Hey everyone! This one is a short one. Sorry about that.

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Chapter 20

Homeland

To say they were exhausted would be an understatement.

Asami spent the twilight hours trying to teach Korra how to helm the small freight ship. Korra picked up the basics after a few hours of practice in the open water. Neither of them were surprised at how long it took; Korra wasn't the best with new machinery when she was well rested and alert, let alone fatigued and exhausted.

Their movement was slow and the wind was fierce well into the night. By the time they broke through the channel created by several islands on the edge of the Patola Mountains, the gusts calmed and they were sailing on smooth seas, just as Tonraq said. As a matter of fact, any breezes they faced flowed from their stern, almost doubling the speed of their travelling. The pair switched on and off at the wheel; when one was steering, the other was either standing nearby, assisting in navigating, or face-first against the tabletop in exhaustion, cheeks touching the map and eyes staring at the up-close color of the document underneath, willing for sleep to come. The night was longer than they expected as they moved further west; they counted almost twelve hours between the purples of the evening and the blues of the rising sun.

Tonraq and Senna woke at the crack of dawn, much to Korra and Asami's relief; they were so tired that words were more and more difficult to come by. Even their expressions, through which they were usually able to communicate, were morphing into droopy lids, empty lines, and hunched shoulders.

This, of course, transformed into panic when a loud burst sounded from the engine room just as they reached the doorway of their cabin. The adrenaline fueled them and kept them awake. Asami ran down to check on the equipment while Korra took over the helm, shutting off the power and steering the best she could. Her parents rushed to the deck once her daughter was in control and used Water Bending to propel and steady the ship through the cold, sea air; they knew too well that they couldn't sit around in the open water without moving. That, and in all honesty, they just wanted to get home. Much to Korra's surprise, they were able to keep a similar speed to what they were travelling before with the use of the machinery built into the ship.

Asami emerged about an hour and a half later, a new layer of grease and oil and dirt and sweat on her skin and clothes. There were a few snags in the shoulders of her wardrobe, as well as a singe or two on her gloves from the heat of the cooling equipment. The rings under her eyes were dark, her whites a tad bit bloodshot in the corners. She joined Korra at the wheel, who had a very similar look on her tan face, and started the engine. It roared to life, louder than before, and she almost collapsed in relief.

Tonraq replaced Korra at the helm while Senna retrieved one of the bags from Shili out of her cabin. Korra and Asami rustled through the carrier and ate a small amount of fruit and dried meat with absent minds; they were much too ready for bed, the only things standing in their way being their nagging stomachs.

Unfortunate for them, Mother Nature and the rest of the world didn't give a damn about how tired they were.

Severe winds threatened their boat again. Korra focused on keeping Naga from falling off the deck of the rocking boat while Tonraq and Senna used Water Bending to calm the waves around them. The rain soaked through their clothes, chilling them to the bone. Asami was at the helm, gritting her teeth against the gale and struggling to keep the ship on course.

When the small, but horrible, storm passed an hour later, the engine went with it.

Again, Korra was forced to steer and her parents were obligated to push the boat with Water Bending while Asami attempted to make repairs. She was running out of supplies. She was running out of patience. And both her and the equipment were running out of stamina. Another two hours passed and the machinery was back to a rickety start. A third layer of grime covered her, her attempts to wipe her face clean with the back of her gloved hands only adding to the film.

Tonraq assumed control of the helm, needing a break from all of the Bending. Korra and Asami returned to the deck to check on Naga, who was still rather fidgety after everything that had occurred with the storm. It was then that the faint sight of a white, icy shore caught Korra's eyes.

"Asami! Look!" She ran to the front of the deck with energy that only the Spirits could determine its origin and leaned over the railing. Wind blew through her loose brown hair as a grin expanded most of her face.

Asami joined her, a soft smile on her own.

"We're here, Asami." Korra met the peridots beside her before looking back out to the growing landmass. "I'm home."

"Do you live on the shore, Korra?"

She shook her head, resting both of her elbows against the barrier. "I don't live in Harbor City. I live much further inland, past the White Lotus Compound and the ice fields and more into the wilderness. It's where the hunters live, as well as Master Katara and my parents. Once we hit the City, it will take us about another hour to travel through the rivers to my village."

"There are rivers in the Southern Water Tribe?"

