The officer's eyes seemed to lock with Jarvan's for a few moments.

Jarvan could feel his heart beating in this throat as his hair stood on end. Electricity ran through his veins.

"Lieutenant?" The officer's voice carried through the brush and Jarvan could only barely hear him over the thunder of his heart.

"Sir?" Another officer moved up towards the ranking officer, his standard flapping in the wind behind him. The second officer was definitively younger and decidedly pretty, though the stern expression she wore betrayed the nervousness she felt. Something was bothering her and Jarvan doubted it was just the stop in the movement of the column of troops. She passed electric blue eyes over the brush where Jarvan and the others hid.

Jarvan flexed his hand around his lance. His fingertips were cold due to the lack of blood because he had his hand clamped so tight around his lance.

"Sir?" She repeated, looking back to her commanding officer. "Major?"

"It's nothing, Lieutenant." The officer said, shaking his head, kicking his horse, the black stallion shaking its head angrily and taking off at a canter towards the head of the column.

"Yes, sir." She said, passing another glance over the brush her commander had been watching. "Company! Double time! March!" She rolled her eyes as the paranoid tendencies of her commander and kicked her own horse, the brown mare jumping at the prodding, the officer growling as she took off. Jarvan sighed heavily, his grip on his lance finally loosening. He felt a hand pat on his thigh, and he looked to his right expecting to see Shyvana.

"Something's got the Noxian's spooked." Isaacs said, offering Jarvan a hand. He grinned really wide as Jarvan's disappointment shown through. He looked to where Shyvana stood frowning, her glare more even then he had seen in a long time. Isaacs obviously noticed because he snickered and grinned. Jarvan blushed and dropped his head, frowning.

"The air is rife with the scent of blood." Shyvana murmured as she raised her nose to the wind.

"Blood?" Quinn paled to nearly a sheet white and Shyvana glanced over to where she stood.

"Something wrong, can't stomach a little blood?" Shyvana growled, a cocky grin pulling at the corner of her mouth. Quinn's face flooded with color as she blushed angrily.

"Of cour-..." Quinn started to say but Isaacs cut her off as he stepped between the two women and put a arm across both Quinn and Shyvana's chests as the young tracker started to step up to the challenge.

"Alright now, let's just all take a step back and calm down." Isaacs said, pushing the two girls apart. Quinn moved back, rocking back on her heels and taking a few steps back in the process. Shyvana however, was firmly rooted in her place, and she stared down at the young girl. Isaacs turned towards her and placed both of his hands upon her shoulders and had to physically shove her backwards, and only then did she take a half step back. Shyvana growled as she looked down at him and sneered, as Isaacs pushed himself further off than he actually managed to move Shyvana. She glowered but backed off, shaking her hair out and looking down her nose at the young tracker.

"I'm tired of this." Shyvana glowered. "What's the point of a tracker if she can't even track him?"

"Oh yeah!" Quinn said, grinning sarcastically. "They just keep me around because I'm good with dealing with ANIMALS!" Shyvana shrunk back at the insult but she shook her head and snarled.

"Is that because you're an utter bitch, yourself?" Shyvana snapped back. "Or is it just he way you wag your damn tail!?"

The look of surprise on Quinn's face seemed to hold for a few moments before it melted into a mask of anger. Quinn looked like she was searching for a comeback and struggling to find one. "Well..." She stumbled on her words and hung her head, wringing her hands.

Shyvana began to press her advantage. "What, can't think of som..."

"ENOUGH!" Jarvan bellowed, his face nearly red with anger. Quinn gulped and both Forsythe and Isaacs shrank back in fear. It was not often that Jarvan lost his temper, and usually destruction followed in his wake when he did. Shyvana tried not to show her surprise, but both her body and face betrayed her surprise. Jarvan huffed angrily and wiped spittle from his chin as he tried to regain his composure. "I've had it up to here with all of this." He wheeled about so he could face both Quinn and Shyvana. "I don't know what the hell has gotten into the two of you, but I've had just about enough of this shit."

Shyvana's expression steeled as she prepared to sneer a response. She had only just opened her mouth to respond but Jarvan's head rotated, his eyes tracking her like a turret.

