It had been a nearly a week since her meeting with Swain. She spent the better part of the first of those days recovering, and the other days thinking about what he had said. She had to accept the fact that she refused his offer. Noxian generals do not take no for an answer, at least not so easily. She could not fully concentrate her efforts on that, however. She had to see a few other people in those days, she had some unfinished business to take care of and questions she needed to ask. Today? She was tying up some of the last bits of unfinished business she had remaining.

Riven waited across from a door. This was where her expected person was to come out. She had a few questions to ask this one. The long blonde hair of the young woman opened the door and lively stepped out. She blinked a few times when she saw Riven standing across from her. Riven gave her a slight wave of her hand, "Thought I'd catch you eventually."

Lux raised an eyebrow, "Eventually? How many times did you try?" Riven did not hesitate in her response, "At twice a day for the past four days."

"Why Riven," Lux smiled at her coyly, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you missed me."

Riven bluntly stated, "I owe you. It was not my intention to miss our set day. Come, let's get Irelia and go shopping."

Lux's demeanor slightly changed at the mention of Irelia. She sounded confused, "She didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Riven was legitimately confused. Lux quickly explained, "Well, Irelia's not here. She's in Ionia now, and is going to be there for some time. She said she was going to tell you the next time you two saw one another."

Riven winced. That is why Irelia was trying to find her a few days ago, to let her know that she was going. Riven shook her head, "She didn't tell me." Glancing at Lux, she questioned, "Did she say when she was coming back?"

Lux shrugged, "Dunno. I figure it'd be after the festival is done. She's gotta make her presence known and let the Ionians see her. She gets off of doing preparations so long as she walks around and mingles with the Ionians and stuff. She's probably got time off of League matches even."

Riven nodded, thinking, Perhaps it is best this way. Looking at Lux, she motioned with a jerk of her head, "Come. I suppose the first thing we can do is get some lunch." Taking the first steps down the hallway, Riven led the way. Lux spun ahead of her, grabbed her arm, and dragged her away, "If we're having lunch, I'm choosing the place then!"

Lux half dragged Riven to the restaurant of her choice, and while Riven was mostly comfortable with the one Irelia had been taking her to this one was vastly different. And Demacian. Lux pulled Riven in and waved at the waiter, "Table for two!"

The waiter looked at Riven, sneered at her, and started walking towards a booth in the back. Riven did not acknowledge the man and followed suit. Lux plopped down on the seat, her metal armor clinking against one another. She smirked as she rearranged her armor to rest more comfortably, "I love this seat."

Riven nodded, "I could guess why. Easiest way for a spy to observe others."

"Well yeah, and bec…wait…" Lux eyed Riven warily, "How did you know that?"

Riven continued, "I decided to read up on your profile after we met. It says in your basic information the League provides. You were most prolific during the Ionian war, gathering information for Demacia to relay to the Ionians."

Lux rolled her eyes and muttered aloud, "Go years during wartime without getting caught, spend one lunch with someone and suddenly everyone knows who you are. Stupid, razzle frazzle League…" In a mere moment, she was back to her cheerful self. Wiggling her thin eyebrows coyly, Lux asked, "Now then, why's it matter if I was a spy?"

"Simple," Riven bluntly stated. She tapped the table with her fingers, "I want information."

"Woah, hey now…" Lux frowned, "I can't just give up information-"

Riven interrupted Lux, "I'm aware. And honestly, it's not much. I want to know the Noxian generals and commanders in charge of the Ionian War. More particularly…" Riven reached into a satchel she carried around her. Taking out a pencil and a paper, her arm suddenly shuddered from a shock of pain that ran through it. Lux's eyes scanned Riven, and noticed a couple of fresh scars peeking out from Riven's left forearm that seemed to overlap older ones. Riven sketched some Noxian characters onto the paper and handed it to Lux, "Here. I assume you can read Noxian."

Lux scanned the paper, "This is a squad name. Why…" Her eyes went wide with the realization. She looked at Riven, "This is…!"

"Yes. It is," Riven nodded. She motioned to the waiter to come over. Lux ordered a glass of red wine while Riven ordered water. She figured now would be a good time to have a drink. A few moments of silence passed, and the moment their drinks were served Lux drained half of her glass. Glancing at Riven she continued, "Alright, so why me?"

Riven tapped her glass, "Because if you give me the information, I know it will be honest."

"And why would you think that of a spy?" Lux raised an eyebrow. Riven shifted her glass about, "Because you have no reason to lie to me. You understand why I would need such information."

