The cold morning air breathed life into Talon as he stepped outside. The village was still sound asleep, and the sun wouldn't peek out from behind the mountains before long. Dawn and Talon were long time friends, and though he was accustomed to its pastel colours, he almost stopped to watch the dark and vivid Uwendalian sky.

But Talon couldn't stop. Not after the sleepless night he had just been through.

The Noxian assassin had been tossing and turning in his bed, trying to find sleep. But the brief glance of Quinn he had caught last evening forbid him from finding rest, and invaded even the most guarded parts of his mind.

That left him with a throbbing head, as if it had been split in two with an axe. His eyes and temples hurt, and he could feel his brain was not as sharp as it usually was. But he couldn't wait.

While he took the road leading to Quinn's childhood home, an increasing discomfort was nestling in his stomach. Talon knew it had nothing to do with his pitiful night.

Fear...

Talon was anxious to death. Life hadn't given him many occasions to experience it, and in the past he had worked hard on rooting out of his heart any emotion that could incapacitate him in his activities. However, opening himself to Quinn had unfurled a tidal wave of feelings he couldn't control. He had accepted this risk, but direly hated being vulnerable in that way.

What if Quinn didn't want him anymore?

What if she had built a new life already?

What if... He had been replaced?

Blood in his mouth... Talon had bitten his lower lip and hadn't realized he was hurting himself. He knew those questions weren't rational, and simply were a product of his lack of control upon himself. But after every sacrifice, every choice he had made for her, Talon feared Quinn's potential rejection more than torture and death.

He soon came in sight of Quinn's house. It was too dark last evening to let him witness it, but now the sun appeared from behind a moutain and touched it with its beams. It looked like a warm and modest house filled with happy memories. Talon imagined a much younger Quinn running free in the garden, and playing with her brother until they were both exhausted.

With a pang in his heart, Talon remembered how different their lives had been before they had met each other. Penetrating into this peaceful place made him feel like a wolf sneaking in a flock of sheep. His place wasn't here, and it never had been.

It is with great violence against himself that he banished those poisonous thoughts from his mind. If he didn't break free, he would never know the future he so selfishly longed for.

All that mattered was if she wanted to be with him. Nothing more, nothing less.

After a long intake of breath, Talon walked towards the house...

He just noticed the man walking on the path, taking the same direction as him. Talon stayed hidden behind the trees, and observed the newcomer. His reflexes were still there, and he had to identify the nature of this morning visit. His fingers were already grazing the grip of his blade in case the man revealed dangerous intentions.

Talon squinted his eyes: he had seen the unusual platinum blonde colour from the man's hair somewhere... Yes, that was him! The youngest brother from the three Freljordians they had spied on last night. Dismas... The one whose words and tone had betrayed the feelings he was harbouring for the Demacian woman.

Talon clenched his blade, but for other reasons than defending Quinn. Oh yes, he wanted to get dirty with the blood of this guy.

The Noxian watched, and waited. Dismas had knocked on the door, and was waiting too. Soon, someone opened the door. Talon's heart skipped a beat, and desire flowed into him with brutal force: it was her.

Quinn smiled at Dismas. She rubbed her eyes, which were slightly puffy from just waking up. Her lips, cheeks and nose were reddened by the chilly morning. Talon's stomach burned with the need to cup her face between his hands and pull her in for a deep kiss. He craved her scent and taste like his life depended on it. His heart howled in despair when his rational self restrained him from jumping out of hiding to meet her.

Why was she smiling like that to this man? Talon wished that those smiles were directed to him, but they weren't. Dismas leant against the doorframe, cornering Quinn with his elbow against the wall. Seeing him play that move of seduction made it hard for Talon not to savagely pounce on him and slaughter him on the spot.

Quinn went out of her house, draped in a wool coat that enhanced her womanly shape more than her usual scouting gear. Dismas touched the crook of her back, and Quinn jumped in surprise, then blushed. Talon thought he was going to set the entire world aflame.

But what killed him was the laugh.

The sweet and deep laugh that only belonged to her. The voice that Talon had been cherishing in his dreams as a beacon of hope.

It had been offered to that stranger, who was apparently not that much of a stranger to her.

He had seen enough.

As the two of them started walking towards the sunlit path leading behind her house, Talon left without looking back.

In his stomach raged a dangerous beast. It wanted to blindly hurt and destroy to ease its own pain. It wanted to steal his woman away from this man, and make her his. It left a venomous trail in its wake in Talon's entrails, and the Noxian assassin knew if he didn't fight to keep it in, it would be far more terrifying than his cold assassin self.

