.
Setting the Stage
Lissandra scarcely reacted as an arrow whizzed by her right and stuck into the arm of one of her followers. The man grunted in pain as he reached over to yank the arrowhead out. The siege was going poorly. The walls of Raklestake were tall and powerful, and the force that manned the battlements were stubborn warriors who clung to freedom and unity tightly. The trolls and their massive bulks did not frighten them, and the ramparts had repelled all who scaled it.
Lissandra surveyed the wall with her ears and her magics, faintly recalling a time where it was only a ten feet in hight. Back then, Avarosa welcomed all without fear or reproach, but it now the wall grew high throughout the years of chaos, lead by fearful rulers who closed their gates more often than keeping them open.
I warned you, sister, of what would happen if you left the decision to humans. There will be no unity, there will only be fear.
Lissandra looked to the sky, searching the clouds for the blasted Cyropheonix. It had been only a couple days since she felt the grand bird's energies soaring far above them, and her absence unsettled her. Sejuani should be arriving soon, that blasted creature of hers better not have led them astray.
"Trundle. Where is the Troll King?" She announced, turning to her right on impulse.
"By the wall." The stoic man replied, completely ignoring his past wound.
"Bring him here."
After that, more arrows were loosed, and the siege abated, like the tide. Outside of arrow range, Lissandra surveyed the battlements one more time before addressing Trundle. The Troll King was at peak shape, despite the large wound that he had arrived with. A gift from Sejuani's associate, Lissandra gathered, but the phenomenon unsettled her.
"Do you have any suspicion as to why Sejuani hasn't arrived?"
Trundle shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe they caught the royals as they were heading south. Rough roads... Possible Avalanche..."
"I know those possibilities. I am considering you may have been tricked."
"Me? Tricked?" The Troll laughed heartily, "I never knew you had a tongue for humor, my queen."
Lissandra wished desperately that she had eyes to glare at him with. She kept her fangs back, though. Not the time for anger. Off in the distance, she heard the clatter of hooves, the breath of an FrostGuard scout. What news did he bring?
"Regardless of my wit, Trundle, we need to be able to enter the city on our own, with or without Sejuani's help. I'm sure you have a plan."
"Saltpeter, of course." Trundle replied cooly, producing something and offering it to Lissandra. Feeling the movement, Lissandra reached out and felt the jagged rock, weighing it in her hands.
"Straight from the walls, my Queen. Holes have been created, deep enough for the explosives to have an effect. Been working hard, but soon we should be able to light all four fuses tomorrow. The walls will tumble and we'll pour in from all angles."
The block of rock felt heavier with the words, Lissandra could feel it. Lissandra remembered her sisters' words when they first laid eyes on the wall, when she could still see. There was a bit of remorse, but Lissandra shook it away. It was necessary.
"It took you this long?" She replied, letting the rock fall back into Trundle's hands, "Its barely a stone."
Trundle shrugged, unapologetic. "The wall was tough. Broke our picks and hammers and spikes. Can't have any explanation other than magic."
Lissandra sighed, shaking her head. Of course it was. Avarosa fighting back, as always.
"My Queen!"
The scout had arrived. He pulled up close to the Ice Witch, and she already knew what he was about to say.
"Sejuani has entered the Valley. Her force is sizable, and she has told me that she will be on the battlefield alongside you tomorrow."
"Wonderful." Lissandra responded, "Tell me, how are our odds?"
"If the siege goes well, we should have no problem eliminating her. Just enough to outnumber Ashe's force, but small enough for us to deal with."
"Perfect."
Sejuani peered carefully at the peaks and the slopes. Although she knew that the fight was at Racklestake, she couldn't shake the excitement for the coming battle. Her hand twitched, and her nose itched constantly. She fought the urge to scratch it.
"The scout should have reached Raklestake by now." The Ursine rumbled, at her right.
