Howdy! Sanctierium here.

Had a few issues come up IRL. And also been having a lack of creativity. Though, that's all fixed and sorted now, so lets get to it, shall we?

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Summoner of the Exile, Chapter 11….

….The life of those Unforgiven.

Splat….splat…splat

The sound repeated over and over in Riven's head as she watched herself take step after step through the thick mud of the roads of Ionina. She was tired, hungry, and what was worse…it was raining, which also made her cold. Given it was almost winter in Ionia, it felt like standing under an ice cold waterfall. Every muscle in her body ached, her supplies had ran out long ago as she trudged on down the road. Rumor had it the one she looked for secluded himself with in Ionia's hills, where hardly anyone went.

Riven shivered, pulling her sodden cloak more tightly around her. She had not predicted that it was going to rain, and brought a simple traveling cloak which seemed to do very little against the rain. She just managed to see a hill up ahead, the road which lead to the home of the one Ionina called the 'Unforgiven'…

Yasuo.

Through the rain, she managed to catch a glimpse of three figures. At first, she stopped and watched on for a moment. Unsure of who they were, she kept walking. When they finally came into view, she noticed their attire. They wore a mixture of traditional Ionian armour and leather, with a variety of short swords at their waists.

Riven knew what Ionian soldiers looked like. Usually armoured head to toe in layered steel gear, with athletic build slightly muscular builds for both strength and dexterity. Not these guys. The short swords looked like there were more made for stabbing and lethal strikes. The thinness of the blade indicated such, usually used for quicker and silent kills…these were Assassins.

Over the roar of the rain falling on her head, she managed to catch a few phrases and words here and there. It was mentioned that Yasuo was a wanted man, and Assassins constantly tried to kill him. These three must have been the next batch that would more than likely fallen to his blade. The three stopped talking and turned to look at the woman who approached them. One raised their hand, stopping her "Who are you and what business do you have with the Unforgiven?"

Riven simply stared at him for a few moments, her brain trying to think of words, trying to develop a sentence. This rain was not helping.

"I…wish to speak with him. Why are you here?"

"Speak with the Unforgiven? You'd be throwing your life away." The first man growled, his voice husky as if he had a cough. Riven wouldn't be surprised…this rain made her felt sicker by the moment.

"Jeria.." The second man behind him said "Look!…Her face, her eyes…She's Noxian."

The first man, whom Riven now knew was Jeria, narrowed his eyes, trying to get a better look at her. Riven didn't try to hide her face, in fact she met his gaze evenly and even went as far as pulling off her hood to reveal her already drenched white hair. Jeria's lip turned into a snarl "Noxian scum! The Unforgiven can wait while we gut you here and now!"

It was then Riven's mind suddenly began to focus. The three drew their swords and took their stances, as if expecting her to draw her weapon. Of course, she would have if she hadn't left it on the field where her fellow Noxians died. Even still, she was not going to die here. No, she still had things she needed to do…she wasn't going to lose to these three.

"I'm not your enemy, and I'd prefer not to fight you. Please lower your weapons…" Riven murmured, trying to see if reason would work, even though it probably wouldn't. Jeria simply grinned and charged straight forward.

Although it had been a while, Riven was trained to kill Ionian soldiers. This would have been no different than any other day on that battlefield…as many Ionians had died to her hand. Everything seemed to move in slow motion to her. Her eyes darted left and right at each weapon in his hand. She knew he was going to feint with the left then stab with the right.

And she was correct. Sure enough the man pretended he was about to slash with his left weapon, then suddenly lunged forward with his right blade for her heart. Having knew this, Riven side stepped, being careful on the slippery mud as she grabbed the man by the wrist with her right hand while her left rammed it into the back of his elbow with all the force she could muster. She heard a noticeable crack as the man suddenly screamed in pain, letting go of his weapon.

Riven caught it, then rammed it straight into his ribcage. She pushed the man off of her, blood now dripping from the sword she held. It was light like her runeblade, but it was not the same. It looked to fragile, to short…but it would have to do. She looked up at the other two and took her stance, beckoning them to come fight her.

They responded, one man faster than the other as he attempted to stab both his blades into her. She stepped out of the way, tripping him over as he passed then focused on the other man behind him. He held both of his blades backwards, going for a double slash. Riven blocked the first one with her wrist, quickly cutting along his chest before he could slash with the other. Taking a firm grip of the man's wrist, she then brought the blade down to stab himself through the throat. There was a gargling sound from the man, then no more as he fell off to the side.

She couldn't keep this up forever. Already the cold was affecting her muscles, and she still had one more assassin to worry about. She turned just in time to side step another stabbing attack. This time she wasn't so lucky as the blade cut through her side. She gasped, losing balance. The other assassin took note of this and quickly took advantage of this as he flipped his other blade backwards and slashed for her face.

Riven leaned back, though the blade still cut through hair and a bit of her cheek. She lost her footing in the slippery mud and fell backwards before finding herself pinned under her attacker. She struggled, but she couldn't get any use of her arms, and she was already weak enough as is. Riven had let this fight drag on for longer than she had planned, and she was about to pay the price.

The man grinned "You're gonna pay for killing my friends, you foul Noxian scum." He raised his blade over his head "Now you DIE!"

The rain suddenly shifted to the right, as if something had passed through it. At first, the man did nothing, simply sat there as if frozen in time. Then a thin red line appeared around his throat, his sword hand shaking before they both burst into fountains of blood, covering Riven in the crimson liquid.

Riven managed to push the body off of her, though wasn't able to see who had saved her. Her eyes suddenly felt heavy, catching the shadowy outline of someone with a rather large pony tail. As her world fell into darkness, she heard a familiar voice.

