^{@Marcus Iwasaki --- Mid August 2020 -- Glencoe Lochan, Scottish Highlands}

Finally! For most the end of Summer might be a depressing thought but for Kateri it was more akin to a blessing. Freedom. As much as she had been enjoying the precense of children at Hogwarts and then the Summer activities in London, returning home and making room for a student to stay for a week before heading to their next destination had drained her more than expected. It wasn't until the young lion cub, Katrina Walker, had left and the woman sat alone in her living room did she realize just how exhausted she had been. Ever since she had gotten her position at Hogwarts she had been constantly on the go. August meant slowing down and recharging her batteries before heading back to the castle for another year.

The last five years in Aberdeen, Kateri hadn't ventured too far or explored like she normally would. Her first time in Scotland had been for 'No-Maj' or Muggle college for three years before returning home. After her mother's passing and other family matters she had moved to Aberdeen permanently. There was still much of Scotland she wanted to see and hearing from some locals about Glencoe had peaked her interest greatly. Hiking and beautiful views, something she missed dearly about her birthplace in the States. After taking a week to tidy up her house she had packed and headed out on a four hour drive west. Magic had its perks that was true, but there was something about doing things the old fashioned way that Kateri enjoyed, including travel. She stopped along the way at a couple of places to take pictures and eat lunch at a local bakery in Dunkeld. Things she would have missed 'poofing' her way there.

Having called ahead she arrived at the Callart View B&B, why not take advantage and make this a little vacation? She would be leaving in a couple of days to head back to Hogwarts. A little pre-term vacation sounded nice. At first she had fought with herself trying to reason with herself cost versus driving back, food, finances and whether it was practical. She rarely went on vacation anywhere and hardly spent so much on herself in one trip. Regardless she ended up getting a room and while checking in was offered a drive in to the trail-head by a kind older gentleman. He had chatted briefly about where she was from and how she was the same age as his daughter before wishing her well and dropping her off along the Lochan road.

* * *

A brisk wind and birds welcomed Kateri as she treked along the first half of the Glencoe trail. The weather had been perfect, not too hot and not too muggy. Nice enough to be comfortable in a thin long sleeve shirt with a decent breeze to keep one cool. There hadn't been much traffic going into the trail and only two others had passed Kateri by on their way out, both nodding a greeting before continuing on their way. There was almost an unspoken language she found when in the woods and spotting another person. A quiet sort of understanding to respect not only nature but the atmosphere they were surrounded in. No small talk needed or boisterous greetings and curiosity delving into a fellow hiker's plans for the day, how long they have been there, where they hike, where they're from... Just a soft gesture and simple smile. Absorbed in the clicks, chittering, and crunch of the earth beneath her boots, the young woman let out a long breath and adjusted the brim of her hat to keep out the sun as it began to beat down on her face in-between groupings of trees. It was just about mid-afternoon when she pulled the map that had been tucked into a side pocket of her backpack. Peering down at it she eyed the three color coded trails. One was much longer than the others though thinking about it she could possibly just go along each one and hit them all for one long hike. The weather made this idea all the more tempting. Engrossed in her map she stood off to one side of the trail in case anyone should need to pass by.

The outdoors really called to Marcus on days like today. Perfect weather for an activity like hiking or mountain climbing - a chance to get some fresh air and build up a sweat. It was also a chance to let Nora have her house to herself - as kind as it had been for her to offer him a room in her house for the summer, he could tell they each liked their own space. That meant he spent just as much time away from her home as he spent inside of it.

In fact, his time away from there had only increased as the summer went on. The closer it got to the day when all the professors would gather in the castle dungeons, the more time Marcus spent researching and training. He had been to the local bookstore on several occasions, spending afternoons buying books on hags and researching their downfalls. Research had once been a passion of his when he was very young, prior to his infection. That meant over twenty-one years ago, and here he was rediscovering his love for it. He would often return back to Nora's home with more questions on her encounters with the dungeon darkness, offering insight he had discovered from his books.

The upcoming mission would not be an easy task. Nora constantly reminded him of how it could easily become lethal, but that wouldn't make him back down easily. He had stared death in the face before, having stepped into fighting rings where people had died. It just meant he had to spend as much time on research as his other passion: training. He was often at the gym or doing outdoor activities, and that had also begun to increase as the summer went on. That's why today - with the weather as nice as it was - he intended to go train again.

Marcus wanted to explore a bit more of Scotland. He had moved here with very little background knowledge of the area. Despite living in Europe for the last decade, Scotland had never drawn his attention before. After doing a bit of research, he had settled on going to the Glencoe Lochan today. It seemed like a scenic place for a hike, and it had some difficult trails that he could traverse. With a destination in mind, he arranged a floo to the nearest place to the area and took a cab the rest of the way.

Having checked the weather ahead of time, he arrived at the location in appropriate attire. A gray long-sleeved shirt with a hood and front pocket (too thin to be considered a hoodie) and dark cargo pants. The backpack he had was small and lightly packed. The hikers that he passed when entering the area gave him a wide berth - a reaction he was very used to from people in general. He ignored it, and continued into the lochan, intent on enjoying his time there. He looked at the map near the beginning of the paths, and chose one to walk along. He wasn't too worried about getting lost, he had always been able to rely on his natural sense of direction.

It was a while before he reached a fork in the paths. Being away from people and absorbed in the smells of nature was always such a relief to him, and he had been taking it easy so far. He wanted to traverse the whole area before really kicking into training by jogging or even going for a full blown run. It was only when he came to a fork in the path that he paused. Again, not worried about getting lost, just curious which way would be more of a challenge. His amber eyes were drawn to a woman who had pulled out a map nearby.

"Excuse me," Marcus said, keeping a fair distance between himself and the woman. He didn't want to spook her. "Do you know which way is longer?" he gestured to the two paths that forked out from here.

@Kateri Karr

Marcus' Intimidation is in effect.

It is a sentiment that enters people's hearts when they are in your presence. They feel dis-ease when you are present, even if the interaction is casual or even friendly.