This beast had been freed from its chains each time Quinn had been hurt or threatened... But satisfying its urges now for another reason would turn her life into an agonizing pit of dread and despair. In no way did Talon want that.

A warm liquid running down his chin momentarily helped him out of his torment. Talon brushed his numb lip with his finger, and brought it to his eyes. It was smeared with blood.

Just like his blood, rage was slowly leaving Talon's body. He was alone with his exhaustion and a new kind of hollowness.

He hadn't realized he was already back in the village. The streets were now populated with the inhabitants starting their day, but Talon didn't even bother to look at them.

The worst possible thing had happened.

The person that mattered the most in the world had forgotten him. She had found a new man, more reliable and safe, and was living a normal life. She was happy.

In the end, was that his punishment for daring to disrupt her life? Yes, maybe it was. A man like him should not have wished for what he would never have.

Talon was condemned to forever live in the shadows. He would never know love or joy again. He didn't even have a master to go back to anymore. Maybe that was a sign, and it was time to let his pitiful existence disappear once and for all.

He didn't even acknowledge the sleepy Katarina in their room who was pouring hot water on the flavoured leaves she had taken with her.

Talon sat on his bed, staring at nothing. Without undressing, he lay down heavily on the mattress. He closed his eyes, and didn't react to Kat's distant voice asking what happened. It didn't matter anymore.

The will to live was seeping out of him like the blood from his lip.

"Valor, to me!"

Quinn had extended her arm over her head with her fist clenched. The magnificent bird landed on it, finding his balance as easily as if he had been a feather. Quinn gently stroked the top of his head.

"Does he ever get tired?" asked Dismas.

"Only when I say so." jokingly replied Quinn.

Though she had put behind her past as a ranger, the Demacian woman was always proud when Valor was admired. The eagle deserved all the praise and recognition from the world.

"And... Are there others of his kind?"

"Azurite eagles? Yes, of course."

"But I mean, domesticated, like him."

Quinn became thoughtful, balling her fist under her chin.

"Valor isn't domesticated. He chooses to stay with me, and I call him my friend."

"Alright, I understand."

The Freljordian's eyes were hard to read, but Quinn doubted the man could understand such a deep and complex bond as Valor and hers.

"So are there other eagles like him living with humans?"

"Not to my knowledge. Our situation is very rare."

"I'm so curious! Can you tell me how you met him?"

Though Quinn liked to remember how they had beaten the tuskvore together, her encounter with the majestic bird and the foul creature inevitably reminded her of Caleb's death. She gave Dismas a half-hearted smile.

"Another day, maybe."

Dismas had a small chuckle. The way his cold eyes were looking at her made her uneasy.

"You're full of secrets, Quinn... That makes you really interesting to me."

He made a step forward, still watching her with interest. Quinn walked back, and Valor squawked at the man. Quinn blushed.

"I... I'm not as interesting as you think."

"That's not what I'd say. This eagle wouldn't have chosen just anyone as a companion."

"He simply likes the way I treat him, that's all..."

"I know your life isn't as boring as you make it to be... But I won't push you. However..."

He made another step, pushing Quinn against a tree. Valor jumped from her arm and landed on a branch right above Dismas' head. He was ready to strike if Quinn asked him to.

"W... Wait, what are you doing?" stuttered Quinn.

Her body sensed how the Freljordian was reacting to her. She didn't like what she could finally read in his eyes: attraction. His mouth inched closer from hers, and was close enough so that she felt his breath on her skin.

"You already know it, Quinn..." he murmured.

"Dismas... I told you it was too soon..."

"But that man is gone, right? Living in the past isn't doing you any good." Dismas had a long breath. "Let me help you forget him. I can give you everything you wish for... And more."

The way he had said those last words made Quinn shiver. A very small part of her was tempted to accept what he was promising: to forget.

She shook her head.

"No, no. Dismas... You're a handsome man. I'm sure plenty of women would want to be with you..."

"It's you I want. Please give me a chance." His voice wasn't pleading, it was confident.

Quinn squinted her eyes and shook her head once more.

That's when she felt his lips briefly touch hers.

The woman opened her eyes in shock, and pushed the blonde man away. Valor menacingly deployed his wings, ready to strike, but Quinn held her arm up.

"No, Valor." Her voice was trembling.

"Quinn, you're making a mistake..."

"I said no! What the hell is wrong with you?" She clenched her jaw in fear and anger. "Just... Just leave me alone!"

"But I..."

"Just GO!" she yelled.

The Freljordian didn't reply, and after a last scanning look, he strode away in the forest. Quinn's body was painful from the accumulated tension, and she didn't relax her muscles even after he was gone.