"Yes, and he will report our weakness." Sejuani muttered with a dark grin. Numbers may be against her, thanks to the blasted Frost Archer and the calamitous siege of Racklestake, but she had the Ursine and her demon. Quality over quantity.
"When do you suppose she will turn against us?" The barbarian to her left announced, riding on top of horse, with his two enormous axes clasped by one powerful hand, warming up for the future battle.
"Once we're at the keep, no sooner." Sejuani explained cooly, "We must beat her there, and then take the throne for ourselves. The keep is much a much stronger position to hold than somewhere in the town. Trolls may be strong, but Lissandra will be surprised to learn that my force is stronger."
"Ra... I was hoping we'd hold the tavern." The Axeman replied, to Sejuani's amusement. Bristle grunted as he hoped over a small ravine, leading the host in a calm, slow pace.
"After the battle is won, Olaf. Not before."
"What of Ashe and Tryndamere?" The bear asked.
Sejuani looked backwards, towards the peaks of the north, towards the Frost Archer. "Let them freeze up in DaggerCave. Ashe is too much of a babe to ride down and defend her country. We'll deal with her later."
"Then what of... The dark one?" The behemoth pressed forward.
"He will stay with until I give him what we promised. Volibear. I understand your caution, but he is necessary. No more on the matter."
"Yes, Sejuani."
The ride was short, but the toll it took on the men was visible. The rough paths that the horses galloped down had given sores by the plenty. Hopefully, tomorrow, the rawness would abate. If it did not, the adrenaline of battle would take care of things. It was all minor detail in the end.
There were no fires as they settled on the northern slope of Avarosa's perch. Men covered themselves in grey coats and quilts to survive the night, and the world was so blissfully quiet as the sun crept closer and closer downwards. He was so absorbed in the silence, he didn't even notice Ashe approach him until she spoke his name.
"Yes?"
"I take it you'll stand guard?"
"Of course. The clothes we took are good enough to cover us, I doubt we'll be caught. Are the horses taken care of?"
"Down in the valley, grazing in a couple of forest acres. They should go unnoticed."
"Good."
Ashe nodded, taking a seat across from him, watching him she always had.
"Are you nervous?" She began.
"Aye." Tryndamere responded, not in the mood to try and avoid her questions.
"Yeah... who isn't. Stupid question." She agreed, looking down at the pebbles and sand at their feet.
"It goes for our enemy as well. Never forget that."
Ashe nodded. Tryndamere grumbled, as he gazed over their company.
"Not even two hundred men. Its going to be damn hard to hold our ground. Some of the boys at the stable were of age..."
Tryndamere caught Ashe's gaze.
"I drew blood at the ripe age of fourteen. I'm being frank."
Ashe nodded, unperturbed. "You made them stay."
Tryndamere barely grinned, looking towards the valley. "Aye. We do the bloody work. They wouldn't make a difference. Not here."
She wasn't mad with him and his loose tongue, however. Hell, after all of the pain that Tryndamere had put her through at Daggercave, she still sat by him, asking him questions, listening to him with the same strange sort of reverence she had for him since the day they first met. It no longer irked him like it had done in the past, but now it confused him. How much patience existed in this woman? It was extraordinary, and he couldn't understand it.
He was to absorbed to ask her why, the lingering of dread still remained. So instead...
"Tomorrow will reveal all. And I promise you, it will be a grand sight. Now... rest. You need those eyes for tomorrow. Your arrows must fly true.."
She smiled as she rose, eyes full of trust, trust that shouldn't have existed. She wished him well, she told him not to worry. She left him there, let him stare at the earth and count the moments. There were calm ones, and nervous ones. He spent time thinking of Sejuani, of Lissandra, of the battle and the objectives. He thought back to his ancestors, of the tales of old, searching for guidance. He spent time thinking of her, thinking of why her eyes always seemed so deep, how her skin had become so white, and why she had put her hand on his before she went to sleep, just to his right. He almost had the answer, but the rising sun cut across his eyes.
The morning was already upon him.
End Chapter