"Well…it just had to be you, didn't it, Bunny girl?"

What happened after the fight…Riven couldn't remember. She didn't dream, nor did it feel like she slept. It was black, with the muffled sound of footsteps. She felt a pair of hands carefully remove something from around her waist. She would have reached up and stop them from doing what every they were doing, but she didn't have the strength to do it.

After what seemed like an eternity, Riven finally managed to open her eyes. From the looks of it she was in a rather old Ionian home dating to the war between Noxus and Ionia. She could tell this by the battered walls and scratch marks that could have been blade marks from what ever struggle happened here.

Not far from that was a smouldering fire along with her cloths which were hung to dry. She looked down at herself and noticed she was covered in a old brown sheet, and slowly pulled it off to see if she was simply in her underwear. No, she was wearing a simple blue robe, and her undergarments were still where they should be…

She tried to sit up, but did so to quickly which aggravated her side wound. Winching in pain, she placed her hand on the wound and got up more slowly. It was shaky at first, but she managed to get her feet and walk around. The entrance to the near by room was covered by a black shoddy curtain, which she pulled aside. Empty bottles and barrels littered the room, clearly the home of one who drank a lot.

Near by there was a kitchen, or at least one that came close to one. It was still messy, with utensils and pots scattered everywhere. Sighing, Riven decided to head outside for some fresh air. When she opened the door, the sun was rising, blinding her temporarily. She raised her hand to cover her eyes so that they could adjust to the light, and when they did, she looked around.

They were on a hill, some distance from where she had fought the three assassins. Then her eyes fell upon the one man she knew was her saviour…Yasuo.

He sat at the edge of the steep hill, looking over a small valley, a bamboo cup in one hand and his sword in the other which propped him up from the floor.

"You were out of it for two days." He said in a rather dull tone, acknowledging her presence "I didn't do anything perverted while you slept, if that helps with anything that's probably running through your head right now."

Riven frowned, straightening her posture, then soon regretting it as her wound began to throb. "Try not to move around so much. The wound will open back up if you do so…it's just a gash, but it's still a rather nasty one." Yasuo said, raising his cup to his lips.

Riven was now glaring at him, taking a step forward before speaking "Why would you do this? Why help me?"

Yasuo lowered his cup onto his lap and raised his hand, extending two fingers "Two reasons…One being that I wasn't simply let a woman die near by doorstep after she just killed the Assassins after me…consider that being gratitude." He glanced over his shoulder at the woman " And two being my curiosity that you out of all people would actively seek me out."

At this point, Riven's lips slowly turned into a frown "I…wanted to come to apologise to you. You didn't deserve the hatred you got from your people. Even though I don't exactly remember anything about killing any elders…if you are convinced it was me, then just kill me." She raised her hands to pull the edges of her robes aside, exposing the top of her chest "Do it. Run your blade through my heart….if it would give you any satisfaction."

Yasuo raised a brow at the woman before clambering to his feet. Hooking his cup to his waist, he drew his sword in one, natural flowing movement, taking a few steps forward before bringing his blade to her chest. They locked gazes, Yasuo seeming to be studying her with those dark brown eyes of his "I expected more from you, Riven…I thought you had friends who counted on you, needed you…and here you are, asking for death. Why?"

Riven's expression hardened "I wanted to change Noxus. That was my goal, to try and find a way…but because of me, one of my friends was almost killed and I don't want to endanger them again. At least this way, I can atone for my sins that I committed not only to Ionia…but to you. If my death means it will free you from this curse that…even if I wasn't the culprit…you never deserved this, even if you take my head back it might convince them enough to leave you be.…" She squeezed her eyes shut "So what are you waiting for? Do it."

At first, Yasuo did nothing but stare at the Noxian. His hand gripped the hilt of his sword tightly as he thought about the situation. There was not another single person in this world he knew that could use a wind technique…Riven's fighting style came close, but was it really her who did it? She seemed too…kind, for a lack of a better description. He scoffed at the idea; a Noxian? Kind? That was the most stupidest bullshit he could ever think of…

He opened one eye to look at Riven. There she was, her chest exposed to his blade, her eyes squeezed shut. He knew she was nervous, he could sense it in her breath, but even still she was ready to die as long as it meant helping another free themselves from this…'curse'.

He had heard her title was 'Riven the Exile', meaning that technically…she was no longer a Noxian, right? There was to many things he didn't know, but one thing was for certain…it couldn't have been her.

Yasuo mused about the idea for a bit longer; for now…he'll let her live, until he could find out more. With that, he withdrew his blade, and slid it back into it's sheath, the air around him seemed to calm in response. Riven cracked one eye open, then opened them fully in surprise at the fact Yasuo was no longer pointing his sword at her. She looked up at him, confused "Why?…"

"Because, there is to little for me to go on…besides, no Noxian would go through the trouble of trying to find someone like me just to confess they killed an Elder…last time I checked, Noxians don't work that way." Yasuo responded, turning to head inside the house "Come, I'll make us some food, then you're going to come with me to do something…"

Riven stood there, stunned. Shaking her head, she covered up her chest again before following the man inside.

Yasuo watched as Riven devoured her third bowl of soup. He honestly couldn't blame her, it had been two days she was out for…not to mention however long she had been on the road with out food. It showed, she seemed slightly thinner than when he had met her in the League.

His train of thought was broken as Riven extended her bowl to the man "Sorry…but is there a chance I can have some more?" She asked rather politely. Yasuo sighed, scooping up more of the hot broth and pouring it into the bowl until it was full, then watched as she quickly began to devour that. While she ate, Yasuo asked "So how long have you been on the road for?"

