Note: If you haven't checked my Tumblr, please do (you can find a link to my tumblr on my profile here). I posted a preview chapter for another Amorra fic that I might be soon posting onto here. Tell me what you think of it. I'll still be working on this fic first and foremost, but the other one is just something I had been working on for a little fun. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter. I just realized there is a discrepancy with the locales, and I'll try and fix this up throughout the fic. But for the record, Noatak lives on the far east part of the city whereas the Black Squall territory is on the far west part of town. I'll put up a map of this on my Tumblr to dispell any further confusion (along with all of the names for the council members... because I'm lame like that and because I thought it got confusing myself).

Korra arrived at the palace right as the guards changed. She snuck behind some pillars and walked to the east wing. She yawned and stretched her arms out as she went to her bedroom. She saw the bedroom next to hers open slowly. Iluq slowly walked out. Korra looked at Iluq, wearing a loose robe and her hair tied to the side.

"Morning Korra," Iluq said.

"Oh… hi there Iluq. Something up with your bedroom?" Korra said.

"No," Iluq said.

"Well, I never see you this way," Korra said.

For some reason, it never really occurred to Korra why Iluq would be in the east wing, a wing normally reserved for guests rooms until she saw Chu pop out of the very room that Iluq came out of. Korra put her hand to her mouth because it was the only thing to stop her from yelling anything or revealing all of the shock on her face. Chu, dressed in a white shirt and black pants, came up to Iluq and kissed her. He then turned to Korra and bowed to her.

"Good morning Avatar," Chu said.

"Uh… good morning to you too Chu," Korra said.

Chu smiled and took Iluq's hand. Korra scratched her head and shrugged. Nothing she could do- she did the same with Noatak practically every night. Something about her cousin made it seem like the weirdest thing.

"Oh… sorry Avatar," Chu said.

"No need to apologize… Yeah… You two are engaged…" Korra said.

"Korra has a fiancé too. You met him," Iluq said.

"I did?" Chu said.

"Iluq!" Korra said.

"Yes, the man who danced with me on Korra's birthday," Iluq said.

"Ah… He seems very nice. Quite the gentleman. I'd like to meet him again. Nanuq was it? My father met him. Why didn't you tell us that you were engaged Korra?" Chu said.

Korra smacked her head. When Chu wasn't around, she would definitely be giving Iluq a talk to about being such a blabbermouth.

"It's very complicated… Wait! Your dad met Noa- Nanuq?" Korra said.

"Yes, my father spoke with him. He thought he was familiar," Chu said.

"Thought? Oh good…" Korra said.

"What?" Chu said.

"Nothing… Nothing. Everything is good," Korra said.

"Yeah, my dad thought he looked a lot like someone he knew. I don't know though. I saw him, but he didn't look like anyone I knew. Besides, he was wearing a costume. I think my dad was just seeing things."

"Yeah…. Actually Chu, you could really help me with something."

"Oh, what is it Avatar?"

"Did you by chance know Councilman Tarrlok before he died?"

"Of course I do. That's a very sad story there…"

"Yeah… he worked with your father though. Right?"

"Yeah before he won the seat for the United Republic's council. He came over quite often when I was young."

"Did he say anything about his family?"

"Not really. I learned like everyone else did. If you could though, please don't speak to my father about him."

"Why?"

"My father took his death very hard… That's what it seemed like to me… My father doesn't actually talk to me much though."

"Oh… well that explains a lot."

"What?"

"Nothing… Actually, you don't, by chance, also know where I could to speak to any of the council representatives?"

"Sure. They all work in the same building. It's the same building where they hold meetings and pass legislation. Is there someone you wanted to see?"

"Maybe."

"Well let me give you the address."

Chu walked back into his room and came back with a card and Iluq's necklace. He handed the necklace to Iluq and gave the card to Korra. The white card read Chu's father's name and his office location with black stark letters. The building was located not too far from the palace.

"Do you mind me asking why you need to go to the Council offices?" Chu asked.

"She's worried," Iluq said.

Chu nodded and looked at Korra- almost asking with his facial expression, "is that so?" Korra shrugged and fidgeted with the card in her fingers.

"I just have some questions… If you could though, keep all of this conversation a secret," Korra said.

"You have my discretion Avatar," Chu said.

