Chapter 8

Quinn arose to a warm, muscular chest pressed to her face. She blinked. Not completely awake, the scout pushed her face deeper into the warmth, mumbling something incoherent.

"Quinn."

The woman groaned and mumbled, "I's too erly."

A rough hand held up her face at the chin. Quinn squinted as the bright rays dug into her eyelids, pouting. She wrapped her arms around the person that had spoken to her and stuck like a cat on curtains. "Mmmmf..."

"That's it." The male voice who had spoken earlier shifted, causing Quinn to mewl and latch on harder. The man stood, his arms wrapping underneath her bottom. "Quinn, wake up."

"I'm not a morning person," Quinn moaned, "Let me sleeeeep."

Silence.

Suddenly, the human half of the Wings of Demacia screamed like a little child. The purple haired woman stood drenched, sputtering in the cold lake water. Her bandages across her abdomen were dripping. "Why," she groaned. "That was so comfortable..."

Talon raised an eyebrow. He was standing, undeterred, in the shallow water beside her. "You mean, latching onto me like a cat was comfortable?"

Quinn's ears turned red. "You mean that was you? Oh."

Katarina, who was seated comfortably on her sleeping bag, snickered. "Way to get a man, brat."

Quinn narrowed her eyes at the redhead. "Oh, shut up."

"Feisty," the assassin grinned. "Here, eat, we're leaving soon." Katarina tossed a piece of leftover deer meat from the night before. Quinn gratefully dug in, ignoring her wet, cold hands, suddenly realizing how hungry she actually was. Talon sloshed through the water until he was directly behind her, and reached out to touch her back.

"Hands off!" Quinn growled, twisting her head to glare at the man. Talon scoffed. "I'm changing your bandages, relax, Little Bird."

Quinn huffed and returned to her meat, savoring the flavor as Talon unwrapped the wet bandages from her abdomen. She finished scarfing down her breakfast and glanced down at her now exposed wound. It was crusted and red, but was beginning to scab over.

Talon poked the tender skin, and she flinched. "It's healing better than I thought," he mused, pulling out fresh gauze. He wrapped it tightly around her wound, tying it off tightly.

Katarina started to pack up camp, covering the still warm embers of the fire with dirt and rolling up the sleeping bags. "You guys done over there?"

Quinn nodded, leaning down and splashing her face with the clear water. She stared at her rippling reflection, suddenly remembering the entire conversation she had eavesdropped on the night before.

You'll die before you get the courage to tell the girl.

The scout looked up at the towering man next to her. He seemed so stony, unemotional. But if what Katarina had said last night was true...

"Let's go, Little Bird," Talon said, grabbing her wrist to hurry her along. Quinn looked at his calloused hand grasping her wrist, and followed him to the green grass, stumbling slightly. "Get dressed."

Quinn obliged, thankful to have her clothes and armor again. It gave her a slight sense of security.

Katarina was waiting impatiently by the wood's entrance by the time Talon and Quinn had caught up to her. "Lead the way, girl," Katarina gestured to the green trees behind her. Quinn nodded and she wordlessly disappeared into the trees, with the Noxians following close behind.

"There shouldn't be anyone in the woods now," Quinn said quietly. Talon kept close to the scout's right side, teasing, "If you get caught by the big bad men again, I'll be sure to save you, Little Bird."

Quinn sniffed and didn't say anything as they continued on through the trail.

"How long will it take us to get through here?" Katarina broke the silence that had been building. Quinn frowned, pausing for a moment. "It should only take us until the sun sets, if we don't take any breaks. We might though, and so it might take us until the next morning to get us out of here."

Talon sighed. "And here I already thought the journey was long."

Quinn poked the assassin's chest playfully. "Well, you're going to have to deal with it, Mister Impatient."

Katarina silently watched the exchange. Oh, Talon, what have you gotten yourself into?

The scout noticed that the redhead was staring, and quickly widened the distance between herself and Talon. "We should keep going then," Quinn said awkwardly, starting forward again.

Talon followed behind the girl, like a shadow. Katarina stood a moment longer, her brow furrowed, before continuing after the two. "You'd better get yourself out of this hellhole of a mess, little brother," she muttered.

...

The sun was beginning to set, and the leaves of the trees grew a shade darker as the sun faded away. The trio traveled until it was completely dark and there were only the sounds of crickets.