Lux's eyebrow did not settle itself, "You know I'm not going to give you a bunch of information just so you can kill a bunch of people, whether they deserve it or not."

"I'm not going to kill them," Riven flatly stated. "I need to know their names, for my own reasons."

Lux scratched her chin, she was staring intently into Riven's amber eyes. She couldn't stop looking for some reason, trying to find something within them. It became unsettling after the fourth minute, and forced Riven to blink. She spoke once more, "What do you want for this information, Luxanna?"

Lux's lips curled into a vicious smile, "Now you're talking. What do I want…Hm…" She leaned forward, "A full day of shopping with you."

Riven frowned, "All I need is a sheath. I do not need anything else."

"Oh yes you do," Lux waved an admonishing finger at Riven, "You need winter clothing, some proper winter camping gear, maybe some new shoes, I can think of some-"

"Winter gear is not required." Riven interrupted. Lux rolled her eyes, "You're wearing a skirt and some sleeveless toga thing, that's not going to help you when you sleep outside-"

Riven interrupted once more, "I have now taken residence in the Institute."

Lux fell quiet, and tilted her head in confusion. "…What made you do that? I thought you didn't like staying in the Institute?" She leaned forward, curiosity lining her tone, "What did you do?"

Riven scratched her neck somewhat uncomfortably, "I told Swain I would not rejoin Noxus under his command. Staying outside in my camp would be nothing short of suicidal."

Lux winced, "Yeah, he's not a fun one to anger." Her sapphire eyes now bore into Riven's eyes, "But that makes me all the more curious, why did you refuse?"

Riven swirled the water in her glass for a bit, before responding, "Because I chose to."

It was a few days ago. Riven could feel the cold nip at her skin while she packed up the last remnants of whatever little belongings she had. She looked at the dead fire pit before her, sighing at the sight. She had liked it here, she really did. Slinging the satchel over her shoulder, Riven took her first steps away when she heard the sound of twigs breaking.

Dropping the satchel, Riven's sword swung through the air and pressed itself against the burly neck of Udyr. He glared at her, growling, "Where are you going?"

Riven lowered her sword only slightly, "To the Institute. I cannot stay here anymore."

Udyr snorted, "What makes you think that? Simply wait for the raven to come pick at you and crush him underneath your foot. Then he will cease to bother you."

Riven cocked an eyebrow, "How did you know…never mind, I need to do this." She opened her satchel and rummaged through it. She drew out a Noxian styled dagger, "I found this when I came to the camp, embedded in the fire pit."

"Seems rather odd for an assassin to warn you ahead of time, is it not?" Udyr pointedly asked. He reached over and took the dagger away from her, examining it thoroughly. Riven nodded, "Yes, but it makes its point. I'm not sure if I can fight him now, or if I want to. I need to plan, to think, to consult people, to make amends with some and plan with others. I cannot safely do that out here, not anymore."

Udyr raised a hand towards the fire pit, the wood sprung to life with flames in the blink of an eye. He slowly asked, "And what if he were to come now? Or if we were to stop you?"

Riven gripped her sword, "Then I'd fight."

Udyr pressed her with a simple question, "Do you want to?" Riven fired back, "Does it matter? I need to, I will need to if I want to accomplish anything."

Udyr scratched his beard, staring at Riven. He slowly reached over and gripped her chin, forcing her to look into his surprisingly deep blue eyes. He eventually spoke, "Not a hawk."

Riven blinked in confusion, "Pardon me?"

"You are not a hawk. Much too slow, much less misleading, much more egotistical," Udyr shook his head, as if trying to clear his head of thoughts. Tilting Riven's face, he continued, "More of a falcon, but…not quite. Hrm… Ah." Udyr clapped her shoulder, "Hierofalcon, a rarity indeed. How interesting that these are your eyes and your wings. No longer dead, no longer scared, no longer clipped, now a predator. One who defies the circumstance of their nature, it does what it wishes because it wills it."

Udyr stepped back and motioned to Riven, "On your way, then."

"You're…not going to fight me?" Riven was legitimately confused. Udyr snorted and chuckled, shaking his head while replying, "Should we? We have no reason to. Goodbye."

Riven picked her satchel up and walked towards the Institute. Udyr waited for her to disappear from eyesight when he hurled the knife towards a tree a couple hundred meters away. He loudly growled, "Come down assassin, you are not fooling any of us."

