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Korra suddenly felt like she was a little girl again and giggled as a lightning bug brushed against her cheek. Her giggle echoed aroud the clearing since the woods were quiet except for the crickets and the stream. Hearing Eric's call, she ignored it. Too busy loving the feel of being so care-free and childish. The lightning bugs floated around and she closed her eyes as a gentle, cool breeze blew. Goosebumps traveled along her body and a shiver went down her spine but she was feeling too good to care.

Opening her eyes, she took off her boots and slipped her feet into the ice cold stream. It gently flowed around her as she stood in the middle of the stream. Sharp rocks pricking at the bottom of her feet except she didnt notice as they became numb with the cold. But she remember when she used to run outside in the snow in nothing but shorts and a tank top. This was practically summer time to her and hardly effected her. Though her body was freezing, she felt oddly at peace as the breeze picked up again.

Aiden started back to the ship, seeming relaxed and happy about something. "It went very well. One extra crew member will be joining us. He will be second in command and at my level. He will be treated as if he were a captain himself," he made his orders clear.

Eric muttered curses under his breath about women running off on their own. Besides that, despite his uniform jacket, he was getting cold. What must Korra be feeling? He had half a mind to go home, but facing Daryn's imminent return--and the captain's--he was not looking forward to that conversation should he return without her. Or with her, for that matter. He rubbed his face, pausing to exhale warmly on his frigid fingers.

"Korra!" He yelled again, a slight edge to his voice this time. "It's time to get back to the ship! If Daryn and Aiden find you gone, there's gonna be hell to pay!" For him, mostly. On both sides.

Daryn frowned and glanced sidelong at the captain. "Another captain?" The only second-in-command he could have seen was either Eric, himself, or Korra. But to have a complete stranger come on board that would even outrank Eric, it didn't make sense. Even if they were from another ship, they wouldn't be on their own like this, it would technically still be desertion if they joined another crew.

"Who is it?"

Korra heard Eric but still was reluctant to move. It all felt too free and good for her, it wouldnt last long but she would draw it out as long as she could. The moon lit up the small clearing she was in but she could still see the fireflies. Watching them, she felt at ease and lifted her hand from her pocket stretching it out towards one. Lightly, it landed on her finger and lit up the skin around it. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips and she let it fly away.

Another breeze blew as she tilted her head back to look up at the moon. Clouds flitted across it slowly but the light was always there. Closing her eyes lightly, she didnt notice her shivering. The trees were dense but not enough to keep the light from the clearing to shine through onto the path.

Aiden glanced over his shoulder at Daryn then smiled. "You'll see tommorrow. But tonight i want you to spend time with Korra," he said as they stepped onto the docks. Walking towards the ship, Aiden paused as he saw the loading bay open, a frown flitting across his features. It was freezing out and Eric shouldve known better than to leave it open. Quickening his pace, he stepped on board and was quick to search the hallways, engine room, dining room, and bedrooms but to not come across either. "Daryn. Their gone." he said with his back to Daryn so that he couldnt see the panic in Aiden's eyes.

Eric cursed and muttered under his breath as he fretted and continued to move forward through the path. Korra had to have gone back to the ship by now; he was getting cold and he wore a jacket.

"I'm heading back to the ship!" he yelled at long last, hearing his voice echo and frighten the animals around him briefly into silence. With a sigh, he trudged back the way he had come. Maybe, with any luck, he'd run into Korra on the way back.

Daryn nodded and fell silent, contemplating all the possible people who would join them. To be of equal rank as Aiden... For a moment his heart raced. Could it be? No. No, that was impossible. His father was a wanted man, a criminal for desertion, but surely if Aiden had been kind enough to grant pardon to Daryn, he'd do the same for his father.

And then they were back to the ship. He froze seeing the loading bay doors open, and didn't bother following Aiden inside, except to stand at the doors. It was far too quiet inside the ship.

"Where could they have gone?" Daryn asked, his voice hoarse as he imagined what had to have transpired.

And then he spotted movement around the far end of the ship and he climbed back down to the dock to see Eric coming towards them. Alone.

