Riven couldn't deny the comfort that even a shabby cot brought over sleeping on the ground. She felt more safe than she had in some time. The charcoal black that cloaked the surprisingly cozy room didn't hold the uncertainty of the open night. Of course, companionship had helped substantially recently as well. She could hear Yasuo breathing, but his draughts of air lacked the tempo of a soul lost to sleep. Tension suddenly threaded into Riven's perception at her realization that the both of them were simply lying awake, feeling the gentle sway of the seaborne vessel and the presence of another person in the room. Riven drew a deep breath and shifted slightly, further upsetting her messy locks flayed out around her head, her bunk's creaking protests highlighting the constant woosh of waves and wind whirling about the ship. She exhaled, a gust of breath that matched the persistent winds outside for just a moment.

She felt like she should say something. Exactly what, of course, evaded her. She broke the static line of her lips again not to speak, but heave yet another sigh.

Gods, Riven could hear the man's smirk as he half-grunted with a low chuckle, voice rattling deep as the darkness plaguing their quarters. Something in the broken part of her marveled at how he could still joke, still smile, and still laugh. In a flash she remembered how he'd brought that out of her too with their earlier interaction on the deck. Riven hadn't minded that.

"Something the matter Riven?"

His mirth concerning the rather dull situation proved infectious. Again. Breathing a light chuckle of her own, Riven responded, "Ah, not particularly. Barring the obvious of course."

Yasuo let out a wisp of air, a sigh to match her own, and voiced his agreement. A short pause came between them, then his voice took on a slightly unfamiliar pitch as he continued, "So. Uh, I've been wondering. Just how big was your sword?"

Riven's reply was instantaneous, curious as to how the man would react. "About as long as yours is."

Nothing. Did he not believe her? Riven's light brow furrowed as the silence went on, but soon enough it was broken.

"That...wow. That says a lot. I think you're probably stronger than me."

A slight snort erupted from Riven at the statement. She'd been much stronger than many men in Noxus, having proven it by the amount of gold she'd won in Noxus' various fighting arenas. A small smile at the nostalgia and a whiff of pride passed over her face. She decided a little bit of taunting was appropriate, what with their duel the next day.

"We'll see tomorrow, won't we?" Riven's mirth colored her joking, lightly threatening tone.

The Ionian erupted into what she assumed was a small fit of surprised, but genuinely amused laughter. In the midst of it he managed, "Oh, we will."

An unexpected sense of satisfaction at their interaction came over the woman, something she'd only ever felt after joking similarly with friends she'd had over the years. Riven decided to renew her efforts to sleep while the sound of his laughter echoed in her mind. No, she hadn't minded that either.

Some time later Yasuo rumbled a gentle goodnight. She decided she liked his voice, his laugh. Any thoughts that would have followed were muddied and overcome by a need for rest.

Eventually Riven closed her eyes and let the waves lull her to sleep.

Both sun and sea doused the pair as they stood on the deck, weapons in hand. The moment of consideration before battle was charged, crackling with potential and ready to pop! at but a hint of movement. Yasuo's blade gleamed white like his opponent's hair in the sunlight, while her black blade reaped light and gave almost none back at all. A lock of Yasuo's hair splintered off of the mass on his head, pointed like a prong of her weapon.

All at once, Riven exploded in Yasuo's direction in an impossibly quick burst of movement. His reaction was nearly as fast, but it was exactly she was looking for. Riven turned, motioned her blade in a hard sideways slash that forced a dodge and again, her opponent played into her movements as planned. As she brought her sword round once more, slashing with unforgiving speed and a punishing measure of strength, she heard Yasuo grunt with effort when their blades clashed. He has only just managed to bring the hilt of his sword up fast enough to grind the edges of their blades together, narrowly avoiding an unfortunate parting with most of his midsection.

And then, to his surprise, Riven twisted, but not to back off and come at him again. She launched herself into the air, rotated at what he thought was a ridiculous angle, and brought her sword hurtling downward with a dangerous amount of momentum. Riven fought unlike anything he'd ever encountered before!

After roughly clashing his blade with hers again, Riven backed off for the time being. Whether she was looking for another opening or simply waiting to overwhelm him, Yasuo wasn't sure. That last attack had been brutally strong, requiring both of his arms to brace his blade against her strength yet still managing to knock him back. If he let her keep coming at him, he'd likely be both beaten and limbless.

Somehow he knew that Riven was not merely a soldier. This woman was an absolutely exceptional fighter. With that speed, strength, and technique...there was no doubt she had been called a prodigy like him, Yasuo thought. The difference was he was hailed for being able to learn a technique few others could...he was willing to bet Riven's style was all her own.

Refusing to underestimate both her genius and ability, Yasuo quickly and deftly brought his blade up as he moved close to Riven. He moved his sword around in a swift circle, but she mirrored his first action, causing them to dash through each other. Yasuo tried again.

