Chapter 3 - The Ambush
Selene could feel the heat radiating off of the dangerous figure beside her. Her skin prickled with fear as she strained to move her neck as far away from him as possible. At this intimate distance, Selene could make out Talon's features. He had short black hair that framed his forehead and a matching pair of dark eyes. Combined with his defined bone structure, he was boyishly handsome.
"Who are you?" hoarsely whispered Selene as a cold sweat formed on her hands.
"I'll answer that question only if you tell me your name."
"Fine. My name…" she hesitated, pondering the consequences, before continuing, "Is Selene."
"It's my pleasure to have the opportunity to meet you, Selene," Talon breathed into her ear.
Bastard… you were the one who put me in this situation in the first place! She glared at him.
After a slight pause, he continued. "Talon du Couteau," his expression became serious. He was carefully gauging her reaction.
Selene gasped out of shock. "TALON OF THE KNIVES!?" She felt like collapsing. For a moment, her head felt dizzy and light. What did I do to deserve this?!
Her only reply was a nearly imperceptible widening of Talon's smirk.
Suddenly, Talon pulled away from Selene. The absence of his body heat made Selene more aware than ever of the chilly night air. She felt a shudder crawl through her body. Talon noted her goosebumps with an observant eye and rummaged through his rucksack.
"Here, wear this if you're cold," he tossed a black wool cloak over to her.
Selene stared at Talon with furrowed brows.
Noticing her expression, Talon explained, "I was ordered to capture you and bring you back in good health, not torture you. Relax, you'll be unharmed as long as you don't try to run off," Talon answered nonchalantly. Talon moved to lean against a tree. In a few moments he had become eerily still with his eyes fixated on the flames before him.
Selene carefully settled herself as comfortably as she could on the ground, making sure to create as much distance as possible from Talon without arousing his attention. She watched Talon curiously, but was scared to disturb the stillness of the atmosphere. He's not… who I thought he would be… at least not yet. As perilous as her situation was, though, Selene soon found her eyelids drooping and her head nodding. The warmth of the campfire and the events that had taken place mentally fatigued her until she was no longer able to remain awake. If he… does anything to me… I'll deal with it… tomorrow…
Talon's mind was clouded with troubled thoughts. A few months ago, his adoptive father, Marcus Du Couteau, had disappeared whilst on a mission for Noxus. He hoped against the worst. Swain… tch. I'm only doing this for you so that I can squeeze some answers out of you. If you truly have harmed Marcus in any way, Kat and I WILL make sure you never see the light of day again.
He broke free of his thoughts to check on Selene. She had curled up into the cloak he had tossed at her and was using it as a pillow and blanket. Fool. How can you rest so peacefully next to a man of my reputation? His face softened slightly at her relaxed face. She won't last long in Noxus… She's too innocent, too trusting, too naive.
As he was gazing at her resting figure, a rustling noise not too far away disturbed the sounds of nightlife. Everything went silent except for the steady crackling of the fire. He quickly extinguished the fire. The campsite was pitch-black except for the slivers of moonbeams that peeked through the treetops. Talon stealthily climbed up the nearest tree to obtain a height advantage and to conceal his presence. He waited, ready for an intruder.