Disclaimer: I do not own any of the rights to 'League of Legends'. This is written solely for entertainment, not profit. Please don't sue me, Rito.

Rated M for some frank moments.

This story is the second in a series, following Infinity then preceding Vengeance, Prey, Gemini and Faith (also on this site). I've tried to make each story coherent on its own but reading them in sequence is recommended. The fics concern an intimate (and rather antagonistic) relationship between a jungler and an adc. I apologise to any supports who feel threatened by this.

Also our two lovers are both women. If you object, I advise you to stop reading.

Dreams

There are no stars tonight. The sky is dark with cloud and the air is sick with damp. When you ascend the Freljord in ursine lands, you bathe in mist that soaks deeper than any lake. It finds your bones.

I am disappointed. Storms in poetry are evocative, not merely uncomfortable. Inspiration would serve me well in our task.

Volibear climbs ahead. He remains on two legs, even when the steep terrain would be easier on all fours. The trail is an old friend to him. He navigates it gracefully while I struggle with my narrow frame. His fur glistens, ready to freeze into a glacial carapace.

The fog suddenly clears. My skin revels in the sweet air. Above, the clouds are purple with rage. They glow and flicker but herald no rain, just holy thunder.

Volibear shakes his pelt dry and guides me to a circle, hewn into the rock with arcane precision. It resembles one of our duelling pits. There is a stone chair holding judgement but Volibear ignores it, preferring to sit, cross-legged, on the ground. I have watched his non-sentient cousins give displays of surprising flexibility that approach human expression but there is something uniquely stubborn about Volibear. He does things the hard way, pushing himself even at rest.

He growls with approval. 'The thunder's call is strong… a good omen.'

I do not share his optimism. 'How so?'

A lightning bolt strikes the ground and I leap aside. The ground crackles. Volibear laughs kindly. 'The power is drawn to you but there is no danger while I am here.'

My muscles twitch. 'Right now, a shock is the least of my worries.'

'Of course.' Volibear contemplates the angry sky. I can assume only that the patterns mean something to him. 'In answer to your question, the storm favours you, which speaks well of your character. Your dreams will be vivid.'

'They are vivid enough.' Ever since my incarceration at Ashe's home, every night has been another world, and every dawn, my body is a cold prison for my unwilling soul, torn back to earth.

Ashe is my sworn enemy and I love her.

For a while, I thought passion would fuel our conflict but she kept her troops from my border. Exhaustion has stopped me from taking advantage. I have sleepwalked into a truce.

The final straw came when an arrow flew into my camp. To everyone's bemusement, and my horror, there was something tied to its shaft, a pillow case, strewn with blonde hair and marked with a single drop of blood. I should have burnt it but I was too weak. The first night, I breathed her scent as I rode my hand but I could never quench my need with empty pleasure. I dreamt and sleep became an addiction.

The Winter's Claw are not a spiritual tribe so I had to look elsewhere for help.

I lay the pillow case on the ground. 'This is my focus.' I can't look Volibear in the eye.

'That on which you dream.' Volibear speaks favourably. 'Many seekers think too hard and bring something obscure.'

'Another dreamt on this.'

'Hmm… if their essence is strong, your thoughts could merge.'

'It is stained with their blood.'

'Then this dreamer is your focus?' Volibear flatters me with discretion. He is wise enough to put a name to my wound but he does not speak it.

'Yes.'

Volibear is silent for a while. 'Sejuani,' he says gravely. 'The rite may unearth demons that you would sooner keep from me. I have done this many times and I am slow to judge but if you retreat now, I fully understand.'

His esteem is precious and I do not risk it lightly. 'I am committed. This malaise has to end before I lead us to oblivion. If you think less of me then that is the price I pay.'

'You are brave.' He settles his posture for a long journey. I marvel that his back is strong enough to hold his enormous bulk upright. 'You will experience and recall everything as if it were a normal day. I can observe but your thoughts remain yours alone.'

'Would they not manifest?'

'With the storm's blessing, I can see the fire through the smoke but only you know the spark.'

There is a slim chance that I will keep some dignity though it is cold comfort if my troubles go unresolved. I fold my arms to hide my trembling hands. 'Okay… I am ready.'

'Then lie down. Make sure your head is touching the ground. You do not have to be comfortable, just safe.' The skies churn above me. Clouds part to reveal a web of lightning, gold against the void. There is no radiance. The storm is whole and pure. It acknowledges nothing but the will of its chosen.

