Note: This chapter is a bit slow compared to yesterday's. I wrote both of them around the same time- as well as the following chapter. I might be able to get that chapter up tonight (fingers crossed). As usual, I love all of the reviews and follows. It's really nice.

Qilaq sat in her Satomobile by the docks, wearing her dark sunglasses and applying fresh coat of lipstick. She smacked her lips and adjusted her mirror as she say Korra leave the docks for the morning. As Korra faded out of her view, Qilaq swung her legs out of the car and emerged in her tan trench coat and perfectly coiffed hair. Her long legs in their black sheer stockings and high heels caused every person to pause at the docks. She was used to this sort of thing when she visited her father's boat, but she endured the stares and calls a little longer until she got to the last part of the pier. Noatak and the rest of the workers on the ship were lifting heavy ropes and metal cages. He instinctually lifted his shirt to wipe some sweat from his brow. Qilaq lifted a brow and smirked.

"I can see why Korra is attracted to you. You're probably very good in bed… Am I right?" Qilaq said.

"What do you want," Noatak said.

"How was yesterday?" Qilaq asked.

"Fine," Noatak said.

"You know what I mean…" Qilaq said.

"I have to go. I have a job."

"I'll pay you today. What would you like? 500 Yuans for the day?"

"I don't want anything."

"600? Just a little information is all I ask."

"I said no. I will back in the evening. You can ask me then."

"I have an appointment this evening… So that won't do. 750 Yuans. Final offer before I drag your ass to jail."

"Fine."

Qilaq smiled and pointed to her car.

"We're going to some place more private than this," Qilaq said.

Noatak nodded and reluctantly followed her to the Satomobile. She drove them to the northern districts close to her office. Noatak looked at the rail car passing by and hoped that Korra had already gotten to the palace. Qilaq stopped the car in front a white stucco building.

"I hope you like tea because I don't," Qilaq said.

They walked into the simple but elegant teashop where Qilaq and Noatak were shown into a private room with thin paper walls and divans surrounding three walls of the enclosure. A waitress came by with a tray of tea and a variety of pastries before leaving. Qilaq took the brown bottle and poured some of the alcohol into her teacup. Noatak smirked as he poured tea into his cup.

"Isn't it too early?" Noatak said.

"It's never too early," Qilaq said.

"What do you want to know?" Noatak said.

"Tell me what happened at the Magnolia Club," Qilaq said.

"Nothing. I told Hahn that I would join. That's all."

"No explicit information?"

"You've never done this before."

Noatak sipped his tea and looked over the cup at Qilaq who glared at Noatak. She touched one of the sweet breads before leaning back against the wall and taking a bite. He didn't want to lie to Qilaq, but even if Ingyu told him that she was trustworthy, he didn't feel like trusting any person that blackmailed him like she did.

"Let me tell you something. No one in that group is going to tell me shit unless they need me to do something. Even still, there are only a select few individuals who get the privilege to know. So don't expect me to know anything," Noatak said.

"You certainly know a lot," Qilaq said.

"It comes with experience. If I had given every detail to the first person who told me they wanted to join my cause, I wouldn't be here talking to you," Noatak said.

"Then make them trust you," Qilaq said.

"How do you suppose I do that? I don't even know why Hahn wants me to be a member of the group."

"It doesn't matter. Just find out whatever plans they have," Qilaq said.

Noatak finished his tea and got up. Qilaq searched her purse and handed over a few bills to Noatak. He stared at the bills before he tossed them back at Qilaq.

"I have no need for this," Noatak said.

"Take it. Buy yourself some new clothes and stop looking like you're homeless," Qilaq said.

"It's unnecessary," Noatak said.

A soft knock came at the thin door. Qilaq pursed her lips then looked at the opaque window.

"Come in Ingyu," Qilaq said.

Ingyu opened the door and climbed into the room. He sat beside Noatak and shut the door. Noatak poured him a cup of tea, which Ingyu accepted before adding a little milk and honey. Noatak sighed as he did this.

