Korra found herself lying on the ground, too drained to even move. The exhaustion was to the point where it wasn't even worth the energy and effort to curl up into a ball for warmth, and her face was numb to the cold snowflakes as they fell onto her bruised and cut up cheek. Her mind urged her body move with every ounce of willpower she could muster, but her body did not comply. The crimson armor, scrapped and burnt, felt like an anchor pinning her down onto the earth for what seemed like an eternity.
She didn't mind one bit. Even on the hard icy ground, she felt relaxed. Almost at peace...
"Stupid girl."
Korra gasped in pain as the army boot kicked her hard in the stomach. She gripped her gut tightly, her coughs misting in the cool arctic air. They were outdoors again in the frigid cold, and through her sweat and tears, she blinked, and saw the visage of the man that she had known for as long as she could remember, and who she had come to loath and fear at the same time.
"I said five hundred fire squats!" The Warden spat impatiently. "You're not leaving this parade square until you've done them all."
Korra gritted her teeth in pain, adrenaline and hatred surging through her at the same time, and giving her the strength to pull herself back up onto her feet. She had usually made it a point to disobey the Warden, but today, she stood out of habit, she wasn't in the mood to spend another week in solitary.
"You aren't going to cry about it, are you my dear?" The warden smiled derisively.
"No..." Korra frowned as she gripped her fists tight, a tinge of angry defiance evident in her voice, but the warden didn't seem to mind. Instead, he smiled, pleased that Korra was at last learning the value of discipline.
"Good. At least you've progressed that much. Now continue." He stood back, content to watch his pupil get back to work. "And remember, failure is never an option."
Blinking back the tears and wiping the sweat from her face. Korra ignored the aching soreness in her ribs, and pressed on.
________________________________
Two weeks later
The waves and spray of the ocean was comforting for Korra, for it meant another extended break on the surface to rest and refill the air tanks. Aside from the relief it provided to her aching stomach (which hadn't gotten any more used to travelling in a sub), it was her refuge from the recurring nightmares and daydreams that plagued her sleep during the journey.
The memories had gotten more vivid, and stronger as the days went by, and she did her best to hide it from the others with her calm demeanor. The memories of the warden and the prison had always aroused many feelings within her; fear, admiration, hatred, bitterness. Yet, despite those memories, it didn't change the fact that for better or worse, the prison had been her home, she had grown up with the people there. In the harsh tundras of the South Pole, everyone came together to try and survive the elements.
And people like the warden were part of that 'family'. No matter how twisted that sounded. And the same thought kept gnawing at the edge of Korra's mind, growing in intensity and dread as they approached closer and closer to the South Pole to face her past.
What am I going to do?
She had lost track of the days since they left port, and most of it was spent underwater, dodging the Fire Navy Patrols and any Wolf Tail raiders as well. Having technically kidnapped the Avatar from Yue City, Noatak couldn't afford to take the chance that any nearby 'friendly' wolf packs would be ordered to bring her back in.
