The moment the shadows spit me out, I'm reminded just how different Ionia is. I've been in Yone's home country for years. The warmer temperature, soft winds, and general comfort of the land have spoiled me. Stepping into the Freljord is freezing compared to what I'm used to. It's so bad that I swear my fingers are frozen before I can hug myself. There isn't even any snow around, it's just so much colder than Ionia.
Starshadow, at least, takes care of my clothes. They morph into warmer material, with my boots getting a little fluffy and a hood materializing on my head. I sigh into the warmth. Thank the Aspects above and Darkins below that Starshadow thought to add pockets to my dress. I can stuff my hands into them and keep them warm.
I let out a squeal as Starshadow's freezing cold scales brush against my back. He's even wrapped most of his body around my middle, making my stomach and chest get cold. I almost dig my hand down my shirt to throw him off if I didn't know he'd retaliate.
"Starshadow!" I yelp anyway.
I FORGOT HOW FREEZING COLD IT IS! Starshadow attempts to defend himself.
"So don't use me to keep yourself warm!" I yell at him anyway.
YOU'RE THE ONE THAT HAS A LITERAL STAR IN YOUR CHEST WHEN YOU USE MAGIC, SO USE IT! My bonded retorts.
The reminder has me almost instantly pulling on my second form. My cold fingers become sharper and cracked with Darkin marks while my chest begins to glow. Both Starshadow and I sigh in relaxation as the temperature no longer has it's hold on us.
That's better... Starshadow curls even tighter around my chest.
"Wait a second, you're from the stars. Aren't you used to the cold vacuum?" I remember.
Part actual Runeterran now, Leilah. I can feel temperatures now. Besides, I'm special. I should never be cold. He dead pans.
I decide to not speak with Starshadow anymore. Partially because I know his behavior will only get worse... Mostly because there are people pointing weapons at us. The people have aged, but I can still somewhat recognize them. I'm back in Vathcaer. Most huts are the same as I remember. Their houses tough and robust, though there are new things. Things like new faces, toys, and the air... Vathcaer is tense. They are worried and scared of something... I'm not sure exactly what. If we're in this town, that means... Ashe... Grena!
"Uh... hello. I'm not sure if you remember me... but I'm-" I start to introduce myself when someone pull their hood back. Dirty blonde hair... Bright blue eyes... and beautiful, dainty features that still haven't matured into adulthood yet reveal themselves.
"Leilah?" She gasps slightly. I have a small smile on my face as I relax. The girl doesn't hesitate, running up to me to give me a huge hug. I have to return back to a normal human in order to avoid burning her. "It's you... it's really you. I've been praying that you've been alright since hearing about the war, but you're alright."
Hi, Ashe. Starshadow slips out of my scarf to hug the three of us together.
"Hi, Starshadow... Oh! You're going to want this! I know that there's some coffee beans that I can grind up for you. They say that they came from the kingdom of Demacia's private garden, grown under the warmth of the sun and with the most tender of care." Ashe seems excited. She pulls away with a sparkle in her eyes... and slightly taller than myself. Starshadow slips onto her shoulders.
I NEED IT! Oh, I want to taste the glory of this most sacred of coffee. Starshadow immediately demands.
I look around the place as subtly as I can. It seems that with Ashe's greeting, she's put her entire village to ease. Everyone goes back to whatever they were doing. Well, everyone except a young man with an odd headdress. He stares at us coldly as the others seem to prepare for something. My head is also starting to pulse from too much vision use. I have to swap from my magic to Starshadow's eyes. I don't mind switching vision for a little bit, as the only person I'm interested in is right in front of me.
"You're going to spoil him, Ashe." My head shakes fondly at the reminder of my bonded's gluttony. I haven't heard it in so long... Not without the threat of death hanging overhead.
"From what I've heard, you could use some niceties as well. I've been asking any Demacian traders about what they've heard. Is it true that you fought an entire Noxian army by yourself?" She asks eagerly.
