The sun was shining down through the window panes. The house was quiet and no one was awake, except Korra. She had gotten up before the sun rose and was preparing to get a few important things done. The festival had passed and Asami was going to be leaving soon. Korra had something in mind for her and she was going to give her a special gift, and a promise.
Korra was slipping on her jacket before she left her room. The weather was starting to warm up and she wouldn't need a large jacket to help keep her warm. When she put it on she remembered something fondly. They were traveling to the South Pole and were already situated in a dome shelter that Korra Earthbended. Korra had taken off the jacket she was wear and Asami had looked at her confused.
"Korra, don't you think you should really wear a thicker jacket?"
"What? No, why would I?"
"Well because we're going to the coldest place on the planet for one."
"But, I can just warm myself up?"
"That's true, but I get cold just by looking at you!"
Korra just laughed but eventually she agreed to wear thicker jackets (Asami had brought many because, unlike Korra, Asami couldn't heat herself up).
When Korra left her room she was trying to recollect where Asami had saw the jewelry stand. She had remembered that Asami was very interested in Water Tribe culture and knew she would appreciate a hand-made gift. When she went outside Naga was waiting for her, but she didn't intend to bring her on this little journey of hers.
"Naga, don't worry I probably won't be gone all day." But Naga just gave a sad whimper as a reply. Before Korra left the gates Naga had even been following her.
Once she left her house she went walking towards the market. It's been quite a while since I've had such a relaxing morning walk. The sky looks so perfect today. She was right, the sky had been incredibly clear that day; most likely because Korra had settled that problem with the spirits.
As she walked there was little to no wind at all. The sun would warm your skin and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. As the sun rose up you could see all the dazzling colors on the horizon, and since Korra was walking towards the East, she had the perfect view. The sky had a range from Orange-red to a cool light Blue. She couldn't help but to admire the beautiful world she lived in. I wish Asami was here to see this too, she thought to herself.
Once she reached the edge of the Markey place she began her search for the little shop. There were a few people out and opening up their shops, but it was still mostly quiet. It was actually very enjoyable, being able to watch people interacting peacefully, as if this was their entire world. Being the Avatar allowed for moments like this to rarely come by. Ever since she began her duties as Avatar she hadn't seen such peace among people. This is what she hoped to give all people.
She asked around to various shop owners where there was a small jewelry shop, however none had been the right one. It was as if the shop that Asami described had gone out of business unexpectedly. But Korra wouldn't give up so easily. She approached a fruit stand being run by a little old woman.
"Excuse me ma'am, have you seen a small jewelry shop that was being run by an old man?"
"Hmm, you must mean old man Took's place? I haven't seen him in a while; he could just be tired and worn like most of us."
"Do you know what he sold?"
"Well yes, they were mostly used betrothal necklaces. But I'm sure he had some that hadn't been carved into before."
"Do you happen to know where he lived?"
"Yes, not far from my place deary. Just go down that main street till you see an old frozen tree, and then turn left," The old woman said in a smile.
Korra started walking down the path that the old woman pointed to. As she started walking down the path she noticed that the houses were becoming sparser. There were no turns at all for a few miles, though Korra didn't really mind having a long walk, she did begin to lose her patience. How much longer is this going to take? I wasn't supposed to be out this long… Hopefully Asami won't notice me missing for too long…
Walking down the path she began to notice how the snow crunched beneath her feet. Sometimes she would count the clouds above her, and see what kind of shapes they made. But she kept on walking.
Finally there was a clearing in front of her with a worn wooden sign, it pointed left, just as the old woman said. One thing Korra noticed was how the old man's house looked almost archaic compared to the other houses of the Water Tribe. Essentially it looked like an igloo, but a bit more, permanent. It had a worn wooden door, glass window panes, and even a red mailbox with a polar bear dog head on the "flappy thingy" (as Korra called it). But the one unique thing about the old man's house was the betrothal necklace placed on the top of the outer doorway. No one would ever put such a sentimental object on such an unorthodox place. But in a way, it did make sense, an unusual thing for an unusual man.
