It had been a week since Katrina had invited Martha for a Girls night in. Katrina was fairly relaxed about it, she liked Martha and any friend of the clans was a friend of hers. She had done a spot of last minute cleaning, Katrina had heard that the English were house proud and she did not want Martha to be uncomfortable.

 Katrina’s house was not un-clean, but any house proud English person would have probably picked up on something. Ajax was understanding when she explained she was having Martha over. No doubt he was going to go hang out with Jillian. Martha had been given Katrina’s address a few nights ago. Putting the can of lemon pledge away Katrina sat on the sofa, waiting for Martha’s arrival.

Martha had responded eagerly to the invite and was about to arrive on time. Wearing her usual black school uniform: long gymslip, blazer, sensible shoes...her neat white kneesocks or stockings (it was hard to tell with her long gymslip)...satchel...arriving by bicycle. Having locked her bike up, tucked her hi-vi jacket into her satchel and secured her bike, Martha, sans walking cane, had taken care to arrive with a bottle of Californian red wine. She wasn't sure what else might be useful. Smiling as she approached the address, she looked about.

Wary and wide eyed, she scanned the nearby shadows and rooftops and made her limping way to the door. A gentle knock knock, she smiled as she waited.

It does not take long for Katrina to open the door. She smiles to Martha "I am pleased you could make it. Please, please, come in. Make yourself at home." Katrina said as she stepped aside for Martha to enter.
Martha offered a happy curtsy and eagerly launched into her rehearsed Russian: "Ah! Dobry vecar!" she curtsied carefully and seemed sincere in her greeting...all wide eyed eagerness...she offers the wine bottle to Kat as she limps heavily inside, accepting the invite into the Domain.
Katrina grinned at Martha's Russian. It seemed she was sparking a revolution. Who knows: in a years time there could be a district of downtown called Little Russia! This thought amused Katrina. "Oh thank you, I got some wine and vodka in. But nothing as nice as this." She said whilst closing the door and leading Martha into the living room. The living room was nothing fancy. The white walls were emitting that freshly painted smell. The sofa and furniture was all black wood. The TV sat in the corner of the room where as the stereo complete with turn-table seemed to have a more prominent position next to two large wooden CD case holders. Mostly filled with opera music, soundtracks from musicals, classical music and, of course, Russian bands. There also seemed to be a lot of 40's 50's and 60's music. "Please take a seat, make yourself comfortable." Katrina said as she rushed off to the kitchen to fetch a few glasses and a cork-screw.
Martha smiled, listened to Kat talk and invite her to sit. "Thank you! er...spasiba!" She took in the decor and smells after Kat had left...she watched Kat walk into the kitchen and studied Kat's sleek bare legs and delicate shoes with great interest but soon hobbled over to sit at the nearest seat, taking care to smooth her gymslip out and sit neatly and modestly. Smiling and looking around.

Katrina comes back in and takes the cork out of the wine Martha had bought. Pouring each a glass she pressed the play button on the stereo and turned the volume down low. The sound of Vivaldi's Four Seasons could be heard shortly after. Taking a seat on the sofa Kat smiled at Martha. "I do not think I ever asked, whereabout's in England are you from?"

Martha seemed slightly startled by the music, but smiles as she hears what it is, watching Kat with attentive care, she helps by arranging glasses close to hand if need be. "Oh...my family is...rather, was, large. We had estates all around, ma'am! I spent time in most counties at one time or another!" a modest smile, keeping her hands busy by helping with glasses, she watches Kat's eyes with gentility.

"Oh, your family were Lords and Ladies? Sounds like you had a good childhood." Katrina hoped she had got that correct, English lessons were good but they tended to be vague when it came to English culture.

Martha nods modestly again, raised her glass to offer a toast to Kat...pausing to move and shift and expend Blood to at least try to taste the wine. "Na zdarov'e, ma'am! Yes...yes...they were lords and ladies, ma'am...I was too...though, it seems my title counts for nothing here..." she added slightly sadly, taking a sip of the wine, "Titles only seem to confuse or one runs the risk of confounding and upsetting the Invictus." another sigh, another sip of wine, she stared a moment at Kat's elegant high heeled shoes...only for a second or two. Resting the glass in her lap, she cradled it close with both hands...nervously watching Kat's eyes now, to see if she'd upset her host in someway. Figuring if Kat wanted to talk about her own family, she would do so in good time.
"We did not have anything like that when I grew up. The Tzar's had been killed and I grew up when Russia as still Communist. Most people think that it was a bad thing. But we did not know anything else. There were problems, but what culture does not have them? I would say my childhood was normal. Up until about age 16 anyway."