"What? No. No, I haven't fought anyone! Ashe, I'm a healer, not a fighter." I hold my hands up to defend myself.
Besides, it wasn't a Noxian army she fought. She fought the leaders of Ionia while I decimated the Ionian dragons. Starshadow crows in pride.
"Wait... weren't you on the side of Ionia?" Ashe is confused.
"I was... I mean, I am! Ionia was going to kill innocent Noxians. I didn't even fight, I just... stood in the way." My hand instinctively reaches up and brushes some hair back.
"Uh huh. Though, you looked different. With those red cracks and that glowing thing in your chest. What's that about?" She asks eagerly like a child.
"My, uh, magic has grown..." I mumble lightly.
That's not all. You remember Yone, Right? Dark, cold, scary, and handsome man that has captured Leilah's heart? Starshadow practically wiggles in excitement.
"I remember... wait... are you saying?" Ashe almost seems like she's going to start dancing on her toes.
Did they finally admit their love for each other? Yep! He's even declared that he's going to be coming along with their adventures after the war's officially done with! Then I get to tease them all the time! Starshadow chirps happily.
"That's amazing! From what I remember, he made you very happy. Why didn't he take a break? It's springtime. He wouldn't be bound to the Hearth." Ashe sounds slightly disappointed that she didn't meet my lover.
"It's because the war is still happening there. A few Noxian armies are being rooted out as we speak... and Yone will defend his people to his last breathe." I whisper sadly.
"Oh... well, there's always next time. Next time, I'll get to talk and meet him. If he's anything as you spoke of, he'd be a good friend." Ashe keeps walking me around the village. She seems... hesitant. Something's bothering her.
"Ashe... what's wrong?" I stop her march around the village edge. She hesitates, determined to not look at my eyes. She won't see that I'm blind. not yet anyway. My feet carry me past her so I can pretend to look directly in her face. Starshadow shows me her face. She's... scared.
"...There's... there's something wrong with my Mother... Something's not right. For days, she'll spend looking over her maps and books. This thing about lore. I can't... I can't pull her away. I was actually going to go back home and see if I could help, but then you showed up and I don't want things to be awkward between you and her because she finally told me about the first time you left and-" Ashe rambles a bit.
"Ashe, calm down." I grab onto her shoulders as Starshadow's tail covers her mouth. Ashe's mouth slams shut. "What happened the first time is in the past. No one will be able to hurt me like that ever again."
"...Do you promise? It's just... The Throne of Avarosa is all she speaks about. The hall and the hoard of the great goddess... It's a disgraced myth. Denied by the frost priests as fiction. Accepted only by children and the mad..." She trails of as she mutters the last word. She does not want Grena to be a part of the mad ones.
"It'll be alright. I've really become in tune with my magic. Maybe I can help." I push her a little bit. Ashe swallows nervously.
"I... Aunt Helnr attacked again...This time... she didn't make it..." She struggles to not cry. On the other hand, my blood runs cold... yet another death brought on by madness. A madness that could have been stopped a long time ago.
"I'm so sorry, Ashe." I pull her into my arms. She doesn't weep, not like she did before, but she does seem sad.
"Ashe!" The boy with the headdress interrupts us. Ashe wipes her tears before looking like a leader to come. "Grena's calling for you."
Ashe dips her head in acknowledgement. The boy seems like he's going to hold me back when Ashe shoots a sharp glare at him. I don't break my stride as I follow her. The boy attempts to grab my wrist as I pass by him. Starshadow mock strikes him, making him pull away. I don't care what he thinks. It's not him that needs comfort. It's Ashe.
She is slow as she approaches the biggest house in the village... her house. It's exactly as I remember it. Tall, wood cabin in the center of a village. Imposing on all other houses, yet still approachable, even if there are not that many windows on the first floor. This is the house of a warmother, one that will watch over her people with compassion and strength. And yet, it seems a little cold to me. A little worn out... I'm worried about what Grena has done that has made it this way...
