Forsythe paused outside the inn and tavern on the outskirts of the sleepy village of Lira. He looked up at the sign swaying in the gentle breeze that swept up and over the banks of snow that lined both sides of the road. A particularly strong gust of wind swept his breath away as it whistled along the deserted street, causing the sign to squeak. The snow that topped it fell away.
"The Laughing Yordle..." Forsythe wore a distant smile. Quinn glanced at the sign and then back up at him a disbelieving smirk on her face.
"The 'Laughing Yordle'?" Quinn said, raising an eyebrow as she exchanged a glance with Valor. The bird shook his head and his body, shaking snow from his back. "Hardly seems a fitting name for a pub." Forsythe shrugged and nodded after a few moments of staring off into the distance.
"You might wait till you meet the owner, then I'll let you decide if it's fitting." Forsythe gave her a crooked grin then waved her forward as he pushed through the mounting snow. "Come on, let's get out of the snow." Quinn hesitated, still glaring up at the sign.
What kind of headcase named his bar after a Yordle? She shook her head but followed as Forsythe trudged through the snow.
Forsythe pushed the door open and stepped into the inviting golden light that pooled in the doorway, letting the wave of warmth wash over him. He sighed as the smell of ale and food cooked in grease started to melt his face like a cup of steaming coffee, a young woman with very blonde hair bouncing over.
"Welcome to the Laughing Yordle!" She said, flashing Forsythe a smile full of teeth. Forsythe brushed the snow from his shoulders and lowered his pack to the ground leaning it against the wall wear a coat rack full of heavy cloaks creaked ominously, warning the addition of another coat off. "Just the two of you?" Quinn pushed the door shut behind them, making sure the latch caught before she shivered and pulled her hood back. Valor watched the hostess for a few moments, but the woman said nothing about the eagle.
"Yes please." Forsythe said, turning towards her, rubbing his arms to try and get blood flowing through them. "We'll have more on the way though." He paused a moment, looking at the coat rack, grabbing the Demacian Clasp that held his cloak around his neck but decided against it. The hostess's eyes grew wide.
"Oh, I had no idea!" She squeaked, bowing nervously. "Your party arrived earlier this afternoon."
"Our party?" Quinn pulled her emerald cloak from her shoulders, Valor hopping over the garment as she pulled it free of her shoulder. She shook the snow from it and hung it upon one of the few open hooks that lined the doorway along the wall. She looked to Forsythe, a slight crease in her brow as her eyes narrowed. "We have a party?"
"I sure didn't make any reservations." He said and shrugged, pulling the cuffs of his tunic down his arms. He lifted his hands to his face, blowing hot air onto his hands.
"This way, please." The hostess said, bowing and extending an arm deeper into the packed dining area. Forsythe traded a glance with Quinn but she shook her head and stepped after the hostess as her blonde locks bounced through the tavern, shimmering in the lantern light. Forsythe and Quinn followed her deeper into the tavern. They skirted around a large group of people when Forsythe hung back a few a steps and tapped Quinn on the shoulder. He gestured towards the group, which had gotten hushed.
"So I'm sitting here behind the bar one afternoon, getting ready for the even rush, and you'll never guess who walked in."A murmur of guess passed through the large group of listeners who had gathered around a yordle in a grease stained apron who was standing on a chair. "Nope." The furry yordle put on a big grin and he leaned in like he was telling a secret. "It was Lee Sin, the champion of Ionia! The only thing was... he walked into the bar... And a chair. And a table." The group exploded as a grin grew on Forsythe's face.
"And that's why they call it the 'Laughing Yordle'." Quinn rolled her eyes as she resumed pushing through the writhing mass of listeners to catch up with the hostess. The attitude started to change the deeper into the pub they were led. Forsythe felt uncomfortable as more and more patrons gave him withering glances. Some smiled and nodded, other merely gazed at him with interest, a myriad of expressions from all of the people they passed.
Quinn hung back a moment and looked over the shoulder that Valor wasn't perched on, meeting Forsythe's gaze. "Do you get the feeling that everyone knows something we don't?"
