Winter's Claw
Sejuani stood with her hands on her hips, squinting at the houses that several warriors were building in front of her.
Are you sure this thing you're talking about can keep you warm?
Sejuani spoke first, glancing down at Li Ke beside her.
Li Ke smiled slightly and pointed at Ekko: "Don't worry, Sejuani, Twin Cities Technology is truly awe-inspiring. The one designing the tunnel for you is one of Zaun's most outstanding scientists, his name is Ekko, and his specialty is using technology to improve people's quality of life."
Li Ke was absolutely right.
Among the scientists in the Twin Cities, Viktor excels in practical skills and thinking abilities, while Jayce excels in pioneering spirit and creativity. Singed studies alchemy, Heimerdinger is good at a little bit of everything and is an encyclopedia, Jinx is good at making weapons, Ekko is best at using all kinds of inventions to improve people's quality of life.
During the time that Li Ke was out, Zaun's underground sewage had already begun to be treated. Ekko used a small invention that Viktor had once made some modifications to it. After Ekko's improvements, the product could effectively treat sewage. As for heating, Ekko had naturally already started working on it.
"..." Sejuani's expression clearly showed some disbelief. She had no idea what kind of technology Li Ke was talking about, but she was willing to let Li Ke try it.
Winter's Claw's warehouse was overflowing with food, Sejuani felt more relaxed than ever before. This winter, Winter's Claw would get through without any pressure.
Vi and Zeri returned to Twin Cities with a group of law enforcement officers, while Ekko stayed behind and, at Li Ke's suggestion, designed a heater for Winter's Claw.
Now, that house is filled with all sorts of sophisticated instruments, and Ekko and Jinx have designed the heating system inside.
"The Noxus prisoners have been returned. As for the man you're looking for named Darius, we haven't found him yet. However, the weather is getting worse, and even if he's determined, he can't go far in this snow. My men should find him within three days at the latest."
After thinking for a moment, Sejuani said to Li Ke.
Li Ke nodded and said, "It's alright, it doesn't matter if we don't find him. If we really can't find him, it just means he went back to Noxus alone."
"Back to Noxus? You think he can survive alone?" Sejuani was skeptical.
Even Iceborn would find it difficult to move in such weather. Without adequate supplies, freezing to death would be a very common occurrence. That man wasn't Iceborn, and he didn't even have any food on him. Sejuani really found it hard to imagine that an Outlander could survive under these circumstances.
"Sejuani, that man is different," Li Ke said after thinking for a moment.
Sejuani listened with disdain, crossed her arms, looked at Li Ke, and sneered, "He brought thousands of soldiers to attack Freljord, but he didn't even get to see me before his entire army was wiped out by my men, and he himself became my prisoner. You're telling me he's different? What, how is he different? Is he just a little weaker?"
"I didn't realize you were so petty," Li Ke said, speechless.
Sejuani rolled her eyes at Li Ke. "Anyway, don't tell me he's any different. Even if he survives and returns to Noxus alone, so what? When I was a teenager, I could live alone in Freljord, fighting bears and frost wolves. What's his achievement compared to that?"
"Yes, yes, you're right." Li Ke didn't refute.
Darius is indeed a very powerful man, not only physically but also mentally, but compared to Sejuani, Darius really doesn't have much of a presence.
Let's use a simple analogy.
Darius has always been paired with Garen. When talking about Darius, you can't ignore Garen from the bushes. These two heroes are mortal enemies and rivals, both in the Rift and in the lore. However, Garen, who is Darius's counterpart, was brutally beaten by Sylas and the warriors of Winter's Claw in the CG.
Garen is very strong; among humans, he is definitely one of the best. However, among the Iceborn, Garen is just average. He is still very strong, but he is definitely not among the top tier.
You should know that Freljord is a place teeming with monsters.
Among humans— Ashe Sejuani go without saying. Unlike the weak ADCs in the Rift, Ashe wields a holy bow in the lore and can shoot Enchanted Crystal Arrow. If you get too close, you'll be frozen into an ice sculpture, let alone get hit by one.
Besides these two, there's the tough bald guy holding a security door, the mysterious square-toed guy hugging Gragas, the seemingly unintelligent barbarian wielding two large axes, and the five-second true man whose basic attack range is longer than a human life, and so on.
