"Where in Noxus did they go?" Quinn spat angrily as she galloped along on her horse. She frowned as she peered through the mist that the rain was causing, the entire world now a dull grey around her. She raised a hand to her face, wiping the spray from her brow and shaking it off, her cloak entirely soaked. She frowned, only realizing the futility of the gesture as water poured off her hand, the rain still pounding against her cloak. She blinked the water from her eyes, the sweat from the humidity running off her face and stinging her eyes. She shielded her eyes as she peered into the mist, still unable to see anything in the dense forest and heavy rain. She heard a second set of hooves approaching rapidly and could only hope it was the prince, but a familiar scar along the left side the face that appeared under the hood told her otherwise.
"Any luck?" Forsythe asked as he galloped up from the side and fell into stride with her. Quinn could only shake her head. As worried as she was about the Prince who had gone chasing after the spoilt dragoness, Valor had yet to return to her from his departure earlier at her urging. She had pushed him to continue help search for the prince, and he had been gone much longer than he should have been. She hated to admit it to herself, but she was starting to worry about Valor.
"We can only assume they raced on ahead following the trail of the dragon." Quinn said over the sound of their horses' pounding hooves. They clattered over packed dirt and stone, through shallow puddles and not so shallow puddles, the hooves the only sound discernable from the dull roar of the rain.
"So we just keep following the trail?" Forsythe shouted as the raced around a boulder that jutted up from the ground. It was sharp and violent, the ground at the base disturbed when the boulder had been uprooted forcibly. Claw marks marred the stone, and Quinn could only wonder if they belonged to their target or the dragoness.
"I suppose that's all we can do now." Quinn called over her shoulder.
The tracker slowed her horse as they rounded a bend in the trail, Isaacs stepping into the path ahead of them and waving his arm up and down. Quinn reined her horse in, the beast slowing unwillingly, as if it believed the running meant it would get out of the rain faster. Forsythe slowed to a trot as well as they closed with Isaacs, their horses stamping at the ground angrily in the rain as they came to a stop. It was fall in sheets now, and was little they could see or do in the angry torrents.
"Lieutenant." Forsythe said, a grim look on his face as he popped a quick salute. He only dropped it when the older officer matched it haggardly. The rain was wearing hard on him, and he was moving slower than his normal spritely self. "Any sign of the prince or the dragoness?" Forsythe asked he kept his horse from moving, the beast shifting to the side and shaking the water from its mane. Isaacs pulled back his hood just far enough to let the dim, dreary light glint off his green eyes. He looked up at Quinn and then Forsythe and frowned, the corner of his mouth dropping. He sighed heavily, his shoulders drooping.
"No such luck." Isaacs growled, shifting his weight from foot to foot. He looked down the trail and then, shaking his head dismissively, he gestured for Quinn and Forsythe to follow. "Has Valor been able to find anything?" His boots splashed as he walked, leading his horse by the reins towards a massive rocky outcropping. Three spires erupted from the ground in different directions, the largest of which stretched up above the spindly tops of the pine trees like a massive, flat blade. It formed a shelf over some rocks, making an ideal campsite. The shelf was flat and stuck out at an odd angle, but it provided shelter from the rain. Isaacs led his horse up under the shelf and tied it off to a fallen log near the corner of the sheltered area.
Quinn and Forsythe dismounted their own horses and did the same, tying the leads to the fallen tree so the horses were well out of the rain. The horses neighed loudly as they shook their manes from side to side, sending water flying in every direction. One of the other horses snorted and neighed, snapping its teeth at the other horse. The third stamped its foot and ignored the other two. Forsythe grumbled under his breath at the animals, having caught most of the water with his body. The towheaded corporal sighed, wiping the water from his face as the horse shot him a cheeky glance. He frowned at the horse who he could swear was smiling at him. Forsythe turned, shaking his head.
Quinn pulled the saddle bags from her horse, shaking the water from her black hair as she dropped the packs at her feet, most of it ending up plastered to her face. Forsythe chuckled as she fruitlessly blew a fine mist of water from her lips as water dripped down her face. She shot Forsythe a dirty look from the one eye that wasn't covered with hair as he started laughing even harder. Isaacs shook his head, a small smile on his face as he retrieved his own saddle bags and pack, propping them up against a rock wall under the shelf.
