Chapter 12:
Irelia's embrace was interrupted by loud knocking on the front door downstairs, the Ionian sliding her arms out from around Riven to go answer it. Riven's guilt had been eased somewhat by Irelia, but only somewhat and only for a short while. Riven listened to Irelia's footsteps heading down the stairs, answering the front door. From the sounds of it, Irelia stepped outside and closed it behind her, probably to prevent Riven from listening again.
Xxxxxxx
Irelia answered the door and was met with Karma and Soraka standing on her door step, she smiled warmly at them, having asked them to come here to discuss Riven. She stepped outside, closing the door behind her, earning a puzzled look from the two women.
"I found out Riven likes to eavesdrop, so we have to stand outside." She chuckled lightly.
"So you wished to speak about Riven?" Karma asked, smiling politely.
"Yes, I needed to talk about two things regarding her. Soraka, I need to you to have another look at Riven, I know you said you would see her again next week but…" Irelia trailed off, a look of concern growing on her face, "But she seems to be having hallucinations, nightmares and her burns are no longer improving. She's stopped improving, she seems to be getting worse actually." Soraka's lips twisted in a way showing concern and thought.
"Is she upstairs?" Irelia nodded in reply, "I'll go see her now while I'm here." Irelia watched the Star Child open the door behind her and head inside before turning to Karma, the pair now alone on her door step.
"I needed to speak with you because Riven has come to the decision to stay and not go back to Noxus. I'll need your help in order to get her the right to stay, I can't have the Elders trying to remove her once she has recovered." Irelia looked at Karma, pleading in her eyes, hoping the Elder would pick up on the reason why. Karma's eyes watched Irelia's face for a moment before she smiled.
"I can try to help. I would need to speak to Riven first before I make any promises."
"Speak with her? About what?" Irelia's face tightened, agitation growing with in her. Was Karma planning to go ahead with the original plan in exchange for Riven's right to stay in Ionia? She didn't think Karma would do that, Karma was far too kind. That, however, didn't stop Irelia from fearing the worst.
"I need to know more about her before I can agree to let her stay. Bring her by my home tomorrow morning; I'll take her for the day. I'm sure she'd be eager to finally leave the house." Karma smiled, warmly, as if she were attempting to ease Irelia's worries. After a few moments passed, Irelia responded.
"Okay. I will bring her tomorrow." Karma nodded before turning and leaving Irelia alone on her door step. She headed back inside, returning to the guest room. The door was left open, Riven sitting on the edge of the bed with her shirt and bandages off. Soraka seemed to be using some piece of equipment to scrape at one of the burns. Riven made a hissing sound as it took off a layer of skin.
"I know it hurts, I'm sorry." Soraka said, eyeing the Noxian with worry. Riven grunted, looking away, clearly feeling vulnerable.
"Find anything?" Irelia asked, bringing the attention of the two women to her presence at the door. Soraka closed the container she had placed the skin in, turning to Irelia with a slight, gentle smile.
"I have an idea. I've just taken a sample of Riven's skin that has grown over the burn to take for testing. I'll let you know if I find anything." Soraka said as she began packing her equipment up, Riven dressing herself beside Soraka. Irelia stepped out of the door way so the Star Child would be able to leave the room, letting herself out of the house.
Irelia turned her eyes to the Noxian perched on the edge of the bed, her amber eyes glued to the floor. She crossed the room, stopping briefly in front of Riven before sitting beside her where Soraka had just been. The pair sat in silence, Irelia attempting to read the emotions Riven was feeling. Once she couldn't figure it out, she had to ask.
"What's the matter?"
"You think I'm going crazy." Riven still refused to look at her.
"Why do you say that?" Irelia continued to respect the space Riven was tacitly asking for with her hunched over shoulders, shying away from the Ionian.
"The way Soraka acted around me before…" Riven let out a heavy breath, "She acted as if I was about to snap. As if I was fragile." Irelia sighed slightly, watching the side of Riven's face, hoping the Noxian would look at her.
"I don't think you're going crazy. I am just worried about your lack of improvement. I am worried that there's something else. I don't care what it is; I just want to help you." Riven eyes darted quickly up to Irelia's, the Ionian taking the opening to pull Riven into her. Riven resisted at first before giving up, letting the Ionian hold her.
"Okay." Riven said flatly, obvious that she didn't really believe Irelia but that she wanted to.
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Riven turned to Irelia, a feeling of anxiety clawing at her throat, she was looking for reassurance from the Ionian. It was the first time that she had left the house since Irelia had found her in the forest. It was also the first time that she would be speaking to someone here without Irelia being present or at least nearby. She had never met Karma before either, she had only heard her voice before and now here she was, about to spend time alone with the Elder, away from the safety of Irelia and her home.
"It will be fine. Don't look as if you think she's going to eat you." Irelia smiled before knocking on the front door. It took a moment but Karma answered, smiling at the pair before gesturing for Riven to enter. Riven crossed through, Irelia staying behind on the door step.
"Just follow the hall and take a seat on the couch, I'll be right in." She said with a smile to the Noxian before turning back to Irelia. "You should come back in three hours I would say. I'll send someone if it will take longer." Irelia nodded before leaving, Karma closing the front door.
Riven watched the hallway from the couch, waiting for the Elder to come. She felt as if something was crawling on her skin, trying to ignore it as she knew nothing was there. Riven couldn't figure out why she felt so on edge, as far as she knew Karma was well known for being fair and well liked. Merciful. Irelia had reassured her that this was just a chance for Karma to talk to her, nothing more. Riven felt that Irelia had been keeping something from her when she told Riven that, but she couldn't be sure.
Karma appeared at the end of the hallway, returning the stare Riven gave her before crossing the room to sit on one of the lounge chairs across from the couch. On the coffee table between them, tea sat already prepared, knowing that Irelia would bring Riven on time.
Moments passed with silence between them, Riven gnawed at her lower lip, she recognised the technique the Elder was using. She was using the silence in order to get Riven to talk. Karma smiled, knowingly, as she realised that silence wasn't a tactic that would work on the Noxian.
"Do you have a surname?" Riven stared at her, waiting a few moments to respond. She didn't want to talk about herself or her past, certainly not to a stranger. She found it hard enough to speak to Irelia about these things, but Irelia asked her to try and it seemed important, so she would.
"No. No last name." Karma nodded, watching Riven.
"Do you have a family?" Riven's stare turned into a glare. She knew that Karma had the answers to that already and if she didn't, she could have easily found out without asking.
"No. Street orphan." Karma smiled gently, trying to counter Riven's aggression and frustration.
The questioning went back and forth like this for three hours like Karma had predicted. Karma asked questions about Riven's background, her childhood, her life in the military, what members of Noxian society she did and didn't know and Riven answered it all, briefly and reluctantly. She attempted to give the Elder as little as possible.
Riven only felt relaxed at the end, when she was rescued from the endless questioning by Irelia's return. It dawned on Riven how much she had begun to rely on Irelia and she felt uncomfortable, vulnerable.
