Oookay, so not having Microsoft Office for my computer is quite annoying, but then one of my good friends (and fellow writers) reminded me that I could use Google Docs for writing my material! Go him!

Anywaaaaay, now that I've got tons of free time, I can focus on writing and updating more often for you guys. Sorry about the late update!

Also, forgive me for spelling "Freljord" wrong in the WHOLE entire first chapter, I didn't mean to, I swear!

Disclaimer: All dis stuff are belong to Rito Gaeming.


Ashe gently hummed as she ran her hands through the lukewarm water. She always hated the smell of fish on her hands, but fishing was always the easiest way to acquire food safely and efficiently. She always quietly thanked Heimerdinger for coming out and generously building a plumbing network for her and her fellow Freljord. The genius yordle only humbly nodded his head and mentioned something along the lines of owing someone a favor.

Her voice was soft as she hummed the tune, a song that her mother had hummed to her when she was just a girl, an old Freljordian tune that anyone in Runeterra could recognize, as it had been passed down since the ancient times. Her voice, despite the gentleness of it, was the only thing that could be heard inside of the small hut she called her home.

"I know that song…"

Ashe nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of the voice. It was more of a whisper than a voice, but still a voice nonetheless.

The girl from earlier now sat up, but only slightly, her crimson eyes glowing and her short silver hair a disheveled mess. Her arm was bandaged heavily along with light bandaging around her chest and abdomen. She seemed to be in a daze, but still fully aware of her surroundings.

"You're… awake." Ashe mumbled as she shut off the sink.

"Unfortunately." The girl tried to give a chuckle, but it only came out as a hoarse cough followed by her falling back down to her previous prone state.

Ashe rushed over to her, examining the bandaging on her arm and torso, ensuring none of it had come loose. She then placed her hand gently to her forehead and frowned.

"Slight fever still…"

She gracefully made her way over to the sink and ran a cloth under some cold water. She folded the cloth up and placed it on the girl's forehead, not wanting to risk her becoming even more ill than when she had first found her.

The girl's crimson eyes found Ashe's piercing blue eyes. They didn't hold malice, but more rather confusion and guilt. There was something else there, but Ashe couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Miss…"

"Ashe,"

The girl smiled gently, "Miss Ashe, while I'm eternally grateful that you've taken care of me like this… why did you do this?"

Ashe shrugged her shoulders, "It's just instinct I guess… I've always been one to help people in need, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I just left someone out in the forest to die… One thing though… Who are you? You don't look like you're from Ionia."

The girl flinched at the mention of the peaceful country, which piqued Ashe's interest even further.

"My name… My name is Riven."

Ashe raised an eyebrow slightly, the cogs were turning in her head and Riven knew it.

"Riven… Where are you from? If you're not from Ionia I presume…"

Riven's eyes dulled and her expression saddened.

"I'm from Noxus…"

"Oh… I see…"

Riven looked up at Ashe, a pitiful expression on her pale face.

"This isn't what I wanted… I didn't want this onto Ionia. I had friends in Ionia. They knew that… But they still went through with this… this… slaughter…"

"Riven… What happened to you? Clearly if you're this badly injured, the Ionians had to have put up a good fight."

Riven traced her bandaged arm gently, her eyes examining Ashe's handiwork.


Riven shouted as she cut down another soldier, their lifeless body dropping the ground in front of her. The runes on her blade glowed brightly as she blocked a blow from an oncoming attacker. Her eyes shot over as she witnessed yet another member of her squad be slain by Ionian defenses. She watched as the last of the Pallas Temple Guardians, Varus, shot another arrow, which found its mark in the chest of yet another Noxian soldier. The blood shed was unreal.

The unit that Riven had been given to command into battle was slowly being collapsed on by Ionian forces. She winced as she heard the sound of cold steel slicing through flesh, the sound of soldiers, both Ionian and Noxian alike, screaming bloody murder as their corpses drop to the ground.

"We're running out of options here…" She mumbled to herself. "We're going to need help."

Riven pulled a small device, a radio communicator, out of her pouch. She quickly flipped the switch into the on position and waited for the sound of static. There was a very distinct voice on the other end of the device, which sounded much like Darius.