Forsythe glanced around, a frown tugging on his face. "It feels like we're walking into a trap."
"This is Demacian Territory, though." Quinn hissed. The hostess stopped and turned back with a large smile on her face, gesturing to a table tucked away in the corner.
"Just stay on your guard." Forsythe said, letting his hand snake to the knife on his belt. Forsythe slid around the corner and drew his knife, sinking back into a fighting stance, ready for anything.
His jaw fell open.
"So you're telling me they make a drink of melted chocolate?" Shyvana's eyes were wide with disbelief as Jarvan chuckled and nodded. He lifted his tankard to his face, pausing halfway to his mouth as Forsythe rounded the corner.
"Forsythe! Quinn!" Shyvana exclaimed, dropping her own tankard.
"Wait... but how..." Forsythe stammered, pointing back and forth from Shyvana to Jarvan. A smile spread over Quinn's face as Shyvana tried to stand up but stumbled and collapsed back into her seat, a tipsy smile decorating her face.
"We were wondering when you two were going to get here!" Jarvan laughed, his cheeks flushed from the drinks.
Shyvana poked Jarvan with an accusatory finger. "Hey, you said it'd be another day!" Jarvan tried to keep a straight face but burst into laughter, hiding it after a few hearty chuckles, noticing that Quinn and Forsythe still stood dumbfounded.
"Did not." Jarvan hissed, glancing away with a cheeky smile as Shyvana gave him a scornful glare. He waved to the two seats across from them. "Here, sit, sit!" He looked the blonde barmaid, giving her a brazen smile. "Another round please." The hostess nodded nervously, blushing furiously and then disappeared. Shyvana's glare only intensified as she pulled away slightly.
"Do you always have that affect on women?" She said, puffing out one cheek. Jarvan tried to avoid the question by looking to Quinn and Forsythe.
"We've been waiting for you." Jarvan said with a smile, again gesturing to the seats. "Please, sit and drink with us." Quinn nodded after a few moments, shaking her head as she slid into the booth.
"But how did you manage to get here before us?" Forsythe deadpanned, shaking his head as he looked to the knife, blushed slightly and then slid it back into its sheath.
"Hey!" Shyvana glared at Forsythe for a few moments, snapping his mouth shut before she wheeled around and glared at Jarvan. "Answer the question or this ends up in your lap." She lifted her tankard up over him. Forsythe burst into laughter and a smile spread over Quinn's face as Valor jumped up towards one of the rafters.
"He's always been a target of lady's envy and desire..." Forsythe said, accepting a tankard from the barmaid as she swept back towards their table. He passed one across to Quinn who accepted it and took a long pull, sighing contently. "And their company's scorn." Forsythe said, ignoring the glare he was now getting from Jarvan.
"Shut your mouth before I shut it for you." Jarvan snapped, hiding his embarrassment behind his tankard. He tipped it up and took a long pull as Shyvana rolled her eyes and exhaled, leaning heavily on her arm.
"It's been like this ever since we got here." She said, trying to hide her smile with more scorn.
"Hey, don't act like you haven't gotten your fair share of glances when you arrived in nothing but a cloak." Jarvan barked. Color flooded Shyvana's face.
"That's different!" She stammered, her face burning a bright red. "I can't help it if I can't transform back into clothes yet!" It was Forsythe's turn to blush as Quinn laughed aloud, dribbling some of the ale down her chin. A smile spread over the faces that gathered around the table.
"I was wondering how exactly you beat us here." Quinn said, shaking her head. She planted her arm on the table, leaning on her hand and smiling at Shyvana. "You flew here, just to surprise us?"
Shyvana smiled a bit and nodded. "It was his idea though." She gestured to Jarvan, jerking a thumb over her shoulder. "He figured it would be funny."
"Yeah well, you nearly gave me a heart attack." Forsythe grinned, hanging his head for a moment. "When I saw you here... I didn't think you could have beaten us here and I thought you a ghost... Bastard." He took a long pull from his tankard and dropped it back down to the table, sighing contently. Jarvan and Shyvana chuckled. Silence washed over the table.
