"Riven! We… we are… we need help at the front!" Dorkic said out of breath.

The man cowered at her glare, but she said nothing and dashed to the front taken aback by her duel with the strange man still lying against the house. No one, but Darius or Talon, lasted so long against her in melee combat and she found herself admiring the strange mans strength. To her, strength and prowess was most important and the man may have been weaker than her, but he possessed enormous potential and most intriguing also used the wind to aid his strikes.

All of her thoughts took place as she turned to leave him perhaps sparing his life and perhaps letting the strong survive to fight another day. That was the way of Noxus after all.

When Riven arrived at the front lines she was appalled by her soldiers. It wasn't that they were losing. No, against these peasants the weakest, wayward soldier was more than enough. Her dissatisfaction was that they had not finished their job. They hadn't finished the slaughter and that meant she would have to.

Her blade shimmered a sickly green glow radiating from it as she raised it above her head brandishing it and rallying her troops with a battle cry. The towns weak militia was nothing to her men with her pressing them forward. She pushed forward quickly running out of Ionians for her thirsty blade. There was only one house left. An old man sat outside of it and he looked at her peacefully.

"Who do I owe the pleasure?" The old man asked.

Just kill him. The thoughts for blood rushed through her head. Talking is meaningless. The man is the weaker! Kill him! Of course the voice was right. She should kill him on the spot. Instead she answered, "I will spare you the honor."

"I will give you mine, Noxian.I am councillor Gyro. I know the ways of your nation better than you it seems. Do you forget the old ways, child of Noxus? What is the purpose of strength when all of us are weak?"

"You... You know nothing of Noxus! I should quarter you on the spot!" Riven screamed in rage. Her men stared around watching the encounter wide eyed at their enraged commander who was so often calm and collected. This councillor! This esteemed elder of Ionia was here in a backwater village? Doubt flooded the recesses of her mind. There was perhaps an inkling of truth to the old fools words.

"Perhaps I know very little of the new Noxus, but I remember the old ways. Noxians used to be strong, honorable, and admirable. Despite your harsh ways you protected those that were weak and you actually valued true battle! What is this slaughter? Is this the combat and glory you hunt!" The elder said venomously.

Riven could no longer tolerate the man. Her sword flashed a stunningly bright and with a powerful swing she sent the wind roaring at the offending cretin. Elder Gyro's eyes widened in a mixture of fear and surprised.

The light in his eyes left him when his life left him. His head nearly decapitated by the force of the wind. He was slumped back against the wall of his hut. His treasured flute embedded in the wall level with the gash across his neck.

Riven turned back to her men disgusted with the rage the elder had incited in her. "Set the village aflame! We leave immediately!" The soldiers quickly create torches from scraps of clothing and dead forest wood. They toss the torches into house windows and onto the thatch roofs. The village is soon ablaze. The heat of the flame begins to grow uncomfortable in the village and Riven joins the rest of her contingent underneath the bamboo arch.

The small army forms up and they begin their march behind Riven and her second in command Murik. "Don't let that old man get to you Riven. I saw your anger," Murik stated as she turned her gaze to him.

She glared at him. "I don't appreciate your insight, Murik. Do not worry about me either. I am not so weak to be swayed by such a weakling as the Ionian Council member."

"I meant no offense Riven."

"It doesn't matter. We need to pick up the pace. I must receive Darius's orders at the end of this trail. He promised me a courtier."

"As you wish. I will spread the word around the men," Murik said obediently.

Riven felt a small smile graced her face as she remembered why she appreciated Murik so much. When she thought about it, she loved her entire company. Despite their failures she felt attached to them all as brothers in arm. A bond that would never be broken.

As promised a courtier was waiting for her at the edge of the bamboo forest. In his hand there was an envelope with a seal of Noxian high command. She snatched it from the mans hands and dismissed him with a quick wave hardly acknowledging his presence. The letter was directly from Swain. Riven found the man despicable yet admirable. Swain was strong and he was cunning. His combination of intelligence and power left him a deadly force to be reckoned with. By the time Darkwill realized the threat Swain posed it had been far too late.

Riven

I have no small task for you. I need you to lead your small contingent through sunset valley. Sunset valley is parallel to the route the rest of our forces, led by Darius, will take. You will make up our second front as we march on the Placidium. I trust you to follow orders. Our recon team that pushed up the valley reported few resistance and those they found the slaughtered on sight. You will act as a follow up force to aid our main army in case of unexpected resistance. Forever strong, Riven!

-Swain

Riven lets out a sigh. The strategy is simple enough, but Swain seems to overestimate the size of her force. Her men would be no use as a flanking army when they barely qualify as a company. No matter. Her distaste of Swain did not leave her ignorant of his tactical genius.

"Murik, I think we will be marching down Sunset Valley. Prepare the men we will camp here for the night and then set forth."

Murik looked at her in surprise and began to open his mouth, but apparently thought better of it and bit his tongue. He turned on his heel and spread Riven's orders to the men. The soldiers immediately began pitching tents or setting up fires. All of them were pre-assigned roles by their squad leader. The result was an efficient well trained war machine.

As the sun vanished behind the horizon the camp became rowdy and boisterous. The behavior was typical of soldiers after a victory despite how hollow it was. Riven found no joy in the pointless slaughter that seemed to haunt her throughout the nights. Even now before she had fully drifted into unconsciousness the faces of those she had slaughtered. Men and Women plagued her with their death screams.

The worst however was by far the screams of the children. They echoed through her mind and images of their faces and teddy bears clutched to their chests truly inspired her self hate. There was no justification for their murder. They were not weak, only beginning to discover the world and live their lives. Her nightmares were awful that night.

The next morning she gathered her forces. She brought out a map and determined that the march to the valley and then to the placidum would be at least two weeks. A long march free to torment her with the recent past that she knew would haunt her.