[Illah] Gone for Good

[Kalanni]

Standing on top of that huge hill, just under the rising moon. The place Kalanni never wanted to see again. Her home. She just couldn't take anymore of it. No. She was done. I'm not going back there. Ever again. No more acting like a "proper lady" or just using the best of manners, making no point in life. No more living just to please the ones older than you. Kalanni cracked a small smile between her lips. She almost laughed as she turned around, and began to walk away from the only life that she had ever known.

Or, at least the life her parents had always thought she had known. They didn't know about her nightly adventures to the parks to practice waterbending, or even the fact that she was a waterbender. The tried so much to blend in with the rest of Republic City, and to disown their water tribe heritage. The didn't even know that their only daughter was running away right in front of their noses. They won't even notice I'm gone. At least not until they want to introduce me to some "houseguest."

Taking a deep breath, Kalanni ran, all the way to the park. The lake shone as the full moon cast its light upon it. She sat back, admiring the view. The humidity around her, the fog from the descending clouds, surronded her like they were her home. Her true home. She could feel the power that could come from every water particle in the clouds around her. She could bend the water in the lake to ice, like the northern water tribe where she came from. She took a deep breath, admiring the moment, waiting for something to happen.

[Illah Karu]

The soft breeze coming from Yue Bay swayed Illah’s long hair and made strands of it escape the neat braid she’d put some effort into making. She closed her eyes, long eyelashes tickling her lower eyelids as the wind danced up and down and around her. The moon was rising and the night was beautiful. It was a rare thing for her to experience such calmness.

She sat cross-legged on a bigger than average rock near the pond. There were smaller ones placed around in a kind of formation that she guessed was supposed to be art of some kind. She could not really see it. The sea breeze was making the summer night rather chilly and Illah was beginning to regret not wearing her jacket, opting to leave it at the hotel for the day. She felt goose bumps rise on her arms and massaged them to feel warmer to little avail. Her get up was not one to be worn on chilly nights.

She was dressed in a blue-gray sleeveless vest which reached down to her thighs. It was tied from the waist with a wide black satin sash, a gift she had once received from Maruk. She also wore dark gray trousers and slightly faded and worn out knee-high leather boots. It was pretty much her best outfit, for she had spent the day in the better gambling dens and parlors, trying desperately to score enough to live on. Needless to say it had not gone so well as she’d have wanted, otherwise she would not be sitting in the park feeling defeated.

As she was contemplating her next move, trying not to think about how little money she’d made and how much she’d lost, Illah spotted some movement just in the borders of her peripheral vision. She turned to look and saw a person coming to the pond. Illah raised her eyebrows at this, for on closer inspection this person seemed to be a girl. Alone at this time of night, on this neighborhood? What foolishness.

Smiling to herself, Illah rose from the rock and started carefully walking towards the newcomer. She contemplated on trying to mug her, but decided against it seeing how she’d had almost no luck the whole day. Spirits did not seem to favor thieves and charlatans.

“Don’t you know it’s dangerous to wander around at night?” she called to her when she came closer and smiled amusedly.

[Kalanni]

"Do you know it's dangerous to wander around at night?"

Kalanni didn't even react by spinning around to face her company. All she did was blink. "It doesn't matter," she said in a cool voice. "I'm not scared of danger." She continued to look at the lake as it mesmerized her by its power. I wonder how I'll get my dinner tonight. Maybe I could waterbend some fish out of the lake. Fishing was illeagal, she knew, but she was outside the law now. She wanted to leave Republic City as soon as possible and explore the world. Besides, it wasn't really fishing, just waterbending bubbles with fish inside of them.

Kalanni finally turned to the other person who was there with her. "Hello," she decided to greet. She's looking amused. Maybe that's why she told me it's dangerous to be out in the streets at night. She's the so-called danger. Well, I'm not going to let her mug me, if that's what she's thinking. Ha, I don't even have anything that she can steal. Kalanni turned to her only other companion she had brought with her out on her journey. Her loyal polar dog Nasa. Unless she wants a polar dog that will probably bite her for taking her away from me, then she's got nothing to steal.