Korra laughed and smiled. She liked Chu very much. She was very happy that Iluq was going to be married to Chu- so much so that she didn't know why she was worried about Chu's father and his intentions. Korra still didn't trust the Councilman, but she knew he was never going to be the kind of person she could trust.

The Council building was a rather strange looking building when Korra compared it to the city hall of Republic City. The outside had touches of the old with statues of Tui and La guarding the entrance. None of the same kinds of pillars or overly ornate details of Republic City's city hall was present in this building. Instead, it was a love letter to the openness of the tundra with its many windows and minimalism. The entrance of the building looked like a wave with the cylindrical glass enclosures. There was also a sort of boldness with the fact that it was just a building made of metal and glass. Something that dared all other nations to try and attack a building like this. Strangely enough, despite its transparency, the building held most the most secrets in the Northern Water Tribe.

Inside, the Council building was floored with gray marble with large oak desks where council pages typed on their machines and told the operators to transfer their calls. Korra walked in warily to one of the desks where an annoyed man wrote down notes and stamped different pages.

"Um… excuse me. I'd like to see Councilwoman Qilaq," Korra said.

The man didn't bother to look up. He continued to stamp and write. Sometimes he stopped to check the clock and grabbed a book in front of him.

"Sorry-"

"I heard you before," the man said.

"Well, can I see her?" Korra said.

"Do you have an appointment with Councilwoman Qilaq?" the man said.

"An appointment? Um… no. I think she wouldn't mind a visit from me though," Korra said.

"Well if you don't have an appointment, it wouldn't matter if she minded seeing you or not," the man said.

"I think I can make some time for the Avatar," Qilaq said.

The man shot up and looked at Councilwoman Qilaq, holding a cigarette in one hand and a stack of papers in her other. Korra grinned and shrugged at the poor man.

"Well Avatar Korra, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Qilaq said.

"Oh… I was just thinking we could talk… Preferably in private," Korra said.

"Well, you've come to the right place then," Qilaq said.

Qilaq and Korra walked up the flights of stairs to the fourth floor where Qilaq shared an office with Councilman Ingyu. Ingyu sat at his desk writing and looked almost like Noatak but with just a hint of his Earth Kingdom heritage. He had that short black hair that peppered at the sides and lightly tan skin. He wore a crisp white shirt and a thin blue tie that had a silver pin on it. He rolled up his sleeves and grabbed a paper to read.

"Hope you don't mind Councilman Ingyu here. It's safe to speak with him here," Qilaq said.

Qilaq shoved some papers aside on her desk and placed the new stack she carried onto the desk. She found an ashtray buried in the mess and plopped it on top. She took a long drag from the cigarette and exhaled slowly with the smoke jetting out from her lips. Qilaq pointed to a chair in front of her desk and then went to one of the operable windows. She lifted the window and went back to her chair and placed a coat over her shoulders. Korra looked behind her and saw Ingyu do the same. Korra decided then that it was probably a good idea that she leave her parka on as she sat in the chair.

"I don't mind at all," Korra said.

"Well thank you Avatar. I must say, it's nice to finally meet you in person. I've only seen you in passing in our district," Ingyu said.

Korra shifted in her seat.

"You've seen me?" Korra said.

"Yes. Quite a bit actually. Unlike other council representatives, Qilaq and I actually like to be in our districts," Ingyu said.

"I'm sorry I haven't been able to recognize you," Korra said.

"That's fine. We haven't actually met formally. I just see you at the harbor from time to time," Ingyu said.

"Just me?" Korra said.

"No. You and a man. It's none of my business. So I don't care," Ingyu said.

"You'll be surprise to know that people in our district, including ourselves, have very little interest in the gossip that prevails like in other districts. Besides, it just sticks it to Hahn which is all I care about," Qilaq said.

"Why's that?" Korra said.

"Any and all men that aren't the men that Hahn is trying to set you up with are a victory in my book. He wants you here permanently and as a potential weapon for the navy. Being with a poor fisherman will get under his skin in the worst way," Qilaq said.

"Hahn hates Qilaq more than any other council member. But that probably doesn't surprise you," Ingyu said.

"Not really, I heard what she had to say last night at dinner," Korra said.

Ingyu laughed and put his feet on his desk. He leaned back on his chair and crumpled a piece of paper and threw the paper at Qilaq.

"I thought you said you were going to refuse any and all invitations to those state dinners," Ingyu said.

