Chapter XIII

The snow seemed even heavier than usual as it clung to my boots while I made my way to the healer's hut. I knew that I should hurry and inform them on how Shyv must be cured, but it seemed like I physically couldn't. Valor shrieked at me all the way there, but no matter what he said, my spirits refused to go up.

I reached the healer's eventually and pressed my hand against the door, ready to open it, but didn't. There was a noise. A noise so sudden and so loud that I span round at once, my eyes widening at a sight that I hoped to never see jaw dropped helplessly and I called at once for Valor to prepare. The noise, combined with my yell, had caught the immediate attention of others within the tribe too, as warrior after warrior stepped outside to face them once more.

Amongst the sudden and newly formed chaos, I could hear Sejuani's bellowing voice bring everyone to a halt. As she mounted the now healthy Bristle, she prepared Avarossan, Demacian and Winter Claw's troops alike within seconds by using simple orders that were yelled out in a way that no man could object. They gathered armour and weapons within moments, and not a minute later were they led forward by the Winter's Wrath.

I followed the crowd and was shortly joined by a tearful Fiora. It seemed that even when in deep grief, the duelist has a particular taste for bloodshed. I tried to find a way to tell her there and then that everything would be alright with Shyvana, but never got the chance.

I pierced the none-existent skin of the monsters again and again with arrows fired in the most precise way possible and Valor gouged them as best he could, until finally we brought down at least three of the pests. There was never any triumph though, because they kept coming from goodness knows where, fighting harder and harder. We helped wounded soldiers back to safety once or twice, before returning to the satisfying heat of the battle. Although it was tiring, it seemed as though we would win...

Fiora and I stuck by each other's side for quite some time, but at some point, the overflow of beasts forced us apart. I found myself side by side with Jarvan, now holding back an even greater wave. I noticed he was shaking as he fought, driving his spear into the creatures with hesitation. I didn't want to take much notice of it, but it had become obvious when I was knocked over by one of them.

I lay flat on the ground, my back aching from the impact with the cold and icy ground. The beast that hit me stood before me and approached even further. I backed away using my heels and my elbows, but to no avail. Jarvan stood still and simply watched, before spinning round and fleeing. I mentally cursed him at that moment, and watched helplessly as I met what I thought would be my end. Valor tried to hold them off, but he couldn't, not on his own...

I never got to see any victory. I was grabbed violently by the monster and all I remember after that point is agonising pain followed by darkness...

"I want you out. I want you gone. So leave. Go. Never come back." Sejuani's grip around my jawline tightened, squeezing my teeth together. Her once welcoming and beautiful blue eyes now shone with hostility and insatiable anger. "I wish that I had never saved your life. It's not worth anything anyway." She spat.

As I stared back at her, I felt the sudden need to simply embrace her and hold her tight, but knew that such a thing was now out of question. I tried to at least mutter an apology, but no words came out. She seemed like a complete stranger now, ready to skin me. I felt tears run down my cheeks as a quiet sob jerked in my throat. The tribe leader smiled at my suffering.

"Your brother. Dead. Your best friend. Dead." She said.

She's not dead. I thought.

She chuckled harshly."That's not what you chose to believe when I was there. Now, how about you? Are YOU dead yet?"

She laughed wickedly, her image now becoming more and more distorted. Shortly, I was no longer staring at Sejuani, but at a being resembling a woman, with pale bluish skin and what seemed to be a sort of helmet, pointed on either side of her head...

My eyes widened at the sight of her before me. She towered above me like a monster, and I was amazed at her incredible height... no. It wasn't her that was tall. It was me that was kneeled down on the floor. I tried to move, but my wrists were locked in place, holding my arms up. I looked up to discover two chains each holding one of my hands. They froze my skin.

I had no idea how time had passed when I was unconscious but one look around me told me that I was doomed. There was nothing in the dark room other than upward icicles and the cold ice floor, and obviously, the stranger before me. She had obviously waited for me to wake up.

She chuckled once more, her voice intimidating and inhumane.

"I see that my minions brought me quite a fascinating one this time." She said, looking at me as if she was examining a wild animal. "Not too bad, I must say. This isn't the purpose I created them for, of course, but in order to bring down a tribe one must... improvise. So," she grinned, "what is your name, little bird?"

"Who are you?" my voice was weak and raspy, "And what do you want?"

My questions simply amused her. "I am Lissandra. The ice witch. Now, why don't we become properly acquainted? Who are you? And how come you are so close to the leader of that God-forsaken tribe?"

My heart sank. "I...I..."

"Oh?" She smiled once more. "What's wrong, little bird? Did I get something wrong?"

She pressed her hands against my bare arms (as I then realized that a lot of my armour was gone) and I shivered at the sudden cold. One upwards look told me that there was ice setting around her grip, cracking my skin and penetrating my bones. I winced in pain, but pressed my lips together in order to remain quiet. I lowered my head in an attempt to ignore the agony, but no avail.

She smirked down at me and reached a hand towards my face. If my jaws wouldn't have been frozen in fear, and if I were more bold, I would have bitten her. She roughly grabbed my face and pulled me towards her, as much as the chains would allow.

"My,my..." Her cold fingers traced my jaw and her thumb slipped past my lips. With a tight grip on my lower jaw, she wretched it apart. The pain was incredibly intense - I feared that she had broken it. I let out a tormented groan, which only invoked more pain. If anything, it made her chuckle.

"Such a beautiful creature. Open your eyes." She whispered in a coarse voice. My eyes were tightly shut from the pain, but I opened them nonetheless. Who knows what she would have done if I didn't?

"Sing for me, little bird." She said.

A raucous scream left my throat moments later. I felt blood flowing down my cheek and onto the ice floor. Lissandra's sharp fingers sank deep into the sockets of my eyes. More blood flowed down my face, and I found myself choking on it shortly... My vision was gone, but Lissandra's laugh rang loudly within my ears.

I coughed violently in order to rid myself of my own scarlet liquid. I winced as doing so disturbed my jaw. Lissandra's hands now withdrew from my eyes before applying the same freezing sensation that she always seemed to harness. Strangely, she had stopped them from bleeding, although the was pain never ameliorated.

I shut my eyes tightly, feeling the sudden need to cry, although no tears were formed.

"You poor soul..." She said. "I almost feel sorry for you..." She paused, and if I could still see, I would have been faced with the same malevolent grin. "Are you thirsty, little bird?"

At the sound of those words I was suddenly made aware of my dry throat, but I said nothing and instead hung my head even lower.

"I'll take that as a yes." She said, and I mentally kicked myself.

The witch yanked my head back by my hair and forced a liquid down my mouth. I didn't realize at first, but it was water. Water so cold that it made my throat feel like it was burning. I tried to jerk my head away from her, but I couldn't. She simply forced my mouth to open even wider, which sent my jaw into a frenzy of pain. When she was done, she simply chuckled once more.

"I should let you rest now... yes... I really should." She said, her tone suddenly far too gentle. Anyway, it gave me a spark of hope. "Or, I could see just how long you'd last... You were unconscious for a couple of days after all. You must be dying for entertainment. Just like me." The spark had died.

She placed an icy hand on my ribs, making my shiver. Her fingers dug into my bones and I could feel her cruel magic seeping though my chest.

I was pleasantly surprised when she suddenly turned around, moving away from me. I couldn't see anything, of course, but I sensed that someone else had entered the room.