The door creaks open as Ashe hesitantly pushes against it. Her boots echo inside the hall as she steps into the house. I step inside and close the door behind me.
The hall... it's more empty and colder than I remember. The torches lining the halls reveal everything. From dust in the corners to the endlessly strewn about papers on the ground, it's clear that Grena has not been tending to the house... I wonder what Ashe's oathfathers have been doing... I think that's the right term...
"Mom... Have you eaten today?" Ashe attempts to get Grena's attention.
"..." Grena speaks frantically in Freljordian. I have no idea what she is saying, never having learned the tongue... Maybe I'll ask Ashe for lessons later... *
"You've been making maps again." Ashe stays in Demacian, hoping to get her to understand that she has a guest. The not-so-little girl approaches the desk covered in an even bigger mess. Behind Grena is a wall of maps, lines, and needles. Grena is studying something...
I walk past Grena to look at them. The constellations... She's still looking for Avarosa, whom she believes that Ashe is a reincarnation. I can't deny that reincarnation does not exist, but it's not fair for Ashe to have to have that burden... Though the stars that she's tracing, they almost look like a bow and arrow. Starshadow lifts his head a little higher to give me a better look. To my surprise, I recognize a constellation. Pantheon's constellation... It's up here. It exists in the Freljord. And there are other constellations that I recognize. All of them seem to have directions... She's looking for something. If Ashe said true, then the throne of Avarosa could actually exist.
"..." She mumbles under her breath. **
"The throne of Avarosa. Mom..." Ashe builds her courage as she looks to me for support. Starshadow and I both give her encouraging looks. Her shoulders relax a bit as her head lifts slightly. "Why did Aunt Helnr challenge you."
"..." Grena looks up, still not noticing me. I don't blame her, as I'm behind her.***
"It matters. Your obsession with the myth of Avarosa's thronw... it's getting out of control again-" Ashe attempts to speak for her people.
"...!" Grena's tone is harder. ****
"You haven't been sleeping or eating, have you?" Ashe approaches her Mother with a tender touch to Grena's shoulder. "Please, Mom... Stop for a little while. Leilah and Starshadow are here."
"Leilah and Starshadow are here?" Grena finally switches over to Demacian as she looks around. I sheepishly wave my hand while Starshadow does his dance. As much as I don't want to, I have to use my own vision again. Ashe is young and may not recognize blindness, but Grena has seen much. She'd be able to tell that I'm disabled in a heartbeat.
"They are. They're here to help. I'll make you some stew or-" Ashe persists in caring for her Mother.
Grena's eyes lock onto mine. Even if I chose to remain blind, I can see the madness in her eyes. Yet I can tell that she's still herself. This madness... It's out of care for her daughter, like it always was.
"How has your training been going? Can I hail my daughter as a true Iceborn yet?" Grena changes the topic. Starshadow growls lowly in his throat. It sounds like Grena... is making a statement with Ashe. Something about her tone makes both of us uneasy.
"I-" Ashe hesitates nervously.
"Ashe... it's your choice. You're under no pressure to do whatever Grena wants." I interrupt, though I don't step forward. I want Ashe to know she has a choice before she makes, that she doesn't need to be pressured by her Mother or me to do something she doesn't want to do.
The blonde child in question flicks her blue eyes between myself and her Mother. The moment she looks at Grena, I know what her choice is. My hands start to glow in preparation as she lets her head fall.
"I am ready."
"Show me. Choose a weapon; reveal your strength." Grena pushes Ashe as she pulls up her weapons. A hatchet and a spear that Starshadow and I were once exposed to.
Memories from when I was in the school for swordsmen appear in my mind. That everyone has a weapon that they are most in tune or can fight with best. And, from Ashe's physique right now, she's not going to be able to swing an axe or hurl a spear. She's not meant for these weapons at all.
