Perfect School

Kira:

I looked up from the picture, "Come in." Replacing the picture on the wall I trailed my fingers over those beside it. The twins as kids were interesting. It took me a moment to decide who was who. But finally I dragged my gaze away from the pictures and over to Jonah.

Jonah:

“What do you think?” I asked when I entered. I meant all of it. Was she disappointed? Was she pleased? What did her heart of stone feel? I went to stand next to her and look over the pictures. Both twins had red hair when they were babies and they looked strikingly similar. Even as children they looked alike. The only thing that stood out between their small faces were Kyra’s chubby cheeks.

"I don't feel like I belong here." I turned away from him and focused on the pictures again. "I'm not fit to be family, to join others on a wall like this." I balled my hands into fists then shook my head. "The week is young still. We should get the tour like they promised."

Jonah:

I opened the door wide again for her. “I don’t know,” I said with a mischievous grin, “I’d still pin you to a wall.” I murmured it just in case her parents were nearby. It was more to get her mind off the situation than it was flirtation. Still, if it got the image in her head.

I snorted at his words and as I walked by him I jabbed him in the chest with my elbow. Hard enough that he'd really feel it, but not so hard as to cause any damage. Leading the way it was easy to find my parents in the kitchen. I simply followed the sound of voices. Half way we were met by the trio of dogs, and I paused long enough to offer my hand for a sniff to each of the trio.

I wanted to just get down and pet them, to run my fingers through their fur but I resisted in favor of getting the tour.

Jonah:

I grinned, despite the pain, and followed after her. In the livingroom, I dropped to one knee and pet the two dogs who came up to me. It was a treat to be near creatures like this. Still the white one named Angel wouldn’t approach me. After a moment I straightened and went to the Kitchen shortly behind Kira.

Krissy and Michael separated from a hug when we came in. “Ready to meet the sheep?” Krissy asked with an uncertain smile. She was trying. Likely she still felt bad for her earlier blunder.

"Please tell me you didn't name one of them Lamb or Lamby?" I turned it into a question as I approached them. Angel nudging my hand had me looking down at the ice white beauty. Slowly I shifted my hand and rubbed at her head. My first time petting a dog. I had to pull my attention back to my parents with complete reluctance.

Krissy:

I looked down at my feet. “No… But one of them is named wooly,” I said then looked back up with a small grin. Maybe she hadn’t been scarred by my earlier comment. Maybe she could joke about it. Maybe I could make it up to her. I glanced to Michael for reassurance.

Kira:

I nodded slowly. "Wooly. Of course." Huffing a breath in as close to a laugh as I could manage I shook my head. I watched her glance to Michael and took a moment to wonder just how scared Krissy was of all this. Was she in the same boat as I was and not quite sure how all if it was going to work?

Jonah:

The pair took us out to the barn to start our tour so we could see the sheep. Krissy went to a bin and gave us each a cup of feed so we could hand feed them. I was less excited for the sheep than I was for the dogs, but still curious. The barn was smelly and echoed with bahing. Michael a door on the inside of the barn to get to the sheep and gestured for us to go in.

I clutched the cup of feed in both hands. My nose wrinkled at the smell but it was the sounds that really got to me. I didn't like loud sounds and the bahing echoed off the walls. Shaking my head to try and clear the noise I followed after everyone else. Once we were where the sheep were I gasped softly. I'd never seen sheep not on television. The perfectly white, soft, and fluffy looking things. These sheep weren't like that. They ranged in color and fluffiness. But that didn't make me want to pet them any less.

Jonah:

Looking at her, no one would suspect there was anything dangerous about Kira in this moment. She looked young and innocent. I smiled as I watched her feed the sheep from her cup. They all crowded around her to get a taste. When they realized I had feed as well, they split into two groups. I reached out and sunk my hand into the wool of the nearest one.

A ghost of a smile curved my lips as I was swarmed by sheep, all trying to get at my cup and the feed. After nearly dropping the cup while they swarmed it, I tried pouring some into my hand and offering that around instead. It worked better and I was able to touch individual sheep that way until my cup ran out. After that I ran my fingers through the sheep's wool, feeling the surprisingly greasy feeling of the wool.

Krissy:

I smiled watching the two with the sheep. “In the spring, we sheer them. Or rather Michael does and I attempt to help out. And then we usually get a couple lambs toward the end of the season. Maybe… maybe this year you could come see them,” I said. Assuming this trip went well that was.

"I'd...I'd like that." I had run out of feed and while a few stubborn ones were still nosing me for food, the rest had wandered off. "Could I name one of the lambs?" I glanced up at her then back down as I picked my way through the milling bodies to join her and Michael by the fence.

