Finding Strength (CLOSED)

"Yeah, you're lucky, Cal, you have a built in heater. Nice and toasty" Katherine said with a smile. She leapt out the tree, landing neatly in the snow. She started walking back to the cabin, just enjoying the day. "You said you had some pointers for me, Cal? I know I'm not that good, but I did train myself, and that was just to move quickly, not quietly." Katherine picked up one of the branches that she had broken off while running, and studied it.

Calum nodded. "Quietness is essentially. You don't want to heavily force your footfalls - doing that caused all this.". He motioned his hand around a patch of broken branches. "As you saw, I kept up with you in the beginning when I made no noise as you broke some branches. You're light as is, so those were some forceful runs. I don't know how to explain it well, but... See it as you just let gravity pull your foot back down. Don't shove it down, which caused you to break all that. Sure, it sacrifices a lot of speed, but that's not essential.". He picked up a branch, and tossed it to the side. "That kinda stuff makes or breaks recruits. Sure, having some of the more bold and brash types are good, but at a core, we're not all about direct confrontations."

"I'll try to fix that. It's probably gonna take me a while, but I'll try." Katherine tossed the branch aside, and looked up at the trees. Perhaps this training could help her learn restraint, to learn to control herself. She scaled a nearby tree, and tried to move quickly and quietly through the treetops, focusing more on silence than speed.

Calum looked up at her, saying, "Avoid the thinner sticks. They might not make noise sometimes, but people will get suspicious if twigs are raining down from the trees, forming a trail.". He felt at his face, where a five o'clock shadow had already been growing, thinking. He decided to keep watching, saving more tips for later.

Katherine slowed down a bit, focusing completely on being silent. She had taken Calum's advice, and avoided smaller sticks or thin branches. There were times she was tempted to just run, which she really enjoyed doing, but forced herself to do things the right way. She wanted to prove that she would be an asset to the Assassins, that she could be useful, and perhaps even fit in.

Calum decided to stip looking up, losing track of her eventually. He whispered at Evan and Kyle to do the same, them standing to his sides walking together. "Now, I have no idea where you are, I just know you're nearby. Try to get to the cabin like this, before us. We'll essentially be strolling there. As an added challenge, if you want, get inside without the rest noticing you.". Calum rolled his sleeves up, warming up for Evan and Kyle's benefit.

"Well, I'll give it a go" Katherine said with a sigh before heading off through the treetops, trying to get to the cabin before the others. She was following Calum's advice to the letter, and as a result, she was moving quite silently.

When she reached the cabin, she crept in through her bedroom window, careful not to make a noise, and she did that perfectly.

Michael was boredly on his phone, scrolling through a long paragraph that he had no idea why he was reading. He was just staring t it unmoving as Calum entered, Evan and Kyle in tow.
"Heya, Mikey. Kat back yet?". Michael merely shrugged.
"Dunno. Ya split up on th' way back or sumfin?"
"Nah. Told her to try and get here without me or ya guys noticin'. Ah got a feelin' she got back 'ight.". He cleared his throat. "Oi, Kat! Ya 'ere?!"

"Yeah, I'm here." Katherine emerged from her bedroom, clearly quite proud of herself. "So how'd I do" Katherine asked enthusiastically as she made her way to Calum's side. She had put a coat on over her hoodie to help her warm up a bit.

Calum smiled, Michael looking a bit shocked. "Very good. Mikey didn't hear ya - true, he wasn't focusin', but still - and tha's great. How long ye been here for?". He raised an eyebrow, wondering how she did in that regard.

"A few minutes, maybe, not long. I didn't really check the time." She pulled her hood up, still somewhat cold from being outside. She was tempted to hug Calum for warmth, and because she wanted to. "I'm assuming you just got here?"

Calum nodded, getting warmer. He knew Evan and Kyle at least were still freezing, and it showed when they stayed huddled up quite close to him. "Good time when you're not used to sticking to being quiet. Could be better, but a great time none the less.". He smiled almost as warm as the aura he gave off with his arms.

"Thank you, Cal" Katherine said with a warm smile before giving him a hug. "It was my first time trying to be quiet, I trained to get out of a situation as quickly as I could, to move as fast as I could." Selena emerged from her room with her bags packed and ready to go.

Calum nodded, and glanced over to Selina. Seeing her carrying some bags, he said, "We goin' today, I assume? If I remember correctly, this is Jack's place. Kinda amazed we stayed here so longer after he... Left."

"I don't know about you guys,  but I'm leaving. I don't want anything more to do with that clown."
"Yeah, I was thinking of heading back myself. As much as I love being out here, I really miss the city" Katherine said with a sigh, "I'll go pack quickly too." With that, Katherine headed off to her room to pack her stuff. Selena began packing what little food was left, as well as the games, and loaded the cars.