"Around a week….or so…" Riven replied between mouthfuls "Half way…through…I used the rest of my food."

Yasuo raised a brow, how could the woman use up her food in less than a week?

"I wasn't able to carry a lot." Riven answered the man's thought for him as she lowered her now empty bowl "I would have brought more, but this far into Ionia…I'm not sure how others would react at the sight of a Noxian, regardless if they are weaponless or not."

Yasuo waved a dismissive hand "Don't worry about it…anyway, are you done?"

"Aye." Riven replied, standing and brushing off her robe "Where are we going?"

"There is a farmer I usually get my food from not far from here. He also supplies my liquor. He's a kind old fellow, doesn't care for histories or pasts. As long as you could help him with his crops, he's quite fine." Yasuo said as he rose to his feet and started digging through some broken crates.

"Sounds like he's too trustful…couldn't he be exploited?" Riven asked as he picked up their bowls and set them aside out of the way to wash later.

"Maybe, then again I'm the only one that goes to visit him these days. No one ever travels this far northeast at this time of season. Not only that…I live here, not many want to travel to close to a road where the Unforgiven could figure they were enemies."

Riven frowned, giving the man an apologetic look. Yasuo spotted this and sighed, tossing her a blue ragged scarf "Cover your head with that. Just in case."

Once Riven had placed the scarf around her head as Yasuo instructed, the two exited the house and made their way down the road. Riven noticed the men she killed were no longer there, and turned to Yasuo in question. Yasuo simply jabbed a thumb behind him, the Exile looking over the man's shoulder to see what was a make-shift graveyard.

From what Riven could see…there were many. How many men were sent to kill one man?

Yasuo had begun to move, Riven staring at the graveyard a bit longer before following behind. Yasuo's presence suddenly made her nervous. This man had to kill is own people..over and over again. Was he really that strong?

—

"C'mon, Al, open your mouth and eat something!" Came the sweet voice of Lizza

Alidar was still bedridden after the attack, glaring at Lizza who held a spoonful of mash, poking at his mouth. In her other hand was the plate that held the rest of his supper. Al growled, embarrassed "Honestly, Liz, I have two perfectly functional arms, you don't need to feed me."

Lizza narrowed her eyes "Remind me if I care or not. You need to eat, so eat!"

Marsy was busy reading a book near by while Ahri stared out the window. Ahri had been worried about Riven's safety, being a week ever since she left. Lorson and Shyvana had gone to see if they could scryer her position…even though it had been rather difficult to do so.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, catching everyone's attention. Lorson opened the door soon after, Shyvana in tow "Heeey, gettin' spoon fed are we, Al?"

"The woman is so afraid I might get hurt again she's stopped me from feeding myself. She really is fuss—Ow!" Lizza cut him short with a quick smack across his head "Well I'm sorry that your girl-friend is worried about the fact her lover almost got KILLED NOT THAT LONG AGO!"

Lorson sighed, raising his hands "Alright alright..calm down. I've been doing some searching and I managed to find Riven's location."

The room fell silent, all eyes turned to him. Now that he had their attention, Lorson continued "She's Ionina. By the looks of it, she's okay…though traveling with Yasuo."

"Yasuo?" Ahri repeated, slightly surprised at the mention of the Unforgiven "I thought he was convinced that Riven was his Elder's killer?"

"So did I, though it seems like they worked something out." Lorson said, shrugging "Regardless, what do we do now?"

Alidar leaned forward, bringing his hands together infront of him "Well…I can't exactly travel in my condition. Perhaps Lorson, you sho—"

Ahri rose suddenly, cutting the man off. She had a determined look on her face "I'll go."

Al raised a brow in question "Are you sure? The trip will be long…"

"I don't care about the trip, I've grown to consider Riven my friend and ally, therefore I will go get her. I know Ionina well, plus I'm faster than most. It'll be easier."

Lizza put the plate of food down before sitting beside Al "She does have a point…"

Alidar thought about the suggestion for a moment, considering the idea. While he didn't want to put Ahri in danger, it was true that she would be the quickest. Even if Noxus were to send Assassins, Ahri would have no trouble dealing with them. She did have the cunning of a fox after all…

"I'll even go with her." Came the calm tone of Shyvana.

Everyone looked to the Half-Dragon in surprise, who simply returned their gaze with an emotionless stare "I'm a Dragon. I can fly Ahri over to Ionia. We can cover more ground that way."

"The only problem with that is we don't want to alert Noxus of what we're doing. We don't know if they have spies in Ionia…" Alidar said, leaning back in his bed "So if that's the case, be careful where you fly."

"Consider it done." Shyvana said, turning to Ahri "When you're ready."

Ahri nodded firmly "Let's go."

Riven and Yasuo traveled down the road in silence. For the longest while, Riven saw nothing but fields of grass and a few trees here and there, before she finally caught sight of a small house in the distance, along with long stretches of farmland. "That's the farm of a man called 'Paico'. He's farmed these lands for years." Yasuo explained as they made their way up the road to the door of the home "He's old, but he gives good advice, and makes great liquor. He also doesn't care about your background as long as you can help him collect his crops.."

The man looked to the sky, Riven watching him with interest before he finally returned his gaze to the home "Which would be wise, seeing as it snows in Ionia during winter."

Yasuo raised his hand and knocked on the door. There was a moment of silence before and old man's voice replied from the other side "I told you fools that I know nothing of Yasuo! For goodness sake can an old fella just get some peace and quiet around here?!"

"Calm down, Paico. It's me, I've also brought a….aah." He glanced to Riven, who stayed silent, averting her gaze "…Friend, with me."

