In the Winter's Claw—
Sejuani stood with her hands on her hips, squinting at the several warriors up ahead who were busy putting up a new building.
"You're sure this thing you described can actually keep people warm?"
Sejuani spoke as she lowered her head to look at Logan beside her.
Logan smiled faintly and pointed at Ekko. "Relax, Sejuani. Twin Cities technology is something else. The one designing this heating system for you is one of Zaun's best scientists. His name's Ekko, and what he does best is using technology to improve people's quality of life."
And honestly, Logan wasn't wrong.
Among the scientists of the Twin Cities, Viktor excelled in hands-on skill and sheer thought power, while Jayce excelled in innovation and creativity. Singed buried himself in chemtech. Heimerdinger was good at a little of everything, basically a walking encyclopedia. Jinx was best at making weapons.
As for Ekko, what he was best at was using all kinds of inventions to make people's lives better.
While Logan had been away, Zaun's underground wastewater had already begun to be dealt with. Ekko had taken one of Viktor's old little inventions and reworked it into something new. After Ekko's improvements, that creation could effectively treat sewage. So when it came to heating, Ekko had naturally gotten started long ago as well.
"..."
Sejuani's expression clearly showed that she didn't really believe him. She had no idea what Logan even meant by technology, but she was still willing to let him try.
The Winter's Claw storehouses were piled high with food. It was the first time Sejuani had ever felt this relaxed. This winter, the Winter's Claw would make it through without any real pressure at all.
Vi and Zeri had already returned to the Twin Cities with a group of enforcers, while Ekko had stayed behind. At Logan's suggestion, he was now designing heaters for the Winter's Claw.
Right now, that building contained all kinds of precise instruments, and Ekko and Jinx were inside working on the heating system.
"The Noxian prisoners have already been sent back. As for the man you wanted us to find—Darius—there's still no sign of him. But the weather is getting worse and worse. No matter how strong his will is, he can't have gone far in a snowstorm like this. My people should find him within three days at the latest."
After thinking it over, Sejuani said this to Logan.
Logan nodded. "It's fine. Even if they don't find him, it's not a problem. If he really can't be found, that just means he made it back to Noxus alone."
"Back to Noxus? You really think he could survive on his own?" Sejuani sounded doubtful.
Even Iceborn had trouble moving in weather like this. If you didn't prepare enough supplies, freezing to death was the most natural thing in the world. That man wasn't Iceborn, and he didn't even have food on him. Sejuani genuinely found it hard to imagine an outsider surviving under those conditions.
"Sejuani, that man's different," Logan said after a moment.
Sejuani snorted with obvious disdain, folded her arms, and looked at Logan. "He brought over a thousand soldiers to attack the Freljord, and he didn't even make it to me before my people wiped them out and took him prisoner. And you're telling me he's different? What, exactly, is different about him? Is he uniquely weak?"
"I didn't realize you were this petty," Logan said, speechless.
Sejuani rolled her eyes at him. "Anyway, don't tell me he's some kind of special case. Even if he really did survive and make it back to Noxus alone, so what? When I was barely into my teens, I could already survive alone in the Freljord, killing bears and frost wolves. What's so impressive about him?"
"Sure, sure, you're right," Logan said without arguing.
Darius really was a strong man. Not just physically strong, but mentally strong too. But if you compared him to Sejuani, then yeah, Darius really didn't have much of a case.
To put it simply, Darius and Garen had always been placed side by side. You couldn't talk about one without bringing up the other. Whether in the Rift or in the lore, they were rivals through and through. But even Garen, the usual measuring stick for Darius, had gotten wrecked in a cinematic by Sylas leading Winter's Claw warriors.
Garen was strong. Among humans, he was absolutely top-tier. But among the Iceborn, he was just... good. Still strong, sure, but definitely not among the absolute best of the best.
The Freljord was a place that practically mass-produced monsters.
Among humans alone—there was Ashe and Sejuani, and there was no need to even start on them. Unlike the fragile marksman version people saw in-game, Ashe in the lore held the sacred bow and could fire Enchanted Crystal Arrow. Get too close to that thing and you turned into an ice statue, never mind getting hit by it directly.
And aside from those two, there was the terrifying bald giant carrying a vault door, the mysterious square-toed man lugging around a beer barrel, the barbarian with no sign of a brain and two massive axes, and the five-second immortal madman whose attack range felt longer than a human lifespan.
