After a few days of recuperation, Quinn felt well enough to leave the Freljord. Despite Talon's argument against it, Braum joined them, as well as a few others to ensure no ambush occurred again. Tryndamere had confirmed that the attacker from before seemed to be a typical bandit, nothing unusual that drew suspicion. Quinn was wary, but she took his word for it.

The journey back was, to her relief, uneventful. There were no encounters with bandits and the weather had even lightened up, the wind not as ferocious as it was before. Upon reaching the border, Braum gave his farewell, which included a suffocating bear hug for Quinn, though he refrained when he saw Talon's icy glare. He wished them well and left to make the trek back, his comrades not far behind.

True to his word, Talon brought her back to Noxus. She was nervous, as she was in her usual Demacian garb, only the heavy cloak offering some form of disguise. He assured her not to worry, that he was taking her somewhere she hadn't been before and a disguise wouldn't be necessary. She had no idea what that entailed, but she couldn't help but worry.

He took her deep into Noxus, deeper than she had ever been before. The streets were dark and dirty, children in ragged clothes playfighting in the mud as their parents sat on steps of rotting buildings, occasionally holding out a cup when Quinn and Talon walked by. There were mostly thugs, scary looking men that eyed Quinn like a piece of meat.

Talon didn't pay them any mind, walking briskly in front of the Demacian as she quickened her pace to keep up. She'd dealt with such thugs before, but here they were everywhere, watching through the windows of each store they passed.

One was bolder than the rest, stepping away from the wall he'd been leaning against upon seeing the young woman. He moved towards her and Quinn felt her heartbeat quicken, unsure of how to react. There were other hungry eyes on her as well and if she tried to fight back she knew she would be quickly outnumbered.

Ahead of her, Talon sensed her uneasiness and glanced behind him, noticing the man starting to trail them. Without a word, he slid his arm out from beneath his cloak, revealing the notorious blade that rested there. The man's face visibly paled and he stumbled to a stop, much to Quinn's relief.

"The Blade's Shadow!"

The streets buzzed with whispers as all eyes turned to Talon, who had merely brought his arm back beneath his cloak and continued walking. Quinn was surprised to see how well his reputation preceded him and realized just how dangerous he was. Yet she continued to follow him, trusting him in this strange place.

She wasn't sure how long they walked, but eventually they escaped the dirty streets, arriving in a more open area. The houses here were larger, less cramped. Quinn assumed this area was home to some of Noxus' elite, as there were no thugs or beggars around these parts, just an occasional citizen taking a stroll. It was odd to see; she'd always assumed Noxians were savage and violent people, but this place seemed fairly normal from what she could tell.

He took her down a lone path, one that took them away from the town they'd been in. There were no homes or shops down this road, and the silence was becoming unbearable.

"Talon…"

He grunted in response, not as disturbed by the silence as she was.

"Where are we going?"

It was so horribly quiet, Quinn began to panic. Perhaps he was taking her far away to finally kill her, where no one would hear her screams. She'd been foolish to trust him so blindly and now she had walked right into his trap. If she ran now, maybe she'd be able to get away.

"We're here."

Unaware that he'd stopped, Quinn nearly ran into Talon's back, too distracted by her plans of escaping to notice where they'd arrived. She composed herself and looked ahead, jaw dropping at what she saw.

It was an enormous manor, gothic in architecture and terrifyingly sinister in its appearance. Quinn felt like she'd seen it before in one of the storybooks her mother had read, a castle that housed a hideous beast.

"Talon?"

Her voice was barely a squeak.

"Where are we?"

"Closest thing I have to a home," he mumbled.

Quinn's eyes widened in realization. This was the house of Du Couteau. She'd honestly forgotten about the noble lineage that was tied to the Du Couteau name. It was hard to imagine Talon living in such a place.

"Come on," he said, "Gotta go in through the back."

"Wait, why? Isn't this your house?"

Talon chuckled as he took her by the wrist, pulling her towards the back of the house.