Volibear's voice deepens with new resonance. 'Engage with your focus.'

I hold the pillow case to my heart and lips. Could Ashe have lain here, dreaming of me? I see her platinum blonde hair encircle her sleeping face like a bird's nest. Her breath is quick, urgent and sensual, quick as the lights that cycle above. I kiss her name.

Volibear roars. His voice and the thunder are one. Shock burns away all feeling. The sound deafens me. Colours take my sight.

There is nothing except her smell, her clean, soft beautiful smell. Frozen dew on arctic flowers.

I awake.

Unwelcome hands shake my body. My eyelids are heavy with rheum. The dry pain urges me back to sleep. I had crawled into bed after a fourteen hour night shift in damp, autumnal conditions, only to be disturbed three hours later.

'Sej…' I feel words on my cheek, 'come on. It's eleven o'clock.' The warmth of a body envelops mine. Growling, I pull the owner into bed and close my eyes. 'Oh, don't do this now. We have to get ready.' I hold on tighter. 'I love you too, now get up. I've made you some coffee.'

The duvet is whisked away, buffeting me with cold air. I don't mind the chill and I sleep fully clothed but I relent when the bedside lamp shines into my face.

Ashe grins down at me. Weary as I am, it is a pleasure waking up to that coy smile. 'Ooh, for once, I'm glad you cover up.' She tickles my sides. I grab her wrists and we tumble across the mattress. She laughs and kisses me again. 'Later. Now move before I get cross with you.'

I stumble over to my wardrobe, straining to choose a presentable outfit with my gunged-up eyes. Eventually, I settle on a pair of black suit trousers and a flowing button-down shirt in 'persian indigo.' It just looks like an expensive shade of purple to me. I leave the cuffs undone, a lazy habit that took on new meaning when Ashe bought me a gold bracelet with a bow and arrow motif. I like to make sure it's always visible.

I find my coffee, white with no sugar, and corner Ashe in the bathroom. She is stressing while trying to apply her makeup. I still don't know how she manages to complicate everything. 'You look fine,' I say. Honestly, I'd prefer it if she didn't wear any of that muck.

'That's very sweet but unhelpful. I could do with a more critical eye.' She peers into the mirror. 'I don't know about this blusher…'

'I thought we were in a rush.'

'It's all right for you. Not all of us can roll out of bed looking all scruffy and stylish. I'm tragically plain without my secret weapons.' I lean in to kiss her. 'Not now, Sej, you'll mess everything up.'

Feeling rather glum, I walk away to finish my coffee. As I get my overcoat, I see our picture by the door. Ashe has this preoccupation with having photos done "as a couple". I find it all terribly false. A relationship shouldn't be a performance or decoration. I look so awkward here. For the life of me, I can't understand why Ashe would be remotely pleased with it.

She has finished preparing. I'm a little disappointed. Her outfit isn't much different from what she wears to the office. Something more casual or daring would have suited her better. She's gorgeous. It annoys me that she expends effort on trying to look like everyone else.

She beams up at me. 'You look so handsome, my tall, dark prince.'

'I'm not tall.'

'Tall enough that I have to do this.' She stands on her tiptoes and pecks me on the lips. 'Do I look all right?'

I run my fingers down her side. The fabric of her cardigan is just the right kind of fluffy. It hugs her body. 'Hmm…' I smile wickedly. 'You could lose a few layers.'

She playfully taps my cheek then holds my gaze as she undoes two buttons and pulls down her top, showing her cleavage. She must be wearing that skimpy bra that barely covers her areolas. 'Is that better?'

I slip a finger down her front and briefly stroke her nipple. It is that bra. She gives a happy little grunt of arousal. 'Getting there.' I say.

'You prefer it when I'm uncivilised?' She clings to my arm. 'Fine but you'll have to scare the creepy-crawlies away.'

'Gladly.'

She hugs me. 'Ooh, see, you can be couple-y. You just need the right encouragement.' She checks her handbag then unlocks the apartment door. 'Come on then.'

This part of town makes my skin crawl with anxiety. I can feel every café and every boutique rejecting me. The people talk and laugh, hands reflexively touching their own chests as they broach their favourite subjects. There is none of the weariness and distrust of people from my world. Ashe rubs my back to soothe me. 'You okay?'

'People like me don't belong in Rue Avaros.'

'You belong with me, Sej.' She kisses my shoulder.

'Thank you.' I don't always like Ashe's public displays of affection but I'm grateful for this one.