Kalanni smiled slyly in turn, and faced the stranger. "Hungry?" she asked as she lifted her arms,slowly bringing three fish out of the lake in a large bubble. She released her grip on the bubble as it came overland, and walked over to the fish. She picked them up and tossed one to Nasa, who immediately gobbled hers up. She then held one in her hand, and tossed the other one to the stranger. "Keep it," she said as she turned back to the lake and began munching on her raw fish.

[Illah Karu]

Illah had to bite her lip to resist the urge to laugh at the poor girl’s response. The tone of her voice, her posture, everything seemed to indicate that she was trying to play tough. Maybe she was, Illah didn’t know, but the way she presented herself made Illah think of herself when she had been a naïve, arrogant teenager getting curb stomped by a big old pirate.

“Being scared of danger is not a bad thing necessarily. There’s no need for bravery if there’s no fear,” she mused, surprising herself with her sudden spout of philosophical wisdom. She didn’t know she had it in her.

Illah took a couple of steps to the side when she spotted the polar dog, but the beast didn’t make her anxious, more like curious. It had been a long time since she had last seen one; after all she had not visited the poles after she was six years old. Seeing a real live polar dog made her feel a sense of nostalgia and she would have gone closer to find out if it was friendly, but in her experience it was better to be safe than sorry with wild animals.

When the girl started waterbending the pond she had Illah’s full attention. Waterbending was not anything new for her, she had lived with pirates hailing from the Northern Tribe for a decade or more and not all of them were non-benders like her. She had often sparred with them and knew to be mindful of the patterns of their movements and attacks.

When the fishes popped out of the pond in their little water bubbles, she clapped her hands enthusiastically, dodging the fish the girl threw at her.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t partake in raw fish. I like to keep my intestines free of any unwanted guests,” she replied to her, grabbing the poor little fish from its tail and watching it wriggle in her grip before she threw it back into the pond.

“But thanks for the offer anyway. So…Are you from the Tribes or are you perchance a native of Republic City? Seems like I run into a lot of Water tribesmen around these parts. Wonder if there’ll be any left on the poles in a couple of years,” Illah inquired, not really expecting the girl to answer her.

[Kalanni]

Kalanni held back a sigh. So much for trying to be friendly. She dug her fingers into the ground as this stranger she didn't even know the name of asked her where she came from. Well, she knew the real answer. The Northern Water Tribe, even though I've never been there. My parents decided to move to Republic City and completely ignore their heritage. "I come from the Northern Water Tribe. I'm on my way there now."

Even as she said it, Kalanni realized it was true. Before, she had just been traveling without a destination. But now, she knew where she was going. Her true home. But what she said might be true. There may not be any waterbenders at the tribe within a few years. They'll all be coming here. She turned to the other girl with her. "So what's you're name?" she asked, remembering that she still didn't know. "I'm Kalanni."

As Kalanni talked to the stranger, she wondered why she was acting like the that. That's not like most people I know. She's not thinking of herself as more important than everyone else around her, or just bragging about her life. She didn't even say anything after she saw me waterbend. Not how she could firebend a lot better or there would be no way that I could beat her while she was earthbending.

Kalanni looked and saw that she had had some interaction with Nasa. "Down, girl," she called as Nasa bounded back to her and settled on her lap. She ran her fingers through Nasa's fur, straitening it out. She didn't know where she would be without her little loyal polar dog. She had been with Nasa since she was a little girl. She had raised her as a polay puppy against her parents' will. She knew Nasa would never hurt anyone, but she could understand why the stranger might have thought that she would hurt her.

I wonder if she even is a bender? Kalanni tried to be friendly with her company, and ask her about herself rather than telling her everything about her life. "So," she asked, feeling a little strange. "Are you from around here?"

[Illah Karu]

”Oh, the Northern Tribe? I know many people from there, though I’ve never been there myself,” Illah replied thinking back on her pirating days. She had been the only female on board and the youngest when she first joined. Most of the crew had been grizzled middle aged men, the size of giants and made of big muscles and bulging sinew and thick veins. Every one of them had left the Northern Tribe for some reason or another; theft, murder, just not fitting in, she had heard all kinds of interesting back stories.

