Mako was, predictably, furious.
"I should've known you were full of it when you were moping around like a lovesick damsel," he fumed.
"Yes, you should've," Asami agreed mildly, sketching out an engine design in her notebook.
"This is the stupidest idea you've ever had," Mako continued. "Going to Air Temple Island alone? To meet with Tonraq? What if I'm right? What if it's a trap?"
"I'm not alone," she pointed out, "and it's not a very well thought-out trap if it's set up on Air Temple Island – unless Tonraq has managed to get the monks on his side." She glanced up at him. "I don't really need to tell you how far-fetched that is, do I?"
Mako glared at her.
"She's got a point, bro," Bolin piped up from further down the table where the three of them sat. Pabu was perched on his shoulder, staring intently between Mako and Asami. "We've got a whole airship on full alert all the way to the island, and once we get there, we're pretty much untouchable."
"Don't you encourage this any more than you already have," Mako snapped.
Bolin rolled his eyes.
"Settle down, Mako," Asami said, sparing him only a brief glance. "It's done, we're on our way, there's not much point in arguing about it. Besides," she said, putting her pencil down and resting her chin on the backs of her joined hands to flutter her eyelashes at him, "my oldest, dearest, most loyal friend will protect me, won't you, Mako?"
Mako's lips pressed into a thin line.
Asami smiled brightly at him and went back to her work.
They were three days in the air before Air Temple Island appeared on the horizon, perched in the centre of the enormous lake that served as a natural landmark, separating the northern and southern territories. Asami supposed it was appropriate to hold peace negotiations here – they were literally meeting halfway.
Mako wasn't as angry as he'd been, but he still wasn't happy. If she was honest with herself, Asami really couldn't blame him. It was a reckless move – but nothing had been achieved by playing it safe so far. Even if it was a trap, she'd suffer the consequences knowing that she was doing it for a greater good. She knew that most of his irritation was born of worry, perhaps even outright fear, and she knew it was for her safety, so she tried not to torment him too much.
Bolin, on the other hand, was an irrepressible bundle of excitement that grew closer and closer to exploding the nearer they drew to the island.
"I've never met the monks before! What do you suppose they're like? Do you think they shave their whole bodies, or just their heads? I heard something about tattoos, how would they do that if they have no power? Do they have power?"
Asami reached out to lay a hand on Bolin's arm as he bounced on the balls of his feet, his face pressed against the glass. They stood on the observation deck, watching the lake and the island draw inexorably closer.
Asami was scared. She could admit that – maybe not to Mako, but certainly to herself – and she knew it was a reasonable sort of reaction. She was about to meet with her family's oldest enemies, without her father's knowledge or permission, only a small retinue of airmen and her two best friends for protection. While she was sure that she, Mako and Bolin could handle almost anything the tiny island could possibly throw at them, some small part of her started worrying that maybe Tonraq had found a way to sneak a small army into the temple.
But she held her head high, her jaw set firmly against her anxiety. She absolutely would not let Mako suspect that she was starting to second-guess herself, and she could be just as stubborn as her father.
Even so, she was more than a little light-headed with nerves when the airship finally touched down and she led Mako and Bolin down the ramp to the island.
They were greeted by a tall monk, a grim-looking man with a sharply pointed goatee and a blue arrow tattooed over his bald head.
"See? Tattoos!" Bolin hissed excitedly. Mako drove his elbow into Bolin's side.
"Welcome to Air Temple Island," the monk greeted them, offering a low bow. "I am Master Tenzin."
"Asami Sato," Asami said, matching the unfamiliar gesture as gracefully as she could. "I'm afraid my father couldn't make it, but I'm here to speak for him."
Tenzin gave her a dubious look. "Unusual," he remarked, and for a split second Asami's heart seemed to stop in her chest. "But Tonraq was unsure that anybody would come, so it's better than nothing." His eyes widened slightly as he seemed to realise the implication of his words. "Not that it isn't a delight to meet you, your highness. I've heard many great things about your work."
Asami's smile was genuine – she hadn't realised that anyone outside of the Reach had paid her work much attention. "This is Mako, my bodyguard, and his brother Bolin," she said, gesturing to the two standing rather awkwardly behind her. "My father insisted I bring them, as I'm sure you could understand."
"Of course," Tenzin agreed, "but I'm afraid I can't permit your airmen to stay on the island. Tonraq's ship is anchored on the southern shore – rest assured, he only has a small party with him, as well."
Asami nodded. "Is there a radio on the island?"
"There is."
Asami turned to Bolin, who seemed distracted by the suggestion of electricity on the island. "Bolin, could you tell the captain to make his way back to the northern shore? I'll radio him when we're ready to leave."
Bolin offered a clumsy salute and scrambled back up into the ship.