She had hoped it would not come to this. Quinn had knowledge of the Freljordian's feelings for her, but had no idea he would go that far. Dismas had always been friendly and respectful, and their commercial deal had comforted her in the idea that he would keep it for himself.

Quinn knew how painful unrequited love could be, and she had naively not wished to impose it upon anyone else. Brutally rejecting Dismas sounded too harsh... But maybe she should have done it from the start.

Valor went down from his branch, and gently landed on Quinn's arm. He pressed his cheek against her forehead to comfort her. Quinn stroked him back.

At least her oldest friend was there... And kept her safe.

"Wait wait wait... And you just let him go ?!"

Katarina couldn't believe her ears. Talon's head was turned towards the wall while he lay on the bed on his stomach. He didn't have the strength to explain what he had witnessed to Kat again, so he mumbled a faint "yes".

"I get it if you didn't want to traumatize her but... Why not just wait for him to be alone, and get rid of the nuisance?"

"Shut up."

Talon couldn't see the flash of worry that crossed Katarina's face in reaction to his tone. Hell, he didn't even know how such a weak voice could come out of his mouth. It was so lifeless.

"Don't be such a child! We just need to get back there and..."

Talon had a deep sigh.

"I don't want to, Kat. Just let me sleep."

He lied. He couldn't sleep, but couldn't live and move either. His body and mind were stuck in the shittiest place he'd ever been, and he didn't want anyone to witness that.

"It's 10 in the morning you idiot. Come on, get up. We're going back."

Katarina had tried to be as motivating as she could, but her phrase was met by silence. Talon's body was an immobile form on the bed, a mass of muddy clothes crowned with dark hair.

"Oh please! You can't tell me you're giving up so easily, after all the fucking sleeping outside to come here! Hey! Listen to me!"

Talon barely heard her, and he was fine with it. His mind was wandering somewhere else, out of his body. He wished not to be himself anymore... For what good was it doing to him? Every choice he had made in his life had inevitably led to failure and misery. Losing Quinn had been another proof that nothing good ever happened to men like him.

The Noxian assassin was out of words and thoughts to express his pain.

Kataraina said something else, then stormed out of the room. Not that it mattered, anyway.

Talon stayed like that for what felt like long hours. His eyes were fixed on nothing, and he was cold. Not even sleep deigned to grace him with a well-needed moment of respite.

Katarina had indeed said something...

But it didn't matter, right?

It didn't matter...

Wait. Hadn't she mentioned she was going somwhere? Maybe, thought Talon. He was surprised to see the gears of his mind still trying to work even after he had given up. There really wasn't an off-switch apart from dying...

Katarina...

What had she said...

Talon hadn't really listened, and the words were messy in his mind. But a few remains stood out.

"... Find her! ... Myself! ..."

His heart suddenly started to race and made his blood pump faster in his veins. He almost jumped from his bed, he was now painfully awake.

"If you're staying there like a coward, I'm going to find her myself!"

A catastrophe was on the verge of happening and he had been trying to sleep. If Katarina told Quinn that Talon had come here, she would ruin everything the ex-ranger had been trying to build, every new perspective of a good life she had. Talon wanted her to be happy... If she learned the truth, Quinn would be miserable. She didn't want him anymore... So what need was there to torture her?

Talon sprung from the bed, and briefly caught sight of his face in the mirror attached to the door. He looked like a famished wanderer, with dark circles under his eyes and a thinner face than what he thought. His messy hair made him look like he was ready to mug someone for food.

Unfortunately, he had no time to tend to his appearance.

The Noxian assassin rushed out of the inn, his heart beating wildly. Maybe he was already too late.

Talon was out of breath when he arrived in sight of Quinn's childhood house. He had mustered all the strength left in him to get there as fast as he could and stop Katarina from committing a grave mistake.

And there she was, watching him with that damn smug look!

Sitting cross-legged on a low wall near the main door, Katarina saw him right away, but didn't move an inch. She was at arm's length of a knock on the door if she wished to. His face must have been quite frightening to witness. It felt so surreal to see his sister in this place he had sworn never to go back to again.

Talon had no choice. He sprung out of the forest that hugged the trail, and stepped into the light. He walked fast to Katarina, furious that the redhead wasn't moving. Had she not understood that Quinn had forgotten Talon, and that telling her the truth would only hurt her?

His hand shot to her wrist and harshly grabbed it.

"We're leaving. Now." growled Talon through gritted teeth.

"No."

Kat wasn't as smug and confident as he had imagined. He could feel her arm shaking, and their eyes crossed questioningly.

"I'm doing this for you, Talon. Don't try to stop me."

"Don't speak so loud!" He agressively muttered after a look towards the door. Someone could open it at any moment.

"She's inside. I know it. All you have to do is knock."