"Wasn't trying to." A familiar purple figure dropped down from the tree, the dagger in hand. Talon brushed himself off and glanced at Udyr, "So, how long did you know I was there?"

Udyr grinned at Talon, "Not as long as she knew."

Talon nodded his head, "You think so?"

"Easily," Udyr admitted. Talon's tone mockingly admonished the beast man, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were admitting she's better than you."

Udyr's grin did not fade, "She is a gyrfalcon, different when compared to the all-consuming nature of the Phoenix."

Talon raised an eyebrow, "…Meaning…what?"

Udyr rolled his hand outwards, fire erupting from his palm,

"Normally, we would not suffer the whims of a fool such as yourself. But, we shall humor you this once. Unlike other birds, the Phoenix has no natural enemies because of its nature. All it wishes to do is consume, and burn, and burn. The Phoenix must be controlled, or else it will simply devour all in its wake. It is the ultimate predator. It cannot die, it cannot be stopped, and it will seek to consume. For this, it has no enemies. None dare challenge it, for it would be futile. She dares. She no longer shows hesitation, she has a path set before her now, and she is willing to traverse it no matter her obstacle. Her eyes are alive. For the first time in her life, they are alive, and they have a goal." Snuffing the flame, Udyr said, "Do correct us if we are wrong at any point. We believe you will agree with us, or else you would not keep such a vested interest in her."

"…I gotta correct you on one thing, she's not a bird." Talon disappeared into the nearby woods, leaving Udyr alone. With a snort, the beast man rumbled away. This little camp was no longer her home.

Two plates of sandwiches were placed in front of the women. Lux was swirling her second glass of wine, thinking about Riven's request. Riven eventually spoke, "Is it too much to ask?"

Lux shook her head, "No, no, nothing like that. Time consuming, yes, but I'm more curious about what you would do with such information." The blonde Demacian leaned forward, "I would like you to tell me what you want to do with such documents."

"I cannot," Riven abruptly spoke. "That could get you into more trouble than necessary."

Lux rolled her eyes, "Riven, sweetie, I'm a spy that didn't get caught. I know how to get out of trouble, it's all about knowing the angles." Tapping the table, Lux's voice became more assertive, "I want to know why you want this information, or else I'm walking."

Riven glared at lux and slowly replied. "Then walk. You have no reason to trust me, and this was a long shot, but I thought I would ask anyways."

Lux drew back, blinking a few times before responding, "So why ask if the chance was so low?"

"Because this is something I want, this is something that was not asked of me, yet I chose of my own violation to do. I refuse to force you to help, which is why I asked. That is not my purpose, and I refuse to put you in such a position. You can refuse, I will not be offended, and we will still go to the tanner and see him about my sheath. It is as simple as that," Riven replied. Strangely enough, Lux, surprisingly enough, took quite some time before responding, "This…this is my choice?"

Riven nodded, "Yes. It is. No ill consequence either way. No blackmail, no hidden messages, nothing. It is purely up to you."

Lux resumed her normal, cheery self, "In that case, you owe me a day of shopping, no questions asked!"

Riven raised an eyebrow, "…I only need a sheath-"

"No. Questions. Asked!" Lux puffed her cheeks out in mock admonishment. Riven rolled her eyes, "Fine, but I will add a condition."

Lux's smile widened, "Oh? And what's that?"

Riven finally reached for her sandwich, "A history lesson."

Lux's voice could be heard clearly as the two women walked side by side,

"…and then that's when Jarvan managed to unite some of the fragmented Demacia into a city-state and fought against the uprising Noxians. Before this time, it was mostly a collection of city states in bloody battle, but the last few Rune Wars became more devastating with the collapse of Demacian unity. It was because of Jarvan and his order of knights that Demacia was ever re-established in name and capital. They were the order of the Lightshields, and he was dubbed Jarvan Lightshield I. He was one of the last remaining knights and commanders who were still loyal to Demacia after the rest had deserted and formed Noxus. He established the Order of the Lightshields, in order to combat the rising threat that was and is Noxus and to help unite the shattered city of Demacia. There were several other, influential orders that joined in the Lightshield's crusade, such as the Order of the Crownguard, the original Dauntless Vanguard who swore vengeance on Noxus due to their betrayal. It is said that the first true ruler of Noxus was the murderer of the original ruler of the original country of Demacia, because they thought the strongest deserved to rule and might makes right. His name is rather iffy, because they're all just titles ascribed to him: Kingslayer, the Great Betrayer, He who Sundered Peace, the Hungry Warmonger, and the titles just become trite afterwards. "

Riven nodded her head during Lux's entire explanation. She eventually spoke, "It's strange, to hear the other side of the story."