"It is a grave pity about the Tzar...or at least the Tzarina's...such a waste. I am glad you had 16 years of normality, though." she takes a sip of wine and makes an appeasing gesture of a free hand, "I shall not press for details, ma'am, of what happened after 16 if you have no wish to share at this time!" a nod of sympathy and understanding, which seems sincere.

"Oh, it's no problem." Katrina smiled. "I am coming to terms with it. Its taken 45 years but I am getting there. I find the more I talk about it the easier it becomes." Katrina pauses as she concentrated to expend the blood required to drink the wine. She took a sip and placed the glass down on the coffee table. Quickly noticing Martha was present and placed one of the brand new coasters under it. "My father, a great man, was a KGB agent. My mother was a housewife. My father had always taught me to defend myself, in case it was ever needed. At the time the KGB were nothing more than state sanctioned gangsters. Vicious and cruel." She paused again. "One day a fellow agent - who had been skimming off the top - got caught and framed my father. He was an accountant by trade, did not really do field operations. He went into hiding - hoping that me and my mother would be safe. He was wrong. They came the first time, slapped my mother a bit and asked her where he was."

"We both said he had run and that we had no idea where he had gone. They came a second time and kidnapped us. They tortured my mother for 3 days until she talked. They tortured me for 3 days to try and get me to talk - and a further 3 for not talking. They let us go after that, after killing my father. My mother died in hospital a few weeks later. We were the lucky ones. Usually the KGB would have killed you without a thought." Katrina pauses. "I spent two years taking photos of agents, getting ready to get my revenge. It was a suicide mission and my Sire had noticed me - and noticed what I was up to. He Embraced me to save me from getting myself killed."
Martha sat and listened, eyes widening in growing horror as the terrible tale unfolded...wrapped by Katrina's story...she gulped at the wine as she thought about the things left unspoken in the tale...the terror or Katrina's project, the cold revenge and dedication to a deadly task...watching Katrina with growing awe and respect. She knew enough to know that the KGB was the revised version of the many arms of Secret Police the Russian state deployed. Putting her wine glass down to match Katrina, Martha sat quiet and began rubbing at her stiff knee. Her leg stiff from thigh to ankle. She listened, quietly she almost whispered, the words almost lost amidst the allegro passage of Vivaldi; "Goodness me, ma'am...he...he took your life to save you? Goodness. Quite the gift! Of sorts..."

 Her voice trailed off, as if letting Katrina take up more of the story or explain more as she saw fit.
"Well, you have to pay the piper. He paid a price for embracing me and has the scars to prove it." She paused. "You see one is not Embraced into the Lance. It goes against our beliefs. However there are a few exceptions and when it does happen there is a ceremony. I was Embraced and welcomed into the fold. While my Sire was punished for his Sin." Katrina paused while she looked at Martha rubbing her knee. "That shows the Lance in a negative light. It is not really like that. I guess its just mis-understood." Katrina smiles. "Sorry if this sounds rude, and you can tell me to mind my own business if I am over-stepping the line here." Katrina thinks for a few moments trying to phrase this the best way she could. "What's wrong with your leg? Was it a pre or post Embrace thing?"
An andante passage now and Martha listened grimly, rubbing harder at her leg, her upper thigh getting the most attention. She took time and effort to gulp back a mouthful of wine, listening to more of the tale and the interweaving of the Lancea and Katrina's destiny. Pouting and nodding to Katrina. "My leg?" Martha looked to her stiff leg, back to Katrina...normally she tried to make a game of it. A guessing game. She didn't feel much in the mood right now though. Sighing, she shook her head at the memory of it all. "Oh...oh..." her shoulders sag, "Pre my Embrace, ma'am...you aren't rude...I daresay you would be odd if you weren't curious about it..." she looked about the room, then back to Katrina's own perfectly slender and sleek legs, tries a shy smile as she realised she was staring...she tried harder at the smile again...the game...the game, "Quite simply, ma'am...it doesn't work at all well does it! Quite bothersome, really!" she giggled now...either from some odd stress or perhaps the odd effect of wine...not that she knew if the wine would effect her at all anyway!

Katrina smiled. If Martha was not ready she was not ready. "Sorry, I have a bit of a small obsession with the Kindred condition." she smiles at Martha. "I suppose that being a Gangrel I have a good understanding of the Beast and have many theories on our condition." She shrugs "I am still young though. So still have a lot to learn." she pauses. "So why did you come to the city? I have only seen pictures of England but the Peak district and Lake district are breath-taking."
Martha watched, entranced by Katrina's smile. She blinked and rubbed harder at her leg, listening to Kat talk...trying to keep up with the questions. "This city, ma'am? Well...as breath-taking as the Peak District is, ma'am, there are just as many mysteries to be uncovered in this region, ma'am!" she begins to get excited now, rubbing harder at her stiff knee and talking eagerly, her glooms last only a short while, it seems. "Lost gold and silver mines...vanished Native American domains and cultures...soaring Thunderbirds! Perhaps even Roman gold too! Who knows what else lies out there...?" she makes a theatrical gesture, as if regally demonstrating the far horizon to the east...but only pointing out the hi-fi stereo system closer by. "If one were to seek the heart and soul of the United States...one could do a lot worse than try to locate and study this region!"