Could you really say Garen was stronger than all of them?
That was basically impossible.
So Sejuani looking down on Darius wasn't exactly unreasonable.
The two of them stood there talking. As for the recent changes in the Winter's Claw, Sejuani really was grateful to Logan, but she was an awkward, proud person. So even the way she thanked him had to take the scenic route. Still, judging by the respect the Winter's Claw warriors showed both Logan and Jinx, it was obvious Sejuani had been doing some work behind the scenes.
While they were talking, Donna suddenly appeared, riding on Vanna, the drüvask war-boar. The girl had changed into a new outfit, with pretty white gloves on her hands and lovely snow boots on her feet. Her face was flushed red as she came charging over on the giant boar.
"This is bad, this is bad, Warmother! This is bad!"
Donna shouted loudly. When she was still over ten meters away from Logan and Sejuani, she smacked Vanna on the head, making the huge boar slow down. Then Donna nimbly leaped off, spun twice in the air, and landed right in front of Sejuani and Logan.
"What is it?" Sejuani looked at Donna, her expression cool. She was a little displeased with how excitable Donna was being.
Donna immediately said, "It's the Avarosans! Ashe came in person! They've already reached the edge of our territory!"
"What? You said Ashe came herself?!"
Donna nodded hard. "She brought Avarosan soldiers through our hunting grounds. They said... they said she wants to see you, Warmother."
Now that there was plenty of food, Sejuani naturally wasn't going to leave her warriors guarding the front lines through the winter. She had already recalled all of them to the tribe and was preparing to hold the Winter's Claw celebration on the winter solstice.
And because of that, Ashe had been able to walk straight up to the Winter's Claw settlement.
Sejuani paused when she heard Donna's report. Then she narrowed her eyes, perked up at once, and said loudly, "Tell all the warriors to get ready. How interesting. I don't go looking for trouble with her, and she dares come looking for trouble with me instead. Hah. She really has grown up."
As she told Donna to sound the horn and have the drums beaten, Sejuani turned to Logan and asked, "Want to come watch? The Winter's Claw and the Twin Cities are allies now, aren't they?"
If Logan came, Sejuani would be very pleased. The man was strong—strong enough that by himself, he was worth an army.
After hesitating for a moment, Logan said to Sejuani, "Hey, Sejuani... do you think there's any chance Ashe isn't actually here to cause trouble for you?"
No one else was around, so Sejuani let out a small laugh. "Of course she's not here to cause trouble. She's an idealist. A bleeding heart. She'll forgive just about anyone. She probably came specifically to see me this time. Looks like she wants to make up with me."
The corner of Sejuani's mouth lifted slightly as she said softly, "But... I'm not making up with her."
"..."
Hearing that, Logan's lips curled slightly.
Well, well.
Just as he thought. Sejuani and Ashe really did have that love-hate kind of relationship.
"Don't let it turn into a fight. Don't forget what I told you."
"Tch. You really are greedy. You already have the Winter's Claw, and now you're still thinking about allying with the Avarosans too. And Udyr says you might even have some private connection to Lissandra. Hah. You're trying to scoop up the entire Freljord in one go, aren't you?" Sejuani teased him.
She stuck two fingers into her mouth and whistled sharply. The ground shook, and Bristle burst out of a nearby snowbank.
Sejuani swung herself up onto Bristle and said, "Don't worry. I don't make promises often, so when I do, I take them seriously. You don't need to come. I'll bring Ashe to see you."
Logan had just been about to mount Bristle himself. Hearing that, he laughed in disbelief and stepped back two paces.
"Fine. I won't go. I'll wait here."
Forty minutes later, inside Sejuani's tent, Donna, Udyr, and several shamans of the Winter's Claw had all arrived. And besides them, there was Logan.
Jinx hadn't come. She was still tinkering with the heating system alongside Ekko.
As for the other group that entered the tent, the one leading them was a beautiful woman with soft white hair falling over her shoulders, dressed like a ranger.
A little behind her stood a tall man with dirty, matted hair. In his hand was a massive broadblade, and he stood with his head lowered behind Ashe. To that man's right stood a woman with an axe on her back and a build almost on par with Sejuani's.
"Heh. So you really did join the Avarosans. I don't get it, Hildhur. By rights, you and I should've been on the same side, shouldn't we?" Sejuani sneered as she looked at the group, her eyes settling on the woman with the axe.