Lux responded with almost a chirping tone, "Yeah, the Noxian version is waaay shorter." Riven glanced at Lux and smirked at her, "Shorter stories for smaller minds."

Lux frowned, "Hey, now, that's just self-deprecating."

"No, it isn't," Riven shook her head. "That's how Noxus has always been. Unless you want to find out the truth, you must find it yourself. If you want something, take it. No one is there to hold your hand, no one is there to look after you, it is all reliant on you. If you don't question it, it's your own fault."

Lux raised an eyebrow, "And what if you don't know there's a question to begin with?" Riven fell silent for a few moments before responding, "Then you become me."

An awkward silence fell on the two women. Riven cast her glance around, and realized the store Lux had taken them into was a bit too…colorful for her liking. "This doesn't look like a tanner…" Riven pointed out. Before she could question any further, Lux dragged Riven deeper into the store by her arm, she looked back at Riven with bright demeanor, "It sure isn't!"

Riven raised an eyebrow, "Then what is this-" Lux shook an admonishing finger at Riven, "Hey! I said no questions!"

"…I will remain, but I will question why you brought me to such a place." Riven looked at the store, reading aloud, "Women's Apparel Emporium."

Riven blinked a few times, trying to put pieces of the puzzle together when Lux stopped Riven and pointed at her, "Stay right here! I'll be right back!"

With that, Lux took off far faster than one would expect. Riven sighed and crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently. She sincerely did not want to be here, and this feeling grew the moment she spotted Lux approaching her. Riven's blood turned cold, she slowly backed away from Lux with upraised hands, "Now, Lux… I don't need the information that badly, this is-"

"You totally do."

Riven took another careful step back, "Well… maybe we can discuss this? Like two, mature, women?"

Lux's bright and cheery voice had a strange sense of sadistic undertone to it, "Sure can! All you gotta do, is put the outfit on! Come on, it's no worse than the skirt you're wearing!"

Riven winced, "My attire doesn't cling to my body like…uh…Like…"

"Like stink on Twitch!" A loud, obnoxious voice bellowed. Riven looked behind her and saw a large, purple man wearing a summer dress and a sun hat, with a pretty pink bow, far too small to fit his head. The colossal man walked away, the sound of his high heels clicking while he loudly exclaimed, "Mundo speaks metaphors where he pleases!"

Riven was trying to figure out why a large purple giant of a man was wearing a dress, or in a women's store, or why he looked like he could pull off high heels. In this confused, vulnerable state, Lux pounced upon her and dragged Riven towards the changing rooms.

A few minutes later, Riven loudly bellowed, "No!" Lux clapped her hands together excitedly, "Come on Riven, come on out!"

Riven barked back, "I said no!" Lux whined at Riven, "Come on, you said you would! You don't want to break your word again, do you?"

With a grumble, the door clicked open and a pair of bunny ears flopped down in front of Riven's face. She was wearing a skin tight, black foil leotard with a pair of silk pantyhose that emphasized her muscular legs and ended in a pair of pink high heels. Riven scowled at Lux, pointing a large, bunny gloved finger at her, "Only this once. You got that? Only. This. Once."

Lux smiled at Riven, "Hey, it's your fault you gave me the choice. Do you regret it?" They both fell silent. Riven scratched her chin quixotically, trying to think of how to respond which made Lux more and more impatient. "Well?"

Riven held a large bunny paw up, "Give me another minute or two…" Lux fumed, "Oh come on! You look cute! You could do more to show off your figure more often!"

Riven flicked a glance at Lux and jerked her non gloved hand at the change room, "…Can I get out of this now? I think I left my dignity in there with my morals and self-respect."

Lux puffed her cheeks out, "Sheesh, fine. At least I know your measurements now." Riven cringed, "Measurements? For what?" Lux shoved Riven back into the change room, "You'll see! All you gotta do is trust a foul Demacian a little longer!"

Riven peaked over from the top of the door, "Easily doable. So long as you promise no more bunny outfits." Lux raised her hand, "I swear on the name of the Crown-"

"Don't care," Riven interrupted. "Swear on your name."

Lux smiled at Riven, "…Fine. I swear on my name, Luxanna, no more bunny outfits. There's this kitty outf-"

"NO."

