Irelia had always loved dancing.

The first time she watched a dance performance she was but a little girl visiting her first summer festival, yet as soon as she spotted the big stage at the edge of the festival she was captivated. Drawn in by the beautiful flowing movements and the grace with which it was performed. Spellbound by the captivating dresses and how the cloth followed in every move of the dancers, creating smooth elegant lines dancing all around the stage.

So fascinated was young Irelia that she refused to leave and enjoy the rest of the festival. Even as her small eyelids grew heavy and different performances ended and began she stayed. Wholeheartedly committed to watch every single play and memorize every single move. It wasn't until the night had begun to grow brighter, signaling the approaching early hours of the morning, that the last performance ended and little Irelia allowed herself to be led home.

The very next day, as soon as Irelia could, she began trying to replicate the beautiful moves she had seen just a day prior. She was admittedly not very graceful when she stumbled around in her young untrained body, barely capable of standing on one leg without falling, yet she did not let that stop her. Picking herself up when she would fall and stubbornly beginning anew whenever she made a misstep. And all through her first clumsy dance practice she had the biggest smile on her face, a smile her parents would later tell her was as radiant as the sun.

And so, began Irelia's love for dancing. She would practice whenever she found spare time and watch every single performance she could, just so she could try and replicate the moves she saw for herself. Dancing became a part of her and eventually it was almost her entire being, yet she was never dissatisfied with it. For she truly loved dancing and would never let anything take that from her.

Even as the Noxian invasion came and she was forced to take up arms in the form of her family crest she didn't let it stop her from dancing.

So she danced on the battlefields.

A dance of death and destruction.

And while her dance on the fields of death rewarded her with peace for her people, it also took something very important from her.

It took the joy of dancing from her and left behind a dead shell.

No longer would she sport a smile like a beaming sun whenever she would twirl around in complex moves, in place instead a cold detached expression. No longer could she find joy in her dancing, instead only recalling the horrible war. Remembering all the lives lost, innocent and not, by her hand and her enemies alike.

But she did not let the war take her dancing too. Afraid of what was to become of her if she didn't dance. Who was she, but a weapon of death and destruction, if she didn't dance? So she continued to dance, but for the first time she didn't dance for herself, she dance for her people. Traveling her wartorn country and dancing for her countrymen to keep their spirits alive and alleviating the pain still fresh from the invasion.

Irelia released a heavy sigh. She had just completed a performance at a small village and was now in the middle of a short walk in the nearby forest to clear her head. She had travelled for almost three years now, and while the memories of the war were getting less painful the joy of dancing eluded her still.

She quickly lost herself in her own head while walking in the peaceful forest, thinking back to her resent dance and the memories of the war it brought. While time had made coping easier every once in a while the painful memories would resurface with extra force. Today's performance had been one of those times.

As she walked she eventually made it to a clearing. One in which she was no longer alone. In the middle of the clearing stood a lone woman with wild white hair, clad in the simple cloth of a farmer. In one hand she held a sword, or at least something Irelia guessed to be sword, for it was unlike any sword she had every laid her eyes upon. While the grip looked like nothing more than a straight pole wrapped in some loose bandages, it was the blade itself that caught Irelia's attention. It was as wide as a man's stomach yet not even twice as long, ending not in a smooth edge, but a jagged and uneven one. The colour of the blade was also most unusual, a smooth pitch black stone with no decorations apart from a single rune, glowing with a faint green eerie light, in a language Irelia did not recognize.

The wielder of the sword did not appear to notice Irelia, for she seemed busy with some sort of military drill or combat routine, moving through different moves and swings in a manner not unlike a dance. Yet, at the same time, it was nothing like the dances Irelia was familiar with. Where Irelia's dances would consist of flowing water like movements, the white haired warrior moved with strength and determination, not wasting any energy on unnecessary moves to make it look good. And Irelia was captivated. She just couldn't tear her eyes away from the woman in the clearing as if she had frozen solid on the spot, unable to move even an inch.

Lost in her observation of the swordswoman Irelia was suddenly brought back to reality when her observee finished her routine and moved to sit down, not quite facing her. Irelia remained standing for a short while before she made her way into the clearing, moving straight for the woman sitting down in the middle. The white haired woman turned her head just slightly so she could observe the newcomer, but did nothing more to acknowledge her.

Irelia stopped a rough meter in front of the swordswoman, and said what she'd been thinking this whole time she'd been watching her.

"Dance with me."

This, however, prompted nothing more than a slight raise of a single eyebrow and a questioning look in response. Irelia realized how weird the white haired woman must think she was and felt a blush creep up her cheeks, yet did not allow herself to be embarrassed. Instead she closed her eyes for a second, fighting down the blush and quickly reconstructing her question to make more sense. When she opened her eyes she met the swordswomans eyes with her own and asked:

"Would you like to spar with me?"