I don't know why I agreed to escort Ashe this time. She's forever trying to commandeer my rest days for her social life. The latest reason made me so dizzy that I said "yes" by accident.

Ashe had been promoted at work, making her peers jealous. A rumour had surfaced that our relationship was a front, so Ashe could secure preferential treatment by playing the homophobia card. The whole idea is laughable. In my line of work, there is no room for politics.

So Ashe wanted to quash all the lies by dragging me before the HR manager. Apparently, this woman "rules the roost" at their company. Ashe waves at someone. We have reached our destination.

The two people sitting at the table make an odd pair. One of them is Ashe's ex-husband, Tryndamere. Naturally, I was thrilled when he started work at her firm. He is a giant of a man with a loud, mocking laugh. I wouldn't label him carefree, he's a little too old and marked for that, but he seems indifferent to the world. No doubt, he makes and loses "friends" quickly.

The second person is an overdressed, scrawny woman in late middle-age. With her hooked nose and feathered coat, she resembles a giant bird. As I linger a few steps behind, she watches with big, cold eyes.

Ashe greets them. 'Hello! It is warm today, isn't it?' She drags me forward. 'This is my partner, Sejuani.'

Tryndamere grins. His moustache and beard move in strange patterns, like a child drawing over a portrait. 'See, Anivia? I told you she was real.'

Anivia smiles tightly. 'I never doubted it.' She offers a gloved handshake. It is frail and stiff but more honest than Tryndamere's bonhomie.

Introductions over, Ashe claps her hands a little too eagerly. 'Can I get you any drinks?'

Gesturing to the ornate spread before her, Anivia says, 'thank you, Ashe, but I've still got half a pot of tea.'

Tryndamere raises his empty glass. 'Another bottle of Grag's finest, if you would.'

I catch Ashe's gaze. 'Medium white?' She nods. 'I'll get these. Take a seat.' As I walk away, I hear Ashe frantically explaining that I don't like being waited on. If they disapprove of my manners, I don't really care.

The proprietor might be the fattest human being I have ever seen. Typically, the sight would disgust me but I rather like the idea of this ball of lard stinking up the wallpaper of the well-heeled. I get myself another coffee to allay my exhaustion. Alcohol would just put me to sleep.

By the time I come back, Ashe has broken the ice and all three are chatting without me. Tryndamere grabs his bottle with gusto. 'Cheers, Sej. You not drinking yourself?' I don't know why he's this friendly to me. Perhaps he's making a show of his maturity to Ashe? I let her answer this one.

'Sej was at work until six o'clock this morning.'

Anivia arches an eyebrow. 'On a Sunday?' These people don't know they're born. 'That's not normal, I hope?'

I lean back and hide behind my cup. 'I work six in every nine so that includes weekends.'

'When do you see each other?'

Ashe is playing with her wine glass. Her eyes and mouth have that mournful cast I know all too well. She would rather see me every night and can't bear to say that everything's fine. With a strong sense of guilt and failure, I speak up. 'It's not easy and if I'm not at work, I'm exhausted.'

Ashe puts her hand on mine. She gives a sad little smile, grateful that I acknowledge her pain. 'You're worth it, Sej.'

Anivia continues her interrogation. 'What do you do, again?'

'Mountain rescue,' I say.

'A noble goal.'

'I don't know about that. I think we'd save more lives if we didn't exist. Climbers wouldn't take as many stupid risks.'

Tryndamere roars with laughter as if I'd told a joke. Rolling her eyes, Ashe smacks my arm. 'You don't mean that.'

Anivia stirs her tea. 'If you do not believe in your work then why not get another job?' She makes it sound so easy.

I want to say that not all of us play games and have friends in high places but I hold my tongue. 'No one else would have me.'

'Not with that attitude, dear,' says Anivia. 'You should be more positive.' I knew Ashe's firm liaised with teachers but I didn't think the condescension would rub off this much. Anivia turns to Ashe. 'Please tell me the uniform is nice.'

Ashe beams at me. 'Oh, yes.'

I shake my head. 'It's a set of waterproofs with reflective stripes. I really don't get the appeal.'

'You look very rugged in it.' Ashe caresses my bicep. 'Will you take off that coat? You're always complaining about how hot you are.'

My coat is my armour. It stays. 'I'm fine. It's not that warm.'

'You're as bad as Anivia and her feathers.'

Anivia throws back her shoulders. 'These are my brand. I would no sooner discard these than my name.'