Korra nodded. "There are three of them. Right now, we're approaching Kamma Bay, although that's a bit redundant. We usually just call it Kamma when we're here, because that means bay, but to outsiders, we have to specify." She chuckled for a moment, muttering "Bay Bay" to herself. "Anyway, we'll most likely take the Paniga River instead of the Igniga, since its closer to where we're entering Kamma."

"Where's the third river?"

"The third river is a combination of the two: Aakaga. We'll be passing the merging point on our way to the village. The glacier that I told you about is at the corner of where the rivers meet."

"It must be beautiful."

She glanced over at the tired heiress – who was looking at the approaching land in wonder – and smiled. "I'll show you. After we get some rest," she added, noticing a slight shift in Asami's face.

Asami grinned in return and used the railing for support of her exhausted body.

Naga joined Korra's other side and barked, panting in excitement at the sight of her home.

Korra ran a dazed hand into the white fur beside her. "That's right, girl. We're home."

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The anticipation of reaching a nice, cozy bed kept both of them awake through the hour and a half that it took to travel to and through the Southern Water Tribe. The pair remained at their spot at the bow, huddled closer than before to keep warm. Naga was against them as well, wrapping her body around the duo the best she could to shelter them. She continued to pat her tail against the deck in excitement.

Asami, as tired as she was, couldn't withhold her sense of wonder as they passed through Harbor City. While it wasn't as massive as Republic City, it certainly wasn't far off – though the buildings were much, much shorter. A tall, multilayered pillar greeted them in the distance, its columns as strong, sturdy, and subtle as its floating bridge. The docks and ships were plentiful, some of which were hauling fish in from the sea. Several merchants lined the shore, looking for trade between both villagers and foreigners. The buildings that stretched out before her, a combination of stone and ice in construction, glistened against the setting sun until they were consumed by the white backdrop of the snowy mountains behind them.

Korra couldn't help but watch Asami as she took in her home for the first time. The degree of marvel that radiated from the pale beauty forced a small smile onto her face. She hoped, with all of her heart, that she would remember this moment for the rest of her life, however long that may be.

They stayed along the eastern edge of the coast as they travelled inland, avoiding most of the heavy traffic as people retreated to their homes for the night. Once they were past the City, the mountains became their center view. They were high and mighty and intimidating, forcing shadows at their bases as they moved through the icy water. The deep blues of the ice and stone underneath captivated Asami, who was much more accustomed to an array of greys and blacks in Republic City. She almost wanted to reach out and touch them, if she weren't so far away and so tired.

The river curved and thinned as they made their way past what had to have been one of the tallest mountains Asami had ever seen. The top was covered in ice and snow, the edge jutting out over the water. It was then that she realized that this was the mountain – or glacier, as Korra referred to it – that Korra had loved so much. They reached the convergence of the rivers and Asami was convinced that she was in a whole new sea: the water almost stretched as far as her eyes could see. She gaped at the imagery around her, the rivers a dark blue while the sky resonated multiple shades of oranges, pinks, and purples from the setting sun.

She could see why Korra was homesick earlier in the year.

The boat continued further southeast until they travelled along just the Aakaga River. They didn't sail much further from there – perhaps about two miles or so – before Tonraq dropped the anchor. The trio left their spot against the rail and met Korra's parents at the docking ramp.

Naga bolted off of the ship before the incline even touched the ground. She leapt from the edge and landed on the snowy shore. In an instant, she was rolling around in the white fluff, pure joy on her face.

"I think Naga missed the snow." Korra took her first step back onto her homeland, her worn boots doing little to shelter her toes from the cold. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the crisp, cold, fresh air of the arctic breeze. When she separated her lids, she found herself crouching down and running her tired fingers through the settled flakes. "I think I do, too."

Just like her polar bear dog, she flung herself into the ground, throwing her bag of books and scrolls to the side as she did so. Instead of rolling around, she simply lay in the snow, her skin pinking from the chill. She was either too tired or too content to move. Maybe it was both. Either way, she refused to shift until a grinning Tonraq called to her.

"Let's get going, Korra. We still have a ways to walk before we get home."

Korra huffed and rose. She called Naga over, who had much of the same reaction as she did.

Asami watched in amusement, gripping her elbows to hold in her body heat. She followed the Southerners and suppressed her shivering; she was nowhere near prepared for this type of cold. Republic City was like a sauna compared to this.

No wonder Korra would always say she was hot last semester.