"Stow it, before I stow you!" Jarvan snarled, poking her chest with a finger. "And I don't want to hear anything from you, either." He wheeled about to glower at Quinn who's triumphant smirk was immediately crushed.

"Prince Jarvan." Isaacs said stiffly, his stance oddly martial. His body had reflexively snapped to that of a much younger man getting berated by a drill instructor on his first day of basic training and he had to fight from not cringing with every word Jarvan spoke. What had seemed to be a beautiful, budding relationship between him and the young dragoness, something he had long tried to advise the Prince to take interest in, was now fraying apart at the seams.

"This seems so pointless." Shyvana muttered, starting to turn away.

"Goddammit." Jarvan muttered, scratching the back of his head furiously, his anger starting to boil up again.

"Why don't we ju-..." Shyvana was half way through her sentence when Jarvan grabbed her around the mid-section and hauled her onto his shoulder. "Hey wait!"

"That's it." Jarvan interjected as the writhing dragoness tried to escape his grasp. "I'm going to take a moment and speak with her, privately. If you'll excuse me." He nodded his head to both Isaacs and Forsythe and then turned and hauled Shyvana off into the forest, glowering as he went.

"Let me down!" Shyvana shouted, beating her fists against Jarvan's back. "Dammit, I said let me down!"

Isaacs, Quinn and Forsythe stood speechless as they disappeared into the woods.

"Dammit, Jarvan!" Shyvana shouted, struggling against his iron grip. "I said let me down!" Jarvan finally stopped walking and lifted her from his shoulder and set her down on a rock. She started to get up to storm off, but Jarvan pushed her back down.

"Sit." Jarvan ordered, dropping his pack. Shyvana started to get up again. "SIT!" He bellowed. The look of surprise and hurt upon her face was obvious and pained Jarvan, but he wasn't about to let this continue. He lay his lance up against a tree before sitting down on a rock facing directly at Shyvana. "Do me a favor and just listen." Jarvan growled, frowning. Shyvana opened her mouth to protest, but Jarvan hung his head and sighed.

"Fine." Shyvana crossed her arm over her chest, but she couldn't help but sneak a peek at Jarvan. He had a pained look on his face at her response which caused her heart to ache, but she also was conflicted. Part of her felt both angry and hurt, and she didn't understand why, but another part of her felt bad for the trouble she was causing.

"I don't know what has gotten into you." Jarvan said, his holding his face in his hands. "But if you want to remain with us and see this to the end, you need to cut this crap out." Jarvan sounded tired, and he looked as if he was already regretting his saying these words. "I don't know what the hell happened between you and Quinn, and frankly, I don't give a damn, but I'm not going to put up with all this random crap flying back and forth between the two of you. It's getting on my nerves, and it's not like you. She's just a young girl, and you're above this." Jarvan shook his head.

"You're actually defending her?" Shyvana said, blinking rapidly, as if she had just been stunned.

"I'm not defending her, but you wouldn't even talk to me about it before." Jarvan scowled. "I have no idea what the hell happened, and you refuse to talk to me about it, so I can't do anything to help either."

"Who says I need your help?" Shyvana shot back angrily. "You've got a pretty, young Demacian girl fawning all over you and you think I need your help?" She snarled gutturally, the sound getting caught in her throat as if she couldn't bring herself to be angry enough. "You're just a stuck up prince who is only thinking about himself. Hell, I bet you've got a line of women waiting at home who would gladly jump in bed with you."

The comment completely froze Jarvan in place as her wrods registered through his mind. He had to check once, twice, three times to make sure he had heard her correct, but he could still hardly believe the words she had just uttered.

"Wait a minute..." Jarvan said, raising his hands. "You... you think there is something between me and Quinn?" His mouth still hung ajar as he stared at Shyvana who had suddenly become very uncomfortable where she sat, squirming.

"I..." Shyvana shook her head as if she were trying to get some horrid thought out of her mind. "I don't know!" Tears welled in her eyes. "How do I know something isn't happening between you humans?" She wrapped her arms around herself as Jarvan saw tears begin to well in her eyes.

