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“And nothing was left, but the snowprints leading from the door of her igloo, slowly getting fainter and fainter…” Tarrlok finished his story with grand motions and a deep voice.
“’An she just disappeared, Pawpaw?” Kati asked with a tremble in her lips.
“Eeeeeeeiiii!” Akano let out a keening cry, and clung fiercely to his mother’s skirts. Korra sent an unimpressed look at Tarrlok over his head, but he just looked placidly back, seeing merriment in her eyes.
Tarrlok could see Kati gathering her courage again, and was rewarded with a prompting demand. “What’s next, what’s next!”
“Well,” Tarrlok said, spreading his hands wide, “That was all that was left, but I could tell you another, if you’d like.”
Akano’s eyes peeked out, and Kati leaned forward eagerly, but they were stopped from urging him on by Noatak’s voice coming from the door.
“I believe it is time for bed.” Noatak intoned in his ‘rule’ voice.
“Awww, Dahdii…..” The children chimed, but at an unimpressed eyebrow got up to trudge to bed. A hug from Pawpaw, a kiss from Momma, and Noatak led them with a hand on their shoulders.
Akano hesitated at the door, blue eyes pleading. “But what if the woman haunts us? The veil to the Spirit World is thin tonight, right? So what if she heard us and comes visit in our sleep and and and…”
Tarrlok was amused to see the same look directed at him from two different sources; his brother and Korra were both put out, telling him, ‘you started it, you deal with it’.
With a sigh and a heave, Tarrlok stood up from the furs and approached Akano. “Well, you really think that’ll happen?” He asked their son. Tarrlok was rewarded with a worried nod. “Alright. I suppose I will have to do something about this, hmm?” Casting his eyes around, Tarrlok thought a moment, then stood and left the room.
When he got back a few minutes later, Kati was bouncing impatiently, just like her mother, Noatak was radiating annoyance, and Akano almost had a bloody lip. Tarrlok ignored the twinge in his heart seeing that worry, and crouched down, holding something out. “Read this?”
With a brow furrowed in concentration and looking just like his father, Akano spelled out uncertainly. “M-…mons-ster beh be? Be gone. Monster be gone s…sss….sssspray.”
“That’s right. I’ll spray this all around your room, and Kati’s room,” Tarrlok amended hastily, “and no monster or ghost will go near you.”
Akano beamed, and ran back to Noatak and Kati, who hid a relieved look herself. Tarrlok smiled to himself as they left the room. Before he could walk after them, Korra sidled up beside him. “Monster be gone, hmm?” She asked with an impish look in her eyes. “Why didn’t you just tell him that there were seals all around the house?”
Tarrlok gave a crooked grin, “Well, seeing is believing sometimes, right?” He asked, putting his charming face on as he pulled her in for a kiss.
“Conman.” Korra murmured against his lips.