The conversation goes on without me. Soon, I rest my head on folded arms and try to doze. As expected, I don't get away with it for long. Ashe prods me awake. 'Be sociable for once.'

Tryndamere is taking my side again. 'Leave her be. I used to work shifts. It's brutal.'

'You managed to stay awake.'

'And lose my temper. Give her a break. I know you like to boss your partners around but you can save that for the bedroom.'

Anivia loudly clears her throat. Ashe ruffles my hair. 'This one doesn't listen to me, anyway.'

'Good girl,' says Tryndamere, raising his glass. 'Don't give her an inch.'

Ashe laughs. 'Sej gives me far more than "inches".'

'I bet!' Tryndamere winks. 'You were pure as the driven snow once. Think I prefer the new Ashe.'

I feel a pang of jealousy at their easy, open rapport. It is a dance I can only perform behind closed doors. Nonetheless, I recognise the commiseration of old soldiers bonding over shared trauma. I think I would sooner die than relate to Ashe as Tryndamere does now. Their words are the sound of defeat.

Anivia is staring daggers at the road, aggressively uninvolved with their puerile banter. I suspect her nest must be a barren place. 'Well,' she says imperiously, 'back to grown-up matters. Are you planning children?'

We answer at the same time.

'Yes.'

'We'd like to but…' Ashe catches my eye and looks apologetic for contradicting me, 'we can't work out the details.'

Like a hawk judging her prey, Anivia leans in. 'Tell me.'

Ashe opens her mouth but doesn't speak. I hold her hand, silently conveying that it's all right to continue. 'One of us would have to stay home and raise the child.'

This is at her insistence. I would rather keep our freedom, hire a nanny then leave the child to its own devices as early as possible to encourage self-reliance. 'I earn more than you, Ashe.'

'Not much more now and, with my hours, we could all be together in the evenings.' Ashe squeezes my hand. 'You're just not a homebody, Sej. It's not your fault.'

'I don't think I could forfeit my independence.'

'It's not easy for me, either.'

Anivia clicks her tongue. 'You don't get to be an island if you start a family.'

Putting down his drink, Tryndamere rubs his beard. 'I don't know… there are enough single parents out there who…'

With a swoop of her feathered arm, Anivia silences Tryndamere. 'They put on a brave face. You'll understand once you've been in your role longer.' She turns back to me. 'Could you move into training?'

'It's already part of the job and I'm not great. My shift partner, Voli, is a natural. He makes us all look bad.'

Ashe gives me a nagging look. 'I haven't met Voli yet. He sounds nice.'

'You could visit the lodge after work but you always have too much to do.'

'Ladies!' Tryndamere interrupts our bickering, as if he has the right. 'Do we want any more to drink?'

I really can't endorse his intrusion, so I put my head back on the table without answering. He orders me another coffee from a shockingly youthful waiter. I didn't think child labour was permitted in this country. Tryndamere calls the waiter a name that sounds like a running joke from a sitcom.

My tolerance for these gatherings is at an end. I can only bear them for so long before shutting down. Mercifully, Ashe understands and lets me be until it's time to go.

As we stand up, Anivia extends her claw. 'I'm pleased to have met you, Sejuani. It's been… enlightening.'

'Same.'

Tryndamere takes Ashe to one side. 'Look after her, yeah?' He says. 'I think you've done all right.' My ears prick up at this remark. He notices my attention. 'You're honest, Sej. You could have put on a show about your relationship. You didn't. I respect that.' He wistfully observes the bustling street. The people are chattering, floating, glowing with a cold, dead light. 'I went through a rough patch some time ago. Felt like I was the only person screaming and everyone else was… like this.'

Anivia packs her handbag. 'Everyone goes through that. You're not alone.'

'I know,' says Tryndamere. 'I'm learning but… it would have been easier if people were more like Sej, here.'

Ashe ducks her eyes. 'I'm sorry I couldn't be what you needed.'

'Think that's my line.' Tryndamere waves. 'I'll see you tomorrow.'

We walk home in silence. Ashe looks pensive and I have no words for her. She holds my arm as a sailor clings to driftwood. I draw her body to mine. Her hand touches my heart. At this hour, the streets are lit by a mystic orange glow. The buildings in the jewellery quarter are so high, that sunset comes early. The horizon is a mile into the sky.

Back at our apartment, I am too weary to sleep or do anything. I just sit on the couch, staring at the floor while Ashe potters about. It occurs to me that I should eat but my appetite is never reliable when I am tired or stressed. Ashe leaves the kitchen with more wine. That's the third glass today, and she fills to the brim. She sits next to me. 'You going to bed?'