"Whoa now, what?" Jarvan shook his head, and pulled himself up into a kneeling stance before her. "Shyvana..."

"Don't try and get close to me!" The dragoness her head violently, sending tears falling to the ground. "You humans are all the same! You only care about yourselves and you just end up using me and casting me aside in the end."

"You're trying to make something out of nothing here, Shy..." Jarvan said, gently putting his hand upon her knees. She paused, opening her eyes and looking down at his hands, but she shook her head and clamped her eyes shut.

"No, it's always the same!" Shyvana said, turning away from him and shoving his hands off her legs. "You humans are greedy, selfish creatures and you only care for your own!" Tears began to stream down her face. "I hate humans. They're always so predictable: that's why you keep defending that girl." Shyvana voice was accusingly sharp. "She's a human and I'm only a filthy beast."

"Shy..." Jarvan's voice cracked as he tried to keep his composure. He started to reach out towards her, but she knocked his hand aside.

"Don't!" Shyvana shook her head and hid her face with her hands, stepping back and tripping on the rock she had been sitting on.

"Dammit, Shyvana!" Jarvan grabbed her shoulders and shook her, as tears welled in her eyes. She looked up at him defiantly, her magenta orbs burning defiantly on top of tear streaked cheeks and beneath uneven bangs. She bore her teeth at him, long fangs showing as she started to growl. "Get a hold of yourself and think!"

"You think you know everything!" Shyvana snapped back, flames emanating from her body and passing over Jarvan's armor. He could feel the heat upon his skin rapidly climbing as blisters started to form on his skin. "You humans are all the same! I hate you!"

The words rocked Jarvan back onto his heals. His hands fell away from her, his gauntlets clinking against his waist plates. Shyvana seemed surprised by her own words and she clasped her hands over her mouth as soon as they escaped her lips, the look of surprise clear across her face. Jarvan stood up, a hurt expression upon his face, leaving Shyvana suddenly feeling very alone as his presence seemed to withdraw from her world.

Now I've done it... I've ruined it all. Shyvana shook her head tearfully, not wanting to believe that she had said something so foolish. How could I.

Her head cranked around to the side suddenly, and Shyvana nearly toppled over from the force of a blow that caught her on the cheek. The burning sensation on her cheek slowly started to fade in as the fog in her mind started to fade, the realization of the shock dissipating. Her jaw worked slowly as she struggled to form words. "...what?" Shyvana gasped, falling back against the rock she had been sitting on before.

"Just shut up." Jarvan said, shaking his head and grabbing her by the shoulders, pressing his lips firmly against hers. She was startled and tried to resist, but he held her firm and she finally stopped her resistance and pushed back against his embrace. Jarvan had to come up from air, pulling back as she followed his lips. She blushed and glanced away sheepishly.

"I don't know what the hell is wrong and honestly I don't fucking care. I don't and I never did claim to know everything. If you still want to kill Kampf, we will help you do that." Jarvan paused, looking towards where the sun was starting to crawl towards the horizon. "Just keep in mind, we're going after him regardless of you." He picked up his pack and tossed it over his shoulder and then snaked his arm through the second strap with some difficulty. He posted his lance in the dirt and turned halfway towards her and met her gaze. "By my will, I shall see this finished." He said resolutely, a stubborn frown upon his face. "With... or without you."

He started to step away, but Shyvana reached out and grabbed his hand. He looked over his shoulder, and down to where Shyvana's head hung and tears dripped from her face, small darkened splotches upon the ground below her.

"Jarvan... I..."

"You what?" Jarvan said, anger flashing through his eyes. Her hand dropped away. "You expect me to think less of you for a comment I know to not be true? Fine. I might for a few moments, but then I realize we're all merely human, even if you're only half-human." He shifted from foot to foot, but then reached out and grabbed her hand, shaking his head. "Look Shyvana, I know how difficult life can be sometimes. I'm not asking for you to tell me everything and to let me live your life for you... I only hope you have the self-respect to let me help you when something is wrong." He raised his lance and planted the butt deep into the dirt, leaving the lance free standing. "And I'd hope you love and trust me enough to help you if you need it." He reached out and wiped a tear from her cheek.