As they began to set up camp, it became apparent that the thunderstorm that had rolled in wasn't going to be letting up any time soon. They had gotten completely unpacked and Isaacs had even managed to light a small cooking fire using bits of wood and twigs that had been left under the shelf by travelers that had been passing through the valley before. He had begun cooking a meal of salted pork, stewed tomatoes and some of the crusty bread that they had in their packs.
While Isaacs worked on cooking their meager meal, Quinn stripped out of her wet cloak and hung it on a bit of rock that jutted off of the shelf. It was absolutely soaked, and while the wool was good at shedding water, it could only do some much against the torrential downpour they had been trekking through. Forsythe did the same, wringing his cloak out as best he could, nearly a buckets worth of water crashing to the ground as he did. He pealed his tunic off his back and dug through his pack for a dry one.
"Here." Quinn said from the side.
Forsythe sat back on his haunches from where he was leaned over his pack, looking to where she was. What he got was an eyeful of rather taunt skin with a thin, soaking wet tunic still clinging to her skin before she beamed him with a dry towel. He nearly fell over and felt his face burn, but he shook his head, peering out from under the towel. Quinn gave him a funny grin and then looked down, realizing what he was staring at as his face turned bright pink. She squeaked as she covered her chest with her arms. She may have only been a teenager somewhere around fifteen or sixteen, but she wasn't exactly lacking either.
"Jerk!" Quinn hissed, her face tinged red. "Look away!"
"Sorry!" Forsythe said turning, still blushing as he dried himself off as best he could. As he struggled with the towel in the dismally humid conditions, he heard a sharp screech and a vicious rustling noise that was rapidly growing louder from where Quinn was.
He listened to the commotion for a brief moment and turned quickly, realizing whatever was causing the ruckus was coming straight at him. He received a face full of soaked feathers and down as Valor swept down and struck his head with closed talons. He went over backwards, ending splayed out on his back, dazed. Stars danced around his vision as the pain in his rear told him he was still awake.
"Valor!" Quinn said happily, as the eagle lighted down on a rock that was about waist level. She stroked the bird once and then had to shield herself as the bird shook itself dry. The tracker gave the bird a stern glare but as it looked back and forth, it finally turned its head to look at her with both golden eyes causing her to grin. She couldn't hide her elation at the bird's return, a wide grin spreading over her face. Forsythe grumbled as he pulled himself to his feet, shooting the tracker a dirty look and the bird an even dirtier look as he wiped water and feathers from his face.
"Stupid animal." Forsythe snipped, furrowing his brow. Valor extended a massive wing and smacked him with a wet, feathery wing to the face. Quinn giggled as she struggled to keep a straight face, Forsythe yet again finding himself soaked thanks to a cheeky animal.
"Serves you right." Quinn snickered as she set a hand affectionately on the birds back.
"Bite me." Forsythe snapped, brushing the dust from his butt and back. He tried to wiped the feathers from his face, but they clung to the water and sweat like glue. He sighed, stepping into the rain to rinse himself off. Cool water rushed over him and he was finally able to liberate himself from the feathers Valor had adorned him with.
As he stood in the rain, hunched forward, letting the rain rush down over him, a cracking and crashing sound echoed through the forest over the sound of the rain. Birds squawked and took flight in the rain, angrily searching for shelter as their home was sent crashing to the ground. Valor suddenly was attentive, his head pivoting, trying to hear better and identify the noise. There was a squeal of ripping wood and an earth shaking rumble as a massive evergreen struck the ground.
"Bloody hell." Isaacs said, standing from where he had been fiddling with trying to make tinned tomatoes fit for consumption. His pot had sloshed and doused part of his fire and he rightly wore a sour expression. "What was that?"
"I have no idea." Forsythe said, snapping his mouth shut, surprised to still find it hanging open. He stepped out of the rain and dried quickly, pulling on a dry tunic and then pulling his still damp cloak over his head. He pulled the hood up and grabbed his sword, fiddling with the clasp as he attached it over his shoulder, the belt strapped over his chest. "I'm going to go check it out."
"Take the girl with you." Isaacs said with a frown. "I'll stay here with the horses." Quinn raised an eyebrow in Forsythe's direction but shrugged, pulling her own cloak on, wrapping it around her shoulders and clasping it in the front. She checked the crossbow on her hip and then turned to Valor, a determined look on her face.