'Don't know.' I rest my head on her shoulder and wonder how I ever coped without this.

'Don't fret about Anivia. She talks to everyone that way.'

'I can imagine.' I snuggle closer. 'I don't understand you, Ashe.'

'What have I done now?'

'It's not you.' I wrap my arm around her waist. 'I'm… not getting any better, you know? And you're so beautiful and charming that you could have anyone.'

'I don't want anyone. I want you.'

'Or someone who works normal hours, who's good at parties, who…' my eyes grow warm. I might be starting to cry. In all my years, I haven't cried enough to recognise the feeling, 'who could compromise for your happiness.'

'You make me happy.' Ashe puts down her wine glass. I don't like it when she drinks. It feels like a barrier. 'I know things are hard now but…'

'They will always be hard!' My voice tears my throat. There's no one at my lodge who has the life that Ashe wants. Voli is deeply involved with his extended family but has no wife and children of his own. Udyr has four pets and is considering a fifth. He wanted a jackal for some reason. 'What if it doesn't get better? Could you live with that?'

'I believe in the future.'

'I don't want you to believe in the future! I want you to believe in me!'

Ashe kisses me on the lips until I calm down. Few things soothe me like the soft warmth of her mouth. It is like balm for my soul. 'I have two reasons for being here. Would you like to hear them?' She strokes my face while watching through wine-lidded eyes. Despite my objections, my body shivers with guilty pleasure when I smell alcohol on her breath. It often means that she's drunk enough to be frisky. I signal her to continue. 'I see many couples who are perfectly matched and… it breaks my heart. When they look through one pair of eyes, they don't see each other. Why should you consider your lover when there's no need? If they don't challenge you, remind you that they're another wonderful person with thoughts of their own.' She kisses me again. 'That's why I want you, Sej. I could never forget that you exist, with your difficult personality...' she is on top of me now, her breasts pushing into mine, 'and hard, sexy body.'

'What's the second reason?'

She kisses my ear. 'I love you, Sejuani.'

I squeeze her tight as if she would vanish at any moment. 'Ashe?'

'Hmm?'

'Can we... make love tonight?' I need to reaffirm what we have.

She smiles crookedly. 'Oh? So you don't want to now?'

It's a tempting offer but… 'I may not be much use.'

'Okay.' She taps me on the nose. 'I like being made to suffer. I have one condition.'

'What's that?'

She paws at my clothes. 'You have to sleep naked until then.'

I go to sleep, wearing nothing but my bracelet. Finally, I am woken up by hands exploring my body and a warm weight pressing into my back.

Ashe is far more fluent in sex than I am. She manages to bring me gently from sleep to readiness. Her body is heavenly and she knows how to move in all the most carnal ways. I quite like having her on top as it's the best way to enjoy all of her. Too much of her skin is beyond my reach when it's pressed into the mattress. However, Ashe likes me to be aggressive and creative. I still feel awkward enacting her fantasies but she insists I'm getting there. Her imagination and libido far surpass mine so I have to work twice as hard.

Tonight, I want to make that effort. Once we're sweaty and flushed beyond the point of dignity, I crawl over to her bedside cabinet. Ashe's eyes light up as I never do this of my own accord.

She had bought me a strap-on to use on her but I'd never got used to wearing it, partly due to inexperience and partly because I felt very exposed. I want a family with her and fucking her this way conjures the part of me that dearly wishes to make her pregnant. The impossibility makes me fragile, not the best state of mind with which to dominate someone.

To reward my initiative, Ashe meets me halfway. She pushes me down and straddles my waist, sparing me the anxiety of finding her rhythm. I love how animated and expressive she is, revelling in her nature without the venal constraints of society. After she comes, we lie in each other's arms, the toy still inside her. I'm so comfortable that I'd forego peaking and embrace her forever. Ashe is too gracious to leave me be though and goes down with brisk affection. I focus hard on the pleasure so I can get back to holding her.

She rests in the crook of my shoulder. I love the way her hair cascades over my breast. She sighs happily. 'How could I ever leave this? I want more of you, not less.'

It hurts that I can't give her what she deserves. 'I know.' If only I could fight harder, reshape the world for us.

'There will always be a place for you here. I won't give up on you even if… you don't believe in me.' I feel her body convulse.

'Ashe?'

She's crying. Her fair skin is red with sorrow. 'You worry that I'll grow tired of our relationship but what about you? You've always wanted to stay in darkness. What if my job and my friends are just too much bother? What if I can't let them go... would you...?'