Korra walked up to the worn door and gave a light knock, after a few minutes of waiting, there was no answer. Maybe he's just hard of hearing? She knocked again, but this time much louder. Again there was no answer. Korra sighed unhappily and realized she had to practically bang on the door to get the old man's attention. She inhaled nervously because she hoped not to be too rude and start off on the wrong foot with the old man. She knocked on the door one final time very loudly; immediately she heard someone stirring about in the house. There were a few creeks from furniture, and an odd sound that sounded like a crash. The door handle started to jiggle and Korra got a smile on her face, she was finally getting somewhere.
A small gray hand clutched the door and from the small crack of the door was an old man. He seemed to be quite jittery, which worried Korra. She thought perhaps that he might've been sick, or she disturbed him at a bad time.
"H-Hello?" Old man Took's voice was small and frail.
"Hello, I'm Korra, the Avatar. I've been looking everywhere for you." The door opened a tad bit more after she said this.
"My name is Took, though most of the people here call me Old man Took."
"It's nice to meet you", Korra said with a smile.
"What kind of business could the Avatar have with me?" There was a harsh cough that came from the old man, Korra was right, he was sick.
"Well I came here to ask about the betrothal necklaces, but it also seems that you might need some help… May I come in?"
"Yes, but one moment please." He shut the door abruptly, which caught Korra off guard. There were some subtle and loud clanks coming from inside, it was most likely door locks.
"Come in Avatar."
As Korra walked in she shut the door behind her, because the old man had made his way to an old worn chair. It was made of fur that seemed to be browned and matted, it was obviously very old. There were many tables and on them were different types of jewelry, none of them had been the betrothal necklaces. As she went down a small corridor (it was even too small to be considered that) she noticed a small fireplace with an even smaller fire. It was prevalent that the man was very poor and didn't have much money to take care of his house or possessions. One thing that did peak her interest was that there were many shelves filled with books. When they went into the living room it happened to be more spacious than the other one they walked through, and the small corridor. The small fire almost emitted no heat and the man began to wrap himself up in a matted fur blanket.
"Sir, would you like me to light the fire a bit more?" He couldn't really refuse her; they both knew he needed the heat. Korra Firebended the flame to become larger and warmer, Old man Took finally felt warmer and showed it in his sigh.
"Now, Avatar Korra—"
"You can just call me Korra."
"Ah, Korra, what made you seek me out?"
"Well", Korra began to hide her face; she knew her culture well enough to know that the men gave betrothal necklaces to the women. She also knew that you had to hand made them. "Honestly, I wanted to ask you how to make one for my friend."
"I'm assuming it's a very special friend of yours?" He reached towards a small table next him and got a small mug filled with some kind of tea or drink.
"Do you want me to warm that up for you?"
"If you don't mind…" Korra walked over to the man and let out a small flame to heat up the cup, after a few moments it was nice and hot, perfect for warming the old man up.
"Sh- They met you and really adored the necklaces you had… Of course I know its traditional to make my own, and I'd like to, but knowing that you are a specialist, I figured to come find you and ask for some help."
"Well, you seem very smart for your age; I've been making and selling betrothal necklaces for a long time. In recent years most young men have come to me asking help or even ordering custom necklaces for the ones they want to marry."
"I really do love my friend, and I know it won't be for a while that we actually take that step, I still want to give them the betrothal necklace as a promise."
"Well, seeing as you've been so kind to me and went out of your way to find me, I'll help you with whatever you need."
Korra stood up happily from the floor and went to go hug the old man with excitement. Though he didn't show it, he smiled also, it was nice having such kind company. They spent a few more minutes chatting about what Korra had in mind and then Old man Took got up from his seat. He was warm enough now and led Korra to another room. As they were walking down the short hallway Korra shot a few flames at some kerosene lamps, that way it would be warmer and brighter. When they reached the back room, Korra starred in astonishment.
Inside the room were various rocks of all shapes and sizes, lined up in color coordination. There were also different types of cloths and silks, some were solid colors, and others had embroidered patterns. On top of small tables with glass cabinets were completed necklaces, some had tags with people's names on them, others just had prices. It seemed that the old man was right, many of the younger generation preferred to buy necklaces made by a professional.
"Korra, now, normally I'd ask if you wanted to buy one off of me, but this time I think it would be best for you to make one yourself. There is a sense of sentimental attachment when you make something with your own two hands. When you put effort into something beautiful, there is a sense of accomplishment. I've seen many young men walk in here saying things such as: 'it has to be as beautiful as her'. Well, if you're comparing the one you love to a rock, you're probably not marrying the right person. Now, before I get off track, I must ask… How much do you care about this friend of yours?"
