Chapter VIII

The Avarossan were kind enough to share all their supplies with us while Ashe and Jarvan worked erratically to create a plan. I chuckled at the idea of that because I knew for a fact that they knew no more than the rest of us did. Not to mention the Prince's messed up priorities.

Neither Quinn nor Shyvana came back. I am led to believe that they are either lost or injured and no matter how much I try to ignore this horrible feeling I find myself unable to. My hatred towards Jarvan does nothing but grow towards his ignorance.

Eventually, I got my nerve together and packed some supplies. I wasn't going to sit and way while guilt worked away at my consciousness, so I was ready to set off and find them. I had to. I needed to know that Shyv was alright...

I was already in the inn, enjoying my drink of the finest wine. The world around me was nothing more than a chaos of laughter and idle conversations. A world I was not part of sitting solitarily at a table.

Shyvana walked in wearily through the door and looked around for a place to sit and rest. I raised my hand and greeted her a bit too merrily. She hesitated, but eventually came forward and sat by me.

"How is my dragon doing?" I asked her.

"Fiora, you're drunk." She replied, her voice tired but surprisingly not annoyed.

I laughed at her comment, disregarding it as if it wasn't true. "Have some if you want." I gestured towards the bottle of wine.

She grabbed it and brought it to her mouth, taking a couple of big gulps.

"I thought you'd use a glass when I offered..." I remarked.

"Next time, don't offer then." She said with smile slowly spreading across her lips.

I chuckled. There was something strange about Shyvana. No matter how I looked at her, she was a beast, but at the same time she had a kind heart and I was never scared to test her temper, because I knew she wouldn't harm me. How did I know that? How could I be sure that simple Demacian laws would stop a brutal dragon from shredding me? I couldn't, and yet I was.

"Are you feeling ok?" I asked her, noticing that she seemed distant.

She looked up at me. "Oh, yeah. I just feel really tired... that's all."

"Ok. You better feel alright soon. If a battle breaks out I don't want you getting in the way of my swift blade."

"Oh, Fiora. Always so modest. How do you do it?" She said mockingly.

I smiled. "It runs through my veins."

"Like that foreign blood of yours."

"It was a buy one get one free offer."

Her laugh was also one of the things that were odd about Shyvana. It was something that always pleased the ears, as if it had never come out of a dragon's mouth, shaped by her fiery breath. It didn't sound completely human either though, but it was the main reason why I ever bothered to be funny.

I filled my glass up to the brim with wine. There wasn't much left in the bottle.

"Ahem."Said Shyvana, grabbing my attention. "Do you want me to die of thirst?" The smirk on her face fueled my sudden burst of confidence.

"How careless of me." I said before leaning towards her, placing my hand on her cheek and sealing our lips. "I hope this will do." I said as I pulled away, returning her smirk from earlier.

She stood there for a few moments, motionless, trying to piece together what had happened. I could say that I didn't doubt my actions, but that would be a lie. I waited for her to respond as I felt my heart try to escape my chest with every heavy beat.

Finally, she smiled. "That wasn't the same as a sip of wine, but just as staggering."

She moved closer to return the favour, but there was never a chance. The doors to the inn burst open.

"Jarvan requests that all soldiers report at once!" Were the words that echoed around the whole room. Men and women alike rushed outside, not even half expecting the horrors that we had witnessed...

Not even half expecting that they'll be separated from the ones they love...

I shook my head, trying again and again to push the memory to the back of my head, but it was far stronger than I was. I decided to focus on my plan instead. I was to head out of our camp, trying hard to go by unnoticed. Then, I was to head North, in the direction which I had last seen them running. According to the sneak peak I took at one of Jarvan's maps, there should be a small cliff nearby in that direction, so I might perhaps encounter a dead end and resort to looking for their tracks. It was an unusual plan for me, as it seemed more like something an uncivilised hunter would do, not a duelist, but I had to find them.

I managed to leave the camp successfully, and headed North, paying constant heed to my compass. The cold of Freljord chilled me to the bone as I traversed through the thick layer of snow.

I didn't get very far when I heard them. I jerked my head to the left and there they were. I jumped to one side as a tree fell down, ready to crush me, but missed. I got on my feet as soon as I could, and ran back to warn the others.

"No..." I whispered to myself. "Not again."

As I entered our camp again, I felt my neck rip as I shouted with all my strength. "They're back! The creatures are back!"

Jarvan approached me with great trepidation. "You saw them? Why were you out wandering? I gave strict orders..."

"I don't care! They're here and if we don't move we'll die!" I shoved him to one side and raised my voice towards all the soldiers. "Grab everything you can and run! Head East!"

"East?" I heard Ashe remark. "East? To the Winter's Claw?"

I turned to her. "They came from the West. I know that for a fact... I was heading North... they came from my left. We need to run in the opposite direction!" I turned to everyone again. "East! Flee to the East!"

Nobody hesitated. Nobody wanted to be left behind. Nobody wished to die.

The Winter's Claw... Maybe they'll help us. Rivalries put aside, we're all here to survive.