I hold her tight and shower her with kisses. 'Ashe? What brought this on? You know I love you.'

'Answer me, Sej!'

Her ferocity scares me. I don't know what's going on. Our bed is adrift in uncharted seas. I can't see the room.

'Sej?'

My thoughts are a mess. I don't know what to say. Why is it so hard to answer? All I have to do is tell her what's in my heart.

The words catch in my throat. I close my eyes. If I could only concentrate then…

'Don't go!' She screams. It echoes and echoes. 'Don't go into the darkness! Don't give up on me!'

It feels so cold outside. All I want to do is embrace the warmth of our love and ignore everything else. I feel so tired and her voice gets farther and farther away. I can't stay awake…

Rocks dig into my back. Purple clouds have shrouded the holy storm. In my arms, I hold Ashe's pillow case. Every vein in my body crawls and constricts. I can't lift my arms. I can't breathe. I remember everything, our life together, and it has gone. I have nothing except this linen, that drop of blood, those locks of hair. My body is shutting down. It can't take the shock. I want to die.

Volibear is at my side. He lifts me into a seating position and supports me wordlessly. I do not cry, I wail. My whole body spasms, vomiting grief before an indifferent landscape.

How am I fit to rule anything?

Once I have recovered enough to hear, Volibear speaks. 'You're going through bereavement. Losing an entire world built on your innermost heart is a mortal wound for some. Do not be ashamed. I would not think any less of you than if I had to tend the scars of war.'

'You… excuse me too quickly. If I were in your place, I would take my head.'

'No,' he says plainly, 'you would have seen stranger things many times before.'

'You can't ignore that I am compromised.'

'A prisoner does not betray their cause by enjoying their captor's food. There is honour and beauty on both sides of any conflict. Responding to such does not make you weak. You are simply mortal.' He helps me stand. 'Good, other seekers have taken days to recover. As I expect, you are doing well.'

I look at Volibear, praying that he will react and break this tension. His voice and expression are so reasonable. It may be selfish but I want my ordeal to mean something to him. 'The comparison does not hold. Even if they are both cats, a tiger is deadlier than its cub. You speak as if I have a mild itch and not… cancer!' He does not dignify my tasteless metaphor with an answer. Is he giving me space? Letting me vent? 'I… I have no perspective. Tell me where I stand.'

'You are deeply in love with Ashe.'

'Yes, and…?'

'Would you end your crusade to join her?'

'Never.'

'Well then…' I hear the smile in Volibear's tone. 'I see no problem.'

'What?'

'You truly are a scion of war, that your strongest passion is for your greatest foe.' He chuckles. 'Poetry aside, anyone can fight with a clear heart. The greatest heroes are not like the sun on a clear day but a solitary thunderbolt in the darkest night. I have faith in you, Sejuani. I believe…' he slams his mighty fist into his palm, 'that you are planning an assault as we speak.'

Volibear is not wrong. I was shifting lines on my internal map of the Freljord. My anger and frustration sought an outlet in my craft. 'I will do all in my power to bring down her false kingdom. She deserves better.'

'I agree.'

'Then you will help me… liberate her?'

Volibear is quiet for a very long time. He watches the sky. 'I can't envisage her surrender. She… must die. I'm sorry but the strength you admire is your dream's undoing.' His words strike harder than any club, knocking the breath from my lungs. I have no answer for him. 'All I can promise you is this. If it comes to pass that love holds your charge, I will take her life and you may rain vengeance upon my brow until the end of my days.'

I feel a surge of care for this great warrior. We are beyond masks now. I grasp Volibear's paw and boldly look at him through tear-stained eyes. 'You are a better friend than I could ever deserve.'

Volibear puts an arm around my shoulders and leads me away from the summit. 'Please, such modesty does not become you.' He growls eagerly as joints move again. For all his patience, he is bred for action. 'I am curious, though.'

'Why?'

'Many people dream of paradise, not hard–won compromise and marital problems. I could put it down to your honest soul but… I think there is more to it than that.'

'Go on.'

'The blood and hair on Ashe's pillow… I believe her dreams may have crossed yours.'

'Then we…?'

'I'll leave that to your interpretation.'

As I raise a hand to my lips in wonder, I feel something on my wrist. Removing my glove, I can hardly believe my eyes.

A golden bracelet with an archery motif.

THE END

There is a follow-up called 'Vengeance', also on this site.