Quinn looked a bit annoyed, but she shrugged, shaking her head as she turned back to Valor. "I have a name, you know. Stay here." Quinn spoke soft but firm, but it appeared to have gone completely over the bird's head. Valor snapped his beak at the perch on Quinn's arm, excited to get things underway. The bird shook its head in a dismissive gesture, but it matched golden eyed gazes with her and then turned away, slightly disheartened. It did managed to spit Forsythe with a threatening stare that sent a shiver down his spine. Quinn bounded down off the rocks and brushed past Forsythe and out into the rain as the bird glared at him menacingly, almost daring him to try something with his friend. Quinn paused and turned, her hands posted on her hips. "Hurry up!"
"Coming, coming." Forsythe grumbled, breaking his staring contest with the eagle and taking off at a slow jog behind her. They wound through the trees for a few minutes in the direction the birds had take flight from, rain splashing down around them, soaking everything, pouring off their cloaks in sheets. Quinn splashed through puddles, doing her best to trek right through them and Forsythe did his damnedest to avoid them. Every time he missed stepping in a puddle, Quinn managed to slosh water into his boots with her splashing.
As they crashed through the puddles and the undergrowth, Forsythe could feel the ground slanting downwards, though only shallowly at first. It quickly became clear that the source of the fallen tree was in the bottom of the depression they heading for, where a small bowl was formed by the rocks. As they pushed their way through the undergrowth, a bright flash of red hair swirled in the middle of the bowl as the rain turned to steam, bright flames spewing out like a charging dragon. The ethereal beast spread its jaws open and then crashed into the stump of a recently splintered tree in a fiery explosion. It burned hot as the flames exploded over the bark, superheating and exploding several smaller times, the rain muting the flames shortly afterwards.
"Shy-…" Forsythe began to call out and then had to suck in a quick breath as a sharp pain rose in his side. Quinn looked up at him accusingly, her elbow planted painfully deep in his abdomen.
"Quiet!" She hissed. "Don't you want to see what she's doing?" Forsythe froze, and though his mouth hung open, he didn't speak. He clicked his jaw closed and nodded once, his own curiosity getting the better of him.
Shyvana paused, looking for another target, her chest heaving as her claws retracted and her skin paled. She looked down at her hands, frowning as the blue leathery skin and scales disappeared, the dripping orange flames poured from her fingers dried up. She cursed silently as the steam rose from her hands, quenching the flames. The smoldering tree in front of her had been easy enough to topple with enough blows, but Shyvana needed to be stronger and faster in her strikes. She looked at her fists and gritted her teeth, her fists trembling as she clenched them together. Her eyes were glowing a brilliant orange and her skin was almost like scales as she did her best to summon the strength of a dragon without transforming.
Shyvana's shoulders heaved, her breath ragged as rain struck her skin and instantly evaporated. Her body temperature was immense as she brought her hands together in front of her, grinding her teeth and breathing out through her nose as she clenched her entire body, struggling to cause a ball of flame to coalesce in her hands. It started small, barely a spark, but the flames swelled, exploding and swirling around her fists as blue scales and leathery skin ripped up her arms explosively. She brought her hands apart and reached back, spinning and then sprinting at another tree. Shyvana reared her arm back and struck the massive tree trunk, flames exploding as she quickly struck with the other hand, another wave of flames rippling outwards. She leapt back, putting distance between her and the tree, her foot slipping in the mud beneath her. She ended up on one knee, gasping for breath.
"I must get stronger…" Shyvana gasped between ragged breaths. "Stronger… I MUST! I REFUSE TO FAIL AGAIN!"
She closed her eyes and opened her palms, flexing her body, summoning the flames around her feet and hands. They came easier this time, and she struggled, willing them to bend to her beck and call, the flames dancing when she tried to form the dragon she had summoned earlier.
Shyvana took off at a sprint, flames spinning around her feet, exploding from the ground with every step she took like serpents licking her ankles. She raced towards the tree where two massive dents in the wood marked her past attempt to fell it. She reared her arms back, both of them stretched out behind her. As the tree hit the very edge of her reach, she dropped low and spun her body, sending most of the force into her right arm as it struck with a hard, wide right blow. The tree cracked sickly and fragments exploded outwards from the opposite side, the trunk starting to bow as more birds went screaming from their perches. She struck with an inside left that did little damage other than the flames that burned the target, and then another powerful right.
