Alright. This is new territory for me. I've never done anything like this, so I'm not certain how things will turn out. I'd be very grateful for you guys to leave a review so that I know where things stand. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy!
Before I start, though, I would like to state that I do NOT own the Game of Thrones/Song of Ice and Fire or Assassin's Creed franchises, nor did I create them. They are made and owned by George RR Martin/HBO and Ubisoft respectively, and only official works by them should be considered cannon.
On a cold, windless night deep in the Wolfswood, a single leave stirred, seemingly on it's own. Then, another stirred, and then another. Within seconds, branches were ripped from trees, leaves flew high into the air, and a strong wind had formed from nothing. It spiraled in one endless loop, carrying twigs and leaves.
With a flash of golden light so bright it was blinding, the cycle of wind disappeared again. Branches and leaves fell to the ground, and all was still again.
Not to Altair though. Through the darkness, he felt a presence among his six companions. A presence he had not felt moments before. Then, as he concentrated, he felt the presence of another newcomer. There was something about these strangers that gave Altair pause: he did not know them, yet one of them seemed to know him. Even stranger still, both meant no harm to him.
They must have seen him too, as one of them called out to the group.
"So, shall we break this pointless standoff?" he said. He had the voice of a Crusader.
"You are one of King Richard's men, I take it?" Altair replied, following the sound. As his eyes adjusted, he saw the silhouettes of his men and the two strangers.
"I'd ask which one, but I know nobody of the name, I'm afraid," the man replied.
"Perhaps we would do better with some light," a third voice suggested in a heavy accent.
"Then we're lucky I have a lantern," the Englishman said. A moment later, a light filled the clearing.
The man with the lantern turned to the two men in white robes.
"Now," he said, "Does anyone want to start a fire before this thing dies?"
Before long, they had two fires going; one for Altair and the two strangers, and one for the soldiers. The three of them had pulled over logs to sit on.
"Now that we are settled in," the accented one said, "perhaps we should introduce ourselves. I am Ezio Auditore, Mentor of the Italian Assassins."
"Forgive me, Ezio Auditore," Altair replied, "But I'm afraid I have not heard of you, nor of any Brotherhood in Italy."
"I would expect not, Altair Ibn-La'Ahad," Ezio replied with a small smile.
"Forgive the interruption," the Englishman interjected loudly, "But both Altair Ibn-La'Ahad and Ezio Auditore have been dead for centuries."
Altair and Ezio looked at him. Altair replied with, "And who exactly are you?"
Friend or foe, Altair did not like this man.
"My name is Arno Dorian of the French Assassins," he said, narrowing his eyes at Altair's tone, "Well, formerly of the French Assassins."
"You left?" Ezio asked Arno.
"Exiled, actually," Arno replied, with the hint of a smile, as if he found the fact funny, "I did not seek permission of the French council to strike my target, so they expelled me."
At this, Altair frowned.
"You killed a target without being given permission?" he said, leaning forward.
"Several times, in fact," Arno admitted, "What is it that the Creed says? 'Everything is permitted'".
Ezio frowned, but said nothing. Altair, however, spoke up.
"I was like you once, Arno Dorian. I once made the mistake of striking without thought. I disregarded the Creed entirely, and stripped myself of my rank and honor. I was selfish, and I placed our Order in danger."
"I have to agree with Altair," Ezio finally spoke up, "The words of our Creed are not permission to do as you please, but simply an observation of the world.
"'Nothing is true' is to say that society and structure are simple illusions of the mind created by the people to feel secure, and that we must decide our own lives and principles.
"'Everything is permitted' is to say that only you have the power to determine your actions, and that the consequences of them are your own doing."
Arno listened, unimpressed.
"If it pleases you, then continue to put your faith in the Creed. Just know this: the Assassins and Templars aren't all that different. Both hold power through fear and force. The Assassins don't fight for the people, they fight for lawlessness."
"As much as I enjoy this discussion, I think we have more urgent matters," Ezio said, "All of us were born centuries apart, yet we stand before one another. The question is, where and when are we?"
"A question for another day," Arno replied, waving Ezio's concerns away, "Tonight, we should make camp. We can't go exploring in pitch-darkness."
"As much as it pains me to say it, Arno is not entirely wrong," Altair agreed, "Perhaps some sleep will do us all some good."
Luckily, Altair's men had camping gear with them. He had planned to oversee an assignment in Jerusalem where several Templar were believed to have been meeting, and had seen fit to have the men pack tents and blankets.
In the morning, Altair led two of his men out to hunt for game. They chose to use the rations they had packed sparingly, as they had no idea when they would see civilization again.
"Altair," William, his second-in-command asked during the hunt, "I couldn't help but hear your conversation last night. Are those two men truly Assassins?"
