Lore, Keeper of Legends
Chapter 4: Tribal Conflict
Disclaimer: I do not own League of Legends or any of the characters involved except for Lore
Lore made his way up another snowy hill, his cloak pulled tight around his body to shield him from the cold. The wind howled around him, its icy embrace the only constant in the ever-changing landscape of the Freljordian snows.
"Just a little longer, there should be a cave ahead," Lore muttered to himself in encouragement.
He knew of a story where an old hermit had sheltered from ice demons in a cave nearby, and he had hoped to find enough shelter there to last him through the blizzard he knew was coming. He could see it in the cloud above, as they turned darker and darker, and the wind grew more and more fierce.
"Please, Lady Anivia, shield me from the oncoming storm, if only for a few moments longer," Lore said in a quick prayer as he reached the peak of the hill.
He gasped at what he saw, a forest of tents lay strewn out before him, dug in to protect against the howling winds. Lore could see men moving among the tents, quickly darting from one piece of shelter to the next as they went about their business.
"That can't be the Avarosans, and the Frostguard are still sequestered in their mountain… So that means this must be… oh no," Lore's eyes widened with the realization.
He turned and stopped as he came face to face with a large, tusked face.
"Going somewhere young one?" A woman's voice asked him.
He looked up and saw a pale-skinned woman wearing a horned helmet leaning down from the saddle of the giant boar.
"I… got lost, I was trying to find shelter against the storm, but I can see that you have taken this one," He said.
"Nonsense, we are not so cruel to turn someone out into the cold. Especially when a storm like this one is on the horizon. Come, you will stay with me tonight," she said as she tapped the saddle behind her.
Lore nodded and sidled around the boar.
The woman laughed, "Do not mind Bristle, large and ferocious as he is, he won't hurt you unless I tell him to," She said.
"Bristle… So I take it to mean that you are Warmother Sejuani?" Lore asked.
She nodded, "I am, and whom are you to know my name?" She asked.
"I am Lore, a humble shepherd from a village far to the south of here. I grew up hearing stories of the Winter's Claw and how you raid against the Noxians and Demacians," He explained.
She nodded, "Your elders are well versed in the world to tell you stories of my tribe. Come Lore," she tapped the saddle again.
Using his arm to lift himself into the saddle, Lore tossed a leg over and settled onto Bristle's back behind Sejuani. As he did, she noticed his missing arm and the blade on his belt.
"You… are missing an arm," She said absently.
"I am. A recent change that I am still coming to grips with," Lore explained as he reached around with his arm to grasp at the cloak where his other arm would be.
"May I ask what happened?"
"A cruel trial by Lissandra, the Ice Witch," Lore explained.
Sejuani stiffened in her saddle at the mention of Lissandra's name.
"You met her? You survived?" She asked.
Lore nodded, "I was found by the Frostguard half frozen in the snow, I was seeking this blade to protect my village from other marauding bands. We don't have much, and I know not all are like yours," he explained.
She nodded, "And then what happened?"
Lore inhaled before diving into the story of his meeting, and subsequent trial, with Lissandra. How he had lost his arm in a last-ditch attempt to save himself from death by the curse of the Icy blade he now carried.
"So you are Iceborn now, if only just," She said as he finished.
Lore nodded.
"Your village, where did you say it was exactly?" She asked.
Lore considered for a moment before sighing, "Deep in Avarosan territory, the village was hesitant to accept Ashe's aid when I left to fetch the sword, but given my absence and I was one of the stronger fighters in the village. They will likely have conceded to her protection now," He said.
Sejuani nodded her understanding, "But you stake no claim to Warmother Ashe or her banner?" She asked.
Lore paused, as he considered his next words carefully.
"I cannot say for sure, when I left I thought that perhaps siding with Warmother Ashe might bring the peace and stability my village longed for, but having met you and the Frostguard… I am not sure anymore,"
Sejuani nodded.
"You can stay with us for tonight… tomorrow we will have much to discuss… your name, does it mean what I think it does?" She asked.
Lore laughed, "A 'gift' from Lissandra, before our meeting I had no name. I was 'the boy' around my village, my father died defending our village from a raid, and my mother died in childbirth. The village raised me, but never thought to give me a name. 'Boy' often sufficed for their purposes. But, my memory is like a steel trap for stories and knowledge, so when I met Lissandra she was impressed with my grasp on history and stories, so she gave me the name Lore."
