Chapter (12):wrath of north part 2
Somewhere in Freljord...
Sejuani was walking through the snowy forest on foot, while urkath was ahead, kneeling on the ground, touching the footprint of some creature in the snow. He was tracking something.
"We're on the right path, WarMother," urkath spoke.
"Good," Sejuani replied.
Sejuani was with urkath and a large number of warriors-almost half of the Winter's Claw warriors-heading toward a specific destination.
"So, do you know anything about these people?" Sejuani asked.
"Well, there are many stories about them," urkath replied, scratching his chin.
"Some say they're thieves, others say they're outcasts, and some believe they're cowards exiled from their tribe," urkath answered.
"What do *you* think, then, urkath?" Sejuani asked.
"In my opinion, they're a bunch of troublemakers-especially their leader. Damn it! I still remember the feeling of his blows," urkath spoke angrily.
"How did you survive, by the way? Didn't you say they were a group?" Sejuani asked.
"Ah, let's just say I was lucky. They were focused on another target and left me after their leader beat me half to death," urkath said.
"What does their leader look like?"
"Like a bear riding a giant wolf. He's built like a fortress. I heard he was once considered one of the strongest barbarians in the North."
"Once?" Sejuani asked.
"Yes. I heard a rumor that a young warrior defeated him and slaughtered his entire tribe," urkath replied.
"What kind of warrior could perform such a feat?" Sejuani asked with interest.
"I don't know. It's just a rumor-might not even be true. I mean, one warrior wiping out an entire tribe? That's the biggest nonsense I've ever heard-more ridiculous than the Dry Lands where there's scorching heat instead of snow," urkath answered.
"Dry Lands? That *is* utter nonsense," Sejuani replied bluntly.
"See? That's exactly what I told that senile old man. But nooooo!, he insisted on it and even yelled at me while drooling. Damn old fool!" urkath ranted.
"I swear, if I see him again, I'll kill-"
"Wait..."
"What is it, Sejuani?"
Sejuani stopped advancing, and so did their warriors. They looked at her strangely, wondering what was happening. Sejuani was staring at the trees, her pupils dilating as she saw something glinting.
"Shields! Now!"
The moment Sejuani spoke, arrows suddenly shot out from nowhere toward the Winter's Claw. The arrows were deflected by shields as Sejuani barked orders, and the warriors raised their wooden shields, forming a protective dome. Sejuani used her whip to deflect incoming arrows, while urkath lifted his wooden shield to block those aimed at him.
"Ugh! You damned bastards! Show yourselves! We just want to talk! I'm a friend of Steffen!"
Suddenly, the arrows stopped, and a large group of warriors emerged.
These warriors wore primitive clothing and carried crude weapons-some had bows and quivers, others axes. From their midst, a figure stepped forward.
This person rode a massive, long wolf, moving with an air of majesty. He bore no scars and appeared young, holding a solid stone spear and wearing tribal garb. He looked down at Sejuani and her men with disdain.
(Scarthane Steffen from legends of runeterra)
(Note: he's now don't have any scars and he's younger from the image in the game)
"Is this Scarthane Steffen?" Sejuani whispered to Orkkath.
"Yes, you're looking at him now," urkath replied.
"You didn't tell me he was a young man. I thought he'd be an old warrior," Sejuani said.
"Wait, Sejuani, don't tell me you've fallen for him!" urkath joked.
"Not like that. I just mean this'll make things easier," Sejuani said confidently.
"(Sigh) Your and thought," urkath muttered tiredly.
Sejuani stepped forward. Scarthane Steffen, their leader, looked at her in turn, but he remained distant, and someone stood in front of Sejuani, blocking her path.
"Hey, you! What brings a noble Iceborn girl like you to our territory?" The rogue glanced at Orkkath before speaking again. "So, you finally decided to show your face, you cowardly rat."
"Yeah, yeah, mock me all you want. But we're not here to fight," urkath said.
"Then why *are* you here?" someone behind the rogue asked.
Orkkath looked at Sejuani before she spoke. "I'm not here to fight. I'm here to ask something of you."
"Hmph, do you take us for dogs? To make *requests* of us? And where's your War Mother? At least *she* should be the one speaking," another man said.
"I *am* the War Mother," Sejuani replied coldly.
"You?" the outlaws asked in unison.
"Yes."
"..."
Pf...
Pfft...
"Pfft... Hahahahahaha!"
The outlaws burst into mocking laughter-all except their leader, who sat quietly on his wolf, watching Sejuani with curiosity.
"We've heard the Winter's Claw is a cowardly tribe, but we never expected them to be this weak leading ,by a child! A child!"
"The Winter's Claw really is something else."
"That 'little girl' has fangs sharper than yours," Sejuani retorted coldly.
"Oh, what are you gonna do? Attack me with your tiny paws? You're nothing but-"
At that moment, Steffen raised his hand, silencing his men. They immediately fell quiet and slowly stepped back, clearing a path for Sejuani.
