Korra

thrilling to think, poor child of sin - it was the dead who groaned within

The bite of the wind tore at her coarse tresses as the savage moved slowly through the forest, satisfied with how the woods were returning to their former power. The memory of the fire was growing ever distant, and since the Earth God removed her bodily scars as well as the scars of the lands, everything would soon return to normal. That was something Korra appreciated. Autumn was here at last, leaves turning hastily orange and the temperatures finally settling on a more merciful level. Sturdy legs carried her surefootedly over the treacherous forest floor, never settling for the paths, always creating her own. It had been days since she had seen any of the other herdmembers, and it suited her fine. In these forests, she had the upper hand; should she want to find someone, she would.

Suddenly, a call pierced through the dull stillness of the forest. Small lobes perked attentively, recognizing the voice as that of her liege king, calling to gather the herd. Usually, she wouldn’t take much care of such calls, for mostly they meant introducing new members, which didn’t interest her in the slightest. But this time there was a certain urgency in the call, and it made the barbarian twitch uncomfortably. For a few moments, an internal fight ensued, but in the end she yielded. The shaggy creature hadn’t seen Mauja since returning with him from the Steppe, but she kept track of him as she did with the other members of the herd. Korra was confident the pale stag hadn’t discovered her little massacre on that bird who had recently intruded, but you could never be sure with him. Hopefully, that idiotic sorrel stallion had kept his jaws shut.

A harsh snort emitted her, reluctantly the savage started moving forward. Lengthening her stride, she dropped her nape to a horizontal level to keep her antlers from tangling in the overhanging branches. Smells of many different individuals filled her nostrils as she came closer, with every step the urge to turn around and leave grew stronger, but she clenched her teeth and walked on. Russet figure ceased movement at the very periphery of the clearing, barely distinguishing herself from the shadows that engulfed her. Brown eyes search out the frosty king, making sure to catch his eye, letting him know of her presence. Glance then sweeps past the other creatures, noticing that the other female warriors had gone and gotten themselves knocked up. A grimace of disgust passed over her unwelcoming façade, turning her attention back to Mauja to hear the purpose of the meeting. She would be one of the last to arrive and the first to leave.