"Which will you weild, Daughter?" Grena looks at me... not in pride or smugness, but with anxiety... I think she wants me to see that Ashe is strong and capable... something I already knew.
"The Axe." Ashe solemnly chooses. Her hands wrap around the handle of the hatchet. The moment she picks it up, she struggles. A scream pulls out of her throat in pain as the True Ice burns. She drops it almost immediately as the temperature of True Ice proves to be too cold for her to bear. AShe drops with it, her head hanging to hide tears.
I would dart over to her to heal her when Grena falls softly on her knees.
"You did well, child." She assures Ashe, the mother that she has always been. She gently caresses Ashe's face up to look at her. "To try this so young... You make me very proud. Very. Proud. In time, you will wield True ice, and you will be a great warmother. That is your destiny."
Ashe cries as Grena pulls her into an embrace. Grena's hold on her is so tender... I have to look away or I'll cry too. I miss my own Mother... Mother, if you are still reading my letters, I'm so sorry I haven't been able to send as many as before... War has been tough...
"Go, rest now... We travel to the Ice Children's lands at dawn." Grena gently pushes Ashe away. Ashe looks extremely confused and scared at Grena's announcement.
Starshadow, can you take care of Ashe? I want to speak with Grena. I ask my bonded.
You sure you want to be alone with her? Starshadow checks, his spikes pulsing in and out of his skin.
I can handle her. She's nothing compared to Swain. I promise him.
"...How about you and I go get some coffee and that stew? You were always making delicious foods. And I'll tell you even more stories about the adorable lovebirds, ones that they definitely wouldn't want you to know. Like how I caught them almost doing the-" Starshadow attempts to put her nerves at ease by teasing me.
"DON'T YOU DARE!" I snarl at Starshadow, my hands grabbing his mouth.
My bonded just laughs hysterically at my bright pink cheeks. Ashe seems confused as she glances at me before accepting Starshadow's offer. My bonded, for his part, practically leaps from my shoulders to hers. Ashe walks away... leaving me with a maddened Warmother. I look at them with a shake of my head at his behavior.
"...Leilah..." Grena gets my attention. She sounds rather hesitant... Like she's the one... who wronged me.
"If you want to apologize, You don't have to-"
"I do, child. I was desperate for information that you might have had... and I hurt you. I hurt a child. I am a mother to the tribe, protecting the people like my own children. If I treated you like that... A child like that..." Grena hesitates slightly... the mother that I always knew her as here. The madness is not there... not right now anyway.
"Don't worry about it, Grena. It's not the worst thing I've encountered." I try to convince her.
"I know. We've heard the tales. Allowing yourself to be captured to protect others... it's a noble sacrifice. Foolish, but noble. You make me wish that I had that kind of heart." Grena sighs. She keeps her distance from me.
"There's different kinds of noble actions. Mine... I had the magic to defend them and myself. I was scared out of my mind when I was first captured... Starshadow was taken away and I was threatened to be killed. It was just... so scary. And... and I had the chance to leave with Starshadow, but I just... there were Ionians in trouble. I chose to stay and get Starshadow out... I bargained myself to protect the people because it's all I could think of. I was a coward." I press my head against the wall.
My memories are returning, harder than ever. My head pulses in pain, enough that I have to stop... and yet... I remember everything that Swain did to me under his control. From attempting to force Myra to fighting against another, to bending another child's arms too far, almost breaking them. if it wasn't for my will... I would have hurt others under his command. And that's what hurts me so much. That I was forced to hurt others. It hurts me to the point where I'm crying now...
Grena's gentle as she gently tilts my face to hers. My head hurts too much to really look through my magic, so I let my blindness show.
"You did what you had to do in that moment... I know I'm not your mother, but I can tell you that your mother would be exceptionally proud of you. For everything you've done." Grena murmurs. She wipes away tears... like a Mother does.
