"Yes, I see the sun is shining. I have eyes, you know."

Squawk.

"I don't always know what you're thinking. So sue me. What's up?"

Valor looked at the window, then brought the tips of his wings together and separated them.

"Making me do all the work." She shuffled to the window, pushing it open.

Valor smiled, jumping onto the ledge. His back to Quinn, he spread his wings, but only about half way before the frame impeded his action.

"Could you not figure that out beforehand? Your wingspan is about my height. Clearly the window wasn't going to be big enough." Valor glared back at her over his shoulder. "Go ahead. Tell me you knew beforehand. You didn't think of it, did you?"

Valor opened his mouth to make a sound, but kept silent and turned his head back around.

"Ha." Quinn approached the window and looked out over the eagle's head. "On a serious note, we're only about four feet up. If you have to jump out, won't you just hit the ground?"

"You have a very interesting relationship with your bird, Miss Venandi."

Both of them turned towards the door to see Lestara standing there. "Excuse me, I knocked a couple times and didn't hear an answer. I heard speaking and assumed that it wasn't the bird."

"Yeah, just trying to explain to bird-brain that he'll probably hit the ground before being able to fly out of the window. You'd think a bird would know that, so he's either an idiot, which is highly likely-" Valor headbutted Quinn in the back. "-or he's playing me for a fool."

Lestara walked towards them. "Is it possible you aren't reading him right?"

"Oh, it's possible, though we've worked hard to understand each other. It's not perfect, but it's works."

"You've had better luck than I've had with my daughter. It's hard to have a conversation when she can't make a sound."

Quinn grew somber. "I'm sorry. What happened?"

"There's no need to apologize. She was born mute. I adopted her when she was young, after my husband died. She may not speak, but certainly you have heard of her skill with an etwahl."

"A what now?"

"Think of it as a portable harp. She can bring forth emotions with her music. She is here, so you get to meet the famous Maven of the Strings, Sona."

Quinn stared. "Who?"

"Sona Buvelle? Headlines massive concerts? Makes the most stoic of people weep from the beauty of her music? Rumour has it she made General Swain of Noxus cry for hours from her performance."

Quinn shrugged her shoulders. "Doesn't ring a bell."

Lestara raised an eyebrow as she sat on the bed. "Well, maybe she'll have to do some shows in smaller areas. For charity or something." She put her hands down, then stood up, looking at the bed. Walking around the bed, she asked Quinn, "Why are the sheets on the floor?"

"Couldn't sleep. I didn't know beds came that soft. Felt like I was sinking when I closed my eyes."

"That's easy to rectify, Miss Venandi."

"Please, call me Quinn. I'm definitely not civilized enough to be called Miss anything. I slept on the floor after all." Her eyes went wide. "Oh god I didn't even bathe or wash last night. I would keep your distance. No way they don't have a funky smell."

Lestara chuckled. "We have maids for that sort of thing. That gives us some matters to discuss over breakfast. It should be ready soon, if you would accompany me?"

"Okay. I think that's what Valor was working on with the window anyways." Quinn turned around to find the window frame empty of the eagle. Looking out of it, she saw Valor sprawled on the ground. A heavy sigh followed as she looked back at Lestara. "Give me a couple minutes and I'll join you."

"I will meet you there."

As Lestara walked out of the room, Quinn looked out the window and sighed. "Told you so, but would you listen? Noooooooo. Now pick yourself up off the ground and let's go grab some grub. Oh, and if you broke your neck, it's your own damn fault."

After retrieving Valor, it took Quinn several minutes of wandering before she found the dining room. A twenty-seat table centered the room, below an extensive candelabra that lit the area. Red velvet adorned the table, with a candle every couple seats to provide even more light. Lestara was at the head of the table, and stood up as Quinn entered.

"Glad you could make it."

"I may have gotten lost on the way."

A woman to Lestara's left seemed to float into a standing position as her blue eyes met Quinn's own. A very well-endowed chest, and everything below, was covered in a blue dress that ran all the way to the floor. Quinn could do little but stare at the beautiful woman with the very long blue hair.

"Allow me to introduce you to Sona Buvelle, my daughter. Sona, this is Quinn Venandi, our guest for the foreseeable future."

She bowed in Quinn's direction, a faint smile forming as their guest kept eyes on her.

"She's beautiful..." Quinn whispered.

Sona raised an eyebrow, but kept her smile.

"Ignore that." Quinn shook her head and bowed in return, feeling strangely at ease, despite the comment. "It's nice to meet you, Sona. How are you?"

"Sona is mute," Lestara said. "She can't answer."

"Right, sorry. I feel very… content around her."

"She has a calming influence. Now if you would take your seat, the food will be out soon."

"You mind if I invite Valor? I forgot to ask, and I don't know your policy on birds at the table."

