Double post today because I'm bad at life and haven't been able to write yet. .

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Chapter 23

Adventure

Korra hopped off of her polar bear dog and plopped into the snow with a soft thud. She turned to her companion and ruffled the fur around her ears. "I want you to go back home, girl, and keep an eye on mom and Asami for me. Can you do that?"

There was concern in her black eyes.

"Don't worry; I'll be fine. I'm just going to spend some time with Master Katara. I should be back by nightfall, okay?"

Naga nodded with reluctance and licked Korra's cheek.

"Thanks, girl. Now get going. I'll see you soon."

A soft whine escaped her. She hoped that it would convince Korra to change her mind, but when the woman remained unmoved, she lowered her head in defeat.

"Don't be sad. We'll have plenty of time to spend together later."

Naga huffed and turned away from Korra.

"Hey, now," she jogged until she was in front of Naga again, "don't be mad. I'll spend time with you when I get back. We'll snuggle up and everything. And tomorrow, we can go on a walk and go fishing together. But right now, I have to see Master Katara. You remember how sad she was when I was gone, don't you?"

She whimpered and patted her paws against the ground.

"Exactly. She's been waiting for me to come back, too. So I'm going to go spend some time with her. You can sit with us next time, okay?"

Though she was sad, she rubbed against Korra in agreement.

"I love you, too, girl. Now go keep an eye on my mom and Asami for me. Keep them safe. It's very important."

Naga barked and sped off, feet pounding into the snow.

"I thought I heard someone out here."

Korra spun on her heels to the voice behind her. She smiled and bowed to the woman before her. "Master Kya. It's so good to see you."

"Likewise." She imitated Korra's motion.

They chuckled when they rose and gave each other a light hug.

"I didn't know you'd be coming back to the Southern Water Tribe so soon. I thought you'd be gone for at least another semester."

"Yeah, I – uh…"

"Korra?"

Korra craned her neck around Kya to meet the eyes of the elder standing in the doorway. A huge grin took over her face. She sprinted away from Kya and enveloped Katara in a massive embrace.

She returned the favor, patting the back of the younger woman with one of her palms.

"I missed you so much, Master Katara."

"I missed you, too, Korra."

They departed and locked eyes.

"Come inside where it's warm. I've got some tea brewing. I want to hear all about your adventures in Republic City."

Korra rubbed the back of her head with her hand, a bit embarrassed. "I don't know if I would call them adventures, Master Katara."

"Then I suppose travels would be a better word." She smirked and turned her back on Korra, waving her hand forward to gesture her inside.

She raised an eyebrow in confusion at the phrasing, a bit hesitant.

Kya walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Korra. My mom's been waiting to talk to you for months."

Months?

She followed Katara inside, a tinge of nervousness flowing through her.

Kya brought up the rear and shut the door behind them. She smiled at the sight of her happy mother; it was a state she hadn't seen in quite some time. She slipped into the kitchen to retrieve the tea as Korra and Katara settled in the common room.

"Please, take a seat, Korra. There is a lot I would like to talk to you about – the first thing being this." She shuffled over to a small nightstand next to a rather comfy-looking padded chair. She pulled the single drawer open and retrieved a small bundle of about two or three papers.

Korra sat in a chair across from her, her eyes wandering between Katara to her hands to the sheets. There was handwriting on each side of the slips, and the closer they got to her, the more she recognized the script as her own.

The letter.

(-)

Asami's eyes cracked open in a daze. Fortunate for her, her dreams were filled with nothing but darkness instead of the rampant thoughts she'd been having the past few days. Her body came back to her in pieces, each one more sore than the next. She shifted under the pelt, shaking her shoulders and stretching her legs out from her curled position. Her arms lifted above her head to intensify the extension. This forced her to roll onto her back. She blinked several times as she rotated her head to her left, searching for the woman whom she fell asleep next to the night before.

"Korra?"