"Commander Riven! I was worried you had been killed. What is your status?"

Riven took a deep breath, then steeled herself. She was never one to ask for help, in fact, she scoffed at the idea, but she was in no position to be turning down help now. "Sir, we're dwindling in numbers, requesting assistance immediately." She hated the sound of her voice. She sounded weak. Desperate. But that's all she had left. It was either this or die. She didn't want to die. Not yet at least.

"Very well Commander, a wave of Zaunite soldiers are en route to your position. Hang tight." The signal cut-out afterward. Just as she went to put the communicator away, a voice could be heard, a voice that did not sound pleased to see her.

"Just who do you think you are…?"

Riven's eyes quickly shot up to the owner of the voice. It was a man, not too much taller than her. His hair was pulled back into a pony tail and he wore a blue tunic with a silver arm guard. He carried a very long blade, which was currently pointed at her.

"I'm just following orders!" With that, Riven jumped at the man with blinding speed, her broad sword glowing brightly. Their swords clashed together in a beautiful dance of steel, neither yielding their assaults onto each other.

Riven swung her blade towards his lower abdomen, which he quickly deflected and went for the counter assault. He lunged at her, his sword destined to pierce her chest, but she side stepped the blow and tripped him. With a shout and a burst of energy, Riven used one of her signature moves, "Ki Burst" immediately stopping the man in his tracks. He fell to the ground, long sword falling to his side, and Riven immediately held her blade up to his neck.

"Do it! Kill me Noxian!" His voice was full of hatred and malice, his face contorted angrily.

Riven clicked her tongue and sheathed her blade. "I do not need to take your life, Ionian. What I have taken is your pride."

Riven entered a temple, the place she had originally been sent, and with her blade drawn, entered the main room. Two guards stood at either side of the room, and foolishly charged her. They were cut down instantly. She had been sent to kill an Ionian Elder. She had not been given any reason why, but she just simply follows orders. She slowly opened the doors to a much larger room, where she presumed the Ionian Elder would be. Her instincts quickly kicked in as a blade came down on her from the right, and she parried the blow. An elder man, likely the person she had been sent to dispatch, stood, with a longsword, much like the man from earlier.

"I don't have time to deal with you old man!" Riven charged at the elder with extreme ferocity. The elder was only able to block the blows, but Riven's constant onslaught did not give him a single opening for any counter blows. Finally, with a great shout, Riven disarmed the man using a powerful blow and used her "Wind Slash," killing the man instantly. She heaved a sigh and sheathed her blade once she knew she was safe from any further hostiles.

Riven's elite battalion was all that remained of the many soldiers she had brought to the war zone. The ground was soaked in red, the blood of the fallen, and the stench of blood stretched for miles.

"This… this isn't war… this is just wrong…" Riven dropped to her knees, not caring that the ground below her was soiled with the blood of her own soldiers. She brought her hands to her head and wailed. Her whole body was numb. Her crimson eyes threatening tears. "This… Isn't what Noxus should be about… No… Enough… No more… NO MORE!" She buried her head into her hands and sobbed.

'Why am I being like this…? Why? It's not like I haven't seen death on this magnitude before… So why?'

"Everyone has their breaking points, General, even you." Riven's eyes widened. She shot her head over to the source of the voice. Her brow furrowed and she gritted her teeth.

"Singed… What business do you have here?"

Singed cackled, "Darius said he was sending Zaunite assistance! Did he not mention that it was me?"

His eyes held an almost maniacal look in them. A toothy grin that could make even the fiercest warrior shiver down to their core was plastered on his face.

"Singed… W-what are you going to do?" Riven's voice held a clear sign of panic. Singed was never one to show sympathy for anyone or anything.

Singed threw his head back and laughed hysterically. "Why I'm here to help, Riven! Don't you remember?!" His laughter subsided shortly afterwards. Singed removed the plug to the poison bottle he wore on his back and turned to her. "Now watch as I whisk all of your problems away, darling!"

