Riding a horse through the Centro district was a nightmare for Ezio Auditore. Though his horse was sturdy and would navigate easily around corners, it was the people of the city that were troublesome.
They could see him approaching and Ezio would even let out a warning cry, but the people were still too stubborn to move out of the way.
"Scusa." He cried out to one woman who stopped in the middle of the road to talk to another woman.
"Go around." She screamed. "Can't you see I'm busy?"
Ezio sighed and steered his way around the gossiping woman. His horse had taken two steps when two laborers walked in his path, carrying two large crates each, in their hands.
"If you could move quickly..." He requested.
"You try carrying this load." One of them yelled. "Pazzo!"
Ezio gritted his teeth. He was in a hurry to go see Bartolomeo who he heard was facing problems with the French. In order to obtain Bartolomeo's help and the use of his mercenaries, he would have to help him get rid of the French armies who kept troubling him.
As the two laborers moved even slower on purpose, Ezio decided he had, had enough.
Uttering a cry, he pulled on the reins and made his horse gallop. The two laborers rushed out of the way and Ezio heard a string of curses thrown at him. He didn't care.
"Scusi. Perdonatemi." He kept saying as he moved through the crowds.
"Aah! Your horse kicked me in the back!" One of the men yelled.
"Er..I don't think so." Ezio said as he rode by. There was no way he could have been hurt as the horse kept a steady pace on the ground.
"Eeee!" A woman screeched. "Your horse head-butted me!"
"If you would just move out of the way, signora..." Ezio sighed, losing his patience.
"This path is for walking." Someone complained.
"My children play here." A woman said who had a baby in her hands. "You can't ride a horse through here."
"Your child will be safer playing in a garden." Ezio huffed. "Alright everyone, move out of the way right now!"
"Or what?" A young man challenged.
Ezio looked down at the man in a dirty grey vest and scruffy brown hair.
"Rocco, what are you doing here?" Ezio asked, recognizing one of his new recruits. "You said you couldn't train today because your mother was ill."
Rocco hid the cards he had in his hand. "Er...she's feeling slightly better...er...let me help you mentore." He said and then stood in front of the horse. "Everybody move away. This man is on a very important mission."
The people groaned but moved aside and Rocco turned back to Ezio with a grin.
"Get back to the hideout." Ezio said, and with a cry made his horse gallop faster.
It was when he entered the Campagna district that Ezio could ride freely. There were no people in his way, no staircases and definitely no guards walking in his path and being 'accidentally' toppled over by his horse. Also, the wind as he rode faster felt good on his hot and tired skin.
Roma was facing another one of its hot summers and Ezio relished the breeze that helped invigorate him. By the time he reached Bartolomeo's headquarters, he was almost sorry that the ride was over. He climbed up the hill and then dismounted.
Two knocks on the door, and Bartolomeo himself opened.
"Ezio!" The burly man answered. He hasn't changed much since Ezio had last met him in Venezia. There were a few flecks of grey on his short hair and stubble, but Bartolomeo had still maintained his physique despite his age. Ezio assumed it had to do with his friend fighting off his enemies with his impeccable and enviable sword fighting skills. Bartolomeo was impulsive and chose to fight first and use his words later.
"It is good to see you again, amico mio." Ezio said and hugged his friend.
"Come in and meet Pantasilea." He said good-humoredly.
Ezio bit down on his smile. He still remembered the day he had been introduced to Bianca- Bartolomeo's trusty sword. He had been so attached that Ezio hadn't thought he would ever part with his weapon. Then again the blacksmiths in Roma were quite skillful in creating exceptional weapons. One of them must have caught his friend's eye.
"Er...I would love to meet her." He said.
"Where is she?" Bartolomeo said putting his hands on his hips. "Pantasilea!"
"Did you check behind the table?" Ezio asked.
"Why would she be there?" Bartolomeo asked with a frown.
Ezio saw a woman stand up from behind the large wooden table and Ezio saw the longsword she was carrying in her hands.
"Ah! There she is!" Bartolomeo said cheerfully. "What were you doing behind the table?"
"You dropped your sword." The woman said and when she walked over, Ezio found himself getting confused.
The woman appeared to be young and walked with grace and confidence. She had short brown hair and was dressed in a blue and gold dress.
She looked like a noble and not a house help and Ezio wondered if the poor woman had fallen into hard times to find work among mercenaries.
A beautiful woman like her looked so out of place among burly and sweaty men and in these unkempt quarters.
"Grazie." Bartolomeo said taking the sword. "Ezio, I would like you to meet Pantasilea. Pantasilea, meet Ezio."