"Why have you come here?... From your actions, you don't seem the type seeking revenge or driven by curiosity. You want something else," Steffen said.
"I came to recruit you. We need warriors," Sejuani stated.
"Ah, I've heard the other tribes are planning something," Steffen replied, stroking his chin.
"They're planning a war against me," Sejuani said.
"I see... That explains their strange movements," Steffen murmured calmly.
"Yes," Sejuani answered, clenching her fists in anger.
"You're fighting a losing war," Steffen remarked.
"You won't know defeat until you face it first," Sejuani shot back.
"You're young and lack the qualifications to be a War Mother," Steffen said, shaking his head.
"The same goes for you. Your name bears 'Scar,' yet I see none on your body," Sejuani retorted, staring at his muscular frame.
"Because the scars are on my soul, little girl," Steffen taunted.
"You're only two years older than me," Sejuani said.
"But I have more experience than you," Steffen countered.
"Then how about an honorable duel? Since you claim to be so skilled-a one-on-one fight. I won't use my weapon, and you won't use your beast-war. Hand-to-hand combat."
"Hmm... If that's your wish, so be it."
Steffen dismounted his wolf and slowly approached Sejuani.
Sejuani stepped forward as well, stopping close to him. Their men instinctively backed away, forming a makeshift arena around them.
They stood silently as snowflakes drifted gently. A bird perched on a tree branch watched intently and let out a loud cry.
*(Caw!)*
As if the bird's call was the signal, their battle began-a clash between two beasts, each roaring as they charged.
*(Haaaaah!)*
*(Haaaaaaargh!)*
Sejuani dashed in, spinning mid-air to deliver a kick to Steffen's head, but he blocked with his arms and shoved her off-balance. He followed up with a punch, but she dodged at the last second and countered with a strike to his face. He tilted away skillfully, avoiding the blow, then swung a fist toward her jaw.
Sejuani ducked and swept at his legs, but he didn't budge. He aimed another punch at her as she rolled back, but she recovered quickly.
Meanwhile, Steffen leaped forward, pressing the attack. Sejuani, still dusted with snow, saw his fist coming-no time to dodge. She crossed her arms to block, but the force sent her stumbling back three steps. She glared at him, undeterred.
"You know men have greater strength and muscle than women. A girl like you can't win a fistfight against me. That's why you rely on technique-to compensate for your lack of power."
"And women have greater agility and flexibility. You were hoping to choke me out, thinking I'm just some arrogant barbarian who underestimates women because there's no War Mother, right?"
"Too bad for you-I respect women, only the strong ones!" he spoke as he rushed toward her.
Steffen charged at her like a wild animal. Sejuani prepared to strike him.
When she hit him directly in the stomach, he didn't seem affected at all and instead swung his fist toward her. Sejuani dodged the attack and landed two punches on him. As the second punch landed on his face, she felt a surge of confidence in defeating him.
But without realizing it, the moment she struck him, Steffen had already aimed his fist at her body and delivered a powerful blow.
**Kyooogh!**
Sejuani staggered back four steps and looked at Steffen. There was blood in his mouth, which he wiped with his hand before calmly staring at her.
"I must admit, you're strong. But your story ends here, little war mother."
"We'll see about that."
Both of them lunged at each other, their roars echoing into the sky.
This time, Steffen stopped holding back and focused solely on attacking. Sejuani managed to land three or four punches before one of his strikes finally hit her. Despite her dire state, she still targeted his vital spots.
Steffen's body was tough, but even he had his limits to how many hits he could take. Siwani's condition, however, was worse. Her body was muscular but slender compared to his massive frame.
Finally, when Steffen landed a heavy blow, Sejuani slightly buckled. He then raised both fists together to finish her off.
But this was exactly what Sejuani had been waiting for. She slid down, positioned herself behind him, and leaped onto his back, locking him in a triple chokehold.
He slammed her against a tree, using her body as a cushion for his back with full force.
**Grrrrrn!**
Sejuani gritted her teeth in pain but kept choking him. Meanwhile, he continued smashing her against the tree. This was no longer a battle of skill-it was a battle of endurance. Whoever collapsed first would lose.
Everyone watched anxiously, their eyes fixed on the two.
In the end, Steffen collapsed and fell to the ground. Once he was down, Sejuani released him and stood up.
**Cough! Cough!**
Steffen spat blood-a sign that he was still alive for some reason. The others looked at Siwani with awe.
"Listen to me..."
"You are a band of thieves, outcasts, strays-you have no place among the tribes. But I came here to offer you a chance to change your fate."
"Speak... We're listening," Steffen replied with all the strength he had left.
"Join me, and I will give you something you won't find anywhere else."
"Something we won't find? Money? Food?"
"Loyalty."
"I will share equally with you based on your efforts. Your anger will be my anger, your hunger my hunger, and my warmth your warmth."
The group exchanged glances before turning to their leader, waiting for his final decision.
"We'll join... but we'll leave if things go badly," Steffen said with difficulty.
"Trust me, you won't regret this."
And so, this was the spark-the spark of a beginning.