"Ey, wake up. Don't you go back to sleep! GET UP!"
Nero groaned, opening his eyes to keep Kled from screaming into his ears. Even as he had his eyes open, the yordle was shaking him violently, as if Kled was just about ready to strangle the life out of Nero.
"Whaaaat? What do you want!?" Nero shoved him away and picked himself up off the ground.
"Heard somethin' west of here, like a buncha noise. I need you to come search with me." Kled backed away and stared off in that direction.
"Go get Skaarl to do it."
It was late at night and Nero did not feel like being disturbed. He'd just eaten! What about cramps?
"Skaarl ran off!" Kled grumbled. "Piece-a shit."
And so, with that, Kled grabbed Nero's arm and got to moving on foot. Nero began to wonder what could've even happened that Kled got so riled up. He supposed a bug probably landed on a blade of grass too loudly. Heck, Nero thought that Kled was angry specifically because the bug was even there. They had passed by a stream, and an idea sprung to life inside Nero's mind.
"Hey, slow down for a moment," Nero said as the water brought itself forth towards the two yordles, rising from under their feet and moving them forward.
Kled swayed back and forth, looking not the least bit pleased with Nero's idea. The other yordle brought himself close to Kled, wrapping an arm around him.
"Here, I'll help you."
Being this close was a bit restricting for Kled, but it was certainly helping him with balance.
"Just lead forward slightly. Don't have your feet so close together. It's like skating, but with less motion."
To glide across the waves was tricky, and Kled thought it smart to just let Nero lead for this one. He turned his head away, narrowing his eyes.
"Didn't need yer help..." he mumbled.
"Of course." Nero nodded. "I'm just being a gentleman."
There was silence for a while, and Nero glanced up towards the sky as they continued to move forward with the water under their feet. He could see all the stars out tonight, shining brightly as always. It was easy to be distracted from the dusty weather, but Kled always brought him back to earth again.
Kled was focusing on the pendant flapping in the wind under Nero's chin fur, glowing brightly as always. Always when the yordle was doing his magical mumbo jumbo- Kled never really understood. He turned his head away to look around at the area, Nero looking where he did not.
"Stop, I see somethin'..." He held a hand up.
The water lowered and dispersed into the soil below, Kled gripping his axe tightly. What sounded like a conversation slowly became clearer as they drew closer. It looked like a group of guards- Noxian soldiers precisely. Kled's nose wrinkled in what looked like disgust.
"Ain't learned their lesson all those other times, huh?" He glanced to Nero. "Let's go pick a fight!"
Nero nodded in agreement, following behind him as he made his presence known. The tiny group of soldiers were being led by the general that Nero had sparred against before running away towards the plains. The man recognized the yordle immediately and stared him down, Nero seeing his reflection in the steel laid in the man's grip.
"That was certainly a...crafty trick you performed for us." The general straightened himself. "Sorry to say, we were assigned to bring you back."
Kled glanced to Nero. "You know these bastards?"
The yordle in question was about to speak up, but was quickly cut off again by Kled.
"Doesn't matter, now I think it." Kled waved his axe at the general. "You want him? Fight for it!"
The general seemed to agree, rallying his cohorts. Nero noticed that a few carried guns with them, and he instantly began rethinking this. He tapped Kled's shoulder and motioned towards them. Kled didn't seem worried, having already noticed all of the guns.
"If Skaarl were here..." Kled shook his head. "No time for regrettin' nothin'."
Kled and Nero stood back to back, and the latter was searching far and wide for some water. They'd left the stream behind long ago.
"Kled, I don't see water anywhere," he whispered, "How can I fight?"
"Why do ya rely on yer powers?" Kled responded. "...This time, I'm teachin' you somethin'."
Kled was the leader of the duo, helping Nero, since he didn't have his usual method of attack, help Nero predict what moves the soldiers would go for. The blade of Kled's axe was enough to repel whatever bullets that came for them. Where it for for Kled's sharp eye, they would be more injured than a few cuts. Critically injuring a guard, he pried a shield from their grip and tossed it to Nero. Nero looked at it with a confused expression and strapped it onto his arm. Kled wasn't going to run from this, and Nero knew that. Fighting was their only way out.
"Take care of those behind me!"
Nero nodded and faced the soldiers behind Kled. The shield was heavier than what he'd normally carry. Kled seemed to be handling his side of the army just fine, but Nero was wavering. The shield was too heavy, he wasn't fast enough for the pace of the battle. Stumbling backwards, the shield lay on top of him, fortunately putting him out of harm's way. Kled glanced back towards Nero and grit his teeth, stepping back from the fight he found himself in to help the yordle crawl out from under the shield. Nero only got a glimpse of a man behind Kled before-
SLASH
"HRK-!"