"I..." Shyvana's voice trailed off.

"Take some time and collect yourself." Jarvan started to turn away.

"Jarvan!" Shyvana threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, her chest heaving silently. Jarvan wore a crooked grin as he wrapped an arm around her and held her head with his other hand, gently stroking her hair.

"Quiet now, it's okay, love." The prince said, kissing the top of her head. She sobbed a few times then fell silent, her chest rising and falling against him. "Better now?" She nodded slowly. She stood back and wiped her tears as he ran a hand along her red hair. He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and cupped her cheek, lifting her eyes up to look at him.

"I'm sorry..." Shyvana said softly, nuzzling his hand.

"Don't be..." Jarvan responded, shaking his head. "Just... let's not let this happen again. If you need to ever talk, just ask. If it ever comes to it, we can go at it. One on one, just you and me." She nodded, wiping a tear from her eye with her hand.

"I'll be behind you in a few, I just... I need some time alone." Shyvana said, taking a deep breath. Jarvan nodded and turned, pausing to look back over her shoulder.

"I'll be close by if you need me." Jarvan picked up his lance and disappeared into the brush.

"The yelling finally died down." Forsythe said, a frown upon his face. "You think they finally made up?"

"I don't know." Isaacs said, shaking his head. He sighed, his normally sunny, sarcastic outlook was uncharacteristically sullen. He almost had a one liner or joke to try and raise the spirits of his men, but he was so worried about what was going on he couldn't even think straight enough to come up with a witty response.

"I feel like this is all my fault." Quinn ,murmured, hugging her knees to her chest. Valor sat on her shoulder defensively, looking down at her, wondering just what was wrong with his master. He nudged her head with his beak, cooing softly as he did. She chuckled softly, running a few fingers along his head and down his chest, smiling. "Thanks, Val."

"What do you mean?" Forsythe asked, frowning. He leaned against a tree, holding his great sword before him, resting his hands upon the hilt.

"I may have started all of this when I was in a foul mood back in the conifer basin." She frowned as she thought back, laying her cheek across her knees. "I said some things and... shortly after that was when Shyvana left the camp."

"And you didn't tell us this before?" Isaacs grumbled, doing his best to hold the anger from his voice.

"...I didn't want to get fired." Quinn said quietly, afraid of the retribution that might follow. "I like this job and I enjoy working for you... I suppose if you knew that I had started this..."

"I doubt that's what this is really about." Isaacs said with a sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose, the wrinkles on his face seeming to deepen as he did, the age and wear he had seen suddenly showing through.

"You think?" Quinn asked nervously. Isaacs shrugged and looked back to the road, pulling his cloak tighter around him.

"I had hopes for the two of them, but at this point... who knows." Isaacs frowned as a cart trundled past. He looked skyward as Quinn and Forsythe started talking quietly between themselves. Isaacs watched as the breeze blew leaves from the tree and sent them fluttering to the ground. A rustling behind them caused Isaacs to shift and for both Quinn and Forsythe to quiet down. Jarvan stalked out of the woods, a calm if irritable expression on his face.

"Captain?" Forsythe said as Jarvan strode past, but Jarvan simply ignored him. He stepped to the road, looked up and down the stretch of cobbled pathway before he turned back and leaned against a tree. He slowly sunk to the ground before sighing heavily and letting his head hang back.

Forsythe started to move towards him, but Isaacs caught his shoulder and shook his head discreetly, waving him further away.

"It seems like things went a bit better than expected." Isaacs said after pulling the two aside, well out of ear shot of where the prince sat upon the ground. Isaacs turned them away from the prince, trying to keep them from looking while the Prince's shoulders rose and fell a bit faster than they should. Isaacs couldn't tell if he was crying or just resting his eyes, but either way he could only hope that the two of them had come to some sort of resolution. Forsythe turned to Quinn, his face a mask of anger and confusion as he looked her up and down.

'What exactly did you say?" He hissed angrily. "In nearly four years, I've never seen the Prince like this..."

"I... I don't know." Quinn said, a frown crossing her face. "I may have said some things to her... implied some other things, but I didn't think it had actually gotten through to her."

