Legends of Runeterra

She pocketed the medallion—it felt awkward to leave it in the ruins. Quinn continued to explore the cabin. In a room that was clearly a bedroom, the fire wasn't too severe; the delicate wreath hanging above the bed hadn't been burned.

In the corner of the bedroom, a child's bed was overturned. Quinn's eyes sharpened as she half-knelt beside it. Where the bed had been, patterns had been drawn on the floor with carbon rods. They were barbaric patterns, not usually seen in Demacia. Bones and pebbles had been strategically placed on the runes, and she was careful not to touch any of the lines. She had seen runes like these before...

Valor's shrill chirping echoed from above, forcing Quinn to temporarily let go of the bizarre image. She crouched back in the front room of the cabin, her back pressed against the wall. Quickly and cautiously, she glanced out the burned-out window.

A man in a cloak and a hood was approaching the cottage from the front door, followed by a tall, thin, gray-white hound. The hound growled, but he said a word to silence it.

Quinn moved silently, settling into the shadows behind the front door. The man stepped inside and then froze, like a fawn sensing the gaze of a lurking predator.

"Is that you, Boss?" he asked the seemingly empty room.

Quinn laughed and said, "How did I get exposed?"

The man turned and took off his hood. His face showed he spent most of his time outdoors: his skin was tanned, his beard was short and untidy. Outside, the hound whined happily. "Blue Rock Falcons are rare," he replied with a smile.

"Indeed," Quinn said.

"Nice to meet you, Boss."

Quinn half-knelt outside the cabin, stroking the hound's head and ears. She hadn't seen him in over a year—Darlin the Greenfang, and his loyal dog, Rigby.

Darling reported his findings to Quinn. He had arrived at the cabin an hour ago, briefly inspected it, and then left to inquire about the situation at nearby residents.

"A woodcutter saw a group of men passing through the woods last night, about half a mile above the canyon," Darling said, pointing into the distance. "There was a full moon last night, otherwise he wouldn't have seen them. They looked like robbers."

"Burning down the cabin isn't the way to hide your whereabouts," Quinn pointed out. Rigby lay on the ground with his belly exposed, looking at her expectantly with his watery eyes.

"Perhaps they only conceal themselves before a robbery, leaving it alone afterward? Or perhaps they light the fires to distract attention and allow for easier escape?" Darling glanced around. "Be careful—I smell jealousy."

Hua Luo was standing on the branch of a dead tree, staring at Quinn.

"Wallo knows he's my one true love." She looked up at the blue rock falcon with a smile, scratching the hound's belly fiercely. "Have there been many thieves around here lately?"

Darling shook his head. "Thank goodness, it was peaceful before. This fire is the first of its kind in recent times. The unrest spreading from the capital has caused panic here, but the sight of large numbers of soldiers marching has driven most of the bandits into hiding. It's a small help to us. However, I heard that you two have been very busy in the west. Bad luck."

"Bad luck," Quinn replied. She tightened her jaw and changed the subject. "The people living here are the relatives of a martyr, a mother and son. Does anyone know where they are now?"

The Greenfang Guard glanced at her, shook his head, and laughed. "I shouldn't have been so surprised by what you've seen." He said, "This widow's name is Asta. Her husband died in Xiongdu, at the hands of a wizard at the height of the turmoil. She and her two daughters live here, a widow and orphan." He glanced back at the hut and sighed. "When I explored the area earlier, I didn't see any signs of bloodshed or fighting, but the situation is not optimistic."

"Are there no relatives or friends nearby to turn to?"

"It seems not," Darling said. "The woman is a foreign settler. She always keeps to herself. Her husband is from Risos, in the Great West. So she has no relatives around here."

"From abroad?"

"Looks like they're from some independent kingdom to the east. No one around here seems to know exactly where."

Quinn grumbled and stood up. She turned around, thinking, and then looked back in the direction of the forest. She walked towards the woods, observing the ground beneath her feet as she went.

"Here," she paused. Darling followed, pointing to a strange, tangled patch of footprints. "They came out of the forest and stopped here."

Darling leaned forward, nodded, and said, "At first I thought they were biding their time, but then I saw the marks here."

Quinn walked around the mark Darling mentioned and observed it, taking careful steps to avoid the marks on the ground.

"The second group, lighter than the others," she murmured, "is our surviving mother and daughter."

"I suppose she confronted the bandits, and they looted and burned her cabin." Darling's eyes were full of suspicion. "But I can't find any traces of the woman's footsteps back to the house."

"They didn't go back," Quinn said with a serious expression. "It seems they took the people away too. They didn't even let go of the mother and daughter. See there? The little girl's footprints disappeared. Someone picked her up."

She looked back at the cabin. "But the robbers didn't enter the cabin. The arsonist set the fire from the other side. Maybe the robbers split into two groups before they took action."

Darling crossed his arms, thinking, and said, "There's something else. Whether it's true or not I can't say, but at least some people around here think this woman is... different. A mage."

Quinn thought of the runes painted on the floor beneath the child's crib. They looked more like ancient superstitions than witchcraft... though she couldn't be sure. It wasn't her area of ​​expertise.

"Local rumor has it that these robbers were Silas's accomplices," Darling continued. "They came to pick up one of their own. That would explain why there wasn't a fight, but why did they burn the cabin?"

Quinn frowned. She was sure she'd missed something. "Maybe it's revenge," she mused, "because her husband is an enemy of the mages. Maybe they want revenge."

"He was killed, isn't that enough?"

Quinn shrugged.

"In either case, I'm going to catch up," Darling said. "They're at least half a day ahead, but if they have kids with them, they're going slower."

Quinn glanced at the sun, judging the time and the distance he had to reach the rendezvous point. He should have made it in time, but...