"If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your rooms," Tenzin said. Mako hefted their bags over his shoulder as he followed along behind Asami, her ever-present shadow. She'd never been more thankful for his presence at her back. Despite the warm welcome and Tenzin's reassurance, she still felt uneasy – but perhaps it was simply nervous excitement. If this went well, they could be looking at peace, an end to the war that had plagued them all for far too long.
Their rooms were simple, far more humble than what she was accustomed to, but she wouldn't complain. At first glance, Asami saw only two beds, but on further inspection spotted a third bed in an adjoining room to her right. Aside from the beds and a woollen rug in the middle of the floor, there was very little furniture to speak of.
"I'll leave you to get settled in," Tenzin said, hovering in the doorway while Mako dropped the bags on his bed. "Our southern friends have been joining us for our evening meals, but if you'd rather take yours in here, that can certainly be arranged." The offer was casual enough, but Asami sensed a certain shrewd prodding behind the question.
"That won't be necessary," she said. "We'll join you."
Tenzin smiled, bowed, and took his leave, sliding the door closed behind him.
"Are you insane?" Mako exploded behind her. Asami rolled her eyes as she turned to face him. "We could have just stayed in here! Why did you have to go and promise that?"
"Because I won't be the one to continue the animosity here," Asami said sharply, and Mako's attitude seemed to drop several floors. "These are supposed to be peace talks, Mako. What good are peace talks if we can't even sit down and share a meal civilly?"
"You don't know that that's all that's going on!" Mako said. "Asami, please! You have to be more careful!"
"What's all the yelling about?" Bolin asked as he entered.
"Asami just promised Tenzin that we'd eat with them tonight."
Bolin regarded his brother critically.
"Tonraq will be there," Asami said, giving a dismissive wave of her hand.
"Oh." Bolin paused. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Not you too," Asami glowered.
"Not that I'm agreeing with Mako's raging paranoia," Bolin said quickly, "but, I mean... we only just got here. Surely it wouldn't be unreasonable for you to claim travel weariness for one night."
"Will you two stop?" Asami snapped. "Stop acting like we're in enemy territory. We're not. We're on Air Temple Island, for the love of Raava! There's no safer place in the world!"
"Home is safer," Mako grumbled.
"Yeah, it was really safe for that soldier in the stream, wasn't it?" Asami was aware of her voice rising in volume – she was getting worked up, which was never a good look in a political situation. "I'm tired of you second-guessing me! I'm trying to prevent any more needless deaths! Would you rather this war continue?"
Mako fell silent.
"No," Bolin said weakly.
"Then you'll stop griping and do your best to help this process go as smoothly as possible." Marching over to Mako's bed, she snatched up her bag and stormed through to the next room, slamming the door closed behind her.
It was getting dark by the time Tenzin called on them to show them to the dining hall. Asami had dressed modestly in a wine-red blouse and black slacks, her thick hair clipped in place low behind her neck, and Mako and Bolin had done their best to appear presentable without being overly ostentatious.
Tenzin appeared approving as he looked them over before leading the way out of the building. Asami had to admit, Air Temple Island was beautiful. The Reach had its own kind of beauty, but this place was different – it was pure, untouched, spared from the horrors of war. Asami's chest tightened as she realised it was the first time she'd seen a place that didn't bear the scars of battle, a place that wasn't tainted with the blood of innocents.
Despite her nerves, this train of thought put her in a sombre mood as she followed Tenzin through stunning gardens and buildings so ancient they seemed to be carved from the very earth itself. The dining hall was considerably more humble than the surrounding temples; a simple wooden building with long, low tables arranged in neat rows. It reminded Asami of the mess hall in the barracks back home, albeit considerably less rowdy.
Everyone in the room rose from their seats as Tenzin swooped in. Amidst the sea of yellow and orange robes, the blue and beige of the southern tribes stood out vividly. They, too, had risen to acknowledge Tenzin's arrival, and it was only when the monk stood aside to make introductions did Asami get a good look at them.
There were four of them. Tonraq was enormous, and Asami found herself immediately intimidated, though she did her best not to show it. His dark hair was streaked with grey, and though he wore a serious expression, his blue eyes were disarmingly warm – but as they fell upon her, that warmth all but vanished.
To his left were two women: one slender and elegant, with silver hair and pale green eyes; the other quite nearly as tall as Tonraq himself, with the bearing of a soldier and a scowl that could match even Mako's. Tenzin introduced them as Suyin and Kuvira, supposed advisors to Tonraq, though it was obvious that Kuvira was more of a bodyguard – not that he appeared to need one.
To Tonraq's right stood a girl who, while shorter than her companions, seemed to radiate power from every fibre. Her shoulders were broad and strong, brown hair cut short just below the line of her jaw, and there was a distinct air of smug confidence about her that somehow both threw and enthralled Asami. Stunningly blue eyes had fallen upon her the second Tenzin stepped out of the way, and they hadn't moved; Asami found it difficult to look away.
