[Drabble I've been considering working on for a while, partially for my own character development, as well as a partial gift for a friend. Not nsfw, but put under a readmore due to length]
Sejuani patted Bristle's stomach as he snorted, stamping each foot in rhythm as the world around them faded out of sight, the familiar summoning magic taking effect. "You'll have to get used to it at some point, Bristle. We're not leaving any time soon, you know."
Another grunt.
She chuckled and nodded, shifting her hold on the helmet she carried under her arm. "Right, right."
The art of summoning was something she herself still had little understanding of it in regards to the technical aspects behind it, but it mattered little at the moment. Studying magic was not something on her list of priorities, and there were much more pressing matters to consider. The match at hand, for instance...
"Summoner! Give me the names of those we will be facing in battle today," spoke the warrior, tilting her head upwards only slightly. Sejuani had it made it clear that she didn't care for telepathic communication unless necessary, and so she spoke aloud whenever possible.
Like the summoning magic itself, the crisp voice of her summoner cut through the air, the woman's voice speaking loud and clear. "Ezreal, Janna, Lux, Xin Zhao, and Aatrox."
She gave a quick, rough laugh, a confident smile on her lips. "Good. Spineless, the first three, and the latter two should be easy enough to deal with." The warrior turned towards Bristle and reached over to roughly rub the boar's snout, which earned her a few grunts of approval. "You remember the last time we chased down that boy Ezreal, right? Let's make sure things don't go any differently this match," she said with a laugh. "Who is on my own team, Summoner?"
"Katarina..."
Good. The woman was small, but by no means weak. Her death lotus technique would work perfectly along with her own ability to freeze their enemies in place.
"Malphite..."
Another excellent addition. The hunk of stone was as tough as one would expect, and could initiate a battle just as well as she.
"Nami..."
The fish-woman's jokes were terrible, but she was not rude nor annoying, and her ability to heal allies and disrupt the enemy team would be most helpful.
"And Ashe."
Her brow fell with her lips. "The Frost Archer?" she asked, as if repeating the question might change the answer.
"That is correct."
"Hmph. So be it." Sejuani grunted in mild annoyance, but otherwise said nothing else. A few moments later and she arrived at the summoning platform, Bristle grunting and snorting as the bright afternoon sun flooded the area around them.
Welcome, to Summoner's Rift!
The familiar voice of the announcer set everyone into action, each member of the team merely acknowledging each other with a quick nod, though Nami waved enthusiastically.
As Sejuani did a quick final check over Bristle's equipment, she felt a presence move behind her, though she waited until finishing before finally acknowledging it. Unsurprisingly, it was Ashe. "What do you want, Archer?"
The smaller woman looked up at Sejuani with a furrowed brow, her hood casting a slight shadow upon her face. She was silent for a while, icy blue eyes searching those across from her, before she turned her attention over to Sejuani's boar. "Is Bristle alright?" she asked, face remaining somewhat stern, though her voice softened with concern. "I heard something about him injuring his leg out on the fields the other day."
The leader of the Winter's Claw frowned. Apparently her stableboy wasn't as quiet as she had hoped. "Bristle is sturdier than that rock we're calling a teammate. He's fine." She kept her tone flat and unwavering, though a small bit of her warmed up at the knowledge that Ashe showed genuine concern for the boar.
Ashe's lips curled into a soft smile, and she managed a chuckle, eyes still focused on Bristle, who now sniffed about the air, seeming to question why they hadn't left yet. "I'm glad to hear."
An awkward silence fell upon them, both women staring intently at the other, as if expecting an answer. After a few moments, the faintest hints of a blush crept into Sejuani's face, and she growled before throwing her arms out. "What? What do you want, Ashe? We have a battle to get to, and I have no time for these staring contests of yours."
The frost archer regarded Sejuani with a sad smile, and shook her head. "It seems the only thing you wish to spend your time on is war, isn't it?"
The warrior frowned and turned back to Bristle, prepping herself to mount atop him and ride out. "Is there anything else more important, at the moment?"
"Plenty things." The archer spoke as if she were snapping a whip, and the words gave Sejuani enough pause to make the warrior turn back around, an unasked question in her eyes.
With a sudden rush of movement, Sejuani surged forward and brought her hand up under Ashe's chin, grasping her and holding her face tilted upwards so that their eyes could meet without disruption. Her hold was stern, but weak enough to not cause the other woman actual harm. Sejuani stared and stared until she could force herself to keep her voice relatively low. "Take care of yourself, Ashe, and good luck."
Ashe seemed surprised, but not upset with the words. Her eyes had been narrowed in suspicion, though now they were bright with what one might say was hope. "And you as well, Sejuani."
Letting out a soft sigh, the boar-rider released Ashe from her grip, and made her way to where Bristle still waited patiently, throwing her helmet atop her skull and tying it off before pushing herself up Bristle's back, slipping into the large saddle with ease.
She did not look back as she and Bristle rode into the jungle, and did not see the small smile that graced Ashe's lips before she too hurried off to battle.