She shook her head and staggered through the snow, unaccustomed to walking in this terrain. Everything was unfamiliar to her. There were no solid cement paths for her to follow, no specific landmarks for her to judge her location, no bustling noises and constant humdrum and sparkling lights that were common to the metropolis that was Republic City. The area around her was barren, a very small sect of tiny, snow covered houses at the edge of her sight.

Asami was a shaking mess by the time they reached what Korra called home. Tonraq forced the rather large door open and held it in place while the rest of them – polar bear dog included – slipped inside. Though there wasn't much of a heat difference when they entered, Asami was already grateful for the wind protection.

"I'll get some fires started. It will warm this place right up in no time." Tonraq walked past her, tossing the bags to the side of the small common room as he did so.

"Are you two hungry? I think we've got some food left over from Shili."

"I'm okay, mom." Korra turned to Asami and met her peridots. "What about you, Asami?"

"I really just want to warm up and sleep, to be honest." She couldn't help but be blunt in her exhaustion.

Senna nodded. "That's understandable; you've been awake for a long time. I can take you to your room, Asami. Let me grab you a pelt." She paced into a different hallway and left her sight.

Asami examined the room with curious eyes. Korra's house was small and somewhat frail, though its walls held more of a homey vibe than any place she'd been before. It was certainly different from the Estate she had spent most of her life in, but she wasn't bragging in the slightest. Rather, Asami was very aware of her position and always tried to carry herself with humility; she was no more or less important than any other person in the world, and if she were to be upright, she didn't really find a need for excessive vanity. She was more than willing and content to share her wealth with others, especially those in need. There were, of course, times when she had threatened to use her position and power as the daughter of Hiroshi Sato against someone to support her own moral agenda and partial grudges, though her reflections on the altercations made her feel gritty inside. The most potent of these memories was her berating of Dr. Suri for wanting to drop the pursuit of Sentai and the rest of his cohort. She had felt very much unlike herself in those moments, though with everything that had been happening the past few days, that instance was forced to the backburner to evaluate later on.

Yes, Korra's house might not be a mansion – even though Tonraq was the 'Chief' of the Tribe – but it didn't matter to her, because Asami didn't want it to be a large building. She liked this house. She liked its cozy feel, even if it was cold and brittle. She liked how close she was to the people inside, her peripherals closing in on Korra a few feet away from her. Most of all, she liked that it didn't remind her of her home in Republic City; her internal struggle with the benefit of the doubt that she had for her father was not something she was looking to focus on any time soon.

Relax, Asami. You're too tired for this. All of these things… we can deal with them later.

She bobbed her internal head and continued looking around the room. Her sight fell on the doorway before her, its construction seemingly large and out of place with the rest of the house.

Her confused expression didn't go unnoticed.

"My dad had the entrances to the house, the hallway, and my room modified so that Naga could fit through it when she got too big for the old openings." Korra joined her side, hands on her hips. "I'm pretty sure Naga has already gone to my room to sleep; she was so tired."

"I think we all are." It came out as a chuckle.

Korra laughed in response. "It's certainly been a crazy ride. But we'll be safe here." She put a palm on Asami's shoulder. Their eyes met. A gentle smile covered their lips.

"Here you go, Asami." Senna entered, her focus on the blanket outstretched before her. "I thought we had an extra pelt, but we lost quite a few during the trip and when Korra went to college."

Korra looked away with a sheepish appearance.

"Thank-you." Asami didn't care whether the fabric was made from threads or the warmest animal fur in the world; she just wanted to get warm. She wrapped the material around her shoulders and hid her shiver.

"Let's get you to your room." She ushered Asami down the hallway, eager for her to rest; she could see the woman's enervation in her eyes and it was more than enough to cause concern in her heart for her wellbeing. "We don't really have guest rooms, Asami, but you can stay in the training room. It's the only empty space that –"

Their voices trailed off as they got further away from Korra, rounding a corner into the small practice area.

"Good night, Asami." Korra muttered with a smile. After a large yawn, she staggered to her bedroom and shut the door. As she predicted, Naga was already asleep near the window. She wasted no time with starting a fire in her mantle, though she did spare a few minutes to change out of her dirty, bloody clothes and bands and into some fresh pajamas. Korra plopped into her bed and burrowed under the light-colored pelt that remained while she was away. She opened herself to the feeling of being home, though it wasn't quite what she imagined. There was still something missing, something nagging at her and keeping the void inside of her intact. Unfortunately for her, this was enough to stop her aching body from falling into the slumber that it needed.

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