Korra sighed, not because she was upset, but because she needed to find the words to describe Asami.
"This person saw me at my lowest point; they watched over me and helped me get through a hard time in my life. I want to do the same for them that they have done for me. I wouldn't be the same person without them. I care about this person so much that I cannot imagine a life without them, where I didn't have them to bond with or to take care of me. When I make this necklace, I'm going to make a promise to them, a promise that I will do my best to be their everything for the rest of my life."
"Then they're a lucky person."
Korra gave him a sincere smile, and then he led her to the table with the assortment of rocks. There he would explain all the different types of material.
"Did you know, the first betrothal necklaces were made from permafrost ice? It was said that only the strongest Waterbenders were capable of using such a material. If it was still the case, non-benders like me would be out of business!" He said with a hearty laugh.
Korra felt all the different kinds of rocks and had a difficult time deciding which to use.
"All of these rocks are beautiful, but I really am not sure which would last the longest and would complement h- them best."
"What color eyes do they have?"
"A light turquoise green I suppose, it's very hard to capture their color."
"Might I suggest this stone?" He said while opening a drawer. In the drawer was a stone sitting on a velcro pillow. The stone was stunning, it was a aquamarine color, with hint of green thrown in.
"It looks… so amazing… May I?" Korra reached for the stone and held it up towards the light coming from the window.
"This stone is one my uncle found. It's very old but I have a feeling it's a special type of Opal stone. I haven't used it for anyone because I couldn't seem to part with it. But seeing that you truly love this friend, I'll let you use it, and of course, because you've treated me with such kindness."
"But, I couldn't!"
"I don't mind Korra", he said smiling, "An old man like me won't be marrying a spring chicken anytime soon."
"Thank you so much!" Korra said as she cradled the stone and looked at all its shimmering lights.
After Korra picked out the stone, she had to find a good cloth for the necklace. According to Old man Took, the first necklaces had fur on them, but now they use silk. There were even some imported from the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. Korra had her mind set on an embroidered one.
"Gold or Silver threaded?" Took said.
"I think Silver compliments it more."
"I have to agree, I hope you know how to sew though, I've always been bad at it myself."
"I can, my mother taught me a few years ago."
The next few minutes Korra spent on the pillow mat on the floor making a pattern. It had small u-shaped loops that came up and down in a zig-zag formation. It led up to the center of the necklace where the stone would be placed. It took Korra a little over an hour to get it just right, but she did get it done.
"It looks very fine and detailed Korra, good job!"
"Thank you, now what do we have to do next?"
"Well now we have to shape the stone to a perfect circular shape, unless you'd like it otherwise?"
"No, circular would be fine."
"Then come here, I'll show you how to sand and polish stone."
Old man Took handed Korra a particularly rough sheet of sand paper. Since the rock had been round in nature there wasn't use of a grinder machine to shape it. However, in order to make it the traditionally round shape, Korra would have to put in a lot of elbow grease. Though Korra had a lot of muscle to get the job done, she never kept track of the time. It was already past noon and she had left her house just before dawn. Knowing how long it was taking to finish shaping the stone made Korra wonder if she should send a message to Asami and her family that she would be out a bit longer. In the end, she decided to focus so she would finish sooner.
A couple hours had passed and Korra finally finished shaping the stone. It was perfectly rounded and not too thin, or thick, in nature. However there were a few more things to be done.
"Now, we'll need a small insertion on the top of the opal stone. I would offer to use my mini-drill, but, it's been broken, and I have no money for repairs."
"That's fine, I think there can be a way for me to fire bend and create a small hole."
Korra prepped her hands; she had never made a flame this small, powerful, and precise. She inhaled and from the tips of her pointer and middle finger, she began to make a small straight flame. Took had brought the stone to her and they both supported it while Korra brought the flame towards it. The stone began to heat up and eventually the old man had to let go. Korra held on a bit longer, and after about ten minutes, the hole was perfectly shaped for the chain link to go in.
Once they placed the attached necklace to the stone, there was one more final thing to be done. Korra had to carve a design into the opal stone. When she reached this part, she signed in defeat.