Can you say Garen is better than them?
That's definitely unlikely. Therefore, it's not unreasonable for Sejuani to look down on Darius.
The two stood together and talked. Sejuani was very grateful to Li Ke for the recent changes in the Winter's Claw, but she was an awkward and proud person. Therefore, the way Sejuani thanked Li Ke seemed a bit roundabout. However, from the respect that the Winter's Claw warriors showed to Li Ke and Jinx, it could be seen that Sejuani had done some work behind the scenes.
As they were talking, Donna suddenly appeared, riding on Vana's Drüvask Boar. The girl had changed into new clothes, wearing beautiful white gloves and pretty snow boots, and was riding the boar with a flushed face.
"Something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened, Warmother! Something terrible has happened!"
Donna shouted loudly, and when she was still more than ten meters away from Li Ke and Sejuani, she slapped Vana on the head. The boar slowed down, and Donna nimbly got off Vana, did two somersaults in the air, and landed right in front of Sejuani and Li Ke.
"What is it?" Sejuani looked at Donna, her expression cold, somewhat displeased with Donna's loud and boisterous behavior.
Donna immediately exclaimed, "It's Avarosa! Ashe has come in person! They're already at the border!"
"What? You said Ashe is here?!"
Donna nodded vigorously and said loudly, "She led Avarosa's soldiers through our hunting grounds, saying... saying she wanted to see you, Warmother."
With ample food supplies, Sejuani naturally wouldn't leave her warriors to guard the front lines in the winter. She had already recalled all her warriors to the tribe to prepare for the Winter's Claw celebration on the winter solstice.
This led Ashe directly to the Winter's Claw's stronghold.
Sejuani was taken aback by Donna's words. She narrowed her eyes and said loudly and spiritedly, "Get all the warriors ready. How interesting. I'm not the one causing her trouble, but she dares to cause me trouble instead. Heh, she's really grown up now."
"Li Ke, do you want to come and take a look? Winter's Claw and the Twin Cities are allies now, aren't they?" Sejuani asked Li Ke as she had Donna sound the horn and the drums be beaten.
If Li Ke could come, Sejuani would be very happy, because this guy is very powerful; he's as strong as an army all by himself.
After hesitating for a moment, Li Ke said to Sejuani, "Sejuani, do you think it's possible that Ashe isn't actually here to cause you trouble?"
With no one around, Sejuani chuckled softly and said, "Of course she's not here to cause me trouble. She's an idealist, a saint, she can forgive anyone. She's probably here specifically to see me, and it seems she wants to reconcile with me?"
Sejuani's lips curled slightly as she said softly, "But... I won't make up with her."
"."
Upon hearing Sejuani's words, Li Ke's lips curled into a slight smile.
Wow, just as I thought! Sejuani and Ashe have a love-hate relationship!
"Don't fight, and don't forget what I told you."
"Tsk, what a fickle fellow. You already have Winter's Claw, yet you're still thinking of allying with Avarosa. Plus, Udyr said you and Lissandra might be in contact behind the scenes. Ha, you want to wipe out Freljord in one fell swoop, don't you?" Sejuani teased Li Ke, putting her hand in her mouth, sucking on her fingers, and whistling. The ground trembled, Bristle burst out of the snowdrift to the side.
Sejuani mounted her Bristle mount and said, "Don't worry, I rarely make promises, so I value them very much. You don't need to come along; I'll bring Ashe to see you."
Li Ke was just about to ride the Bristle when he heard this, and he chuckled in exasperation as he looked at Sejuani, taking two steps back.
"Okay, I won't go. I'll just wait here."
Forty minutes later, Donna, Udyr, and several Winter's Claw priests arrived at Sejuani's house, along with Li Ke.
Jinx didn't come; she and Ekko were still fiddling with the heating system.
Another group of people entered the house, led by a beautiful woman with long, flowing white hair, dressed like a wandering knight.
A short distance behind her stood a tall man with matted, greasy hair, carrying a huge broadsword. He stood with his head bowed behind Ashe. To the man's right was a woman of similar build to Sejuani, carrying an axe.
"Ha, you actually Avarosa? I can't understand it. Hild, we should be on the same side, shouldn't we?" Sejuani said with a cold smile, looking at the group of people, her gaze falling on the woman carrying the axe.