Shyvana leapt back again as the tree cracked and fell, the sound as it splintered echoing around her. She screamed, arching her back as the sound turned into a fierce roar. The sound was demonic and sickening, the anger in her voice becoming shrill and then sharp, with a bass roar that rumbled in the forest around her. Flame licked at the back of her throat as she did, her entire body threatening to explode into flames. Steam rose around her as the rain fell.
Shyvana spun and lashed out with a high kick, flames cleaving the air where her foot had carved a path. She planted that foot and spun again, striking out with her other foot, flames burning through the new path. She planted that foot and formed fists, flames exploding around them as she did. She brought both fists back and summoned all of her strength, crashing her fists together. A wall of flames exploding out and expanded in a sphere around her, a wall of steam expanding rapidly as the flames finally died. She took a deep breath and exhaled in the dry air around her. A sheet of humidity and rain crashed down on her, plastering her hair to her face and drenching her clothes.
Shyvana sighed, wiping her soaked hair from her eyes with only the faintest bit of exasperation.
I miss dry weather.
…
From their vantage point, Quinn and Forsythe both stood with their mouths hanging open, dumbfounded.
"So… you want to tell her that Jarvan is missing?" Quinn muttered after an extended silence.
"Hell no." Forsythe replied, blinking water from his eyes. "I like my body the way it is right now, thanks."
"Well… crap." Quinn sighed. "I'd do it but I don't think she exactly likes me."
"Yeah, and you couldn't see the glares that she was giving you when Jarvan was talking to you." Forsythe said, shivering noticeably. "Just an idea, but I would be careful about making the vicious, fire breathing monster girl jealous in the future."
"Shut it." Quinn quipped, frowning as she felt her cheeks burn. The thought that she, a simple Demacian farm girl with aspirations to be a knight could be the target of the Crown Prince's affections made her swoon. The elation she felt soon turned to ice as she remembered what she had just witnessed.
"Fine." Forsythe said, running a hand through his hair as he watched the young tracker's expression turn from a blushed grin to that of gut wrenching despair. He jumped over the edge of the rocks and slid carefully down into the depression, holding his arms far enough from his body to keep his balance. He jumped off the slope at the bottom, splashing and stumbling awkwardly into a puddle, finding himself sinking into the mud as he ran.
"Who goes there?" Shyvana growled her voice returning to that of her human side, though there was definitely anger laced throughout. Flames flickered around his fists as she spun and dropped into a defensive stance, one arm held in front of her, the other held behind her in a ready position to react to any threat.
"Whoa!" Forsythe said, skidding to a halt and wobbling as he nearly went top over teakettle. He raised his hands in front of him defensively, his palms held out towards the dragoness. She took one step towards Forsythe menacingly, her eyes glowing a malicious orange.
"Hold on!" Forsythe yelped, backpedaling rapidly. He didn't want to get caught within her attack range. "It's me, Forsythe. Forsythe!"
Shyvana stood up straighter, frowning slightly. Her eyes faded from the spheres of pure burning fury and reverted to the magenta orbs that were normal to her more docile human self. She blinked, baggy circles under her eyes as water started to hit her, streaming down over her body as her body temperature dropped back down to normal. Steam still rose from her skin and the ground around her, but the water no longer sizzled upon striking her skin. The flames about her fists sizzled out and her arms fell to her side as she suddenly began to look weary and exhausted. The rain seemed to deflate her, leaving her looking tired, cold and lonely.
"Jarvan?" Shyvana asked weakly, blinking a few times, her shoulder drooping.
"He is… ah…" Forsythe stammered. "We think he's actually missing right now." The words came a lot faster than Forsythe had intended. He cringed, waiting for some sort of lashing out at his blurted statement. He carefully peeked out from his one good eye, and was surprised to find Shyvana staring blankly back at him. Shyvana looked at him lamely as if the words had gone in one ear and straight out the other. Forsythe blinked water from his eyes. It was as if she hadn't even heard him. "We were hoping he was with you…"
"No… I…" Shyvana spoke softly, her voice barely carrying over the rain. "I haven't seen him. He's missing?" She shook her head, as if she was trying to clear a fog that had settled over her mind.