"You fucking bastard!" Riven charged after the Zaunite, but was brought to a halt as the fumes of his toxin entered her nose. She wheezed, shutting her eyes tight and dropping her blade. When she opened her eyes again, Singed was gone and the battle field was saturated in poison. Screams of agony could be heard for miles. The numbness in her body was finally beginning to recede, now she could feel the full extent the poison's effect. Riven screamed in agony as a burning sensation overcame her right arm, up around her forearm. Tears threatened to fall from her crimson eyes as she watched the flesh of her right arm burn away as if it were paper. She let out an ear splitting scream as she fell to the fetal position, clutching her arm.

"It… can't end here. I won't let it…" Her voice was merely a rasp and her breaths were labored and weak. She finally fell flat on the ground and allowed unconsciousness to take her.

Riven awoke in a daze, her eyes burned as if they had been staring directly into the sun. A dull pain in her abdomen was the first thing that she became aware of. She slowly brought her left hand up to the source of the pain and felt an object protruding from her stomach. With a grunt, she removed it from her stomach and lifted it to her face.

'This… a piece of a sword…? Why does this look so familiar…?' Riven's eyes widened and she twisted her head in the direction of where her sword lay. The blade lay to her right, much of the blade missing, only a small chunk remained of the blade. The glyphs that once glowed brightly were now gone and the blade itself was now but a small sword that one would mistake for a broadsword. The piece she held in her hand was but the tip of the blade, which evidently was shoved into her stomach after the discovery of her.

'They must've presumed I was dead… I'd might as well be dead though…' Riven struggle to regain her composure and pulled herself up slowly. 'I need to get out of here…' She glowered at the carnage left behind by the Zaunite, Singed. Dead bodies littered the ground. The smell of burning flesh and blood was now even more prominent than before.

"That… That fucking bastard… He killed them all… Damnit!" Using her blade as a cane, she slowly made her way in any direction that wasn't towards the front line.

'If I'm going to die… I'd rather die where no one will ever find me and no one will ever know.' She trudged along aimlessly, deciding that she would go until she collapsed from blood loss and eventually die.


Riven's head was dipped, her bangs hiding her watery eyes. She didn't like to show such emotions, not even with her friends. She had balled her hands into fists, clutching at the sheets of the bed. She flinched when she felt a hand placed on her shoulder.

"I'll take care of you. You can stay here." Ashe's voice was gentle, yet confident.

Riven gritted her teeth and glared up at the Freljord. "I don't need your sympathy." A hint of venom could be heard in her voice.

Ashe closed her eyes and smiled gently. "You're right. You don't need my sympathy. You need my help."

"I don't need your help either!" Riven made an attempt to sit up yet again, but the effort was thwarted by the searing pain in her abdomen. She released an exasperated sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose before turning away from Ashe.

Ashe giggled, the smile from before remaining on her face. "Well, I don't think you're in much of a position to be declining help, my friend. Besides, things can get pretty lonely out here in this little hut. I wouldn't mind a roommate."

Riven remained silent.

"Riven?"

"I'm… your friend?" Her head remained turned away.

"Hmm? Well I was most certainly hoping we could be friends."

Riven turned her head to face Ashe, the same sad expression from before plastered on it. "But… I'm a Noxian… I… I killed all of those people. Women… Children… I… Why would you want to be friends with someone like me?"

Ashe brought a thoughtful hand to her chin, her blue eyes gazing straight ahead and her brow furrowed. Ashe brought her hand to Riven's shoulder yet again and grinned.

"Because if we all dwelled on the past, the things we'd done in the past, we'd never be able to move forward and explore all of the wonderful things the world has to offer us. We'd never be able to go out and meet new people and see new things. Worst of all, we'd never be willing to befriend others and learn to trust one another. Just a little something my mother taught me when I was a child. You might be a Noxian, but you're still just as human as I am. Humans are inevitably going to make mistakes right? Some of these mistakes will be more severe than others, right? You made a mistake. A pretty bad one, too. But you know what? It's all in the past. All we have is the present and the future."

Ashe gave Riven's shoulder a small squeeze. "So Riven, what do you say? Let's be friends?"

Riven's crimson eyes turned to her lap. Her hand fidgeted with the bandage on her arm, her face was expressionless. She then turned to Ashe and met her eyes. Her blue eyes shone brightly, her lips still turned up in a small grin. Riven chuckled, although it sounded more like a cough, and gave Ashe a small smile.

"I guess it's not too late to start over, friend."