Chapter 450: The Will to Fight
Korra flinched, missing a stroke with her comb. "I’m fine," she said, her voice a bit too quick, a bit too bright.
I hesitated, gripping the skirt of my night dress with both hands. One brush stroke, two, then three. "Korra, are you, um, sure?"
"Oh, wait, are you talking about last night?" She forced a chuckle, but her next tug on my hair felt even more forceful. "Why wouldn’t I be fine? It was just a little...startling."
Even someone as dense and selfish as me could see that she wasn’t all right. But what was I supposed to say when she was so clearly denying it? What if she snapped at me or, worse, pushed me away? I was supposed to go to Korra for comfort and advice, not the other way around!
Feeling more than a little helpless, my grip on my skirt tightened, and my tail began to twitch anxiously. I flinched as it brushed against Korra’s ankle, and she glanced down, a frown creasing her lips. But instead of ignoring it or teasing me, she sighed and lowered the comb. I shrank back as she rested her hand on my head and began to rub gently between my horns.
"Xiviyah," she said softly, "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. I just, well...I don’t like talking about things like this."
I shivered, biting my lip. "You don’t trust me?"
"What? No!" she exclaimed, her fingers tightening on my head, gently curling around strands of my hair. "Why would you even say something like that?"
I lowered my head, my voice barely a whisper. "I-It’s how I always felt. I just thought you might—"
"It’s not that at all," she interrupted, her voice firm but gentle. "I trust you more than anyone else, Xiviyah. Even if Soltair and the church always tried to manipulate you, you don’t have to be scared of telling me anything. I didn’t realize just how much you kept hidden from me, just how terrible the things you’ve seen. You can talk to me."
"I...no, Korra, this isn’t about me," I said, my eyes welling up with tears. "I want to be there for you too."