Krissy:

My smile grew and I nodded.  “Of course,” I said.  She could do anything she wanted if it made her want to be here, I thought.  After we finished feeding the sheep we took them around the property.  There was a duck pond, with no ducks as it was winter, and our property backed up to a small creek.  I loved this place, and I made sure to tell her all the things I loved about it in hopes that she would love it too.  

We ended the tour in the house when we showed them our basement.  This hinted at our former life.  Some things we couldn’t leave behind.  We didn’t have many weapons, as far as assassins went, but for a normal couple we had a small collection.  Nearly all of them were tacked up on the wall, unused.  On occasion I would bring out my throwing knives and throw them at a target on the wall.  But mostly we used this room for keeping in shape.  For workouts, sparring, and a few other activities that I didn’t mention to our daughter.

The sights were interesting, and I wished I'd be able to see them in warmer months too. Winter wasn't a time for life or activity, it was a time things died or slept. Still Krissy did a good job in describing the local wildlife and what it all looked like.

The tour of the basement was most interesting. While no one had explicitly said anything I could tell from the way they moved, Michael especially, that simple sheep farmers wasn't the original life. The wall of weapons spoke more than the mats or exercise equipment. I gravitated towards the wall and its array of weaponry.

I paused beside a rifle, a simple hunting affair. Carefully I drew it off the wall and following my training I checked it's cycle, heft, weight, and sights. It was well taken care of but it didn't take me much effort to know that it wasn't used much. Replacing it on the wall I slowly walked along it, gazing at the array of weaponry with a practiced eye.

Jonah:

I studied the room and followed Kira when she went to the wall of weapons. I didn’t handle any of them, but I made note of which looked like they were used most often. The knives in particular seemed to be used, and well taken care of.

Krissy and Michael did not seem like the sort of people who had formerly been assassins. And I couldn’t understand why they would want to start a life like this after living in that world. Not once had I ever considered it for myself in the future.

After looking over all the weapons, I moved to the equipment next. Most of it was standard stuff. A treadmill, a stair climber, weights, pull up bar. Even a sandbag and a hit bag were near the corner. Finally I looked to the mats, kneeling down beside them to feel them. It was all rather impressive while remaining very simple.

Slowly my eyes drifted towards Krissy and Michael, a curious look entering my gaze. Just what had they been before all of this?

Krissy:

It was uncomfortable, I realized, to have someone else scrutinize you, especially when you wanted them to like you, to love you even. I wanted Kira to accept us as a family so bad, it made me self-conscious about who I was.

I watched her as she inspected the basement. Was it possible to bring her into our world? I had done it with Michael. I held his hand now and had my other hand around his arm.

Michael:

I could tell my daughter had some questions. Their was an air of ice around her, a way to keep the world at bay. And her face almost gave nothing away. It was only when I looked directly in her eyes or when she forgot to hold that mask perfectly in place that what she felt below the surface rose up.

I couldn't answer anything that wasn't asked however and finally Kira looked away and stood up. "Come on, it's just about lunch time. We can make sandwiches and talk about our plans for the next few days." Motioning for the two kids to follow and with my wife glued to my arm I made my way upstairs.

Krissy:

Sandwiches were one thing I was fairly good at making. I wasn’t a bad cook, I simply lacked the skill to push meals from decent, to really great. I knew how to make a handful of things that Michael enjoyed really well, but that was it.

Michael and I pulled out all the makings for sandwiches and made them how the kids requested. I put the dogs outside then joined the three at the table.

Kira:

I felt a twinge of unhappiness as the dogs were sent outside, but it wasn't my house. I didn't even know the rules and as we sat at the table I finally ventured to ask some questions. "I had some questions." I began softly, staring down at my plate and the sandwich I'd been eating. "What are the rules of the house? For the dogs, the house, curfew, anything. What are you expecting from me? And finally, just who are you both?"

Krissy:

“Ah,” I glanced to Michael. “As far as rules go… You don’t have a curfew. You can do as you please here as long as it doesn’t put us or this place in danger. If you want you can even take one of the cars if you want to go exploring. Um… but for the other questions. Well. Uh,” I looked down at my plate, my mind closing up.

Michael:

I watched Kira through it all, as she listened through the rules. We didn't have many, nothing I could really add for what Krissy already did. That did leave her others questions and it only took one look at my wife to see she'd closed up.

"We don't require anything from you Kira. We want to get to know you, and you about us. I hope you come visit us whenever you can. We only could ever want to make this a family in truth." Reaching over I put an arm around my wife's shoulders offering her a soft smile.

Raising my eyes up I looked at Kira, then to Jonah, and finally back again. "As for who we are. We are your parents. We are retired, middle ages, sheep farmers. But once upon a time we were assassins."