Katarina was beginning to love Sundays. There was no theatre, no bar, and no obligations. She had every desire to stay in bed as long as possible before having to get ready for the impromptu picnic. She might also not want to run into Juli and explain where she was going. She did not view it as a date with Jolyon, but there was something about her cousin being out with him earlier in the week that could make things possibly awkward.

Her long hair made in a lose bun, she peeked out of the window to see the sun breaking across the horizon. She had never been able to sleep past her childhood hours of work on the farm that never slept in. Still, she curled in the warmth of her bed for several minutes, to relish in the moment of completely wasting her morning.

Her mind traveled down memory lane, thinking of those mornings out on the farm with her family and at times, her cousin?s. Though, it was never the same when Johnny left. So many things had changed that she had yet to tell him. He was not there when she became the principal dancer for the Hope Company. He was not there to watch his sisters and her siblings grow up, to help be an example to them. He was the eldest, and no matter how many times she would deny, she would always look up to him. Even as children, she would tag along with him and his friends.

In the peace and privacy of her room, she allowed melancholy and sadness graze her face. His friends, particularly his best friend Caleb. Caleb Ryan Miller. It was a name that she would never forget.

?Wha?s th? matter, Katie?? Johnny teased, and even splashed water up to the dock where she stood. The air was warm, and almost sweet in the summer months. She was only seven, and though her dancing training had already begun, she still insisted on playing with ?the boys.?

?Yeah? Wha?, ya scared o? th? water snakes?? Caleb taunted, his wet brown hair showing signs of deep red undertones. He was nine like Johnny, and the pair was inseparable. Out of all of Johnny?s friends, Caleb picked on and teased Katarina the most.

?I aim? scared o? nothin?.? She stuck her tongue out at Caleb, ?I jist dun wanna git mah new dress wet.? She never was able to wear dresses as they were impractical on the farm. So, she took every opportunity to wear one when she could.

?Baby!? Caleb continued, and splashed a good amount of water onto the dress she claimed she did not want to get wet.

With water hitting her face, she sputtered at him, ?I?ll show ya!? She then jumped off the dock as close as she could to him, and aim to land her tiny, curled fist on his nose, ?You biscuit lovin?-?

?Katie Smith!? Johnny swam to get into the middle of his teasing friend and the cousin who bore a wicked temper.

When Katarina returned from her flashback, she blinked back the tears from her eyes. Perhaps she could steal a few hours of sleep yet, in hopes of dreaming something brighter.

It was a rare occasion that Katarina did not fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. With three younger siblings and several shared rooms, it was a quick adjustment she had made early on in life. Tonight however, Katarina sat alone in the kitchen, long after she had watched home with Johnny and Sera. She had tried to sleep, but it did not come, and rather than bother Juliane, she slipped out of bed and moved to the only room that was not occupied.

The gathering at the Southern Glen did not go as she had imagined. While all of her dancing companions made for a splendid beginning, Johnny had gone bull riding against her warning, and she had been teased to bits about something that was not even true. He had been trying to make a point about teasing, he had succeeded. It did not bother her so much now, yet she was curious of what he truly thought.

Johnny had gone bull riding. That is what bothered her the most. After all that he knew and had experienced, it nearly made Katarina sick; but he had not been there.

Katarina swung her long legs under the bench as she continued to wait. At the age of twenty-two, her body reflected all the hours spent not only on the farm, but at the studio as well. Her hair was brushed to a high shine, and her favorite summer dress of mint green had been carefully pressed. She had been looking forward to this day for many months now. Several people passed the young dancer at her seat, most of them exchanges greetings. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon, but not for her.

From the corner of her eye, she saw an unfamiliar horse approaching with a familiar person riding it. ?New stallion, Caleb?? The horse was probably the biggest she might have ever seen, and near all black except for the white near the hoofs.

?Beaut? ain? he? Almost twenty hands. He?s a wil? one, bu? he?s bahavin? today. I?s gonna be a good day. Lemme jist tie ?im up an? we?ll sor? thin?s ou?.? He mouthed something to her then, before he continued on his way.

She waited for quite some time, before frowning and standing. He was taking an awfully long time for such a simple chore. Following the trail he had taken, she saw a small crowd gathering around the stallion. From a first glance it looked like they were admiring the horse, but upon a closer inspection, Katarina realized that they were trying to run him off. Curious, she quickened her pace, and watched as the horse bucked around in a craze.

The white fur was now wet and red in color.

Shaking her head, Katarina realized that she was gripping the locket in her hand tightly. She released it quickly, and covered her face with her hands with unexpected grief.

Katarina?s face was beginning to hurt after all of the smiling, but she was too thrilled to try and diminish the sensation. After the past few years of training hard and traveling to closer moons to be understudies for several dancers, Katie landed a position in the Hope Academy. It was the best dancing troupe within several moons with a widely diverse group of dancers, and Katarina was distinctively the youngest. There was no mention of a principle, but she would not care if she was on the chorus line; all of her dedication was beginning to shine through. After her fight with Caleb right after Johnny?s departure, she put all of her free time into ballet. It strained her friendships and relationships, but Katarina faked her social life like a true performer and found true happiness alone in a room with a bar and mirrors.