As the girl called her polar dog away, Illah could relax a little. She watched as the animal settled onto Kalanni’s lap and decided it was probably safe to get closer. Kalanni seemed to have a handle on the beast, and if she didn’t, well Illah had her knife on her belt, hidden from curious eyes.

She walked the short distance between them with a brisk pace and seated herself next to her, half an arm’s length away. She looked at the girl for a moment, assessing her looks and thought she didn’t look like your typical Water Tribe girl. Her skin seemed rather light, even in the dim light of night, at least when she compared it to her own dark tan. She wondered if this was a thing in the Northern Tribe. All the pirates had been pretty tan, but then again they worked the boat in full sunlight all year long. Otherwise, she thought the girl looked rather pretty. She had a nice scarless face, unlike her.

“I’m Illah. You have a pretty name Kalanni,” she told her and rubbed her arms again for warmth. Lately she seemed to run into people with pretty and cute names; there had been that one Totomi guy at the Orchid Lounge. Though in Kalanni’s case the name made more sense, she was a girl after all.

“Hmm? Oh no, I wouldn’t say so. I’m from the Southern Tribe more or less. Have not been there in ages though,” she replied to her thinking if her old home was still there or if some other family was inhabiting their house. She wondered how much the poles had changed during the time she had spent away; she had been gone for almost three decades after all. Most likely everything she knew was no more.

“So, you’re going to buy passage on a steamer then? Ah, sorry. Of course you are, unless you plan to swim. Though…you are a waterbender so maybe that would work…” Illah chuckled, not meaning to sound rude, though maybe she came off that way. She wondered if any waterbender had ever tried to cross the oceans by bending alone. That would’ve made for a fantastic tale to say the least.

[Kalanni]

"Well, you have a very pretty name too, Illah," Kalanni replied, smiling in spite of herself. How sweet she is. I never knew there were people in the world who would compliment people other than themselves. I guess she's what they would call normal.

Kalanni almost laughed along with Illah as she asked how she would get to the north pole. Obviously the best and easiest way would be to take a ship. Well, the same way the avatar did it. She felt her empty pockets. Well, pretty hard to get on a ship when you don't have any money. "I think I'm still figuring that out. I can't exactly take a steamship, as I can't afford a ticket. So I guess I'm stuck walking. This is going to take a long time, but I'm sure sooner or later I'll make it. Yeah. In ten years.

Kalanni suppressed a sigh. Maybe I should have bothered to take enough money to buy a ship ticket. Then at least we would be able to get out of here. But that wasn't the kind of person Kalanni was. She wouldn't steal from her parents, even if they would never notice that some of their money was suddenly gone, along with their daughter. Kalanni even hated to think of that word. Daughter. She hated to remember that she once had parents, a family. She was their only child. But I never had a family that loved me for who I really was. She continued running her finger's through Nasa's white fur. The comforting presence of her companion soothed Kalanni, and gave her the feeling that sooner or later, everything would be alright. Nasa's the only family I have, she realized.

Kalanni remembered that she had company with her as her thoughts suddenly came back to the present. "So where are you heading?" she asked Illah. She didn't know much about her, maybe Illah would be someone she could get to know better. Maybe even...befriend?

[Illah Karu]

Illah looked at Kalanni as she gave her a compliment and smiled awkwardly, though she doubted if the girl could make out all the details of her expression in the dim light of the park. She had no particular sentiments about her name; she didn’t really know what significance it had held for Yorn or what it meant. Knowing her father, it was just a random collection of sounds he had stacked together or maybe something he had heard someone say. People usually held their names in high esteem as they were an important part of one’s identity, but Illah had never felt that. She had never felt the joy of being called by her real name, maybe because there had been very little affection in her life as she was growing up. Illah was just something she was called, but she could have just as easily adopted another name. Many times she had done just that.

“Yet I always keep returning to Illah…Just as I return here, no matter how many times I get burned,” she thought and shook her head a little.
She focused her attention on Kalanni again as the girl talked about her plans to travel to the North Pole. She seemed to be in a penniless situation, much like herself.