"When do you kick a yordle in the nuts?" The voice sounded all too familiar and as the group turned and looked, they saw an older balding man, his face flushed from all of the booze he had consumed. "When he's standing next to you girlfriend saying her hair smells nice!"
An explosion of laughter washed through the tavern, drowning out the world around them for a few moments.
Jarvan glanced at Forsythe, Quinn and Shyvana, each of them with a look of shock and disappointment riding on their faces. Jarvan closed his eyes for a brief moment before he grabbed his tankard and lifted it into the air.
"To Isaacs." He said softly, watching as his friends, now gathered around a small table just outside Demacia, smiled as they raised their tankards.
"To Isaacs." They echoed.
Silence ensued as each of them downed as much ale as they dared, slowly returning their tankards to the table.
"I bet you've got questions." Jarvan said after a few moments of staring at the table. He looked to Quinn and Forsythe. They exchanged glances.
"I was going to ask how to beat us here, but I already got the answer to that question." Quinn said, shrugging and smiling.
"That was my doing." Shyvana said with a nod. "We took Kampf down, and after taking care of something... we headed here."
"By something you mean..." Quinn raised an eyebrow as Shyvana's face turned bright red as she realized what her words had implied.
"Nononono!" She said shaking her head from side to side, laughter echoing around the table at the poor dragoness' expense.
"Nothing like that." Jarvan said, smiling as Shyvana hung her head in embarrassment, steam rising as her cheeks burned the same shade of red as her hair. "We gave Isaacs a proper burial atop the cliff where the battle had raged." Forsythe and Quinn nodded and were quiet for a few moments.
"So it's done?" Forsythe's hand brushed over the bandage he wore as a makeshift eye-patch. "Kampf is dead?"
"He's rotting in hell, right about now." Shyvana said, disgust rolling through her voice as she downed the last of her tankard of ale. She turned away from the table for a few moments to gather her composure. Jarvan's gaze followed her for a few moments, but turned back towards the table.
"We made sure he was dead." Jarvan closed his eyes for a few moments. "There's no way anyone will ever have to deal with him again." Jarvan clenched his fists as he scowled, but he took a deep breath and shook his head. "Sorry, didn't mean to drag the mood down."
"Take a moment if you need." Quinn said, looking from the dragoness and the prince to Forsythe. "So what happens now?"
"We've decided to return to Demacia." Jarvan said running a hand through his black hair, pulling a few stray strands back out of his face. "I can't run from my past any longer, and It's about time I took my place back among my people." Quinn looked to Shyvana who had returned to the conversation.
"Jarvan has asked for me to serve within the Royal Guard." Shyvana said glancing down at the table. "I don't really have any other choices, so I accepted." Quinn looked to Forsythe who caught on after a few moments that everyone was looking at him. He shrugged and sighed.
"If Jarvan is returning to Demacia, than so shall I." He said, nodding at the prince. "I'll stay in the military. It made me what I am and gave me what little I had."
"You could try for a commission." Jarvan said after a few moments. "You're young, but you did survive the very worst that Valoran had to throw at you. You're tough and resourceful. Besides... the very least you could do is try and surpass Isaacs." Jarvan words caused anger to flash through Forsythe's remaining eye, but a tight lipped smile offset the fire it contained.
"The crazy old bastard would have slapped you for that remark." Forsythe growled, his smile growing. "He denied commission after commission to stay on as your subordinate." Jarvan's brow furrowed for a moment as if this was news to him. "Besides, when we joined you on this crusade two years ago, the twelve of us abandoned out Military service and commissions. If I'm not facing prison time for going AWOL, I'll enlist again." He paused a moment and thought to himself, sighing lightly and shrugging. "I think I might serve a bit longer before I try to take on a unit of my own though."
"That's understandable." Jarvan met the man's gaze. "And you needn't worry about going AWOL, I'll make sure anything of the sort doesn't see the light of day." Forsythe nodded his thanks.