My emotions boil over and I tackle Grena. Tears are freely falling as I bury my face into her shoulder. There's soft whimpers that pull itself out of my throat as I take comfort from a warm mother figure. Grena doesn't even hesitate. Her arms wrap themselves around me. I struggle to keep myself calm... yet, the tears still pull themselves out of me. My legs collapse from underneath me. She holds me up as my body gives out on me again.
For a few minutes, it's all I can do. I just... break down and cry. It's quiet where I am, though I can hear Starshadow moan about the delicious taste of coffee and the food Ashe made for us. Apparently the stew that she made is full of delicious meats... though she made something more for for me. A cabbage stew... no meat whatsoever. Starshadow stops Ashe from leaving immediately. I'm grateful he does. This moment... I think it's just for me.
Eventually, my sobs fade to hiccups. Grena, sensing that my energy is fading, gently lets go.
"Feel better?" She asks softly. Her hand gently presses against my cheek. It's rough, covered in callouses. It's bigger and more feminine than the ones I'm used to... It's not Yone, but I definitely am feeling better.
"Yes... Thank you. For the comfort." I look up in her direction.
"Are you blind?" She asks bluntly, in the fashion of the Freljord. She must have noticed something off about my gaze anyway.
"...Sort of. Could you not tell Ashe? I don't want anything to change." I urge her. Starshadow, sensing that our moment is done, tells Ashe that she can bring the food.
"Of course. You've done much for my daughter. I only wish I had done right for her... and you." Grena murmurs right before Ashe returns, with everyone's meals in a tray... And Starshadow in his giant mug of coffee.
The rest of the day, we successfully distract Grena from her maps and stars. She's started to be the leader that Vathcaer is needs. And for the first time in a long time, the village seems happy... even if she is gathering weapons and preparing to leave, it's still better than her hiding in her home.
I just catch up with Ashe, telling her much of the other lands I've been to. She seems entertained, but it's not enough to convince her to travel. She loves her family too much to leave them for a moment, and I respect that. She does enjoy hearing about Yone and my relationship through Starshadow's dramatics... I hate him sometimes, but he's still my bonded. When it matters, he has my best interests at heart.
I'm given my old room for the night. I get to sleep for a few hours before someone shakes me awake. I rub my eyes a little bit sleepily as I look up to see Grena in my room. She's shaking my shoulder, keeping Starshadow asleep.
Grena? I yawn in my mind. She holds a finger to her lips before getting up from my bed. I slip out of bed, grabbing my dress as I get up. Starshadow snoozes happily in my scarf as I close the door behind me.
"Leilah, I know I have no right to ask this, but you've always been there for Ashe... She's been having a hard time... especially when I'm in one of my moods... And I know that my tactics aren't welcomed by everyone..." Grena seems nervous.
"What do you need, Grena?" I keep my tone quiet and gentle. It's clear to me that she hasn't slept. The moon is high in the sky... The only reason why I can see it is because of the rays of light shining through a window... I miss seeing the stars.
"I need to know that if something happens to me, you'll watch out for my daughter." Grena urges me.
I want to promise her. Ashe, while I don't see her often, is a dear friend to me. I wouldn't be able to bear it if she got hurt and I couldn't come... but there's a small issue...
"I won't be able to know when she's in trouble bad enough that I'll need to come-" I begin to reason with her when Daamien appears out of the corner of my eyes, right behind Grena.
A rune. Dad scares me into jumping a little bit.
What?
It's time I started to teach you how to use runes. Dad stalks past Grena. Her eyes widen in shock as he steps forward... he's using my magic to make himself appear... And I'm not feeling any of it.
"Dad! Don't scare me like- Wait, what?" I start to scold him when my attention is pulled away from me. Grena pulls out her True Ice spear and thrusts it into Daamien's illusion. Dad simply looks down in his chest before giving her a dead pan look.