"Don't be ridiculous, Sejuani, I will never follow you," Hild said calmly.
"Is this the glory of the Snowchaser Tribe? You once conquered all directions and were a powerful tribe in the surrounding areas, but now you've been reduced to sheep being raised in captivity. What, Ashe locked you up in a stone house and fed you, do you really enjoy this kind of life?" Sejuani said with extremely venomous words, raising her eyebrows as she looked at Hild.
Hild took a deep breath, feeling angry, and was about to step forward to confront Sejuani when an arm stretched out and blocked Hild way.
Ashe's cool voice rang out:
"Chasing Snow is a thing of the past. She is now Hild of Avarosa. Please don't make things difficult for my people, Sejuani."
"You've never dared to talk to me like that before." Sejuani stopped looking at Hild and instead looked at Ashe, grinning maliciously as she strode towards Ashe.
Ashe raised her head, facing Sejuani, a flicker of unspoken emotion in her eyes, and said softly, "I've wanted to see you for a long time, but you said you hoped you'd never see me again."
"You clearly remember, so why are you standing in front of me now?" Sejuani said coldly.
Ashe sighed and said, "There's something I need to ask you. It concerns the safety of the entire Freljord, Sejuani. Let's put aside our prejudices and deal with the problem at hand, okay?"
Ashe's voice held a pleading tone, as if she were begging Sejuani for her consent.
This angered the people of Avarosa, who glared at Sejuani with resentment.
Sejuani remained silent. "."
After a long pause, she said impatiently, "What is it?"
"Tryndamere, tell me everything you know." Ashe breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at the man behind her and said.
The man raised his head, revealing a pair of scarlet eyes, eyes that resembled those of a demon, filled with hatred.
Udyr looked at Tryndamere with a hint of surprise in his eyes, but then shook his head.
No, this guy didn't gain the favor of the Beast Spirits, so he can't become a Spirit Walker. This guy just has a special bloodline.
"He's back," Tryndamere growled.
"Him?" Sejuani frowned.
Li Ke was listening nearby, raised an eyebrow. When he saw Ashe, Li Ke recognized the man with the large knife and messy hair.
Queen Ashe and her barbarian little man~
This is an officially designated couple, and in the matriarchal society of Freljord, where women are superior to men, Tryndamere and Ashe are true love. The reason is simple: the owner of Riot Games is named Tryndamere, so Tryndamere's treatment is naturally excellent. Otherwise, would the designers still need to be paid?
Upon hearing Tryndamere say that he had reappeared, Li Ke couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.
Could the bad news really be what Li Ke thought?
The "he" Tryndamere was referring to, that's most likely Aatrox!
In the Barbarian's tale, Aatrox, slaughtered Tryndamere's tribe, annihilating the entire clan. Tryndamere, with a small number of survivors, joined Avarosa, and from then on, his clan vanished completely from history.
"Let me ask you something," Li Ke couldn't help but ask.
But as soon as he opened his mouth, a group of Avarosa leaders behind Ashe, who were angry because their Warmother had asked for help and Sejuani had acted indifferent, had been looking for an opportunity to lash out. So, as soon as Li Ke spoke, a short, muscular woman glared at him coldly.
"Do you, an outsider, have the right to speak here?"
"Do you even have the right to speak here?"
Li Ke paused for a moment after hearing this.
"Click!"
A Riot Games slammed into the long table in front of everyone, shattering it in two. It was Sejuani who did it.
Amidst the horrified and bewildered gazes of the Avarosa, Sejuani clenched her Riot Games, let out a cold snort, and chuckled as she said:
"Winter's Claw, allies of me Sejuani, when did it become your place, a bunch of stray dogs, to speak like that?" Sejuani said, rising from her chair and taking a step forward. She stood beside Li Ke, who was sitting on a wooden stake, and coldly looked at the Avarosa group.
"Or is Avarosa looking for war? If so, Winter's Claw is ready to fight anytime. You bunch of defeated wretches, if Ashe hadn't taken you in, you would have been slaughtered by me long ago."
"You dare to put on airs in front of me?"
"You, try saying that again if you dare." Sejuani raised her hand, pointing her finger at the short, well-dressed woman.
Her voice was now laced with murderous intent.