"Not all of us drink their tea straight," Ingyu said.

Ingyu grabbed small flakey pastry and dipped it into the tea.

"So why are you here?" Noatak said.

"Just meeting with my coworker," Ingyu said.

"Hardly… You just want to get out of a committee meeting," Qilaq said.

"I did, but I also wanted to speak about whatever you have my friend here doing," Ingyu said.

"There's nothing to be discussed," Qilaq said.

"This, I agree with," Noatak said.

Ingyu grabbed another pasty and nibbled on it.

"So you're going to continue to let the man who happens to be the father of the Avatar's unborn child play games with the Black Squall," Ingyu said.

"Ingyu, that…" Noatak said.

"That is something I already know about. Korra isn't one for subtlety. I'm surprised her uncle didn't ask her then at dinner," Qilaq said.

"She's been taking ginger tea," Noatak said.

"Thanks to me," Ingyu said.

"I have to go. You two probably have council things to talk about, and I'm not interested in that," Noatak said.

"Truly? I doubt it," Qilaq said.

Noatak glared and opened the door. He glanced over his shoulder at Qilaq and Ingyu.

"I'll see you two later," Noatak said.

He climbed out of the room and exited the teashop. He felt a little disoriented as he left. He was only somewhat familiar with where Qilaq took him, but her fast and reckless driving made it hard for him to recognize exactly what part of the center district that she drove him to. Noatak wandered through the alleys, looking at his shadows to remind him which direction to walk in. As he walked, he felt the strange presence of someone behind him. Noatak stopped to breathe.

"Come out," Noatak said.

Noatak grinned and pulled the water on the ground towards him. He heard the loud thud behind him and turned around. A man with thick scars and pockmarks stared up at Noatak as he readied ice crystals to his fingertips. Noatak lifted him up from the collar of his jacket and slammed him against a brick wall.

"How long have you been following me," Noatak asked.

The man tightly held his lips together and snorted. He managed to wrestle his arms out and stabbed Noatak's shoulder with his ice knives. Noatak let out a grunt and staggered backwards into the alley. He clutched at his bleeding shoulder and waved his free arm at the man, trying to catch any break. However, the man already started running. Noatak took his hand off his wound and winced as he made chase. Noatak was fast, but this man seemed like lightning.

"He asked you a question asshole," Qilaq said.

Qilaq stood in the middle of the alleyway with a water whip that circled the man's neck. She quickly froze the water at his neck before Ingyu came storming in. Ingyu moved a little sluggishly compared to the old days, but he was no less proficient and the epitome of grace. He swirled around the man to dodge hits and weaved about. He chi blocked the man into submission in as little steps as possible. The man fell to his knees and looked at Noatak.

"I know what you are," the man said.

"And what is that?" Noatak said.

"A spy… A spy for the enemy," the man said.

"And that is all?" Ingyu said.

"If he works for the White Squall, I doubt it," Qilaq said.

"What did you see?" Noatak said.

The man just stared into Noatak's eyes. Qilaq, growing impatient, slammed water at the man's stomach. He grunted and bit his lip. Ingyu shook his head and took a pouch from his coat pocket. He looked at Noatak who nodded and placed his hand over the man's mouth. Ingyu took the bag and placed the opening over the man's nose. The man started to gag and tried to pry himself free, but the herbs slowly worked their way through his body. He dropped to the pavement as Noatak released his grip from the man.

"You still carry those herbs on you?" Noatak said.

"I'm very paranoid," Ingyu said.

"Shit… it worked though. What are we going to do with his body?" Qilaq said.

"We don't know what he found out… but he's been following me- probably since last night," Noatak said.

"We have two options. We either leave him here or we kill him," Ingyu said.

"Or send him to prison," Qilaq said.

"And risk getting Noatak involved? I think not," Ingyu said.

"Well… we'll be stuck in prison if we kill him, but I don't want to leave him here…" Qilaq said.

Noatak stood back and crossed his arms.

"Let him go. Let him go back to Hahn. I can deal with it," Noatak said.