"No need to announce ourselves," he explained, "Don't need Kat or Cass seeing us. I'd rather keep you as my little secret."

Quinn blushed, earning another laugh from Talon.

The back of the mansion was covered in ivy, crawling up against the black stone in a haphazard pattern. There were a few windows and Quinn noticed that one at the top was cracked open slightly. She had a feeling that was their destination, but she had no idea how they were supposed to get up there.

As she started to ask Talon what the plan was, he leapt onto the wall with ease, grabbing the ivy as if it was a ladder. Quinn watched shocked as he began to scale the wall like it was nothing, amazed at how easy he made it seem. He'd gotten halfway up when he glanced down at her, realizing that she was just staring up at him with an open mouth.

"You coming?" he laughed.

"What? Are you insane?"

Talon let go with one hand, leaning out and waving his arm in a dramatic gesture. Alright, so he was insane.

"Come on, birdie," he called, "Don't tell me you're afraid of heights."

"I'm not!"

With a deep breath, she stepped towards the wall, grabbing some of the ivy in her hands. It was sturdier than expected, but it still seemed unsafe. She really wasn't afraid of heights, but the thought of falling to her death was enough to make her nervous. The crunching of leaves above her snapped her out of her thoughts and she realized she didn't have much of a choice.

It took a moment for her to find her courage, but the next thing she knew she was climbing up the vines. This was insane, she told herself. She was practically breaking into the home of a Noxian noble, one misstep turning her into a puddle on the ground.

"Don't look down, down look down…"

She glanced up and saw that Talon had reached the top and was climbing through the window she'd noticed earlier. The idea of an end point brought some relief, and she pushed herself to move faster. Alright, she was almost there. In just a minute she'd be able to put her feet on the ground and she wouldn't be hanging several stories up in the air.

A sigh of relief escaped her as she found the windowsill, pulling herself up to see Talon grinning at her, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Some help would be nice," she huffed.

Talon rolled his eyes and reached out to grab her waist, hoisting her through the window carefully. He opened his mouth to make a snide remark when the sound of a door opening caused his eyes to widen in panic. In the blink of an eye he whipped around, standing up straighter and puffing his chest in an attempt to make himself bigger and hide Quinn behind him. To be fair, it worked pretty well considering how much shorter she was than him and his cloak made a decent curtain.

"Has everyone forgotten what knocking is?" he hissed.

"You're late. Forgive me for wanting to make sure that you're alright."

The voice was distinctly female and Quinn found herself recognizing it from somewhere.

"I'm fine," Talon said curtly, "Leave so I can rest."

"What's the matter? Not happy to see your sister?"

Katarina. That's why she recognized the voice.

"Elated," Talon said sarcastically, "But I'd rather sleep."

There was a pause for a moment and Quinn found herself holding her breath.

"What are you hiding?" Katarina asked in a playful tone.

Talon's body stiffened and Quinn bit her lip, wondering if her pounding heartbeat was giving her away.

"Nothing," Talon snapped, "Leave."

"Talon, please. I'm not a fool."

He sighed heavily, admitting defeat. Trying to argue with Kat was pointless as she always seemed to get what she wanted in the end. It was one of her more annoying traits. He relaxed his posture and mumbled something to himself before addressing Quinn.

"Alright, birdie. Show yourself."

She didn't exactly want to show herself, but it seemed that their stealthy entrance was all for nothing. Nervously, she leaned to the side, poking her head out from behind Talon's shoulder.

Katarina stood there, arms folded across her chest, clad in her usual sultry attire. Her eyes widened upon seeing Quinn and in a flash, she was in front of her, inspecting her face closely.

"I know you!" she declared, "You're that little Demacian from the forest!"

Her face quickly turned sour as she shifted her gaze to Talon, narrowing her eyes in anger.

"When I said take care of her, I didn't mean make her your pet," she hissed, "You told me you couldn't find any intel that day either! You son of a bitch!"