"Don't be ridiculous, Sejuani. I would never follow you," Hildhur said calmly.
"So this is the pride of the Snow Followers Tribe? You used to conquer everywhere you went. You were once the strongest tribe in the area. And now you've become penned-up sheep. What, did Ashe lock you in a stone house and feed you until you got used to being domesticated?" Sejuani said viciously, raising a brow at Hildhur.
Hildhur took a deep breath, anger surging up inside her. Just as she was about to step forward and clash with Sejuani face-to-face, an arm stretched out and stopped her.
Ashe's cool voice rang out.
"The Snow Followers are in the past. She is Hildhur of the Avarosans now. Please don't make things difficult for my people, Sejuani."
"You never used to dare talk to me like that," Sejuani said coldly. She stopped looking at Hildhur and turned her eyes to Ashe instead, then let out a vicious little laugh and strode toward her.
Ashe lifted her head and faced Sejuani directly. A flicker of complicated emotion passed through her eyes as she said softly, "I wanted to see you a long time ago. But you told me before... you said you hoped you would never see me again."
"You remembered that, and yet you still came here?" Sejuani said coldly.
Ashe sighed and said, "There's something I need to ask you. It concerns the safety of the entire Freljord. Sejuani, can we set aside our feelings toward each other for now and deal with the problem in front of us first?"
There was a pleading note in Ashe's voice, almost as if she were begging Sejuani to agree.
That made the Avarosans visibly unhappy, and they looked at Sejuani with resentment.
Sejuani fell silent.
"..."
After a while, she said impatiently, "What is it?"
"Ashe, have Tryndamere explain everything he knows," said—wait, no, Ashe herself turned and said, "Tryndamere, tell them everything you know."
The man raised his head, revealing a pair of crimson eyes. They looked like a demon's eyes, brimming with hatred.
Udyr looked at Tryndamere, surprise flashing through his own eyes, but then he shook his head.
Not the same.
This man hadn't earned the favor of the beast spirits. He could never become a spirit walker.
His bloodline was simply... unusual.
"He's appeared again," Tryndamere growled.
"He?" Sejuani frowned.
Listening from the side, Logan's brow rose. The moment he had seen Ashe, he had recognized the filthy-haired man holding the huge blade.
Queen Ashe and her barbarian little man, huh.
Those two were officially canon, after all. And in the Freljord's matriarchal society, where women held the power, Tryndamere and Ashe really were true love. The reason was simple: one of Riot's founders was literally named Tryndamere, so there was no way the barbarian was ever going to get treated badly. Otherwise what, were the designers trying to lose their paychecks?
And when Tryndamere said he had appeared again, Logan couldn't help raising his brow.
Oh, hell.
Don't tell me this was exactly what Logan thought it was.
The "he" in Tryndamere's mouth was probably Aatrox.
In Tryndamere's story, the Darkin Blade Aatrox had slaughtered Tryndamere's tribe, reducing the entire clan to ruin. With only a few survivors left, Tryndamere joined the Avarosans, and from that day on, his tribe vanished from history.
"Let me ask something," Logan couldn't help saying.
But the moment he spoke, the Avarosan leaders behind Ashe—already angry because their Warmother had come asking for help while Sejuani still acted indifferent and dismissive—immediately seized the chance to lash out. So as soon as Logan opened his mouth, a short but powerfully built woman shot him a cold glare.
"Who said an outsider gets to speak here?"
"What makes you think you get a voice here?"
Logan froze.
Crack!
A fist slammed down on the long table in front of everyone, and it shattered instantly, splitting into two pieces.
Sejuani had done it.
Under the shocked and baffled stares of the Avarosans, Sejuani rubbed her knuckles, let out a cold snort, and sneered.
"When exactly did a guest of the Winter's Claw and an ally of mine, Sejuani, become someone you packless strays get to talk down to?"
As she spoke, Sejuani rose from her seat and stepped forward, coming to stand beside Logan, who had been sitting on a wooden stump. She looked at the Avarosans coldly.
"Or is Avarosa looking to start a war? Because if you want one, the Winter's Claw is ready whenever you are. You people were already beaten by me once. If Ashe hadn't taken you in, I'd have slaughtered every last one of you."
"And you dare put on airs in front of me?"
She raised a hand and pointed straight at the short, muscular woman.
"You. Say that again if you've got the guts."
There was killing intent in her voice now.
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