"Well obviously something did!" Forsythe hissed, angrily.

"Shhh!" Isaacs hissed, holding a finger to his lips.

"What... do you hear something?" Forsythe hissed, his hand jumping to his shoulder where is great sword was held in its scabbard. Isaacs shook his head discreetly waiting a few moments before his sighed.

"...No, just enjoying the silence." Isaacs said, trying to lighten the mood. Forsythe scowled, but shut his mouth letting the silence get carried away on the rustle of the leaves around them. Isaacs put on a brave smile, trying to hide away the pain he felt at seeing Jarvan like this. He had thought the young one's romance was going to blossom into something beautiful that would have kept Jarvan grounded and stable in a world where his life had often lacked true stability, but now, he wasn't so sure. He growled, wondering just what was going on.

He sat down with his back to a tree, watching Jarvan out of his peripheral vision.

Jarvan still sat against the tree, staring out into the sky.

Isaacs yawned, struggling to sit up, looking left and right. Forsythe and Quinn sat off to the side, carrying a quiet conversation amongst themselves. Isaacs rubbed his eyes and looked up to the sky, the sun now starting it's final descent towards the horizon. The chilly autumn air had settled as he picked leaves from his tunic, casting them aside. He pushed himself into a sitting position and Forsythe and Quinn fell silent.

"How long was I out?" Isaacs asked, wiping a strand of drool from his chin. Quinn hid a smile, and Forsythe grinned, shaking his head.

"About an hour." Forsythe said, looking towards the sky, shrugging. "Nothing's happened, so we let you sleep."

"No change with Jarvan or Shyvana?" Isaacs said, rubbing his eyes and shaking the sleep from his head.

"Well..." Forsythe started to say, but he trailed off.

"Prince Jarvan hasn't moved or spoken at all." Quinn said, gesturing to where the prince still sat against the tree. He looked skyward though, staring at the pale stars that were starting to show through the darkening blue sky. Clouds rolled lazily by, pale wispy things that just cruised slowly by upon the winds. "Shyvana has yet to emerge from the forest..." Quinn's voice trailed off.

"I see." Isaacs said, shaking his head. He sighed, scratching his head. "Well..." He struggled to his feet, his aching bones screaming in protest against the cold and the awkward resting position he had been in for several hours. He moved towards where Jarvan still sat against the tree, stopping a few feet from him. "Captain?"

"What is it, Lieutenant?" Jarvan looked over at Isaacs. He wore a serene expression, though his eyes betrayed the mixture of pain, anger and confusion he felt.

"I... uh..." Isaacs frowned. He had no idea how to put his question nicely. He didn't know how Jarvan was going to react and he had no idea how to approach the situation. Jarvan had always been the emotional rock among the unit, his steadfast determination often rising above the emotions he had shown. The confusion regarding his emotional status left Isaacs feeling uncomfortable to say the least. "What's the plan, sir?" Isaacs asked uneasily.

"You want to know what happened with Shyvana, don't you?" Jarvan smiled haggardly, leaning back against the tree. Isaacs simply nodded, looking over his shoulder to where Forsythe and Quinn sat quietly chatting still, both of them glancing towards them occasionally.

"Yes sir." Isaacs said, frowning.

"I don't know why or when... but Shyvana doesn't exactly like Quinn. She apparently had some idea that something was happening between us and was upset and unsure of how to handle it." Jarvan sighed. "Hell, I don't know how to handle it." He shook his head and lay back against the tree, a lopsided grin on his face. "I don't understand women at all." He shook his head. "She doesn't seem comfortable around Forsythe either, but she seems easy enough around you." Jarvan glanced up at the Lieutenant. "That charming nature of yours seems to work on the ladies as much as it works on trainees."

"Ha!" Isaacs said, trying to keep his elation of his face. "To hear it was a lover's quarrel and not something much worse... It's good to hear, captain."

"You and me both." Jarvan said, yawning.

"Yessir." Isaacs said, nodding. "So... now what?"