Her grogginess faded in an instant. She sat up, rubbing her lids with her hands. When she came to, she scanned the room again. Korra wasn't beside her. Naga wasn't in the spot by the window. She noticed a powerful natural light beaming through the glass. She followed the rays until the sight of Korra's carrier full of books caught her attention. The blue blanket from last night was still nearby, but a new pile of clothes joined its ranks. She recognized them as Korra's pajamas.

Asami yawned and ran her hands through her hair.

How long have I been asleep?

When she finished, her eyes inched back open. She twisted her torso a few times, each spin making her colder and colder. She stared at the pelt on her lap, her legs in warm content while her upper body started to chill in the bare white tank she borrowed from Korra. As much as she wanted to stay under the fur and sleep, her back was aching from inactivity and her stomach beckoned her to seek food. A faint aroma of something warm crossed her nostrils. She traced her fingers over the soft pelt one last time before pushing it off of her.

She grimaced and shook for a moment to the cold; the fire had long died out and the room had regained its muffled arctic chill.

With a sigh, she pushed herself to her hands and knees to crawl off the bed. That's when she noticed the parka beside her.

She sat on the edge of the mattress and pulled the coat closer to examine it. It was a near replica of the one Korra let her wear back in Republic City.

A smile crossed her face; she knew exactly why this was here.

She thought I would be cold when I woke up.

Well, was she wrong?

Asami shook her head and threw the parka onto her torso. She wiggled herself inside and closed her eyes, already feeling the difference.

Her stomach grumbled again, forcing her from her half-dazed state.

I hear you loud and clear. I'm moving.

She stretched her way to her feet, the floorboards cold against her toes. Asami made her way through the corridor and the common room, allowing her nose to be the guide. She managed to get to the kitchen before a second yawn escaped her.

"Good afternoon, Asami."

She spun around to the voice, a tad bit startled. When her eyes fell on Senna, she relaxed. "Oh. Good afternoon." She smiled and bowed, unsure of what the appropriate greeting custom was in the south.

Senna chuckled. "Relax. There's no need to be super formal and tense here." She placed the dish she had been drying in the cupboard and shut the door. "Would you like something to eat?" She looked over her shoulder again, noting that Asami was wearing Korra's clothes.

"Yes, please."

"Take a seat. I'll bring you some stew." Senna motioned to the table as she walked over to the pot. "Have you ever had Southern Water Tribe food before?"

Asami sat agura style on the cushion that was usually reserved for Korra – unknowingly, of course – and folded her hands on the table. "I haven't."

"Well, I hope you like this." Senna placed the bowl in front of Asami and kneeled across from her. "It's sea prune stew. It's reheated, though, so it's not as good as a fresh batch."

She grabbed a spoon and swirled it around, observing the chunks of fruit in the liquid. "Where's Korra," she asked as she took a bite of the food.

It took everything in her not to spit the stew right out.

While it didn't necessarily taste bad, it was not something she was used to eating. The sea prunes were sweet and somewhat chewy in their own sense, mixed with the salty taste of the sea and several other seasonings.

But something about it just wasn't… good, to her.

Senna recognized the look on her face and chuckled. "Don't worry, Asami. Sea prunes are definitely an acquired taste. It'll take some time to get used to. Korra used to hate them when she was younger, but now, they're one of her favorites. Other than arctic hen, of course, but we don't get to eat that quite as often."

She forced herself to swallow and tried to act gracious; they let her into their home without a second thought despite only knowing each other for a few days. Not just that, but they were also feeding her and clothing her. The least she could do was be respectful to them. And even if she didn't like the stew right away, her stomach was content, and at that point, that was all that mattered to her. Asami took another bite, hoping this one would be more kind than the last.

It wasn't.

"I can make you something else, if you'd like."

"No, no. I'm going to eat this." Asami took a third spoonful in and ate it with less of a grimace on her face. "I really appreciate everything you've done for me."

"Thank-you, Asami. That's very nice of you."