“Well…It’s not like you have to always pay for a passage. I’ve been in a financially desperate situation many a time and with careful planning and some luck travel expenses just take care of themselves,” she told her in an encouraging tone and smiled wickedly.

“I’ve had to stowaway a couple of times to get out of the Earth Kingdom. It’s really not something to be ashamed of. Desperate situations often require desperate measures. Or if you’re one of those honest types, there’s always the possibility of working to pay for your passage,” Illah figured, grimacing slightly at the idea of working at a boat that was not hers.

She sighed quietly. Owning her own boat would have been a dream come true, but she had no way of financing it. And what would she do with it anyway? Piracy was as good as dead, though she guessed there was always hope in smuggling. A smile crept to her lips at the thought and she wondered if there was a way of making this funny dream a reality.

Kalanni’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts and for a moment she just stared at the girl, mouth hanging slightly open and eyes wide. What was the question again? Ah, yes where was she going..?

“Hmm…I suppose I could do with a change in scenery. It’s weird to stay in one place for more than a few weeks. Maybe I’ll visit the South Pole next, who knows. I don’t really plan ahead. I just go where ever I feel like going,” she replied with a laugh.

[Kalanni]

Kalanni nodded, feeling that she needed a change of scenery too. She yearned to feel the crunch of snow under her feet, not the roads if Republic City. But she's right. There's more ways to get transportation other than just buyinga ship ticket. But...I don't think Nasa and I can afford to steal. If I did, I don't think I'd ever be able to live with myself.

Something, some voice inside Kalanni, was telling her that sooner or later, in some way, everything would become right. But that time wasn't now, and she had to be patient. Without knowing why, she listened to that voice influencing her thoughts. For some reason, that voice felt powerful and knowledgeable.

Turning her thoughts on something else, Kalanni remembered what else Illah had said. I don't really plan ahead. I just go whetever I feel like going. Her heart leaping, an idea began to form in her mind.

Growing up, Kalanni was never taught to be social, and never really had any friends, other than Nasa. All she relly cared about was Nasa, and her waterbending. Her waterbending isolated her from the other girls her age. She had a special talent different from most of them, and he practiced it as much as she could. And when she did, she practiced it alone. Because she had never really had any friends, she didn't have any social skills, or any companion other than Nasa.

Maybe... Kalanni began to think. No. I can't ask her to do that, especially since I just met her. But...oh, why did I get all excited about this. She probably won't sy ues, that's asking too much from her. Then again, there's no harm in trying.

"Say, Illah, Kalanni began, her heart racing. "Wo-would you like to travel with us to the North Pole?"

[Illah Karu]

Saying Kalanni’s question took Illah by surprise would have been a gross understatement. The older woman was so taken back by the girl’s proposition that she almost choked on her own spit while taking in breath. She tried to mask it by making a point of clearing her throat, but one did not need to be a genius to realize she was feeling flustered.

And even so she did not decline her offer right there on the spot, even though a responsible adult would have done just that and sent her home to her family. Or something like that. What did she really know? Her father had never shown her how a responsible adult (and parent) handled a child or a teen or whatever Kalanni was, and Maruk had just treated her like she was an adult herself, responsible or no. Illah was at a complete loss as to what would be the right thing to do in a situation like this.

“Well it’s not like I’m not interested in seeing the North Pole but…what makes you think I’d be an ideal travel companion? You’ve known me for a few minutes,” she finally said, and kept the fact that she thought she knew more about Kalanni at this point than Kalanni knew about her, to herself.

The way the girl acted, her trusting behavior and obstinacy told Illah that she had not grown up on the streets. Unless of course this was all an elaborate trick and she was trying to swindle her, but Illah doubted it.

“How do you know you can trust me?” she asked, a very good question in her opinion.

Illah was not a really good person, at least from a moral standpoint. She was a thief, a gambler and sometimes she was a liar too. She was not the sort of person people would want to hang around with no matter how nice she seemed, unless they were thieves, gamblers and liars themselves.