Lux burst out laughing, she couldn't help herself. Nor could Riven actually, who joined in Lux's merriment with her own chuckle. That girl's laughter truly was infectious. Soon the laughter died down, and an awkward silence took over once more. Lux pressed herself against the nearby wall, "So, Riven, I can't help but think…"

"Mm?" Riven grumbled while trying to take off the outfit. Lux continued, "You could have gotten the information a bunch of other ways. So why come to me? Why ask me?"

Riven let out an exasperated grunt, the sound of her knee hitting the wall could be easily heard. She walked out of the room, fully clothed once more, and glanced at Lux, "Because I wanted to. Is such a reason so strange?"

Lux smirked at Riven, "Then I want to know what you want that information for~"

Riven shook her head, "Perhaps one day. For now, let's get my sheath, finally."

"Nope!" Lux grabbed Riven's arm and dragged her again, "We're going somewhere else first!" She struggled at first, she honestly did, but Riven could not break free. She blinked a few times in astonishment, "…You're a lot stronger than you look."

"I can say the same about you!" Lux threw Riven yet another smile. Something told Riven that this was one of the few genuine ones Lux had given all day today. Riven sighed and let herself be dragged. What would another hour or two be in the grand scheme of things, when it had taken her years to come to her realization? Lux tugged her arm and broke her train of thoughts, the blonde Demacian pointed at another place, the heat roaring from it palpable in the air, "Come on, I know the smith!"

Smith? Now that, was most certainly more welcome than a bunny suit. Riven knew that this was most likely one of the last days she could even consider remotely relaxing, and even then she had her reasons for seeing Luxanna in the first place. She still had to speak to Irelia, she had to plan, she had to think, she had to figure out what to do with Swain and her refusal, she had a thousand thoughts racing at the same time. But it would not help to let them consume her. It would certainly drive her insane if she were to dive headfirst into such a maelstrom. And so, why not take this opportune distraction? What could one or two hours hurt in the grand scheme of things?

Riven silently chuckled to herself, faintly remembering a saying Lee Sin had once told her. Be the calm water, eh? I don't think this is what you meant by that, Lee.

Swain was hunched over his desk, pen in hand and writing on parchment. His raspy voice filled the room, "Speak."

A familiar, fair skinned woman opened his door and walked silently into the room. Swain cast her a look of surprise, "Emilia, you used the door. Is something amiss?"

"Nothing at all. Sometimes it is a luxury to appreciate the mundane things in life," the deceiver's voice was light as usual. She crossed her arms, her staff floating in midair next to her, "I have spoken to the League, and they agree with your argument and sentiments. It will be done. And I spoke to the requested parties. It may take some time, anywhere from a few minutes to a few weeks. You never know with him these days."

Swain nodded, "Good." LeBlanc stood in silence while the old general still scratched at the paper in front of him. The woman rolled her eyes, "Do you not think focusing so much effort into this one girl is a little much? The war-"

"Is at a stalemate as I planned. It gives us time to garner more support and make Keiran look worse at the same time. The pieces are falling into place, this needs to be done," Swain crowed. He put the pen down and looked at LeBlanc, his red eyes glowing, "Are you questioning me, Emilia?"

LeBlanc furrowed her brow, "Questioning the great master tactician Jericho Swain? How foolish of me. I would never fathom of such a thing." Her voice did not betray the venom laden sarcasm she spoke with. She waved Swain off, "Have fun chasing your little girls, I'm going to arrange a meeting with the generals of Noxus."

Swain nodded, "Good. Arrange it for the end of this week, twelve hundred thirty hours."

LeBlanc walked towards the ajar door, throwing a glance back at Swain, "…This plan could backfire horribly."

Swain looked up from his paper, "Hm?"

"Your plan. It could backfire horribly. The way you've structured it on such a loss before, it is a terrible idea. And it is not your first, do I need to remind you Jarvan's judgement?" LeBlanc flatly stated. Swain snorted, "It needs to be done to see the reaction of the masses before I plan on doing anything else. She refused to join. She must join us, or be made redundant. There is no in between."

LeBlanc raised an incredulous eyebrow, "Before you plan? I see. Have fun then. I will leave you to your plans, and I will tend to our plans."

The door slammed closed behind LeBlanc. Swain looked over at Beatrice, "I think Emilia and I need to have a little talk after this is done and over, hm?"

Beatrice did not caw in confirmation, and only stared back at him. Swain rested his chin on his fist, tapping at the paper with the pen in his other hand, "Strange how much conflux emotions can cause, is it not?"