"Same as before." Jarvan said slowly. He looked haggard and tired, like he had been awake for a period of days, much of the time spend fighting. He had seen the look before on many men he had served with. He seemed emotionally and physically drained at the very least. Isaacs wasn't sure, but Jarvan looked ready to get home. He looked like he was worn out, and ready to get back to life back in Demacia. It was a look Isaacs had seen on his own face and the other men many a time, but Jarvan was one of the few who he had not seen it on. It was a good sign, and it meant they would probably be heading home soon.

"How much longer should we wait?" Isaacs said, trying to ask the question as tactfully as possible. Jarvan looked to the ground before him and then held a hand in front of his face, his jaw working slowly.

"No longer, I suppose." He said quietly. He teetered on one knee as he got to his feet, the heavy pack threatening to send him toppling over. After some leveraging, Jarvan finally hauled himself to his feet, ignoring the hand that Isaacs had held out for him.

"What of the Prin-... Shyvana, sire?" Isaacs said. Something dangerous flashed through Jarvan's eyes, as if an ember had suddenly been it and then just as quickly died.

"What about her?" He said, adjusting his gauntlet and looking down at Isaacs.

"We're not going to leave her, right?" Isaacs said hesitantly.

"Of course not." Jarvan said, shaking his head, looking up from where he was adjusting the strap on his arm.

"Yes sir." Isaacs said quietly, turning away. A rustling behind them caused a smile to worm it's way onto his face as Shyvana emerged from the brush, her red hair blending with the crimson and golden leaves that hung in the air. The colors glowed against her hair like fire, and the grim look of determination on her face told Isaacs that she was ready to complete her quest, the death of Kampf. Her eyes were bleary and Isaacs could tell that she had been crying, but there was something deeper inside those glowing eyes that unsettled him. It was something unnatural, something bestial deep within that now stirred. Isaacs was unsettled, but he trusted Jarvan completely, and he wanted to believe in Shyvana as well.

"We move at once." Jarvan said, locking gazes with her, and then nodding silently. She closed her eyes and then opened them slowly, nodding back calmly at Jarvan. She looked as if she were going to speak, but she said nothing, merely waiting for Jarvan's lead.

As if on cue, Jarvan stood, and with his lance in hand he stepped onto the path, heading towards Noxus and the outskirts of the city where the key to Kampf hopefully waited. Isaacs watched as Forsythe and Quinn both uneasily fell in, following him along the road. This left Shyvana with Isaacs as she silently watched them move off, and silence swirled around them.

"Do you want to talk?" Isaacs said, gesturing towards the road. She said nothing but fell in beside the dragoness, remaining silent. Her head was bowed and she stared at the ground as they walked. "Look... I don't know what the hell happened between the two of you, and frankly... it's none of my damned business, but I hope you two have worked out your issues..."

"Lieutenant..." Shyvana said, looking up at him as they walked.

"Just call me Isaacs... or hell, Valin or Val works too." He shrugged, watching where he put his feet on the rough cobbles.

"What do you care about me?" Shyvana said flatly. She looked up from behind her bangs, her magenta orbs floating amid the darkness. She wore a conflicted frown, and the confusion and surprise on his face must have been evident, because she was struggling not to grin at his goofy expression.

"I care a great deal, actually." Isaacs said, trying to keep the pain he felt from his voice. Silence followed for a few minutes, only the leaves dancing upon the wind to break the silence. Their footfalls run out occasionally whenever they had to struggle over the path or a root that had twisted its way up through the stone. Shyvana's dark gaze looked up from the ground towards the sky, her eyes glowing dimly in the waning light.

"Why though?" She said after a few minutes of silence, casting a sideways glance at the older officer. He had a hard glare that watched the sky, a conflict of emotion playing over his face. He scratched the back of his head and frowned.

"All of my men are ...were like children to me..." Isaacs said with a sad grin. "To see one of them truly fall in love for the first time..." Isaacs shrugged. "Why wouldn't I care for the beautiful young woman whom he had fallen in love with?" He smiled at her and she blushed furiously, her gaze now glued back upon the ground. More silence followed as she continued to mull things over in her head.

"Why would he love me? How could he love me..." Shyvana said slowing down, falling out of step with Isaacs. "I'm just a filthy half-beast..."