And yet again she did not get any verbal answer, only a slightly more curious look, even though she had managed to phrase it as a question this time. For a while neither spoke, only silently gazing into each others eyes. When it became clear Irelia wasn't going to offer any more explanation the white haired woman stood up and faced her.

"I take it you want to spar right now?"

"Yes." Came Irelia's quick answer.

The white haired woman turned around and walked some meters away before she turned and called out.

"Ready when you are."

Irelia moved almost immediately, wasting not a second. Approaching her opponent with grace normally not found in a battle she quickly closed what little distance had been put between them and sent her blades flying against her opponent with a twirl of her body. The white haired woman was almost caught off guard buy the immediate move and attack, but managed to fend of the incoming blades with the flat side of her sword. Irelia was not be deterred and followed up with another twirl and flying blades aimed at her opponent. This time they were dodge by a leap backwards and yet again Irelia followed up. Not giving the swordswoman even a moment's rest she moved to attack. This time, however, her attack was met midway. The raw force of the white haired woman's attack was enough to push Irelia back just slightly and the swordswoman followed up without hesitation or delay.

Their styles were so vastly different. Irelia fought with fluidity and grace while her opponent fought with raw power. It was so unlike anything Irelia had ever seen before, so pure in a way she could not describe.

It entranced her.

And for the first time in a long time Irelia had a smile on her face as she spun about with her blades. It was just as if she was a small child watching her first dance performance again. As she spun about with the stranger trading blows, creating a new dance she had never danced before, she found herself wishing it would never end.

It unfortunately seemed the white haired woman would not be able to keep up much longer, her movements were getting slower and her breaths were coming out short and ragged. Irelia felt the edges of her mouth tugging downwards. Their dance was not complete, of that Irelia was certain. Something was missing from her opponent, as if she was fighting with an unfamiliar weapon, yet she treated her odd sword much like an old friend. Eventually the white haired swordswoman could no longer keep up and collapsed exhausted to the ground. Irelia quickly scolded her features back into a neutral mask before approaching her sparring partner.

It was only when she moved closer she realized what was missing from her opponent. Her opponent had been fighting with a broken weapon. This filled Irelia with a deep yearning, she desperately wanted to find out what dance they would dance had the white haired woman's sword been whole. She decided to address the issue as soon as she arrived at the swordswoman side.

"Why is your sword broken?"

The white haired woman gave a short humorless laugh and met her eyes before answering: "You are a strange one, savoir of Ionia. What are you even doing out here?"

Irelia did not let herself be discouraged and continued: "Can you fix it?"

This time she got only a short sigh in return before the woman on the ground broke eye contact by moving her head away and staring up into the sky.

"Can I spar with you again?"

"It's getting dark, I'm heading back to the village." Came the swordswomans reply.

Irelia turned her head to look at the sky and could just barely make out the last crimson rays of the setting sun. When she turned her head back the previously prone woman was already standing up and about to leave. Irelia stood still and watched the back of the white haired woman as she began walking towards the edge of the clearing where the path back to the village waited. When the swordswoman had made it halfway across to the edge of the clearing Irelia spoke up on final time.

"Look I'm sorry for earlier-" This seemed to get the attention of the woman walking away as she stopped and turned around to face Irelia again."-But I'd really like to spar with you again. Are you free tomorrow?"

"Why me?" Came the short reply.

"I enjoyed our spar." Was Irelia's almost equally short answer.

"But you don't even know my name and I'm… I'm just no match for you. There has to be at least a dozen your guards traveling with you able to offer a more challenging spar. So why me? I don't understand why you would waste your time with someone like me."

"You could always tell me your name now if that bothers you."

"That's…" The white haired woman took a deep breath a closed her eyes for just a second before continuing. "That's not the point. Why would you wanna spar with me, there is nothing you can learn from me."

"I already told you; I really enjoyed our spar and would very much like to spar with you again. Are you free tomorrow?"

The swordswoman remained silent, opting to just keep eye contact for a while. Eventually she continued. "You're not going to give this up are you?"

Irelia allowed a small smile to grace her lips. "Is that a yes?"

"I'm working tomorrow but I could make it here same time as today, would that work?"

Irelia allowed her mouth to twist into a bigger smile. "Then it's decided. Same place, same time tomorrow." She then bowed her head slightly and said: "Thank you for your time and I look forward to meeting you again tomorrow."

When she looked up again the swordswoman had already turned and was on her way out of the clearing. Irelia couldn't help herself and shouted after her.

"You're not going to give me your name?"

And without turning or even stopping came the reply from the white haired woman.

"Riven"

And then she had made her way out of the clearing, leaving Irelia alone.

A/N

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed yourself. This is my first time ever writing something like this so any feedback/criticism is greatly appreciated as I strive to become a better writer.

I have a rough outline in my head of where I wanna take this story so it will probably receive a couple more chapters, however no guarantee, so for now it's just a weird Irelia meeting Riven for the first time oneshot.