"What do you mean?" Quinn snipped, finally finding the courage to approach, seeing as Forsythe hadn't been slaughtered. She slid carefully down the slope and stumbled to a stop next to Forsythe. "He was chasing after you when we lost sight of him."
"He was chasing after me?" Shyvana repeated, her eyes opening a bit further. Her bottom lipped quivered a bit, and she bit it, glancing to the ground. "I'm going to go looking for him." Shyvana started to say, but as she went to turn, her legs buckled below her, sending her falling to the mud. Forsythe moved to try and catch her, but the mud slowed him. She hit the deck and splashed into the murky water, her hair splayed out around her. She looked skyward and blinked a few times, pain evident on her face.
"Hey, you alright?" Quinn said, kneeling over her.
"I guess my workout took more out of me than I thought." Shyvana coughed, her voice ragged.
"Up you go." Forsythe said, grunting as he hauled Shyvana to her feet from the crook of her arms. She stood shakily for a few moments before her knees gave out a second time. This time Forsythe was ready and he was able to keep the dragoness from sinking any further than her knees.
"I don't think I've ever trained so hard before." Shyvana said weakly.
"That wasn't like any training I've ever seen." Forsythe muttered, rolling his eyes. "Where I'm from, we call the anger management. Or kicking the shit out of oneself, depends on your state of mind." Shyvana started to growl, but the sound petered out in her throat as she tried to take a step forward and dropped heavily on Forsythe's shoulders. "Yeah, yeah, I've done it before too. Come on, up we go." Forsythe pulled her arm over his shoulder and had her grab his neck.
"It's fine." Quinn said, sighing as she pulled Shyvana's other arm over her shoulder and around her neck. "Let's get back to the camp."
"Thank you." Shyvana said softly as they helped her up the slope. They carried her to the rocks where Isaacs was waiting with food. When he saw Quinn and Forsythe struggling with Shyvana he jumped to his feet and ran to the edge of the dry area under the shelf.
"What in bloody blazes happened here?" Isaacs exclaimed, helping Quinn and Forsythe. He laid out a blanket and the tracker and corporal laid Shyvana down carefully.
"She's been training in the rain for the last few hours." Forsythe said with a small grin.
"She's probably got a fever by now." Quinn adding, puffing one cheek out and posting her hands on her hips.
"Where's Jarvan?" Shyvana started to sit up, struggling to right herself.
"Shut yer trap and stay down, you daft fool." Isaacs snapped, shaking his head and pushing Shyvana back down with a finger to her forehead. The young dragoness scrambled weakly, flailing her arms uselessly. Isaacs put the back of his hand to her forehead, her face flushed. "You have a fever from the rain. Forsythe, get some cool water, Quinn another blanket."
"But what about…" Shyvana stammered weakly. She struggled to sit up again but Isaacs kept one finger poised on her forehead and she languished against him.
"I told you to stay down, damnit." Isaacs growled. "We've been looking for him for hours now and have had no luck in this rain." He took the blanket from Quinn and tossed it over the dragoness. He took the pan of water from Forsythe and dipped a cloth in it, wringing it out slightly before laying it over Shyvana's forehead. "This should help with your fever."
"I see…" Shyvana said softly, finally giving up on her efforts to rise under her own power. She looked out to where the rain was still falling heavily, her mind wandering as she mentally punished herself for doing something so stupid. While Isaacs, Quinn and Forsythe ate quickly and bustled behind her without her notice, Shyvana looked out to where rain still poured and sighed, her chest heaving under the blanket as she pulled it up to her chin.
"Where did you go, my prince…" She spoke under her breath closing her eyes as sleep ambushed and overwhelmed her.
Jarvan… this is my fault, isn't it?
When Shyvana awoke, the absent sun had long since disappeared somewhere over the horizon leaving only the steady percussion of the rain hitting the ground to echo around her in the darkness of the night. She blinked a few times, letting her eyes acclimate to the darkness as she glanced about. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and yawned, shaking the last vestibules of her weariness away. She sat up and looked about the camp.