A series of locks began to shift and change from the other side of the door. When it finally opened, a short man in grey robes stood before them, green eyes looking the two visitors up and down, though it was mostly Riven he was looking at "Who's your girl friend?" He asked, giving Riven a toothy grin. Riven's blush was hidden thanks to the scarf she wore, but she still took a strong step forward, glaring at the man "We're not—"

"A couple, no." Yasuo finished for her. The Exile glanced to the man, who's face she couldn't see thanks to that weird shoulder pad of his. What ever his expression was, she didn't care, she simply turned to look out to the fields. Yasuo sighed "This is Riven the Exile. And before you ask…no, I don't believe she was the one who killed the Elder. Regardless, she's here to help out today."

Paico regarded the woman for a moment before looking towards Yasuo "Can she gather carrots?"

Yasuo sighed "Anyone can gather carrots, old man."

"Then sure, why the hell not. Come in, both of ya."

Riven turned around to follow Yasuo inside of the old mans home. When she entered, she noticed how…'clean' it was. Given the man was a old farmer, she half expected to be a bit messy, but that wasn't the case. linen curtains lined every window, a kitchen was not far off to their right. In the middle of the room was as large tea table with a empty cup - where the old man was probably sitting before the two arrived.

"Welcome to my home." Paico said as he made his way over to a mat which had been placed rather far out of the way. Curious, Riven watched as the old man threw the mat off, revealing a wooden hatch, which he opened "What's mine is yours for the duration of your visit. The man disappeared inside the hatch for a few moments before he came back up with two large bags, three bamboo hats and a basket. He walked over to Riven an gave her the basket and one of the hats "Luckly for you, me and Yasuo here already collected a lot of the crops. All that's left is corn and the carrots. Surely that shouldn't be hard for a hardened Noxian soldier like yourself, hm?"

Riven stared at the items in extended to her, letting out a small sigh. Well, if she was going to be with Yasuo for who knows how long…may as well do something to keep herself busy. She took the hat and the basket "I'll manage."

Nodding, the man then walked over to Yasuo and gave him one of the bags and a hat before making his way to the door that Riven guessed led to the fields "Keep the hats on at all times. At a distance, it'll look like just a trio of farmers at work to any of those who pass by. Even though no one travels this far north-east thanks to Yasuo here, it's always good to be cautious." Paico slapped his hat on his head and slipped the bag onto his shoulders "Let's get workin'."

Stepping outside, Riven finally got a better look at the farmer's field. A lot of it was empty, besides a large crop of corn, and then some bushes to the left of it, which were obviously the carrots. While Yasuo and Paico went to gather the corn, Riven made her way to the carrots, where she knelt down and grabbed one by the bush and yanked it from the soil. While the carrot itself was a bit paler than what she'd seen in the markets of the village with Al, it looked like any other carrot. Placing it in the basket, Riven simply went down the line, pulling carrots from the earth and placing them in the basket. Pull, shake, basket. Rinse lather and repeat.

Yasuo gathered the corn closet to where Riven was working, giving the Exile a chance to talk to him while she gathered carrots. "How long have you been helping the old man?' She asked. Yasuo was picking corn from their stalks, reaching behind him to place it in the bag he wore "A few weeks after I became a wanted man. He's supplied my food and drink ever since…I was surprised when I first met him. He wasn't scared, he wasn't angry, he simply asked if I could pick peas. I said yes, and he asked me to help him. After we were done, he gave me a bag of food and sent me on my way." The man shrugged "He's an odd one, but you don't see me complaining. I'm willing to put a bit of effort if I'm going to be fighting assassins for the rest of my life."

Riven frowned, hesitating to take out the carrot her hand was wavering over. Shaking her head lightly, she continued her work "Makes sense I suppose."

Yasuo let out a light chuckle "He's a good fellow. I'm sure you'll get along just fine."

Riven looked up from her work and watched Yasuo for a moment, eyeing his figure. He had muscle, but he seemed to have more of a athletic build rather than a full on muscular build. His eyes were focused, but even from an angle, Riven could see the same haunted look she had when ever she had looked in a mirror. Their past changed them, the events that occurred haunted them…despite the difference in situation, Riven could guess that he also felt betrayed by the people he served and protected.

Yasuo caught sight of her, staring, raising a brow in question. Riven's felt her cheeks begin to burn, quickly returning to her task.

Despite the colder weather, Riven found herself sweating. In a way, she enjoyed it, the labour took her mind off a few things, while also thinking about how'd she continue from here. She had managed to get two baskets worth of carrots by the time she was done, Paico walking over with a pipe in his hand, whistling at the sight "My my, you sure did that quickly. Youth is incredible sometimes."

Riven chuckled, raising the sleeve of her robe to wipe her brow "It's a lot harder than it looks, but I usually manage."

The old man smiled "You're a good kid, Riven. Come back to the house, I got some food for the both of ya. Well earned from all your hard work."

Riven nodded, picking up the baskets and following the man back to his home. When they entered, Yasuo was sitting by the fire with an old rag, wiping the length of his blade. Riven never managed to get a good look at his sword until now. The blade, despite all the blood shed it has seen, looked beautiful and unmarked. Elegant patterns made from when it was forge swivel down it's length. The hilt was elegantly crafted, with smooth and thin strips of leather criss crossing all the way down to the end.

Riven placed the baskets down near the corn that was gathered and went to join Yasuo, watching him work from a respectable distance "It's an amazing sword."

Yasuo chuckled lightly, raising it up so that it would reflect the light of the fireplace "Yea, well I try to keep it in good shape. Don't let how it looks fool you though…It never gets any lighter." His tone had dropped, Riven detecting a bit of sadness as he spoke. She understood why…who knew how many men and women he had to kill when they were sent after him.