Quinn watched as Katarina swung her fist at Talon's face, unable to stop herself from crying out to warn him. He caught her hand with ease, rolling his eyes when she sneered at him.

"It's complicated," he said.

"Complicated? You're fucking this little Demacian aren't you?"

"Oh, don't give me that shit. It's not like I'm the only one sleeping with the enemy."

Katarina's face turned a red that rivaled her hair, Quinn blushing when Talon spoke of their relationship so casually. The redhead's gaze turned to Quinn, emerald eyes blazing with fury.

"How'd he manage to sink his claws into you?" she asked, "Or are all Demacian women such whores?"

"Enough, Kat!" Talon roared, his voice echoing off the walls.

Katarina scoffed and stepped back, glaring daggers at her brother.

"I expect your report in the morning," she hissed, "And I want her out of here immediately. The last thing we need is people seeing a Demacian this deep inside Noxus."

"I'll take her back tomorrow," Talon replied, "Now leave."

The woman glanced at Quinn again, eyeing her up and down before heading to the door.

"Remember where your loyalties lie, brother," she called as she opened the door.

"I have no loyalties, sister," he spat.

She threw one more deadly glare his way before making her exit, slamming the door behind her.

Talon heaved a sigh, dragging his hand over his face as he walked over to the bed in the corner of the room, the mattress groaning beneath him as he sat down. Quinn remained still, slightly paralyzed after that terrifying encounter.

"Sorry about her."

The scout glanced at Talon, who had fallen back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling absentmindedly.

"It's ok," she said, voice shaking slightly, "She seems… nice?"

Talon snorted in amusement.

"That's not a word people usually use to describe Kat."

Quinn didn't doubt that, but she didn't want to outright insult his sister either. She glanced around the room, suddenly aware of just how dimly lit it was, only a few candles here and there. Aside from the bed, there was little furniture, just a dresser and a desk that was littered with papers. Blades were driven into every wall, as if he'd been going through some kind of bizarre target practice.

"Your room?" she asked as she moved towards the desk.

"What gave it away?"

"The knives stabbed into the walls were a good starting point."

He chuckled softly as he began to remove the blade from his arm, letting it fall to the floor with a loud clank.

Quinn jumped at the sudden sound but quickly collected herself, glancing at his desk curiously. The papers came from all over Valoran and most of them seemed to be reports. It was impossible to read them all, but she was able to spot a familiar name on almost each one: Marcus Du Couteau.

"It's not polite to snoop through other people's things, birdie."

His voice was against her ear and she couldn't stop herself from crying out as she whirled around to see him standing right in front of her, an amused grin playing at his lips.

"I'm sorry!" she gasped.

He simply shrugged, placing his hand on top of her head to ruffle her hair.

"I thought you'd have better manners, being a Demacian and all," he teased.

Her face turned red with shame as she looked down at her feet to avoid his gaze.

"Relax, there's nothing there of importance to you anyway," he continued, "If you're looking for intel for your prince, you're not gonna find it there."

"Is it about the general?"

She looked up to see that his face had turned grim, eyes dark as he looked at the mess of papers before him.

"Yes," he mumbled, "I've followed every lead I've received, but… there's been nothing."

Quinn reached up to take his face in her hands, her heart fluttering when she saw how quickly his expression softened against her touch.

"I'm sure you'll find him," she assured.

Talon sighed and closed his eyes, his brows furrowing in concentration.

"I know that bastard Swain has something to do with it," he hissed, "But I haven't been able to find enough evidence to pin it on him. That and half of Noxus thinks he's the fucking king."

Quinn didn't know a lot about Noxian politics, but she did know that after General Du Couteau's disappearance, Jericho Swain had taken control of the nation's forces. There were rumors that he sought to revive the Black Rose and conquer as much of Valoran as possible, but she'd been told they were just rumors. If Talon was right, then perhaps not all of Noxus shared this vision and she briefly wondered if the kingdom would break into a civil war.

"There are some who don't agree with him, like Kat and myself. Swain knows this and he's tried to secretly get rid of us several times.