"I do not know," Altair admitted with a sigh, "I have no doubt in my mind that Arno Dorian serves only himself, former Assassin or not. As to the Italian, I cannot be certain. I'll confess I have had an interest in expanding our Order across Europe, and nothing has given me reason to doubt Ezio's belief in the Creed, but I wish to be sure before I trust the man with my life."
"There is something else I would like to ask, if you don't object," William said after a moment's pause.
"Speak your mind, then."
"The Piece of Eden," William said, "How could it bring us to this place?"
"Or this time," added the second man.
"As to that, we can only speculate," Altair replied, "I have spent much time with the Apple, but I would not be surprised if it held other secrets."
Suddenly, William stopped in his tracks, and motion for the others to stop too. Slowly and silently, he drew an arrow from his quiver, fixed the nock to the bowstring, pulled back, and let his arrow fly. It flew through the air and hit a squirrel dead in the eye.
"Good shot," Altair complemented as William collected the kill with a smile. Altair was competent with a bow and arrow, but found it to be an ill-suited weapon for an Assassin. Their goal was to blend in, and a bow and quiver was hard to conceal.
Ezio and Arno were awake when Altair and William returned. William had effortlessly taken two more squirrels, and Altair had managed to score one himself. It was hardly a brilliant shot, but Altair could not help but feel rather pleased with himself.
"Good of you to get a fire going," he said to Arno and Ezio, shivering, "I can't recall even being so cold."
"Or so hungry," William added.
As they cleaned and skilled the kills, Altair paid attention to Arno and Ezio's appearances for the first time. Arno couldn't be much older than 25 or so. His long hair was dark brown and tied back in a ponytail, and he was rather unshaven. He wore no robes, but rather breeches, a shirt and vest, and a blue hooded tailcoat. He looked incredibly odd to Altair, but Arno's clothing and posture made it clear enough that he was centuries apart from Altair and Ezio.
Ezio, on the other hand, was probably past 40. His hair was also brown and tied back, but it was not without a hint of grey. He seemed to have elected not to shave, as his beard covered most of his jaw. He looked tired, but Altair suspected he was more agile than he seemed.
His robes were so decorative that Altair's master Assassin outfit looked plain by comparison. Intricate patterns covered his sleeves, his hood fit him loosely, and his robes were colored white and red. He also wore a cape on his left shoulder. He looked like a nobleman. Perhaps that was the point.
Altair caught a glimpse of his bracers, and noticed that he was armed with not one, but two wrist blades, one of which seemed to be outfitted with all sorts of odd gadgets.
"Your blades," he said to Ezio as the meat cooked on the fire, "You seem to have modified them, and you have all your fingers."
"And I have you to thank for them, my friend," Ezio replied, ejecting both blades, "Perhaps you have not done so from your point of view, but I assure you that these designs are your own."
"It is odd that you know so much about what I've been intending to the Brotherhood," Altair informed him.
"I know these things because they have already happened in my time. You're contributions to our Brotherhood will not go unnoticed."
Around noon, they packed up and began their journey.
"Exactly where are we going, if you don't mind me asking?" Arno spoke up from behind them.
"South, if I'm correct," Altair called back.
"And why south, exactly?" asked Arno.
"Why any direction? You seem to have a talent for asking questions."
Arno was silent from then on. William grinned at Altair.
After hours of endless walking and little conversation, the forest turned to hills that stretched as far as the eye could see. A grey sky hung over the environment. It was oddly beautiful in a way, with a light fog hanging over the scene.
"Look down there!" William said, pointing down toward the bottom of the hill. In the distance, Altair made out a small company of men and horses. Two men held a third man clad in black by the arms, while a forth dismounted from his horse to meet them. From their vantage point, Altair could not make out the faces of those below, nor could he hear any words they may have exchanged.
What he could see, however, was that the fourth man was a large, hulking bear of a man. His cloak, made of thick fur, only added to this appearance. The two men held the man in black down on his knees before a large rock as the man approached, followed by a much small man at his side. This second man carried a sheathed sword; a sword that looked very large from Altair's view.
The man in black and the bear-like man exchanged a few words, then his captors forced him down onto the rock, with his head sticking out over the edge. The man in the fur cloak drew his sword from it's sheath, and Altair couldn't help but gasp at it's size. The man whispered something, his hands on the pommel of his sword, before grasping it in two hands, raising it high into the air, and bringing it down on the other man's neck.
As the severed head of the man in black rolled away, a man-at-arms whispered something into the executioner's ear, and then he looked right at Altair and his companions. Altair and the others remained frozen as several mounted men surrounded them, their swords drawn.
"Well," Arno said, "This is an awkward situation."
So there you go. As you can see, the story is starting at Season 1 and progressing through the events in Westeros. Of course, the presence of Assassins in the Seven Kingdoms will have an effect on the story. I plan to introduce characters from both GoT and AC in the coming chapters. Okay guys, please leave a review if you'd like this story to continue!