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"I — I'm here because someone I care about was captured, and I don't want him to die," she finally replied.
My eyes flew to the captured man.
"Gods no! Not him!" she said quickly. "He's one of the ones who will kill the person I'm trying to save."
That was madness. Human attachment was selfish and hollow. I'd always felt bad for those who succumbed to it.
"I will help you."
Who — what?
It took me a moment to realize the words had come from my own lips.
What was I doing?! But once words were born they could not be taken back.
She looked up at me with surprise.
"Thank you!" she said, voice warm and melodic. "I — I don't want to offend you, but your korra is unlike anything I've ever seen before. What are you?"
"I am Rien."
She chuckled and began to speak again, but her stomach rumbled softly.
"What was that?" I asked, tilting my head.
"I am wondering if you are human or —" she said.
"No, not that." I shook my head. "You are hungry? I will help your stomach. Then, I will help you."
She smiled again, and I felt taller, somehow.
My body must be in its twenties … did they still grow at that age?
Brushing the thoughts away, I reached out to the forest, and vines emerged from the darkness carrying fruits and nuts to … Kaiya.
Her scream made my spine straighten, and I prepared myself to throw the fruit and nuts at whatever was about to attack.
I felt around, but there were no threats.
"Are you scared of fruit?" I asked, holding up the items.
Frozen, she stared at them, then at the fruit and nuts my vines held and let out a soft laugh, shoulders dropping.
Cocking my head to the side, I slid back my hood and reached for a polear. "See? They're safe."
The woman just watched me, though. Those pale brows lifted, and her bright mossy eyes went wide as they met mine.
Even her cheeks turned a pretty pink.
"I — thank you," she said, voice husky. "I'm sorry for screaming. It was just — a bit surprising. And you look — you're beaut — handso — er —" The pink in her cheeks deepened as she searched for the words. "I mean not old."
"Oh, no," I reassured her. "I am very, very old."
She stared at me for a minute, then shook her head and said something beneath her breath.
I grabbed another polear from the vine and passed it to her.
She looked from it to me, then up at the sky. "Thank you," she said, pressing her hand to my arm. "But you need to get away from here. Frexin —"
