Our Hidden Blades

Assassin

Katarina lay with two large arms around her waist. The warmth of Garen's breath tickled the back of her neck as his slumber finally kicked in, something she had been waiting for what felt like hours.

Garen had seemed very content with her after Xin Zhao had left, seemingly happy that she didn't explore the conversation with Xin Zhao any more than necessary. 

At least, that's what Garen thought.

Katarina unwrapped Garen's weight from around her, heaving a stressful sigh into the wind as she stood and began to adorn herself with the night's armor. 

Her red hair fell over her face as she pulled her boots up to her shin and secured them, her back to the warrior who she was slowly passing time with in a forest of boredom. 

Though she knew the risk, knew she may get in some kind of trouble, it didn't bother her that she wanted to go back to Demacia.

Garen may not be allowed back, but if it meant keeping their secret safe, she needed another "chat" with Xin Zhao. Though Garen trusted him, his promises weren't enough for her. She'd seen it before: He was outnumbered. He was scared. He was powerless. He wasn't going to walk away with telling the truth, and so he lied. Her distrust powered her anger towards him, as it was his actions that would lead her to a decision she didn't want to have to make - but knew she'd have to.

Katarina turned back around, giving a sleepy garen a look which apologized, for just a second, before she was once more a stone-cold assassin, on the outside and in. Katarina shortly tossed one of her daggers in the air a few times as she left him to his heavy sleep, reaccustoming herself to the metal's light weight.

These would make it more than easy to finish Jarvan's steward off. 

When she came upon Xin Zhao once more, he was taking a pitstop on his way back to Demacia. He was close - just outside both the forest where she and Garen resided and the large stone walls which blocked the city-state off from the rest of Runeterra. While she thought she'd have to stick her nose in his business, follow him into Demacia with all the tricks up her sleeve, here he was, not even there yet.

Katarina scoffed from behind a tree, watching the tired steward as he prepared himself a rabbit he had caught - presumably so he could eat it soon. From how he grazed his knife under the rabbit's now blood-stained pelt, she wondered what it'd be like to really get the chance to fight him. Her blood boiled to watch a drip of sweat fall from his brow as she held a knife against his throat and asked him to say his last words. 

However, would she really be assassinating him efficiently if she were to do that?

That would take actually hiding the body, because nothing was more telling of "Katarina was in the woods with Garen" than The Steward's throat being cut open on top of his armor and body being sliced through. Nothing was better evidence than the cuts of perfectly-thrown daggers. 

Katarina debated her next move, but a voice in the shadows brought her attention to is what made her eyes dart across the clearing which Xin Zhao sat in.

He seemed to realize where the voice was coming from sooner than Katarina herself as his eyes tore straight ahead of him as a body moved forward. She hadn't caught the first thing the voice had said, but now she her ears were focused on the voice. 

"You did a great job back there. They were most definitely surprised." 

Xin looked back down at the animal in his hands and continued to do away with it's feet as he replied, "I was so sure that she was going to kill me. I'm surprised Garen has that kind of an allure over her. I definitely didn't expect her to back down."

"I've told you before, it's an issue." A cloaked body walked forward and Katarina placed that the voice must belong to a woman. It was a slightly familiar voice, but she didn't bother to stick to it. Any voices stuck with her, whether it be the voice of a soldier saying her last words or a close friend. 

The woman continued, "This is why it's so necessary that we stop this from happening."

"How will what I just did stop this from happening? I didn't find any new information."

"You didn't but you set the plan into motion. You set Katarina's mind whirring with none other than worry. She'll become more and more suspicious and hyper-aware. She'll be explosive and anxious. Garen won't know how to deal with her. Her anger can make her a loose cannon at times, I fear." 

"How is her being more aware any better for us? If you want to get rid of her, why don't you?" 

"You're a complete idiot aren't you?"

Xin Zhao looked up then, shocked at the accusation. The cloaked figure was then much closer to him, leaning into him. 

The voice went on, "We will have Katarina destroy herself. She will ruin that relationship with her own hands."