She smiled and shoved some more stew into her mouth, struggling to maintain that grin. "So, where's Korra? I haven't seen her since I woke up."

"She went to go visit Master Katara a little while ago. Naga went with her."

Asami nodded in response and gulped another sea prune down. She hoped to the Spirits that she wouldn't have to eat this again for dinner. "What about Tonraq?"

"Oh, he's –"

A loud burst through the front door caused both of them to jump.

Asami was on the defense in an instant, despite half of her being in shock.

The latch slammed shut afterwards, combatting the powerful gusts that forced it open.

"Senna?" Tonraq called, rubbing his arms to gain as much warmth as possible.

She rushed into the common room, Asami on her heels.

"Tonraq? Are you alright?" Senna threw her palms to his cheeks. "You're freezing. Here, come sit by the fire." She guided him to the mantel and helped him down.

He puffed once or twice, rubbing his hands together.

"What happened?"

"We were in the forest, cutting the lumber up, and when we went to start the snowmobiles, they wouldn't work. We can't get them to run and we have no way of hauling all the wood back on our own. I came back so that I could get to the garage in Harbor City and grab another one, but the wind is getting fierce out there. I stopped here for a break."

"Those snowmobiles have been giving you nothing but trouble since we've got them."

"I know they have. But not everyone has a polar bear dog to haul what they need, so we have to make do with what we've got." He pushed himself to his feet, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "I don't even know if we'll be able to fix these two. They were our best ones and they were still pretty shot."

"Let me help you." Asami stepped forward, eagerness in her posture. "I've got plenty of experience working with machines. You've seen me repair the engine on the ship we took. Besides, I want to earn my keep while I'm here in any way I can."

Tonraq faced her and smiled. "That would be very helpful, Asami." He crossed over to the corridor leading to the kitchen to grab himself some sea prune stew. "You might want to put on a few more layers, though. Those pajama pants won't do you much good out in the cold," he called over his shoulder as he left the room.

She turned to Senna.

"Don't worry, Asami. I washed your outfit the best I could this morning and it's all ready to go for you. Korra's got some clothes that she can spare for you, too. Gloves, pants – you name it – as long as you don't mind wearing blue." She chuckled while she walked by, ushering Asami to follow her.

Just as they passed the entrance to the common room, a loud pawing reverberated from the door.

"Naga?" Asami pulled the handle, confusion guiding her.

I thought she was with Korra.

The polar bear dog flew through the frame, propelled by the wind. She smashed right into Asami.

Asami fell onto her back with a thud.

Naga lowered her head, embarrassed, though she did take a few seconds to sniff the woman underneath her, picking up Korra's scent on the clothing.

Senna forced the door shut and sighed in relief. She spun around to the pair and approached them, just as Naga started licking Asami's cheek. "Naga, get off of Asami. I'm sure she likes you, but I'm also sure she doesn't like you crushing her."

She barked and stepped away, giving Asami her space.

Asami crawled to her feet, wiping the saliva off with the back of her hand. "Thanks for that." She turned to Naga, who rubbed against her the instant she was upright.

"Is everything alright, Naga? Did Korra send you back?"

She nodded towards Senna and circled around Asami once more.

A light bulb lit up in Asami's head.

"Hey, Naga, we're going to go on an adventure. Do you want to come with us?"

Naga tilted her head for a moment in consideration. After a second of thought, she woofed in excitement.

"Great. We need to get your saddle on, though. Alright?"

She bobbed and walked over to Senna. She sat in front of her, tail patting the floor.

"I'm going to stay here, Naga, so that I can start deboning the fish for dinner."

Naga whimpered and slouched.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Go with Asami and Tonraq and watch after them."

She howled and joined Asami's side once more.

"Come on, Naga. I've got to get some more clothes on and then we're going to head out."

Naga panted and followed Asami to Korra's room, almost as if she were the Water Tribe girl herself.

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