"Er...ciao." Ezio said, looking at the gleaming metal. "Nice to meet you." He looked up to see the woman smiling at him and taking her place beside Bartolomeo who was running his hands along the blade.
"Isn't she beautiful?" He said.
Ezio wriggled his nose and a quick glance at the woman showed that she was blushing. Clearly she too was embarrassed by the way Bartolomeo kept speaking of his sword.
"Certamente." Ezio replied politely. "And sharp too."
"But of course." Bartolomeo said. "She has helped me in many battles with her wisdom."
Ezio blinked and wondered if his friend's obsession went to the extent of him now talking to his weapons. Still, the polite thing would be to play along. So what if Bartolomeo was eccentric. It was his skills and his expertise that the Assassin Order required.
"I've heard that the French are giving you trouble." Ezio said, changing the subject.
"Nothing I can't handle." Bartolomeo waved off and set the blade on the table.
The woman frowned heavily and Ezio understood that the fight against the French was not going the way Bartolomeo was implying.
"I would be more than happy to help." Ezio said. "Pantasilea cannot be enough for you to win your battle."
"Pantasilea?" Bartolomeo glanced at the woman and frowned. "I do not take her to my battles. It is not safe for her."
Ezio started to lose his patience. "Bartolomeo, you cannot be so casual. It is irresponsible of you to not take your best weapons to your battles."
Bartolomeo looked at him peculiarly. "Well I suppose you could regard her as a special weapon. She has always been the most dependable in my life. But it is my duty to protect her. Surely you could understand that."
Ezio started to get irked. "No, Bartolomeo. Your obsession with Pantasilea is not making you see things clearly."
"Ezio!" Bartolomeo said, raising his voice. "I will not hear a word against her!"
"It is my duty to help my friend." Ezio said. "First it was Bianca and now..."
"Who is Bianca?" The woman asked angrily and turned to the fighter.
Bartolomeo squirmed under her glare. "No one. I don't have Bianca anymore."
"Why did you break up with her?" The woman asked.
"Madonna, if you would kindly..." Ezio started to say but the woman turned to him fiercely.
"When was he with Bianca?" She demanded.
"In Venezia." Ezio replied taken aback by the woman's unconcealed temper.
"So that was what you were doing for all these months?" She asked, turning back to Bartolomeo.
"No, dolcezza." The fighter started to sweat. "Bianca is..."
"A whore?" She asked in a scream.
Ezio looked at both of them. Were they lovers? Was Bartolomeo in love with his maid?
"If I may intervene." Ezio said. "You misunderstood, Madonna. Bianca is the name Bartolomeo had given to his sword."
The woman seethed. "Is he telling the truth?" She asked Bartolomeo.
"Of course." He said.
The woman looked at the sword on the table. "You mean this isn't the first sword you've named?"
"Er...no there have been others before." Bartolomeo said sheepishly.
The woman sat down on a chair and smiled with relief. "Forgive me, amore mio." She said. "I misunderstood the whole thing."
Ezio grinned. "Si, you must be careful with your weapons, Bartolomeo. Where did you even find these names for your swords? Bianca...Pantasilea..."
The woman glared at him. "What did you say?"
Ezio swallowed, feeling himself tense as the woman glared at him. She really was protective of Bartolomeo.
"I was just jesting." He said. "I thought it was odd that Bartolomeo chose such an unusual name for his current sword."
"Maria is not such a weird name." Bartolomeo said defensively.
"Who is Maria?" Ezio asked. "Is that the name of one of your daggers?"
"My sword." The fighter replied.
"Then who is Pantasilea?" Ezio asked.
"That would be me, his wife." The woman said angrily.
Ezio gaped at the couple who regarded him as if he was a crazy man.
"Oh...dio mio." Ezio muttered and then grinned, embarrassed. "I assumed you were speaking of your sword this whole time."
Bartolomeo frowned deeply and then suddenly burst out laughing. "Ha! Ezio! Ever since I've met this beautiful woman..." He said putting his arm around his wife's waist. "I've had time for no one else."
"Davvero?" Pantasilea asked. "Is that why you stare at your weapon more than you pay attention to me?"
Ezio shook his head, smiling as Pantasilea playfully nudged her husband who then kissed her forehead.
"Forgive me. Both of you." Ezio said.
"It was an honest mistake." Bartolomeo said. "Now let us get back to work."
"I suppose you'll need Lucia?" Pantasilea asked.
"You have a daughter?" Ezio asked in surprise as he took a chair.
Pantasilea laughed. "No, his favorite Axe."
The three of them laughed and then set about to plan their next move against the French armies.