"We're almost out of here," Quinn said, slightly exhausted. "Do you want to keep going and find an inn near the woods, or camp out?"

"I say we get out of here," Talon said, swatting away a fly. "I will leave you two here if you don't agree."

"The inn it is, then," Quinn sighed. Katarina shrugged. "Yeah."

...

"What brings you young'uns here so late in the night?" A jolly, warm voice greeted the exhausted, tired trio. A plump man with a curling, graying beard appeared from behind the counter.

"Ah, could we have three rooms please, sir?" Quinn asked politely, but couldn't block out the sleepiness in her voice. The innkeeper furrowed his brow. "I'm sorry, dear, but it seems that I only have one room with a queen bed with a single. You don't mind sharing one room, do you? There's still space for each of you to get your own spot on a bed."

Quinn smiled. "Of course we wouldn't mind," she said sweetly, jabbing her heeled boot onto Talon's toes harshly before he could object. "How much for a night?"

"Just twelve silver coins," the man said warmly. "I've given a little discount because you all look so weary, travelers. Besides, you'll only be staying half a night, technically."

Katarina nodded her head, "Thank you."

The innkeeper merely laughed heartily and tossed the redhead the key to the room. "Room 21, last door on the right down the left hallway."

Quinn thanked the keeper again before leading the two Noxians to their room for the night. She shut the door gently behind her after everyone stepped into the cozy, dark room.

Katarina flicked on the lights, which revealed a queen sized bed covered in silky white sheets and fluffy white pillows. A few feet away stood a lonely twin sized bed with the same white sheets and pillows.

"Who gets which bed?" Quinn asked, flopping onto the bigger bed. "I call this one."

Katarina rolled her eyes at the childishness of the scout. "I'm suppose I'll be mature and take the smaller bed. Which means, Talon, you're sharing with the bird girl again."

Talon sighed, but moved onto the other side of the bed, poking Quinn's shoulder. "We should take quick showers," he said. "You reek, Little Bird."

Quinn snorted. "You think I care?"

"You should," he shrugged. Katarina let out a breath. "I'm going to get clean first. Don't do anything weird while I'm gone," she smirked as she closed the door behind her to the connected washroom. Talon could feel his ears turning red, slightly from anger but mostly from embarrassment.

Quinn hadn't said anything, but sat up from her lazy position and pulled off her helmet. "You can take that off, you know," she said casually, gesturing to the assassin's knife heavy cloak. Talon smirked. "Scared I'm going to hurt you, Little Bird?"

The scout narrowed her eyes. "In your dreams."

"I might do that," he grinned. Quinn growled, "Now you're just making fun of me."

"Who said I was?" The assassin asked innocently, unclasping his cloak and letting it fall heavily to the floor. "There, happy?"

"In a way," Quinn smirked. "I call the next shower. Unless, you want me to follow the ladies' first rule."

"Yeah, yeah-" Talon paused. "Did you just indirectly call me a lady?"

Quinn smiled innocently, "Maybe," she answered. Talon's eyes flashed as he grinned. "I'll show you what this lady can do," he threatened teasingly. He poked at her sides and the scout giggled. "S-stop! I'm ticklish, Talon!"

"That's even better," he replied, feathering his fingers down her legs and back up to her waist. Quinn began to squirm and giggle louder. "S-stop-or else!" She was cut off again by a fit of giggles pushing at her throat.

"My, little brother, the last time I saw you do this was to Cassie when she was younger. She always said you were the master of tickles. You still are now, aren't you? So tough and scary," Katarina snorted from the bathroom door. Talon immediately withdrew from the scout, straightening his face from any sign of emotion.

The female assassin's red hair was tied up and still wet, a towel tied around her chest down. Quinn hopped up from the bed, still fighting her small giggles. "My turn," she said, rushing to the washroom and shutting the door behind her.

"So, Tickle Master," Katarina laughed, "I see you're taking a liking to her."

Talon glared at his sister. "Sure."

The smile on Katarina's lips straightened. "Remember what I told you, little brother."

...

The moon still glowed brightly from the small window. Talon stared at the ceiling, not yet asleep. He could hear the soft breathing of his sister to the side a little farther away.

Right beside him, though, was an angel itself. Quinn's large eyes were closed shut, her dark purple hair splayed out all around her pillow. Her lips were slightly chapped and the widened slightly every time she exhaled.

The assassin watched her chest rise and fall slowly.

You'll die before you get the courage to tell the girl.