Sharing the Vagabond 》Desna x OC x Eska

Chapter Ten: New Life

The next Glacier Spirits Festival came just shy of one year after the wedding, and Kaida was very excited to attend, being that it would be her first time going, and her first trip to the South as the wife of the Chiefs. She was practically jittering with excitement in the weeks leading up to the trip, and had her bags completely packed a week before their date of departure. Although she adored the North Pole, and loved her husband and wife beyond words, she was a traveler at heart, and her wanderlust had been eating at her for months. And truthfully, both Desna and Eska found her eagerness adorable.

The excitement wore off as soon as they set sail. Within hours, Kaida grew sick, and her stomach lurched at every crash of the waves against the ship. She had never been seasick before, but in hindsight, she'd always done most of her travel on land, so her best guess was that her sea legs were simply out of practice, unfamiliar with the sensation of being on the water.

Desna and Eska took turns sitting beside her, holding her hair and rubbing her back, frowns seemingly permanent on their faces as they watched the woman they loved be so endlessly sick, without being able to help much. The best they could do was alternate taking watch at the helm of the ship, and soothing the waves a bit with their bending. It helped only slightly; she no longer threw up quite as frequently, but she was still nauseous for the entirety of the trip. She scarcely ate, as she typically lost whatever she ingested shortly afterward, and she mostly slept, exhausted from being so ill. When she succumbed to a deep slumber was the only time that the twins left her side to stretch their legs or get some air.

They had tried numerous times to convince her that they should just return to Agna Qel'a, but her stubbornness prevailed, determined to have her little adventure at the festival. Ultimately, they relented, so long as she promised to rest and recover as soon as they arrived at the Southern Water Tribe, and she agreed readily.

It felt like the longest trip any of them had taken; for Kaida, because her sea sickness was unrelenting, and for Desna and Eska, because their worry for her wellbeing was unrelenting. It truly seemed to be the sea that ailed her, because as soon as they docked, her sickness subsided, although she was still fatigued – and hungry, having barely eaten over the past week's journey. Nevertheless, she couldn't stop smiling once they arrived, and her excitement only increased when she saw the crowd that had gathered at the dock to greet the Chiefs and their new bride. Among them were Korra, her parents, and her usual companions, all waving cheerily to the three as they exited the ship.

Korra wrapped all three of them up in a hug as soon as they were within arms reach, much to the dismay of Desna and Eska, although Kaida smiled and returned the embrace.

"It's so good to see you all! I haven't seen you since the wedding!" Korra exclaimed as she released them and took a step back. "How's married life treating you guys?"

"Not well, from the looks of Kaida," Bolin observed bluntly, taking in the bags under Kaida's eyes and the way she leaned on Eska slightly. Asami instantly smacked him in the arm and gave him a pointed look. "Sorry! I didn't mean that you look bad! You just look exhausted, that's all."

Kaida merely chuckled, "You're not wrong, Bolin. My sea legs aren't what they used to be. I've been sick for the entire trip."

"Well, let's get you some food and a nice, warm, immobile bed," Senna said with a warm smile, wrapping her arm around Kaida's shoulders and guiding her toward the Southern palace, and the twins followed closely behind as they exchanged pleasantries with their aunt, uncle, and cousin.

Kaida ate a bit, then slept all afternoon, regaining her strength while her spouses visited with Chief Tonraq about tribal matters. She was still fairly tired upon waking up that evening, but was eager to explore the Glacier Spirits Festival. With a bright, excited smile plastered on her face, she flitted from booth to booth, Desna and Eska in tow. As always, they had little to no interest in the festivities, but they simply adored the way her eyes lit up when her expert aim won her a prize or found an interesting booth to shop in.