Riven dodged again.

Undeterred, Yasuo moved in once more, intent on using the length of his blade over hers to triumph this time. He slashed from some distance away, but Riven parried the light weight of his thin blade and executed her combo again, only she was even faster this time! Yasuo turned around and blocked hurriedly, her counter having slowed the positioning of his blade. Her sword barely clinked off of his and she immediately followed through into her next move. She'd used his expectation of her against him! Riven once again brought her heavy, broken rune sword through her aerial rotation with blinding speed, forcing Yasuo to react before it was too late.

"Soryé!"

A gust flowed from his blade and knocked Riven back, catching her off guard. She looked at him, expression hinting at surprise and intrigue, but otherwise unreadable.

Yasuo looked back, breathing increased from the effort of keeping up. Riven certainly was strongest with her weapon, but in some way she was also vulnerable. Passion would do that to you, for just a moment bringing down all of your walls until lucidity took its place again. As they continued to regard each other, Yasuo allowed himself to think it had also the most beautiful he'd seen her yet.

They both knew she'd bested him in their quick bout, yet he couldn't wait to fight her again.

"Huh." Riven's deadpan drew Yasuo out of his reverie, cutting off his thoughts about all that had just occurred.

"Wind is sort of my thing."

Riven smirked and said, "Yes...I can see that now. That was...interesting." The glint in her eye told Yasuo there was much more to what she was saying.

"I suppose. But I do know that you are positively brutal...almost lost my head there.." Rubbing his neck for effect, he felt a tinge of pride at causing her smile, however small, once more.

They seemed to have silently agreed to take a small break before starting up again, during which Yasuo moved to the railing of the deck to lean back while he spoke to Riven. He took a moment to look up at the dazzling blue of the sky, squinting harshly from the brightness of it all. Eventually, a formation of clouds came and offered much needed relief from the sun's persistent, beating rays.

Yasuo turned to Riven and spoke.

"You weren't just a soldier, were you?"

The question seemed to jolt Riven into seriousness, her face immediately snapping to an ironically soldier-esque blank expression. Her eyes, however, just barely betrayed the resurfacing pain.

She sighed. It was heavy and hopeless this time, like an effort to free herself of what she knew she couldn't.

"No. No, I wasn't."

Yasuo kept looking at her, but Riven had averted her gaze to the horizon, preferring to look at the deep blue ocean and its distant waves licking at the sky as if reaching for something more. Her lips pursed before she continued, "I was...many things. They considered me the paragon of strength. Not everyone gets a sword like mine."

"I figured."

Riven went on. "When I...left the military I was a Commander, leader of the Fury Company, and member of the Crimson Elite." Her voice was so low and raw that the dull roar of the waves nearly eclipsed her confession. Yasuo blinked. He was shocked to learn that she was such a high ranking member of the Noxian military but not altogether surprised. The Ionian did not know what exactly those groups she mentioned were, but assumed it was some sort of high military honor. Her swordsmanship, with a broken weapon no less, was beyond superb and demanding of such a rank. He shuddered to think of what a terror she would had been with her entire weapon! A paragon indeed.

She seemed even more uneasy at his extended silence. Riven began to speak again, but faltered. Her head was bowed as she spoke, "Yasuo, I cannot even begin to express how sorry I am for what Noxus–and what I have done to Ionia." His chest tightened with a mixture of emotions, unsure of what he was feeling entirely. The war had brought a great deal of agony to many on both sides. Yasuo closed his eyes.

He knew Riven was different now. Once again, resolve came through and he remembered his promise–that her past was her past. He was not involved and had no right to judge. Realizing she needed to hear a response to her apology, the Ionian looked back at Riven's conflicted face.

"As far as I'm concerned, Riven...you have a new start. You abandoned all of that." He let out a short whiff of a dry laugh. "Isn't that what we're doing here anyway?" At his words Riven's shoulders slackened and she let out a wavering sigh. Yasuo nodded in sombre recognition when her gleaming crimson eyes met his and she uttered the most genuine thanks he'd heard in his life.

The subsequent days went similarly, but with much less serious conversation and more sparring. Perhaps more understanding as well, as they grew increasingly familiar with each other as well as their blades. On the night before their arrival in Bilgewater Harbor, Yasuo lay on his cot, his feet hanging over the side. Memories and moments of the past few days with Riven populated his thoughts. Slowly but surely, respectful admiration for the person she was bloomed inside of him; it was so apparent why she'd been celebrated so.

Yes. There was no doubt in his mind that Riven was stronger that him in so many ways.

I pretty much incorporated the fact that a Riven in-game roflstomps Yasuo. In my opinion he simply would not have the battling power she does, either.

Thanks for reading, leave what you thought in a review! Was my first shot at a fight scene, so feedback is great!