As I Fall: LOK

Chapter Ten

As the group huddled around Naga, Korra's polar bear dog, they prepared themselves for the journey ahead.

Fixing the hat securely on her head, and double checking that all her helpful tools were on her body or in her bag, Haitana gave a small nod— of almost approval.

Korra stepped forward with a new determination, catching the attention of the group. "Wait, I'm sorry, but I'm not going with you," she informed, like she had something else on her mind.

"What?"

"Why not?"

"I'm sick and tired of hiding from Amon. It's time I face him," Korra explained certainly, holding a fierce fire behind her eyes. Haitana could tell that this had been exhausting for her— after all these people had been dealing with the equalists for much longer than she had. It had only been a day for the zoologist, and she was already getting tired of it.

Shrugging, Haitana agreed with Korra, knowing that it wasn't her place to interject. But it seemed not everyone was on the same page, especially not Iroh. "That's not a good plan. We need to stick together," he defied, wanting to keep everyone in a group.

"I'm not waiting for him to hunt me down. My guts tell me it's time to end this, on my terms," she argued, crossing her arms.

Iroh looked up to her with concern, trying to convince her otherwise. "Korra, this is not a mission you should be handling alone," he warned, wanting her to reconsider.

But, Mako stepped up, surprising Asami who seemed to direct some of her bitterness and anger at him. "She won't be. I'm going with you," he assured, making Asami raise her eyebrows. Haitana wasn't sure what was going on with this group, but she wasn't certain she wanted to know.

"You don't have to do that," Korra said, but didn't exactly mean. Everyone could tell that she had wanted him to come with her even if she stated otherwise.

Mako nodded anyway, "yes, I do," he disagreed, again causing Asami to direct her gaze off to the distance in a new melancholic way.

Bringing a hand to his chin in deep though, Iroh hummed out as the wheels turned in his brain with a turmoil. "Hmm ... My grandfather would respect the Avatar's instinct," he began slowly, moving his hand down. "So will I."

And so, their journey began, going separate ways with different tasks. Bolin approached Mako, evidence of worry written all over the features of his face. "Love you, little bro," Mako said, hugging him.

"Love you back, big bro," Bolin replied, then walking up to Korra with sadness. "Korra, Amon is a nasty dude. Be careful," he warned, even though he might have no real advice to add to the situation.

Hugging Bolin anyway, Korra still smiled. "I will," she promised. "Good luck. If you're going into the mountains, you should bring Naga," she said, hugging Naga. Turning her attention to Haitana, she gave her a nod, and the girl approached the Avatar. "You can look after her for me, right?" She asked, knowing Haitana had a well rounded education on animals.

"I'm sure it will be the other way around," Haitana let out humorously, trying to lighten up the grievous mood of a goodbye. Taking the reigns of Naga, she walked away sporting a nod with Bolin who appeared to be almost in tears.

The two waited for Asami, who was speaking with Mako, when Haitana realized something. She groaned out, sorting through the small whistles on her wrist with furrowed eyebrows.

Asami approached the group, taking noticed to Haitana's frustration. "What's wrong?" She asked the girl with confusion, looking around for what might be delaying them.

"Naga can only carry about three hundred pounds, and considering that the base is about seventy miles up the mountain with an altitude of about—"

"So, what are you getting at?" Iroh cut of her rambling, not following what she was trying to say, and growing impatient with her for stopping them from leaving as soon as possible.

Haitana rolled her eyes, as she was just getting to the point. "What I'm getting at," she almost jived in annoyance. "Is that she won't be able to carry all of us."

"So," Bolin started with worry. "What do we do?"

Finally finding the whistle she was looking for, she pulled it out from the little loop it was hooked in, placing it by her lips. "Oh, I love how you think I don't already have a plan," she joked, before blowing the whistle out into the air.

The sound traveled, intertwining with the carrying wind, and finally reaching the eardrums of a lonely buffalo yak. They were used mainly by the Northern Water Tribe for the sole use of transportation and carrying supplies, and it would be a perfect escort in the snowy mountains.

Sprinting up to the group, Bolin yelped upon seeing its large tusks as it approached with a scary fast pace. Jumping behind Haitana, he shouted out. "Na! Hurry! Scary beast— get rid of it!"

The girl could only roll her eyes, motioning with her hand for the animal to halt, and he stopped right in front of Haitana as he realized this was the person that had called him. "Bolin, get up," she commanded his cowering figure. "It's not a beast, it's my ride."

"Wow!" He said with realization, trying to pet the large animal. "Na, have I ever told you that you are so amazi—"

"Crazy," Iroh cut him off with the shake of his head, like he was in disbelief. "You're crazy. You can just call animals? How did you learn all this stuff?"

Haitana pulled some make shift reigns from her bag of many belongings, beginning to drape them over the buffalo yak's body with ease. "Yeah... crazy," she muttered bitterly under her breath. "Remember that crazy saved your life once, and it might just save you again," she warned ominously, causing him to shut up.

It was true, Haitana had saved him, and Iroh also knew that she saved his grandfather. Hard to believe at first, he noticed how this girl revealed herself to be more and more mysterious. The more she revealed, the less he knew, if that was even possible.

He was sure, at first, that it was a mistake. When his grandfather told the story of the young girl who stopped a Unagi attack, Iroh was sure it was just pure coincidence— even though his mother and Lord Masaru seemed to believe it without question.

But now, it seemed more believable.

Something in him ached to solve this mystery that was Haitana. Why she knew so much about animals, why she moved to Republic City, and most importantly, why she made him feel so on edge since he met her.

"Whatever you say, Fauna," he jeered, mounting onto Naga.