Qilaq unwrinkled the paper and lit it on fire with her lighter over her ashtray. As the paper burned, Qilaq bent some water over the paper and leaned back in her chair.

"I did, and I didn't. Chief Unalaq asked me directly to come. I suspect he thinks I don't get his invitations. So careful Ingyu. Next thing you know, Unalaq is going to drag you to dinner so you have to sit between Keelut and his weird son," Qilaq said.

Qilaq flicked a bit of ash and pointed to Korra.

"No offense, but your cousin is a freak. The other one… eh… just sort of weird. She looks normal in comparison to her brother. Let's put it like that," Qilaq said.

"She looks like her mother… So does the other one… but he… unsettles me in the worst way. It's why I don't go to any of the state dinners. That and I'd hate to sit next to any of the other council members," Ingyu said.

"You guys are sort of lone wolves. Right?" Korra said.

Qilaq shrugged and stubbed her cigarette. She grabbed a glass of water and sipped on it before looking back at Korra.

"No. District B, where the academics are, usually support us. Same with District F, which the district directly west of here. District F is just as poor as us. So they don't really have a choice but to support us," Qilaq said.

"They're pretty racist in that district. If they had any money there, there would be no chance that they'd support any of our ideas. District B likes to think of themselves as being progressive, which is why they like us so much. All of the other districts… they usually side with Hahn. Though occasionally I can get Itigiaq to side with us. And sometimes the outside districts… " Ingyu said.

"We do alright. We're just trying to slow down Hahn before he does anything that could really damage the Water Tribe," Qilaq said.

"About that… what exactly is Hahn trying to do?" Korra said.

"You've got us. I've been trying to find out ever since I met him. He's too secretive. So now we're left guessing what it is," Qilaq said.

"We just know that it has to do with the national defense. And anti-United Republic sentiment, which I can't fault him on… I just can't commit to his vision of the Northern Water Tribe," Ingyu said.

"Anti-United Republic?" Korra said.

"Yeah, ever since the Northern Water Tribe joined, there have been people that are not quite happy with them. I can't blame them. Sometimes I feel like Republic City is the only thing that matters to them, but when you're the pet project of the Avatar, I guess nothing else matters. We've got housing problems, disease, organized crime, and serious poverty. Same goes for Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. You wouldn't know it if you sat in on a council meeting from the United Republic though. So Ingyu and I have to fight for whatever funds are left so we can try and improve this city," Qilaq said.

"Hahn's view on the United Republic is a little more antagonistic. He longs for the days when the Northern Tribe was an actual nation of warriors and somewhat hold their own against the Fire Nation," Ingyu said.

"Hahn comes from a long line of military leaders. So his ideas are just the nostalgia of his elders," Qilaq said.

"Other council members like Itigiaq, they're easily scared. He means good, but he's so easily bullied by Hahn that he just spouts out whatever diatribe Hahn drilled into him," Ingyu said.

"Okay… this is going to sound weird, but do you think Councilman Hahn is involved with the Black Squall?" Korra said.

Qilaq spit out her water. Ingyu jumped from his chair.

"I doubt it. Seriously," Qilaq said.

"If he was, he's very clever at hiding it. None of the members that I know well enough are involved with the Black Squall. A lot of them would find it beneath them to be involved," Ingyu said.

"Instead they just accept their money and quietly agree to laws that benefit their criminal activity," Qilaq said.

"I see…" Korra said.

"Was that what you wanted to talk about?" Qilaq said.

Korra nodded and got up from her seat.

"Thanks for talking with me," Korra said.

"No problem. Please talk to us again some time. Qilaq and I enjoy the company," Ingyu said.

Qilaq got up and then escorted Korra back to the entrance of the building. She stood there with her hands in the pockets of her coat, already searching for another cigarette and her lighter. Her manicured fingers produced a cigarette while she found the lighter and lit the cigarette.

"Stay away from District E if you know what's good for you," Qilaq said.

"What if it means my uncle's safety or yours and Councilman Ingyu's?" Korra said.

"Ingyu and I take care of ourselves pretty well. Same goes for your uncle. You're valuable. Not just to this nation but the others as well. You can't go around getting killed," Qilaq said.

Qilaq inhaled from the cigarette before letting the smoke stream out of her mouth. She turned to Korra and lifted her eyebrow. Before Korra could say another word, Qilaq disappeared into the council building, leaving Korra wondering if she already put too much trust in Qilaq and Ingyu.