Steady Aim

Chapter Two: A Lesson in Subtlety

Quinn waited for her parent to fall asleep. The older teen had sat near their bedroom door until she heard the unmistakable snores of her father. Her mother always fell asleep before her husband. It had to be close to midnight maybe even an hour before that. She carefully crept down the stairs and tiptoed into the dark kitchen. Her eyes spotted that evening's dinner sitting on the table. Quinn walked over, grabbed a checkered cloth near the pantry, and then made her way to the table. She eyed the baked potatoes and cornbread before taking one of each and placed it in the middle of the cloth. She folded it around the food before tying it secure.

The young woman hurried for the front door and grabbed the handle. Just then, her eyes spotted her crossbow sitting near the window. The golden-bronze metal glistened in the full moonlight. She reached for it before she exited her home. There were a few torches lit on the outside but the whole village was sleeping. No one dared to be outside when the moon was out. Quinn slowly shut the front door. As she snuck through the village to the gates, she avoided the light.

It wasn't a good thing to be caught outside after dark. Uwendale has put out a curfew for the people who lived there for their own safety. Word had gotten around that the mages fleeing the purge in the Freljord were out in the forest, pillaging and killing. Some of the farmers in the village, including Quinn's father, didn't dare travel to sell their crops. On one side, food was plentiful, but on the other there was no gold income. Even so, the whole village agreed to the curfew. Even the rangers, the women who patrolled the gates, went inside before the sun left the sky. It was just too dangerous.

However, Quinn couldn't get her mind off that Noxian boy. That is why she out and breaking curfew. It had only been a few hours since first encounter, she hoped he didn't get too far. As she got closer to the outer barriers of Uwendale, Quinn picked up her pace. The cold night air nipped at her but she continued.

The forest seemed even more unforgiving at night. There was no way to tell where you were going. Quinn glanced around, looking for the fork in the trail but somehow she ended up off the main road. She soon realized what a terrible mistake she made. The young woman felt around in the darkness, her fingers grazing over the bark of trees. She had to get off the forest floor. The young women held the bag of food between her teeth. She hopped up and grabbed a low hanging tree branch. Quinn used as much as her strength to pull up the next one. She pulled herself up but stopped when she heard the wood straining with her weight. To her horror, the branch snapped and she started to fall towards the ground.

Suddenly, someone caught her arm. Her legs dangled as she looked down to the black forest floor below her. Whoever had caught her was pulling her up back into the tree. Quinn allowed herself, knowing it was safer than being on the ground. As she climbed up, she held on to a more firm branch.

"You actually are stupid." Her rescuer sighed.

Quinn looked over and saw a familiar outline of a man. She didn't know whether to be joyful of afraid. The gold accents of his armor glistened in the soft moonlight.

"What's your excuse this time? A moose trampled my sister and I need revenge?" He mocked her, "What are you even doing out here this late? Don't you know there are assassins waiting to eviscerate you out here?"

"I just wanted some fresh air," Quinn lied. "Also," the young woman said as she tried to change the subject. Her hands opened up the cloth containing the food. Talon curiously eyed the cloth in her hand when she offered it to him, "Would you like some food? My father has the best potatoes in Uwendale."

"Uh, thanks." The assassin said as he grabbed the surprisingly large potato. He pulled a dagger from his belt and used it to skin the brown vegetable. Quinn watched as he haphazardly tried to cut the skin, taking out most chunks of the potato itself.

"Let me help you," she sighed.

Quinn held out her hand, waiting for the man to give her back the potato. Talon huffed but handed her the potato and the knife. She smiled as she leaned back and looked over what was left. It had a few slashes in it but it was still edible. The assassin watched as the younger woman perfectly swirled the blade around the vegetable, the skin curling underneath her hand. Proudly, the offered the cleanly cut potato back to Talon. He rolled his eyes before he took it, biting into the yellowish flesh.

"I told you it was good. My father puts salt in the soil as it grows."

"You know, you'd probably make a better housewife than a marksman." He said with his mouth full, "But I guess the wife actually has to stay in the house at some point."

"What are doing in this tree, Talon, and why are you so close to Uwendale?" Quinn glanced over her shoulder, seeing the faint glow of the torches in the distance.

"I won't lie, like you do, but I followed you. Had to make sure the little lady made it home safe," He laughed, most likely mocking her again. "Also, I'm not gonna travel in this darkness. There are some rogue mages wandering around. I killed a few but I know there has to be more."

"I made it home alright. You didn't need to follow me."

"That may be true but were you safe because I was there? I would agree so." Talon shrugged as he leaned against a branch behind him. He smirked, "And I know you wanted to see me again. Don't worry, any woman would." He laughed, "I've had to kill a few admirers but no one is going to miss some lowly tavern girls."

"What makes you think I wanted to see you?" Quinn played off his words but she knew he was right. There was something so interesting and familiar about this man. It was like she's known him.

"Because you're out here. With me. In a tree. Should we start K-I-S-S-I-N-G?" He smirked before blowing a kiss at her. When she grimaced, he leaned forward, "Oh, come now, Quinn. It's in the children's rhyme. We have to."

"You're gross." She blushed, "But… since I'm here. You can tell me why you hate Noxus so much. You told me you'd tell me when we saw each other again." Quinn nudged him when his smirked disappeared from his face. She knew he didn't want to talk about him. "Tell me and I'll do whatever you want."

"Those are very dangerous words to say to a man, girl."

"Cross my heart." The younger woman made a cross motion over her chest.

"I hope you die."