Lestara chuckled. "Usually birds at the table involve rosemary and thyme. I suppose the only way to make a policy is with experience, so please, invite him in."

A quick whistle sounded from Quinn's lips as she took her seat. A moment later, Valor hobbled into the room. "Sona, this is Valor. Valor, Sona." He walked over to her and scooped her hand up with his wing as he gently pecked it, mimicking a kiss of the hand.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Typical. Show him a hot girl and he becomes a gentleman."

He walked around the table to Quinn's side, jumped onto the back of the chair next to her, and promptly tipped it over.

Quinn let out a heavy sigh as she righted the chair. "You literally just did this yesterday. Stand on the seat."

He jumped onto the seat.

"Good boy. Stay." Valor gave Quinn a venomous glare. "Please, you deserve it." She looked up to see both Lestara and Sona giggling, though only Lestara made the sound.

"Quite a friendship," Lestara said as servants wheeled food carts into the room. "Before I forget to mention, I have to leave in two days for business, so take time while you eat to think of any pressing matters you wish to ask me. Bad timing, unfortunately. I will make sure you are properly settled before my absence."

A maid wheeled a cart beside Quinn before setting a covered platter in front of her. Cutlery was set to the side before the lid was taken off the platter. "Eggs Benedict, Miss Venandi. Enjoy."

Quinn looked at the meal and felt her mouth water immediately. Steam still rose from the poached eggs, and she could smell the creaminess of the hollandaise sauce smothering the dish. She couldn't wait to dig in.

Until she happened to glance upon Valor. His eyes were wide and his beak was open in shock at the dish. Suddenly, the meal lost some of its luster.

"Oh," Lestara said. "I'm sorry, I didn't really think this through."

"It's okay, I just don't eat eggs. After I met Valor, I decided that it might be a tad insensitive to do, for obvious reasons."

"I can have the chef cook you something different."

"We would enjoy that."

After a change of meals to bacon and potatoes, as well as some beef for Valor, the staff cleared the table and left the three women alone. Sona rose quickly, however, giving Quinn and Lestara a slight bow before leaving the room.

"How was the meal?" Lestara asked.

"Excellent. I think I had forgotten what the taste of food covered in herbs was like. We eat pretty simple fare, Valor and I."

"The menu can be adjusted accordingly. As for your sleeping arrangements, I can get you a stiffer mattress. Is there anything else?"

"Well, if you don't mind me asking, how big is this… estate? Manor?"

"Six hectares."

"Do you have a little bit of forest somewhere on the land?"

"It's tiny, but yes. Do you want a cottage built out there?"

"No, no, nothing like that. We're just used to being surrounded by trees, looking at the stars. It's how we've been for a couple years now, and we're comfortable like that. Plus, feathers-for-brains can't jump out of windows that way." Valor looked away, a huff escaping his beak. "We're simple when it comes to sleep, although we wouldn't mind some rain cover."

"We can accommodate that, I'm sure. Anything else on your mind?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I want to make you as comfortable as possible."

"No, I mean why?" Quinn motioned around her. "Why all of this? I would have had quarters with the military, food and board provided, everything already set up. Why bring me here and give me anything I want?"

"Caleb." Lestara stood up, beginning to walk around the table. "Because of your brother. I led that hunt near Uwendale, I led good women and men to death that day because we didn't know about the tuskvore." She stopped beside Quinn, looking her in the eye. "We didn't have the weapons to deal with its hide, or the armour to deal with its tusks. We fought, but we all knew we were dead."

She reached out, putting her hand on Quinn's shoulder. "Then, an arrow came out of nowhere, piercing its hide. We watched as this young boy came out, spear in hand, distracting the beast while a young girl took aim in the bushes with her bow. They couldn't kill it, but they distracted it with their attacks. You didn't hesitate to help us get out, and he sacrificed himself. I couldn't do anything then except promise to help if you ever asked. So now, I won't hesitate to give you anything you may need. Caleb Venandi saved my life. The least I can do is help his sister succeed."

Quinn felt her cheeks heat up as Lestara spoke. She looked away. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize… I don't remember the promise. I don't remember much after that, not until Valor."

"You were dealing with tragedy. It's okay." Lestara sat down beside her. "Let's change the subject. How did you two meet?"

"That actually doesn't change the subject much." Quinn took a deep breath. There were parts of that day she didn't care for. "It was a year after. I went back, to… well, I don't even know. I just went back to that place. I was lost without him. He wasn't just my brother, he was my partner. I sat there, where he fell, wondering what to do, how to move on. That's when the tuskvore returned."

"Another one? Maybe we need a hunting party to cull the numbers."