"Why secretly?" Quinn asked, "If he's this tyrant, shouldn't he be able to do what he wants?"

Talon scoffed in disgust.

"He's not a king, despite what he thinks. There's a large portion of Noxus that supported Du Couteau and are suspicious of his disappearance taking place at the same time as Swain's rise to power. If Swain were to declare war on us, there would be an uprising unlike anything Noxus has seen before."

Quinn shuddered at the thought of a civil war erupting, in Noxus of all places. She had no idea about all the inner turmoil taking place and wondered if Jarvan was aware of it as well.

Talon noticed her discomfort and took to removing her heavy cloak for her.

"Enough talk of politics," he said, "I do believe that you owe me a favor since I saved your life."

Quinn scowled at him as the cloak thudded to the floor, leaving her exposed in her usual Demacian uniform.

"Do all Demacians wear such pretentious attire on the battlefield?" he taunted.

"Says the man who wears a cape made out of blades," she shot back.

He narrowed his eyes and quickly reached out to grab her by the waist, lifting her in the air as she laughed, her eyes sparkling in a way that stirred something unfamiliar in his gut. Unsure how to feel about this new emotion, he set Quinn back down on her feet, his hands still resting on her hips. She still had that blissful look on her face and Talon could feel the knot in his stomach growing.

"So," Quinn sighed, "What exactly do I owe you?"

Talon hesitated, biting his lip as he hastily looked away from her. Something terrible had come over him and he wanted to be rid of it as quickly as possible.

"We should rest," he breathed.

Quinn was shocked as he released her, making his way over to the bed to begin stripping without another word. This was unlike him; his sex drive was far greater than hers and he never missed an opportunity to take advantage of that. Now he seemed distant, almost afraid.

"Is everything alright?" she asked weakly.

He'd already rid himself of the scarf and shirt, working on his belt when she called out to him. Dammit, he thought. The last thing he'd wanted was to make her worry about him, especially when there was nothing to worry about.

"Yes," he sighed.

Unconvinced, Quinn cautiously made her way to his side, trying desperately to ignore the fact that he'd stripped down to only his underwear as she wrapped her arms around from behind him, laying her cheek against his back. She could feel him inhale sharply and tense up, but she just took a deep breath and sighed.

"You can tell me, Talon," she whispered, "Believe it or not, it's not good to bottle your feelings up."

He chuckled under his breath as she squeezed his waist gently. Her skin was so soft against his, untouched and pure, not littered with ugly scars like his. While he knew she meant well, he wasn't sure what was wrong himself and didn't expect her to understand something he couldn't.

"I'm alright, birdie," he assured, "I've just… realized how tired I am."

Quinn hummed softly and he could feel the vibration against his back, that damn knot twisting itself tighter with him. She could tell he was lying, that something truly was bothering him, but she didn't want to push it. To be honest, she was rather tired herself and she didn't see any harm in waiting until morning to ask him again.

"Then… we should get some rest."

Talon was grateful for her understanding. He hoped that sleep would dispel the fever that had overcome him and the sooner he was rid of this feeling the better.

Quinn released him and began to undress herself, the faintest dust of pink on her cheeks when she caught Talon looking away and she swore she could see some red on his face that she hadn't seen before. He retrieved one of his shirts for her to wear, claiming that it would offer her some warmth in the cold night, but she suspected that perhaps he had an ulterior motive for covering her up.

The bed was softer than she expected, a cloud beneath her as she attached herself to Talon's side, resting her head on his shoulder with a hum of contentment.

"Goodnight, Talon," she murmured.

There was silence, as he was unable to respond immediately, his tongue tied. Exhaustion took hold of her much quicker than expected and it didn't take long for her to slip into a deep slumber, nuzzling her face against Talon lovingly.

This damn fever better be gone in the morning, he thought. Being sick was always a nuisance and he didn't want to possibly pass the illness onto the scout that was nestled so comfortably against him. He sighed, forcing his eyes shut in hopes that it would make him fall asleep faster.