"What's wrong Korra?"
"I'm sorry, I just, I've never settled on what I wanted to put on this stone. It's so beautiful on its own, but I know I need to carve something into it."
Old man Took scooted closer to Korra and place a small frail hand on her shoulder. He coughed lightly and then looked at her.
"The designs imprinted on all betrothal necklaces come from the heart. Many people struggle trying to convey their emotions through art. But like water, it will come flowing onto the stone and rest there permanently."
"I understand…:
"Perhaps you can incorporate a design that shows a secret part of you to them? Or maybe you can create a design based on yourself? Just so you can always give them a piece of you to have."
Korra sat there and thought. She had plenty of time left before night fall. There were a few moments where she would help Took around his house and even help make tea for the both of them. Realizing his limitations in his own house made Korra want to help him even more, especially since he is doing such a kind deed for her. When this was all over, Korra truly wanted to repay him with more than just kindness.
After a while Korra came up with an idea. She had been sitting down meditating and an idea came to her. She grew excited and eagerly told the old man of her idea.
"Inside the Avatar spirit is the spirit of light and goodness, the spirit is called Raava! Raava has an intricate design and I think it would be perfect to put on the stone. That way Asami can always have a piece of me with her!" She realized what she had said, Korra brought up that her friend was a girl, and that she was making the necklace for her. However, the man didn't seem to react, he simply drank his tea and nodded in approval of the idea. Because of this, Korra didn't try to defend herself to him.
"This idea is very original and it clearly portrays a side of you not many get to see. Let's begin with the final step."
Korra first drew the image in her head on a sheet of paper. She would be scaling down the patter on Raava and having it molded into the opal stone. Once she made the final plans on paper she was ready to imprint it on the stone. Took had placed the stone in a metal bracket that would hold it in place while Korra carved the design into it with fire. When Korra was ready she was given a wielder's mask. This was because as Korra dug into the stone from the front, there were a few chances where the stone would fracture and pop out and potentially hit her. Standing in a comfortable position, she began to ready her right hand once more. Then a line of fire came from two of her fingers and she began to carve into the stone.
The process was long and difficult. There was no way for Korra to keep fire bending the entire time. It would take a lot out of her but eventually she would get it done. Perhaps the most difficult part was rounding the crevasses that were created with the fire would imprint on the stone. Korra had to keep the right layer of heat so the design wouldn't look jagged and harsh. As Korra finished one section at a time, the hours began to pass. Evening was here and she was almost done. Her fire traced the last finishing touch, all her concentration was focused on this one stone for so long.
When she finished the last line she pulled back the mask and leaped for joy. After a day's work, she was finally finished with the perfect betrothal necklace. Old man Took entered the room when he heard the fire finally stop; the heat and smoke had been getting to him. When he saw the stone he patted Korra on her back and congratulated her. Afterwards he gave her polishing cloth so she could really make the stone shine. Then he gave her a felt box (similar to ones used for wedding rings) to put the necklace into.
"I'm confident your friend will love their gift."
"I couldn't have made it without your help… I know you do not want to get paid, but please, tomorrow, I'm going to be coming back and I'll give you something greater than money. I'm in ur debt."
"I'm a simple jeweler Korra; I do not need complicated things in my life… However, if you truly feel like this gift is necessary, I'll gladly accept it."
With that, Korra finally left Old man Took's house. When she walked out she finally realized what time it was, it was about 7pm and the sky was already turning dark. Running home was an understatement, Korra had to sprint, and she was worried that her family had been looking for her all day. What began as a small mission turned into a day long one.
Asami had stretched and woke up from her comfy bed. It was beginning to get close, the day that she would have to leave the South Pole. Three months had passed since her arrival here. During this time she had received numerous letters from her company and her employees. Some were written strictly about business, others expressed the amount of people who had missed their boss. Asami had looked over some of them, but she had been primarily focused on Korra.
As she sat up from bed she noticed the stack of letters on her night table. Realizing who they were all from made her remember the responsibility she had back in Republic City. She was grateful for her time with Korra, but she knew she had to go back home. Suddenly Asami felt a wave of sadness in her. Korra would not be coming back to Republic City when she did. There was still something holding Korra back, and it was very obvious in even the most subtle of Korra's behaviors. From being hesitant in taking steps, to even having brutal flash backs to her fight with Zaheer, Korra was far from healed. This only left one more question in Asami's mind, how much longer will it have to be before Korra completely heals? This was the one thing that they wouldn't know until that day finally came. But there had been a sense of weight, what if Korra never completely heals?
