Darkness was all he could see. He could feel something soft pressing against his eyes, most likely a blindfold. His hands were bound behind his back, though his legs were free. The ropes dug into his skin, burning. It would probably leave a mark when he was rid of them
He shifted, now hearing the cry of a bird. The ground beneath him swayed. He could smell the salty scent of the sea. 'Where am I?' He thought as a sudden drop of water landed on his nose. It left a cold trail as it slid down his face, dripping off, onto his chest.
After a moment, he pieced together a terrifying conclusion. He was possibly on a boat, out at sea, bound and blinded. Unable to swim. And for some reason, he had no clothing. Well he did, but none of the important types, like his robe, or his shoes, which his weapons were stuck to.. He felt his hands for his blade, not surprised to feel only skin. They took his gloves.
Another drop of water fell on him, and then another. He forced himself not top panic, and try to release his hands. Or at least remove the blindfold.
First, he slowed his breathing, which had become rather rapid. Then he slowly felt along the wood for a loose nail. His wrist scraped against something. A bit of rough wood, he realized, wincing as he acquired several splinters.
He continued until he could no longer reach any farther in one direction, before heading in the other. He nearly gave up hope, but as his hands brushed water, he felt the tip of a nail scrape his hand.
He pulled back, feeling for it. When he found it, he began to saw at the ropes. He could feel the fibers as they began to fray, and then tear. His hands came free, and he nearly fell back, as all his weight had been used to saw against the nail. Now free, he ripped the cloth from his face, blinking away the spots from the sudden light.
When his vision returned to normal, he gasped. Eyes widened in surprise, he looked in all directions, fear welling up from within. He couldn't see land in any direction, and he wasn't even on a boat. It was just a bit of wood floating in the water.
"This… This can't be happening!" He cried, scooting towards the center. Fear burned, he though absently, heart beating twice its normal pace. A wave of water, a small wave, splashed against his back. He shivered violently as the cold water made contact with his skin.
He shut his eyes tightly, trying to think of a happy place until he calmed down. It didn't work. He could still HEAR the ocean, he could SMELL it. He could FEEL it. The cold water splashed against him, freezing him, though the sun warmed him moments after.
'I'm going to die… I'll drown. No one will find me.' He thought, thinking of his master, his brothers, even his horse! Yes, his stubborn horse who threw him off every time they rode! He would have thought of his family, but he didn't know who they were. Oh well.
'Pull yourself together, man! Think of a plan! A way back to land!' He took several deep breaths. He took another close look at what was around him. There was the rope he'd been tied with, the wood he was floating on, and water. Oh, and don't forget the nail. Nothing he'd ever learned in Masyaf had told him how to survive this. They didn't even teach swimming lessons. He suddenly thought of those boats he'd seen in Damascus. They had long flat pieces of wood used to move it through the water. The wood he sat on now, it had a few boards going across the top. He could pull one from the end, and hope he paddled in the right direction.
'There's no way I can do this…' he thought, but still pried the board on the end off. It might have been a long shot, but it was a better option than drowning, or lying there, slowly dieing from dehydration. He began to paddle, one stroke to his left, another to his right. He was sure he wouldn't get far, but it was better than nothing.