"That's not how the saying goes, Talon." Quinn frowned.

"It is when I say it." He leaned back again, "If I tell you, will you promise to do whatever I say?" Talon waited for the girl to nod before he went on. Not surprisingly, she said yes. "Fine. To fully fathom my hatred for Noxus, I have to start from the beginning."

"So—" Talon's finger pressed against her lips.

"No questions while I'm talking." He snapped. "I was born in lower-class part of Noxus. My birth parents were killed so I raised myself for the most part. I taught myself how to steal, how to hide, and how to kill. It wasn't until my little law-breaking caught the eye of Darkwill. While his advisors wanted me arrested, he wanted me to be trained and work for him. He sent a skinny, unarmed fellow to request a meeting with him. I answered Darkwill by gutting this twig and dumping his body near his mansion."

Talon's eyes narrowed as he thought about his days in the slums. He popped his neck, feeling the tension rise within him.

"I went on for so long, killing everyone that wanted me to work for them. That was until… I met General Marcus Du Couteau— the only man to disarm me in life-or-death combat. As I laid bleeding in the dirt, he gave me an ultimatum. Either I join him or die. I'll admit to having a bit of respect for the man. So, I joined him.

The assassin's voice softened as he talked about this mysterious General.

"Turns out, he didn't actually want anything to do with the Noxian government. He marches to the beat of his own drum." Talon looked down at the Noxian symbol engraved on his gauntlets, "Noxus is corrupt. Our leader is insane and being puppeted by some organization in the shadows. Marus wants to reveal that to the nation that blindly follows him. That's why I'm a member of the Crimson Elite. I'm gathering information for Marus. I serve him and no others."

"This General sounds pretty important to you."

"He's… like a father to me. If something happened to him… I don't know what I would do, to be honest," Talon sighed. His eyes glanced over at Quinn, seeing her smiling at him. He blushed before scarfing down the last of the cold potato and then the cornbread. He looked up at the night sky, seeing the moon at its highest point. "You need to go home, Quinn." He said as he turned back to her, seeing her face fall with disappointment. "Come," The assassin said, lending her a hand. "I see to it that you make it back in one piece."

The young woman gazed down at his open hand. Her fingers reached out to his, feeling his thick gloves covering him. She hadn't done this before— holding the hand of another person. It was surreal. It was something she didn't know she needed. Her golden eyes looked up at him, noticing him waiting for her. This was something she'd never thought she would find herself in. As she stared into the amber eyes of this Noxian, she felt this unbearable yearning. In all her teenage years, she never had this feeling for another person. Was this what it felt like to have a crush?

Her hand wrapped around his, feeling him pull her forward. He turned his back on her, silently telling her to grab him. Quinn's face flushed into the deepest and hottest red she had ever felt. The young woman's arms wrapped around his neck. Before she knew it, he secured her by holding on to her legs. Talon hopped up and then jumped to the grass below them. He effortlessly landed without a sound. When Quinn tried to get off his back, Talon held on and began walking towards Uwendale.

"I noticed all the rangers in your village are women." Talon said.

"Yeah, my mother is among the most skilled." Quinn smiled at the fact he had noticed. She knew that means he had been stalking around Uwendale since she got back home. She arrived back in her village just before the curfew was nearing. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of him in a tree for almost five hours. Her head rested on his shoulder, "She agreed to re-training me. I want to be ready when I try out for recruitment in the capital."

"So, you decided to go through with it?"

"Yes. Don't be surprised when you see me hunting you down, you filthy Noxian." Quinn joked, poking him on the arm. She could smell his natural scent all around her. It was sweet with that faint smell of leather and pine. The young woman didn't even know it was something she would have liked... but she did.

"I'll see you but you won't see me, girl."

As they approached the gates of the village, Talon stopped. He lowered himself so that Quinn could get off his back. His eyes lingered on the torches lighting the dirt paths and wooden fences separating each small home. The assassin looked back at Quinn, noticing she had been staring at him this whole time.

"You promised me, that if I told you about myself, you would do whatever I wanted. Correct?" Talon said, a slight seriousness in his voice. Her saw the younger woman blush in the faint lighting of the torches.

"I remember." She nodded.

"Then I'll tell you what I want." He grabbed her shoulders, "I want you to never come looking for me again. Your curiosity is going to get you killed." Talon said, seeing the girl's eyes widen in surprise but she managed to smile.

"Well, if that's the case, I insist that you come looking for me." Quinn's hand reached up and wiped away the bread crumbs off his armor. She turned on her heel but stopped, "Oh. I forgot something." The young woman quickly turned around and got on her toes. Her hand grabbed his jaw and pressed her lips against his cheek. As she pulled away, she saw the assassin's shocked expression as he stared down at her. Her face lingered around his, taunting him to continue on. She saw him flinch but stop himself. That is what she wanted. Quinn waved as she walked into the villages gates, "Goodbye, Talon. I'll see you soon."

"How do you know that?" He grinned playfully.

"Because I know you're going to want more of me."

The assassin crossed his arms as he watched the girl hurry to her home. He had to admit there was something different about this one. She wasn't like the other women that tried so desperately to pursue him. They were always all over him, begging for his attention, showing him more than he would have liked. But this girl, she had his attention before he even realized it. She scurried inside, pulled apart the curtains, and looked out the window. With a wink, she blew a kiss like he did back in the woods. Talon waved before disappearing into the forest. He would most definitely be taking her up on her offer of seeing her again.

Notes: Ah. yes. Young love. Will it last? I hope so.

See you next chapter!