Forsythe and Isaacs were both asleep around a still smoldering fire and the young Quinn was nowhere to be seen. Shyvana struggled to her feet, the cold clammy garments sticking to her skin, the cold air threatening to overwhelm her as she shivered. She pulled her boots on, the damp leather cold on her feet. She looked to where the horses were tied and noted that her own horse had been tracked down and was now standing idly by the rest of the horses. She stepped lightly and patted the horse gently, the animal snorting and shaking its head at her briefly, but it settled back into its slumber. Shyvana ducked into her pack which had been pulled from the horse and was now sitting against the rocks just beyond the animals. She looked around, and satisfied both Forsythe and Isaacs were still deep in their slumber, she pulled her wet and clammy training clothes over her head and pulled on dry clothes. She pulled her cloak out of the saddle bags and clipped it around her shoulders, pulling the hood over her head. She picked out a bit of rudimentary gear and attached it to her belt.
Shyvana shifted uncomfortably in the trousers; something see wasn't used to by any means. She felt like she was walking bow-legged, but the night air was just too cold to avoid not wearing them, especially with the heavy rain still coming down. She pulled her grieves on over her boots, and slung her rudimentary shoulder and chest armor over her cloak. Checking one last time to make sure her gear was attached firmly to her belt, Shyvana stepped out into rain and looked around, trying to sense anything that could point her in the direction of the prince.
"And where do you think you're going?" A voice asked above the din of the rain. Shyvana froze, slowly looking over her shoulder. Quinn sat perched on a rocky outcropping, looking down at her a curious gaze on her face. Shyvana frowned, glancing away nervously. The dragoness took a deep breath and turned back to Quinn, setting her jaw.
"I want to go and search for Jarvan." Shyvana said, looking up at the girl defiantly.
"You'll never find him in this weather." Quinn quipped, pulling her hood down over her face as rain poured off it. She shrunk back closer to the rocks as a bolt of lightning lit the sky. "We had no luck earlier." She frowned, looking to where Valor was still resting on his rocky perch. "It'd be best just to wait the storm out and then try and find him. He's a trained soldier of Demacia, he'll be able to survive a single night away from you." Shyvana read Quinn's expression as a mixture of unaimed anger and a bit of frustration with herself that Shyvana was all too familiar with.
"Is that why you're just sitting around?" Shyvana shot back, failing to keep the anger from her voice. Quinn blinked a few times, the look of surprise clear on her face. She snapped her jaw shut and shook her head, snorting and chuckling.
"In case you hadn't noticed, the sun's gone down." Quinn said sarcastically, gesturing up towards the darkened sky. "I wore myself ragged looking for him in this infernal rain after he took off looking for you." Her expression darkened as she poked a finger towards Shyvana's chest. "And thanks to your selfishness, we have a missing prince and I nearly lost Valor in this damned storm." She sneered as the sky rumbled with thunder as if it were angry at her. "And unlike you, princess, I haven't been sleeping all afternoon."
Shyvana was surprised at the biting remark the young woman had uttered. Neither of them had gotten along with the other, but neither had been openly hostile either. Shyvana was surprised by the venom in the girl's words she uttered as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her words caught in her chest as she tried to form a response, but the guilt she felt was starting to mount. She had been training selfishly, taking her anger and jealousy out on trees while Jarvan had searched for her. She shivered to think that all of this was her fault.
"I..." Shyvana murmured, her shoulders sinking as she looked at the ground.
"You? You what?" Quinn snapped, running a hand through her hair. "That's all you ever think about, yourself. Honestly, I don't know what Jarvan sees in a dirty, uncivilized beast like you." Shyvana's fists quivered as she felt her temper rising. The girl dropped to her feet and began to turn away, heading for the rocks where her bed was lain out.
"Who are you to call me a beast?" Shyvana said menacingly, puffing her chest out, barely holding back the anger she was starting to feel. The girl shrugged, waving her hand dismissively, causing Shyvana's temper to boil over, her teeth gritting as she spit the girl with a molten stare. "You're simply a petty, jealous, little girl with an overstuffed bird that does all the work. You try to make it look like you're actually doing something useful, but in the end you're just a little girl trying to play hero."
Quinn froze, looking over her shoulder. She slowly turned, the look of surprise on her face turning to anger. "Shut up!" Quinn said, her voice strained. "Just... shut up! We searched for hours in the daylight while you trained and we had no luck. What makes you think that you'll be able to find him?"