The cold was seeping into Korra and starting to make her feel sleepy. So she reluctantly trudged out of the stream and further into the clearing where the higher grasses were. Then she sat down for a few minutes, watching the moon and lightning bugs. Then as she looked around at the clearing, she saw many white and purple flowers blowing in the breeze. A violent shiver ran through her body as the wind picked up and had a harder bite to it. Laying back in the grass, her eyes slowly closed as she got sleepier. "I'll only rest them for a minute or two.." she whispered to herself.

Aiden was quick to follow Daryn and when he saw Eric coming back alone, his anger boiled over. A silent anger settled over him and he had a deadlu aura about him. Brushing past Daryn, he was quick to walk off the docks and over to Eric. Grabbing the front of his shirt and with unknown strength, pulled him off his feet and close to him. "Where is she Eric?" he growled dangerously low.

Too preoccupied with his thoughts of how he was going to explain anything, let alone everything, Eric hadn't even noticed Daryn, let alone the approaching captain, until the crunch of boots on freezing grass made him look up. That was about the time he found himself lifted off his feet and looking into Aiden's furious face.

"Ah! Sir! Please! I didn't do anything, honest. She took off the ship and I tried to follow after her to bring her a jacket." He still had it, after all in his hand. "And I couldn't find her so I thought she might return back to the ship..."

But obviously she hadn't and Daryn hurried ahead to catch up with the captain in time to hear Eric's excuses. He grabbed the coat from Eric's loosened grip.

"Where did she go?" Daryn demanded, assuming the captain didn't beat him to it. And Eric could only point vaguely at the trees. Daryn took off at a run, Korra's jacket fluttering in the chill wind as he ran.

Korra was slowly pulled into the dark embrace of sleep and she couldnt stop herself from doing so. As she was falling asleep, her rationaly mind came back into play and she mentally kicked herself for doing something so stupid as standing in ice cold water while the temperature was dropping so fast. But now she couldnt do anything as sleep overtook her and the temprature kept dropping slowly. It had to be at least sixty degrees now. Except it felt closer to fifty to Korra after she had stood in the water to where her feet and lower legs were ice cold. A paleness damaging her usualy fair skin color and the rosiness and her cheeks was no longer there.

Aiden dropped Eric roughly. "Get you ass back out there and keep looking," he growled before stepping over him and walking briskly into the wooded area. Korra could get very sick in this type of weather and in some of the worser cases..die. But Adien wasnt about to loose her too. "Korra!" he called and paused as the moon shone through the trees ahead of them. "Daryn. Go see if there is a clearing a little ways into the woods. The moon is shining through strongly over there," he yelled over to Daryn who was farther ahead of him.

Eric scrambled to his feet and followed along behind Aiden. He wasn't going to complain, but let them try to find an impossible woman in the dark of night in the woods. It wasn't impossible, but it would be very unlikely unless Korra came to them.

Daryn followed Aiden's instruction. He went where the moonlight was strongest and found a small clearing. He didn't see Korra at first, but he stepped out to look around him, and that was when he heard the burbling brook.

He followed the sound. "Korra? You out here?" He stopped as he reached the water and looked around. That was when, turning his back to the water, he saw a darker shape in the grass. Unmoving, vaguely human-shaped.

"Korra!" He ran to her, falling to his knees when he reached her side, and threw her jacket over her, trying to bundle her up as best he could. Already she felt cold to him; her lips, her face, what he could see did not look

good. "Oh, Korra, hang on, we'll get you warmed up soon." He wrapped the jacket more firmly around her and then attempted to lift her, but her deadweight would make it nearly impossible. "Captain! I found her!" he yelled back, his voice pitching towards panic. "I need some help though!"

Aiden was quick to follow Daryn and the first thing he saw was Korra's boots next to the stream. He frowned as He realized what she had been doing, his fatherly manners coming into play. Then he heard Daryn and splashed across the stream to her. Taking in her appearance, he was instantly put into the icy calm mode that no one should get in the way of.

Bending down to her, he picked her up bridal style as if she was weightless but of course her deadwieght was a bit on the heavy side. He was an older man after all and didnt quite have the strength he used to. But more than that he was a father and nothing would get in the way of him helping her. Looking down at her again, he was broken as he realized she was almost ice cold. Korra's face was almost white and her lips had a tint of blue to them.