"Do you mind?" Dad asks.
"What... What is he?" Grena keeps swiping through his illusion body, attempting to freeze him. Dad just stares at her in boredom.
"This is Daamien, the-" I start to introduce when Grena stops swiping. Instead, she stares at him in awe.
"You're... You're the missing Healer. An actual legend of old..." Grena stammers.
"I am... Though my more favored title these days is Leilah's Mentor or Dad. Hopefully, just Dad in the near future." Dad rolls his eyes before grabbing Grena's hand. Grena's eyes are wide as Daamien lifts her palm up. He gestures for me to come closer. I practically scamper over to his side and watch his fingers.
He starts with an inspiration rune. That's the base of it. The rune covers the entirety of Grena's wrist. A big circle with interconnecting lines, so not the actual rune. Just the outline of it. Inside, there's a mixture of sorcery and precision. The Sorcery rune is more starry than the normal rune, and the precision is located in what looks like... the Freljord. The inspiration rune... it's like a map of Runeterra. Lines inside form the world as Dad lifts his palm away from her wrist. It glows softly before practically disappearing.
"Read it." Dad orders.
"It's a location rune. One that when touched, will bring the maker's attention to that spot." I dutifully recite to him.
"Perfect. Now you try." Dad murmurs.
...What? I'm so overwhelmed by the thought of actually writing runes that I'm stunned. I didn't... I thought he wrote it...
Well, I'm not actually out here. I can't write it. And it won't be nearly as strong if you use ink. This rune will require a constant influx of magic to perform. It's a small amount, no more than what it takes to conjure me. It's linking you to whomever it is attached to while the rune lives. Do you remember how runes survive? Dad lectures.
The magic source's life is still alive. This life source can come from either the castor or the person the rune is attached to. In cases of high sources of magic, the land itself will provide the power to sustain the rune. When the rune breaks, depending on which runes, it can lead to catastrophic results. Like the Shadow Isles... and what happened to me...
Good. You're right. And do you remember when to activate a rune? Dad keeps up his little quiz as my magic appears in my finger. Shadows and golden light twist and twine around the tip as I carefully follow the trace of Dad's rune in the air.
When all the runes are written down. Forgetting even one rune will change the outcome of the entire rune. And it can't be reset until the rune is disabled by the castor. I keep reciting the important lessons that Dad taught me. The shadows and lights shimmer above Grena's wrist as I finish the inscription. Even then, I don't dare push it down on her wrist. Not until Dad gives me permission.
My runes are a little different that Dad's. His are far more angular, with no soft curves. Everything is determined. My runes are far softer, with less harsh lines. Mine is also a little bit smaller, but Dad's training as ensured that I have no shaky lines. Everything must be as I intend, or my version of the runes will not work.
You forgot a single star. it won't make too much of a difference for this rune, but this rune allows for both you and Starshadow to feel when Grena needs you. Dad corrects the rune, pointing out the subtle difference. The center of the sorcery star has two runes. One a string river, the other a dot. I forgot the dot. The correction is immediate, matching the runes exactly. Alright. Now, press against the skin. It's going to feel... a little odd, but I promise you that it will stick.
What is going to happen? I whimper lightly as I shakily press the runic inscription down. Dad stops me before I touch her.
Well, that will just mess up the rune. You need to have a steady hand. Unfortunately, you're going to feel a slight burn on your wrist. Nothing too much. Due to your powers being sun and star based, you're going to be scarring the skin. Oh, that reminds me... "Grena, do you accept this mark?"
"What does the mark do?" Grena seems fascinated, though still very much in control of her own thoughts. A Mother always needs to make sure that it's safe for her people and family, after all.
"Simply touch the mark when you feel you can not protect Ashe any longer. Leilah and Starshadow will sense it and come immediately. It will niggle in their minds until they are forced to come and reset it." Dad explains.
"Do it." Grena squares her shoulders and holds her wrist up.