Paico brought two steaming bowls of food to the pair, Yasuo sliding his sword back into it's sheath and nodding in thanks as he received it. Riven took her own bowl, murmuring "Thank you." as she raised it to her lips. "Vegetable soup always gets me energised after a good day of work." Paico said as he made his way over to a fur covered chair and planted his rear in it, raising his pipe to his lips, searching for his tinder and flint.

Once he had lit the tobacco, he took a few puffs and removed the pipe, tendrils of smoke drifting from his lips to the roof. Riven looked to the fire place, where she saw paintings and pictures of different people, no doubt the man's family. "Do your family visit you often?" Riven asked, looking over to the man.

Paico sighed, he took looking up at the paintings "My boy usually comes around in the summer with his wife and kids to check up on me. Despite the supposed 'dangers' Yasuo here poses…" the man said. Riven looked to Yasuo, who simply sipped his soup quietly.

"His name is Reneth. He was a soldier during the time Noxus came to our shores. He once challenged one of their commanders to a duel of honour…" Paico continued, raising his pipe to take another inhale of smoke. Riven narrowed her gaze "What was the commander's name?"

The old man shrugged "He never said. Only that two of them came to their village, and he defeated on of them in exchange that they stayed away from their village. One of the commander's agreed, and stepped forward to fight him. It was a glorious battle, though at the cost of Reneth's left arm…despite that he still won. It was what happened after that was the interesting part."

Riven's full attention was on the man, nodding to urge him to continue. Paico took another puff of his pipe before continuing "Instead of killing the commander, Reneth let him live. In exchange, Noxus would leave his village alone. The Commander accepted this, and returned to his companion…who then cut off his head, and order the rest of the Noxian forces to attack."

Riven's eyes widened in horror. She was unsure which force he was talking about, but the fact that this had been happening on the battle field for so long…she couldn't believe it. Paico lowered his pipe, exhaling the smoke from his lips "The Noxian force was defeated, but at the cost of many more than Reneth had intended. Noxian's don't believe in the weak…they had no sense in honor. It was victory or death…and if you're still alive after a defeat, you were better off dead to begin with."

Riven frowned, lowering her head to look at her half empty bowl of soup. There she saw the outline of her reflection, a shadow of her former self. If she had returned to Noxus on the day her company had died…what horrible fate would have befallen her?

"So tell me, Riven." Paico interrupted her thoughts. She looked up to find the man staring at her "I may live far from others, but my son usually likes to keep me informed…word has it you wanted to change Noxus for the better. Yet…here you are, with the Unforgiven, picking carrots for me. What happened? I thought a soldier like you wouldn't crack under such pressure."

Riven bit her lip, glancing to Yasuo, who looked just as curious as Paico. Yes, why was she here? It was a question she had the answer to, it was to die, to make sure her friends were never hurt again. To be with them would only mean their death. "I managed to finally fight Darius…but he didn't play fair. To be honest, I expected it as much, but after my Summoner got hurt…I didn't want to put him or his loved ones in danger. So I left, seeking some sort of redemption. I half expected Yasuo to kill me where I stood…yet he forgave me. Now I'm left with no many options but to live out my Exiled life, somewhere Noxus wouldn't bother with me or my friends."

"Sounds like a crop of horse shit to me.." Yasuo muttered, finishing his soup. Riven shot him a glare, her mouth open in protest before Paico cut in "I agree with Yasuo. It sounds to me you're just running away…you're scared."

Riven growled, rising to her feet, her voice raising into a shout "I am not scared!"

Paico met her gaze evenly "Then tell me, Riven….Why are you here? Everything you've just said points to fear. You fear for your friends, you fear for your life…I bet you anything that if you were still the brain washed poster child Noxus had, you'd happily gave your life to ensure the safety of your men and the victory of your people. You've been given a chance to change your home and to root out the evil that's corrupted it. Why are you here, grovelling away while you could be out there fighting for a better future for your people." Paico scoffed "To me it doesn't sound like the Riven all the news has been telling me. They told me she had grown more confident, a strong champion in the Rift…yet." He eyed her up and down "I don't see her."

Riven couldn't respond, a lump had raised in her throat that was hard to swallow. He was right, Riven knew he was right…they both were. She lowered herself back into her seat, her head hung in defeat "I'm sorry for yelling…" She murmured.

Paico waved a dismissive hand "It's only natural for us mortals to fear things, Riven. Your frustration is justified."

"Even if I wanted to continue fighting…" Riven said, leaning back into her chair and looking up at the man "I don't have a blade. My sword was the last connection I had to Noxus, and I got rid of it." Riven shook her head "It's not like I could just fight Darius with sticks and harsh language."

Yasuo glanced to Paico, who nodded, rising from his seat to walk over to a near by bookshelf. He came back with a large tome, taking away Riven's half empty bowl and resting it on her lap "Turn to the 20th page of the book." He said as he returned to his seat.

Confused, Riven flipped through the pages until she came across a charcoal sketch drawing of an elegant blade with a dragon coiling around it. Riven looked to Paico, unsure of what he was suggesting. In response, Paico emptied the contents of his pipe and leaned back into his chair "Legend has it that the Dragonblade is located in the mountains of Ionia. Those have a good heart and a fighting spirit are able to wield the blade's awesome power."