Quickly, he splashed back across the stream. "Eric. Grab her boots. Daryn hurry ahead to the ship and get her a pair of dry clothes. Crank up the heater in the ship and throw some extra, thick blankets on the bed," he barked out orders as he started back to the ship. Korra was starting to get a bit heavier to him but he ignored it as he walked with a clear purpose to the ship.

Daryn, seeing that Aiden had Korra, nodded and sprinted back to the ship with nothing more than the idea of getting it as warm and as comfortable as possible for her.

Eric grabbed Korra's boots, and followed, ready to lend a hand if Aiden needed it; though he didn't dare say anything now.

At the airship, Daryn cranked up the heat and then settled a few blankets over the heaters to warm. In the meantime he found some clean, dry clothes for Korra to wear and set them on the bed.

With everything taken care of that he could manage, he paced anxiously, his feet carrying him to the loading bay doors of the ship to keep an eye out for the captain.

Aiden was starting grow tired and was straining as he got closer to the ship. To lighten up te mood, he smiled a bit and looked at Eric for a second then back at the ship. "I guess my age is catching up to me," he joked lightly as he tried to shift Korra in his hold to ease off some of the pressure.

Then he marched up the loading bay and handed Korra off to Daryn since now they were in the ship. "Get her to the room, changed into the dry clothes, and under the covers," he ordered as he shut the loading bay ramp once Eric was in. Then he took a steadying breath and walked up the stairs into the halls. Motioning for Eric to come with him as he led the way to the kithen. "Eric, i left you to take care of her," he said calmly, a little too calmly.

Eric didn't understand the captain. One moment he was making a joke, the next he was serious business. If he'd asked for help, Eric would have gladly pitched in; but given how little Daryn trusted him, he didn't want to overstep his bounds either. It was the old rock and hard place he loathed.

Daryn nodded at the captain, taking Korra in his arms and carrying her to the room where he tended to her. He changed her quickly before tucking her into bed, placing warm blankets over and around her, and finally he flopped down next to her. He hoped she would waken soon.

Eric swallowed hard as he looked at the captain. "I did, sir. Er, that is," he cleared his throat and looked down. "She went topside to repair the ship's side and slipped. I found her, fortunately, and hauled her up; thankfully she had a rope, but it shook her up pretty badly. I left her to rest in peace, but she went out the loading bay doors instead. I don't know what she was thinking, sir! I tried my best to stop her, to keep her safe, but..." He looked down at his boots. He had failed; a simple task of looking after a woman and he had failed. He didn't fail often. Resigned to his punishment, he asked: "What would you have me do, captain?"

Aiden was being surprisingly understanding today as he abruptly came to a stop. Then turned to Eric and gave a soft chuckle. "Eric. Calm down. My daughter will always do what she wants, no matter how hard someone tries to stop her. I doubt you wouldve been able to stop her from leaving the ship even if you locked her up in a room. She wouldve found a way. Korra is likethat and it takes a strong, capable man to control her. Er, more of deal with her. Though i have to say i am impressed that you handled her so well today," he said as they stood there and actually praised Eric at taking care of her so well.

Korra felt a warm presence next to the heat that already surrounded her. Half-awake, she instantly snuggled into the hard but warm presence. Which just so happened to be Daryn. Forcing herself awake, her eyes fluttered open and she realized she was back on the ship. In their bed and Daryn was that warm presence she felt. The sudden aching feeling she had felt all day without him around came back and even though she was in no condition to be moving around so quickly, she bolted up into sitting positon. Then looked at Daryn and tackled him in a hug, squeezing her eyes shut.

Korra's body was still cold but not as much as it had been. A cough escaped her as she buried her head in Daryn's chest and kept her arms tightly around him.

Eric breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Thank you, sir. And she's not that bad." He grimaced and shut his mouth. The last thing he wanted to do was to get himself back in hot water. To be honest, he'd been more concerned about Daryn than he had been about the captain. "I suppose she takes a little after you, sir?"

Daryn flinched when he felt Korra move and then he smiled when she snuggled into him. "Easy there," he told her, "You're still recovering. What were you thinking to go outside so late and without a jacket?" His voice was soft, though if it sounded like a scolding it was only because he was worried.