"From where I stand, there is nothing filthy about you." Isaacs poked her in the shoulder again. He wiped a tear from her cheek with a thumb. "You may be half dragon, but you're also half human, young dragoness, or maybe I should call you 'young mistress' now?" Isaacs grinned as a nervous a smile began to spread onto her face. "You're as much human as any Demacian I know; we all tend to have a bit of a beast inside of us." He clicked an armored gauntlet off his chest plate. Shyvana nodded at him, the gleam having returned to her eyes. "While I may call you princess from time to time to tease you, but I'll let you in on a little hunch. If you are pure of intention, and I know the Prince can see it in you, some day, I may be callin' you Queen." Issacs wore a crooked grin as he shrugged. Shyvana's minder fluttered at such an incredible thought. "Besides, you need to really cut that shit out." Isaacs grunted, sighing and rubbing the back of his head as he looked down his nose as Shyvana with one eye closed.

"What?" She said, frowning, looking surprised.

"Belittling yourself." Isaacs said, grinning. "It's hardly befitting a princess, much less a queen."

Shyvana blushed a deep crimson again. "I... uh..." She stared furiously at the ground, her face nearly the same shade of red as her hair.

"I know this: He loves you more than anything, believe it or not." Isaacs growled. "You two went through hell together and you came out no worse for ware, so you best out this little hiccup behind you." He tried to look menacing, but the gesture only served to make Shyvana laugh. Isaacs smiled, happy to hear that the young dragoness was still able to laugh. "If you wish to be his mate, young'n, you're going to have to work hard for it and not be afraid of what others will think of you. He's a bit thick-skinned if you know what I mean. Sometimes he likes to just bottle it all up to try and protect everyone else. Get close to him and he might open up to you, he's only once ever opened up to me though, so good luck with that." A sad look soon befell her happy expression.

"And how would I do that?" Shyvana said, leaning forward and tilting her head to the side as she watched Isaacs facial expression morph from a giddy grin to a much calmer smile.

"You might want to just go for the direct one-two punch." Isaacs said, shrugging. "Just be direct and you'll get through to him." The lieutenant grinned as he watched her think. "Don't give it too much thought, though, It's only been a single day since this started –and as far as I can tell— blew over, so you needn't trouble yourself too much about trying to bear all of the blame." He patted her on the forearm tenderly, causing her to shrink back only a fraction of an inch, but Isaacs had been watching for it.

"I just... I suppose this was all my fault then, wasn't it?" She said, looking up at Isaacs, a distraught expression upon her face. "I feel so stupid..." Isaacs stopped and turned towards the young dragoness, posting his fists upon his hips, a frown upon his face as he looked at her with a stern glare.

"If you want pity, I don't know what to tell you." Isaacs said, shrugging. "I just want the best for the both of you and in the process of a single day, gone from the honey moon, to nearly throwing it all away, to now... I don't even know what." He said, shaking his head flustered. "And for what? An innocent little girl who has a crush on a prince? Hell, not so long ago you weren't much different from her. But you know what? Jarvan loves you. YOU. Not her. So just drop it and let's move on."

"Yes. I'm sorry..." Shyvana shook her head, one hand upon her other arm, rubbing the armor nervously.

"You don't have to apologize..." Isaacs said, sighing. He grumbled for a few moments, rubbing the back of his head again. "...just... Let him know you care, alright?" Shyvana blushed again, but nodded, a smile upon her face.

"I will." Shyvana said softly.

"Go catch up with him." Isaacs said, smiling to himself, his hand upon his sword. "I'll bring up the rear." The dragoness nodded and took off a trot. She steered clear of Forsythe and Quinn, and caught up with Jarvan. Isaacs smiled as he watched them begin to talk. Shyvana hesitated a few moments, her hand reaching out towards Jarvan's hand. She paused, and Isaacs frowned, waiting for her to make her move. She brushed a finger against his hand and started to pull it back when he reached out and grabbed her hand, interlacing their fingers.

Isaacs breathed a sigh of relief, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he set his hand upon his sword.

Things are as they should be.