"Wow Martha! I always knew you were more than a pretty face but...wow. I am speechless. I had never even considered that." Katrina was painfully aware of her flaws. One of which was bombarding people with questions. "So... do you actually study this stuff? Explore old mines and mysteries?" she asked with a clear tone of interest.

 Martha nods eagerly, all excited, she steals a glance to Kat's sleek and bare legs, very much on display in her short floral patterned dress, watching their curves and tone a moment before replying with even greater glee, seeing that Kat is exhibiting interest; "Oh! Oh! I did, ma'am...while travelling through Dakota! I explored some old mine workings! Quite reckless of me, really...if I had fallen...or my leg...well...well...I learned many lessons from those very elementary explorations! But, yes, ma'am...I have made a study of the archaeology of this region...and continue to do so! I aim to prepare more fully for future explorations!" she giggles and rubs hard at her stiff knee.

"Well, I may look and act all girly; but I am still a Gangrel at heart!" Katrina smiles. "I once watched a documentary about a disabled man that explored cracks in the Arctic ice. If he can do it, I am sure you can." Katrina smiles at Martha. "Hell, I would love to come along! I like a bit of adventure from time to time."

 Tiny Martha sat back into the seat, rubbing hard at her leg and watching Katrina with wide eyes...watches Kat's legs...watches her eagerness for the possible missions ahead too. Martha watched with a gentle eagerness...no cold assessment, no sly cunning. Just the honest smile and watchfulness of someone infected by Katrina's charm and company. She had privately called it the Katrina Effect...she had seen many flock to this lady, now she understood more clearly why. Martha giggled happily as Kat offered encouragement. "I should think myself most fortunate indeed to have you along with me, ma'am!" she replied, very sincere it seems, all smiles. "Goodness! Goodness yes! Very fortunate indeed! Someone of your calibre and skill...what a fine companion, ma'am. Smart! Courageous! Daring! Forgive me, ma'am, if I may add to that list: most delightfully charming too!"

 Katrina laughs "It can get me into trouble as well." That had become all too clear with the recent Prince fiasco. She had fallen lucky that Asa was a good and wise leader. "I must say you have sparked an interest. I will have to get some books so I can do a bit of background reading." Katrina thought for a moment about old abandoned mines. Plans already forming in her head. "So do you have anywhere marked out?"

 Martha smiles, rubs her knee again, but with less agitation than earlier, shakes her head meekly; "My researches have revealed far too many mine workings in this State, ma'am! The whole landscape and geology is a honeycomb of workings and diggings of every quality, purpose and size! I have a plan to investigate some workings and ghost towns close by, ma'am...more for practice than effect, but: therein lies the joy of study...who knows what we may uncover from such a reconnaissance?"A happy smile. "I must also be wary! I am told of grave dangers that lay awaiting for the careless traveller! My researches must extend to a thorough understanding of the risks and threats in the region! It is a study I should welcome your aid with, ma'am!"

 Katrina looks a bit more serious. "Yes, I agree with you there. We still have enemies at the gates." She said referring to the Brood. "An old abandoned mine would be perfect refuge from the sun...." she said trailing off, wondering how this information could be useful to the current Brood hunt. "Actually, Martha... that could quite possibly be a solution to our Brood problem. It's a long shot but - are there any mines near Squatterville? Or perhaps tunnels under it?"

 "Tunnels? Mines? Squatterville?" Martha seemed perplexed by this, but soon the implications began to form in her head. "I...I should wish to check again my notes and other sources, but I daresay it sounds most likely that there could be, ma'am. There are an awful lot of tunnels around here..." she smiled, seeming to enjoy hearing Katrina say her name with such sudden informality. "This could be a vital avenue of investigation! We should combine effort to learn more, ma'am!" Martha seems energised by this, makes a flustered gesture with her hands, as if suddenly impatient at herself. "Squatterville, eh?" she muses about it, returning a free hand to her knee...watching Kat with eager and respectful eyes.

 "I have minor knowledge of Animalism. I am sure I could obtain a rat or two and start training them for this very purpose. Knowing what is down a mine before we go in would be a massive advantage."

 At this, Martha suddenly thought of other mines...other places she knew from far away...blinking hard at the mention of rats and advantage, she smiled meekly, nodding with seriousness."Quite so, ma'am! Quite so!"

And here they exhaust much of the remaining night with study upon their plans. Enthusiastically united over wine and talk of ancient mysteries and tunnels.