Aiden couldnt stop the deep chuckle and the glint of humor in his eyes. "No Eric. Korra gets all that from her mother, Anastasia. Man was she a handful," he said, it was obvious his mind was somewhere else as he thought of fond memories. Then he shook his head and got serious again. "Dont think there wont be consequences Eric. I would dish them out now but we have new recruits coming tommorow and i have Korra to worry about. For now, you will stay a first class petty officer. Though when everything settles down, you will be a third class petty officer until i see that you can handle the tasks i have given you. I have no doubt that you will be first class again very soon since it is not often that you fail with a task," he said, back to his old captain self.

Korra shivered as the air outside of the blankets was colder than the stuffy air inside the blankets. "Get under the covers please...." came her muffled request. Then she thought about his answer and she scowled as he sounded like he was scolding her. Pulling away from him a bit, she looked up at him with the dissaproval of being scolded. "I went out for some fresh air. Didnt realize the tempature was dropping so fast.." she said quietly then avoided his eyes afraid to see dissaproval or annoyance there.

Eric flinched at the demotion. To be beneath Daryn would rankle worse than having to look after Daryn's girlfriend and being accused of not respecting her. He nodded and saluted. "Yes, sir!"

For the time being, however, he was still Petty Officer First Class, and he intended to use it however he could while he had it.

Daryn sighed at Korra's explanation. He wasn't disappointed or annoyed, and he gently fit his hand beneath her chin to make her look at him. Concern and worry had etched dark circles under his eyes--though it was nothing that a good night's sleep wouldn't take care of.

"I'm only saying this because I love you, Korra. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." His voice caught for a moment in his throat. "I've already lost my father. I can't afford to lose you, too."

Aiden nodded then dismissed him with a wave of his hand. Running a shaky hand through his graying hair, he went to his room and was quick to kick off his shoes. Daryn and Korra would need time together so he would check on his daughter tommorow. As well as scold her for doing such a stupid thing.

Korra visibly relaxed and a small smile graced her lips. "I love you too Daryn," she whispered then pressed her colder lips against his warm ones gently. Slipping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer to her body as well as farther under the covers. The air outside the covers was too cold to her liking even though if she was up to her normal body temparture she would be rather warm and cozy. Korra dismissed all her thoughts though and focused solely on Daryn. Their kiss made everything melt away and she felt as though she would melt herself.

Eric headed back to his room, kicking off his boots as he entered his room and flopping face-first onto the bed. He wasn't sure what he had expected from the captain, but whatever it was, he hadn't gotten it. Not yet.

Daryn leaned into the kiss, wrapping his warm arms around her, pressing his warm body against hers. He was like a furnace, giving off a steady wave of heat. But he was happy that Korra was okay.

"Just promise me you'll let someone know the next time you decide to head out somewhere?" Daryn asked when they broke for air.

Korra was silent for a moment before she let out a soft sigh. "Oh alright.." she whispered then again pressed her lips to Daryn. Except she pulled away before he could kiss back. A begging look came into her eyes as she looked up to Daryn. "Please..get under the covers," she murmured and reluctantly pulled her arms from around his neck in order to hold them in between them. Daryn's heat warming up her arms as she held herself closing to his body.

"I wish you had been the one to save me when i fell off the top of the ship..your so much more reassuring than Eric.." Korra whispered mostly to herself but it was loud emough for Daryn to hear. Putting her forehead against his chest, she was trying to warm up as quick as possible.

Aiden was quick to crawl into his bed but not to fall asleep. Staring up at the ceiling for a long while, he groaned as he realized that he needed to make sure Korra was okay before he could get any sleep.

Daryn grinned and obeyed, sliding under the covers as quickly as he could to keep the cooler air from entering. "This better?" he inquired snuggling up next to her--though he was fully clothed.

He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close and feeling comfortable. "You know, your father was really concerned about you." He wasn't sure if or when the captain was planning to check on Korra, but he had the feeling it would be sooner or later.

Eric wondered too about Korra's health, but so long as Daryn was with her, he figured he'd best remain out of the picture. At any rate, he had time now to plan for the new arrivals on the airship.