They would have to create a new normal. The Avatar would have to live out a cautious life for the rest of her life. It was possible that the world would forget her. Asami gripped her blankets as she became overcome with emotion. Empathy was all she felt for Korra in that moment. Korra must have been so scared of becoming irrelevant, or even useless to the world. No matter what Asami could say or do, that would never be able to mend the hole inside of Korra. A tear fell from her cheek and she began to softly cry. Asami didn't want to return to Republic City. She didn't want to leave Korra's side. But this was the path that she had to take, and it had to be without Korra.
Asami had wiped her tears from her face. Trying to motivate herself out of her bed proved to be difficult. In the end she got out from under the covers and reached for a small compact mirror on her night table. She looked at her eyes, luckily they weren't puffy. Maybe people wouldn't notice that she was crying just now.
After she went through her morning ritual over putting herself together, Asami knocked on Korra's door. There was no answer, so she decided to peak through it and see if Korra was still asleep. To her surprise, Korra wasn't even in bed. Asami entered the room and found a note on Korra's white and blue striped pillow.
Dear Asami,
Please don't fret too much, I just went out to have a walk and finish some errands.
Also, if you could please tell my parents that too, it would be helpful. Thanks!
Love, Korra
Asami placed her hand on her head and let out a sigh. She was a bit worried that Korra would get into trouble. However, she knew she had to trust Korra's judgment. Asami would have to find a few other things to do today.
After a quick breakfast Asami decided to head out into town. She wanted to go to the post office and send a reply to a few of her employees. She was going to update them that she would be leaving the South Pole in a few days and that she expected everything to be in order upon her return.
On her way there, Asami saw a few peculiar things. There had been boot shaped footsteps deep into the snow below her. It seemed like they were fresh. Though Asami was tempted to follow them, (thinking that it could be Korra) she decided not to.
Another odd sight was the old woman down by the market place. She had been chattering about with her friends and playing a game of pi shou. Asami noticed that they were playing much different than how she learned, but figured it must have been different in this side of the world. When she walked by though, she heard something unexpected.
"Yes!... The Avatar came here… She… The old man down ways from here… I wonder… Haven't seen her since."
Though they were just fragments it piqued Asami's interest. However, all she knew was that Korra was here earlier and must have been looking for an old man. It was a shame that no one else knew where she went. So Asami left things at that and kept on her way.
While she was walking down the road, Asami realized there was no reason for her to return back at Korra's house. Both Senna and Tonraq were busy running errands, and Korra was out too. So Asami took this time to go see something before she left. One of these placed happened to be the icy beach.
It didn't take too long to reach the coast; Korra's house was very near the beach. Asami realized she wouldn't call it a beach though, even if it did have sand, it was still uncomfortably cold. Although, if she had Korra, it would be much more enjoyable for her.
While she walked she felt the sand crunch beneath her feet, since it was almost frozen it acted a lot like snow. There wasn't too much animal life there either, not like how it is in Republic City. Usually the coast there has shelled animals, tortoises, and many different birds. It began to almost feel bleak, and Asami didn't want to stay there much longer.
But then, from behind her, she heard a large crash. She turned around frantically only to realize it was a large wave. On the ground was a kneeling waterbender surfer. He looked older than her and had an icy surf board in his arm. He looked up and whipped his hair back from his face. In a cocky manner, he gave a flirtatious look to Asami. She didn't take it lightly and gave him a glare back; if there was one thing Asami Sato didn't appreciate, it was being eye candy.
Leaving the beach was very easy after that. Her only regret was that Korra wasn't there. It didn't even feel like a beach, I still had all my jackets on! She thought to herself in a frustrated tone. Now she would have to find something else to do. I could go look for Korra but it still seems early.
For the rest of Asami's day she went to the local market. There was nothing wrong with keeping herself preoccupied with shopping. Prior to having adventures with Team Avatar, Asami would always make time for buying new things.