"What about you?" Forsythe said, turning to Quinn. She looked surprised for a brief moment before she was able to hide the sentiment. "I'm sure if you wanted, Jarvan could get you an appointment to the Demacian Martial Academy; they have a medical school that's renowned throughout Valoran."
Jarvan nodded his approval. "You saved my life, Shyvana's life, Isaacs-..." His voice trailed off, but he shook the pain from his face. "I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for you. The least I can do is offer you the chance to make your dream come true." Quinn blushed and her smile widened and she laughed, but she shook her head.
"Thanks you... you have no idea how much I appreciate the offer." Quinn said, but she met Jarvan's surprise openly. "But no thank you. I learned that I can't be afraid of my past from you and the others, and starting now I'm moving forward. Someday I might end up going on to become a doctor, but I think I want to earn it for myself." She looked up to the rafters where Valor had tucked his head into his wing and had fallen asleep.
"I can respect that." Jarvan said, smiling. "If there is anything you ever need help with though, please don't hesitate to ask." Quinn nodded and smiled.
"I'll try not to." She smothered a yawn and then looked out the window. "I think... I think I'm going to say my farewells now, though."
"You have somewhere to be at this hour?" Jarvan said, signaling the barmaid for another round as she passed as she scanned the tables for empty tankards to be collected or refilled.
"I'm going to retire now and leave early tomorrow morning." Quinn said, nodding. "I need to discuss with my parents what I'm planning. I owe them that much." Forsythe slid out of the booth and stretched his arms over his head, yawning.
"You too, Forsythe?" Jarvan asked, bumping Shyvana towards the edge of the bench and then following her to his feet.
"Unlike the two of you, we've been traveling all day." He pointed to Shyvana and Jarvan, getting a smile in response from both of them. "I'm worn out."
"Very well." Jarvan stuck his hand out to Quinn and smiled. The young woman looked at his hand as if it were something utterly foreign to her, but as a smile spread over her face, she took his hand and shook it. "Take care, and thank you, my friend." Jarvan said, grinning as the tracker nodded her head.
"I will." She said grinning toothily now. She turned to Shyvana. "I know we got off to a rough start... but I hope you see me as a friend." The dragoness gaped for a brief moment but she soon matched the tracker's smile. Shyvana stuck her hand out as the smile spread on her face, but Quinn wrapped her arms around the Dragoness's neck and pulled her into a hug. "Take care of Jarvan for me." She whispered as she backed away, leaving the dragoness at a loss for words and blushing slightly. "I'll see you all again."
"I'll walk you to the door." Forsythe said, looking at Jarvan with a mischievous grin on his face. The prince rolled his eyes and put a hand on Shyvana's shoulder, the dragoness leaning against him with a smile on her face. "See you in the morning Miss Shyvana. Captain." He nodded at them both before he turned and followed Quinn towards the door. Valor swept down from the rafters and landed on her shoulder, casting a fleeting glance back at Jarvan and Shyvana as they disappeared into the crowd.
Jarvan dropped back into the bench and took a deep breath, shaking his head for a moment.
"Something on your mind?" Shyvana said, grinning as she slid down towards him, perching herself on his knee.
A frown darkened Jarvan's brow ever so lightly. "No... I..."
"It's okay..." Shyvana said, stroking his cheek. "I'm going to miss them too." She smiled at the look of surprise that rode freely on his face.
"Quinn, Isaacs..." She smiled nostalgically. "It won't be the same without them." Jarvan nodded quietly, running a hand up and down Shyvana's spine, simply indulging himself in a few moments of her presence.