Her name on the paper was still wet when the celebrations begun. News spread quickly within her small town and she could not walk into the center without people offering their congratulations. Her mother convinced her father and brothers to clear the barn and set up tables to host a party. With food, music and dancing, most of her family as well as the town came to support the young dancer.

Now, most had left and her brothers were returning the barn to its usual appearance, while those near and dear to her family remained to talk in small circles. The youngest of her siblings, Hannah, was yawning and rubbing her eyes. Almost exactly a decade of difference between them, Katarina grinned at her nine year old sister, ?Pas? yer bedtime, ain? it?? Her hand reached out to ruffle her sister golden ringlets.

?Cal promised me tha? I could see his new filly.? Her voice teetered on a whine, and she tried to look around for Caleb.

?He?s busy, Banana.? Lance sneaked up on Hannah and scooped her into his arms. Even in his middle teenage years, his form was already filled from his labor around the farm. ?We kin go see th? filly tamarra, I?ll even take ya.?

?Really?? The little girl squealed and giggled as her older brother gathered her up and spread tickling fingers to her ribcage.

?Yeah, now go git yerself ta bed before Pa comes ou? an? sees ya ?wake.? He set her down, and Hannah began to weave through the small crowd to her bed. Lance looked to his older sister, and brushed a kiss to her cheek, ?Ain? go? a chance ta tell ya how proud I am o? ya. Kin ya ?magine how many?? his voice trailed off as he spotted Cal, ?Dun tell me he?s still wit tha? airhead.?

?Charmin?, Lance.? Katarina said dryly, though her gaze went over as well. Cal was speaking with her parents, and Rosalyn Witt was all but draped over his arm. It was a comment tease that the mass of what would have been her mind was given to other generous places on her body. She giggled and laughed, fluttering her lashes to Cal every chance she had. Katarina had never disliked Rosalyn, but the differences in personality kept the dancer from approaching Cal when he was around his on-and-off woman of choice. ?Sure looks like it, dun it??

He rolled his eyes, ?Always was too headstrong ta know wha?s bes? fer ?im.? He shrugged, though his brown eyes studied his sister?s response. ?Gotta finish helpin? Pa an? Andrew.? A last flash of a smile before Lance departed her company.

Katarina smiled for him, but her mind was lingering on his words. Just as she turned around, Cal was there, alone. At the age of twenty-one, his face showed his youth and his body his strength. His hair showed more deep red streaks as time passed. ?Kin I have a moment wit ya, outside??

?Tha?s fine wit me.? She tried to look over his shoulder, ?Where?s-?

?C?mon.? He gently grabbed her arm, and she was being led out of the barn before even getting the change to see where his lady had gone.

Small trickles of sweat trailed down Katarina's hairline and neck, solely concentrated on the stillness of her pose. Her breathing was deep and appearing shallow to produce a minimal amount of change in her body. Carefully, each muscle was distinctly flexed as she seamlessly moved into a different position. She brought her back leg up and created a near vertical line. The process was continued, holding a pose for a few moments before her fluid movements created another pose.

Caleb had sneaked in quietly and stood by the door to watch. It was an exercise he had seen countless times, but her ability progressed upon each viewing. He was not here to consider her progress, however. Instead his eyes were drawn to the the tightness of her leotard, particularly the way it revealed her ribcage. He could distinctly count each rib, and it worried him. The frowned only deepened as he caught sight of her protruding collarbone. He had never seen her become so thin.

Finishing the exercise, Katarina finally noticed the figure in the mirror, and offered a polite smile, "Good day ta ya, Cal." Every day she would come to practice, and he always made time to spot in for a moment or two. Over time, it was relaxing the overstressed tension between them, enough for her to smile with ease and use his childhood name.

"Heya, Katie. I was wonderin'," he moved from the door closer towards her, "if ya wan'ed anythin' ta eat fer lunch? Jist 'bout ta throw somethin' tagetha fer mahself."

"No thanks. I already ate my lunch." She reached down for her towel, to wipe her face and the back of her neck, "I 'preciate th' offa, though."

Cal looked at her with suspicion. There was no said evidence of her lunch, and she had been in the studio since the morning, "Well, a' leas' stay an' hav' dinner wit' me."

His insistence had her raising a brow, "Yanno, mahbe ya should ask Rosalyn bafore ya 'vite me ova, yeah?"

"This ain't her home, an' she's nah here. It'll be jist ya an' me. Please? C'mon Katie," he gave a dimpled grin, "dun make me beg. I's jist dinner."

"Wha'd ya mean, she ain't here?" Now Katarina frowned, but when Cal didn't offer an explanation, Katarina shrugged indifferently, "Yeah, I'll drop by."

"Thanks." He nearly reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder, but instead his arm dropped to his side, "I will let ya git back ta yer practicin'." Turning around and smiling, he left the studio to figure out just how he was going to pull this off without the dancer's suspicion.