced over to Howl and helped sit him up. His breathing was more ragged than it had been, like he'd just surfaced from the water. "Come on Howl, we have to escape." She beckoned, pulling him up and wrapping her arms around his waist, helping him move towards the stable where Naga was waiting. Howl's breathing started to return to normal, his eyes wider than the moon in the sky. "We have to get out of here."
She put his hand on Naga's but frowned when he didn't move. His golden eyes flickered. "Howl?" She questioned, touching his cheek as the roof over the stable shuddered. "Get on, Naga." She begged.
"No." Howl's voice was cold and like a slap to the face. Her eyes found his, her fingers starting to shake. "Korra, I can't. Not while we're under attack." Korra's lip began to quiver, so he lowered his own to overtake him. Her hands shook as he pulled her closer. He had to let her go. He had to let her escape, to be free while he protected her. His hands roamed her shivering body.
"B-but you promised." She whimpered, pulling away. "You promised that you'd come with me wherever I went. We made a blood pact, Howl!" Her voice began to rise as the tension did. The stable roof was shaking rougher and rougher and Howl gently set her shaking body on top of Naga. "No! Howl, this is our dream—"
"This is your dream, Korra." He whispered, kissing her gently. "This is your dream. This isn't mine."Korra hands tangled in his shaggy hair, kissing him with fervor. Their lips locked in a steaming fight that made Howl want all of her again. It reminded him of the very first time they had kissed; the hope and desperation, the fear of being caught, the exhilarating peak and the tragic fall. Korra nipped his lip and he spotted a single tear crawling down her face. As he had done millions of times before, Howl pushed the tear away.
Korra's lip trembled. "Howl, you are my dream."
"Go to the cave, Korra, go and hide. I'll come find you when it's safe." He kissed her once more as the stable roof groaned. They both glanced up and saw flames flickering. "Go!" He shouted, pushing Naga towards the entrance. Korra gave him a pitiful last look before she urged the polar bear-dog out of the stable.
Howl exhaled and let the pain hit him, but was shocked to find it minimal. He yanked his sword from the assassin and started back to the fight. Screeches filled the air as he raced back to the courtyard, spotting the group of enemies near the entrance of the camp. Who the hell had opened the gate? Howl sent his sword through an assassin and spotted Sitch on the ground, blood seeping from his leg. A man dressed in all black sent a whip of water through his friend's body, making the man shriek in pain. Another one rose a hand over his head, fire streaming from his raised fingertips.
Howl didn't have time to react. He lunged forward and took the next water whip, slashing the sharpest part of his sword through the stomach of the waterbender. The firebender snarled and lashed a stream of fire at him. Before the fire could burn him through and through until he was as crisp as one of Korra's sparring members, a warrior sword was thrown into the air and hit the firebender straight in the head. With pain from the burns surging through him, Howl picked up Sitch and threw him over his shoulder.
Korra continued to hear the cries of dying men until she reached the snow cliff that overlooked everything. Her mind flickered to Howl's begging wish. She shouldn't have left. She was the Avatar; she was supposed to help save the world, not flee it. Her stomach twisted as she led Naga to the cave, shivering violently. Leaving the dog, she raced back up to the snow cliff and stared over the compound. Please be okay, she begged, thinking back to Katara and Howl.
A massive fireball set half of the compound on fire. She knew that she could stop it, but she didn't know if she should. Her fingers were freezing—she'd left her gloves by her bed. Korra watched as the group of assassins started to flee the camp. Now she knew they knew she was gone. She had to hide, had to stay until Howl came to find her. She wasn't sure how he would, from the damage she'd seen to his body, but she was positive that he would keep his promise. Korra slid down the snow and into the cave, yanking Naga in beside her and bending the snow up to hide them.