"Do you have a death wish? Korra needs you!" Qilaq said.

Noatak sighed and dragged the man to a brick wall.

"No but if I don't deal with it myself, it's never going to be resolved," Noatak said.

Ingyu closed his eyes and shook his head. When he looked back at Noatak, he frowned and crossed his arms. Noatak's shoulder was still bleeding.

"Let's take you to a healer," Ingyu said.

Qilaq nodded and led the men back to her car. They drove closer to the councilmen building and stopped at one of the tribal hospitals. Qilaq got out of the Satomobile and went inside the hospital. Ingyu and Noatak sat in the car for some time before Qilaq came back and muttered something about her healer being available. Ingyu tossed his jacket over Noatak's shoulders and followed Qilaq to the top floor of the hospital. In a small room that overlooked the palace, a messy haired woman in a white jacket opened a window and grimaced as Qilaq, Ingyu, and Noatak entered her office.

"Thanks for looking at this on such short notice, Tikivik," Qilaq said.

Tikivik shrugged and scratched her hair as she went to close the door. She took a few vials of herb infused water, a needle and thread, and a bowl from her cabinets.

"It's okay. I only have one appointment today, and that's at the palace in a couple of hours. Sit and take off your shirt," Tikivik said.

"The palace? Are you seeing the Avatar?" Noatak said.

Tikivik raised her eyebrow and pointed at Noatak.

"I told you to sit and take that shirt. Also, I can't say. I'm sworn to secrecy as a royal healer," Tikivik said.

Noatak grunted and took off his shirt to expose his wound. Tikivik pointed to some washcloths that Qilaq grabbed and gave to her. Tikivik wiped off the blood on his shoulder and chest. Ingyu looked on at Noatak, noticing the unfamiliar and familiar scars on his old friend.

"He's the Avatar's lover," Ingyu said.

"Is that so?" Tikivik said.

Tikivik opened up one of her vials and poured a bit of the water into her palm. She rubbed the water onto Noatak's chest with the glow blue of Tikivik's healing illuminating the room.

"She's… pregnant," Noatak said.

"Really?" Tikivik said.

"Yes," Noatak said.

"That's a problem. Isn't it? She's not married, and I have no idea who you are," Tikivik said.

"If you could please keep the pregnancy a secret," Ingyu said.

Tikivik reached back to grab a bottle of fire ice and a cotton ball. She dabbed the cotton ball in fire ice and rubbed it over Noatak's skin. She took another cotton ball to soak in fire ice and ran her needle over the cotton ball. She waved the needle around before threading it.

"I can't hide a pregnancy forever. She's going to show sooner or later," Tikivik said.

Without warning, Tikivik pierced Noatak's skin with the needle and began to sew his wound. Noatak clenched his jaw and seethed through the pain.

"But if you're trying to buy some time, I can see what I can do. I can say that it's something like… food poisoning. But the longer you wait for that sort of thing to come out, the harder it's going to be. I'm just saying," Tikivik said.

Tikivik grabbed a knife and cut the thread. She looked at her handiwork and smiled.

"Not bad," Tikivik said.

"Thanks," Noatak said.

"It's not a big deal. Qilaq has been my friend for quite some time. Now if you could excuse me, I want to talk to Qilaq about something," Tikivik said.

Noatak put on his shirt and jacket and tossed Ingyu his coat. They left the room and stood at the top of the stairwell looking at the city.

"You still have those scars on your arms," Ingyu said.

"I do," Noatak said.

"Korra would have never made you do that," Ingyu said.

"I know," Noatak said.

"Then why are you still hurting yourself?"

"What? I'm not cutting myself anymore."

"That's not what I'm talking about. Hahn clearly doesn't trust you if he's sending out his henchmen."

"I know… but I need to take care of it on my own."

"Think about Korra before you do anything rash…"

"I've never been that kind of person. You know that."

Ingyu shook his head and patted Noatak's shoulder.

"Stay safe. No one should lose their friend twice," Ingyu said.