He saw Kled collapse onto the ground, a gash in his back. Red began to spill across the ground. Nero could only watch in horror as the yordle struggled to stand up again, refusing to give in. Nero stepped over him and shoved him back down, pulling the shield over both of them. The smell of metal was repulsing, and Kled continued to struggle.
"G-Get offa me..."
"You're not fighting in this condition."
The army of men realized that they'd won this battle, and moved in to apprehend the both of them.
"HRRAAAGH!"
It was in that moment that Nero heard a screech from afar. A grin came across his face as he recognized who it belonged to. In the distance, Skaarl came running in a full-on sprint, kicking up dirt behind her as she charged through the soldiers and took both Nero and Kled with her. Gunfire followed as they ran off, but it all too quickly bounced off of Skaarl, not once piercing her.
Once again, they seemed to have evaded the soldiers. The old campsite they'd known came into view, and that was where Kled was dropped off. Nero knelt down beside him, fear in his eyes. Skaarl laid down in the grass and dirt, watching the two yordles.
Kled had been holding in the pain this entire time, and Nero's only indication that something needed to be done soon was the piercing scream that came from the yordle after minutes of a forced silent torture. Nero searched around the campsite for anything that would help with the cut, coming across the same terribly made tent. There was a worn-down box inside that held the things he needed. It felt like hours that Nero had been sitting there with Skaarl resting her head on his shoulder, watching him re-wrap the wounds on the occasion because he felt they were too tight or just flat out uncomfortable. Whatever was going through Nero's mind told him that he should take care of the arms as well, and perhaps the legs should he spot a scrape or two. His breathing wavered as he sat there with the bandages tightly grasped in his hands.
'Leave nothing uncovered...Infections are the last thing we need...'
"I say that battle was a win for us...right, Skaarl...?" Nero said, absentmindedly.
Skaarl gave a quizzical chirp in response, nudging his neck. Nero pet her head as she walked over to Kled and curled up around him.
"...Yeah, suppose you're right. No need for overconfidence. Might kill us."
Oddly enough, this one-sided conversation was calming him down. He didn't notice Kled eyeing him so attentively. As expected, Skaarl replied something unintelligible. But, Nero was determined to make it make sense for him.
"No, I'm not worrying too much, what'd ever give that off?" Nero shook his head, grasping at his pendant again. "It's rude to project."
The hope wasn't around anymore. Again, the yordle didn't notice. The tight grasping of the pendant seemed to be not much more than a habit now.
"Grrafflhlarg?"
"Well of course I'd be like this. Did you see how much blood that was? Honestly, you must be blind."
A discontent chirp.
"How rude...I don't want him to die, Skaarl," Nero said, deadpan,"Not that you would wish death upon him- you two are quite close, I understand. It's just that it feels...alone out here. You both are great company..."
He put a hand to his chin. "Not to sound so discriminatory, but...I never thought I'd be willing to live with a pair of Noxians."
"And I never thought I'd wind up sharing my land with an Ionian," Kled said out of nowhere.
Nero flinched, clearly not expecting the response. Skaarl turned her head and pressed her forehead to Kled's.
"You're not asleep?" He leaned close to Kled.
The wounded yordle gave a weak grin.
"When yer acting like that? Hells nah!" Kled cackled tiredly. "Puts on a show for me! God knows I need more-a those, bein' out here with Skaarl, and she ain't got too many more up her sleeve."
"I don't see what's so funny..."
"You care about me. That's what's funny, ya bastard."
Nero raised a finger, about to reply with a snarky comment. However, he shut his mouth.
"Someone who hates Noxians...cares about a Noxian. Ain't that a sweet piece-a irony for ya?"
"H-Hate?"
He'd never said that out loud, not in front of Kled. He always assumed the guy would hack him into pieces.
"I ain't dumb, told ya this before. You don't hide yer anger, kinda throws it out there like someone skippin' a stone. Can't change what happened to your relative, but..." Kled looked towards the ceiling of the tent, unable to think of what could finish that sentence.
So, he started anew.
"...You wanna know that's even funnier?"
"...What?"
"A Noxian...that actually gives a shit about ya." He turned towards Nero, giving a smile. "And yer right in front o' him, ain't that right, Skaarl?"
Skaarl gave a loose nod, tired.
Nero felt some sort of life jump into him, and he was smiling back at Kled. Skaarl went to wrap around Nero as well, closing around the two yordles and resting her head the ground, going to sleep.
"...Thanks." Nero said quietly.
Kled wrapped an arm around the other yordle and pulled him close.
"Any time, Cous."