Julian walked in just in time to hear the explanation of what was happening. Calum looked around, and said, "You know... Now I consider it, we were mooching hard. I just have, like, a spare outfit or two. Mikey's been in the same pants... I think. Same with the rest of ya."
"Weird. Never thought of it like that...
Anywho, where will you guys be goin'? I'm prolly headin' back to my old place - Mitch no doubt got my hit off.".
"I was thinkin' HQ or the Warehouse - wherever Kat prefers to go for trainin'. Evan and Kyle are scheduled back within the time frame of yesterday and in a couple days. Mikey's gon' be wif us, likely.". Michael nodded, confirming this statement.

"I still have to find a new place to stay, so I'll be at the apartment until then." Selena knew that the apartment was likely going to be a jungle by the time she got back thanks to Ivy. Katherine emerged from her bedroom carrying two large duffle bags, and set them down for a moment.
"Wherever I end up, I still have to get my stuff from the warehouse and take it all home. How far is HQ from my place?"

Calum shrugged. Eventually, he said, "About half an hour, but the last about ten minutes are in downtown. Traffic might be heavy, but I dunno. It's a three story building, with a front as a local company. On the outside, it's John's Scrap and Auto, but you know how the inside is.". Michael looked a bit shocked at that, eyes a bit wide.
"John's Scrap and Au- I got regular repairs there! I knew John himself - is he in on it,
or...?"
"John? Yeah. His real name is Ryan Redfield, an-"
"Redfield is still alive?! And I KNEW HIM?!". Calum couldn't help but laugh at Michael's slight freak out, leaning over to Katherine.
"He's been eluding the Order for years. More close calls than I had scars on my whole body."

"Ah, ok, so that would explain his freak out" Katherine said with a chuckle. Selena, just out of pure interest, had googled this Ryan Redfield, and almost dropped her phone.
"Holy shit... Kat, second image that pops up in images... he looks like your cousin Sean!" Katherine looked at the photo Selena showed her, and laughed.
"He does look a bit like him. Just needs the wingnut ears and receding hairline." Katherine thought for a moment before turning to Calum. "I've worked out ways to avoid traffic, so I'm good with it. Wake up at five, leave at six... I did that every day for two years. If I'm allowed to, I'd like to stay at my place... I kinda miss my home."

Calum nodded. "It would be preferable for you to stay at HQ, but since you're so close, you should be okay with living at your place. You would need to wake up and come at roughly the same times... Yeah, you should be fine. Training always starts at seven on the dot, no matter who's missing. You'd have to officially join before training, though... Eh, we'll cross that bridge later."

Katherine thought about it, remembering how those two years of waking up so early had almost broken her. If she stayed at her place, she'd be on her own for the first time in her life, and she didn't think she could cope with that just yet. She always needed a person in the same building as her, otherwise she would freak out.
"Maybe I should stay at HQ... I really do want to be an Assassin, so, yeah..." Katherine put her hand on the back of her neck, and let out a sigh. "I've never lived alone before, and to be honest, the idea kinda scares me. Maybe I should stay at the HQ..."

"...I understand what ya mean. I find the isolation a bit comfortable, but I can see what you mean about being alone.". He looked over towards the front door, thinking. "By the way - you are going to be bunked with other people. Bunk beds, very military themed. That's about as far as it goes when it comes to being military - other than a bit of strict rules, it's generally lax."

Selena immediately burst out laughing at the face Katherine made at the mention of sharing bunkbeds with strangers. Katherine looked like she had just walked in on a couple.
"Katherine sharing a room with someone?! In a bunk bed?! That's gonna be priceless! God, I'd pay good money to see that." Selena wiped the tears from her eyes, still giggling. "She does a hell of a lot more than just talk in her sleep."
"I'm sure I can make it work..."
"And what about Draco? I'm pretty sure the Assassins won't be ok with pets on the premises." Katherine really hadn't considered what would happen to Draco with all this.

Calum thought a bit. "He's small, so... Hmm, no... I think... Yeah. I don't think you'd be able to always have Draco with you. Depending on how he feels around other animals, there is a small daycare essentially. That's where my dog's been, anyway.". Julian slightly gaped at that, something clicking after that.
"Huh. Always thought that it was weird that you kinda up and left your dog at the warehouse. Never once considered ya got domeone to take care o' 'im."

"Alright, I guess it'll work out then.." Selena looked at Katherine with a puzzled look.
"And the other problem? How are you going to deal with that" Selena asked curiously.
"I suppose I could cuff myself to the bed..." Selena rolled her eyes, before opening the door.
"If you think that would work, then by all means, go ahead. I just thought I should let you know it's worse than you know" Selena said with a sigh before heading outside, and climbing into Katherine's old car.