Before the Crescendo (Rai and Katarina)
Less than three days had passed since her arrival on the somber shores of Ionia. Beaten, haggard commoners bustled to and fro, eyes fixed to mud covered rags that protected their feet as they almost desperately avoided the cloaked figure that slipped through the crowd. Though a heavy, plainly colored cloak had been donned, Noxian’s stood out like a sore thumb and not even Katarina was an exception to that, no not here in this war ravaged land.
However it wasn’t the malice that seared her skin, born of glances cast at her back whilst turned, that urged the assassin to continue on the path that would take her out of town and hopefully, at least a day closer to the next. It was the icy touch of grief that still soaked her soul and forced her mind to focus on the task at hand; after all, she had already wasted enough time making up her mind within that small, port town.
Coeur wasn’t exactly on the way to the Noble’s destination, but after this investigation (she was so sure it would be over and done with within the month) plans had been made and routes had been charted... However, official business had to come first, no matter how heavy her heart.
Breath was forced from between parted lips, a soft sigh escaping her as Katarina slinked on. Here, on the outskirts of this Noxian occupied village, the crowd thinned and Katarina found that her steps were now taken with a renewed sense of purpose; finish the job, get to Coeur. The faster she worked, the sooner she could go.
A dull thud and a sharp wave of pain suddenly flashed across Katarina’s vision, senses half skewed as her hand lifted instinctively to press against the back of her skull. The Noble didn’t need to turn to know what had happened, not as the stone that had connected so thoroughly with the back of her head bounced into her line of sight. No words, no jeers, no taunts followed the rock, and yet the message was clear: Noxus was not welcome. It never was.
She needed to move quickly, lest the weary, war beaten Ionians find strength within their numbers.
With the treeline now in sight, feet began to beat hard against the dirt. Another dull thud, this time missing Katarina by at least several inches, marked the second stone hurled her way. Still, she did not look back, did not offer her faceless assailant the satisfaction of witnessing her own. Though, for half a second as she approached the surrounding forest, Katarina allowed herself to be entertained by the visual of planting a dagger of her own deep within the rock throwers skull.
It would be deserved, though one may argue that the stone that had connected with Katarina was, in its own way, deserved just as much.
@ionianlightning