"There is one problem though.." Yasuo cut in "Guarding the mountain is that dumb clan of Ninja's. Then beyond that, it's rumoured that Syndra's floating fortress stands in the way to the sword. The only way you're ever going to get that blade is if you somehow convince the Clan to let you pass, and then some how find a way to get past Syndra with out her knowing your presence." The man closed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest "With those out of the way, you can use that to fight Darius…"

"The Kinkou Order you mean…" Riven asked. Yasuo nodded, and Riven's heart fell. Even if the sword did exist, how was she even going got convince the Kinkou to let a Noxian through? Not only that, how was she even sure she was worthy enough wield such a sword. She stared down at the drawing of the blade, tracing her fingers gently over it's surface. She shook her head, closing the book and rising to her feet "I think I need to sleep on it more…"

Yasuo nodded, getting up to walk over to two large sacks packed with food goods. Paico gestured to them "That's your payment for being a great help today."

Riven smiled and nodded, placing the book on the chair she was sitting on and walking over to help the man. Once they were ready to leave, the two stepped outside and turned to give the old man their farewells. Paico gripped Riven's hand firmly when she took it to shake. The Exile looked to meet the man's gaze, which seemed to almost gaze into her mind "When I look at you…I kinda see my son in there. Bold, strong, but has the possibility to possess a kind heart. You mentioned you have friends…I suggest not fighting for Noxus, but fight for them."

He let go, Riven stepping back and thinking over the man's words. Paico chuckled "Give it some thought."

Yasuo tapped the woman on the shoulder, nodding his head to the sky. The sun was slowly being blocked out by a large wave of dark clouds, with the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance. Riven nodded, and the two set off.

"Looks like it's going to rain."

Shyvana stood next to Ahri, who had been busy looking for food for them while they looked for Riven. The fox girl wore a large cloak to hide her tails with a hood thrown over head. Shyvana wore the same, though she seemed less concerned with people seeing her face. Ahri looked over to the Half-dragon, then to the sky "Well dark clouds don't specifically mean that it's going to rain…though Ionia is coming up to Winter." She said.

Shyvana frowned "That's going to slow us down. Getting here was the easy part, but now that we have to restrict ourselves to the ground, it'll be a lot harder."

Ahri sighed "And roads to get slick with mud…well we can just find an Inn and take shelter there for now if anything."

Shyvana nodded, pulling the hood of her cloak over her head to hide her face "Fair enough. Make it quick."

Once Ahri had brought everything they needed, they headed to the town's local Inn; The Windtrader's Inn. When the two entered, the Inn was rather empty beside a group of five men huddle around a table in the corner. All of them turned to look at the new comers…Ahri felt a chill run down her spine. They looked like trouble.

Shaking the thought, Ahri walked over to the counter and rang the small bell for service. A bald man with a small pair of glasses came from the back, bowing in greetings "Greetings, Travelers, welcome to The Windtrader's Inn." He said in a kind and respectable voice "For how long will you be staying with us?"

Shyvana walked over a placed a gold coin on the counter "We just wish to wait out the storm and we'll be on our way. But we require a room to better pack out provisions."

As the Half-dragon spoke, Ahri noticed the men from the corner of the room get up and start to make their way over. She gently tugged on Shyvana's cloak "Hey.."

Shyvana also noticed the men, nodding slow and whispered "I know." while the Inn keeper did his work. As the Innkeeper extended the keys, one of the men quickly snatched it from his hand, chuckling as he whirled them around one of his fingers "Never seen the likes of you around here. You travelers?"

Under her hood, Ahri's ears fell back a bit "Yes…we want no trouble."

The man scoffed, his face covered by a tattered scarf "Trouble? Do you know who this town belongs to?"

Shyvana let out a low growl "Certainly not to a bunch of fools like you."

The other four men laughed, as if what the Half-dragon said was a joke. The Innkeeper scowled "What is the meaning of this, you men better clear out before I call the guards!"

The man who had stolen the two women's keys reached behind him and pulled out a small loaded crossbow, aiming it at the Innkeeper's head "Do that…and I plant this bolt between your eyes, fool."

Ahri's ears flattened back against her head, her face twisting into a scowl "Give us back the keys and leave this man alone. This is your last warning."

Again, the other four men laughed, including the one wielding the crossbow "Really?! And what's a few dames like you gonna do about it? You want us to leave? Give us all your gear and you can get your keys back."

Shyvana sighed, a small flicker of flame escaping from her lips. The man saw this, blinking in confusion "What the…"

Suddenly, Shyvana lashed out, grabbing the man's wrist that held the crossbow and squeezed it hard. Ahri could have sword she heard something break as the man screamed in pain. Then, with one fluid movement, Shyvana threw the man near the door, watching him slam into the wall and fall to the floor. The other four men, seeing this, stepped back, their eyes filled with fear before they all bolted, leaving their stricken companion behind.

Ahri walked over and knelt down to retrieve her keys, dangling them in front of his face "If you ever try to cause trouble in this town again…it wont be just the guards you're going to have to worry about."

"Who…the hell…are you?" The man managed to groan out.

"None of your damn business." Shyvana growled as she walked to Ahri's side "Now scram!"

The man screamed, scrambling to make his way to the door and making a hasty exit.

The Innkeeper sighed "My thanks for dealing with those thugs…I usually don't have such terrible people come to my Inn. I'll have to keep an eye out."

Ahri smiled, walking over and placing another gold coin on the table "It's fine. You could use this."

The Innkeeper smiled "You are to kind…your room is on the second floor."

Nodding, the two women gathered their supplies and headed upstairs. Once they had reached their room, they opened the door and set their things down. Ahri took a seat by the window while Shyvana pulled out her claws and began to inspect them. It was then the rain began to fall, Ahir watched as villagers found shelter with in the town's many stalls and venues, chatting amongst themselves and continuing on with their everyday life.

Ahri has joined the League because she knew killing was wrong…specially for selfish purposes. To be able to do that in the League and not feel guilty was something she had welcomed, but she wondered just how much conflict had saved thanks to the League? Just how much pain does it prevent?…This was her answer. Thanks to the League, people can breath easier, but it doesn't mean that things were okay.

