Eryn wakes up to the sounds of a quiet forest morning. Chirping birds, a gentle breeze, and the smell of morning dew flood her senses. She feels peace for a brief moment, before the memories of war start flooding back.
She sits up startled and looks around. She's lying in a small blanket, her armor has been stripped leaving her in the tunic and pants she wore underneath. She's in a small forest grove with a babbling stream not too far. She recognizes this place as her and her brother's secret hiding place beyond the fort. When they had felt adventurous as children they'd sneak through the fort beyond its walls to play in the fields and forests between Noxus and Demacia. They had found this quiet grove seemingly unfound by both nations and would camp here sometimes for days. They'd stash camping supplies in the trees and come back every few months.
"You're awake! Finally!" She looks up and her brother is standing over her, he's hunched over holding his side with one hand and a waterskin with the other. He hands the waterskin to her which she takes and drinks from, not realizing how parched she was until that moment.
"What happened after…" She asks once she finishes drinking from the waterskin. He sits down with a groan. "You're hurt." She holds her hands to his chest and lets her magic flow over him. It's much weaker than it was in the battle, she still feels drained. Very quickly she feels the exhaustion wash over her and she has to stop.
"Don't worry I'm fine. Just some broken shit. That made me feel a bit better though but don't knock yourself out again. I don't want to be the only one awake when he wakes up." He nods across the grove and there Eryn notices the Noxian from earlier is propped up against a tree, his arms tied to it with rope. His eyes are closed and he's breathing peacefully asleep.
"What happened?" Eryn asks her voice firmer, it's a demand now.
"You did… I dunno something to him and it knocked you both out. But without you the second war machine was able to breach the gates and the Noxians rushed into the fort. I grabbed you and him and ran into the woods. I knew the grove would be untouched at least for now."
"Why take him?"
"At least now we have a prisoner. We have a bargaining chip if the Noxians find us. But if we get to Demacia somehow then maybe we can be war heroes for capturing a famous Noxian soldier!"
"That only works if he's somebody important. If he's just some footsoldier like us he's deadweight."
"Does he look like a nobody to you?"
Eryn glances over at the Noxian. He's been stripped of his hulking armor as well and down to his tunic and pants. He looks much more human than the day before, when his armor and stance made him seem monstrous and towering. Right now he looks like them, a human. Not a Noxian or a Demacian, just some dude taking a nap beside a tree.
Eryn shakes her head. "I hope you're right."
Claudius stands up again. "I'm going to go search for food." He's not as hunched over as before, meaning the little bit of healing did do something.
"Are you well enough to hunt?" She asks.
"Probably not but I'm well enough to look for nuts and berries. Watch our prisoner, I'll be back soon." And with that she was alone with the Noxian.
It's not long after Claudius leaves that the Noxian begins to stir. His eyes fling open and he immediately struggles against his bonds. His brow furrows with annoyance. He looks around the clearing before eyes landing on Eryn.
"What did you do to me?" His question sounds more like a demand, like he was used to asking questions and immediately receiving the answers from underlings.
She approaches him annoyed at his tone but doesn't say anything. She holds the waterskin up to his face and he flinches backwards. She rolls her eyes. "It's not poisoned."
"Then what did you do that makes me feel like I am?" He demands again.
Eryn thinks for a moment, unsure how much she should divulge to the Noxian. And it's not like she really fully understands her magic herself. "I can assure you it's not poison. You're better use to us alive. You'll start to feel better if you hydrate, and my brother will be back with food as well which will help. Your strength will return over time." He doesn't seem satisfied with the answer, but when Eryn holds up the waterskin again he does drink from it.
Eryn crosses her legs and sits directly in front of the Noxian when he finishes drinking from the waterskin. "Now it seems we are going to be stuck together for the foreseeable future. Let's get to know each other a bit. What is your name?" She pauses and then tacks on another question. "Oh, and rank. Name and rank?"
He's silent and glaring at her. "Okay, how about just name then? I don't enjoy just referring to you as Noxian." Still no response. She sighs in frustration and pinches her brow. "You're not very conversational…" She mutters to herself. "Alright how about this. An information trade. I answer your questions honestly and you answer mine. No one is getting more leverage over the other. Fair trade?"
He eyes her suspiciously and lets them sit in silence for a few minutes. Eryn is beginning to think he won't take the offer before he finally breaks the silence. "Your name and rank."
"Eryn Mooreheart. Private."
"Mooreheart…" He repeats letting the name roll off his tongue. Eryn feels a slight chill roll down her back. When he's not sounding like he's barking orders the gruffness of his voice has a lot of charm. "Sounds like a noble's name."
"And that sounds like a second question! When it is my turn now. What is your name and rank or will I have to give you a name myself?"
"I'd like to hear what you'd come up with, Private Mooreheart."
She laughs, "I supposed I'd dub thee… Royce Darkclaw that sounds like a proper Noxian name. And you look like you could be… a captain. Captain Darkclaw!"
He laughs loudly. "I know not a single Noxian with Darkclaw as a surname. That's a very Demacian take on Noxus."
"Okay well I'm calling you that until you tell me your name."
His laughter dies out before he clears his throat. He meets her gaze and his face has a much more stern expression now. Jokes are over. "My name is Darius. The Hand of Noxus."
Eryn feels her blood run cold. They haven't captured just any Noxian soldier. They captured the highest ranking one there was. A member of the Trifarix Council, the embodiment of Noxian Might. The man in charge of all of Noxus's military forces, was sitting tied to a tree right in front of her.