"I am not like you." Shyvana growled, eyes glowing a brilliant orange. Quinn stumbled back half a step, shooting Shyvana a dirty glance, but her mouth stayed shut. Shyvana matched her glare, daring the young human to try her patience any further.
"How could I forget?" Quinn sneered angrily. She stepped forward, standing face to face with the dragoness, doing her best to stare her down. Even though she had to look up to the dragoness, her face was illuminated by the dragoness's glowing eyes. "You're not a soldier, you're not even a Demacian! You're just a savage who only cares about herself."
Shyvana's temper flared. "I dare you to utter those words again." She hissed through clenched teeth. Quinn took a step forward, steeling her face, fear flashing in her eyes as she gulped. She tried to hide it as she took a second step forward and poked Shyvana in the shoulder, a grimace on her face.
"You. Are. An. Animal." She said slowly and concisely. "You don't belong with the prince, much less in Demacia. The prince deserves someone who cares for him, not a self-centered brute with anger management issues." Quinn grinned cruelly, her distaste for the dragoness showing itself since the prince was nowhere to be found and both Isaacs and Forsythe were asleep.
Shyvana clenched her fists and ground her teeth. The words struck true and deep though. She was just a beast and a commoner, and not even a Demacian at that. Jarvan was a Crown Prince, and she could be nothing to him. She looked forlorn as the thought crossed her mind. She struggled to keep the tears from forming in her eyes, her fists quivering as she did.
"The prince would have been better off if he'd have just left you behind in Shurima." Quinn growled. "Maybe then he wouldn't have lost all of his men." Quinn raised her nose, taking pride in her Demacian heritage. She opened one eye to see if Shyvana had reacted yet, fishing for something to happen.
Shyvana had cocked her arm back and she struck Quinn on the cheek. The young Demacian tracker regretted her words as she tumbled backwards, bouncing off the rock and rolling to the ground. Quinn watched as rain drops descended towards her, her mind boggled as to how she had ended up on her tail looking into the sky. Valor rustled, turning on his perch and then screeching at Shyvana, his arm held close to his body. Shyvana saw he wore a bandage on his wing and she felt a pang a regret. She glared at the bird for a few moments, her molten eyes glowing brightly with power. Shyvana looked down at Quinn as the girl tried to pick herself up off the ground.
"I may not be truly Demacian, but at least I'm not a bloody snob." Shyvana hissed, her eyes wide with indignation. "If you want to pin the blame for the death of Jarvan's men on my head, then so be it, my shoulders are broad enough to support that weight. At least I mean to do something about it. You're nothing but a sad little girl who's trying to garner favors with the crown by sucking up to the prince... You have no idea what it means to be a true warrior or to face death and stare it down. Jarvan saved my life and I will repay him for that or die trying. It is not for you to decide what is appropriate."
Shyvana's eyes glowed with power as she hissed her threats through clenched teeth. She paused though, as Quinn looked up at her with fear in her eyes. Something clicked in Shyvana's mind at that instant. She stood stunned, the rage in her mind dissipating instantly as she looked down at the frightened teenager who wasn't much different from who Shyvana had once been. Valor swooped in as Shyvana took a shaky step backwards, almost frightened with the power she held over the human who cowered before her. The eagle bore his claws and flapped angrily in the rain, the bandage on his wing laying upon the rocks, the bird struggling to stay in the air. His piercing eyes were a deadly reflection of what Shyvana's own eyes looked like. Shyvana turned and ran, terrified by what she had done. She disappeared into the night, as fast as her feet would carry her.
Shyvana ran deeper and deeper into the forest, putting distance between the camp and herself before she finally slowed her sprint. She found herself breathing heavily and stopped to lean against a tree. She put her back to the tree and sank down to the ground, wrapping her arms around her legs. Her father had told her to respect life, not abuse it. Shyvana was ashamed with herself that she was about to slaughter a young girl over some words about a human man. She shivered, almost afraid of herself. She sat huddled under the tree, holding her legs to her chest, letting her anger subside until she couldn't remember how long she had been there.
Cracking and crashing echoed through the rain, and the unmistakable sound of steel on steel clashing in the distance.
Who could be fighting out here?
She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end as she realized who it could be.
Jarvan!