After thinking of this, Ahri looked over to Shyvana asking in a quiet tone "Shyvana..why did you join the League?"

Shyavana stopped inspecting her 'claws' to think about the question, though it wasn't long before she answered "I joined the League because I owe Jarven for helping find my father's killer. They were valiant, those humans, and Jarven offered me a spot amongst Demacia to help them in the battles against what ever foe may come our way." Her yellow eyes glance to the Fox girl "Why do you ask?"

Ahri shrugged "Curious I guess…though it makes me wonder…why did Riven join the League?"

Shyvana also shrugged "Who knows. I haven't heard much of her story, I've only fought against her. She had a good sense of will, still does even though she had a bit of a stumble before she met Al."

Ahri pouted, gazing out the window again "I hate having to sit here and wait…"

Shyvana placed down her claws and laid back into her bed "We should travel by night. Given we aren't really that human, our sight should be better than others. It'll be safer…perhaps get some rest. It'll take your mind off things."

Ahri thought about the idea. Yes, their sight would be better, plus it meant a lower chance of being spotted by Noxian spies if they were in Ionia. Then again, it'd be hard for them to be here, the Kinkou Order would stop anything that would threaten the balance of the world, and even Ionia. She'd doubt they'd do anything that risky.

Regardless, Ahri sighed and threw herself back into her bed, grabbing her pillow and hugging onto it "I guess you're right…"

Shyvana smiled "I have a good sense of time. I'll wake you when we should head out."

"You know I don't blame you if you don't want to go get the sword…" Yasuo said, sitting near a door that lead outside. After all the hard work, Riven decided she'd use the rain to clean herself, given that she hadn't a shower in around a week or so. She was used to not doing as such for so much as a month, but she never did skip an opportunity, and given Yasuo's home never had a proper place to bath, it was the best she had to work with.

Riven ran her fingers through her hair, the rain was cold..but strangely refreshing against her bare skin "I never really said if I was going to go or not, Yasuo. I haven't made up my mind yet."

Yasuo, agreeing that he wait in the other room until she was finished to avoid…'awkwardness', sighed "This is the Kinkou Order we're talking about. They're a bunch of stuck up ninjas who do nothing but sit around and 'keep the balance'. Really…what makes you think you can convince those people?"

"Again, I never said I was going to go. Either way, it'd still be worth a shot to try, don't you think?" Riven said, knocking on the entrance "I'm coming back in, by the way."

Yasuo stood and went to fetch Riven's dry cloak, closing his eyes and waiting by the entrance for the woman to walk in and cover herself. Riven walked in, taking the cloak and wrapping it around herself before heading into the room in the back to get dressed in her clean gear "You know..for one who is called 'The Unforgiven', you can be quite a gentleman."

Yasuo sighed, rubbing his head "Yea well don't mention it I guess…Like I said, not all rumours are true."

"You know, you could use a bath yourself. Why didn't you.." The woman poked her head around the corner with a sly smirk on her face "..Join me?"

Yasuo narrowed his eyes and folded his arms over his chest "If you think I'd give in to that sort of invitation from a Noxian, you're more foolish than you look."

Riven chuckled, vanishing once more "You remind me of my Summoner in a way….very easy to poke fun at."

"I'm starting to question just how he's that patient with you.." The man muttered as she looked out the window of the battered house "Regardless…if you really do go for this sword, do you honestly think that it'd be worth it?" He looked back to where Riven was changing "The legend said that one with a strong and caring heart may wield the sword."

"It'd be better than not trying at all." Riven said, exiting the room in her usual gear. It felt nice to be in something that felt more familiar to her…specially in these conditions. She walked over to join the man by the window, staring out at the rain falling over the fields "Besides…I'd then have something to fight Darius with…"

"So basically you -haven't- given up on your goal." Yasuo said, looking to the woman with a raised brow. Riven smiled "I've come this far, it was dumb to think that it was not possible anymore." She looked up at the man "But of course, I wouldn't have realised that without your help, and I and you to continue helping me…if that's okay with you."

Yasuo thought about the woman's words for a moment, closing his eyes as he tried to figure it out in his head "There's a problem…I'm a wanted man and you're a Noxian in Ionia." He opened his eyes to find her looking at him expectantly "Even if you get this sword, there is no way we are getting off Ionia with out Summoner's support."

Riven took a breath and sighed, he did have a point. Two 'criminals' in Ioninian lands with very few places to go besides Paico's…they wouldn't even make it to the harbour with out being discovered. Riven might be able to get out if she was careful enough, though she didn't have a lot of cash to bribe another Captain, specially for two people. Yasuo himself, given how he is, would be the more pressing problem with how well he's known.

It was that moment, the rain had let up and turned more into a drizzle rather than a down pour. Yasuo nodded, picking up his sword and attaching it to his belt before heading for the door "Right..I need to go see someone."

Riven blinked, baffled "Who?"

Yasuo stopped by the door, his hand on the frame, he looked hesitant to answer "…My brother."

The room had fallen silent, Riven tried to think of what he meant, but couldn't guess anything, so she came out and said it "Is he…"

Yasuo moved out the doorway into the open air "You can come if you want."

Riven quickly adjusted her boots and followed the man outside, the Rain had very much let up, with very little light left. Riven wondered why he'd go visit his brother at this time of day…but then soon see why. Unknowingly down the hill not far from the house was a field of graves. Mounds of dirt, both a few months old to a few days fresh and in rows of 5 stood before her.

How she missed it, she wasn't sure. Each grave either had a sword or another form of weapon sticking out of it. She didn't need to ask who they were…knowing Yasuo as much as she did currently, these were all the people sent to kill him.

