Chapter 11

WTF Is Happening?

Riven waited a long time. A really long time. It must have been the wee hours of the morning when she was awakened again by the sound of the door. Two of the men walked in.

"Get up," he said. "You've been released."

"Released?" She got up.

"Yeah," grumbled the man. "So get out of here before I change my mind."
"He can't change his mind," said Ronin's voice from outside. "The order came from higher up."

"You shut up, snake," grumbled the man.

When Riven walked out, baffled, she saw her companion standing there looking slightly disgruntled.

"You okay?" she asked.

The door was shut loudly behind her.

"I'll be fine as soon as I get my things back. Let's go."

Riven felt relieved as they were hustled upstairs, but uneasy.

"What happened?" she whispered.

For a few moments he didn't answer, causing Riven's brow to wrinkle.

"Later," he said.

They were taken to a padlocked holding room where at last they were able to pick up their packs, weapons and armor again. But as soon as she caught sight of their belongings, Riven's body went into a silent panic. As naturally and quickly as possible she covered her iron shoulder guard with her leather one and then pretended to be more occupied with reuniting herself with her beloved weapon. Someone had torn the cloth wrapping off her iron guard where she had covered up the worn Noxian crest. Had the samurai noticed? Had they told him? Surely they would ask him why he, as an Ionian, was keeping company with a Noxian? As she glanced up at the man she saw that he was engrossed in his sword, examining it and its scabbard closely.

"These dim-wits had no idea what they were holding," he muttered under his breath.

Still her mind raced to come up with an excuse.

'I bought this armor.' Or, 'I took it off a Noxian bounty hunter.' Perhaps that would be the best choice.

Was it her imagination or was he eying her as she secured her shin guards? Riven glared at the village men as they barked at the two to hurry up. Neither she nor the samurai acted very rushed at all as they pulled on their armor and secured their weapons, disregarding the men with a smirk. The villagers grumbled, but knew they were powerless now.

"I'll carry the rest," she told Ronin, tucking the shoulder guard under her arm.

He didn't answer, merely looked back as he buckled on his own shoulder plates. Riven's heartbeat kicked up a notch as she met his eyes, but she had complete control over her exterior. She forced herself to stop studying his expression and said casually,

"Let's get out of here."

When they were finally tossed out of the building and left in the street, the samurai rubbed his hands over his arms in the chill.

"Angel, they said you can stay in the room you reserved earlier."

"Wow, they've really changed their tone huh?" she muttered, reaching for her satchel, "Looks like they left the key in here."

"Can I stay with you?"

There was a hint of pleading in his eyes and Riven huffed a soft laugh of surprise.

"Of course. You don't need to ask."

Her reply was sincere but foreboding filled her gut. She stepped up to him to give him a closer look, brushing a hand over his shoulder.

"You sure you're okay? What did they do?"

He shook his head.

"I'm fine. They just questioned me."

Her instincts did not entirely agree, but was it something that had happened to him or something he knew about her?

"So... they just believed you huh?"

"I guess. Let's just go. They've put Tempest in the stable of the inn and I want to look at him immediately. Then sleep and be rid of this place at first light."

"Okay. Come'on," she gave his elbow a gentle tug.

Though he'd said she may as well go ahead to the room, Riven came with Ronin to the stable. All other questions aside, she didn't feel like leaving his side at the moment. She saw relief in his face and shoulders as soon as he caught sight of the animal, and watched him quicken his pace to the stall. The big black horse pricked up its ears at the sound of his voice and and reached its nose towards its master with apparent eagerness. Poor thing, it must have been very confused to be abandoned.

Riven eyed the samurai, looking for signs that he had been injured or abused in any way. To think that he had taken her place. Her emotions were confused. She didn't know what she would do if they had put him through some kind of torture instead of her. The guilt would be overwhelming. Still, even more heavy in her mind was that she knew some of the villagers had to be aware she was Noxian. Or... perhaps they hadn't recognized the crest? Was that possible? If they'd told Ronin what she was then he would know exactly why she had been to Ionia. He would have every reason to kill her. In fact, he would have a duty to kill her.

Ronin greeted his animal with a look of concern, scratching behind its ears and speaking softly to it in Ionian. He stroked Tempest and leaned his forehead against the horse's. Riven caught one of the only Ionian words she knew and needed to know. "Sorry." She supposed the two had probably come a long ways together.

While he was distracted Riven quietly removed a roll of cloth from her bag and wrapped it around her shoulder guard before securing it to her shoulder.

The man couldn't see much in the moonlight from the stall windows, but he examined his animal carefully and gently. Tempest had wounds and much dried blood, but as far as he could tell it was all superficial. Still Ronin had a few very harsh words to mutter about the villagers as the two travelers left the stable.

It was so difficult to tell his mood towards her. Though they were both intent on the idea of sleep, they ended up standing together on the roof of the inn for a while in the breeze. It seemed at any rate they were both glad to be free of the smell of cheese. Riven eyed the man, trying not to be obvious. The idea of locking him out of the room was unconscionable, yet it could be her own life she was saving.

Riven wanted to scream. She wanted to throw her shoulder guard off the roof. Or at him. Or at herself. The man was merely staring out at the mountains, breathing slow and steady.

"Ronin," she said softly. "Tell me what happened while you were gone."

He sighed, shrugged his shoulders, and finally said, "They didn't do a lot of questioning, actually." At further prodding he shook his head and said, "I told them the truth. They didn't really listen to anything I said. Just kept threatening me. Then they left."

"They left?"

"Yeah. Left me there for a long time."

"Alone?"

He didn't answer.

"Did they leave you alone?"

"Look, I'm tired," he sighed, "And I'm damn hungry and I've had about as many questions as I can handle for the night."

Her eyes narrowing slightly, she nodded.

"Are you okay?"

"I already told you that!"

She was quiet for a while, and then she moved closer to him.

"They didn't hurt you, did they?" she asked a little more softly.

"No."

She put a hand on his shoulder, and he brushed it off.

"Look, it's not like that. They didn't torture me or anything. It was just weird."

She studied his face in the gloom.

"Weird?"

He made a frustrated noise in his throat.

"Yeah weird. Now leave me alone."

Riven stared at him. She swallowed hard and looked around.

"Okay," she sighed.

She walked behind as they headed back down the stairs towards room number 10. Everything was quiet. Even the insects seemed to be asleep at this hour. There was certainly something heavy on his mind, that much she could sense easily. And then, her feet three paces behind his, Riven did the only thing she knew to do. She drew her weapon.