Though people would constantly stereotype her as "daddy's little rich girl" who spends all his money, she chose to ignore it. Buying nice new things made her happy, and many times she would donate clothes she just bought to charities. People were rude to her, and she knew this her entire life, but she never let that change her good nature.
She had made her way to many different shops, and most of them were small local businesses. One thing she really had to admire was the traditional clothes from the Water Tribe. Though she was Fire Colonist descent, she did manage to pull off the Water Tribe look, blue looked very nice on her. Her new clothes hugged her body and kept her warm, they were made of the same material as the jacket Senna made her.
On her way back to Korra's house she noticed it was already evening. Once she got inside she placed her bags down and began to hang up her new clothes. She was disappointed though, when she found that Korra wasn't there in her room, she made sure to check.
When she walked into her room she decided to read a book and wait for Korra. Pulled out from her traveling back was a non-fiction book on the stars. It was about the potential future for humans if they decided to go further than the world they were already in. However, as she read those interesting pages, she was still unfocused. Korra was wandering in her mind and though she was reading a book she loved, she struggled reading the black words on the white pages.
When is she coming back… The words traced her mind like words etched on a page. It was beginning to get dark; Asami began to get drowsy. Her eyelids grew heavier and her book began falling. She was entering a light sleep.
Korra finally reached the front porch steps of her house, Naga's head had raised as soon as she caught Korra's scent. Around Korra's belt was a small pouch bag with a waning moon on it (Took's signature). Inside her pouch was of course the specially made necklace inside the felt box. On Korra's face was a smile of excitement. Naga rushed towards her and tackled her on the ground and began to lick her. Though it was only a day that she was gone, the faithful friend still missed her.
"Ow Ow Ow! Calm down girl! Here have this!" Korra reached for her pocket to get out some treats; it was always a good idea to keep some on you.
Naga stuffed her face and quickly went back to showering Korra with affection. For a brief time Korra indulged Naga by playing around with her and her toys. There were a few fetch rounds and when Naga returned with the ball for the seventh time, Korra patted her head and began to go inside.
When Korra walked in there was no sound at all. She remembered that her parents were out, but inside she was hoping Asami was still here. It's not as if she'd leave early right? She grew nervous.
"Asami? Mom? Dad?" she called out as she walked around her house. There was no reply.
Korra began to lose hope that there was anyone inside the house. So she began to her room. As she walked towards it she stopped. Asami's door was partially open, which was rare because she always made sure to keep it shut. Korra decided to quietly peek inside. Her hands grabbed the door and its frame. She peeked and saw that Asami was lying on her bed with a book on her stomach.
"Asami?" She said quietly. There was of course, no reply.
Korra walked into Asami's room, as she opened the door it creaked. Her footsteps were light as she walked towards the bed. Sitting down on the bed next to her, Korra read the title of the book. "Stars: Our Future", guess I learned something new about her today. Korra looked down at the pouch on her side and placed her hand on it. Should I wake her up? I mean she might be disappointed that I returned without letting her know. But then again, she could be very tired. Maybe I should leave a note?
Korra walked to Asami's nightstand and grabbed a pen and paper.
Dear Asami,
I found you sleeping and I wasn't exactly sure if I should've woken you up or let you sleep. Well, instead of just going to bed, I figured it would be better to write you a note. I'm sorry for taking all day to return, but I promise, you'll forgive me.
Just know that I wasn't going to leave you here without an explanation. Tomorrow morning put on your best clothes and wait outside for me at the gate around seven am.
Love, your dearest friend, Korra.
She placed the newly written note and placed it on top of the book that Asami was reading. Once she walked outside her room Korra quietly shut Asami's door. Korra silently left Asami's room and went inside hers to prepare for an exciting day tomorrow. Opening her closet she began to shuffle through her clothes and tried to find the perfect outfit. While going through her clothes she remembered some of Asami's fashion advice. Once she picked out her outfit she counted the coins she had that she would need for tomorrow. When Korra was finally done making preparations, she thought to herself It's going to be *perfect*. Closing her eyelids she thought of the exciting day that would be.
Thank you so much for being patient! This story is beginning to come to a close within the next two chapters. The reason for the slight hiatus was because of midterms and college business, so I hope you all can forgive. Thank you so much for sticking around and please look forward to another update in a few days.
Thanks for the support!