"No, it wasn't another one. It was the same… it still had broken shafts in his hide, still had Caleb's spear marks." Valor had walked over, settling close to Quinn as she spoke. "It knew, the second it looked at me. It remembered me. When I looked into its eyes, I relived Caleb's death, and it terrified me." Valor put a wing on her shoulder as Quinn shuddered. "I remember the fear making my adrenaline pump, but after that, everything was hazy when he charged. I know I fired my bow, but I don't remember doing it. My heart was racing as it charged me over and over as I fired and dodged. I never pierced its hide, never did any real damage. I wasn't focused enough to land an effective blow. One charge, it finally caught me with its tusk." She pulled at her shirt collar, showing the tip of a wide scar at her collarbone. "From here to my hip. It knew I was too injured to finish it off."

"You faced your death in fear."

Quinn shook her head. "I didn't. Everything cleared up then. The tuskvore circled around, looked me in the eye again, and I knew it was going to charge for the kill. I knew I was going to die from the same boar that killed my brother. There wasn't anything to fear anymore. The tuskvore wasn't injured, and I was. There was no walking away. I was calm, and I was ready for death. Until an eagle swooped down and started attacking, distracting it."

Lestara looked at Valor. "He just came out of nowhere and saved you?"

"Yeah." Quinn smiled at her feathered companion. "He raked it, pecked at it, getting it to focus on him, giving me the moment to strike. When its mouth opened, I fired. My bowstring snapped, and the arrow pierced its brain. It died, but Valor wasn't too good either. He was bleeding badly, and had a broken wing too." Quinn put on hand on top of Valor's wing. "When I picked him up, I saw a kinship in his eyes, like what I saw when I looked into Caleb's eyes. I found another partner. I told him I could tell how much valour he had, and the name stuck. I bound his wing, grabbed the tuskvore, and somehow made it home."

"That's an incredible story."

Quinn took a couple deep breaths before continuing. "It seems like a lifetime ago. My father made a repeating crossbow from the tusks, and I started to train with Valor. It was Caleb's dream to be a team, to fight for Demacia. We lost that when he died, but I got it back when Valor saved me."

"Killing the tuskvore let you move on."

"No, killing didn't let me move forward. Finding Valor-" He poked her with his wing. "Okay, Valor finding me let me move forward. He saved me in more ways than one. I certainly owe him, though instead of me helping him, he ends up following me around. I'll take it. It's just too bad he has a big ego problem."

Valor puffed up his chest and flexed his wings in a comical display.

"He could at least learn some subtlety," Quinn said.

A maid walked in, stopping Lestara from replying. "Excuse me, Miss, but your guest has arrived."

Lestara nodded as the maid exited. "I need to attend to my guest concerning the Ranger-General conference in two days. We talked for longer than anticipated."

"The business trip is a Ranger-General conference? Then shouldn't I be a part of it?"

"Believe me, I'm doing you a favour on this one." Lestara stood up, smiling. "I would rather you get situated and set up here rather than worry about official duties yet. When I return we can get you going in those matters. Now, please excuse me."

Four days after the breakfast conversation, and two days since Lestara had left on her business, the armourer summoned Quinn. Walking down the street, she was both excited and nervous to see what had been crafted.

"I hope she got the basic idea," Quinn muttered. Valor, perched on her shoulder, nodded his head.

Trying to explain how she wanted the armour to move and look without knowing the craftswoman had been challenging to say the least. Plus, Maureen, the armourer, had seemed more interested in Valor then the actual smithing.

"She may not be proper," Lestara had assured her. "But she is a master of her art. She will make it better than you expect, and think of things you never thought of, so don't worry. I will see you in a week."

Quinn didn't doubt the words; she just wanted to see proof. She took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the shop.

"Bird Lady! Get in here!" Seeing the fair-skinned woman behind the counter, covered in soot, excitedly wave her into the shop certainly made Quinn feel at ease. Maureen looked at the man on the other side of the counter. "Craig, get out! Another time."

"But I was here first!"

Maureen quickly rounded the counter and physically started to push him out the door. "I said out, Craig!" she said. Despite the loud voice and handling of the customer, she didn't come across as rude when she shoved him out the door and slammed it behind him.

Quinn stared at her.

"Oh don't worry about it, he does nothing but look and get repairs on his old armour, he never buys a new set."

"I heard that!" a male said from the other side.

"I'm not saying anything that isn't truth," Maureen shouted back.

"I'll start shopping at Ross' shop!"

"Yeah right, you know they won't put up with your old piece of tin!"

Grumbling and footsteps quickly dwindled in sound outside the door. Maureen looked at Quinn with proud green eyes and a beaming smile.

"So, having a good day?" Quinn said.

"Hell yes I am. Always a good day when you complete two sets of armour for a customer!"