"And this is Korra, Tonraq's daughter," Tenzin was saying. Asami forced herself back to reality, eager to avoid making an idiot of herself. "To our southern guests, may I present the princess Asami Sato, accompanied by Mako and Bolin."
Tonraq bowed with surprising grace. "It's an honour to meet you, your highness," he said, his voice deep and rumbling and keeping secret anything he might be thinking or feeling.
Asami matched the bow, allowing a smile to tug at her lips. "The honour is mine, Chief Tonraq," she returned smoothly, despite Korra's gaze bringing heat up the back of her neck. "I can't express how grateful I am to be here."
"Forgive me, but I thought your father would be joining us," Tonraq said rather stiffly.
"I'm afraid he was too busy to make the trip," Asami said, suddenly hyperaware of every pair of eyes on her, as if they could see the evidence of the lie scrawled all over her face. "I do hope I can make up for his absence."
"I've no doubt you will," Tonraq said, the words falling flat and without sincerity. Tenzin invited them all to sit.
Asami was placed opposite Tonraq, which had been expected, but she was entirely unprepared to be trapped right in Korra's line of sight. The southern girl watched her with something almost like recognition, though Asami knew that was impossible; some far-reaching memory in the back of her mind reminded her that she'd known Tonraq had a daughter, but she was certain they'd never met, and Asami would never have thought that he'd bring Korra with him. She hoped it was a good sign; if he was planning trouble, surely he wouldn't be putting his daughter in the middle of it.
The meal was polite, if a little tense. Kuvira was very opinionated, and only a stern look from Tonraq kept her from spouting harsh accusations across the table at Asami. As it was, her insults were thinly veiled at best. Suyin was admittedly delightful – warm and friendly and considerate, everything Asami had been taught that a southerner was not. Even Tonraq was the very soul of courtesy, despite his coldness, and Asami started to feel at least a little more at ease.
Korra, however, didn't say a word, and her gaze hardly left Asami until they all rose from the table and said their goodnights.
Asami was feeling confident as she, Mako, and Bolin neared their rooms. Tonraq, despite his size, was nowhere near as intimidating as she'd initially thought – still intimidating, just less so – and despite Kuvira's obvious animosity, they all seemed genuinely intent on making peace. She deliberately avoided thinking about Korra. The memory of that intent stare made the hairs on the back of Asami's neck stand on end.
As if on cue, as Mako stood aside to let Asami in ahead of him, a voice spoke from the shadows.
"Princess."
Asami whipped around to find that piercing blue stare on her once again. Mako and Bolin moved immediately between the two women, and Korra actually laughed.
"Call off your pets, will you? I just want to talk."
Asami touched Mako's shoulder. "It's alright," she murmured.
"No," he said stiffly. "I'm not leaving you alone with her."
"We can all go inside, if that'll keep your guard dog from barking down the whole island," Korra said, eyeing Mako with a crooked smirk. Asami almost saw Mako's hair bristling.
"Alright," she said quickly, before either of the brothers could protest. Turning on her heel, she walked inside, followed eventually by all three.
Asami took a moment to compose herself before she turned to face Korra. Mako and Bolin hovered at her shoulder, though they did their best to appear nonchalant, like Chief Tonraq's daughter and heir wasn't currently in the room with them.
For the longest moment of Asami's life, Korra said nothing; she simply leaned against the wall, calm as you please, her head cocked slightly to the side as she regarded Asami with an infuriatingly unreadable expression.
Finally, when Asami was on the verge of breaking the silence herself, Korra spoke.
"So what's the real reason your dad didn't show?"
"I – what?" Asami stared.
"Come on." That smirk was back and Asami found her ears growing hot. "You don't really think anybody believes that His Majesty Hiroshi Sato would send his only daughter all but alone to an island with his sworn enemies, do you?"
Asami's eyes narrowed.
Korra only grinned at her. "Come on, Princess. Spill."
"Whatever you think, I am here to try and put a stop to this ridiculous war," Asami said. Despite her lecturing at Mako and Bolin about not being hostile, something about Korra was putting her on guard – likely the sensation that the southerner was looking right into her. She felt remarkably like a mouse staring down a snake. "That's what matters."
Korra only smirked at her again, and Asami found her gaze pulled to the crooked draw of those full lips. "Alright," she said, pushing languidly away from the wall and pulling the door open. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then. Sleep tight." Then she winked – fucking winked – and left, the door sliding closed behind her.
Asami stared after her for a good minute before Mako cleared his throat.
"So she's a treat," Bolin said.
Asami turned to them. "That just happened, right?"
They nodded in unison and Asami started to dread the next day's meeting.