"Goodnight… Quinn."

The nightmares came to him almost every night, he'd grown used to them after all these years. They varied night to night, some recurring more than others.

This one was particularly awful, the scent of blood assaulting his nose as he observed the bodies strewn across the floor. Their faces were contorted in pain, though he didn't recognize them. He rarely paid attention to the faces of those he murdered, preferring to make things quick.

There was the scream he always heard, but something about it was off this time. The voice was higher than he remembered, more frightened. It sent his pulse racing and he took off to follow it quickly, stepping over the bodies with impressive swiftness. He knew how this would end, it always ended the same, but something was wrong. His legs were heavier, making it difficult to reach his destination.

"Talon!"

The shriek put the hairs on the back of his neck on edge and he forced himself to move faster, stumbling as the bodies seemed to pile in front of him. Bright red hair on the floor caught his eye and he recognized it as Katarina, Cassiopeia lying a few feet away. They both had blades pierced through their hearts, blood still spilling from their chests.

It pained him to see them like that, but he pressed onwards, telling himself that it was just a dream. The blades had been his own and he knew, despite how annoying they could be, he'd never harm his sisters and this was all just a twisted illusion.

"Talon, help me!"

This was always the worst part. He knew that no matter how hard he tried, he could never save them, but the person calling out to him wasn't the one he expected. He didn't understand how that was possible, his blood beginning to boil with rage.

In his haste, he tripped over one of the many bodies on the floor, cursing himself for his foolishness. He glanced back to see who it was, his eyes widening in horror. It was him. The general laid lifelessly on the cold ground, his throat slit and body mangled.

Confusion clouded Talon's mind. This wasn't right. He was supposed to be saving Marcus, he was the one who was supposed to be calling out to him. Yet there he was, one of dozens of corpses for him to forget, another target eliminated.

There was another scream, twisted in agony, pulling him away from the general's body and forcing him forward. If the general was dead, then what was the point of this nightmare? There was nothing left for him.

Eventually, he stumbled upon the source of the screaming, his breathing ragged after running for so long. Everything looked the same as the nightmares before and for a moment Talon didn't understand.

Swain stood there, a triumphant grin on his face as he held his hostage closely, a gleaming knife to their throat. This was usually the time when Marcus would tell him to run, to leave him and let Swain kill him so that his protégé could survive. But Marcus was dead, and this was most certainly not him. His heart sank as he realized the horror before him. Not her, he begged. Anyone but her.

"Talon!"

The relief in Quinn's voice sent a pang of guilt through his heart as he knew how this dream would end.

"Let her go!"

His voice was shaky, as it always was in this cursed nightmare, as if all the strength within him had been sucked out by Swain's black magic.

"Nice of you to join us, boy," Swain spat.

Talon knew he didn't have much time, he had to save her now before the dream went down its usual path. Instead of staying back as he usually did, he stepped forward, reaching out for Quinn desperately.

Her scream pierced the air as Talon watched Swain pierce the blade into her neck, blood trickling down her throat. He stopped, horrified at the sight before him, not expecting Swain to harm her.

"Didn't think I'd do it, hmm?" Swain asked.

Tears ran down Quinn's cheeks as she looked to Talon pleadingly, eyes wide and scared.

"Talon," she whimpered, "Help me, please."

"Swain, release her!"

The general merely sneered, bringing his face closer to hers. Talon saw her visibly flinch when his lips met her ear, the sudden movement causing the blade at her throat to pierce further into her skin, her lips parting as a pathetic wail escaped her throat.

"Ah, but your songbird has such a lovely voice," Swain remarked, "Just listen to her sing."

Quinn's screams rang in Talon's ears as Swain pressed the blade harder against her skin, the blood flowing freely now, painting her neck red.

"Talon! Talon!" she cried helplessly.

"You son of a bitch!" Talon yelled.

He lunged forward to attack him, overcome with a rage that stopped any chance of rational thought. Swain just smirked, amused at his pathetic rescue attempt. With one, swift movement, he pulled the blade across Quinn's throat, her choked gasp music to his ears.