What was that for? I ask curiously as Dad helps press my mark against her wrist firmly. There's a small sizzle on our wrists as the runes become a permanent mark on her.
Consent is an essential part for making sure that you will not be suffering magic withdrawal being too far away. With her permission, she will be the one sustaining the rune, not you. It's just a small tether to you. Instead of you having to sustain the rune over a vast distance, it'll be her pulsing the location across the world. Plus, you didn't feel the full weight of the pain. Grena is certainly a tough woman for not even flinching. Dad eases my mind as the burning feeling stops.
Slowly, my hand lets go of her wrist. There, in the center, right above her pulse point, my mark is there. Her lifeblood pulses through the rune. In the back of my head, I can sense it. It's quiet, just silently letting me that it's there. That it's waiting for some sort of action. I can actually ignore it fairly well when Grena pulls me into her arms.
"Thank you, Leilah... You really don't understand exactly how much this means to me." Grena whispers in my ear. I return the hug.
"Of course. She's my friend. Just... not more trying to slice off a body part, please?" I tease her lightly. She chuckles as she wipes away her tears.
"Spoken like a true Iceborn." She holds my head in her hands.
I don't have much of a warning before she presses her head against mine, like a mother being proud of her child. For a second, I believe that my own mother is doing this, even if she'd rather hug me and tell me how proud of me she is. Still, it's the small thing that matters. And I take all the comfort I can from it.
Well, well, well. Dad's off giving private lessons. Humph. At least Mom's been teaching me where to choose my locations now. Starshadow hisses as he slides up my body. Grena smiles at us as I press my cheek against his head. I get an idea for how to give him practice.
"...Since we are on break... Do you think we can go learn a few things from Shurima?" I shyly ask him.
Why? We have Daamien right here. Starshadow asks.
"Daamien doesn't know everything that's happened in the past centuries. I want to hear the tales that my Mother doesn't know. Maybe there's some stories that will let me learn more about Shurima. Like, what really happened to it? Remember that Dad was off trying to save Shuriman soldiers. He wasn't always a part of politics." I can already feel my heart racing in excitement at the thought of learning history and stories... This is what I always loved. And I am trying to relax.
Alright, alright. I guess that we're going to visit Kassadin then, since he's the only person we really know in Shurima. His hometown will probably be the best place to go. I think my Shuriman is getting better... The sands do not have the honor of knowing my name.
A snort escapes me before I remember that we have an audience.
"Grena... I-" I start to apologize when Grena stops me from talking with a finger.
"I'll explain the Ashe. She's aware of the importance of duty. And she knows better than anyone that sometimes a break is required. At least I can promise her that you'll be there when she desperately needs you." She places a hand on my shoulder before stepping away. She walks down the hall and out the door. I'm not sure what she's doing, but at least I know that Grena and I are on good terms now.
...Well, damn. I wanted more coffee... Well, I suppose that it's time. Ready? Starshadow asks.
Alright, first thing's first. What Grena said was in Freljordian, something Leilah does not know... so, here's a translation.
*The star signs math those ruins-remember the ones we took from the Broken tooth clan...
**Yes, we are close. This time. This time. I'm sure of it.
***I won. It doesn't matter.
****Our tribe is poor, Ashe. This is how we return our tribe to greatness. It is destiny.
So, the reason for why I'm posting... One of my readers has had a bit of a rough day... so I thought I'd post a chapter to make their day be a little better. They have another exam tomorrow, and I have over 30k words in the back, so I don't mind posting again.
When's my birthday?
...Ya know what? Let's make is January First, ok? The first day of the first month of a year. First for everything.
...Huh. I like it.
Hallelujah. Ok, now that that's settled... Champ of the chapter is Vex, the gloomist. May you be determined to follow what makes you happy, regardless of what others believe you should be like everyone's favorite gloomy yordle, and I hope you guys have an extraordinary day!