Sejuani had nudged Bristle and set them towards the camp as he spoke. As he finished she looked back over her shoulder at him.
"You carry a heavy burden for one so young," She said.
"A burden no heavier than yours… in fact I would say mine is like a feather by comparison," Lore said.
Sejuani smiled to herself as he said that "Leading does come with its difficulties, but it also comes with its rewards. Seeing the smiling faces of my people when we come home from a raid, knowing that I did everything I could to help them and protect them. It makes it worth it to face the adversities that we do every day," She explained.
Lore looked up at her "I see…"
Sejuani stopped outside a large tent and dismounted from Bristle, helping Lore down to the ground. As she did a pair of men approached.
Lore looked up at them and instantly recognized them both, his eyes widening as the stories came to him.
"Y-You! You're Olaf! The Berserker! And you! Udyr, the Spirit Walker! The tales I've heard of your exploits!" Lore's excitement was obvious, and the two men looked at each other before looking at Sejuani.
"Who's the kid?" Olaf asked, nodding his head towards Lore.
"A stranger I found just outside of camp. He was wandering the hills for some time. I thought he might be worth saving so I brought him in. Care to take another look before you dismiss him so easily?" She asked.
Olaf looked down at Lore who was staring at him with something bordering awe and fear. Then Olaf noted the missing arm and the blade.
"You're a non-traditional Iceborn," He said.
Udyr nodded as he noticed it too.
"I… yes… is that an issue?" Lore asked.
Olaf shook his head as he crossed his arms. "As far as I'm concerned; if you're strong enough to survive losing your arm, and then go wandering around the Freljord like that, you're strong enough to stay here."
Lore looked from him to Udyr who nodded in agreement.
"I sense a strong spirit in you, young one. Mayhaps you can regale me with some of these tales you speak of, and I can separate fact from fiction," Udyr said as he put his fist into his palm and gave a short bow.
Lore raised his remaining arm to imitate Udyr's pose and gave a similar bow.
"I would be very grateful Master Udyr," he said.
"What's your name?" Olaf asked.
"Lore, based on my knowledge of stories and history," he answered.
"An apt name," Udyr chimed in.
"Now that introductions are in order, did you have something to tell me?" Sejuani asked.
Olaf nodded, "We spotted some Ursine not too far from here, seems our alliance is still holding. They didn't attack us, and we saw Volibear amongst them. Seems they're moving even further north. He asked us to ask you if you planned to join him," Olaf explained.
Lore stumbled at the mention of Volibear's name.
"Volibear? The Volibear? Leader of the Ursine? The Relentless Storm? The-"
"Yes, that and more," Olaf said, cutting him off.
Lore was in a daze as Olaf turned back to Sejuani for an answer.
"We will follow, tomorrow. For now, we need to rest and shelter against this storm," She said. She then turned to Lore, "Would you care to join us? I assume you'd like to meet Volibear?"
"I… am not sure… on the one hand the stories he would have to tell… on the other I fear being vaporized in his lightning," Lore answered.
"Just don't make him mad," Olaf said with a shrug. "He's a fairly reasonable being so long as you respect him and keep it brief… though in your case that last part might be hard," Olaf laughed.
Lore nodded at the warning.
The wind howled around them, whipping loose tent flaps and sending a chill through their bodies.
"Come, we can continue this conversation tomorrow. For now, we rest. Return to your tents, and spread the word we will follow the Ursine tomorrow. Lore, you shall bed in my tent tonight," Sejuani turned her attention from the tents, to Olaf, and then to Lore.
"Yes, Warmother!" Olaf and Lore said at once.
Olaf and Udyr turned and walked away as Sejuani settled Bristle down in a small enclosure attached to her tent, she told Lore to go ahead.
As he stepped into the tent he immediately felt the warmth wash over him as a large fire in the middle heated the interior. He immediately felt waves of drowsiness wash over him as the cold melted away, leaving him more exhausted than he realized. He walked around the tent as he looked for a place to rest when Sejuani entered. She caught his gaze and nodded towards a bedroll on the floor opposite him.
"Use that, it's my spare. Should be plenty big enough for you," She told him.
Lore nodded his tanks and unrolled the bedroll before crawling in and passing out.
"Good, won't have to worry about him waking up tired tomorrow… we'll have a big day," She said to herself as she crawled into her bedroll and fell asleep.