Time slowed down and all Talon could see was Quinn, the life draining from her eyes as the crimson liquid gushed from her throat.

"Talon…"

"No!"

He shot up from the bed violently, the word still on his lips. He was panting for air, his body shaking and in a cold sweat as he looked around the room frantically.

"Talon, it's alright!"

The sound of her voice brought him back down to reality and before he could say anything she'd taken his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her.

Her eyes were wide with concern and her neck, her neck was just as he remembered it, pale and safe.

"You had a nightmare," she said softly, "You're okay, breathe."

She'd known of his nightmares for a while as he talked in his sleep when they got really bad, but they'd never been anything like this. His scream had woken her immediately and she felt helpless as she watched him thrash against the sheets. Now that he was awake, she quickly began to try and calm him down. She rubbed circles against his cheeks with her thumbs, pushing away some of the hair that clung to his face with sweat.

Talon panted as she shushed him gently, leaning into her hands that were so warm against his clammy skin. His hand shook as he reached up to touch her neck, sighing with relief at the feel of her smooth skin.

"You're alright?" he asked between breaths.

Quinn nodded, slightly confused as to why he was touching her neck, but not pulling away, knowing that he probably felt more secure by making sure she was truly there and the nightmare was over.

There was a sudden crash as the door to the room flung open, revealing Katarina, clad in her night clothes and brandishing her usual two blades.

"For fuck's sake, why can't anyone fucking knock?" Talon yelled.

Katarina observed the scene before her, dropping her stance upon realizing that no one seemed hurt.

"I heard you scream," she replied, "Had to make sure she wasn't trying to kill you in your sleep."

Talon scowled, unappreciative of his sister's concern.

"It was just a nightmare," he hissed, "Leave."

Katarina was surprised by his coldness. It had been a while since he'd had such a nightmare, but last time she'd heard his screams she'd come running to his side, staying with him until he insisted he'd be fine. Sure, they had stayed in silence, Kat never one to excel at consoling people, but she'd been there for him.

Quinn glanced at Katarina, still holding Talon's face in her hands. She could see the worry in the older girl's face, something she hadn't expected from the assassin.

"I'll take care of him," Quinn assured, "I promise."

Katarina didn't trust the Demacian, but when she saw Talon slouch over to rest his head on her shoulder, she knew that she didn't have a choice. The way the scout wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close made Kat want to gag, but she had to admit that the girl clearly cared about her stupid little brother.

"Alright," she said.

She felt like she should say more, but she'd never been good at dealing with these kind of emotions, and instead left them alone, closing the door quietly behind her.

Quinn ran her fingers up and down Talon's back soothingly, somewhat surprised at his willingness to be comforted. His breath slowly evened out in time with her strokes against his skin, the familiar floral scent of her skin relaxing him.

"Sorry about that," he muttered after a while, "Didn't mean to wake you."

"Are you alright, Talon?"

He pulled back to meet her gaze. Her eyes were filled with concern and the guilt swelled up inside him.

"I'm sorry to worry you."

"That's not what I asked. Are you alright?"

Talon didn't understand. She was putting him first, not seeming to care about herself. This was compassion, he thought. She really did care for him. That familiar knot in his stomach returned, but it wasn't as painful this time. It was more like a warm weight that kept him grounded.

He took her face in his hands and leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers, letting his eyes close in thought. For the first time in a long time, he felt safe.

"I am now," he murmured.

Maybe this feeling that had overcome him wasn't as bad as he thought.

Author's Note: And another one. Man, every chapter I write just gets longer and longer. The next one is over 6k words so buckle up for that one. Hope you enjoyed this one, I'm hoping that their relationship seems believable. Also sorry if I made Kat too bitchy, I promise she'll be nicer later. Thanks again for the reviews, keep them coming and I'll keep cranking this stuff out! We're also about to embark on the feels train so get ready for that, too. Until next time!