The Noxian Deadlands

Instantly, Sivir jumped back and flung her cross blade at the woman.. only to have it whiz by her head and circle around to return to it's owner, her own lips quirking a little in a smirk "Be careful what you wish for" Sivir simply said, catching her blade and letting it fall to her side.

Sivir's eyes then looked down at what Astrid was poking and nodded "Yes, I killed it just a few miles back.. seemed to be good meat" Sivir looked at the woman up and down again, stabbing her blade in the ground and folding her arms "You're no mere citizen, that much is clear" she said, looking at the poleaxe, Sivir then nodded to Astrid "And it is a pleasure to meet a fellow warrior as well"

Sivir shook her head "Riven would not be very.. fond of my presence." Sivir replied resting her eyes on Astrid "She doesn't view me in a good light, if you will" Sivir rolled her shoulders forward, her joints popping as well "Besides, the woman would probably be upset with you for bringing me there"

Sivir looked at the dead beast then back to Astrid, thinking for a moment "Okay.. fine" Sivir replied, picking up the wolf again "I doubt Riven would attack me unprovoked.. however, I do not truly know the woman, so we'll see what happens." Sivir added,walking towards the camp sight

Shaco was leaving Noxus, when he noticed a scent of a campfire. Shaco followed the scent to the campsite. Noticing Riven, Sivir, and Astrid, Shaco swiftly ducked under a dried up log to avoid detection. Shaco stopped for a moment, then slowly slunk away. He had more important matters to attend to in Zaun. Shaco considered coming back to the campsite after he finished business at The Reserve, but for now, he couldn't become sidetracked with trivial matters such as these.

Astrid listened on to Sivir's story and almost laughed at the ending. "Good think who ever they were came along when they did though." She had recalled a similar story some time, though from the other point of view. A friend of hers came across a dark haired warrior who was bleeding out. Though that had to have been after... or before Sivir's happened.

"You were lucky." She added in. "I'd share one of my own but... I don't think you'd be interested in my stories." She said, smirking.

Riven stirred as she heard voices. Immediately her hand flung to her blade, and she was on her feet, glancing around for signs of trouble. Her heartbeat slowed, however, as she spied the woman named Astrid, and another familiar face. One that she had not seen in a very long time...

"Battle Mistress..." Riven placed her blade at her side, still in hand, but not openly threatening. "It's been a long time..."

"I have no ill will toward you, Battle Mistress." Riven set her blade aside. "In fact, I was hoping I would be able to run into you at some point." She crossed her arms and looked the the raven-haired Noxian woman. She looked as strong and as capable as ever, however, Riven wasn't sure if now was the right time to discuss what she wanted. The chance meeting, however, was too good to pass up.

"You walked away from Noxus after they invaded Ionia. You thought the invasion poorly planned and executed... You saw the carnage and death on both sides before it happened." She sighed. "Unlike me, you didn't have to lose everything you ever loved and held dear before your eyes were opened...and you realized that Noxus as it was, as it is, is flawed..."

Riven crossed her arms, looking the warrioress in the eye as strongly and seriously as she could. "I know you crave material wealth more than moral rightness, but even you have to know that the path the Grand General walks is flawed, and dangerous for Valoran. Noxus has fallen from the path of true strength, and honor." Riven glanced to Astrid momentarily before turning her attention back to Sivir. This was as much important for her to hear as it was to the mercenary.

"Our homeland seeks to ally with Zaun and use its terrible weapons to kill friend and foe alike to achieve victory. Our Grand General uses trickery and deceit to gain power in underhanded and manipulative ways. That isn't strength. Those are the actions of a coward." She placed a hand on her chest and continued.

"I want a stronger, more honorable Noxus, and I am willing to fight, and die, for that goal alone if I must, but there is no need to suffer this burden alone if others can truly see the strength, honor, and wisdom in my views. After all, Noxus must be saved by Noxian hands." She looked to Sivir again, her face strong and stern. "So, I ask you, Battle Mistress, will you help me fight for a stronger, more honorable Noxus? One where our homeland's name can be spoken with reverence for our strength and determination, instead of uttered with contempt and disgust by the rest of Valoran, and those that know how corrupt and black it truly is?"

Riven would stand there, awaiting Sivir's reply in silence, the last of the words spoken between them drifting into the ether of memory. Despite what the Noxian propoganda would have claimed, Riven still loved Noxus. That was where her heart would always belong, but it pained her greatly to see her home so plagued by corruption and deceit. There were few Noxian champions that would think the same as Riven did, felt as she did. If not Sivir, then few of them would be convinced to help her achieve the stronger, more honorable Noxus in which she believed with every fiber of her being. Too many had died in pointless conflict, and needless death in Ionia...in Freljord... The dead deserved more for their sacrifice than the corrupted Noxus that currently existed. They deserved peace, and that peace could only come about if the current Noxian regime was dismantled, and the people's eyes opened to the true strength that she had discovered when she had nothing else...