Fear and hatred for who he was shot through Talon's veins like the most violent poison. Katarina was so cruel: she made it sound easy, when in fact it was impossible. For once, she probably wasn't aware of the torture she was inflincting upon him.

"I can't." Talon said in a helpless sigh.

A frown crossed Katarina's eyebrows, and she yanked her arm away. She stood up and watched the door with a firm intention. Talon pulled her back by catching her shoulder. He didn't expect Kat to react by crashing her palm against his cheek.

The barely contained rage that Talon had been trying to hold in finally had an occasion to be let out. The Noxian assassin pounced on his sister and pulled her by the hair, making them both tumble on the ground right before the door.

Katarina fought back, and clawed at Talon's hands and arms with no restraint. The pain from the small bleeding cuts only fueled his anger more. Talon tried to grab her wrists and hold them together so that he could force her away from the house. But Katarina squirmed and was making it hard for him to control her. She punched him in the stomach, but Talon hardened his muscles just in time to lessen the impact of the blow.

Someone inside opened the door on the ridiculous mess they were making on the ground, but Talon didn't realize it as he was wrestling with his fiery sister.

He gradually stopped trying to fight Katarina, as he sensed something was odd... Looking around, his eyes first met with two legs standing in front of them... And then went up.

In spite of the pain he was in, when their eyes met, nothing else mattered to Talon. And somehow, he knew it would always be that way.

She was standing right above them, her amber eyes shining with disbelief as if she had just seen a ghost. In a sense, it was true. Though he wished none of that happened, a rush of heat and blood made Talon suddenly feel alive.

Quinn was with no doubt the most beautiful woman he knew. The light wind was gently shaking her slightly wet hair. She had probably been bathing before she had heard the noise outside, and Talon couldn't help but think that her darkened strands of hair made her look unbelievably more desirable.

The Noxian felt how strongly his body answered the call of her own, how his eyes roamed all of her to imprint her features in his mind. The sight of her reddened cheeks and nose made his entrails melt. Quinn worriedly bit her lower lip with the tip of her teeth, filling Talon with a furious need to do the same thing to her.

Katarina silently crawled away from him, observing the scene. Talon was unable to move, as if it would break the moment. The Demacian woman was trembling... Was it for the same reason?

A wave of disgust shook him with violence when he suddenly regained conscience of himself. How could she want a miserable remain of a painful past, when she had already found someone who would give her all she needed? He recalled the emaciated face he had seen in the mirror before coming. That was him now...

Laying at her feet like that, Talon had never felt as powerless in his life. A word from her, and he would be no more.

The assassin craved her presence and wanted her to stay, but he expected her to turn her back on him at any moment. When she started moving, he didn't flinch despite the painful leap of his heart.

Quinn slowly went down on her knees, lowering herself at Talon's level. Now, Talon could see her eyes more clearly. It looked like they almost had a voice of their own, trying to express a thousand of emotions.

Quinn threw herself at Talon, wrapping her shaky arms around him. When her feminine body pressed into his, he was reminded of how perfectly she fit there, in his embrace. Talon hadn't realized his limbs were trembling too as he fiercely hugged Quinn. She was so warm. Her scent was everywhere around him, awakening deep urges he thought he would never experience anymore.

She slowly moved her head, breathing against his cheek. Her lips blindly searched for his, and Talon gave her what she wanted. Their mouths quietly met in the cold morning.

She was his. She was his, and had never ceased to be.

Talon felt like another man. He cupped Quinn's jaw with his palm, and pressed her against him more. Their mouths moved on their own accord, forgetting to breathe. Talon's tongue demanded entrance in Quinn's mouth by pushing against her lips, and she parted them without hesitation. Her taste was entrancing, Talon wanted to feel it every day for the rest of his life.

They breathily broke the kiss and looked at each other. The expression of love and relief on Quinn's face made Talon want to make love to her on the spot, regardless of who was there.

"Talon..." Her quivering lips managed to say.

"My love..." His voice was so hoarse.

They kissed again, and again, never getting enough of each other.

They embraced each other on the very ground, getting dirty with dust. Talon vaguely remembered that Kat was probably watching. His face was bruised from their recent fight and his clothes were ripped in places. But as their heats mingled and their bodies found each other again, nothing in the world could take his mind away from Quinn.

His woman loved him, and he had finally found her.

Nothing else mattered.

[A/N: Aaaargh, you can't possibly imagine how good it felt to write them reuniting again. It's like I was a direct witness of the scene! That's the power of writing... And thank you so much for still following this story! I'm so glad to see readers are still engaged and I want to thank you all. Stay right there, a lot of cool stuff is coming!]