Yasuo came to stop at one of three main graves set at the helm of the rest. He rested his hand on a rather large looking sword "These were my friends once…my allies…the first was a swordsman renowned through Ionina. When we were young, I saw him cleave a tree in two with a swing of his blade…"

Yasuo removed his hand "But he could not cleave the wind."

He made his over to a pair of long swords stabbed into the mound crossing each other. He knelt down and placed his hand on the soil "The second was a warrior of speed and grace. Agile and cunning, she outran the clever foxes in the woods…" Again, he moved away and started to walk to a grave near a tree "But she could not outrun the wind"

This mound hand an elegant sword, somewhat similar to Yasuo's. He fell to his knees, reaching out to grace the sheath with his finger tips "The third was a man of compassion. He taught me the meaning of patience when i was just a prideful child…My guide….my friend.."

He looked over his shoulder to look at Riven, his eyes filled with pain "My brother."

Riven felt her breath catch in her throat. She had a feeling this might have been the case, as if the graves weren't a big enough hint. She couldn't find the words to bring any joy to this situation…there were none. As she opened her mouth to try and at least say something, Yasuo continued.

"When he found me…I was shocked. Out of all the people, he had to be one of them." The man stood, his back to the Exile as he raised his gaze to the sky "Even still…it couldn't change the fact that I was going to have to fight him. In tradition, we both bowed, took our stances….and drew our blades." Yasuo looked down to the sword "You can guess which one of us won that fight."

"Yasuo.." Riven started, but the man continued. "I threw my sword aside and rushed to his side, I asked him…Why? Why him? He told me that the Elder was killed with a Wind technique…I was the only one at the time that was known to have mastered it…" He turned to the woman, his eyes narrowing "Then you came." He turned, Riven noticed his hand on the hilt of his sword, though didn't react to it, she only met his gaze evenly and tried to suppress the lump that was rising in her throat.

"I met you…and your technique, it looked to familiar. I thought it was you, it had to be, it would have made sense.." Yasuo continued, taking a few steps forward "I will ask you a question Riven…who taught you that technique?"

"No one." Riven replied, noticing the hint of nervousness in her voice. Swallowing, she tried again "No one taught me. When I had proven myself, they gave me the sword and the glove as a testament to my abilities. It was the blade's magic..not mine."

She fell silent for a moment before she finally spoke again "However, that day…many were ordered to slay who ever stood in their way. I followed those orders to the letter, because I thought I was living up to the our saying 'The strongest will survive'…some saying that was." She met his gaze "Yasuo…I don't have the answers you seek. I don't know why, nor how…but I can't remember anything about killing any elders. A lot of people died that day…."

Yasuo sighed, turing to face his brother's grave. It was here Riven felt that her presence was probably tormenting the man. There were so many unanswered questions for him, answers she herself could not give. Taking a breath, Riven turned on her heel and made her way back to the house "I'll go pack my things. Perhaps leaving you alone is the best idea…"

She felt him suddenly grab her wrist, the woman turning to find him staring at her. For a moment, the two simply stared at each other, Riven giving him a confused look as he waited for him to say something. Yasuo was silent, then his grip slowly release "Never mind…do as you see fit."

Riven gave the man an apologetic look "Yasuo…if you believe I was the one who did it, you can go a head and finish it…I gave you the chance before, but you spared me.." She looked at the graves around her "We both know this world is unjust…wrong…Noxus has crimes to answer for…" She narrowed her gaze "And I will be the one to make them pay for it."

Yasuo didn't look to her, he only stared at the grave of his brother, as if it would help him somehow "And how exactly do you plan to do that.."

"I'm going for the sword."

Yasuo chuckled, turning to face the woman, though when he met her gaze again…there was fire in those brow eyes, a flame reborn. She looked serious, her fists were clenched, her stance was strong and that of a soldier's. So…this was the Riven Noxus had known, the Poster Child…he could see why.

"I want you to come with me." Riven's voice broke through his thoughts, the man furrowing his brow "Why?"

"Because once I get that sword…" Riven extended her hand to the man, her lips forming into a smile "We're going to leave Ionina, and we're going to set things right in this world."

Yasuo took a moment to think over what the woman said. Set things right? Did she mean Noxus? Wasn't that her plan from the very beginning? No..there was something about her, something in those eyes and the new fire that burned with in them, her sudden determination…just what did she have planned?

One way to find out.

Yasuo sighed "For better or for worse…Fine." He extended his hand to clasp hers "Lead on Riven…and until we find the truth, I'll fight along side you."

"And if we find the truth…" Riven said, though in a slightly lower tone, Yasuo blinking as her expression turned more solemn "…Promise me you wont hesitate.."

Yasuo smirked, tightening his grip on her hand "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

Riven's smile turned into a grin before she began pulling him towards the house "Then come, we have to pack some provisions. We leave at dawn."

And that's that! I'll try and work on the other chapter as soon as I can. Now…with the whole Yasuo and Riven thing at the end there, again I'm not entirely sure if Riven was the one who killed the elder, and to be honest I don't think it was her.

She was a soldier, not an assassin. There could have been no way she would have just simply snuck in and kill the elder and snuck out again. Plus according to both Yasuo's and Riven's lore, the two events in which these took place seem VERY different. Both scenarios don't add up…if you're still confused, go read their lores.

In any case, speculation is speculation. And Riot just loves to tease…g'dammit Riot. Also my apologies if the writting seems a bit...crappy. I've been working on it between all my other projects and such, so different moods at different times.

See ya soon!

~Sanctierium

Edit: For some reason, words are missing from my chapters after i post them up. I do apologise if things suddenly didn't make sense.