Quinn walked past the displayed leather and steel armour sets. "Somebody else have an order as well?"

"Don't you worry about them. Come in back and try your set on!"

A few moments later, Quinn had her new armour on and was standing in front of a mirror wall.

A full-body dark blue jumpsuit covered her from neck to toe, with a leather breastplate adding more protection. Golden metal greaves protected her lower legs with metal kneecaps just above them. Another golden metal piece was on her left shoulder in the form of a small pauldron, which Quinn didn't quite understand, but it looked good.

Her left hand was bare, which she had specified so she could use her crossbow freely. Her right hand, however, had a leather gauntlet with a piece of metal that stretched her entire forearm, the width of her arm, almost like a perch. A short blue cape stretched down to her waist, segmenting into gold-bordered tails, which resembled the blue and gold feathers of Valor.

The last piece was a rather elaborate way to keep hair from her eyes and protect her head: a helm, also of gold colour, covered her forehead and her cheekbones, but kept her ears and head exposed for heat and hearing. It was protective, but functional as well.

"Went a little crazy with the blue and gold didn't you?"

"It's Demacia's colours. Valor's too. Or, technically, Valor's, then Demacia's."

"What's with the shield gauntlet? And the shoulder guard?"

Maureen smiled excitedly. "Let me go through the details. The full leather breastplate shouldn't hinder you, but tell me if it does. The metal shin pads won't slow your movement and shouldn't make any noise. The metal on your right arm is a solid perch for Valor to be on, but I put the metal pauldron on the left to give Valor another option. I do suppose the perch could be used as a shield as well, in a pinch. I made it pretty solid. Which I already said."

Valor nodded, making Quinn shake her head. "You don't say a thing and you still end up changing the armour. Damn bird."

"If you spread your arms," which Quinn did, "you'll see the short cape looks kind of like a set of wings. Hopefully that's close to what you had in mind."

"It is."

"Awesome! The blue body suit is standard cotton, nothing special. The helmet was trickier to make. If you find it blocks any vision, let me know and we'll make adjustments."

"This looks great, Maureen. I'll hit the practice range, test it out, and come back tomorrow to let you know?"

The blacksmith let out a winning smile. "Oh, we're not done yet! Can I borrow Valor?"

Quinn raised an eyebrow as Valor flew over and landed on an anvil. Maureen ducked into another room and brought out a small metal breastplate and began to strap it to the eagle. "I told you I finished two sets! Valor will look majestic with this golden breastplate going into battle!"

"I have never seen a woman so excited about bird armour before in my life."

"I'll assume I'm the only one, so that works. It was tricky to measure a bird-"

"Excuse me!" a shout interrupted. "Is Quinn Venandi here?"

The three of them reentered into the shop proper. They were met by a man in plate armour with a long pony tail of black hair.

Maureen smiled at the man. "Xin Zhao, what brings you here?"

Xin Zhao bowed in response. "I am sorry to be rude, but I need to bring Quinn and Valor with me to military headquarters. I was told she was here."

Quinn stepped forward. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing too important, but it would be best if the matter was dealt with quickly. Please follow me."

Led into the military headquarters by Xin Zhao, Quinn and Valor were directed into a small room where Jarvan the Fourth stood armourless.

"Prince Jarvan? What are you doing here?" Quinn turned to her escort. "I thought this wasn't important."

"The deception was necessary."

Jarvan walked up to her. "You got your armour. You'll need it. Xin Zhao, guard the door. Nobody comes in."

The spear-wielder nodded, "Yes sir," he said as he exited.

"Who was that guy?" Quinn asked.

"My most trusted ally. Now, Quinn Venandi, you are sworn to secrecy here. If you speak of this to anybody, you will be tried and executed for treason. Do you understand?"

Quinn sat down in a slight state of confusion, and nodded her head. Last time they had talked, he had been calm and friendly. Was this what he was usually like?

"The commander at Fort Janelle was assassinated a couple of hours ago. We believe the culprit is a Noxian assassin named Talon, and he is headed towards the Golden Crossing. Quinn Venandi and Valor, you are to track the assassin down and bring him back to Demacia City for public execution. If you cannot keep him alive, you are authorized to terminate him. Do you understand?"

"I do."

"This cannot be a coincidence. He kills a commander as the Rangers are unavailable. Then, he taunts us by leaving a note saying he is headed to the Golden Crossing. He knows no army could follow in that narrow corridor. He has information that no Noxian should have. Somebody has betrayed us. There is no way you would have that knowledge, so I am sending you."

"I'm the only option?"

"Best, and yes, only. You've been in the army for five days. Nobody knows you exist outside of Demacia. The assassin believes all the Rangers are unavailable. He thinks he is safe. I want you to prove him wrong."

"Then, sir, give me a horse."