"I think we should head on to bed." Shyvana said pulling herself to her feet. "Tomorrow is going to be a big day." She took Jarvan's hands in her own and hauled him to his feet. "And there's something I want." Jarvan raised an eyebrow as he tossed a gold coin onto the table and followed Shyvana through the crowed pub. As they neared the entrance of the pub, he glanced around, looking for Quinn and Isaacs, but neither of them were to be seen. The door opened with a vicious gust of wind, Shyvana wrapping her arms around herself. Several burly men, bundled up in cloaks pushed in through the snow. The first was amassive man who was as broad and as tall as a house, towering over even Jarvan. He wore a boisterous smile that revealed missing teeth, and his dirty, faded cloak had been stitched up across the chest where it had been nearly bisected by a long gash. The man moved with some effort through, as if he had been wounded long ago. There was a small patch of fabric on his chest that was slightly less faded than the rest, where a patch had most likely been removed.
"I'm telling you, Bart, that chick wasn't normal." Another man followed him into the pub, pulling back the hood on his cloak, revealing a nasty scar on his cheek. Their cloaks were indiscernible shades of brown, though the difference in colors indicated they hadn't always been that color. "It had to be her!"
"Don't tell you believe the stories." The mountain of a man had to duck to get in the door, a mane of shaggy hair hiding his brow. "It's nothing but swill and Demacian propaganda."
"Think what you want, but they're not just rumors." He muttered, grumbling. "She took us down pretty easily, and apparently she took an entire village out on her own. I even heard that it was the Demacian Crown Prince who showed you up!"
"There's no way it could have been them." The large man boasted, putting on a confident smile, revealing more gaps where teeth should have been. "I could have taken her on if it hadn't for that ass with the lance blindsiding me." He ran his hand over his chin remembering the pain and embarrassment he had felt at the hands of the pair. "We would have still be legionnaires!"
"Sure..." His companion rolled his eyes. "Dogs lower than dirt. Why don't you say that to her face?"
"Yeah well, we won't have to deal with her any more." The largest man boasted, surveying the tavern. "She's back in Noxus and we're... here..." His voice fell away as his eyes grew to the size of saucers. Shyvana looked at him for a moment, frowning. They looked familiar but she couldn't place where from.
"Bart, what's the matter?" The larger man had stopped dead in his tracks, his jaw quivering as he raised his eyes and pointed at Shyvana. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Oh!" Shyvana said, realizing where she recognized them from. "I remember you guys! You tried to cop a feel and I kicked you ass!" She wore a smile as both men completely drained of color in the face.
"I remember them." Jarvan growled.
"I..." Bart gulped. "Back me up, Serj!" He looked over his shoulder to where his companion should have been, but the man had already disappeared, the open door swinging on its hinges.
"You got something to say?" Shyvana said, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Nope!" He man said, putting his hands in front of him as he backed away slowly. "Nope, nothing at all! Nope!" He turned and started to run, tripping over the lip of the door and crashing to his face before he squabbled to his feet and took off into the night.
"What was that all about?" Jarvan said, chuckling and shaking his head, running a hand through his hair.
"Who knows." Shyvana said with a grin. She took Jarvan by the hand and led him towards the stairs that led up to the rooms of the inn above the tavern. Jarvan nodded to the barkeep as Shyvana led him up the steps towards their room.
"You mentioned something you wanted from me earlier." Jarvan said, watching Shyvana walk up the steps with a small smile on his face. Shyvana looked over her shoulder and caught him staring, wiggling her hips a little bit, causing the prince to blush.
"I didn't forget." Shyvana said smiling.
Jarvan raised an eyebrow but smiled. "I bought you dinner, helped you slay the giant, evil dragon who killed your father, gave you a position in my Guard... I've given you a home and a purpose." He watched Shyvana with a crooked smile on his face. "What else do you want?"
Shyvana pulled him into the room they shared, far back at the very end of the hallway, secluded around a corner. Shyvana pushed Jarvan playfully into the room and then pulled it closed behind her. Jarvan watched her with interest as she made sure the door was locked before blew out the lantern that sat upon the bedside table. She turned back to Jarvan with an imp-like smile upon her face as she bit her lower lip in anticipation, sauntering towards him in the dim light. She laced her hands around his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss, standing on her toes and pressing against him. Jarvan had to pull back after meeting her fierce, spicy taste with gusto, gasping for breath. The dragoness met his gaze with fire sparkling in her eyes.
"You."